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
Lana's P.O.V.There was an unreasonable amount of disappointment in me when I woke up alone. Oliver was going to have to work. I knew that, but waking up to my mate placing kisses on my shoulder or cuddling with me was something that I had grown spoiled by.We were apart during the day, but at night and in the mornings we made a point to spend time together.Having him gone when I woke was equally upsetting as it was a pleasant surprise.When I had been with James, I would get up before him and make him breakfast, lay out his uniform, and then stay out of his way while he got ready. On the days when I woke up, and he had left early from an early call-in, I was ecstatic. I would always start my morning knowing it was going to be a good day until he got home from work.Going from a relationship where I was relieved to be alone, to one where I was disappointed he wasn't there made me happy. It only confirmed that this was where I was
Oliver's P.O.V. 'She's being taken to the pack house,' one of my pack members informed me as I watched Lana with a sharp eye. She was clearly in shock, and I wasn't sure what to do to help her. Lana didn't move as I licked her side, cleaning her injuries and watching as the skin began to stitch itself back together. She was like a statue as she continued to stare at the young boy on the ground. I stepped in front of her and put my head under her chin, lifting her until she could no longer see the body. It was then that she allowed me to guide her back to the pack house. Guards were posted around the floor, and the majority of the kids were in the safe room. It wasn't hard to find Maddie. I could hear her crying as soon as I approached the pack house. She was in the kitchen, terrified. Her sobbing pulled at my heart, but I knew she was safe and being taken care of. Her little footsteps could be heard running our way, a
Lana's P.O.V I couldn't say how long we had stayed under the spray of the water before I had calmed. It took a while for my body to stop trembling and even longer for me to form a thought. Maddie would be fine. Her fear of me might take time, but that was something that could be addressed. My memory of the wolf shifting back to a teenage boy could too. But for the moment, I didn't want to have to deal with any of that. The idea that I would have to push aside my thoughts and feelings to comfort my daughter was something I was willing to do, but for the next few minutes, I didn't want to. I wanted to grieve and put myself first for once in my life. "What happened?" I asked Oliver as I continued to stare at the grout line between the shower tiles. I couldn't pull my eyes away. I could barely manage to blink as the water continued to hit our legs wastefully. "It was the same tactic as before. They sent in
Lana's P.O.V.Aspen had been willing to let Maddie watch my training and kindly accommodated my need to stay in my human form. I hadn't let Maddie see me in my fur since the attack yesterday, but eventually, I would have to.The longer she stayed scared of my wolf, the harder it would be for her to get over what happened.I swung my leg out, still fueled by the events of yesterday. Used it to take Aspen down to the ground.Satisfaction rushed through me when she hit the Earth, and Maddie cheered behind me. I had been getting better every day, but something about today felt different. I was ready to make sure I could take down anyone or thing that came my way. Nothing would ever get past me to my daughter. I had been lucky yesterday with a sick wolf. But had it been a healthy, fully grown wolf, I would have stood no chance.Aspen let out a puff of air as she made contact with the dirt, and sat up with her arms on her knees. "Only a
Oliver's P.O.V. Everything in me was telling me to continue my fight. I wanted to end Paul for attacking my mate. It was the small part of my brain that was controlled by my connection to my pack that told me to calm down and to listen to the Alpha's command. And I did. But I really didn't want to. I was covered in the rogue's blood after having a long session with him. It had been twenty-four hours, and he had refused to give me any information. He was mentally strong. I would give him that. But his body could only take so much, and I was determined to break him. It was the frustration of his stubbornness that pushed me over the edge. I knew Lana had been training today. But when I took a break to get some food, I thought I would find Lana and Aspen sparing, not my mate getting knocked to the ground by another man. He was lucky I didn't rip his throat out for laying a hand on my mate. "Oliver, you over-stepped." Aspen snapped as she leaned against the wall next to my adorable
Lana's P.O.V.By the time we had gotten Maddie down for her afternoon nap, several of our pack leaders had reached the rogues. Aspen was keeping me informed, but I was anxious to know what their demands were.'I've only ever done this with Hudson, and it was only for a few seconds at a time. But let's see if this works. Here goes.' Aspen said through our mind link. I sat back on the couch next to Oliver. I didn't need a bond with him to know what he was feeling. The stress was clear on his face. He pushed his hands along the top of his thighs, showing that he was also nervous.There was a small amount of space between us, and I reached over, grabbing his hand and interlacing our fingers. He looked over at me shocked, and I knew his anxiety was because of what he said about me in the office.He had been right. I couldn't handle a gown man trying to take me down, but I would one day. I was going to make him proud and make it so he