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Asher I thought watching Elena leave with Mason and my twin would be the hardest thing I’d ever do but I was wrong. It turns out, waking up this morning knowing she isn't here, that I won’t see her today or any day soon, is much much worse. All I want to do is pull the comforter back over my head and pretend the world doesn’t exist. Instead, I grab my cell phone off the bedside table and check it for messages. Ignoring my disappointment when I don’t find any, I decide to swallow my pride and send her a message instead. Me: Hey gorgeous! Hope you had a good trip to Sacred Moon. Please call or text to let me know you’re safe. I wait a few minutes but the message remains unread. Telling myself she’s probably still sleeping, tired from her long journey, I toss my phone aside and head for the shower. If I’m going to be separated from the love of my life, I might as well do something useful with my time. The problem is, Elena’s scent still permeates every corner of our house and i
Aspen “Where is she?” Mason roars, pulling at his short blond hair in frustration. We’ve scoured the entire packhouse in search of Elena with no luck and Mason is going to lose his damn mind if we don’t find her soon. Taking pity on him, I tap into my Fae side of the bond and feel for her presence. I could have done it sooner but he kinda deserved to panic. Now though, I’m getting a little worried too. “She’s fine. I know where she is. Let’s go.” I say, earning a venomous glare from him. “How do you know and why are you just now telling me this? You saw me freaking the fuck out!” It’s more of an accusation than a question. “Now that I have my wolf, I have to focus more on my Fae side to use those senses. I didn’t do it sooner because I expected to find her here somewhere.” I explain. “Besides, you deserved to worry a little. Can you even imagine how she’s feeling right now?” “What the fuck are you talking about?” He barks. “Come on, Mace! I don’t need a bond with the
Mason “I, Elena Stone, daughter of the Glass Lake Alphas, reject you . . .” Aspen and I both reach for her at once, slapping our hands over her mouth before she can finish the rejection, my hand landing on top of his. Holding it there so she can’t speak, I take a minute to breath before I say something I’ll regret. Fury rips through me, thinking about what almost happened. When I consider how quick she is to always assume she’s the problem, a burden for others to bear, all I feel is rage. At her parents, and myself for the things I said to her before I left. I swallow back the growl threatening to escape and try not to bark as I say what I need her to hear. “I’m going to talk now and you’re going to listen!” I can’t help the command in my tone, my Alpha side riding me hard. “What I said to my grandfather was insensitive. I didn’t stop to think about how it would sound to you. But you also misunderstood what I meant. “I only wished that I had left someone more capable in charge
Elena Lying here snuggled up between my mates, the feeling of total peace overwhelms me. Once again, Mason proved he knows me better than I know myself. His “lesson” was just what I needed, taking me out of my own head long enough to really see myself the way he sees me. Lesson learned. My mates go out of their way to show me I’ll always come first to them. Old habits die hard, but I know I have to do better, they deserve better. I have to stop jumping to conclusions, assuming the worst and instead, give them the benefit of the doubt the way I know they always will for me. What’s the worst that could happen? If I’d confronted Mason instead of running away he could have confirmed my fears and torn my heart in two but isn’t that what happened anyway? If I’d bothered to ask, I could have avoided the heartache and spared them the panic of finding me gone. With that resolution, only Asher’s presence could make this moment any better. But I choose to believe he’ll be with us soon.
Elena “Mason!” I gasp, panic rising to a boiling point inside me, my hands coiled in the back of his shirt. “Aspen, don’t fucking move from her side!” He barks the order then softens before speaking to me. “Nothing to worry about, little one. I’ll handle this.” Aspen steps up beside me and bands a protective arm around my waist, plastering me to his side. “I’ve got you, shortcake. I have every faith in our Alpha to settle them down but there’s always my backup plan.” The hand resting on my arm heats ever so slightly to demonstrate exactly what he has in mind. Mason’s chest rumbles with a dominant growl, silencing the crowd. They all wait with bated breath to hear what he will say, though the weight of their intense stares never leaves me. They’re looking for someone to blame and Mindy gave them the perfect scapegoat. “I completely understand your fear given the unfortunate circumstances.” Mason addresses the crowd. “I had planned to call you together later this morning wh
Asher “Fuuuuck,” I groan, not a damn inch of me that doesn’t ache. My eyelids are heavy, refusing to open. My muddled brain is still offline and the message that I need to wake up gets short-circuited somewhere before reaching the rest of me. Unfortunately, it’s broadcasting the fact that I’m freezing and in pain loud and clear. I manage to press my palms to the ground, alerting me to the fact that I am indeed lying on a cold slab of concrete. That would explain the kink in my neck and the fact that I’m shivering, but not much else. Where the fuck am I and how did I get here? The penetrating chill is bone deep, making my joints stiff. I suck in a ragged breath as I attempt to bend my knees and get my feet beneath me. The pain of that simple movement is enough to jolt my brain cells back into action, reminding me I have a way to warm up. But when I try to call on my fire, all I get is a weak pulse of heat that fades as quickly as it came. “Blaze?” I reach for my wolf instead.
