I had to give a hats-off to the USMC (marine mom over here). Uh-oh. Wonder what scars Melinda saw? How bad is Rose's past and will it keep Rose from fully committing to Tyson and their mate bond? Daily updates! OOORAH! (Miss you, my sweet son.)
ROSE “Rosie, where did you get those?” She asks. I sigh. “Melinda, I really don’t like talking about them. It’s not a happy memory, obviously, so can you let it go? Please?” She is staring at my backside, and I just want to cover back up. I think she feels my discomfort, so she lets it go and starts the water for me. I am thankful she doesn’t pry more. I am definitely not in the proper headspace to explain that part of my life. Oh! The water feels so good. It’s been ages since I’ve had a warm shower. The hot water heater in our apartment runs out so quickly. I make sure Maddie has her shower first and I am usually left with none. That’s okay though, I want Maddie to be as comfortable as possible. Melinda uses the new shampoo on my hair, and I can’t help it, I moan out in bliss. She chuckles at me as she runs her fingernails along my scalp, massaging me. She has some surprisingly strong hands. She goes slowly, making sure she gets all of my hair with the suds without aggravating my
TYSON I exit the room to give Rose some privacy. I don’t want to leave, but I know she’ll be more comfortable with just Melinda there. When I hear her quiet exclamation of pain, I want to rush back in, but I hold onto myself and wait. However, I can’t contain Zeus’ growl when he hears her pain. He wants to comfort our mate, just as I do, but she is human and needs to gradually get use to us and our wolf possessive intensity. When I hear them in the bathroom talking, I decide to get some things taken care of. I ask George to place another order at Giovanni’s for our lunches and he pulls out his phone to immediately comply. Then I walk up to the nurse’s station where Frank is getting some computer work done. He looks up at me and his eyes twinkle. I’m not oblivious to his attraction to me, most people are, kind of an alpha thing. People, male or female, are attracted to the strongest of the species. But I need to shut it down before he thinks there’s something there. Almost everyone r
TYSON A knock sounds on the door. It is George again. “Lunch delivery is here, Alpha. Also, Sheila and Leila are here with Luna’s flowers.” That was fast. “Perfect. Please allow them in. I’ll take the food.” I answer and George holds the door open for the flower delivery. I notice they are each pushing a cart with a few bouquets on them. Mine being the biggest and probably the heaviest. I also notice that Leila has added to her normal makeup and is swishing her hips suggestively at me. She keeps looking over her shoulder as she’s setting the flowers up and giving me a shy, but provocative smile. After they set the flowers down, I move out of the way for them to leave. Just as Leila is passing me, she reaches out to touch me. I step away, not wanting her scent on me. “Leila, I’m going to say this once. I have found my Luna. She isn’t you. She isn’t anyone in the pack. If anyone even tries to take that away from me, or replace her, or harm her, I will not hesitate to punish that pers
TYSON “Mama!” Maddie yells out when she barrels in. “Hi, my baby,” Rose says with a kiss. “How are you? It feels like I haven’t seen you in days!” Maddie lets out a giggle and it is so similar to Rose’s. “That’s because it’s been a few days, silly.” “Oh…right. So, what have you and Patty Melt been up to? Let me guess, masterminding a bank heist? Or developing the newest dark chocolate recipe? Or inventing a rocket ship that gets to Jupiter’s moons?” Maddie lets out a big laugh at her mom’s antics. “No! Just the normal stuff. School, eating, showering and bed.” “Really?!! That’s it? I expected, at the very LEAST a cancer cure in 2 days without me.” “Mama, your expectations are too high. I’m only 7, after all.” “Are you sure? You’re so smart though, I thought you were at least 15. That’s plenty old enough to discover the next element.” Rose says as she tickles Maddie and Maddie whoops with laughter. Despite how smart this child is, she is still treated and acts like an actual chi
TYSON After everyone leaves and I settle into the bed with Rose, I broach the subject of the bombing. “Rose, I am needing to ask you about the morning of the bombing. Do you remember seeing anyone in the building that didn’t belong on Tuesday morning or anything out of place?” I ask her as I rub little circles on her hand, over her unique birthmark, trying to keep her calm. She doesn’t say anything for a few minutes other than a little hum. I look at her face; her brow is scrunched, and her nose is crinkled up. I can tell she is thinking back on the day. She makes the most adorable faces! “No. Nothing really comes to mind. I came in through the front doors and waved to Lori at the reception desk on the ground floor. I went down to the basement via stairs, not elevator, and put my outerwear away in my locker. I got my mail cart from Rolando. He was on the computer in his office. We said hi but I didn’t go in and he didn’t come out. I came up to your floor in the service elevator. I
ALPHA KENT MICHAELS “What do you mean, he’s not dead? The bomb went off on time and in his office where he was. You said the package would be there on time. How did it not kill him? No one has seen him, so I assumed it worked.” I angrily ask my informant. I scowl at the weakling, shaking in fear before me. I begin pacing in my office, trying to think where we went wrong. "The bomb went off just outside of his office and he wasn’t injured at all. One of his employees was. He rushed her to the hospital where he’s stayed by her side since. From what I have been told, she is his mate, and she is human. She could be your way in, his weakness.” I turn and look at my informant dubiously. How stupid does he think I am? No Alpha in history has ever had a human for a mate. Sure, humans are sometimes fated mates to shifters, but never to the Alpha. Alphas need a strong wolf to continue their bloodline, not taint it with human weaknesses. As I begin my shift to kill my dumbass informant for his
ROSE When I wake up, the sun is fully shining into my windows, and I want to throw my pillow at the blinds so it will block that annoyingly happy light. Why should it get to be happy when I’m not? Instead, I sit here, just staring at the ceiling, frowning. “I’ve heard a rumor, that if you get hit while making a face like that, it will forever be etched as your permanent expression… but I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Wanna try it and see? I bet I can smack you pretty hard. After all, lots and lots of practice in the bedroom.” Melinda’s happy voice rings out. I don’t even look over at her. “I don’t need or want to know what all you do in the bedroom, Melinda.” “Oh, why not Rose? It could give you some ideas for you and Tyson.” She snickers teasingly at me, and I feel my cheeks turning pink, but then the situation of my current reality hits me again and I sigh. “Nothing will be happening with me and Tyson,” I say forlornly as I finally sit up and face this crazy woman that I have c
ROSE We exit the hospital and there are 3 big, black SUVs parked in the semi-circle drive, waiting on us. Justin wheels me up to the rear passenger side of the middle SUV and opens the door. He takes my hand as I climb up into the vehicle and I see Melinda placing the last of the bags in the rear cargo area, right next to all my flower arrangements. She gets in next to me and covers me with my new fleece blanket, knowing that I’ll be cold during our drive. Justin rounds the hood and gets into the driver’s seat. “Why are there extra vehicles with us?” I ask when I realize they are pulling out with us, keeping my SUV in the middle. “It’s the other part of the security team. Now that you are no longer a patient, we are all vacating hospital property.” Justin answers in a no-nonsense fashion and I just nod. I really don’t pay any attention to my surroundings after that. I just look at my phone, hoping Tyson texts again, meanwhile thinking about the days I got to spend with him, wishing
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