Alaric’s POVComing off the elevator, I walk briskly down to the room I use as an office. As I open the door, John stands from behind his makeshift desk.“Welcome back, Alpha,” he says, his eyes filled with curiosity, though he startles when he gazes at the woman following along behind me.The woman
“DuskWood needs heirs, Alpha,” says another elder. “You were attacked recently. We could have lost you. Without an heir, the entire pack would have been thrust into chaos. Surely you can understand that.”“Cara is the mate I want,” I say. “I will not be pushed into choosing another.”“Melinda is a g
Alaric’s POVThe first thing I do, after hanging up with the elders, is tell John, “Book a flight for Melinda and get her to the airport.”I don’t acknowledge her at all, even when she stands from the couch and attempts to approach me.“We should talk about this,” she says. “The elders agree making
Cara’s POVMelinda seems stricken by Alaric’s words.“The elders prefer me for you,” she says. “You heard it from them yourself. How can you continue to be so stubborn?”“The elders will not be making my life choices for me, especially not in board rooms without me even being present. And for you to
“Go, Melinda,” Alaric says. “Now.”Melinda looks like she wants to argue, but in the end, with a huff, she spins and storms away. “You’ll regret this, Alaric!” she calls back over her shoulder. “I would have given you everything!”“I didn’t ask for it,” he replies.I linger too long in my indecision
Alaric’s POVI stare at Cara, simultaneously blindsided and stunned by her words. How can this be?Our children are alive? Ethan and Mia are our children?“But they seem so much younger,” I say. “Mia is so small…”“They were premature,” Cara explains. “Some of the trauma from the accident affected t
Cara’s POVI’m relieved at having told the truth to Alaric. He seems to have handled it much better than I could have hoped, already very protective of the kids. Maybe I didn’t need to ask him for the favor of protecting them, but in the moment, without knowing how he’d react, I wanted the kids to b
Alaric’s POV“There is no way you are coming with them,” I say. Standing, I turn from Mia, putting her behind me as I confront Noel. “You are not welcome in my home.”“Cara is my mate –”“She is not your mate. She is my mate, and the mother of my children.”“Stop this, both of you,” Colin says. Movi
Alaric’s POVI sat in the private waiting room dedicated to me and the Auburns, impatiently hoping to hear news of Cara. As Mia continued to rest in her own room, Cara had been taken to a room of her own. She was there now, in a bed all her own, presumably unconscious, while the doctors inspected he
Cara’s POVDays later, I sat at Mia’s bedside in her hospital room. She remained asleep, and the Healers were no closer to discovering what was wrong with her. When they spoke with me, they tried to do so with confidence, yet I could see the doubt in their eyes.They had no idea what was wrong with
Cara’s POVWith Alaric’s presence, the hospital administration moved the group of us away from the main waiting room and into a more private sitting room, filled with more comfortable chairs and couches. There was also a coffee pot, which Ryan instantly set up to start brewing, and a television, whi
Cara’s POVI paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room for nearly twenty minutes before Colin made me sit down.“I’m fine,” I told him, even shorter than I had before.Softly, he said to me, “You are worrying Ethan.”Glancing at my son, I could see the fear in his eyes as he stole nervous li
Alaric’s POV“Of course not,” Melinda said, denying everything. “As if someone of my status would ever lower herself to such cruel and malicious devilry. How could you even begin to insult me by connecting me to that?”“You supported Lilia’s return to the pack,” I reminded her. “You pushed the elder
“I think we need to be prepared for anything. Cara is going to need our support no matter what happens.”Hopefully my bad feeling was wrong. Hopefully everything would be fine.But I wasn’t going to count on hope alone.Alaric’s POVAs the Bedford’s were a prominent noble family with high-ranking su
Colin’s POVI listened carefully to my sister’s words. I didn’t know if she could tell, but as an outsider looking in, it was easily to see how much she loved Alaric. Given their past, she was likely still afraid to admit those feelings to herself, or to acknowledge them in any way.For this, she wa
Cara’s POVI placed the back of my hand to Mia’s forehead and immediately felt her fever. Her hands were clammy. She seemed lethargic, like she couldn’t get up. When I asked her how she felt, she simply said, “Tired.”“I’m going to take you to the hospital,” I said, worry taking hold.“Please don’t,
Alaric’s POVThere was a television hanging along one wall of the meeting. While it had been off while the elders met and while I spoke, we turned it on now. John found the correct channel and immediately, Melinda Bedford’s face filled the screen.She’d dyed her hair again, black now instead of red,