ALEKSANDR I knew it. He was giving us information to build trust, just waiting for his opportunity to turn it around and force us to open up as well. We didn’t really have much choice at this point. We either come clean about our reasons for seeking him out, or risk being labeled untrustworthy. A reputation like that can be very damaging to an alpha. Even an alpha with a good reputation is welcomed cautiously, but if an alpha displays questionable behavior during a visit, word spreads quickly and all packs immediately become icy towards him. If the behavior continues to be suspicious, packs become outright hostile. It shouldn’t be that way, but when alpha males gather, the urge to show dominance is overwhelming and only the most controlled alphas can resist and be cordial. Alphas who can’t, doom their packs to isolation and, ultimately, failure. We may all be separate packs, but we rely on our ability to operate amicably and support one another during tough times to survive.
RIEKAThe food they prepared was incredible. I didn’t know what the dishes were, but they all tasted amazing. Once my stomach was satisfied, I realized that I felt less on edge and suspicious of Alpha Leon and Luna Imogen. A few more pack members ended up coming back to the packhouse and everything started to feel a bit more normal.After meeting a few ranked wolves and several pack members Luna Imogen showed us to our rooms so we could rest after our long day of travel. Although I felt exhausted, I wasn’t actually sleepy.Aleksandr and I both showered and then dressed. If we were going to be stuck here a couple of day, we’d have plenty of time alone, and I really was exhausted. After dressing in my warmest clothes, I found a thick blanket to wrap myself in while he went to the pack house library to see if he could find any helpful books for us to review while we’re stuck here.Unsure what to do with myself, I sat on the sofa looking out the window. The snow was no longer comin
RIEKAThe nap was not restful at all, and the dreams that plagued me were the most frustrating yet. They were all about the kids. They were in danger, but I couldn’t figure out who they needed to be protected from. It was always something unseen or shadowy figures, but there was most definitely a threat, maybe more than one.I woke to Aleksandr’s warm arms comforting me, and his gentle voice whispering reassurances.“It’s ok, love, it’s just a dream. You’re safe. The kids are safe. Everything’s going to be alright.”Blinking away the last remnants of the dream, I look up into his emerald, green eyes, “How can you be so sure that everything will be ok? If they are visions or predictions of the future, then everything isn’t going to be okay, and the kids aren’t safe.”Even as I way saying it, I knew it wasn’t true, but I still felt exhausted after my nap, and it felt like my brain wasn’t fully functioning. I have no idea how long I slept, but however long, it wasn’t enough.“Bec
RIEKA Despite my prayers and pleading for restful sleep, the dreams returned. I have no idea how long I slept before they invaded my mind, but it was one after another. Whenever the dream would change from one scene to another it was as if the world did a quick spin on an unnatural angle and way too fast. The constant shifting almost made me feel nauseous. In the first dream, we were all back home at the Silver Eclipse Pack. It was comfortable and we were happy. Dustin and Drea were there with little Link, but he wasn’t so little anymore. He was crawling around and cooing at everyone. Aria and Eden were fawning over him and trying to make him laugh. Ace and Calvin were busy with their own wrestling game across the living room. Aleksandr and I were seated together on the sofa, and as I looked around the room smiling, I noticed that Lis was missing. I turned to my husband to ask where his mother was, but the room was suddenly empty. Jumping from my seat, I began calling out
ALEKSANDR Running through the trees in wolf form was refreshing, but it still didn’t sate my wolf. He kept pushing forward like he had a specific destination in mind, but we’ve never been here before. He couldn’t possibly know where he was going. Still, he seemed so certain, that I allowed him the control to take me where he thought we needed to go. The snowfall had lightened to flurries, and the thick layer of fresh powder covering the forest floor made my movements completely silent while reflecting the moonlight to make everything easily visible. I hoped there was nothing out here that I needed to stay hidden from, because my black fur was a stark contrast against the white snow, even in the middle of the night. Weaving between trees and jumping over a small, mostly frozen stream, I found myself approaching a ridge that looked out over the other mountain peaks in the area. The silence should have felt deafening, but instead it was peaceful. As I surveyed the landscape befor
ALEKSANDROnce the spell had been lifted, I let my nose lead me back to the pack house. I could smell the trail back clearly, but for some reason it was taking longer than it should have to return.It felt like there were eyes on me, but every time I looked around, the forest was peaceful and calm. No sound, no movement, not even a hint of the creatures who dwell in the forest. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. It shouldn’t be this quiet.I stopped running and decided to nudge at my mate’s mind to see if she was awake, but I hit a wall. Was she blocking me? I pushed harder, but the wall was too strong. Something is wrong. Rieka would never block me from her mind, but even if she felt like she needed to for some reason, she wouldn’t be strong enough to keep me out if I pushed.Looking around the forest again, I noticed some other things that were off. The position of the stars hadn’t changed. I’ve been out here for a few hours, and the stars should have moved by
