Layla POVAll the pups that Willow brought with her now have homes; it never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can adapt to new surroundings. Willow and Riley have marked each other. Willow is a beautiful she-wolf with a loving nature; Riley and Willow are perfect for each other. Darius and I are on our way to my territory; Anita has gone into labor, and Diana is there, but both Zach and Anita have asked if I could be with her in case Zach passes out as Drew did. Our baby is due in a couple of weeks; I feel like a baby elephant these days; my feet are swollen most days, and getting up off the floor never ceases to have Ellie and Beth giggling uncontrollably. We have everything set up for when our pup arrives; I don't mind admitting that I have told Diana to bring any pain relief she can get her hands on when my time comes. I smile when we pull up out front of the packhouse; Zach's pacing frantically in the front yard; he turns toward us and approaches the truck opening my door
Darius POV Ellie and Beth have just turned five, and watching my daughters interact with the other children in our pack never ceases to surprise me. Whenever the older pups get into an argument, you can guarantee that Ellie is standing in the middle of them, trying to calm everyone down. Beth always stands beside Ellie with her fists clenched, ready to step in if anyone gets too close to her sister. We always knew Ellie would be our diplomat; her calming nature can diffuse just about any situation in which the girls may find themselves. If Ellie can't get through to the other pups, you can guarantee Beth; our warrior, will take control and step in. Beth watches her mother train with the warriors every afternoon, mimicking Layla’s movements; we are trying to delay letting her train with the older pups. But it is getting harder and harder to refuse her, especially when we know what our daughter's future holds for them. Ellie and Beth are highly protective of their little brother; they
My name is Layla. I shifted for the first time just before my sixteenth birthday. I love my wolf. Her name is Lea. She is wild, challenging, and fast. My father, Michael, is the Alpha of The Red River pack. His word is the law we are meant to live by. He rules with no mercy, totally heartless and cruel. My father’s mate Diana, our luna, is beautiful. I am his only heir, which angers him consistently as there is no way he will hand the pack to me. Females should know their place. He has made my life hell, fear my constant companion. My father wants me out of his life. He plans on arranging a mate for me when I turn 18 next week. I have run out of time. I need to leave before it's too late. I wait until my father and Diana are asleep. I crawl out of bed, run down the stairs, and out the front door. I make it to our pack's border, undress, and shift. Lea carries my clothes in a bag around our neck. I ran through the forest without stopping for a couple of hours. It's the middle of the
Michael POVI open my eyes slowly, and my head pounds. My best friend Grayson and I had a few too many drinks last night. I always drown my sorrows at pack gatherings, the way the women stand around in groups chattering with excitement as they hope to find their mate is sickening. A few of my unmated warriors fell into the moon goddess trap last night, the poor bastards.Stretching my muscles, I go to climb out of bed when I notice Louise is still there.I snarl, “What the fuck are you still doing here?”She whimpers as she tries to untangle the sheets wrapped around her body.“I am sorry, Michael, I overslept,” she stammers, panicked by my reaction. I laugh as I shove her off my bed. She lands hard on the floorboards and looks at me, holding back tears as she whines.``Why would you do that?”“You know the rules, Louise. I fuck you, and then you leave before sunrise.” “But I thought you enjoyed last night, Michael.”I growl, getting more pissed off every time Louise opens her mout
Michael POV Grayson and I have been sharing Rose for a few years now; she loves sex and is up for anything. She is gorgeous and easy to get along with, definitely not good enough for either of us to mate. It doesn't bother Rose; she understands her position in the pack and doesn't expect anything from us. I smile, thinking once I chat with the old man, I will visit her. Feeling much happier than I had been all morning, I decided that I would go with my father and have a look at the girl he wanted me to meet. It will keep him off my back for a while, and if it works out as my father wants, I can mate her. I don't give a shit about having a mate, but I will need a son to be my heir. I will be the most powerful Alpha anyone has seen for years. I can feel Malaki’s excitement rippling through me, It is also a way for me to see how strong their pack is, and it is always a smart move to know what other packs' strengths and weaknesses are. My father needs to go. He is making our pack look w
Michael POV I spent a couple of hours at the gym this morning before getting dressed. I chose a white dress shirt. The buttons strain at the front, emphasizing my muscular chest, shoulders, and biceps. My blue jeans hug my muscular thighs; I grab my boots, putting them on as I hear my father bellow for me to hurry up. I roll my sleeves up to my elbows, looking in the mirror one last time saying, “Fuck your hot,” I laugh the bitch will be eating out of my hands within five minutes of meeting me. I watch as the last SUV's pulls up in front of the packhouse. “What the fuck, dad? How many cars do you think we need to take?” He growls, “I want to show them we are a strong pack, Michael. I don't intend to walk away from this meeting with nothing,” Grayson and I walk toward the last car. There's no way in hell I will suffer a four-hour trip with him. Grayson licks his lips as he says, “You look handsome, Michael. Is there a special occasion I should know about?” “You're a smart ass
