Hey Rebels, Thank you for the comments, reviews, and gems. XOXO Emma Taylor
XANDER POVNora’s breathing has finally slowed, her sniffles dimming into the night. Her emotions from earlier gnawing away at Ares and me. If we had been there and prepared for my brother’s intervening, she wouldn’t have lost Viola.Wiggling my arm out from underneath her head, I slip quietly from the bed. My years of training allow me to keep silent while she remains exactly as I left her. With light feet, I walk to the door and sneak out, glancing behind me to find her resting peacefully.Gently pulling the door closed behind me, I twist the knob until the latch slides into place. Tiptoeing down the hallway, I sneak into the other bathroom. Flicking on the light, I blink, adjusting to the sudden brightness.Staring at myself in the mirror, I tug back the collar of my shirt, curious what the mark looks like. My gaze lads at the blurry, unrecognizable mess. My fist clenching tighter in frustration. A full moon has come and gone since we marked. Why the fuck hasn’t it formed?Ares whi
NORA POV The dark abyss and peaceful silence of sleep suddenly shift. The surrounding space swirling and reshaping into something new. As my subconscious twist and turns, new features reappear. Spinning around, I watch as the space becomes more defined and recognizable. A crib along one wall, and a rocking chair along the other. A beautiful white wolf sits in front of me. “Viola?” Her name tumbles from my mouth, my voice slightly distorted still as the images become clearer. A whimper sounds from behind, calling my attention to it. Laying on the ground, lays a black pup. His body is weak and scrawny, barely surviving as it attempts to cling to life. Rushing to his side, my heart breaking as I hear his screams for mercy, for the pain to end. “Help him?” I ask Viola, “please help him!” My words coming out as a shriek. Panic raising my blood pressure as I look at the wolf sitting on her haunches, her eyes watching in interest, head tilted to the side; questioning. In a battle of will
THEO POVMy skin itches around the bandage covering Andrew’s mark. Following some of Silver Run’s ceremony traditions, we won’t reveal them until our ceremony. Which needs to happen sooner rather than later. Cerberus has become quite the nag about seeing it, even though we all know what it’ll be.Our pack crests staggered, and intertwined with ivy. Only Alpha’s get something unique to them, so I don’t know why we need all the secrecy, but it’s important to my mate, so I’ll deal with the itch.“Stop messing with it, Pickle,” Andrew scolds, walking in from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “We also don’t have the time to do whatever you’re thinking about.”“Shame,” I pout, but continue getting dressed. “You look good like that.”“I look good always,” he smirks, winking at me and I can feel my cheek heat with his flirtations.“What did Elle say we were meeting about, anyway?” I ask, needing to change the subject or I’ll have him bent over the bed, face shoved into the mattr
NORA POV “Holy shit, they’re glowing,” Andrew says, breaking the silence of the room. “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Xander growls, not in the mood for the nonsense. “What does it mean?” “That I cannot answer,” Elle breaks into the conversation, stepping forward to look me over with her mismatched eyes. “But I think our marks are a clue.” She pulls back her collar, revealing a triple moon with two paws sitting in the full moon, and three stars sitting in the far right corner. “Theirs too,” she points to Andrew and Theo, but her focus doesn’t move from me, her stare fixed. Avoiding the questions, I am sure she has. I wander to Theo, who beams with pride as he reveals the tattoo like mark on his collarbone. “It’s beautiful.” I remark, looking between the pair, but don’t comment on how it’s not the typical mark meant for a Beta. “That’s not the mark a pack Beta gets, ” Xander says, peering down from behind my back. “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Andrew returns, making Damon snort in amusem
THEO POV Cerberus gushes as I smooth out the jacket of the dark blue suit I have chosen for Andrew and I’s ceremony. Looking myself over in the mirror, I adjust the emerald green tie and the flower in my pocket. “Your mother would be proud of the man you’ve grown to be.” I meet my father’s gaze, surprised by his sudden appearance. Rolling next to me, he holds a box in his hands, tears and sniffles escaping as he looks me over. “I miss her,” I sigh, wishing she was here to enjoy this moment. “I do too,” he smiles faintly, recalling a memory. “Every damn day.” “Dad,” I say, not sure how to broach the subject, but I think it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room. “I don’t think mom would have wanted you to stay single forever…” My mind flashes to Camilla, the middle-aged brunette who seemed to know my dad better than she let on. “She was my mate, son,” his words lashing out like a silver laced whip. “And you want me to just forget her like she never existed?” He scoffs, pain
XANDER POV “Well, don’t you look like a Dapper Dan,” a teasing voice comes from behind, and for the first time in days I relax. Turning, I grin at my Beta, happy to have him home. “I thought you would not make it back in time.” I walk up, hugging him in his lavender suit. My own a paler, dusty purple. Charity picked the color specifically because it matches Nora’s dress. The young Gamma has been running around like a chicken with her head cut off over the last few days. The five foot five general running the rest of us into the ground, except for my beautiful Wildflower. Elle and Charity taking as much off her plate as they can so they can rest with the pregnancy. “Sorry, I couldn’t make it back for Theo and Andrew’s ceremony,” he sighs, his body tensing, telling me the detour errand I sent him on proved fruitless. The Beta’s ceremony was a day and a half ago, and Fletcher was the only one in our close circle not present. “But heaven and hell would not stop me from being here for
