Lana's P.O.V. My mind kept telling me to grab Maddie and run, to get as far away from the pack and the pain as possible. But my heart had me stumbling next to Oliver, gripping his hand tightly as he walked me to his land. The tall cover of trees let in streams of moonlight between the branches, and I took in a deep breath as we stopped under the largest section of moonlight. Oliver turned, moving to stand in front of me as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Are you ready, my mate?" It felt like a trick question. Was I ready to have all of my bones break and realign as I sprouted fur and transformed into a wolf? No. Absolutely not. Was I ready to be able to defend myself and my daughter against the upcoming threat? Fuck yes. The feigned confidence I had been holding onto faltered as I felt the muscles in my arm twitch, and I tensed as I waited for the bone to break. "Once it starts, it will be over very quickly. You just have to stay calm and focus on
Oliver's P.O.V. There was a celebration back at the pack house. Since we weren't allowed to go on our normal run with the rogues closing in on us, those who were able to participate joined us in front of the pack house in their furs. Lana stumbled at first, but she moved swiftly within a few minutes like she was a professional... like she had meant to be a wolf her whole life. But I had never seen a human transform and handle their new form so easily. It made me admire her all the more. The pack greeted her eagerly, rubbing against her side and letting out wolfish noises of welcome in her direction. I smiled at her, watching as she took everything in with her newly heightened senses. 'She did well,' Parker's voice came through my mind as he moved to stand next to me. His size was only slightly bigger than mine, something that was rarely seen in those who had not been born of an Alpha bloodline. 'She really did. She is strong.' I said softly, keeping my eyes on Lana as Kaylee appr
Lana's P.O.V. Everything about the world was completely different than what I knew and how I had previously experienced it. The Earth was softer, sinking beneath my paws with each step I took. The trees smelled stronger and sweeter, and the air was crisper. It was like I had entered a new universe. Nothing was the same as before, but it was even more beautiful. I could see why the wolves enjoyed the wilderness. The life surrounding them and the clean air felt invigorating. We had started out slow, jogging along the border of the houses, staying close to the center of the community. Several wolves had joined us at first But as we continued on, they dropped off one by one, giving us our privacy, and probably getting bored by our small and repetitive circle. But for me, it was more exciting each time. I would notice new things with each lap. New smells, sounds, colors. It was incredible. 'How are you feeling, my mate?' O
Lana's P.O.V. Oliver's muscles tensed as he stared down at me, his beast at the surface but patiently waiting. It was as if he were holding his breath in anticipation. "Do you?" I asked again, stepping up on my toes to get closer to him. Oliver lowered himself, his hands landing on my hips, giving me full access to the area where I would mark him. I brushed my lips along the skin, feeling a primal urge coming forward, trying to compel me to bite down into his soft flesh and claim him as mine. "Lana," He growled, his fingertips digging into my hips. "Don't tease me. I don't think you understand how long I have waited for this moment. I want to be yours as much as you are mine." I pulled back, glancing up at his eyes, amazed at their beauty as they shifted from black to forest green. My hand moved up to grab the back of his head. "You are mine," I whispered as I pulled his face down, capturing his lips. Oliver slid his hands from my hips to the back of my thighs, lifting me from the
Lana's P.O.V. I couldn't stop smiling. All morning I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. It all started when I woke with my face on Oliver's shoulder. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, was my claim on his skin. The irritated flesh topped by the silver scar tissue of my mark had me almost purring with giddiness. I knew wolf customs would be different than human customs, and while they were unfamiliar to me, this one felt as if we had just gotten married. The excitement of the honeymoon phase had butterflies in my chest. As Oliver walked with a smile rivaling the size of mine and his chin high, I knew he was just as happy. Each time we passed someone on our way to the kitchen and they offered us a smile or a knowing nod, his back seemed to straighten even more with pride, and he would gently squeeze my hand. It was one of the most adorable things I had ever seen him do. Knowing he was excited about having my mark on him
Oliver's P.O.V.My teeth ground together as I stared ahead at Parker."It's for you," Parker mouthed silently as he raised his eyebrows and glanced pointedly at the phone. I had been excited to request my position as a warrior back. I wanted to start training again, even if it was within the center of the pack land and not out on the training field with the rest of my people.Instead, I was the butt of Parker's joke as I entered his office right as Alpha Jones of the Mountain pack called. I froze in panic as he gestured for me to have a seat and announced my presence for Alpha Jones to hear. The smug look on his face told me that he was getting even for one of the other times I was a sarcastic ass to him.The knowing smirk on his face made me want to smash the phone on the desk into pieces. But like the obedient subordinate I was, I sat back and fought the urge to destroy his personal property."You're the worst," I mouthed back, c
