~Landon~
I make it to the packhouse with Tia in my arms. I take her up to my room and set her on the bed. I watch her look around the room, taking in all the details. I have a king-sized bed in the room against the back wall. A big screen television is mounted on the opposite wall, big enough that I can see it from several different locations. There is a small eating area in the room with a love seat and a small, two-seater table. I have a huge 4-door armoire with matching end tables on each side of the bed. My room has a walk-in closet as well as a luxury bathroom. My brother’s room is pretty much the same, though with different color schemes. Actually, there is a door that leads right to his room from mine.
I place Tia against the headboard and prop her foot up on the pillows. I know she will heal soon, but this should ensure that she heals properly. “Hang on, and I will get you an ice pack.” Tia grabs my arm, and I look at her.
“You really don’t need to go through the trouble.” I shake my head and continue out of the room for the ice pack. When I return, Tia is asleep, snoring softly. I place the ice pack on her ankle and take off my shoes, jacket, and tie. I unbutton a few buttons of my shirt and slide in next to Tia. I sit next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders, trying not to wake her up. She stirs a bit and snuggles into my shoulder, placing a hand on my stomach. I could really get used to this. I close my eyes and let her scent take me into dreamland.
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I hear the door open and look around. It’s dark outside, and some way, Tia and I scooted down on the bed. Our arms are wrapped around each other, and her head is on my shoulder. I look toward the door, my vision picking up the intruder.
Where the hell have you been?
I had to think.
Think?! What the hell did you have to think about? She is our mate……..our fated mate.
I know, but we promised the twins.
Fuck that! That promise became void the minute we found our mate. Lincoln moves closer to the bed, taking Tia in. Why did you really run away? Lincoln pulls his head back, looking at the ceiling as if something is fascinating there.
I……I don’t know that I can share. I don’t know if I can be okay with that. I don’t want jealousy and anger to come between us. My attitude softens at this. I remember that Lincoln has always been hesitant about accepting one mate between the two of us. He never really told me why.
Linc, she was made for us…….for US. The Goddess wants us to have just her, and she needs both of us. I sigh, You know she asked about you. She wondered where you were. She won’t be complete with just one of us, and we won’t be complete with anyone but her. We look at each other in the darkness, me trying to convey everything through our twin bond. That bond is almost as strong as the mate bond, and we have always had it.
Lincoln sighs and takes his clothes off, leaving just his boxers on. His clothes look dirty, making me guess he has been in the woods all this time. He throws on a pair of my sweatpants with a t-shirt and slips into bed next to Tia. Lincoln tentatively reaches out to her, placing a hand on her thigh. He scoots in closer, but not too close. Tia sighs and scoots backward a bit. The minute her body makes contact with his, she snuggles up to him, placing a hand on his thigh. A sigh of contentment leaves her lips, and Lincoln’s eyes widen in surprise.
I told you she needs both of us. Don’t fight this, Lincoln. We have our fated mate now, our Tia. Let’s enjoy our blessing.
Tia? I chuckle through the mindlink.
Yeah, she goes by Tia. I will let her explain it to you. Lincoln nods and places his nose on her head, inhaling her scent. I scoot closer to Tia and close my eyes again, reveling in how right this feels.
~Tia~
I yawn and stretch a bit, feeling the warmth on both sides of me. The scent of peppermint is so strong I can practically taste it. The lemon smell is still there from yesterday, but I can also smell grapefruit. I turn to look behind me and notice Lincoln on his back, asleep. I look in front of me, and Landon is facing me, his face calm as he breathes heavily. I slide down to the end of the bed and slowly extract myself.
I tentatively step onto the floor, testing out the strength of my ankle. Everything is fine, and it doesn't even feel sore. I stand and stretch, making my way to the restroom. After I relieve myself, I look in the mirror while washing my hands. I don’t look half bad, considering everything. I have to admit that last night was the best sleep I can remember having.
I stand in the doorway, looking at the sleeping Alphas. They are so beautiful. They have dark brown skin and clean, shaved faces. They have short hair, waves evident throughout. They are taller than me at 6’0 and are extremely muscular. I can admit that I had a crush on them at one point in my life, but I didn’t think of it much. There was no way that they even noticed me, nor would they ever be interested in me. I would never have imagined that they would end up being my mates.
PORTIA! I had my block up once I realized I had seen my mates yesterday. I decided to put the block down once I woke up this morning. I’m sure Lynn and Mark have been trying to reach me.
Y…y….yes father?
Why haven’t I been able to reach you?!
