Book One of the Luminary Quartet Join Willow as she trades in one terrifying situation for another. Bear shifters are invading the wolves' territories in droves, and no place is safe, save the South. Willow is forced to flee her home alone unexpectedly, but she tirelessly makes her way to the South and the promise of sanctuary while the war rages on. Unfortunately, Willow quickly realizes that the South is no safer than her home, but she is forced to stay against her will. Has she made a terrible mistake or is Willow right where she is meant to be? Jax became Alpha of the Northern Province shortly after the beginning of the war, just after his parents were murdered, in fact. Though he has not been alpha long, he has already made a name for himself as a fearsome ruler throughout the territories. With the war ending, Jax and his warriors only have one thought on their minds: finding their soulmates. *Note: While the main characters in each book will receive their HEA, I would not recommend reading the sequels out of order due to the overarching storyline. ****Warning**** This book is for adults 18+. It contains mature themes and adult language. Please read at your own discretion.
view moreWillow
My name is Willow Anders, and this is my story.
It does not start out happy, but I must remain optimistic for the future. This cannot be my life. I refuse to believe that this was what Luna had in store for me, in spite of the lack of evidence to the contrary thus far.
I used to dream of the day when someone, anyone would rescue me from this horrid existence and the truly vile Alpha Zeke of the Southern Province, but I had given up on that pipe dream a long time ago.
It didn’t used to be like this. I reminded myself of happier times when the encroaching storm clouds got to be too heavy to bear, back to when my parents were still alive.
Luna, I was so naive back then.
Although things weren’t perfect, my father had shielded me from the worst of it, leaving me happily unaware of the harsh veracities of the world that we lived in until the bucket of ice water was tossed over my head, opening my eyes in a flash.
I had known that the bears were infringing on our territories, but, on our family farm, I had been able to pretend everything was alright, at least for a little longer while I lost myself in discovering the mysterious secrets of the nature that encompassed me.
That was, until the day that everything changed; the unthinkable happened.
I shuddered as a chill raced down my spine, remembering that dark time as if it had occurred only yesterday. I’d returned home from exploring the nearby caves, eager to share my discoveries with my parents, but I’d found my home invaded and my parents murdered, instead.
To this day, I still saw their panic-stricken eyes where they had laid, mutilated on the bloodied ground. The picture permanently affixed itself in my mind while I fled the scene for the sake of preserving my own life.
Shifting into my wolf mid-stride, the pain of transformation was near obsolete with my adrenaline pumping, and I continued at the same punishing pace, barely managing to evade capture, or something far worse as I made my escape.
The bears violently roared at their near miss, but I didn’t pause to look over my shoulder. Ensuing, the sound of their lumbering footfalls faded away with the more distance that I placed between us, my tread outstripping theirs before much time had elapsed.
I kept running for what felt like days, but, in all actuality, was probably only several hours. The thundering of heavy paws on the soft earth behind me had disappeared long ago, but I had pushed myself onward until my wolf was about ready to collapse.
The trees and surrounding foliage began to all converge into a green and brown mass of bleariness as my steps faltered. It seemed the adrenaline was finally waning, and I was about to crash back down into reality.
I began to ascertain my surroundings more thoroughly and started to look for a safe place to rest before my limbs stopped responding to my commands altogether.
I had allowed my senses to roam while I sprinted through the forest, so I knew that I had been alone for some time, but the image stuck to my eyelids had me constantly keeping one eye open, despite my perceived safety.
My paws ached something fierce, and I was reaching the point of exhaustion.
All the same, I persisted to trudge forward, never letting my guard down, but I did notice that I had slowed to a near walk due to my fatigue.
After a few more minutes, the stream that I had been utilizing as a guide and to hide my scent led to a scenic waterfall that took my already short-winded breath away.
The water rushed down from about fifty feet above me and cascaded into rivulets that had long ago been carved into the rocks it flowed over. I scanned the gorgeous view in front of me until I located the opening that I had suspected was hidden within plain sight.
It was barely detectable, and no one but a wolf would have noticed the small opening that was concealed in the rock face behind the silvery water.
I wasted no time in searching for the safest route to the entrance and commenced the daunting climb to my temporary sanctuary without any further delay.
As I sloshed through the water and ascended the rock face, I counted myself lucky again that I was so familiar with the hidden caves beyond some of the waterfalls, found only in the Northern Province.
I could safely rest here while I decided on my next best course of action. I had plenty of fresh water, and my wolf could hunt for any sustenance that we might need. Realistically though, I knew this safe haven would only briefly provide me respite.
