They arrived at the dining room, and Ethan found that Victoria wasn't allowed to sit. She was standing while the rest of the family members ate. Joseph wasn't there, Leaving Amber, Levi and Ashley.Meadow looked at Victoria apologetically, but Victoria did not take offence. Everyone knew that Luna Amber mistrusted and hated everyone since her husband died; it was expected behaviour from the cruel Luna.Ethan did not find the situation funny."What is the meaning of this?" he asked, wheeling himself to the table. He used his hands to help pull out a seat for Meadow. Amber did not miss the gesture even though Meadow's hands were on the chair, pulling it along with him."Please sit," Ethan ordered Victoria, and she pulled a seat next to Meadow's and sat down."What is the meaning of this, Ethan? This is family time," Amber complained."Victoria is my guest, and I invited her for dinner," he said, shutting Amber up, and Amber looked at Meadow. She did not trust the girl at all. She won
Meadow walked into the house feeling alone. She knew she would miss Ethan. He was her only companion and protector in the mansion; with him away, she was at the mercy of Amber, and she dreaded it. Amber walked past her, and so did Ashley. Neither of them spoke to her, and she was glad. She did not know how long Ethan would be gone but hoped it would be short. He had asked Victoria to come so she would not feel his absence. She knew she would. "Meadow, join me in the garden for tea; you can come with your friend to translate," She heard Amber's voice, and her stomach churned. Ethan had just left. Why can't Luna Amber leave her alone and ignore her? She had done nothing wrong, but deep down, she knew the tea would not end well. She walked to her wing to inform Victoria of the tea invitation. Meadow stood in front of Victoria's door and knocked. Victoria answered immediately. She was happy it was her friend. "Honestly, this family gives me the creeps," Victoria said, ushering Meado
Ethan and Joseph sat quietly at the back of the van, taking them to Ceenas. It was awkward because this was the first time they would travel together since the accident. They also had some friction because they argued over Meadow and Ashley. Ethan remained silent, reminiscing about his adventurous night with Meadow. He wanted it to be real because she was an amazing woman, but deep down, he still believed she wouldn't have picked him in a crowd, which meant a lot to him. He did not want to be loved out of pity and necessity. He balled his fist a bit and hoped he was wrong. "Hey," Joseph told his brother, and Ethan looked at him with a blank expression on his face. "I want to apologise for my behaviour yesterday morning. I shouldn't have snapped at you," Joseph said, and Ethan nodded. "I am not mad; I just did not like the level of disregard and disrespect towards Meadow," Ethan said, and Joseph sighed. "I thought about it, and I know what I said was fucked up. I shouldn't have c
Meadow had never felt so lonely in her life. Three days passed, and she could not help but miss Ethan. She slept in his room, hopeful that he would return soon. She wanted to call him on the phone but did not want to disturb his business trip. Amber was indifferent to her during the meals, and no one troubled her. She also felt it was odd that Ashley was nice, but she did not let it bother her. Knowing Victoria would be leaving the next day made her sad because Victoria was the only reason Ethan's absence was bearable. "So what will you do when I leave?" Victoria asked Meadow while they were at the lake. "Wait for my husband to come home. My studio is almost ready. I plan on starting an art project," She signed, and Victoria was shocked. "So you are going for it?" She asked, knowing how much Meadow had wanted to have her work in the art gallery, and Meadow nodded. "I am so happy for you. Let me know if you need anything. Hopefully, Alpha Ethan would let me visit occasionally, " s
Four days was a long time away from the pack. Alpha Malcolm ensured he spent time showing Ethan and Joseph how big his pack was. He bragged about how they had expanded over the years, and Joseph commended him while Ethan remained silent. One thing Ethan noticed was Malcolm's habit of correcting peoples' grammar. He did not understand the alpha's need to constantly correct Joseph when speaking. At first, he thought it was just a coincidence, but after the man repeated it severally, he realised it was a habit. He would correct Joseph and explain to Joseph why it is so. "I really want to go home," Ethan confessed to Joseph, missing Meadow. Although he didn't say it, Joseph knew that was why Ethan was impatient. The whole talk about Cynthia's return to the pack did not seem to bother Ethan like Joseph had thought it would. He was glad about it. He knew that Ethan would react when he saw Cynthia because he knew his brother wasn't over the heartbreak yet, and she was the reason he was ye
Ethan was getting pretty impatient about Malcolm. The back and forth on the terms and conditions of the treaty took too long, and Joseph began to worry that it might go differently than he had hoped. Malcolm was determined to take advantage of the situation. He knew that the fact that the McClouds were in Ceenas putting up with his bullshit meant they were desperate. Even though Ethan did not say a word and Joseph did most of the talking about how beneficial the treaty would be to Ceenas, Malcolm could not help but notice the weakness. Ethan had a disability, and Joseph seemed not to have too much of an Alpha in him. Realising these bits of information made Malcolm decide to throw in the bomb. "I have heard everything you said, Alpha Joseph, and I must say, your explanation is impressive. You would have thrived as a sales executive in a firm because you are convincing," Malcolm said, and Ethan saw it as an insult but kept it to himself. "It isn't hard to see what is really going o