I…….I……. He growls in the link.
Get your ass home now!
I tiptoe into the bedroom, grabbing my purse. I check my phone and notice it is dead figures. I quietly open the door, take one last look at the men on the bed, and quietly close the door behind me. I rush out of the packhouse and head over to my family home. I don’t know what this is about, but I dread it just the same.
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I arrive at my family’s house, and I stop at the door, trying to gather myself. I hate being here, which is why I’ve been gone all of these years. This place holds no real fond memories for me. My good memories are of other places, just not this home.
The door opens just as I’m about to reach for the handle. My mom steps outside, engulfing me in her arms. Her hug is warm and strong, and I have missed it so much. The bad part about staying away is being away from her. I love her fiercely, and she is the only family member who has ever shown me an ounce of care. “I love you so very much, Tia. Never forget or doubt that.” I breathe in my mother’s scent as I wrap myself around her even tighter.
“Get the hell in here already. I have other things to do.” My mother sighs and lets me go, stepping out of the way so I can walk inside. She walks in behind me and closes the door. My father is sitting in the front room, on my right, in a big armchair. Adela and Aida are sitting together on a couch near my father. Adela and my father look pissed, which is not really anything new. Aida looks hurt and lost. I’m going to go ahead and guess that they are aware of what happened yesterday, so this is not going to bode well for me.
I stand in the room's entryway, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. My mom stands behind me, off to the side. I know this is a lot for her to deal with, and I hate this for her. Adela walks close to me and takes a big breath in. Her eyes flash black, and she stomps back to the couch. “She was WITH them!”
“So you ignored my mindlink all night, and now I find that you were with them?” Aw, hell, this is just bad off the top. No easing into it, I see.
“I was with………who?” My father growls, shaking the room.
“Don’t fucking play with me! I’m not in the mood for games.” I try not to sigh loudly.
“We know…….” Aida says quietly. I turn my head toward her and say nothing.
“Damn it! We know you are the supposed mate of the Alphas………of OUR Alphas!” Adela screams in frustration, but I keep my face emotionless. They may know the truth, but I don’t need to confirm anything.
“You will reject them.” My head snaps forward, and I stare at my father with my mouth hanging open. There is no way he can be serious. He can’t honestly think I would willingly do that. They are my fated mates, for Goddess's sake. How the hell could I reject them like that?
“I won’t,” I whisper.
“Excuse me?!” My father rises out of the chair and stares me down. He is taller than me at 6’0, and his natural anger toward me makes him seem all that taller.
“They are my fated…….I won’t reject them.” My father takes menacing steps toward me until he is right in front of me. He pulls his hand back and lets it go, slapping me so hard that I fall to the floor. My ears are ringing a bit, and I feel dizzy. I hold my cheek, looking at my father with terror in my eyes. I hear my mother’s rapid breathing and increase in heartbeat. I hope she stays where she is. She doesn’t need to try to defend or save me. I need her to be safe.
“You sisters have been with the Alphas for years now. They have been named future Lunas. They deserve the title and everything that comes with it. You WILL NOT take that from them. You will reject the Alphas and you will leave this pack and never return. This is NOT up for debate, nor do you have a choice.”
I look up at my father, tears starting to fall down my face, and I’m pissed. I always told myself never to cry in front of him. Adela is smirking, and Aida is looking satisfied. I scramble to my knees and fly out of the door, hearing my father scream my name behind me. I run to my car and hop inside. I can see Adela not too far from the car. I hurry and start the car, throwing it into reverse, putting more distance between my sister and me. I throw the car into drive and fly down the street. The gates, thankfully, are already open, and I fly through them, trying to put as much distance as I can between myself and this pack. Andricia is whimpering in my head, wanting me to go back to my mates, but I can’t risk it. I need to be as far away as possible.
~Landon~I feel the bed next to me, but it’s empty. I open my eyes and come face to face with the eyes of my brother. Tia isn’t there. I sit up and look around the room, but there is nothing to see. Lincoln heads to the restroom but comes back quickly and shakes his head. I have no idea where she went or how long she has been gone. Trent?Yes, Alpha Landon.I need you to find someone. Find Portia Colby. See where she is. Check with her family if need be.Yes sir.“Trent is going to look for her.” Lincoln nods and sits on the edge of the bed.“Thank you.” “For?”“For talking to me last night. I really needed that. I don’t want to lose out on our mate.” I reach over and pat Lincoln on the back. I head into the restroom to shower and get dressed. I throw on some jeans, a long-sleeved v-neck sweater and a pair of Timberlands. When I come out of the closet dressed, Lincoln is sitting on the bed, having changed as well. He has on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt with Air Forces.
