Surprise!! Did you know Corinne was going to be the third story?
~Drake’s Point of View~ “Congratulations Lex, you’re gonna be awesome,” I say, proudly slapping our newest Gamma on the back. “I’m pumped man, ready to get at it,” he said, beaming. “All right so strategy meeting tonight, the Betas and Gammas. Run through the lines, what you know so far. Check out the gossip mills and see what they’re saying. Then you’ll bring it to a meeting with all the Alphas in the morning and we’ll talk through it,” I said, reaching for a beer. Fuck I needed something to take the edge off. Ever since Sawyer got nearly killed everyone had been hyperaware, and scared. Females and pups didn’t want to leave their homes, the guardians were working extra hours. It was no way to live, in constant fear of getting invaded. The news of Sawyer waking and even making jokes spread like wildfire and did wonders for morale, not to mention Dane’s safe return and now … another Luna. It wasn’t the time to get cocky, or lose focus. Now more than ever we had so much to think
~Corinne’s Point of View~ “Are you gonna tell me one day where the hell you get this stuff,” I marveled, as I looked at the score Allison dumped on her bed. There were five tubes of toothpaste and ten brushes, wound jelly, bandages, shampoo, soap and then ten cans of veggies and beans. There were also a few heads of cabbage and a bag of potatoes. The biggest and most exciting things however? Five loaves of bread. My heart fluttered and my mind was already working overtime on how we could stretch it. Soups and stews were usually the answer. We could toast the bread for the kids to dip in the soup which doubled as something entertaining. Allison’s bedroom area was the furthest into the cave and in addition to the root cellars, we’d made a couple of hiding nooks back here. Even though we’d all lost our wolves, our night vision was still good and it was the darkest in the back. “Generous males,” she simply said, a swing to her hips. I made a face, only having to guess what that mean
~Drake’s Point of View~ I sighed and listened as Lola recalled her conversation with a Venom male on the beach the night we were invaded. Sawyer’s face went through a whole range of emotions and even though there were pillows around him, basically propping him upright, you could tell he was struggling to sit. You could see his pain and discomfort. I hoped only I truly noticed it, I felt like I knew him the best. Even after barely surviving a brutal attack, the last thing he wanted to ever be seen as was weak. Remy wouldn’t stand for it. Sawyer didn’t have an Alpha chip on his shoulder but Remy did at times. It had always actually somewhat amused me. We all paused for a minute as Niles approached us. I still could hardly believe the male lived. Jett had sworn him back into the pack and in just a couple days he’d already gained weight and looked better. “I asked him to join,” Dane said, by way of explanation. “All so let me get this straight. Digger killed his Beta’s mate as payback
~Kasie’s Point of View~ Kendrick was incredible, I couldn’t believe how easily he’d found an address for my mate. *I can’t stand it!! Soo much anticipation, it seemed like it would never happen,* Eden said, practically doing a backflip. We were in a nice neighborhood. The houses looked expensive. But of course … he’s a doctor. A cardiologist, no less. Which Drake explained meant he worked on the heart. He was already working on mine. “You can’t just knock on his door in the middle of the night,” Kendrick said, as we turned a corner. “If I stand outside he’ll smell me. He’ll sense me. He has to,” I said, holding my hand over my heart. “He may not have his wolf,” Drake said, only irritating me. He’d been a real downer for the half an hour drive. He called it “managing expectations” but I could care less. If he was about to meet his mate nothing would stop him. The clock read 1:40am, but I didn’t care. I’d sit in the yard all night if I had to. “It’s that blue one,” Kendrick sai
~Kasie’s Point of View~ “You’re absolutely certain…” he trailed off, in a low whisper as he kissed my neck. “Never been more sure of anything,” I said, breathless and leaning forward, clinging to him. *I made it clear to his wolf, we aren’t leaving unless we leave together. They’re ready,* Eden said, matter of fact. She drove me nuts, but she was absolutely my backbone, my advocate. There was no going back without him and she could communicate that better right now than I could. I felt his chest rumble, and his arms tighten around me. There was also … a very stiff new part of him between us, and fuck I needed it. I needed him more than air right now. “Please Duncan, make me yours,” I said, practically in a whimper. Begging like I never had. I’d never begged for a thing in my life. He licked my neck more, making me moan. There were noises coming out of my mouth I barely recognized as my own, he was already doing that to me. “I swear to love you, honor and cherish you for all of
~Drake’s Point of View~ I damn near had a heart attack when Kasie showed up for breakfast with her mate … and mark. I was a weird mix of being happy for her and extremely jealous. It happened just like that, Kendrick was shocked as well. The timing couldn’t have been better for our shopping trip too, the doc knew all about these fancy gadgets and was a massive help getting it all. Without him we’d have been at the whim of a sales guy who’d have talked me into all kinds of other shit. I had no clue about what was what, and how much things should be. Apparently he quit his job last night on the spot after meeting Kasie, went home and packed. He was ready to come with us, without even knowing who we were or where he’d be going. He knew since we were at a hotel and had a “different” scent, meaning a pack scent, that we were hardly city dwellers. I couldn’t say I wouldn’t do the same. Give it all up and leave at a moment’s notice for my mate. But being an Alpha I’d still do all I coul