These caves were supposed to be a secret that only a select few guarded ferociously, and I felt confident that it would remain that way. Nonetheless, the bears that had overrun my home would be close behind me.
I may be faster, but if my father could not overcome the sheer number and brute force of the bears on his own, then I didn’t have a chance in hell of succeeding. Really, I only had one choice left: to the Southern Province I went.
The trip took me about a week. I was not sure how long it should have taken, but I had to be careful to travel when the forest was less occupied. I knew that I could not trust anyone, and I did not want to have another encounter with the bears again.
I decided to stay in my wolf form for the most part, mainly because she was less needy if I was being honest, and the unrelenting wave of anger and grief seemed easier to handle while in that shape.
Wolves coped with loss differently, and I had never been so thankful to have my wolf with me than I was during that lonely transition period.
She had provided a way for me to endure the heart-rending ache while I traveled to safety.
I had reasoned that I would break down later when my life was no longer in danger, but I knew I was only putting off the inevitable. Every step forward reminded me that this was it. My last hope. My family and home were gone now.
However, I wasn’t sure that I would have made the arduous trek had I known what awaited me, but then again, I did not have much of a choice. I was seventeen when I had arrived, heavily bleeding and running for my life.
The trip had been dangerous, especially for a young girl all alone. The key to my survival had been staying obscured when others were around and using my wit to remain two steps ahead on my journey, but it appeared that my luck was about to run dry.
I thought I would make it. I was so close to the boundary of the Southern Province. Unfortunately, the bears were also much closer than I had anticipated.
One bear hurtled out from the undergrowth on the right directly in my line of sight. I pivoted in response, attempting to stay out of range, but the pain radiating out from my hind leg on my left side told me that I had been too slow to evade the bear's massive paw.
I yowled in pain, swiftly dodging the next blow and darting in the other direction. A second bear appeared out of nowhere, endeavoring to steer me back towards my original assailant.
Twirling ninety degrees, I winced in pain at the abrupt motion and took off for the Southern Boundary, hoping there would be someone there to assist me when I arrived with the pair of bears hot on my heels.
I heard the bears snarl in frustration and anger as they stampeded through the thick forest behind me. I ran full-out with the last of my strength, but I knew they were gaining ground, my injury having slowed me down.
Branches cracked from all around me, and the only thing I could think to do in the moment was pray the bear shifters weren’t about to finish me off.
Without warning, I felt blinding agony spiraling out from my right side, which, in turn, caused me to tumble into a heap on the forest floor, regardless of my best efforts to keep upright. The pain was too intense.
My wolf retreated, leaving me lying unclothed on the forest floor as my blood seeped into the dirt. I did not have the wherewithal to care that I was naked in front of Luna only knew who, but I was aware enough to grasp the compromising position that I had been left in.
My last vision was of half a dozen wolves closing in around me before I lost consciousness, the sound of growling fading into the ether as I was dragged under into a thankfully blissful darkness.
Willow About Three Weeks Later… “Baby, we talked about this. You know we have to go help Ronnie with the final details before the ball. She has been complaining nonstop since we left, and then Scarlett bailed right after, leaving only Mari and her to organize the whole thing.” “We still have three days until the ball, sweetheart. This will only delay us a few hours, and I think we deserve to celebrate a little longer. My sister will be fine once she hears that she is going to be an aunt.” There was no more talking after that, at least nothing coherent as Jax sealed his alluring lips over my kiss-swollen ones once more in a passionate caress that left no questions concerning how he was feeling about my unexpected information. I had not even considered pregnancy when we had completed our bond, but of course I would be the one to get pregnant on the first go around. I was somewhere on the spectrum of freaking the fuck out and overwhelmingly joyful to be bringing another life into
Willow I was startled out of my deep slumber when Jax jumped up with me still ensconced in his arms, the sudden action jostling me awake. I was confused for about a second, but then my brain gradually caught up with the sounds that were filtering into my ears, and I spun my head around in a circle until my eyes connected with Ronnie’s. I did not register the others in the room until after I had leaped up and ensnared my sister in a giant hug in my excitement to see her again so soon. She let out a chuckle before gently pushing me back with a scrunched nose and look of discomfort coloring her expression. I was a bit hurt a first, but I immediately understood her apprehension when she said, “It is great to see you Willow, but you kind of need a bath. It appears that my brother could use one too.” I glanced back to where Jax was currently conversing with his beta and Asher, and I could not deny the actuality of her statement as I took in the dried blood that still streaked across
