The shortcut that Lucas found has really cut down on our traveling time.It also helps that we are faster than we are in our human forms. However, that doesn't mean that we don't have to take breaks.It's on the second day, and we are just a day away from the archive room that we begin to slow down. ‘There seems to be a clearing ahead,’ I tell Lucas. “Let’s set up camp there.”My wolves speed up ahead but as we reach the clearing, they’re standing near the tree line, their ears cocked and their bodies stiff as a board.“What is it?” Lucas asks as we catch up to them, having transformed. “Is somebody there?”“No,” I mutter. “The last scent here is days old, maybe weeks. Then when I look up, I see a house built in a corner, “Is that -?”“That wasn’t there the last time I passed by,” Lucas sounds surprised.“When would that be?”“A couple of years ago,” He replies.“Maybe we should lea-“Just then the wind changes direction and I go still, “Do you s
My eyes fly open.But there is nobody there and there is no change in my wolves behavior. They just pace around, one of them coming to sniff at my belly and settling down near me in a protective manner.My hand comes to settle on my flat stomach, “I think you're making me hear things, baby. You'd better stop it.”I don't hear any other voice after that so I know that I imagined it.Still, it's a weird thing to imagine.I feel better when Lucas returns with a deer.I don't tell him what I just experienced because I can see how protective he is being and I don't want to upset him.It's pretty dark and we decide to sleep for the night before we go inside and begin.However, my sleep is plagued with disturbing dreams and I find myself jerking awake at some point, my heart pounding.Lucas moves, half asleep, “Sara-““I’m fine,” I touch his shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”He doesn't say anything more and I sit up, feeling tired but anxious.My wolves are als
The sprites flicker over the child’s head, almost anxiously.I crouch down next to her, my voice gentle, “Hey. Hey, kid. Wake up.”The girl stirs and her eyes open slightly.“Hey. Are you okay? What are you doing here?”She looks like a human but she has no scent whatsoever. That is probably why my wolves were able to sense her presence that well.Big purple eyes look back at me, a little dazed.I've never seen eyes that color.She looks thin, malnourished, and the soles of her feet are dirty and bloodied. I wait as awareness infiltrated her mind and then I see the sudden fear in her eyes and she scrambles back, holding a small fur ball in her arms.It’s when that ball of fur makes a yipping sound that I realise that it’s a wolf pup. The little girl has her back pressed against a tree trunk, terrified as she looks at me. The puppy in her arms struggles, trying to escape her grip. It manages to let itself free and then rushes towards me, licking my hand,
We both shift at the same time and I see the girl sit up in shock but I don’t care.Grabbing her small form in my mouth, making sure not to harm her, I begin running. I can feel the presence around me in the trees. Whoever is chasing us is able to keep up with me.I jump when I see an arrow fly towards me, barely avoiding it.The wolves running alongside me, dart into the trees in an attempt to give me more time.The girl in my mouth is frozen stiff.I feel an arrow graze by me and I push my speed. Hearing a howl behind me, I come to a stop when one of my wolves is thrown in front of me. I scramble to a stop and turn around to see two men walk out, wearing dark robes, bows in their hands, pointing towards me.“Give us the girl,” One of them men orders.I can’t see their faces because they are covered by hoods, their noses and mouth concealed behind a mask. I lower the shaking child to the ground, giving a silent command to my wolves to protect her. The
“What is the Panther tribe doing in this part of the forest?”Damon smiles at me, “And here I was expecting a thank you.”“Thank you,” I retort. “Now answer my question please.”“This area is our territory,” He responds, lazily. “I’ve never heard of panther shifters living here.”“We recently relocated, courtesy of our friends here,” He gestures towards the bodies on the ground. “Your pack was attacked as well?”Damon’s eyes glitter with interest, “I take it you’ve met these people.”“They recently attacked my pack and we lost many good people.”“Well,” Damon exchanges a look with his pack mates. “I guess we are in the same boat then. Maybe you should come with us so we can talk.”“My mate is somewhere out there,” I reply. “I have to go help him.”Damon shrugs, “We can offer assistance. If you agree to a meeting, that is.”The panther tribe is known for being sly and dangerous. Where as wolves can be just as sneaky, they are loyal. Panthers have no
I blink.“Wait, you two know each other?”The way Lucas is glaring at the Night Stalkers’s Alpha and from the way that Damon is smiling, it’s pretty apparent that they have some history between them.“His panther tribe had an alliance with my old pack,” Lucas growls. “What the hell are you doing here, you damn cat?!”“I’m the Alpha,” Damon is clearly enjoying himself. “So, wait,” I look between the two. “You two are not friends?”“The best.”“Absolutely not!”Damon grins in at lazy way of his, "Oh come on. Don't tell me you're still holding a grudge?”“You -”“Okay,” I step in between them. “Lucas, they helped us out. Their pack was attacked as well.”“What?” Lucas frowns, looking at Damon. “When?”“A few months ago,” The panther Alpha replies, his smile having faded. “We relocated here because our location had been compromised.”“How is that possible?” Lucas scowls. “Your pack’s defence system was -““Nothing is truly impenetrable,” Damon says,
