Anika's POV
I ran off to go pack. I have to leave the palace and go to my parent's cottage. It isn’t far from the palace. It’s actually one of the closest buildings to the palace since my parents both work on the palace grounds being that my father is King Harmon’s gamma.
When I get home, I avoid my parents’ prying eyes. I try not to let them know I’m home because that would just raise questions. I can answer their questions later and they honestly don’t expect me home for another 2 days since I told them I would be staying at the palace with Ari for the celebration days. I sneak into my room, throw some clothes into my backpack and slip back out the back door. Just as I am headed back to the palace, the alarms start sounding. SHIT! King Harmon realizes Ari and Ares are missing. I hope Alec is okay! I grab my phone and call him. We aren’t mated yet, so I can’t mind link him, and I can’t mind link Ari because she is probably passed out still. She isn’t answering me an
Anika’s POV I woke up when I felt the car come to a stop. I yawned and stretched, looking around for Alec. He was pumping gas. We stopped for gas. Then I looked at the clock. We had been driving for 3 hours. It was the middle of the night, or the wee hours of the morning, whichever way you want to see it. Shockingly enough, when I sat back up, I felt rested. How well did I actually rest? Why was I so refreshed with just a few hours of sleep? Was this a part of the mate pull? I would ask Alec whenever he got back in the car. I was still frustrated with Alec, but I know I’ll get over it. Right now, I needed to get to know Alec better, and I needed to be sure we were actually going to get to Ari. Until I saw her with my own eyes, I was still going to have my guard up a little. Alec was sooo amazing even pumping gas! Those muscles, that jawline, and THOSE EYES. His eyes for a green I couldn’t comprehend. They were a bright pastel green when he seemed calm
Anika's POV “Wow…” I uncrossed my arms and instantly let my guard down realizing that no one other than Freedom Ridge pack members actually knew what Freedom Ridge was like! Well, of course, them and the current Alpha King. He wouldn’t allow things like the rumors to go on in a pack under his rule. “Have I rendered my mate speechless?” He smirks. “No! I just never looked at it that way. SO what is Freedom Ridge REALLY like?” “Well, that my beautiful, you will have to see for yourself, but what I can tell you is that it is the most secure location in the wolf nation and it is far from a prison! There are some beautiful landscapes and wilderness within our borders that can take your breath away. I have a favorite spot I can’t wait to show you!” He was glowing as he told me about his pack. Just the little bit he is telling me is still vague but gives me hope as I see him glowing talking about it. He really does love it there, so I’m sure I will too.
Ares’s POV We’ve been mating for what seems like days. Eros won’t let me release her so we can finally sleep. He doesn’t smell her with pup yet. I’m exhausted, but Eros keeps surging me with more and more energy. Ari is exhausted in every way imaginable. Alec is on his way and should be here within the hour. I had the whole place locked down with the retractable windows and doors covering the place. When I raise one of the retractable doors to let Alec in, Ari’s scent will explode in the area. I trust Alec. He’s bringing his mate, so he should be pre-occupied himself. I’m just worried about how much of her scent will get out and that it will be strong enough, even in that short period of time I open the door, to attract her father’s wolves on patrol. If they pick up her scent, we are as good as screwed. The full force of his pack will come down on us to retrieve her. I can’t let that happen. Think Ares, THINK dammit! ‘Tell them to get a hotel room in the
Ari’s POV Ares wasn’t wrong. The next morning we woke up reinvigorated like never before and we mated in every corner of the room, bathroom, and virtually everywhere upstairs since apparently he told Alec not to come up here. Since we were obviously not going anywhere for a few days, Alec focused on Ani. I’m sure she is close to hitting her heat at this point since it’s been two days since they arrived. I’m not sure if Ani has let him mark her yet, but I assume the deeds already done. Once they mate and mark each other the first time, she only has two to three days and she will hit her heat. I just felt so much better just knowing Ani was here with me. My heat was starting to relax. The waves weren’t hitting me as hard anymore. I felt a dull pain throbbing in my uterus and frankly, I couldn’t tell what was hurting, my lady bits or my uterus because of the heat. I was so sore in every aspect and inch of my body. ‘Can we just tell him we are with pu
