Tara sat and watched the elders’ reactions and Cal’s disinterest in their thoughts and opinions. He was angry and frustration. This meeting was for him to vent, and later he’d talk to each one of them individually about his decision of who would stay. It felt good to have someone on her side for once. Though right now she was preoccupied with the image of herself in the mirror and how uncomfortable this suit was. She didn’t recognize herself once she’d finished dressing. Cal hadn’t said anything about how she appeared, so she figured that meant there was nothing wrong, or anything special to remark about. Though she’d been wrong about other things, she could be wrong about this. His hand hadn’t left her shoulder once since she sat down. It was like he was telling her to stay put and stay quiet. Well, he didn’t need to communicate it without words, because he’d already used words to tell her just that minutes before they entered here. Tara couldn’t t
Tara straightened as the vehicle came to a stop at the elevator. There were security guards and enforcers swarming the parking garage. This was the safest way to enter the hotel for them right now because there was a group out front protesting the conference and anything to do with supernatural creatures. They claimed supernatural creatures were an abomination and needed to be put down for the safety of all wonderful humans. This group failed to see they were the danger and the ones who were lashing out at innocent beings. One would think humans were all sweet and innocent, and not the creatures that slaughter and murder each other over concepts that in a hundred years won’t matter. That’s not to say that supernatural creatures didn’t have their own issues and embarrassing acts in history. They had their criminals and monstrous beings, as well. But they didn’t want to wipe all of that species off the face of the earth. They’d made that mistake before with the lich, w
Cal sat there and listened as the famous Wolf of Bay Street, Alpha Richards, introduced the Fox of Bay Street. A colleague of his who has become his mate and is a fox shifter. Many of the shifters thought it was funny as the humans responded a little uncomfortably to the jest. Though there was one snide comment that Allan Wolversen had to explain. “He’s scrapping the bottom of the barrel for a mate and crossing species.” Eventually, the journalists worked their way down the line of Toronto Alphas, and they got to Cal and Tara. He needed to take her hand and hold it as he could feel the anxiety bleed off of her. She wasn’t prepared for this, and he’d not anticipated that she’d have a response like this. But he should have. All her worries and emotions were large and full-bodied. He whispered to her that everything was fine, and she’d be okay. The first journalist, who stood up with his questions ready, paused when he saw the exchange, and sm
Finally, the interrogation was over, and the cocktail social started. Tara didn’t know how this would work, but she watched as the journalists would pull one couple or another over and spoke to them. “I can’t wait for this to be over. I feel like nothing is sacred anymore. What was that about asking Alpha Petrov if he allowed his holdings to be used for human trafficking? That journalist is desperate for dirt. Any kind he can find.” Alpha Danvers stated when he walked over to stand beside Cal. “Yes, it felt like he was trying to search for more than just a few skeletons in a few closets. I wasn’t impressed. I’m tempted to ask for him not to be invited to anymore of these after this.” Tara could hear Cal’s annoyance and his anger simmering under the surface of his calm demeanour. “I’m sure he’s found nothing and will go away very disappointed.” She wrapped her arms around one of his in an effort to calm him. Tara wasn’t the only one who was trying to
“I apologize about leaving you hanging like that so suddenly, Alpha Nichols. That wasn’t planned but if I and my crew caught any of that, my boss would have my head and I’d be looking for a new job. Did you understand what they were talking about?” “Sadly, yes. It’s a horrible disaster that we thought had been prevented a very long time ago. Long before I or you were born, the creation of a Lich was criminalized and banned. They hunted down what they believed were all the existing ones. I’m not sure if this one was an ancient one, or they somehow managed to make themselves into one. But they had an agenda that I don’t know the particulars about. It took humans and supernatural creatures through various devious methods. Experimented with them in unimaginable ways. There’s no way we can know how many supernatural or humans were harmed over the time it was active. It’s been destroyed now. Those that could return to their families and wished to, were given help to go bac
Tara was so happy when the interviews were over. She barely spoke a word, and that made her happy. With a drink in hand, Tara sat at a table, finally having a moment to herself. Other than the time in the bathroom at the fundraiser, Tara hadn’t been alone outside of the club and adjoining packhouse. She was enjoying it for the first time. This was what she was used to, being alone in a crowd. Even if Jaxon was off to the side, watching her and everything that went on around her. Cal was in a meeting with the other alphas that belonged to the Council of Alphas. The Lycan had demonstrated how he shifted, and the ambassador explained the difference between his wolf and the wolf shifter’s wolf. It was interesting how an extinct species came back into existent if it only wasn’t just within the supernatural community. They’d announced to the world the findings the Ruling Council made about what they believed the Lycan were, and they accepted them as wolf
