Joel's P.O.V.
Making love to Teegan was better than I could have ever imagined. I didn't want our first time to be rushed and out in the open, but she wasn't having it any other way. We ended up going three rounds before we decided to leave. She was so resistant to the whole mate situation at first. I didn't think she was going to accept me so quickly, but I'm really glad she did. I can't wait to take her to the palace.
We're going to her apartment now. We decided to spend the night there and go to the palace in the morning. Teegan isn't saying anything, and I can feel how tense she is by the way she keeps squeezing my hand.
"What's wrong? You're not having any regrets, are you?" She turns to me and looks down at our conjoined hands.
"No regrets about what we just did or accepting you. I'm just hesitant about this whole princess thing. I'm not really princess material. I'm more of a work until I pass out type of person. I don't know how to speak to royalty or understand titles or any of that." I try not to chuckle. Teegan is thinking more of the royal family in England. Lycan royals are different.
"It's not as bad as you think. My parents won't want you to call them by their titles. They're very down to earth. The palace is enormous, but my mom always makes sure it's warm and inviting, so it's more like a home than an institution. They're going to love you. Don't be surprised if my mom tries to adopt you and my sisters try to give you a makeover." Tegan's face freezes, and then she starts laughing.
"That actually sounds kind of wonderful. I don't have any siblings, and it's been a long time since I've felt like I was part of a family. My adoptive parents basically wanted nothing to do with me once they divorced." How could someone treat this beautiful treasure as though she was unwanted? I also wonder what happened to her birth parents. Werewolves abandoning their pups is rare.
"I have something I want to ask. It's okay if you say no and tell me to mind my own business." She turns to me and smiles.
"Turn here; my apartment is at the end of the street on the right. What did you want to ask?" Okay, here goes nothing.
"Would you be alright with me looking into what happened to your birth parents?" She looks shocked, and then she smiles as I come to a stop in front of her apartment building.
"You would do that? Do you think you'll be able to find anything?" I relax and lean over to kiss her.
"I want to try. It's not common for werewolves to abandon their pups. Someone in the pack typically takes them if they can't care for them. If we can find them, maybe we can get some answers for you." Teegan throws her arms around me and kisses my cheek.
"Thank you. I never thought of trying to look for them. I wouldn't know where to begin." I'm going to do this for her. She deserves to know the truth.
"My team of investigators is the best. Now, what do you say we go upstairs and start packing your things. From here on out, you no longer have to work two jobs. You'll be my partner, we'll deal with werewolf issues together. If you want, that is. I would never tell you what you can and can't do." Teegan giggles and rubs her hand over my cheek.
"That sounds good to me. I was resistant to all things werewolf, but you've quickly changed my mind. I don't think being different is a bad thing anymore. Part of me was just scared. I thought since my birth parents and adoptive parents didn't want me, my mate probably wouldn't either. I didn't think I was good enough for anyone." She looks down, but I raise her face so I can look into her clear blue eyes.
"Sweetheart, you're too good for everyone. I'm going to spend my life trying to make myself worthy to be by your side." She laughs and kisses me.
"You sure know how to make me feel better. Come on, Your Highness, let's go pack my things." Your Highness, I like the sound of that. I wonder if I can get her to call me that when we're having sex. She gets out of the car and is standing on the sidewalk waiting for me while I'm still in a daze.
"You're a thirty-year-old man. Will you stop getting distracted by your cock." Romeo says in my head. He's one to talk. He's practically humping her in my mind, and he hasn't even met Mia yet.
I leave the car and take Teegan's hand as we walk to her second-floor apartment. It's nice and cozy. Her scent is overwhelming here, and it causes my body to have an immediate reaction. I feel like Dr. Suess. Can I take her on the couch? Can I take her on the bed? Will she let me take her over the chair? Can I eat her, Sam I am?
"What are you thinking about?" There's no way I'm telling her I was thinking about a dirty version of green eggs and ham. Her eyes are narrowed, and I see her looking at my undeniable erection. There should be pants that hide those better. However, as she starts licking her lips, I think they may be hiding it too much already.
"I was thinking we need to pack," I say casually. Teegan kicks off her shoes and walks over to me. Without her heels on, she barely reaches my shoulder. Keeping her eyes on mine, she unzips my pants.
