“Okay, we’re done once you have your vaccines and have your blood drawn for a few tests.” Healer Talan said as Melody got dressed again. Malcolm stayed with David while the healer examined her. He left her there and returned to the consulting room and Malcolm. It annoyed her she couldn’t tell what they were saying. It had to be about her or David. Which she should know, right? She frowned as she entered the consulting room. “Everything is okay, right, Healer Talan?” “I checked her out, but I have a few questions for you. Have you been ill with the flu or cold?” “Yes, months ago. But it’s been over and done with for some time.” Melody didn’t understand why this was an issue. “It took you a while to recover. Fatigue, body aches, and coughing?” She wasn’t certain where this was going. “All the above. But what has that got to do with anything?” The healer’s assistant was ready to take blood and give her the vaccines.” “It was a virus that you
Malcolm settled Melody and David into the condo, with instructions to call Ellie if she needed help. He couldn’t avoid going to a meeting, and it wasn’t his first choice of things he wanted to do. When she asked him what the meeting was about, all Malcolm said was that it was about pack business. He wasn’t going alone. Not now, never. Calvin Nichols was a wild card who loved playing close to the acceptable and legal limits on everything. From the private club that catered to many vices and kinks, to the barely legal online gambling, and he also ran a protection racket for supernatural creatures within his territory. So Melody watched him leave the condo. The difference now was as he left several shifters outfitted with weapons and body armour took up posts at the front door. What in the world? Then it was real. He really did fear war. That or he feared she’d run. If that were the case, he could restrain her. This was fear of an attack. Melody closed t
Ellie looked in the mirror. Her shoulder had finally stopped bleeding. She was still in disbelief that he’d done this to her. He was thinking with his dick and not his brain. “It looks fine. The bleeding has stopped and you’re mine now.” Jordan came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. She could feel the warmth of his naked body press up against her back. Her body still wanted him, even though she was annoyed and angry with him. “What is it with you telling me over and over that I’m yours? What, now you’re stuck with me because I’m no longer in mint condition and you damaged the box? I feel you set me up. What are you going to do when reality sinks in and you have to deal with other people and the pressures, they force you to endure?” She watched his reaction in the mirror over the sink because if she turned around, Ellie was sure they’d be going at it on the counter before her. “First, you aren’t some action figure. You’re my mate. Second, have you every
“I’m glad you came, and I’m glad you’re taking the threat seriously.” Calvin said as he slipped back into his shirt. He stood just as tall and broad as Malcolm. The two could have been cousins with their dark hair and blue eyes. But Cal’s we’re closer to sapphire, while Malcolm’s were like icy, steel. “I thought you were the threat.” Malcolm held back his trust. They’d had issues before with clashing businesses and enterprises. Malcolm didn’t approve of some of Cal’s enterprises that bordered on the illegal. “No… I sent you the warning because there’s someone using my name and contacts to make headway into this city. I’ve had several incursions into my territory and several attempts to take over several of my more lucrative enterprises. Before you ask whoever, they are, they cover their tracks very well. All my people have is that they hired those doing the dirty work and they don’t know who hired them. Only that the money is great.” Cal wasn’t joking. He was serious
Ellie could finally call Melody. It felt like forever since they’d been able to speak frankly without observers or distractions. That was something that didn’t feel right about her. Little David was on the floor playing. At some point, he’d figured out how to crawl. Ellie felt like she’d been cheated on seeing that happen. Melody said there was still standing and walking. Which Ellie had to admit was true. “Mel hon, this is like a powder keg waiting to go off and they’ve pulled us into the middle of all of this. What are we going to do about this?” “What can we do? Malcolm has made bloody sure that he has a say in pretty much everything that happens with David and me. Jordan’s done the same thing to you. It’s heavy-handed, and it annoys me to no end. Look, I found a file from one of the firm’s investigators, and it’s about us and their hunt. They’ve been stalking us long before we even knew. Why did you not tell me that some guy was harassing you?” Melody
Jordan hated having to go into the firm’s offices for matters like this, but the truths was he also got a sick pleasure out of using the system against the true nasty creatures that stalked upper society. Malcolm had him coming into the offices for a meeting with several people from the board to the head of the HR department. Heck, he even spotted the firm’s head of PR, and several lawyers. This he hated because no one would believe what Malcolm and his father worked decades on to gain this advantage over them. It’d been more difficult over the years because of the laws changing and making this harder to pull off within the financial sector. But they’d done it. What Jordan hated was the entitled anger and assumptions that everyone owed them whatever they wanted. What these people didn’t know was he came carrying several loaded cannons. Malcolm and the pack’s advisory council had been maneuvering stocks and other legal actions to remove the CEO and COO from the boa
