Malachi handed me a big envelope and I looked at it, frowning. โOpen it.โ Malachiโs face was devoid of emotion, as usual.โDad, are you sure?โ A quick scan of the documents told me that it was the transfer documents of the hotel, the house and the den. The moment I signed these documents it all belonged to me.โYes, Iโm sure.โ I looked at the pen Malachi was holding out to me and he nodded his head.โWhat are you signing?โ Adara tried to look over my shoulder as I took the pen from Malachi and signed the documents with a smile.โItโs ownership of the hotel, the den and the house.โ James whistled as Adara stood up and hugged Malachi tightly, a single tear escaping from her eye.โWow, you guys really go all out for Christmas. I just bought you all wine.โ Everybody burst out laughing at Robertโs dry comment.Malachi took out another envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Robert. He opened it tentatively and his mouth fell open as he pulled a cheque from the envelope. He looked
It was nearing dusk and pack members were piling into the house, the driveway was stacked with cars. Malachi had welcomed everyone and we all stood with a drink in our hands. Robert and Malika stood to one side and I could only smile at the reaction on his face as he realized exactly who our pack members were.โRobert, itโs nice to have you in the inner circle.โ Richard smiled at him and Robertโs eyes couldnโt be wider.โEvening Judge Gardner.โRobert was introduced to Carl and Frank who thanked him profusely for his role in the warehouse fire after I had killed Adrian. He seemed a bit more relaxed as everyone settled down.โWelcome everyone. This year I wanted to do our celebration a little differently. Weโve all suffered extreme losses this year. I propose a toast to our loved ones before we go down to the clearing. Take a few minutes to remember them as we salute their lives.โWe stood in silence for ten minutes and I emptied my tumbler, not wanting to think of everyone that weโd l
I took off my shirt and stepped into the circle. As Alpha, Malachi could call a neutral fight where pack members could call a claim fight for the Alpha seat. With a neutral fight we stepped in according to ranks, which was why I took on Malachi first.We also had rank fights where challenges were open and anybody could fight anybody which would then change the ranks of the men within the pack. The Alpha was ranked first, followed by the Beta and then the strongest Zetas followed by the pack members ranked according to their fighting skills.Physically there wasnโt much difference between me and Malachi. He had years of experience and I was younger, maybe a bit faster. He looked at me and I knew he was going to go for a boxing stance. He raised his arms and I smiled. He came in fast and hard, and it felt like ten punches to my ribcage. I ignored the shouting from the pack and tried to figure out his next move.He feinted left and I ducked under his right arm and landed two solid punche
James and I stood on the patio and looked towards the lines of trees just across the garden from us. The night was quiet and cold but it felt alive with an unseen magic that tugged at my soul.โWhat happened down there?โ I didnโt really know how to answer him.โThe same thing happened with Adrian. Itโs like a force that comes from somewhere, something overpowering, driving me to win.โโIt felt like a sledgehammer had hit me.โโI am sorry, James. It really just happened, I had no control over that punch.โโIโm realizing it, but keep it for the enemy, not me, brother.โ James patted me on the back and I glanced up at the moon.โYeah or not participate in fight night again.โ James grinned and we sat down on the steps of the patio.โHow do you feel about becoming a father?โ There was no hurt in James' voice like Iโd expected and for that I was happier.โIโm happy but scared at the same time.โJames frowned slightly. โWhy are you scared?โโMalachiโs a great father. What if Iโm not as good a
I saw Robert on the patio drinking coffee and stamping his feet. Malachi stood next to him and he watched the garden. I walked out of the tree line and I thought Robert was going to swallow his coffee mug whole as he looked at me.I growled at him for effect and walked back into the forest. Five minutes later, James and I emerged fully dressed again. His eyes were huge with shock as he looked at us. I could hear his heart beating ferociously in his chest.โNow youโve seen a wolf, Robert.โ James laughed at him as we walked inside.โI never realized how big you guys were.โ Robert still looked to be in shock.The house was slowly waking up and we hadnโt slept at all. Robert and Malachi followed us inside and I smelled coffee as Adara stood in front of the stove. The kettle boiled again and she handed me a cup.โI missed you last night.โ She planted a kiss on my cheek and I wrapped my arm around her waist, my palm smoothing over her stomach.โJames and I went running, scared off some kids
Malachi didnโt talk about Mia a lot and a few times she stayed over at our house. Malachi slept in his room and she slept in the guest room and I was glad for that. I wasnโt sure what the extent of their relationship was even though Iโd told him that he needed a friend.I couldnโt quite put my finger on it but something about Mia just irked me. I wasnโt jealous of another woman in my fatherโs life, it was just her that I didnโt like. I did realize later on that Mia came to visit less and less.Adara had been nine weeks pregnant when we came back from Mauritius and we had our very first doctorโs appointment. I was completing my second level of Business Management and Adara was acing her herbalism studies. She was a natural.Over weekends we worked on the nursery together. She had chosen light neutral colors since she didnโt want to know the gender of our baby. Oddly enough, I could feel the baby. There was a bond between us that I couldnโt explain and Adara made me promise not to tell
