Kiera looked at the tray before her and couldn’t believe the crap Dean stated before he’d left. She wasn’t locked in this room, but with guards at the door instructed to keep her in and everyone else out but Dean. Well, she might as well be a prisoner in the jail. It was just this cell had more amenities and a little more space. She still couldn’t get over the change in Dean and James. They both weren’t acting like themselves. How could Dean speak so calmly about James mating with Trisha? When did that happen? Why was Trisha looking for her? How did she know to look for her? Dean walked out before she could bombard him with so many questions about Trisha. He got away so easily because he’d dropped the mate piece of information. There was no way she could be his mate. They weren’t mates before they kidnapped her the first time, so why would they be mates now? Nothing made sense. Someone needed to intervene and bring some logic and common sense to all
“Elder Evans, I don’t care. She has done nothing. None of what you’ve claimed ever came to pass. I just spoke to a very upset mother who claims you gave her pups along with others candy to play in a location they were not to play. They claim you told them to tell anyone who asked why they were there to tell them Kiera chased them there and they feared for their safety. You had pups lie. For what? For some sick revenge on someone who wasn’t even involved. Who showed no signs of acting in such a manner?” “You weren’t there. You didn’t have to perform funeral rights on your own offspring. There’s no way you could understand. Don’t you dare sit there in judgement of me when you let that monster into our midst. I am trying to protect our people from the unblessed monsters.” “That’s it. They are my responsibility, not yours. She was born into this pack. She is one of MY people. Nothing that’s happened to her is her fault. Yet you are punishing her for something sh
Dean’s temper didn’t ease as he wrote the report to the Ruling Council. It would settle nothing, and he despised the pettiness, but he didn’t have time to deal with putting out fires others started because they were the petty people. But it sat in his belly, annoying him to no end. After that he dealt with the pack members who he’d found to be the more vocal or active in pushing for Kiera’s ostracizing. It was exactly as he expected. They’d mostly heard rumours rather than had experiences and they responded to the potential danger rather than any clear and present danger. He’d tried the understanding approach, but it was difficult to feel sympathy for their positions on this, with Kiera upstairs healing from her long trek through the woods to town. It didn’t help him at all that she ran past their territory to get there and didn’t stop for help. He wasn’t sure if she’d even considered stopping. That part made everything harder to swallow for him. Sh
Dean didn’t knock on her bedroom door when he entered Kiera’s bedroom. He believed she’d have to get over him sharing her intimate spaces with him. Kiera looked up from the window seat where she sat and watched the late afternoon. “You’re back. Why? Are you bored already?” “Really? You’re going to be rude like that to your Alpha and mate?” He knew now from Ellie that Kiera’s healing ability still worked for her, and she would heal completely in a matter of days. But for now, there’d be no mating between them. Dean would need to satisfy himself with being close to her. “Really Dean? This is just plain weird even for your usual games. My mate? Really? Why would you choose that? So you can lead me along and, at the critical moment, reject me?” Dean knew she’d not be a pushover, but he’d not expected Kiera to be his hostile. What brought this on? Sure, some she-wolves fought the bond that started the mating, but this… “You think we’re
“That’s it. You shouldn’t be on your feet, let alone out of bed. Since you aren’t taking the healer’s orders seriously, then I, as your Alpha and mate, will take it on as my responsibility to make you adhere to her orders.” “Do you hear yourself, Dean? Ordering me around. Claiming I’m your mate and still part of your pack. It’s like you’re ignoring anything that contradicts your world view or some such thing.” “I don’t care whether it’s petty or rude. I will bend your will and prove to you that you are, in fact, mine in both aspects.” “Oh, you wouldn’t dare. If someone found out, you did that to have someone to have sex with you. You’d look like a weak fool.” “Look around Kiera. It’s your word against mine. Who do you think people will believe? Think hard and long. Now, are you getting back into bed or am I going to force you into bed? I have no problem tying you to the headboard to keep you there. You know. That may be a good idea. I belie
Kiera woke up in a dark room to the sound of someone’s soft snores. Wondering where she was and why she was so warm and felt like she had a weight on her. It didn’t take her long to trace the soft snores in her ear the few inches to Dean’s face. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” To her dismay, the jerk wad was fast asleep, and he was cuddling her. What was going on? She wouldn’t have taken him for a cuddler. Heck, she’d had to suffer listening to Judy Davis whine at lunch while she dated him. He’d kick her out of bed after sex because he wanted to sleep alone. She must be in an alternate reality. This was too weird. Kiera was annoyed with him. What right did he have to abuse his Alpha presence to make her sleep like that? She stifled a groan they’d been rubbing against each other like a couple of horny preteens. She was a grown ass woman. What was she doing? He’d mentioned he wanted to mate with her. Then he stops that by telling her she had to be fully healed
