Liam’s POV Looking into Adira’s eyes was the worst thing I could have done at that moment. I wanted her, I needed her, I craved her, and her scent was taking over my room now and all I smelt was her sweet scent of honey mixed with cherries. My wolf was begging me at that moment to give into the bond that was between us, and I wanted nothing more than to take her now and mark her as mine, but I couldn’t because I needed to know if she really was Adira or this Aira that the she wolves said she was. My walls were crumbling that I had put up, but I knew my boundaries, and I wouldn’t cross them until I was sure she was to be mine and only hours stood in the way of this knowledge. I had fought the temptation this long I was sure I could hold out just a few more hours. But what plagued my mind was the fact that in a few hours, I may never see this she wolf again if she was betrothed to another, and I honestly didn’t know how I was going to cope with that. I thought the bourbon would ta
Adira’s POV As a moan slipped from Alpha Liam’s lips, one also slipped from mine as the feeling of being so connected to him begins to consume me, and I know now what I was feeling for him was more than just a desire. Sparks now begin to tingle my flesh, where our bare flesh is touching, and my body feels as if it is awakening for the first time as my wolf now feels like she is more than just a part of me, and I can feel her power now coursing through my veins. Alpha Liam looks into my eyes as I know he is also feeling the same connection as I am, and without his lips moving I heard him in my head saying, “Goddess I love this she wolf, please let her be mine tomorrow.” Without thinking I projected back to him, “I am yours.” And his eyes widen as I know that he hears me just as I heard him. There was no doubt at this moment that this wasn’t a blessing by the Moon Goddess. Only true mates blessed by the Moon Goddess could share the ultimate connection and abilities like this, and
Liam’s POV Adira had fallen asleep in my arms, and I couldn’t help but stare at her while she peacefully slept. It was the first time I had ever stayed with a she wolf afterwards and it felt so nice to have this first with my mate. Now after being with Adira, I felt like all the other she wolves before her meant nothing and a part of me wishes now that I would have waited like she had. The connection between the two of us is undeniably a gift from the Moon Goddess and I was not going to deny this gift that she bestowed upon us. Decades have passed since a mate bond has been gifted from her and for her to gift us, I felt honored. As I look at her now, I wonder how I ever thought that I could stand by and let another make her his. I know at the Mating Ceremony that I now may suffer the consequences of taking another’s betroth and this may cause problems for me and my pack, but once I can prove that the Moon Goddess gifted us with a mate bond, I was sure the elders would side in my
Adira’s POV My body rose from Alpha Liam’s chest as Lyra stood outside his door hammering on it and yelling for him. Worried something was wrong with her, I jumped out of bed and grabbed my robe as Alpha Liam did the same. But he was faster than me and got to the door before I even had my robe tied. As he opened the door, Lyra rushed into the room and began saying, “Adira is gone. What did you do to her last night?” As she began to back him up against the wall. Lyra wasn’t a warrior, but she was a feisty little thing that was for sure and to see her go after her brother in my defense told me that she truly was my friend. Alpha Liam raised his hands in the air surrendering to her, but she continued on. “I swear to the Moon Goddess if I find out that you hurt her, I will castrate you myself. She is the only real friend that I ever had and you had to mess that up for me.” Her words then touched me, and even though I was enjoying watching the girl power coming from her as she held
Liam’s POV Lyra took Adira back to her room to get ready for the Mating Ceremony while I gathered my warriors to inform them that I had taken Adira as my mate last night and explained to them about the mating bond and that the Moon Goddess had blessed us with. None of my warriors questioned what I had told them but instead they all congratulated me on finding our Luna and said that our pack has been blessed and they too hope to be blessed like me at the Mating Ceremony today. The only problem was that our pack needed to be on high alert in case the elders didn’t accept the union between Adira and me and that would limit their abilities to socialize with the other unmated wolves. Knowing that this was the case, I decided to call in some extra protection and Blaze who was to show today was going to be joined with some of our mated warriors of our pack, for added protection. Everything was now put in place and there were only now hours that stood in front of us before I presented A
Adira’s POV The Crimson’s packhouse came into view as I sat in the backseat of the SUV with Alpha Liam as Blaze drove with Lyra in the front passenger seat. Alpha Liam held onto my hand as Blaze brought the vehicle to a stop at the bottom of the grand steps that lead inside the packhouse. “I have extra men here tonight and I want you to stay close to me for your protection.” Alpha Liam tells me as he pulls my hand up to kiss it. I could tell that he was on edge and he was trying to make me feel safe. I knew what could possibly happen and I honestly was scared too. I knew that the Moon Goddess gave us this bond for a reason and I wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone get in the way of our happiness. “Do you have the masquerade mask I gave you?” Lyra asks as she turns from the front seat to look at me. Holding the mask up, I show her I have it and Alpha Liam helps me tie it on. It was Lyra’s idea that I wear it so that my identity would remain a mystery for now until we got
