CH 1-10

Summary

Archer has lost hope of finding his mate, but it seems fate has other plans. Meeting his mate, Emery, should’ve been one of the best moments of his life, but things aren’t always as they seem.

Chapter 1

Archer

I swear the goddess has a cruel sense of humor. I, Archer Landis, the half Lycan alpha of the Crimson Peak Pack, have reached the conclusion that the goddess seeks to use my existence as a form of personal entertainment. At twenty-eight years old, I’ve spent ten years looking for my mate and running my pack while fighting off the council’s demands that I consider taking a chosen mate because they insist my pack needs a luna. Let me tell you, it won’t happen. I get it, I’m harsh…abrasive even, but my pack is the strongest pack in the country and I’ve accomplished that without having a luna.

I’m fairly certain my lack of a mate is why they insist I attend the mating balls and gatherings of the other packs, all of them secretly hoping they can push me to find my mate since I refuse to cave to their suggestion of taking a chosen mate. With how my life has played out so far, my mate probably died or lives on the other side of the world because she sure the hell doesn’t live in any pack I’ve been to yet…and I’ve been to over two hundred here in the states and in Canada. Oh well, who needs a mate anyways, right?

“Hey, Archer. I got word from the Ember Claw Pack about the new luna. They’re holding her ceremony in two days, so I figured with how close it is, we can leave this evening and be there by morning.” My beta, Micca, has been the one saddled with the task of handling all ceremony invites, scheduling and organizing which we’ll attend and which we can skip without causing issues for ourselves.

“Jonah finally found his mate, eh? Good for him. His half-sister…is she still around, or has she moved on to finish her schooling?” Alpha Jonah has a very unique half-sister named Emery who is a wolf shifter-witch hybrid with an unmatched talent for healing. She’s always been a beautiful creature, but last time I saw her was at least four years ago. Man, how old is she now?

“She finished her training and has been working at their clinic for almost a year now. Last I heard, she’s still having some issues with the pack though.” It’s not surprising, really. Shifters don’t tend to be so accepting of mixed breed beings, I would know, but Emery was always a kind and spirited creature who earned the right to, at bare minimum, be shown respect from her pack.

“How old is she now? Seventeen? Eighteen?” Micca shakes his head while smiling in amusement.

“She’s twenty. I actually put in a request for her to come to our pack for three months to train with Doctor Jones.” I’ll admit, I’m surprised to hear this news.

“Oh? Is she coming then?” He nods and his playful smile turns into a genuine one.

“She is. She was planning on coming after the luna ceremony, so I thought we could just bring her back with us if she’s okay with it.” It’s a valid suggestion that would simplify things for her and would be no hardship to me.

“Run it by her. If she’s okay with it, I am.” He gives a slight bow of his head as he pulls out his phone and fires off a text.

“I’ll have Mary load your tux into the car and I already packed the essentials for a two-night stay at Ember Claw. Emery just messaged me back and said she’ll be ready to leave as soon as the ceremony is over and told me to thank you for offering for her to ride back with us.” She’s always been so polite and well-mannered, something I can definitely appreciate.

“Alright, let’s inform Nigel and I assume you selected our guards already?” He nods then leans back in his chair with his hands clasped in his lap.

“Nigel knows and is prepared to hold down the fort while we’re gone. I chose Nate and Drew to go with us and they’re already packed and ready to go.” No one can ever say that Micca isn’t efficient. Nigel, being one of the pack’s elders, is usually my go-to-guy for when I have short trips because he was once my father’s beta, so he definitely knows the ropes.

“Alright, then let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we leave, the sooner we come home.” And with that, we head out to the car where everything is packed and everyone is already waiting. While Drew and Nate take Drew’s truck, they follow Micca and I in my black Chevy Tahoe as we make the six hour drive to Ember Claw.

By the time we made it to the packhouse last night, it was already almost two in the morning, so we let Jonah show us to our rooms and crashed hard. As usual, I was the first awake this morning and after grabbing a bottle of water, I decided to go for a run in the woods to clear my head. I’ve run nearly three miles so far, but the scent of rosemary and vanilla stops me in my tracks. It’s an intoxicating scent that wraps around all my senses, pulling me along a path to the east where I find a clearing that’s bathed in the glow of the morning sun. As I step closer to the edge of the trees, I spot a woman kneeling in the center of the field, her red hair floating in the breeze.

I know immediately who she is, but when my wolf begins losing his shit in my head, I easily figure out what she is too. Ten years of searching and I find my mate as a result of being dragged to a ceremony I would’ve preferred to not even attend. I would never have imagined that my mate would be the hybrid healer, the half-sister of Alpha Jonah…Emery. I can’t stop myself from moving closer and once I’m only fifteen feet away from her, I hear her soft, melodic voice float into the air.

“Alpha Archer, I believe you’re lost.” She rises to her feet in a single fluid, graceful movement then turns to face me. Her eyes are glowing orbs of amethyst that draw me in and have my wolf howling with excitement.

“Actually, I believe I’m found. After all these years, I can’t believe I’ve found you.” Her eyes widen slightly then narrow at me, her head tilting slightly in confusion.

“You have been looking for…me?” She seems to be genuinely confused, but the way her body is reacting, I can tell she feels the pull…so why does she seem surprised that I’d be so happy to have found her?

“For ten long years, Emery. I had almost given up all hope of ever finding you.” She has to understand what this is, what she’s feeling…what I’m feeling.

“You…you’re not disappointed?” What?! What the hell?! How the hell could she think I’d be disappointed?!

“No, Emery, I’m not the least bit disappointed. Are you?” Her eyes soften and a soft smile pulls up the corners of her full pink lips.

“Not in the slightest. I just thought…never mind.” She shakes her head as if trying to dispel whatever thought was plaguing her, but now I need to know what she was going to say…why she would think I would ever be disappointed in finding out that she’s my mate and I need to reassure her that whatever caused her to think such a thing is wrong.

“No, Emery, what did you think? Tell me why you thought I would be disappointed in finding out that you’re my mate.” She takes a deep breath and I can tell that she’s struggling with whether or not she’ll tell me.

“I thought someone like you would want a more…suitable mate.” The way she says suitable, as if she’s some tainted creature that’s unworthy of being my mate, it instantly has my wolf on edge, begging to be set free so he can claim her here and now, show her how much we aren’t disappointed in the goddess’s choice to pair us with a creature as amazing as her.

“There is no creature better suited for me than you, Emery. You were chosen specifically by the goddess herself to be mine just as I was chosen specifically to be yours.” I move closer, quickly closing the distance between us in only a few strides. I smile down at her, suddenly taking notice of how small she seems beside me, but that detail only makes her seem that much more perfect to my wolf, Arrow, and I.

“Will your pack be okay with having someone like me as their…as your mate?” I know what she was going to say, she was going to say as their luna. Does she really think my pack would be against having my true mate as their luna?

“They’ll be thrilled to have you as their luna, just as I’m thrilled to have you as my mate. Will you accept me as your mate, Emery?” The last comes out as more of a plea than a question, but I don’t even care. After ten years of searching and waiting, I’ll drop to my knees in the middle of this field and beg her to accept me if that’s what it takes.

“Yes.” Her voice is barely more than a whisper, but that gentle breeze carries her voice to me, wraps it around me and settles it into my bones.

“Then it seems we may need to pack the rest of your things because now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go.” The smile that lights up her face is beautiful, absolutely breathtaking.

Chapter 2

Archer

After linking Micca to tell him the wonderful news, Emery and I return to the packhouse to pack the last of her things and it probably shouldn’t bother me to see how little she has, but it really does. She’s the alpha’s sister and only has enough possessions to fill two medium sized boxes and three suitcases, one that contains all of her herbs and tonics for healing. Once we finish, we set out to inform Alpha Jonah, though the mention of doing so makes Emery visibly tense.

“The guards said he’s in his office.” Micca’s tone is strained, likely having sensed the shift in the room the minute I told Emery what we’re about to do.

“Perfect. Let’s go deliver the good news.” Emery looks at me out of the corner of her eye, but says nothing. I take her hand in mine, the sparks from our skin touching is intoxicating, and I lead her out of her room then down the stairs to the main floor where Jonah’s office is located. When we arrive, his door is open, so I knock on the frame before walking in and guiding Emery to one of the chairs in front of his desk before I take a seat in the one beside it.

