What do you think of Cain and his history with Rose? Can you believe that Cain and Melinda are mates? That wasn't my original plan for them, but it just kind of jumped onto the page. Let me know what you think.
MADDIE“Come on, Little Alpha! I know you can do better than that!” Garrett encourages me from the sidelines as he watches Trevor and I spar. In the last three months, Garrett and Trevor and to a sightly lesser extent Alpha Cain have taught me how to fight. I went from a level one, with zero experience, to level four quite quickly. Trevor and I leveled up on the same day. I know I still have a long way to go to be considered a master at anything, but it feels good to be able to handle myself. At least a little bit.Trevor gives me a little smirk. Gosh, he’s a cocky twirp, but he’s quickly become my best friend here at Pine Woods. “Yeah, Little Alpha. Show me what you’ve got. I don’t think you’ll win today. Bet ya!” he says with a wink. I grin right back, knowing Infinity wants to win. She’s so dang competitive. I’m not saying I’m not, just not quite like her. She’s a fierce wolf.I pul
MADDIEThis is definitely a large packhouse. Bigger than the one at Pine Woods and opulent to the extreme. The floors are a polished marble that lead to robin’s egg blue fabric covered walls and up to a ceiling that is tiled with gold medallions that surround ornate chandeliers. The entire place is lavish and over the top. Knowing the things that I know about Kent and his way of running his pack, he is living beyond his means and is trying to make himself look wealthier than he is. Although this packhouse was probably built and decorated way before he came into power.The pack members working here are polished and in uniform, like servants in a royal mansion. News flash Kent, you aren’t royalty. They keep their heads down, not speaking, hurrying to do their duties as quickly as possible. They are skittish and I can taste the fear in the air. All signs that Kent abuses his people. The fact that I am not only related to Kent, but that I am his heir, makes me
MADDIE“Crystal, Farah, what are you two doing up here? This is the Alpha’s private floor, and you know that. Go back downstairs.” I look behind me and see the Luna approaching. She is a magnificent sight. Long honey colored hair, big blue eyes with high cheek bones. Slim and willowy with a narrow waist and long delicate fingers. She looks like she belongs on a human runway, modeling the latest fashion, not in a packhouse full of bullies.I see the two girls stiffen at her voice, knowing that they have been caught in the act. They bow their heads to her in submission and respect. Without another word, they move around me and make their way back downstairs.“I’m so sorry about them. They really need to learn boundaries and manners. I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself at lunch, I was a little out of it. I’m Odette, the Luna and your Stepmother. Can I help you unpack, Madison?” She asks with a genuine smile.
MADDIEThe next morning, I am dressed in workout attire and on the field before everyone else, including the full-time pack warriors. I stretch and do some meditative breathing as I wait for the others.“Do you want me to fight with you, Mads?” Infinity asks me.“No. I want to take these prissy girls down a notch, but I don’t want them to know how much of you has awakened. I can probably handle them. But stay close and observe. I will be focusing on my fighting, not what is going on elsewhere.”“Mads, I can feel eyes on us, right now. But I can’t smell anything just yet.” She tells me. I heavily sniff the air and she’s right; I don’t smell anything different than the overall smell of the pack. But I feel the eyes too. However, they don’t feel threatening. I will keep my senses opened up and hope I discern where these spies are located.“Madison!” I hear someone call me from near the packhouse. I look up and see Kent storming over to me. I stand up at attention. “Why are you outside?”
