Thank you all for sticking on this journey with me. I hope you have enjoyed how the story unfolded. I think I have one more chapter and the epilogue in this. Any questions or thoughts be sure to let me know. Next and final updates will be tomorrow. Ellie xo
One Year Later …Sam POV As I look around, I see the most important people in my life surrounding me. I smile as I watch Dylan, our pup, try to stand with Josie holding his hands, protecting him from falling. I see Gracie, and Maryse, Jack and Sarah’s little girl, playing on the blanket in the grass. Their parents keeping a close eye on the girls. Miranda and Rick had joined us with their pups. Their four-year-old Brandon and their pup, Lexi were with them. It was not often that Miranda and Rick trusted to bring their children just anywhere, but we had all grown so close after what we went through almost a year ago our trust with each other had grown exponentially. Lexi was also on the blanket playing with the girls … as much as pups can play. They mostly roll around and slobber at this stage, I think with a chuckle. Daniel and Lucas had also joined us. Among all the couples, they struggled the most. Daniel had post-traumatic stress disorder from wha
Sam’s POV “I accept your rejection,” I say to Josie before I walk away from her. I walk past Alpha Adam, Luna Jenna, and Gamma Jack. I want to get as far away from everyone as possible. I leave the dungeons and walk towards my bike in front of the Pack house. I wipe my eyes before I put my helmet on, throw my leg over the bike seat, and squeal out of the parking lot. The pain I felt at the rejection was destroying me inside. I had no idea where I was going, but I was heading toward the coast. I wanted to experience the sun on my skin, sitting at a beach and forgetting my troubles. Maybe I would get lucky and pick up a couple women to provide a distraction for me. I rode for hours before stopping for the night. I grabbed a burger and fries from a fast-food place and went to my hotel room to eat it. I was not in the mood for socializing tonight. How had the Moon Goddess connected me with a rogue? A rogue whose brother happened to be the Ro
Josie POV It had been a couple days since I had last seen Sam. I had been shocked when Sam had accepted my rejection. A small part of me had hoped he would continue to refuse. I know it was ridiculous, but I wanted him to fight for me. Not that he had not. He had. I kept shutting him out. He deserved so much better than me. Someone who had not spent a lifetime being a rogue. My father had been the Rogue King, before my twin brother Eric killed him and took over as the Rogue King. A rogue was a wolf who did not want to be a part of a Pack or had been kicked out of a Pack for some reason or other. Others were born into it. As the Rogue King’s daughter, I was born to be a rogue. It was our family’s legacy. Rogue royalty, I think with a sarcastic chuckle. For me all I can remember is pain. Physical pain from inside my body. A pain that twists around your internal organs. And then the physical pain from years of abuse by my father. I nev
Sam POV As I walked into the quaint pub, I could see why it was so popular. There were lots of sitting areas, along with a small dance floor. A place for a band to set up. As I took a spot at a booth toward the back, I nodded to the waitress indicating I would l like to order a drink and some food. It was not long before my food was delivered, and I was taking in the scenery. There were a lot of couples present tonight. Happy couples. I had been with lots of women, Jenna had kept warning me that my future mate would not be happy with my promiscuous ways. Not that I found that when I found my fated mate, I think with a low growl. I knew I needed a distraction. Someone to take my mind off what was going on at home. I had accepted her rejection and had felt the bond break when I said those words. Looking around the club I noticed a hot brunette looking my way. She smiled and gestured for me to come over to sit beside her. While a part of
Josie POV The day had finally arrived. I was eating my meals, and Jenna was pleased with my limited progress. Adam had finally agreed, although Jenna had already decided she said she wanted to give him the illusion of having a choice. I was moved to the holding cells. Jenna did not want to do healing in the dungeons. Not that I blamed her, I would not want too either. It was a dreary place. As I looked around the room, it was a closed in cell with a door. The only way people could see in was through the door window. And I could see a curtain was placed to block out inquiring minds. I was anxious. I did not realize how badly I wanted this to work. I wanted to feel worthy of being with someone. I wanted too not be a rogue anymore, and I felt like I had the option today. I did not know what would happen after Jenna attempts to heal me, but I would try my best to get Sam back. I had never experienced hope before. Now I seemed to have it,
Jenna POV “We need to get her to the Pack hospital now,” I say to Adam. He stands up mind-linking Jack to advise we were moving. Jack comes in once Adam unlocks the door and picks Josie up as we all run to the Pack house. Adam had also mind-linked Doctor Rivers, the Pack Hospital doctor, to have a gurney ready when we arrived. Doctor Rivers and one of his nurses were waiting and rushed Josie to the designated room. Adam came in behind me with Jack guarding the door. Doctor Rivers excused the nurse waiting for her to leave before looking at me waiting for an explanation. As the door closed, I looked to Doctor Rivers, “I am trying to heal her as I started to heal her brother,” I say to him. He looks at me confused and looks down to Josie. “Why her?” he asks me. “She was innocent in all of this; she deserves a second chance,” I reply to him. He nods as he moves around starting to attach different machines to Josie. “What happened when you s
