“He’s still hunting you?” I feel tense on knowing that.My eyes wander around the surroundings as something occurs to me, “Wait, didn’t he destroy this place before?”“He did and I fixed it back up,” Aliya murmurs. “I might be the only free witch he knows right now so I am a threat to him.”Her words strike me as odd, “Free witch? What does that mean?”She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before murmuring, “I don’t want to say yet. I’m still trying to figure it out. But Damon offered me a place in his territory, within the forest. I prefer to be in nature so…”Her words fade off and I know that Damon probably saw an opportunity and lured her in. He’s clever that way. She looks around, a discomfited expression on her face, “He annoys me but he’s been a good protector every time I have been in danger. And there are little ones in his tribe.”Ah, the children.Aliya likes children.Damon’s tribe is far more advanced than the pack is and I know that he
I stiffen at her words and I want to say something but I just clench my fists. It is a painful reminder to myself that I have no right to interfere, no rights anymore to Sarah.From the look in the female shifter’s eyes, her words had been deliberate. I understand their anger and I choose not to respond.A year after losing Sarah has calmed down my usually explosive temper quite a lot.When we reach the underground garage, I see more vehicles but I don’t comment on it, just helping the wolves out. They rush towards a door on the side and I instinctively know they are going towards wherever Sarah is.Sarah’s ability to summon wolves is one that only a few powerful members of the Clear Mountain Clan have. She retained this ability even after losing her wolf. So, I follow the two wolves without thinking, my hands trembling.They race through the corridors of the den, rushing past people who don’t seem very surprised to see the two wolves but do gave me frowning looks. B
“What do you mean?” My voice rises sharply. However, her eyes go back to purple and she thumps her chest, “She’s empty inside. She doesn’t smile at all. She’s not like she used to be.”I kiss the top of her head, partly in an attempt to comfort her and partly to hide the wetness in my eyes. “Sorry,” I murmur.She’s quiet and then she says, “I have to go to class. But I’ll see you at dinner, okay?”She wriggles out of my hold and rushes off. Picking up Fergus, I look around at the small nursery. I know for the next two three days, he will be allowed to sleep with me in the suite I always stay in. I cherish these days in which I can play with my son, get to know him and my eyes always thirst for Sarah.I know the way to my suite and I carry my son there.My things are already set up and it’s as I’m settling down that there is a knock on the door. When I open the door, it’s to see another familiar face. “Ezekiel,” I nod at him.Ezekiel, the Alpha of the
Ezekiel studies my face, “You look upset.”My jaw clenches and unclenches, “Are you serious? Sarah-““Sarah needs to move on. She needs to find somebody who will love her and allow her to heal in their embrace. Since you want to just lick your wounds and feel sorry for yourself, you’re clearly not the right person.You’re too busy playing the martyr to be any kind of support for her.”His words are a punch in the gut for me but I don’t deny them.I stopped trying to reach out to her, to try and beg her for forgiveness because I convinced myself I wasn’t worth her forgiveness. But to force Ezekiel to look at myself in the mirror is a bitter taste in the mouth.“My priority is my granddaughter,” The older male says, his voice stern, as he gets up. “There are many good men here who would keep her happy and never dare to betray her.”I almost stagger as I watch him leave, my gut twisting painfully.Watch Sarah be with someone else?The anger is a burning intensity in
She goes still at my words.“Please leave,” Her reply is quiet.I kneel by her side, looking at her, “Sarah, I can’t go on like this. I know what I did is unforgivable. But be angry, punish me, hate me. But just come back.”Her hands tighten around the arms of the chair, “I don’t hate you. I know you were being controlled.”“If that was the case, you would-““I’m tired,” She finally looks at me, her eyes hollow. “I’m tired of everything. I’m tired of fighting. I don’t want to do this anymore. Just go and be happy.”My voice breaks, my heart cracking, “How am I supposed to be happy without you in my life? I have been living in hell since that day that creature walked into our den. Every word, every action is imprinted into my brain. Everything I did to you is - I was a bastard to you but I never meant it. I can’t do this without you, Sarah. I can’t do any of this without you. I’ll-““Stop,” Her hand curls into a fist. “I’m not coming back, Lucas. This is my home now
Seeing Sarah smile, even if it’s a tiny smile, at another man, it’s like a punch in the gut for me.For a moment, all the air leaves my body in a vicious manner. I stare in her direction, my grip on Fergus tight as my body trembles.‘She’s not smiled even once.’That’s not true, I think to myself, the pain a raw gnawing feeling within me. There is someone who makes her smile. It’s just not me anymore.The male puts his hand on her shoulder and she doesn’t remove it.Almost as if she’s used to it.I hear the crackle of thunder and Fergus lets out a distressed whine.Even all the way across, Sarah immediately shifts and her eyes meet mine.I feel numb as I stare at her, the sight of his hand on her shoulder making me feel cold inside. For the first time, I feel all alone. Till now, there had been this small hope, this desire that maybe things will work out between us but Sarah has clearly begun to move on.Maybe that’s what she had meant back then. She
The wolf shifter is taken to the infirmary, a difficult feat considering the raging snowstorm. However, he had managed to trip some alarms when entering the territory so help had arrived pretty quickly.“Who is he?” I ask, leaning against the wall outside the infirmary.Ezekiel who had just walked out looks troubled, “An old friend. And old pack mate.”I hear the clicking sound of shoes and then another man enters the waiting room and I nearly jolt in recognition.He’s the same man who had approached Sarah in the forest. The one she had smiled for. Up close, I see that he is a handsome man with a gentle face.“Any update, Peter?” Ezekiel asks.“Your wolves tracked him all to the border and past it. I’ve sent a few of them to follow the trail but most of his injuries are old. A few days old. His healing was slow though.”“Poison,” Comes a heavy voice from behind us and I look over to see a female healer standing there. “His injuries are grave but he’s regained c
The growl that leaves my mouth has everybody looking in my direction.“Sarah can’t go. She can’t shift!”I see Sarah flinch and then her eyes turn dull and I immediately realize that she has mistaken the meaning of my words and I continue, hastily, “She can get hurt! We have a son! He needs his mother! And sending Sarah to what is a war zone is not a feasible idea. She may be experienced but she is also very young. You are talking about a full fledged battle zone.”The soldier that Sarah had smiled at before nods, “I agree. Putting Sarah in danger is unnecessary.”“She goes,” The Phoenix looks at me, unbothered. “Without my guardian present, I can’t control my powers.”I take a moment to process, that, having never known that before. “If the Phoenix goes, then our odds are better,” Ezekiel admits but he doesn’t seem very willing to send Sarah in the face of danger.A discussion erupts while Sarah just sits there quietly.Finally, as it begins to get heated, she
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