Malcolm was in his limo, returning home. All he could think about was the last time he was in it with Melody and knew she had work to do. Even the healer mentioned her needing to do kegel exercises. He was sure she hadn’t been doing them. Now he’d have a little fun getting her to look after herself. When he entered the condo, he looked in on the now sleeping David. He needed to spend some time with this bundle of energy. He wouldn’t be small forever. Malcolm found Melody setting out their dinner that must have just arrived. “Were you able to get some work done? While I was out?” Melody didn’t look up from what she was doing, and her tone was clipped. Malcolm’s back straightened in response to it, and he was in no mood for her acting bratty and childish. “I had to turn off my cellphone. I’m surprised you didn’t get any nasty phone calls. You can imagine my surprise when members of the board started calling me. Why didn’t you tell me you could take over overnigh
“Ellie, we’re staying in. Malcolm just postponed the meeting. Oh, he’ll call later to fill me in on his meeting and discuss the events at the board meeting. I guess that will have to do. So how was your day?” Ellie looked at Jordan with a flat stare. “It was a waste of my time, as you well know. We got nothing done and I now need to rework my entire website and setup a new unplanned store, train an entire staff I hadn’t planned for. All while finding myself trapped in a location under lock and key. Never mind military-like guard.” “It has to be. You’re no longer safe outside of here alone. You need to adjust to how your life has changed. It will be better in the end for everyone, I assure you. It’s a brief interruption before you’ll notice the improvements from the change. I’ll see if I can’t find someone to help you with the website who isn’t so unprofessional.” Jordan didn’t read out loud what Malcolm wrote to him, but there was something going on with Melody. But h
The investigation took weeks, and by then they’d moved into the packhouse. Life slowly got back to normal. The pack warmed up to Melody and Ellie. When they realized they were the minds behind their products. The she-wolves embraced them readily. Malcolm and Jordan split their time between the city and the Muskoka territory. Even the various construction projects were progressing well, with no more interference. The Fae were nowhere to be seen. But there were new rogues in the shadows of the neutral zones, and they weren’t living there quietly. The council of alphas were making plans to deal with them along with an ever pending war between the Toronto packs, the Scarborough Grove, and the Don Valley. It was something that cropped up again and again. They had history and family conflict. No one could blame them for the father they had. Now there’s a girl driving a wedge between them again, with her mere existence. Ellie was concerned about Jordan. He’d have to come to terms wi
“When I stepped into leadership of this pack, I made it clear we wouldn’t hold on to old prejudices. This might not be a message that got to some of the most recent pack members. This is a historic time and events have been fast and furious. So, I will state this again without naming names or telling tales out of school, as the humans say.” He paused and looked about. Several uneasy people were now relaxed. “That’s not to say those people will avoid the appropriate punishments later. Now, we are a wolf pack who recognizes fate can grant us mates who aren’t wolves. We don’t punish a person for their species, race, lack of magic, or anything like that. If you have a problem with another, you seek to resolve it without harming each other. Yes, I know for some that is a tough thing to do. But we do that within this pack. I have heard that someone has used their station and position of responsibility to force their political beliefs onto the pack as a whole. The reports I rece
“Now you’re sure we have everything. I’d hate to get there and find out we’re missing something.” Melody was checking her bags again. Malcolm could see her anxiety in her actions. Normally, she would never reveal it. Now he figured it was her motherly instincts kicking in to protect and care for her pups. “Melody, there will be other families there. I’m sure if you’ve forgotten something, someone will have it.” If looks could kill, Malcolm would need a healer, at least if not an undertaker, as the humans would say. Melody didn’t appreciate his assurances. As Jordan passed him with another car seat. They had to install three of them and that was the last. Jordan made eye contact with Malcolm, and they exchanged a sense of commiseration. Malcolm figured it was because Jordan just escaped a similar situation upstairs. “Ellie, let me get the base in the car and then I’ll come get the pups for you. I don’t want you to carry two of those heavy car seats. Just
