What do you think? Is Maeve right that she doesn't belong?
While today at the council was a total shitshow until Emlyn showed up, lunch with Maeve and the family was good. Everyone is accepting her, whether they have figured out that she’s my mate or not, they all seem to like her. Not surprisingly, even Emlyn accepts her. Just another reason why Emlyn was made to be the Luna of this pack. And while she doesn’t come back to Shadow Falls, having agreed to become acting Luna to Cohen’s pack, she’s still closer so Rich can spend time with her and Leander. When we get back to the packhouse, Maeve wants to go to her spell room. She does some sort of magic, turning the cauldron back into a bowl and then proceeds to clean up the room, making sure that none of the magic remains. I help her collect her things and we walk to the kitchen to wash the dishes and put them away. “You’re very quiet, Maeve. Is everything okay?” “Yes,” she says in the first lie I think she’s told me. “Did you want to watch a movie tonight? Cayd will most likely crash, I s
That night, I hear Xander come to my room, but I don’t open the door. My heart feels like it’s breaking at having to leave him. I don’t sleep, I can’t. So instead, I write Xander a note. Someone will find it eventually. When I see everyone begin walking out for training, I go take a shower. I walk into the closet and find the clothes that I was wearing when I got here. None of these clothes hanging in the closet belong to me. Has it really only been a couple of weeks since I arrived? It feels like forever. When I’m done, I walk downstairs. I look outside and see that most everyone is still in training, so I head out the front door. I go to his parents’ house and knock quietly. I’m not sure if anyone is here or if they are sleeping. The door opens almost immediately. “Maeve,” Guardian Angel says. “Hello, Guardian. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to get a ride home.” “Sweetheart, come inside. What happened?” My throat constricts and I just shake my head. I know if
I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I tossed and turned and desperately tried to think of a way to keep Maeve here, with me. It’s not that I don’t want her to leave the pack, it’s just that I know she’s not safe out there and I want to wait until the penthouse is officially ours. If she insists on going back now, I’ll just have to put her in our current penthouse. It just won’t be hers. Ours. When my alarm goes off, I drag myself out of bed and go down to training. My father is there and when he sees the mood I’m in, he decides to take the opportunity to not only force me to focus on my sparring, but also to find out what’s going on. I tell him about Maeve, not sure how to make her understand that she’s my mate and what that really means to me. I wanted to show her, but everything has been so crazy lately. I've done little things, but it doesn't seem like it's enough. We’ve just about finished training when my father’s eyes go unfocused. When they clear, he looks at me. “Maeve is gone
Xander spends the day charming every woman that walks into my shop. Several of them ask if he is a new worker. The first few times, Xander comes over and wraps his arm around me. “I’m her boyfriend, Alexander. Nice to meet you.” Most of them would whisper to me about what a lucky girl I am. Since they don’t know that he’s a werewolf who can hear everything, they don’t pay attention to his lips twitching every time, but I see it. Eventually, I just give up and start telling everyone that he’s my boyfriend. Sometimes his brow would raise, or he’d side eye some women who were obviously talking about him. I couldn’t hear what they said but he obviously found it all very amusing. There were only two real witches that came in today. I took them into the back, getting their orders for what they wanted, one potion, one spell. Xander ordered lunch and had it delivered. The deli who delivered the sandwiches thought there were twenty people here to eat. When I finally close up for the day, I
Sometime in the middle of the night, I hear footsteps in the hallway. I prop myself on my elbow, listening to make sure Maeve isn’t planning to sneak out again. Instead, she stops at my door that I left cracked open for her. When the door opens, she stands there a moment, indecisive. I realize that even though I can see her clearly, she probably can’t see me. “Come here,” I say quietly and pull the covers back. When she crawls into bed, I tuck her back against my chest, curling myself around her, breathing in her sweet strawberry scent. “Sorry, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.” “I prefer you here with me, anyway. Don’t apologize.” It doesn't take long before her breathing evens out and she is back to sleep. I'm not far behind her. The next morning, we get up and get ready to go to her shop. “You really don’t have to come with me, Xander.” “Maeve, do you feel safe enough to bring Meadow and Tate home?” I ask her, already knowing the answer. “You know I don’t.” “Then,
The last couple of days have gone better than I would have expected. I feel safer working in my shop than I have since my parents were killed. On the one occasion that someone came in that seemed ‘off’ Xander’s presence sent them out the door quickly. Xander is actually quite easy to work with and I understand why his father wants him to take over the company. He’s good with people, he’s good with the business side of things, having picked up different things that I said to people so he could help customers if I was busy, and he’s good with the money. I’m not sure if my store was always this popular and I didn’t realize it, if it’s because we were closed for a couple of weeks or if it’s him that is drawing people into the store, but no matter the reason, my little shop has had a booming business since I came back. The penthouse was something beyond my wildest dreams. Talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous. They may not be famous, but Xander’s family is well known even in the h