Lana's P.O.V. I was livid. The aches in my body were appearing as quickly as they were healing. Each time I thought I had the upper hand, I was wrong. Aspen was too quick. She had me doing the same moves over and over, not letting me move on until they were perfect. Maddie had long ago grown bored and was inside with Oliver relaxing or playing. I wasn't sure which one, but I would rather be inside with them than getting my ass kicked. We hadn't gotten past the basics of self-defense, according to Aspen, but she wouldn't move past it until she felt I had mastered them. I had never seen this side of her before. It was shocking to see the change from a sarcastic and feisty woman to an emotionless warrior. Oliver had been right. She was unstoppable. I wanted to learn everything I could from her. A groan left my mouth as I was thrown onto my back, the soft grass doing nothing to cushion my fall. The power and strength of the she-wolf before me were unlike anything I had ever imagined
Oliver's P.O.V. My hands tightened into fists as I approached the large, reinforced yet rusted door of the dungeon. The last time I had been here, I was the one in chains. Adeline had been staying with us at the time. She had come to us when Kaylee had been kidnapped by those fucking vampires. As the mother of his child, she asked for help, and we gave it. Only it drove my mother crazy, watching my father trail after Adeline like a lost puppy. They spent hours every day and night together laughing, bonding, and trying to find new ways to locate Kaylee. In the end, they failed at finding her and simultaneously managed to drive my mother insane. She watched for years as my father openly loved Adeline and fought the accusations anytime their relationship was questioned. He claimed they were just best friends, and I tried to see it his way. I truly did give him the benefit of the doubt. But when my mother snapped and made a desperate attempt to get Kaylee and Adeline out of our life
Oliver's P.O.V - 14 years later There wasn't a single person who knew where I was. I had snuck away in the middle of the night and left. I needed to get to her, and that desperate need caused me to chase her over a hundred miles away. I had been lying in bed next to my beautiful mate, and yet all I could think about was her. There was a desperate need to see her. My wolf was on edge and sad with her so far away. I hated that she left me. So, we went after her. The sun was beginning to rise, and I sat in the tree line impatiently, waiting for her to leave for the day. The door to her building was just barely visible, but I knew that as soon as she stepped out, I would be able to see her. She hadn't been responding to any of my messages, and it was driving me insane. A simple 'hello' or 'I'm okay' wouldn't be that hard. I would even accept a, 'please stop messaging me'. One of the last things she said to me had broken my heart, but I would never stop
Lana's P.O.V. The pack had been over the moon when we announced our pregnancy. Having a baby who had been directly blessed by the Goddess was huge to our people, and I could only hope that they wouldn't put too much pressure on him. It had only been a few days, but I had already given up arguing with Oliver over the possibility that it could be a girl. He was so positive we would have a son, that he convinced me. We had picked out several names, prematurely as we hadn't even made it past the first trimester yet, but the excitement was driving us to do all the things they say you shouldn't. We told everyone, picked names, and started thinking about how we were going to design the nursery. The news that our house was next on the list to be worked on made me giddy. Everything was falling into place. The front door to the pack house slammed open, and I watched as several members of our pack split in different directions. The party was still in full swing, but no
Lana's P.O.V.For the past several months, I couldn't help but feel like I was failing Oliver. He was so calm and collected, yet each month when I took that test and received only one pink line in response, it broke me. He knew that it did.Oliver would come to find me, and he would hold me until the tears stopped, whispering that it would happen and that it just wasn't our time yet. But I wanted it to be. More than anything in the world, I wanted two pink lines to look back at me and tell me that our next child was growing inside me.Maddie was more impatient than I was, and her disappointment hurt me even worse. Her smile would fall when she would ask when her sibling would get here. We would tell her that we were still working on it, and she would get really quiet for the rest of the day. It was heartbreaking.But Oliver continued to insist. He would tell me that he knew for a fact it would happen when it was the right time and that we would have a whole litter of children by the t
I hope you enjoyed Oliver and Lana's story!Don't forget to follow me for updates on my new releases! Also, as I'm sure you know by now, any votes comments and positive book reviews are much appreciated! I'm feeling really good about the hard work I put into this book, and I am so grateful for the positive feedback! This was part of The Cards of Fate writing contest, and whether I rank or not, I want to thank you all for your support! Results are to come out in January, so please vote, comment, leave a review and share with your friends if you enjoyed it!I am still loving seeing the comments and votes on these. So, Im going to ask again. Whose story do you like best so far?Olivia and GabrielParker and KayleeOliver and LanaWith every book, I am doing my best to have it be better than the last. I read every comment for feedback! Stay tuned for bonus chapters!You are the best!
