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CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR
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The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE
Beside me, all the other living shifters on the beach seem to be having a similar experience. I hear them murmuring in conversation with the souls who have come to speak with them, then one by one, the glowing spirits depart, leaving us standing on the beach, facing the ocean, our hearts full.Nash walks over to me, silently taking my hand. “I got to talk to my dad,” he says quietly. “He says he’s so proud of Stella. And of me. Congratulated me on finding such a wonderful mate.”“My dad said the same thing.” I lean against Nash, feeling soothed by the sturdy warmth of his body. It was wonderful to see Caleb again, but he was right - I belong with Nash now, and it feels right and good to be physically beside him. Slowly, the rest of the shifters who joined us on this trip drift over to us. Most are sniffling with bittersweet tears. All of them look grateful if a little bit shaken. “I think some questions have been answered tonight,” Arnold says, “but perhaps even more
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX
I’ve just claimed to an Alpha that I was the source of the magic on the beach here last night. I don’t know if I’ll get away with the lie, but I’ve certainly committed to it. I stand my ground as he steps toward me, lifting his nose and sniffing the air.“You are an Omega,” he says. “I have never heard of an Omega able to wield such power.”“I am a Luna, too,” I insist. “I have met many Lunas, and still none of them were capable of what seems to have happened here last night.”I shrug. “I’m different.”Another one of Carlos’s pack mates - most likely his Beta - speaks up. “We sure would like to learn those spells from your grandmother, if you can show them to us.”“They’re not supposed to be shared outside my pack,” I claim. The Baja werewolves have slowly but surely formed a circle around our small group, fencing us in with their bodies.“That’s not very charitable,” Carlos says, narrowing his eyes. “You are, after all, guests in our territory.”“Near your
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN
There’s a knock at the cottage door. I bolt up in bed, worried it might be Carlos and his crew coming back to try and get to Stella.Layla just sniffs the air and waves her hand gracefully. “Relax, Sarah. It’s just Arnold.”Sure enough, when Nash opens the cottage doore, it’s Arnold standing there. I couldn’t sense him that far away, through the door. Layla’s senses are incredibly acute. I wonder what other skills she has that we don’t know about. “I have two pieces of information to share,” Arnold asks, “but first, I’d like to inquire about the condition of our beloved Luna.”“She’s just fine,” Layla says, patting my blanket covered knee. “A bit shaken, and understandably curious, but otherwise perfectly healthy. When we get back to San Diego, she’ll need to start working on ways to unleash her powers without overwhelming her body.”“Our return to San Diego is one of the things I wished to speak with you about,” Arnold says. “I believe that should happen as quickly as
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT
“What!?” Nash looks stricken at the news that Ansel, the former Alpha of the San Diego pack, has returned. Ansel once attempted to poison his own sister, Amanda, and then framed Nash for the crime. After his treachery was found out, he was banished from the pack. “How can he be back? We said we’d kill him if he ever set foot in our territory again.”“Yes, that was the verdict and the sentence,” Jeff says, “but we were not sure whether we had the jurisdiction to carry it out without you, our Alpha, or even the Beta, around.”“Where is he now?” I ask.“In the basement.” Jeff points to the narrow door that leads to the pack house basement.Nash hurries downstairs. I hand Stella to Juliana and quickly follow him. This is something we need to deal with as a mated pair, as Alpha and Luna.Ansel is sitting calmly on a cot, with a wolfsbane rope around one ankle. He looks up at us, appearing both nervous and relieved to see Nash.“You’re back,” Nash snaps, crossing his arms a
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE
We take Ansel back to Layla’s place, where we explain the problem to the older woman. She gets a sparkle in her eye, saying she has just the solution. The next time we come by the spa and clinic to see Isaac, Layla meets us with a wide grin.As soon as she opens the door, it’s clear what has her so entertained. Ansel’s skin has been dyed a sickly pale green, and his hair has been shaved off. He looks absolutely ridiculous, and the expression on his face indicates that he’s aware of it and very displeased with his situation.“I whipped up a little elixir that will scrub the scent right off him,” Layla declares proudly. “He only has to apply it daily for three more weeks, and then he’ll be perfectly safe to be around the baby.”“I still don’t know why all this was necessary,” Ansel grumbles.Layla just shrugs. “I can not control the ways of shifter magic - only channel them.” Then she winks at me and Nash.We’re both pretty sure that she could have come up with a way to so
