Darius POV Curiosity is eating me alive; when Layla said her mate rejected her, I couldn't believe it. What kind of a moron would throw her away. The moon goddess pairs us for a reason; on the other hand, I should be thanking him because if he hadn't rejected her, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know her. After sending Riley to talk to our warriors, I spent the rest of the day with Layla and the twins. Layla asked if Riley and I wanted to come to the packhouse for supper again tonight; there was no way in hell I was going to say no. Riley should be back any minute now; when he walks through the door, I ask, “Did you find out anything?” Riley shakes his head as he says, “Nothing, her warriors, are friendly, but if we ask them anything about their Alpha, they won't say a word.” I didn't expect they would; we have been here for a couple of days, and they are incredibly loyal and protective of Layla. Riley snorts before saying, “Thanks for volunteering me to set
Layla POV After my warriors have finished their morning training session, I duck into my flat for a quick shower. Diana insists on coming to the flat every morning to watch Ellie and Beth for me; Diana is a wonderful person, and I appreciate all her help. My heart skips a beat when Ellie holds out her arms, chanting, “mm, mm, mom.” My heart feels like it wants to explode with love, and my eyes fill with tears. I get her out of her cot and hug her tightly against my chest; Diana smiles and rushes over to us. I look at her and ask. “Did you hear that Diana, Ellie just called me mom?” Diana giggled before saying, “Now I can start teaching her to call me nana.” I laugh, I am unsure how my mother will feel about that, but they can sort it out between themselves. Beth starts to stir and opens her eyes when she looks at me; she chuckles, pulling herself up the side of the cot and reaching for my shirt. I laugh, handing Ellie to Diana and picking her up. Beth grabs two handfuls
Darius POV We wait until the mist rolls across the forest floor before we enter Declan’s territory; we aren't called the mystic shadow pack for no reason. My father could call the mist in from the forest to hide his warriors when we attacked or were under attack from another pack; when he handed the pack to me, his power also passed to me. It's not uncommon for Alphas to possess different abilities blessed by the moon-goddess; the difference between my father and me is that I can call the mist to surround my warriors day or night. The ten warriors I sent to watch Declan are waiting for us; Shane mind-links me, saying, “We haven't seen any movement in the town since last night, Alpha.” I motion them to follow me, pulling the mist around us as we walk into town; I mind-link my warriors as a whole. “Riley and I will head for the packhouse; stay hidden until I give the command.” Declan's territory is deathly quiet; we enter the packhouse cautiously; no lights are on. I growl whe
Layla POVIt's the first time since I became Alpha of The Red River pack that I have not gone to training; I wanted to spend the morning with Ellie and Beth before going to the packhouse for breakfast. The first thing I noticed when Zach and Anita came downstairs was that Anita’s eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she was very subdued. Ellie and Beth bring joy to everyone who knows them, so I move the high chairs closer to Anita before putting them in their chairs. If I had not been watching her closely, I wouldn't have noticed her lips trembled slightly when she looked and smiled at me. Marian, Simone, and Monique walk in laughing and chatting, followed by Sebastian, who has his arm around Diana’s shoulders. Breakfast is quieter than usual; everyone can sense Anita’s sorrow. Diana and I take Ellie and Beth into the loungeroom before I race down to my flat for a shower. When I return, Anita’s sitting on the floor, playing with them. She looks up when she senses my presence.“I c
Darius POV I am still furious that Declan and Xander managed to leave their territories before I could get my hands on Declan. I have been pushing my wolves hard all day so we can get back to the Red River pack territory as fast as possible; Riley mind-links me, “We need to stop for a while, Darius; we will be no help to Layla if we are exhausted when we get there.” I hold my hand up, motioning for my warriors to stop, “We rest for half an hour, then continue.” I am pretty confident that Declan and Xander won't be there, but doubt creeps into my mind now and then, making me uneasy. We reached Layla’s territory late in the afternoon; my heart was beating like a drum inside my chest at the thought that I was wrong and wouldn't get to Layla’s domain before Declan and Xander. When we crossed her border, I breathed a sigh of relief; everything was just as we left it. Gray's voice in my head, “Lea knows we are here. Layla is at the packhouse.” Adrenaline raced through me at t
Layla POV My heart jumped inside my chest when Darius asked, “Do you want to have pups, Layla?” Lea whimpers inside me and says, “You have to tell him, Layla.” I sit there chewing the inside of my mouth for a moment. I turn my face away from him, so he doesn't see the tears pooling in my eyes and whisper, “I can't have pups, Darius.” He gasped in shock before saying, “Fuck Layla, I am so sorry I don't know what to say.” I glance in his direction; Darius’s face is white. I sigh, untangle my legs from under me and go to stand. He reaches across and gently tucks my hair behind my ear before putting his fingers under my chin and turning my face back to face him. He leaned toward me as he whispered, “Did you think I would run back to my mountain when you told me, Layla?” I massaged the back of my neck; I had no idea what he would do. I look at him; his voice is husky as he says, “You are not getting rid of me; we have two girls.” He was so close that his lips brushed ag
Layla POVMathias leads us to the basement. As he opens the door, he whispers,“I will be back at midnight to show you what rooms Declan and Xander are in.”We go over the finer details of our plan. I watch as Darius empties most of the wolfsbane in the syringe Monique has given him into a sink in the corner of the room. I hand my needle back to Monique and say,“Hold onto this until I tell you otherwise.” She nods, smiling at me. Darius and Riley will get Declan and meet us at the cabin, and Monique and I will take care of Xander; nothing can be out of place in the room when we leave; otherwise, suspicion will fall on Mathias. If I pierce Xander in the heart with the needle, it will look like he died in his sleep. The excitement in the air is contagious. Darius looks at me and winks, causing my heart to flutter in my chest; I look at the floor, avoiding eye contact with him; I need a clear head for what I am about to do. The door creaks as it opens; Mathias motions for us to follow
Darius POVI should have realized everything was going too smoothly for us. Layla taps Monique on the shoulder before saying, “Pull up over there; it will be quicker to go down the mountain on foot.” Monique pulls the Suv to the side of the road; Layla is out the door before we come to a complete stop. She turns to me; her eyes glow fluorescent green, and her fingers have already extended into claws as she says, “Make it quick, Darius. I will meet you at the packhouse.” She moves so fast that I haven't even had the chance to get out of the vehicle before she disappears. Monique smiles over her shoulder at us before she shifts into her wolf and runs in the direction Layla has gone. Riley opens the SUV trunk; Declan reeks of fear; I pull him out of the trunk and whisper,“This is for Maddie,” I snap his neck; his body slumps forward; I nod at Riley, he holds Declan upright as my claws extend out of my hands, and I remove Declan's head. Riley lets Declan's body fall, and I throw hi
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