“Alpha Archer, is there something I can help you with?” The smile on his face is deceptive because it would make you believe he’s happy to see us, but his eyes tell a very different story.

“Well, not exactly. When I went for my run, it seems the fates decided to finally fill the void in my life. It turns out that Emery here is my mate. I wanted to let you know that when she comes with us to train with Doctor Jones after the ceremony for your luna, she’ll be staying. I’ll make sure we send an invitation for her luna ceremony, of course.” His reaction is subtle and were I a less observant being, I would’ve missed the way his smile tightened and his jaw clenched, but I noticed it.

“Your mate? How…fortunate for you. I assume you’ve already packed your things, Emery?” Her grip on my hand tightens, so I give her a gentle squeeze to reassure her that she’s not alone.

“Yes, Alpha.” She bows her head slightly, but my mind locks onto the way she addresses him so formally. Most alphas allow their immediate family to address them by their name rather than their title in informal settings, but it seems that maybe Jonah is more uptight than I realized.

“Very well. It seems tonight will be a night to celebrate my new luna with our pack and the great Alpha Archer finally finding his mate. You should go prepare yourselves for the celebratory feast. We’ll all need our energy for tomorrow’s ceremony.” He gestures toward the open door, dismissing us in a less than professional manner, but I’m more than happy to get my mate away from him so she can relax. Rather than take her to her room, I lead her out of the packhouse and toward the forest. Once we’re far enough away that no one will be able to hear us, I pull her to a downed tree then lift her up and set her on it before kneeling before her.

“Okay, what’s going on? You got really tense back there and Jonah was acting…strange.” She takes a deep breath, her eyes looking anywhere but at me for several moments before her beautiful amethyst eyes lock with mine.

“Things are changing here. Jonah and I used to be close, but after the future luna arrived, he was different. He made me move out of the alpha wing then started demanding that I call him by his title. He won’t allow me to eat with the others in the dining hall and forbid me to attend the pack events. I’ve stayed quiet this whole time because I thought he might explain the changes to me, or maybe my Jonah will come back to me, but he won’t even allow me to meet with him. He also didn’t know about me going to train with your pack doctor, he would never have approved, so I agreed to it in his place then deleted the message so he wouldn’t see it. He’s refused to let me leave the pack grounds since the new luna arrived here.” This whole thing really is strange. I may have only seen Emery and Jonah together a few times in the past, but they always seemed close, so his behavior is unusual at best. Before I can respond, a mind link comes through and before Micca even speaks, I can tell something is wrong.

“We need to take Emery and leave, right NOW!”

“Why? What’s wrong, Micca?”

“I just overheard Jonah and his beta, Alex. He instructed Alex to subdue and collar Emery then he wants her tossed in a cell. I don’t know what’s going on around here, but we need to get the hell out of here! They’re sending the guards for her!”

“You take the car. Have Nate and Drew bring the SUV around to the clinic and we’ll meet them there.”

“Be safe, Archer. See you back home.”

“We will.” I cut the link and Emery is already staring at me with wide, panicked eyes.

“We need to go, Em.” She doesn’t resist me when I grab her hand and pull her along behind me. She doesn’t even question where we’re going or why, she simply trusts me and follows. I dodge and weave through the woods, scattering our scent as we make our way to the pack clinic, but I can smell some of the guards that are just upwind from us. When I hear their voices coming closer, I lift Emery into my arms bridal style and take off running, getting us to the SUV in under three minutes. Drew holds the door open for us, so I jump in with her in my arms and in only seconds, we’re driving away at what’s likely an unsafe speed.

“Alpha, were they really after our luna?” I can’t stop my smile when Drew refers to Emery as his luna, proving that he accepts her without any hesitation.

“They were. We’ve got her and she’s safe though. You hear that, Emery? You’re safe and we’re going home.” Instead of answering, she snuggles into my chest, burying her face and drawing in a deep breath as she lets my scent soothe her. By the time we cross the Ember Claw border, her breaths have evened as she sleeps soundly in my arms.

“Alpha, it might be nothing, but while Nate and I were shadowing you for your run, I noticed the guards behaving strangely and Micca said the ones at the pack house were too. Something seems off and the way the pack members looked at our luna…I don’t know…something just wasn’t right.” I let Drew’s words sink in, knowing that my interaction with Jonah seemed pretty off too, not to mention the things Emery told me about all the changes happening lately.

“I think we need to contact the council when we get back. Something’s going on back at Ember Claw.” He gives a single nod in response then glances over his shoulder at me.

“How’s our luna? She looked pretty frightened when you leapt into the car with her.” He gives me a playful smirk that I easily return. I’m sure, for him, it was quite a sight to see.

“She’s sleeping for now. Even Emery has noticed things changing, so maybe once we’re home, she’ll feel comfortable enough to open up a little more. I want you and Nate to stand as her personal guards once we’re home. She’s not to be left unattended.” Drew doesn’t hesitate to nod his agreement, an action Nate mimics as he continues focusing on the road ahead.

“Do you think they’ll come for her?” I wish I didn’t, but after hearing that they were going to go after her after finding out she’s my mate, and while I was present no less, I’m not so sure.

“I honestly don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances. I’ve waited ten years to find her and I’m not going to let anything happen to her, not now…not ever.” I look down and smile at my beautiful mate, my Emery. Her pale skin makes her ruby red hair look more vibrant and her long, black lashes gently kiss her cheeks as her full pink lips sit parted while I cradle her in my arms.

“We’ve got ourselves one hell of a luna. Not only is she a beautiful creature, but I can sense her strength. She has a strong wolf, but she’s also a talented healer. I read her file when Micca researched her before petitioning for her to come train at our pack. We truly were blessed by the goddess.” I agree with him wholeheartedly. To think, just this morning I had believed I was cursed to live out this life alone, but now I’m holding my mate as we head home…back to our pack.

Chapter 3

Archer

We arrive back in our own territory just before eight as the sun is setting and reach the packhouse at eight twenty. Emery slept the entire drive and didn’t even stir when I carried her out of the car, into the packhouse then straight to my office while linking for my head guard, Cal, to meet Micca, Nate, Drew and I. It takes only a few minutes for everyone to file into my office and once the door is closed, Cal wastes no time asking the question I can tell he already knows the answer to.

“You found your mate?!” He’s smiling brightly, clearly excited about me finding our luna after so much time has passed. I truly think my pack was as close as I was to losing hope at this point. My arms instinctively tighten around Emery, loving the feeling of having her in my arms.

“I did. I called you here because we ran into an issue at Ember Claw. Something is going on there and we’re going to be reaching out to the council to get to the bottom of it. After informing their alpha, my mate’s brother, of the fact that Emery is my mate, he ordered his guards to subdue, collar and imprison her when she’s done nothing to deserve any form of punishment, let alone one so severe.” The entire room fills with growls and I can feel the anger rolling off of my inner circle in waves. Use of collars is prohibited by council laws and even before they outlawed the practice, it was reserved for the worst criminal acts.

“They were planning to imprison our luna like a disobedient dog?!” Cal’s growl is deep and menacing, but I’d expect no less from the most elite of my guards.

“Indeed, they did. My mate claims that Alpha Jonah has changed since his new luna came into the picture and I can vouch for that personally. When I last saw them, they were thick as thieves, but when we arrived earlier this morning, she was placed in one of the member rooms instead of being in her old room in the alpha wing. She was also forbidden to attend pack gatherings, or even eat with the pack in the dining hall. Now, our luna, my mate, is not a pure blood shifter, but I believe that if they were treating her differently due to her DNA, their poor treatment would’ve been established since her birth, not after she had already become an adult.” It’s something I had been contemplating the entire drive home, but no matter how I look at it, the sudden shift in the pack’s behavior makes no sense.

“She shouldn’t have to be a full shifter to be treated with respect, you aren’t and yet they respect you, but you’re right. If they were to treat her differently due to her heritage, it would’ve begun with her first breath, not now.” Emery begins to stir in my arms and when her amethyst eyes open, she’s greeted with my smile and the four others in the room bowing their heads to her.

