Alvara's Point of View
Oily food was the only cure for a severe hangover. Or so I've heard. I had never been hungover before. Never dared drink more than Eugene had allowed. Last night had slammed into me the moment I put my head on the bed. I wasn't alone in that. Both Teagan and Adelia had puked up their guts alongside me.
This morning, we decided it best to go out to eat breakfast. Or rather a lunch. Something deep-fried, preferably. Calorie counting was a thing of the past for me, as well. We had settled on Menlyn. Sybil had dropped off clothes for Adelia. Harland had fetched some for Teagan in the car. After a short dressing session, lots of water, and sunglasses we were ready.
The boys were in the living room when we approached. All of them had dressed. Looked as if they were in deep concentration. They all had laptops on their laps. Ozias glanced up, smiling. Adelia stopped beside me, Teagan bringing up the rear.
Alvara's Point of View I had been right to assume Teagan knew someone for the tattoo. She had made her dislike of the thought clear but still supported me enough to introduce me to one of Harland's friends. Jean had his ears stretched. Almost every piece of skin was covered in tattoos. Except for his face, besides for one random unicorn close to his hairline. He was a happy-go-lucky type of person. Artwork framed his walls along with him and another man together in photos. Everything was sterile. Clean to a point where even Ozias would approve. Thankfully, his shop was inside Menlyn. The bright daylight outside would only worsen my headache. Alcohol, I had realized, was not meant to be consumed in large quantities. Our oily lunch had helped stabilize my stomach but not much for anything else. Adelia loved my act of love. Loved that I would put my body through pain just to prove to them that I was theirs. I had hoped the pain wo
Dargan's Point of ViewThe five of us had scrambled to gather more information about the looming war. How many men Eugene had at his disposal. Who else might aid him except for the royal family? Any other details that might help us during this turbulent time.As we had suspected, we weren't informed of the progressing situation until Nerezza had phoned. Frantically, we had gathered our resources. Maverick even phoned all of his friends from different packs across the continent for support. Anything to give us an edge. An advantage.The odds were currently not in our favor. Eiecrunt was inhabited by mainly civilians and our security detail. New soldiers could be trained within a few weeks but it didn't look promising. Our more lethal pack members had been dispersed to allies of ours who had wars waging in their areas. Human wars affected all of us. Hopefully, aid would come.Ciaran refused to recall his men from America. The
Alvara's Point of ViewThe alcohol had taken its toll on my system. Yet the pain from the tattoo had been minimal at best. Adelia's tat had taken the least amount of time. When she was done, she had freely poured Teagan and I shots. Mine was a lot more difficult to take thanks to being splayed out on my stomach but we had made due.Soon the room filled with the smell of liquor. Brian had cranked the speakers up to max and closed the doors for the day. He had drank with us, spilling his life story. Jean added some of his own to the mix. Stef nodded entuisitically whilst buzzing away on Teagan's leg.Once everyone was finished up, Stef and Jean drank with some more. Soon enough the six of us headed into the mall, Ozias' card in my hand. Teagan had grabbed her own and Adelia had taken Sybil's earlier on in the day. None of us realized how much we would spend. How little self-restraint we had amongst ourselves.I informed Stef, Brian
Alvara's Point of ViewScraping together my confidence, I headed downstairs. Teagan, Harland, and Adelia had left minutes before, their tail lights zooming down the driveway. Every nerve I had stood on end. Frayed and split. This was a massive step in our relationship. The last step was to show them I was fully committed. Fully theirs.Voices bounced and echoed in the living room as I trudged down the stairs. The conversation seemed to be deep. Troubled. I stifled my flight or fight mechanism and stood in the door. All their eyes turned towards me. I couldn't help but fiddle with my fingers.“I’m sorry, did I interrupt something important?” I stammered, my eyes jumping from face to face. There were smiles on all of their lips as Ciaran waved me closer. Swallowing down my cowardly heart, I stepped onto the rug in the center of the room.“What seems to trouble you, baby girl? Was your little outing upsetting
Ozias' Point of View Alvara had settled on making a Christmas bed in the living room. She refused to sleep alone and refused to let anyone else sleep alone. Her mating bond had taken full effect and it was evident. None of us could move without her asking us where we were going. So we had settled on this solution. Brought down two king-sized mattresses along with more blankets than was necessary. Pillows were scattered all around the room. Alvara's eyes dipped and opened repeatedly until Dargan had nestled up beside her. The two fell asleep soundlessly, leaving Maverick Ciaran, and me to discuss what had just happened. How Alvara had come out of a left-field with her tattoo and urge to finally seal the bond between all of us. I could still feel it. Taste it. That wire that now wrapped around my heart, plunging out of my chest and towards the girl. Our mate. Fully, this time. Nothing felt more like home than knowing she was now ours to
Maverick's Point of ViewI woke up just before dawn. Lazy rays had already filled the living room, casting everything in a soft shadow. Ciaran was splayed out on the couch swing, hair covering his face. Soft snores coming from his chest. Ozias was by my feet, almost curled up into a ball with his blanket tightly wrapped around him. Dargan was still beside me, mouth slightly agape.For a moment I forgot why I was in the living room. Why I had slept so well for the first time in ages. A body was missing from our communal bed. Her pillow was frumpled and blankets discarded. Fear pounded the inside of my heart.Sitting up too quickly, lightheadedness struck me. I braced myself on the bed and shook my head. Hair tossed about my face. No trace of Alvara in the living room. No sounds coming from the rest of the house. Panic rid me hard and fast. I jumped to my feet, taking everything in.Towels from last night lay on the floor beside th
Alvara's Point of ViewHorse riding with Maverick felt like a peaceful reprieve from the busy house. Ciaran had headed off for business deeper into the city. Ozias and Dargan profusely planned for the coming war. They had to get spies out. People to listen to everything going on within Half-Moon. Maverick had wanted to join them. Help them in their pursuit of winning what was to come. It had been three full days since our encounter with Eugene. Two days spent in agony and then one night in bliss.I could feel their minds constantly on the cusp of mine. With a single thought, I could talk to them. Hear from them. Know that I wasn't alone. But Maverick had seen the sadness in my eyes when they all wanted to leave. Had offered to stay, instead calling Harland to fill his shoes for the day.Harland had a lot of catching up to do regarding protocol and the likes. Teagan had assured us all over the loudspeaker that he was a quick study. From
Maverick's Point of View She had chosen pepper to ride. a bold choice for someone who had only ridden a horse once previously. Somehow, the mare was docile with her. Walked at a rather sluggish pace. Pepper even tolerated Angus around her. Maybe the horse had sensed something I couldn't. How fragile Alvara truly was. But she was growing. Expanding her once narrow horizon into something much more. Being in her company was a small mercy to my mind. Although,I had to swallow down my growing urgency. Ciaran had told us of the situation regarding Nerezza. How another party would be held as a facade for what was truly to happen. Plans would be made. Security tightened and the guest list doubled but carefully picked. Nothing could go amiss or we could lose our biggest ally within this war. Nerezza was a hard-ass wrapped up in a pretty little package. When she had approached us for the first time, Ciaran had nearly slept with the woman