Mag-log inThe light slowly returned to his eyes."I like hearing you say that.""I like saying it.""I don't want to let you down," he replied, his expression turning serious again."There's so much depending on me. You... Kael... the whole pack."He looked down at his hands."There's so much pressure.""I don't have the luxury of being weak.""Too many people are counting on me."I squeezed his shoulder."Like I said... you're doing great.""Maybe," he answered quietly."But it doesn't feel that way."He looked off into the distance."I spent years running away from becoming a pack leader."He slowly shook his head."But I can't run anymore.""My son's life is on the line.""So is yours.""I won't run from that."Then he turned to me, his eyes cold with determination."I'm going to end this.""I'm going to deal with Varek once and for all.""I promise."Hurting or killing another person should never make anyone feel good.But after everything Varek had done...It felt like there was no other c
I sat down in the chair beside him."Are you talking about Dominic?"He looked at me, and the sadness on his face was impossible to miss."Yeah. Elara... her husband has only been gone for about six months. I can't just walk up to her and tell her all this now. Hell, she's probably still grieving. It would feel like I was taking advantage of her, and that's the last thing I want.""I understand, but..."I looked at him like he was missing something, even though he really wasn't."You don't live here, Lucien. Once all of this is over, and hopefully Kael comes home safe, you'll be going back across the country."He let out a long groan."Hell, Elara, I know that. I'm not planning to ignore this. She deserves to know what she means to me, but I want to take things slowly. I want us to really get to know each other first so it won't feel strange when I finally tell her. I want her to be in a place where she's emotionally and mentally ready to accept what I'm offering. Not just for her...
Orion let out a long breath and rested his hands on his hips."No," he said. "But I just can't seem to find my rhythm when you both don't give me a second to breathe. Damn it."He kicked at the dirt in frustration.Lucien pointed straight at him."That's exactly what you need to use. That anger... that frustration. Let it move through you, but control it. Right now, you're fighting like you're trying to think through every single move. You're reacting too slowly because you're spending too much time considering every possibility."Orion frowned at him."Isn't that just being careful? Playing it safe?"Lucien placed a hand against his chest."Hey, I'm all for staying safe. But sometimes you've got to trust the natural ability you've already got. You're really good, Orion... and you'd be even better if you'd stop holding yourself back.""He's right," Jaxon agreed. "We can both see it. You're this close..." He held his thumb and finger about an inch apart. "...but you've got to quiet som
Lila let out a happy little squeal when Orion and Jaxon shift into their wolf forms, then happily clapped her tiny hands."She loves watching them do that," Stormy said. "There's a cartoon about shifters that she enjoys, but seeing it happen for real is even better, I guess."We were all sitting out on the back porch. Jaxon was helping Orion train, working on the fighting skills he'd neglected while he was away from Pinecrest Valley. It wasn't even afternoon yet, but the late summer sun was already blazing down on us."It really is amazing," I admitted. "I think we get used to incredible things after seeing them so often.""That's true," Stormy agreed with a shrug as she handed Lila a cracker to chew on.A moment later, Lucien came around the side of the house, clearly trying to catch the other two by surprise. Suddenly, Jaxon turned on Orion, and he and Lucien attacked the lone alpha together.I winced as they snapped, clawed, and wrestled with each other. I knew they weren't fightin
Gasping as she caught her breath, she nodded quickly. I pushed my hips forward once, and my cock slid smoothly into her soaking entrance. Her body welcomed mine completely. Her lips parted, and I felt her tighten around me. I lowered myself over her, wrapping my arms around her as I slowly rolled my hips against hers.Elara wrapped her legs around my waist, her heels pressing into my ass. We moved together, filling the room with nothing but our quiet moans, heavy breathing, and the intimate sound of our bodies moving together. Our mouths met again in a hungry kiss. I pulled almost all the way back before driving into her once more with overwhelming need.I'd never wanted anything this badly. I wished there was a way for us to truly become one. With every thrust, I could feel my orgasm getting closer."I love you," I whispered between kisses."I love you," she whispered back as her nails gently dug into my back.I kept moving inside her warm body, each stroke becoming quicker and stron
I nodded toward the kitchen, where we'd have a little more privacy. Even then, I doubted Voss would hear anything we said because he was completely absorbed in whatever he was doing on his laptop.Once we were in the kitchen, I took a deep breath."I need to ask you something," I said. "Whatever your answer is, I'll accept it, and that'll be the end of the discussion. Okay? This decision is completely yours."She narrowed her eyes."What are you talking about?"I sighed."I just got off the phone with Lucien, and he came up with an idea. You know shifters can challenge someone for leadership of a pack, right?"She slowly nodded."That hardly ever happens anymore, does it?""Not these days," I replied. I explained everything Chris had told us, along with Lucien's idea involving Elara. "I know I promised you that you wouldn't have to pretend with Varek again, but Lucien thinks you might be able to convince Varek to challenge me instead of the other way around. If you say no, that's the
She sighed and dropped into the chair facing me. “I didn’t question it. Honestly, I was still shocked about his death. I wasn’t thinking about anyone else. I’ve been gone for a long time. Long enough not to see how bad things had gotten. Orion, Dad was only fifty-seven when he died. That’s not old
Stacks of forms, spreadsheets, and bank papers were spread across the desk in front of me. All of them showed the same thing. The pack was in serious trouble. When they called and begged me to come back after my father died, part of me thought they just wanted an easy plan for a new alpha. No need
We didn’t unpack and went straight to the store after taking everything out of the car. Kael spent the drive looking around the town. I was happy to see a new park had been built. It had a playground, a small baseball field, and, to Kael’s excitement, four basketball courts.“I can walk here,” Kael
I threw my engagement ring into the toilet, and then we left. Before getting into the car, I blocked Travis’s number. In less than a day, my life had completely changed.Now we were on the worst road trip ever, heading toward a future I never planned. Kael, however, was trying to stay positive.“Is







