Eva couldn’t believe she was preparing for the night they’d mate. It was all going to be permanent, forever, until death. Penny was at a pup event for the night. She’d have fun and not miss them because there’d be so many others there. She was too young for the finer details of what was about to happen. They would make love and in the heat of their passion, as its pinnacle, they would bite each other. Forming the permanent bond. It was a marvel how their pheromones worked. The fae added them to ensure their army would always have fresh troops. The bite was part of the wild nature and ferociousness the fae wanted in their foot soldiers. If she’d been taught the truth, the fae used wolf shifters as little more than those who would be the incidental deaths of war. They were the troops to sacrifice for the sake of fighting for an imaginary slight to their ever shifting and complicated honour system. The fae didn’t die like a human or wolf shifter. They didn’t feel like t
It was a done deal. Right there, in the heat of the moment, he’d claimed her. Eva finally lay in bed with her mate. Her mate. She couldn’t stop reminding herself of that. The night hadn’t gone as she’d thought it would. Well, the order of it wasn’t what she planned. They ate their dinner cold rather than hot. But the lovemaking and mating made up for that. Damon dozed by her side. They couldn’t put off appearing at the pack gathering. They’d be celebrating their mating, and she had to show off the bite to prove there was a mating. Thomas would also officially introduce her to the pack and welcome her into it. It was all part of the tradition when the mate came from outside of the pack. The couple needed to decide on which pack they would stay with permanently. There were no belonging to multiple packs at the same time. So much was going on these past few weeks. Her head was still spinning. She was glad Penny wasn’t here until tomorrow. Eva needed th
“You seriously want all this pomp and spectacle for two ceremonies? And what’s this about a gathering to get to know one another? How much is the travel alone going to cost? Asia, had you really thought about this? How is the pack going to afford this? Thomas’ pack isn’t rolling in money, and you know it.” April dropped several binders and a tablet on the desk before Asia. It took her a better part of the morning to get her leader alone so she could confront her without an audience. “It’s okay April. I spoke with Thomas on this, and he agrees that two ceremonies would be better, and for the gathering after each ceremony. Well, if you look, you’ll see that we have different people meeting for the first time. These are the members of the two packs that will work together and make everything run smoothly. They deserve to get to know each other before we throw them into the deep end of the pool. Who knows? Maybe there will be more pairings coming from this?” “As
“Really. You didn’t tell me anything about that and there wasn’t anything in your report. You want to talk about it?” “Well, everything was going as planned and business wrapped up as expected. You know how they love to network after all is done and socialize. I was leaving after the dinner was over. You know how I’m not much of a dancer. So I was making my way back to the cabin I was assigned.” She frowned at that. “No, whatever happened, happened before I was going to my assigned cabin. See things get hazy. I tell you I was sober.” “Any males paying you a lot of attention?” “Not anything out of the ordinary. By then I’d set them straight.” “Really, but you might be missing time. Did you look for any marks when you got back to your cabin?” “Marks? No, why would I look for…?” April’s words trailed off and her face paled. “You don’t think someone did something? Who?” “Drinks are provided, or they could have drugged the food. Now tell me, who was interested in you and the mo
Damon couldn’t understand what was taking so long for the women to get ready. They’d agreed on a simple ceremony when Thomas and Asia came back. Thomas would officiate with Asia, looking on today at the pack’s gathering. Eva’s family was here. Everyone was at the gathering, but Eva, Penny, and the women entrusted to get them to the ceremony on time. There were cutting this very close, and he would expire from the stress and worry before they got here. Many watched their Beta pace in agitation on the small built up hill used as a platform for ceremonies like this and others. If a human wandered onto the site, all they would see was a large meadow with a hill in it. The grasses were often trampled, but well maintained. It would be a mystery who and why. Eva was having the best day of her life. They’d planned everything to the inch of its life and pack the day with preparations galore. Little Penny tried her best to keep up with the adults, but fell asleep a few
Sure enough, April was on the stage with a microphone. Two other women Asia didn’t recognize stood with her.“April, you’ve always been a wild one. I dare you to mate with the first wolf that catches you. By the tradition of the mating hunt, I declare a hunt for you. Now which males will take on this female permanently as theirs? April, will you accept the hunt for you?”“Crap Victoria, that’s not fair. I look like a coward if I say no. So, fine, but I think you are disappointed when no one declares their intentions.” April wasn’t in her diplomatic persona, which was odd enough, but she usually wasn’t crude like that either. Asia wasn’t sure what to make out of this.“Anyone was to take on a lifelong challenge?” Victoria waved her hand dramatically at the crowd of mostly male attendees.One male stood up and finally three stood, but when the first two saw a smartly dressed wolf at the back stand up, they promptly sat.“That Gerald, we’ll at least he’s aged well.”“I, Gerald Holt Alpha
Tomorrow morning, the events opening the shifter resort would start. Janine worried Haden wouldn’t make it back in time. She needed him and everyone else she could pull in. We’re booked solid with guests and events. Everything looked so promising she worried about it all falling apart. But Haden promised he wouldn’t miss it or their quiet mating ceremony the day after next. Janine couldn’t take the pressure anymore and she literally made a run for it. She shifted and ran out of her outer office doors, onto the private balcony and jumped into the low privacy wall. All so she could run freely through the trees around the resort. She wasn’t checking on anything. Janine was trying to outrun the panic and fear that something might go wrong. She was sure they’d planned for everything. But something still niggled at the back of her mind. Janine needed to clear her mind of the mental chaos to figure out what she was missing. Nothing came to her as she ran t
April didn’t know what she was going to do. She wanted a man. No, she needed one desperately, but every male she could think of did nothing for her. Mind you, she was avoiding thinking of the darkly handsome Gerald. Gods, what changed her like that? Her phone went off with a message. “This came into my inbox. You must watch it. Asia.” April clicked on a video file and watched herself be humiliated. He’d given chase. What happened? Why didn’t she remember? Oh, she remembered Victoria or. Vicky as she insisted everyone call her. She was trying to match make everyone because she’d just mated herself to a west coast alpha. She’d annoyed April to no end with her fake southern accent and syrupy sweet fake manners. They’d argued that night. April now remembered that. Vicky insisted April needed a mate sooner rather than later. Three wolves stood, but Gerald, as intimidating as ever, made the others back off with his mere presence. But there he was, chasing after he