“Now that we have proper lighting, I want to show you more of our territory.” Magnus again turned his full attention back to her. She still wasn’t sure how to understand his mood. For an Alpha, he seemed so happy and jovial. Sapphire was used to everyone around her passing judgement on her and others. She could handle being found wanting for one thing or another. But this wanting to include her in his day or dragging her with him everywhere. That concerned her.
“More? What do you have in mind?” Sapphire wasn’t sure what Magnus had in mind.
“Well, I’ve been going around every morning and looking in on the repairs and construction. Then going into the shop to work on a couple of rebuilds they have commissione
April kept Hayden busy for most of the morning. He didn’t suspect a thing. So far, he’d passed all her little tests. She knew it was ridiculous, but she wanted, no need to know he was trustworthy. Her coven struggled, keeping under the radar of the Vagas Pack’s angry glare. It was getting hard to keep them at bay. They warded half the town against the Vagas Pack members because of how they bullied the townsfolk. The coven could only do so much because the old treaties were still magically enforceable. Until the day the Vagas Pack not long existed or permanently left the area. Their interference and harassment trapped the people of this region. If Hayden said about his Alpha not signing the nonaggression treaty, it meant the old agreements did not trap his pack. That meant the tides could change with their influence
Magnus finally got Sapphire on his bike and delivered what he needs to. From forgotten lunches to a new set of drill bits. He got them on the road to town. As they rode her silence, let him think further on the idea that Kilburn’s abuse was to keep her Luna traits buried and stunted so his failure of a daughter could benefit. But one word she kept saying bothered him. When he asked Sapphire why Kilburn called her parents traitors, she couldn’t explain the situation that labelled them as traitors. He’d never told her how they became traitors. Only that they fled the pack and were a disgrace. That reasoning sat hollow with Magnus, and it concerned him that Sapphire lumped herself into the status of a traitor because she was born to them. Alpha wolves were most often born to alpha wolves. Yes, there were exceptions, b
Frank Kilburn stomped back into his office after questioning the two fools. If Lenny thought he’d believe that he took on eight wolves and got out alive, he was as much of an idiot as he looked. He doubted Lenny even saw McDonnell at all. But seeing the white wolf was telling. Lenny knew exactly what Sapphire looked like in her fur. If McDonnell was there for real, then he too knew. Sapphire knew better than to open her mouth about the pack’s business. If she did, she knew what would happen to her. Others showed her long ago what happened to snitches who betrayed the pack. Either way, he needed her back under his control, and the sooner the better. He needed to make her come back to them. Willingly, if possible, but if he needed to drag her back, he would do it. Her place was here, and she’d stay there for the rest
Magnus couldn’t believe someone would dare to intimidate him into abandoning his mate. It was completely unfair to treat her like this. He could understand it if she’d mentioned or attempted to take control of the pack, but she never did that. As far as Magnus could tell, she didn’t see herself as anything but the reminder of a betrayal by family. What Magnus saw, though, wasn’t that at all. He saw a sweet-natured, strong female interested in living in peace away from those who didn’t want her and abused her. Their reasoning for committing this abuse was suspicious, to say the least. Magnus wondered if perhaps the betrayal was in reverse, and she was a reminder of their guilt. So why would they want her back if that were the case? How many people were involved and were their motives all the same? Or wer
Finally, her father sent word to release her from the prison of her room with a simply vague message. ‘Stay away from Cliff and get to work.’ What work? She told everyone what to do and how to do it. She was their leader. That was her job. But no one was listening to her. Den Mother Lizzie told her in no uncertain terms if she wanted something done, then she must do it herself. They didn’t have time to pander to her. At first, Ivory didn’t understand what Lizzie was talking about until she found daily chores left not finished. When Ivory complained, she was rudely told if she wanted it done, then she had to do it herself. When she tried to recruit her friends for help, they met her with excuses. Ivory found herself with chores and
Hayden checked his phone because it was unusual for it not to be ringing off the hook by this time. It always did. Life was never dull in this pack and with all the activity, there was so much to keep track of. Of course, he didn’t have a signal down here in the basement. He needed to take a break. He’d found several things, but there still was so much research that he needed to do. Now he regretted not bringing a team for this. It turned out to be so much more than just poking about in a book or two. Nothing was conveniently set up for reading. There weren’t nice signs or footnotes that said where to go next. It was frustrating and he could see why Eric passed it off to him. Eric didn’t have the time for it to set up his practice and deal with the pack’s ever-changing legal needs. Magnus attacking the
