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Chapter 14
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A Time for Strength Chapter 15
I hold Mom’s hand until we get into the dining room, pushing the feelings of doubt and hesitation to the deepest depths of my soul. They try to fight their way back to the surface, but Justice pushes them back for me. When we get to the double doors, I take a deep breath. Mom squeezes my hand and opens the door for me. As we pass through the room, pack members whisper and point at us. I stop at the table where Elder Randall, the Alpha and Luna of Silver Moon, and the delegation from Ruby Hills are sitting. I bow low to them and murmur a thank you for joining us for the ceremony. When we get to the head table, I gather the bottom of my dress in my hand. Mom takes my other hand and supports me while I step on a chair, then up onto the table. “Lenora, what are you doing?” Dad tries to pull me down with a hoarse whisper. I swat his hand away and clear my throat. “May I have your attention, please? Everyone!” My voice booms in a tone I’ve never heard before. It reverberates off the wa
A Time for Strength Chapter 16
We stand on the steps to the packhouse waiting for the SUVs. Mom fidgets where she stands. “Mom, don’t worry, they’ll be here in a minute.” I squeeze her hand. “Just remember, the doctor said he is on a lot of drugs. He might not be himself.” “I know, I just can’t wait to give him a hug.” Mom says, looking down the driveway. A guard’s howl in the distance alerts us to the approaching vehicles. Guards and warriors stand at attention as the SUV pulls up. Dad gets out first then turns to help Bronx. People clap and wolves stamp their paws on the pavement to welcome them. Veterans salute them silently. Bronx is deathly pale. A heavy bandage covers his left eye, and he limps when he walks. He lets Dad put an arm around his waist while he gets his footing on the snowy ground. Bronx winces in pain as he tries to stand up straight. The applause of the crowd dies down when he holds his hand in the air to get their attention. “Thank you for the warm welcome home.” His voice strains. “I’
A Time for Strength Chapter 17
The ballroom is beautifully decorated with swaths of blue, white, and silver decorations. The snow gently falling outside adds the perfect touch to the ambiance. Families are already there with younger children. They are having a mini dance party before the kitchen staff takes them for an activities night in the conference room. In a couple of hours, we will bring them back so Mom and Dad can pass out Solstice gifts to them. “Lenora!” Ashley rushes up to me with her jaw dropped. “You look amazing!” “Thanks. Mom picked out my outfit.” I motion at her dress. “And that little number? You should wear royal blue more often!” “Come on, let’s dance with the pups.” She gives me an exaggerated smile. “Gamma Carol said it helps them learn to trust us if we spend time with them. They need to be accustomed to our scents.” “A-alright?” I look at Mom who raises her eyebrows. “The DJ has a remix of Wiggly Worms that slaps.” She chuckles. Ashley and I look at each other and burst out laughin
A Time for Strength Chapter 18
I sit on the floor of my empty bedroom and look around with a deep ragged sigh, listening to the bustle of the rest of the apartment being emptied. I hug myself, still able to feel all of Mom’s strength and love through the embrace she gave me before she got into the SUV. I think about Dad’s last words to me. “I know you're going to do great. Just because your mother and I won’t be here doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. Lean on the pack. Use the resources at your disposal to your advantage. If you have to outsource, don’t forget to go through MasonCo and get a purchase order.” I shake my head with a chuckle. He always has the pack on his mind, even in retirement. Thinking about Bronx picking Mom up into one of his crushing hugs and hearing her laugh at him makes me choke back tears. His last few words to Dad. “I hear it’s summer in Australia and there’s plenty of room for Mace and Dahlia to run in the outback.” Watching the SUVs make their way down the snowy drive. The pack me
A Time for Strength Chapter 19
“Mr. Rollins, these are all four keys to the Alpha residence.” I pull the other three out of my pocket and drop the small pile into his hand. Randall catches up and looks over my shoulder. “Perfect, and I have the master here in the safe. Housekeeping gave me their copies this morning.” He looks at the serial codes on each key and marks them off on a sheet. “We will leave the lock as is during renovation. Only the site super and project manager will have keys. When Alpha Bronx moves in, we will retool the locks and destroy these keys. Your parents’ belongings are going to the warehouse until the cottage down the street is available in the spring. We will move things around then.” “Good. How about the Beta and Gamma apartments?” “Got all their keys this morning. Locks are the same for now. When you and the Gammas are ready to renovate, belongings will go into temporary storage and you’ll be moved to guest suites.” He hands me my new key. “When the Beta and Gamma get home, we will h
A Time for Strength Chapter 20
—Flashback— “Bronx, there’s a monster in my closet. Maybe it’s a witch.” I peek into his room. He’s reading a book. I bet it doesn’t have pictures. He says books with pictures are little kid books. I like books with pictures though. Maybe when I’m ten like him, I won’t like picture books anymore? That sounds boring. I’ll like picture books forever. “There’s no monster or witch in your closet.” He keeps reading. “It’s your imagination.” “No, there is! I swear!” My lip is shaky. I don’t want him to think I’m a crybaby, though. “I saw its eyes.” “So growl at it. If it’s hiding in your closet, it’s scared to come out.” He rolls his eyes. “Your wolf face will scare it away.” “Can you help me… please? Your wolf face is more scarier.” I don’t think he heard me. He still keeps reading. “Bronx, I really sawed it. It has glowy purple eyes!” Bronx slams his book closed. “Come on. I’ll show you.” He grabs my hand. When we get to my closet door, he stops. “How could you see glowing eyes if
A Time for Strength Chapter 21
“Luna, we’re waiting on those purchase orders to order food for the pantry for the next month.” “We need an inspection of the armory after we stopped three rogues from getting in there last week.” “We have to review training plans for the next quarter. Since the Council announced we need to send six more warriors, we have to look at pack members qualified to serve in the next wave of the draft.” “We’ve had a heavier snowfall than usual this winter. We need to send a team to reinforce the banks of Blood River so it can sustain the extra spring thaw. Also, fencing on the southern border needs to be replaced.” “The elementary school would like to know if you can attend their Saint Valentine’s day party.” “Sin’s rogues have been spotted closer to the territory than last month. We need a better plan of action to stop them from attacking.” “Put pins in all of that.” I point around the room at all the department heads. “Yes, Luna.” They reply in unison. “Doctor Nolan, how’s the Alph
A Time for Strength Chapter 22
“Luna, Lieutenant Fortier is on the line for you.” Carly’s voice comes through the intercom, startling me from reviewing budget requests. Alright fine. You caught me. I wasn’t working on reviewing budget requests like I’m supposed to. I’ve been staring out the window at an early spring snow shower. It’s beautiful. I almost never have time to myself anymore. Justice wants to go out and romp in the winter wonderland with her mate. Our warriors only have two weeks left before they come home. Will they have time to let their wolves out for a snowy run? It takes a second for my mind to process what she just said. When it does, my heart stops. I look at the calendar on the wall. It’s only Tuesday. Henri always calls on Thursday nights. He has been calling once a week to give me as much of an update as he can about the war so I can share with pack leaders. He’s not allowed to say anything about our individual warriors for security reasons. Most of the time, his updates aren’t much, but I’l
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