What do you think of Charlie's squeamishness? And of this female warrior?
Warren“Give me something so I know that you’re telling me the truth,” I say to the she-wolf who has barely taken her eyes off my mate. She’s studying her like she’s trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. As a warrior, she’s looking at my mate as a fighter. What she doesn’t realize is that my mate’s strengths come in different ways than the normal werewolf strength.Finally, her gaze returns to me. “I’ll be honest. I don’t know much. I’ve heard a little from Alpha Thomas, but mostly what I’ve heard is rumors.”“What did you hear from Thomas,” I press.She looks at Yara again, that same questioning assessment in her eyes. “That both Alpha Brady and Alpha Quinton want her. Both intend to capture her and take her as their mate.”I snarl as I feel Yara’s fear spike. The warrior must smell her fear because she frowns. I get it. If she wasn't my mate and I didn’t know Yara, didn't know what she’s capable of as a doctor, I wouldn’t see the draw either. But not only is she my mate, s
CharlieI picked three of our top warriors, taking them to Yara for approval that they are healthy enough to go on this rescue mission. Once she agreed, we all went to the room of this warrior, Laney, to get her smell. The woman’s scent was nice, spicy but a bit too much on the pachouli side for me. At least I have the girl’s scent and confirmed that she looks like her sister. That’s the other thing, this woman is attractive. Maybe it’s because we don’t see too many women outside our own packs, but seeing her, smelling her new scent is making Gregor antsy.‘What’s up with you?’‘I don’t know. Let’s just go find this girl,’ he says. I can feel his own frustration at not understanding his reaction to this woman.‘And what’s with you and our Luna? You’re going to get us killed,’ I say to him as I get the warriors and we begin running toward Thomas’ pack.‘I like her. A lot. She’s smart, and funny, and…”‘And NOT ours,’ I say firmly. I refuse to fight Warren for Yara. They are fated mates
LaneyI really didn’t have a choice but to believe this Alpha, Alpha Warren when he said he would rescue my sister. I know Thomas hates him, but he’s never been clear about his reasons for hating him. Of course, Thomas is a follower, not a leader. The only reason he’s still Alpha is because he’s killed anyone who has ever challenged him. Some of us, myself included, have wondered if he cheated to do it. Because I’ve never been able to prove it and no one else has either, he’s remained our Alpha.Well, he’s no longer my Alpha. Alpha Warren is my Alpha now. I hate that my sister thinks that I’m dead. I truly hope that they get to her quickly. Thomas was on the verge of taking her as his chosen mate, against her will, right before we were told we were attacking Alpha Warren’s pack. Since Alpha Thomas was hell-bent on getting my sister to bed so he could mark and mate her, I know the order came from someone else. I’d guess it was Alpha Quinton. He’s no better than Alpha Thomas, he’s just s
**Slight trigger warning for violence.WarrenOnce Yara went to work on Laney, I had Anna help me disconnect the Beta from his bed and then me and several warriors dragged him to the cells. Since I don’t intend to keep him alive, I didn’t bother being careful about how we dragged him.Once he’s in the cell, I have the warriors string him up, letting him hang by his hands from silver handcuffs. I ignore the smell of burning flesh while I drag a chair over and wait for him to wake up. While I do, I keep an ear on Yara and also Laney. I don’t completely trust her yet, but I do know that she won’t do anything to put her sister at risk, which means Yara should be safe. I sent two warriors into the room with her, just to be sure.The Beta has just started stirring when I feel Charlie getting close enough that our mind link reconnects.‘Alpha, we got her,’ he says and something in his tone makes me focus on him.‘Problems?’‘No, but…she’s my mate, Alpha.’I breathe a deep sigh of relief. I kn
YaraI finished stitching Laney up while Charlie talked to her and Noelle about who was worth saving from their previous pack. In the end, Laney gave him a list, but it wasn’t a very long list.“They’ve collected some she-wolves from other packs when we’ve attacked. Some were forced into mate bonds that they didn’t want. They won’t be unhappy that you’re killing their mates, but it will make them weak,” she says.“You didn’t help them?” I ask her. I don’t mean for it to sound judgmental, but she’s obviously a strong warrior and a woman. She could have stood up for them.“You underestimate the menace in our pack, Luna,” Noelle says kindly. “My sister has always put my life ahead of others, including her own. Even after I became an adult. They would have killed her, or worse, used me against her, if she'd stood up to them,” she says, smiling at Laney.“Everyone wanted you. You’re sweet, you’re smart, and you’re beautiful,” Laney says to her.‘I think our Beta is a bit smitten with this y
Yara“Luna, may I speak with you privately?” one of the female warriors asks, coming up behind us.“I can clean. I just need to know where everything is,” Noelle says eagerly.“Stay with Savannah until I get back,” I tell her, then turn to the warrior.“I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,” I say.“I’m Eva, Luna.”“Eva, come with me, let’s take you into a room so we can talk privately.”I notice that she’s tentative, nervous, which makes me a bit nervous. I’m not sure why she’d be nervous, unless she’s injured, and I missed it and she’s come to tell me.When we get to the room, I gesture for her to sit and then I sit across from her.“What can I help you with?” I ask her.“I can’t shift,” she whispers, looking down at the floor.I immediately go into doctor mode, thinking through all the reasons why someone can’t shift.“Is your wolf silent?”“No, Luna. She’s here.”“Are you injured? Did I miss an injury? I don’t smell any infection on you,” I tell her.She shakes her head, and a tear ro
