Tatiana POV
As they pulled into the driveway, Tia's heart was pounding. She half expected her Dad to step out on the porch and wave but knew deep down she would never see that again. Her throat ached, and tears slipped down her cheeks as the cars stopped. Duncan slipped his arm over her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze.
Taking a deep breath, Tatiana climbed out of the car. Looking over at Duncan, his voice rang out in her head, "I will be here with you the whole time," but his mouth didn't move! She looked at him startled and then shook her head. Clearly, his lips must have moved, and she was now going crazy. Tia looked back at the house and headed inside.
The house looked just as she had left it. An open bottle of beer sat on the kitchen table. Tia reached out and touched it. Her heart lept as she thought, Dad must be home. However, the can was warm. She remembered he was gone but had to check it to make sure. Feeling Duncan's hand on her back, she continued towards her bedroom.
Tia grabbed a bag and started stuffing clothing inside. She paused when she caught sight of the mermaid necklace dangling from her mirror. Her Dad had given it to her on her tenth birthday. Luca lifted it off the mirror and handed it to her as if he knew what she was thinking. She studied his expression as she reached out and took it from him. What she initially found comforting was now freaking her out. Who were these wolves, and why had they taken such an interest in her? Why did it feel like they knew what she wanted before she did?
Luca suddenly turned and rushed out the door. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, Tia needed to get outside. Her heart was pounding, and her breathing became shallow. She could feel a panic attacking coming on. Wanting to get away from everyone, she bolted for the door. As she reached the porch, she pickup up an unpleasant scent. Looking up, she saw Luca talking to a large guy. His posture was menacing, but Luca was the one in control. It suddenly clicked. The scent was a wolf. As she moved towards the pair, a snarl reverberated behind her. Before she could turn around, Duncan lept past her and off the porch.
The strange wolf looked at her and snarled. His piercing eyes were running up and down her body like he was savoring a piece of meat. Luca's imposing form shifted between them, blocking his view.
"Vex, this is neutral territory. Unless you want that to change, you better move on."
"What is that a threat, Zeta? Who is the girl?"
Duncan's eyes were steely, and his chin jutted forward, "She is not your concern Vex. Leave now because I won't ask twice."
Vex snarled, "Sure, I will leave you with your little Rogue pet. She looks like she would be a wild one in the sack, but I bet ripping her throat out would taste even better!"
Duncan lunged towards the wolf, but Luca blocked him. Vex took the opportunity to shift and charge off into the woods. Duncan shoved Luca off of him and growled, "What the fuck!"
Luca scowled, "Do you want to start a war?"Duncan paced, "What now? He knows. Soon his pack will know. How are we going to keep her safe?"
"Keep me safe from what?! That bully? I have dealt with bullies before. I can handle myself." She huffed.
"Enough!" Luna ordered. The hair stood on Tatiana's back as they all snapped their attention towards her. "Vex is not just a bully. His family has a long history of hunting rogues for sport. This situation has become more tenuous for all of us. Duncan, you take Tia inside and get the rest of her things. Quickly!"
Luna Carina turned towards Luca, and they headed back to the vehicles.
Tatiana looked at Duncan wide-eyed, "What was that?" She asked as they went inside.
Duncan chuckled, "That was a demand from the Luna."
"Yes, but I felt it."
"We all felt it. Alpha's and Luna's have the power to compel submission in pack members to enforce their will."
"What is it, a Werewolf superpower?"
Duncan snorted, "Superpower no. We are compelled through the mind link."
"Mindlink?"
Duncan turned Tia to face him and looked into her eyes.
"Yes, mind link."
She gasped and pulled back. There it was again. She heard Duncan's voice in her head, but his lips never moved.
"Are you controlling my thoughts?"
He shook his head, "No, I can not read or control your thoughts, but I can send mine to you through what is called a mind link. You can do it also. Try it."
"How?"
"Try to push a thought in my direction."
Tia scrunched up her face, jutted her head forward. She then opened her eyes to find Duncan laughing.
"Are you kidding me? Can I do it, or are you just amusing yourself?" She scowled.
"You can. Try to push more from your stomach." She looked at him skeptically but gave it another try.
"Duncan!"