"I don't believe that's what you were thinking at all. Unless you have a packing fetish." My knees almost give out when her hand slips inside my boxers and wraps around me. She looks up at me and smiles as she flicks her thumb over the tip.
"I think we need to take care of this before we can pack." I lift her into my arms and take her to the couch. Maybe I can take her on the couch, the bed, and over the chair. I'm certainly going to try.
I sit on the couch and stand Teegan in front of me. Reaching under her skirt, I pull her panties off and push her skirt up. She climbs onto my lap and straddles me, sliding onto me with ease. The feeling of being inside her is almost enough to make me come, and she hasn't even started moving yet.
She smiles as she begins riding me. Maybe one of these times, we'll actually make it to the bedroom. Although, feeling her sliding up and down on me feels pretty damn good. I take her shirt and bra off so I can get access to her gorgeous breasts. As I take a nipple into my mouth and suck, Teegan begins riding me faster. A few minutes later, we orgasm together, but I'm not done with her yet. Standing up, I have her wrap her legs around me and carry her to the bedroom. It's time to put this thing to use.
A couple of hours later, we're finally packing her things. Teegan changed into a pair of pajama shorts and a tight T-shirt. I'm in my boxers and T-shirt, so it can't be helped that I want to get behind her every time she bends over. I really have to get those thoughts out of my head. If we were human, I don't think either of us would be able to walk right now, but luckily, we're werewolves.
We order pizza for dinner after we're done packing. I tell her about life at the palace growing up, and I watch as some of the tension leaves her. My family really is going to love her. They don't like the snobby, uptight people that try to come around. They like real people who have had real lives. I haven't told them I found my mate yet. I plan to surprise them when we show up in the morning.
"I'm going to get a shower. What time are we leaving in the morning?" Teegan asks as she throws away the pizza box and cleans off the table. All I can think about is her in the shower. It's small, but I think we can make it work.
"If we leave early, we can be there for breakfast, but I don't care what time we go." I take her hand and walk into the bathroom. She looks at me in confusion as I turn on the water.
"What are you doing?" I quickly remove my clothes and then hers.
"You said you wanted to shower. I figured we'd save time and shower together." Teegan giggles before getting under the spray. Our shower didn't save time, but it did make us both happy. By the time we fall asleep from pure exhaustion, we're both smiling.
The next morning, we're up before dawn. We pack Teegan's things in my trunk. She doesn't have a lot, so it fits perfectly. She said she'd leave her furniture and kitchen stuff for the next tenant. The landlord was sad to see her go but happy to have her leave the apartment furnished. When we set off, there were hardly any cars on the road.
Three hours later, we pull up to the palace. The guards must have alerted my family that I arrived with a guest because they're all standing outside looking at us anxiously. However, what happens next leaves me stunned.
"Teegan, is that you?" I look at my sister, Kiana, in shock.
"Kiana? Oh, my gosh, I never thought I'd see you again." They both squeal and run to each other while the rest of us look at them in confusion. How do my sister and my mate know each other?
