OliverI hate every second of what I’m doing, but I have no other choice. After she crossed her border, I returned home and my father was the one who insisted that I claim her. My mother is still furious with me that I was so reckless.That I didn’t respect Camille’s decision. That I put her in this position. I claimed her without her permission in the ancient ways. That means I also claimed her pack. Now I have to push through. I have to complete my claim, or we will both die.I can’t imagine us dying, but we don’t know what parts of the ancient legends are true and what is fake. I’m not going to take that chance, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to either.“You all stand before a choice.” I force myself to focus on the present as I stand in their territory and claim it as part of mine. “You can swear your loyalty to me, or leave here as rogues.” This isn’t me. I hate doing this.I’ve always believed in giving people the freedom of choice. I’ve believed in giving them happy lives. That
CamilleI don’t care how much my body is screaming to be touched by him. I am not letting him touch me again. Not ever. I know telling everyone that I don’t want to be marked by him isn’t going to do me any good. They would just tell me that I shouldn’t have slept with him in the first place.Basically, sleeping with him gave him the permission he needed. One moment of weakness. That was all it took to completely lose everything. One moment of just giving in to pleasure. One moment of wanting just that one moment.I watch as my people leave our home for a second time, and this time we aren’t coming back. We will come back to help move the houses, which involves a lot of work, but we will never live here again. We will never be the same.We will never be our pack again. It makes me wonder what else Oliver is going to take from us. His pack is clearly more traditional. They still believe in things like the mate bond. Fear grips my heart as I wonder if our child will be okay.I push that
CamilleI know what she’s saying. I don’t need a long explanation, but I just can’t bring myself to do that. Not yet. Unable to say anything, I nod, and she helps me to pick up my things before showing me to Oliver’s room.“Where is the Luna room?” I look around and she sighs.“That my dear was never built. I also found it very strange when I was brought here all those years ago. This house only has one main bedroom and one spare for children. It’s actually a small house if you think that it’s the alpha house.” She laughs, and I find that I like her laughing.I put my things on the bed, wondering if I would be able to convince Oliver to sleep in the spare bedroom. I’m about to ask her if I can move to the spare bedroom when she shakes her head as though she already knows what I’m about to ask.“Like I said, sweetheart. Give it a chance. I also came here against my will. I felt like a slave thanks to the council. Only when I gave in to my feelings did my life change. I’m not saying you
CamilleLizzie has given me a new perspective on Oliver, even if I don’t want to see it. I’m not ready to admit that what happened might have been an accident. How do you mark someone by mistake?!“Would you like to come and see where we put everyone?” Oliver walks into the kitchen and I frown.“Are you actually asking me something?” I snap, instantly regretting it when I see Lizzie’s disappointment. I sigh and nod without Oliver having to say another word. He tries to take my hand, but I snap it back so quickly that he just frowns before stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking on.He shows me where everyone will be staying temporarily, which seems to be a huge dining area and I wonder if their pack gets together for all of their meals like some packs do. I don’t ask, however. I just nod and walk on with my arms crossed tightly over my chest.After checking with my pack that they are okay, Oliver takes me on a tour of his entire territory. He shows me where he thinks my pack’s
CamilleI understand the sheer shock that he is in. I felt that same way when the doctor told me about our little bun in my oven. My first reaction was also that it only happened once! It is overwhelming, but I can’t keep how I feel any longer.“Look, I don’t expect anything from you. I would raise this kid on my own if I could, but thanks to your little mark, I’ve lost everything.” I sigh deeply. This really is the last straw. I feel completely violated even though I was a consenting adult.If we had just done it, and I found out I was pregnant without him marking me, things would have been a lot different. Unfortunately, there is no turning back now and with the baby on the way, there is no use in dwelling on what we could have done differently.“Camille, I want you. Don’t you get that? I want us to build a life together. I want us to have a family. I didn’t want it all to happen so quickly, and I know I’m to blame for some of it, but I want you and our baby.” He looks really hurt,
CamilleOne mistake and one time has ruined my life. My entire damn life and now I have to accept it and do what is best for my child.“The construction team is going out to your old territory today to see what they can salvage. Your old homes really took a beating when they were left open like that.” I know he doesn’t mean to sound offensive, but I feel offended.“If your pack didn’t put us in that precarious position, we wouldn’t have left our homes.” The words are out before I can help myself. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. I hope we can salvage some of it. We don’t really have the funds to rebuild all the homes from scratch.”“That is one of the perks of not being the alpha anymore.” He smiles, and I’m not entirely sure if I should be offended by the remark. This is not going as well as I thought it might. There are just too many feelings involved that aren’t good ones.“What do you mean by that?” I try to bite my tongue as much as possible. I rea
