LOGINJordan POVI thought through the possibilities in my head when Marabella was there in the link, her curiosity shining through the mating. She had been listening the whole time, which I should have expected.“Jordan. If she was bound to this shadow world, would that count as a contract?” she asked in my head, and I frowned.“I suppose so,” I admitted, but I wasn’t entirely sure until the thought in her head locked in mine.“Fractum,” I whispered, my face draining. It broke all contracts.Galen sucked in a breath. “She was released.”He was quick on the draw, and I nodded. The rest of the council were frowning, and I hated to be the one to drop the bomb on them.“That witch and her creature were bound to a shadow realm, and that contract was with the witches.” I took a deep breath. “Until Fractum. It broke the contract.”I let out my breath with the words, and the entire table stilled, the words out loud, hard to swallow. Not even Tatum had a fighting word to say.“How do we kill a wi
Jordan POV Another night, another council meeting where I had to pretend that I had all the answers.I didn’t. I didn’t have a fucking clue, but I couldn’t let that show.So, I suffocated the fear that tried to leak out of my eyes, straightened my spine, and gave everyone the only attitude I ever wore around them. Confidence.Because they were wolves, old and wise, and they could smell fear a mile away, I couldn’t let it touch me.Especially since it wasn’t fear for the pack that made my stomach turn and my heart race, it was fear for my mate and the child she carried.The birth was imminent, and every day that passed was becoming even more terrifying.Marabella was strong, but she had limitations with her human body, and not even she could will that to change.Once she was one of us, it would be easier, but she had to survive first. That was getting harder to be sure of.Which is exactly why I was bothering with the council again. We couldn’t keep waiting for our wolves to get madde
Marabella POV I normally had tolerance for Cain, but I had to admit, his statement irked me. I enjoyed my time with my alphas and the reprieve they provided for us all from the troubles afflicting our pack.“That border the humans placed around the city? It’s a dome of magic, and her magic can’t pierce it,” he said.I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.“It can’t get out of the city to the border,” Brax said, his eyes going wide.“It’s suffocating the city, saturating the wolves and all their erratic emotions. If she lets any more out of her, I think we’re going to have another heat on our hands, and so soon after the last one with a winter in play? Might as well open the gates and let the humans slaughter us before we tear each other apart,” Cain warned.Jayden growled. “One at a time then. For the mating link. None of us will survive without placating that,” he said, a frown deep on his face.I hated seeing it after the faces we had all just shared. Not a moment’s rest for the wi
Marabella POV The mating link wouldn’t let that happen though. It was alive and buzzing, making everything so much brighter. I let out a breath, falling against Jayden, my eyes fluttering closed as I savored the feeling asBrax turned me, kissing me roughly as he leaned me back against the bed. He put me on the edge, lifting my legs around his waist, “So fucking glad we came back for you, Spitfire,” he said.Before I could respond, he was slamming inside me. Pleasure exploded through me, the remnants of my orgasms sparking to life again.With his shadows still caressing every part of me, I was in another world, one where my alphas were gods and had made me specifically come apart for them and them alone.Brax didn’t care about Jordan’s warning, didn’t slow down as he became the animal that only I got to see. That side of him came out when he was as wound up and desperate for the connection as I was.That was definitely the case tonight as he sank into me, holding me at my shoulder, h
Marabella POVMy alphas worshipped my body like it was the last time they were going to get to see it.Maybe it was. We had no idea what the next day would bring.We’d have to see what the humans were doing with the border, why they had caged us, if we still had access to Tabby through Cain, if this was going to make the wolves worse, or even how bad winter was making things, but all of that could wait for a single night so I could relax and enjoy some time with my alphas.With Jayden and Jordan being my mates, my body craved them. When it went too long without their physical touch, I started to ache.My link with Brax demanded the same attention, my shadows whining incessantly to connect. I was only too happy to take our time and give in to the demands of that connection.Apparently, so were my alphas.Jayden’s mouth was on mine as he held my face, keeping me pinned and protected beneath his huge body, sliding his tongue against mine.Brax had his head between my thighs, stroking his
Marabella POVThe women and children were smiling, laughing, talking, eating, sipping wine and ale, and playing games. They were happy.It was everything I wanted for them, even after the existence they had given me in the village. It seemed so long ago.The way they were now was what I wished for them all, but the others were never going to know such fullness.A sinking stone in my stomach warned me that it wasn’t permanent, that the other humans I had thought of were making plans, and we had no idea what they were.But for now, I was going to let the happiness live.I moved through them, saying hello and chitchatting when I was talked to, but I still couldn’t find Mom.Ryleigh was sitting down on a cushion by the bookcases with a baby-name book, and I knelt down to her.“Hey.”She smiled up at me. “Marabella. How are you?” she asked with a bright smile.“I’m okay. How are you? Are the pains gone?” I asked.She nodded, rubbing her stomach that was smaller than mine. I had no idea how







