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CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
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The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Malcolm looks shocked, like he never expected me to choose death over a life spent in his thrall. Then, once the surprise fades from his face, a vicious sort of excitement takes over. Beside him, Miranda looks like she’s starving, and the only thing she wants to eat is me.“Well,” Malcolm says, narrowing his eyes at me, “you heard her. Flagstaff pack, as your Alpha, I give you both permission and command - KILL HER.”After that, everything starts moving incredibly fast. I feel the world around me go blurry as the pack moves in, all lunging at me together.For a moment, I feel sure that I’m about to die. The Flagstaff pack is full of tough, strong wolves, and they have killed much bigger prey than me. These are experienced hunters who know how to take down an elk together. The difference is, though, that I’m not prey.I’m a wolf.In an instant, I shift, feeling the same crackling magic ripple through my body as it did the first time. I land on all four feet in the
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Night falls, and I’m still somewhere in the forest, looking for a place to settle down.I can see the lights of the city twinkling below, and I make my way closer, wondering if my parents are still at the little apartment where we started out living in Flagstaff.But as I approach the door, lurking in the shadows, the reek of death hits my nose. A streak of blood, visible through a window, leaves me certain.My parents are dead.I had suspected as much, back in the pack house when I chose death over staying with Malcolm and Miranda. Usually, a wolf’s pack bond with their family members would be enough to override their willingness to die. But I was so sure that I had nothing left to live for, and I realize now that if my parents had been alive, I would have wanted to survive if only to avoid putting them through the devastation of losing their only child.I prowl around the edges of the apartment, not wanting to go in. I can smell Malcolm and Miranda here, and I know the
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY
I dream.In the dream, I’m sitting beside Caleb on the porch of the cabin. He looks older, a few more lines around his eyes, some lighter hairs peppered through his dark curls, but he looks happy.I hear laughter. In front of us, running around on the grass, are two cubs. Our cubs. A boy and a girl, currently chasing each other back and forth across the stream, splashing as they jump.“I always wanted to bring my own cubs here,” Caleb says, reaching over to take my hand. “They’re adorable,” I say, stroking his hand with one finger. I’m wearing a ring, I notice. One with blue gems in it.“I’m so glad Arnold figured out how to split the amulet,” Caleb says, noticing me admiring the ring. “Now everyone in our family is protected.”I see two dark stones, each hanging around the necks of my children. No one can ever betray them. They are the future of this pack, intelligent and kind, born to be leaders. Neither of them will grow up like I did, ridiculed and ostracized.
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
We head south, away from Flagstaff and down through the deserts of Arizona. It’s so much different from the pine trees and mountain trails of Flagstaff. I see tall stone mountains, brown with bare rock, not covered in a green carpet of trees.On the back of Nash’s motorcycle, I watch the desert fly by. Tall saguaro cacti dot the landscape, their arms reaching toward the sky. They’re so much shorter than the massive trees on the Flagstaff mountains, but somehow they look just as majestic.I could make a life in the desert, I think. After all, what better place is there for a lone wolf like me? Most big towns and cities already have an established pack of wolf shifters, but this area is so remote and lonely that I could get by without anyone bothering me.Leaning against Nash, letting the wind tangle my hair, I try to imagine life on my own as a desert dwelling lone wolf. I already know that in my wolf form, I can fend for myself, even if my white coat won’t afford much camoufla
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
We get up early the next morning. I feel much better, especially after sleeping with the rabbit pelt, but Nash looks like he slept miserably. I notice him tucking the pelt into his motorcycle helmet as he packs up and gets ready to leave.“Here,” he says, tossing me my own helmet. It’s silver, not black like his, and smaller, so it’ll fit me. “When did you get this?”“When I was out for burritos last night.”“Oh. Thanks.”Nash just flashes me a tired smile in response. We check out, dropping our cactus keychains in a metal box that’s already turning hot in the morning sun. On the way down south, we ride all the way around Joshua Tree National Park, desert wind whipping my hair back as I take in the almost alien landscape. Squat, gnarled joshua trees fill the fields, and the horizon is taken up by bone white mountains rising in the distance. It’s beautiful, but to be honest, I’m ready to get out of here. Despite the fact that I wear a protective amulet, the anger
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Nash takes me to a place called Corey’s Fry Shack, which is accurately named - it’s just a tiny little building near the boardwalk. We both order “animal style” burgers, which not only come with extra meat and a delicious tangy sauce, but also a huge paper plate of fries and a chocolate milkshake that’s so thick they don’t even bother giving you a straw, just a spoon with an extra long handle.We sit on the beach, balancing out food on our laps. The sand is warm against my legs and the ocean seems impossibly blue, stretching out toward the horizon like a polished opal.Neither of us speaks for a while as we tear into our burgers. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until Nash mentioned food, but I absolutely devour my lunch before starting on my chocolate shake.“I have to admit,” I say, licking a thick dollop of chocolate milkshake off my spoon, “this is pretty great.”“Didn’t I tell you?” Nash seems pleased with himself. “Best burgers in the world.” He smears a french fry
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
Nash, being from the area, knows a spot where we can cross the border into Mexico without much fuss. I was almost hoping that we’d need to shift into our wolf forms, because I’m curious about what Nash’s looks like, but then we’d have to leave the motorcycle behind, and it’s clear that Nash won’t be parted from his beloved bike.So we zip through some dirt roads, mostly hidden by a rocky outcropping. Nash waves at some guys at an outpost near a barbed wire fence, and they wave back, seeming to recognize him. I wonder, not for the first time, what else Nash hasn’t told me about his past.Why is he so familiar with secret border crossings? Why was his pack so willing to believe that he would be behind a murder plot? Why is he so unconcerned with my Omega status?None of that matters, though, because my first priority is getting somewhere safe. Now that we’re in Mexico, I feel like I can breathe a little easier. Wolf shifter packs typically respect national borders, and since I’m
The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
We play in the waves until the sun starts to go down. It’s cooling off, and we probably shouldn’t be on a private beach after dark, so we make our way back into the shallows, climbing out onto the sand. Nash shakes himself off vigorously, and I laugh.Back in human form, we lay on the sand for a while, watching as the sunset paints the horizon in dazzling oranges and pinks. Sure enough, there are actual dolphins visible out in the water, their dark shapes jumping and twirling in the dusky light.“I suppose we ought to find you a place to stay,” Nash says, helping me up with one strong hand.“I actually saw a cute little cottage on our way to the restaurant,” I said, “with a sign in the window saying that it was for rent.”“Let’s go check it out, then,” Nash says. Back on his motorcycle, leaning against his back, I can see a tiny tuft of fur from the rabbit pelt peeking out from under his helmet. It’s pure white, with no stain or anything, even though he wears it in his
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The Alpha's Mate CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED
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