Lately, Cal couldn’t help but think someone more powerful than him was in control of his life. Before the Lich issue, life and leading his pack were easy. The wolves sitting around at this table right now were his biggest concern, with human interference as a minor annoyance. Now everything was like a drama on steroids. Nothing was straightforward and twisted. The Toronto Council of Alphas was sitting for the first time within a venue owned by humans. If that wasn’t crazy enough, the humans were aware of what was going on and what they were. The conference and interviews were going to come back to haunt him. He was sure of that. He could feel Tara’s discomfort and fear throughout the entire event. Now he had to leave her alone for this. At least Jaxon was there, with most of his security, to look after her. “The Fae look like they’ve broken up their hunts and formed several nests. We don’t know how many, but we know we found one and we have reports
Finally, they could get out of there. They all felt like they’d been dragged through the mud and put away wet. It was a little odd to see Cal’s fellow mated colleagues and friends make a beeline straight for the same table as himself leaving the single alphas in the dust. Cal realized now that he wasn’t alone in his feelings about Tara. They too didn’t want their mates out of their sight long when they weren’t in their territory. What he found when they reached the table was several drunk, she-wolves giggling and chattering about something only they knew. The thing that caught all of his attention was Tara’s face. He’d never seen her laugh or smile like this. She was so reserved and quiet. He now saw what he was missing. Cal never saw her smile, laugh, or even raise her voice. Here she was caught in drunken giggles with the other she-wolves like it was a regular Friday night at the local bar. Cal couldn’t stop the smile forming on his face
One Year Later —Tara sat out on the poach behind the packhouse with a laptop open to a spreadsheet. She and Emily were working out the next year’s budget and the projects they’d tackle.With Emily looking after the club while they were up here. It was interesting, to say the least.Tara gave birth on schedule. It was about the only thing that was on schedule these days, and Cal was sitting on a blanket on the grass with one-year-old Natalie Nichols. The apple of her daddy’s eye. She had him wrapped around her little finger and he’d have it no other way.Eddie and his Lycan girlfriend were now running the kitchens here for Rachel. They’d mated and, well… Tara expected to hear that they’d have pups soon enough.Jaxon, well, he was back in the city. Tara wasn’t sure what was happening with him. Cal wouldn’t speak of it. But Jaxon took a leave of absence from his position for a bit. Tara wasn’t receiving the full story. But as far as she could tell. Jaxon may have two mates. One wasn’t d
Five Months Later —Tara felt like the size of a house. She propped her ankles up on her desk and she had to eat her fries with no salt. It wasn’t the same, nothing tasted the same. The poking from inside was regular now and she couldn’t wait for the last six weeks to go by. She’d been six weeks pregnant when her symptoms started and since then, if it wasn’t one symptom, it was another. Tara would be more than happy for these little monsters to enter the world.Cal was everywhere and nowhere, it seemed. He told her to clear her calendar today because he wanted to show her their new territory. The thought of trudging out there was exhausting to her. But she’d do it because he was just so insistent. He promised they’d stay the night out there and come back the next day at a leisurely pace.“You ready to go?”“Yes, I just don’t understand why we have to do this now. When all I want to do is take a nap.”“You can nap in the vehicle on the way. Don’t worry, I’ve packed everything we need a
Tara could feel the ball of conflicting emotions rolling about in her head and her belly. She had a new life inside her. No matter what, she’d never be alone again. But how did she explain all of this to them when the time came?How should she explain this to Cal? He had to be expecting this. Look at the second floor. She didn’t like it necessarily. Their pups living completely separately from us with someone else looking after them. Why hadn’t they spoken about this before?Tara’s eyes closed as the elevator dinged and opened. She’d not thought that it was important before this because she wasn’t pregnant, and they didn’t have any pups. Now she thought of it.This morning, Cal was gone before she got out of bed. This was a day she didn’t train, because there were other things she needed to get done. Which, of course, didn’t get done? A few steps brought her to Cal’s office over the club.She knocked and entered when she received the okay to enter. Tara lucked out because Cal was alon
