"Well, you just arrived in the nick of time!" I said as Elias walked in. I set the plate filled with steaks on the table, along with the baked potatoes. "We're just sitting down to eat.""What can I do to help?" Elias set his doctor's bag down on the table by the door and then crossed the room to give me a chaste kiss."I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing at all. Just sit down and look beautiful."He grabbed me around the waist. "No. That's your department." He nuzzled my neck with his day-old beard. I giggled, pulling away. "Oh! I almost forgot!""What?" both Elias and Xander asked at the same time. "I have powers now!" I held up my hands as if it were the best news since the invention of the wheel.They looked at each other and then at me, completely confused. "What kind of powers?" Xander asked, one corner of his lips curling into a sexy smile. I shrugged. "Witch powers." I sat in the chair that was quickly becoming my spot. "Let's say grace, and then I'll tell you.""Xander?" El
"Well, it's about time you two came out here," Xander teased, popping our plates into the microwave one at a time. "Everything's getting cold."I smirked, taking over. "I think you lived.""Madame!" He threw a hand dramatically to his chest. "I am mortally wounded!"Elias and I laughed."Don't quit your day job," I teased, handing Elias his plate. Then I glanced up at Xander. "Would you like me to reheat yours, too?""No, but thanks." He laughed. "Mine didn't stand a chance! I was starving."I smirked. "Yeah. I can really see that." Although there was no fat on him at all, he had muscles for days and there was no chance of him starving to death.Xander looked between us. "So, are you too good?"I looked over at Elias and smiled. "We're good."Elias smirked, his eyes meeting mine. "Yeah, we're aces."I rolled my eyes, taking my plate to the table."So, why don't you two finish eating, and I'll pop some popcorn?" Xander asked, setting his dinner plate in the sink."Sounds good," Elias re
Faint rays of morning sunshine streamed in through the window, alerting me to the start of a new day. "Xander?" I asked, looking around. But it appeared that he was gone.Then he walked in, buttoning his dress shirt, looked up and smiled. "Ah! Good. You're awake." He sat on the edge of the bed, finishing getting dressed. "I'm glad you're awake because I wanted to speak with you about something."I nodded, sitting up in bed, bringing the blankets up to cover me, and began buttoning his shirt. "What's up?""Don't get mad, but I texted Daphne this morning about your training."A smile lit my lips. "And why would I be mad about that?"He gave me an impish smile. "She said you could start training you this morning. Which means that you won't get to go to wolf training today."I shrugged. "It's all training." Then I thought of something. "Why the rush?""Well, after what you did last night with Elias, I wanted to get you into training right away," Xander replied. "You need to learn how to c
After I finished my witch training, I hurried to the Clinic, not wanting to leave Bailey alone for too long. Even though she could handle anything, it wasn't fair for me to lean on her too much either.But for once, I got there first. Since I had a few minutes to myself, I cleaned and sanitized everything when a man walked in pushing a cart loaded with boxes. "May I help you?" I asked, approaching the man. He didn't look up from his clipboard. "I have a delivery here for Dr. Kalyssa Carran.""I'm Dr. Carran," I said, smiling. It was the first delivery we had received since we opened the Clinic, and there was a lot we needed. After making a list, I had given it to Elias. He must have ordered everything on the list right away... and more."Please sign here, doctor." He held out the clipboard, and I signed where he had indicated. He tore off the top sheet and handed it to me. "Here you go! Have a nice day! See you next week!"He headed toward the door, but I stopped him. "Next week?"He
"Keep going!" Bailey yelled behind me. "I've got you!""I know," I said, climbing higher. "I was just worried about you." It was stupid to say because Bailey had to have been the mother of all bad*ss. "Don't worry about me," she replied. Metal clanked as she climbed the rungs behind me. "Just keep going.""Right." I looked up and kept climbing, one slat at a time, until we were close to a door."See if you can pry it open!" Bailey said behind me. "I'll hold your legs."I nodded, feeling her hands on my calves, and then her body climbing higher and supporting my waist. "Don't let go.""I won't." Trying to move my lower body as little as possible, I shoved my fingers between the doors and pried it open just enough for us to get through. When suddenly, someone's hand appeared, reaching for me.I had no idea who it was. I hoped and prayed it wasn't Nightshade, but at the moment, I had no choice. All of a sudden, the lights came on, and Xander's face appeared through the doorway. "Reach
"Have you seen the Alphas?" I asked Marcus, the only remaining shifter in the Clinic. I had set his broken arm when he came in, and it was already healing. At this rate, it would be completely healed within twenty-four hours.Bailey and I had worked all through the night patching up one shifter after another, but I hadn't seen or heard from Xander or Elias. "The last time I saw them, they were assessing the damage and seeing to the other shifters." Marcus adjusted the sling around his shoulders and hopped off the examination table. "I'll tell them you're looking for them when I see them. I shook my head, walking with him toward the front. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary, as long as they're okay."Marcus lifted his arm. "Hey! Thanks, Doc! This feels good!"I smirked, amazed that shifters healed so quickly. "Be careful not to move your arm around too much. I don't want to have to reset it in the middle of the night."He laughed. "Thanks, Doc. But I think I'm good." He raised his e
"Good morning, beautiful," Xander said, sitting on the bed beside me in our shared bedroom. I looked over, and Elias was on the other side of me, still sleeping. "Morning," I said, stretching. Faint rays of sunshine streamed through the window. My eyes flew open, and I sat straight up. "What time is it?""Time for me to go to work," Xander said, standing and buttoning his shirt. His hair was wet, he had already showered, and he was dressing for the day. "We have to find the escaped prisoner."Xander shrugged. "We'll track him. It's the only way.""There might be another way," I said, remembering. "Xander, you didn't believe me when I told you that he was the leader of Nightshade, but he is. I'm sure of it. His name is Rush Balista."Xander nodded, staring at me as he finished buttoning his shirt. "What makes you so sure that he's the leader?""He said he was the one who killed my family and wiped out The Skyefrost Pack," I replied, sliding off the bed and pulling the sheet around me.
