Joseph led Victoria to his bed, still kissing and owning her lips. Victoria was afraid that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but she would take anything to satisfy her need for him at that moment. She knew if it was fleeting, she would burn badly, but it would be worth it. He gently led her to the bed and laid her down; she let him. Joseph broke off the kiss to stare into her eyes. He could see her heart there, something he never saw in Ashley's eyes. The pure love that wasn't selfish or demanding. He could see it, and he hoped she could see the surrender in his eyes. As much as he wanted to hold out and wait and see, what happened at the warehouse let him know all they had was the moment; he did not plan to waste it. "There is no one else, Vicky. I do not feel anything for Leah but gratitude," he confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had suffered for almost two months thinking and believing otherwise. "It had been you for a while now, but I wanted the troubles over
The drive to Ceenas was long and boring for Joseph. He was eager to get back home. He felt he should have asked Victoria to come with him, but he did not know how the place would be. He did not want her to be in a situation where they would have to fight and defend themselves. Adam stared at him for most of it, studying his friend's mood and countenance. "What's with you and Vicky?" he finally asked, and Joseph looked at him. Adam kept his eyes trained on the road while Joseph sat in the passenger seat. They did not go with anyone, so they would not intimidate their hosts. Joseph wanted to be safe because he knew Sebastien was there and did not know what to expect from the guy. "What's with Vicky?" Joseph asked Adam, and Adam chuckled. "We are friends, you know. You can tell me. I trained her for a bit, so I know her scent, and you reek of her," he said, and Rex growled before Joseph could even control his wolf. Training her and knowing her scent meant touching her and being too
Joseph and Adam finally arrived at Ceenas. New faces were at the gate, and Joseph did not need to guess why. Luckily they had called Malcolm before coming, so he knew they would not have any issues. Malcolm had also informed Sebastien of Joseph's visit, so Sebastien had sent Boris and his men on an errand so they would not know Joseph was coming. The people at the gate were Sebastien's men that came with him from his pack. They could be trusted. One of the guards walked to the truck to inspect the people inside. He had a grim expression and did not seem like the type to smile much. He stared at Adam briefly and then nodded for the others to open the gate. They did so diligently, and Adam drove into the settlement. Nothing had changed compared to the last time Joseph and Ethan had visited, but the pack was fuller. It was expected since Sebastien had taken over. The people that left the River pack with him would naturally settle in Ceenas. Joseph wondered if Malcolm was content livin
Sebastien and Joseph were at a face-off, each growling at the other. "You aren't taking her anywhere she doesn't want to go," Sebastien warned Joseph, and Joseph growled back. Joseph did not miss the possessive fire in Sebastien's eyes, and he was conflicted as to why the Alpha would deem Ashley important. He brushed it off, believing Sebastien might have believed he was hurting him just like he had hurt Ethan by taking Cynthia from him. He wondered why Sebastien wanted their women, and he had a peculiar taste, too, because Ashley wasn't a saint, but unlike Cynthia, she was remorseful. "And who will stop me? She is coming home. Her mother asked me to bring her home," He said, and Klein went crazy. Sebastien was fighting a shift. Malcolm and Adam were nearby, unaware that a fight was about to break out. "You aren't taking her with you, Joseph. She is mine!" Sebastien said, and the force in his words surprised Joseph, but being a stronger alpha, Joseph stood his ground. "Stop me,
Ethan answered Joseph's call on the third ring. He was outside the mansion by the van waiting for Meadow, Keith and Elaine so they could train at their hideout close to the warehouse. He saw Joseph's call, and knowing where Joseph had gone, he answered immediately. "Joseph," he said on the phone. Meadow came out of the house to join him by the van. Keith helped Ethan into the back of the van, and Meadow followed him. Keith went to the driver's seat, and Elaine sat in the passenger seat, ready to leave. "Joseph," Ethan said again, and the network was bad. Ethan hung up and tried Joseph's number. By then, they had left the mansion and were on the road. It rang, and Joseph answered. "Ethan," he said and was glad that his brother had called back. "I can hear you," Ethan said. "I am at Ceenas, and Ashley is fine. I am also with Malcolm and Sebastien," He said, and Ethan froze. Joseph sensed Ethan's worry from the sudden silence. "Relax, he is on our side," Joseph said, telling Eth
Keith arrived at Levi's guest house. There were staff there, and Meadow wondered why Levi did not bring Amber to the place. She figured Amber must have insisted on going to the mansion. Meadow secretly hoped Cynthia's menace would come to an end soon. The guest house was a small bungalow with three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a patio and a pool at the back. It was a lovely place in the middle of nowhere. Learning that Levi owned all the lands there made her wonder why the Alpha never bothered to start his own pack. He would have made a fine Alpha because he had kept Whitewood safe and secure for all the years he was in charge. They moved into the building, and Ethan was eager to show his friend his ability. They had discussed the secret with Meadow, and she believed Keith and Joseph had the right to know that their Alpha was back in full capacity. Ethan first objected to it, but Meadow had convinced him of the necessity of building their confidence in the face of the dang
Morning came, and Joseph remained in bed with Victoria. They were at it until the early morning hours, so they stayed in bed. Joseph stared at the ceiling with Victoria in his arms while he counted his blessings in his head. His mother was alive and well, his brother could walk, they had solid allies and an army they could use, and he had found love. All this had happened in the middle of the chaos; he was grateful to the moon for its blessings. He held Victoria tight and told himself that he would not let go. Love was a rare thing to find, and now that he had found one that was without flaws, he would hold on to it for as long as he lived. Ethan had planned that he would take Meadow to visit her parents. He knew if he told her, she would refuse, so he planned to take her there without telling her. He believed she deserved to know the truth about her mother and her heritage; it was best she heard it from her father. Tamar might not be her biological mother, but Blake was her fath
Ethan and Meadow returned to the Mansion. The ride was silent because Meadow was still processing all that she had heard. The moment they got to the entrance, they alighted the van, entered the Mansion and headed to their room. "Are you still mad at me?" Ethan asked Meadow when they entered their room. She took off her blouse, standing by the closet and looked at him. She was still processing all she had learned but shook her head because she wasn't mad at him but at the situation. "Had you not taken me there, I wouldn't have discovered the truth. What I am mad about is that you did not tell me what you knew," she confessed through the mind link, and he went to hold her by the closet. He kissed the mark on her neck, and she pulled away because he was trying to cheat his way through the situation. Her action made Ethan chuckle. "Are you going to punish me for it?" he asked and moved to where she was until her back was against the wall. She turned her head to the side, fighting off