I just wanted to let my readers know that I have completely re-written and reuploaded chapter 72, renamed "Proof". Much to my great frustration, and I am sure yours, it is sitting in "review" and has been since January 31. I have emailed to get this sorted out. I'm sure things are a bit confusing without it! I apologize! I promise I am trying to get this sorted! I am going to keep uploading new chapters each day, simply to keep it going, and once it's up, I will let you know! Thanks!
POV: Echo The movie Atlas chose was about pets, and it was both adorable and funny. By the time it ended, my cheeks felt sore from laughing and smiling. Between the movie and the delicious snacks, I feel like I am floating on happiness. It also helped that at some point during the movie, Atlas and I had gravitated from our spots on the couch and into each other’s arms. At some point, he straight-up pulled me into his lap, and I watched the rest of the movie with my head resting on his shoulder and his arms around me as I stole his snacks. As the credits rolled, we snuggled for a bit longer, enjoying the tingles and shivers of the mate bond as he occasionally kissed whichever part of me he could reach. He sighs as the advertisements for what to watch next pop up and startle us. “Should we invite the gang?” He asks, raising an eyebrow, and I nod as I realize I really want to see everyone. I never wanted to see anyone in Red Stone. I was always avoiding everyone as much as possible. A
POV: EchoIt took every ounce of Tala and my determination not to panic at the boxed-in feeling I experienced as I sat between the two strange wolves in the midst of a table full of some of the strongest wolves this pack had to offer. Uncertain if I should say anything or not, I decided to grab my bottle of water and take a sip instead.I mentally cursed myself as my hands trembled, making the water dance as I twisted the cap back in place. Keeping my eyes on my tray, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, regretting the decision to sit there as I felt all of their curious gazes on me.“I’m so glad you joined us!” The cheerful, fiery-haired she-wolf beside me smiled widely as I turned to look at her, and I could feel the sincerity in her voice. “I’m Vesta! And that there on the other side of you is my mate, Benny!” Turning, I peeked at the male wolf beside me. He had strawberry blonde hair and the palest grey eyes I may have ever seen.“Glad you could join us, Luna!” He exclaimed warm-he
POV: EchoThe training grounds were on the opposite side of the pack house from the hospital, and the warriors stretched on the field while James began explaining his plan for me. I wasn’t sure if his plan seemed ridiculously light, or like it was going to be impossible.Most of it was varying stretching and yoga poses, which made sense for warming up and beginning the workout. Then he wanted me to lightly, and he emphasized lightly, jogging one lap around the field before coming back and doing 10 seconds of arm circles, 15 seconds of marching in place with high knees, and 2 seated leg lifts with each leg and 2 seated leg lifts with both at the same time and then a few stretches to loosen up after the work up.That’s it, that was all. I had never done so much exercise at once before, but I had worked hard every day while in Red Stone to maintain the pack house. I couldn’t tell if I’d even be able to do all of the laid-out exercises or not. And I knew from listening to the males growin
POV: EchoThe perfect temperature of hot water cascaded over my scalp and down my back as Atlas placed me in front of him under the stream of water. He reached over my shoulders and moved the rest of my hair under the water.Watching him with curiosity, I raised an eyebrow at him as he reached over to the shelf and grabbed my bottle of citrus-scented shampoo. He smirked while he poured some into his hand, rubbing his hands together before reaching behind me and beginning to gently work it into my hair.Atlas leaned forward and captured my lips with his as he continued working his hands through my hair, massaging my scalp as he worked the shampoo through the roots. I gasped at the pleasurable tingles that made their way across my scalp when he gently grabbed a handful at the back of my head and tugged it to tilt my face up and deepen the kiss.Swallowing my moans as I turned into putty in his hands, he moved his mouth down my jaw and to my neck. Paying extra attention to the most sensi
POV: Atlas “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THEY GOT THROUGH AGAIN?” I snarled, my vision tinting red in rage. I took a couple of ragged breaths as I pushed back the desire to punch my Beta in the face. ‘Mate is near, we are going to scare her if you keep this up.’ Zev sighed, realizing that I was losing my grip and he’d have to drop his anger to be the logical one for the moment. ‘Fuck! I just… FUCK!’ I growled back, continuing to take deep breaths and running my hands through my hair. I could sense Echo and Tala’s distress through the bond, and could feel them swirling out of control. Taking a final deep breath, I only made it the first couple of steps in her direction when I felt it. Just as a flood of overwhelm flowed over the bond, an intense aura emanated from Echo and slammed into us like a brick wall. Stumbling heavily, I righted myself before I quickly assessed the situation and saw that the Betas and Deltas were all knocked off their feet, and Echo stood there looking stunned.
