LOGINLouisa
I never saw it coming.My sweet, shy, sheltered baby sister stepped out onto that platform as a strong, confident young woman — and as I sat with my father on one side and Julian on the other, I could suddenly see how all the intricate pieces had been arranged by something far larger and more patient than any of us.Elara needed me to leave her behind so she could find her own voice. I needed to enter the contracted mating with Kaelen in order to fJulian“I f.ucking hate you, Julian McKnight!”I ducked just in time as a book on pregnancy sailed past my ear and down the hallway. Louisa’s aim was deadly. Sweat was popping out along my upper lip, and I watched helplessly, unable to comfort my laboring mate. She was waddling up and down the hallway in her bare feet, one of my old t-shirts stretched over her gorgeous round belly, and her wild hair piled up on top of her head. She had never looked more beautiful.Or more dangerous.“Now, now,” Elara rubbed her sister’s back and shot me a merciless grin. “Let’s think positive thoughts, right? We’re having a baby.”“Ow!” Louisa grunted and stopped her waddle to hold her belly. “I’m having a baby, I don’t know what the hell the rest of you are doing here!” She growled when she could speak again.“Emotional support!” Mandi piped up. She was sitting i
LouisaI never saw it coming.My sweet, shy, sheltered baby sister stepped out onto that platform as a strong, confident young woman — and as I sat with my father on one side and Julian on the other, I could suddenly see how all the intricate pieces had been arranged by something far larger and more patient than any of us.Elara needed me to leave her behind so she could find her own voice. I needed to enter the contracted mating with Kaelen in order to find Julian. And Mandi needed me to send her to Elara. All of it — every terrible, chaotic, painful piece of it — had been in service of something that turned out to be exactly right.Because in the end, we all had a choice. And we each made ours.The crusty old Silvercrest council had tried to raise a fuss, of course. They had even attempted to rally the military into a revolt, but without my father’s backing they couldn’t scrape together more than a handful of
LouisaFootsteps thundered toward the mill, and ten of my father’s guards came running in. Someone hit the lights, and the scene was suddenly fully illuminated under flickering fluorescents — just in time for Kaelen’s head to slide backward off his neck, opening his throat like a book. The weight of it threw his whole body off balance, and he toppled over backwards onto the cement floor.“Are you okay, Miss Louisa?” one of the soldiers asked.“I’m fine.” I looked around at their faces, recognizing them. “Why are you here?”“Your father sent us to keep an eye on Kaelen.” He cast a look of undisguised disgust at the body bleeding out across the floor. “Alpha Forge said we were to protect you and Elara, come what may.”“Well, you are a little late for that!” I growled — but somewhere underneath the frustration, something small and warm stirred
Chapter 77: The Scrimtana’s JusticeKaelenI wasn’t counting on my mate stabbing me in the goddamn chest.It hurt like a motherfker, and the burning alone nearly dropped me, but somehow the bch had managed to slide the blade between my ribs without finding my heart. Pretty sure she punctured my lung. But she had stupidly forgotten that we were a marked pair, and she was already on her knees, gasping and crying.I’d been willing to make her my queen. After this, I’d keep her on her knees for the rest of her life — however long that turned out to be. Louisa was pulling her into her arms, and it was almost too easy to level the pistol at both of them. I paused for a moment, genuinely considering whether I could place the shot precisely enough t
Mandi“You know this is a setup, right? He only came and said all that to make you follow him.” I was jogging to keep up with Elara as she strode down the hallway, her steps long and deliberate. I didn’t know where she was headed until she turned down the corridor toward the gym.Elara didn’t stop until she reached the heavy door. She turned with her hand on the handle and looked back at me. “Yeah, I know.”“But you’re going anyway?”“Well, yeah.” She flashed me that c.ocky grin before she pushed the door open and hit the lights.She was so beautiful in her confidence. It also terrified me. Kaelen might be her fated mate, but I had known him for most of my life. I knew exactly what a sick f**k he was, and how cruel he could be when he felt like it. My blood ran hot and cold at the same time — desire and dread, right next to each other. I loved Elara. The thought of her g
KaelenElara thought she had me by the short hairs. She had absolutely no idea what I was capable of.I shrugged my jacket over my new fatigues and went to her room. Even before I reached the white door I could hear voices on the other side. Mandi was in there. I couldn’t help but smile.It just kept getting better.I knocked firmly. A moment later Elara yanked the door open, her lovely face flushed with annoyance. One look at her and I felt desire coil deep in my gut.“What do you want now?” she snapped.I looked past her into the pink and white bedroom. Mandi was on the bed, leaning against the headboard. If it hadn’t been for her scent, I might have doubted it was the same person I had known almost my entire life. She had cut her hair short, and she was wearing black leather shorts and a tight halter top. Surprisingly sexy. The Mandi I remembered would never have dressed that way. More than the clothes, though
JulianShe had lied to me. She had lied to Kaelen. She had been prepared to deceive the entire pack about the paternity of her child. I should have been furious.I couldn’t manage it.
JulianWhat the hell was I supposed to do now?I stared at the door lying uselessly on the carpet, then at Louisa, who stood there with the Devil himself dancing in her eyes.
Louisa“What do you mean he fell off the roof?” I pressed the phone closer to my ear as Chloe repeated the story — Harrison, a skylight installation, a loose shingle, a two-story drop. “Oh my god, is he alright? Have
Kaelen“Whadda you mean you gave him ‘community service?’” I bellowed at Shawn.He didn’t cower the way I expected. In fact, he looked almost smug — unusually