RIEKA This was ridiculous. They were just going to let this vampire-witch keep my husband trapped in his own mind. They weren’t even going to try and negotiate for his release or rescue him. I know my husband is one of the strongest werewolves in America, so I had a hard time believing that this Jacinda could hold him against his will for very long. Still, I couldn’t just sit here and wait for him to come strolling back into the Blue Ridge pack house. “Can I take this book?” I questioned with a bit more attitude than I intended. The luna nodded and without waiting for further instructions, I spun on my heel and walked out of the office. Asher and Sebastian followed closely behind me. We passed through the kitchen where Ash was sitting and eating with Alpha Leon. They both paused and looked at me, and without saying a word, I knew that they were both aware of what was going on. I clenched my jaw and fixed my gaze on the door at the other side of the room. Then, I walked stra
RIEKA The information in this book was terrifying. Apparently, Jacinda inherited powers from both of her parents, allowing her to project images into your mind, seduce anyone with her words and touch, and cast spells with the greatest of ease. She was also a seer who could interpret the past and predict the future with far more accuracy than had ever been recorded in history. Everything in the book matched what Luna Imogen had told me about Jacinda not coming to the pack lands very often, but it was also clear that she was a very powerful being who had been rejected by everyone except her own mother. A part of me felt compassion for her. How does someone survive alone, knowing that everyone hates you and fears you, and the one person who didn’t is gone? For most people, losing a loved one is hard, but it gets easier to cope over time. How different is the grieving process when you have no one else? My heart went out to her, but a bigger part of me, the part that missed my husb
ALEKSANDRAs eager as I was to see Rieka, my mother had already made it clear that she was stable, and Dustin, my best friend and my Beta, was awake!I turned down the hall towards the room where Drea and little Link had been staying with him.It was a joy to hear his voice as I approached the room.Although I am the alpha and this is my pack house, I didn’t want to walk in and interrupt the moment this family was reunited.I slowed in the hallway as I approached the door, and as I raised my hand to knock, Dustin’s voice broke through my mind.‘You don’t need to knock Alpha!’Laughing, I lowered my hand to grab the handle and open the door.I’m not usually an emotional male, but when I saw Dustin sitting up in bed with Drea beside him and Link in his arms, my vision blurred from the tears welling up in my eyes.“It’s good to see you up!” I smiled“It’s good to be up!” He answered with a twinkle in his eye.“What happened? How did you get out of that?”“Jacinda released me.” Dustin
EMMETT A game? I turned to look at the alpha and, on the surface, he looked bored, but there was something in his eye that felt like a warning. He’s planning something. If I want to figure out what it is, I need to play along. Who knows, maybe I do have some special abilities that this crazy little she-wolf can help me unlock. “Okay,” I smiled cockily, “How do we play?” “Oh, yay! This will be fun!” Devan jumped up and down excitedly. There was something very child-like about her. It seemed odd, but then again, she was working with an interesting pack, so who was I to judge her behavior. “We can’t play here. There isn’t enough space,” she grinned, “Follow me.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and disappeared between the curtains. Slowly, I stepped forward, attempting to appear confident but unbothered to rush. I still couldn’t get a good read on this alpha and I was unsure if he expected me to listen to Devan and do as she said or wait for his instructions. Whe
EMMETTStartled by the sound, I spun around to see a petite female with wild, curly red hair standing next to the curtain that framed the shadows beyond.She was wearing a bright, cherry-red pantsuit with a white blouse and black heels. Her clothes looked much too clean and professional to be in a place like this, however, her wild, unkempt hair and pale, almost translucent, skin fit perfectly with the vibe of this underground labyrinth.She was pretty enough, albeit very small for a wolf. The things that unnerved me though, were her eyes. Framed with dark makeup, they were such a light grey that they almost looked like they had been drained of life itself. There was a vacancy in her gaze that made me feel like she wasn’t fully here.I realized I was staring, and a slow, devious smirk made its way across her red lips.“It’s been a long time since I saw another red wolf,” her voice was higher than I expected, but not childlike.“This is Devan,” the alpha gestured towards the female
