IrinaWatching our daughter leave and not running after her was most probably the hardest thing I had ever had to do. I kept seeing the fear in her eyes when I gave her the order not to shift and not to kill anyone. She was going out into the cruel world defenseless.We waved as the car pulled out of the driveway and I swallowed my tears. If human kids of her age could do it, so could our daughter. I just needed to keep that thought in my mind and we would all be able to get through it. We wouldn’t be hearing from her for at least a day and that was kind of driving me a little insane, but I had to keep my cool.For myself, for Hunter and for the pack. I had to breathe and life had to carry on as normal.IngridThe car pulled up outside of the airport and I took a deep breath before getting out. From here on out, I was going to be all on my own. As soon as I got out of the car, it hit me and I almost climbed right back and told them to take me home! The guards wished me well as they sa
IngridI couldn’t help but hope that I would find my second chance mate while I was on my trip. As I opened the beautiful French doors of my apartment and walked out onto the small veranda, I breathed in the stifling air and a huge smile broke out all over my face. My heart was still shattered, and I couldn’t believe that I was already thinking of finding someone else, but just being here was already healing the terrible wounds.After all our family had been through when my brother died, I never imagined I would be able to do what I was doing right now. I took a long bath to soak the stiffness of the flight out of my muscles and got into bed to finally catch some sleep right after calling my parents to let them know I was safe.I had to tell myself I was actually really here a couple of times, since it was still so incredible that I felt as though I was in a dream. I woke up a couple of hours later feeling refreshed. Still wearing my pajamas, I grabbed a cup of coffee and walked out o
IngridI was, of course, correct in thinking I would have trouble falling asleep. Which meant when I called my mother in the morning, I hadn’t considered the enormous seven-hour time difference. She sounded so sleepy when I spoke to her, but each time I tried to hang up, she would ask me something new.She laughed when I told her what happened to Peter, but she also warned me to be careful of criminals. They would see me coming from a mile away, according to my mother. After we hung up, I took a quick bath and changed into one of my summer dresses. I didn’t have to work while I was on my trip. My parents made sure I had enough money in my account, but I really wanted to experience everything.My plan was to take a couple of days to explore and then to find a job as a waitress for a couple of weeks before moving on to my next destination. The city was bustling, but at the same time, I could see people just sitting at the roadside cafes having a coffee and chilling. It was an incredible
IrinaI felt a little intrigued to hear about this Peter character, but I was also concerned. Not being able to see him made it far worse than it really was. My only child was out there somewhere facing the goddess knows what danger …“You are letting your imagination run wild, my love.” Hunter kissed my forehead and I sighed deeply. “She might not be able to shift, but she can still use her other senses. They will tell her if she’s in danger.” He was right, as usual, but I was a mother and I still worried!IngridI absolutely loved Peter’s family. They instantly made me feel at home. Their party wasn’t exactly what I expected. It was in fact a very nice surprise to find the entire family packed around a long table. People were all talking at once and laughing while they served delicious food and wine. I had the best time and when Peter finally walked me home in the early hours of the morning, I felt relaxed and happy.I hadn’t thought about my mate once all night. The thought of him
IngridMy father started to smile and I thought my heart was going to stop!“Ingrid, the pack has agreed to your suggestion. Most of us feel that you are ready to take your place, but I believe that you have chosen the path that is right for you.” My father pulled me into his arms and I could feel the tears burning at the back of my eyes, but I swallowed hard and pushed them back. The pack agreed and that was all that mattered.My brother had a year to prepare before he was handed the title. I had only a couple of months. Not to mention the fact that I … Yeah, we aren’t going to mention that anymore. I found that if I just carried on with life and lived each day to my best ability, I could live without the intense pain I felt whenever I thought about my mate.I had kind of made peace with the fact that I might never find a second chance mate. It actually didn’t matter as much as it used to. So, I might not have children of my own, or I might not have children at all. It was okay. My p
IrinaThe excitement hung thick in the air in the morning as everyone got ready to attend the Founder’s Day festival. It was the one day the entire town came to a halt and took the time to celebrate our town. It felt as though we were celebrating Ingrid’s return for two continuous days. I loved every moment of it. In my mind’s eye, I could actually see the many dinners and festivals Ingrid experienced while she was away.This was exactly what our town needed after the hunter was there. People needed to see us moving between them. They needed to talk to us and be reminded that we were human. We had to show them we weren’t the monsters the hunter was trying to make us out to be. None of them knew the truth, of course. The sheriff was one of the first to greet us when we arrived and the relieved smile on his face said it all.We had been working overtime to squash any rumours that were still flying around and finally, things seemed to have returned to normal.I caught sight of Ingrid tal
