It’s been a two weeks since the news of Alpha Landon’s supposed death broke. Two weeks have passed since the rogue attack and Matthias still lays unconscious in the healer’s office. And I am no closer to getting the committee to recognize me as anything other than an exile.Word has spread of the Exile Alpha, who has now taken over two packs. I’m officially branded a tyrant and naturally there is outrage as packs that were once our allies pull their treaties, leaving us vulnerable. I relied too heavily on Alpha Landon and the weight he carries with the committee to pledge my honesty. Now it’s all coming back to not only bite me in the ass but possibly take away everything I have been building.On top of all of that, I am left with Lana. Broken as I know she is, she refuses to slow down. Training for hours every day and laying next to me every night. Some nights are better than others, and some nights she crawls into my arms and sobs. I don’t sleep those nights. I wrestle instead wit
*Lana POV*Allen has asked to see me, alone, and as weird as that is, I honor his request. He was the last person with my dad before he died. Even if I didn’t think he was a good fit for Beta, he was still my father’s right-hand man and friend. I rush down the path from the training pitch and break into the healer’s office. The healer on duty, Janet, gives me a warm smile. “Matthias?” She asks.“Beta Allen actually.” I say, and she looks surprised. “Oh. Just checking on him, then?” I give her an enthusiastic nod and she smiles. He is next to Matthias. Just go down one more room.”I give her a grateful smile and move toward his room. My nerves and emotions are rivaling for who is most important at the moment. Seeing him is going to unravel me all over again.That I know for sure. But there is also a part of me that is pissed off that he left my father’s body out there with the rogues to do with what they please. His body never came back with the others. Which is a disgrace. But what
I’m nervous as I pace the bedroom, waiting for the right moment to see Maddox. I went to his office like I always do, but he wasn’t there. Now here I am hours later, worried that I might not get the chance to get the answers I want. Maybe they found Allen and are questioning him themselves, and now I will have no leverage. I wring my hands, deciding I am done waiting.I make my way to the warriors near the dungeon, waving as they give me a big smile and return my greetings. “Alpha down there?” I ask, and they give me a bewildered look. “No, Luna.” “So you guys didn’t find Allen then, huh?” I ask, and they shake their heads.“Nope, not sure why he even ran.” one mutters to the other as I grumble and walk away.I lower my mental barrier in hopes he might have his down and I can mind link him, but no such luck. I prowl around for about an hour before making my way back to his office and pushing the door open without knocking. He sits alone, his head in his hands and his shoulders tens
*Maddox POV*I’m not sure how to process all of what happened just now as I walk with Lana, hand in hand, to our room. She is different, more herself yet, more who I always knew she could be. Her strong will has finally been given a voice and I doubt it will ever take the back seat again. And I sure as shit don’t want it. She was driving me mad with her calmly placed questions; her crossed arms. My wolf was pacing, just wanting to take her there. My exhaustion level doesn’t help, which is mostly in part to not letting the beast out for his runs or fighting. When I was living at Sage Moon, he would go out regularly, landing us just on the other side of that meadow, watching Lana.He is more dangerous now, though. More violent in his anger and far too primal when around Lana for me to trust him with her fully. The heated conversation we just had is proof enough of that. I’m only grateful she kept her cool as well as she did. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold him off until I re
Lana is too hopped up in emotions to calm down as I hold her in my arms, trying to grab whatever sleep I can. If I weren’t so fucking happy about how things went down today, I’d probably snap at her and tell her to just go to sleep. There is no calming this beautiful soul, though. She wiggles in my arms, spinning to face me, her nose pressing to mine in the dark. I can feel her eyes, even though I can’t bring myself to open my own. “What, now?” I ask groggily. “When do you think we can leave to go get him?” She whispers and I reach up, placing my hand on her face. “Shh, Lana. not until we are at least rested.” I used to be able to go days, even a week, with no sleep. Now I feel like a freaking domesticated wild dog. She took me in and gave me the sleep life, and now I want it, damn it. She giggles as she moves to my hand and then kisses my palm. “I’m sorry.” She murmurs, shifting around in the bed before snuggling her head under my chin and wrapping her arms around me. “Mmm.” I
*Lana POV*When I walk out of the bathroom, I find the room empty, my eyes scanning for Maddox who I know was still asleep when I got up to shower. I smell a sweet scent over on the desk next to the chair in the corner and I follow it. A smile tugs at my lips when I see a single daisy in a small vase, and breakfast along with a sweet pastry waiting for me. It’s still warm so I rush to the door and fling it open, catching a glimpse of Maddox as he walks down the hall. “Mads.” I call out and he turns in surprise, a wide grin tugging at his cheeks. I race down the hall toward him like the lovesick woman I am and throw my arms around him. He hugs me close, the distinct sound of him inhaling my scent sending a thrill though my body and down to my toes. I pull away and kiss his lips, his hands sliding up my back and into my wet locks. “You were going to just take off and not say goodbye?” I ask him, raising a quizzical brow. He chews on the inside of his cheek trying to decide what to sa