Jenna POV After diner, I went into my office to check on a few emails. I was planning a Mating Gala in the next week, and I wanted to see who had accepted so far. As a new Luna, I quickly realized we have a lot of unmated wolves in our Pack. I quickly learned that this was the case with other Packs in our alliances. So, I decided to host a gala with the goal for some of our wolves to find their mates. Upon entering a bouquet of white roses catch my attention. I love white roses and it would be just like Adam to leave them for me. With everything going on, he could be so thoughtful. I mind-link him, “Thank you for the beautiful flowers, mate,” I say to him. There is a pause before Adam replies, “I did not send you any flowers.”. Hmmm, I think as I move toward the bouquet first smelling them before I remove the card on the flowers. “From your secret admirer,” it says. I feel a weird feeling in my stomach as Adam walks in looking a
Jenna POV Adam, Josie, and I had briefly discussed the potential of having the tracking device removed but I did advise them it was in an intricate part of the brain. The risk would be high that she would either not make it out of the surgery or would potentially have brain damage. I agreed to consult with Doctor Rivers on his knowledge of doctors who might specialize in this type of surgery with high success rates. The bigger question was why did she have a tracking device inside her? Was it something from her father, or had it been put there for other reasons or by someone else? And who was monitoring it now? Did this mean someone would be coming for her? We had no idea and no way to prepare. Josie asked about Sam for the first time this morning. Adam honestly replied he had not heard from him recently. We had not heard from Sam. Jack had tried to call him with everything that had happened in the past twelve hours but had not had a reply as yet. Jack had ente
One Year Later …Sam POV As I look around, I see the most important people in my life surrounding me. I smile as I watch Dylan, our pup, try to stand with Josie holding his hands, protecting him from falling. I see Gracie, and Maryse, Jack and Sarah’s little girl, playing on the blanket in the grass. Their parents keeping a close eye on the girls. Miranda and Rick had joined us with their pups. Their four-year-old Brandon and their pup, Lexi were with them. It was not often that Miranda and Rick trusted to bring their children just anywhere, but we had all grown so close after what we went through almost a year ago our trust with each other had grown exponentially. Lexi was also on the blanket playing with the girls … as much as pups can play. They mostly roll around and slobber at this stage, I think with a chuckle. Daniel and Lucas had also joined us. Among all the couples, they struggled the most. Daniel had post-traumatic stress disorder from wha
Sarah POV The entire hospital is complete chaos. So much is happening, so many injured warriors. I was grateful to the Moon Goddess every time someone came in and it was not Jack. I felt on edge as warriors kept being sent in. Some would return to the battle, but others lost their fight.Before I can move to comfort a lost warrior’s mate, my heart jumps in my throat as I see Colby run in with Jack. He was wounded. I scream as I see him passed out and not responding to my calls. As I turn to look to Jenna she starts to move forward until the next person to run in is Rick with Adam and Kate.“We have lost him twice on the way in, we need to get him to surgery now,” Kate demands as she runs to see which operating room is free. Jenna moves forward slowly to Adam trying to heal him of his ailments. “Jenna, we need to move now. There are too many to fix and he is going to bleed out if I do not get him into the operating room now,” Kate says to Jenna.Jenna looks at me,
Sam POV As we take off out the front door of the Pack house, we agreed that Adam and Jack would go with Colby and Kate to the north and we would take Drake and Maddie with us to the south. Sarah was contacting Miranda to organize her witches. Before we hit the forest to shift, Miranda and Rick were beside us. We tore off clothes as we shifted. Paws kicking up the dirt as we raced to the borders wanting to reach our panicked warriors. They were outnumbered and were quickly being overpowered. Suddenly everything went quiet through the mind-links. We were stunned into pushing harder to get there to see what was happening. I reached out to Adam but quickly learned our mind-link abilities were broken. Slowing down I shift quickly as everyone slows around me. “Our mind-link channels are broken with the Pack. We need to proceed with caution,” I say before quickly shifting back into my wolf, Chance, and taking the lead to get us to the southern bor
Daniel POV I was never so scared as I had been when I had been tortured. I knew I was not long for this world when they punctured my lung. When I saw Miranda, I was blown away. That this courageous woman would take a chance for a man she barely knew was beyond my comprehension. There was so very little I could do to thank her for being there at the right moment. I recognized Jenna but I did not recognize the other woman. As if understanding my confusion, she steps forward, “Hi, I am Kate from the Silver Crescent Pack,” she says as she introduces herself. “We are very pleased that you have woken up. It was a little touch and go there,” she adds. “I am sorry, did you say the Silver Crescent Pack?” Daniel asks. “Yes, I am the Luna and a doctor,” she replies wondering about my question. “I am sorry, I heard your Pack name mentioned at the Council. Most recently there was something about watching a girl more closely,” I share with them.
