Chapter 11

Kaylee

I knew they were waiting for a command, for the ring leader to issue his orders, but I didn’t even consider that their orders would be to target my mate! I probably should’ve, but it honestly wasn’t something I considered. Their focus was unshakable and even as we attacked them and pulled them away, never once did they turn away from Kade.

We were able to eliminate them, though it took a lot more effort since these were the same as the large wolves we found last time, but it wasn’t fast enough. Kira let out a pained whimper the second we saw what they had done to our mate, his body swaying on unsteady legs until they gave out as his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Get him on my back! I’ll carry him to the clinic!” Four of the guards shift into their human forms and carefully lift him onto my back just as I asked. I take off in the direction of the clinic with Toby and Nate following me, the silent sentinels protecting their alpha and luna during their moment of unexpected vulnerability. It takes almost twenty-five minutes to get there, but Doc is already waiting with six of the younger male wolves who all jump in to help move their alpha into one of the rooms.

It’s been six long hours, but Kade is still unconscious and is still in his wolf form, laying on the floor in the surgical room. His wounds were cleaned and stitched shut, but his healing is so slow that I can’t help but play through the worst-case scenarios in my mind. I’ve been teetering on the brink of panic and determination, waiting to see which will win. This is what I imagine purgatory must be like, stuck in limbo as you wait to see if you’ll find happiness or heartbreak…but losing him won’t just break my heart…it’ll completely destroy me. I’m lost in these thoughts when I catch a familiar scent, one I’ve missed more than I realized.

“Hey, sweetheart. The beta filled us in on what happened. How’s your mate doing?” I’m in his arms in a flash, needing his strength and comfort now more than ever.

“He’s hurt so badly, daddy.” Before he can respond, another familiar voice fills the room.

“Alright, get the hell out of my way and let me see my grand baby.” My grandma pushes my dad out of the way and wraps her arms around me, holding me with a strength most wouldn’t believe her small form to be capable of.

“I missed you, grams.” She pulls back and cups my cheeks while giving me a sad smile.

“I missed you too, sweet girl. Now, let me have a look at your mate.” She steps round me, not waiting for a response because she doesn’t need one, she rarely does. A little-known secret…my grandma is a very talented healer, though these days her skills are only used in cases of severe injuries…like Kade’s. We all watch as she gently strokes Pax’s fur then starts mumbling a chant in Gaelic as her hands begin to emit a faint glow. I hear a soft groan followed by the sound of Kade’s bones breaking and reshaping until his naked body is lying on the cold tiled floor.

“There, that should do the trick. Perhaps your mate would be more comfortable in a bed and I’m sure he’d like to have his mate close by, it’ll speed up the healing and dull any pain he may be feeling. Well, don’t just stand there, Mickey! Use those damn muscles and get this man to a bed!” I look up and see the amused smile on Doc’s face as he stands in the hall, looking in at the chaos unfolding in the surgical room while James and Toby stand beside him looking just as amused by my crazy grandma.

“Damn it, woman, I’m coming! Lira, tell your mother to shut her trap!” My mom peeks through the door and shakes her head while rolling her eyes.

“You two are impossible. Hey, baby girl. Finn will be in any minute now. He had to make a few calls after hearing what happened from Beta Nate.” Dad carries Kade out of the surgical room, following Doc to a patient room while I take a moment to properly hug my mom.

“I’m so glad you guys could make it.” She leaves a kiss on the top of my head before releasing me from her loving embrace.

“So, your mate…he’s an alpha.” It’s not a question and I know damn well she has more to say.

“Yep.” She nods her head as her eyes drift to the door to the room my dad just took my mate through.

“I assume he had a valid reason for how he acted when you first sensed each other?” I don’t miss the hint of bitterness in her tone, her protective mother instincts have always been strong. The fact is, he did have a valid reason, though I worry his reason will only upset her more. Unfortunately, lying to my mom isn’t an option because, well, I suck at lying.

“He had a reason and we worked through things, so now we’re happily marked and mated.” I see the doubt in her eyes as she searches my eyes for the lie that I know she won’t find.

“And what the hell reason would he have to completely ignore his mate and make her feel as though he didn’t want her?! Is it because he felt you weren’t worthy of him? Was it because he felt your position was beneath him?!” Her anger is only intensifying, so in an attempt to crush it before she lashes out, I tell her the truth…all of it. I watch the various emotions flash through her eyes as I unveil each obstacle from the first moment I picked up his scent to when we finally sealed our bond.

“So, you see, it was just a really screwed up mess that we worked through and now we’re happy, or we will be once he wakes up and we figure this whole rogue mess out.” She’s quiet for a long, tense moment then her expression softens and a soft smile graces her beautiful face.

“You’re an amazing wolf, baby girl. I hope your mate realizes how lucky he is to have such an amazing mate.” I want to tell her that I’m the lucky one, but Doc peeks into the hall and interrupts our conversation.

“Luna, the alpha is ready. He’s still unconscious, but his vitals are finally stable.” My mom nudges me toward the now open door to my mate’s room and I don’t hesitate to hurry inside.

Kade’s skin has more color and his breaths that were ragged in his wolf form are much steadier. I can tell that many of his wounds have healed, leaving only the more severe of them which are currently in various stages of healing, no doubt a result of my grandma working her healing magic. I slide into the seat beside his bed that my father moved over the second I stepped into the room and take Kade’s hand in mine.

“My daughter…the luna…that’ll take some getting used to.” My dad’s amused tone has everyone in the room smiling, well, everyone but Kade. I hear the door to the clinic open and immediately catch Finn, Nate, James and Magnus’s scents as they enter the building. I’m not at all surprised when Finn is the first through the door and even less so when he hurries over to give me a hug that I return with only my free arm.

“Ah, Kaylee, you’re looking wonderful. So, I spoke with your mate’s beta and he explained the situation to me and I plan to send your father and one of Lone Ridge’s trackers to find where these bastards are coming from and gather intel.” I already knew what he would do before he even spoke the words, but that’s a result of years working at his side.

“Sounds good. Once Kade is healed and back at work, we can get started on plans for how to handle this. I’d actually like to go over the changes we’re implementing to the patrols to see if you might have some other suggestions that might help.” He agrees immediately with a nod of his head.

“Of course. Magnus, I’d like for you to accompany Mickey and the other tracker in case they run into trouble.” Magnus agrees, only offering his usual nod accompanied by a grunt. Finn opens his mouth to speak again, but a soft, pained groan comes from the bed as the hand I’m holding curls its fingers around mine.