David Monroe struggle with the enforcer training. His heart wasn’t in it and his skills lay in other places, but everyone lumped him in with the other male Lycans because he was a Lycan. He’d exhausted almost every avenue trying to explain to them he’d rather be patching people up and treating pups with fevers. While he was moping during a break, his phone rang, and it surprised him to see that Emily’s name came up on his phone. “Hello, Emily. What’s wrong? Why are you calling?” He couldn’t think of a reason she could be calling him for, but any chance he got to speak with her was better than nothing. “I’ll tell you, but you have to be very careful with what you say. No one can know why you’re about to be ordered to the Luna’s office. What we need you to do, is slip out of the packhouse. If anyone asks, you’re running an errand for the Luna. That’s it nothing more. What you need to do is go to the closest pharmacy and pick up a pregnancy kit. Come back here
Again, Tara was up late the next morning. Cal was determined he wouldn’t let her feel like he neglected anything about her. From sympathizing with her, to how her emotions were toward absolutely everything, and he didn’t forget to include planning their future together.Well, he talked, and she mostly listened. What he said wasn’t bad. Tara didn’t have a problem with any of his ideas. She didn’t have much to add or at this time have an emotional connection to any of it.Now, though, Tara needed to get her day going, and she felt like something that had been dredged from a swampy pond. It took only minutes for Emily, her newest staff member, to realize there was something wrong with Tara.“If we had a cat, I’d say you look like the latest thing it dragged home. When will we see you going to a healer?” Emily eagerly asked Tara as she returned from her latest flight to the bathroom. Tara looked at her with an expression of exhaustion.“I’m fine and I’m not planning ongoing to see one.” S
“Stone dear, you know I love you. I’m your mate and partner in life. I have always advised you about everything honestly and in your best interest.” Elaine still quietly sat in the sitting room and calmly spoke to Stone. The others had slowly filtered out to go on with their day or to watch their guests leave. “Of course you are, and you have.” Stone looked out the window and watched the vehicles leave. Elaine could see he was distracted by what was going on and his own thoughts. “Then why are you being an ass and not listening to anything I say now?” She let her irritation slip into her voice and she dryly responded to him. Her annoyance was obvious. Stone’s instincts instantly alerted him to the fact that not all was good between himself and his mate. Over the years, that instinct helped him avoid many different disasters from exploding in his face when it came to their relationship. “I’m listening Ellie. I’ve always listened.” “Then explain to me if you listened to me, then why
No one said much of anything on the way home. The privacy divider between the front of the vehicle and the back raised then never went down. Cal pulled Tara to him and sat her in his lap. He didn’t do anything more but let her soak up his warmth and strength. He buried his head into her neck and hair. The smell of the wool sweater mixed with the natural spice of her scent. He instantly felt his aggressive feelings smooth out and gentle. It’d been difficult watching her get so wound up from it all. Tara sat there, and all but purred. As their vehicle made slow progress through traffic, it’s darkened windows gave them the privacy that Cal didn’t care, Tara turned and straddled his lap instead. She didn’t do anything more than that. But his body felt her skirt hike up and he groaned, knowing how naughty she was instinctively gravitating to for comfort. That wasn’t what their mating would ever be based on. He’d never satisfy his needs while she was seek
Kole wanted to get back to the gathering as quickly as possible. He didn’t want any misunderstandings between anyone, let alone the two packs. There was no way he’d explain to the pack that their beloved elder and ex-alpha alienated his first born grand pup with blind stubbornness, hateful questions, and fear. That wouldn’t be happening today or any day. Kole wouldn’t risk fighting with Cal. How would it look when the Council of Alphas met? His father always forgot about that. Though the council of alphas didn’t exist during his time in control of the pack. He’d been a forward thinker of his time and moved his pack to a territory that was being noticed by the local humans. It meant he could settle their businesses in, and those humans would see those businesses as founding members of the business community. “Let’s go back down now and please be nice to her. She’s so much like Heather and you wouldn’t talk to Heather that way. Just apologize and let mother do
“That’s my third pup there and his mate. Your uncle, Stephen, and his mate, Ariel. Their grown pups, Erin, and Eric. That about covers your living family here, dear. Everyone sit please. Stone has created enough excitement and drama for one day. She has a sweet soul. Stephen, treat her like you would your sister and don’t act like your father if you know what’s good for you. As for the doghouse, it’s an old guard shack that’s been turned into a bunkhouse for single wolves who, for one reason or another, don’t want to make the trip all the way back to their homes to sleep. It’s affectionately called the doghouse because often there’s trouble between the few mated wolves that stay there.” “Oh, good grief. That’s horrible.” “Oh, don’t think your grandfather hasn’t stayed there a time or two. Though these days he’s more likely to use a guest apartment.” Tara looked over the tissue at Elaine with a shocked expression. “You’re joking.” “No, I’m n