“Luna Emery, welcome to the Crimson Peak Pack. We’re so glad our alpha found you.” Emery’s cheeks flush slightly as Cal’s words reach her, but she quickly pulls herself up so that she’s sitting in my lap and offers him a warm smile.

“Thank you, I’m very happy to be here.” Cal looks up and smiles like a child who just received the highest praise from his personal hero.

“Emery, can you tell us why Alpha Jonah would order his guards to capture, collar and lock you away in a cell?” She turns to look at me, seeming almost unsure of if Micca’s speaking the truth and I respond with a simple nod. Her brow furrows and her adorable nose crinkles as she tries to think of any reason for her own brother to do such a thing.

“No…I…well, it’s the full moon in a few days, but he usually just has me shelter in one of the cells for three days, the day before, day of and day following…but he’s never used a collar on me before.” This has us all staring at her in shock and confusion. What the hell is going on with Ember Claw?!

“Why would you be locked up on the full moon?” She looks uncomfortable and I’m just about to tell her we can discuss it privately, but my brave mate begins speaking before I can.

“It wasn’t always like this, but once the luna came, she decided that my powers are too dangerous to allow me to roam free. They reach their peak on the night of the full moon, but no one had ever feared them before. She feared I would hurt the pack members. I assure you, I’ve never hurt anyone, purposely or by accident. I tried explaining it to her, letting her know that I’m a healer, not a fighter. I’m not dangerous, but she said she wasn’t willing to risk her people by taking me at my word.” My wolf is raging at the idea of our mate being locked away when she’s done nothing wrong.

“You will never be locked away again, Emery. You’re a gift from the goddess and you were never meant to be restrained. You, my beautiful mate, are nothing short of perfect.” I place a soft kiss on her temple which makes her cheeks flush again. A sudden low grumble tears through her which makes her already pink cheeks flare bright red, but the rest of us are fighting back laughter at the realization that her stomach is growling.

“We should head to the dining hall and I’ll have the cooks prepare a late dinner for us all.” I nod at Drew then stand up once Emery does.

“Come, let me show you to the dining hall where you can meet some of the pack who works there. If you’re feeling up to it, we can introduce you to the rest of the pack tomorrow at breakfast, but if you need more time, that’s fine too.” Her head tilts slightly and her nose crinkles up, an expression I’m absolutely going to fall in love with, I just know it.

“I’m ready to meet them. Why wouldn’t I be?” Cal chuckles and shakes his head while Drew, Micca and Nate are smiling with pride.

“I’m so glad you are. I didn’t know if you might be feeling overwhelmed and I don’t want to make this an unpleasant experience for you.” She rewards me with a shy smile and I can see the appreciation glistening in her stunning eyes.

“Thank you, but I’m not overwhelmed.” Her stomach lets out another growl which has us all laughing as we quickly make our way to the dining hall where Micca instructs the cook to prepare us something for dinner so we can all get to bed after. That’s something I hadn’t much considered in all this. It’s customary for mates to share a bed. Will she feel comfortable sharing a bed with me right now? I’ve never felt unsure when it comes to the fairer sex, not that I have experience with them beyond platonic interactions, but now I find myself questioning even the simplest of things. Once we’re all settled at the table, I decide to begin with the most pressing question first.

“Emery, I’m sure you know most mates share a bed, but if you’re not comfortable with that yet, I can set you up in a spare room in my wing.” That earns me another curious look, complete with the crinkled nose and sure enough, I’m falling in love with that simple, adorable expression.

“I hadn’t given it much thought, but we are mates. Would you mind if I shared your room with you?” I honestly thought she would be more reserved, maybe even a little shy, but my mate is quite literally perfect.

“Our room and I couldn’t possibly mind. My wolf and I would love to sleep beside our mate. Truthfully, I doubt I’d get any sleep if we didn’t.” The smile she gifts me with is so bright, so beautiful.

“I’m pretty sure you’re right. My wolf is definitely not okay with sleeping in separate rooms and you do not want to be around me when I haven’t gotten enough sleep.” The smirk on her face has us all laughing, but I have a feeling she’s not wrong. Hell, if she’s anything like my mother was when she hadn’t slept long enough, I’m one hundred percent certain that I don’t want to be around for that!

Chapter 4

Archer

As we sit in the dining hall, waiting for our dinner to be brought out, Cal and the others are talking animatedly about some of the issues Cal has had with a few of the younger trainees he’s working with and the entire time, Emery simply observes them with a soft smile on her beautiful face. I’m listening with amusement as Cal details how one of the trainees has fallen on the obstacle course, landing on a log with one leg on each side and his family jewels slightly worse for wear, when Emery’s voice snaps my attention over to her.

“My wolf, Wren, would like to meet yours.” I swear, this beautiful creature couldn’t be more amazing if she tried and thanks to her comment, my wolf is over the moon.

“How about we go for a run tomorrow after we introduce you to the pack?” Her entire face lights up with excitement as she nods. My men sit at the table, watching our exchange with smiles on their faces, all looking thankful to finally see their alpha happy.

“We’d like that.” The cook walks out with two of the other kitchen staff, all carrying plates with spaghetti and garlic bread. I watch as Emery’s eyes go wide and everyone else at the table seems to be amused by her reaction as her plate is set in front of her. My men and I quickly start eating, but Emery makes no move to touch her plate.

“Alpha, it might be a long shot, but try taking a bite from her plate.” Micca’s voice comes through the mind link and I don’t like what his suggestion implies, but I decide to try it rather than calling her out for her behavior and risking embarrassing her. I twirl my fork in the pasta on her plate then raise the fork to my mouth and make sure she sees me take the bite which, as Micca suspected, encourages her to start eating. The idea of her being too fearful to eat for risk of being drugged or poisoned enrages me to the point that my tight grip is bending the fork in my hand.

“I was hoping I was wrong. Uh, you might want to let up on the cutlery, man.” I glance up at Micca then down at the now bent fork which makes me cringe at my behavior. I don’t want to do anything that might make her fearful of me, but the more I learn about her treatment at Ember Claw, the more pissed off I’m getting. We all remain quiet while we eat, but I notice the way they all study her discretely, watching her graceful, yet cautious movements and how she makes even eating look like a delicate dance. Once we finish, though Emery only eats a third of her plate, we go our separate ways with me leading Emery to our room.

“This whole floor is ours. We have our own kitchen, dining room, living quarters, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Any time you don’t feel like eating with the pack, we can eat up here. I can either cook for you, or we can have food brought up.” She tilts that beautiful head and smirks at me, another expression I love on her.

“I can cook as well, but I would like to eat with our pack whenever possible. I want them to be able to get to know me rather than simply have them accept me because I’m their alpha’s mate.” She couldn’t have given a better answer and both my wolf and I are swelling with pride.

“Then we eat with the pack. Come on, your things are already in our room.” She surprises me by taking my hand, allowing me to lead the way to our room at the end of the hall. As I prepare to open the door, I’m hit with a wave of nervousness. My room is decorated in dark colors, shades of deep red and black. I can’t help worrying that she won’t like it, but I know I’ll let her make any changes she wants. I must’ve hesitated longer than I realized because a sudden pressure in my hand snaps me out of my daze, her small hand squeezing mine and effectively putting a stop to my worry induced spiral.

“If you don’t like the way it’s decorated, you can change anything you want.” She offers an amused smile and shakes her head as I push open the door and flip the switch to turn on the lights then let her step inside. She moves slowly, but with purpose as she takes everything in. Just as my nervousness begins to return, she throws me off by flopping back on the bed with a wide smile and a heavy sigh.

“I love it. Red is my favorite color, especially these darker shades.” I suddenly notice that the red on the bedspread as well as the drapes almost perfectly match her red hair which makes me smile.

“It’s my favorite color too. If there’s anything in our suite that you want to change or anything you want to add, you have free rein. I’ll be sending for more clothes for you tomorrow, so if there’s anything else you may need, just let me know. Also, we’re calling the council tomorrow. They may need to ask you some questions. Are you okay with that?” She sits up in the bed, nodding her head while flashing a smile that’s definitely not genuine.