Meadow's mood changed after the discussion with Amber in the garden. She should be happy that she would be Luna eventually and that Amber had decided to give her a chance, but the news about Amber's sickness had crushed whatever joy she might have had from the entire experience. She wondered what was happening with Amber, but she dared not ask. She knew better not to push it.So while she thought of helping Ethan start his physiotherapy, she also thought of finding a way to make Amber open up more than she had already, in case there was hope to help fix her situation.Soon it was time for dinner, and Meadow went to the dining room. Amber was her usual stoic self, not smiling or relating with anyone. Ashley was quiet, and Levi minded his business. They were back to their usual selves.Meadow bowed to greet everyone before sitting down."Next time, just sign the greetings, Rashel would translate. That's what your husband is paying her for. No more bowing," Amber said, and Meadow signed
Ethan pulled Meadow close and kissed her neck. The goosebumps on her skin showed her approval, and he touched her thigh. "Did you miss me much?" He asked, breathing into her ears, and she squeezed his arm for dear life. She hoped he would go all the way now and wondered why he was holding back. "Ethan," Amber linked her son again, spoiling the mood, and he broke away from his wife, leaving her breathing heavy. She looked ravishing with her messy hair and blush. "What is it?" He snapped at Amber through the mind link. He did not want the interruption. He had anticipated getting back to Meadow for five days and did not need his mother linking him while he was trying to get intimate with his wife. She would just kill the mood. Meadow's eyes showed she was ready, and he was eager. "I need some peace and quiet. I will see you after breakfast," he linked Amber and closed the mind link before Amber could respond. He looked at Meadow and smiled at her. "We need to shower. I will ask Bea
Three weeks later. Ethan stood at the altar, waiting for his bride to come. He was nervous. Even though the wedding was taking place in the private park by the lake with a gentle breeze blowing, he had beads of sweat on his forehead. He looked at where his mother and stepfather sat, and Levi smiled at him, letting him know he would be all right. Ethan stood with Keith and Malcolm behind him. Sebastien and Ashley's wedding was ongoing at the River pack, so they couldn't make it. They had all decided to wed on the same day to make it memorable. Everything went quiet, and the sound faded the moment Ethan caught Meadows's scent as she walked down the aisle. Blake held his daughter and led her through. Unlike the first time, she had a broad smile, and her heart was eager to get to the altar. Ethan looked at her, and he had never seen anything as beautiful as his mate. She was radiant and walked down with her eyes fixed on him. They had both come a long way, and this was the reward. B
It took two hours for Sebastien and the army to arrive. The moment they arrived, everyone heard the fight on the grounds. Amber, Elaine and Leah prepared to run for cover once the door opened, while the rest prepared to shift and fight. Their eyes were trained at the door. They knew someone would open it. It would either be an enemy or a friend, but the door was bound to open to ensure they were still in the room and not the cause of the battle that had started. Someone finally turned the lock. The person opened the door, and to their surprise, it was Cynthia and Sean. They looked like they planned on running away together. "Follow me," Amber told them, no questions asked. She was going to lead them through the secret escape. They were not going to hide in the mansion. They were going to hide in the woods. Sean and Cynthia could run away from there. Ethan looked at his ex, and he nodded with approval. With those two acts, she had redeemed herself; he hoped she had changed for t
Ethan got up and hugged Meadow immediately. She rested her head on his chest and wept. She felt free for the first time in a long time. Ethan cupped her face in his arms and kissed her fiercely. Then broke the kiss and stared at her. "Say my name," he said, and everyone started laughing. They weren't bothered because their plan had worked, and Linus had underestimated them. "Ethan", Meadow said, and it sounded like music to his ears. Brian, Adam, Victoria, and Leah were shocked that Ethan's legs were all right, but they did not fuss about it. The truth is they had all prepared for this day. They were waiting for the Alpha so they could end the charade. It had finally happened. Ethan did not expect that he would hear his wife finally speak for the first time. Her voice was even better than her voice in the mind link. It was like music to his ears, and he looked forward to hearing her call his name when they made love. "What did Sebastian say?" Ethan asked Keith. "They are on