“Kaylee?” I stand up and lean over him, my right hand still wrapped in his left while my left hand reached up to gently cup his cheek.

“I’m here, Kade. I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I already know the answer.” His lips twitch into an almost smile before he grimaces from the pain.

“You’re okay?” I press my lips to his forehead, my heart warming with the knowledge that my mate is awake while Kira purrs in relief.

“I am. The rogues…they all targeted you and no matter what we did, they wouldn’t so much as glance our way. Even when we were tearing them apart, their sole focus was you.” I know he can sense my worry, confusion and fear. I don’t hide any of it from him and the way his hand tightens around mine, I know he feels it all.

“Shit, your parents…” I want to laugh at his amusing reaction, knowing just how worried he is about making a good impression on them.

“Ah, it’s about time your mate acknowledges the others in this crowded shoebox of a room. Alright, move your ass and let me have a proper look at him, yeah?” My grandma pushes her way through the others then gently pushes me back to my chair so she can see him completely.

“Kade, this is my grandma, Edith. Grandma, this is my mate, Alpha Kade.” She gives me a ‘no shit sherlock’ look then redirects her attention back to my mate.

“I assume you’re taking good care of my granddaughter?” It’s a statement and a question all in one with a slight threat of violent intent mixed in, but I can feel his amusement over her stern tone.

“I cherish your granddaughter, but not just because she’s my mate. I love her strength, grace, intelligence and her determination. I respect her heart, trust her opinion and I worship the ground she walks on. I’ll be honest with you, in the beginning, I handled things poorly and even though she could’ve turned her back on me, she let me prove myself to her. I will never take her for granted. I don’t know what I did to deserve such an amazing mate, but I’ll never forget how truly lucky I am to have her.” I can not only hear the sincerity in his voice, but I can see it in his eyes and feel it through our bond.

“You remind me of her grandfather, my mate. You’re not the only male to make a mess when they found their fated. I almost rejected his ass and that was less than two days after meeting him!” While my mom looks shocked by this information, it’s a story my grandma actually told me a few years back when I mentioned my fear of being rejected for being different.

“I’m so glad Kaylee didn’t reject me. I’ll be forever grateful to her for giving me a chance to make things right.” His hand, still holding mine, squeezes gently, ensuring I know he’s directing that statement to me as much as her.

“Well, shit. Here I thought you might give me a reason to make you squirm. Such a shame, really. Alright, someone point me in the direction of the kitchen! My new grandson needs some homemade soup to help give his body the energy to heal properly.” Everyone seems thoroughly amused by her demanding tone, but James quickly speaks up.

“I’d be more than happy to show you.” He holds out his arm for her which has her quirking her brow at him in surprise, but she does slide her arm into his and lets him lead her out of the clinic.

“Your grandma is a little spitfire, isn’t she?” Kade’s voice is laced with amusement that has my mom and dad laughing and nodding their confirmation.

“She really is. That woman has a foul mouth and fiery spirit…and your mate is just like her, so good luck with that.” My dad’s tone is flat, but his eyes shine with silent laughter.

“Alright, Doc is coming to check on me then I want out of this damn clinic.” I know there’s no point arguing with him because I’d felt the same way when I was in here. Doc arrives in a matter of minutes and clears Kade to be taken to the packhouse, but gives us strict instructions to make him take it easy for the remainder of the day.

Once we make it back to the packhouse and I help make sure he’s settled in the main sitting room, he selects his best tracker to go with my dad and Magnus. After feeding Kade two bowls of the soup my grandma made him, something he seemed all too willing to let me do, I convinced him to go to our suite with me so we could cuddle and watch a movie that neither of us managed to finish before succumbing to our exhaustion.

Chapter 12

Kade

When I feel myself waking up, I keep my body still, almost afraid I’ll still feel the throbbing and pulsing aches in my body if I move. I can feel the tingles on my body which is enough to tell me that Kaylee is curled up against me which only makes me even more inclined to stay still…but then she moves. Her soft, beautiful body stretches out on the couch and she lets out a soft groan that gets an immediate reaction from my body. You’d think I didn’t just suffer life-threatening injuries only twelve hours ago!

“Hey, you’re awake.” Her soft smile and raspy voice are such a comfort after yesterday’s events.

“I am. What time does the scouting group leave?” She sits up, her fiery red tresses tumbling over her shoulders and several unruly curls fall in her face.

“They left six hours ago, I think. I had to have Nate distract my grandma because she decided she was going to go with them.” She rolls her eyes in amusement, but I can feel her worry through our bond. I know she’s worried about the safety of those in the scouting party, especially with her father being among them.

“Come here.” I open my arms to her, noting the slight ache, but it’s nothing I can’t manage, and she doesn’t even hesitate to fall into my embrace.

“I know you’re worried about them, but you’ve said it yourself, your dad is the best at what he does. They’re going to be okay.” She nods her head against my chest and exhales a heavy breath.

“I know. I need coffee and bacon, but first, let’s go get you cleaned up.” As soon as she stands up, I’m following behind her, savoring this moment with my mate. After a very invigorating and intimate shower, we get dressed and head downstairs to the dining hall just as the others are beginning to file in. Mere minutes after we take our seats, I watch as her mother and grandmother walk in, heading straight for us.

“So, alpha, have you discovered our dear Kaylee’s obsession with bacon yet?” Her grandmother’s teasing tone has her mother laughing while Kaylee rolls her eyes.

“It’s not an obsession. I just really like bacon.” Edith reaches over and pats Kaylee’s shoulder, giving her a gentle, playful nudge.

“Of course, dear. Not an obsession at all. Tell me, alpha, what are they serving your mate for breakfast this morning?” This woman is feisty and I can’t help chuckling as I deliver my answer.

“French toast…with a double side of bacon.” The look on Edith’s face is pure victory as she sits back and happily accepts the cup of coffee one of the kitchen staff hands to her. The conversation during breakfast is light and filled with playful taunts and laughter, most caused by Edith’s antics. I can still feel Kaylee’s tension, so when she suggests hitting the morning training, I’m quick to agree. There’s no sparring in today’s training session, mainly because of my recent injuries, but I’m sure it’s also in part due to me warning Toby that my mate is a little tense and may struggle containing her wolf if her emotions get out of hand.

Even without sparring, no one can deny how amazingly skilled Kaylee is, especially not when she finishes the obstacle course in record time. Yes…my mate beat my personal record and I’m not even mad about it. Most of the fighter trainees leave after the two hour mark, but not Kaylee. She completes the obstacle course two more times before I finally start feeling her emotions settle. I watch her closely as she walks over to me, her eyes still clouded with her raging thoughts, but at least the storming emotions are reduced to a tropical storm as opposed to the chaotic explosion she was feeling when we first got to the training field.