~Adela~That ugly bitch! I hate her; I hate her; I HATE HER! How dare she interfere in our lives like this? Why didn’t she just stay gone? How could Lincoln or Landon even consider taking her as a mate? She is weak and useless; she always has been. Landon and Lincoln belong with myself and Aida. We are stronger, smarter, and will make better Lunas. This pack knows us and will support us over Portia any day. I watch her drive off, contemplating going after her. I figure there would be no point. Soon, I’m sure, either she will do what Daddy said, or the boys will reject her for us. Either way, Aida and I will take our rightful spots as the Lunas of the Emerald Lake Pack. I couldn’t believe it when Luna Kimberly told us that the twins had not only found their fated mate, but she believed that it was our sister. Smelling her on them and her silence this morning was the confirmation needed. This must be some sick joke, but I’m not laughing. While training, I see Trent approach Daddy. I a
~Tia~I swear I cried the entire way back to my apartment. The four-hour drive was filled with sniffling and wailing. I have no idea what went through the minds of anyone who noticed me while I was driving. I can’t say that I’m surprised at what happened. I could have guessed the outcome would have been something like that. My dad only wants the best for his amazing daughters, and here I am, just getting in the way of that. I’d imagine that I will get a rejection letter or something in the next day or two. Let’s face facts. There is nothing I can offer the Alphas that my sisters couldn’t provide tenfold. Times like this, with high stress and anxiety, I usually shift into Andricia and let nature bring me back to a more manageable state. There is no way I can do that today because if I shift into Andricia, she will just hightail it right back home to the pack. She has been whining for her mates since I got on the road, and it has taken everything in me to fight the urge to turn back.
~Tia~*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*At first, I thought it was a part of my dream, this annoying knocking. I turned over multiple times, hoping it would go away. It was the knock on my bedroom wall that got me moving. ‘WOULD YOU ANSWER THE DAMN DOOR?!’“So….sorry,” I swear, sometimes I hate living in an apartment, and I hate living around so many humans. Don’t get me wrong; I have no issue with humans at all. It’s just we are different creatures, and some of the things that irritate them are small and petty, in my opinion. I throw the covers back and try to put my feet into my teddy bear slippers. I’m groggy and still sleepy. There is too much on my mind to be able to sleep soundly. I make my way to the door, the knocking getting louder with each step. I have no idea who the hell would be at my door. Maybe it’s my dad, and he will sit here and force me to reject the twins. Maybe it’s the Alpha and Luna, and they will demand that I reject their sons. I r
~Lincoln~I step toward my mate, wanting to grab her and show her exactly how I feel about her. I want to prove to her what I can really do, what I can make happen. How could she tell us apart?I have no idea, L, but I guess that’s a good thing.“How could you tell it was me and not Landon?” Tia seems surprised by my question. I know it doesn’t pertain to our discussion, but I’m curious. “It’s simple, really. Your scents give you away.” Landon and I look at each other, confused. Tia chuckles. “Both of you have a strong peppermint scent. Lincoln, yours is mixed with grapefruit, while Landon’s is mixed with lemon.” Tia shrugs her shoulders as if the explanation is obvious, and maybe it is to her.“That’s a weird combination, but it doesn’t matter. We are here to get to know you, and we want you to get to know us. We have been waiting for you, and we won’t let you go. Linc is right; anyone who doesn’t approve can leave the pack.” Tia looks over to Landon and back at me. Her stomach gru
~Landon~I’m surprised, yet not surprised, by Tia’s thoughts. I should have seen that she would be worried about the pack’s reaction to her being Luna. Her concerns are valid, but Lincoln and I agree. If the pack can’t support the fact that Tia is our mate, then they can leave. Neither of us will tolerate our mate being treated poorly or with disrespect. Besides, if they do treat her poorly, it won’t be because she is a horrible person. It will be due to the gossip that would fly around the pack about her, gossip that would be false. We spend the rest of the meal trying to get to know each other. It’s something that we didn’t do growing up. Even though my brother and I have always had eyes on Tia, we never took the time to really see who she is. She is incredible, and I feel more blessed with each passing minute. We head back to Tia’s place after a filling meal. It was hard to keep my hands to myself while we were out. I tried to remain respectful since we are in a human town. They
~Landon~I can’t be surprised that Tia asks that question; I guess I just hoped it wouldn’t come. She has every right to wonder if we have slept with her sisters. It is honestly something we should have discussed before we went this far, but how much longer was I expected to keep away from my mate?I clear my throat, and Tia looks at me. “I’m sure you know how Adela is: very practical and prudent. We discussed things and decided that it would be better if we waited.” I sigh. “Truth be told, I was still hoping to meet my fated mate, so I had no trouble deciding to leave things at just kissing.” Tia nods in response, and I let out a breath I was silently holding in. I was scared that she would be upset or not believe me. This entire situation is not the norm, and it will take a lot of sensitivity to navigate it. Lincoln is still silent, and I wonder what’s going through his head. I’m not aware that anything had happened between him and Aida, but I’m not with him 24/7. “And you?” Tia do
