The view out of Mercyโs window was beautiful. August had given her an office that looked out on a meadow, and sometimes, she would stare out the window and daydream about how beautiful their wedding had been and how lovely it had been to take a week off and just spend time with her new husband. Mercy hadnโt wanted an elaborate wedding, but everyone in the pack was invited since August was the Alpha, and Mercy was becoming the pack Luna. Still, they were able to keep the ceremony itself relatively short. After that, theyโd gone straight into a ceremony to name her as the Luna. The reception had been long, but the happy couple had not stayed for the entire time. Theyโd danced a bit, ate some food, thanked all of their guests, and then gotten straight to their honeymoon. Now a few weeks later, here Mercy sat, staring out at a beautiful spring day, wondering how she got to be so lucky. Being the Luna was exactly how Mercy thought it would be. It was challenging, but it was so very rewar
She was dreaming about Rider again.Mercy was walking through the battlefield, the smoke blowing around her, bodies lying randomly around her feet. Her eyes were fixed at a distant point where she knew he would appear.Only this time, unlike all of the other dreams sheโd had, Alpha Rider wasnโt showing up, and she didnโt understand why.As she continued to search for him, her mind wandering, trying to sort out where he might be, where Alpha August might be, she began to hear a banging noise to her right. It was a rhythmic noise, but the longer she walked, the more persistent she became until she finally realized it wasnโt part of her dream.โIโm dreaming,โ she reminded herself.Mercy sat straight up in bed. August was up, too, and he was pulling on some clothes over his boxers. Someone was banging on the door downstairs, hard. โWho is it?โ she asked him.โIโm not sure, but somethingโs going on,โ he said. โStay here.โโWhy would I do that?โ she asked, getting up and rushing to the clos
It was no wonder that Rider had been quiet for so long.Heโd been training his warriors.Heโd been collecting more.As August made his way across the battlefield, it was clear that his enemy had been working hard to prepare himself for this night. Everywhere the Alpha looked, he saw his Omegas fighting with Riderโs ferocious wolves. Blood, sweat, tufts of fur, claws, and fangsโฆ. It was a vicious battle, one of the worst heโd ever seen, and August was afraid to see the aftermath.If he survived the night.Before August could even think about what he needed to do next, a large male wolf stepped before him, and he found himself engaged again. It wasnโt the first time heโd had to fight instead of simply directing his warriors that night. Heโd already dispatched four other wolves, and if he wanted to get back to overseeing the battle, heโd have to do the same to this large black wolf as well.Saliva hung from the wolfโs teeth as he stared at August, his eyes glaring with menace. August was
August had made her promise to stay in the house, and Mercy had pretended to comply. It was better that way. Well, it was easier that way, anyhow.When she stepped outside, about an hour after the battle had begun, she knew exactly what to expect.She wasnโt wearing a long, flowing gown like she had been in her dreams, though. She was wearing a much more practical outfit. She had on pants and they were tucked into her boots. She was also wearing a long-sleeved shirt. It was a bit chilly in the predawn hours. A light fog hung over the village. It was fogโnot smoke.Why would it be smoke? It wasnโt as if wolves fought with weapons that fired gunpowder like humans did. Still, she did smell smoke in the distance. As she began to walk toward the sound of fighting, the smell became stronger, more acrid, and she realized that there were some buildings on fire on the perimeter of the village.That bastard Rider had set some of the villagersโ homes on fire.Mercy shook her head and knew that t
It didnโt take long for Rider to come into view. He was about a quarter of a mile ahead of her, in between some trees, just stepping out of a clearing.Of course, he would be hiding from the battle, Mercy thought.He stepped out into the field. The fog curled around him, just as it had in her dreams. He was in his human form, just as she was, and for once, Mercy wished she hadnโt forced herself to wake up before the dreams had ended.At least then maybe sheโd have some idea what was about to happen.Rider wasnโt alone.It took Mercy a few seconds to realize that there was another person following him, but when her eyes locked on the blonde woman behind him, a rush of memories came back to her, and she suddenly realized she knew exactly who she was.She looked so much like Mercy, even from a distance, she could tell that they resembled one another. It was almost like she was looking in a mirror. Except she was shorter and a couple of years younger.She was wearing a flowing gown, the s
Mercy had a choice to make. She could either chase Rider down and destroy him, or she could stay there with her sister who had collapsed on the ground but could get up at any moment and begin to wreak havoc on the sleeping wolves that Mercy had immobilized earlier.She couldnโt leave the wolves unprotected, but she also couldnโt let Rider get away.With no other choice, Mercy hit her sister with a jarring bolt of energy, one that was sure to keep her from getting up for quite some time. She hated to hurt her own flesh and blood, especially since she was quite certain that her sister was misdirected in the decision she had made, but she had little choice because she couldnโt take the risk of Leeta getting up and hurting someone.Then, Mercy took off after Rider.She wasnโt going to catch him by running after him, though. He was a male, for one thing, so he was naturally faster than her. Also, he was an Alpha, so he was stronger, more muscular, bigger than she could ever hope to be. No,
