Anna POV18 Years Ago:Alpha Deccan was one of the most powerful alliances my pack had. Up until this point I never had to worry about any problems with him. My father always had a great relationship so that passed it down to me. I wasnโt worried about the alpha meeting with all of the surrounding alphas until it dawned on me, Rowan was Deccanโs brother. They had an estranged relationship due to drug trafficking; However, blood was blood.I remember when I was a young girl that my father had stressed to me to never be on Deccanโs bad side as his power was unlike any other werewolf. He was known to be able to demolish his enemies in minutes with no effort at all. His mate was a powerful witch. When she died it had weakened his human form but strengthened his wolf. Every time he shifted; he risked not being able to transition back to his human form as it fueled his wolfโs power.Anxiety and worry filled me as Dean took a seat in the row in front of me. I didnโt want to cause any more is
Quinn POVThe next morning, I was plagued with anxiety. After a restless sleep last night, the last thing I am prepared for is standing in front of both packs with their curious stares. I groan as I get out of the comfort of my bed and try to find something presentable. I decided jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt and boots will do.Walking out of my bedroom I am met with the beaming smile of Ryan with his trusty dinosaur friend Charles in his hand. I brought him in for a hug. I breathe in his scent which is both familiar and reassuring. However, I canโt help but feel an ache in my chest for the one scent I crave and need. โHey buddy, how did you sleep?โ I let go of him and started heading down the stairs where everyone was waiting for me already. Ryan shrugged. The action seemed a little off. โYou, okay?โ I turned to face him with a concerned look. โYou look sadโฆand I donโt like it.โ he looked down at his shuffling feet. He was too observant sometimes. I wrapped my arms around him
QUINN POVI quickly shifted into my wolf not caring that I shredded my clothes in the process. I let Seline drive while I went to the back of my mind, terror mixed with anger seeped into my soul. I hated how much Thomas looked like his father and in turn how much I looked like Thomas. It made me want to try to wash a phantom stain that was in my DNA. โDonโt think like thatโ Seline scolded. โYou are nothing like that man and neither is Thomas.โ I didnโt respond. Unsure what to say. I couldnโt help how I felt. Meeting Rowan gave me an insecurity that I couldnโt fathom. I felt the wind blow through my fur and the soft soil beneath my paws. Shifting had soothed a little bit of my rage. He knew where Derek was, and I refused to live any life without my mate. Seline got us to the packhouse in record time where several pack members and my parents were talking. โWe need to talk.โ I sent the mind link to my mother. Thomas must have seen me coming and brought outside a robe. A concerned look
Quinn POVRachel and Mandy jolted awake at my scream. โNo! No! No! No!โ I cried! They were going to kill him. I felt the sapphire necklace warm. That was odd. It felt like my power was feeding into the stone. Kat and Thomas ran into the living room, both in their pajamas. Circling the couch, Kat kneeled in front of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. Warmth spread through her palms while her eyes glowed red. Her power soothed some of my agony. She looked up at Thomas with a concerned look. โShe saw Derek. He was being tortured byโฆโ She paused, a concerned look on her face. โYour mother.โ She let go of my cheeks but remained kneeling in front of me. โIโll kill that son of a bitch for hurting my boy!โ Sam roared, over hearing what Kat said as he entered the room in only his gym shorts. His eyes flashed to those of his wolf, fighting the urge not to shift. Thomas placed his hands on his Betaโs shoulders. โCalm down Sam.โโIโve been pretty damn calm Thomas! And now I hear heโs bei
โQuinn POVBy morning, the trackers were able to narrow down where Derek was. Now it was time for me, Fred, Elan, and Rachel to rescue my mate while Sam, Kat, and Mandy would be on standby if anything were to happen. Thomas would stay at the pack house with my parents and would work on a battle plan and arrange a meeting with all the surrounding pack leaders.After I woke up screaming, I wasnโt able to go back to sleep. I felt sluggish and a little feverish. I chalked it down to stress and no sleep. Serina was quieter than usual. Even she seemed sluggish and lethargic. As I followed Fred, Rachel, and Elan out the door, my mother stopped me.โQuinn, honey?โ I turned to face her. A worried expression took over her beautiful face. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my body, squeezing tight. โPlease be careful.โ She kissed my temple. I gave her a quick nod. โI will be fine mom. I love you.โSaving our shifter strength, we stayed in our human forms as we walked to the moun
โโDerek POV I could smell her scent on them. Although I knew they hadnโt done anything WITH her, the thought of my mateโs scent on anyone else but me made me almost feral. Even with the mating and marking not fully complete, I had a suspicion that with her power, I was also affected by her heat. Fred and Rachel helped me through the cave and out to the wooded area. The fresh air filled my nostrils, finally allowing me to take a real breath. Rachel left me with Fred as she went to grab a bag. The inside showed lots of first aid items. Quickly the pair worked in sync as they quickly banged my wounds and gave me some water. My insides still felt raw and on fire from the wolfsbane. The water did little to soothe the pain, but my body welcomes the much needed hydration. As I tried to stand, my world began to spin. โWoah, man, easy there.โ Fred said as he wrapped an arm around my waist. โQuinnโฆโ I croaked out. I knew she needed me like I needed her. I couldnโt help but want them to