ALEKSANDR As I rushed towards the house that I’d been told was where the mother of the pup lived, my natural instinct was to scent the air. I knew that Jacinda didn’t have a detectable scent, but that didn’t stop my wolf from searching for her with every sense he possessed. Glancing through a window as I approached the house, I thought I saw two women standing inside. I rushed to the door and thought about shifting, but Jacinda had already had me in compromising situations too many times before, so I remined in my wolf form to avoid being naked in front of her. My weight slammed the door open with such a force that it hit the wall and I heard a loud crack. I would apologize later and make sure the door was properly repaired. Turning in the room, eyes searching, I saw a she-wolf standing there in shock with her mouth open, but there was no one else with her. I opened my mind through the pack link to the she-wolf before me. ‘Where is she?’ I demanded. ‘I know I saw her through
ALEKSANDRPanic, anger, and fear flowed through my body like I’d never felt it before. Why does the moon goddess taunt me. All the strength and power I possess as an alpha, and it’s all worthless. I hated that my mate was once again in danger, and there was literally NOTHING I could do to save her.Here I am, one of the most powerful alphas in the world, and I’m powerless to save and protect my own mate.Leaving my mother with Rieka, I had to move. I had to do something, to take action.Flinging the door to the pack house open, and smelling the forest outside, I immediately shift into my wolf and took off towards the homes of the pack members. I only had one idea left for who could help, and as much as I didn’t want to go there, I was desperate.The challenge was how to find her. Jacinda has a skill for staying hidden when she doesn’t want to be bothered, but she had to know what was going on.With only one idea of how to find her, I went to the only place I thought she would be
ALEKSANDR After several minutes of trying to rouse Rieka without success, I began to panic. My natural instinct was to shake her harder to wake her, but I knew that wouldn’t help. I would be extremely frustrated with myself if I ever hurt her, but even more so at a time like this when she was unconscious. ‘Mom, something is wrong with Rieka!’ I linked, ‘Please come to our room immediately!’ ‘I’ll be there in three minutes,’ she responded promptly. ----- I was pacing the room growling to myself when the door opened, and my mother flicked the lights on before rushing over to the bed. Lightly placing the back of her hand over Rieka’s forehead she asks, “How long has she been like this?” “I just came in and found her like this about 10 minutes ago. What is going on?” My mother remained silent as she examined my mate. Then she clasped both of Rieka’s hands together, closed her eyes, and bowed her head until her forehead touched Rieka’s. I watched in awe as my mother began to ra
I'm so sorry that I didn't post this sooner to keep you all updated, but my mental load is streched beyond capactity right now and I am forced to take a short break for both my mental and physical health. I will do my best to keep writing over the holidays and will continue publishing in January as we come to an end for this novel. You all have been so patient, understanding, and supportive of me over the last year as my family has faced some MAJOR changes and challenges, I promise you will not be disapointed with the ending to this story. I'm just sorry that it's being delayed. Check back by Wednesday January 3rd for more updates! Much Love,Anja
JACINDA I couldn’t believe how much Maeve was opening up to me and sharing with me. The more I learned about this alpha, the more I wanted to end him, but I didn’t dare interrupt her story. “I was doing everything I could to be cooperative, to make him and the guards trust me. My pregnancy was easy and even though I knew the alpha didn’t care about me, he was very interested in the pup I carried, and he visited me regularly. He had the pack doctor monitor my pregnancy very closely to see how strong the pup was.” “Before I gave birth, I started having recurring dreams of me and a baby girl. I would be holding her, and she would smile and giggle, but then the alpha would show up, and she would begin crying. The alpha always wanted to hold her, but she would just cry louder, so he would get frustrated and hand her back to me.” “A few weeks later, the alpha left the territory. I didn’t know where he was going but I knew he’d be gone for at least a week. He left the doctor with s
RIEKA The moment I stepped into the space between the curtains, I was enveloped in cold darkness. I couldn’t see a thing, and besides the cold I could only feel the ground beneath my feet. Slowly shuffling my feet forward, feeling for a drop or a wall, I pushed myself to keep going. After moving straight ahead a few feet, my toes felt something warm and I knew I must have found the other side. I reached my hands forward and my fingers felt the warmth as well. One bold step and I found myself in a small warm room that looked vaguely similar to my mate’s office. There was a desk where the alpha was sitting comfortably; his chair reclined, and his feet propped up on the desk. There were two chairs in front of the desk, but Emmett was standing beside them rather than sitting. This space was darker than the large room we’d just come from, so I stayed close to curtain hoping I would not be noticed by Emmett. “Tell me, red wolf, what is it that you’re hoping to gain by coming here?