Lucas turns stiff, “What?”Damon doesn’t meet his eyes, “My mother’s entire family was executed, including her. Her great grandfather had been planted into the pack. And whatever family he formed, his ‘mission' was passed down to their children. My mother tried teaching me the same values but I resisted. I wouldn't have believed that she had anything to do with the attack on our tribe but I saw her with one of the attackers.”I close my eyes.Sending his own mother to her execution, despite her crimes, must have been the most difficult decision he could've made.“She told me everything,” Damon continues. “In the hopes that I would share her and perhaps, join her. But I was the Alpha. My job was to protect my people. And I could tell that she didn't truly care for the loss of life. She didn't give a damn about the children we lost, the families that were destroyed. She truly believed in her mission. Fortunately, she gave up everybody's names and I had to execute my entire ma
Kayla is asleep when the sun rises and we start out on our way back, accompanied by five of Damon’s people.Lucas carries her on his back as we run back.Damon clearly felt guilt towards the child for not ensuring the safety of her family because he insisted on having his pack healer take a look at her. Bathed, her injuries tended to, and dressed in clean clothes, her stomach full, Kayla is fast asleep on Lucas’s back.She hasn’t spoken much and I can understand that her trauma and exhaustion must be overwhelming now that she feels moderately safe.‘What are we going to tell the pack?’For a moment, there is no response from Lucas’s end and then, ‘For now, let’s keep quiet. She doesn’t smell human. But she’s not of us either. But the Order wants her for some reason so we keep her safe. Let’s keep this on a need to know basis only.’That makes sense. I see expecting trouble on our way but we manage to reach our territory safely after two days of constant running.
SarahThe days that follow are sad ones. We all have to come together as a pack to work through the loss of so many loved ones. “I really thought we were finding peace,” Dustin says, as we gather together three days later. “I hoped it would stay.”“We’ll find that now,” I tell him. “There are always going to be times of peace and times of conflict. I’ve learned we have to accept that as a way of life. That’s the downside of being in a wolf pack.“But the good days outnumber the bad. And we’re strong, we’re fierce. We’ll get through this and defeat any enemies that might come up next. We just have to trust in each other and have faith in the pack.”The words resonate with me as I say them. Despite all the hardships, I’m more devoted to this pack than I ever have been. I’ve learned to accept the ups and downs which are easier to manage now that things between Lucas and I don’t feel quite as fragile.“That’s why you’re a great leader,” Dustin says. “You inspire us all to do just
LucasAs I watch my baby in Sarah’s arms, I’m happier than I ever thought I’d be. A son and a daughter. It feels like now our family is complete. Though I’m open to more children in the future. Right now, I’m just content.Sarah and I tend to be rough sleepers though. So, as Sarah dozes off, I take Evelyn from her arms and place her in the bassinet. Then, I join Sarah on the bed.“She’s beautiful,” I say, cuddling my sleepy mate. “You’re beautiful. I’m so grateful to you for bringing our children into our life like you have. “I know it’s never easy. I won’t even pretend to understand what you go through. But you give up so much for our family. I appreciate that more than I can express.”“And I appreciate you,” she says. “You’re a wonderful father and a fantastic husband. I’m so glad to share all of this with you. I’m so grateful to be building a family with you.”I kiss her and the warmth of having my true mate in my life envelopes me. It just feels so natural and right when y
Sarah“That is an incredible offer,” I say, my eyes staring right into Azar’s. “You’ve promised so much, and I know we’d both prosper within a formed alliance. However, we can’t promise our daughter’s hand in marriage.”My words prompt a hearty response. Some are mere whispers while others are outright defiant. Many can’t believe that we would turn away from this. But we have to do what’s right for our daughter.“Now, I’m not shutting down the idea of a future marriage completely,” I clarify. “Maybe our daughter will end up with your son. Maybe they will be mates.“But we’ll have to wait and see once she’s old enough to decide. Since we’ll be allies regardless, they’ll know each other. They can spend time together.“If our daughter decides that your son is her mate and they both love each other, then they can get married. We’re going to leave that up to her though. We don’t want to make such a big decision for her before she can even consent to it.”Azar’s demeanor falls. It re