Teegan's P.O.V. When we pull up to the palace, I'm so blown away by its massive size that I don't see the people standing out front at first. I'm shocked to hear my name when I get out of the car. I never thought I'd see Kiana again. "What are you doing here?" Kiana asks me. I look over at Joel, who is staring at us in shock. "Apparently, I'm his mate." Kiana looks at Joel and then back at me with her mouth open. "You're mated to my brother?" She starts squealing with excitement and hugging us both. "Your brother? You never told me you had a brother. If he's your brother, you're a lycan; you didn't tell me that either." I stare at her and feel like I'm looking at her for the first time. I feel somewhat hurt that I didn't know she was a wolf like me. Although I didn't tell her, I was one, either. "Can you two explain how you know each other?" Joel asks. Kiana and I start laughing. "Do you remember when I left
Joel's P.O.V. Teegan and I made love all morning and afternoon, even skipping lunch. You could say I'm making up for lost time. It does upset me that Kiana knew her years ago, and if I had gone to get my sister myself, I could have had Teegan for years. I look over at her passed out on the bed. I finally let her sleep so she could get some rest before dinner. I was so angry about the way Wendy disrespected her at breakfast, but I couldn't have been prouder at how Teegan handled it. My dad mindlinked me afterward, telling me I had an impressive mate. My mom, just like I thought, was ready to claim her as another daughter. I get out of bed, trying not to disturb Teegan. I want to find out what happened to her parents. It just won't stop bugging me. I don't believe that they abandoned her as she thinks. "Marcus, can you meet me in my office in ten minutes? I have something I'd like to discuss." I mindlink my lead investigator. If there's anything to f
Teegan's P.O.V. I was taken aback by the number of people waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. However, I didn't see any of them looking at me with revulsion like that wench, Wendy. Joel leads me to his parents, but I can tell he's distracted. As people approach us, we shake hands and greet them, but Joel barely speaks. "Is everything alright?" I ask as we get a break between people. "We need to do something, but we can't leave yet. I'm trying to find a way to get out of here for a little bit." He looks around as another couple comes over to introduce themselves. Everyone seems kind so far. I was worried after the episode with Wendy, there'd be more opposition towards me. "Where do we need to go?" I whisper before smiling at the next couple. I feel like my face will break if I keep smiling like this. "Don't worry. I think they have enough money to pick up the pieces and make you look better than ever." I must be dreamin
Teegan's P.O.V. I look around to see who Kiana is looking at. At first, I thought it was the man standing next to my birth parents who looks like me, but his expression hasn't changed. However, the man standing slightly behind him is staring at Kiana with wide eyes. He practically shoves the others out of the way as he runs toward her. "You're my mate?" The man asks her. I don't know who to look at, the new couple or my parents. Kiana smiles at him excitedly. "Yes." She replies as I glance up to the porch and notice my parents staring at me. Taking Joel's hand, I walk toward them. My eyes sting with tears as I try to speak. "I'm Teegan," I say softly, but it's loud enough for them to hear. My mom drops to her knees crying, and my dad stands frozen with tears running down his face. I can't hold back anymore as I start crying, too. The man next to them looks from me to Joel, who is holding me as I cry. "You're mated to Prince Joel?" He asks in disbelief. I nod as I step forward
Warning: The content of this chapter may be hard for some readers. The Snake's P.O.V. Why are the royals at the Silver Moon pack? I have been taking cubs for over twenty-five years. What makes them think calling in royals will stop me? All the investigations they've done so far haven't come close to suspecting me. I watch as they're all shown into the packhouse. It appears the alpha's daughter has returned. She disappeared right before I could get my hands on her. I wonder where she was and how she made her way back. She's beautiful, and I don't like seeing the prince with her. She may be too old for me to take for the original purpose I wanted her. However, she's not too old for me to use in other ways. I walk into the packhouse once I'm sure everyone is tucked in for the night. I'm not supposed to be back yet. Everyone thinks I'm interviewing the other packs to see if their cubs have been kidnapped like the ones in our pack. Of course, they don't have cubs missing. Why would th
Simon's P.O.V. I have been the alpha of Silver Moon for over thirty years. Having to give up my daughter to keep her safe was the hardest thing I ever had to do. After we took her away, I cried on my best friend's shoulder for days. I'm thankful that we never told Brock what we did with Teegan. When the royals came with our daughter last night, it was the best day of my life. Once again, my family is together. However, it was quickly overshadowed when, just after going to sleep, there was a knock on our bedroom door. A royal guard apologized for disturbing us and showed me pictures of a man sneaking out of the packhouse. I instantly recognized my beta, Brock. He wasn't supposed to be here yet. Why was he sneaking around? They had followed him to one of the smaller empty houses. Mirela and I got up to go check on his mate Sally to make sure everything was okay. When we knocked on their bedroom door, there was no answer. Mirela opened it and covered her mouth so she wouldn't scre
Teegan's P.O.V. We went through every file, and the more we read, the angrier we became. Brock was selling the female pups not only to be raised as breeders but also for humans to use them as pets. We found the same thing with the male pups. They were being sold to be raised to impregnate humans or as pets. There were so many of them over the years. "I understand he was the beta and had everyone fooled, but you can't tell me that in all these years, no one saw anything. Are we sure he was working alone?" I ask as I look through another file. There are dozens of pups listed. Thankfully, Brock kept meticulous records. "I haven't seen anything that indicates a partner, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. I agree I may have had blinders on when it came to what he was doing, but I would have thought someone would have seen him." I look at my dad and can see the guilt on his face. "You can't blame yourself for not noticing what he was doing.
