Duncan's POV
As they arrived at Sea-Tac Airport, Duncan was glad to be home. He had been away longer than expected. Sadie was quieter than usual. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, and she smiled up at him. Luca was picking them up from the airport. So they headed to baggage claim.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes, but in a good way. I am looking forward to this new life."
"You know you can always fly back home for a couple of days if you are feeling home sick?"
"I know. I love you for that," Sadie said as she stood on her tippy toes and kissed him.
"Hey, get a room you two," a familiar voice said behind him.
Sadie squealed and ran to Tatiana. She winked at Duncan.
"I thought Luca was coming."
"Yes he is here," she motioned toward the baggage carousel. Luca stood there patiently waiting for it to shudder awake.
Duncan gave Tia a big hug, lifting her off the ground, "It is good to see you are still in one piece."
She
Tatiana's POV Since Luca and Tatiana reached a tentative truce, he drove her to train at the Village. Gaby asked at the last session if another young she-wolf named Zoe could join training sessions. Her mother was worried about keeping her safe. Tia was happy to train her. She was a sweet girl and was eager to learn. She had a zeal for self-defense that Tia admired. When Tia arrived promptly at 2 pm, both Gaby and Zoe were ready to learn. Neither of them shied away from combat either. Zoe broke Gaby's left hand, but she kept fighting. Zoe tore a tendon in her knee that required her to stay off of it for twenty-four hours. Tia did not realize the extent of the injury until Gaby had to take a moment to rebreak the bone so it would heal properly. Despite the injuries, both wolves were progressing beyond what Tia had imagined. Gaby especially was a natural. Today they wanted to discuss the attack on Mora. Tatiana asked if they had seen or heard anything strange l
Sadie's POV Tatiana took Sadie on a whirlwind tour of pack territory. Sadie needed some girl time with Tia. They ended the evening having cocktails on the main street at Tia's favorite Italian restaurant. Duncan met them there for dinner. When he arrived, they were both tipsy. "What have you done to my mate, Tia?" Duncan scolded when he smelled the alcohol. Tia shrugged and giggled, "I gave her a proper tour of the Kalaloch property, and then we discovered together how good the Mojitos are here." Duncan shook his head, "Well, at least you both stayed within the pack boundary." "Another round of Mojito's," Sadie called out to the waiter. "Don't you think you should eat something first?" Duncan frowned. Sadie scowled back at him, "Aren't you a party pooper!" The waiter returned quickly with another round of Mojitos and took their food order. Sadie nuzzled up to Duncan, "Are you upset with me?" "No, you are allowed
Tatiana's POVWhen Tatiana and Luca woke again, a couple of hours had passed. She felt slightly better, but she did not want to get out of bed. Today was Duncan's ascension ceremony, and she did not feel ready for it. Tia snuggled against Luca's body. He was warm, and he felt sublime. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "How are you feeling?""I feel better than earlier, but not great. How about you? You were out late.""I was on patrol. We go some rain last night, so it felt nice to come back to a warm bed with you in it."She turned around in his arms and looked into his eyes, "Is our relationship significantly different from what you had with your mate?"He thought for a moment, "Yes, every relationship is different. What specifically are you curious about?""It was just something Duncan said. He figures if we were fated to be mates by the Moon Goddess, we would never let each other out of sight."Luca laughed,
Tatiana's POV Everyone had been working hard all day, and it all came together perfectly. The Omegas were completing the finishing touches while everyone else was getting ready for the ceremony. Tatiana stayed back to help before heading in to shower and get dressed. As she entered, she found Luca sitting in the lounge talking with Duncan's Grandfather, Augustus. All the pack Elders returned for the ceremony. Most Elders stayed with family members or at the packhouse. Tia met Augustus earlier when he and their Grandmother Elspeth arrived. He was a very stately gentleman, and Elspeth was beautiful with her long flowing gray hair and striking green eyes. Duncan got his eyes from his Grandmother. They were both warm and friendly, and Tatiana liked them right away. It struck her as strange as she watched them speak that they looked the same age at one time. Since then, Augustus had aged, but Luca barely changed at all. Zeta's aged much slower than the average Werewolf. I
Tatiana's POV - Duncan's Ascension CeremonyAll the guests were seated at their tables. Over a hundred and fifty guests packed the backyard. Werewolves from neighboring packs, the Kalaloch pack, and many of the Elders were all in attendance. Luna Carina had outdone herself for her son. Torches and twinkling lights lit the yard and blended in with the stars. As Duncan and Sadie entered the yard, a hush fell over the crowd. Alpha Bran and Luna Carina were already in front of the rock alter of the Moon Goddess. Duncan looked handsome and strong. Every bit an Alpha. She could not believe how much he had changed since they first met. He had apologized earlier for last night, but she was already over it. The only thing she felt now was pride and love.As she watched her family, Tatiana began to get choked up. Sadie looked elegant in a blue dress. Duncan watched over her protectively as he did with Tia. She looked at Bran and Carina and could not imagine the house without the
Tatiana's POVThe food was delicious, and the champagne was heady. Once people finished their meals, the wait staff began clearing away the plates. Tia felt more awake and was looking forward to dancing. She knew tomorrow would bring a lot of change, so she wanted to squeeze every last bit out of tonight.The music started, and everyone began to loosen up. Duncan and Luca grabbed their partners and spun them out to the dance floor. Sadie laughed as Duncan wiggled and squirmed in front of her. His moves weren't terrible, just unexpected for his size. However, Luca pulled Tia close and rubbed his body against hers, making her and Talia pant. It was hot enough to make other she-wolves on the dance floor hot and bothered. She looked up into his eyes and wondered what had gotten into him. Whatever it was, she did not want it to stop. She looked over his shoulder and caught Sadie's eyes. She fanned herself and mouthed OMG. The feeling of his body so close to hers brought Tal
Luca's POV The next morning, Luca woke to an empty bed. Tatiana had spent the night at the clinic with Zoe. He climbed out of bed and quickly showered before heading downstairs. The caterer's had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast, and the Elders were eating and chatting at the massive dining table. Luca greeted everyone as he grabbed himself a cup of coffee. "I hear there was a bit of excitement after we left last night," Augustus said. "Yes, Hoh pack attacked a young she-wolf outside of the Village last night. Tatiana was training her to protect herself, because the attacks are becoming more frequent." He took a drink of coffee before continuing, "Can't we do anything? They have had a large influx of new warriors. They are preparing for something." Augustus said, "The Hoh Forest pack will get sanctioned if the attackers are members of the pack. However, if they are recruits and Vex denies they were members, we can do nothing. Naren is sm
Luca's POV Sadie agreed to stay with Zoe's mom while Luca drove Tia and Gaby back to the packhouse for a nap. They got Gaby situated in her old room and then went back to Tia's room. Tia flopped on the bed, exhausted. Luca slipped off her shoes and massaged her feet. "Why are you so bloody good to me," she signed. Before he could answer, she was asleep. He covered her with the blanket, kissed her, and whispered, "Sleep well my goddess." Luca hurried down to the office where Bran and Augustus were waiting for him. "How is the girl?" Bran asked. "She is expected to recover, but she had not regained consciousness yet. Tia came back with me and is resting upstairs." "That is good." Augustus nodded. "Any news about the Gamma?" "No, everything has been quiet. Not even a sighting." "Last night, Tia sensed the attack on Zoe before I did. I have never seen anything like it before. It was as if she could feel it.