Cali
It was a little after Midday when Tristan and I climbed into one of the black SUV’s the pack used and headed into the town using a backroad I didn’t know existed. I watched m mate as his dark eyes focused on the roads ahead of us and took the time to appreciate him uninterrupted. He seemed a lot more relaxed than he had over the last couple of days, something I was thankful for.
Yesterday in particular he had been wound so tightly. Even after the meal and drinks with our friends he had climbed into bed pulled me into his arms and held my tight all night without uttering a word. It wasn’t the best night’s sleep I had ever had but he had needed the closeness and there was no way I was going to pull away.
Whatever the reason though, it had seemed to work, today he was visibly more at ease.
“Any particular request for lunch?” He asked glancing at me quickly and smiling as he
Cali How could this be real, surely if there was an entire books worth of abnormal shifters in the world then there would be some other record of it, word would have travelled if only in the form of legends or children’s stories. It couldn’t possibly be real. Silence enveloped us as Michelle left the room and the two of us sat in silence, unmoving as we individually contemplated the possibility that we were not alone, that someone at some point before us had experienced the life we were living. Tristan shifted on the couch and sat back opening the book. He started leafing through the pages one at a time, scanning the writings within. Not willing to wait I curled into his side and read alongside him, my eyes skimming until Tristan seemingly noticed something I missed, he went back several pages to what appeared to be the beginning of a story. “This one I think.” He muttered and took a deep breath b
CaliThe days passed in a comfortable routine, and winter was fast approaching. Between all of my pack duties, the odd spanner that was thrown into the works due to the ongoing war, training with Freya and spending time with Tristan and our friends every day was a long one, but I wouldn’t sacrifice any part of my life to create more time, I was building the kind of friendships that lasted a lifetime and helping to keep our people safe and happy.Tristan had been working hard with Jackson to train up new warriors on an accelerated timescale to reinforce our boarder patrols, Oak creek and Lotus pack had sent along several men from their own packs to be trained up alongside our own something that Tristan was allowing temporarily due to the whole alliance being under threat.The East coast pack was making a little noise and the pack leaders were working to try and settle them down and hold the impending dispute at b
Cali“I still think our best option is to split the Warriors and co-ordinate our attack from multiple points. That was if one point is blocked it won’t delay our whole contingent of warriors. We have five cars of five, if we have one enter from the East, one from the south and two from the West at different point and attack their forces from behind, then our last car sneak through the northern border and reinforce the warriors holding the line.”“And I’m telling you that won’t work, if they have the numbers that we expect they have, by the time we get the car right the way round to the eastern side of the territory the pack will have lost the line and there will be no border to protect.”“Not if we cut across the northern edge to the eastern side of the territory.”“Guys, I get that you are trying to hash this out in advance but until we hear from the
CaliRoman, Jackson, Michael and Kyle were all already situated around the table in the war room, looking down at maps as white noise sounded through the speaker in the middle of the table.“Is this up to date?” Jackson asked referring to the map before him as his eyes searched out Kyle.“Yes, as of a month ago, and we have had no reports of anything changing since then. Luna, you should familiarise yourself with the layout also.” Kyle responded his overlong dirty blonde hair flopping around his face as he spoke with such enthusiasm.Stepping closer to the table the logistics expert slid a map across the table in front of me before stepping closer in order to talk me through it.“This is the map of Dark Forest and the surrounding areas. The red line is their border however we expect they are currently holding the line around here.” He stated, drawing a new line on the
Cali“Shit! it was all one big distraction. Shit!” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and suddenly, I heard Tristan’s voice across the radio.“Cali, what’s going on?”Rather than announcing the problem to all the warriors I mind linked my mate, so thankful for the unlimited distance that came with the mark of a mate.‘They are attacking Blackrock, the warriors that were lying in wait on the west of Dark Forest, they weren’t there for them they were waiting for us to send all of our warriors south. We just lost two men on the border.’‘Fuck’‘Tristan, I need you to get home.’‘We’re at least fifteen minutes out.’ He responded desolation tainting his voice and I swallowed hard.‘Okay, I’m giving command of the war room to Michael and Kyle they can handle ever
CaliThey say when you come to the end of your life you see the beginning, that the life you have led flashes before your eyes like an old movie reel.But standing there, staring at certain death, I didn’t see the life I had led, I saw all the things I had yet to do. I saw Tristan and I laying on a beach and playing with our children, I saw huge family Christmases at the pack house and watching our children meet their mates.I saw love and life in complete contrast to the death that stared me down.A shiver wracked my body as reality hit, not only were we about to lose, but we were going to lose spectacularly.A group of wolves somewhere in the middle started to shift, six of them in total changed to human form, completely naked they stood amongst their men and stared me down.“Luna huh? Well, we made a mistake letting you go.” One of the men on the left stated and Freya gr
CaliIt was like watching the dust settle after a storm in the desert, the green light seemed to dim and shower down blinking from existence where it met the ground, each grain of light causing a sprig of fresh grass to grow or a flower to bloom on the trampled battle worn terrain. It was like a touch of beauty in an otherwise desolate scene.Everything was still once again, like a battle hadn’t been waging only moments before, the trees swayed in the morning breeze, the sun broke through the clouds and a serene silence fell across the land.I glanced around us fearful for the state of our men, but our warriors stood looking at the body strewn ground in astonishment without a single scratch on them, as though the light had healed the wounds of the battle. Unfortunately, the six men that lost their lives lay broken on the ground, unaffected by the wave of light and I felt a sadness creep in at the sight.
