Maureen's POVWe traveled all night in total silence. None of us said anything to each other, at least not in the car I was in, I didn't know about the other car.I insisted on having Ian in the same vehicle with me. He no longer looked pale but he looked very distracted. His eyes were glued to the glass by his side. I noticed that once in a while Rocha would give Ian a squeeze on his lap. We got to High Moon some minutes after six o'clock am. The whole house was awake when we got there. I could see shards of glass on the floor outside. What the hell happened here? I thought. We walked into the house to meet the staff working on cleaning the house. There were shards of broken glass from the window that were inside the sitting room. They must have been thrown there in the process of breaking. 'Where is Dad and Mum?' Dominus asked one of the staff as they welcomed us 'They are upstairs in Grandma Gina's room,' the staff answered. We all rushed upstairs taking the step two at a time
Ian's POVI was almost dragging Shanty out of the Alpha's office as Maureen declared the meeting over. We couldn't discuss our plans in the presence of Shanty. I was walking so fast that she was running after me while I pulled at her hand. I didn't stop until we were in the safety of the room we shared.'Start talking,' I said quietly. Shanty stepped back before she started talking because she knew that when I talked like that, I was very angry and was trying to control myself. 'I am sorry Ian. I was too ashamed to tell you,' Shanty pleaded. 'You have apologized enough about this whole thing Shanty. What I want to know is how you ended up in their nest. Don't you think you have put it off for too long?' I said to Shanty.'Can we sit down?' Shanty asked. I knew she was stalling but I wasn't letting go of the topic whether she liked it or not. 'Sure,' I said and sat down on the couch at the base of the bed. Shanty sat down and sighed loudly before she began, 'After I left you, I tr
Lucia's POVSaying I was scared was mincing words. I was going witless with fear and uncertainty. Maureen had come up with the plan and I was one hundred percent in support of it but at that very moment, I was becoming doubtful of my emotional strength. I knew Ian and Dominus were somewhere near but that didn't still give me the reassurance I needed. I closed my eyes, reached into my mind link with Dominus and I voiced my fear. ‘Relax babe. I am right behind you. You are safe,' Dominus said reassuring me.I sighed loudly and opened my eyes. I was ready. My mate was there so I had nothing to fear. Bracing myself, I got ready for the task ahead. I was wearing Shanty's clothes. I was so consumed by Shanty's smell that my scent could not penetrate it. Ian had made sure I was wearing the clothes Shanty had worn the day Linus, the disappearing man attacked her and Grandma Gina. She had sweated profusely that night and had worn the clothes till the early hours of the morning.I doubted th
Maureen's POV'Can one of you explain why you haven't bothered to tell me anything since you returned from your last trip?' The Alpha asked again as we settled in his study. Dominus had pleaded with the Alpha and Dad to allow us all to discuss in his office so we followed them to the Alpha's office.'I don't know about others but I intentionally didn't mention it because I don't want to distress Mum,' Dominus explained.'And the rest of you?' The Alpha asked looking from one person to the other.'I am sorry. It is a painful topic to me and I decided to not talk about it at all,' I said defensively.'And you think that is a wise decision?' The Alpha asked looking straight at me.'It is my decision and I don't see why I need to explain myself to you,' I said in a voice that was purely my wolf's. 'You might not need to explain yourself to your team but I deserve to know whatever affects my pack and my family,' the Alpha said getting up from his seat with anger burning in his eyes.My wo
Lance's POVIan and I waited for the others to join us at the door of the holding cell behind the Alpha's house before we proceeded. I noticed that Ian's previous mood seemed to have simmered but the anger was still there.'How is Shanty?' I asked trying to find out if they were able to have the much-needed talk.'I don't know. I need to sort my thoughts before I can think of her right now,' Ian said. I could see that he was still angry. 'I know you don't need opinion but I think you should be careful with her if she is still in love with that douchebag. The matter of the heart is a delicate one. I don't want you getting hurt and I am saying that sincerely,' I said.'I am the older one here. I should be the one dishing out advice but I will not deny the fact that as old as I am, I don't know how to deal with this strange feeling,' Ian said shaking his head from side to side as if he was trying to dispel a thought.'It is the oldest feeling and it incapacitates one once it gets hold o
Asher's POVI was going out of my mind looking at Dawn's closed eyes as she lay on the bed sleeping deeply. 'She will be fine Asher. Relax,' Maureen said looking worried herself.'Do you even believe what you are saying?' I asked Maureen because I couldn't bring myself to believe she would be fine. It wasn't Dawn's first time going into people's minds and she had never had this type of reaction.'We need to be optimistic Asher, she will be fine,' Maureen said.'Remember that your mate is a fighter, she will be fine,' Lucia said placing a placating hand on my shoulder. I knew that Dawn was a fighter but I just couldn't bring myself to be optimistic. I was scared, there was no denying that. The door opened as Grandma Gina and Dominus walked into the room. Grandma Gina walked to Dawn on the bed and placed a hand on Dawn's face as if feeling her temperature.'Can any of you connect with her in the mind link? Try talking to her,' Grandma Gina said.Everyone concentrated on their mind li
