I'm so sorry that I missed publishing Friday's chapter. I had a sudden work thing come up that I only have a couple of days to complete. Worked extra yesterday to write the next two chapters so I *hopefully* won't fall behind again. I also wanted to take this moment to remind you of how important it is to leave novel reviews. If you haven't already written a review for this book, I would REALLY appreciate it if you could take a minute to do this. It helps give me and my book credibility to other readers who might be considering reading my work. Much Love Anja <3
JACINDA What was a child doing all the way out here, alone, in the middle of the night?! This little girl looked to be about ten years old. A bit young to have a wolf, but not impossible. Though usually when a wolf shifted this young, they had alpha blood, and we were certain that Alpha Aleksandr did not have any biological children. “Do any other alphas from nearby packs have a daughter this age?” I whispered to my mate. Emmett shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.” I cursed under my breath. This was not a part of our plan. I don’t want to see a child get hurt, and don’t really want to leave her to fend for herself, but we also can’t reveal ourselves to save her. Who is she and what is she doing out here? Is she lost? There is no reason that she would be lost. If she already has a wolf, her wolf should be able to help her find her way back home. We watched her for a few minutes longer. She weaved between the trees, slowly moving further away from the territory border
JACINDA Everything went black, and then there was an immediate flash of light and I found myself standing in a large, open field surrounded by flowers and a small stream off in the distance. The sun was shining, and birds were chirping in the trees at the edge of the clearing. It was peaceful. Quite possibly the most peaceful moment I’d ever experienced in my life. Part of me wanted to lie down in the grass and take a nap, but my brain kept reminding me that I was here for a purpose, and I needed to figure out what that was. Standing in the field, slowly spinning around, my eyes were searching for any sign that could indicate why I was here. After making four rotations and not seeing anything helpful, the desire to lie down had grown significantly stronger and I was tempted again to rest in the peacefulness of this place. I almost caved, but then I forced myself to stand strong. Walking would be helpful to keep me awake and alert, I decided, so I began walking towards the smal
JACINDA I stood there dumbfounded. Was it just a lucky guess or did this pup have the ability to know things? Gifts like this had always been somewhat rare, even in the supernatural world, but lately it seems like I’ve been meeting individuals left and right with some sort of gift or supernatural ability. Quickly pulling myself together I glared at the pup. “What could you possibly know about me and my life,” I challenged. She shrugged her shoulders and turned slightly to walk along the bank of the stream. “I don’t know how I know things. I just do. I always have.” She said it so casually, as if it was no big deal. She didn’t say anything else, but walked back and forth beside the stream, occasionally swinging her foot out to dip her toes into the frigid water. She was so relaxed that I decide to risk it and ask some questions of my own. “Who was the wolf you were speaking with?” She tensed and stopped pacing for a moment. “You shouldn’t be asking about him,” she respond
ALEKSANDR We had recruited and trained a lot of new, young wolves since Emmett left the pack. We all agreed that one of the best ways to keep him on his toes, should he attempt to return, was for there to be a lot of wolves he didn’t know running patrol shifts. The young wolf before me now, who’s name I’d learned was Jack, swallowed audibly as Jericho nodded his encouragement. “I was running a route with my partner, Heath, when we caught an unusual scent just outside the territory. We were near the hill at the north, northwest edge, so we decided to split up.” Jack glanced nervously over his shoulder at Jericho again, but quickly turned his attention back to me. “Heath went up the hill to look around from a higher vantage point, while I circled around the northeast side of the hill. He didn’t try to hide himself, because we though if he was seen by whoever it was, they would be less likely to look for me.” I had to admit that was a smart move. Expose one patrol to keep the ot
RIEKA I couldn’t explain it. I hadn’t had any dreams, or visions, but somehow, I just knew it was the Nightshade Pack, and that knowledge terrified me. We came back here because we had Jacinda, and she was going to help defend against any alphas who came seeking the power they thought I could grant them. Now that Jacinda was not a part of the picture, I had no idea how things was going to play out. It occurred to me then, that while we were with Alpha Cornelis at the Night Stalkers Pack, Jacinda had said that it was the Nightshade Pack that was attacking, but we ended up with Alpha Kareem of the Mystic Shadow Pack. Was Jacinda wrong? Were both packs there? Maybe she lied to us and knew it wasn’t them. Not knowing where her loyalties lie, or if she even had any, was the part that was hardest for me. I trusted her, and a part of me still wanted to, but a much larger part of me was wary of her and anything she’s ever told me. I was now extremely uncomfortable with the idea that
JACINDA It took another 8 hours before I was strong enough to get out of the bed, but even then, I wasn’t back to my normal self. Visions had never affected me like this before, and recently I’d been feeling stronger than ever, so what had happened that I had become so helpless and weak? After 3 days I could tell that Emmett was worried. He doted on me like a sick child. If it had been anyone else, I would have felt annoyed by their apparent pity, but he was my mate, and I could feel his genuine concern. He did not pity me. He had even neglected his own needs to focus on me. Without shaving for a few days, he had grown a full beard and I was surprised that it was much darker than his hair. It could use a trim, but otherwise I realized I liked it. It was actually rather sweet to see this large male trying to prepare food for me and handle me so delicately. When we’d made love before it was rough and needy and aggressive, but now, he moved gingerly, like he was worried he wou
RIEKA “Gina, are you feeling alright?” “Yeah,” she smiled, “I’m doing great. Why do you ask?” “Your eyes look a little bloodshot and… I thought I saw something in them.” “I mean, I’m a little tired from all the extra work,” she smiles sheepishly, “but what do you mean? What did you see?” “I don’t know. It’s probably just my head playing tricks on me,” I shrug it off. “I do think we need to delegate some of your responsibilities to others so you can get more rest before the pup arrives,” I smile at her swollen belly, remembering my pregnancies with my four children. “I’ve still got at least 2 weeks before the pup arrives, and I’m fine, really.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” I laughed as I scolded her, “We all know you’re the strongest woman around, but even the strongest need to rest. After we’re done catching up, I order you, as your Luna, to go home and rest.” Gina pouted but didn’t argue with me. ----- JACINDA It wasn’t hard to find Gina and search her memories for any hint
RIEKALis and I have been meeting daily so she can do her best to train me in how to use my gift. No two seers are exactly the same, so my abilities may vary from hers, but she said it was worth trying to teach me everything she knows.Frustration was building as I struggled to complete simple tasks, but Lis kept reminding me that I might not have the same skills as her so I might not be able to do all the things she could do. It felt like I couldn’t do anything. So far, the only gift we had in common was visions through dreams.We decided to focus on the dreams and see if I could manipulate them, or if I only received information through them. Lis suspected that since I have seen Jacinda in my dreams and spoken with her, that I would have some sort of control in the dream world, but I was feeling discouraged and doubtful.“This doesn’t seem to be working.” I groaned in frustration as I sat up on the bed. I was fully dressed and trying to dream without sleeping. Lis said that s
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?