ALEKSANDR   A new pack member is always a celebration, but a pup for my beta couple is definitely a joyous occasion.  As soon as we entered the room Dustin and Drea looked up with beaming smiles.  My eyes were drawn to the small bundle in Drea’s arms, and I was immediately filled with a sense of protection and love for my best friend’s child.   The thing I wasn’t prepared for was how hard it would be to watch my best friend become a father knowing that I would never experience that with my own flesh and blood child.  But I love Rieka more than anything, and I would never make her feel guilty for not wanting more children when she already has four of her own.   They might not be my flesh and blood, but I love them as if they were my own, and four is more than any wolf has ever been blessed with.  The moon goddess just blessed me in a different way than other males.   Releasing my m

RIEKA Taking a seat next to Aria, she pretends not to notice me, so I scoot my stool closer to hers and wrap my arm around her while the other kids are too busy chatting and eating to pay attention. “What’s the matter, Ari? I whisper in her ear to avoid drawing the attention of the other kids. “Nothing.” She sulks. This is her typical response. She always makes me press is a little before she’ll open up. “Did you have a rough day at school?” She stares at the counter in front of her and doesn’t respond, so I press in a little more. “Was someone unkind to you today?” She still doesn’t speak, but she shakes her head. I know Ace was having trouble with some boys in his class, maybe she heard something that upset her. “Was someone unkind to one of your siblings?” She shakes her head again, and I’m at a loss for what the problem could be, so I pull her in tighter for a hug and kiss the top of her head. “Well, then what’s wrong? You know you can always talk to me, right?” She no

RIEKA Lucas, Asher, and Sebastian showed up at the house with Ace a few minutes before Aleksandr arrived. I heard the side door open, and I ran to greet him, only to find him naked and panting with his eyes looking dark and intense. I could see that his wolf was still close to the surface and being worried that the kids would follow me around the corner and see his nakedness, I walked over to him to both block the view and lay my hands on his chest to help him calm down. I’ve never seen him this upset before, but the moment my hands landed on his skin, his eyes softened ever so slightly. “Aleksandr, dear, what’s wrong?” He wrapped his arms around me, and I could feel his heart rate slowing as he relaxed a little, but never completely. After grabbing clothes from the closet and getting dressed, he led me down the hall, nostrils flaring as if he was checking the house for something. We entered the living room and he relaxed a little more when he saw all the kids sitting there with L

ALEKSANDR When we finally landed in Amsterdam, the kids were wide awake and well rested. Rieka and I were a bit tired but sated, which was good because we had to focus. It was still a little more than an hour’s drive before we would reach the Night Stalkers Pack territory. They were set up just outside the border on the western side of Veluwe National Park, the largest forest in the Netherlands. Since we wanted to keep the kids close, and we had all of the Luna’s Guards with us as well, we rented a large 15 passenger van and Sebastian drove. A part of me expected the kids to relax and enjoy the trip once we landed, but I also wasn’t surprised when they opted to stick close by their mom, with the exception of Eden who decided she was going to be my shadow for the day. She’s grown quite attached to me and I can’t say I’m disappointed by that. She’s a sweet girl, but she’s also a firecracker! She has so much spunk and personality, if she were a wolf, she would absolutely be consi

RIEKA “I’m sorry,” I break in, “I’m still learning the dynamics of the packs, but there is no such thing as an Alpha over all packs, is there?” “No, the packs are all independent, and for the most part diplomatic with one another,” Fleur answered, “We had an Alpha King many generations ago, but considering how long we wolves live, and how long ago it was, the idea of the Alpha King is just as much legend at this point as the stories about your family.” Aleksandr snorts beside me. “Sorry Love, but I don’t see how that’s possible. We’re mated, and I’m no stronger than I was before. I love you, and I don’t care about being Alpha over all werewolves. But the rumors just aren’t true.” I couldn’t argue with him. He knew his own strength and if being mated to me didn’t change anything then maybe there really was nothing to these rumors. Maybe it was just a legend. Then Cornelis spoke up again, but he directed his comment at me rather than Aleksandr. “The legend is that you have the ABIL