Dawn's POVI came awake slowly and stretched my body. I reached for Asher and I was disappointed to see he wasn't there. The space he had slept in was still warm so I knew he stood up not long ago. I heard the tap go on in the bathroom and I knew he was in there. I blushed remembering what the previous night had been like. Asher never fails to pay attention to details when it comes to making love. He took time to make sure I enjoyed the experience every time we made love. I blushed harder when I remembered how I moaned breathlessly and came undone under him last night. 'If you are blushing that way, should I be proud of the fact that I satisfied you?' Asher asked leaning on the bathroom door. I didn't notice when he opened it. 'Don't embarrass me, Asher,' I said turning my face away from him.He walked up to the bed and sat at the edge pulling me to him. He kissed me lightly on the nose and then captured my lips with his in a sweet toe-curling kiss that had me clinging to him. The
Maureen's POV'What do we do with Linus?' Lucia asked as we sat deliberating on what our next line of action should be. 'Dominus and I will move him to the dungeon,' Lance said. 'He will disappear when his body becomes dry,' Lucia said. 'Don't worry I have that covered,' Lance said winking at Lucia. Then got up to leave the room but surprisingly enough, Shanty fell straight into the room. She had been leaning on the door! 'Shanty?' Ian said standing up slowly.'You said he was dead, you said you killed him. Why is he being moved to the dungeon again if he is already dead?' Shanty said as she stood up from the ground eyes blazing. 'You were not supposed to be eavesdropping Shanty. It is wrong,' Ian shouted at her. 'I was looking for you. You have refused to talk to me. I wanted us to iron things out,' Shanty said defensively.'And you think eavesdropping on my friends and me was a good way to iron things out?' Ian was livid and I know that one says hurtful things at a time like t
Maureen's POVI walked into the garden behind the citadel with a smile on my face. It was dark outside but the moon was so bright. It would have been mistaken for early morning if not for the dark clouds and the bright shining stars. I discovered the garden three days after I got to the citadel. It was almost as beautiful as the garden in my dreams. I had made inquiries about who had been taking care of the garden. An elderly woman about the age of Grandma Gina had been brought to me. She did a wonderful job taking care of the garden.As I walked in the garden, touching one delicate flower after another, I couldn't help but reminisce on the events of the past week and the event of that day in particular. I had finally reinstalled the president to his rightful place. It had been a big occasion with wolves from every part of the kingdom there to witness the occasion. I was not one hundred percent sure of all the elders in the council, but I was sure I had over ninety-five percent of t
Ian's POVI couldn't sit and watch Shanty's conviction. A girl I have loved for the longest time. She was the only one I allowed into my space for the very first time. I was on a mission that I didn't want to be distracted from so I had no friends, no confidant, nothing until I met Shanty. Shanty betrayed me in the worst way ever, but my heart was still reluctant to let go of every memory we shared. I left the panel in the middle of a hearing. No one stopped me and I didn't look back either. I was in the bush all alone for two days eating whatever I could get. I was used to that anyway. I stopped being a loner after I met Maureen and the whole team. I shook my head to dispel the thought that I would never be invisible again. It was painful, but at the same time, it was a relief. I sought Grandma Gina and the leader of the waiters out the very minute I got to the council from High Moon. I wanted to know why I could no longer be invisible. I discovered that I lost my ability after
Maureen's POV 'Everything is all set in your pack. You and your children can go back to Eagle Moon now,' I said to Talon. We were in the pack main hall. It had not been easy to get Eagles pack up again but I had to. Talon needed his home, and the children, too, needed a balance. One of those that were used as his breeders said she couldn't stay with him, she wanted to go back to her pack. I didn't stop her. She needed her people to heal. The other female decided to stay, she said she couldn't leave her children in the care of another. 'Thank you, Your Majesty,' Talon said. 'I have told you to call me Maureen. You are my biological father, there is no way of writing that off,' I said.'I know what you said, and I understand, but I can't call you by name. I was just a vessel used to bring you to life. You and your wolf are far above me. So I will accord you the due respect,' Talon insisted. Dawn, Lance, Asher, and Leila were with me in the council's main hall while I addressed Tal