XANDER POV“And we have to have this talk here? Now?” I cringe, looking around the room, filled with people who shouldn’t be a part of this conversation. Damon, Elle, Theo, and Andrew sitting along one side, while Camilla and two others sit in another.“Yes,” she coughs, shuffling nervously, “it has to do with them, too.”“How?” I roar. The fury burst forth like a cannon, spewing her with vitriol. “How does you leaving me behind as a boy have anything to do with them?”“Xander, please,” Camilla sighs, looking around the room. “This goes beyond the both of us. Please sit.”“No, I don’t have or want to listen to your lies and excuses,” I scoff, “or did you not notice we did not invite you to our ceremony?”“You told me she couldn’t come,” an accusatory voice comes from beside me, and my anger is suddenly drowning in ice water. “Xander…”Meeting the narrowed pupils of my mate, I gulp, knowing I have just landed myself in a pile of shit. “I lied, and I am sorry, but she didn’t deserve to
CHARITY POV Paramore blares through the speakers of my stereo, my head resting against my favorite fuzzy pillow. I try to stop my thoughts from wandering to where they shouldn’t. To who they shouldn’t. A growl of frustration leaving my lips as Summer, my meddlesome wolf, pushes their faces into my mind. She feels no shame about wanting Matt and Fletcher equally. The idea puritanically sinful and thrilling. Wrong. Wrong. So very wrong. People don’t have two mates, and people shouldn’t want more than one. Maybe I am defective? What’s wrong that I cannot pick one and accept my choices? But the thought of not having the other makes me sick. My heart physically aches when I try to imagine the possibility. How selfish am I? They’re both waiting around for me to decide. To choose between them, how the hell am I supposed to do that? ‘We don’t,’ Summer drones on for the millionth time. ‘Making them share me isn’t fair, Summer!’ The argument flowing like a memorized script. ‘They need to fo
Hey Rebels, Thank you so much for sticking it out through Nora's story, and do not worry this is not the last we see of her. To all those who have taken the time to read, comment, review, and donate gems I cannot than you enough for your devotion! Your support means everything to me, and I cannot wait to keep sharing my stories with you all. I would like to thank a couple amazing friends, and support systems! Seriously, without these amazing author friends Nora's book might never gotten finished, let alone started. These woman were so amazing and supportive. They read the five million edits it took to get this story started without complaint. They let me vent when I needed to vent, and gave tough love when I needed it too. If you're looking for new books/authors to read while waiting for Charity's book to drop in August of 2023 I highly recommend these women who have come to mean so much to me. Miri Googag, has "The Alpha's Guardian series," and 8 other completed book on GoodNovel
THEOFOUR AND A HALF YEARS LATER - LATE JANUARYAndrew and I are hunched over the desk in our joint office, pouring over the floor plans for the expansion. Our community home, Windsor House, has grown since moving its location to “the hub,” the neutral center between the packs, and rogue collective. The location is ideal for young wolves kicked from their homes, but don’t want to become pack members in Silver Run or New Moon to benefit.“We’re definitely going to need a larger kitchen,” Andrew murmurs, sparks erupting as his shoulder brushes against mine. Even after all these years, my body reacts to him the same as the first day we met.“With the way these animals eat? Definitely.” His laugh fills the room, and it’s like music to my ears.“Betas,” Seven, Trent’s mate, and the manager of our home, says through the intercom. “Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez are here to talk to you.” Andrew and I glance at one another, sadness radiating through our bones. Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez are the parents of
NORA POV ’He is quite the sexy beast, isn’t he?’ I respond, giggling, enjoying the seamless banter between us already. Sensing the shift in my aura, Ares lurches forward, Xanders irises bleeding into black. His tone was primal and so incredibly arousing. “Mate?” Before I can prepare, my new wolf is taking over, a name falling out of my mouth that makes him smile tenderly. “Alicia” tumbling out into the air like an animalistic grumble. The ache beginning in my limbs, and if it’s anything like my shift with Viola, it’s going to be a long, agonizing night. “Absolutely beautiful,” Ares whispers, his touch on my face soothing for a second before she tries to push forward, so eager to meet him. “Alicia, Goddess of Wildflowers.” His term of endearment is all it takes to send her into overdrive. Her desires clamp down on me, making mine irrelevant, the strength of her much stronger than I or Viola. My back bending backward. Her impatience has her forcing the shift before the moon hits its