POV: Atlas“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THEY GOT THROUGH AGAIN?” I snarled, my vision tinting red in rage. I took a couple of ragged breaths as I pushed back the desire to punch my Beta in the face.‘Mate is near, we are going to scare her if you keep this up.’ Lobo sighed, realizing that I was losing my grip and he’d have to drop his anger to be the logical one for the moment. ‘Fuck! I just… FUCK!’ I growled back, continuing to take deep breaths and running my hands through my hair.I could sense Echo and Tala’s distress through the bond, and could feel them swirling out of control. Taking a final deep breath, I only made it the first couple of steps in her direction when I felt it. Just as a flood of overwhelm flowed over the bond, an intense aura emanated from Echo and slammed into us like a brick wall.Stumbling heavily, I righted myself before I quickly assessed the situation and saw that the Betas and Deltas were all knocked off their feet, and Echo stood there looking stunned. In
POV: EchoIt had taken me a moment to realize that I was shifting, and I was thankful when Tala pushed forward to take the brunt of the pain and finish our transition.‘Echo… I don’t know what’s happening, I can’t finish shifting. We almost shifted, but our body was forced back to our human form. But now that we’ve started shifting, our body must finish in our wolf form. We won’t stop transitioning until we do!’ Tala’s pained voice filled my mind, and I began to worry about what this could mean.‘I’m sorry Echo, something is wrong, I can’t…’ Tala’s voice had become weak and faint, and when she abruptly trailed off, I knew something was seriously wrong. I didn’t get to think about it though, because as soon as her voice trailed away, I was slammed back into the forefront of our body. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t even scream as I opened my mouth in silent agony.I vaguely heard someone's voice, before the tingles of our mate spread out from his touch. It took the edge off of the pain be
POV: BradyScowling with frustration, I swiped everything off of my desk with a resounding crash of broken dishes, scattering pens, and fluttering papers. Thankfully, my laptop had already been securely placed in a drawer, or it would have been smashed with everything else.It didn’t matter what I did, I just couldn’t make the Goddess-damned businesses make enough money to support the lifestyle my mate and I were accustomed to. Especially not since that good-for-nothing Alpha showed up and took my Little Doll away from me.We had to hire 5 she-wolves to do the jobs that my Little Doll managed to do entirely on her own, and they didn’t do it nearly as well as she did. Nor did they satisfy Raze and I’s other needs. My Little Doll was the only one who could ever meet those needs.‘I told you not to leave her there!’ Raze snarled, pacing in irritation and desperation. ‘She was so close! We could be satisfied right now if you’d done what I’d told you!’‘We would have gotten caught and you
POV: Echo The day had finally come, and to say that I was nervous would be an understatement. Thankfully, Noira, Gwen, Cordelia, Granny Maeve, and Vesta had shown up at mid-afternoon to get me ready for the ceremony. It would begin as the full moon shone down on us with the Moon Goddess’s blessing. In a spare room on the first floor, they had run me a bath, filled with many things I didn’t recognize, while they prepared the room for creating ‘their masterpiece’. I was grateful to the five she-wolves who came to my aid, as I had absolutely no idea how to do anything with hair or makeup other than a few quick and practical hair styles I’d learned to keep it back while I worked. Each of them had been working their magic, and, mercifully, they had planned little ‘spa’ and snack breaks regularly to help keep me from becoming overwhelmed. I was a thousand times better than I’d ever been with my mental health, but I was so nervous about this evening, and they had not allowed Atlas and I to
POV: Echo The incident with Brady changed my outlook on life entirely. Having come into my own as a Guardian of the Light, and breaking down the rest of the block had allowed me to step free of the mental chains that were holding me back before. That’s not to say that my panic attacks and nightmares are completely gone, but I can speak without stuttering now, and have miraculously stopped flinching whenever someone moves. I felt a confidence in myself that had never existed before, and rightfully so. I’d experienced my worst nightmare. He’d done his worst, and I literally defeated him. Turned him human and banished him from the werewolf world. I was also able to identify the woman’s voice that helped me through the incident. It took some digging through the old texts in the back of the pack library and a chat with Granny Maeve to make sure I wasn’t insane before I’d believed it, of course. It turns out Guardians, being specially chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, had a direct link
POV: Echo Atlas stands up and sits me on the bed so that I’m facing him, maneuvering me as though I wasn’t growling, kicking, and pawing at him with everything I had to make him let go of me. Avoiding my attempt to nip his hand, he grips my chin and tilts my face up to force me to look at him. “Now, are you done throwing your little fit? You are sitting with me, and that is final. I need you close to keep us calm. If you do not stop, I will be forced to make you stop.” Atlas and Zev explained, and I could sense that they were merged the same as Tala and I were at that moment. “Let. Me. Go! I am not sitting with you! And you can not force me to stop!” I snarled low, narrowing my eyes, and swiping at him with my fingers curled to scratch at him. “Fine.” He growled, catching one hand and then the other before they ever touched him. Leaning forward, he easily pushed me back into the bed, pinning my arms above my head as I thrashed below him. His alpha aura rose, trying to force my wolf