Maddie's P.O.V. Twenty Years Later My fingers pulled at the hem of my dress as I sat sipping my champagne. I had thought attending my college roommate's wedding would be fun, but it was pretty boring. While I had imagined, men and women our age drinking, dancing, and flirting, it was the complete opposite. The best part about it was the food. They had invited their entire families but only a few friends. I grabbed another roll of bread from the basket on the table, ripping it up before popping small pieces into my mouth. I had learned my lesson before, getting caught stuffing my mouth at functions that had a lot of cameras. Those photos would haunt me for the rest of my life. But this, this was not a wedding to remember for anyone other than the couple. Which was as it should be. This was their night and money. The guests didn't matter to them in the couple's blissful bubble. But as one of their attendees, I could vouch that their guests sure were bored. The couple was swaying ba
Oliver's P.O.V. As much as I loved Aspen, I had to get out of there. We had grown up together, almost as siblings since her dad was the Beta and mine, the Alpha. But even as a kid, I could only take so much of her dramatics or lack of a filter. Things moved through her brain and out of her mouth without considering whether it was appropriate or hurtful. As a teenager, I heard way more about her sex life than I wanted to, and the last thing I wanted was to get suckered into sitting down and having to listen to her go on about her lack of sexual freedom while I was trying to eat my breakfast. Instead, I packed up the majority of the pancakes into a Tupperware as soon as they left the frying pan, much to Hudson's annoyance, and stole the bottle of syrup before dashing after Maddie. She screamed with joy as I threw her over my shoulder and carried her away from that clingy little pup, Nicholas. He really wasn't so bad, but I resented him for the idea that he could one day take her from
Lana's P.O.V.There was still tension between Adeline and Oliver as we made our way to the kitchen at the insistence of my very pushy daughter, but Mr. Blake looked over the moon. Getting a second chance with his son seemed to be just what he needed during this hard time, and I knew Oliver needed it too.I don't think Oliver would have been able to live with himself if he went back to shunning his father. Especially after the man sacrificed himself for Oliver and lost his arm in the process.The guilt would have driven him mad.Kaylee and Parker were sitting at the kitchen island with Olivia, eating heaping piles of eggs, sausage, and several pieces of toast. They smiled widely at me as I entered with Maddie right behind me. But their excitement seemed to rise as Oliver entered, being dragged by Maddie's hold on his hand."Liv! I'm glad you're still here!" Oliver exclaimed as he lifted Maddie and placed her on the empty barstool ne
Oliver's P.O.V."I don't want to leave," Lana mumbled, her lips rubbing against my chest as she pressed her warm, naked body firmly against mine beneath the blanket. The morning sun beamed in through the edges of the curtain, reminding us that it was time for us to get up and get to work.I hated that while I had been sleeping for the past two weeks, my pack had been busting their ass to restore our homes and way of life. Even though I was injured and in a coma, I wanted to make up for it and contribute.I was disappointed when we entered our room yesterday evening to find it was occupied by multiple other people. Their mats and blankets spread out across the floor. But when I got out of the shower, Lana was standing in the middle of our newly vacant room with a wide smile.I didn't waste another second in swooping her up into my arms and taking her to bed. We had been apart for too long, and all I wanted was to be close to her. What star
Lana's P.O.V. There was a collection of us, at least a hundred, who were going from house to house, tearing out all of the damaged sections and rebuilding them back up as quickly as possible. A few homes would have to be completely demolished, but we would have to come back to them. For now, we needed to get as many as we could into livable conditions, and as soon as possible, so our people could have a roof over their heads. It was bad enough that I had multiple strangers sleeping on my bedroom floor. Maddie was having a blast sleeping in the room with the other kids. It was like a giant slumber party every night. But even if I wanted to rest for a minute during the day, my bed was out of the question. Having strangers in my space, in mine and Oliver's personal bedroom, made it feel compromised. It was no longer my safe space. They were diluting his scent, and coming in and out at random times throughout the day. I had tried to close my eyes once for a quick nap, and as soon as t