Dean left the bedroom with several emotions and things stuck in his head. Kiera, the strangers in his territory, his enforcer seeing them like that, and everything else that’s going on. “Now, details. Do we have eyes on these strangers or are they wandering aimlessly through our territory?” “I’m not sure Alpha Jonas. I was told to bring this news. The Beta sent me because he headed out as soon as the information arrived here. He was in the study doing something.” Dean rolled his eyes. They were playing telephone tag with the reports. “I believe this is where I ask you not to breathe a word of what you saw in there. I have enough damage control to do after the mess Elder Evans and his lies have done.” “Oh, I would never…” “I know how wolves talk. Please don’t promise what you can’t or won’t uphold. I just ask you to remember when you are creating the good and the bad within the story that you remember that Elder Evans’ punishment is permanent. Kie
Kiera disliked how Dean made her promise to stay here. There’s nothing for her to do. She’d missed several shifts at the Rocking Horse. Kiera wondered if she had a job to do. Then Dean avoided telling her anything about what Trisha got herself into when she went looking for her. All she could do was sit here and twiddle her thumbs. Kiera struggled not to think about how they’d ended up sleeping in the same bed. That was after she’d convinced herself that they’d not done anything more foolish than it looked like. It didn’t matter really what they did with each other when they were both wolves, but now… Now she had to remember she was a Lycan and that made a difference in everyone’s eyes. Eventually, Kiera heard a knock on her door. “Come in.” She frowned because the guards were supposedly there to keep everyone one out. The door popped open and Mary walked in. “No time for pleasantries. I got food, clothes, and keys. Get we’re getting out of here.” Behind her,
- One Year Later -Kiera stood watching a group of lone wolves returning to a pack. Many were raised for generations outside of pack life. But things change, situations change. These wolves are literally come in out of the cold, unprotected woods and their pack was opening their arms to them.It divided humans as always on what they thought about supernatural creatures. If nothing else, there were very few humans that didn’t care one way or the other.These wolves were coming in from other places in the world where the humans made it impossible for them to live. Now they were picking up everything they can and leaving everything they knew for a chance at a future.Their lycan members were now well established members, and the pack looked to them as the public faces of the pack. It wasn’t unusual to see one or more on the news as they work as a security team for various celebrities and figures of note. The pack now ran a small but lucrative security firm, because several of the lycans
Hours. They only had hours to get ready. With much of the pack working together to get things done and sooth disgruntled feelings, they pulled off a makeshift welcome for the thirty lost souls coming to stay with them. Dean struggled to get through thirty files on the different lycan. It was as if each one came with a warning label of their own. No two had the same difficulty. Some were complete loners who they’d have to work with to bring back into the pack and life within it. They bonded others, who had that’s why they had so many lycan arriving. They wanted bonded pairs together so that a community could grow from the families that would form. It meant that they’d not planned correctly, but that could be adjusted again. Dean agreed with Oli and Jerome that the Ruling Council screwed up sending the lycan to them. The order was off and there wasn’t enough time given to prepare for their arrival. Also, they’d agreed to a few new lycan members, not t
Their mating went on after the cleanup and Kiera’s world was addressed. Dean ended up marked as well at some point by Kiera and, finally exhausted, they fell asleep hours later. With the sun coming up and the mating over, Kiera felt a disturbing calm between them. Like this took away the jittery need to find a stable footing. Kiera could swear she could feel Dean’s mood as he slept. He’d exhausted her so much that she’d not been bothered by any of her usual nightmares. Kiera felt delicious and loose-limbed. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like this. If she were a cat, she’d be purring at this point. “Morning. Luna Jonas.” Dean stated with a proud grin like he’d accomplished something last night. Kiera wouldn’t tell him, but he had accomplished something. The jerk got his way. He had the pack and her permanently. It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t ready for this, but she didn’t know what she was ready for. She wasn’t sure if she should be unhapp