ROSE“Maddie.” Is all Tyson says, but the angry way in which he says it, is all I need to know. Cain knows something. I walk over to Cain and stare him down.“Do you know where my daughter is?” I ask, narrowing my gaze at him.“He’s had her this whole time.” Tyson growls out behind me, and I do something I’ve never done in my life. I slap Cain. Hard. As hard as I can. I know it doesn’t hurt him, he is a werewolf after all, but his head snaps to the right anyway. He turns back and meets my eyes, regret and guilt shining out at me. Maybe it’s being around all these wolves all the time, but I let out a low growl, ready to attack him.“You SON OF A BITCH!!” I yell. But before I can launch myself at Cain, I feel Tyson’s large warm arms engulf me from behind and pull me into him, just as Melinda flies into the room and plants herself in front of Cain. I fight against Tyson’s hold trying to get to Cain. My anger swirling around me and I want his blood. “How DARE you come into our territory af
ROSE“What is it, love?” Tyson asks of me. Then he kisses my temple.“Cain is right. His pack is struggling. Badly. More than a long-standing, well-established pack should be. I see why he took the contract and saw it as a way out of the debt. Now that he doesn’t have that being held over him, he’s free to try and engage in treaties from other packs, not to mention, ask for significant help from the council. I’d say they are mere months away from imploding, through no fault of his. It seems he’s done everything he can to help and rebuild, but that’s hard when you don’t have the capital or backing to get it done. After reading all of that, I can’t hate him for what he’s done. I want to, but I can’t. He did what a good Alpha does, he sacrifices for the good of the pack.”Everyone just stares at me with these dumbfounded looks on their faces. But Melinda is smiling at me. I can see the hope in her eyes, and I don’t want to be the one who extinguishes that for her.“Rose, you’re serious? H
ROSEOnce we end the call with Sullivan, Tyson sends the video he sent of Maddie up onto the flat screen. We all watch as Maddie runs with warriors and stretches. Then she steps into the fighting ring with a girl that is many years older than her. My breath catches in my throat, scared at what is happening with my baby. I have watched the training and sparring here with River View warriors and these wolves are quite scary when they fight. None more so than Tyson and Zeus. Seeing Maddie step into a ring, even knowing neither of these girls have their wolves, I’m still terrified.We watch Maddie successfully dodge the tall teen she-wolf. As we continue to watch, I realize she is analyzing this girl. Looking for weaknesses. When Maddie makes her move, I am floored at how quickly she takes her down and with extreme ruthlessness. A warrior has to carry the teen off the field.Then the second girl enters the ring. I can tell she is fearful and hesitant about it. Maddie takes her down in two
TYSONFeeling Rose orgasm around me is the best physical feeling I’ve ever experienced and if I could, I would spend all day, every day buried balls deep inside of her. Alas, even shifter healing has its limitations and that isn’t possible. If it were, we’d have more pups running around the pack and a lot less work getting done because everyone would be spending all of their time fucking.After we right ourselves from our early evening fun, we walk down to dinner, chatting about the finalizations of our infiltration plans. We do it through our link though, I don’t want anyone overhearing anything just in case I have another traitor here.When we get to the dining room, I see Melinda and Cain sitting in a corner, cozying up to each other and talking quietly. I guess he sent Beta Rex home already, since I don’t see him. However, I do see Lloyd in the living room, just out of sight of Melinda and Cain in their seated positions. Rose an
MADDIE—EPILOGUE THREE10 YEARS LATERI stand in the master bedroom of the newly renovated Alpha suite of Blue Meadow’s packhouse. Today is my 18th birthday and also the day I take my place as Alpha of my pack. I stare at myself in the full-length mirror and think about everything that has happened in the last decade to prepare me for this moment and the life I have ahead of me.I graduated from Zeus Academy at the age of 10. I attended college classes online through the University of Arizona. It wasn’t the Ivy League like everyone expected from me; those didn’t offer a self-paced program or enough online courses for me to get my degrees. I didn’t want to separate myself from my family to attend university, so I chose a less prestigious route that worked the best for me. I have zero regrets with my choice in schools.In eight years of education post-high school, I’ve earned four bachelor’s degrees, two master’s and one PhD. I’ve also studied diligently with Tyson on how to run a pack an
ROSE—EPILOGUE TWOIt’s been 6 months since I delivered Nolan into this world. He has grown like a damn weed and has become the center of our little universe. None of us can get enough of him and his baby scent.Both Tyson and I have retrofitted our offices to accommodate an infant including changing tables, swings, refrigerators, diapers, wipes, spit up rags and pacifiers galore. All the necessities for having an infant. And I can say, without a doubt, Nolan is the easiest going baby I’ve ever experienced. He rarely cries and he’s always happy, as long as he’s being held. He loves skin to skin contact, so much that he rarely wears any clothes. Mads and I always wear spaghetti strap shirts when we’re holding him, and Tyson just takes his own shirt off.It was hilarious when we first figured out that he likes skin so much, Tyson walking around the packhouse shirtless. Granted no one said anything to him about it, but I had the hardest time not whisking him away for sexy time. I mean, all
TYSON – EPILOGUE ONEThe last three months, post war, have been absolute hell! Yeah, I said it. Hell. Getting Blue Meadow back on its feet has been a huge challenge in and of itself. Much worse than most of the other territories I’ve taken over throughout the years. I honestly kept so much from both Maddie and Rose. Neither of them needed to know the intricate details of the rebuild. They were both getting over the trauma and horrors of the battle itself. I didn’t want to worry them.Kent, that worthless piece of crap, really did a number on this pack, it’s health and its finances. I had to pay over three million dollars to a mob pack in Las Vegas, for both Blue Meadow and Pine Woods’ debts. The last thing I wanted was for the mob to demand parts of the pack or worse, them going to the council for payment. I want to keep the council out of any and all of my affairs, as much as possible. They have proved, repeatedly, that they can’t be trusted to do their jobs.I made that trip to Vegas