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER EIGHTY
Greyson has been preparing for this moment for a while now, so we’re able to very quickly get everyone ready for an emergency road trip back down to Baja. We load up the RV, and everyone in the pack who drives a car hops behind the wheel.Layla and Arnold make sure everyone has the various magical shields, weapons, and other items that have been assigned to them, Greyson runs his fighters through some last minute drills, and Juliana helps me ensure that we have everything we need to keep the whole pack fed and healthy on the journey.Finally, we get Ansel out of his room, tell him the bare minimum about what’s going on, and stick him in a car with some of Greyson’s strongest guards.Since we’re an entire caravan of werewolves, we decide not to try and risk it with customs and immigration at the border. Nash guides us through the valley where his buddies from Tijuana live, and calls ahead to let them know we’re on our way.They’re waiting for us on the little dirt road that
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER EIGHTY ONE
As we approach the beach in Baja, it’s immediately obvious that a lot has changed. Instead of one little cottage overlooking a pristine beach, there’s now a whole camp set up on the shore. Tents and campers are arranged in a tight circle surrounding the area where the prism glass was buried in the sand, and lots of strong fighters are patrolling the edges of the camp.We drive up a bit further, only to be stopped by two huge fighters. Layla parks the RV and I hand Stella to Juliana before stepping out onto the asphalt road to speak to them.“Who are you?” The guard’s tone is aggressive and demanding.“My name is Sarah, and I’m the Luna of the San Diego shifter pack,” I say with a gentle smile. “I need to speak with your Alpha about something very important.”“No outsiders are allowed into camp,” the guard says, glaring at me suspiciously. “We mean no harm,” Nash says, standing behind me. “We only want to help you.”“The Baja pack doesn’t need any help,” the guard ins
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER EIGHTY TWO
Nash and I make our way back to the rest of the pack and explain the situation. Layla and Amanda set about making dinner while Greyson and the rest of his crew work to set up our tents and campers.The whole time, though, I see the Luna of the Baja pack hanging around, watching us. She was giving me a very peculiar look while I was talking to Carlos, and the last thing I want is to arouse suspicion or create another enemy.I’ve had enough of Miranda and Regan being after me, and I want to make sure I start out on the right foot with the Baja pack’s Luna.So I go over to where she’s standing, acting like she’s just one of the perimeter guards despite the fact that she won’t take her eyes off me in particular, and say hello.“I”m Sarah,” I tell her, “the Luna of the San Diego pack. It’s nice to meet another Luna.”“Yatzil,” she says, reaching out to shake my hand. “You look familiar.”“Yes,” I say, “like your Alpha said, I was here before. You were curious about my baby
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Damian is a healthy baby, well loved, and by the time he’s a few months old, it’s obvious that Jasper and I don’t need to stick around in Serpent’s Creek. The mansion is nearly full to bursting with wolf and bear shifters excited to be part of this new family and to dote on the precious baby whose existence symbolizes a fresh start for everyone.Jasper mentions going home to Santa Cruz a few times before I’m happy about it, though. I tell him that Orsina could still use my help, or that there’s still some magic I want to learn from Clara. He sees right through my excuses, though. “Are you nervous and going back to live somewhere with those guys in the basement?” Jasper asks me one evening, sliding his hands around my waist to nibble at my earlobes as he asks. “Maybe,” I say. “Now that he’s not a rabbit anymore, and he’s seen me and spoken to me, and he’s already gotten out once -”“He didn’t get out,” Jasper reminds me. “We let him think he escaped.”“I know, but he th
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE
My eyes fall shut easily, after such a long day. But I don’t sleep very deeply. Instead, I get caught up in a long, complex dream.In the dream, I’m back in the celestial realm, standing in the same dungeon cage that Coello used to keep me in. Sterling is there, too, walking up to me with those piercing gray eyes and that familiar smile. “Hello,” he says. He leans in to kiss me, and I think that the bars will prevent him from being able to, but he just passes right through. I feel his hands on my face, his lips on mine, and he kisses me for a long time.When I open my eyes after the kiss, I’m no longer in the cage. Now, Sterling and I are standing on top of the massive tower where we found him, high up above the rest of the celestial realm. But when I look out, I don’t see the rolling, starlit darkness of the celestial realm. I see the golden yellow plains of Montana, the valley that stretches out around Serpent’s Creek.“Where are we?” I ask, feeling strangely dizzy.
