We're at the next crossover, the final battle from Shattered Bonds. Who's excited to see Maeve go all witchy?
As my mate begins to glow in a white light, I only have a moment to watch in awe before the battle is upon us. Maeve begins throwing magic everywhere, protection for our pack members, and attacks to the witches that are attacking our pack members. I turn and see Meadow chanting as a film of magic falls over the packhouse. I can see wolves pouring into our pack lands and by the smell of them, they are rogues. The difference between them and normal rogues is that these have a purple glow to them. They’ve been given magic, or at least they are protected by magic. As one of the wolves races toward us, Maeve blasts it with her white light, knocking the purple light out of it. I leap, shifting as I do, Einar attacking the wolf and protecting our mate. Maeve continues sending blasts of magic, out and around the pack. I’m attacking the rogues, keeping close to Maeve, guarding her from attack. I see her turn, sending a blast of light behind us. I turn, just in time to see the magic block an
I’m not sure how to be okay with the fact that I killed people. I killed them. They will never go home to their parents, their spouses, their children ever again. I know they were trying to kill me, Xander, and the pack. But I still hate that those deaths are on my conscience. I don’t have long to think about. After making sure that Meadow and Tate were fine, it seemed like Cayd killed their attackers, I had gone to bed and cried for hours while Xander held me. I eventually cried myself to sleep and when we woke the next day, they buried their dead. It didn’t occur to me beforehand. I didn’t even think about it. I was so overwhelmed with the deaths that I had caused, that I didn’t realize how much it would impact me to see the after effects of the deaths of others. As I stood with Xander, watching as they talked about the greatness of the ones that died, it hit me like a truck. I turn and look at Meadow and Tate and I see that it’s affecting them too. We never got to do this for ou
My mate is struggling with so much right now and I want to try to do something to make her feel better, to make her feel like this is her home too. Rich and Emlyn went to Safe Haven to be with the pack while they bury their dead. Since that is Emlyn’s previous pack, it makes sense that she would need to be there. So, after my mate falls asleep, I reach out to my father via the mind link and ask him to go to Maeve’s shop and get the ashes of her parents. ‘Do you know where they are in her apartment?’ he asks. ‘She said it’s in her room. Their residence was upstairs from the shop.’ ‘I’ll get it. Reagan, Penny and Meadow have been talking all night. They apparently saw Penny on their way here and invited her to the sleep over. This was harder Meadow than I thought it would be,’ my father says. ‘It was hard on Maeve, too. Have Cayd and Tate returned?’ ‘No, Cayd said he was going to spend as much time with Tate as he needed before bringing him back here.’ “Thanks, dad, to both you a
After breakfast, Meadow asks if Reagan and Penny can join us and Tate asks if Cayd can as well. I leave it up to Maeve and she agrees. So, the seven of us head back to the packhouse where I get the boxes of their parents’ ashes. I give one to Tate and one to Meadow to hold and I take Maeve’s hand as we begin walking to the falls. As we walk, Reagan explains how the pack is named for the falls and how they rise up to a sheer cliff face that overlooks the canyon between the three packs. She tells them about the common area and they all agree to go visit soon. When we get close to the falls, I begin chuffing, calling to the sprites. Athalin and Lewa, two of the sprites that Maeve made the original lights for come flitting out of the forest. “Hello, Sir Alpha," they say to me. “And hello Sir Alpha," they say to Cayd. “Hello, Lady Maeve.” “Hello, Guardian Reagan.” “Hello, Lady Penny.” “And hello….oh, we don’t know you,” Lewa says, looking at Meadow. “Or you. I’m Athalin,” she says
The day after we created a memorial for my parents, I went with Xander to Canyon Ridge pack. They are having a service for an Alpha and his mate who were like grandparents to this entire generation, according to Xander. The Alpha was killed in the battle, and his mate basically died of a broken heart. Xander said that’s not uncommon in their world. Being a soulmate means that once you find your other half and feel whole, you can never go back to being only half a person. So, most mates cannot live once their mate has died. I stand beside Xander. This time it’s me who needs to be strong for him. As I listen to the incredible stories of this man and woman, I’m amazed that while I’ve always known of the werewolves, I’ve never truly understood them. I’ve never really understood the love and camaraderie of the pack nor the adoration of the pack for its Alpha and Luna. An Alpha, a good Alpha, elicits a level of love, loyalty and dedication that humans can only dream of. When Alpha Liam get
I watch as Maeve’s eyes go wide. “Did you say home? You bought this place?” Reagan asks as I watch the confusion and surprise flash across my mate’s face. “Well, technically, Rich and the pack bought it. When I take over as CEO, I’ll buy it back from him,” I tell her, still watching Maeve’s reaction. “It’s too much. It’s way too much, Xander,” Maeve says. “It’s not. We need a place where I know that you, Meadow and Tate are safe, a place that we can come to at the end of the day and relax. A place where, eventually, we can raise our children. If you don’t like it, that’s one thing. But, if the only reason you don’t want it is because you think it’s too expensive, then we’re keeping it,” I tell her. “Maeve, you’ve got to see this!” Meadow calls from the other room. “Xander already said this was their room. You and I have to fight over the other three rooms,” Tate says to Meadow. I lean in, kissing my mate softly. “At least look around. Tell me if you can see us here, raising our
The next few days go by in a flurry of activity. Reagan told her parents about the penthouse and the binding ceremony, and the next thing I know, we’ve been given a house warming ‘present’ of furniture to fill our penthouse. Angel took me shopping with Meadow and Reagan and we picked out the furniture I wanted. Xander told me he didn’t care, as long as I was happy and it felt like home to me. He says if it feels like home to me, it will feel like home to him. When we go to the furniture store, I choose a couch with end tables and tell Angel that’s what I want. I am already struggling with the price of the furniture and the extravagance of the gift when she tells me what her intent was. “Sweetheart, we’re furnishing your entire condo. And it’s not just me and Liam, Rich and the pack want to help too. You not only helped to keep our pack safe from the witches, you and your family were essential in helping our wolves heal when they suffered burns from the spells. Not only that, but Mal
Life is perfect, wonderful, amazing, all the good adjectives! Maeve and I are bound together in all the ways that matter to us and fun fact, I can now do a little magic. Tate has been trying to teach me some simple spells in the evening. The furniture arrived at the penthouse and my family came to help us put everything in order. This place already feels like home. It would anyway, since Maeve’s strawberries and cream scent surrounds me everywhere I go in our condo, but with the added furniture, the warmth that my mate brings to our new home, any concern I had for living away from the pack is gone. The night we move in, Maeve insists on making dinner for everyone. I told her we could order pizza, but she wanted to thank everyone. So after all the furniture is moved to the proper rooms, Reagan helping Meadow and Cayd helping Tate while Mom and Dad help me, Maeve began making a huge dinner. As the delicious scents of food permeated the room, I realize my mate is making the meal that I
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