“Feeling better?” I don’t need to ask since I can feel her emotions, but I feel like hearing her say she’s better will help settle my own worries some.

“I think so. I’m still internally freaking out about everything, but it’s more manageable now. How are you feeling? You didn’t overdo it did you?” Her stern expression is pretty adorable, but I force myself not to smile too wide.

“I’m feeling fine. You don’t need to worry about me, Kaylee.” She flings her arms around me, clinging to me like I’ll disappear if she lets go. It takes a few seconds to hit me that her body is trembling slightly and that’s when I notice the slight wetness on my shirt.

“Hey, what’s wrong, baby?” Her shaking becomes more violent, making it impossible to ignore as her body shakes with each heartbreaking sob.

“I…I almost lost you yesterday…so of course I’m going to worry about you!” Her arms tighten around me even more and I return her tight embrace easily. With everything else on my mind today, I hadn’t really thought about how my injuries yesterday might have affected her and, clearly, it’s something I should’ve considered…especially when she was there, watching as I was attacked.

“I’m so sorry, Kaylee. I didn’t even…goddess, I know how scared you were because I felt the same way when they found you in the clearing near the ravine, so I should’ve realized you’d be shaken up by it. I’m okay though, you helped protect me and I’m okay. I’m not leaving you. Hell, after everything we’ve been through already, you’re stuck with me for not only this life, but the next one too.” I press my lips to the top of her head, sealing my promise with a kiss, but then she manages to shock me yet again.

“Good. I love you and I can’t lose you, Kade.” Her words are muffled as she speaks them into my chest, but I hear her…goddess do I hear her. I lean back enough to grab the sides of her neck, tilting her head up so her glistening, reddened eyes meet mine.

“What did you say?” I gently stroke her cheeks with my thumbs, wiping away her tears as I wait for her to repeat the words I never realized I needed to hear.

“I said I love you and I can’t lose you.” I barely give her a chance to finish speaking before my lips crash into hers in a passionate, loving and deliciously heated kiss.

“I love you too, Kaylee.” I punctuate each word with a kiss and couldn’t think of anything that could make me happier than I am right now…but then I see her eyes glaze over and a smile lights up her face.

“They’re on their way back and should reach the packhouse in the next forty-five minutes.” I take her hand and give her a gentle tug to get her moving.

“Then let’s go shower before they get here.” She lets me lead her back to our suite where we share a shower before getting dressed and heading downstairs to wait with her mother and grandmother in the entertainment room. It’s nearly fifty minutes after she received the mind link when we hear them walking in the back door of the packhouse which has Finn, Kaylee, Lira and I rising, but Edith remains sitting, looking thoroughly unbothered, though her eyes tell a different story.

“Get everyone to the war room. Kaylee, get your laptop and meet us there.” She doesn’t question her father, but I don’t think any of us would with his grave expression. Within ten minutes, we’re all gathered in the war room with Nate and Toby joining us, but I can tell Mickey told Finn at least some of what they found because he’s now wearing the same expression that Mickey walked in with.

“Alright, I assume you have the map of the territories in the state, is that correct, Kaylee?” She gives a single nod and within seconds, she has the map brought up on the large screen.

“Alright, we tracked their scent back to this area here. There’s a cave in this hill and there must be some kind of underground cave system because on the surface, there was nothing worth mentioning at first, just a few old firepits. We watched for about an hour and then we saw a whole group of them slowly crawl out of the cave opening. There were easily sixty that came out, but there could be more inside.” Magnus delivers the information with a cold expression, but I honestly don’t know if he’s capable of producing any other expression.

“You were right, Kaylee. These mutts are different. They’re larger in wolf form and their movements seem automated…unnatural. We didn’t see any of them that stood out though.” I can hear the frustration in her dad’s voice, but then I notice the slight smirk on my mate’s face and, much to my absolute surprise, the corner of Magnus’s lip twitches into an almost smirk.

“Well, let’s see if anything’s changed since you left, shall we? I assume you did as I asked, Magnus?” The big, brooding wolf nods at her in response. She types furiously on her keyboard then a live camera feed loads up on the large screen that gives us a view of the narrow cave opening and the clearing around it that’s filled with wolves that are all just…standing there. They look like living statues and if it weren’t for the breeze shifting their hair and the leaves in the tree where the camera is mounted, I would think it was a still frame photograph.

“Alright, so this is the live feed, but I have the feed being backed up onto my tablet. Let me bring up the footage for around the time we left and we can play it from there.” Magnus gets to work and quickly has the file loaded up and ready to go, but I’m too busy being shocked by the fact that the giant beast actually smirked! Once it’s up on the big screen and the live feed is left running on Kaylee’s laptop, we fast-forward through the footage, coming up empty handed. Nearly an hour passes when Kaylee’s hesitant voice fills the otherwise silent room.

“Um, guys…you should see this.” The images on her screen once again appear on the big screen and we all see immediately what she was witnessing. Near the entrance to the cave stands a tall, broad figure that’s pacing back and forth while the army of rogues remain still as statues.

“I think we found our puppeteer.” Magnus makes his way over to Kaylee and reaches over her, tapping keys and clicking several times before stepping back.

“There. Send that to the council here. They might know who that bastard is.” I take Magnus’s place and reach over her to enter the email address for Councilman Andrews then place a kiss on her temple before stepping back and watching her send it off.

“I also took the liberty of setting up some motion sensors on our way back. There are more than a dozen set up at the border closest to their camp, covering a roughly three mile stretch. I wanted to stretch it further, but I didn’t come prepared well enough for something like this.” Magnus sounds almost disappointed, but I’m just glad he’s done as much as he has for us. I can’t help noticing how different he’s treating Kaylee from the way she described the treatment she received from the advisors and fighters in her pack.

“Holy…shit…” Kaylee’s soft voice draws all of our attention to her, but her eyes are glued on the screen of Magnus’s tablet.

“Language, Kaylee Moira Oshay!” She openly rolls her eyes at her father then turns the tablet screen to face him.

“Holy shit…” I see the smirk on Kaylee’s face and Alpha Finn is wearing one that matches it.

“I told you so.” My feisty mate is definitely seeming more similar to her grandmother in this moment.

