After Cruz and Xander were patched up and the rest of the shifters were gone, Bailey and I closed the Clinic."I'll take Cruz to his room," Xander said, kissing my forehead.I shook my head. "No, we need some rooms down here on the first floor to keep patients so we can monitor them. Kind of like a hospital. We can't leave Cruz alone overnight."Xander nodded, pulling me in for a kiss. "I'll stay with him."I shook my head. "I hate for you to do that.""No, I will." Bailey gave me a smile, looking over at me, lifting an eyebrow. "It'll give us a chance to get to know one another better."I chuckled, knowing that she was referring to me wanting to set her up with Cruz. "Sounds good. Xander, she'll do it.""Well, I couldn't ask you to do that." Cruz gave her a knowing smile."You're not asking." She shrugged. "I'm offering."Cruz lifted his shoulders. "Well, I guess she's staying the night then."Bailey hit him playfully on the arm. "Not like that!""Ow!" Cruz chuckled. "Watch the arm. A
Xander shook his head. "I doubt if the guilty one would flash that piece of paper around, but it may help to make them nervous." He let out a deep breath, talking about the note I had sent to the spy. "Go take your shower. I'll call someone to check on things."I nodded. "Thanks."A moment later, I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water run over my body, loosening my muscles. I hated the thought of not being able to spend any time alone for a while. Not that I needed a lot of time to myself, but it was just the principle of the thing. Having my freedom taken from me like this was crazy. I just hoped we found Rush Balista and the spy in our pack soon.When I finished my shower, I dried off, hitched a towel around my breasts, and walked through my suite and into my dressing room. Xander nodded as I passed. He was on the phone talking to someone.I dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, a long sweater, and boots, and then ran a brush through my wet hair. Then I pulled it back into a ponyta
"Umm... this isn't bad!" Dannan took another sip of his Amaretto and pineapple. He looked over at Kalyssa and gave her a wink. "I think you should keep her."I couldn't figure out if he was seriously flirting with me in front of his brother, or if he was just kidding around.Xander let out a deep breath. "Dannan, why are you here?"His expression suddenly grew serious. "Can we talk privately?"Xander nodded. "Yes. Of course. But first, I have to speak with someone. Could you stay with Kalyssa for a moment?"A sly smile spread across Dannan's lips. "I'd be glad to."Xander clenched his jaw but bent down and gave me a quick kiss. "I'll be right back.""Hurry back," I said, not wanting to be alone with Dannan any longer than necessary. There ws something about him, maybe his flirty nature, that rubbed me the wrong way. I could already tell that he was nothing like Xander."So," Dannan said, taking a step forward. "How did you two meet?""For one thing," I said, pushing him back. "Let's ge
"Come here." Elias lay back on the pillows, and I curled up on his side as he wrapped his arms around me. "Try and get some sleep."I nodded, not wanting to think about Xander leaving us. Tears came to my eyes at the thought."Hey...." Noticing I was crying, Elias rolled me over and propped himself up on his elbow, wiping a tear away from under my eye with his thumb. "Kalyssa, we don't know if he's leaving for sure or not. But everything's going to be okay."I nodded, knowing he was right. "Yeah, but the thought of losing either of you is devastating."Elias nodded. "I know." Then his lips descended upon mine in a kiss filled with promise, a kiss to last the ages. As a shifter, we could live hundreds of years, and I planned to spend every moment with him and Xander.I parted my lips for him and took him inside. He moved to my side, running his hands over my arms, my legs, and then hitched my leg on his hip and massaged my breast. "Make love to me," I breathed.His eyebrows raised, sin
XanderLater that day, I met with Dannan downstairs in the Compound. "Want to get a beer?"He smirked. "Sure."I nodded, raising an eyebrow. "You bring your bike?""Always." He chuckled. "Where are we going?"I shrugged, walking out to the garage. "There's a bar not far from here that we frequent. I think you might like it.""Sounds good."We headed out to the garage, and my baby was sitting in its usual spot. "A word of warning. The last time we went, we got jumped on the way."Dannan chuckled. "Yeah, well, I'd like to see them try.""We attacked the Nightshade Compound just before you arrived, and we took down a lot of them." I took my helmet off the bike and sat down. "But Rush Balista, the leader, got away,""Balista, huh?" Dannan asked. "I've heard of him."I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah?"He nodded. "He's no one to mess with, but we'll talk about it when we get to the bar.""Sounds good." I slipped on my helmet and started the engine. "Follow me."Dannan nodded, firing up his motorcy
KalyssaWhen Xander came back, I was waiting for him in his bedroom. When the door opened, I listened to make sure he was alone, and stepped out. I had to know, and I couldn't wait until morning to find out."So, what have you decided?" I asked Xander. His brother was leaving the next day, and I wanted to know if he was going with him. I hadn't slept much, thinking that he might leave. But then again, I didn't want him to feel obligated to stay either. Xander placed his hands on my arms, looking into my eyes. "Kalyssa, I'm not going anywhere. But if I did, you could always come with me."I shook my head, my heart breaking. "No. I couldn't leave Elias any more than I could leave you."Xander nodded. "I'm not going anywhere until after we catch Balista. I won't leave you and Elias to fight him alone."I shook my head, willing the tears behind my eyes to stay at bay. "Xander, don't stay because of that. We'll take care of Rush Balista. Don't stay just because of him. If you stay, let it
"Luna, what's wrong?" I looked up, and Seven was standing in my apartment in front of me, his eyes filled with concern. My head snapped up toward the sliding glass doors, and Seven had just finished installing them. His toolbox was setting to the side. I nodded toward the doors, swiping a hand quickly across my cheeks."Looks great. Thank you." Heading into the kitchen, I dumped out the old tea pitcher and set a new pot of water on the stove to boil. It felt good to be back in my own space again."Want some tea?"Seven shook his head. "No, thanks." Then he crossed the room, studying me. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you, Luna?""I'm sorry, I'm not much company right now." I scoffed. There was no way that I was going to tell him that I was ready to strangle Eve, as well as Elias. "I'm okay."He nodded hesitantly and then smirked, nodding toward the sliding glass doors. "Try not to break these this time. Okay?""I'll try," I answered flatly, my voice filled with sarcasm.He watched
"What was that all about?" I demanded from Elias after Seven left. "I'm sorry, but when I saw you here... in your suite... with Seven—""You jumped to conclusions," I finished. I stared at him for a moment and then let out a deep breath, shaking my head. "Elias, you should know better than that. You should have trusted me—""After you stormed out of the dining hall, and then I saw Seven here, what was I supposed to think?" Elias asked, holding his arms out to the side. "You were supposed to know that he was fixing my sliding glass doors!" I yelled. "Nothing else!"Elias motioned toward the Amaretto and pineapple on the table along with the two glasses. "And what's this?""Oh, you caught me!" I yelled, my voice filled with sarcasm. "Even though wolves can't get drunk, I planned to get him drunk and take advantage of him!"He scoffed, shaking his head. "Kalyssa—""No," I cut him off. "Seven explained why you didn't want Eve to leave, that the Alpha mentality is different, and that you
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