Maddison P.O.V.I wake because Liam is not by my side. I open one eye and look for him, but he is nowhere to be seen. I sit up, looking around our room, but it is dark and empty except for me. I don’t feel like he is in danger through the bond, or in distress either. Ember is calm as well. ‘Babe?’ I ask in a mindlink, but he doesn’t answer. I get out of bed and put on a robe. Then I exit our bedroom and go on the hunt for my missing mate. He must be somewhere in the packhouse or grounds one should think. After looking in the office, kitchen, dining room, living room and knocking on his parents quarters, I almost gave up. But then something springs to mind, and I walk outside. The sun has not yet risen from the horizon, making the sky a light pearly gray. I walk over the courtyard, the gravel crunching under my slippers. His scent is getting stronger in the still morning air, and I wonder what made him come out here? I find Liam sitting with Jumper, Flower and Piper in the clearing
Balder P.O.V. I still cannot wrap my mind around the fact that I have been named Alpha of Iron Mountain. I know I will have great support from Maddie and Liam, and my parents, but I am worried about Lilliana. We accepted each other, and I have marked her as mine, but will she stay by my side? Just because we are mated and marked, she put her witch mark on me - a tattooish picture on my neck, just without the bite mark, it does not mean she has to stay with me. Granted the blow from a rejection now would probably kill me, but I would not blame her one bit. She was not very happy when her Luna aura suddenly sprung to life when I was announced by the Elder to be the Alpha. We had a long talk in our room at Maddies pack, and we agreed to give it a try, but I am so afraid she will eventually leave me. “Babe? What are you thinking about? Your face looks like someone killed your favorite kitten or something.” Lillie asks me from the passenger seat of the car Liam borrowed me. I sigh deep
Liam P.O.V.“LIAM!” Ah shit! It’s Maddie. I run out of my office and downstairs, and see the others running in the same direction as me. “What is it, babe?” I ask her, but she doesn’t answer. She just stares at me and then in the backyard. It is bare. The wheels turn quickly and then I mutter a curse. “Ah fuck.” I gesture to the others and we hurry out to get the many tables, chairs and pavilions set up. Why hasn’t this been done before now? ‘Because we, along with the other ranked males, promised to do it this morning or last night, dimwitt.’ Ash snicker in my mind. I roll my eyes while working with wolfspeed. Omega’s rush to our aid, and together we get the backyard set up within the next 45 minutes. Maddie looks like a thundercloud when I return to the living room all sweaty and slightly out of breath. “Why didn’t you do it this morning like you promised?” Maddie asks, her voice irritated and impatient. I lean down and kiss her cheek, and she swats me away. “You stink. Go shower
Maddie P.O.V. I can’t even begin to describe the excitement I am feeling for tomorrow. Finally I will be able to call Liam my husband. It has been a long time coming, but at the same time it has not even been that long. I know how things work in our world, and no one is together too long before they tie the knot because of our special circumstances. I have missed Balder and Lilliana since they went home to Iron Mountain, but I have kept in contact with them almost daily. Especially Lilliana has been leaning on me in her new role as Luna, and I have gladly helped her through her questions. I’m so looking forward to our little surprise tomorrow, even though I don’t know either who is chosen for their next Elder, Liam keeps saying I am going to be over the moon for them! I trust him, but I am also a little annoyed that he is keeping the information from me. He probably knows I will taddle at the first chance. I giggle to myself at the thought. Balder called the day they had arrived ba
Balder P.O.V.“Are you happy, sis?” I ask Maddie as we sway on the dance floor. She smiles at me, her eyes dancing. “More than I ever thought would be possible.” She responds, and it tucks at my heartstrings. “I should have protected you more back then.” She shakes her head. “Balder, you were as much a kid as I was. There was nothing you could have done.” I sigh. She is right, but the nagging feeling of having failed my little sister still haunts me, and it probably will for the rest of my life. “How are you and our parents getting along?” I ask. Maddie frowns. “It’s okay. We still have a long way to go.” I look into her eyes. She is such a pure person. She has everyone's best interest at heart, and she is trying so hard to forgive everyone who ever let her down - me, Richard, our parents. I just can’t help but feel we don’t deserve her forgiveness. “They really seem to have changed, but I don’t know if I truly trust them.” I tell her, twirling her out and in again. Liam is danc
Liam P.O.V. Waking in a guest room without my beautiful wife to be is a bit strange. For as long as Maddie has lived here, we have slept in the same bed. Never missing a night. But tradition calls for us to not see each other before the big event later this afternoon. I have slept pitiful without her, but it is what it is. ‘Are you ready for today, Ash?’ I ask my wolf, who had grumbled with dissatisfaction since we went to bed. ‘Yes, but it would have been better with her by our side all the time. Who says she is not going to disappear? I don’t like Maddie and Ember not being with us all the time.’ I chuckle at his answer. I totally get where he is coming from. I don’t like them not being with us all the time either, but we need to trust her to take care of herself and our child.‘I know dude, but we have to trust our mate. She is strong, and she can take care of herself. We will see her later today.’ Ash snorts. He doesn’t understand human traditions and thinks we are nuts to be a
Maddie P.O.V.When we went our separate ways last night I dreaded sleeping without Liam. I know it’s tradition, and I believe in them, but this one just sucks so bad. We have slept together, in the same bed, since I got to the pack. If we didn’t go to bed at the same time, we still woke up together and vice versa. I got to our room and when I opened the door, the girls were in there with snacks, drinks and games. Push up mattresses on the floor and something paused on the TV. I stop dead in my tracks, looking at them really confused. “What are you doing here girls?” I ask, a small smile creeping on my lips. I have a feeling what they are doing here, and if I am right, I need to mindlink their poor mates and apologize. “Duh! We are not going to let you sleep alone tonight! We are going to stay here with you.” Sophie declares and the other nods. Something heavy disappears from my heart and shoulders. I really wasn’t all that prepared to sleep on my own, and the fact that my girls kne
Maddison P.O.V. I was 10 when my pack threw me out like yesterday's leftovers. The Alpha - Richard, usually was a strict but fair leader, but when it came to his Luna, he went overboard with all kinds of crazy. She fell ill, and even the magic in our doctors couldn’t help her. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her, and eventually she died from it and the pack mourned her deeply - or so I heard. By the time Luna Jennifer died, I was long gone and not looking back. The funny thing? I never got the stench or mark of a rogue. It was like I was a regular wolf, but without the pack. Sitting in front of my cave, I think back to the time where my life took one hell of a turn, knowing I dodged a bullet by being thrown out. All my life up to that point, my parents and the Alpha and Luna had it all planned out for me. I was going to marry the Alpha’s son Rick and become the Luna of the pack. But I also needed to keep covering for Jessica, the Alpha’s daughter. She was born without