IrinaHunter and I didn’t even have to ask the moment we saw Ingrid move. It was clear that she had found what she had been looking for all day and when they kissed, I nearly cried. We knew the boy. Hunter and I had been invited to his alpha ceremony while Ingrid was away on her trip. He was one of Archer’s friends from when they were younger, but the one thing that caught my attention the most was that he was Rosemary’s grandson!He wasn’t just any wolf, and thank the goddess, he wasn’t human!IngridRichard pulled away just enough so he could look into my eyes and I almost melted when he tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. It reminded me of something I saw my father do for my mom once and how I thought that I wanted that kind of love one day.“Hi beautiful,” He smiled and I felt my cheeks turn bright red.“Hi.” Over the years, I looked at my brother’s friends and wondered about them. It was logical that I would one day be mated to an alpha or even a beta. Some of my frien
IngridI scanned his room. His bedding was white, which was a surprise. A single black line decorated the border around the edge of the bedding and the pillow cases. A huge bed stood in the middle of the room and on either side was a set of beautiful antique free-standing cupboards.“This will be yours.” He rubbed his palms on his sides before opening the cupboard for me and I wondered if he was as nervous as I was.“Thanks.” I smiled as he opened the cupboard and I realized it was left empty for his mate. An awkward silence fell between us for a moment.“I will give you a moment to settle in. Would you like anything to eat or drink?” He was nervous! It was so damn cute!“Something to drink would be nice.” I smiled as I realized my mouth was feeling incredibly dry. “Something strong!” I laughed nervously as his face relaxed and he smiled. He nodded and disappeared while I unpacked my overnight bag and made my way to his bathroom. It was beautifully done in white and black marble. The
IrinaAfter a couple of weeks, the new place was built and we all moved in. I loved the new setup more than I thought I would and it was actually great fun to have Rosemary so close by. The children had done an amazing job in getting everyone settled into the new place and as I walked down the beach, I breathed in the fresh morning air.I missed Archer terribly. He would have loved this new place so much. He had always loved the lake. I met Rosemary on the way and we caught up on all the last-minute arrangements for the day. Hunter had finally accepted his new position in life and there was just one thing he asked of the kids which they gladly gave.Now that we were all settled in, it would be the official ceremony to bind our two packs together according to our ancient traditions. Today was Ingrid and Richard’s mating ceremony and I could feel the excitement in the air. The packs had already come together as one much easier than any of us could ever have imagined they would.On the f
Irina“Oh, no! Don’t you dare put me in the middle of this!” I glared at Hunter who was glaring right back at me. The discussions had been going around in circles for hours without a solution and he had pulled me aside to ask me to order Richard and our daughter to move home. Hunter, being Hunter, had found the only way he believed this arrangement would work.He thought Richard could just become Alpha of our pack and choose someone else to take over his pack. As if it would be that damn easy! What was my mate thinking?!“I don’t see what the problem is.” He huffed and for a split second I saw traces of Archer in my husband. They looked so damn much alike! “Other males move to the packs of their females, why can’t he?” Hunter was pouting as he waved his hand through the air before clamping his arms tightly over his chest.“Would you have left your pack for me?” I studied my mate. “If I refused to live this life, Hunter. Would you have given up everything just for me?” I could see that
IngridI was hoping I looked sexy, but I knew I didn’t as I fumbled to try and fit him inside me. I was just about to give up when Richard reached out and helped me and I nearly swallowed my tongue the moment he pushed inside of me. I liked this position! I had seen it in movies and always wondered about it, even if I looked away as soon as it came on.It felt as though he was going even deeper and I wondered if that was even possible. I wasn’t entirely sure if I should hunch on my legs or just move my hips, but clearly Richard knew what he was doing as he guided me and we were soon captured in the throes of passion!“Yeah, that’s it! Ride me!” He growled through clenched teeth and it gave me the small confidence boost I needed. I was doing it right! Richard pushed himself up and he clung to my body as I moved. It took a little longer for us to reach that peak this time, but just as I felt myself about to tumble over, he leaned closer. I felt his canines scarping my skin for just a mo
