Book Two of the Luminary Quartet Veronica's life was thrown into turmoil with the beginning of the war and the abrupt loss of her parents. One night of bliss was all she had been granted as compensation before her brother’s best friend absconded without a trace the next morning. Yet, the wheels of fate had already been set in motion, forever changing the course of Ronnie’s life as she struggles to rebuild her future in the South on her own. Ryker had been pushed around his whole life, up until that tragic night that he had fled his home without a backward glance and somehow found himself in the middle of the Northern Province with no recollection of how he had arrived there. Still reeling from the loss, only the effervescent emerald eyes-of who he learned much later was his mate-was able to break him out of the haze that had taken hold. One night was all he got before she became just another ghost that haunted him from his past, but all bets are off now that Ryker is finally returning home to reclaim his rightful role. Tension mounts as secrets are spilled and the elders treachery is further exposed in this riveting sequel to 'Mated to the Alpha of the North.' *Note: While the main characters all receive their HEA in each individual story, I would not recommend reading them out of order due to the overarching storyline that continues throughout them all. ****Warning**** This book is intended for adults 18+ only. There is mature scenes and adult language included. Please read at your own discretion.
View MoreVeronica
The first day that Ryker, my brother’s best friend, came into my awareness has been emblazoned in my mind over the years, no matter how hard I have attempted to scrub his existence from my memory. I was seven when he first whirled into my perfect little world, and I had instantly been drawn to his magnetic presence.
My older brother Jax had originally been leery of the young wolf that was wreaking havoc in the middle of town with his bedraggled appearance and aggressive actions aimed at the pair of elders that had tried, and spectacularly failed, to corral him into one of the local businesses and out of the public’s view.
My eyes had locked with his reddish-brown colored orbs for a single second during all of the chaos, and suddenly the midnight black wolf was shifting into a wild looking kid with tousled chin-length hair and the same russet-colored irises as the lupine that had disappeared with his transformation.
I was riveted by the mere sight of him, but I also could not recall meeting him in the area recently.
Even so, not much could have torn me away from the tumultuous scene unfolding before me, but Jax had tried his damnedest to whisk me away from the ensuing fray anyway.
I could not explain the strange fascination I had with the newcomer at the time, but I knew it had only grown since the first day that he had blown into town like a tornado with a troubled past nipping at his heels at only twelve.
There are a lot of things about him that have remained a mystery throughout our association: what happened between the time that Jax interceded and our father arrived, what drove him to our territory in the first place in the half-crazed state that he had been in, and why he had left without a word the next morning after we had finally come together so wondrously, years after our initial introduction and our forbidden tango had begun.
I had gotten used to disappointment as far as Ryker was concerned but taking a trip down memory lane still hurt, nonetheless.
I am not certain what happened after Jax got involved and my father subsequently appeared out of nowhere. I had lost eye contact for a few minutes while retreating to a safer place to watch. It was Jax’s sole condition, but I berated myself for refusing to stand my ground regardless.
It seemed someone closer to the kid's age had helped settle his nerves because he was no longer lashing out, and the elders had thankfully backed off when it became obvious that their approach was not working.
Somehow, my brother was able to do what neither of the elders had succeeded in accomplishing before, but by the time I had turned to witness the incredible sight, I regrettably realized that I had missed the entire encounter, and my father had reached the deescalating situation by that point, further exacerbating my displeasure.
However, he had handled the uncommon incident with a calm and authoritative demeanor, ordering the bystanders to disperse, myself included unfortunately, while he took stock of the scenario.
Jax I could defy, but not my father. I loitered a moment longer, watching amazed as the last spectators scattered with my father’s deep command, but then again, even at my early age I could clearly see the respect that he elicited from others.
I expected Jax to join me, but I was dissatisfied instead when I saw my father usher him inside the small grocery store that stood nearby.
I had stayed as still as a statue up on my perch as the elders filed in behind them and my father rotated to follow, but I scurried home without delay after the stern look that he shot my way before ducking inside the building after the others.
No one had told me what happened before or after the spectacle in the center of town, but my father returned home later that evening with Jax and the child, who had struck a chord within me, in tow.
I was then formally introduced to Ryker but was given no additional information. He had persisted on the periphery, just out of reach ever since that day.
Jax and him had been inseparable since the day our fates had intertwined with each other’s, but I was rarely welcome within the same vicinity as the boys.