Josie POV No matter what anyone said, I knew they were all putting themselves on the line for me. I was eternally grateful and eternally feeling guilty at the same time. I was learning this is what family did but having never experienced it before it was a foreign concept to me. And it was hard to accept the help that I knew they would force on me. It overwhelmed me in a good way. Looking around the conference room table, we had Colby, Kate, Sarah, Jack, Sam, Adam, Jenna, Miranda, Rick, and myself. Alpha Jared had rushed home to his Pack after the implied threat over Luna Lily and the children she was looking after. Lucas would not leave Daniel’s side – not that I had blamed him. And Alpha Thomas had errands to run in town so he would join us after. “We need to split up when they come. They have already indicated each border would be at risk,” Adam says to the group. “I want to propose that we all go to the first location. If they attack al
Lucas POV I have been sitting by Daniel’s bed since they finished operating on him. I cannot bear to look at my mate without rage taking over my mind. Seeing the abuse Daniel withstood breaks me. I do not know how he survived but I will be forever grateful he had the strength to do so. I watch the consistent blip on the machine indicating he is alive. It has been one day since he came out of the operating room. One day I have had him by my side. I have held his hand. I have spoken with him even though he is still in a coma. I have not left his side. One day that has given the medical team a reason to breathe a semi-cautious sigh of relief. The longer his body kept going, the better chances he had of making a full recovery.His boss has stood by as well. So far nobody but me and the medical team have visited Daniel. That is the way I have wanted it. I needed to know he was safe. And as Colby had reminded us, we did not know who we could trust.
Kate POV I had witnessed my share of injured warriors, but I have never seen a wolf survive this level of torture. There were so many things happening at once it was hard to keep up with them. Even with the Pack Hospital’s doctor, Jenna, and myself – it felt like we were fighting a losing battle. I could hear this man’s mate yelling in the hallway. It was a distraction we did not need. Jenna asked Adam through their mind-link to try and remove him. I understood how hard it was to leave your mate, but right now we needed to focus one hundred percent. As I heard the yelling fade away, I was able to focus more intently on what was happening in front of us. Daniel was crashing as Jenna jumped up trying to stem the blood flow. The gunshot wound was causing us the most worry at the moment. While the other injuries would have to be fixed, the gunshot wound, with the wolfsbane and silver, continued to ooze blood. I needed to get in there and remov
Josie POV It was taking too long. We all knew it. Nobody was saying it, but we knew. She should have returned by now. It had been ten minutes since she had broken her connection with Sarah. Ten long minutes of Rick pacing, everyone watching their clocks. “She will come back. She promised,” Rick mutters. Before anyone could say anything there was this goddess awful sound of something falling. And then suddenly before our eyes was Miranda and Daniel. Both of them full of blood. Rick is the first to reach Miranda, “I am okay, Rick, I am okay,” she says as she passes out. This is normal, I remind myself. Whenever she uses her powers, she needs Rick to help bring her back. Jenna is there to try and reach for Miranda, wanting to check her head wound. From what I could tell it was something Jenna could easily mend as she brushed her hand over it, and it stopped bleeding. Wanting to do a thorough check of Miranda, Jenna murmurs to Rick, “Let’s
Sarah POV I finally had an opportunity to help support this effort. I knew it was minimal but at least I could keep track of Miranda. I would feel when she would have to cut the attachment to me. Me sharing my powers allowed her to extend the use of hers so it would give her an extra ten minutes at best. Rick stands and starts to pace. I say nothing. Nobody offers any words of platitude. There is nothing that can be done or said to make this any better. Kate and Jenna are discussing strategies quietly for when Miranda arrives back. Strategies that include if she is compromised in any way. Jack moves towards me, but I shake my head no. Anything could break our connection and it was not going to be me being distracted. The longer I could hold the connection, the longer she would have support. We did not know what she would encounter when she arrived, but my added powers would ensure her success. I wish I could see what she was seeing. I wi