All Chapters of The Stoic Alpha: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I had hoped that getting Emerson to open up a little would help him to see that I’m ready to be his partner, not just when it comes to supporting him as an Alpha, not just as his Guardian, but also as his mate. Everything had been fine and then it hadn’t.I sigh. He said he was leaving so I could talk to Malin, but I already talked to Malin and I’m not going to interrupt her acting Luna ceremony with my problems. I wanted a challenge and I guess I’m getting one. It’s just…Cohen seems to want Malin, Rich always wanted Emlyn except when he was under a spell, my brother Xander always wanted Maeve, Clint seems to adore Riley.... so what’s wrong with me?‘Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re perfect,’ Minka says to me, but I can hear her sadness at Emerson’s hasty retreat tonight too.I get ready for bed, thinking about the conversation.‘Do you think he felt vulnerable after talking to us? I mean, we know it’s hard for Alpha males to feel vulnerable, even with their mates,’ I ask Minka.‘Dad i

My days and nights begin to develop a pattern. In the morning, I take Emerson’s warrior training. After breakfast, I run safe room drills with the omegas. That continues until just before four o’clock when I run warrior training. Emerson joins my warrior training in the afternoon and like me in the morning, he participates and spars with his pack members. Each day, we spar with someone new so that several pack members get to push themselves to get stronger. Uncle Eli and Aunt Grace also join both warrior sessions, so the pack warriors are getting stronger and faster.After my warrior training, Emerson and I run the borders, letting Minka and Clovis run and play together, but also checking to make sure that we don’t smell any unusual scents in the area. We always run the borders twice, and by the end, Clovis and Minka are playing more than monitoring the borders. Unlike Emerson, Clovis has no problem showing Minka affection, always rubbing himself against her, scenting her, and giving h

I’m not even sure what to think about what happened last night. I’d finally seen the man behind the armor, and wow, what a man. Under that passive exterior, there is one very passionate man, and I was thrilled, truly thrilled to find out that my mate is so ardent. All the way up until he ran from me, apologizing as if he hadn’t just given me everything I’ve been hoping for. Well, not everything, I had a serious ache between my thighs when he raced out of the room. And he’d left me wanting more, much, much more.Of course, then I’d felt embarrassed, humiliated that I’d done something wrong or worse, that I was right and he just doesn’t want me that way. He only wants me as his Guardian.I’d gone back to my room and showered off Emerson’s release. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about my scent being coated with his. If his hasty retreat is any indication, he won’t be happy about it, but I can’t do anything about that.I’m not sure how long I’d been asleep when I was awakened by scratching at

I come awake slowly, feeling the pain in my side.‘Minka?’‘I’m healing us. Now that the bullet is out, I’m healing, but the bones will take some time.’‘How many bones broken?’ I ask her.‘Two ribs, multiple fractures in them. They cracked every time we took a hit, but we’re okay. I just struggled to heal us around the bullet and try to keep our ribs from puncturing our lungs.’‘You’re amazing, Minka!’‘You’re pretty amazing too, Quinn.’I open my eyes and I’m disappointed to see Aunt Grace and Riley, but not Emerson.“Hey! There she is!” Riley says, coming over.“How do you feel?” Aunt Grace asks me.“Sore, but Minka says she’s healing us. She said they got the bullet out?”“Yep. The doc said Minka was healing their incisions faster than they could stitch you up,” Riley says.“It’s good to be a Guardian,” I say, sitting up gingerly as pain shoots up my side. “What happened at Shadow Falls? Is everyone ok?” I ask, suddenly remembering my family.“Yes. Emlyn apparently did some incredi

“Lady Luna Quinn!”“Lady Luna Quinn!”“Lady Luna Quinn!”Three distinct voices call out to me.“Yes, Little Lady Sprites,” I say without thinking. I haven’t even looked up when I hear them gasp.I quickly look over to see their eyes are wide and their mouths are open looking like big ‘O’s. I’m on the verge of apologizing when they start speaking again.“Did you hear what she called us?”“It’s like she knows us.”“Like she SEES us.”“She called us little, and we are little.”“She called us lady and we are ladies,”“She called us sprites and we are sprites.”“It’s perfect!”“More than perfect.”“It’s incredible!”The begin to flit away as I sigh in relief that I didn’t hurt their feelings with such an unconscious response to them asking for me.“Wait. Did you want to talk to me?” I ask them.“Oh no!”“Not now!’“Now we have to go tell everyone.”“They’ll be so jealous.”“They’ll want to be seen.”“And heard,” they say, flitting away.I chuckle and turn, seeing Emerson watching the sprite