~Corinne’s Point of View~ “Go away,” I huffed at the guardian who was watching me hang clothes. “I have orders to bring you to the Alpha’s cabin,” he said, licking his lips. I had on a dress that was probably two sizes too big for my frame, but it was how much I should actually weigh. It was a cold day and my nipples were on display, drawing unwanted attention. “Good for you,” I said, snatching up the basket and turning to walk away. Ashley was inside trying to get some infants to nap and the other two ladies and the older pups went foraging for wild food. We never trusted Ashley to do that, she’d poison us all. “Come on darlin’ don’t make me take you by force,” he whined, putting his hands on hips. The male wasn’t all that big, I’d like to see him try. “What does he want,” I snapped, huffing. “Like it matters? He’s your Alpha,” he said, annoyed. He’s not my Alpha, I’ll never fall to my knees for that asshole. I was extremely tempted to say if he wants me, he could damn wel
~Drake’s Point of View~ *Allow him through, and let everyone know he’s to be treated as a friend of the pack. A personal guest of mine,* I said, grinning. It had only been a day since Duncan called in a favor to his friend, and the male was coming to give us the dirt he’d uncovered. He claimed it wasn’t advisable to share by telephone and I had to agree. But there was also something about looking another in the face when you got serious news. You needed to be able to trust their word and looking them in the eye was the only way to do that. I mind-linked Duncan that his friend was being driven to the center by ATV and should be here in a few minutes. I’d have gone to his cabin but he and Kasie didn’t exactly try to hide the fact that they fucked like rabbits. Lucky son of a bitch. *We need to find those four females,* Gage whined. I rubbed my face, agreeing. Everyday they were left over there with their pups was a chance for Digger to lose his shit. For someone to lose their cool. F
~Sawyer’s Point of View~ “That’s it, that’s it Jess, come on baby girl,” I said, cooing at my daughter. She looked at me with her bright green eyes and smiled. She put one chubby little foot in front of the other as she took her first steps … like she’s been waiting forever. Like she visualized it and had a plan. I held my arms out to her as she finally collapsed into me. “Ohh!!! Ohh god, I got it! I got it on video,” Lola screamed. My sexy mate was pregnant again, but she didn’t know it yet. I just picked up the scent yesterday. It was likely her wolf would figure it out today or tomorrow so I’d wait and let that happen. I was surprised it took this long to happen again but it was good we had some time between pups. It was damn hard for Lola to wrap her head around the fact that shifters have varying times for pregnancy. For wolf shifters it is usually 20-25 weeks. We had Jess at 21 and she was absolutely perfect. “Did I miss it,” I heard, and looked up to see Lola’s father. She
~Three Months Later~ ~Drake’s Point of View~ *That’s it baby! You got him,* Gage shouted at Helena through mind-link. Gage sat back on his hind legs and proudly stared at the beauty in the snow, who was devouring a large gopher who had given her quite a chase. Corinne was two and a half months pregnant and already growing quite tired from shifting, so this may likely be the last time she does it until after our twins are born. We’d had to start from scratch when her wolf came. It was as if Helena was a brand new wolf coming into her own, and we had to teach her everything. I couldn’t be happier to see her hunting skills were this good already. *That’s my girl,* Remy cooed, over mind-link, open to us both. I rolled my eyes. It was bad enough that Sawyer and I damn near came to blows over Lola, but now we were destined to fight over another female’s attention for all our days. Gage and I were desperate to be the ones to show Helena everything. To grow her abilities and be there for
~Corinne’s Point of View~ Despite Drake marking me, the full moon proved to be too much for his wolf. I caved and just told everyone to leave us be, leave us alone. But Sawyer refused. He saw right through me, and made them take Drake away. I had no clue what they did with him, but I wasn’t sure tonight would be any better. The pull of a full moon can last a couple of days at minimum. I didn’t sleep a wink, my body was crippled with spasms and pain that seemed not to stop. Why couldn’t I just sleep with him? Why hadn’t I just done it? *No,* I heard, making me pop out of bed. “Helena,” I said, barely in a whisper. *It needs to be special, not rushed,* she said. I fell back against the bed, my arms and legs splayed out in all directions. *Goddess I’ve missed you terribly. I’m so damn sorry. I’m so so sorry,* I said, tears streaming down my face. *I’m still so weak. But I think the next full moon, I’ll have it together. Go to mate now, the closeness to his wolf will help me,* sh