In the bathroom, Dean had the shower running, and he was making sure they had everything they need within easy reach. He remembered to heat the towels and lay out the mat. Whoever built this bathroom put down super smooth tiles on the floor and it was like skating on ice when you stepped out if you weren’t careful. The mat had rubber grips to prevent that while drying your feet on it. Dean heard Kiera sigh as she settled under the spray of their large shower. A standard wolf could bath in this shower while in their fur. Now Dean wondered if he needed to remodel the bathroom to fit their new size. Kiera was smaller in her dire wolf form, and he didn’t think she’d fit in here. That was something for another day to think about. Right now, he had an eyeful of his mate and a promise to keep. There was no question for him if she was his mate. Just seeing her like this made everything right. Dean followed her into the shower and cornered her under
It took another week before Dean managed to shift into his alternative forms. He’d noticed a lot of changes in him. He needed to get larger clothing because his entire body went up to two clothing sizes while he lay in bed. That surprised him quite a bit. Finally, he could hold Kiera and kiss her without feeling like he’d been hit by a steamroller. Once they were home, Kiera wouldn’t speak of their mating and she wouldn’t set a date for the mating or acknowledgement ceremony. So he surprised Kiera with an evening to mate with her. He didn’t need an acknowledgement ceremony. His daily pain was almost nonexistent now and he want to give her what she deserved. Dean wanted Kiera to love their new form and position within the pack. So this evening they’d start with a private dinner in his apartment and then enjoy the evening with his soon-to-be mate. His mind kept wandering to what was to come. By dawn, they’d be mated, and thi
Two days later, Kiera and Trisha waited outside Dean’s room as Dr Graves examined him and looked at the latest test results. James returned to his pack to manage a few things. “So what are you doing for your mating ceremony? When will it be?” Kiera asked Trisha to try to find a different subject that didn’t revolve around Dean’s or her recent decisions. “Oh, I have him waiting until we can have both packs in the same place without there be fighting. I figure in a few years. I mean, technically, we’re mated. It’s just the ceremony of recognition of the mating that’s not been done. It seems so old-fashioned to me.” Trisha tried to brush it off. “Hon, if that were true, then you’ll be waiting forever to have the ceremony. Why don’t you just have it, and we’ll threaten to string up anyone and post signs of what they did? Like those photos of cats in their harnesses. “I shredded all the toilet paper while my owner was pooping.” Or “I pooped in m
“That bastard. Dean’s a jerk. He knew he’d do this and didn’t tell anyone that he’d do it. Kiera went there to discuss if it were possible. I know Kiera. She’d want to plan for all the worst things before trying anything. I bet he pushed her to let him do it.” “Enough Trisha. I’ll get us the earliest possible portal to there if you just let me think and listen to the portal booking system.” The mages ran the portal system and with it’s high risks of danger, they kept a stranglehold on almost all portal travel. When, where, and how long it would take are just a few of the questions James needed to answer. “Crap. I forgot to ask Kiera if she needed me to bring her anything. I don’t know if she has a change of clothes.” “Well, I’ll leave you to create a care package for Kiera and Dean. Let me get this booked.” “With four bags, James. We’re taking four bags with us. We can carry them if we have two duffle bags and two packs.” “Fine, I’
At some point, Kiera looked up at Dean. “Did you call your sister and tell her you were doing this right now?” “Nope, because you know very well what Trisha would say and I wasn’t going to listen to it, because this is between you and me.” “Goddess save me. Fine, I’ll do it. But when she’s pissed, I’m laying all the blame at your door. So you better be prepared when you see her next, because you’re going to hear about it.” Kiera couldn’t take it. She needed to talk to someone other than Dean. Trisha was the first person she thought of. Her mind did flit to April and Mary, but right now they were too busy trying to impress her to be reliable. For two who claimed they wanted to help her part-time, that changed when they understood she wasn’t dreaming that Dean wanted her as his mate and Luna. Kiera wasn’t leaning toward either of them because right now she didn’t feel she could trust them to receive the unvarnished truth. She hoped that would change.
“Are you both in agreement with this? If so, I can get you admitted Alpha Jonas, Kiera. We’d only need permission to draw your blood. If all goes well, you could be home in a day or two. Free to mate in a more relaxed and traditional manner on your own timeline.” Dr Graves looked calm and understanding. He didn’t press them further than that. “I’m game if you are Kiera.” Dean knew he was taking risks with his life. If it meant his life would finally be on track and he could see a happily ever after, he’d do it. He knew it was risky, but something in the back of his head was pushing him to do it and he wasn’t strong like Kiera, and he couldn’t resist listening to it. “Fine. I will let them take some blood. As long as I don’t need to be admitted for this. How long will it take to know whether it’s working or not?” “Once your blood is within his body it, we can test his body to see if there’s any rejection or damage to his organs. But since you