Ares’s POV Another day has passed and I think Ari slept half the day away. I, on the other hand, spent that time wrapped around her sleeping body, lost in my own blissful thoughts. After Ari told me she felt that she was with pup, my heart sang. Eros couldn’t be more proud of himself and our efforts. I know Ari wanted to finish her degree before we tried anything like starting a family, but I just don’t see that as an issue since we have daycare at the Pack University. She doesn’t know that, but I also realize that it is my fault. I naturally am not very forthcoming with information about our pack with anyone, it’s just habit. All my higher-ranking wolves have been trained this way for a reason. Since we arrived at my safe house, I have tuned the outside world out and lost myself in Ari and our bond. Eros had one thing on his mind, breeding Ari. With Ari done with her heat and Anika hitting her heat with Alec, we have another few days of solace before shit hi
Ari’s POV For the last two or three days, I have been exhausted. Ever since Ares’s wolf, Eros, released and let us finally recoup, I was able to shower, eat, and sleep and sleep I did! I really am not sure how long I slept, but Ares said he has been taking care of pack business on his cell phone and keeping in contact with my father and his gamma. When I asked Ares why we couldn’t leave sooner, he told me we weren’t going anywhere until Anika was done with her heat. He wouldn’t go downstairs at ALL, I am assuming because Anika’s heat is sending off crazy amounts of pheromones downstairs, but I was allowed to retrieve things like food and drinks for us from the kitchen downstairs. When I came to and finally left the bedroom for the first time, I was able to explore this “safe house” and really take in what it really looked like. When we arrived, I wasn’t really in my right mind. I had to admit, this place of Ares’s was pretty amazing. It has this ridiculous se
“We are raising a goddess,” Ares stated and wrapped his arms around me to calm me. He could tell I was obviously upset at this news, stressed, and confused. His touch mixed with his intoxicating scent instantly soothes me and makes me feel this wave of safety and security, like everything will be okay. “Precisely.” My father states, “You have the hardest job of all, being the mother and father of the moon goddess. Raising a celestial being to influence the world in a good, prosperous, and magical way. This is why you must pass all her tests and trials. She is making sure you are the chosen ones and are prepared for the largest task ahead. In order to raise her, you must be powerful enough to protect her first and foremost. With power comes great responsibility.” My father reminds us.” “So, basically, if we pass these trials, we could potentially become the most powerful wolves to ever exist?” Ares clarifies. “That is correct son.” My father has never called A
As we arrived at Freedom Ridge, I was nervous, but when I saw that the reinforcements my father sent were waiting for us at the gates, I felt comfort in knowing that some of my extended family was now with us at Freedom Ridge. My personal guards and maids that help me with my day-to-day living will really help me feel more at home until we can actually go back home. Apparently, Ares lost my cell phone in the rush of my heat hitting at the celebrations so I had to use his as he drove us here. I was able to text Alexia to see that she was okay. She told me that she went into heat around the same time as Ani and I did but she was not very talkative. She answered my questions with very direct and simple answers. Something was off about her. Maybe she was just exhausted as we have been? She assured me that Lane was still acting gentlemanly towards her and everyone at Slick Paw was so nice and helpful. She arrived with Fen and Lane at Slick Paw the day after celebrations ended and
Ari’s POV - After my first doctor’s appointment to check on the baby, I was so emotional. Ares was emotional too. We spent the evening alone together, bonding. We needed time to ourselves to feel close and decompress after everything that had happened recently. With this trip to Hawaii nipping at our heels, we felt it important to spend what precious time we had alone together as much as possible before the baby comes and more things get in the way. The next morning, Ani came bursting through our bedroom doors to wake us up. She was overly excited about this trip. We both may be about 2 months pregnant, but that wasn’t slowing her down from attempting to get to the beach and show off that gorgeous figure of hers. She ended up convincing Ares that Alexia needed to come with us to ‘heal’ herself from her rejection. He couldn’t say no when he knew everything Alexia had gone through. She had been moping around the pack house since she rejected Lane and knowing Fen was now dead helped
Ares’s POV The match was challenging, but not too difficult. After Councilmen Horis declared Ari and I the clear winners, the entire council as well as the other alpha’s bowed in submission and swore their fealty and loyalty to us both. It didn’t take long for the media to get word, and thus, the circus monkey’s are at it again, only they are starting to get worse. It was a relief finally ridding the world of that disgrace of an alpha. The fact that he openly admitted to murdering my father was icing on the cake - an added touch to the reasons for his death. His pack will end the horrid practice he was fully taking advantage of and I will send my father’s former beta to go and run the pack up there for the time being until we can find a better solution to managing our new pack territories. Ari has been scared to death of everything that has happened, and I don’t blame her, but I did reassure her multiple times that I would be fine and everything would be okay. I think she can fina
