This chapter became much more intense than I was anticipating. What did you think?
AydaI feel like I’m in shock. I’m pregnant, something I never expected in my life again. Not only was I alone and broken, but after talking to Dr. Akeso, I never expected that my body would ever have the ability to get pregnant again. But this man, this incredible man who continues to make me happy
I reach up, putting my hand on Dimitri’s face and turning his head to me. He stops, giving me is full attention.“Then I have a rule for you, Dimitri. No dying,” I say seriously.A slow smile spreads across his face. “You have rules for me now, my Luna?”“Just one. The most important one.”“Okay, Ay
DimitriAfter I left Ayda and Cathal to talk about the baby, I went and told Sergi and Nico that Ayda was pregnant.“Alpha! Congratulations,” Sergi says, then sees my face. “Or not…”I scrub my hands over my face and tell my two closest friends why I’m worried. “I’m going to need guards on her and I
“DAD!”“Cathal, what’s wrong? Is it Ayda?” I ask, jumping up.“Yeah, where’s the dress?” he asks me. I can see that he’s already dressed for the ceremony tonight.“What?” I ask, about to rush to find my mate. I reach out through the bond realizing that Ayda feels fine but worried.“Mom’s looking for
AydaThe dress that Dimitri and Cathal chose for me is exactly the kind of dress I would have chosen for myself. The dress itself is just large enough where it’s form-fitting but not too tight, and the flowers at the bottom are beautiful. I love that there’s a wreath of flowers for my hair as well.
One by one, starting with Sergi, Nico, and Katya, the pack comes to drink from our combined blood. Dimitri said he felt comfortable allowing Masuzyo’s previous pack members to join our pack tonight if they chose to. I was pleased when every one of them came forward to accept Dimitri as their Alpha a
After my Luna ceremony, I feel more settled. Dimitri makes me feel like a Luna because of his confidence in me to make decisions and the support he gives me with those decisions, but it’s the pack that makes it complete. Their love for me was evident the moment they accepted me as their Luna. I can
“Do you think so?” I ask, sitting up.“Probably. Do you want me to go find out? We could give him our gifts before we go downstairs.”“When do you think his wolf will show up?” I ask.“It could be any time today, but Zev showed up early afternoon, so I’m not expecting Cathal’s wolf to show up until
“I couldn’t agree more," I say.Dimitri reminds our pups to be respectful and to listen to Valentina and then we head back to our house.My mate takes my hand as we walk through the quiet streets of our pack. I begin to purr with happiness, all the happiness that I feel from my mate and from my life
AydaI watch as my son and his friend identify each other as mates in front of the pack, then watch my son claim his mate, the only woman he’s ever loved, with a passionate kiss.“How did you know?” I ask my mate. He called it years ago. At first, I thought he was teasing me but he just kept telling
“What I know is that my son will be the most handsome man in the room tonight…well, besides his father,” my mother says, turning to smile at him, making Zev purr in response.“Good thing I look just like dad,” I say rolling my eyes. I was not unhappy for my parents to move out of the packhouse. I’d
Eight Years LaterCathal“Do I really have to call you Alpha now?” my sister Dimitra asks me, walking into the family living room in our parents’ new house. When I took over as Alpha a few weeks ago, my father moved the rest of the family off of the Alpha floor. Our pack has grown ever since my moth
Ayda leans back against me as I begin to rub circles on her stomach. I frown, feeling her stomach cramping.“Ayda? Why does it feel like you’re in pain?”“They’re just cramps, Dimitri. I get them all the time,” she says, settling against me.“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling another one. I tune in more
DimitriFour months later.It took Masuzyo three days to die. It was impressive, mostly because I didn’t know a person could withstand so much pain. But he was a broad man, and the pack made sure that everyone who wanted their pound of flesh, got it. Literally. By the time he died, the smell of burn
“Do you want me to tell them to kill him? If you want him to die more quickly, I tell them to do it.”I think about it, think about every horrible thing he’s done to me, to Asena, to our son, to Cathal, to Dimitri, to Kelsey and Harper, and what he attempted to do to my daughter. “No, let the pack h
AydaI come awake slowly, feeling groggy, unsure what happened or where I am. My stomach hurts. Did Masuzyo take me roughly again? I’m not throbbing between my thighs so I don’t think that’s it. My face is throbbing, though. Did he hit me? Yes, he slapped me. Why did he slap me?I think hard, trying
“Ramon,” I hear my mother say softly, her gentle fingers moving through our fur. “NO!” she snarls, pushing Ramon behind her and pulling herself to her feet. As she does, Ramon pulls the shift, making me scream in pain as our broken leg and dislocated hip try to find the right spot to fit. I turn, vo