Maureen's POV'Asher you need to let the doctors examine her,' I said for the umpteenth time as the doctor tried to get to Dawn to no avail.We were at the council hospital. After so much shouting and noise, we got the Luna and Dawn to the clinic on time. The Luna was taken into the labor room while Dawn was placed in a ward, and a doctor was immediately allocated to her, but Asher wouldn't let the doctor access her. 'You need to let go of her Asher. You might be choking her as it is,' Lance said, making Asher let go of Dawn instantly.I had thought that we might have to bring Lucia in to make him sleep so that the doctor could attend to Dawn without his interference. When Asher lifted his face to us, I saw that his wolf was in control because his eyes were completely those of his wolf. 'Mate will be okay right?' Asher asked looking at me pitifully.'Yes. Your mate will be fine, but you need to step away from her,' I said, looking at him in the eyes.He eventually agreed to step b
Maureen's POV A Month and One Week Later 'Go ahead and explain yourself,' I said, then sat back on the chair to listen to what the Luna of Rolling Hills had to say. I had set up a panel that consisted of different people to look into evidence against those who wanted to seize the power of the golden wolf soldiers so that they could control the entire wolf kingdom. The panel consisted of faithful elders who had gone through a rigorous search into their minds by Dawn, the entire golden wolf team, and Alpha representatives from different packs, including the Alpha of High Moon and the waiters. I also made sure that the proceedings were adequately covered by the press. We were charging them with felony but not without allowing every one of them to say one or two things for themselves. There was a lot of evidence against them already, but that didn't stop me from asking them to say one or two things. It was the standard procedure. 'I have nothing to say. You have already found me
Maureen's POVLance and I walked hand in hand back to the citadel alongside Dad. My mind was on Asher but it was also with Dawn. She would be going crazy with worry. Mum met us at the door when we got to the citadel. She hugged me passionately. I wondered how many times while growing up why she never treated me like a mother would treat her only daughter but now that I knew why she was like that, I didn't blame her at all. 'How are you doing Your Majesty?' Mum asked holding my hand.'Not you too, mum, please,' I said, stepping away from her.'You are who you are now Maureen. We all must accept that,' Mum said smiling at me.'How is Asher?' I asked, intentionally changing the topic.'He is asleep,' Mum said.'He slept all through the journey back to the council. I am worried,' I said frowning lightly.'Let us go and see him,' Lance said putting his hand on my shoulder to turn me towards the stairs to the room Dawn and Asher share. 'How is the Luna mum?' I asked as we walked to Asher
Maureen's POVIt was quite easy to flood the pods with water. The fake soldiers melted into nothing as the water entered their pods. I knew that there must have been a place where the soldiers were made in large numbers. I just didn't expect it to be that close to the council.After we were sure the room was rid of all the soldiers, Asher advised that we rig the room so that it would blow up and destroy the pods in the process.'I think we should free Talon's breeders first before we do that. This whole place might blow up,' the doctor said as soon as Lance suggested it. I asked three soldiers and Dominus to follow the doctor while the rest of us stayed in the room to await them. Asher started working on the electricity connection in the room. Dominus and the soldiers returned shortly after with Talon's breeders. They were both holding their babies in their hands.'I knew you would come for us,' one of Talon's breeders said immediately she set her eyes on me. I remembered that she w
Maureen's POVFour Days Later'I wish to see your birth mother so that I can apologize for what I did to her,' Talon said to me. It was four days after I entered the citadel and I was crowned. It had been the four most hectic days of my life. It had been crazy sorting through a lot of things. The mess the power-drunk and hungry few had created was so huge. I had sent some of the golden wolf soldiers after girls who were kept at the council's border. One of the girls kept in the citadel had told us how she was brought in from the border. I was so busy that the last time I saw Talon after he came out of the hidden wall at the citadel was the following morning after the crowning when I had tried to heal him. It had worked but the doctor said he was malnourished and he needed a lot of rest. I had insisted on seeing Talon at that moment because I didn't know when next I would see him. He was at the council's main hospital, a stone's throw from the citadel. Dominus and Asher had been in
Maureen's POV'We will go to the citadel after I am sure that Lance is okay,' I said, looking from one waiter to the other. 'I am fine Reen. Asher dug the bullet out already,' Lance said before he stepped into the circle the waiters had made around me. 'Are you sure?' I asked looking into his face.'Yes. I am sure. It will heal soon once the blood coming out of it washes away the silver contamination,' Lance said looking down at the hand he was clutching with the other hand.'No pains?' I asked worriedly.'No serious pain. Let's proceed, I will tie it up when I am sure it is ready to be tied so that it can heal,' Lance said shrugging as if he wasn't in pain.'I can just heal you,' I protested.'Yes, you can but not now. Let's go,' Lance said. The waiters led the way to the citadel. They knew the way there and I didn't know how. I glanced sideways several times at Lance to be sure he was really not in pain. We stopped at some point while walking to the citadel as some females ran t