Quinn POVI woke up blissfully sore. I felt a sense of fulfillment and completeness after I marked my mate. After three more rounds of intense sex, Derek and I crashed from exhaustion and the heat finally subsided. In the middle of the night, I had gone down to the kitchen where Kat had brewed a tea with healing elements for Derekโs injuries. Derek had been less than impressed when I woke him up to drink the concoction which he described tasted like โbark mixed with soil, and Gollum's asshole.โI pressed the button to move the protective shutters up around the packhouse. Just as I was climbing back into bed to snuggle up against my sleeping mate, my mother mind-linked me. โQuinn sweetie, I need you and Derek to come out of the pack house. Thereโs something you need to see.โDerek woke up, startled by the mind link that went to both of us. โOk, we will be right down.โ Derek looked at me with a quizzical look. I just shrugged. โGood morning, beautiful.โ A lazy smile spread on Derekโ
Quinn POVโSo, next steps would be joining forces to take down Rowan. Are you all in?โ My mother asked the group.All of our guests had varied expressions of perplexion and shock. Alpha Damien, was the first to respond while he steepled his hands and forearms rested on his knees. โI would say that the Moon Goddess brought us all here for a reason. We werenโt brought here at the same time by chance.โAlpha Andrew grunted in agreement. By the end of the discussion all the pack leaders had agreed upon an alliance and joined forces to take down Rowan. What they failed to discuss is why they called me their โSaviorโ or โQueenโ.โ My mother and I were the last to be in Thomasโs office. She walked over to me and cupped my cheeks. I let out a breath I didnโt know I was holding. I met her blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the office overhead lights. I pulled her into a hug. โHow are you able to talk about what happened to you so casually?โ I asked into her arm. She pet the back of my head
EPILOGUE 8 YEARS LATER:โMomma, I want to go see uncle Ryan!โ Ellie groaned. She stomped her pink-glitter converse into the gravel of the driveway. I continued to buckle Pryor into his car seat. I sighed and looked down at my baby boy who had a big gummy smile on his face. I kissed the tip of his nose before closing the car door. โEllisse, how many times do I need to go over this with you?โ She crossed her arms and looked so much like myself, I almost wanted to take a picture of it. Ellie groaned again and looked up at the sky. โI just donโt understand why I have to go with you to get grandpa.โโI squatted down in front of her. Trying to level with an eight year old was not easy. I straightened her jacket. โWe will be quick honey. I know you are excited to see Uncle Ryan on his special day, but Great Grampa wants to be there too.โ โI want to see uncle Ryan, but I want to see Rykerrrrrโ She growled. Ryker was Mandy and Elanโs son who was a year younger than Ellisse. She was transfix
Six Weeks LaterQUINN POVFinally getting Ellie to sleep, I flopped down on the bed. I clutched my breasts and hissed as they were sore from my crotch goblin using them as her feeding bags.Derek walked out of the bathroom, a towel low on his hips. My eyes trailed down his toned abs down to his v line where the towel was. A clearing of the throat from Derek made me snap out of the day dreaming I was in. He scratched the back of his neck. โYou know, Instead of looking at me like a snack, I can give you a treat,โ a smirk went across his face.I blushed. My hormones were all over the place after having Ellie. One minute I wanted to fuck, the next I wanted to sleep or cry. I donโt know how Derek was keeping it together with my 17 personalities.I perched myself on my elbows and gave him a โcome hereโ motion with my pointer finger. โQuinn donโt tease!โ Derek pouted โIโm not teasing, come here,โ I said with a small smile on my face. Without wasting another second Derek dropped his towel
9 MONTHS LATER:POV Quinn โOne more push Quinn. Sheโs almost here.โ The nurse encouraged me. I squeezed Derekโs hand once more, making him wince. He had been warned not to look over the curtain and sure enough, as our baby girl was getting pulled out of me, he looked and began to sway on his feet. โWill someone please bring our King a wet compress.โ The nurse between my legs instructed. She looked up at me. โOne more push Quinn.โI shook my head. โI canโt.โ I cried. Derek was able to pull himself together and pressed a kiss to my sweaty temple. โYou can do it, baby.โ Derek encouraged me. I screamed as I gave my last push, giving everything I had left in me. The equipment and lights moved and flickered at my scream. No one in the room flinched when they heard my scream. Instead they carried on like I wasnโt an octave away from blowing eardrums out. I heard my baby girlโs wail as she entered this world. My body sagged from the immediate relief of being down with pushing. I looked