Aspen “Aspen, nice to see you again.” Mason’s dads, Finn and Zayne, shake my hand. “Hello, sweetheart!” They move on to Elena, enveloping her in a group hug before I have a chance to respond. “Uncle Finn, Uncle Zayne, thanks for coming so quickly.” She hugs them back just as enthusiastically. “Of course we came. We’re happy to help our son and his new Luna,” Zayne winks at her when he mentions her title, “any way we can. I just wish there hadn’t been so much misunderstanding between us for so many years. We would have been here in a heartbeat if we’d known he needed us.” “That’s all water under the bridge, Odie.” Mason tells him and I grin at his weird nickname for Zayne. “I’m just happy you’re here now.” Mason pulls them aside to bring them up to speed. He called them after the morning’s ill-fated meeting and they agreed to come right away, along with fifty men to help shore up our defenses. We all breathed a sigh of relief knowing help was on the way. “Hey, you okay,
Elena Guilt sits heavily in my gut as I pack a bag for our trip to find Asher. I’d only just managed to unpack the last of the clothes the guys bought for me on our way here, and now we’re leaving again. Aspen filled Mason in on our plans late last night when he finally came to bed. He insists on coming with us, leaving his pack again when they clearly need his steady leadership. The selfish part of me breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to be parted from him. But I can’t shake the feeling that his loyalty to me may cost him too much. The sound of paper rustling pulls me out of my reverie and I turn toward the sound. A large yellow envelope sits on the ground by the front door like someone just slid it under. I poke my head out into the hall but it’s empty. I can’t even catch a scent which is odd. Turning the envelope over in my hand, it’s completely blank. I consider leaving it for Mason to deal with but he’s busy because of me, briefing his fathers to take over in his a
Aloha Wonderful Readers, That's a wrap for Elena, Mason and the twins! Thank you for joining me for their journey! I hope you enjoyed the ride. I appreciate every single comment and review so please share your thoughts! You all make me smile, laugh, and keep going when I;m having a bad day so thank you for all your support! I have a short holiday planned with my family and then I will start writing Olivia's story. I hope to have a good start on it and begin publishing around the first week of June. You'll find out right away what led her to Elllie's door in the epilogue. And of course, as Mason's sister and Ellie's best friend, we'll see more of them in Olivia's story too. Stay tuned! Much love, Cara
Asher Elena is quiet during dinner and I can’t tell if our little Luna is upset for her best friend or just overwhelmed by the responsibilities she’s shouldering right now for the pack. Either way, I don’t like the look on her face and I intend to replace it with a much happier, more satisfied expression. And I intend to make that happen sooner than later. “All done, gorgeous?” My chair scrapes across the floor as I stand from the table and collect our plates. “What? Oh, yeah, I’m full.” She startles and it takes her a minute to understand what I said. “Excellent!” I grin, holding out my hand to help her up. “But-” Elena looks at Olivia like she doesn’t want to leave her. “Mace will get his sister settled in for the night. You’re coming with me. No arguments.” As soon as we turn the corner I pick her up, wrapping her legs around my hips, our chests pressed together. Her body heats and her scent spikes at the assertive move, her body as responsive as ever. It’s her mind I ha
Elena “Whose idea was it to build the new hospital and renovate the Alpha suite at the same time?” I ask as I burst into the guys’ office and throw myself dramatically onto the couch. “Yours!” My mates all look up from their work and answer at once. “Haha! You guys are hilarious! It was a rhetorical question!” I huff, their laughter rumbling through the room. Mason pulls me into his lap and I wrap my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest. I breathe in his rich whiskey and leather scent, letting it comfort me and help me relax. “Ugh! I’m sorry I’m being so whiny. I know you have more important things to worry about.” “You have been a little irritable late-, ouch! Why did you hit me?” Aspen rubs his arm where Asher punched him. “It’s okay Ash. He’s just being honest. But thank you for defending me.” I smile appreciatively at my overprotective mate. The two months since the Luna ceremony have been more of a strain than we anticipated. Between running a pack, set
Elena Literally, we fall backwards, Asher pulling me against his chest as he lays back on the bed. For one brief moment, I’m gasping for air, crushed by Aspen’s body as he lands on top of me. Then Mason is there, slipping his arms between us and lifting him just enough that I’m no longer bearing the brunt of his weight. “That’s it. Just breathe.” Mason gives us a second to catch our breath. He strokes Aspen’s back soothingly while Asher collars my throat with his large hand. He gives it a squeeze, not enough to cut off my air but enough to center my focus on that slight bit of pressure. It’s enough to slow my breathing and let the intense pleasure rush back in. “Now, Asher and I are going to fuck you the same way we’ll face our future. All four of us, together.” Mason’s deep, sultry voice rumbles through Asp as he frames his back and it’s like a vibrator to my sensitive bundle of nerves, a whine slipping free as my clit throbs. Mason shoves into Aspen’s ass, pulling a deep moan
