Chapter 21

“So…Matt has known about me this whole time?” Seth takes a deep breath and I see the thoughtful look pass over him before he speaks.

“He suspected, but he wasn’t sure. He can pick up the very faint scent of your wolf, but he said he couldn’t tell for sure. He wanted to tell you, but he wasn’t sure how you’d handle it. It seems he was worried for nothing.” He gives me a cheeky grin that has me rolling my eyes.

“Then how did Mr. Stone pick up on it if my own cousin couldn’t?” I can tell he wasn’t expecting me to ask, but I’m glad he seems to be at least considering the question.

“Okay, so in a pack, there’s a hierarchy, different positions of power. At the very top is the Alpha, the leader of the pack, and beneath him is the beta, the second in command, so to speak. Mr. Stone, or Harlin, is a beta for my father’s pack. My father is the alpha. The higher a wolf’s rank, the more heightened their senses are. Once I was able to scent you, I knew it would’ve only been a matter of time before Harlin did. You remember when I told you about my big family who doesn’t approve of people who aren’t one of us?” My eyes widen with the realization of what he’s saying. His father is the leader of an entire pack of shifters and his family doesn’t approve of him dating anyone who isn’t a shifter. This is really too much like a damn supernatural book!

“Okay…so I’m a shifter who can’t shift, you’re part of a pack, Mr. Stone is not only a creep, but a shifter creep with high status, my cousin and Casey are shifters and Kris growled at me then scared the shit out of me when he jumped in front of my car. This is…insane. How is this my life right now?” While I wasn’t expecting him to answer, I also wasn’t expecting him to give me a look that says he’s not done dumping information on me yet.

“For the love…what else? There’s more, isn’t there?” He slowly nods as I brace myself for the next overload of information I probably won’t be able to grasp.

“There’s a reason I was able to pick up your scent so easily.” What the hell?

“Okay, so let me break this down the best I can. Shifters are creations of the moon goddess, Seline. When she created us, we were created with two souls, human and wolf. Our wolf soul is created with a special bond that will link them to another wolf, though in rare instances, some wolf souls have been linked to a human. These linked souls are what we call mates, or as you would know them, soul mates. There are some things the goddess put into place to make it easier for mates to find each other. A shifter can pick up his mates scent from great distances, then there’s the connection when their eyes meet, but the biggest one is the electricity that passes between them when they touch.” As if to further prove his point, the one he’s made without actually stating it, he runs his fingertips from my wrist to my elbow and of course, those damn tingly sparks are there.

“So…you’re saying that you think I’m your mate…” I continue to stare ahead, letting myself process the new information, but as I’m waiting for the shock, disbelief, or maybe even fear to hit me, all I feel is comforted. It’s like this is a piece of the puzzle of my life that I didn’t even know was missing. It feels like hearing him confess that our souls were made to be together has brought a sense of rightness to my life.

“Yeah, I am and I know for a fact that you are. I wanted to have time with you so I could try to build a relationship with you that isn’t built on the mate bond alone because I know you might have a hard time trusting me and being open with me after what your piece of shit ex put you through. I wanted you to have no doubt that anything that develops between us is real, not just the work of some divine being.” How the hell am I not freaking out right now?

“You know…I caught your eyes glowing so damn many times and kept telling myself I was going crazy. This all should freak me the hell out. I should be terrified after watching you turn into a giant wolf, yet all I can think about is how beautiful he was and how soft his fur was. This is absolutely insane.” I finally turn my head to look at him and his hopeful expression has me smiling before I even realize I’m doing it.

“Now you see why the others were pushing so hard to get us alone together?” Well, I guess it definitely does makes sense now.

“So, they know who I am to you then?” He nods and I can see his fingers twitch, almost like he’s fighting to hold himself back from something.

“Explain more about the whole mate thing. Do mates always get together? Is being someone’s mate different from being their husband or wife?” He seems happy with me asking him about this and he doesn’t even hesitate to answer my questions.

“So, mates usually end up together, but there are some occasions, though rare, where one of the mates rejects the other, but that’s very physically and emotionally painful for both wolves involved. A mate is for life. If you meet your mate and they accept you, there’s kind of a ritual that completes the bond between them and once they follow through with the ritual, their souls are bound till death. I guess in some ways it’s like being married, only more intense and more permanent.” I don’t know why, but the idea of having someone who makes the choice to be with me until the end of my days is exciting…until another thought occurs to me.

“Wait, your family won’t accept anyone who isn’t like you. I can’t shift, Seth, so doesn’t that mean that they wouldn’t approve of us being together? Shit, are you even considering accepting me?” Great, and now I’m confused and feeling oddly panicked!

“Hey, look at me, Izzy.” My eyes find his all on their own and just looking at him has me calming down a little. “I want you, Izzy. I, Seth Warren Iverson, accept you, Issalia Montenegro, as my mate. As for my family, they won’t dare come between me and my fated mate. The real question is, will you be able to accept me?” I really should take time to think about this, heaven knows I should, but something about Seth just feels…right.