POV: Atlas We made record time across the pack lands, moving as quickly as we could without exhausting ourselves entirely. It still wasn’t fast enough for me and my wolf, the only thing containing our rage being the confirmation of the bond that I was moving in the right direction, getting closer to our mate. Echo’s side of the bond was a hot mess, and the feelings coming through were jumbled and impossible to sort through. I only knew something big was going on with her, as I could feel the power within her awakening. Finally, Ragnar slowed down, cautiously approaching a dense patch of vegetation before pushing aside some plants and revealing the entrance to the cave system. Giving him a nod, I went ahead, inhaling deeply to scent the area, ears strained to pick up any sounds. Ever so faintly, I could smell the intoxicating scent of my mate that I’d been missing. Rushing in the direction it’s coming from, I just about crash face first into her as she comes stumbling out of a small
POV: Echo‘Wait’ I barely heard the faint voice, Raze gripping my hips tightly as the darkness released me into his grasp. His touch sent a shiver of disgust down my back as he smirked at me victoriously.“I told you, the likes of you will never be on equal footing with an Alpha like us!” He snarled, the darkness forming a cloud that engulfs us entirely. The shiver turned into a full-blown tremble as tendrils of dark wrapped themselves around me while Raze gripped me by the neck and pulled me into him, pressing my back into his chest as he scented my neck.Swallowing the rising bile, I bow my head submissively, falling back against him as I counted to ten slowly to bide my time, waiting for the right time. By the time I reached ten, I was coated in a layer of black mist, and the wolf behind me had just slipped his hand under my shirt. Thankfully, Tala and I are still merged, and she is able to block the flashbacks as they try to take over our senses.‘Now, child, now!’ The faint voice
POV: EchoBrady opened and closed his mouth several times, ultimately ending with him simply closing it and staring at me in awe. Spencer simply gawked at me, unable to even so much as close his mouth as he tried to understand what he’d seen. They seemed to be stuck like that as they processed, and I had a feeling it might take them a bit.I was suddenly filled with a desire to jerk my hands apart, but with the cuffs still securing my wrists to the wall, it seemed redundant. ‘Echo, follow your instincts. They will rarely steer you wrong!’ Tala’s voice rang through my head, and I was relieved that she was still with me. Mentally greeting her and showing my love, I felt the last of my fear dissipate when she told me she had already reached out to our mate and told him where to find us.Deciding to listen to Tala and trust my instincts, I took a steadying breath and wrenched my hands away from each other as hard as I could. I was waiting for the inevitable painful jerking halt as the cuf
POV: Echo The silver cuffs had created oozing sores that wrapped all the way around my wrists. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t take enough pressure off them to keep the silver from contacting my skin, and now my wounds. The wounds provided the silver with the access to my bloodstream it needed to suppress Tala and physically weaken me. It also blocked my ability to mind-link, which meant I couldn’t reach out for help. After the beating that had brought forth my Alpha aura, Brady had kicked me in the head, effectively knocking me out so that he could freak out without letting me know I’d gotten to him. He was too late though, as I’d seen the briefest flash of fear before he’d gotten to his feet just before he delivered the kick. That had been what I could only assume was hours ago, as there was no sunlight or clock in view to track the time. He hasn’t been back since I’d come to, and I was thankful for the time to orient myself and reinforce my composure. It must have been just a
POV: AtlasRagnar’s comment about underestimating your opponent definitely put a lot of the wolves at the table in their place, including me. I knew right away I had let myself get carried away in the moment and hadn’t paid enough attention to my mate.Her dismay flowed heavily through the bond before she excused herself and rushed out of the dining hall. Knowing that I was most likely a major contributor to her distress, I followed her out and wrapped her in my arms.She turned to putty in my hands as I apologized, and all thoughts of her appointment disappeared from my mind as I carried her to the lift. Until she reminded me, rather insistently, that she had to go.I knew she was right though, as I had my meeting to attend, wanting to finish the setup of the personal guard detail we’d been discussing. We’d picked the six wolves who would be rotating shifts, now we just needed to solidify their duties, shifts, when we needed more or fewer guards, etc. The finer details, so that they
POV: EchoBreakfast was filled with laughter, and a lot of jokes about me flipping Ragnar over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I think that most of the wolves there wouldn’t have believed I’d done it if they hadn’t been there to see it.Travis and Blaze certainly looked sceptical for a moment before everyone confirmed I’d done it. Everyone’s doubt made me feel a bit put off, but I know my small size of 5 foot nothing and being underweight weren’t helping. If I don’t think I would believe such a small wolf could flip a 6-foot 7-inch-tall wolf that was built like a brick wall, either. Shrugging it off, I simply gave a small smile to anyone who was surprised as they joined our table.“You know, one of the most dangerous things a wolf can do in a fight is to underestimate their opponent.” I looked up from my tray to find Ragnar was looking straight at me while he spoke. “Judging a wolf’s skills based on their appearance gets you killed out there. I’d have expected better of the warri