Teegan's P.O.V. I keep watching Kimberly and can't shake the uneasiness I feel. We can't let her become luna. I catch Anton's eye, and he leaves her side to walk over to me. "Is everything okay?" We technically just met, so I hope he doesn't take offense. "Don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure Kimberly is pregnant?" I ask him softly. He looks from me to her and back again. "She says she is why?" Okay, he doesn't look upset yet. "She's not showing. She should be showing if she's pregnant. You don't have to take my word for it, but I keep getting this weird vibe from her. I know she's your mate, and I showed up out of the blue, so you can tell me to mind my own business if you want. I'm just worried that she's not what she appears." To my surprise, Anton doesn't look angry at me but glares at Kimberly. "I trust your instincts. Even as a baby, you would pick up on people who felt wrong to you. When people would
One Year LaterTeegan's P.O.V. It has been over a year since Thalia tried to take over the palace. After that chaos, everything seemed to settle down. My Mom and Dad moved to the palace to be closer to everyone. Anton said he didn't want to be alpha, so Dad agreed to let a new alpha take over. After we all came out of our heat, we still traveled to some other packs and were able to reunite a few more stolen pups with their families. We returned to the palace when it was getting close to the time for us to give birth. Now, with most of the pups getting ready to turn one, we're going to have a combined birthday party for them and continue on our mission. Logan and Emily's daughter, Josette, was born first. Our little one, Gracie, was next, followed by Petra and Anton's son, Kaiden. Kiana and Damon had a little girl, Ciera. Landon is Ryker and Martina's son, and Shelby is Scott and Brooke's daughter. Finally, Docia and Jason had a son, Tyson. The palace seemed to turn into a nurser
Docia's P.O.V. Petra mindlinked me that she was in heat, so she wouldn't be out of the bedroom for a few days. Martina and Brooke also went into heat. They're all so lucky. I want my mate, my real mate. Not someone who bought me and forced me to mate with them. I was shocked when I saw Petra come to the palace. I had thought she was dead. I had wanted to run to her, but I was scared of Chris and his witch. She was so little when we were taken. I may be older than Petra, but the way she acts, it seems she's older than me. She's so mature and strong; I admire her. After we were separated, I was with a pack who knew nothing about my magic. I kept it hidden and suffered their abuse. Some of the women were more brutal than the men. I never understood what would cause anyone to treat someone so horribly. All I dreamed about was getting away from there and finding my sister. When Chris bought me, I hoped it would be better. In some ways, it was
Petra's P.O.V. Thalia just made a huge mistake. She can't know that Teegan has power, too; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought her here. I have to relieve Teegan's pain so she can help. Now that I'm mated to Anton, I should be able to mindlink her and Joel. I hope her acting skills are good."Teegan, I know you're in an incredible amount of pain, and I'm going to ease that for you, but I need you to continue screaming like you're doing now. Can you do that?" Her screaming falters for a second as she listens to me. Joel is listening as well. "I'll do whatever you want if you make this pain stop." She mindlinks back. I use magic to ease her pain and make a cooling sensation come over her. It will also help her scent so unmated wolves won't be frantic to get to her. It won't hold forever, but it should be long enough for what we need to do. She continues rolling around in the cage and screaming."I feel better. What are we going to do? I don't know what's going on other than a witc
Petra's P.O.V. The witch smirks at my sister and me. She doesn't seem like she's scared of us and our magic at all. "You need to leave. Chris will not be king, and you're not welcome here." I tell her. She looks at Chris and shakes her head. "Do you think I really care about this fool? He was a pawn to get to my real prize. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Thalia, one of the witches from the Mystic Flame Coven. I'm over three hundred years old. I've waited a long time for you, sisters of the Mystic Moonlighters. When I discovered Docia was for sale, I had Chris buy her. I didn't know where Petra was hiding, but I knew you would eventually find each other. I heard you were hanging out with the royals, so I convinced Chris it was time for him to take his rightful place on the throne." Thalia stands up and walks over to where Chris is sitting. He turns to us and grins evilly. "Get these chains off me so I can take my place as king." Thalia sits on his lap and kisses him. While they
