“What do you mean, I have to wear this? I’ve worn nothing like this before. I don’t know if I can walk in these.” Tara held up a pair of high-heeled silver scrappy sandals. “It’s one thing to be a complete shoe or boot with a heel. But these are begging to break my ankle the first crack in the sidewalk I find. Or I’ll miss a stair and end up on my head at the bottom of the stairs.” “Oh, for crying out loud. The Alpha wants you to wear them and you’ll wear them. I doubt with you wearing this outfit, he’ll let you leave his side at all tonight. He’ll make sure you don’t fall and that’s I’m sure of.” Rachel could see this would be an uphill battle with Tara. You could clean her up and she’d look beautiful in that waif-like way she had. But her nerves were getting the better of her. Tara now knew where they were going. What they were doing and who would be there? It was the who and what that made her a ball of anxiety. This was an event for the most power shifters
Cal entered the bedroom to grab a shower and get ready for the fundraiser. He’d been dealing with pack and club business, trying to stave off the humans from looking too closely at his businesses and pack. They controlled quite a bit of the black market. From art and antiques to equipment, that fell off the back of a truck in a dark alley. They didn’t deal with street walkers, petty thieves, or drug dealers. It really was small potatoes. The reason he dealt in what he did was it made it possible previously to move supernatural concerns. He had a feeling, though, that his business would slow when blood buying became legal for vampires. Certain medicines, supplies, and equipment of medical concerns as well would change. He’d need to find new revenue quickly so his pack would survive, and he’d keep his place within the city’s shifter community. He’d entered when Tara’s dress caught his notice, which led to Tara catching his full attention. She was alone in the room no
Cal disliked leaving his bike at home tonight. He needed to show his wealth and status tonight. Tara couldn’t ride in that dress either. So, he had a driver pick them up, and he was glad he’d satisfied Tara and she’d chosen to change her panties. If her lush scent was this strong while satisfied, he’d be fighting off or killing every unmated male wolf tonight if he hadn’t. It didn’t matter whether those unmated males were allies or enemies. In his estimation, she was his and would remain so. When they finally got through the line of vehicles, an attendant opened the back door and Cal stepped out dressed in his black formal clothes. He wore his insignia of his pack, a crimson full moon embroidered on the handkerchief corner folded neatly into his pocket. Tara’s lay a little more discreetly in the neckline of her dress, after all. She was his mate and Luna. The difference at this fundraiser for Cal was the heavy media. Normally, he’d avoid events like this, opting to ca
Tara watched Cal’s face. He didn’t like what she said and reminded her again, that she was something she wasn’t. How could she be the Luna of the Crimson Nights Pack? She knew nothing about being a Luna. Everything she’d seen within that office was so far out of her understanding. She sucked at reading. How was she supposed to understand budgeting and invoicing? She wasn’t given a chance to accept or deny this. “How do I stand in front of anyone and state that? I can’t, I never asked for it or being your mate. That was your decision.” “You are, and you will. It’s as simple as that. Anyone calls the facts into question will have to deal with me. It’s that uncomplicated. Anything else is just an excuse born from your fears of inadequacy caused by scum and excuses for authority. I see you, not some beaten down failure, who never stood a chance at succeeding. You have the chance now and it’s scaring the crap out of you. However, I am your Alpha and mate. That me
Cal bid on several things for the pack, and on impulse, he bid on several things for Tara. She literally only possessed what he gave her, and she’d never asked to retrieve her things from where she lived. He’d not asked her about it and Eddie reacted just like her. They walked away from everything with brief hesitation. Cal bought her jewellery and gift certificates for stores. Home goods, and clothing. A spa package and even furniture for an antique reading nook for their apartment. He thought she’d like it later as she settled and wanted to improve her education. She’d need a place to relax and read. He wouldn’t push her just yet. “I’m sorry, I need to find the lady’s room. I’ll be back soon.” Cal, like the other alphas here, had several enforcers as security with them in the crowd. He’d seen him a few tables away. “Hold on. Let me get you an escort. You aren’t going anywhere alone.” Tara sighed. “Really. Do I need a babysitter to find the ladies’ room?
Cal was struggling with all the Alphas on the council were. With the introduction of so many new she-wolf mates. The territorial and protective nature of each one of them was on high alert. It didn’t help several of the alphas came to him and expressed their lack of faith in Elmwood’s intelligence and they believed he’d be a fool with another attempt on Tara. Tara said that Elmwood’s rogue lover was jealous of all females. She’d been involved in the first attempt. Could or would she convince Elmwood to make another attempt? He wanted her home as soon as this event was over. Cal messaged Jaxon to make arrangements for the items he’d gained. They’d meet in the morning to discuss several things from tonight. He stood up from his seat, prepared to excuse himself from the table to look for her. Cal felt she’d been gone far too long. Everything he was interested in had their turn. He only needed to wait for a polite time to leave. Tara luckily returned to the tab
Tara knelt between his thighs. Her pussy ached after he’d teased her to a desperate need. She watched him lick her liquid desire from his fingers before he opened his pants and presented her with his swelling length. His knot was already forming, and she moans with delight. When he commanded her to give him head, she reached for him. “Only your mouth, no hands. Try that again. I will restrain your hands behind your back.” “Yes, Daddy.” Tara moaned as she lick from his knot all the way up his shafts before she suckled his head. Tara’s mouth bobbed on his cock as she explored how much she could take this way. He kept eye contact with her. “That’s it, you naughty little girl. Take it deeper now.” His hands took hold of her head to direct her actions, as he liked to. “Fuck yeah. That’s it, suck harder. Squeeze my cock with your throat. Hm. You want my cock fucking you, then bring me to a state where I need to fuck you or go mad.” He was into this. His hands hel
Tara couldn’t understand his anger. She’d done everything she could to follow his wishes. She’d done nothing to shirk his authority or will. After such a stressful evening, Tara wasn’t sure if she could do this. Between her struggles to stay reasonably rational and her twisted enjoyment of what he did to her. It culminated into her, finally crumbling into a blubbering mess. Tara could no longer convince herself he’d change his mind and face the fact she was too far in over her head and her world now was unrecognizable to her. No one but Eddie ever truly wanted to keep her around, and now Cal was the second. She couldn’t stop crying, especially when Cal halted whatever this was. Play or punishment and sat her up. Tara cried herself into exhaustion and faded into sleep. When she surfaced again, it was still the wee hours of the night, and she was in bed. Cal lay beside her with his arm, holding her back to his front in a spoon shape. Tara felt drained
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