Einar pushes forward snarling as Alpha Wyatt asks about Meadow and Tate. I hear Maeve’s heart rate spike, and I watch as she sways on her feet. “MAEVE!” I call, racing to her, catching her just before she hits the floor. I look up at the council, snarling as I tuck my mate against my body. “How the fuck do you know about her siblings?” I can tell by the looks on their faces that King Lance and Phiren didn’t know about the siblings, so it’s only Alpha Wyatt. I’m guessing that was the name that the girl, Azure, heard the high priestess talking about. He's dirty, and whatever his reason, he's going against my brother and our pack. “I’m a member of this council. It is my job to know the details of the people who stand before me.” Alpha Wyatt says haughtily. “If that’s so, then how is it that you don’t know that the spell that she created is what is impacting my brother’s mate bond?” I say, as my father comes over, taking Maeve from me and walking her over to the where my family is si

While today at the council was a total shitshow until Emlyn showed up, lunch with Maeve and the family was good. Everyone is accepting her, whether they have figured out that she’s my mate or not, they all seem to like her. Not surprisingly, even Emlyn accepts her. Just another reason why Emlyn was made to be the Luna of this pack. And while she doesn’t come back to Shadow Falls, having agreed to become acting Luna to Cohen’s pack, she’s still closer so Rich can spend time with her and Leander. When we get back to the packhouse, Maeve wants to go to her spell room. She does some sort of magic, turning the cauldron back into a bowl and then proceeds to clean up the room, making sure that none of the magic remains. I help her collect her things and we walk to the kitchen to wash the dishes and put them away. “You’re very quiet, Maeve. Is everything okay?” “Yes,” she says in the first lie I think she’s told me. “Did you want to watch a movie tonight? Cayd will most likely crash, I s

I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I tossed and turned and desperately tried to think of a way to keep Maeve here, with me. It’s not that I don’t want her to leave the pack, it’s just that I know she’s not safe out there and I want to wait until the penthouse is officially ours. If she insists on going back now, I’ll just have to put her in our current penthouse. It just won’t be hers. Ours. When my alarm goes off, I drag myself out of bed and go down to training. My father is there and when he sees the mood I’m in, he decides to take the opportunity to not only force me to focus on my sparring, but also to find out what’s going on. I tell him about Maeve, not sure how to make her understand that she’s my mate and what that really means to me. I wanted to show her, but everything has been so crazy lately. I've done little things, but it doesn't seem like it's enough. We’ve just about finished training when my father’s eyes go unfocused. When they clear, he looks at me. “Maeve is gone

Sometime in the middle of the night, I hear footsteps in the hallway. I prop myself on my elbow, listening to make sure Maeve isn’t planning to sneak out again. Instead, she stops at my door that I left cracked open for her. When the door opens, she stands there a moment, indecisive. I realize that even though I can see her clearly, she probably can’t see me. “Come here,” I say quietly and pull the covers back. When she crawls into bed, I tuck her back against my chest, curling myself around her, breathing in her sweet strawberry scent. “Sorry, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.” “I prefer you here with me, anyway. Don’t apologize.” It doesn't take long before her breathing evens out and she is back to sleep. I'm not far behind her. The next morning, we get up and get ready to go to her shop. “You really don’t have to come with me, Xander.” “Maeve, do you feel safe enough to bring Meadow and Tate home?” I ask her, already knowing the answer. “You know I don’t.” “Then,

I’m so happy that I chose the Ferris wheel to ask Maeve to marry me. I knew the minute she realized where we were going that it was the right choice. Her excitement was contagious. When we move to get on the Ferris wheel, I pass the guy some money and tell him that I’m proposing to my girl at the top and can he stop the wheel for just a couple of minutes when we get there. He agrees and it is absolutely perfect. I feel the wheel slowing down, Maeve has tucked her body against mine and I have my arm wrapped around her, so we were already close when I pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked her. “Xander…” Her hand reaches out tentatively without touching the ring before she looks up at me. “Why? I don’t understand.” “I’ve been researching the wedding ceremony for humans and they have this engagement thing. I guess because humans can’t physically mark their mates, they give them a symbol to show that they are claimed. I wanted you to understand how very serious I am about you. I t