“Look out the window,” I say weakly, my heart in my throat, bile trying to work its way up.Maddox eyes me curiously before kissing my head and moving around me, drawing back the curtain and freezing. The window is smeared with blood prints that form an arrow pointing to the right side of the window. He doesn’t hesitate as he pushes it open and reaches out. With a grunt of effort, he pulls back in and stares at the bloody ring of my father. Finger still attached. I rush to the bathroom, throwing up.Maddox goes into protective mode, pulling my clothes on me as I try to calm my nerves. Blood doesn’t bother me. Shit, severed body parts? I’ve seen them. I’ve witnessed what Maddox does in his wolf form. But knowing who the finger belongs to? When I’ve just only found hope that he is still alive? That guts me. Julian is suddenly here, talking with Maddox in the corner as I sit on the bed. Matthias comes to sit next to me, his body still weak and damaged and I sigh deeply. “You can’t do
*Maddox POV*Lana looks more than a little shaken by the revelation of Kohen’s true nature. I hate myself for not telling her sooner, but if I had told her from the beginning, I doubt she would have believed me. Her trust in me, though wonderful, is something I earned in my own right.Just looking at her and her reaction, I can tell she knows I was in the right to wait. The sex tape revelation also probably played a small part in tearing down the image of the only other person we both once thought of as our best friend. But I will gleefully live under the illusion that she trusted me because she knows what’s in my heart.“And Kohen framed you?” She says, rubbing her brow like she might be in pain from all the things running amok in her head.“Yes.” I answer simply.“How?” she asks and I give her a strange look. She offers me a small smile. “I don’t doubt you for a second, Maddox. Kohen said he is the one that turned you in, found the evidence himself… what evidence did he have?”“At
Thank you to my awesome loyal readers for sticking with me through yet another journey! If this is your first story of mine, then thank you for giving me a chance! I plan to have more stories to come in the future but as my due date for my fifth child is fast approaching everything is up in the air! I am writing a new story but will bot be posting anything until it is finished to ensure that if I go into labor early you arent left waiting for weeks for an update! If you would like to be updated on when I am back to writing and check out my other books you can follow me here on GoodNovel OR you can search me up through other means (I legally cant say where but the place were everyone communicates online these days.) Search Miri's Shifter Cafe for extra insight into characters, sneak peeks, and and new information pertaining to furture works and what is going on in the world of my characters! You all have been amazing on this journey with Maddox and Lana! I would be so honored if y
*Maddox POV**8 years after Lana’s Epilogue*Lana chases little Rosie through the daisy filled meadow, her two younger brothers fast on their heels, growling like the little monsters they are. After spending the day with all the children cooped up in the car, they need to let off a lot of steam. They screech and squeal, our four-year-old Mikail no doubt the loudest as his little cheeks flush pink with effort from running. Declan stops and wiggles his little body, his tongue hanging out as he blows raspberry sounds and then runs off away from his little brother once more. Lana swoops in and scoops Mikail up, propelling him after his bigger brother with a victorious smile on his face. After a little while, Rosie stumbles up to me, her eyes droopy and her hair wet with sweat. I can’t help but chuckle as she wipes her brow and her hair sticks straight up. “Phew. That is exhausting.” She sighs.“Oh, yeah?” I ask and she nods, stealing the bottle of water from my hand and taking a deep s
*Lana POV* *Two years later* The sun peeks out through the horizon, breaking into a new day. The day I get to tell Maddox the amazing news. I have wanted to tell him for more than a week, but he has been off visiting Julian’s pack, which he has officially handed over to the newly mated Lexi and Simeon. It wasn’t at all surprising when Julian called and relayed that he was passing the title off. Maddox and I both knew he never wanted it. I should have just gone with him, but I wanted him and Julian to have their own time. Their bond is deep, one of brothers and one so much more than I ever thought Maddox was capable of with his quiet nature, but Julian compliments him. Or rather annoys him into having a good time. Julian promised me that Maddox would not be allowed to sleep in and that he would make sure he trained daily. I trust he will wake him up early every day, but I do not, however, believe for a damn second he will actually hold Maddox to training. Not that I actually care a
The committee left yesterday, but not without expressing their great upset over not being able to take Allen back with them. Lana, however, stood her ground and insisted they had more than enough information to take to the Waning Moon committee and inform them they are under investigation.Especially since she gave our committee two extra days to gather information from Allen. Two days of him healing from his injuries so he could handle his punishment better, but we kept that bit of information to ourselves. Lynne and Harold made an interesting case for keeping Allen alive, but selfish as it may seem. I want him dead. And so does everyone in our pack. In the end, our pack’s punishment takes priority. Which I am damn thrilled about. It also helped our case that they still have Brian and the three other alphas who they can get information from before they are dulled out a harsh punishment.“Are you up for this?” Lana asks, trying to be a supportive mate, and I frown at her. She shrugs.