I’m so happy that I chose the Ferris wheel to ask Maeve to marry me. I knew the minute she realized where we were going that it was the right choice. Her excitement was contagious. When we move to get on the Ferris wheel, I pass the guy some money and tell him that I’m proposing to my girl at the top and can he stop the wheel for just a couple of minutes when we get there. He agrees and it is absolutely perfect. I feel the wheel slowing down, Maeve has tucked her body against mine and I have my arm wrapped around her, so we were already close when I pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked her. “Xander…” Her hand reaches out tentatively without touching the ring before she looks up at me. “Why? I don’t understand.” “I’ve been researching the wedding ceremony for humans and they have this engagement thing. I guess because humans can’t physically mark their mates, they give them a symbol to show that they are claimed. I wanted you to understand how very serious I am about you. I t
When a girl dreams of the perfect engagement, she dreams of the night that Xander just gave me. Or at least, I did. I got the perfect dinner, with the perfect ring, given to me at the perfect place by the most incredible, perfect man in existence. It sounds absolutely crazy, I’ve only known him a few weeks, but I am absolutely in love with this man. Like crazy, stupid in love. Crazy enough that I’m willing to bring Meadow and Tate home, knowing that he will help me keep them safe. When we get back to the penthouse, I don’t even question it, I just go with him into his room. He gives me a nightshirt to sleep in that smells like him, making my mouth water. When we get in bed, he curls around me, but I can’t sleep. I turn in his arms, wanting him to kiss me like he did earlier, not ready for this night to end. He leans over me and I run my fingers through his silky blond curls. Everything about this man, his scent, his taste, everything about him, draws me in. I don’t know how long w
Two Years Later “No, Einar is the strongest!” my daughter adamantly yells at Leander, standing in front of Einar who is playing with the kids. “No, Finley is the strongest!” Leander says back, both kids arguing that their fathers’ wolves are the strongest. Briella is riding on Finley’s back. Cyran growls low, coming to stand between them. Both Leander and Felicity look at Cyran then back at each other. “Grandpa Cyran is the strongest!” they both yell. “Get him!” Leander says and the two of them go chasing after Cyran while Finley teaches Briella how to stay on him when he’s running and Einar is just trying to keep his fur while Gale and our third child, Mena, tug on it. She was given a name meaning love, as my love for my mate continues to grow year after year and I know his for me continues to grow too. I stand on Angel and Liam’s back porch watching as the fathers and grandfather play with the kids. Angel comes out, carrying Emlyn and Rich’s third child, another boy that they na
One Year Later If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I was a family man, I would have told you, ‘One day, but not today.’ If you had told me that I would trade in a college campus and no responsibilities for a mate, a job and a family, I would have laughed in your face. And yet, all it took was me meeting my mate, a little slip of a witch, to prove me wrong. I finished my education, getting my degree and officially becoming Chief Executive Officer of Holstin Enterprises, Inc. We have expanded our operations into search and rescue because of the witches. So, now we have three arms of to the company. It not only works well for our company, but it also works for Maeve’s shop. She’s busier than ever and that doesn’t include the humans that come in to buy their witchy toys so they can pretend that they are witches. Word got around very quickly that, as the oldest Cross, Maeve was the true High Priestess of the Night Garden coven, so more and more witches having been coming to find
I’m up several times with my baby girl throughout the night, but every time I come back to bed, Xander pulls me to him, curling up around me and helping me fall back to sleep. In the morning, I wake up groggy, but Xander gets up and makes coffee while I drag myself to the shower. I bathe and there's a mug of steaming coffee waiting for me on the counter when I get out. I walk out of the bathroom in my bathrobe, drinking my coffee and I see Xander waiting for me. “Come sit,” he says, patting his leg. I look at him a moment, before walking toward him. “What happened?” I ask as I reach him, and he pulls me into his lap. He brushes my damp hair out of my face. “We found Levana.” “Where?” I ask, my mind instantly awake. “In your uncle’s castle.” I start to stand, but he holds me in place. “And she has a new coven, or maybe it’s some of the old coven, I’m not sure.” “How many?” I ask. “I don’t know the answer to that. She found the cameras and blew them out. One of the security te