CamilleI know what he is trying to do, and I appreciate it. I just can’t bring myself to say more than, thank you. I’m not sure if it will feel the same even if he rebuilds the entire house the same way it was. It won’t be home ever again.After checking all the houses, and determining that we can actually use most of them, the team can start with the tear down. I take one last look at what used to be my home and decide it is the last time I will ever see it.As I get into the car, I take a deep breath and decide never to look back again. On the drive back home, I could see that Oliver is trapped in his own thoughts and I just let my mind drift over the past couple of years. For some strange reason, the abandoned human town comes to mind.My pack survived back then. We made a home for ourselves there, and we even lived with humans coming in and out of our little town. If we can survive that, we can survive anything life throws our way. I can even survive being marked and made pregnan
CamilleHis arms circle around my waist and my body stiffens at his touch for a moment. I’m still not entirely sure if I want to go there, but I know we have to eventually. If either of us so much as thinks about another in that way, it will hurt or, even worse, it could kill us.Once you are part of a marked pair, that is it. I think that is why I’m so incredibly furious. Not because it wasn’t a part of my plan, but because that mark that he gave me means forever. If I’m going to make a life for myself, I have to find my way through everything that’s happened.I turn around in his arms and take another deep breath with my eyes closed for a moment. His scent envelops me and I feel those same feelings I had on the night that changed both our lives. When I’m inside that little bubble, it is as if all my worries just disappear.It is as if none of the things that have been holding me back exist. I look into his eyes and I feel the bond pulling me even closer. I blink, and our lips are to
BeverlyTWO YEARS LATER, I wake up in the early hours of the morning as a sharp pain shoots through my entire body. Beside me, Matthew jumps up looking startled and completely confused, but I’m in so much pain that I can’t even explain. When it finally lets go, I look at my completely frazzled mate and a giggle escapes between my lips.“The baby’s coming, Matthew.” I say as I get out of bed. The moment I stand upright, a puddle forms underneath me. Matthew looks like a rabbit caught in headlights and I roll my eyes. For such a confident alpha, he sure ain’t looking for it right now, and I take his hand and walk him out of the room.When we reach the stairs, another contraction hits and I have a feeling our pup is going to arrive sooner than anticipated. Matthew’s brain kicks into gear as he picks me up and rushes me to the hospital. An hour later, we are holding our son, and our little family feels perfect.Our story ended up being the best fairy tale of them all. At least, in my opin
BeverlyMatthew is my parents’ son, and they don’t care where he came from. They accepted him, and they have always expected the pack to accept him the same way. As a matter of fact, now that my father has gone and taken that step, I can’t believe that I ever thought one of my uncles would take over.I’m surprised that I never saw this coming. Matthew keeps telling my father that he won’t accept it unless I’m okay with it and, finally, my father looks at me with that “you had better answer me right now” look. I sigh. Do I really have a choice?“I don’t care. Everyone already thinks he should be alpha.” I shrug and get up. Just as I’m about to leave, I feel a strong hand on the back of my elbow and I turn around and glare at Matthew with my eyes filled with tears.I didn’t mean to cry. I didn’t think it would upset me as much. I can’t understand why it does. I’ve always known it wouldn’t be me! I pull my arm from his grip and leave without another word. I have my own problems and I wan
Beverly“Well, I’m sorry! I wasn’t the one who was walking with her head in the dirt.” He doesn’t move out of my way and looks at me that strange way again, and I roll my eyes. He always has these strange sayings that nobody understands!If I didn’t know for a fact that he had gone to school, I would have wondered if he wasn’t perhaps some wild rogue that my parents adopted!“What is your problem?” I frown. He has been acting stranger than normal recently and I haven’t been able to figure out what is up with him.“Sorry. It’s just been one of those days. What did your dad want?” He frowns, seemingly not listening to a word I’m saying, and clearly trying to change the subject.“I guess he wants the same thing that he asked you about that is bothering you so badly that you don’t look where you are going.” I push past him, knowing full well that he won’t leave that comment there. He follows me down the steps and into the street, and we walk in silence for a while.“So? What are you going