โSarah was pregnant?โ I kept looking at the road in front of me. I didnโt want to see the pain and confusion in her aura and I felt like shit for keeping it from her.โYes,โ I said solemnly. It wasnโt something I wanted to discuss, not even with her.โWhy didnโt you ever tell me that?โ She was upset and I understood why. It was a big secret to keep.โSarah was human. I was ashamed that I was responsible for her dying and for getting her pregnant. We were both kids. I guess I thought that if I never talked about it, I could bury it.โ I shouldโve had this conversation with her a long time ago but my own guilt stopped me from doing so.โIโm not mad, just sad that you felt you couldnโt tell me.โโIโm sorry. I should have told you. Youโre right. I still feel guilty and ashamed about it.โ I took her hand and she held mine tightly. We would be okay. Ever since that huge blow out with Juniper we had worked really hard at keeping things honest. I hoped that this wouldnโt be a setback for us.โ
One week earlier โฆโSinclair.โ I hadnโt even looked at the caller ID as I sat in the Jeep ready to drive to work.โHey, Superstar.โโHow are you, Jess? Itโs been a while.โ I smiled. It had been weeks since I last spoke to Jessica.โIโm coming over for dinner tonight. Itโs time.โโSure, seven okay?โโSee you tonight.โShe ended the call without saying anything else and I climbed out of the Jeep again to go speak to Adara. Itโs not that I hid things from Adara, it just never occurred to me to tell her that I had a human friend that kind of saved me every time I derailed.I didnโt want to hurt her by telling her that I talked to another woman and that it really was innocent. Malachi was in the kitchen when Adara walked in angrily and looked at him. He was about to greet her when he saw the look on her face.โDo you know Jessica?โMalachi looked up at her and then at me as I followed her to the counter. โI know of Jessica, but I havenโt met her.โโSo, everybody knows about your โfriendโ e
Adara and Kai were discharged the next morning, and I was eager to take them home. Her healing had kicked in and they were both doing really well. The baby room had been ready for weeks and my sense of duty and responsibility toward them came naturally.Our first night at home was spent in Kaiโs room. Adara and I stood by his crib and just watched him as he slept. He was absolutely perfect.โThank you, Adara. I hope he got the best parts of both of us,โ I said.โIโm sure he did,โ she said softly.I kissed her and kept my arms around her. She yawned and I nudged her toward the door. She needed sleep more than I did and she sighed with contentment when I pulled her against me after we got into bed.โIโll always love both of you,โ I whispered.The pack had gone overboard with their congratulations and Malachi had instant love in his eyes the first time he held him. I could only imagine how heโd felt the very first time heโd held me.It was a love so instant that it scared you, the fear w
Life was as it should be. Normal and boring. I finished up in the study that Malachi had now handed over to me, but it felt odd to say that it was mine. It was almost midnight as I checked the doors and windows. I did this every night, it still bothered me how Bryan had so easily entered our house, twice.I climbed into bed next to Adara and she automatically moved towards me. I put my hand on her stomach and I felt little bumblebee kick in response. I smiled as I closed my eyes. I must have slept for three hours when something woke me.I sat up in bed and listened. The house was quiet. I got up and ran to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. My head pounded and I felt dizzy. Something was wrong somewhere. I sat on the bathroom floor and after ten minutes the nausea went away. I splashed water on my face and went back to the bedroom. I was just getting back into bed when Adara sat up, she was in agony.โWhat is it?โ I asked her suddenly.โThe babyโฆ it hurts!โ She screamed loudly
John looked disapprovingly at me and Malachi was in my head instantaneously. โWhat the hell did you just do?โHe was anxious and nervous. I looked around me, the whole den was quiet, and everybody looked at me because I had killed a man that had tapped out. John walked into the circle.โKiran! Do you care to explain? He tapped out and still you killed him!โ Johnโs voice was stern as I still stood over Alexanderโs body.โWolf law nine, no claim shall be made on an Alphaโs position without due cause.โ Malachi frowned slightly as I spoke to John.โThatโs your excuse? An unlawful claim?โ John shook his head as I smiled.โSubsection nine point twelve, any unlawful claim proven to be false shall be reverted back to the original pack with immediate effect without the Alpha having to defend his position, should a claim fight be the result, it shall be a fight of dominance.โ John started laughing.โQuite right, that law hasnโt been used in many years.โ John stated, and looked at me.Bryan look