She could tell by the slight flutter of his eyes that it had connected. Tia let out a squeal, "I did it!"
He smiled. You did. I am glad I was here to witness it.
Luna came back in and looked at each of them impatiently, "Are we done?"
"Almost," Tia said as she ran into the kitchen. She grabbed the coffee can from the cupboard and fished out the money. Stuffing it into her bag, she headed back out to meet the others.
Luca POV
Vex showing up at Tia's house was the worst of all possible scenarios. The Hoh River Pack's hatred of Rogues was common knowledge. Naren's mate, Vex's mother, the pack Luna, was killed in a rogue attack when Vex was young. Luca remembered hearing stories of it. Alpha Naren did not rest until the perpetrators were hunted down, disemboweled, and hung from trees near Rialto Rogue Village.
However, Rogues, despite the inference of the name, are nothing more than displaced Werewolves. Most rogues are peaceful and wanted nothing more than to carry on with their lives. Rialto Village was an encampment of such Rogues. The Village was allowed to exist because of an Interpack treaty. The treaty will enable them to settle on the land peacefully, as long as aggressive and destructive Rogues are exiled.
Alpha Naren swore revenge on all Rogues, inside and outside the Village, until the Elder Wolves stopped the slaughter. His pack was sanctioned and banned from participating in Interpack Events for two years. The sanctions were the toughest in recent history. The ban included the Werewolf Mating Hunt and Ceremony.
Hoh River Pack has rejoined the Interpack Alliance, but Naren's lust for revenge bubbles just below the surface. Whenever an unwitting Rogue crosses his path, they are as good as dead. He is patient and will wait until the right moment to exact revenge legally.
Now Tatiana was in Vex's crosshairs, and Luca knew she was in grave danger until she initiated into the pack. Once she was a pack member, Tatiana would be protected by their pack and the Interpack Alliance.
Duncan's POVDuring training, his mother mind-linked him from the house. Unfortunately, Tatiana's human father was dead. According to his mother, she fell apart after the news. Her vulnerability only made his draw to her stronger. He could not put his finger on why. Her scent was comforting, and he felt very protective of her. Duncan wondered if she was his mate. Having never sensed the mate bond before, he had nothing to compare it to. He was frustrated that everything surrounding her was shrouded in mystery. How did she come to be raised by humans? Why had she never encountered another wolf? She was huge for a female wolf, and her violet eye color was unusual. It was clear she was not your average she-wolf, but what exactly that meant was unclear. Dante, his wolf, was also drawn to her. Back at the field, he would not let anyone near her, not even the Alpha. Dante could be a pain, but he never snarled at the Alpha before. Duncan shook his head. Lucky for him, his Alpha fath
Duncan's POVThe interaction with Vex pushed Dante to the surface, and he was trying to wrest control from Duncan. Duncan clenched his jaws and focused his energy inward. A growl rattled out of his chest, startling Tia, who was sitting next to him. She turned to see his iris switch back and forth between green and gray. Recognizing he was fighting his wolf, she reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it.With her touch, enough to tip the balance, Duncan regained his composure. He would do whatever it took to ensure Vex did not come near her again. However, anger seethed within him. Vex was a coward and an opportunist. He had no redeeming qualities, and Duncan marveled he had survived this long. A year from now, either he or Vex would become Alpha of their pack, but Duncan knew it would not be both. The Olympic Forest was not big enough for the two of them.Are you alright?He glanced down at Tia. Look at you mind linking like the rest of us.Sh
Tatiana's POVAs Tatiana made her way down the stairs, her legs were still shaky. Unaware she was awake, Duncan popped out of one of the side rooms and nearly knocked her over. When his body connected with hers, it felt like a Mack Truck. He was hard as a rock. He caught her as she let out a yelp and stabilized her before she fell. The warmth of his body was so close, and his scent made Talia calm inside her. She felt a familiarity and comfort from him. She was disappointed when he shifted her upright and let her go. He absently ran his hand through his short blonde hair."Sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"She stared back at his chiseled features. His human form was as impressive as his wolf form. Realizing he was still waiting for her to speak, she mumbled, "Yes, I am fine."A smile played at the corner of his lips as he watched my cheeks burn red. It was one of the joys of a fair complexion. It meant my embarrassment was vividly on display f
Vex POVVex raced back to Pack territory. Not only had they found another bitch rogue to eliminate, but stealing her right from under Kalaloch Packs nose was the crowning glory. His father would find this new information extremely interesting. Vex would personally like to wipe the smug, arrogant look off Duncan's face. He crashed into the packhouse and raced to the Alpha's office. Naren growled as Vex's wolf Vlad burst through the door. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Whatever you have to tell me better be worth it, Vlad." The sickening sound of cracking bone rattled as Vex shifted back to human form and smiled at Naren. Seconds later, Vex's best friend and soon-to-be Beta Kai walked in, throwing Vex a pair of pants. Vex slipped them on as he explained to them what he had seen. Naren sat stoically, considering what his son had just told him. "So your plan is to what? Walk into Kalaloch Pack, grab the rogue, and walk on out?"