LucasSarah looks at me with an expectant look on her face, and I’m just not sure what I should say. The kiss still bothers me. It hurts me. As her mate, I have reason to be upset.The guilt still haunts me though. It reminds me of how I hurt her. It whispers that I deserve this. I know that I deserve this.“It’s nothing,” I insist.“Lucas, please open up to me,” she says. She takes my hand in hers and looks at me with those eyes I never can resist. “I saw you and Azar last night,” I confess. “I saw the kiss.”Sarah looks at me with shock and guilt written upon her face. I hate that. It’s proof that what I saw was true. They did kiss. She betrayed me.“I know I betrayed you horribly,” I continue. “So, I understand that I deserve that. But it still hurts, Sarah. “I thought we had moved past all of that. I thought we were solid. I thought we weren’t ever going to let anyone get between us again. But I guess I was wrong.”Jealous tears through me as the kiss replays in my min
LucasI’m surprised then when I wake, Sarah isn’t beside me. I panic. After everything that’s happened, I simply can’t help it. There are too many ways things can go wrong.I need her near me. I need to always know that she’s okay.After a deep breath, I realize that something feels wrong. Something seems off. I walk to Fergus’ room and see him sleeping peacefully. I tuck the baby monitor in my pocket and step outside. I won’t go far, I can’t go far without Fergus, so hopefully she’s close by.It doesn’t seem like she is at first. I look all around our home and don’t see her. Then, I go towards the back yard and I stop.Sarah is there, but the tree line, but she’s not alone. He’s with her. The anger from earlier boils within me again.I know I shouldn’t be jealous, especially not after what I did to Sarah. I have no right to worry about that after all I put her through. And nothing truly awful has happened between them. I don’t have a solid reason to be upset.Besides, I tru
Lucas“You don’t have to give an answer right now,” he rushes in to say. “I’m not expecting you to be sure of anything right now. It’s just something to think about.”I’m so taken off guard by this that I don’t know a single word to say in response. I have tried to push aside my fears that he wants to seduce Sarah and getting to know them all a little better has helped me to do so.My daughter though… I never thought he’d be after my daughter. Arranged marriage? “That’s a big topic,” Sarah says slowly. “We’d definitely need time to think about it further. We’d have to talk through this amongst ourselves.”“Of course,” Azar replies with a pleasant smile. “I’m not trying to force your hand or anything. Take as much time as you need. It is a big decision but I think it’s the right one.”We don’t stay out much longer than that. We circle back to the gathering for a little while. But everyone is tired, so we all head back home soon after.It’s only once we’re back home that every
SarahI take a moment to give Lucas a hug and another kiss before we step into the area where the feast is being hosted. I can sense that he’s still a little insecure about things, but he had no reason to worry. I’m going to be true to him always.I’ll admit though, I am intrigued by this new pack. I wonder about the kinds of magic they can do. I’m curious about all they have to offer.As we walk towards their Alpha, the pack starts to congregate together, which is a little strange. Before this, they were mingling with everyone else. There seems to be a shift though as we approach them.“We’re so grateful you’ve accepted us,” Azar says, flashing that friendly smile. Is there anything flirtatious about it? I don’t really think so.“To show our gratitude, we would like to show you something,” he continues. “A little show before dinner.”I hesitate. What if this is something malicious? I don’t know anything about this pack. Is it a trap?They’re already here though. They could tr
LucasAfter everything else that’s happened, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about this new pack joining us. It’s not like it’s uncommon for packs to approach each other, especially if they think a mutually beneficial alliance can be formed.The fact that packs are now approaching us like this shows our growth. I’m proud of Sarah for bringing this pack to greatness like this. I’m happy to welcome newcomers in.It’s just that there’s been a lot going on lately. And it still seems like a risk to allow anyone new to come into this peaceful place we created.Then, I realize that I’m sounding a bit like how Liza sounded when we brought Brandon in. It gives me more empathy towards her but also makes me realize that maybe I’m being a bit paranoid.It will be good to have another alliance. This could ultimately be beneficial to us. So, I help answer questions as the pack follows us. I remain as engaging as possible as I get to know them.“You’ve truly created something impres
SarahChills run down my spine as I listen to this prophecy about our daughter. I always knew our children would be great. But I never expected something like this.Could it be true?I assume it is considering the way this prophecy has been delivered. What does it mean though? How do we deal with something like this?Before we can ask any questions, the bubble floats off into the sky which grows lighter again. The lights turn back on. The candles are re-lit.Lucas and I look to each other as everyone looks to us for answers. Yet I’m stumped. Usually I know what to say, but not this time.“I have no idea where that came from,” I admit. I’ve found that when it comes to being Alpha, the best way to approach these sorts of things is from a place of honesty. “However, I can say that I feel blessed.“It’s clear our daughter will be special. I don’t know exactly what that means yet, but we will take care of her to the best of our ability. We’ll cherish her just as we do Fergus. We’ll