~Drake’s Point of View~ *Skin … creamy soft…* Gage purred. He demanded I touch her sandy blonde hair, it was damp and we wanted to run our fingers through it. I couldn’t possibly help myself despite knowing I had to tread carefully. Even touching Corinne before she was ready could be disastrous. I had no idea when the last time was that a male touched her, maybe the last time she had a pup but I just didn’t know. I’d already spent a lot of time speaking with the doctors about PTSD. It was hardly something I dared to ask her about, the female seemed to resent me and try to run away every chance she got. Gage liked at first, cat and mouse. But after a few days it just became depressing. I didn’t have the heart to just come out and tell her we were mates. Not to mention Sawyer told me to let it run its course. See if her wolf comes out just by being around me. Being around other strong wolves. If her wolf came, she would do wonders for calming Corinne, giving her reassurance. Judgin
~Corinne’s Point of View~ “Mama, I love your cuddles,” I heard, making me stir. I squeezed the warmth in my arms, it was my son Jakob. Oh, and Helena apparently. I really didn’t know what it was to sleep alone but it wasn’t as though I was able to give the kids all their own beds. I couldn’t even believe that I had slept, basically only because my body was THAT tired. That exhausted. I still couldn’t even believe it. Venom was no more. There would be no more cave, no more hole in the earth we called home for so long. But above all … no more males coming in the night and invading our bodies. In a weird way, I’d miss our little bunker. The only home my babies had known. We were now in a large cabin with tons of rooms. Tons of light and colors. Real furniture. A deep breath already told me someone was cooking and my stomach practically lurched me out of bed. I couldn’t believe how nice everyone was, maybe being the Alpha’s sister will have perks. Maybe they’re just actually n
~Drake’s Point of View~ *Fuck this is a long run, we need a drink,* Gage whined. We were exhausted but this was hardly the time to stop. He wasn’t wrong though. *There should be a few cabins coming up, we’ll stop there,* I promised him. I was getting mind-links from all over. Digger had attacked Belle and Lola, now he was on the loose. There were easily a hundred guardians already there on site but our lands were so damn big finding him wouldn’t be as easy as you’d think. They all believed he was heading toward the beach though, and everyone said Jett took Alice there. I knew he would take her to the ship, there’d be no chance in hell anyone could find them hidden away in the cove. It was a perfect hiding spot and likely how the ship ended up there in the first place. Then went to hide their treasure then couldn’t get back out. Everyone had theories. The first cabin we stopped at had a family in it, thankfully they had a bunch of chicken and rice left from dinner which Gage ate
~Lola’s Point of View~ Should have never agreed to go with Belle, all these damn kids in such a small space! But seeing Alice and Jett make eyes at each other constantly made me just feel awkward. I needed a distraction and I wasn’t getting it watching those two practically fucking with their eyes. It took some serious effort but Duncan was actually a massive help getting all the babies to bed. We’d had to make beds out of dresser drawers for the tiny ones, there was so little space. Belle and I were going to be sharing a cot as it was. I didn’t think Sawyer would want me snuggling up to a male. We’d gotten a mind-link earlier that our guardians had defeated Venom and everyone was on their way back. But it could be dawn before they’d be back. I’d gotten some weird feelings and sensations through my mate bond for the last couple of hours and I didn’t know what to make of it all. Sawyer was sad, but yet happy and relieved. I hated waiting to find out why but he was okay and that’s al
~Alice’s Point of View~ “Ohh right there yeah, Ohh Jett, you’re so deep, right in the middle ohh you know my spot,” I moaned. “It’s only the beginning, good thing you have four strong hands to take care of you,” Jett said, licking his lips. Damn, why does he have to be so impossibly good looking? Even just sitting there it’s nearly impossible not to shove him down and-- *There’s noise outside,* Maura shouted. Jett’s wolf must have sensed it at the same moment because he dropped my foot and leapt to the window. There were two guardians on patrol outside the house and I immediately realized that wasn’t enough. An awful kind of dread fell over me, and Maura was begging to shift. We had planned to stay holed up in Dane’s old cabin while everyone was gone, but I was too curious to see the infamous beach house and didn’t think it should sit empty. So we passed the cabin on to Belle and her pups, with Duncan going along. It would be tight for all but it was far enough in the south. T
~Corinne’s Point of View~ “Sa… Sawyer?” The word left my mouth, my heart raced but my mind… My mind tried to convince me I was hallucinating. Vivian took my hand, knowing his name. As many times as I’d told stories of how we grew up. How I’d had to lose everything to the same male who now held me captive. The babies were all scared and restless, having been woken twice in the night now. But this gruff voice in the dark, it was like a beacon of light and hope … more than I’d ever felt. The Goddess was shining her light on me, in my darkest hour. I handed my pup to Viv and took a step forward. She put her free hand on the small of my back as I began to shake uncontrollably. The last time I’d seen my brother’s face he was a contorted mess of anger, rage and half wolf. It was torture to have that as the last memory of my best friend. “Corrie! I’m here, I’m here. I’m real honey,” I heard. His voice was nothing like I remembered, it was so rough and he sounded so pained. Honey … that