Jax I had followed Willow’s lead, shifting back into human form and blindly advancing towards the kitchen with my eyes glued to her naked ass. I pulled on some pants, content to follow my mate’s lead, but I realized how stupid the action was when I discarded them a few minutes later so that I could check the house’s security one last time. I was shocked when my wolf was hesitant to leave, but after another careful assessment of the area with my enhanced senses turning up nothing unusual, I pushed aside his worry and set off at a fast clip so that I could return to my mate sooner. I had traveled a few miles, my wolf fighting me the entire way, when the influx of warnings swamped my mind. The border was under attack, and it was by none other than the bear shifters that we had been keeping an eye on. I did not understand how they c
Willow After about an hour of practicing, with Jax refusing to so much as kiss me while we were training, we agreed to call it quits for now. He had only managed to go over a few of the basics due to us being pressed for time, but I felt good about what he did teach me during the allotted period. I also thought that it was kind of cute how serious he was about my preparation if I was being honest. Don’t get me wrong, I was just as invested in making sure that I knew how to protect myself, but I did not think one kiss would deter me from that goal. Irrespective, I was in heaven when he finally leaned down and closed the distance between our bodies, smashing me against his chest as he hoisted me up with ease and thoroughly plundered my mouth. He kissed me until I was out of breath, but then he pul
Willow Jax’s pronouncement of his fears relating to the bears’ possible forthcoming incursion instantly dragged my memories back to the disastrous day that I had found both of my parent’s murdered, the cataclysm that had flipped my whole world upside down on its axis. My vision clouded as my haunted past consumed my awareness, sending me back down into the pit of despair that I had only recently clawed my way out of. I could hear my wolf shouting for me, reaching out to help pull me back from my spiraling downfall, but her presence was muted by the horrific images still revolving through my mind on a reel. Then, out of nowhere, the light fragrance of freshly cut grass began to seep into my consciousness, followed by the aromatic smell of rich coffee as I vaguely felt sturdy arms encircle my waist.
Jax I had known this conversation was coming all along. Regardless, Willow’s words managed to succeed in startling my thoughts away from the dark path that they were previously headed down. While I was thankful for the reprieve, not looking forward to thinking about Ryker being anywhere near my baby sister without my regulation any more than necessary, I found my trepidation almost equal when I considered the topic that she wanted me to fill her in on. I never wanted to keep secrets from my mate, but I also did not want her to worry about the added difficulties that Ryker had heretofore been keeping me up to date with on top of the stress that Zeke’s reappearance had produced. I found myself stuck between a rock and hard place as I was forced to choose between total honesty and protecting her, both mentally and physically.
Willow I muttered a perfunctory greeting in response, not really awake enough to make conversation, but I pulled my long tresses over my shoulders and darted my eyes away from his general direction as I did so. I had not been expecting to see anyone else or I probably would have showered former to coming downstairs, but it was too late to change now, so I resolved on making the best of my current predicament. If I had been thinking clearly earlier, I would have apprehended that there might be others rambling about. This was the pack house of the Northern Province, after all. I could guess that he was trying to be friendly, but I still felt uncomfortable around large men by myself after my experiences with Zeke, so I had remained quiet as I beelined straight for the coffee that drew me in like a magnet wit
Willow I tiredly rolled around in the bed when I awoke, wincing at the soreness I could feel suffusing scarcely used muscles and electing to leave my eyes firmly shut as I reached out blindly, searching for my mate’s large form. Nevertheless, they soared open abruptly when my wandering hands came up with nothing but an empty space and cold sheets during their hunt. Blinking my groggy eyes open, I allowed them a minute to adjust to the bright light of a fully risen sun filtering through the white colored curtains, I had not realized that I had slept in so long, but it did not surprise me with how late Jax had kept me up last night, not that I was complaining. Still, I knew one thing for certain. Those window coverings would be exchanged for a much darker alternative in the near future if I had anything to say about it.
Jax With one powerful lunge forward, my mind fractured momentarily as it was overwhelmed with the sensations of claiming my soulmate at long last. I nebulously noticed that my wolf had managed to express his excitement through a low howl that I could feel all the way down to the tips of my toes as my shoulders strained with exertion and my claws tore into the wooden rail behind my mate’s head. I was struggling to not blow my load, holding my raging member stock-still so that the sensory overload would not send me sprinting over the edge prematurely as I was besieged by the lust drenching me in its deluge at the feeling of her wet heat ensconcing me. I wanted this to last at least until I had her screaming my name as her center compressed around my pulsing length with the resulting tremors of her release before we started the s
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