NORA POV FIVE MONTHS LATER- A MONTH AFTER OCTAVIUS’ BIRTH “Xander, stop!” I look upward at the right moment, praying to the Goddesses I did, when I see where he is holding the scissors, ready to cut out a chunk of my hair. I could have had paid a professional to come remove my braids, or gone to a salon, but the whole idea of leaving my den or having a stranger inside makes me anxious. “What? What am I doing wrong?” He pauses, looking absolutely disheveled. Octavius proudly strapped to his chest. The man wears him everywhere and hates parting with him. “Look at my hair. Can you see where the feed in starts?” I take the strand from his hands, showing him the difference. “See, this part is where my real hair is, and this lower part is where the fake hair is braided in.” His brows furrow, and his mouth tightens in concentration, sweat forming on his forehead. “Ummm… I am sorry, I just know how much you love your hair and I’d never forgive myself….I want to help you, and I don’t…” He
CHARITY POV Paramore blares through the speakers of my stereo, my head resting against my favorite fuzzy pillow. I try to stop my thoughts from wandering to where they shouldn’t. To who they shouldn’t. A growl of frustration leaving my lips as Summer, my meddlesome wolf, pushes their faces into my mind. She feels no shame about wanting Matt and Fletcher equally. The idea puritanically sinful and thrilling. Wrong. Wrong. So very wrong. People don’t have two mates, and people shouldn’t want more than one. Maybe I am defective? What’s wrong that I cannot pick one and accept my choices? But the thought of not having the other makes me sick. My heart physically aches when I try to imagine the possibility. How selfish am I? They’re both waiting around for me to decide. To choose between them, how the hell am I supposed to do that? ‘We don’t,’ Summer drones on for the millionth time. ‘Making them share me isn’t fair, Summer!’ The argument flowing like a memorized script. ‘They need to fo
XANDER POV“And we have to have this talk here? Now?” I cringe, looking around the room, filled with people who shouldn’t be a part of this conversation. Damon, Elle, Theo, and Andrew sitting along one side, while Camilla and two others sit in another.“Yes,” she coughs, shuffling nervously, “it has to do with them, too.”“How?” I roar. The fury burst forth like a cannon, spewing her with vitriol. “How does you leaving me behind as a boy have anything to do with them?”“Xander, please,” Camilla sighs, looking around the room. “This goes beyond the both of us. Please sit.”“No, I don’t have or want to listen to your lies and excuses,” I scoff, “or did you not notice we did not invite you to our ceremony?”“You told me she couldn’t come,” an accusatory voice comes from beside me, and my anger is suddenly drowning in ice water. “Xander…”Meeting the narrowed pupils of my mate, I gulp, knowing I have just landed myself in a pile of shit. “I lied, and I am sorry, but she didn’t deserve to
XANDER POV “Well, don’t you look like a Dapper Dan,” a teasing voice comes from behind, and for the first time in days I relax. Turning, I grin at my Beta, happy to have him home. “I thought you would not make it back in time.” I walk up, hugging him in his lavender suit. My own a paler, dusty purple. Charity picked the color specifically because it matches Nora’s dress. The young Gamma has been running around like a chicken with her head cut off over the last few days. The five foot five general running the rest of us into the ground, except for my beautiful Wildflower. Elle and Charity taking as much off her plate as they can so they can rest with the pregnancy. “Sorry, I couldn’t make it back for Theo and Andrew’s ceremony,” he sighs, his body tensing, telling me the detour errand I sent him on proved fruitless. The Beta’s ceremony was a day and a half ago, and Fletcher was the only one in our close circle not present. “But heaven and hell would not stop me from being here for
THEO POV Cerberus gushes as I smooth out the jacket of the dark blue suit I have chosen for Andrew and I’s ceremony. Looking myself over in the mirror, I adjust the emerald green tie and the flower in my pocket. “Your mother would be proud of the man you’ve grown to be.” I meet my father’s gaze, surprised by his sudden appearance. Rolling next to me, he holds a box in his hands, tears and sniffles escaping as he looks me over. “I miss her,” I sigh, wishing she was here to enjoy this moment. “I do too,” he smiles faintly, recalling a memory. “Every damn day.” “Dad,” I say, not sure how to broach the subject, but I think it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room. “I don’t think mom would have wanted you to stay single forever…” My mind flashes to Camilla, the middle-aged brunette who seemed to know my dad better than she let on. “She was my mate, son,” his words lashing out like a silver laced whip. “And you want me to just forget her like she never existed?” He scoffs, pain
NORA POV “Holy shit, they’re glowing,” Andrew says, breaking the silence of the room. “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Xander growls, not in the mood for the nonsense. “What does it mean?” “That I cannot answer,” Elle breaks into the conversation, stepping forward to look me over with her mismatched eyes. “But I think our marks are a clue.” She pulls back her collar, revealing a triple moon with two paws sitting in the full moon, and three stars sitting in the far right corner. “Theirs too,” she points to Andrew and Theo, but her focus doesn’t move from me, her stare fixed. Avoiding the questions, I am sure she has. I wander to Theo, who beams with pride as he reveals the tattoo like mark on his collarbone. “It’s beautiful.” I remark, looking between the pair, but don’t comment on how it’s not the typical mark meant for a Beta. “That’s not the mark a pack Beta gets, ” Xander says, peering down from behind my back. “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Andrew returns, making Damon snort in amusem