BeverlyMy biggest frustration as I make my way through the crowd, however, is that I can see the looks. You know? The ones that say they are so sorry that I’m still single! It puts so much pressure on me to find a mate. Yeah, my family all had fairy tale true loves. Great!I don’t. Not yet. And honestly, I’m in no hurry. I’ve never been able to understand the concept of it all. So, you barely turn eighteen and have barely become a grown up and the entire world expects you to fall in love, get mated and have a baby.All within the first month of turning eighteen! I smile at one of the older guests who tells me that I shouldn’t worry and that my turn will come. I could have told her the same thing, but I thought it would sound a bit rude. Sighing, I make my way to the back of the party to try and just get away from all the looks.The day has been perfect. The ceremony, the party. All the packs are behaving. Why does it all have to be ruined by the fact that I don’t have a mate?! The ni
BeverlyThe sun streams through my window and I yawn and stretch before jumping out of bed. Today is a big day for our pack. After three generations, we’ve finally built a monument in honour of the people who brought us peace.My family were the ones who fought for that peace and, according to our history, my great-great-grandmother or one of those was the one who defied the old council. She was mated to her destined mate after her entire life was turned upside down.She is my hero, and although I don’t want to fall in love under the same circumstances, I would really like it if I have a love like she had. I suggested the monument to my parents, and they jumped at the chance to do something.It has been built in neutral territory so that any wolf from any pack can go there and just look at our history. It is a secret location, of course, so the humans don’t find it, but it is open to all werewolves. Keeping it secret was a bit of a thing.We had to find somewhere the humans didn’t go
NicoletteI watch as Eli finds his beautiful and shy mate, Amy, and my heart just soars as I see their love grow. I keep thinking back to the couple that started it all, and I’m grateful every day that they stuck to their guns. They didn’t have an incredible start, but they stuck to it and saved our people.A couple of years later, I watch my baby Isabella turns eighteen. She finds her mate, Liam on the same night and I almost wish I could go back a couple of years and just experience some of the first days of being in love.Those first moments that you spend together. My true love wasn’t a fairy tale in the beginning either, but as soon as the problems were solved, life was just perfect. I have watched my children grow up in a world where they are safe from harm, and they know that they are loved every single day.Time ticked by too fast, and on a rainy day just as the leaves turned the most beautiful colours right at the beginning of fall, I had to say goodbye to the man I had loved
NicoletteTwo years after everything changed for me, I’m sitting in our son, Eli’s room. He is crawling around making baby noises and I can’t help but smile as my hand protectively covers my stomach. We have just found out that I’m expecting our second child, and I can’t be happier.My mind drifts to our history and how incredible not only my fairy tale but also the rest of this family’s fairy tale has been. My mother passed away a year ago, which has broken the last of my ties with Max’s pack. I did as she asked and buried her with my father.I will never visit their graves, but it doesn’t bother me. I have my memories of them and that is all that matters. Max’s pack has slowly started to deteriorate now that everyone knows what he is up to and, slowly but surely, most of the females left to find their destined mates.Without the money, Max is unable to take care of all of them the same way he used to. It is sad, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. I have been spending my time away fro
NicoletteThere are so many unanswered questions, but only one of them is right at the top of my list. Is Max my father? I try and find out from my mother, but she refuses to tell me. I also know that Max will never tell me the truth and even if he does, I won’t believe him. Which leaves me with only one option.“I want a paternity test.” I look at Paul the first second we are alone and he frowns.“Are you sure?” He seems hesitant, but I know why. Once I have the actual physical confirmation, it will change everything.“I’m sure. It will not just give me certainty, but if he is, then we have more proof that Max hasn’t been honest with anybody.” I sigh. Paul informs his parents and, before long, I’m sitting in the hospital wing where they are gathering everything they need.Paul joins me moments after the doctor has finished to confirm that the pack that is holding Max will be gathering his samples in the next few minutes. It will take a couple of days to get the results, since nobody
NicoletteSurprisingly, it doesn’t take very long for the packs to send us their suggestions and a month later, we walk back into the beautiful hotel. Sadly, after my previous experience, it has lost some of its luster. Everyone is eager to get down to business.After Paul and I have greeted everyone, we all get together in the conference room and start working on our new constitution. It takes a couple of hours to get it all set up and, after a wonderful lunch, everyone returns. Paul had one of his pack members type up the new agreement and with great anticipation, everyone signs.Once that is settled, we all agree that we would like to rest before dinner. We need to decide on Max’s fate, and it seems everyone is a little hesitant to do that. The previous council caused so much damage to our people, and when I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that my existence is because of that.Out of all the alpha’s Max is the second oldest. There is one alpha who never met his mate and didn’