"But why?" Elizabeth cried. "Why is he so invested in your choice of Luna?"James considered for a moment, before speaking."The Luna has more influence in a pack than any Alpha would care to admit," James began. "The Alpha is obeyed, always, but very often he is also feared. But the Luna is obeyed, always, and she is loved. And when obedience comes from love, rather than fear, the obedience is ingrained and the loyalty unshakeable.""And if Bass had the ear of the Luna," Elizabeth reasoned."He would have the sway over the pack," James shook his head. "It's just so unlike him, though. Bass is violent, he fights head on, and he fights recklessly. It isn't like him to be so underhanded and deviant.""Poor Katrina," Elizabeth began. "She was going to be used like a puppet. I'm glad she managed to escape.""Yeah," James nodded. "It wouldn't have been easy for her to be in that situation. Bass would have manipulated her to gain control over the pack.""Do you think his goal was to b
Elizabeth and James were preparing to return to the pack, but there was nothing else that they could do. Not really. More lives depended on them than just their own.Elizabeth packed up everything she would need. This would be well and truly her last time packing up and leaving here. It felt a little strange, though she'd done it so many times before already."Are you ready to leave?" James asked her.And she wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she did know what she had to."I think so," Elizabeth answered, tying her last bag closed and passing it to James.They left for the Moirai together. This time, there would be no guards sent to bring Elizabeth home. This time James wouldn't leave her side even for a moment.Not while the threat to them, their pack and their mate bond, was still out there. While the threat still thought that they weren't yet uncovered.And James, much like the first time, well and truly didn't know what he was returning to. He had no idea the state that
Bass immediately realized his mistake. But it was far too late to make any attempts at correcting it now.Not only had Bass robbed them of a mated Luna, but he'd also then put every barrier to her possibly being found, and in the same attempt, stopped their pack from having a Healer.All of these actions were not only betrayal against James, but the entire pack as a whole."What did you do, Bass?" James asked, spreading his arms wide before him, giving Bass a chance to explain."You were never supposed to be Alpha," Bass hissed. "It was never supposed to be you. I was going to be Alpha!" Bass screamed, and every wolf took a few steps back.This wasn't an outright challenge for Alpha just yet, but it was getting there pretty fast.Elizabeth stayed firm in her place just behind James; she would move when it was an open declaration and not before.Kenneth stood firm next to her."So tell me," James spoke softly, encouraging. "Tell me what was supposed to happen."And Elizabeth un
The fight was finally over. Elizabeth could hardly believe it. Everything was over, all the lies and deception, the loss and manipulation. There was finally peace in the Moirai.Or, as much peace as a wolf pack could have.Two weeks had already passed since Bass had been exiled, and for two weeks, they've been living without his shadow, or fear of him, covering them.Elizabeth still felt slightly uneasy, though. The moon had still been showing her troubling dreams, things she couldn't yet explain.A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts."Luna," the wolf bowed before her, and Elizabeth had gotten used to the deference very quickly. Even she had to admit, royalty had its perks. "The Alpha is summoning you, in his hall.""He is, is he?" Elizabeth arched a brow. "Tell him I'll be right there."Elizabeth glanced to the wedding clothes and jewelry again. She would be barefoot for the ceremony, it was their law. But something about her things looked missing, and she couldn
"Hello, Katrina," Elizabeth greeted, walking into the wolf's tent unannounced. She hadn't knocked or showed deference.Elizabeth was done playing games.It wasn't the Luna's tent, it wasn't even the tent of an honored guest. It was just a spare room they'd set up quickly for her to stay in.The ground looked muddy and wet."Luna," Katrina made the slight bow that was offered to the Luna's, and Elizabeth remembered her doing one for Katrina, something that felt almost a lifetime ago now.It also felt like a betrayal, to herself, to James, to their mate bond."You are a Luna too," Elizabeth began. "If I'm not mistaken, Luna Vanessa is your mother, and she was wise, she passed her gift to you, am I correct?"The Luna's gift passing to daughters was a strange way of inheritance. A Luna was only truly a Luna when she was mated to an Alpha, the same way an Alpha was only truly an Alpha when he had the loyalty of a pack that agreed to follow him.But some Lunas could pass their gift t
A wolf's wedding was held beneath the full moon. It was a tradition, a hope they lived by, that as the moon protects them all, the moon would bless the couple on this evening.It was the day of her wedding, and Elizabeth was waiting in her room for the wolves to come and help her. Ayla would be part of her bridal party today, and Selene was coming from the Sycamore Pack.Besides those two, who Elizabeth had requested to be in attendance, there were many of other wolves who had offered to help her. But Elizabeth had been wary, after Katrina just yesterday, and had requested only those two wolves to come to her rooms.They would bathe her in hot water and oils, then they would apply salves to her skin so the moonlight would shine off of her.Right now, the wedding was being set up outside, and the path to the altar was being lined with the freshest and cleanest soil.James would walk, barefoot, to the altar down the aisle. Leaving footprints for her to follow. And then she would wal