Joseph stood up immediately, not wanting Ethan to blow his cover, and went to help Meadow. Amber was in shock, likewise Elaine and Victoria. Ethan was frozen in his chair. He did not want his uncle to know he could walk. He was grateful to Joseph. Meadow's hands began to shake while she screamed and pointed at Linus. Her eyes were purple, and Ethan knew Nightshade was in charge. Ethan looked at his uncle, and the man had a smug look on his. It was clear he expected it. He was calm, almost laughing. They all knew something was not right. "And she can speak," Linus said, and Ethan yelled at him. "Shut the fuck up! Don't you have compassion!" Ethan said, getting pissed off. Echo was trying to surface. "I would watch my tongue if I were you, little nephew. I have this place surrounded by my army," he said, and everyone froze, even Nightshade. "It was you! All along?" Levi said, connecting the dots, and Linus began to laugh. Levi thought of all that had happened to them since Cain
Cynthia sat in front of the mirror in her room. She had heard of the arrival of the guest, but she wasn't interested in seeing him. She was too broken and numb to want to know what was happening. She was also tired of everything. She wasn't lying when she told Sebastien she wanted out. She had not fulfilled her Luna dreams in all the years she had been chasing it. She missed out on a lot. Seeing Ethan with Meadow made her realise how she had fucked her life up, and then hearing Sebastien had paired up with Ashley was the last straw. It wasn't that she was unlucky; she was the one that made herself unlucky. She sat in front of the vanity mirror and could no longer recognise herself again. Her mother always told her she would make a beautiful Luna. Her bloody Omega mother could not make the cut. She believed her Delta wolf's weakness was because her mother was an Omega. Why did her father mate with her? She was angry at the world. She had the urge to run away, but Sebastien's wor
Levi felt rage rising in him seeing Linus. He remembered everything the bastard put him through and did not feel it was right to welcome him into their home, especially when they were in a bad situation, but it wasn't up to him. It was up to Ethan. "This isn't the time for this nonsense, Linus. You see that the pack has been overrun?" Levi asked him calmly, and Linus walked into the mansion. "I have nothing to discuss with you or Amber. I heard she found a donor. The bitch was always lucky like that." He said, and Levi punched him in the face. Linus did not see it coming, or he would have dodged. His nose cracked, and there was blood in his mouth and nose. He did not flinch from pain. He just looked at Levi and smiled with his bloody teeth. "As violent as I remembered. I wonder if that was how you buried the knife in my cousin," Linus said, and Levi was mad. "We both know that is not true," Levi said, and just then, Joseph and Victoria came towards them. Although it had been lon
One week later, Cynthia realised that the staff in the house were gone. She wondered where they had all gone. She needed help with certain things and could not get anyone to do the chores. So she got mad and ordered everyone in the house to meet her outside. So that they do not ignore her as always, she asked Beta Sean to make sure they all came outside. She stood outside, waiting for the residents to assemble. Everyone was mad about being called from their room, but they controlled their temper. There was no need to fight now when they were yet to meet the culprit. Still, it was slowly getting to the point where Ethan and joseph wanted to damn everything and just finish off Cynthia and their goons and then wait for the next attack. It would give them an immediate solution, but it wouldn't last because the bastard could still strike from the shadows. Meadow suffered from morning sickness, and Ethan did not want her to go out, but Sean said that Luna insisted that everyone must c
Kate stared at the two alphas. She was afraid and knew her life was forfeit. She hoped they were kind enough to lock her up or she was finished. "I worked in a tavern in Primewood." She started, and they listened. "I was a lady of the night," she confessed, and Levi figured that she had to lack values to stoop so low. Not all of them were like that. Some of them had solid reasons for going into prostitution due to situations that were beyond them but looking at Kate, he figured greed was her motivation. She was just a less privileged version of Cynthia. "I wasn't making much, and I was planning to relocate to Whitewood where there was money, but Luna Amber had banned prostitution in all her territories, so the prospect of getting a job wasn't possible. Also, moving to Whitewood was challenging. We had to fill out forms and apply for residency to stay, in which the Luna or Alpha would determine whether we made the cut or not. That also made my chances slim. Whitewood was and stil
On their way home, Levi thought of the many things he would do to Kate. He had a lot in store for her and planned to drill her to the last bit. He was going to ask Ethan to join him, but he wanted to give Ethan space to spend time with his wife and celebrate their unborn child. He would settle for Joseph's help because he needed someone present, so he did not go overboard. On the other hand, Ethan was ecstatic about the news of being a father soon; he began to see things differently. Finding and ending this Alpha wasn't about revenge and taking back their pack anymore; it was now about their future. It was about securing their children's future and creating a safe environment for them to grow in. It was about sanity and peace. He did not want his children to experience the chaos he had known since he was twelve. He wanted peace and serenity. They arrived at the Mansion. Ethan and Meadow headed to their wing while Levi headed to his wing. On his way to his room, Cynthia accosted h