“I’ll answer their questions. I…do you have a shirt I could borrow to sleep in?” Her question catches me off guard, but I hope I recovered quickly enough that it doesn’t show.

“Yeah, I do. You don’t have clothes to sleep in?” She shakes her head slowly and the mischievous glint in her eyes tells me that what she says next is going to have my mind reeling.

“I usually sleep naked.” My lips part and my eyes widen, my reaction definitely amusing her.

“You can sleep however you’re comfortable. I sleep in my boxers, but if sleeping naked is what you’re most comfortable with, then I won’t stop you. If you want one of my shirts, that’s fine too.” I pull one of my black t-shirts out of the dresser and set it on top for her. She gets up and takes the shirt then heads into the bathroom, but doesn’t close the door. My mate may be many things, but shy clearly isn’t one of them. I try not to look, goddess knows I try, but my eyes wander to the open door where I catch sight of her bare back in the mirror, but instead of ogling her, I find myself paralyzed by the sight of dozens of scars covering her back until she pulls the shirt down over them. When she steps back into the room, I must still have the shocked expression on my face because she walks up and places her small hand on my cheek while staring up at me with her curious purple eyes.

“Are you okay?” Without thinking, I lower my forehead to hers and cover her hand with my own.

“Who hurt you?” Her brow furrows for a moment before her eyes widen.

“You mean my scars?” My free hand raises up to cup her neck, my thumb gently stroking her cheek.

“Yes. Who did that to you?” My wolf lets loose a purr as she leans into my touch, our foreheads still pressed together and our warm breath mingling in the small space between our lips.

“My father. It was punishment for using my magic. He was afraid of me and forbid me to use my abilities.” I assume she must’ve done something to warrant the fear her own family had of her, maybe lost control, but goddess am I wrong.

“I was five and I had been playing with a few of the pups in the woods. One of them tried to climb a tree and while he made it up with little trouble, coming down wasn’t so easy. He fell and broke his arm. I never even knew I had healing abilities, but something in me told me to lay my hands on him and when I did, they started to emit a blue glow. Next thing I know, the pup was healed and I fell unconscious. It seems I exhausted myself. When word got back to my father, he was furious. He whipped me, twenty lashes with a silver tipped whip.” It bothers me that she tells the story as if her father’s reaction was completely normal, but it wasn’t, not even close.

“Did he only punish you the one time?” I guess the better question is…do I really want to know?

“No, I was punished twice after that, but then he died in the war and Jonah ascended as alpha.” Unable to handle any more of this at the moment, I guide her to the bed and slide in beside her. I didn’t know what to expect, but when she curls up against me, resting her head on my chest, I couldn’t be happier and I almost forget about the horror story she just told me moments ago…almost.

Chapter 5

Emery

I can tell Archer was surprised by my reaction to finding out he was my mate, but I have a little secret, one I hope to share with him some day very soon. I was given a vision two years ago, the day before my eighteenth birthday, of the day I would find my mate. The goddess showed me two paths, one would lead to my imprisonment and the inevitable torture that would follow, but the other was the path we’re on now. I knew to go to that field…I knew he’d find me there. Archer expects me to be nervous, shy even, but what he doesn’t know is that I’ve been seeing this for two years, had two years to adjust to and get used to the idea of being his luna.

I have no doubt that if it weren’t for the heads up from the goddess, I wouldn’t be so comfortable with everything, but I am. I’ve seen several different versions of our future, but all of them show one thing that remains the same, I finally find a place where I belong and am accepted. I had seen flashes of his shocked expression and I had thought it was related to my being his mate, so when we met, I asked if he was disappointed, but it turns out that reaction was in relation to my scars. It seems the goddess knew what she was doing after all, though I wish her visions would’ve been a little less cryptic.

I know he was surprised when I curled up against him, but the gentle purr of approval his wolf gave me combined with the electric sparks of the mate bond that lit up every inch of flesh that made contact with him, it was intoxicating. Now I lie here, the first light of morning breaking through the small crack between the drapes, I feel content, but I know it won’t last. Soon I’ll need to reveal my knowledge to my mate and our choices will ultimately alter our future, but the goddess hasn’t shown me how, just flashes of things that may come to pass.

“Good morning, beautiful.” I tilt my head and find his stunning grey eyes already looking down at me, a slow smile curling his perfect lips.

“Good morning, my alpha.” He bends his head forward, placing a tender kiss to my forehead before allowing his body to stretch out on the bed that’s almost too small for his large frame.

“We should get dressed and head down to the dining hall. The pack will be there in about fifteen minutes.” I get up and practically skip to my suitcase that sits on the chair near the window then grab a pair of jeans and slip them on, tucking in the front of his t-shirt before slipping on my sandals. I fish my hairbrush out of my suitcase, quickly run it through my hair then toss it back in before turning to face Archer, who looks thoroughly amused.

“I just need to brush my teeth then I’m ready!” He chuckles while raking his fingers through his disheveled hair.

“Alright, let me throw some clothes on and brush my teeth.” While he gets dressed, I brush my teeth and splash some water on my face. Within ten minutes, we’re heading down to the dining hall. I can hear the loud voices of the pack as they carry on conversations while eating their breakfast, but once the doors open, they quiet down, showing respect for their alpha. I can see the smiling faces and surprised expression, but of the easily sixty people in this room, only one wolf stares at me with hostility. Her jealousy is on full display, but I continue to smile and offer warm greetings to the others as they proceed to introduce themselves until we finally reach the two seats at the head of the large U-shaped table.

“Crimson Peak, please allow me the absolute pleasure of introducing to you our luna, Emery Vale!” The room erupts into cheers, applause and whistles, everyone seemingly excited for their alpha…everyone but one angry she-wolf who doesn’t go unnoticed. Archer pulls out my chair for me and waits for me to be seated before he sits down in the chair beside me.

“Luna, alpha, we’ve scheduled a video conference with the council for one o’clock. They’ve requested you both be present. Also, the clothes you requested for Emery will be placed in your closet once they arrive.” Micca speaks in a soft tone that, thanks to the return of the various conversations in the room, only Archer, Nate, Drew and I can hear.

“We’ll be there. The alpha and I will be going for a run after breakfast, but will be back in time for the meeting.”Micca smiles and nods, but when I look up at Archer, suddenly realizing I spoke out of turn, I’m surprised to see he’s simply beaming a proud smile down at me that eases my nerves.

“Alpha, should I have a word with Jenna?” My eyes follow Drew’s to the angry she-wolf who hasn’t stopped glaring at me since we walked through the door to the dining hall and I can’t help wondering if perhaps she had been close to the alpha, my mate. The thought makes me feel uneasy, but it’s not necessarily jealousy since I know he spent a decade waiting to find me.

“The luna and I will deal with her tomorrow morning. Right now, our focus needs to be on the meeting with the council. Don’t worry, beautiful, I never touched her. I never touched anyone. I saved myself for you, even when the council protested and insisted I take a chosen mate and produce an heir…I never once allowed myself to stray.” Hearing him confess that he’s waited for me just as I’ve waited for him is more comforting than he’ll ever know and I can’t stop the soft purr that my wolf pushes forward, letting our mate know she’s pleased.

“Nor have I. You will be my first and last.” A deep, possessive growl rumbles out of him and his hand quickly finds mine, giving it a firm, but gentle squeeze. I remember meeting Archer several years ago and the man I met then is a stark contrast to the man at my side. He used to be cold, almost emotionless. Seeing such a tender and loving side of him makes me thankful the goddess was right.

We finish our meal and during the course of it, several of the pack members approached me to welcome me to the pack and some even asked some basic questions about me before hurrying off to tend to their daily tasks. When we’re finally ready to leave, Archer takes my hand and leads me out of the packhouse and into the woods. We walk almost half a mile before he finally stops and turns toward me.

“You can step behind that tree to shift. There’s a stash box for your clothes there.” It amuses me to see not only a wolf, but an alpha seem so shy about nudity. It’s honestly something so normal for our kind that I’ve never even considered being shy about it. Instead of stepping behind the tree, I grab the hem of the shirt, the one I borrowed from him last night, and pull it up over my head.