Elena “We’re all going to take our time undressing you.” Mason breathes in my ear, dragging his calloused fingers over the smooth skin of my back as he unties the lacy bow at my neck. He slides his hands inside my now loosened bodice, kneading the flesh of my tits while mouthing his mark on my neck. My knees buckle but he pulls my body firmly against him, his thick length hard against my ass. I let my head fall back on his chest, moaning at the delicious sensations his touch brings. My twin mates drop to their knees and take turns lifting my feet to slide off my shoes, pressing tender kisses to my ankles and toes. Their hands slide up my legs to my inner thighs, close but not close enough, before gliding back down again. Every move is slow and sensual, calculated to drive me to the edge of sanity. “Let’s see what you’re hiding from us under all this lace, little one.” Mason lets the top of my dress fall, exposing my nipples to the cool air and licking his lips as he watches
Elena “Is it too early to sneak away?” I peer up at Mason from the center of our huddle, all my mates surrounding me on the dance floor. We’re not really dancing, a difficult task for four people to accomplish while refusing to stop touching each other. But at least out here, we can avoid being pulled in four different directions by well-meaning pack members who want to wish us well or introduce us to someone they’re sure we haven’t met before. Spoiler alert: we have. Twice. “Please say yes, daddy!” Aspen teases Mason. “I can’t wait for our special surprise!” Mason chuckles at his antics then snares our mate in his heated gaze. “Be careful what you wish for, baby boy.” His voice is deep, taking on a dark edge. “You might just get it.” He runs his tongue over Aspen’s neck, then latches onto his mark and sucks hard. I may not have bitten Aspen yet but even the hint of pleasure I feel through our shared bond with Mason sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine. Aspen’s wanto
Mason Now that she’s the official Luna of the pack, Ellie can help with inducting our Betas, and I’m so excited this will be our first official act together. When I took over as Alpha, I could have chosen a Beta and even a Gamma for myself. I declined, thinking I would eventually fill those roles once I knew the pack better. Now I see why it never felt right to do so. The twins were always meant to be my Betas, one as a brother and one as a mate. Unfortunately, though the twins will both be making vows of loyalty to us as their Alpha and Luna, it’s tradition for the previous Beta to pass the torch. Something my grandfather never had either because he never trusted anyone enough to let them in. But once again, family is all too willing to step in and assist, ensuring the twins get the ceremony they deserve. My dads take the stage at the elders signal, each one standing in front of one of the twins. This time the elder slices my hand, my blood joining Ellie’s in the bowl. He pas
Mason After my embarrassing outburst at the sight of my stunning mate, I silently praise every deity known to man for blessing me with the woman making her way down the aisle, drawing closer to me with every step she takes. Every step is one closer to the future I’ve dreamed of since long before I really understood what it meant to be a mate. A future I thought I’d lost forever. Standing on either side of me, Asher and Aspen are nearly vibrating out of their skin with the need to have our beautiful mate in their arms. Honestly, I’m not sure how any of us are going to make it through this ceremony without stripping her bare and taking her right here on this stage in front of everyone. And even if we manage that, we still have the after party filled with way too many people to get through. I take a few deep breaths to steady my racing heart, reminding myself what this night is all about and how far we’ve come to get here. No matter how luscious my mate looks and how much I want t
Elena “Mmm, that feels amazing.” I moan as the massage therapist kneads my shoulders, loosening the knots I’ve managed to accumulate from the never-ending stress of the last few months. “Totally agree. We should do this at least monthly.” Livvy turns to grin at me from her massage table set up right next to mine. “As long as you just mean the massage and not the entire Luna ceremony then it’s a date.” I reach across the space between us to hook our little fingers together, sealing the plan with a pinky promise and we both giggle. A month has passed since Asher and Aspen's father was sentenced to life in a council prison, a place no one ever escapes from. With him locked away and the passing of their mother, ending the string of horrific murders she committed, Mason, the twins and I have finally been able to find some normalcy. Well, as normal as it gets when you’re settling in to a new pack and taking in droves of new members from another that’s crumbling. With the arrest