Aireka entered the room once Dr. Graves had persuaded Alpha Jones to rest. Alright, Dr. Graves had to threaten to admit Alpha Jones to the hospital if he didn’t get some rest. The lost she-wolf was clueless about her next move. Dominic, in typical Alpha fashion, was doing his own thing, unaware of how it affected his mate. She remembered Gregory deciding he’d take what he wanted before he went crazy. So, she learned about wolf shifters and became a mate within days of each other. Aireka believed she was a full human then. Oh boy, those were messy and confusing times. She still wondered how she got through it all with her sanity. “Hi, are you alone?” Aireka asked. She’d leaned her head into the room to ask this. She intended to come as a friend and equal. Raven could use one right now. She’d go with Gregory as he prepared to head back to the city. That way, he could assess the threats in person, and she could help lend her support to Rave
Raven didn’t know what to make of Luna Wolversen, Aireka, as she insisted Raven call her. She ignored all protocol and spoke to Raven like she was teaching a catch-up class in summer school. Raven assumed this since she had only movies to go by and no experience. She’d dropped out of school before graduation. No one noticed or cared. She recalled telling the Alpha’s sob to mind his own business. Now she wondered if he’d done that because he didn’t want an uneducated mate. Aireka’s words held advice, insights, and answered her whys. Raven felt a little more confident now. It helped when Aireka gave her a way to call for help from other Lunas in the area. They have a chat group. Who would’ve thought! They insisted Raven join the chat group to fix her pack issues and educate her as a Luna. Or as one Luna named April said, she’s about to write the standardized on-the-job training manual. The conversation discussed creating standardized lessons or a lesson plan for
Alpha Jones hasn’t seen the problem he’s created. Others have noticed how he’s treating Raven. Raven hated the looks and glares. Everyone believed her his favorite, but that couldn’t be less true. No one treated their fated mate like this. If they learned, it might ruin Alpha Jones’s reputation and that would hurt the Pack. Which left Raven staying silent because she wouldn’t harm her mate’s reputation because he didn’t want her. In his position, it affected far more wolves than him. She could suck up the hurt feelings like an adult. It’s nothing new to her. People’s desire for Hilary as their Luna didn’t provide any help to her. Why? That’s the burning question Raven had, but as Alpha Jones’s Pet, she didn’t have the luxury of asking anyone that question. Luna Wolversen’s ideas weren’t as easy to enact as Raven thought they’d be. Alpha Jones didn’t enjoy letting her out of his sight. Knowing his secret, it became easier to bear. Raven s
[AFTER BEING KICKED OUT OF ALPHA JONES’S LIVING QUARTERS] Hilary found herself pulled from the room and her goal of inciting Alpha Jones into biting her. She’d heard those healing drugs could cause a wolf to go into a temporary form of false heat. Hilary desired the false heat. Once she wore his bite, then she’d be the Luna of the Humber Valley Pack. She had to suffer being his mate, but she’d sacrifice her freedom for that. No one believed in fated mates. They were pleasant stories to tell little pups and foolish she-wolves. “Can you be a sweet and loyal wolf? I’m sure this will be cleared up when the Alpha awakens. The Beta is mistaken, that’s all. After all, it’s me, and everyone knows I’m special to the Alpha. The Beta is just jealous of that. I’ll be sure to give you favorable treatment when I’m Luna.” Hilary knew this enforcer well. He hadn’t been an enforcer for long, but his father sided with her mother, and she was sure he’d side with her.