โPut him down, Leeta,โ Mercy demanded. โUnless you want your husband to explode all over the place. Put that wolf down.โโThat wolf?โ Leeta repeated. โIsnโt this your husband? The Alpha?โโNo,โ Mercy lied, hoping sheโd buy it. โYouโve got the wrong one. Thatโs just an Omega.โ August didnโt even look like a random Omega, but her sister wasnโt the brightest, perhaps sheโd fall for it.โDonโt listen to her, honey,โ Rider shouted. โThatโs Alpha August.โSays the man who left you and ran away only a few minutes ago. I couldโve just killed him in the forest, but I didnโt,โ Mercy reminded her sister.โWhy didnโt you?โ Leeta asked. โWhy didnโt you just kill him while you could?โโBecause they call me Mercy now,โ she explained. โI want to live up to my new name. I wanted to give my husband the opportunity to spare yours.โLeeta pressed the knife so that a drop of blood appeared on Augustโs neck.โDonโt!โ Mercy yelled. โIf you kill him, you know Iโll kill Rider.โโThen let him go, and Iโll let
โMercy, hurry up!โ August shouted up the stairs. โWeโre going to be late!โโWe canโt be late,โ Mercy shouted back to him. โThey canโt start without us. Youโre the Alpha.โโWell, weโre supposed to be there in fifteen minutes, and itโll take at least ten to get to the chapel.โโIโm coming,โ Mercy said, sliding an earring into her ear and looking at herself one more time in the mirror. What her husband failed to realize was that she not only had to get herself ready, she also had to get the baby ready, and that took some time.She looked good in a nice red dress and silver dangly earrings. She wore a pendant around her neck that had a picture of August in one half and her daughter in the other. Her hair was up in a clip, and her knee length red dress was tight at the top but flowy at the bottom. Her red heels were not so high that she couldnโt walk in them easily.She hurried down the stairs to see August standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding their daughter, Abigail, in his arms.
โMercy, hurry up!โ August shouted up the stairs. โWeโre going to be late!โโWe canโt be late,โ Mercy shouted back to him. โThey canโt start without us. Youโre the Alpha.โโWell, weโre supposed to be there in fifteen minutes, and itโll take at least ten to get to the chapel.โโIโm coming,โ Mercy said, sliding an earring into her ear and looking at herself one more time in the mirror. What her husband failed to realize was that she not only had to get herself ready, she also had to get the baby ready, and that took some time.She looked good in a nice red dress and silver dangly earrings. She wore a pendant around her neck that had a picture of August in one half and her daughter in the other. Her hair was up in a clip, and her knee length red dress was tight at the top but flowy at the bottom. Her red heels were not so high that she couldnโt walk in them easily.She hurried down the stairs to see August standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding their daughter, Abigail, in his arms.
โPut him down, Leeta,โ Mercy demanded. โUnless you want your husband to explode all over the place. Put that wolf down.โโThat wolf?โ Leeta repeated. โIsnโt this your husband? The Alpha?โโNo,โ Mercy lied, hoping sheโd buy it. โYouโve got the wrong one. Thatโs just an Omega.โ August didnโt even look like a random Omega, but her sister wasnโt the brightest, perhaps sheโd fall for it.โDonโt listen to her, honey,โ Rider shouted. โThatโs Alpha August.โSays the man who left you and ran away only a few minutes ago. I couldโve just killed him in the forest, but I didnโt,โ Mercy reminded her sister.โWhy didnโt you?โ Leeta asked. โWhy didnโt you just kill him while you could?โโBecause they call me Mercy now,โ she explained. โI want to live up to my new name. I wanted to give my husband the opportunity to spare yours.โLeeta pressed the knife so that a drop of blood appeared on Augustโs neck.โDonโt!โ Mercy yelled. โIf you kill him, you know Iโll kill Rider.โโThen let him go, and Iโll let
Mercy had a choice to make. She could either chase Rider down and destroy him, or she could stay there with her sister who had collapsed on the ground but could get up at any moment and begin to wreak havoc on the sleeping wolves that Mercy had immobilized earlier.She couldnโt leave the wolves unprotected, but she also couldnโt let Rider get away.With no other choice, Mercy hit her sister with a jarring bolt of energy, one that was sure to keep her from getting up for quite some time. She hated to hurt her own flesh and blood, especially since she was quite certain that her sister was misdirected in the decision she had made, but she had little choice because she couldnโt take the risk of Leeta getting up and hurting someone.Then, Mercy took off after Rider.She wasnโt going to catch him by running after him, though. He was a male, for one thing, so he was naturally faster than her. Also, he was an Alpha, so he was stronger, more muscular, bigger than she could ever hope to be. No,
