The tournament is coming! Poor Grace. What do you think of her fears of facing her father again?
On the day we are to leave for the tournament, we pack up our four SUVs. Eli and I had pooled our money but could only afford one for the pack. The other three we rented in the city. Our destination would take us about twelve hours to arrive, without taking stops into consideration. We were going to a place in northern Kansas. The council had gotten the state to close a state park for our arrival. This way, we wouldn’t risk running into humans. With the large numbers of werewolves coming into the territory, the state was paid well to shut down their tourist spot. The location was chosen, I was told, because it’s in the middle of the country. Our day is long and boring. Eli and I practice using our gifts of mind linking our pack but the further away we get, the harder it is. We link farther than expected, equally annoying different members of the pack as we test our reach. Eventually, we are no longer able to reach them. When we finally arrive, it is early evening. We check in, and I
I wait until we’re alone in the cabin. Grace’s emotions have been all over the place since we arrived. I know some of it is concern for seeing her father, but there was something else that I felt and didn’t understand. “Baby, what’s going on? Your emotions have been all over since we got here. It’s not all about your father. It feels like something else.” She walks up to me, leaning against my chest and my arms immediately go around her. I pick her up and sit on the edge of the bed, putting her in my lap. “Talk to me.” She’s got her head tucked up under my chin so I can’t see her face. When I hear her sniffling, I lean back, putting my finger under her chin and lifting her face. “Baby?” “Yes.” She says as if answering my question, her voice quivering as the tears start to fall. Okay, saying ‘yes’ to me asking her what’s going on doesn’t answer my question. “I’m not sure I understand.” She tucks her head against me again, her hand rubbing the tears from her eyes. I’m rubbing my ha
Maia pushes forward, answering the question of the Alphas in the room. I hear a collective gasp and realize that Artemis has come forward as well. “All happily marked and mated.” Rik says, his voice a challenge as he stands. I realize he has passed Lily back to Cara. He’s ready for a fight. Eli’s arm goes around me possessively. When I look, I see Louis shining in his eyes. Rik’s and Liam’s eyes have their wolves shining in them as well. It’s a clear threat. Do not touch what is mine. One of the elders who is managing the tournament stands. “Alphas. No one will attempt to take your mates from you. This is a competition, but it is friendly. Your mates are marked, and everyone here can smell your scents on them. Anyone who is paying attention will have seen the three females that will battle on the Alpha Day. Perhaps they believed they were Alpha females, but now we all know, it’s the Guardians that are here to battle. Let us finish our lunch and get back to the competition.” With th
When I saw the Alpha of the Red Dawn Pack, I knew immediately from the resemblance it was Carlos’s brother. While Carlos was the oldest, without a wolf, his father gave the position to his younger brother. When his brother became Alpha, he let Carlos stay in the pack, but chose this asswipe as his Beta. From what I heard from Carlos, this guy tormented him relentlessly and his brother never did anything to stop it. Based on what I just saw, Carlos wasn’t exaggerating. “What the fuck! If my brother has an issue with my Beta or anyone else in my pack, he can take it up with me.” His brother says, helping his Beta back to his feet. “Santiago, right? Well, I’m Carlos’s Alpha, and I was only giving this idiot what he deserves. And you’re a fool for not giving the Beta position to your brother. But, hey, your loss is my gain.” “You took a wolf less man as your Beta? What kind of stupid excuse for an Alpha are you?” I step up, getting in his face. “The kind that understands that even with
The audacity of this man. This man that I once respected, that I looked up to like he was the answer to every question I ever had. Now, I see him for what he really is. A washed up, pathetic excuse for an Alpha. The arrogance of him thinking that I was staring at him because I want him, it’s unfathomable, not to mention disgusting. I watch his face shut down after I call him father. “Of course, I was what, twelve, when you banished me? Do you remember me now?” “That’s not possible.” “Why, dad?” I say the term sarcastically. “Because you couldn’t be patient enough to wait and see if I got my wolf? You couldn’t be a good enough father to love me, even if I had never gotten a wolf? Well, surprise, here I am. It’s me, Grace. You banished your daughter, a future Guardian, from your pack. Is this starting to ring any bells for you?” “How dare you?” He snarls, his hand coming up to strike me. I grab it in mid-air, refusing to let it go, even after he tries to pull it out of my grip. “
After speaking with Jack, Grace and I head back to our cabin. We’re only there for a moment when Angel and Liam knock. “May we come in?” Angel asks. I stand back, gesturing for them to enter. “Of course.” Grace puts on a pot of coffee, and we sit in the small seating area of the cabin. “You saw my interactions with Jude this afternoon at lunch?” Angel jumps right in. “Yes. He seemed edgy around his Alpha.” I say. “Alpha Paul. He is the son of the Alpha that was in his position when my family ran from the pack.” Angel clarifies as Grace brings over a tray of coffee, cream and sugar. As Grace pours the coffee, Angel continues. “He approached me after lunch. He’s heard of your pack, and he’s been wanting to leave the Great River Pack, but he didn’t know where to go.” She looks at Liam, who nods before she continues. “He’s afraid to come to our pack, thinking his Alpha will look for him there.” “Not that it would matter, once we make him our pack member.” Liam cuts in. “But he doe
I follow Amber to her fight. Our pack looks like they have divided themselves between Carlos and Amber, but not surprisingly, most are watching Carlos. They want to see him take down his brother’s Beta. Cara comes over to stand beside me. “Dustin took his guy down in two hits.” “Nice!” She nods her head at Amber. “She ready?” “I think so. She needs to stop second guessing herself.” I watch as the Beta coming in to fight her smirks at her. He’s easily twice her size. “You got this Amber.” I call out to her. “Yeah, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Cara chimes in as we start clapping for her. She’s fighting tough. She’s taking hits but she’s giving plenty as well. Eli and Carlos come over to join us. “How’s she doing Luna?” “She’s good.” I raise my voice for Amber to hear. “She needs to stop playing with this idiot and show him what Safe Haven Pack is all about.” “Take him down, baby. Just like we practiced.” Carlos yells at her. And there’s something about hearing C
I can do nothing but shake my head at Grace. “What?” “You were sparring with that Alpha, not competing against him.” She just shrugs it off. “He knew he couldn’t defeat me, but he was excited to spar with a Guardian. He thought it might be his only chance, so we had fun with it. Now he’ll get another chance if he brings his daughter to the mate gathering.” “Speaking of that, do you have any idea what chaos you’ve just started? Every unmated male will be coming to our gathering hoping to be the mate of an Alpha female.” “Why shouldn’t they? You never know where you’ll find your mate and if more come, we’re more likely to find other mate matches.” I grab her arm, stopping her and turning her toward me, before pulling her against me. “I love you. You are an amazing woman.” She wraps her arms around my neck, stretching on her tip toes. “I love you too.” She says before kissing me deeply in front of everyone. I love when she claims me like this. It makes Louis purr in my chest. “Get