“So, we really think this is the mastermind? The fallen alpha of the River Run Pack?” Everyone knows the stories of the River Run Pack’s fallen alpha, Harlen Rivers. While the tales of how he single handedly almost destroyed his entire pack by allying with hunters and not only hiring rogues to aid him, but also using them for testing, were widespread, most of the tales in the archives are just that, but his pictures had all been removed.

Few actually knew what he looked like, but if you dig deep enough, you can always find things, even those thought to be hidden, something my mate just made clear. Harlen’s story has been used as a cautionary tale, but while the council wanted the story to be told, they wanted the monster to be forgotten.

“How’d you find that picture, sweetheart?” Kaylee shrugs as if it’s not a big deal that she just discovered what the shifter world’s personal boogey man looks like.

“I just did some searching online. I mean, the guy on the screen is definitely one step shy of a walking dumpster fire, but I mean…I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s him. I think the real question is…why is he specifically targeting this pack and, more specifically, my mate?” In Harlen’s cautionary tale, a little known fact is that my pack is directly tied into it, though our pack’s name was stricken from all records by the council as a way of trying to let our pack heal after the damage he caused, but it’s our pack that brought the end to his plans all those years ago.

“Because I’m my father’s son.” My voice is flat, but steady, completely the opposite of how I feel inside and Kaylee knows it.

“Alright, you have our attention, but I think we need a little more explanation than that.” Finn sits down across from me, waiting for an explanation that I know I need to give him, though I wish I didn’t have to.

“I’m sure you all know the stories about the River Run Pack, but there’s a lot of information that was left out. The council edited the story in order to protect the victims and give them a chance to heal. Our pack was one of the many that suffered at Harlen’s hands. He was abducting pups and females, working with the hunters to experiment on them. He even went after rogues, even though he was paying them to fight for him and help with providing what he considered suitable test subjects.

“It wasn’t until my older sister, Sara, and my cousin, Kimberly, were abducted that the council finally called in the royal guard and that’s when they got all the evidence they needed to go after Harlen. My father led the charge and they rescued over thirty wolves in their attack, including Kimberly, but Harlen got away.” I know they have questions, but they thankfully stick with focusing on Harlen, though I know Kaylee may want to know more at some point and the thought of reliving the story kills me.

“Okay, do you know what kind of experiments they were using the wolves for?” I was only a pup when all of this went down, so the knowledge I have is limited to the little I remember and the things my father shared before he died. I know Kimberly probably knows something, but once she was brought home, no one dared to force her to relive her nightmare.

“He was using the females to try to breed the perfect, obedient soldiers and the pups were being tested on and used for experiments, their blood was being used to create toxins and tranquillizers that would work more effectively on shifters. Harlen’s plan was to make an unstoppable army that would bow only to him and, in turn, he was going to help supply the hunters with weapons that we wouldn’t be able to fight.” I never did understand how Harlen had ever believed he could supply these weapons to the hunters and think they wouldn’t turn on him.

“So, we have the who and I’m guessing the why is revenge, but is he really that insane?” Just as the words leave Toby’s mouth, we all catch movement on the large screen and we watch in a mixture of shock, and horror as Harlen flies into an unprovoked fit of rage, shifts then starts killing every one of the poor rogue bastards that are unlucky enough to be in his path.

“Okay, forget I asked.” Toby cringes and shakes his head.

“It seems he’s becoming volatile and I think waiting to make a move might not be a wise choice. I’m going to reach out to King Gerard and request he dispatch the royal guard and I’ll fly in some of my guards as well. They should all be able to get here before nightfall tomorrow.” Finn’s voice is firm, resolute and not asking permission. Most alphas would be furious if another alpha came to their territory and started taking over any aspect of planning an attack, but as I look at Finn, all I feel is appreciation. This alpha is using his personal contacts to call in favors and help my pack which means more to me than I think he realizes.

Chapter 13

Kaylee

I spent some more time in the war room with the others after Kade told the true tale of Harlen’s fall, but once they were thoroughly distracted, I made my escape. I know Finn was aware of the fact that I’d slip away sooner or later, but it’s because he’s the one who trained me in battle strategy. While they continue to reach out to allies for aid and review the live feed for any further information they might gain from the mad man on the screen, I have a very different task to accomplish.

I slip through the packhouse silently, my movements are sure, but my mind is less so. One of the most important parts of any battle strategy is knowing your enemy. We need to understand the beast that’s running the show and while Kade’s tale of the monster the creature once was helps shine some light on the disgusting beast he once was, one look at the beast on the screen tells me that we’re dealing with a different kind of monster entirely. He’s clearly still insane, but he’s also clearly evolved into something far more dangerous than the monster he used to be.

I reach the archives, a room that seems to see little use judging by the thick layer of dust covering the tops of every book and record on the shelves. I don’t hesitate to start scanning through them, pulling out the ones that I need while skipping past the others. By the time I’ve finished, I have six books carefully stacked on the table near the window, so I pull out my cell phone, sit down and get to work. Another valuable lesson that Finn had taught me, an undefeated enemy never vanishes, they simply hide in the shadows, biding their time and testing their strength until they’re once again powerful enough to rise.

I find the highly censored records of the attack Lone Pine led on River Run dated twenty years ago and decide to start branching out from there. I look for anything, big or small, that could point to the fact that he had never truly abandoned his plans and had still been working behind the scenes. It doesn’t take me long. Only four months after the attack, a pack only forty miles from River Run’s border faced an encounter with a large group of rogues, but it wasn’t an attack. According to the records and the statement supplied by the Amber Ridge Pack’s alpha, the rogues had been fleeing from something…someone, and claimed that their families were being targeted and abducted.

I find more than a dozen similar reports spanning over the last seventeen years, all claiming the rogues they encountered were running from an evil creature, but not one could describe him. I make notes of every report that comes close to matching the attacks Harlen had perpetrated when he was abducting wolves. I manage to lose track of time and next thing I know, I hear heavy footsteps coming toward me and am hit with Kade’s citrusy pine scent.

“What are you up to? We decided to take a break until after dinner.” I can hear the hint of guilt in his tone and I know he feels bad for not noticing I was missing from the room sooner, but he doesn’t need to feel bad.

“Research. How’s the planning going?” I can feel his frustration through our bond and I hate that we’re facing yet another obstacle in the early stages of our relationship.

“A lot of ideas, but it’s hard to come up with anything solid when we don’t know what the hell we’re facing.” I close the last book, stand up and grab his hand, dragging him along to his office so I can use his computer.

“Well, as I said, I’ve been doing some research and I’ve found some things.” I send the notes I’ve been typing up to his email then take a seat in his chair, access his email account and bring up the message on his monitor so it’ll be easier for him to read. I get out of his chair and move out of the way, letting him take my place and read through what I sent him.

