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
TYSONAfter breakfast, we load up and head to Cain’s pack for our evaluation visit. That is what this is, an evaluation on whether or not we want to treaty with him. Rose is heavily leaning toward a yes, while I am still on the fence, wanting to see what they actually need before I decide. Thomas is an emphatic ‘no’ and he wanted Melinda to reject Cain for using Maddie as a bargaining chip. Niall is ambivalent and solely focused on the mission of preparing his warriors to get Maddie back. 'The rest of this is just fluff.' His words, not mine.I decide to leave both Thomas and Niall at the pack to keep things running and safe while we are gone. Thomas is livid that I won't allow him to come with us so he can scope out Melinda’s new pack. Knowing Thomas, he would be a little confrontational while on Pine Woods’ pack lands and I can’t have that from my Beta, despite him being overprotective of Melinda. Just because he doesn’t approve of his twin’s mate’s actions, doesn’t give him the rig
ROSE POV “Mama, it’s really cold out today.” Maddie says with a puff of frost. “Yes, baby. It really is.” I reply back through my almost frozen lips. We are walking hand in hand down the snow lined city street from our one-bedroom SRO apartment toward Maddie’s school. It is below freezing outside, and the wind feels extra biting today. The trees that we pass are all frozen and bare. Their branches are filled with ice, making them sparkle in the morning sunlight. It is quite a beautiful sight. But all the newly fallen sleet and snow during the night has caused the sidewalks to become extremely treacherous, especially considering the tread on both of our shoes is practically non-existent. The snow is piled high from the snowplows clearing the streets, making it difficult to get around, but we are doing our best. Maddie is bundled into a coat that is a size too small for her and wearing my mismatched gloves, hat, and scarf. I’m bundled as be
ROSE Upon entering the large skyscraper that is owned by Evans Enterprises, the receptionist, Lori, looks up to give me her usual smile and a wave but does a double take at my new coat color. Her face crinkles into a weird frown. I just smile politely back as I head to the stairs to descend to the basement, where my workday starts. I remove my coat and extra shirt layers and hang them in my locker, but leave my gloves, scarf, and hat on. I’m still feeling cold and those are black, so they aren’t against dress code. I know I’ll warm up soon enough. I head into the mailroom where my mail cart is waiting. Rolando, my supervisor, works the early mornings to sort the mail into our carts, and they are always loaded and perfect upon arrival. Because so many things are sent electronically these days, there isn’t much need for mail clerks anymore, so there are only 2 of us for the entire skyscraper and only Rolando in the mailroom for sorting. The three of us, Me, Rolan