Michael POV I look at Grayson, snarling in disgust, “What a nightmare; that bitch would drive me crazy if I chose her as a mate.” Grayson takes my hand, mimicking her voice. “But Michael, I love you. I want to fuck you and have your pups,” I laugh, punching the prick in his shoulder. We walk down the main street, and nothing is out of place; the complete area around the town is spotless. There are not many people out tonight; something about Alpha Leon doesn't sit right with me. How many wolves are in his pack? The town feels deserted. Is he hiding something, or is he a control freak? I breathed in deeply, not realizing how unsettled I was. I did need some fresh air; Grayson interrupted my thoughts, asking, “What are you going to tell Julian?” “Nothing until we are about to leave. He will only push someone else in my face,” I hear laughing. Looking up, I see a pretty blonde talking to another female. “Grayson, do you see that” he smiles as he says, “You're taken. I want th
Nicole POV I had just climbed into bed when I heard the front door open. My parents and sister were home. My sister is two years older than me. We were close when we were little, but she has turned into a nasty bitch the older she gets. She has a sneaky, ugly personality and causes arguments between my mother and me. My mother usually ignores me because of the lies Maree constantly whispers in her ear. Maree has always wanted to be my parents' favorite, and now she is. My father is a strong fighter, but he bows down to my mother, doing whatever she wants regardless of who gets hurt. I close my eyes as my door opens. My sister's head peeks around the door. She growls when she thinks I am asleep, shutting the door again. I have no desire to speak to her. She only wants to brag about her mate. I smile to myself. I can't help thinking about Michael. He is so handsome. His dark brown hair shines in the moonlight, and he has dark chocolate brown eyes with thick black eyelashes. He is at
Darius POV Ellie and Beth have just turned five, and watching my daughters interact with the other children in our pack never ceases to surprise me. Whenever the older pups get into an argument, you can guarantee that Ellie is standing in the middle of them, trying to calm everyone down. Beth always stands beside Ellie with her fists clenched, ready to step in if anyone gets too close to her sister. We always knew Ellie would be our diplomat; her calming nature can diffuse just about any situation in which the girls may find themselves. If Ellie can't get through to the other pups, you can guarantee Beth; our warrior, will take control and step in. Beth watches her mother train with the warriors every afternoon, mimicking Layla’s movements; we are trying to delay letting her train with the older pups. But it is getting harder and harder to refuse her, especially when we know what our daughter's future holds for them. Ellie and Beth are highly protective of their little brother; they
Layla POVAll the pups that Willow brought with her now have homes; it never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can adapt to new surroundings. Willow and Riley have marked each other. Willow is a beautiful she-wolf with a loving nature; Riley and Willow are perfect for each other. Darius and I are on our way to my territory; Anita has gone into labor, and Diana is there, but both Zach and Anita have asked if I could be with her in case Zach passes out as Drew did. Our baby is due in a couple of weeks; I feel like a baby elephant these days; my feet are swollen most days, and getting up off the floor never ceases to have Ellie and Beth giggling uncontrollably. We have everything set up for when our pup arrives; I don't mind admitting that I have told Diana to bring any pain relief she can get her hands on when my time comes. I smile when we pull up out front of the packhouse; Zach's pacing frantically in the front yard; he turns toward us and approaches the truck opening my door
Darius POV I wake up in a foul mood; my eyes feel like someone has tipped a bucket of sand in them. Layla is sound asleep beside me; I untangle my body from hers and throw a pair of jeans on before going downstairs. No sound comes from the loungeroom where the pups and Willow are sleeping. I go to the kitchen and make a coffee before going to my office. I go to stand when I hear footsteps getting closer to my office; the door opens, and my eyes widen in shock when Riley enters and sprawls out on the couch opposite me. He rakes his hand through his hair as he says, “I need to talk to you.” I smirk at him and reply, “That's obvious, or you wouldn't be here this morning.” He shakes his head and chuckles nervously as he says, “I need your advice.” I groan, “Please don't tell me you have gotten one of the she-wolves you sleep around with pregnant.” Riley snorts as he says, “If only it were that simple.” I frown; this is serious; it looks like I am not the only one who