Petra's P.O.V. I have a sister? When I study Docia, she looks like me but older. I was three when I was taken from our pack, and I remember other pups being with me, but I can't remember her. "You're my sister?" I ask her. She smiles and nods but then glances at Chris nervously. "Yes, and you need to surrender to us before it's too late." I hear what she's saying, but her eyes tell me something different. She looks desperate. "I don't think my sister wants to be with him." I mindlink the others. "Try to mindlink her." Anton mindlinks me back."Docia, can you hear me?" Her eyes widen, and she glances toward Chris."Yes. I can hear you. Petra, I'm so scared. Chris forced me to mate with him because of my magic. He bought me from another pack a few years ago." She looks like she's going to cry. I mindlink the others again."She says Chris forced her to mate with him after he bought her from another pack," I tell them."Ask her if he has anyone else helping him that has ab
Petra's P.O.V. If the people who took over the palace were going for shock value, they succeeded. However, I'm the only one not vomiting because I'm staring at the heads hanging on the ceiling. Something isn't right. Anton grabs my arm as I start to walk into the dungeon. "What are you doing?" He asks with concern. "I need to look at something." I don't want to tell him my theory until I'm sure. I know he doesn't want to go with me, but after what happened in Texas, he hasn't let me go anywhere alone, so he follows me inside. Just as I thought. The heads aren't real. "Logan, Kiana, this isn't your family." They both jump up and look at me in disbelief. "What do you mean?" Logan asks, trying to avoid looking at the heads above me. "They're not real. Someone made really good replicas, but they're fake." Everyone comes in and sees the same thing I saw. At first glance, they look real, but when you really examine them, they are clearly manmade. "Are they dead?" Logan asks, pointi
Near Dallas, TexasLogan's P.O.V. We're at the Dark Tails pack, where Seth had told us their unmated females were taken. We found them and others from nearby packs. They were told they were going to be sold as breeders. We soon realized that many in the pack didn't agree with what their alpha and beta were doing, so we let them carry out the punishment and decide on a new alpha. They also said they would help the women get back to their homes. Just as we're preparing to leave, I get a text. It's from Eric, and all it says is Come back to the palace now. When I try to call him, his phone goes straight to voicemail. I try my parents, and they don't answer either. There is no answer when I call my sisters and brother. What's going on? I try everyone I can think of in the palace, but no one answers. "I don't know what's going on, but we need to go to the palace now. No one is answering, and I received a text from the head of security that I needed to return. Le
Warning: Parts of this chapter may be difficult for some readers.Wendy's P.O.V. When I see the look on Richard's face, I stand up and try to run out of the room. He grabs me by my hair and throws me to the floor. I look at my mom, but she's too busy screaming about me having sex with her mate to notice we're in danger. "What the fuck do you think you're doing having sex with your stepfather?" She asks as I stand up. I put on my robe and back away from Richard. "Mom, he knows you're sleeping with other men, so don't try to act like you care." I try to get her attention, but she just continues to yell. I don't have time for this. I can tell Richard means exactly what he said. "What do you want from us? My father is already dead, so you got your revenge on him." I argue. Mom finally shuts up long enough to listen. "Your dad drugged my mate to make her sleep with him. She was so ridden with guilt that she killed herself. He took everything from me. My mate and our pup. She was
Teegan's P.O.V. I feel numb. I'm still trying to wrap my head around being taken by a demon, terrorized by a giant spider, and saved by a prince from the underworld. It feels like I'm watching myself in a horror movie, but it's not a movie; it's real life. Petra was incredible. I was so busy watching the spider that I didn't realize she had her magic back. My thoughts were on Joel and never seeing him again. They were also on the spider that I was sure was going to eat me or scare me to death. Not Petra, though. She was busy getting us free and summoning Paimon. When our hands touched, I felt powerful. It was an amazing feeling and gave me a glimpse of what Petra must feel all the time. Paimon was a creepy guy. I could never really see his face. No matter which way he turned, he was always in the shadows. I was glad for his help, but a part of me worried he would try to take us with him. We're getting ready to leave the pack now. A lab t