“You think that this…all of these…were Harlen?” I nod, knowing that my gut instinct on this one has to be right.

“I’m positive it is. The methods of abduction are too similar to ignore. He may have stopped abducting wolves from packs, but it seems he realized that abducting rogues was a lot easier since it would be rare for a pack to get involved in helping rogues. He found a proverbial test subject buffet and with rogue’s numbers going unchecked and their problems and conflicts being undocumented, he figured no one would ever know. If it weren’t for the patrol reports, he would’ve been right.” He stands up and takes my hand, but his eyes are still focusing on the words on his computer screen.

“Okay. Let’s go eat dinner with everyone and then we can meet with everyone in the war room and show them what you’ve found.” Damn! I really did lose track of time! We walk to the dining hall together and most of the pack members are already eating, so we make our way to our seats. Dinner, even in the crowded dining hall, is a quiet affair. I have no doubt that our pack can sense the tension in the air, but then again, it would be nearly impossible not to.

After we finally finish eating, we head straight to the war room so I can present my findings to the others, only this time, my grandma decides to join us. I notice her thoughtful expression as Toby explains what we know about Harlen so far and it only intensifies when I lay out what I discovered from the records in the archives.

“Oh lord, I know that look. Edith, what terrifying thoughts are running around that stubborn head of yours?” It seems my dad noticed it too.

“Remember that group of hunters we chased off about twenty or so years back? You know, the one the royal family sent guards to help with?” My dad nods, but this was before my time and it’s not a story I’ve heard before, though the look on Finn’s face tells me he has an idea of where she’s going with this.

“Yeah, they called themselves the Moon’s Shadow, or something awful like that.” Grandma nods, but throws in a scoff and an eye roll too.

“Yes, Shadows of the Moon, truly awful name, terrible, really. Anyway, the rumors about their group was that they had devised a serum that would enhance a wolf’s abilities, but it also came with a side effect that made their minds more receptive to being controlled. The serum was rumored to work more as a brainwashing tool than an enhancement. Do you think that maybe that has something to do with these oversize flea riddled meat suits?” She points at the large screen that’s still showing the live feed of the cave where several of the zombie-like wolves are still standing in place while the blood and mangled bodies of those Harlen massacred lay at their feet.

“It could be. They could’ve made great progress on perfecting the serum in the last twenty years, but if they are connected, that means it’s not just the local packs at risk.” None of us want to believe this is what’s happening because if it is, we can’t possibly calculate what the fallout will be if we can’t put a stop to it.

“That was before my time and the ones under my father’s leadership, the pack doctor included, have all moved on. Doctor Francis moved to another pack to be closer to his daughter if I remember correctly.” Grandma nods, confirming his statement.

“That he did. Kaylee, I assume you have a way of contacting him?” I find the surprised looks on the others faces amusing, but she’s right. I still have access to the pack archives that have, thankfully, all been added to the online registry.

“Sure do. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he might’ve ran some tests on the fallen rogues, or even better yet, maybe he was able to get his hands on some of that serum.” The look on my grandma’s face tells me that’s exactly what she was expecting me to come up with.

“Alright, let’s make some calls.” It takes me over an hour to get in touch with Doctor Francis and we lucked out. He not only ran blood tests on the deceased rogues, but was able to isolate the serum in the blood to determine the chemical makeup. He emailed over his results and Doc Harris here has been reviewing the results for the last fifteen minutes while the rest of us focus on the trail cam feed.

“Alpha Kade, perhaps you and Kaylee should go get some rest.” Alpha Finn’s voice pulls us out of the mind-numbing trance we all seem to have fallen into and I have to admit, sleep sounds amazing right now.

“I think we can cut the formalities. In this room, first names will suffice. How about it, beautiful? Want to go get some rest and come back at it with a fresh mind in the morning?” I nod and slowly stand up, the simple movement showing me just how tired my body really is. Kade chuckles softly as he shakes his head at me then sweeps me off my feet and carries me out of the room. With how tired I can tell he is, it’s a miracle that we even make it to our room, but the second we hit the bed, we both fall asleep.

I woke with a start…the fog of my dream still fading as my eyes adjust to the darkness in our room. I can feel Kade’s body still wrapped around mine, his gentle, steady breaths offering a small amount of comfort. I know it’s early, far too early for the sun to chase away the darkness, but I also know there’s no way I’ll be able to go back to sleep…not now. I carefully remove myself from the bed, surprising myself when I do so without waking Kade, then slip into the closet to get dressed.

When I arrived in the war room, I finally managed to look at a clock and I have to admit, it’s a little annoying to know I woke up before three in the morning. I sit down at the chair in front of my laptop and wake up the screen so I can see what’s going on back at the cave. I had expected to see the same thing as yesterday, so when I see a familiar, slender dark haired she-wolf, I’m momentarily stunned. I watch as Harlen approaches her and, much to my disgust and dismay, he pulls her into a loving embrace…and kisses her!

This…is bad…really bad! I quickly take several screenshots, save a two minute clip of the video and by the time I’ve printed the picture off, I catch Kade’s scent seconds before I hear his voice…mere seconds after Kimberly followed Harlen into the cave.

“Hey, what are you doing up so early and why does it feel like you’re on the verge of panic in here?” I should’ve known he would feel my emotions, but my mind was honestly on other things.

“You should sit down.” I can see his hesitation, but he slowly makes his way to the chair on my right and takes a seat.

“Okay, I’m sitting. What’s going on, Kaylee?” I take a deep breath, grab the picture off the printer that sits at the center of the table and set it in front of him. The emotional chaos is immediate…shock, anger, disbelief, betrayal, sadness, more disbelief, doubt…every single emotion is warring for dominance, but I can’t tell which will win at the moment.

“No…she wouldn’t…why would she go to him?! Why would she return to the person who hurt her?! No…there’s no way this is real…you’ve made a mistake…she wouldn’t do this, Kaylee…she just…wouldn’t.” I understand his shock over it, but I feel a slight twinge of sadness at the slightly accusing tone when he said it’s not real and, even more so, at the fact that he claims I made a mistake when the evidence is right in front of him. Does he think I would edit and photoshop a picture like this?

“Here, I saved the video clip.” I open the saved file and hit play, letting him see with his own eyes the entire two minute video that proves this is real, even though he doesn’t want it to be.

“She wouldn’t do this! Not to me and not to our pack!” Now he’s shouting and I refuse to be the outlet for his anger, sadness, or whatever the hell emotion is fueling him right now.