The drive to the hotel was quiet; everyone seemed to be in their thoughts. The hotel was a bit outside of the human town, and I had only heard of it before. It is really tall and looks super expensive to stay in. Landon helps me out of the car, and I can’t help but gawk at what’s in front of me.Walking inside didn’t dampen my shock. Everything inside is so elegant and expensive looking. It’s hard to take everything in because there is so much to see. I don’t know how, but when I finally come to terms with what I’m seeing, we are already in the elevator. A glass elevator at that, so I can see everything as we ride up. “What do you think?” Landon’s question catches me off guard while I’m examining the floors below, watching everything get smaller the higher the elevator goes.“I think that I'm worried I will break something. If that were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to be the Luna…..I would spend all my time working here to pay off my debts.” Lincoln and Landon laugh at this, and I b
6 Months Later~Paul~It’s been six long months, and Nikki still hasn’t woken up. Owlyn has been here and tried to get a response from her. Nothing has worked because she says it has nothing to do with magic. The doctors don’t have an answer, and I’m just lost without her.I knew she shouldn’t have volunteered. I felt in my heart that it wasn’t the right choice, but what could I do? I love her with everything I have, and I couldn’t tell her not to do what her heart said was the right thing.I run my hands through my hair and then over my face. I haven’t left her side in six months, and I’m beyond tired of seeing these walls. My sons have tried to get me to leave, and so has Tia. I refuse them because this is where I’m meant to be. As long as my heart is here, I will be here. Tia has been here often and has brought our grandchild, but besides those visits, it’s just been Nikki and me. I refuse to believe that I finally found my fated mate just to lose her so quickly.I put my head in m
~Devonte~The pain in my heart is all-consuming. I want the pain to stop, but I don’t know how to make that happen. I curl up tighter, hoping that the pressure will help with the pain. It’s all too much, and I don’t know what to do to make it better.Abe has gone silent, and I’m not surprised. He’s been struggling the most, and I have no words to soothe him. I wish I could wake up yesterday when things were what they were. I’d give anything to go back.“BROTHER?! BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU?!” I curl up tighter as if that’s going to keep me from being found. I don’t think I can handle the words and emotions that will surely follow my brother. I can’t take what that would mean.His thudding footsteps get closer and closer. I know I can’t hide myself; there’s no way to become invisible. I can’t keep this from happening. I hold my breath, waiting for the inevitable. “D, I found you. I’ve been looking everywhere. Our mate, she needs us. She needs you.” I’m trying to block out his words, but I’m
~Third Person~Everything seemed to happen all at once. Andricia is thrown against a tree trunk and curls up with a whimper. The pain is too much, causing Andricia to shift back into Tia. The twins witness this, and all restraint is lost. They shift and run at Imogene, who quickly wraps them up in blue light.Nikki hasn’t taken her eyes off Imogene, so she’s ready to interfere. As she shoots her light at Imogene, it strikes her in the stomach. Imogene is taken off guard and loses her grip on the twins. They fall to the ground and falter as they try to get on their feet. Eventually, they gain their footing and try to attack Imogene again.Imogene defends herself, reduced to hand-to-hand combat with the edge of magic. She repeatedly strikes the wolves as they throw themselves at her. They are taking a lot of punishment, but they refuse to stop. Their only goal is to defend their love, though they’d rather take the time to see about her.The group is joined by vampires and rogues alike.
~Jenna~I scramble backward, making sure my back is flush against the tree trunk. I try to quiet my breathing, but it's proving to be a task. I search around me, but there’s only darkness. The night air is still filled with the sounds of a battle, but I can’t see what’s going on.“Ughhhhh.” I slap my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stay quiet. I look down and see the bright red blood. I shut my eyes tight and try to think about anything else. If I freak out right now, I won’t be able to get back to safety.Every inch of my body hurts, but I can’t think about that now. I need to get out of here and make it back to the packhouse. I struggle to my feet, using only my right arm. My left just hangs against my body. Every twist and turn of my body brings a wave of excruciating pain, but I have to ignore it right now.I finally get to my feet and stand against the tree trunk. My breathing is erratic, and my chest is heaving up and down. “Where’d she go? I don’t see her.”“Sniff her out.”