Liam’s POV What the hell was going on? This was getting even more confusing to me. The girls at the restaurant had called Adira, Aira, and she was the one to be betrothed to this Alpha Zane. But standing here now hearing him say that he had chosen Adira to be his mate made no sense. Plus, there was the fact that the she wolf on the stage looked identical to my mate. There was no doubt in my mind that the two of them were related and I knew that we had found my mate’s past that her wolf was keeping from her. Alpha Zane began to leave the stage as whispers began in the room and I overheard one of the she wolves say, “I thought Aira said she was to be mated to the Alpha.” Something was wrong here and I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Releasing Adira from my arms, I look at Blaze and say, “Don’t take your eyes off her. I need to speak with Alpha Zane.” Adira gave me a look of surprise that I was leaving her in his care but I didn’t want her present for what I was about
Adira’s POV Disbelief washed through me that Alpha Liam left me with Blaze so that he could talk to Alpha Zane. Plus, there was the fact that Lyra went with him too. “I guess it’s you and me.” Blaze says as he moves to a table of appetizers, but I don’t follow him as I watch Alpha Liam speak to Alpha Zane. Before I knew it the she wolf that Alpha Zane had said was Adira, moves from his side and walks to an elder wolf that was staring at Alpha Liam and something about him makes my wolf begin to growl. There was a scar on his face and my attention was drawn to it as if it meant something to me. As if he could sense that I was staring at him, his eyes moved in my direction and I quickly turned and moved to Blaze who was still at the table of appetizers. “What is wrong?” Blaze asks as he turns around and begins to scope out the room. Moving behind him I say, “I don’t know why but that elder over there that the Luna to be is giving me a bad vibe and my wolf doesn’t like him.” Bla
Adira’s POV “Why does this hurt so damn bad?” I asked the nurse and the pack doctor as I began to push to another contraction. “Pup birth is a beautiful thing.” The doctor said back to me and I let out a growl letting him know there wasn’t anything beautiful about this. I would take being poisoned again with wolfbane over this. “Where is Liam?” I cried out after I gave them one hard push like the pack doctor had asked for. Lyra quickly moved to the bed and took my hand in hers. “They are on their way. Does it really hurt that bad?” Lyra asks with big eyes knowing that she wasn’t far behind me giving birth to hers and Alpha Zane’s pup. Another contraction came and I squeezed her hand in pain as she let out her own scream from the pressure I was putting on her hand. “I take that as a yes.” She said as she winced. “Let’s just say, I would rather go to war, have my stomach ripped open and be shot up with wolfbane.” I tell her through gritted teeth. “I don’t think you are help
Adira’s POV “You’re my aunt?” Finally came from my lips as my heart began to beat fast from this revelation. “It seems that I am.” Stella said and turned to look at my mother and added, “That frog thing doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Ali gave out a burst of laughter and I had to hold back my ow as I knew what she was referring to and I had to wonder what kind of relationship my mother and Stella had as siblings. “Wait, mother why didn’t I know you had a sister?” Aira now asked her mother as she eyed Stella. “She is only my half-sister.” My mother says to Aira and then adds, “And as you can see with your eyes, I was always the prettier one.” I don’t know why but at that moment I let out a growl to my mother warning her. It may have been her mean words spoken to Stella or it may have been because I knew those words spoken to myself for so many years. Either way I was done with hearing these hurtful words from the both of them. Aira smirked at me, and said, “Now I see wher
Adira’s POV After Ali’s mother and coven left Crimson, I knew I had to find my own closure with the rest of my family before we headed back to Nightshade. My mother and sister Aira were being kept at a separate facility that was for less misdemeanor, since my father was the mind behind all that had happened. Ali insisted that she join me and I knew it was because she wanted to see Aira again. Ali hadn’t had the pleasure of being tortured by Aira and she had no clue how ruthless Aira had become over the years as our father groomed her to become the next Luna of the Crimson pack. I, on the other hand, had a front row seat to all of this and was treated by all of them as the mistake that happened since Aira was the beauty queen out of the two of us. Alpha Liam and Alpha Zane had work what needed to be done at the packhouse before our return back to Nightshade. I reassured Alpha Liam that I would be fine going with Ali by my side. Of course, he said he would feel better if I took some