“Sure, you saw it with your own eyes, but the trail cam must’ve got it wrong. I’m going to get some fresh air.” I don’t wait, don’t give him a chance to yell some more…I just…leave.

Chapter 14

Kade

Shit! I didn’t mean to yell at her! I’m just so confused, shocked and angry! I even felt the hurt I caused her with the veiled implication that the picture she gave me wasn’t real, then I blatantly accused her of making a mistake, yet it didn’t stop me from being an asshole to her! I try reaching out to her only a few minutes after she left, but she’s blocking me. I reach out to Linny, who hasn’t seen her, and decide to force myself to give her space while I reach out to Alpha Logan of the Harbor Peak Pack, hoping he’d be able to tell me that Kimberly is there. I couldn’t be so lucky and it turns out that she never even contacted him to make arrangements to visit his pack at all.

It’s almost six thirty when I pick up my mate’s intoxicating scent and it has me practically running through the lower level of the packhouse until I reach the dining hall where she’s sitting with her grandma, both holding hands as they lean toward each other, speaking in low voices. I know she’s caught my scent, but she doesn’t take her eyes off her grandma, not even when I’m finally close enough to hear what’s being said.

“Oh, my dear, sweet Kaylee, you’re stronger than you know. You and your mate have been tried and tested from the very start, but once you overcome these obstacles, you’ll find your peace and happiness. Now, how about I cook you up some bacon while your mate apologizes for raising his voice at you and doubting you.” It seems her grandma knew I was here too because I damn well know the last bit was directed at me…something the sharp glare she tosses over her shoulder at me only confirms.

“Kaylee…I’m so sorry. I wasn’t mad at you and I don’t think you fabricated those images. It’s…I just don’t understand why she would betray us all. I called Alpha Logan and he informed me that she had never even made arrangements to visit his pack and now I’m thinking of all the other trips she’s taken to other packs over the years. Has she been lying this whole time? I just can’t make sense of it, but I should never have yelled at you.” She stands up and, without a word, walks right into me with her arms wrapping around me and mine around her.

“I have a theory about that, but I can’t confirm the validity of it, not yet.” Goddess, she’s too pure for this world. She should be angry with me, yet she’s already moved on and is focusing on the bigger problem. Hell, all I feel through our bond is relief and it’s crashing head on into my own.

“Well, let me hear this theory.” She steps back and returns to her chair with me taking the one Edith had been in.

“Okay, so the hunters twenty years ago created a serum that enabled them to brainwash the wolves they injected with it. It’s clear that it’s similar to what’s being used on the wolves we saw outside the cave…but what if he already had a modified version of it? What if he was using it on the females he abducted to manipulate them and get them to do his bidding?” I know what she’s implying…that Kimberly may have been injected with this modified serum and manipulated into betraying us all.

“I suppose it’s possible. We need to show this to Finn.” I know I need an outside perspective and the soft smile on Kaylee’s face tells me she agrees. We stay in the dining hall long enough for her to enjoy her bacon, that she insisted on sharing with me, then call for everyone to meet in the war room. Kaylee shows everyone the video and explains her theory, which Finn seems to be on board with, then we start discussing how to handle things if Kimberly should return to the pack.

“I spoke with your pack doctor and he’s isolated the compounds used in the serum. He’s presently working on an antidote as we speak, but the only way to test it, is to inject someone with the serum and see if it works, or catch one of the rogues who were already injected and test it on them.” That actually brings a smile to my face because I have the perfect wolf for this task.

“We have a rogue in the cells from the attack that happened right after Kaylee got here. I don’t know if he was injected yet, but if not, he can be used for this. I would normally not condone us testing on our own kind, but he’s facing certain death already…we might as well make sure his life was worth something.” Kaylee has a strange look on her face and if it weren’t for the fact that I can feel that she’s not upset, I would’ve worried that my suggestion upset her.

“Kaylee? Oh goddess help us, she looks just like Edith when she gets an idea.” Her dad rolls his eyes, but before we can respond, she’s out of her seat and out the door with all of us following behind her. She heads straight to the archives and it’s easy to tell that she knows exactly what she’s looking for as she pulls a book off the highest shelf and heads to the table.

“Get your phones, we need to call the packs of the other wolves that were rescued to see if they exhibited strange behavior after they were returned.” She points at the page listing the wolves our pack had helped to rescue all those years ago, including Kimberly. It takes less than twenty minutes to realize this situation is much worse than we had originally thought.

“Every one of them…fourteen vanished without a trace, seven were executed for treason and nine who are all exhibiting suspicious behavior, your cousin included.” Finn states it in a tone that makes it clear he’s shocked by the news, but I think we all are.

“Lira says it’s time to eat, so let’s wrap this up for now and come back at it after dinner.” Finn’s suggestion is met with agreement from everyone in the room, all of us feeling overwhelmed and needing a few minutes to get our thoughts straight. Lira and Linny are already in the dining hall when we walk in and Edith joins them before Kaylee and I even reach our seats.

Everyone eats quietly, the weight of everything affecting even the pack members who aren’t aware of how bad our current situation truly is. The silence remains until the shrill ringtone of Kaylee’s phone goes off from inside her pocket. She slides the device out just enough to see the screen, but then her eyes widen and she politely excuses herself and rushes out of the room. It takes only seconds for me to follow her and she doesn’t stop until she’s in my office where she redials the number and places the call on speaker then sets it on my desk.

“Doctor Francis? I’m so sorry I missed your call…”

“Kaylee, your father sent me the information about the wolves you were looking into. From what he explained, this sounds like more than just a serum in use. I found the autopsy results for one of the wolves on the list who had been executed…I think you need to see this. There, check your personal email.” I watch as she rushes to my computer, logs in and brings up her account, immediately opening the email he just sent.

“Are…are they sure?”

“Yes, they confirmed their findings. I’ve requested the results from the others as well, but I’m fairly certain we’ll find the same information for them. I’ll send over anything I find.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“I’m happy to do what I can to help. I’ll talk to you soon.” The call ends and Kaylee is still staring at the screen for several seconds before she finally looks at me.

“Implants…they’re controlling the females with implants. That explains why they don’t act like feral puppets, why they’re capable of acting normal until…they don’t.” I don’t know how to take the news, but it does bring up one question…

“If they’re being controlled by some implant…can we just remove it and then they’ll be okay?” I know I shouldn’t put so much pressure on her to provide me comfort, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

“Theoretically, yes. I can’t promise there won’t be permanent damage, or long term affects and then there’s the possibility that some of the females who were long term captives may suffer from some kind of Stockholm Syndrome. I think we’ll need to assess this case by case, but in the meantime, we need to notify the other packs that still have these rescued wolves living among them.” As soon as the others join us, we break everything down for them and get to work contacting the other packs, though the news received from them isn’t promising.