CaliMy whole body was alight as Tristan ran his hands up my bare legs, along my hips and waist, his fingers brushing the sides of my breasts and caressing my neck before settling on the sides of my face and he lay himself between my open legs, his erection pressing against my wet core, and I groaned from that feeling alone. The want coursing through me had me heated from the inside out and I wasn’t surprised to see small flames licking at my skin.Reigning it in I took a deep breath to control the wolf in me and watched as the flames disappeared while Tristan watched me fight for control.“Sorry.” I uttered, praying that he didn’t take it back, that he didn’t stop where this was going.“It’s okay. Let go, feel, I’ll match you.” He stated demonstrating when he brought ice to his fingertips. “Just let me know if I hurt you, I’ll be as gentle as I
The pack house was blissfully quiet the next morning, something I was surprised to find, even as I walked down from the bedroom and through the halls, there was no one in sight and no noise, it was actually a little eerie.Roman had explained the night before that the warriors had located Liberty pack and they were planning an attack on their camp so I had no doubt that Roman Tristan and the other relevant people were ensconced away in the war room making plans, but I would have expected, at the very least to run into some of the pack house staff.Cali was sat alone in the sitting room with a trolly full of breakfast foods, her head bend as se read through what had to be the oldest book I had ever seen.“Morning.” I whispered, not wanting to disturb her but Cali closed the book and placed it in her lap before looking around the room and fixating on the trolley of food as though surprised to see it there.“Morning. What time is it?”“A little after nine. I slept in.” I muttered feeling
TristanJackson wasn’t joking when he called it a camp. From the looks of it most of the shifters were sleeping outside under the nights sky. Most of the year that wouldn’t be an issue, especially if you shifted into wolf form to stay warm, but there was still snow on the ground in parts of the woodlands, and the bits that weren’t covered in snow were frozen solid, it was freezing out there.I scanned the picture on the screen, taking in the tarpaulin hanging haphazardly to create barriers from the wind, rain and snow, the single tent like structure and the dozens of shifters, and a sadistic glee filled me, it was animalistic and most definitely came from the wolf in me but it wasn’t an emotion I would fight.These monsters had attacked my home, my pack, put the alliance under the treat of war, injured and killed. Kidnapped and tortured and soon they would receive a taste of their own medicine.“Roman, go through the pictures and videos see if you can put together a map of their camp.