Duncan's POVTatiana's initiation ceremony occurred without incident. She settled into pack life with ease. She and Duncan became constant companions. They trained together and attended the last year of pack school in the same class. Tia developed into a formidable warrior. Her attention to training and advancing programs for lower-ranking pack members improved their pack. Her kindness and empathy touched even the lowest echelons of the pack structure.A year later, Duncan and Tatiana were both in preparation for their first mating hunt. Their flight to Idaho left early tomorrow morning. Tia wanted to stay home, but in the end, relented to Luna's constant badgering. As he packed his bag, Duncan was eager for the hunt. He was on the precipice of finding his mate—the female who would eventually become his Luna, mother to his pack. This year's search was in the Rocky Mountains. The males and females were to be housed separately on opposite sides of the hunting groun
Tatiana's POVTatiana snuck off for a run as soon as she could get away. Talia was restless, and being in a large group was never comfortable for either of them. Her wolf sniffed around and explored their surroundings a bit before barreling off into the bushes. The sound of conversations gave way to the chirping of birds and the rustling of trees. As she trotted through the forest, Talia eventually stumbled onto a familiar scent. It was Duncan. He was somewhere near. Talia followed it until she found Dante sitting alone on a large boulder overlooking a valley. The view was beautiful. His eyes looked sad as she walked up and nuzzled him, but the expression quickly receded into the depths of his amber eyes.How are you doing? Are you ready for tomorrow morning?" He asked through the mind link."I guess. I am not sure there is much to be ready for, but I am open to anything.""No matter what happens, The pack and I will always be here for you. You know that,
Duncan's POVDuncan was furious as he stormed back to his lodge. He wanted to rip Vex's head off. If Tia's wolf had not been strong enough to fend them off, they would have killed her. Neither Vex nor Kyle were staying at the lodge. If they were, Duncan would have known. He would have been watching, and that is what they were trying to avoid. It was such a sneaky cowardly attack. Her death would look like her mate brutalized her if they had succeeded. Mate attacks were rare but did happen frequently enough for Werewolves not to question it. Sadie's pack set up extra security, and Luca was flying in from Washington State. Duncan left the girls under the watch of Beta Cory while he quickly grabbed his stuff from his lodge and headed back to move in with Sadie.Duncan should be spending time with his new mate, getting to know her, instead of dealing with the aftermath of the attack. Tia planned to leave early to give them time together without distraction, but Duncan refu
Tatiana's POV The ball was a grand affair. The men were all dressed in Tuxedos and the women in gorgeous gowns. When Duncan first saw Sadie in her dark blue gown, you could see the affection between them. Tia was pleased to see how happy they were together. They both deserved to find love. She couldn't imagine two people better matched for each other. Tia felt like a queen on the arm of the most captivating Werewolf in the room. Zeta Luca, however, was less impressed by all the attention but handled it admirably. As the event began to wind down, Tia noticed Duncan & Sadie had already snuck away. She could tell Luca was ready to be freed from his admirers. She obliged, and they quickly snuck away before anyone else caught him. Tia grabbed a bottle of bubbly on the way out. They were laughing as they reached her door. Successfully escaping his admirers was exhilarating. Once she caught her breath, she was about to ask Luca in for a nightcap when she remembered they