Adina’s POV“There was a small roof below it, and she told me to jump down from the roof into the snow. I think she had forgotten that Jack slept in his room because she went inside again, telling me I needed to get ready to catch him when she returned. When I climbed out on the roof, I dropped into the snow on the ground.”“I didn’t have shoes, and it was so cold in the snow. But I stood there looking at the window, hoping my mother would return. All around me, I could hear people screaming and wolves growling and howling. I was so scared. Then I saw my mother. She had Jack in her arms and was about to go out the window.”“But something grabbed her and pulled her back into the house. I could hear her yelling for me to run into the woods, to hide. But I couldn’t move. I just stood there frozen in place, looking at the window. Then I heard her scream, and then Jack screamed. I had never heard anything so horrifying in my life. I just turned around and started running.”“I ran through t
Adina’s POVAdina was sitting in the tub, the hot water was soothing, and the bubbles went up her shoulders. Colin had pulled her back against his chest, draping his arms around her, crossing in front of her. He surrounded her, and she felt safe and started to relax. She leaned her back to rest on his chest and felt him placing his chin on top of her head.“Thank you”, she said with a relaxing sigh.“For what?” he wondered.“Everything, for wanting to know about my past, for listening to me, for letting me cry, for making me laugh and for not leaving”, she said honestly.“You don’t have to thank me, baby. I should have asked you sooner. And as for the rest of it, I will try to give you that every day for the rest of our lives, " he said, kissing her head. Adina relaxed a bit more. It didn’t sound like he would ask her to leave even after finding out the truth. She was relieved before she corrected herself. “You still want me to stay?” she was afraid to ask, but she needed to know.“O
“Two years”, Colin could not contain a grin as he answered.“Impressive indeed,” Adina said, nodding appreciatively.“Happy you think so, baby,” Colin said, pulling her to his side. “Let’s get going to the next place.”They travelled along the border until they reached one road going into the territory. At the border, some signs clearly stated that this was private property, and trespassing was not allowed. About 100 meters in, there was a boom blocking the road. Next to it was a small booth with two pack members inside. The two pack members stepped out of the booth when the small party stopped.“Alpha,” they greeted Colin with respect.“Jonas, Mary, is everything running smoothly today?” Colin asked.“Yes, alpha, it has been quiet today,” the female that must be Mary replied.“Good. I want to introduce you to Adina, my mate and Sean,” Colin said, and the two warriors greeted both Adina and Sean with respect.“I’m giving them a tour of how things work. Please continue your day and don
“My view has never changed. You are my mate. I love you, and you belong here in this pack. Have you changed your mind, and what are the alternatives?” he asked.Adina took a moment to think it over. The tour today had made her feel more secure, and she felt their pack might be able to avoid the past.“I think I have,” she said, making Colin look like a child at Christmas.“But I still want us to go through some things. There are alternatives where I live here most of the time but maybe rotate out a couple of months a year,” she said.“No,” Colin said without hesitation. “I don’t trust that you will be safe away from me”.“Honey, even if I stay here permanently, I will have to travel some. I have duties that take me across the world. You need to be okay with that. I know that as alpha, you won’t be able to join me all the time,” she said honestly. Colin didn’t look happy but contemplated it for a while.“If Sean joins you when I can’t and you let me send a couple of warriors with you,
Then Adina realised Johnny didn’t know how he should behave. He felt the need to fix the situation, but he didn’t know-how. Adina placed a hand on Colin’s knee to calm him.“Lower your eyes, Johnny; you need to bow your head and neck to show your submission. To look the alpha in the eyes is how you challenge their authority,” she spoke to Johnny in a stern voice.He shifted his eyes from Colin to Adina in surprise.“You do not look at her,” Colin snarled, and Johnny finally understood and lowered his eyes and exposed his neck. The tension was high, and Adina felt the need to do something. Her hand was massaging Colin’s knee to make him relax a bit. Something was off in this family, but she didn’t know exactly what.“We want Johnny to come alive at the pack house for a while since he just shifted. How old are you, Johnny?” Adina took charge of the conversation.“Fifteen”, he answered, looking at the rug. That was a bit on the later side of shifting for the first time, but not unheard
Adina’s POV“Amy, we need to discuss something serious,” Colin started. Adina looked at the she-wolf in front of her and could see she had her eyes down and her hands fidgeted in her lap.“You have shown disrespect to your future luna, and this will not be tolerated,” Colin continued. At those words, Amy instinctively looked at Adina with hatred, thinking Adina had told Colin.A deep, warning growl came from Colin, making Amy bow her head in submission.“You will not look at your luna like that; you will not look at her, period,” he growled.Adina realised she liked that he was so protective. Then she wondered if it was okay to feel like that. She had always seen herself as strong and independent. She ended up conflicted, but still, she reached out and placed a hand on Colin’s hand to calm him.Something had snapped in Amy. Adina could feel the emotions built in the she-wolf. Maybe they had been there for so long that now that Colin finally acknowledged them, she thought she had to do