Sapphire sat on the back of his bike with a lot of things rattling around in her head. Why would Magnus think she was a threat to Ivory? It opened up too many unanswered questions, some of which she wasn’t sure what or how to ask. His words rang so differently than her uncles, and she felt like he was being honest when he spoke. Hearing others of his pack talk today and at that meeting, everyone felt so honest to her. She felt like a fraud among them, even though she couldn’t pinpoint why. She was so deep in thought that the trip went by without her noticing it. Magnus spoke to the guards at the front gate before they rode through to the packhouse. He’d not said anything to her, and she suspected he was busy with his own thoughts brought on by their words.&nbs
The old healer puttered through her sick room and looked at Cliff’s throat. “Okay, try to speak. You look healed enough to start.” Cliff’s voice sounded as dry as sandpaper over a rough log. “Testing” Grated out from his mouth. “Excellent. I do not know why the Alpha thinks he can just drop both of you on me and expect me to look after two grown men who can look after themselves while they recover. But you might as well tell me what got you both here.” “Some new wolf alpha attacked me when I had a little fun with Sapphire. Ivory told me no one cared what happened to her.”&n
Sapphire and Ivory met the rest of their family over time. It took a long time to become comfortable with every one of them. So many differences from how she grew up to her life as she knew it now. She needed to find a new normal as mate, sister, and Luna. But it happened. Ivory and Ran took over the Vagas Moon Pack, and they renamed it, the New Moon Rising. Ran was still not sure he wanted to be their Alpha, but his family and his in-laws made it clear he could and would be the Alpha of this pack. The girls’ father took some time to warm up to Magnus and Ran. He claimed he needed to know his daughters first, to know what was best for them. Until then, he would reserve his opinion on if he approved of their mates. Ivory and Sapphire found their mother was a force all her own to be reckoned with. Margaret insisted there be ceremonies to recognise their mating. She was the mover and shaker when it came to teaching her daughters how to be e
“We’re still trying to unravel the truth here. So when we figure it out, we’ll happily tell you the entire gory and horrific parts. Just understand Ivory and I are learning to get along, but we only found out we were sisters. That we still need to work through.” “Betty made us adversaries. Sapphire was all but a slave. She had me believing I was their daughter and better than everyone. Sapphire was trying to replace me. I know better now and I’m trying to make amends. This is new for us. We just learned they planned to force Sapphire to commune with the Moon Goddess, and I was a sacrifice. We believed I was her daughter then.” Both parents were horrified. “We’d have tried harder if we knew she would try that. Gods, we’re sorry.” Howard came closer to their sister’s back. “It’s complicated.” “Let’s move on to happier things. If we’re talking, we can enter. So, let’s get the introductions done. You know me. I work as a teacher and r
Sapphire was too confused and overwhelmed. She let Ivory lead her to the bathroom, where they straightened themselves. Both looked at the results in the mirror. With the same ponytail and makeup. Thank. They looked similar. “I’m not wearing the same outfit, so don’t suggest it. Gods, Ivory, I don’t look like me.” “Yes, you do. If that monster hadn’t this, we’d be sisters, and this Sapphire is what you would be. No wonder I was jealous of you.” Sapphire’s head shot to Ivory’s face for clarification she’d heard correctly. “Jealous? I thought you hated me. I would never have said you were jealous.” “Do you think our mom can reverse the suppression spell on you? Or me? If there is one on me.” Sapphire pretended she didn’t hear it. They had enough to deal. “Why not? We’re part of a magical litter of wolf shifter pups. Does that sound like a fairy tale comedy movie opening line said by a narrator?” Sapphire wondered what would have happened if she’d gone to t
“Let’s see if we can figure this out.” April leaned over the page. “Okay, this is an edited version of what we see here. Well, that’s interesting, though it shouldn’t be a surprise.” April pored over the papers, looking closely at the words and symbols. Ivory tried her best, but she wasn’t sure what was important and what wasn’t. So, she tried to get everything she could. “What is it? I don’t get half the marks on the page. I just copied them the best I could.” She felt like a fool. What good was she? “The mark here leading to Betty. That’s new, or old. Different, at the very least. However, you want to describe it. It’s the mark used to denote an adoption. Betty isn’t blood related to your mother. She’s an aunt by adoption, not by blood. Her blood would have been useless, and she wasn’t the girls, so she’d have seen nothing. Now here are the names we’re interested in. Jane and Howard Percival. That next part here says there are three pups all born over two days. L
