Lottie’s POV I don’t know how to handle Ember. On the way back to the house, she was teasing and taunting Xavier. She wants him and has already made her intentions known to me about what she plans for tonight. She is also making it very clear to him too. I honestly don’t know how I feel about all of it. Until recently, I had never kissed anyone other than my mom and sister. I certainly hadn’t seen a naked man, nor had a man seen me naked. But like Ember tells me, Maddox is my mate. We are going to be intimate. After our few kisses and intimate moments, I need to get over my anxieties. I am his and he is mine, after all. He has given me a lot of firsts recently. We are a few miles from home. She suddenly blocks me out. I am blocked out of my conscious mind. It’s weird and quiet wherever I am. At least last night when we shifted, I could see what she saw and we could communicate. Right now, there is nothing but darkness. I don’t like it. I also don’t like to think about wh

Millie’s POV After Lottie shifted, I watched her go off with Maddox. Alpha Hudson suggested we leave some clothes outside for all the kids, as when they shift back to being human, they would be naked. Caren and Parker returned laughing and giggling after their run. They appeared to be making friends quite fast. I invited Alpha Hudson to stay. He could sleep in Lottie’s bedroom. I felt he may get some comfort from being in her surroundings. I knew Lottie wouldn’t mind, it would be strange, but she wouldn’t mind. He thanked me and said he would take me up on my offer, but first he wanted to spend a bit more time at Veronica’s graveside. He took a photo album out with him. I invited Parker to sleep on the couch while he waited for his brother to return. He was more than happy with that offer, as he wanted to know if there was a new addition to his family. Caren and I headed to our bedrooms for the night, not knowing when Lottie would be home. I was lying in bed awake when

Lottie’s POV “YEEEESSSS, now mark him, mark him. MARK HIM NOW.” screeches Ember in my mind. My body is still buzzing from what just happened and she is screaming in my head. It’s like having an observer during one of the most private moments of my life. “You need to teach me how to block her out.” I tell Maddox, who has collapsed on top of me. “Is she giving you a hard time?” I snickered “No! She is screaming at me to mark you. Suddenly, you marking me is not good enough for her.” He grins, “You don’t need to do that. But I would like it, if you would, one day. When you’re ready,” then he kisses me. When he pulls away, he examines my neck, smiling smugly. “The world now knows you are taken.” I smiled, then frowned at him. “Is that why Ember is pushing for me to mark you, so the world knows you are taken too?” “Our scent will probably entwine together. With me being an Alpha, your scent is likely to change more than mine, as I have the stronger wolf.” “That’s wha

Parker’s POV I saw Ella when we were in the human town. She told me her dad sometimes takes her to town with him when he meets someone from the Council. I wonder which member of the Wolf Council she could be talking about? Why would they meet here, though? Why not arrange a meeting at the pack house? I slowly walked past the diner, but I didn’t see Beta Celeb or anyone who looked like they worked for the Wolf Council. Nor do I see any of the protection detail that usually accompanies the Wolf Council members. Maybe I shouldn’t believe anything Ella tells me. Seeing as Alpha Hudson seems to trust his Beta. Who am I to accuse Beta Celeb of any wrongdoings? I also have other things on my mind at the moment. Hopefully, there will be a new addition to my family when we get back to Millie’s house. In fact, there is no hope for it. Maddox needs to have claimed his mate. He has been a different man since meeting Lottie. He’s happier and tolerable. I like this version of him. It r

Lottie’s POV Everything changes tomorrow. The look on Caren’s face tells me she knows it, too. But that is tomorrow. At least we have today. There is so much to do. My priority is to make sure our mom will be okay and comfortable after we have gone. My gut instinct is to make sure she has enough food in the house and we leave the gardens in a manageable condition. Mom hates the gardens being untidy. They usually left the front garden for me to tend to. I love the scent of the freshly cut grass. I also used the time to trim my mom’s rosebush and I often talk to her at the same time. It makes me feel like I have a connection with her. I want to have one more conversation with her before I leave. The back garden is Caren’s responsibility. She grows a lot of our vegetables in a vast patch of it. She even grew some apple trees when she was younger. We haven’t bought fruit or vegetables for years. The men are discussing vehicles when Caren announces she is going to tend to he