“Alright, I need you to not freak out, okay? Just…stay calm when Wren comes out.” His brow furrows and I know my request doesn’t make sense, but it will. I finish removing my clothes and place them in the wooden box at the base of the tree then take a few steps back from him before giving Wren the reins. Shifting, for me, is painless and much faster than any normal shifter, something I always attributed to my witch genetics, though I’ve never found anything to confirm or contradict that belief. Once Wren stands before him, we watch as his expression filters from shocked to awe in mere seconds.

“You are the most stunning wolf I’ve ever seen, Wren.” I know what he’s seeing and I’m so damn thankful he’s not afraid or uneasy about our appearance. Wren, unlike normal wolves, is snow white with the same purple eyes as me and matching purple runes weaved throughout her fur. Not only is her appearance unique, but so is her size with her being nearly the size of an alpha. We watch as Archer strips down, taking our time to appreciate our mate, until he’s stripped bare and shifts into his large black wolf, Arrow.

Chapter 6

Emery

Wren and Arrow take a few minutes to inspect each other and rub against each other to ensure our scents are mingling to ward off other wolves then, with a playful nip on the ear from Wren, we take off into the woods. Wren moves fluidly, weaving, leaping and dodging around trees, rocks and brush with Arrow keeping up, though barely. We run until our muscles burn from the exertion then slow our pace when we hear the sound of running water. We continue on at a much slower pace until we reach the source, a small stream with beams of sunlight filtering through the thick canopy of trees above. I shift back and walk into the stream, finding a small pool that’s deep enough to reach the top of my breasts, not that it’s a big shock since I’m only five foot five.

“I see you found my favorite place to get away.” I turn to face Archer, not bothering to hide when my eyes scan him from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.

“It’s beautiful out here. I love it.” He slowly makes his way into the water, not stopping until he’s standing right in front of me, his hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides the entire short walk to reach me.

“You’re so damn beautiful, Emery. I’m trying to be a gentleman here, but you’re not making that an easy task.” Seeing him struggling to hold himself back, knowing that he’s so affected by me…it’s a powerful feeling. I take a step closer to him, leaving barely inches between us as I lift my hands to let them rest on his chest.

“I never asked you to be a gentleman, alpha.” The second the word ‘alpha’ leaves my lips, the space between us vanishes and his lips crash into mine. This kiss, the first kiss either of us have ever had, isn’t perfect, but in its clumsy, chaotic, passionate frenzy, it’s as close to perfect as any kiss could possibly get. We don’t push to deepen the kiss, we simply let our lips melt together until we both need to catch our breath. He presses his forehead to mine and I feel his heavy breaths fanning over me with each frantic pant.

“How the hell did I get so lucky? You’re everything I didn’t realize I needed, Em.” His arms pull me tightly against his chest, but his forehead stays pressed against mine and his eyes stay locked on mine.

“Can I tell you something without you thinking I’m totally insane?” His lips curl into a soft smile as one of his hands gently grabs the side of my neck and his thumb caresses my cheek.

“You can tell me anything and I promise you that I would never think you’re insane.” I take a deep breath and allow myself a moment to search his eyes for any sign of doubt or deception, but I don’t see any.

“I was in that field the day you found me because I knew you’d show up there. I saw it in a vision two years ago. The goddess came to me and showed me the day you would arrive, but she showed me the outcome if I chose to go to the clinic as I was meant to, then she showed me what would happen if I went to the field instead. If I had gone to the clinic, things would’ve gone terribly wrong, I never would’ve found you…so I didn’t. I knew you were my mate, I knew where to go so that I would meet you and I knew we would end up here…I just didn’t know for sure how we would get here or if we would have any trouble getting here. I’ve spent the last two years trying to decipher her riddles, but the only thing I was ever certain of…was you.” I wait for a reaction, anything to tell me that he does, indeed, think I’m crazy, but instead, his smile widens.

“I’ll be sure to thank the goddess every day then for showing you the way.” It’s so hard to believe this is the same man who I met in the past. He’s being so sweet!

“We should head back so we can shower and change before the meeting with the council.” He presses a soft kiss to my eager lips then takes my hand and guides me out of the water. We both shift and take off back to the stash where we left our clothes. By the time we make it back to the packhouse, we have just enough time to take a shower together, something both our human halves and wolf halves thoroughly enjoy, then throw on clean clothes before hurrying down to the conference room where everything is set up for our video conference. Once we’re both seated, Micca patches in the call and loads the video feed onto the large screen where I find us staring at six familiar older wolves who all have varying shades of grey hair and aged skin.

“Hello, Alpha Archer and hello Luna Emery. Your beta’s email detailed some very concerning things that we wish to speak to you about. Luna, would you be willing to answer some questions for us so we can try to fill in the blanks here?” I sit up straighter in my chair and hold my head high as I answer the man on the left side of the screen.

“I’ll answer every question to the best of my ability.” Archer slides his hand onto my thigh, his thumb rubbing soothing circles that instantly make me feel calmer.

“Beta Micca’s message stated that things in the Ember Claw Pack have greatly changed since his last visit. First, have you noticed any such changes and second, what kind of changes have taken place if any?” I’m more than prepared for these questions and as much as I care for my brother, I know I need to be honest because the entire pack’s wellbeing is at stake.

“Yes, there have been a lot of changes that all started when the new luna arrived. My brother, Alpha Jonah, and I were always very close, but once she arrived, I was removed from my room in the alpha’s wing and placed in a standard pack member room on the dorm level. It was a small change for me, but one I wouldn’t have expected none-the-less. All of my jewelry left by my mother went missing when they had my things moved, but my brother simply dismissed my concerns about the issue. Next came the way they addressed my changes on the full moon. We had always allowed them to take place naturally, but then Luna Araya came and she feared my power, so she had my brother lock me in one of the cells for the day before, day of and day after the full moon to prevent me from harming our pack members.

“I was informed I was no longer permitted to join the pack in the dining hall and was not allowed to attend any pack functions. It wasn’t until the third month with her in the pack that I learned they were drugging me through the food they gave me as well, though she denied it when I confronted her and my brother about it. As you all know, since you’re aware of my heritage and my abilities, I’ve never lost control or used my powers to harm another.” The elder, former Alpha Ryan, is the next to speak.

“Did things change with the way the rest of the pack treated you as well, or was it just the alpha’s behavior that changed?” They certainly are thorough, but I can appreciate that about them, especially when they’re taking our concerns seriously.

“Everyone changed and it happened seemingly overnight. Wolves that I had helped, some I had even saved, they all became cold toward me. A few of the guards became aggressive until I let Wren out to warn them to back off. The pack’s cook helped to drug me, as I said and I could no longer trust any food that I had not prepared myself.” I can feel the anger and tension rolling off of Archer, but he doesn’t say a word, not that he needs to when his emotions are openly displayed on his face.

“Beta Micca, please tell us about the discussion you claim to have overheard.” His tone makes it clear that he’s not trying to accuse Micca of lying, just trying to get the truth and remain professional while trying and failing to hide how he feels about this whole mess.

“Alpha Jonah was in his office with the luna and beta. They were discussing the luna ceremony, but then something changed, the air suddenly felt heavier, and his tone went from being annoyed to being angry, seething mad, really. The shift happened the second he mentioned that luna Emery had found her mate and would be leaving. He ordered the guards to subdue, collar and lock away our luna.” The reaction from the six councilmen is instantaneous as they all show various degrees of shock and anger.

“Luna Emery, you said they lock you away every full moon?” This time it’s Councilman Bryce who speaks and he doesn’t even bother trying to hide the low growl at the end. These men, the entire council, know who and what I am. They’ve known of my unique abilities since they first started developing. While many of the wolves are stuck in the old ways, they embraced my abilities and saw them for the gift that they are.

“Yes, sir, every full moon since Luna Araya mated with my brother has been this way.” Several of the councilmen shake their head while two of them let out deep growls of displeasure.

“I can assure you, Luna Emery, we will be looking into this and we will get to the bottom of it. Do you happen to know what pack Araya comes from?” I don’t miss how he didn’t refer to her as luna, or the way he practically spat her name out like it was poison on his tongue.