She is still the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. Her tanned skin is living bronze, barely covered by the softest cotton. There are small, thin straps keeping her dress from falling. If he wanted, he could slip it off her shoulders. High slits on the white cotton shows her thigh and James cannot resist himself, and he reaches for her skin, lightly grasping."Will you tell me your name tonight?" James whispers to the woman, his voice almost pleading.He's asked this question many times now; she'd almost always laughed, and kissed him. He had never gotten an answer yet."You know my name," the strange and beautiful woman answered, her voice soft and sweet, like the most beautiful music. He could listen to it forever and not get enough. "Like you know me."James could not fathom a world where he had met this woman, had known this woman, and then forgotten about her. It was absolutely impossible.Her eyes were the lightest blue imaginable, like the moon had dripped her color
The Moirai Wolf Pack was home now. It was a strange name for a wolf pack. But, Elizabeth shrugged, it hadn't really mattered all that much.They were looking for a healer for their pack, and they'd been willing to take her in. Elizabeth had walked to the pack, following a scent that was d*mn near impossible to miss. The wolves left scent markings all around their territories; no one could say they trespassed accidentally.She'd been invited, though. The wolves that were patrolling their territory already had her scent, since she'd sent a few of her clothes with her scent on them ahead of her coming here.She'd walked the small journey through the woods. Run it, actually. It had felt good to run again, for the first time in so long.Finishing her schooling in the city had been tiring, but she'd made it through. She'd also not killed any humans while among them, so that was doubly good. But she was more than ready to be back with the wolves again. Even if they weren't her birth pac
A wolf's wedding was held beneath the full moon. It was a tradition, a hope they lived by, that as the moon protects them all, the moon would bless the couple on this evening.It was the day of her wedding, and Elizabeth was waiting in her room for the wolves to come and help her. Ayla would be part of her bridal party today, and Selene was coming from the Sycamore Pack.Besides those two, who Elizabeth had requested to be in attendance, there were many of other wolves who had offered to help her. But Elizabeth had been wary, after Katrina just yesterday, and had requested only those two wolves to come to her rooms.They would bathe her in hot water and oils, then they would apply salves to her skin so the moonlight would shine off of her.Right now, the wedding was being set up outside, and the path to the altar was being lined with the freshest and cleanest soil.James would walk, barefoot, to the altar down the aisle. Leaving footprints for her to follow. And then she would wal
"Hello, Katrina," Elizabeth greeted, walking into the wolf's tent unannounced. She hadn't knocked or showed deference.Elizabeth was done playing games.It wasn't the Luna's tent, it wasn't even the tent of an honored guest. It was just a spare room they'd set up quickly for her to stay in.The ground looked muddy and wet."Luna," Katrina made the slight bow that was offered to the Luna's, and Elizabeth remembered her doing one for Katrina, something that felt almost a lifetime ago now.It also felt like a betrayal, to herself, to James, to their mate bond."You are a Luna too," Elizabeth began. "If I'm not mistaken, Luna Vanessa is your mother, and she was wise, she passed her gift to you, am I correct?"The Luna's gift passing to daughters was a strange way of inheritance. A Luna was only truly a Luna when she was mated to an Alpha, the same way an Alpha was only truly an Alpha when he had the loyalty of a pack that agreed to follow him.But some Lunas could pass their gift t
The fight was finally over. Elizabeth could hardly believe it. Everything was over, all the lies and deception, the loss and manipulation. There was finally peace in the Moirai.Or, as much peace as a wolf pack could have.Two weeks had already passed since Bass had been exiled, and for two weeks, they've been living without his shadow, or fear of him, covering them.Elizabeth still felt slightly uneasy, though. The moon had still been showing her troubling dreams, things she couldn't yet explain.A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts."Luna," the wolf bowed before her, and Elizabeth had gotten used to the deference very quickly. Even she had to admit, royalty had its perks. "The Alpha is summoning you, in his hall.""He is, is he?" Elizabeth arched a brow. "Tell him I'll be right there."Elizabeth glanced to the wedding clothes and jewelry again. She would be barefoot for the ceremony, it was their law. But something about her things looked missing, and she couldn