Layla POV It had only been a couple of weeks since Soren, Nathan, and Teena came to our territory. It's early on a Saturday morning, Darius and I are still in bed, our pack run was the previous night, and as always, after our packs ran together, we had a bbq. It was a bit of a struggle getting so many wolves in one place, but somehow we always managed to pull it off. Since it's not safe for pregnant females to shift, I waited at home with Ellie, Beth, Amy, Abbie, and the younger members of our packs. Darius and I usually lead the run, he wanted to stay at home, but I didn't see the sense of both of us missing out on one of the things we loved. We have added two toddler beds in the nursery for Ellie and Beth; Darius and I are lying in bed arguing over baby names; we have only just agreed on Bohdi as a boy's name. Choosing a girl's name is becoming impossible. I chuckle when I hear the pitter-patter of two pairs of feet as they run toward us. Ellie and Beth have started climbing int
Layla POV I froze when Teena stood up and went to follow me inside. Did I want this woman in my home? Lea’s voice entered my mind as she said, “Teena and Soren won't harm Ellie and Beth.” I nod and motion her to follow me; Alec is playing with the girls in the lounge room. I pick Ellie up. Teena looks at me and asks, “Can I pick this little one up?” I can see the shock in Darius’s eyes when I say “Yes” Lea had already told me Teena was a witch; as long as she wasn't here to harm my babies, I couldn't care what species she was. When we entered the kitchen, Teena said, “You are pregnant. Would you like to know if you are having a boy or girl?” I shake my head and answer, “No, Darius and I are happy to wait until our pup arrives.” She nods, helping Diana, Abbie, and I carry the food to the porch. Darius has already taken the girl's chairs outside; mom pulls a chair close to her and narrows her eyes at Alec as she says, “Behave yourself, or you will be eating inside
Darius POV We knew Soren and his companions were coming; our patrols spotted them two days before they reached our border. I mind-linked our warriors and told them not to stop him from crossing the border. Alec, Beth, and Ellie were to remain inside the house with Diana and Abbie while they were here until told otherwise. Sebastian was staying on Layla’s territory with her wolves. Everyone was to remain on high alert in case of any trouble, we weren't expecting any, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Lea has already alerted Layla that Alpha Soren would arrive within the next thirty minutes. Layla has set up a meeting area on the porch, she refuses to allow him to enter our home. Zach, Riley, Jackson, Nicole, Leon, and Kyra are already here, and Drew and Amy are on their way over now. Its have been raining non-stop since yesterday, so they would have to walk a fair distance up the mountain; my patrol mind links me and says, “They have pulled the cars off the road and coming
Soren POV The wolves Teena let into my territory have been here for two days; they have recovered from the wounds, and I intend to speak to them today. Teena and I have been in my office since dawn; she sits opposite me, holding a cup of coffee in both hands. I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest and ask, “What did you see?” She frowns as she says, “Nathan was an Alpha before he came here; he has made terrible mistakes in his past and is trying to compensate for the hurt he has caused the ones closest to him.” I nod, looking at her; Teena seems tired. I growl before saying, “And you still want to claim him as your mate?” She nods her head “Yes” and replies, “Everybody makes mistakes, Soren; you know that.” I snort, “That may be so, but it's too dangerous for you to leave here without me.” She chuckles as she says, “Mark my words Soren; Nathan will denounce his title as Alpha and stay here with me.” I roll my eyes at her and say, “Your very con
Layla POVIt's been a couple of days since Josie’s visit. Darius and I have been awake for hours, I get out of bed, and as soon as I place my feet on the floorboards, the room starts spinning. I run to the bathroom, kneel in front of the toilet, and empty the contents of my stomach. I groan, resting my head in my hands until the room stops spinning. I use the vanity to pull myself off the floor and step gingerly into the shower turning the water on so I can have a shower. I stay under the water until I feel better and wrap a towel around myself as I leave the bathroom.Darius is resting against the headboard of the bed with a frown on his face as he asks,“Are you ok, sweetheart, your not making yourself sick worrying about what Josie said?” I sit beside him and rest my head against his shoulder as I say, “Maybe I don't know Darius?”He wraps his arms around me as he whispers, “I wasn't joking when I said I would kill anyone who hurt our girls, Layla.” I sigh, looking up at him, a
Alpha Soren I haven't had anything to do with my family for years; I left home at sixteen and have remained hidden for the last twenty years. The politics of my brother's court sickens me; I had many wolves loyal to me and have built my pack from two thousand wolves to five thousand wolves; we choose to stay hidden. My brother has no idea where I am, and I intend to keep it that way. My brother Phillipe is an evil prick and wouldn't hesitate to kill my mate and my children if he knew our whereabouts. I wrap my arms around Tatiana, holding her close to my chest as the sobs wrack her petite frame; I can smell the fear seeping from her as she murmurs, “What are we going to do, Soren?” I kiss the top of her head as I reply, “I will never let anyone hurt our daughter Tatiana.” My sister Teena has just placed Octavia in her cradle; she smiles at me sadly as she leaves my bed chamber. Octavia is a beautiful baby. She will grow into a beautiful woman just like her mother; the corners