IngridIt was as though that was all he needed to hear as he slowly started to push into me. In an instant, I was flooded with hunger. I wanted him more than anything. I needed him. The expression of needing someone … Really needing them finally made sense! The world finally made sense! Why men went to war for women made sense!Richard stopped pulling me out of my ridiculous thoughts and when a frown formed on his brow, I thought I had done something wrong.“I’m not sure if you know this, but this next part will hurt a little. I promise you it will be the one and only time I will ever hurt you.” He stroked a stray piece of hair out of my face and I nodded. I could have told him that it wouldn’t be the last time he hurt me, but I didn’t. My mind was running at a mile a minute with all sorts of distracting thoughts and I didn’t want to spoil the moment with any of them.As Richard thrust into me, I cried out and he held me for a moment. It was painful, but it wasn’t unbearable pain. I c
IngridI wouldn’t say I was entirely innocent. I knew which parts went where and what to do with all those parts, I just hadn’t physically done any of it up to now. Why hadn’t I done it before?! Having him touch me in those sacred places felt out of this world! It was incredible! I had never in my life felt as relaxed and happy as I did in that tub in Richard’s arms.As Richard got out of the tub, I wondered if that was it. Was it over now? I knew it couldn’t possibly be it! He held out his hand and I frowned.“Is it over?” I pouted and he burst out laughing, making my cheeks turn a bright shade of red!“No, my sweet Ingrid. That was just the start. The water is getting cold. I thought we would move this to the bed where we could be more comfortable.” He smiled at my look of shock and I silently swore at myself. I shouldn’t have waited! At least if I had done it once before, I wouldn’t have been such a damn idiot the first time with my mate!Richard picked me up bridal style and carri
Ingrid“Stay right there, okay?” He looked around and I nodded. I laughed when he started opening cupboards and swore. “I will be right back.” He grinned and disappeared. When he returned, he had a box filled with candles in hand and he walked right into the bathroom.“That is really not necessary, Richard. We didn’t know this was going to happen tonight.” I laughed as he opened the taps for the bath and started to light the candles.“In that case, you can light the candles while I get us some Champaigne.” He winked and disappeared before I could say anything else. I did as he said and I have to admit that it helped ease the nervousness I was feeling. When he returned with the Champaigne, I had lit all the candles and he opened the bottle for us. After pouring each of us a glass, he held out his glass to me and I blinked and watched him. I had never imagined him as someone who could be very romantic.“To us. May we only share happiness and love.” He sounded a little out of breath and
IngridI scanned his room. His bedding was white, which was a surprise. A single black line decorated the border around the edge of the bedding and the pillow cases. A huge bed stood in the middle of the room and on either side was a set of beautiful antique free-standing cupboards.“This will be yours.” He rubbed his palms on his sides before opening the cupboard for me and I wondered if he was as nervous as I was.“Thanks.” I smiled as he opened the cupboard and I realized it was left empty for his mate. An awkward silence fell between us for a moment.“I will give you a moment to settle in. Would you like anything to eat or drink?” He was nervous! It was so damn cute!“Something to drink would be nice.” I smiled as I realized my mouth was feeling incredibly dry. “Something strong!” I laughed nervously as his face relaxed and he smiled. He nodded and disappeared while I unpacked my overnight bag and made my way to his bathroom. It was beautifully done in white and black marble. The
IrinaHunter and I didn’t even have to ask the moment we saw Ingrid move. It was clear that she had found what she had been looking for all day and when they kissed, I nearly cried. We knew the boy. Hunter and I had been invited to his alpha ceremony while Ingrid was away on her trip. He was one of Archer’s friends from when they were younger, but the one thing that caught my attention the most was that he was Rosemary’s grandson!He wasn’t just any wolf, and thank the goddess, he wasn’t human!IngridRichard pulled away just enough so he could look into my eyes and I almost melted when he tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. It reminded me of something I saw my father do for my mom once and how I thought that I wanted that kind of love one day.“Hi beautiful,” He smiled and I felt my cheeks turn bright red.“Hi.” Over the years, I looked at my brother’s friends and wondered about them. It was logical that I would one day be mated to an alpha or even a beta. Some of my frien
IrinaThe excitement hung thick in the air in the morning as everyone got ready to attend the Founder’s Day festival. It was the one day the entire town came to a halt and took the time to celebrate our town. It felt as though we were celebrating Ingrid’s return for two continuous days. I loved every moment of it. In my mind’s eye, I could actually see the many dinners and festivals Ingrid experienced while she was away.This was exactly what our town needed after the hunter was there. People needed to see us moving between them. They needed to talk to us and be reminded that we were human. We had to show them we weren’t the monsters the hunter was trying to make us out to be. None of them knew the truth, of course. The sheriff was one of the first to greet us when we arrived and the relieved smile on his face said it all.We had been working overtime to squash any rumours that were still flying around and finally, things seemed to have returned to normal.I caught sight of Ingrid tal