ROSE“I thought I was going to lose you yesterday, Rose. Don’t do that to me again. You are my whole world.” He says as he slows his thrusts, showing me how much he loves me. I open my eyes and see Zeus shining out with him. I cup their cheeks and bring their mouth to mine. I kiss them with all the love I have within me. We continue slowly but with passion until we both explode in delicious orgasm.“I hope our sex continues to be this amazing in the years to come.” I tell him as we separate from each other.“Rose, from what I understand from other mated couples, it just gets better and better.”“I’m not sure how it can get better, but I look forward to learning.” I say with a sassy smirk over my shoulder as I step into the water. Tyson joins me in the water and does what he always does. He washes me and kisses the scars I have left. Apparently, they are much smaller than they once were.When I get out of the shower, I turn to look at my back and I gasp at what I see. The main lines are
ROSEWatching Tyson battling Kent is one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to witness. Kent looks awful and I feel horrible for his wolf, being saddled with such an atrocious human spirit. I know Tyson will take him down, but I’m still scared that something will happen to him that he can’t heal from. Tyson is my everything. My other half. I know I will live on should he perish during this battle, but it would be for Maddie and our baby only. My soul would be shattered, never to live like I did before. He has to pull through. He just has to.George holds me close, giving me comfort as we watch Tyson fighting Kent. As it progresses, my worry lessens somewhat. Kent isn’t fighting well, and he’s not healing from his minor injuries. I hope this speeds up because I hate seeing him suffer. Despite all the shit he’s put me through, I know his wolf doesn’t deserve anything long and drawn out.I breathe a sigh of relief when Tyson pulls Kent’s heart out of his chest, thankful that the man re
TYSONThe moment I see Maddie jump toward Rachel; I know it's Infinity up front and in control. Her eyes are glowing a bright green-gold-yellow and the angry expression is one I don’t think I’ve ever seen on Maddie’s face before. Plus, I can’t smell her on the wind like I can my Rose. I launch forward when I see Rachel’s eyes unfocus in that split second when Infinity lands on her back, knowing I’ll only have a moment to attack with Infinity’s distraction. What I’m not expecting is Infinity to kill Rachel in that moment. I know Infinity is an ancient wolf spirit, she’s fast on her feet and I know she’s killed in her past lives, but to see the blood of a kill on my sweet, baby Maddie’s hands, is beyond shocking.Rose, however, doesn’t even flinch at seeing Infinity toss Rachel’s heart to the ground or her splattered in Rachel’s blood. Nor does she pause with the gravity of meeting Infinity. Rose has really embraced the wolf shifter world completely and totally. I couldn’t be prouder of
INFINITYMaddie and Kevin step out of the dungeon into a warzone. Both of their eyes blow wide at the scene, and I can feel Maddie’s panic. We knew this was coming, but I don’t think she anticipated how ugly it was going to be. I lift my head and I smell the rotting garbage scent of rogues. It seems Maddie’s father knows no bounds. Humans, most likely hunters, for kidnapping, rogues as mercenaries, slavery, killing his mate and sexual deviancy. He really does need to be put down.The panic coming from Maddie hasn’t lessened as we look around on where to go and not be noticed. I have been saving up my strength the last few days, so I pull Maddie back and take full control. She doesn’t fight me on it and that tells me she is very overwhelmed right now. She puts on a good show, but the constant state of alertness and feeling the danger around her, she is slowly breaking. After this morning, seeing Odette killed, and then staying neutral to save Kevin, she’s at her max for today.“Rest Mad
ROSEI am flying across the roads and highways trying to get to Blue Meadow as quickly as I can. George and Ike are holding on for dear life and I think I can hear George whispering a prayer to Selene when my car catapults into the air. I’ve maintained my 110mph through most of the drive which has kept the guys in high anxiety mode. We don’t get too far off the pavement with that larger bump, but the way down is rough, and we bounce several times on the landing.“Luna, please slow down. The rest of the team can’t keep up. Plus, it feels like you’re trying to kill us.” Ike pleads with me, looking a little green.“Then they should drive faster. And I am not trying to kill you.”“Their SUV isn’t designed to drive that fast, plus they can’t take turns like this car doeeeeeees!” His voice goes higher pitched as I take a curve much faster than he’s comfortable with.“Well, you’re getting your wish. Wolves directly ahead and they’re fighting. I’m going to have to slow down. Do you know which
TYSONI cut the link to Rose as soon as Zeus and I tell her that we love her. I know she is worried about all of this, and it is her first experience with a shifter battle, but I know I’ll be fine. Zeus is a powerful, ancient wolf. He will decimate dozens before we hit a real challenge to our strength. Although, the biggest challenge will be to try to minimize the lives lost. These warriors we are going up against will be Maddie’s pack members one day in the future. I don’t want to kill any of them indiscriminately.It takes a few hours to run to Blue Meadow. We stopped running miles ahead of their territory and proceeded with stealth. My first warriors took out their border patrol silently, with darts laced with a mixture of wolfsbane and water hemlock. Again, we’re trying to not take anyone out needlessly. Most pack members of trash Alphas are only following orders. They don’t necessarily believe in the orders. Killing people that are just doing their jobs is what crap Alphas do.On