This is the last of the regular chapters. One epilogue to go.
Nineteen Years Later“Mom, why do we have to go to this Beta ceremony?” Genevieve, my daughter, one of the twins, asks.“It’s not a Beta ceremony, Gen. The vampires don’t have Betas, you know that,” I tell her.“They’re second in command, mother, that makes them Betas,” she argues.“And besides going to see your cousins take their place as the mates of Urien’s second in command, it will be a good opportunity for you to look for your mates.”Malin’s daughters, Kayleigh and Sasha, found their mate, Lorenzo, the son of Ennata and Demetrius. Demetrius had been Drake’s second in command until he decided to retire with Ennata and move to the city to help Xander and Maeve with the witches. Now Lorenzo is taking over as Drake’s second in command.“Mate or mates?” Marcella, the other twin asks.Unlike me and Malin, both of our twin daughters are identical twins. It caused a lot of worry for me and Malin while they were growing up, wondering what would happen if our daughters were mated to one p
**This novella is the 10th book in the Guardian series, the 6th in the Guardian’s Next Generation series. While it can be read as a stand-alone book, references will be made to other events and people without full description of those events here. It is recommended that you read the other books in this series before this one.When our mother called Malin and I into a meeting and our brother, the current Alpha, Richard, immediately said no, I knew our time had finally come.My sister and I have been the charmed children of our parents. We’ve been protected not only by our father, the previous Alpha, and our mother, one of the last two Guardians who was gifted her Guardian wolf spirit by the Moon Goddess herself, but we also have three older brothers. No one, and I mean no one, messes with us.You add to that our Guardian lineage, and both of Malin and I are powerful forces in our own right. Most people don’t see that, though. Most people think that we’re the sweet, innocent, delicate c
Quinn is arriving in my pack today. The woman I’ve had a crush on for years, long before I turned eighteen and knew she was my mate. Since that day, I’ve been totally, completely, in love with her.‘We both have,’ Clovis, my wolf purrs in my head.‘Easy, Clovis. She’s still underage and I have no intention of having a repeat of what happened to Emlyn happen to Quinn.’‘Well, since we don’t have a witch casting a spell on us, I’m pretty sure we’re okay,’ he says snarkily.“Emerson, sweetheart, did you need my help with anything? Is Quinn’s room ready for her?” my mom asks, interrupting my conversation with my wolf.“It is, mom. Thanks.”“Are you excited, honey? You’ll have three Guardians in your pack.”“We have more pack members and more sprites, especially since we got the influx of pack members from Shadow Falls pack, so it makes sense that we’d have more Guardians,” I say, matter of factly.“Always so serious, my son,” my mother says, watching me closely. “Are you at least a little
Being here is making the reality of everything come crashing down on me. By tonight, I’ll be the acting Luna of a pack and I have absolutely no clue how to be a Luna. Add to that, we’re on the brink of a war, and while I know Minka, my wolf, is a Guardian and a good fighter, we’ve never truly been tested.I feel tears prick my eyes, but I won't let them fall. It’s time for me to show that I’m a strong woman, a Guardian, my mother’s daughter. When my best friend came rushing up, throwing her arms around me, I finally feel myself relax.“Finally. It’s so boring around here with Mr. Stuffy Pants,” she says, eyeing her brother.“Riley, he’s your Alpha!” I say, admonishing her. Personally, I’m really hoping to get a peek at what’s underneath that stoic exterior while I’m here.“And I’m his Beta, so what?” she asks, rolling her eyes at her brother.“Technically, Clint is my Beta,” Emerson says behind me.“Technically, Clint is my Beta,” Riley says, lowering her voice and mimicking her broth
Why the fuck hadn’t I figured out how to tell Quinn that I was her mate? Oh, right. I hadn’t planned to tell her at all. I was going to wait until her eighteenth birthday, when she called me mate, and until then, I’d planned to threaten anyone who even looked at her with interest.But after talking to my mother and also seeing how sad she looked at dinner, I want her to know that she’s here for more than just protecting the pack. She’s here for good. I want her to know that she’s mine.Uncle Liam picked up on what I was saying earlier, and he basically threatened me to be a good mate to his daughter. I’d like to say that’s what has me flustered, but it’s not that at all.It’s the absolutely stunning woman in front of me who smells like mandarin oranges. I had walked in, knowing that she’s going to be mine in a couple of months, and all I had wanted to do when I saw her standing there in that gorgeous dress that brought out the color of her eyes was to strip it off of her and make her
Emerson’s my mate! I knew it! Well, I’d hoped that he was my mate. The man I’ve been in love with since I can remember is going to be mine for the rest of my life.I know I have a huge smile on my face as he escorts me to the stage for my acting Luna ceremony. All I can think about is finding a way to get under that tough exterior. I want to know the man underneath and I hope he’ll let me discover all his secrets.‘He won’t have a choice. He’s a mere man, we’re Guardians,’ Minka purrs.‘I take it you intend to find out what’s under Clovis tough exterior too?’ I ask her.‘I don’t think Clovis will give me as much trouble as Emerson will give you, but we’ll see. I love a challenge,’ she says and I nearly laugh out loud. But I restrain myself, as we step onto the stage.I look out over the pack, the pack that will officially be mine in a few months. I see my father smiling proudly at me, Riley, Clint, Uncle Eli and Aunt Grace with various degrees of pride and excitement on their faces, I
My wolf is not happy with me.‘That’s because you’re an idiot,’ he grumbles in our shared mind space. My wolf and I have never disagreed. Until now.‘I’m not an idiot. What was I supposed to do, escort Quinn around the pack? Everyone already knows her.’‘So what? She’s never been a Luna before and she’s OUR Luna, even if she’s only acting Luna. You didn’t even tell that pack that she’s our mate and their true Luna,’ he growls at me.‘Clovis, you’re giving me a headache.’“And let’s not forget the disappointed look on her face when you didn’t even kiss her last night! You told her she’s your mate, made her your Luna, and you couldn’t even be bothered to kiss her? What is wrong with you?’I definitely have a headache. I’m surprised Clovis let me sleep at all last night.I finish getting ready and stop at Quinn’s door to get her for warrior training. When she doesn’t answer, I gently press my mind against hers, in case she’s still sleeping. It would be unusual, but yesterday was a lot for
After breakfast, I realized just how alone I was going to be.First, I said goodbye to my father. He needed to head back since Rich was still in Canyon Ridge and Xander was needed at Holstin Enterprises.“You’re going to be great, sweetheart. But, if for any reason at all you’re not happy, you can always come home. You’re a Guardian. Rich will be thrilled to have you in the pack.”“Thanks, Dad. I’m sure it will be fine.”He had pulled me into a big, dad hug. “I have always wanted better than ‘fine’ for all of my children. I want you to have what your mother and I have, something spectacular, something incredible, something no words can describe. Anything less than that, isn’t good enough. Remember that, my daughter.”“Thanks, Dad.”After that, I’d said goodbye to Riley and Clint. I was truly worried about them. My family, more than any other, knows about the horrors of vampires. My mother’s skin was a constant reminder to us growing up. She’d been a vampire prince’s blood bag for seven