I hate it in here. The depressing smell of vibrant flowers wraps around me and the dim lighting that only makes his skin look more sallow. The man laying before me is longer recognizable as my father. His dark veins are the liquid silver now working their way through his sunken cheeks and pale complexion. There is no beating liquid silver when it hits your bloodstream, apparently. I have had silver poisoning, and it nearly killed me. It was a near miss for Matthias as well, who still is recovering. But liquid silver? This is new to us, at least the weaponized version if it. Of course it’s existed. We live in a world separate from humans but not completely removed. I can only imagine the horrors that Allen opened in his pack for the short time he was in charge. Though I doubt he was the first in their pack’s history to do said crimes. He was probably just the first to get caught.I close my eyes, allowing the mental barrier down. My emotions have been so pent up, like a damn nearing c
*Maddox POV* I enter the room with far more composure than I thought I could manage. My wolf stands with me, ready for the onslaught of whatever might come out of Allen’s mouth. I have the answers I wanted, the ones I can give my father to help him rest easy and let go. What I need is to watch Allen break the same way he wanted to break me. But there is a time and place. In front of the committee, before I have cleared my name seems like a bad time. So instead of spinning and facing Allen to relay the gory details of his son’s demise, I remain in check and glance at the faces of those who once again control my fate. “Maddox…” Lynne says in surprise, looking at me as I give her a nod. Allen immediately goes rigid, his eyes darting to the committee members, pleading. I can feel Lana coming in behind me and Matthias tries to hide a smirk. He either knows shit is about to go down or he is hoping it will. I suppose I’m not one for beating around the bush in important matters. “I wante
I have never been more grateful for Maddox to have his mental block up than I am right now. My eyes snap to Harold and Lynne and the remaining committee members, who look just as angry and surprised as I am. Lynne bolts up and storms out of the room, her eyes near red in fury as she passes by slamming the door behind her. I turn back to Allen, loosening my grip a little for him to breathe easier. “And your reason for infiltrating my pack?” I ask him, my chest heaving up and down as I try to remain in control of my temper while Matthias quakes in barely restrained hatred. “If you had permission to do all that, why would you need to enter my pack? Replace Matthias’ dad?” Allen glances at Matthias with a blank expression. “I wanted a pack.” He says, as if the answer were so obvious. I scoff and shove him into the wall. He grunts in pain and steadies himself with his hands. “Bull shit.” I grit out, stepping closer to him in an intimidating fashion. “I was an alpha. An alpha needs a
*Lana POV*The mood is somber as I walk alongside Maddox, his hand secured in mine and his eyes fixated on the ground ahead of us. I know silence is his safe place, but I can tell he is drowning in it right now. But there is no way for me to help him right now. He has shut off the mental link, and I understand why. He needs to wrap his head around this all. When we arrived only an hour ago, Matthias was frantic. He had Allen locked up and guarded. Not that the asshole could make it very far with a gnawed off right foot and mangled left leg. But he couldn’t find Maddox, and he was worried. Matthias doesn’t worry, not like that. Not for people like Maddox, people that rarely need to be worried about. I slide a glance up at him, his jaw clenched and his muscles taut with stress. His cheeks are a bloody mess of deep grooves and blisters and his eyes are red and puffy. He looks fucking terrible, and I have no idea what caused such an injury. All I know is asking will get me nowhere when
I sprint through the woods, my eyes sliding back once to look at my father before I focus my mind solely on Allen. The fucker who can’t seem to play fair. No matter the situation, he always has something up his sleeve. He has never been a fighter, always forgoing training and giving Kohen different dirty techniques to use to win. Dirt in the eyes, silver spiked gloves or a dagger. How the hell did they come up with these disgusting ideas?Using weapons of such magnitude has always been banned. Of course, trying to survive, all bets are off the table, but even just having a silver weapon fashioned is against our rules, our moral code. We are animals, yes, but we already have wolves. Why would we need other weapons?I come up on Matthias who looks over at me, surprise written on his face. I can sense his inner turmoil. Does he help the Mad Alpha or does he try to find Allen before me so he can get his own revenge? What he doesn’t pick up is that I am still here, for the first time in wh