WarrenOne day very soon, I’m going to take the time I need to mark my mate. I’m getting really fed up with constant interruptions when I finally get a moment to enjoy her. However, I know now isn’t the time. She’s right, we have an influx of wolves coming in and as the first ones arrive, I know Yara is going to be here for quite a while.As they start coming in, Yara goes into doctor mode, taking Noelle with her and talking to the patients and then explaining what and why she’s doing what she’s doing to Noelle. She grabs a clipboard and hands it to Noelle.“Start marking down who has arrived, and what their triage status is,” she tells Noelle.As I watch, I realize that Yara already has this hospital running like a well-oiled machine. As she makes her assessments, Katie and Erica move in to start working on the ones who are lower on the risk level while she and Savannah continue to assess and Noelle documents, still listening to Yara as she explains things. I’m impressed that Noelle c
YaraWhen we get into the surgery room to look over the woman with the infection, I realize just how desperate and angry she was.I don’t have a choice but to slice her open. With this severe of an infection, I have to make sure I get it all. However, when I slice her, the smell is disgusting. I take a minute to steel myself against the smell. It would be bad for a human, but it’s worse for a shifter since we have enhanced senses.Noelle quickly covers her nose and mouth. “If you’re going to vomit, get out of here,” I tell her.She shakes her head and I can see her trying to get her nausea under control. “Breathe through your mouth. It doesn’t take the stench away, but it helps,” I tell her.“It’s like you can taste it,” Erica says, looking nearly as green as Noelle. “I have a young pup and this out stinks anything my pup is producing.”“What is that?” Noelle asks, pointing to her uterus as I open her up. I realize exactly why her infection is so terrible.“She tried to abort the fetus
One Year LaterQuirin“Come on, Quirin! You can punch harder than that,” Henry, my best friend and closest thing that I have to a brother, says to me.“It’s your birthday, Henry. I don’t want to make you cry before we celebrate your big day,” I taunt.Where Henry is a shining star of happiness, I’m a black cloud of anger. Being around him helps to keep the darkness at bay, but no one can remove the darkness that has consumed me since the day that I watched my father die.I had planned my revenge on Alpha Warren for years, had intended to take everything that he loved from him. But all that changed a year ago when his mate saved my life. Not only had she saved my life, she’d insisted that I live. She, like Henry, had a bright golden light that shines around her. She’d taken my face in her hands and told me that I wasn’t allowed to die. I had been ready to die, ready to give up the grief that I’ve held so deep in my heart, but she wouldn’t allow it. How that woman saved my life is beyon
Five Years LaterYaraIf you had asked me six years ago what my life would look like now, I’m not sure I would have ever imagined this. My life is filled with love, happiness, work, school, the pack, and most importantly, family.My mate is as perfect a father as I knew he would be. He LOVES being a father and I love watching him with our pups. I never thought I could love that man more than I did, but seeing him being the incredible father that he is with our pups, I’ve just kept falling more deeply in love with him and wanting to give him more pups. After the twins, we decided to wait a bit. Our original plan was to wait a few years while we adjusted to being parents to two babies. Warren wanted to focus on getting the pack financially stable and increasing the pack’s income and I wanted to focus on going back to school and turning our hospital into a teaching hospital.It took about six months of negotiation with the closest werewolf university and a lot of conversations with their
WarrenIt’s been several months since we killed Brady and Dr. Stephens. It took a while, but the pack has settled into what I guess is a more normal routine. We spar, we run patrols, Charlie and I run the pack, Yara and Noelle run the hospital, Haynes and Laney train and manage the warriors.Now that life has settled down, our pack is having a baby boom. I’m pretty sure every one of my mated she-wolves is pregnant and some who aren’t mated are pregnant as well. Yara and I talked about that and we’ve agreed that if both parents are fine with remaining unmated, they can. The ones who don’t agree, have to speak to both of us so we can come to a resolution. Thankfully, now that we’re having pack gatherings with Alpha Harold and his pack, there are fewer unmated adult men and women in our pack.Today, Yara is in the pack hospital making last minute preparations before our twins come. I’m watching Charlie and Haynes working with Carson. It’s been a long, grueling road for him. He’s struggled