6 months Later:POV Quinn โRyan, come on! Breakfast is ready!โ I called up the stairs. I was beginning to lose my patience with this boy. My once fun, loving, well-behaved younger brother, was now going through a terrible rebellious stage. Ryan stomped his way down the main stair-case of the packhouse. I rolled my eyes at his overdramatized walking. โYouโre going to be late for school.โโSo?โ Ryan grumbled as he walked to the kitchen. โSOโฆ It doesn't look good for the future alpha to be missing school or being late. You need to show the pack that you are reliable.โ I internally cringed at my words. Ryan simply rolled his eyes and continued to go into the kitchen and sit on one of the stools at the island. I placed a heaping stake of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him. โI made your favorite.โ โThanks,โ Ryan grumbled as he shoved a large piece of pancake in his mouth. Currently we were staying in my childhood pack house with the Red Night Pack as my father took some time to t
Quinn POVDerek sensed something was amidst and followed me outside where we both shifted into our wolves. The full moonโs energy coursed through us, giving us heightened speed and senses. I heard howls in the distance accompanied by mind-link messages that they too were on their way to see the rise of Damien Pierce. As we approached the hospital, the voices that had quieted since receiving my necklace were now talking all at once. โSavior! Follow the power!โ The tall slate brick building came into view. Seline pushed herself faster. Wanting nothing more than to get closer to the energy source that emanated from the tall building. As we approached the hospital, two nurses stood outside waiting for us with scrubs to change into. Derek and I quickly shifted back to our human forms. โMy Queen.โ The nurses bowed before handing us the clothing. I still didnโt know how to handle being called that. I certainly did not feel like a queen. I gave them a small smile before getting changed. โW
What the man didnโt tell me was that my grandfather was not only speaking in his sleep, but approximately around the time Rowan was killed, he roared loud enough to make the building tremble under its intensity. Reluctantly, I had sent a mind link to my father to let him know about the situation. To no surprise he didnโt respond. With Ryan with Thomas and Kat, Derek and I were now here at the hospital in my grandfatherโs room. I felt the stone on my necklace heat as we got closer to my grandfatherโs bed. The sensation made me gasp. Derek looked at me warily. โYou okay?โ I tugged on the string to push the stone off my skin. โYe-yeahโ I stammered. My grandfather began to stir in his bed. Maybe it was because of the full moon tonight. Everyone seemed to be antsy, which was normal for a full moon. I walked over to my grandfather and put my hand into his. His complexion had improved significantly since the last time I had visited. His cheeks were less gaunt and now had a pink hue to th
Quinn POV Amelia and the remaining members of her and Rowanโs army were nowhere to be found. I immersed myself in helping tend to any injured and to support the mourning families. I refused to acknowledge that now that the other services for the fallen had been commenced, it was now time for my motherโs. The impending storm that threatened to come held off for my motherโs service. Whispers and side glances plagued my senses as I stood next to my father and Ryan. Derek stood behind me, close enough to let me know that he was there, but also allowing me to mourn with my family. My black knee length dress felt like it was suffocating me. I tugged at the fabric, attempting to get more room but unsuccessful. My father stood as still as a statue in an all black bespoke suit. His hands rested in front of him as he continued to look at my motherโs dark cherry coffin. Thomas led the ceremony. His usually bright emerald green eyes were dull and filled with unshed tears. Everyone was dressed
Quinn POV Howls echoed in unison throughout the territory as we all felt the tether to my mother break. I focused my energy on the enemy in front of me. I could break after this bitch was destroyed. Something must have spooked Amelia because she extinguished her smoke spheres and looked at me with her blood shot eyes. โThis is over Quinn. I will take all that you took from me!โ Before I could move towards her, she vanished in a cloud of smoke along with Rowanโs body. I let out a growl. โIโll be waiting!โAs soon as Amelia was gone, I ran back over to my mother and father. I fell to my knees in front of my mother and wrapped my arms around my fatherโs torso. โDaddy, sheโs gone.โ His entire body trembled as the other half to his soul was taken from him. Members of the surrounding packs circled us. Some wounded, some missing limbs, but all giving their respect for one of their leaders. I heard the sound of feet hitting the ground quickly before I heard the sound of Kat gasp. She fel
QUINN POVI knew she was gone when I heard my fatherโs roar. It echoed throughout the field making me wince from the pain in my ears. I looked up to see my dadโs wolf running to my mother who was still cradled in my arms. He licked her face as if his kisses could help heal what was broken. Tears streamed down my face as I felt her tether to me vanish. I brushed some hair away from her pale lifeless face. I heard bones cracking and rearranging before the bloody hands of my father touched my mothers face. Extreme guilt filled me knowing she just sacrificed her life for me. I looked at my father who looked like he had seen a ghost.โAnna baby please wake up please wake upโ he cried shaking her pepper in her face with kisses โplease baby wake up wake up you canโt be goneโ he looked at me and panic.โWhat have you done you bitch!โ The woman screamed. In my despair I had almost forgotten that Amelia was still alive. I stood up and moved in between my parents and Amelia. Her eyes became a