“Okay, so every one of the surviving wolves are exhibiting unusual behavior and have left for sudden trips to other packs, though none of them made arrangements to do so and never arrived at their destination. Magnus reviewed the trail cam footage and spotted four more females arriving at the cave, so I can assume these are more of the rescued wolves. We can assume that means there are four more still heading his way, but we don’t know why.” Mickey is clearly frustrated, his tone making it clear to all of us, but we’re all feeling it. It seems like every answer we get only managed to produce more questions.

“Francis got the other autopsy reports. It’s just what he expected. All of them had some kind of implant discovered on them, just at the base of the neck.” Goddess, I can feel her frustration and I know it’s because she hates not having answers…something I can completely relate to. We end up calling it a night just before ten and I spend over an hour cuddling Kaylee before she finally falls asleep, quickly pulling me under with her.

From the minute I woke up, something’s felt off. Kaylee was still in my arms, the sun was just beginning to rise and the weather was already warm while the skies were clear. Even with all of that, I can’t shake the strange feeling. I know Kaylee picked up on it the minute she woke up and I tried to explain it to her, but it’s really hard to explain what’s wrong when you don’t know what’s wrong. We ate breakfast with the pack like usual, met everyone in the war room, which is a new usual, then we brainstormed the options we have with the information we currently know. It’s not surprising that there aren’t any real options.

‘Breech, northern border at the ravine!’ The call comes through the link just as we’re about to break for lunch and after relaying to Mickey, Finn and Magnus what’s happening, we all take off with Kaylee running at my side and shifting the second we’re out of the packhouse. It takes us nearly twenty minutes to reach the fight and it’s easy to see that these are the same rogue bastards we’ve been fighting, though now there are easily thirty of them. We jump into the fight and I try to keep track of Kaylee, but it’s no easy task with all the growling, fighting and blood everywhere.

I’ve just finished off one of the puppet bastards when I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder that has me scouring the field until I see her two-toned wolf, her shoulder glistening as blood rapid flows from three claw marks across her shoulder while she faces off with a wolf that looks so different from the rest. I hear a high-pitched whistle then rush to her when I see a silver dart hit her in her neck. I’m too far from her, I can’t reach her before two of the wolves shift then lift her onto his back. He runs off with her and I try to catch up to him, goddess, I try, but four of the puppet bastards jump on me at once, giving the wolf carrying Kaylee the opportunity he needed to get away.

By the time the last rogue puppet fell, I was seething. I had tried to run off so I could track her, but Magnus and Mickey restrained me, using a mild sedative to get me back to the packhouse to have my injuries tended to. We’ve been in the war room while Doc tends to my injuries and that damn sedative is wearing off, but Finn has helped get my anger controlled just enough for us to come up with a plan.

“Alright, my fighters are ten minutes out and the royal guard are with them. They’ve brought with them some tranquilizers that will help us to reduce the numbers of the rogues significantly without tiring ourselves out before the main battle. You must remember that Kaylee was trained for this. We ran abduction scenarios, trained her to withstand torture and she’s one of the best strategists I’ve ever met. We will get her back, Kade.” Finn’s voice is confident, making it perfectly clear that he believes every damn word….but it’s not his mate whose life is on the line here.

Chapter 15

Kaylee

I had thought maybe the whole thing was a nightmare, but here I am…chained to a damp stone wall in a damp stone cell. I remember the fight, I remember that bastard clawing up my shoulder and I think I remember something stabbing me in the neck, but after that…nothing. I don’t know exactly what I’ve been dosed with, but I know it contained at least a small amount of wolfsbane because Kira was giving me radio silence from the minute I woke up, but I’m currently feeling her stir.

I doubt these pricks knew that I’ve developed a slight resistance to wolfsbane, just like I developed a slight resistance to silver. Sure, they still affect me, but the effects are nothing like they are for normal wolves. This was all part of our abduction training and while it was completely voluntary, I made sure I did everything I could to be a more useful fighter for my pack. I’m sure these assholes expect me to be out for a few more hours at least and I’m damn sure they expect my wolf to be dormant for much longer. I do love a good surprise!

By the time I hear the groan of a metal door opening from somewhere outside of my cell, Kira is awake and alert. I have her retreat as far back as she can so they can’t detect her presence, which she surprisingly doesn’t fight me on. The shadowy figure that steps in front of my cell needs no introduction, his size and shape give him away. Harlen Rivers, the fallen alpha.

“Ah, good, you’re awake. I have big plans for you. I must say, I’ve never seen a wolf like yours before. Tell me, where are you from?” Wow, he almost sounds…proper. What a twat!

“Just a small pack up in Ireland, but I’m the only one that looks like me there.” Okay, that’s a half-lie. My pack is actually the second largest pack in Ireland, but he doesn’t need to know that!

“I’ll admit, I had expected you to sleep much longer than you did. It seems I miscalculated the dosage, but I’ll correct it for next time. Now, I’ll have some food and water brought for you. You’ll need your strength later.” I don’t have to see his face to know he’s giving me a sinister smile…his voice says it all. I remain silent, knowing that anything that might come out of my mouth will surely land me in trouble. I don’t know how much time passes, but I hear the door groan again then hear the soft footsteps coming closer until a feminine figure steps in front of my cell.

“So, he sends one of his lapdogs to feed his prisoners? Pathetic.” She bends down and I hear the sound of metal clanging against the stone floor then she surprises me by lighting a match then using it to light the candle sitting on the metal tray she had brought in containing a sandwich and glas of water. I don’t really know who I had thought this female was, but it sure the hell wasn’t my mate’s cousin!

“Quiet! You don’t want to let him hear you!” She’s whisper yelling at me, so I heed her warning, noticing she’s not behaving the way I would expect a mind controlled wolf to.

“Why are you here, Kimberly?” She glances toward the door then back at me and I see the desperation in her eyes.

“Sara…my cousin…she’s still alive. I never believed that she had died, but then I got a letter from her…it was her writing and she said things that only she would know. I came here to find her…she’s here…I’ve seen her. I couldn’t tell Kade, couldn’t get his hopes up until I knew for sure. The others here…there’s something wrong with them.” I nod my head, already knowing what it is that’s different, thanks to our combined research.