AnnaWhen the pack came back after attacking Alpha Brady’s pack, they brought Dr. Stephens with them.Dr. Stephens, the man I have despised ever since I started working in the hospital. All of us, the nurses, knew that he was hurting our pack, but there was very little we could do about it. At the time, we were in a constant state of war. We could barely keep the pack going in between battles, and Dr. Stephens had been part of that problem.We’d all turned to Savannah. She was younger than Erika and Katie, but she had more medical experience. Without any conscious discussion about it, we had all deferred to her when we questioned Dr. Stephens' methods. Goddess knows, you never questioned him to his face. He’d berate you in front of anyone and everyone in the room. He was a horrible man for so many reasons.As I stare at the man, who is currently on his knees in front of Alpha Warren, I remember the day I lost the man that I’m pretty sure was my mate. I was almost eighteen. I had actual
WarrenAfter making love to my mate for hours and sleeping off the exhaustion of the battle, I wake up feeling fantastic. While I slept, Arric healed what was left of my wounds, my mate is safe, happy, and pregnant with my pups, and all that’s left is Dr. Stephens who is currently residing in my cells.There’s one more thing that I need to take care of before I deal with Dr. Stephens, and that’s Carson. Yara told me that he wanted to die when he came in. I understand his fear. Not having a place in a pack is a terrible feeling for pack members. While we get ready this morning, Yara and I talk about the options and how we can possibly keep him running patrols. She explains to me about prosthetics and that it will take modifications on our part and his, but once he and his wolf gets used to wearing one, they can continue to remain at warrior status and help defend the pack.But before that, we need to say goodbye to our allies and send them off.When we get downstairs, the feeling in the
YaraThe flow of warriors coming into the hospital finally starts to slow down. When we get one warrior with a spike through his foot, he tells us that they’ve breached the packhouse and the battle is winding down. I’ve periodically felt Warren’s emotions, his pain, but nothing that my mate and his wolf can’t handle.Now that it’s settling down, the fatigue of the day and night is starting to set in. But I know I won’t be able to sleep until my mate is home and I’ve checked him over.I’m still working with the warrior who got the spike through his foot, holding his bones in place while his wolf starts the healing process when I hear a commotion out in the front.“They’re back, Luna,” Savannah says, coming into the room.“Go, Noelle. Go check on Charlie. I’ll be out as soon as I’m done here,” I tell her. She and Savannah rush out of the room.“You should go too, Luna,” the warrior says.“I will, once the bones in your foot are back in place,” I tell him, putting another one together and
WarrenAs expected, we ended up having to send a large group of warriors back as soon as we blew the bombs. I’d heard Carson screaming in my head and told some of my warriors with minimal injuries to get him to Yara as quickly as possible. I have to hope that my mate can work the miracles she always seems to and because I know she’ll do everything she can, I remain focused on the battle.It’s been long enough since they last attacked my pack, that Brady’s warriors are healed. But Franklin and Harold’s men severely decimated their numbers. Even with the number of wolves that we’re having to send back to the pack, we’re still outnumbering them. Add to that, we have two Alphas and two Betas leading this attack on four fronts and it doesn’t take Arric long to get to the packhouse. I send half of the warriors i my group to help the others as I prepare to enter the packhouse. With Brady, you never know what types of traps he’s set.‘Alpha, Franklin and I have Alpha Brady. Do you want us to k
YaraWe only had a couple of hours before the injured started coming in. The first thing I realize is that every single one of them has splinters all over them. Because they blew the bombs with wood, they’ve all been hit with various sizes and amounts of debris.“Make sure you get every piece of wood out of them. If you don’t, they’ll become infected. Warriors, you need to let my team know if you feel pain somewhere so we can get all these wood pieces out of you. If we don’t and you get an infection, I’ll pull you from duty until you’re healed.”“Yes, Luna,” they say with varying degrees of strength in their voice.Savannah and I begin doing triage and I take the worst ones while she takes the ones that she can handle.The first group that comes in have large pieces of tree that punctured through them. I’m guessing others did as well, but this group couldn’t pull these pieces out without causing more damage to their bodies. I take the one with a large piece of wood in the thigh, and Sa
WarrenAfter dinner, I take her upstairs so we can celebrate properly. I don’t spend the hours that I want to with my mate, but when I return, I’ll make it up to her.I’m up before dawn the next morning, Arric and I ready for battle. I shower quickly, letting my mate sleep in. I know that soon enough, she’ll be overwhelmed in the hospital.When I get out of the shower, she’s sitting up in bed. The sheet is laying across her lap, but her breasts are bare for my view. Any other morning, I’d be crawling back into bed. But today, my mind stays focused on the battle ahead.“Why don’t you go back to sleep, baby? We’ll be sending warriors back to you soon enough,” I tell her.She shakes her head. “I’m coming down to see everyone off. I want our warriors to know that I love them and I’m here if and when they are brought back.”I go to her, kissing her deeply, drawing strength for what I have to do today. I know it’s a possibility that we’ll lose warriors. I hate it, hate it even more than I us