I didnโt tell James or Adara about what had transpired in the kitchen in the late hours of that night. I wasnโt even sure that I believed it myself. Could it really be possible to get our pack status back?Malachi had also kept quiet and nine days later we received the summons to gather our pack at the den. John had informed Malachi that The Council would be present at this claim and that he would take charge of it himself.This time Adara and Shoran and Christian went to the den with us. Our whole pack gathered with us there and I was nervous. I hadnโt told her yet that I would be the one to fight Alexander and become Alpha of our pack. I didnโt think anybody besides us four in the kitchen that night knew.We stood in the den as Bryan brought in Alexander. He wasnโt pleased at being brought in by The Council. John Whitcombe and the other members were seated behind a table pretty much in the same way they had when we had been accused of murder. The difference this time was that we wer
Malachi had returned to work and there was a new energy around him. He smiled more until I had to sit him down one evening and have a talk with him. Adara had read Christian his story and they had both fallen asleep in his bed. I had carried her to our room when I went to check on Christian.Now I sat in the kitchen and waited for Malachi to return. It was eleven pm when his car finally drove into the garage. He walked into the kitchen and looked at me and I nodded at the chair next to me.He sat down and started laughing. โWhy does this seem so familiar?โ I laughed as well as it brought back memories.โI want to talk to you about drafting a will for me.โโYes, itโs a good idea to make sure everyone is cared for should something happen to you.โWeโve had too many run ins and one day my luck would eventually run out and I wanted everything to stay in the family. I wanted to ensure that the children especially were looked after.โWe should do it as soon as the baby is born.โโThanks, Da
Jessica was good for his soul. Malachi found that he really liked her, all of her. She didnโt block anything from him and she was brutally honest. They spent as much time together as they could and after two months Malachi realized that they were a couple.โYou do realize that technically weโre a couple.โThey were laying in her bed one afternoon as Malachi played with her hair. Jessica laughed and turned her head to look at him.โDude, weโve been a couple since that day in your office.โShe made him laugh and she made him feel good about himself without asking anything of him in return. She was just there, and he started laughing as he realized that he was in love with her.โWe should tell Kiran.โ Malachi sat upright in bed and checked his phone. It had been on silent the whole afternoon.โWhy? Do we need his permission?โ Jessica licked her lower lip and Malachi smiled.โNo.โJessica pushed him back down on the bed and bit his earlobe. โYou are way too serious, Malachi.โโWhy hide it
Malachi and Jessica held hands all the way back to Seward and she directed him to her house. He stopped the Navigator in front of the house and Jessica turned towards him. Malachi wanted to kiss her, undress her and touch every inch of her skin.โI like you, Malachi, but there is one more thing I have to tell you.โ Jessica swallowed nervously.โIt canโt be that bad.โ Her nerves had him on edge. She didnโt come across as someone fearing anything but he knew whatever she had to tell him, it was important and likely to change things between them.โI slept with Kiran.โ She watched Malachiโs face intently for some sort of reaction.โOkayโฆโโWe were seventeen, he had just broken up with Sarah. We were both wasted and it just happened.โMalachi looked at her, listening; it was the truth he heard. Jessicaโs mind was so open and she hid nothing from him, certain things were off limits, he could sense it and he didnโt delve deeper than what she was ready to tell him, but what she did show him w
Malachi smiled as he walked out of his office and found Jessica leaning against the front of the Navigator, looking care-free and young. She was young and he wasnโt so young anymore. She was also beautiful, intriguing and intelligent. She was still too young for him.โTook you long enough.โ Jessica removed her sunglasses and smiled.โYou are something else.โ Malachi unlocked the doors and Jessica climbed into the passenger seat.โYou can take me to dinner or a late lunch or whatever you want to call it.โ She made herself comfortable in the seat and put her safety belt on. Malachi felt at ease, calm and happy. That emotion shocked him a little because he never thought heโd feel that again.Malachi could only smile as he drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the highway, heading out of Seward and in the general direction of Sterling.โWhere are we going, handsome?โ Malachi laughed as Jessica winked at him.โYou know, Iโm much too old for you.โ Malachi glanced at her. She was d
Malachi sat in his office and thought of the events that had happened the last two weeks. He still couldnโt believe that they had escaped unscathed. If George Haynes had been a different Alpha, he and Kiran would both be dead.Malachi wiped a hand over his face. He had wanted to die that night; heโd wanted to die ever since Karani had died. She had been the other half of his soul and he saw no reason to go on without her.Even though he was an outcast now he knew that their pack would always remain intact no matter what status they had. He didnโt want to die anymore and he didnโt want to be Alpha either. He only regretted that Kiran would suffer the same consequences. He wouldโve made a terrific Alpha.โSorry Malachi.โ Tim Oakes had been on his phone, leaving Malachi alone with his thoughts.โNo problem. We can finalize the contract next week and youโll be the proud new owner of the beach front cabins.โโThank you. I really appreciate all the hard work youโve put in.โMalachi and Tim