Just then, Xander and Elias stepped off the elevator."What's going on?" Elias asked, looking between Daphne and me."I found a locator spell, and I think we may be able to find the prisoner," I replied. "Or at least the hideout for Nightshade.""Good," Xander said. "Then what are we waiting for?""Come in and let me look at the spell," Daphne said, opening the door wide. When we walked in, Daphne led us to the massive, ornately carved wooden table. "Please, sit." She motioned toward the other chairs and then reached for the book. "Kalyssa, let's take a look at the spell."When I set the book before her, Daphne read through the spell and then turned the pages. Then she pointed to another spell. "This is the one. The other spell was good, but this one is better." She looked up at the Alphas. "But first, we'll need something that belonged to him. What was his name?"Xander motioned toward me. "We tortured him for days and he wouldn't tell us anything. But just before the attack yesterda
Over the next few days, we prepared for our Pledging Ceremony and Eve and Dannan's wedding. Their wedding had been a few days before our Pledging Ceremony and had been nothing short of an event—the complete opposite of Cruz and Eve's Wedding. But it suited them well. After all, Dannan and Eve were much more flamboyant than Cruz and Bailey. Also, nearly every member of Dannan's pack had arrived for their Wedding, adding to their numbers. But it was a lot of fun.Xander had performed the ceremony, and we had danced into the night. Eve and Dannan looked happy, too. Since they had found each other, both of them seemed to be less grumpy and easier to get along with. And with the trial behind her, Eve was able to concentrate on the wedding and enjoy it. She had surprised me by asking me to be her Maid of Honor, and I had graciously accepted. After what we had been through together, we had continued to grow closer. Even though she was still Eve, she was a better version of herself than she h
The next day, Sasha was found guilty of treason and sentenced to fifty years in the Alpha Supreme's prison. Eve and Dannan were in attendance, along with Xander, Elias, and me. Seven, her brother, was there, too."I'm so sorry, Seven," I said, patting his arm after the trial. "But the evidence was overwhelming."Seven nodded, a crease forming between his eyes. "Yes, I know. Who knows? Maybe the next fifty years will give her time to think. She should be punished for siding with Nightshade against the wolves." He let out a deep breath. "But I'll visit her in prison and will try to help her in any way I can."I gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "You're a good brother."He shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't feel like it.""Seven, this wasn't your fault." I let out a deep breath. "You had no idea what she was up to."He nodded. "I know. I had a feeling she was up to something, but I had no idea what it was." He smiled, looking at Xander, Elias, and me. "Thank you all for everything you've d
When we walked into the Main Dining Hall, Gray was already at the table, talking to Dannan and Eve. Cruz and Bailey were sitting at their usual table, but I stopped, scrunching up my nose as I took them in."What are you two doing here?" I chuckled. "You're supposed to be up there with us!"Cruz smirked as he looked over at Bailey, arching an eyebrow. "Well? What do you think?"Bailey looked up at me and shrugged. "With the Alpha Supreme here, we didn't want to intrude.""Get up here!" I teased. "You're never intruding! Besides, I'd like to introduce you two to him."Bailey looked at me sheepishly. "Are you sure there's enough room?""Absolutely!" I glanced over at Xander. "We could always have another table brought up. Couldn't we?""Yes, of course!" Xander smirked, holding Bailey's chair. "You two are part of the family now."Cruz chuckled. "You go ahead. We're right behind you."I pulled Bailey in for a quick hug, smiling sweetly. "If you don't come up there, then I'll come back for
Chapter 117: Time Alone"You don't think Rolph would do anything, do you?" All we needed right now was for Rolph to find out that we're being Pledged and then do something to stop it. Xander shook his head as we headed toward the elevator. We had just taken the Alpha Supreme to his room to rest before dinner and had a few minutes alone. Xander shook his head, looking toward Gray's room, and his door was closed.We stepped into the elevator before Xander spoke. "No, I don't think so. If he hadn't done anything by now, then I don't think he will."I nodded. "I hope you're right."Once the doors closed, Xander backed me against the wall, placing his hands on either side of me. "Kalyssa, the only thing I want you to think about right now is the Pledging Ceremony." He brushed a strand of hair back away from my face, looking into my eyes, causing my heart to quicken. With him so close like this, it made it difficult to concentrate."Okay," I breathed, lacing my fingers through his light br
