LOGINDoc was not kidding. I was stuck in bed for another two days before they let me walk around the pack house. Since I was still recovering, I had to stay in the guest bedroom in case something happened. Tahlia, after I finally left the bed, left my side. She refused to until I guess she deemed me strong enough. I think it also helped that when I was out of the room, I was being helicoptered by one or more of my pack members.After a half a day, she came back full and washed. I guessed she took a dip in the river and ran it off before stepping into the house. Letty had actually growled at her the last time she tried to walk in wet and Tahlia had taken it to heart ever since.I was sitting at the kitchen table, looking over some books that Dallas finally let me have from my office. Doc still hadn’t cleared me for work, but apparently, reading was okay. Sighing, I rubbed my foot against Tahlia who was lying next to my chair.‘Rogues!’The mind link was yelled at me and I looked up from my
*** Ephraim’s POV *** There was something heavy on my chest. It was hard to breathe and I reached up to push it off. My hand touched fur and a current ran through my fingers. Blinking, I narrowed my eyes at an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking down, Tahlia had most of her front on me, pinning me down. Her nose buried in the side of my neck.Smiling, I reached to rub her when I noticed the line in my arm. It was hooked up to a bag that was hanging next to my bed. My eyes narrowed as I tried to remember what happened. I had been on the phone with Alpha Fabian and then nothing. Trying to take a breath, I wanted to push Tahlia off me, but she wasn’t even budging.‘Dallas?’‘Ephraim! Fucking hell! Give me a second. I’ll be up.’I sighed at the pure relief in my Beta’s voice. Apparently, I had been laid up for a while. The door opened a few minutes later and Dallas stepped in. His face was tight and I gave him a smile. He didn’t smile back.“My Beta looks very mad.”“I am very mad, Alpha. You we
*** Tahlia’s POV *** My Alpha started to fall and I rushed under him. He collapsed on top of me and I was driven down to the floor with his weight. This morning I had felt it. I don’t know how, but I could. He was off. Something was wrong. I tried to tell him that he shouldn’t get up. Not with how little sleep he got.He hadn’t been dozing off like I was. It was hard to stay awake with nothing to do. My Alpha was always looking at something, focused, like when you were on the hunt during winter. His sleep and his body was suffering for it. Even mine was simply from trying to match him. I’d need to go out to hunt soon, but leaving him smelling like sickness wasn’t going to happen.It didn’t work. Someone important was here and so I tried to stay close as I could. The beast that showed up, they weren’t a beast. It felt completely different. They weren’t like anyone I had come across. There was something that made me want to bow my head in recognition. Not like my Alpha, but something fa
“Luna…”“I know it’s harsh to say.” He leaned forward, sighing. “Trust me. My entire life, I had Selene telling me that I wasn’t on my path. That everything that happened to me, and I mean everything, was all to bring me to my mate and his pack. Everything I went through was to make me who I am and be able to not just run a pack as Luna, but also to be able to raise the next Alpha King.”I leaned forward, my head resting on Tahlia. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think to compare my pain to yours.”Luna Riley chuckled. “Don’t. I had my pain. You had yours. It’s not something you can compare. It just always sucks to think about that it was what lead us here. Still, all part of the plan. That all of it had to happen to lead you to be where you are and who you are.”My lips pursed and sat up. He wasn’t wrong. If my parent’s hadn’t died, then I wouldn’t be here. Uncle might have asked for me, but from the stories he told, Dad would have said no. Dad loved the forest, but the pack life wasn’t somethi
Alpha King Nero did always warn me about Luna Riley and his penchant for cursing, but in all the times I had interacted with him, I’d never heard it. It was shocking, but while my leadership was struggling not to smile, I watched Luna Riley. I knew what Tahlia had gone through, the pain of the dream I’d had the day I met her. The pain I’d had a flash of when the bond flared to life.Luna Riley also wasn’t saying it to be funny. He was genuinely upset, looking at my mate. His hands grasped her fur as he rested his head on her. I wondered if he could reach her.“Ephraim, we need to speak. Alone.”I nodded. “We can go to my office…”“No. Outside.”Reese helped Luna Riley get up from the floor. We could sit out on the porch if he wanted, but it didn’t lend to having privacy. I nodded to Reese and Dallas. They stood up straighter.“Letty, can you miss your mate for a couple hours?”“Of course. I’ll be fine.”Dallas was about to argue, but she glared at him, daring him to say something. His
‘Alpha…we have a situation…at the border.’I groaned, rolling over in bed. Putting the pillow over my head, I wanted nothing to do with whatever was happening. I’d been burning the candle at both ends. Morning training, late night patrols, going through all the information Norah sent me. I probably went to bed an hour ago.‘Alpha?’‘Daniel, did you talk to Reese?’He cleared his throat. ‘Gamma Reese is here, Alpha.’Swapping over the mind link to my Gamma, I prayed he could handle this on his own.‘Good morning, Alpha. And I thought I had a late night.’ His sass came through and I groaned.‘Please tell me I don’t need to be up.’Reese didn’t say anything for a moment. ‘You do.’Throwing my pillow onto the floor, Tahlia’s head popped up off the floor. I burst out laughing. It was such a surprised look on her wolf face that I couldn’t help it. She growled low and I put my hands up.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t expect you to still be down there.”She had been sleeping at the en
*** Ephraim’s POV *** “It’s okay. They aren’t going to hurt you. I promise.” I kneeled down, keeping my eyes on her. “Tahlia, it’s okay.”I knew she couldn’t understand me. There was nothing in her movements after trying to communicate with her over these past hours that would suggest it. Still, s
*** Tahlia’s POV *** I froze. Rather, we froze. The beast in front of me had opened their eyes. They looked straight at me. We were locked, neither of us moving. My mind raced. I’d thought they were asleep. It was easy to see the rise and fall of their body. The relaxed position. I’d seen it, used
We fist-bumped before heading off on our missions. Stepping over the barrier for the first time, I rolled my shoulders. I wanted to alert the wolf of my presence, but not in a way that was threatening. That didn’t really make sense, but I was careful where I walked. Sometimes I accidentally disturb
Shifting, I ran into our little make-shift camp. I’d woken up early and decided to run out the jitters. I kept to the south though, running through the town and the edge of the territory before looping back up behind the pack house. By the time I came back, the sun was up and so were my Beta and Ga