Malcolm didn’t stay long after that at the meeting. The elders clearly had a lot to chew on and get straight. He’d gone on to remind them their job wasn’t to run the pack or tell people what and how to do things. They weren’t to threaten the pack members if they said or did anything. Their job was to advise and give council. Use their experience and list, assist in finding answers. Guide the next generation. Someone had lost their way and Malcolm would keep an eye on them. So this wouldn’t happen again. They were getting ready to settle down for the rest of the evening when the elders appeared at their door. This time they requested if we could introduce them to the new pack members. A far cry from the morning. Malcolm noticed the speaker wasn’t there, but Cathleen was. “I’m sorry about all of this, Alpha. I truly didn’t believe it. Gisselle was sent by the others. However, I spoke with her about how unreasonable the horrible words were. She agreed with me. I just ask that you
Malcolm was unhappy when he entered the elder’s meeting room to hear this information. What were they thinking, pulling this? Running on rumours and speculation. That wasn’t how he or how he expected his pack to run. Malcolm waiting rather impatiently for a response that didn’t appear to come fast enough for his liking. “Tight lipped, are we? Anyone else like to step up to the speaker’s spot and inform me of exactly what my mate, they accused your Luna of what and by whom?” “I can’t tell you who reported this to us, but I would love to fill you in on this. It’s rather disgraceful, over-the-top, and factually unbelievable.” Cathleen stood up from her seat, a look of sour disapproval on her face. “To make matters worse, they kept me out of the loop on the births that happened at the cottage. This, I gather, was to ensure that I didn’t spill the beans about what they were doing.” “Madam, if you’d please state the accusations that they forced m
Gisselle found herself basically being escorted to the elders. She was sure they weren’t pleased with her right now after the subtle stance she took. Now she’s having to tell them their information about the Luna was full of misleading or outright false information. That wouldn’t go down well either. She entered the building that the elders used for their private meeting. Cathleen was there this time. She’d been missing when the elders stopped in to see the Luna and recognize the pups. “I hear they left me out of the loop in being told the pup was born early this morning.” Cathleen cornered Gisselle about this as soon as she got there. “For that, I’m sorry. I left a message with someone, and they were supposed to contact everyone. Whatever happened, it wasn’t on my part, I had my hands full at the time.” “Tell me you found these fools were acting out of ignorance and that none of this is true.” “Truthfully, none of it was true. Not
When Malcolm woke up, his phone was inundated with messages, wanting to know about everything. From where was he, to be everyone alright, even a few inquiries about complaints from a couple of elders about him throwing tradition to the wind? Business seemed to be well contained, with only a few reassurances that he takes his time, and it would be managed for him. That meant he would need to deal with several things here at home, make several decisions, and find his footing in this new dynamic. If someone told him he’d be mated and a father of two right now, three years ago, he’d have laughed at them and asked them what they were smoking. Now he had one almost running. They needed to get some safety items set up in the cottage. Malcolm was there to catch David this time before he fell down the stairs. No one told him pups moved that fast. Now there were four! He thought he’d let Melody look after this. But with the mess in how people were communicati
Malcolm was more than annoyed with the elders. This was his family and his pack. That meant his word was law and what they did was overstep their place. He didn’t have to listen to their advice, and that’s all their words should be. A voice of experience or a different perspective. They shouldn’t be demanding anything. “What is going on out there?” “Insensitive, self-important ninnies every one of them. The elders were downstairs. They expected you to give birth and then get up and walk down to them so we can present the boys to them officially.” “Is that what it was?” Melody sighed and kissed David’s head as he cuddled. He was still trying to wake up after being woken up several times during the night. “I would have thought you’d want to get it over with.” “We don’t have a name for this little one. I’m not leaving anything to chance. They make me worry that if we don’t have a name, then they’ll select one themselves to expedite things. Are they still giving yo
Three hours after returning to the cottage, Malcolm saw his pup come into the world. It wasn’t at all what he’d expected and if they had any more, he’d gladly wait elsewhere. Gisselle believed the little male would be another pup. So, Malcolm finally made a list of the information he needed to add to the pack’s registry. He couldn’t believe that he’d not added Melody or David to the registry. They’d added Ellie along with the twins. He hoped that’s why no one was respecting them before this. Once things quieted down, it was late enough in the morning for the elders to make their appearance and demands clear. They wanted to be introduced to both pups and do it all official. Malcolm was more than annoyed by this. They expected to be catered to without thought to Melody’s health or anyone else. Why did it even have to be today at all? “Alpha, could you let me handle this as the Luna’s healer? It’s my duty to ensure she recovers. I know you haven’t said anyth