“How will this whole thing work? Do we just move in together? Where would we live? I still need to find a job.” I have so many questions, but not a single one is about whether or not I want to be with him.

“Well, my house is only twenty minutes from here and while I’d be thrilled to have you live there with me, we can find or build a new house if you don’t want to live there. As for work, you don’t have to work, but if you want to, I can guarantee that Casey and Matt would love to have you work at the vineyard, or we can look for something else for you if you want. I’ll support you no matter what you choose, Izzy.” I swear, his answer is perfect and is exactly what I needed to hear to silence my worry. Without letting myself think too hard on it, I reach over and grab his hand, the simple action making all of his tense muscles instantly relax.

“So, this means you’re kind of stuck with me then, eh?” I swear, the smile that takes over his face makes his eyes light up and the sight is breathtaking.

“If you’ll let me, I’ll gladly be stuck with you, but that means you’ll be stuck with me too.” He arches his brow, almost as if he’s silently asking if I can handle it.

“I’ll agree on two conditions.” I see the amusement dancing in his eyes the second he sees my playful smile.

“Dare I ask what they are?” I turn my body to face him, my legs crossed in front of me and my hand never letting go of his.

“One, no matter where we live, there has to always be a bottle of sangria. Two, we can never run out of coffee.” His laughter is like music to my ears as he reaches over, wrapping his arms around me and pulls me into his lap.

“Deal. Now, I’ve been waiting to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you.” I don’t have a chance to question what he means before his lips crash into mine, delivering a desperate, passion filled kiss that makes my mind go completely blank while my arms snake around his neck to hold him close.

Chapter 22

When we both pull apart to catch our breath, he presses his forehead against mine while he stares into my eyes with a mixture of emotions that nearly knock the breath out of me.

“Holy shit.” Maybe I could’ve found something more profound and thoughtful to say, but my mind is still kind of stalled out from that mind-blowing kiss.

“Yeah, that about sums it up. We should head back before Casey comes out here and drags us back.” I can tell he’s as disappointed about releasing his hold on me as I am.

“You’re right. I hate it, but you’re right.” His deep chuckle vibrates right through me and brings an instant smile to my face. He gives me one last tender kiss then helps me stand up before hopping to his feet and leading me to my Durango. The drive back to the vineyard feels like it takes far longer than it should, but I get a wide smile when he parks next to me in front of my cabin and rushes over to open my door for me. We walk to the main cabin, hand-in-hand, ready to face the others…well, he is. The second I see the blinding smile on Casey’s face, I’m considering running the other way.

“He told you?! Oh thank heavens!” I’m guessing my expression gives away the lingering hurt I feel over knowing that both her and Matt kept such a huge secret from me, though I do try to hide it.

“Yeah, he did. We discussed the basics, I guess, but we still have the small things to sort out.” Casey takes a hesitant step forward, acting as if she’s afraid I’ll bolt for the door if she makes any sudden movements.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t tell you about us, Izzy. I promise we didn’t keep it from you to hurt you. We honestly just didn’t even know how the hell to bring it up. It’s not like you would’ve been cool with us coming out and saying ‘hey, we’re wolf shifters. How was your drive?’ I was actually really excited when Seth told us you’re his mate because I knew the cat would be out of the bag once he worked up the nerve to tell you. I know, that makes us cowards, but I was so damn scared we’d lose you, Izzy.” And just like that, my hurt evaporates and I find myself smiling at my friend.

“It’s okay. I get it, I guess. I mean, I didn’t handle it the greatest when Seth morphed into a wolf right in front of me, but we’re good now. I still can’t believe I’m hanging out with a bunch of people who can turn into freaking wolves. It’s kind of cool.” Seth gives my hand a squeeze then leans over to kiss my temple.

“Alright, let’s eat so I can get this one to bed. She’s had a pretty crazy day.” I want to roll my eyes, but instead I find myself yawning which earns laughs from the others. We all sit down for dinner with Kris, James, Chad and Eric joining us, all of them seemingly relieved to know they don’t have to hide their secret anymore. Chad and Eric even tell me stories of their mischievous younger days when they used to scare the people on the outskirts of Edinbrook by running around as their wolves. It’s crazy to me that in a room full of wolves, I finally feel like I’m home.

After Seth and I finished eating, Casey practically rushed us out the door and Seth seemed all too happy to go. He held my hand all the way to my door where he hesitated, looking unsure of whether or not I was going to let him come in. His behavior is actually kind of cute, but with the sand stuck all over me, all I want is to take a shower. With him still holding my hand as he stands at the door, I give his hand a firm tug, urging him to come inside and that’s all the encouragement he needs.

