Blake was waiting with Nathan when we finally found the resolve to climb out of bed and get on with our regularly scheduled day. I only found it mildly difficult to walk, but I healed so fast now that the discomfort was almost gone. But it didn’t keep me from arching a quizzical eye at the pair waiting for us.                “Nathan said that Sophie was held up on an errand for you, so I thought I could fill in as your shadow this morning,” he flashed me a bright cheeky grin that made his dimples pop.                “Shouldn’t you accompany Kelly to breakfast?”                His grin didn’t falter, “S

                Jeanette’s company wasn’t as unpleasant as I thought it would’ve been. Yes, she seemed a little anxious to be around so many people with only her Delta to guard her. And yes, she stood mostly apart from everyone and looking a little out of place. But she stood her ground when someone approached her, and she had a polite word for everyone that talked to her.                Walking back to the main house, she was especially quiet. But she was also uncharacteristically fidgety, fussing with her clothes and hair way more than was necessary. It wasn’t as though the wind was blowing her carefully coifed hair out of place.                “Is there something on your mind?” I hoped that it didn’t s

One of the benefits of training and sparring with Nathan was that he knew just how much training Candice had had before she left the pack. I doubted very much that my uncle had spent the time or resources to bolster her skills before dumping her back in our laps. I had the advantage of increased speed and strength that most shifters gained, despite my lack of a wolf spirit. Not to mention the abilities I’d acquired through the unique circumstances of my birth. I had no doubt that I could beat Candice in a fight. But, it wasn’t enough just to beat her. I had to stomp out any doubt everyone else had. I used Dmitri’s private changing room to take a quick shower and change back into my regular clothes when Nathan, Blake and I called it quits. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I had to train in secret now, I wouldn’t have felt so annoyed by the time constraints. Having more Alphas around would only make it more difficult. Na

                Selene smacked my hand away as I tried to brush her hair back from her face, “Stop fussing over me! I’m fine, I feel fine and Isabel can’t run the damn test any faster than she already is.”                It had been almost an hour since Isabel left with the vial of Selene’s blood, and waiting for the results in this tiny exam room was becoming unbearable and suffocating. I knew something was different, and I had to be sure of what it was before my impulses caused me to do something I couldn’t take back. Arkadi had been no help either, being as clueless as I was about the way I’d behaved.                Selene frowned when I jumped out of my chair and began pacing once more, “You&rsq

Isabel looked like she sitting on a caltrop when we found our way to her office. It was almost like she didn’t want to tell us the results from the test, or that she was afraid to tell one of us. I never made it a secret to her during my regular check-ups that I felt I was too young for kids. And Dmitri wasn’t pressuring me to give him an heir. But wolves didn’t look at building a family the same way humans did. It was almost expected that an Alpha would be eager to produce an heir as soon as he found his mate. This also wasn’t the best time for me to be pregnant, if it was even possible. “I’m sorry,” she thumbed nervously through the pages in her hands, “but Alpha Selene is not pregnant.” There was immediate disappointment in Dmitri’s eyes, “And you’re sure?” “Yes, I double checked the results myself,” she leaned over the desk to hand him the file. “It’s ok, it’s not like we were trying or