“Yes, sir. My brother found her when he was visiting the River Run Pack.” Ryan furrows his brow, but writes the information down on the paper he’s been holding, the one where he’s taken down shortened details of our discussion.

“Alright, let us do some digging and see what we can find. Within the next two weeks, we’ll dispatch a team to Ember Claw to conduct a thorough investigation while I dig into the new luna’s past. Perhaps we can find something that will help us sort this out.” Archer squeezes my thigh then returns to tracing circles with his thumb.

“Thank you, councilmen. We appreciate you all taking your time to speak with us today.” We all say our goodbyes then Micca disconnects the call.

Chapter 7

Emery

“You did so good, Emery. Now, we wait and see what they find out. I have a feeling things are going to get messy in the near future.” Archer’s right and I know it. When I told him about my visions, I left out the part about the chaos we’re meant to face. It doesn’t help that I was given very few details, but I know we’ll face a battle and I know it’ll be dangerous with many lives lost, but I don’t know who the enemy is, nor do I know what the outcome will be.

“Alpha, we should alert the guards to the situation. Once Ember Claw knows they’re being investigated, there’s no telling what they might do. I think we need to be prepared for the possibility of an attack.” I stare at Micca, thankful for the interruption to my thoughts.

“You’re right. Call them to the training grounds and we’ll meet in ten minutes to brief everyone. You coming, beautiful?” I know that the best thing for me to do would be to take a moment to clear my head, so I’m glad he’s giving me an option rather than insisting I join him. While I would love to be there to support him, I know the best option right now is to find something to occupy my mind for a while so it can sort through things before I can spiral.

“Actually, I think I might go help the cooks prepare dinner for the pack…unless you need me there?” I feel relieved when he shakes his head and gives me a heart melting smile.

“No, you don’t need to be there. It shouldn’t take us long and then I’ll join you. I shouldn’t be more than forty-five minutes.” He pulls me into his warm embrace then places a kiss on my forehead before releasing me and nudging me toward the door.

I quietly make my way to the kitchen which, since it’s still hours before the staff will be starting on dinner, is empty. I get to work, pulling out ingredients, pots and pans then get to work making eight large roasts, that easily total over forty pounds, to feed my pack. I’ve just finished searing the last roast and placing it in a pan when the door to the kitchen swings open and the angry she-wolf from the dining hall, Jenna, walks in. She looks, if it’s possible, angrier than she was earlier, though I don’t know why she would be angry with me.

“So, the goddess chose some half-breed, spell slinging trash to be our alpha’s mate? I bet you aren’t even his real mate. You probably used your magic to spell him into believing you are. You disgusting creatures are all the same. You’re unworthy of being mated to Archer and soon enough, he’ll see that for himself. I’ll make damn sure he sees you for what you really are.” Her jealousy and anger are like a toxic gas filling the room and its putting Wren on edge. My wolf has always been so peaceful and calm, but this she-wolf is definitely pissing her off.

“Forging a mate bond through magic is a dark practice that requires a dark sacrifice. My powers are fueled by nature, not darkness. You speak of things you know nothing about and I suggest you leave before my mate returns…or before you make me do something that you’ll surely regret.” She doesn’t heed my warning, but I knew she wouldn’t. She takes a step forward then raises her hand to strike me, but I’m much faster than she is. I catch her wrist mid-air and pull her closer until she’s stuck craning her neck down to look down at me.

“Archer will see you for the disgusting creature you are and when he does, he’ll come running back to me like he always does. You’re nothing but a disgusting, worthless half-breed who could never be worthy of a wolf like Archer!” I know what she’s implying, but unfortunately for her, I know the truth. When Archer confessed to me that he saved himself for me, I could see the truth in his eyes that confirmed his claim.

“You’r attempts to come between me and my mate are wasted. You have no claim on him and he has no interest in you. You have two choices here. You can leave and we can pretend this little incident never happened, or you can face the consequences of your actions. Choose wisely.” I feel her body vibrating with rage and I know she’s made her choice, the wrong choice, but she made it anyway.

I see her canines extending and feel the hair sprouting beneath my hand that’s still gripping her wrist, but I won’t be allowing her to shift, not here and certainly not like this. I focus my energy, creating and casting a binding spell that locks her into a frozen state, half shifted in the pack’s kitchen. Just as I return to tending to dinner, leaving the frozen wolf to focus on something more important, the door swings open and I smell my mate before he speaks in a tone of confused amusement.

“Um, what’s going on in here, beautiful?” I slide the last roast pan into the oven, close the door then turn to face him. Seeing the warmth and love in his eyes has me smiling as i offer my response.

“Not much, just cooking dinner for the pack.” His lips curl into a playful smile as he sends a pointed look in Jenna’s direction then returns his gaze to me.

“I can’t wait to eat a meal prepared by my beautiful mate, but…I was referring to that.” He points at Jenna while I shrug my shoulders, but my smile only widens.

“She needed to be put in her place. She came in here to insult me and tell me I’m unworthy of you. She said you’d figure it out soon and go running back to her like you always do then she tried to hit me, so I stopped her. I gave her a chance to walk away, but instead, she started shifting. I decided she needed a time out to reevaluate her choices.” His eyes widen as they dart back and forth from Jenna to me several times before he slowly raises his hands as if prepared to surrender then takes a slow step forward. He looks panicked and his posture makes him look like he’s preparing to approach a cornered beast rather than his mate.

“Em, I swear to you that I have never and would never run to her, touch her and I’ve never given her a reason to think I consider her to be anything more than another member of my pack.” Ah, so he’s worried I might believe her! At least that’s a worry I can lay to rest easily enough!

“I know. I trust you, Archer. I was simply annoyed with her and she was interrupting my food preparations.” I offer a casual shrug as he quickly closes the distance and pulls me into his arms. He peppers the top of my head with kisses then pulls back just enough to trail his lips across my face until they finally land on my own in a soul searing kiss. When we break apart to catch our breath, he rests his forehead against mine.

“Thank you. Thank you for trusting me, for being so damn amazing and thank you for making whatever the hell that is that smells so damn good. Thank you for feeding our pack, for loving and accepting them as your own.” He steps back, his hands sliding forward to grab mine then he looks over at Jenna who’s still frozen in her half-shifted state.

“I’m going to have Micca put her in a cell for a few days so she can cool off. I won’t tolerate anyone in our pack disrespecting you and the fact that she dared to try laying a hand on you…she’s lucky you stopped her because if she had succeeded, Arrow would’ve torn her to shreds.” I know he’s being serious and his protectiveness has Wren purring in delight. While we could wait for Micca, I decide to help speed things along.

“If you can get the door, I can get her there.” I hold my hand out toward her and focus on lifting her. His eyes light up and his beautiful smile makes a return.

“My beautiful mate is just full of surprises. Alright, follow me, beautiful.”

Chapter 8

Emery

I allow Archer to lead the way to the door with several pack members stopping to observe the scene, all looking amused, curious or confused, but not one of them looks afraid. We get Jenna into one of the cells then, once the door is closed, I release the binding on her. She crashes onto the floor, her bones struggling to bend and shift as her body seems torn between returning to her human form or shifting to her wolf. It looks…painful.

“What’s happening to her?” I can feel her wolf, the shame she feels for her human side’s behavior is pushing her to fight for control. I feel pity for her wolf, I truly do.

“Her wolf is trying to take control. She disagrees with Jenna’s behavior. She’s angry and ashamed.” He wraps his arms around from behind me with his chest pressing against my back.

“Can you help her?” This is one thing I’ve never tried before because it’s so rare for the human and wolf to not be united harmoniously.

“I can try.” I step closer to the cell door and when Jenna looks up, I see her wolf’s eyes staring back at me, letting me know she has control for now. She moves closer before collapsing on the ground with her head less than an inch from the cell door. I crouch down and reach through, gently placing my hand on her head and channeling my energy, focusing on her wolf and not her human. I push for the human side to go dormant, to sleep while the wolf gains control of her mind, but still allowing her body return to its human form.

“It’s not ideal, but I gave Kalise control for now. Jenna is sleeping, so I hope it will give her time to calm down. Kalise, I thank you for trying to protect me. I’m sorry for having to use my abilities against you, but your human left me with no choice.” She locks eyes with me and gives me a soft smile before crawling to the cot in the corner of the cell.