Adira’s POV The war had been won today but there was still closure that I needed and so did Ali. Both of us were the product of this messed up world that the elders had created. Ali on the other hand had a mother that truly did love her and from what I had just witnessed loved my father dearly too. It was a shame that he picked the way of the elders over the Moon Goddess and the mate that she had blessed him with. As the two of us walked down the grand staircase together, Ali’s mother stood beside what I now learned was the High Priestess and her mother. Ali was not just any witch she was born into royal blood. She one day could have been the High Priestess of her coven, but her mother’s choice to be with my father took that right from her. She was only half witch and that meant she could never hold the title of High Priestess. Ali’s mother’s eyes moved from her to me and when she saw the two of us together, she realized that she had made a grave mistake earlier when she had tri
Adira’s POV My eyes opened to a splitting headache as my eyes tried to focus on the figures standing over me. All three began to speak at the same time and I quickly reached for my head as it felt like it had been squeezed tightly. Finally, I heard Stella say, “Quiet.” And the room went silent and my head instantly felt a bit of relief. This time when I opened my eyes, they focused on the faces of three individuals that stood over me, watching me with worry in their eyes. “I’m okay.” I said as I tried to pull myself up to a sitting position with some help from Lyra. “I’m so sorry. My mother didn’t know what she was doing. She must have gone mad after seeing father laying there on the ground. Please forgive her.” Ali said to me and as I remember back to the last memory I had before darkness took me, I remembered the face of the woman staring at me. I hadn’t recognized her at the time but now that Ali said, her mother, her face now rang a bell to me from my dreams. There was no do
Liam’s POV Adira’s warning that the witches were here and to take the final blow, was the last thing I heard from her as she disappeared from my view with Stella and Lyra. Hearing this I knew it was time to stop toying with my prey and I let my claws elongate and pulled my hand back to take the final blow. As my hand came down across Adira’s father’s neck, I felt his skin tear beneath them as they became coated in the crimson color of his blood. An ear-piercing scream now filled the air around me before I went flying in the air. At first, I thought that it was Ali and that she had gone against the pack, but as I flew in the air, I saw her fighting along aside Blaze and knew it wasn’t her as I landed hard by the stage. Alpha Zane quickly moved to me as I began to slowly get up from the hard impact. “The witches are here.” I tell him as I get to my feet. “Good. Now we have them right where we want them.” Alpha Zane says as he lets out a howl calling in the reinforcements, we had
Adira’s POV My eyes remained glued on Alpha Liam as my father took his fighting stance, but Liam just stood there like my father was not a worthy opponent. This of course upset my father as he let out a growl warning Alpha Liam to take him seriously. The death that Alpha Zane was giving my father I thought was too good for what he had done. Yes, he was born a warrior, but he shouldn’t be allowed to go out with a warrior’s death, and I can see that Alpha Liam agrees with me as he mocks my father by not taking a fighting stance, showing him no respect. “If I am to die, then give me a warrior’s death if you think you can.” My father now says to Alpha Liam. Alpha Liam let out a growl before he says, “A warrior’s death is too good for you.” “Seems that we are on the same page. I will make sure to give you an honorable warrior’s death.” My father then said as he leaped towards Alpha Liam. I wanted to cry out to him to watch
Liam’s POV Holding onto Adira’s hand I watched as her father was led to the stage and I could feel what she was feeling as her walls were down and her feelings were flowing freely to me. I began to worry that this was too much stress on her and our unborn pup and I should have insisted that she stayed in our room. Stella moved closer to us and I watched as she reached for Adira’s other hand. As soon as she touched Adira, I instantly felt Adira calm. I knew that Stella was the one doing this, as I stared at her, she gave me a nod. Stella had promised me that she would take care of Adira and she was doing just that. Blaze and Ali stepped to the side as Mr. Wilson was brought onto the stage and I watched Ali closely to make sure Adira was right about her. I could see that it was affecting her just as it was affecting Adira, but I could see that she now also saw the truth about her father. When Blaze and her both took their position in front of the steps, Blaze took her hand into his
Adira’s POV I knew that something felt off today and after Ali and I had returned to our rooms, I found myself an emotional wreck, which I knew was not like me. I knew how my father was and the words he had chosen to say to us were of no surprise, but here I was crying my eyes out. Thankfully, Stella came when I called her to my room and within seconds she verified what I had assumed. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this was a possibility after my heat and all the sex that Alpha Liam and I had over the last couple of days, but a part of me wishes that it would have held off one more heat so that I could be the one to make my father pay, myself, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now I had to hope that my mate would be the one to make him pay for all the wrong that he had done and stop this madness of the elders for the sake of our unborn pup and the future of our kind. When Liam entered our room, I remained staring out the window at the place my father would take his last breath and the pl