Sean’s POVIt had been a long time since Sean had been a part of a pack like this one. Even though neither he nor Adina were officially part of the Blackmoon pack, they were treated like it. The number of wolves that had come up to tell him welcome was overwhelming.A surprising development was that as a named brother of the alpha, the new lunas bodyguard, a skilled warrior and unmated. Sean had become price game for the young unmated she-wolves of the pack.It had taken Sean a while to notice, but as he stood a little to the side, making sure Adina was safe, he noticed a large group of women, giggling. It unnerved him, but they didn’t seem to be a threat, so he ignored them. Then a couple of them walked over to him, asking him questions and Sean did his best to be polite, but get them to leave.Jason came walking over to him with a grin on his face. Sean shook his head, that grin couldn’t mean anything good.“Sean, looks like I have some competition for the eligible woman of the pack
“I have a bad feeling about this, and we have waited long enough. My wolf is going crazy from not having marked his mate. If we go into that situation without you wearing his mark, I don’t think I can hold him back,” Colin explained.Adina nodded. Her wolf wasn’t happy about the marking situation, either. Adina had held off so long because she didn’t want to let him mark her if she ended up leaving. But as she would stay, she had no objections.“Sounds fine by me,” she agreed.Colin looked at her like she had sprouted a second head.“What? I thought that was what you wanted. Do you want me to say no?” she asked, confused.“No, I just thought you would object,” he said.“That was because I thought I would leave,” she smiled.The biggest grin appeared on Colin’s face. Adina couldn’t help but laugh.“What?” he asked.“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “So that we understand each other. I’m going to stay here as your luna. But I will still be the alpha of the White Rose pack. That inc
Jouko stood up and tried to look like he wasn’t half starving. He bowed towards the gods and the jury. “My lord, my lady,” he addressed the gods. “The things that you have been told here today have been taken out of context and twisted to make them seem like something they are not,” he continued. “I am happy to hear that. Could you put things in the right context, please?” Absalom said. “With pleasure, my lord. In the last five generations the Beloved One have been showing signs of weakness that, quite frankly, is dangerous,” Jouko said. “How’s that?” Selene asked. “They have been more restricting when it comes to interactions with humans. We have fewer ways to express our true nature. The council has put laws and restrictions in place to protect the weak humans from us. It’s a threat to my race,” Jouko told her. “The Beloved One, would you like to respond?” Absalom asked. “I would, thank you,” Adina said, standing up. She didn’t walk toward the gods or the vampire. She stood b
Colin’s POV It had been a month since the battle. The pack was in one place again. Colin, Adina, Sean and Clara and Julia had all gone to the dryads to thank them for watching over their pack members. Despite losing some of their pack members in the battle, the pack had stayed strong and as word got out that the Beloved One lived in the pack, they had gotten a lot of attention. The pack had taken it in stride. They were proud of their luna. Colin was proud of his pack and of his two mates. Today was the day for the trial and they would once again go to the dryads’ land. The only way to let them take part in the trial was to hold it on or near their land. The local tribe had generously offered to host the event. Each race had selected five representatives, except for humans that were peacefully unaware of the whole thing. The enemy vampires and the rogues had been allowed to choose three individuals each to represent them at the trial. The trial would be open to leaders of the race
Adina’s POV“Hello, mother. I’m fine, a little more tired than usual. But I’m perfectly fine to eat lunch with the pack,” Sean said.“You know Adina, and this is my other mate, alpha Colin. Colin, this is my mother and Tia,” Sean introduced them.“Mrs Murphy, Tia,” Colin nodded.“Alpha Colin,” both women said with a bow.Adina didn’t like that Sean’s mother hadn’t offered Colin to call her by her first name. It was a clear sign she didn’t accept him as her son’s mate. Adina felt both her mates tense up.“Would you like something to eat? You have had a long journey,” Adina asked.Sean’s mother looked at her and it wasn’t a hostile look, but it was cold and accusing. Adina had no doubt that Sean’s mother saw her as the reason her son had almost been killed. It was enough hostility in her eyes for both Colin and Sean to stand up and move closer to Adina.“No thank you, we ate on the way,” Sean’s mother told her.Adina saw it wasn’t just her mates that was reacting to the presence of the