“I’ll bring you dinner when it’s ready.” With that, Archer leads me back into the packhouse and into the kitchen where the cooks all stand there looking a little lost.

“Alpha, I assume our luna is the one who was utilizing the kitchen?” The head chef’s question is tinged with a tone of amusement. While they all are clearly confused, and maybe even a little surprised, not one of them looks bothered by the fact that i came into their space.

“She was. Our luna has chosen to prepare a meal for our pack, so you all have the evening free. All I ask is that you handle the cleanup after.” They all seem more than happy to agree to his terms as they quickly file out of the kitchen, each one giving me an appreciative smile as they pass. Archer and I spend the next four hours together with him watching as I prepare homemade dinner rolls and baste the roasts until they’re ready to be pulled out of the oven. He jumps in to help and, once we finish, the cooks come in and insist on taking over so we can join the rest of the pack while they get everything brought to the tables.

“Crimson Peak, your luna worked hard to prepare this meal for you. I have no doubt we will all enjoy it.” All the pack members chorus their thanks before digging in and I stop one of the kitchen staff to request a second plate be brought to me. While everyone proceeds to eat their meal, I fill both my plate and the extra one before finally enjoying my dinner. I notice the curious glances from many of the pack members as well as the ones from Nate, Drew, Micca and Archer, but no one questions my actions out loud. Once I’ve finished my meal, I excuse myself, taking the extra plate with me and heading down to the prison to bring Jenna her dinner.

“How are you feeling?” I can tell her wolf is still in control as I slide the plate through the small opening at the bottom of the cell door.

“We are well, luna. I apologize for my human’s behavior. We are undeserving of your forgiveness and kindness.” She bows her head, but I disagree with her. Forgiveness is mine to give whether she feels deserving of it or not.

“Regardless, you have my forgiveness and it’s up to you to accept it. As for my kindness, it’s just who I am. I brought you dinner and thought I could sit with you for a while to keep you company.” Kalise is clearly surprised by my offer, but even more importantly, I can see Jenna’s hazel eyes bleeding through as she slowly wakes up and she seems unsure of how to handle me showing her kindness after everything. We sit in silence while she eats her meal, the only sounds are appreciative hums that slip out of her with every few bites she takes.

“You’ve suffered, my luna.” Kalise’s comment comes more than fifteen minutes after she finished eating, shattering the silence that had fallen between us.

“I have. Things where I’m from recently changed and my situation was…unpleasant. My once loving home became a prison. For months now, I’ve been drugged and imprisoned every full moon because the new luna thought I was dangerous. I no longer had the respect of my pack and I still don’t know their reasoning. I was no longer treated as a member of the pack and after having wolfsbane slipped into my food, I couldn’t even trust anyone to prepare my meals anymore. I was an outcast, yet I wasn’t allowed to leave. When Micca reached out about the training opportunity at the clinic here, I intercepted his message and responded in place of the alpha, my brother. Jonah would never have let me go.” I hadn’t intended to confess so much, but when I see that the hazel color in her eyes is most dominant now and they are filled with sadness, I’m glad I did.

“You were drugged…by your own pack?” The sharpness of her tone is missing, as is the rasp that seems present when Kalise is in control, which tells me this is Jenna speaking to me.

“I was. The very people I healed, saved and cared for over the years all turned on me and I still don’t know why.” She scoots closer to the cell door, the gold in her eyes completely faded now.

“I’m sorry, Luna Emery. I was so envious of you. I’ve adored Alpha Archer for years, since before he was the alpha. I…I had hoped that someday he would see me as more than just a member of his pack. I should never have attacked you. I’m so ashamed and I’m so, so sorry.” Her final words are delivered between choked sobs and I can feel the shame and sadness rolling off of her in violent waves. I stand up and wave my hand over the lock on her cell door then push the door open.

“Come, let’s go get you some tea.” She stares at me with disbelief for a moment before rising to her feet and accepting the hand I offer her. I lead the way out of the cells, up the stairs and around to the back door to the packhouse. When we reach the kitchen, it takes only a minute for Archer to come rushing in, likely having picked up my scent the minute we walked in.

“Em, is everything okay?” I can hear the hesitation in his voice, but I continue gathering everything I need to prepare a cup of tea for Jenna.

“Everything is just fine. I’m making Jenna a cup of tea and then I’d like to go upstairs and have a talk with my mate.” It takes him only three strides to close the distance between us and his arms quickly wrap around me from behind.

“You’re full of surprises, my beautiful mate.” His breath heats my ear and sends delicious shivers running through me. I manage to finish preparing her tea and once she leaves to take it to her room, I let Archer lead the way to ours.

Chapter 9

Archer

I had known she was taking dinner to Jenna, but I really didn’t expect to find them, just over an hour later, standing in the kitchen while Emery, my beautiful mate, makes Jenna a cup of tea. Yes, that’s right, my mate was making a cup of tea for the she-wolf who tried to attack her earlier today. She truly is amazing beyond words. When we reach our suite, she releases my hand and goes straight to the couch where she takes a seat on the far right side and I can tell she’s nervous about whatever it is she wants to say.

“Hey, I know something’s bothering you, but you can talk to me. Whatever it is, we’ll handle it, Em. I’m with you no matter what.” She pats the cushion next to her, so I quickly make my way over and sit down beside my mate, taking her hand in mine in hopes that I can provide her enough strength and comfort to say what she needs to.

“When I told you of my vision, I only told you the beginning, but it seems it might be time to reveal to you the rest. I was shown so little, but the bits and pieces I was shown were of a war. I couldn’t see our enemy, only the chaos they brought to us. I was warned of a traitor and the goddess mentioned bringing light to the darkened heart. I don’t know what she meant, but she said we will stand against those who wish to see us fall and that in the height of the raging war, we must band together to bring light to the darkened heart.” Goosebumps prick at her flesh as if the vision happened today and not two years ago.

“Whatever war, whatever monsters and enemies we’ll face, we’ll face them together. We’re a team, Em. You have not only me standing at your side, but our entire pack. We can handle anything life throws our way.” I take her hands in mine and bring them to my lips, one at a time, sealing my promise with a kiss.

“Come to bed with me?” Her voice hints at her being nervous and I feel the unspoken request, one I was hoping she would make soon, but hadn’t dared hope for…not yet. We both stand and I release one of her hands while still holding the other tightly as we make our way to our room. I can tell she’s just as nervous and excited for this as I am, but I know, without a doubt, that we’re both ready to seal our bond. Once the door to our room closes, she begins slowly undressing, her eyes only leaving me long enough to pull her shirt over her head. I follow her lead, both of us shamelessly ogling each other as our clothes slowly fall, scattered across the floor.

“You’re so beautiful, Emery.” With the last of our clothes gone, I stand in front of her, completely enamored with her beauty. She takes a step closer, so I close the last remaining distance, my lips crashing into hers while my arms wrap around her tightly, my hands desperate to explore every untouched inch of her. I back her to the edge of the bed then slowly guide her onto it, her back hitting the soft comforter while our lips remain connected. My arousal is pressing against her stomach, desperate to be inside her, connecting us in the most intimate way.

I remove my mouth from hers, trailing kisses across her jaw and down her neck to her pulse point, the place where she’ll soon bear my mark. My hand runs down her side, over her hip, slowly making its way to her hot, wet folds, the gates to her core. As my fingers part them and begin stroking and exploring her, I pray I’m doing this right, though with my non-existent experience, I’m running off pure instinct here. Her delicate moans and whimpers tell me she’s pleased, so I continue, slowly increasing the speed and pressure of each stroke until she’s a panting mess, writhing beneath me until she cries out my name in ecstasy.

I slowly pull my fingers away then line myself up with her entrance while she’s still coming down from her high. I lock eyes with her and when she gives me a single nod, I begin to push myself into her, inch by agonizing inch until I hit her barrier. Her hands grip my shoulders tightly and I can feel them trembling in anticipation of the pain she’s about to feel, a pain I wish I could take from her before she even feels it.

“I’m so sorry, Em. This is going to hurt, but I promise I’ll take care of you. I love you, Emery, I love you so much.” She gives me a shaky smile then stretches enough for her lips to meet mine.

