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
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
Watching my mate on her birthday had been one of the best feelings in the world. I know every man in all three packs had hoped that she would be their mate. But she isn’t. She’s mine. All mine, forever. And tonight, I get to claim her in the last possible way, officially making her my Luna.Last night, we’d watched as Malin had taken her official place as Luna of the Canyon Ridge pack. It was special for Quinn, but I’ll admit to feeling jealousy when Cohen announced to everyone that Malin was carrying his pup. After finding out at Quinn’s birthday party that my sister, Emlyn, Quinn’s sister, Leana, and her sister-in-law Maeve were all pregnant, and now hearing that her twin is pregnant, I suddenly realize that I want a pup too.I’ve never given much thought to how many pups I want. I need an heir, and of course, I’d like to have a little girl that has Quinn’s sweet personality, but otherwise, I hadn’t thought much about it. Until now. Now I know that I want pups with Quinn. I don’t eve
I’m exhausted and pleasantly sore between my thighs, but I don’t care. I’m wearing my mate’s mark, wearing my new necklace, and it’s my birthday. Emerson skipped warrior training this morning to spend extra time with me. We’d finally fallen asleep and I’d slept soundly for a couple of hours laying on top of his body.I feel his fingers softly rubbing over my back.I grumble, knowing he’s trying to gently wake me up.“I don’t want to get up either, birthday girl, but we have a party to get to,” he says.I snuggle against him, not budging. He chuckles. “If you don’t get up, I’m going to take you again.”“Is that supposed to be a deterrent?” I ask him.“You must be sore, Quinn.”“Not that sore,” I say, looking up at him.His eyes darken. “Damn, you are one sexy woman, Quinn. And you look fucking incredible wearing my mark. You know what?” he asks, sitting up and lifting me as he gets off the bed and walks into the bathroom carrying me.“What?” I ask.“I want to take my mate while I look a
Emerson and I have been together every night for the past month. He’s tried every possible position, explored every inch of my body and found places that even I didn’t know I liked being touched. But tonight feels different. I can feel it in the air around us, feel it in him, and feel it in our wolves.“What does my sweet mate want for her birthday?” Emerson asks me.“You. Just you,” I say and he leans down, kissing me slowly and deeply, as I wrap my legs around his body.“Just me, not my mark?” he asks, his warm breath blowing against my ear and moving to my neck, making me shiver.“Having you means I get to wear your mark and I ge to put mine on you as well.”He growls as I lift my chin, exposing my throat to him. I feel his canines graze over my mate mark, the feeling of it so much more intense now that it’s my birthday.“Not yet,” he says, before flipping us over. “I thought my little Guardian might want to be in control on her birthday, to ride me any way she wants before sinking
The day has finally arrived, the day when I can leave my mark on my mate and it will finally, finally stay. I’ve been looking forward to this day for years, literally years, since the first moment that I recognized Quinn as my mate.Even though I know I can’t leave my mark until midnight tonight, I still wake my mate by sliding inside her. I look forward to my evenings with Quinn and waking up with Quinn. I make a point to see my mate throughout the day. Then nights and mornings are when it’s just us and I can be me and she seems to thrive on me being me. I was so terrified for so long that I would hurt her, that I’d scare her off, that it never really occurred to me to trust that the Moon Goddess would give me the exact mate that I needed to fulfill every dream and fantasy that I’ve ever had. But here she is, in my arms, screaming my name. Fuck, I love waking up to her body contracting around mine and my name coming from her mouth.Even though I’m behind her and we’re both laying on o
I love being in Emerson’s room. Well, it’s ours now. Going to bed at night is so much more enjoyable. And everything about Emerson has begun to fall into place. During the day, he still shows me affection, more than he used to, but it’s at night that he strips away his reserved side and gives me everything that he is. And what a man he is.Our first night, he was careful with me, in the sense that we didn’t have sex. But that didn’t mean that I didn’t have one of the most intense nights of my life, at least up until that point. I know my mate wants control, and I’m happy to give it, as long as he gives me what I want. Just to be sure, I ordered some sexy lingerie, wearing it every night, just so Emerson can rip it off me. It seems to be all he needs to let go. And oh wow, I’m not even sure I realized how many ways my mate could take me, but Emerson wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to know all the ways he could make me come by my birthday. It’s like he’s on a mission and every nigh
I let her sleep about an hour before I wake her. We need to get ready to have breakfast with her sister and Cohen before we head back to our pack. I pull her into the shower with me, laughing at her sleepy grumpiness.“None of that or I won’t wake you up like that again,” I say to her.“I need coffee,” she pouts as I push her under the shower. “And how come you’re not exhausted?”“I didn’t have as many orgasms as you did,” I say smiling, exceedingly pleased with myself. I counted ten. I made my mate come ten times. Now, I need to see how I can increase that number.“You know, you called me greedy, but you’re awfully greedy when it comes to giving me orgasms,” she says as I wash her hair.“Are you complaining?” I ask, smiling at her.“Nope. I like that greedy side of you,” she says and I laugh, truly laugh.“And, I love seeing this happy side of you,” she says softly and I look down at her.“You did this. You make me this happy,” I say, kissing her nose.That seems to make HER happy and
I wake for the first time with my mate in my arms. I’m not sure I’ve ever slept through the night. It’s not that I don’t sleep, but I tend to toss and turn. I can tell that I didn’t move all night, my body, mind, and soul all at peace having this fascinating and incredible woman beside me.I look down at her, her white, blond hair spread out across my chest, a stark contrast to my dark skin tone. I’m not sure I expected her to give herself to me so completely. I kept Clint’s words of advice in my head, and he wasn’t wrong. Quinn giving me control over her perfect body, letting me taste her and fill her had been beyond anything I’d ever experienced, well, at least until I’d had my first orgasm inside her. I thought I’d died and gone to the Moon Goddess’ realm. Yeah, I know I’m going to want to taste and fill this woman every damn day. I can already tell that I’ll never, ever be able to get enough of her. And now, I’m excited to find all the ways I can dominate this body and to see what
There is something extremely attractive about Emerson being so dominant. I can tell he’s on the verge of losing control and the only thing keeping him in check is dominating my body. And oh, holy mother Moon Goddess, is he dominating my body.I’ve touched myself, found my own release many times in my life, but this…this is way beyond anything that I’ve ever made myself feel. And he hasn’t even moved past my breasts. I didn’t know it was possible to come just from your mate sucking your nipples, but I’m here to tell you, it is possible. At least if you have Emerson licking and sucking on them like they are the most incredible thing he’s ever put in his mouth.His hands are everywhere, his mouth is everywhere, and while I want to be a participant in this, our first of what I hope is many matings, he’s overwhelming my senses. On top of that, he seems to want and need control and I’m willingly giving it to him.When he commands me to say his name when I orgasm again, I feel heat flooding m