Happy Friday! Sorry today's chapter was published slightly later than normal. I've had a very busy week at work and I wanted to review/edit the chapter before posting. I also wanted to share another reminder of how important reviews are for this book! If you've made it this far into the story, PLEASE leave a review to tell other readers what you like about this story or my writing. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it's one of the best ways for you to support my work. (If English isn't your first language, you are more than welcome to leave the review in your native language!) Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Have a great weekend! Much Love, Anja <3
ALEKSANDR I kept my eye on Gerrit all through dinner. He never stopped glancing around the room, but I couldn’t figure out what was drawing his attention. He must have known I was watching him and he didn’t want to give anything away. Ace seemed pretty relaxed, and you’d never know that there was anything tense between the two of them. Aria and Ace whispered back and forth between themselves all throughout dinner while the adults engaged in casual conversation. Cornelis, Ash, Danique, and Fleur discussed minor pack business, occasionally asking Rieka and I questions to involve us in the conversation. I let Rieka lead the conversation since I was busy watching Gerrit but my mate knows me well. “What’s got you so distracted?” She leans in and whispers as we walk down the hall towards our rooms after dinner. The kids were walking ahead of us chattering on about some of the fun things they have discovered in this pack. They were all smiling and laughing quietly, and although eve
ALEKSANDR Rieka was right, there could be a link here, and we needed to explore it. I immediately reached out to Cornelis to see what he could tell me about the pack this wolf was from, but I didn’t mention Rieka’s visions or why we were interested in this pack specifically. Cornelis got back to me a few hours later and confirmed that we could visit the pack in Austria tomorrow. We made arrangements for the kids to stay here at the Night Stalkers pack along with three of the Luna’s Guards. The other two would travel with us and Ash to the pack lands. Apparently, this pack had agreed to our visit on the condition that Ash came along to act as an intermediary since they didn’t know us. I hated dividing up the protection detail, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think that I could protect my mate completely on my own if a group decided they wanted to take her from me. We could still be easily overwhelmed if the whole pack turned on us, but we didn’t really have many options, and Rieka
ALEKSANDR While Alpha Leon sputtered laughter and tried to control himself, my mate tensed beside me. She had no idea what to think of this alpha, and to be honest, neither did I. Ash and the guards remained calm, though I could feel the frustration rolling off of Asher and Sebastian. They didn’t like the idea of someone laughing at their Luna, but they were waiting for me to say or do something. A low growl rumbled in my chest, but Alpha Leon didn’t seem to notice, or care, as he wiped tears from his eyes. “How can you be mated to an alpha and have no idea what a mating festival is?” he asked as he worked to catch his breath. “Watch your tone,” I warned him, “and don’t disrespect my mate with your small-minded view of the world.” Alpha Leon seemed to sober up a bit from my comment and he looked at me with a slightly stunned expression. “I mean no disrespect, Alpha, but have you taught your mate nothing of our culture?” “You forget that we’re not from this part of the world,
RIEKAWhen Alpha Leon admitted that his cousin called him from the US, I just knew that this was the break we needed to learn more about the legend surrounding my family. I hoped that the alpha would be willing to share more details about the conversation he had with his cousin during the last phone call, but my heart also broke for him, and I was afraid to press him for information.“How was he when he called?” I questioned hesitantly. “Was he well?”Alpha Leon sighed, “He sounded happy, but I could sense a tension in him, like he was holding himself on a tight leash…”The alpha trailed off and we waited patiently to see if he would continue.‘Did your aunt Meri ever say anything about meeting someone?’ Aleksandr asked me through the mind-link.‘Not that I can recall, but there was a time shortly before her death when she seemed happier… Whenever my parents would ask her about it, she always responded that it was just because work was going really well.’Thinking back to those l
ALEKSANDR I knew it. He was giving us information to build trust, just waiting for his opportunity to turn it around and force us to open up as well. We didn’t really have much choice at this point. We either come clean about our reasons for seeking him out, or risk being labeled untrustworthy. A reputation like that can be very damaging to an alpha. Even an alpha with a good reputation is welcomed cautiously, but if an alpha displays questionable behavior during a visit, word spreads quickly and all packs immediately become icy towards him. If the behavior continues to be suspicious, packs become outright hostile. It shouldn’t be that way, but when alpha males gather, the urge to show dominance is overwhelming and only the most controlled alphas can resist and be cordial. Alphas who can’t, doom their packs to isolation and, ultimately, failure. We may all be separate packs, but we rely on our ability to operate amicably and support one another during tough times to survive.
RIEKAThe food they prepared was incredible. I didn’t know what the dishes were, but they all tasted amazing. Once my stomach was satisfied, I realized that I felt less on edge and suspicious of Alpha Leon and Luna Imogen. A few more pack members ended up coming back to the packhouse and everything started to feel a bit more normal.After meeting a few ranked wolves and several pack members Luna Imogen showed us to our rooms so we could rest after our long day of travel. Although I felt exhausted, I wasn’t actually sleepy.Aleksandr and I both showered and then dressed. If we were going to be stuck here a couple of day, we’d have plenty of time alone, and I really was exhausted. After dressing in my warmest clothes, I found a thick blanket to wrap myself in while he went to the pack house library to see if he could find any helpful books for us to review while we’re stuck here.Unsure what to do with myself, I sat on the sofa looking out the window. The snow was no longer comin
RIEKAThe nap was not restful at all, and the dreams that plagued me were the most frustrating yet. They were all about the kids. They were in danger, but I couldn’t figure out who they needed to be protected from. It was always something unseen or shadowy figures, but there was most definitely a threat, maybe more than one.I woke to Aleksandr’s warm arms comforting me, and his gentle voice whispering reassurances.“It’s ok, love, it’s just a dream. You’re safe. The kids are safe. Everything’s going to be alright.”Blinking away the last remnants of the dream, I look up into his emerald, green eyes, “How can you be so sure that everything will be ok? If they are visions or predictions of the future, then everything isn’t going to be okay, and the kids aren’t safe.”Even as I way saying it, I knew it wasn’t true, but I still felt exhausted after my nap, and it felt like my brain wasn’t fully functioning. I have no idea how long I slept, but however long, it wasn’t enough.“Bec
RIEKA Despite my prayers and pleading for restful sleep, the dreams returned. I have no idea how long I slept before they invaded my mind, but it was one after another. Whenever the dream would change from one scene to another it was as if the world did a quick spin on an unnatural angle and way too fast. The constant shifting almost made me feel nauseous. In the first dream, we were all back home at the Silver Eclipse Pack. It was comfortable and we were happy. Dustin and Drea were there with little Link, but he wasn’t so little anymore. He was crawling around and cooing at everyone. Aria and Eden were fawning over him and trying to make him laugh. Ace and Calvin were busy with their own wrestling game across the living room. Aleksandr and I were seated together on the sofa, and as I looked around the room smiling, I noticed that Lis was missing. I turned to my husband to ask where his mother was, but the room was suddenly empty. Jumping from my seat, I began calling out