[ALPHA KLYNE, WHERE HE’S HOLED UP]“What do you mean we’ve received information about how to enter the Humber Valley Pack compound. I want my people retrieved and to push them further. If they will be tenacious what we want when we ask. We’ll settle this, let’s see who flinches first. Have you verified it’s not a trap?” Alpha Klyne asked from where they holed up in an old motel. Few places remained in neutral zones between Packs in Toronto. This one lay on the border of the Humber Valley Pack Territory and close to the Pack’s compound. “Yes, Alpha Klyne. We’ve confirmed the intelligent information is correct. Someone inside is not happy with something Alpha Jones is doing or has done. We can achieve this with our current group. We need your okay and we’ll do it. They have told us that the Alpha’s command group has scheduled meetings to run together tonight to keep moral and group dynamics active. Their fighting command will be away from the main buildings during these time
Dominic, Paul, and three Delta wolves joined forces with trackers and hunting parties from their Pack to ensure the safety of Kelsey and Hilary. He feared discovering their bodies abandoned in a ravine or ditch, left for wildlife to devour. So far, they’d found nothing, which he’d count as a win. Then everyone’s packs went off as their phones received notifications at once of an attack. They were far within the Pack’s territory. They are nowhere near the Pack house or the invaders’ location, as mentioned in the messages. Now, they had to return in their current state. At least, they carried their gear in case they encountered trouble here, but who would expect this right now? “Raven.” Paul’s only word to Dom before all shifted to their fur to head back to help defend their pack. Dom’s heart stuck in his chest. What if they ignored her again? What could happen to her if no one protects her? That had his enormous paws hitting t
Raven lost consciousness right around the time they started tearing the stake from the ground. She was unaware of what had occurred until she regained consciousness in a dim room. Her bruised back lay pressed against a hard, icy surface, so she assumed she lay on a floor somewhere. She coughed to clear something from her throat. If she remembered, her nose must have bled earlier. The chain about her neck was gone, though, but that meant nothing. A small window at the top of the wall showed a basement. The room lacked furniture and access to the window. Raven could see she was stuck here until someone came for her. Then she heard a movement. At least, she thought she heard it. No, she heard it. Raven let her nose go to work if her eyes were useless. Being a wolf here paid off. A wolf could smell a larger range of things. It stood there, another wolf, she-wolf. Injured and close by. She wasn’t stupid. Raven was unsure of their location and
“Gregory, call Dom NOW! Jeff, get a couple of enforcer hunting packs together we’re lending them to Dom.” Aireka Wolversen said. She came into the breakfast room with a pup on her hip and staring at her phone. “Love what are you going on about. Why?” Alpha Gregory Wolversen of the Black River Pack asked his mate. He knew he’d regret asking it. His eldest two looked up from their breakfast and raised their eyebrows at him as if he’d lost his mind to ask such a question. He had to agree he probably had. “Future Luna has been kidnaped and I’m the only one that knows how to find her.” “Really? How’s that?” “Find My Phone.” “What?” “Just get the wolves together and call Dominic. I’m sure he knows she’s missing just not where she is.” “Alright.” Gregory pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and realized he’d spent most of his mated life confused by this female because of one thing or another. It kept life from getting dull he guessed. “Hey, Dominic It’s Gregory. This i
“Raven, I’ll say this right now. I’m looking to make a shift away from it and while some people will not like this I don’t care. But I won’t tell them why because I don’t want to put you in danger. If one of my enemies or rivals decides to use, you against me or use your abilities they may try to kidnap you. So, we’ll say nothing to anyone outside of our Pack and we’ll speak with those within the Pack that must know.” Dominic said. He tried to assure Raven about her safety and his sincerity. “Dominic we can’t tell anyone about what I can do. For one thing, no one would believe it. For another, you’re right they might try to use it. I never thought they might try to use me against you by kidnapping me.” Raven felt stunned at the thought that she was agreeing with him and accepting her. “So, what do we do now? You say I’m the important one, but I don’t feel like it, and I don’t know how to proceed. Or do I say, how we proceed with this.” Raven looked to Dominic a
“We couldn’t help Tom?” Kelly asked. She’d missed their arrival and Tom being bundled off to the healing center. “No, we couldn’t. Those arrows hit him when he was in this realm. We couldn’t do anything about the poison. Even in the Dream Realm the poison would kill him, and his mate must be a Dreamer to bring him back. Everything and everyone have limits no matter how powerful they are. Well, that’s what I’ve had to come to terms with.” Raven watched Brigid’s haunted face as she said this. The other dreamers were there with them now and they’d been discussing their abilities and learning about what they could do. Their situation within the Dream Realm and how much danger they were in. What dangers came from the realm and what came from the Fae. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m exhausted. There’s just too much to take in. I need time to take this all in.” Raven wanted to spend time with Dominic. She had so many questions for him. How had he
