Oliver's P.O.V I received several odd looks from people as I walked through their community to the pack house. My hope was that I could get in and out with as little recognition as possible, but that seemed to be impossible. As long as I could at least get out before I had to deal with Conner or Nyla, I would be happy. Dalton led me to the Alpha's office before nodding with a pat on my shoulder, "See you around, kid. Don't be a stranger." The smile that stretched across my face was uncontrollable. I knew I would be back, and when I was, I would be passing through with my family to take them home. "I'll be back soon. It was good to see you again." He turned his head away from me as he squeezed my shoulder one last time before dropping his arm and leaving. As soon as he was around the corner, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door to Alpha Jones's office. It only took a few seconds before the familiar and stunning woman opened the door. "Mr. Blake, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Oliver's P.O.V. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise like a poltergeist was near as soon as I stepped out of the pack house. The meeting with Alpha Jones was quick, but her insistence that I joined some of her pack members for lunch made my stay much longer than I had intended. I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn't say no and run out of there without it coming off as disrespectful. Not when she had just opened her home to Lana, Maddie, and me. But I knew based on the looks I had received, that word would get out to Nyla that I was here as soon as everyone dispersed… if they hadn't already used their pack link to tell her. That was one thing that I did not miss about pack life. Most packs were still a united force and took care of one another, but they sure loved to gossip. Everyone wanted to know what was going on with their brothers and sisters at all times. It was infuriating but also understandable. If one of my pack-mates were going through a hard time and weren't abl
Lana's P.O.V. The warmth of his skin against mine had my mind reeling. Everything I had planned to discuss with him went right out the door. I knew he needed sleep, and that had been my first intention. Even though it was night and he would normally go outside and deal with the rogues, he hadn't slept in twenty-four hours. I didn't want him to wear himself down, especially when I knew how stressed he was already. My plan had been to make him sleep, preferably in my bed with his arms around me tonight. In the morning, I would have to tell him about James. He would need to know the truth, and we would have to come up with a plan to keep Maddie and me hidden if we were to go stay with his pack. But finally having him back in my arms after worrying about him all day had me wanting to just enjoy him being home and not focus on anything else. "I'm fine! I was more worried about you! I just kept thinking about you getting cornered by rogues and not coming home to me." I whispered as I
Lana's P.O.V. After changing my clothes, I joined Oliver back in the living room. I was confused about why he refused my offer to go to the bedroom and talk. The fact that he had taken the individual armchair instead of sitting next to me told me that he was expecting this conversation to have a negative outcome. "Am I in trouble?" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but the forced and almost pained smile he gave me in return had me swallowing hard. The throw blanket had been taken off the back of the couch, and Oliver held it in his hands. As soon as I sat down, he leaned forward and spread it over my legs. It warmed my heart that he recognized how I loved to be wrapped in a blanket when I sat here and always offered one to me. The fact that he cared enough to pay attention to the little quirks I had made me like him all the more. "No, but I think I might be once you hear what I have to say." Oliver took a deep breath as I waited, an uneasy feeling dropping into my gut. "You
Lana's P.O.V. My heart dropped to my stomach as Oliver adjusted the blanket around him, making sure it was tucked around his waist securely to keep himself covered. Maddie rolled to the side, dropping between us as she smiled brightly up at the man in my bed as if she had known him her whole life. "Are you joining us for breakfast today?" She asked with glee, her eyes wide as she looked from him to me. "Can he mommy?" I tried to force a smile back to her, but my anger was bubbling up to an unhealthy level. Oliver was looking at me, shaking his head with wide eyes. "Lana, I swear, I didn't." "Oliver will be joining us for breakfast today," I said between clenched teeth, trying to push back my anger that Oliver had lied to me. "How often do you get to see Oliver, Maddie?" My daughter's excitement went through her whole body, and she kicked her little legs as she squealed with happiness, ignoring my question. "Mom, you said we have to save the pancakes for special days. Can we have
Oliver's P.O.V. Breakfast was a tense affair. I tried not to let it bother me that she was still married, but it did. That was my woman, but legally she was married to another. She had vowed to love and cherish someone other than me, and that unintentional betrayal of our mate bond made me feel like my guts were being ripped out. Once again, my soulmate had fallen in love with another man and had bound themselves to them before I even had a chance. I went from feeling like I was nothing more than a pet to Lana, to a fool. I stacked the food into the reusable shopping bags Lana bought on her last trip to the grocery store. We wouldn't need it. My pack would care for us, but I didn't want to leave the owner of this cabin to find rotten food the next time they showed up. I didn't mean to, but everything I tucked away seemed to have more force behind it than it should. Lana steered clear of me as she gathered her and Maddie's belongings. I felt guilty that she was shying away, but I
Lana's P.OV. I scrambled, doing my best to get a seatbelt around myself with Maddie in my lap. She needed to be in her car seat, but as Oliver slid behind the wheel and started the car, I knew I wouldn't have time. We peeled out of the driveway, skidding onto the dirt road within seconds. The old, beat-up car let out a squeal and clanged in protest from the sudden abuse of its cold engine. If it weren't for the fear and adrenaline pumping through my veins, it would have been exhilarating as the tires skid across the road. We drifted around the corner and onto the main street. "Mommy, the wolves are chasing us," Maddie said softly, and I patted her knee atop mine. She turned from the back window to look at me, her eyes wide. "Don't look back, Maddie. Just keep facing the front. You have to help me find a place that sells chicken nuggets, remember?" I knew her excitement for them was gone, but I was hoping she would stay distracted long enough for us to get away from the hunting par
Lana's P.O.V. Every step we took, more people seemed to appear. Most were smiling with welcome, but others were staring with a look of open curiosity. I couldn't blame them though. I was examining them too. The man at the gate, Conner, had been right. Nudity was something that I would have to get used to, and so would Maddie. Several people we passed were wearing tank tops and shorts, but most people were in sports bras and shorts, or nothing at all. But, none of them seemed to mind. If Oliver's pack was the same way, I would have to adjust quickly. Besides their lack of clothing and their muscular build, they look no different than humans. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting. I knew from Oliver that when in their human form, there was nothing different about them. But I was still looking for something to stand out as I scanned the crowd. I had no doubt in my mind who the Alpha was. A beautiful black woman stood tall and proud in front of a large mansion. Her head of braids lo
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