Hey Rebels, It's been a hell of journey but finally they're all mated and marked! Only a few more things to wrap up before the end, and we begin Charity's journey! Thank you for the continued comments, reviews, and gems. XOXO Emma Taylor
THEO POV The warmth of Drew’s back is against my chest, my legs tucked behind his, my fingers laced through his. The early morning sun bleeding in through the window. My mate’s steady breathing fills my ears as he sleeps in my arms. The night activities making it easy for him to drift into slumber, however, the second my lids close, I am transported back to those cells. The memory of a baton banging against the metal bars plagues me. “Pickle?” Andrew says, through a yawn and a groggy voice that I love, and I’ll get to hear it for the rest of my life. “Go back to sleep, love,” I whisper, kissing his shoulder blade, enjoying the way he shivers under my touch. “Something is bothering you.” he turns under the covers to face me, his hand touching my face. His touch is so tender, I can’t help but melt underneath him. “Don’t bother lying. I can feel it through the bond.” “It’s just…” How do I explain what I experienced to him? The endless days…”I…” It’s like I know what I want to say, b
NORA POV “Alpha and Luna,” the pilot’s voice blares through the speakers of the brand new private jet. Xander sold Willowa’s old one the first chance he got and replaced it with a newer model. “We are making our final descent and need you to buckle.” Following his instructions, I buckle quickly before Xander’s fingers lace through mine. Electrifying me with his touch. “Are you ready to be home?” It’s been three days since our time in the jeep, and our departure from Willowa couldn’t come soon enough. Not that the people are not nice, but being there, in the same place Cain held me, gave me the heebie jeebies. “Yes.” I look out at the clouds, watching as the plane finds its way closer to the ground. “I feel bad for leaving Fletcher behind though…he looked like a kicked puppy when you told him he couldn’t come back with us.” “I know,” Xander sighs, pinching his nose. “But I need him to be less focused on Charity and more focused on his Beta duties right now.” “And he won’t do that
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