RomanThe sense of relief was astounding, even Smoke was calm inside my head for once, laying with Amber wrapped in my arms, our cub growing safely inside her, for the first time I felt like I was home. I guess it’s true what they say, you don’t know what you have until its gone. The risk of loosing Amber over this made me realise just how much I needed my mate, and only part of that feeling was due to the bond we had created.For the most part it was all her, her smile, her gentle approach, she tempered me in a way I didn’t know was possible, even Smoke was generally calmer when she was around.Her fingers traced the ridges on my chest and stomach, the now familiar tingles leaving bump on my skin.“You okay?” I asked, loathe to break the comfortable silence, but we couldn’t ignore this, a baby wasn’t just going to disappear. The no of her head against my chest wasn’t the most reassuring answer he could have given. “Amber, baby. I need you to talk to me.”“It hurt. Knowing that this t
CaliTristan genuinely looked like he was at his wits end, not that I could blame him, yet again he was shouldering a hell of a burden and there didn’t seem to be a reprieve around the corner. I watched as he sat back in his office chair, scrubbing his face with his hands as he took deep breaths, trying to control the overwhelming emotions running through him, frustration, anger, disappointment, disbelief, not one of them were positive and left me feeling overwhelmed and I only felt the echo of his emotions.Anger seemed to tip the scales a little as he dialled the phone and placed the call on loudspeaker on his desk waiting for the other person to pick up. He tapped a finger on the desk, and I bit my lip, I had a feeling that Lotus pack were about to be on the receiving end of all of Tristan’s pent up frustrations.“Leroux.” A young voice answered and my eyes flicked up to Tristan in surprise. Alpha Paxon was far from young, his son Abel was set to take over any day, but word was tha
AmberWhen I suggested to Cali that we take Amie out of the boot room, I was just trying to be the bigger person, and if I’m honest I was feeling a little guilty, the girl couldn’t be much older than 18 if at all, and she was on the receiving end of a hell of a lot of hate, even if she hadn’t witnessed it, I didn’t want to be one more person in her life that hated her, when truth be told, Cora was right, that cold have just as easily been me.But the story she told actually broke my heart. No one should have to live in that kind of a household, no one should be belittled by the people that are genetically engineered to love you. I couldn’t help but rub my hand over the rounding belly that contained the bundle of life I already loved so much.I couldn’t even imagine.“Amber?” The question startled me, I had actually forgotten that Roman was here, I also hadn’t noticed that everyone else had abandoned me. I guess it was for the best. No one wanted to be a part of this kind of conversati
Cali‘Well that escalated quickly.’ Thalia’s thought in my head was pure amusement as she practically drooled over how protective and strong our mate was. Damn baby hormones. We were in the middle of a nightmare situation and all I could think about was how much I wanted my mate.Tristan growled at the older man before issuing a threat of his own, his tone pitched low enough that bumps rose on my arms, if the man wasn’t wetting himself he was an idiot, I more than anyone, knew just how soft and loving Tristan could be, but in Jacks shoes, I’m not entirely sure I would still be conscious.“You have some nerve, coming into my home, throwing around your accusations, threatening my beta, demanding things like you have a right and now you have the balls to throw a vase at my mate, my Luna. The only reason you’re still breathing is because of that young girl over there. The very girl you were ready to abandon, the girl you call a whore, just saved your life.”I felt the tell-tale signs of t
RomanJack Elisse’s voice carried when he was mad, I didn’t even have to force my hearing to listen in on their conversation, standing in the hallway, with the door closed, I could hear him as crystal clear as if he was stood beside me, and every one of his words sliced through my patience like a knife through butter. I could practically feel Tristan’s displeasure from here, and I had no doubt that after this performance I was shortly going to be on the wrong end of another one of the Alpha’s rants.The fact that I had to step out of the room at all was just icing on an already fucked up cake.“Look at you, standing there like you think I’m in the wrong. They always said that Alpha Leroux was fair, tough but fair and yet you’re taking that bastards side without blinking. You have to know that he’s in the wrong here, behind that blank mask of yours, you cannot be this blind.” I winced at the older man’s words, knowing just how pissed off Tristan was right now, there was no way that wou
AmberIt literally felt like my heart had been torn from my chest. The only man I had ever loved, had a child with someone else.“Romans talking with Tristan, he was up here with you for a while but Tris is pissed.” Cali informed from her seat beside me on the bed, although I could barely focus on her words, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.“I don’t want to see him.” I muttered and Cali shook her head.“Don’t talk like that, you’ll work through it.”“I don’t care, right now Cali, I do not want to see him. How could he do this to me?” I asked as the tears fell from my eyes and my hands went to my stomach. The child he had been so worried about, scared to raise, wasn’t even his first.“There’s still a chance the baby isn’t his.”“I don’t believe that, and neither do you. We both saw his face Cali. The baby is his.”“So, what are you going to do?” The question was asked tentatively but that was the question of the hour, what was I going to do?“I don’t know, but I can’t, right now I just c
RomanOf all the fucking things, and all the fucking timing.I grit my teeth as I stroked the hair back off Amber’s face. My pregnant mate had literally passed out from the news that I had apparently fathered another she-wolfs cub. The doc was on his way over, while I had managed to catch Amber before she hit the ground, I wasn’t willing to take any chances with my mate or my cub.Now I just had to figure out what I was going to do about the girl and the baby.I recognised her, of course I did. She was a member of Lotus pack, a she-wolf I had met over a year ago while Damian and I were on assignment there.Was there a possibility the baby was mine? Unfortunately, yes. I was always careful, I always had been, with everyone but Amber, although that didn’t really mean a lot, shit still happened. But I hadn’t been her first, and I doubt I was her last, so was there a possibility that the cub belonged to someone else? Sure. And fuck was I hoping that was the case.A knock on the door had m