As I matured with the passing of time, my beginning captivation with Ryker morphed into an array of different emotions including adoration, all-consuming passion, annoyance, and resentment to name a few.
My brother had always looked after me before Ryker’s advent, but he frequently complained about me tailing them wherever they went afterward, earning me the maddening nickname Shadow.
Whatever pull that had snared me that first day only seemed to have grown with the more time that I spent in his proximity. There was nothing sexual about it early on, simply the intrigue of his remarkable entrance, but as the time passed my level of attachment fervently grew alongside it.
Ryker watched me grow up from the pudgy, snot faced little girl into the slim figure of a young woman. He had defended me as fiercely as Jax from the beginning, but as I neared adulthood and the age that I could find my mate, I had found myself questioning more than once during that time period whether he might have been my forever.
I observed as his glances lingered longer when my brother’s attention was diverted elsewhere, but he had never crossed that infuriating line, presumably due to my age and the complications my overprotective sibling provided.
Despite the outwardly insurmountable obstacles, everything changed when the bears invaded and slaughtered my parents in cold blood. Jax had ordered Ryker to deliver me to safety in the South while he stayed behind to regroup with the others and mount a counterattack.
Thank Luna, the seriousness of the situation had allowed Ryker to push past the boundaries preventing him from working through his own issues concerning his enigmatic past then.
He had never told anyone what had happened to my knowledge, what had incited him into his half-mad flight across the country to begin with.
No one pushed him, and he appeared to adapt fine without the added pressure to confront his demons, though I knew I was not the only one who had attempted over the years to coax him into addressing the trauma that he had no doubt experienced.
Yet, bits and pieces had slipped over time, and I had managed to put together clues from what I noticed around me.
I knew that Ryker’s home was previously in the South, but something had spurred his wolf to take the reins, driving him halfway across the country before he had transformed back into his human shape again here in the North.
He had avoided the Southern Territory like the plague in the past, but the war changed a lot of things. My universe was shattered with the death of my parents, and Jax was thrust into the role of alpha prematurely.
I was an emotional wreck the whole journey to the South. Most of that distressing trip has since been blacked out from my mind, but every second of its culmination has been carved in searing detail into the deepest recesses of my brain.
To this day, I do not know who made the first move that night, but it set my life on a course that I never expected it to go down.
Hello wonderful readers, I am so sorry for any confusion, but all four books in this series will be separated. Unfortunately, my editor received some untrue information that was then passed on to me. To limit confusion, the order of the books is as follows: *Mated to the Alpha of the North *Mated to the Alpha of the South *Mated to the Alpha of the West *Mated to the Alpha of the East Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support. (I am also loving all the comments and encouragement. You guys are awesome! Thanks for sticking with me!!)
Veronica I was awoken way too early for my liking the next morning, but I wasn’t complaining once I realized what had brought me back to the land of the living. I could see the sun had already risen through my squinted eyes, but the fatigue seemed determined to stick around. The sensual feeling of Ry’s stubbled beard rubbing against my inner thighs as he gently ran his tongue in circles around my bundle of nerves had my hips rocking up of their own accord. My mate’s husky chuckle was the only warning I got before he suddenly sucked my clit into his mouth, slamming me into awareness as he brought his fingers into the action now that I was awake and fully onboard with his plans. It didn’t take him long to bring me to a screaming climax then, and I was enthusiastic to return the favor after I recovered from the stars orbiting my head and took a few moments to catch my breath, that was. Ry moved up my body while I was lost in all-
Veronica I was stunned when Ry’s voice intruded, anxiously warning of his impending arrival with a severely injured Ruby in tow. I had only just taken my seat to dig into the hearty stew Willow created, but I didn’t dither to explain to the others as I jumped up to meet him at the door. Even as I scurried forth, I couldn’t help but think there had been some type of mistake. Ruby had sworn to me she would not leave her house during the fighting. I knew she had chosen to stay behind, and I had advocated for her to join the patrol groups, but we had agreed she needed more training before taking on real adversaries. I didn’t give a damn that the bears had invaded early, I was pissed at Ruby for lying to me, but then I felt horrible for being angry at a wolf who was struggling to remain with us. I zoned my concentration in on her abdomen, where it appeared the most damage had occurred. There were multiple large gashes stead