“They’ve got implants. We believe he uses them to control the wolves and the ones who fight for him…he controls them with a serum that was developed by the hunters.” I can tell she’s afraid, but I can’t do anything to ease her fear, not right now.

“I had one too. The first week I was home, I found the scar on the back of my neck. I could feel it, so I cut it out of me. I never told anyone because they would’ve thought I was crazy. Kade’s coming for you. You need to eat. I made it myself, so don’t worry.” I know it’s foolish to trust her, but I also know she’s right about me needing my strength. She slides the tray under the door and watches as I take my first bite of the rather boring sandwich then finally stands and makes a hasty exit.

‘Our mate is close.’ Hearing Kira actually speak to me is a relief, especially since I’m going to need her if I’m going to stand any chance of getting out of this.

‘Thank the goddess. This cell smells like shit.’ I hear her wolfish chuckle seconds before I hear muffled shouting and growls coming from somewhere beyond my cell. I step back, standing in the middle of my cell as I wait.

Kade

Running to the location of the cave, the thundering of the paws of more than one hundred wolves pounding into the forest floor helps center me as we race to save my mate. We reach the cave just before dusk, more than twenty-four hours after Kaylee was taken. We already have our plan and every wolf knows their role as we tear into the mindless puppets standing around outside. Mickey, Flinn, Marcus and two of the royal guards follow me inside, all of us taking out every damn wolf we come across, but knowing no females are to be harmed.

‘Mate’s close.’ Pax has been silent until this very moment and with his ability to sense her, I let him take control, anything to get us to her quicker. He blows through one wolf after another, mindless puppets, the whole lot of them. I see the large steel door, something so out of place here, but I know that door leads to her and so does Pax. Just as we rip the throat out of the last wolf in our way, the door slowly opens and I see an older and extremely dirty and disheveled version of the wolf from the photograph Kaylee had found of Harlen. He must pick up on our murderous rage because he quickly stumbles back inside, but we reach the door before it can close.

“You should stop right there…unless you want to watch as I put a silver bullet in your little bitch of a mate.” Our eyes land on the sick bastard, the vile creature currently aiming his gun at Kaylee as she’s standing in the center of the filthy cell.

“You really are a pathetic piece of shit, you know that? Threatening to shoot a girl in a cell? How weak and worthless can you to be?” Harlen lets out a laugh that I’m fairly sure was meant to be menacing, but I can hear the tension in it. He slowly moves toward the cell door, pulls out his keys and fumbles with them until he slides one into the lock.

“You really should shut your damn mouth. It’s not wise to push me when your wolf is still dormant. Now, come on. You’re going to come with me and they’re going to let us go if they want you to continue living.” Pax steps back as Kaylee steps forward, but she doesn’t look like she’s afraid…then I hear it.

‘Get ready for it, Pax.’ Before I can even attempt to respond, she stops in front of him then lets Kira push forward. She’s almost fully shifted when we hear the gunshot go off and pax is already leaping at the bastard, sinking his teeth in his neck and jerking his head until he’s torn the bastard’s throat out. Pax retreats immediately, knowing I need to be able to tend to any injury he may have caused Kaylee. Her body slowly shifts back and she lets out a pained groan before those gorgeous two-toned eyes lock onto mine.

“Thank the goddess his aim was as shitty as his personality.” I see the blood coming from the wound in her arm, but before I can react, she reaches over with her uninjured arm and uses her small fingers to dig the damn bullet out!

“Are you okay? That was silver! Shit! Let’s get you out of here so doc can treat you!” I help her to her feet, but she grabs my hand, stopping me from guiding her out of here.

“Hey, there’s something you should know…I spoke to Kimberly…” I can’t stop the growl that slips out at the mention of her name.

“We’ll decide what needs to be done with her and the others after…” Her small hand covers my mouth as she shakes her head at me.

“She’s not one of them. She found the implant around a week after you all brought her home. She’s here because…she received a letter…from Sara. We need to go find them, Kade.” My mind completely stalls out as she tightens her hold on my hand and leads me through the steel door. We exit the cave to find our fighters with more than a dozen females standing around, but it’s the two that are embracing that hold my attention. I would recognize Kimberly anywhere, but the female with the black hair, pale skin and the scar on her forearm from falling out of a tree when we were pups…she has my heart racing and my lungs struggling to draw in enough air.

“Kade?” Kimberly’s voice is shaky, but simply saying my name has the other female turning toward me as I find myself staring into her familiar green eyes.

“Sara?” My sister…the one we were told was dead when they didn’t find her during the raid…she’s standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks until she finally runs to me, throwing her arms around me as she breaks down into a sobbing mess. I hadn’t realized it till now, but I hadn’t felt Kaylee’s emotions when I found her, but I feel her lower the block and a rush of happiness, excitement and contentment flood me, mixing with my own and amplifying everything tenfold.

“You came?! And you found your mate!” She releases her hold on me and immediately pulls Kaylee into her arms, hugging the hell out of her too.

“We thought…we didn’t know you were still alive, Sara. We would never have stopped looking if we knew. Goddess, I can’t believe you’re really here!” She steps away from Kaylee and gives me a sad smile.

“Kimmy told me everything. It’s okay now, though. Can we go home now?” We make sure everyone is safe and well enough to travel then those of us who are able to, shift and allow the weaker wolves to climb onto our backs so we can take them home.

Epilogue

Epilogue – Kaylee

It’s been one hell of a year! I graduated from fight training, found my mate, fought through hell to be with my mate, helped take down a psychotic fallen alpha and then helped bring my people home. With the help of Doc, we removed the implants from the female wolves we rescued, but their packs refused to take them back, not understanding that they had no control over their actions. Our pack gained a total of eight new members and saw the return of two of our own.

Kade and Sara’s mom, Jules, returned a few days after we brought Sara home, having caught the first flight after hearing the news. The woman is an absolute sweetheart and treats me like she’s known me my whole life. I think we were all amazed when Sara reintegrated with the pack seamlessly, though, aside from Kimberly, the others struggled some.

Finn and Malcom returned to my old pack with the royal guard and Finn’s fighters, but my parents and grandma chose to extend their stay so they would be here for my luna ceremony, which took place last week. My mom and dad have been discussing their return home, but it seems my grandma might be staying even longer…especially since she’s been spending a lot of time with Doc…not that she knows I’ve noticed.

It’s hard to believe that in such a short time, I went from not caring if I ever found my mate, to not being able to imagine a life without him. I went from being quietly contented, to being loudly loved. This life, the one I never saw coming and never dared to want, has turned out to be the life I never knew I needed.