We spent the next few days getting everything ready. We had our work cut out for us, helping Dannan and Eve plan their wedding as well as planning our Pledging Ceremony.Come to find out, a Pledging Ceremony is just as much work as a wedding. The only difference is that the couple is bound to one another instead of married. In the shifter world, it's usually common as an engagement ceremony, during which time either party may choose not to marry the other without fault. But it's okay to use as a semi-marriage ceremony, too. Legally, I couldn't marry two men, so this was the next best thing. But in our eyes, we will be bound to one another, whether we're technically married in the eyes of the law or not."So, what kind of flowers would you like?" I asked Eve as we planned with Bailey at the Clinic. Since Sasha ended up being the one who betrayed our pack to Nightwatch, it left Eve with very few, if any, close friends. So, Bailey and I had offered to help her plan since we were planning
"So, I see that my brother and Elias finally put a ring on your finger." Dannan smiled as he took my hand to admire the engagement ring Elias and Xander gave to me. "So, when's the big day?"I shrugged as Xander took my hand and kissed it. "I'm not sure. We haven't set one yet.""Well, why don't you do it while Dannan's here?" Eve suggested, slipping her arm through his."Hey! That's a great idea!" Dannan looked between Xander and Elias. "Why not? I could help you get everything in order while I'm here."Elias smiled, taking my hand as he looked between Xander and me. "Well, what do you think?"A broad smile spread across Xander's lips. "I'm game if you two are."I nodded, smiling. "Let's do it! What day?"Xander shrugged. "A week from today?""That won't give us much time to prepare." Elias suddenly looked lost in thought. and then glanced over at me, arching an eyebrow. "Will that be okay with you?"I nodded. "We can do it if we keep it small. It doesn't have to be an elaborate affai
"Well, hello, brother."When we walked in, I nearly fell over, for standing a short distance away was Dannan Reed, Xander's brother."It's good to see you, Dannan." Xander gave him a manly handshake, pulling him in for a hug, and then released him. "So, what brings you here?"He shrugged, arching an eyebrow. "So, I need a reason to come see my brother?""Usually." Xander burst out laughing, giving him a friendly slap on the back. "Come. Join us. We just held a Celebration of Making and was just about to celebrate with a feast.""So, has the she-wolf Eve been claimed yet?" Dannan asked, looking around. I smiled, biting my lower lip, knowing that was the real reason why he had come. "Why? Has the love bug bitten you?"Dannan scoffed. "Please." He shrugged. "Just wanted to check on her while I was here." His expression turned serious as his eyes met Xander's. "So, has she been claimed?"Xander chuckled, shaking his head. "No. Not yet. She and Kalyssa got into a bit of trouble--"Dannan g
The next day, I woke in the arms of my Alphas, sure, for the first time since we had been together, that I belonged."Good morning," Xander rolled over on me and brushed back the hair from my face and kissed my neck. Then he kissed my cheeks as he slowly pushed into me, moving his lips down as he kissed my breast, his pulls soft and slow, arching his back as he went deep. Then he moved slowly in and out, holding me as he pushed into me.I pulled him to me and kissed his broad shoulders, enjoying the feel of this powerful man in my arms and my bed. Then I pulled his lips to mine and deepened the kiss. When I pulled back, I pushed the hair away from his face to look into his eyes, matching him thrust for thrust.Soon, want and desire overtook us as his pulls became harder, more forceful. He held himself up with one hand and caressed my pleasure spot with the other, while never breaking his stride. His kiss was filled with want and desire as he looked deeply into my eyes. Then he slid my
"That's enough, everyone," Xander said, holding everyone back so I could walk through the garage.When Bailey and I got back, everyone wanted a ride, but Elias and Xander had something else planned for this evening, and I didn't want to disappoint them. Surely, the last thing they wanted was to have me spend the rest of the evening giving members of the pack rides in my new sports car.Bailey pulled me in for a hug. "Thanks for taking me." She arched an eyebrow when she pulled back. "See you at the Clinic Monday?"I nodded, knowing it would give me a few days to rest since this was Friday. "I'll be there."She crossed the room to stand by Cruz, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded toward me, giving me his usual mischievous grin. "You know, you're going to let me give it a whirl. Right?"I scoffed. "Yeah, right," I teased as everyone laughed. Even though I was kidding around, I would probably let him drive it at least once anyway.Elias placed his hand on the small of