~Aida~I’m applying pressure to my sister’s neck, and I feel her body giving in. This is so easy it’s pathetic. I would have thought that she would have trained during my absence. She had to know that I would return, and with my return would come the fight for her life. I guess having a brain doesn’t guarantee that you’ll use it.Portia’s body slumps to the ground, and her breathing gets heavier. I swear she’ll be dead in a minute. While part of me is rejoicing, the other part of me feels that she’d be getting off too easily. She’s the cause of all my problems, even the cause of Adela’s death. I may have administered the final blow, but it wouldn’t have come to that if she hadn’t disrupted our plans.Portia completely falls under, and I let her go with a thud on the ground. I get to my feet and walk around her limp body. Her breathing is shallow, so I know I can still play around with her before I kill her. I just need to figure out what games will be fun to engage in.I walk around h
~Ivan~One of the twins lunges at me, and I step out of the way. The other twin moves toward me, causing me to dodge slightly. This can’t be how they expect to beat me. If things continue this way, I’m going to win without breaking a sweat.I don’t want to spend a lot of time with these two. I need to go find Aida and so help anyone who has tried to put their hands on her. No one will hurt my love and live to tell the tale. I’d scorch the Earth before I let anyone hurt her.These imbeciles are staring at me but have stopped lunging. I guess they realize that it’s useless. It doesn’t matter what they do to me, they won’t win. I’m a vampire, so my natural state is on a different level. On top of that, I’ve been around for a long time. There isn’t much that I haven’t seen before, so they are hard-pressed to find something new to throw at me. “We’re wasting time, boys. I have more pressing matters.” I flip two fingers in the air back and forth. I hear reinforcements moving in. “Let me jus
~Lynn~I reach into the vampire’s chest and pull out its heart. My hand is covered in blood, but it’s as black as tar. There’s a stench to it; it smells like it’s rotting. I guess that makes sense because vampires aren't like the rest of us. They are the undead.I look to my left and can make out Abe in the distance. He’s ripping the head off of a vampire. Another vampire has climbed on his back, but he shakes him off. I look to my right, and Mace has the leg of a vampire in his mouth, and he shakes him like a rag doll. I duck quickly, missing the clothesline that was intended for me. I look behind myself and kick out, catching the perpetrator in the stomach. I wind the rope around my fist and throw a punch. The rope, mixed with the strength of my punch, causes my hand to literally push a chunk of her arm onto the ground. I follow up with a round kick and straddle her body as soon as it hits the ground. I rain a combination of punches on her body before ripping her throat out.I’m tir
~Jenna~I’m herding those who can’t fight into the safe rooms. We have entry points on both ends of the pack, but I’m only worried about those on this end where the packhouse is. Elderly pack members, as well as children, have been running here in droves. The sooner we get them to safety, the better off we will all be.I take one last look around and turn to the opening that will lead to the underground tunnels. It isn’t a long walk from the tunnels to the rooms; we wanted to make sure everyone would have a chance to get to safety. Once I get inside, the doors will be locked, and we will wait for word that everything is over.Crying sounds behind me, causing me to whip around. A pregnant woman with a toddler is running toward where I’m standing. A few warriors rushed out to her, working overtime to keep the vampires back.I watch the woman run forward with her baby’s hand in hers. She trips, and her knees hit the ground, causing her to lose her grip on her child. She cries out and cra
~Mark~I’ve been on alert all evening. I know tonight is the night, but I have no idea when. It’s just a guess, but we expect an attack on this pack. It isn’t that I’ve done anything to Aida, but her enemy is my best friend, and my mate has gone after her obsession. It seems they are trying to hurt Tia in any way they can, and that would include attacking this pack.I haven’t been Alpha that long, and I’ve only had my fated mate a bit longer than that. I have a baby coming and I like my life right now. I don’t want to lose anything right now, but this battle could have me lose it all.I clean off my desk and put files in the filing cabinet. I think the best thing right now is to have time with my mate. I want her to know how much she’s loved, just in case. I close the office door behind me and turn to head up the stairs. Alpha, we have a breach! My heart begins to thump in my chest as the seriousness of the situation grabs me. I take a deep breath and let it out. Hey, beautiful. Wher