Lana's P.O.V. Maddie seemed to notice that I was distracted and kept me busy with the book we were reading. She curled into my side, her small body dozing off against my chest as the words on the pages began to dance before my eyes. It had been at least two hours of reading to her. Every time I tried to tell her we were done for the day, she would give me her puppy dog eyes and beg for another chapter. I gave in because I knew she wasn't having a good day. I told her Olly would be back, but the longer he was gone, the more anxious she seemed. "Are you sure he will be back soon?" She mumbled as she resisted the urge to sleep. "He is supposed to help tuck me in when we go to bed." I placed my bookmark in the pages and set it down on my thighs. My hand moved up, and I brushed Maddie's hair away from her round cheek. "Yes. He promised me that he would be coming home. He'll be back as soon as possible." The assurance seemed to ease her worries, and she sat up, smiling at me. "Good. Y

Oliver's P.O.V. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise like a poltergeist was near as soon as I stepped out of the pack house. The meeting with Alpha Jones was quick, but her insistence that I joined some of her pack members for lunch made my stay much longer than I had intended. I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn't say no and run out of there without it coming off as disrespectful. Not when she had just opened her home to Lana, Maddie, and me. But I knew based on the looks I had received, that word would get out to Nyla that I was here as soon as everyone dispersed… if they hadn't already used their pack link to tell her. That was one thing that I did not miss about pack life. Most packs were still a united force and took care of one another, but they sure loved to gossip. Everyone wanted to know what was going on with their brothers and sisters at all times. It was infuriating but also understandable. If one of my pack-mates were going through a hard time and weren't abl

Lana's P.O.V. After changing my clothes, I joined Oliver back in the living room. I was confused about why he refused my offer to go to the bedroom and talk. The fact that he had taken the individual armchair instead of sitting next to me told me that he was expecting this conversation to have a negative outcome. "Am I in trouble?" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but the forced and almost pained smile he gave me in return had me swallowing hard. The throw blanket had been taken off the back of the couch, and Oliver held it in his hands. As soon as I sat down, he leaned forward and spread it over my legs. It warmed my heart that he recognized how I loved to be wrapped in a blanket when I sat here and always offered one to me. The fact that he cared enough to pay attention to the little quirks I had made me like him all the more. "No, but I think I might be once you hear what I have to say." Oliver took a deep breath as I waited, an uneasy feeling dropping into my gut. "You

Oliver's P.O.V. Breakfast was a tense affair. I tried not to let it bother me that she was still married, but it did. That was my woman, but legally she was married to another. She had vowed to love and cherish someone other than me, and that unintentional betrayal of our mate bond made me feel like my guts were being ripped out. Once again, my soulmate had fallen in love with another man and had bound themselves to them before I even had a chance. I went from feeling like I was nothing more than a pet to Lana, to a fool. I stacked the food into the reusable shopping bags Lana bought on her last trip to the grocery store. We wouldn't need it. My pack would care for us, but I didn't want to leave the owner of this cabin to find rotten food the next time they showed up. I didn't mean to, but everything I tucked away seemed to have more force behind it than it should. Lana steered clear of me as she gathered her and Maddie's belongings. I felt guilty that she was shying away, but I

Lana's P.O.V. Every step we took, more people seemed to appear. Most were smiling with welcome, but others were staring with a look of open curiosity. I couldn't blame them though. I was examining them too. The man at the gate, Conner, had been right. Nudity was something that I would have to get used to, and so would Maddie. Several people we passed were wearing tank tops and shorts, but most people were in sports bras and shorts, or nothing at all. But, none of them seemed to mind. If Oliver's pack was the same way, I would have to adjust quickly. Besides their lack of clothing and their muscular build, they look no different than humans. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting. I knew from Oliver that when in their human form, there was nothing different about them. But I was still looking for something to stand out as I scanned the crowd. I had no doubt in my mind who the Alpha was. A beautiful black woman stood tall and proud in front of a large mansion. Her head of braids lo