BRIANNA’S POV CON’T
Larissa was tucked behind the Beta and looked sick to her stomach as the bars to the cell began to rattle. Octavia was fully concentrating until the cell door popped open enough to slip out of without touching. It was second nature as I shifted leaving the cage, the pain of shifting no longer present in any way, and I bound through the trees with no guide to where I was going other than his scent.
My lungs felt like I couldn’t breathe as I waited to see him, to know that he was ok, I would have felt it if he was more than hurt, but who knew what kind of danger he could be in. Artemis slowed her pace as his scent became overpowering, and as we stalked through the edge of the treeline, there he was. Arche was flinging another wolf into a tree, blood had covered his front leg, dripping from an open wound in his shoulder,
ALARIC’S POVNot long after Brianna’s outbursts from waking up, Moon valley arrived, making their way through the trees in a wide formation as their Alpha led the way. My brother’s stood by my side and the other Alpha’s off to the side and slightly behind us, this was our pack, and our problem, but I was thankful for their presence.“We know why you have come,” I started, interrupting the silence that lingered after they had stopped progressing towards us.“So it’s true then,” Samuel started, and his voice was a replica of his father’s in the tone that he chose and his cocky nature, “you’ve chosen to betray my pack and our alliance by marking another?”“Marking our Goddess-given mat
ALARIC’S POV CON’T Artemis shifted her head in the slightest, as if to challenge the Alpha’s stance, to which he responded by shifting back into his human form. As Dez and Orion came out of the treeline it dawned on me that Samuel must have been trying to attack me, they would have handled it, but Artemis wasn’t pleased. Nicholi took over Ryan, dropping him to his knees and holding him in position as Wyatt and Xander approached Artemis and I joined them, approaching her from the side as she shifted back to human form. “Name,” Brianna commanded the Alpha in a tone I hadn’t heard come from her before. “Brianna,” I tried to draw her attention and caution her, this wasn’t just any wolf that was going to attack me, this was an Alpha, THE Alpha, that threatened
OCTAVIA’S POVA frantic knocking sound was at the door as I prepared to leave with Eathen. Kal didn't want me to go, but he knew better, and Eathen cautiously opened the door to a frazzled Larissa."They locked her in a cell," Larissa got out quickly and shared a look with me because we both knew she had to be out there.I nodded at her and followed where she led. I hadn't anticipated her mates wanting to keep her locked away from everything, and unsure how they managed to get her in there as she didn't seem the type to not put up a fight. Seeing her in there with baggy clothing and a pillow bed made more sense, they moved her in her sleep."Don't touch the bars," Brianna said as soon as we stepped into view, "they are
BRIANNA’S POVEvery breath I took during Octavia’s speech felt unreal, it was hard to take in that any of this was true, never mind true, of me. My mates were looking at me with complete adoration as my heart was threatening to explode with the love I felt for them. We had waited for answers, for things to make complete sense, and now, they did.My dad’s death, his sacrifices and Dez’s were all for something amazing, a gift from the Moon Goddess, a gift to me. I wouldn’t have to hide anything about myself, I could tell my mates all the missing pieces later, and we could finally be happy, together. No one could take me from them now, no one could take them from me.A tear rolled from my cheek as Octavia finished, dropping my hand and to her knee. My mates surrounded me like t
“Oh… my…” I laughed as my face heated and I pushed down on Wyatt’s arms so he’d put me on the ground.“We understand my Queen,” Octavia half giggled, “but I have one more thing to share with you before we leave if that’s ok? I thought it would be best to keep this information between us, you should have the right to share or not share this information as you and your Kings see fit.” We nodded and she held out both her hand's palm up, taking two of our hands in each of hers, “Would you like me to show your mates your full history first?”Octavia was more than kind, this would surely save me a lot of explaining later, and give me a chance to see it again myself, so I agreed and she began. She showed them how my mother’s pack was overtaken as a child, how her identity as an
Alaric’s voice gave no hint of regret when he talked of renouncing their titles, only pausing to affirm that to me as we locked eyes, “This is still your pack, but we are royals, so I suppose they would be our Seconds, and we could have up to four, but I’d be happy with two.”“This is still OUR pack,” I corrected him, “we are mates, and I don’t want there to be differences in the hierarchy between us, you have parts of me running through you,” I ran my fingers over my marks, “I am yours, and you are mine. We rule together, we decide together, we carry out things together, agreed?”"Yes my Queen," the boys all sounded together and made me laugh."Let's get started on making those heirs," Wyatt winked down at me as we approached the house.
“My Dear, it’s past noon,” Alaric’s charred wood and sweet smell wrapped around me as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, kissing my forehead. “Dearest,” I nudged the bottom of his chin with my nose so he would lean down a bit, and kissed his bottom lip softly, “I have a problem.” “Hmm,” he mused, “and what’s that?” I was slowly sliding his hand down the side of my body, planning to end with it between my legs, but I let out a scream when Xander plucked me from his arms. “Nope,” Xander had dragged me back and was now hovering over me on all fours, “your only problem Precious is that you have three mates,” he kissed the tip of my nose, “there’s at least one of us to help keep you on track when you distract the others,” he kissed a bunch of my freckles quickly making me laugh at him as he scooped m
I stared across the room at a large circular table that held twelve other Alpha’s. We had narrowed it down to the final dozen with Octavia’s help and the well-prepared notes that Dez and Orion made for us as they travelled around to inform and send out invites to this meeting. They weren’t given much time, but to their credit the notes that they made for us were invaluable. Every interaction they had with the other candidates had produced opinions and the odd story of their impressions of others being invited. While some willingly gave praise and offered their support of another candidate being on the council with them, others went out of their way to make sure we had the worst impression of someone, and while that was second nature for most, we quickly discounted those entries.We needed candidates who could remain composed, who would