It didnโt take long for Rider to come into view. He was about a quarter of a mile ahead of her, in between some trees, just stepping out of a clearing.Of course, he would be hiding from the battle, Mercy thought.He stepped out into the field. The fog curled around him, just as it had in her dreams. He was in his human form, just as she was, and for once, Mercy wished she hadnโt forced herself to wake up before the dreams had ended.At least then maybe sheโd have some idea what was about to happen.Rider wasnโt alone.It took Mercy a few seconds to realize that there was another person following him, but when her eyes locked on the blonde woman behind him, a rush of memories came back to her, and she suddenly realized she knew exactly who she was.She looked so much like Mercy, even from a distance, she could tell that they resembled one another. It was almost like she was looking in a mirror. Except she was shorter and a couple of years younger.She was wearing a flowing gown, the s
August had made her promise to stay in the house, and Mercy had pretended to comply. It was better that way. Well, it was easier that way, anyhow.When she stepped outside, about an hour after the battle had begun, she knew exactly what to expect.She wasnโt wearing a long, flowing gown like she had been in her dreams, though. She was wearing a much more practical outfit. She had on pants and they were tucked into her boots. She was also wearing a long-sleeved shirt. It was a bit chilly in the predawn hours. A light fog hung over the village. It was fogโnot smoke.Why would it be smoke? It wasnโt as if wolves fought with weapons that fired gunpowder like humans did. Still, she did smell smoke in the distance. As she began to walk toward the sound of fighting, the smell became stronger, more acrid, and she realized that there were some buildings on fire on the perimeter of the village.That bastard Rider had set some of the villagersโ homes on fire.Mercy shook her head and knew that t
It was no wonder that Rider had been quiet for so long.Heโd been training his warriors.Heโd been collecting more.As August made his way across the battlefield, it was clear that his enemy had been working hard to prepare himself for this night. Everywhere the Alpha looked, he saw his Omegas fighting with Riderโs ferocious wolves. Blood, sweat, tufts of fur, claws, and fangsโฆ. It was a vicious battle, one of the worst heโd ever seen, and August was afraid to see the aftermath.If he survived the night.Before August could even think about what he needed to do next, a large male wolf stepped before him, and he found himself engaged again. It wasnโt the first time heโd had to fight instead of simply directing his warriors that night. Heโd already dispatched four other wolves, and if he wanted to get back to overseeing the battle, heโd have to do the same to this large black wolf as well.Saliva hung from the wolfโs teeth as he stared at August, his eyes glaring with menace. August was
She was dreaming about Rider again.Mercy was walking through the battlefield, the smoke blowing around her, bodies lying randomly around her feet. Her eyes were fixed at a distant point where she knew he would appear.Only this time, unlike all of the other dreams sheโd had, Alpha Rider wasnโt showing up, and she didnโt understand why.As she continued to search for him, her mind wandering, trying to sort out where he might be, where Alpha August might be, she began to hear a banging noise to her right. It was a rhythmic noise, but the longer she walked, the more persistent she became until she finally realized it wasnโt part of her dream.โIโm dreaming,โ she reminded herself.Mercy sat straight up in bed. August was up, too, and he was pulling on some clothes over his boxers. Someone was banging on the door downstairs, hard. โWho is it?โ she asked him.โIโm not sure, but somethingโs going on,โ he said. โStay here.โโWhy would I do that?โ she asked, getting up and rushing to the clos
The view out of Mercyโs window was beautiful. August had given her an office that looked out on a meadow, and sometimes, she would stare out the window and daydream about how beautiful their wedding had been and how lovely it had been to take a week off and just spend time with her new husband. Mercy hadnโt wanted an elaborate wedding, but everyone in the pack was invited since August was the Alpha, and Mercy was becoming the pack Luna. Still, they were able to keep the ceremony itself relatively short. After that, theyโd gone straight into a ceremony to name her as the Luna. The reception had been long, but the happy couple had not stayed for the entire time. Theyโd danced a bit, ate some food, thanked all of their guests, and then gotten straight to their honeymoon. Now a few weeks later, here Mercy sat, staring out at a beautiful spring day, wondering how she got to be so lucky. Being the Luna was exactly how Mercy thought it would be. It was challenging, but it was so very rewar
That night, once dinner was over, August took Mercy back home to their room and the bed theyโd been sharing for months. It all seemed different now, though, now that he had asked her to become his wife, to be his Luna. His kisses were somehow even sweeter, and every touch of his hands on her flesh was even warmer, alighting her flesh on fire.August stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her, his lips playing with the sensitive flesh between her neck and shoulder as he slowly tugged down the zipper on the back of her dress. Mercy had kicked her shoes off already, and when the top of the dress came loose, she worked her arms out of the short sleeves. Augustโs lips worked their way down her neck and across her shoulder. She leaned back against his muscular chest, her eyes closed so she could concentrate on every touch of his hands on her skin.The dress came off and puddled on the floor at her feet. He slid his hands inside of her bra, causing her peaks to harden instantly at his tou