Their arrival didn’t go unnoticed for long. Which they were all thankful for. Brigid, though, was in a panic. She could do nothing in this realm to help save Tom. The arrows were poisoned. At the first mention of poison, the trickle of people became a flurry. Lily got word out to the closest healing center to expect him and arranged a mage portal to get him sent right there. In moments Tom and Luke were gone with two other wolves from their Pack. Raven watched as people moved about all weary of Brigid. They were unsure how to respond or interact with her. Did they worship her? Treat her as a ruler? Approach her as a friend or an enemy? What did they do? How did someone interact with a being they thought of as a god for thousands of years? Especially, when they’re standing directly in front of them looking rather bedraggled and lost. “Reality is never what the stories tell us. I wish it was. A goddess in one realm is a nobody in another realm. What c
Dominic’s mind was still scattered, but he could move, and he did. He knew who he was and who Raven was. What was different was more than he had time to think about as they made their way back to where they needed to go. They had found their objective, and he had to push his mate to get them out of there. The enemy was in there and they now swarmed over the land searching for the small female with them. If they found her, then they’d find Raven. Both were creatures who could twist the very air of this realm into whatever they wanted. Goddess, he’d been killed hours ago. He remembered the searing pain as the Fae tore into him with a magical wild-fire spell. Dominic remembered his body being torn apart and burned piece by piece. These sick creatures created a spell that could keep their victims alive until the last piece of them was consumed. Yet, the Fae creature hadn’t realized his mate was a Dreamer and there. Brigid walked Raven through recreating
“I still don’t know if I can do this.” Raven listened to Brigid’s words and instructions about how she was supposed to build a new body for Dominic. She claimed he’d be the same as he was before. If that’s what she wanted. Oh yes, she’d hinted at the fact that Raven could tweak things if something needed changing. But she’d warned her that it couldn’t be too big of a change. Raven didn’t know what Brigid meant by that. But she was still having problems believing she could do this. How could this be something she’d be able to do? If she didn’t Dominic would stay dead. If she didn’t try, he’d be dead when they returned to their reality. If she tried and failed, at least she could say she tried. If she succeeded, she’d have Dominic back. What did she have to lose? Other than hope. “You won’t know if you can do anything the first time you try to do anything until after you’ve tried to do it.” Brigid said. She was being humorous and smiled at her in a mo
Raven didn’t know how long or where she was. But she knew something was wrong long before her mind was fully functional. When she realized that she couldn’t find Dominic that Raven knew something was wrong. When Luke noticed Raven was awake, everyone moved to her side. “Hey, hey, Luna Jones, are you back with us? Okay, take it easy. Breathe. Breathe. Calm yourself. You’re okay. It’s not what you think. We need to talk, but we can’t if you get upset again.” “Where’s my mate? Where’s Dominic?” Raven sat up from where she lay on the ground in a strange place. “Where am I?” At least she recognized Luke and Tom, but she didn’t recognize the female. “Please Luna Jones, stay calm and relax. We need to explain this to you. There’s a limited time to change the outcome and we can’t stay here long. Please listen to this. It’s unbelievable but it’s a miracle. Just listen to her.” Tom begged Raven. She didn’t know what Tom was speaking about, but sh
Raven didn’t know what happened to Dominic or how to get him back. He and the guard he’d attacked were fighting in the cage on top of the column. “How do we get Dominic down from there?” There was no way she would leave without her mate. Tom and Luke turned on her. “Luna Jones, we understand our orders and your feelings. There’s nothing we can do. You and the lady here are our priority to get out of here.” “I’m going back in there to get him back. Our Pack needs him.” Raven found Tom holding her back with the help of the female. “No, you can’t. Only a living person can switch places with him. Also, the Keeper will return at any minute. He won’t let the guard, or your friend live long.” The soft voice of the female had Raven’s reacting violently to this. “We can’t leave him behind.” As we spoke in hushed tones the creature Raven assumed the female called the Keeper returned. Raven panicked and she had to get to Dominic now. So
One cage was left up on a high column with a lone occupant. Raven gasped when she saw the being move. “They’re alive up there Dominic. She’s up there. That’s her. I know it. I don’t know how, but they won’t let us use our abilities here. So, she can’t rescue herself. They’re practically tapping her of everything she has because they’ve used up or killed all the others.” “These were the others I assume.” “Yes, I think so. At least, most of them.” “Looks like someone was angry. How are we going to reach her? They shattered all the other columns.” Tom asked. He tried to work out a way to get to her, but like everyone there it was one of those monumental tasks. “We don’t have climbing equipment, and the column is solid stone. I don’t see any cracks or veins. It would take days or weeks to work our way up making footholds if we had the gear. That’s if anyone knew how to use it. I’ve only gone to a rock-climbing gym a few times.” “
Raven stepped away from the others without a word. The males debated what they found lying on the ground, but they found nothing long or strong enough to work as the tools they needed. Luke went through his pack searching for anything. “Need out strips want. Function and form are one. Take from the scrap and bring it value, beauty, use, and form.” Raven said half to herself. She muttered under her breath as she stared at her hands as if the debris in her hands was an object to study. Her hands moved over it. Pressing, pushing, and pulling at it as she tweaked the object. The object glowed with a faint light that pulsed with each movement of her hands. “This should work to pop the hinges out.” Raven returned to Dominic’s side, and in her hands lay a thick rod and a heavy mallet. She offered them to Tom who hesitated to take them. “Uh, thanks.” When he did take them, his features changed to show a look of surprise. He felt the weight of the mallet and