Calvin’s POVShe looked so fragile lying there. As usual, Tori rallied. I wondered if she knew we might have to act alone if we were to save the females. Even Jason wouldn’t get here in time, never mind the pack warriors who were already wending their way up here. “I’d have known you anywhere, Alpha.”I stiffened, recognising Mrs King’s signature scent. Lily of the Valley, like Mom used to favour.“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, turning around.Expecting a confrontation I was surprised to see the sadness in her eyes and no sign of a weapon in her gloved hands.“That’s right. He treats me like a skivvy these days. There’s gratitude for you.” The ghost of a smile graced her thin lips. “Tori’s okay. She’s pretending to be ill to avoid you know who.”“Will you help me?”“What do you need me to do, Alpha?”“Spread the word among the females. We’re getting out of here before dawn.”Her eyes widened. Then I saw a twinkle appear.“I just happen to know where I can lay my hands on some rat

Calvin’s POVI hadn’t expected Moore to suddenly grab the wheel, avoiding an almost certain crash. The surprise didn’t stop there. The punch to the gut was unexpected and winded me so I was unable to tell him it was a sackable offence.If anything, the follow up was even worse, rendering me unconscious. But not before I heard my mate screaming.I came round hours later to find myself tied up. Pretty ironic, huh? At a guess he’d taken us to a motel, though probably not the one he’d been staying in originally.A sharp operator, this Lycan.“Where is she?” I snarled when he came through the outer door with a brown paper bag.“I saved your life. Be grateful.”I eyed him with suspicion.“So, what happened?”“Rhodes.”“Fuck. How did he know where we were?”“You know that implant? It seems it was the controlling one.”“But we had them removed.”“Some faint trace remained. He was following me the whole way and staged the crash. I meant to save you both, Alpha. But, with respect, you’re more i

Calvin’s POVShe was back where she belonged, in my arms – in my bed. I treated her with reverence, taking note of how Guy was with Issy, and soon enough Bethany reached out to Thaddeus and my mate was ready to be – well, mated.At the ripe old age of twenty-eight it was about time I settled down. And it was all thanks to the efforts of Jason Moore who helped us when we needed it most. Without him, who knew where Tori would have ended up.I wanted to take her somewhere romantic after the ceremony, maybe to the forest where we’d go for that run after all. Yet I had to be practical. My sister’s condition remained serious and I was reluctant to be away from Still Water for long. Though ‘Remus’ could be run remotely and participation was not something I was interested in unless it was with my Luna, in private.We had a whole lifetime to spend together and needed to start on the right footing. Better late than not doing so at all!I still needed to ask her about if I’d pushed her too far s

Tori’s POVI was chewing my lip now, hard enough to draw blood. Calvin discouraged me with a comment before continuing, “Hit me with it.”“I need to be bait again. Before our mating ceremony. That should give your sister time to recover.”“I hope so,” Guy said. I’d forgotten he was there, he was so quiet. And those eyes were the closest to amber I’d ever seen.“Me too.” I felt shy suddenly, wondering if he was the kind to judge me for my past.His next words went some way to reassuring me. “You are so brave and unselfish, Victoria.”“Thanks,” I said. “But I’m a weakling really. I just punch above my weight occasionally.”“Don’t believe her,” Calvin told him. “She’s in denial about her own qualities but we’re working on it. Aren’t we, princess?”I wasn’t sure how to take that so I shoved him, playfully, hurting my wrist. I’d forgotten how rock solid he was. I made a joke of it.“Have you been working out?”“Some,” he admitted.“On your own, I hope?”“I’m the faithful kind. I haven’t be

Tori’s POVI couldn’t believe ex Alpha Joseph hadn’t grasped that fact already. What exactly had Calvin said to him down at ‘WAX’? Something about me switching packs and nothing more? I have to admit I was out of it at the time, surviving on instinct and adrenaline alone.Did he have selective memory, or was it simply because the one who held a weapon could reinvent the world his way?Maybe it was his final attempt to make a power play given all that he had lost. Security certainly didn’t have him on a blacklist as he wasn’t deemed to be a threat.For similar reasons I was still wary of Alpha Tobias, Jason less so.But neither of them were about to shame me in public.Not if I could help it!Yet the former leader of Waning Moon held all the aces.We must tighten security if nothing else. At least this may convince Ellie finally to switch packs. I’d said to her she ought not to be around Lance too often but that didn’t seem to work.What must she think of me now?I found out in the nex