“I love you too. I’m ready.” Without giving her time to react, I thrust forward, causing her to cry out in pain while I try to kiss away each tear that slips from her beautiful eyes. I remain inside her, unmoving, while I give her time to adjust to being filled for the first time. It takes every ounce of my self-control to not push forward and ravage her like a beast, but I manage…for her I’ll always manage.

“It’s okay, Em. I’ve got you. I love you, beautiful. I promise to make you feel good. I’ll take care of you, Em.” After a few tense minutes, she takes a deep breath, opens those beautiful amethyst eyes and gives me a soft smile and a firm nod. I slowly withdraw and thrust forward, the sensations of each movement are almost enough to drive me to the brink of insanity, but goddess, it feels so amazing. Emery begins moaning, her hands caressing and gripping my back as she arches into me, her hips slowly moving to meet each thrust as we find our rhythm together. I feel her pleasure building as her walls tighten round me, seemingly pulling me further into her tight, hot channel until she explodes around me, my name leaving her lips on a pleasure filled cry. I bring her to her release two more times before being unable to hold back, roaring my release as I sink my teeth into her neck with her mimicking my actions, sealing our bond at the height of our pleasure.

“I can feel you.” The words come out on a soft sob as she clings to me tightly, but I know what she means. I felt it the moment our bond firmly snapped into place, the once thin thread now an unbreakable chain that will bind us for all eternity. I feel her emotions, the joy, disbelief and most of all, her love…for me.

“I feel you too, beautiful. Goddess, I’m so glad I waited for you. I would never forgive myself if I had shared this moment with anyone else. Are you okay?” She pulls back and the smile that she gifts me with is the most amazing sight, lighting up her face and making her eyes emit a soft glow.

“I’m more than okay.” I slowly untangle myself from her only to lift her into my arms and carry her to the bathroom where I set her on the counter while I run her a bath with some oils to help soothe her aches and nourish her milky white skin. She ends up insisting that I join her which results in another round of love making before we finally dry off and go to bed, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms.

Chapter 10

Archer

I had expected it to take several days at minimum to hear from the council, so when Emery and I are woken up just as the sun is rising by a mind link coming through from Micca, we’re both surprised, yet eager to hear what they have to say. We quickly dress and brush our teeth then she throws her hair into a messy knot on top of her head before we walk downstairs together, heading straight to the conference room where Micca has the video call already connected with the six council member’s faces displayed.

“Alpha Archer, Luna Emery, we’re sorry to bother you so early, but we feel that the information we found was too urgent to put off sharing it with you both. Luna, when you mentioned that Luna Araya came from the River Run Pack, I was honestly quite shocked. I’m guessing you weren’t aware, but River Run was completely wiped out by an attack nearly four years ago. It took calling in a few favors, but we got the pack records that had been retrieved from their packhouse and there’s no record of an Araya ever being a member.” Alpha Ryan relays his findings with a somber expression, but I want to kick myself for not remembering the news about River Run. It had happened when we were facing issues with a group of rogues, but it shouldn’t have been so easily forgotten since all seventy members of their small pack were slaughtered.

“While Councilman Ryan was looking into River Run, I reached out to nearly every pack in the country and every single one denies having any pack members, current or former, with the name Araya and we even sent most of them a picture of her and your brother, but no one seems to know who she is. You said he met her while visiting River Run…but that was only months ago, correct?” Councilman Bryce speaks this time, but the more they speak, the less sense this all makes.

“Yes, she’s been there for five months, so they met around six months ago, I guess.” Her voice starts out strong, but by the end, the realization of what they’re saying seems to have set in causing her voice to soften until it’s barely more than a whisper.

“And you said the other pack members are acting strange as well?” Councilman Fredrick asks with a strained voice, though his expression gives nothing away.

“Yes, sir. They all changed and I wasn’t being dramatic when I said it happened overnight. One day things in the pack were fine and we all were the same united pack we had been since Jonah took over as alpha, then, the next morning, everyone was cold, cruel and the guards had become aggressive towards me. This was all after Luna Araya’s first night in the pack.” They all share a concerned look, silently communicating with each other before anyone speaks again.

“We’re sending a group to perform a formal investigation. They should arrive at Ember Claw by this evening and we expect to hear news from them about their findings in no more than three days. We’ll contact you once we have news.” Alpha Ryan forces a smile that no one is buying while we all nod and offer our thanks before exchanging goodbyes.

“Can you link Jenna? I need to talk to her.” I’d be lying if I said I’m not confused by her request, but I easily agree to it and call Jenna in. It takes under five minutes for her to walk through the door and Emery greets her warmly, surprising my entire inner circle with her kind greeting.

“Thank you so much for coming, Jenna. When we spoke yesterday in the kitchen, you mentioned a concern that I had spelled the alpha into believing he was my mate. Is this something you’ve heard of happening?” I don’t know what to feel right now. Angry because a member of our pack dared accusing my mate of such a thing, or the fact that this is what Emery wished to speak to her about.

“Yes, I have. My cousin’s pack back east, the Ridge View Pack. Their former alpha had been spelled by a witch and was forced to believe the witch was his mate. She killed his fated mate which is the only way she could create an artificial bond with him. It was an awful mess and nearly destroyed the entire pack. If the alpha’s son hadn’t challenged him and chased off his false mate, I doubt the pack would’ve survived.” I don’t know where Emery is going with her line of questioning, but hearing what Jenna knows, it’s not going anywhere good.

“Would your cousin be able to video call us with her alpha? I’d really like to speak with them.” Jenna quickly pulls out her phone and sends a message that’s responded to in under a minute.

“Yes, they’ll call Alpha Archer after Alpha Chris finishes with the pack training.” With that, Jenna returns to her patrol while the rest of us discuss what we think the council might find, except Emery who sits in her chair, seemingly lost in thought, but I feel no unsettling emotions through our bond, so I let her be. It’s nearly three when Alpha Chris’s call comes through and we wait while Micca patches it into the conference room. Once the faces come through on the screen, Emery jumps into her greeting.

“Thank you for taking the time to contact us, Alpha Chris. We’ve been communicating with the council about an issue in my brother’s pack and Jenna informed me that you might be able to answer some questions for me. Jenna said your father had been spelled by a witch?” It’s impossible to miss how much this topic makes him uncomfortable, but he answers anyway.

“Yes, he was. What questions do you have about it?” She takes a deep breath then grabs the picture I had printed of Jonah and Araya, holding it up to the camera for him to see.

“Does the woman in this picture look at all familiar to you?” Even before she asks, I can see his answer in his wide eyes.

“How did you get that? Who’s that with her and when was it taken?” His tone went from tense to frantic in the blink of an eye, but my mate doesn’t let it stop her from continuing her questioning.

“This is my brother and his new luna, Araya. Our entire pack was led to believe that he met her while visiting the River Run Pack around six months ago.” Before she even finishes speaking, Chris is shaking his head, a look of sheer disbelief on his face.

“That’s not possible. River Run was wiped out over four years ago and her name isn’t Araya. Her name is Silvia, or at least that’s what she told us. That witch turned my father against my sister and I, then soon the whole pack was turning on us. It didn’t end until I challenged my father and won which made her run off. I’m assuming she’s already weaving her darkness through your brother’s pack then?” Emery nods her head, her emotions shifting to something cold and dark. I grab her hand and pull her into my lap to try to comfort her.

“Do you know anything about River Run? Do you know what happened before the pack fell?” I get a sinking feeling that I know where this is going and I really don’t like it.

“Not much, really. The pack fell less than a year after their alpha had ascended with his mate at his side. Alpha Hawk from the Lunar Ridge Pack would have more information, I’m sure. Not only were they neighboring packs, but Hawk and Victor were close friends too.” I link Micca and ask him to contact the council with what we’ve learned and he responds with telling me he’s recording the conversation to send to them. Micca always seems to know what to do without me even telling him. He truly is the best beta I could ask for.

Alpha Chris and Emery talk for only a few more minutes before ending their call, but there’s one thing I can’t deny…this is shaping up to be a much bigger situation than any of us were prepared for.