Reese
I’d fought right alongside my males and the other alphas for two long years against the invading bears, and those years had been fraught with danger and death around every corner. Many wolves hadn’t made it through the darkest times in our recent history to be able to forge new beginnings.
Even so, I honestly believed my jaunt through the forest with my mate to my home base would be what finally did me in.
Our progress was slow at first due to our injuries and exhaustion, but we eventually made it to the pack house in the Western Province a few hours ago.
It had been hell keeping my hands off of Scarlett, especially with Jace’s scent still clinging to her skin the few times we shifted shapes, and I was ultimately unable to resist at least kissing her enticing lips once more.
She may have fled afterward, but it didn’t escape my notice that she returned my affections until she tore herself away, fleeing in a flustered stat
Okay, I'm sorry this is late! As it turns out, I'm not good at multitasking. I was confusing the timeline while trying to edit South..so the second book is now completely done and will receive that tag as soon as my editor approves the last edits and marks it as such. I'm also able to see all of the past comments y'all have left throughout my stories finally so thanks for all the encouragements!! I will upload more content later today and plan to continue uploading quite a bit through the end of the month. I will go back and edit after the first. Thank you for your patience, and happy reading :)
Reese The renovations were coming along nicely, and there hadn’t been any more rogue attacks nearby since we arrived in the Western Province a few days ago. I idly wondered how long the calm would hold before everything went to shit again. Once I was sure Oliver was prepared for my absence, I found Scarlett, wearing a new path through the front lawn as she anxiously paced back and forth. “Are you ready to go, Fire?” She froze, stiffening as I approached, but she relaxed a second later, answering, “Yes. My wolf needs to run.” She didn’t dither, pulling the hem of the striking blue blouse she was wearing up and over her head as she finished her statement. I ripped my gaze away from her tantalizing curves on full display, knowing we would never make it to my personal refuge if I let myself drink in her figure. “Remember to stay with me. I’m not taking any risks with your safety, and you’re going to love the place
Scarlett My mind was racing a million miles a minute as I moved my feet over the rocky earth, wearing a path into the ground with the number of times I had already traversed it waiting for Reese so I could finally shift into my wolf de novo. I hated not being free to do as I wished, but I was used to the limitations after living under Zeke for so long. That wasn’t to say I was a stranger to breaking the rules, but I understood the importance of them this time, so I restrained myself from sneaking off for a sprint on my own. We had been here for a few days, but I hadn’t seen much of my mate. He crept into my room each night and slept near me as his wolf, but I made a concerted effort to avoid him at all costs each morning after. I knew it wasn’t the mature thing to do, but I was still struggling to come to terms with the idea of having another male in my life for any period of time, let alone another true mate. R
Scarlett Communication was hard while I was on four legs rather than two without mind link to connect Reese and I as we ran in sync after the scout. It was near impossible with us stealthily tailing the wolf who had been spying on us, and it made interacting with one another difficult, to say the least. I wasn’t sure if Reese had seen the same thing as me, but he followed after me without a second thought, regardless. Nonetheless, I didn’t need his deep voice constantly cautioning me in my head through mind link to know I needed to fall back as I began to comprehend the magnitude of what our sleuth led us to sometime later. Reese stayed shoulder to shoulder with me as I dashed back to the vehicle, but I didn’t bother shifting shapes when we got there. My mind was still reeling with the unmistakable indicators of the impending battle heading our way that Reese and I had uncovered. I registered him speaking
Reese My mind had been a muddled mess ever since the first second I’d laid eyes on the fiery vixen soaking in the hot springs before me in Jax’s lodge about a month ago, but I had felt more myself over the last several days as I used my analytical side to give the others the best chance to fend off the incoming attack. I hadn’t originally been sure if the infiltrators would follow the same pattern as they had been, but my beta had kept me updated about their movements on the fringe, so it was music to my ears when Oliver informed me the bears had funneled in through the North as we intended when they launched their assault. I had been consumed with dealing with all the information filtering in from elsewhere since the evacuation went off without a hitch. Consequently, Scarlett had been able to successfully avoid the topic of how she was so familiar with the bear shifters up until now. I slipped into the temperate water beside her, wad
Reese I awoke in the morning feeling better than I had any other day of my life, the difference being Scarlett had allowed me to ensconce her in my arms for the remainder of the night as we found the land of dreams together. The pleasant feeling coursing through my blood put an extra pep in my step as Scarlett and I set off for the bears’ territory. I had rigged up a bag I would be able to carry on my shoulders as we traversed the country, but I needed my mate to secure it in place before she shifted. I didn’t let myself admire her mile-long legs or other desirable assets, knowing we would never make it to the bears before the elder if I started down that path. I was thrilled with the progress I made in getting my other half to fully accept me, but my wolf was antsy to advance to the claiming stage. I couldn’t say I blamed him, it had been over a month at this point, and there were times when I thought I would go mad with the
Scarlett My limbs grew heavier as we ran onward in the direction of Jace’s hideaway, but the exhilaration from hurtling through the forest as my wolf served as a balm for my exhaustion. Reese’s huge gray wolf kept stride with me as I took the lead position. The glimpse I caught of him out of the corner of my eye had my mind flying back to our conversation from last night. His reluctance then and now to seek out Jace again was palpable, but I saw the effort he put into trying to set aside his differences after my entreaty. I refocused on my environs then, knowing we were getting closer to Jace, but my mind never strayed far from my mate. I slowed by a fraction, letting my senses roam out further, but I suddenly crashed into Reese’s massive beast as the following events ensued. My ears picked up on the sounds of something heading in our direction. I instinctively hesitated with the clear signs we were no longer alone, but the di
Reese I felt more secure here in Jace’s den than I ever thought I would, and I could grant this was the first time I had the chance to let my shield slip a little since we had departed the Western Province. My tired state had me feeling worn out down to my very bones, and our relative safety had my eyes drooping as my mind analyzed Jace’s behavior from prior in the forest where he found us and afterwards here in his concealed cave. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he’d had designs on making Scarlett his before I came into the picture, and who could blame him? Pairings molded by Luna had been extremely rare up until now, so it was reasonable to believe Scarlett would remain unattached, especially knowing she had already rejected her true mate. Anger trickled through my system as I was reminded about the trauma my mate had endured at his hands, not to mention the fact that he might still be alive. I forced myself to focus on Jace
Scarlett I wanted Reese; there was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I had been hanging on by a thread before we began this trip, but I didn’t think I would be able to part with him at this point, even if that was something I was remotely considering. He was worming his way into my mind and heart against my better judgment, and I needed him to satisfy the ache that had existed since I first laid eyes on him. I had no doubt Jace had fled due to what he knew was about to transpire. He had been the one to teach me to seize what I wanted, after all, and I wasn’t hiding that Reese was it. Reese slammed his lips over mine without hesitation and hauled me up his powerful body after I navigated the speedily shrinking distance between us. I had waited for far too long for this moment, and I was giving in to our mating bond tonight, the consequences be damned in the morning. He wasn’t gentle as he claimed my lips in equal