Ari's POV“Baby there’s no rush, we have all the time in the world,” Ares moans as I continue to rock myself up and down on his thick and engorged glorious member inside me.“I don’t care! I need you and I need this NOW!” I moan out as I slam myself down on him harder and harder, feeling myself growing closer and closer. As I get closer to my peak, I feel my emotions are quickly getting away from me and for some reason, as I reach that magical peaking moment, I burst into tears as I cum all over his throbbing shaft inside of me.“OH ARES!!” I cry out, “I can’t lose you! I can’t!”He lifts me up and flips us so he's on top of me now. I feel his nee
We left the diner to go back to the council headquarters where our room for the night is waiting for us. I’m exhausted all the time now, and I can’t wait to put my face into a pillow. We said goodnight to my dad and settled in our room for the rest of the night. As I laid my head on a pillow on the bed, my phone went off. Someone text me, so I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. Alexia: I’m going to reject Lane. Me: Really? Are you 100% sure about this? You know I will support you either way. Alexia: I’m sure. I can’t even think about that place. I just can’t. Me
Ari’s POV In the council chambers, I see my dad currently in the middle of some big speech to all the alphas and elders. Ares and I stood quietly in a corner until he found his seat at the panel. He led me to his seat, and sat me in his lap, placing a gentle kiss on my temple before smiling and nuzzling his nose into my neck and inhaling my scent. He apparently needed a moment to calm down and relax because as he was inhaling my scent, I felt his whole body instantly relax. That made me feel good - knowing that I had the ability to calm my mate just by him inhaling my scent. As my dad finished his big long speech that I had paid no attention to, I hear the voice of the prick I loath more than anyone else in this world, “Ahh…so glad you could join us Alpha Ares, LUNA Ari! We thought you were too busy playing house to grace u
After a while, the witches settled down a bit and actually welcomed us in. We sat down in their main greeting room and one of the mistresses brought tea for everyone. “It’s not much Alpha, but we do pride our coven in our generosity towards those in your territory and pack. We are loyalists after all.” One mistress stated while sipping her tea. Something was bothering me and I knew what it was but I didn’t want to raise any alarms with Ari so I tried to be cautious in how I approached the subject. “What’s wrong?” Ari whispers to me from behind me. “Nothing. I was summoned to the council. I told Trace I couldn’t go right now, obviously.” I whisper back to her as she nods and relaxes back into her seat.
Ares’s POV “To what do we owe this pleasure, Alpha?” the coven mother asked in a very husky and labored voice. “We come seeking your wisdom and talents,” I state in a flattering manner in an attempt to make nice with the witches. We may be still in our own pack territory, but we were definitely out of our depth in the middle of a coven of witches, even if they were white witches and friendly with our kind. “What is it that you seek?” “We are in search of answers to help one of our own.” I responded just as vaguely as she was with me. “We are here trying to find answers for a half-breed madam,” Ari interjected. I glared at her
Ares’s POV After a few more hours of driving into the mountains we finally arrived at the location I knew to be the Sisters of the Moon’s coven headquarters. We had to dip down a side street in the small mountainside town due to the paparazzi that seemed to be accumulating in every area we went. “What are we going to do? They are swarming around that place!” Illyana says in a very concerned voice. “Relax! Throw these on.” I toss back trench coats, sun glasses, and hats to everyone to put on. Sometimes covering up as much of your identity as possible is the only defense. As we hop out of the SUV and begin walking towards the crowd and coven entrance, a photographer notices us. I immediate
As I hop out of my Range Rover, I see that a council elder is standing at the door waiting to greet me. It’s not a very far drive from Slick Paw to the council headquarters. Even though they have a chamber in Black Claw’s palace, their central offices are located about 2 hours away from our pack. It’s located on the edge of 4 pack territories and looks more like a four-story office building than anything else. From the outside and those not a part of the supernatural world, you would never know this is the seat of Wolf Nation, outside of our capital in Black Claw. “Alpha Fen, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Elder Peter smiles, holding his arms out in a greeting. “I’ve come to speak to the council. It won’t take long.” I declare. “They are in session. I will let