Emory's POV.My mind races at a million miles a second - hidden secrets, unanswered questions, unspoken truths, and unshared knowledge haunting me as I make my way through the dense forest. My paws sinking into the soft soil as they carry me faster. My lungs burning with every sharp intake of cold, crisp mountain air. The trees fading into a thick, black blur as my eyes narrow in on, and focus solely on the path ahead.I understand what I have to do now. Know the path that I have to take. I finally have clarity. The Goddess has spoken to me - shown me what she expects from me. It's something that I have been waiting for without even realizing it. A purpose lying dormant in the deepest parts of my soul, just waiting to be ignited so that it can burn bright, unrestrained as it leads me forward.My paws carry me even faster still. The newly awakened goal inside me pulling me forward.I finally arrive back home. But something is different - feels different. Not about the place, but insid
Lucian's POV.Emory walks back over to me - she's smiling, but her eyes carry a certain sadness that wasn't there before. It doesn't sit well with me, something deep inside me stirs uncomfortably. I am overcome with a primal desire to protect her. To keep her safe from anything and anyone that might cause her pain."Everything okay?"Emory doesn't answer me right away, almost like she's trying to come up with the right thing to say - a suitable answer to give that won't lead to any further questions that she doesn't want to answer either... In the end, I have to settle for a stiff nod of her head - the smile still perfectly in place.A part of me wants to push her for an answer. I want to know what's going on in her head. I want to understand her. I want to be there for her - be the person that she can lean on. The person that she can trust and confide in. I want, desperately, to help her carry her burdens. I get the feeling that she has many of them. But a small voice in the back of
Hope's POV.After an entire day preparing, everything is finally perfect. Morgana, Velara and I spent most of the day moving and rearranging the furniture in Morgana's place, making sure that the room flowed perfectly and that there would be enough space for all of us. Then we helped Morgana to clean up - the pups made a mess again. We cleaned up again. When the pups made a mess for the third time as they began to play another game of 'Pin the tail on the Wolf'- Velara being the wolf - Morgana and I couldn't resist and decided to join in the fun.We spent almost an hour chasing Velara around, trying to pin a make-shift tail on her back. Velara showed her grit as former Luna - she evaded our grasps with very little effort and a whole lot of grace. It took all of us to pin her down, and we were all panting and on the floor by the time we managed to do so. She tried very hard, but with little success to hide the slight smugness on her face as she watched all of us struggling to get back
Hope's POV."Good morning gorgeous."Malakar's low, rough voice pulls me out of my dreams. He's propped up on one elbow, staring down at me with a slight smile curling one side of his mouth upward. His eyes bright as he traces lazy circles on my naked belly.Outside, the sky is dismal as the usual cover of clouds and thick mist returned. Soft drops of rain beat down gently on the roof of the pack house - the soft thrum of the steady rhythm soothes something deep down in my soul.I blink up at Malakar as a slow smile of my own spreads across my face - oh, to wake up to such a spectacular sight every morning. How absolutely blessed I am."Morning handsome." I answer, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down toward me.The familiarity of his mouth on mine comforts me. The warmth of his body reminds me of the steady safety of a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. His lips devour mine eagerly as his hands quickly find their way around my waist, pulling me even closer - I don'
Emory's POV.I have this incredible aching void in my soul that I can't seem to shake, no matter how hard I try. I've had it ever since I walked away from Lucian after I told him that we're fated mates - I also told him that he can choose. He doesn't have to feel the bond if he doesn't want to.Maybe that was a mistake...I haven't been able to think about anything else since I saw him. He consumes every waking moment of my days. He also finds me in my dreams. My heart aches deeply as I long for his presence. My hands tremble because they want to know what the touch of his skin feels like. My lips quiver with a deep desire to feel the warmth of his mouth. My eyes want to look upon his handsome face. My ears want to hear the melody of his sweet voice. My soul yearns to be close to him once more. Every fibre of my existence screams for my mate - for Lucian.I often regret walking away from him that day. I should have stayed. I should have told him how I feel - what I want. I still remem
Lucian's POV."Well now, doesn't this look like a great big basket of fun."Malakar and I both look up into Velara's smiling face. She's watching us with both hands resting on her hips - for a split second I imagine that this is exactly what she would have looked like, scolding me as a young boy if I went too far with some of the other pups and playtime got out of hand.It's not a memory that I have, but one that I would have cherished, so I commit the image of her towering over us, looking down with a twinkle in her eye and a proud smile on her face to my memory anyway - better late than never I suppose.Malakar and I both struggle to our feet, not because the task is difficult, but because we both try to push the other down to the ground again. When we finally make it to our feet, we clean ourselves as best we can and look at our mother with crooked, boyish grins on our faces."Hi." We both say at the same time, look at each other, smirk, and push each other away again.Velara chuck