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT
Clara and Zach arrive soon enough, and we all go careening up the mountain. With Clara behind the wheel, we get back to the house in record time. Orsina is sweating now, her breaths coming heavy and hard, and Zach has to help her out of the truck and into her room.“Can you shift?” Clara asks her, gently lowering the laboring mother down into her bed. “It’s so much easier if you shift.”“I think so,” Orsina says. She squeezes her eyes shut, holding her breath. It takes a few tries, but soon she’s a bear, curled up on top of the quilts in her bedroom.“Perfect, perfect,” Clara coos. “There you go, mama bear.”“Could that cause a problem for the baby?” Zach asks, hovering in the doorway. Clara asked him to bring towels, and he’s already brought twice as many as we’ll need, but he has yet another armful. I don’t even know where he’s getting them from, at this point. Even a mansion like this can only hold so many towels.“What do you mean?” Clara asks, her voice calm and unf
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN
When we call home to let Regan and Isaac know what’s going on, they’re thrilled to hear that Barrett is okay and that Zach and Orsina have a safe place to land. They tell us that Howling Wolf is doing amazingly well - after so many volunteers and friends came to help us with the battle, we’ve gotten tons more clients in the shifter world, and we’ve been able to hire a handful of new employees.Since they seem to have things well in hand, Jasper and I decide to stay in Montana. We set up in one of the westward facing bedrooms, next door to Zach and Orsina. Clara and Bennett take an upstairs bedroom, smaller but cozier and with more privacy. With Weston defeated and his supporters scattered after our Santa Cruz victory, the rest of the bear clan needs a leader and a place to stay. Through a peaceful process, Clara and Barrett become the Alpha and Luna for the bear clan. Bear clans don’t typically refer to their Alpha’s mates as a “Luna,” but Clara is a wolf, and the title just see
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX
“Barrett!” Orsina rushes to his side, laying a hand over his forehead. He lifts his head weakly at her voice, then his eyes spark with recognition.“Orsina…” he croaks, his eyes fluttering shut again. “Help…”Everything then happens in a flurry of activity. Clara sends everyone but Orsina out of the room, giving each of us specific directions. Jasper is sent to get a bowl of hot water and towels, I’m supposed to find a medicine kit under the sink in the kitchen, and Zach is told to go secure the perimeter of the house, especially the rear door.I return with the medicine chest in my arms. It smells familiar, full of the healing herbs and magical potions Layla often uses. It’s also got modern medical stuff like clean white bandages and stitching kits.Clara instantly sets about getting Barrett to sit up. She holds a glass of water to his lips, encouraging him to drink and take a handful of pills and capsules she’s picked out of the medicine chest. She works on Barrett fo
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE
We barely have time to process everything Clara has told us before she’s packing us a picnic dinner and ushering us out the door. We pile into her battered, ancient Jeep, which is almost definitely running more on shifter magic than gasoline at this point, and she heads out toward the mountains. “So, uh,” Orsina asks, after a bit of silence, “does that mean this is, like…you?” She rolls up her sleeve to show the tattoo mark of the wolf that appeared on her arm after the spirits from the carving gave their blessing.“It is perhaps an image of me,” Clara says in her cryptic way as she careens up the switchbacking roads. “Or, perhaps it is another manifestation of my spirit. There have been many over the years.”“What about your beloved?” Orsina asks. “The bear shifter you fell in love with. Where is he?”“That is a lovely question,” Clara says softly. “At times, we have found each other. At other times, our spirits have been far from one another. Since the curse took a deep
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR
It takes Malcolm and Coello a little while to accept the reality of their new situation - that Malcolm is irreversibly bound to Coello, and that Coello is bound to us by virtue of some very powerful magic Layla cooked up for us. They snarl and fight, argue and wheedle, and even try to bust out of their chains by brute force. But nothing works. We’ve won. Malcolm and Weston are both banished to cells in the basement, very far apart to prevent them trying to scheme together. Maybe someday we’ll have another use for them, but for now, it’s a breath of fresh air to know that my biggest enemy, and the biggest enemy of my pack, are both completely neutralized. I had hoped that we would be able to relax and settle down for a bit now that this problem has been solved. In fact, we had a lovely day after the battle, with all our friends and volunteers and former trainees lounging on the beach and splashing around in the cool water.But something is bothering Orsina. She paces, agitate
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE
The Moon Rabbit doesn’t waste any time once Malcolm agrees to the binding spell. With quick, almost spider like hands, Coello spreads the stalks and herbs out on the rocky beach, fluttering them into complex shapes. I stand on my tiptoes, peering out from behind my hiding place. Coello’s form of magic is rough and brutish, nothing like the delicate work Layla does. But it does the job. Malcolm steps over the edges of the intricate shape Coello has created on the ground, and even I can feel the burst of intense magic that snaps through the air as the spell takes effect. “I look forward to having you in my service,” Coello says with a low bow. “For now, however, I must depart. Do enjoy your newfound power.”Malcolm smiles, flexing his hands like he can somehow feel himself getting stronger. Then the two separate, Coello sneaking back into the tree house before anyone catches him outside.I’m surprised, but not entirely so. Some of us thought Coello would try to get as far a
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO
The various wolf shifters staying with us to help out have been instructed not to speak with the Moon Rabbit, but to keep a close eye on him. Coello soon gives up trying to draw them into conversation and instead just wanders around the busy tree house, doing what he clearly thinks is subtle reconnaissance in preparation for his escape attempt. What he doesn’t know is that his ability to slip out of here isn’t going to be the result of his own careful cleverness. It will be perfectly engineered by me and my team, right down to the very moment. It’s early afternoon when we get the signal. We’ve had scouts placed in inconspicuous locations all around the forest and the town of Santa Cruz watching for any sigh of Malcolm or Weston. Sure enough, they roll into town with a huge entourage of bear shifters and werewolves. Our scouts say that they’ve set up a campsite near the beach about a mile south from our location, and that Malcolm is heading our way on his own, apparently to chec