Ryker My concentration was zeroed in on getting Ruby to my mate as I ran through the forest, but I also observed the fighting appeared to be over entirely as I pushed myself faster through the trees. I didn’t let myself ruminate on our victory or the losses we undoubtedly suffered, rather I diverted all my attention towards letting Ronnie know I was on the way. {Incoming! Ruby’s been injured. It’s serious. I’ll be there in two minutes time with her.} I could barely detect the girl’s shallow breath as I continued onward. The uneven beating of her heart had me frantically hurtling forward, dodging obstacles, and darting through the trees at a risky speed with the precious cargo I carried. It wouldn’t matter, regardless, if I couldn’t get her to Ronnie in enough time. Thankfully, Ronnie was waiting with the front door thrown open wide when I reached my destination, but she was advancing towards me in the twinkling of an e
Ryker Pain rippled down my spine as I transformed mid-stride, but it was forgotten as soon as the pinprick registered. My wolf’s keen eyes took in the dim tunnels as we ran onward, and I had to admit his vision was much clearer than mine was in my human form. On the other hand, I was having a difficult time discerning which direction Holden had disappeared with his scent seemingly surrounding me at every turn. Sight and smell were two of the biggest senses I normally relied on when tracking prey, but both were limited down here to my chagrin. Magnus’ and Holden’s scent trails were down every dark corridor I took, taunting me from every turn. I was forced to slow when I lost the elder again, but it did give me the opportunity to identify the subtle differences within the lingering scents. It didn’t take me long to narrow the options down to only two possible paths of egress he might have taken once I was focused, though I conce
Veronica Relief poured through me as my eyes alighted upon the weapon the former Southern Elder was brandishing. I wasn’t stupid. I knew it was dangerous after my own encounter with it prior, but I had something to fight back with now. Ryker and Jax blocked the older male’s line of sight, so he didn’t see me whipping out my own identical cylinder. Willow’s chocolate eyes turned up when she saw what I was holding, and her lips stretched into a victorious grin as she spoke up, giving me the opening that I needed. However, she also unwittingly aided our enemy in the process, forcing me to act quickly as the noxious fumes began to spew into the air. Ryker yanking me off my feet didn’t help matters, but I still managed to initiate the container in enough time to combat the unchanged one Holden had set off. I didn’t hesitate as relief at my foresight spread through me, reaching into my pocket, and instigating another cannister so we would be able to keep going. I knew Ryker would never
Ryker I wanted to say I was positive these tunnels hadn’t existed when I was a child, but it would be a lie. I never had the opportunity to seek out all the mysteries my father had masked from his family, especially regarding this house. It had been his pride and joy, and the ostentatious nature of it displayed that well enough. Yet, my father had been as suspicious as he was cruel, so it wouldn’t astonish me if he had been the one to install this underground network all those years ago when he’d had this abode built. It would make more sense than Zeke or the elders managing to cover up such a huge undertaking without alerting the rest of the population. Just the same, my ponderings were interrupted by the distinctive noise of life erupting from within, and I was climbing into the opening without a second thought. I did have the prudence to pause long enough to ensure my mate was on board with my present course of action, but
Veronica I took in the unanticipated strain in the atmosphere, but I didn’t say anything as I held up my hand in a staying gesture and darted to the living room in order to catch Nyla before she escaped upstairs. The younger wolf had her foot poised to ascend the first step when she halted, rotating at my voice as I said, “Hold up a second, Nyla.” I trudged closer before I started speaking again, and she helpfully met me in the middle of the room. “How is Remus doing? Ryker let me know he was up this morning, but I’m guessing that is where you’re headed now.” “Yes. He actually just woke up from his nap. Thank you again for everything. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my mate so soon after finding him.” I embraced her as she became teary eyed, squeezing her momentarily before pulling back to reassure her, “Don’t thank me, Nyla. You have been working just as hard as me to help our patients heal. Everyone should be
Veronica I shot up in a flash, dashing to the bathroom to relieve myself as I was slammed back into consciousness with the realistic dream my mind had conjured up as the remnants of the wolfsbane left my system. I could still feel the sweltering heat as the mighty inferno raged on internally, but the particulars of the nightmare slithered away before I could commit them to memory. I belatedly realized I was alone when I stumbled out of the washroom after taking care of business, which explained why my mate hadn’t been laughing his ass off at my morning sprint to the toilet. Yet, I idly wandered whether it was morning after all when I caught a glimpse of the light peeking through the gaps in the loosely drawn drapes. I concentrated for a minute, taking in the competing stimuli as I tried to wake up. I could hear there were several people moving around in the common areas, as well as Ryker further out, outside in
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