This showed us well, at least me that maybe I’d been too hard on him, regardless of the surprises he’d thrown our way.Elena stood tall, and I adjusted my stance so that I could stand by her side. She took my hand in hers as she gracefully accepted the show of respect from these bears.“Thank you,” she said quietly, then she turned to Jack. “Did you see my wolf?”He nodded and gestured to the group in front of us. “We all did.”“We’d like some privacy to train for the rest of the afternoon,” she said. “Only because this is new and I’d rather nobody get hurt in case there are any other new developments with my wolf.”“Understandable,” Jack said, and then the other bears began to disperse. “Use the building behind us. I’ll make sure it remains empty until you’re done.”“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like,” I said to Jack, hiding my smirk when I noticed how wide his eyes had become.He glanced down at Sammy, who was still staring at Elena with his mouth open. “I promised my son that

I knew then that, once the people of the House accepted me, the first thing I wanted to do was clean up the chaos literally. The streets shouldn’t have cracks in them, and the buildings should all be livable by at least basic standards.A distaste for my sperm donor gathered inside me. I’d never met the man, and I’d been devastated about that for many years, but not any longer.From the sounds of it, I wouldn’t have ever wanted to be influenced by Mathis’s selfishness or tyranny. Though I did still wonder about my mother.Was she still alive? Why hadn’t she kept me with her? Did she still live here in Fire and Fluorite? So many questions, and there wasn’t a single place I could think to start looking for answers without going back to the coven.Going back was something I didn’t want to do. It seemed stupid, considering all the changes I’d gone through, but after waiting eighteen years to escape that place…going back seemed more daunting than fighting for the Alpha Supreme position.Ma

His words were a mere whisper, but they echoed loudly through my mind as he walked away.I would if I had to.While Atlas rejoined our small group, other members of Fire and Fluorite circled around us. This was exactly what we needed. It wasn’t just the faction leaders who needed to know I wasn’t backing down, but more importantly, it was the members of the House that needed to know I deserved the title I was seeking.My Bear moved forward, and I readied myself mentally for the fight, but Dylan didn’t give me much time for that.He shifted back to his Bear and hadn’t even let his front paws touch the dying grass before he swiped at me. His claws caught my tail, but no blood was drawn and nothing about the energy pulsing from me hurt him.Just like it hadn’t for Amy, Atlas, or Mark when we’d been practicing earlier.I had surmised that was because, just as Atlas had said, I was a pure wolf. The extra power I had didn’t give me special abilities, but it did enhance what I’d already work

That finally had her chuckling as I turned on the shower.She stepped in first, barely staying up on her feet, and I did my best to ignore the bruises that covered her neck, back, and leg. Dylan had been a fair match for her, but he hadn’t had the heart my mate did.There was no scenario in which he would have ever beaten her.Knowing that was the only thing that had kept me from getting involved. Especially when he’d drawn blood. Elena had done just what she’d needed to, and I was so fucking proud to call her mine.Quickly, we washed and rinsed our bodies, then only managed to half dry off before making our way to the bed.I tucked Elena against my side, but then she climbed on top of me, plastering herself to me.“I need you,” she murmured, peppering light kisses over my chest.My lips pressed against her forehead. “You have me. All of me.”She shivered within my arms, and my hands roamed over her body as she moaned. “Make me forget the last eight hours.”I wasn’t sure I could do th

I hadn’t thought I could want him more, but he seemed to prove me wrong every single day.We each took a seat around the table, the food long forgotten, and waited for Amy to tell us what she’d seen.Her palms pressed over the table, and she took a deep breath. “I’ve never had one so vivid before. Normally, my visions come in small snippets that I have to put together before I know what they’re saying, but this one spoke loud and clear.”I leaned forward in my chair. “What did you learn?”“It’s hard to describe what I see,” she answered, “but what I translated from the images was huge. Jacob and Hazel were working with Dylan. He was under strict orders to make himself known within the House, but not to take over until he was told it was time.”I was pretty sure he’d been told this week, given how quickly he’d challenged me.Amy continued. “Hazel was here last night with the group that attacked Jacks’s people. That’s why nobody could track where the shifters went once Tuck knew they we