April couldn’t believe what she was about to do. Normally, anything to do with blood magic was off limits. Well, usually that’s because the magic would cause get harm to the person or persons involved. In this case, she’d risk the disapproval and any punishment. Which would be laughable when she showed the council of elders what they would have to do to break the curse. From what little she could understand of the magic used in the treaties, and resulting events. No one before her cared about the limits that were placed long ago on how magic could be used. When someone called North America a Wild and Lawless Land. It wasn’t just the humans that were wild and lawless. Those that practiced magic were too. Doing things in the middle of nowhere that they couldn’t anywhere else. Even now, they uncovered places like this occasionally. Places that the locals would call, better left alone and untouched. In this case, if April was correct. The page with their b
Magnus watched his mate carefully as she and Ivory went through the journals and other documents they recovered. April was still completing what they needed to do for the witches to be released by the nature spirit. Or if anything needed to be done since this Roger Helbourne was gone. As far as anyone could tell, Roger made the deals. Without him, they weren’t sure if the deals survived. That’s why he’d been kept like he was. As long as he was here and functioning, the treaties were active. But they wanted to be sure they were gone for good before inviting the other packs back. Ran was in talks with those of the Vagas Moon Pack who ran and survived. They’d have the grisly job of cleaning up the land and making amends to it. The Vagas Moon would then fall under the McConnell Pack umbrella after that, and the isolation would have to end as well. Magnus’ pack was settled here now and the previous pack happy where they were now, with no interest in returning here. Each
Ivory couldn’t find out what happened to Cliff or Xavier. Those two and their buddies were missing in action. They’d been at the fight, but they weren’t among the dead there or on the Vagas Moon Pack territory. Ran assumed they went rogue after the battle and were in the wind. Ivory wasn’t so sure. Cliff was a jerk, but he wasn’t a very bright one. It took days to find any trace of them. Sadly, that trace was a campsite out in the middle of nowhere. Sadly, whoever they joined up with at the end was more than evil and stronger than them. They’d survived only to end up being hunted by a human with more money than brains. If they read correctly, the evidence. She was scared now. What if they were wrong and Cliff came back for revenge? Ivory couldn’t tell Ran what she’d done. Snubbing Cliff after her father turned rescinded his favour. Cliff came to her for help, and she deliberately messed up his plans to get back into her father’s favour. It hadn’t
Ran watched the two women leave out of the corner of his eye. “Gods, I thought they’d never leave.” The two men stopped training and mopped themselves of the sweat they’d built up as they spoke. “Here’s hoping they can be sensible and learn to get along with each other.” Magnus said as they tapped water bottles. “Have you told Ivory she’s taking over as your Luna?” “No, not yet. I’m not sure how she will take the news, and I’m still coming to terms with it.” “I get it. Sapphire took some easing into it, too. I couldn’t just hand her the keys after I bit her. Sarah Ann says there are things Sapphire just doesn’t have a clue about, so it will take a while before she’s got things mastered.” “Oh, I suspect she does not understand about what the position truly entails. My problem is not having her bulk in fear. Her training is still months away from completion.” “So, you really are training her to obey you without question?” “I
Sapphire and Ivory sat in her office drinking coffee for a little bit before Ivory gathered up enough courage to speak to Sapphire. “If my mother was the reason we hate each other, does that mean in another life we might have been friends?” Ivory wasn’t sure if she was ready to apologize to Sapphire for the years of emotional and physical torture, she put her through.” “I don’t know. If you weren’t so self absorbed and demanding, maybe. It’s hard to tell, really. Your mother tried with all her might to make you into a shifter version of herself. Now I don’t mean this as a slight against you, but she was pretty successful. She pulled so many tricks with us, I’m not sure either of us knows who we truly are.” “You really think that?” “We’ll see, won’t we, now that we know she’s gone and can no longer influence us directly? I know that her influence made someone lock my abilities away so I couldn’t use them. Whoever did that seemed to know a wa