Bass immediately realized his mistake. But it was far too late to make any attempts at correcting it now.Not only had Bass robbed them of a mated Luna, but he'd also then put every barrier to her possibly being found, and in the same attempt, stopped their pack from having a Healer.All of these actions were not only betrayal against James, but the entire pack as a whole."What did you do, Bass?" James asked, spreading his arms wide before him, giving Bass a chance to explain."You were never supposed to be Alpha," Bass hissed. "It was never supposed to be you. I was going to be Alpha!" Bass screamed, and every wolf took a few steps back.This wasn't an outright challenge for Alpha just yet, but it was getting there pretty fast.Elizabeth stayed firm in her place just behind James; she would move when it was an open declaration and not before.Kenneth stood firm next to her."So tell me," James spoke softly, encouraging. "Tell me what was supposed to happen."And Elizabeth un
Elizabeth and James were preparing to return to the pack, but there was nothing else that they could do. Not really. More lives depended on them than just their own.Elizabeth packed up everything she would need. This would be well and truly her last time packing up and leaving here. It felt a little strange, though she'd done it so many times before already."Are you ready to leave?" James asked her.And she wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she did know what she had to."I think so," Elizabeth answered, tying her last bag closed and passing it to James.They left for the Moirai together. This time, there would be no guards sent to bring Elizabeth home. This time James wouldn't leave her side even for a moment.Not while the threat to them, their pack and their mate bond, was still out there. While the threat still thought that they weren't yet uncovered.And James, much like the first time, well and truly didn't know what he was returning to. He had no idea the state that
"But why?" Elizabeth cried. "Why is he so invested in your choice of Luna?"James considered for a moment, before speaking."The Luna has more influence in a pack than any Alpha would care to admit," James began. "The Alpha is obeyed, always, but very often he is also feared. But the Luna is obeyed, always, and she is loved. And when obedience comes from love, rather than fear, the obedience is ingrained and the loyalty unshakeable.""And if Bass had the ear of the Luna," Elizabeth reasoned."He would have the sway over the pack," James shook his head. "It's just so unlike him, though. Bass is violent, he fights head on, and he fights recklessly. It isn't like him to be so underhanded and deviant.""Poor Katrina," Elizabeth began. "She was going to be used like a puppet. I'm glad she managed to escape.""Yeah," James nodded. "It wouldn't have been easy for her to be in that situation. Bass would have manipulated her to gain control over the pack.""Do you think his goal was to b
Elizabeth knew that something was very wrong, and she knew that something was wrong with her. This closeness to James that she felt was unnatural, wrong and definitely a once in a lifetime kind of thing.But there was no crushing desire with it, no all-consuming madness of a mate haze. And she knew what it could mean, but it would mean something very strange.She knew him, before. Somehow, somewhere, they'd met before. Because she was absolutely sure that what she felt for him was a mate bond solidified.But that just couldn't be possible because she absolutely didn't know him.But that could mean that something was wrong with her.Elizabeth watched as James tended to the fire, as he helped her clean the cabin, as he roasted meat for their supper.And each time he did something, something she had never seen him do before, her memory flashed. Like it was trying to remind her of something.James dusted out the blankets on her bed, folding them up, and she pictured him sleeping in
James had a plan. A very solid and very crazy plan.But Elizabeth was his mate. If there was ever a time or place where his plan could work, it was here, with her. His plan meant never going back to his pack, of course, but that was a simple fix to the problem.James had left Bass in charge of the Pack, under Kenneth's watch. James had felt sure that Bass wouldn't do anything like he had done before. Bass himself had seen the repercussions of his actions, and would do everything to prevent that same situation from happening again.After Bass' short control of the pack, James had spent two weeks undoing the damage that had been caused by his misguided actions.The pack had to go on food rations and restrictions, in order to refill their winter stores. It hadn't been easy, as hunger ricocheted through the pack, and the wolves had weakened. They had also been miserable and had almost unanimously agreed that the situation was entirely Bass' fault.James had also sent away provisions
Elizabeth woke up in her little cottage, the sun streaming in through her bedroom window. She had woken up every morning for a month now already, relishing the peace the morning here gave her.She'd been home for about a month now. She'd been living in the Moirai, working as their healer, when one night a stranger had come into her room, running straight for her, grabbing her.Elizabeth had screamed and tried fighting him off. He was very obviously stronger, and had the upper hand, until the guard wolves heard the commotion and came to intervene.The wolf had left peacefully after that, the guards following him out.The training healer had come to check in on her, and then helped her to her own rooms. But Elizabeth had decided that night, she couldn't stay in the Moirai. She absolutely had to leave for her home, and she'd set out as soon as she had the Alpha's permission, which was brought to her by the healer in training, who introduced herself as Ayla.Ayla had suggested to Eliz