Sean’s POV“So she brought Tia with her,” Adina sighed. It wasn’t a question.Sean growled, and he felt Colin tense up and growl as well.“That can be an issue,” Adina admitted.“Both Colin and I are more protective than usual, as you can understand,” Adina added.“I understand,” Liam nodded.“That goes for the pack as well. We have just been through a major battle, and they almost lost Sean. If they find out someone is trying to take him away, that individual will not have a peaceful time in this pack,” Colin said.“I get that, and if you allow her to visit, I will make that clear to her. I have talked to her after your visit and she knows she was in the wrong,” Liam said.“We will let them in. Sean’s mother should be able to see him,” Adina said.“Baby cake, that isn’t necessary,” Sean objected.“I have no issue turning them away,” Colin agreed.“But I do. Are you going to argue with me?” Adina asked.“No, baby,” Colin sighed.“You are too stubborn and kind-hearted for your own good
Sean’s POVSean was slowly gaining consciousness. He felt tired; it wasn’t the kind of tired he usually got after a long day. This was tired like as if he wasn’t lying down, he would probably have ended up in a pile on the floor. He had a faint recollection of being injured; he had a clear memory of wanting to see Adina one last time.Was he alive? He pondered as he focused. He could feel someone having their hand on his arm and someone was holding his hand. Sean could feel the sparkles that ran over his skin. His brain got a little clearer, and he smelt the scent of his mates. He opened his eyes and looked to his left.Besides the bed he was lying in, Colin sat in an armchair with a sleeping Adina in his lap. Adina was holding Sean’s hand in hers, even in her sleep, and Colin had his hand on Sean’s arm.Sean met Colin’s eye and Colin smiled.‘Welcome back,’ Colin mind linked Sean and squeezed his arm.‘Thank you. Where have I been?’ Sean asked.‘Out of it. You are in big trouble, my
Colin’s POVColin watched Adina work. Her eyes were closed, and she had her hands on Sean’s body. There was a steady trickling of silver coming out of is wound and into the basin.Clara came walking into the room with Jason. Jason went pale when he saw Sean. Clara swallowed hard but continued to walk up to the gurney. Before Colin knew it, he had emitted a low growl as a warning. His wolf was just under the surface and saw both his mates being vulnerable and he reacted out of instinct.“Sorry,” he said to Clara. She had frozen in the spot as he growled, and Jason had moved between his friend and his mate. “Go ahead, just go slow and don’t do any sudden movements,” Colin tried to smile at them.They had decided that Clara should stay in the shelter during the attack in case something went wrong, and Doc had been injured during the attack. Clara hadn’t been happy about it, but it was the prudent thing to do as they now had two doctors in the pack.She now carefully looked over Sean’s i
Adina’s POVThe enemies in front of Adina parted to let a tall woman through. She was slender and had short midnight black hair and brown eyes that was filled with hatred and loathing.“Diedre, I presume,” Adina smirked.“Adina, cousin,” the woman smiled. But Adina could tell that she wasn’t pleased that Adina had known her name.“It’s time to stop this, Diedre. You will never have my title and you most definitely won’t have my powers,” Adina said.“Why would we stop when we are winning?” Diedre asked. Adina laughed, but it was a laugh void of all amusement.“You are more delusional than I thought, cousin. Let’s stop this unnecessary killing and part ways,” Adina said.“I’m not the one with a mate that is more dead than alive,” Dierdre smirked.Both Colin and Adina growled at her.“You may not be, but you are the one with a fast-depleting army. Do you think these are the only warriors that will fight in my name? Magical creatures from around the world is standing by to send us backup.
Sean’s POVSean knew he needed to get his men over to Colin as soon as possible. If what Adina said was true and the main vampire force was heading there, Colin and his men would be in trouble.He shifted back to his human form for a moment to give orders to the surrounding warriors. He was still amazed at how many warriors Adina had rounded up. Sean had a good idea about how she had done it. They would have a conversation about that when this was over.“I need half of you to stay here, half of you need to come with me. We have a large number of vampires moving towards team A’s position. We will offer them support,” Sean told them. Sean’s brother shifted back to his human form next to Sean.“We will follow you,” he told Sean, and Sean nodded. He had been surprised when he saw his brother come sprinting through the woods. But he was grateful that he and his warriors had joined them.Sean shifted back to his wolf and then he was off. He mind linked Jason and Mateo to make sure they knew
Adina’s POVAdina walked down into the shelter for the second time. She knew what she needed to do. She also knew her mates would have refused to let her do it. That is why she hadn’t told them about it. She felt a little guilty for that. But not so much that she wouldn’t do it.She stopped by the monitoring station and had a look. It was too early to get a sense for the battle of the numbers. But at least things looked to start off on a smaller scale. Adina was afraid that the enemies were just testing the waters.‘We are under attack, we need our allies on site now,’ Adina mind linked Cernack.‘Are you safe, my lady?’ he asked.‘I am, but my mates and my pack aren’t. I want the council, all of the council, to call in favours where we can. I want all the warriors that we wan get to be ready. If we have allies that are more than an hour's drive away that are willing to help, let me know,’ Adina said.‘Yes, my lady,’ Cernack said.Adina turned to her two friends and smiled.“I’m going