Asia now understood how much she didn’t know about wolf shifters and their society. The mating ceremony wasn’t elaborate, but there were meanings behind everything. Luck and good fortune were part of the reason everything was being done. Prosperity and abundance. She was told so many stories and traditions that her head spun from all of them. It was so different from what she’d learned in her time underground with them. The other women were afraid to speak of these things while Clarence was alive. Afterward, there were other things to think about. Now they were looking forward to the Alpha Acceptance Ceremony and their Mating Recognition Ceremony. It was so busy that most nights everyone went to bed exhausted to start again the next day. They could get the new packhouse built and several outbuildings so that they could winter with a roof over all their heads. They planned a school for the new year for all the packs in the area to send their pups, too. So the
Life settled down for them after that, and a routine formed. Their pack understood their unique relationship. It helped when Alfred could come up with some documentation he’d found while doing his own study on their unique bond. It and Bethany fascinated the man became a friend to Helena and Jillian. Nathan and Asia eventually settled on a date to be formally accepted by their pack and to acknowledge their mating. It was something their pack needed to. Life for them soon became full of creating and building. Several of the lone wolves filtered in and requested a place within Nathan’s pack. Davis helped greatly with that because he could identify these lone wolves and vet their stories. By winter, there were enough homes to keep the Blue Mountain Pack safe from the elements. Money appeared out of the rambling and incomplete financial status. Helena didn’t look too closely, but she suspected several packs contributed funds and investments so that they could start agai
Helena Harris was doing what she did every time to make sure her pack had what they needed. Whether it was a cup of tea for old Mrs. Danielson, mediation for the Grimes brothers, or help with meal prep for young Angel Horton, who’d just given birth to a pup. Nathan Graden, the pack’s Beta, found her hanging laundry close to the pack house. His grey hair tussled with the wind, resisting the eventual truth that he was losing it. Something odd in a wolf shifter at any age and something he was sensitive about. He came to a stop before her petite form. Helena looked up at him tiredly. She wore her chestnut hair up in a messy bun at the base of her neck. “Hi, Nathan. What do you need?” She sighed and reminded herself this was her father’s most trusted and loyal friend on the earth. As the Alpha of the Black Dane Pack. Helena’s father, Vincent Harris, controlled it for over forty years. Even after her mother passed two years prior, he stood strong against anyone
“The Alpha would like to see you both immediately. The Luna is busy, she’s going to ensure that dinner will be ready for everyone on time. So, please say your pleasantries and we’ll let her be on her way.” Helena frowned at Nathan’s rudeness. These were respected members of their pack, and people she’d grown up with. All thought of leaving left her mind at that. “It’s very nice to see you once more, Helena. I see you’ve grown up nicely.” Brian leered at her. His thumbs slid into a couple of his belt loops like he needed to force himself to keep his hands to himself. “What my brother is saying is you’re a sight for sore eyes. Now come down here and be the hostess we all know you are.” Christopher all but ignored Nathan’s words. Instead, he and Brian focused on her completely, like the predators they were. “I don’t know what to say to that. I haven’t changed all that much since you saw me last.” They didn’t move in the same circles of
Brian stood there between her and three rough looking, unknown wolves. Helena didn’t recognize any of these wolves' markings that disturbed her greatly because she could only hear her father’s warnings about her being kidnapped. Even their scent was foreign to her, and that terrified her. Because she didn’t, they come from? How did they get into their territory without tripping the security? Brian was in obvious danger, yet he wouldn’t give her room to shift into her own wolf. His wolf’s form dwarfed the other three wolves visibly. When did he get so large? She didn’t remember him being so large? White yes, she remembered that. Brian was white and Chris was black. They were like yin and yang. When his size registered with these wolves, they paused for several heartbeats. She gathered the wolves believed their numbers were superior, because then fur flew as the four wolves met in a violent tangle of claws, teeth, and fur within the tight space of the corridor. Brian had space to move
Growing up as twins and the expectations for them to work together, no matter how different they were, caused them a lot of hardship until they created their own terms. Brian was a hunter and provider type of person. Chris now he preferred to be the fixer and the commander. But right now they had problems coming out of their ears, and people needed to know how they’d fix all of it. The pack needed a direction and assurances that they were safe. They needed leadership. But they didn’t know which brother to go to for that. They could see that Helena was in no shape emotionally to do it. The past few days, she’d run on autopilot, and she was losing steam to power it. “Fine. How are we going to do this? Rule together until she can decide between the two of us?” Brian threw up his hands at the stalemate they were in. “Well, how do we explain to her she belongs to both of us and we want to make love to her until she spits out our pups? How do we tell her we don’
Helena and Jillian stood watching the fire for what felt like hours. The entire pack and guests came to honour her father. They’d left long ago. Helena knew she couldn’t shed any more tears. “What are we going to do? He’s supposed to choose which of the St. James were to lead. Without Nathan here, there’s no clear leadership.” Jillian said, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t believe I’ll sleep until I do. For all I know, someone here plans to take over. It’s not safe here for me, and I can’t see it ever being safe again.” “I guess you have two choices. Abandon the pack, or put yourself at the mercy of whatever is decided.” Jillian wasn’t joking about the situation. Helena came to this conclusion hours ago. Helena knew she’d need to choose one of three options. Run away, dishonouring herself and her pack. Leaving them without leadership. Effectively disbanding the pack and giving up her family’s legacy. Finally, leaving
“Well,thatwill notwork for us. How are we to protect you if wecan’t see what’s happening to you? Thatmakes littlesense.”“And the two of you in my apartment makes anymore sense? You know exactly where everyone’s minds will go. I’m not afool.I have ears and have heard about the thingsthey’ve caught youdoing, both of you, together.No. Fornow,I think my apartment will be my safe space.I’m not talking about this right now. I have things to do.”Helenadartedbetweenthe coffee tableand Chris’kneesand she left the room before either man could respond.“I guess that’s too fast for her. Now, what do we do?&rdq