After Felicity is born, we stay in the packhouse for another week, giving the family a chance to spend time with her but also giving Maeve and I a few days to adjust before taking her home. When we get home, it’s a very similar situation to being in the pack. Avery, Lynn and Penny all come by to say hi and hold Felicity, cooing over her and talking babies with Maeve. “You know, Xander, we should build a nursery in the building." Maeve says to me that night. "Penny and Avery are pregnant, we have Felicity, and Lynn has her two little ones. I’m sure there will be other babies as the wolves find their mates and the witches find their pairings. I’d feel better about leaving Felicity here while I’m working and I know Lynn would feel better about it too,” she tells me. So, I talked to my father and a week later, I bring her to the 12th floor, where the Holstin Enterprise offices are. There, we can hear loud music and banging in the offices on the other side of the floor from ours. “What’
Oh, how my life has changed in the year since I met Xander. I went from fearing for my life, struggling to keep my family together and still run a business to having a thriving business, an incredible mate, a family that is safe, and I now belong to a werewolf pack. It’s not official yet, Xander wanted to wait until our daughter was born. But Meadow and Tate both agreed and became official members of the Shadow Falls pack. Both of the were excited to have a low level ability to mind link, at least with the ranked members, and Rich's family. Today, I’m sitting on the back porch with Emlyn as she rocks her newborn. Rich and Xander put additional rocking chairs out here so super-pregnant women like me and young mothers like Emlyn could be comfortable and still be outside enjoying the fresh air. “How can I be so large, and uncomfortable but watching my mate sparring still gets me all worked up?” I ask her as we watch Xander and Rich spar each other. Xander is battling hard against his Ri
Before we leave the castle, we search the house, making sure that there is no one else there and that Levana isn’t hiding somewhere, unbeknownst to Laris. Once we find it empty, I have my team set up cameras and security, so we can watch and see if she returns. As soon as we’re back to the pack lands, I take Maeve in to see Dr. Teresa. She used a lot of energy and a lot of magic in that fight, not to mention getting stressed out about Laris Bevan calling the werewolves filty and blights on society. Secretly, I loved that my mate is acting so possessive. As a wolf, possessiveness is how we show that someone is ours, that we want them, claim them. So she basically told the entire room of supernaturals that I was hers. And while I was worried about her getting herself all worked up, it made me feel special. ‘You are special,’ Maeve says in my mind. My heads whips to hers where she’s lying on the hospital bed waiting to see Dr. Teresa. “You can hear my thoughts?” I ask her out loud.
Avery walks into the room as I’m digesting what Laris Bevan said. He’s my uncle and he hates my family. “What’s with all the dust?” Avery asks. “Vampire dust,” Leana says, looking around to make sure they are all dead. “And the witches?” she asks, looking at the dead bodies of witches scattered on the floor. “Maeve,” Leana answers her. Xander comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. ‘Are you okay, my little witch?’ he asks in the mind link. “For now. No guarantees later,” I tell him. ‘Einar and I are here for you, whenever, whatever and however you need us. Let’s deal with your piece of shit uncle and get home. Do you want me to interview him?’ ‘Would you do that?’ I ask him, so thankful for his understanding. I’m feeling overwhelmed, not only with the number of deaths that I just caused but also with learning that he’s my uncle and most likely at least partially responsible for the death of my parents. Xander kisses the side of my head and moves to crouch down in fro
All of the wolves were distracted by the scent of magic. Balls of magic were coming down on us like rain. But once Avery and Amir put the magical umbrella up, and we began racing inside. One we got past the scent of magic, we could smell their sickly sweet scent. It burns into our noses. ‘Vampires!’ Einar says to me a moment before snarling. The rest of the group begins shifting immediately. If the witches are attacking, the vampires will too and with so many humans, we can’t wait and risk their lives. I want to race into the castle with everyone else, but my mate and my pup are here, so Einar moves in front of her, guiding her into the castle. ‘Do NOT leave our side,” Einar and I say as one to Maeve. As we run, I feel her grab onto Einar’s tail. ‘I need to look for Laris Bevan, but I don’t know what he looks like,” she says, just as a ball of purple light comes hurtling at us. Maeve slams her magic into the light and I hear a witch scream somewhere close by. ‘Why are they with
The next afternoon, Meadow and I are in the shop with Jesse, who is now a permanent fixture in my life. I hear the bell on the door ring and Reagan walks in holding up a credit card. “Look what I got from Xander! Time to shop for our trip, Meadow!” she sings as she walks in the door. A moment later, Penny walks in behind her, frowning. I hear Jesse snarl and faster than I can see, he’s got Penny pinned against the wall. “JESSE!” I yell and I see Meadow’s hands light up with magic. Reagan turns to see what is happening, and she puts her hand up to us, telling us to wait. “Mate,” Penny says, looking at Jesse the way Xander looks at me, her eyes full of love. “Mine!” Jesse snarls, before his mouth latches onto Penny’s. Reagan quickly looks around, making sure the shop is empty of humans. For once, it is. “Oi! Jesse, take her to your place!” Reagan says, and I feel the pressure of her Guardian aura coming out. Jesse steps back, shaking his head as if coming out of a dream. “Oh, I