“I need to take a shower and get all this sand off of me, not to mention the fact that I smell like lake water, dirt and grass.” It’s not really an offensive smell, but it’s not a smell I want to have lingering on my bed.

“Okay. I can wait down here, maybe get a fire going.” I’ve never been a very forward person and I certainly wasn’t very adventurous in my relationship with Greg, but with Seth, I want to be.

“Or…you can join me.” I don’t wait for his response before practically jogging up the stairs, but I don’t have to wait to get it since his heavy footsteps are only seconds behind me. I get to the bathroom and get the water in the shower going so it can heat up then turn to find Seth standing in the doorway, his eyes glowing slightly as he looks at me.

“You’re so beautiful, Izzy.” He takes slow, steady steps toward me, giving me time to stop him if I should want to…but I don’t. Instead of telling him to stop, I slide the thin straps of my dress off my shoulders then tug it down until it drops to the floor around my feet. I reach up to untie the string around my neck when his hands stop mine and he gives me a soft smile.

“Allow me to help you.” My hands drop down to my sides and I watch his expression as his hands carefully untie the strings at my neck then the ones at my back before pulling off my top and tossing it on the floor. He then repeats the careful actions to untie the strings on both hips, leaving me bare before him when the bikini bottoms hit the floor.

“My turn.” I grab the hem of his shirt and drag it up over his stomach and chest then over his head once he lifts his arms for me. I toss his shirt to the floor then slowly drag my hands from his shoulders, down his chest and stomach until I reach the front of his shorts. I unhook the button then unzip them and let them fall, having completely forgotten that his boxers were destroyed when he turned into his wolf.

“Damn, I’m pretty sure there are laws against looking as good as you do.” I slowly rake my eyes from his head, down his chest, stomach, stopping briefly to appreciate his very impressive package, then continuing down his thick, muscular legs, not even caring that he’s now laughing.

“I’m glad you approve, but you’re too far away.” He grabs both of my hands in his and pulls me into his chest then surprises me when he bends down just enough to get a grip on my ass and lift me, my legs wrapping around him automatically. One second he’s stepping into the huge shower and the next, my back is pressed against the wall and his mouth is on mine. I’m no virgin, but everything he does to me makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. Every touch of his hands, caress of his tongue, every time I feel his breath on my skin, it sets me on fire. I can feel the head of his more than impressive erection pinned between my pelvis and his stomach, the knowledge that it’s so close has me dripping with arousal.

“Seth…I need you.” God, I’ve never been needy before, but for this man, I’m fairly certain I’d go as far as to beg if it meant having him inside me.

“Are you sure, Izzy? I’m not going to rush you. I’m happy just being near you until you’re ready.” His concern and consideration for me are touching, but…

“Either you take care of me, or I will. Please, Seth…” I feel him lift me higher then he slowly lowers me onto him, feeding his hard length into me, inch by painfully delicious inch until he’s bottomed out. I feel like he’s damn near impaling my cervix as he stretches me to limits I never knew I could reach.

“Is this what you were wanting, beautiful?” His husky voice is strained and I know it’s from holding himself back while he lets me adjust to his size.

“God, yes!” The sounds coming out of me are foreign to me, but the one that seems to urge him to move is a desperate whimper…yeah, that’s right, I whimper! He slowly pulls out then thrusts back into me gently…too gently.

“I’m not made of glass, Seth. Stop holding back.” A deep growl vibrates through him and I feel his restraint shatter and he lets go, thrusting deep and hard, both of us moaning from the intensity of each thrust. My hands are gripping his shoulders while his have a tight, bruising grip on my ass as he uses it for leverage to lift me and pull me down to meet each powerful thrust, not even slowing when I feel my first orgasm rolling in and crashing into me. I scream out his name as I clench tightly around him, but it only seems to spur him on, making him drive into me like a man possessed.

“I think you have one more in you.” Each word is punctuated by a hard thrust of his hips and just as I open my mouth to protest, I feel the tension in my stomach, quickly becoming more intense until I can’t hold back. Maybe I should’ve asked more questions about the whole mating thing because if I had, I wouldn’t get such a shock when I feel his erection widening at the base, stretching me to the point of causing a burning pain to shoot through my core before I feel something large and hard slip inside me and I feel like it locked him in place.

“What…what the hell?” I use my hold on his shoulders to push him back enough to meet his eyes, but he doesn’t look at all concerned.

“It’s okay, it’s completely normal and will go down in a few minutes.” That…did not answer my question…at all!

“What is this it?” He adjusts us so that his body is pinning mine to the wall with one hand still supporting me with a grip on my hip while the other gently cups my cheek.

“When shifters mate, the males knot their female. Shit, I really should’ve explained all this before we went this far. Fuck, I should’ve pulled out. Goddess, I’m so sorry, Izzy. I wasn’t thinking and my wolf was kind of taking over, but I should’ve fought him harder.” I can tell he’s going to keep rambling so I silence him the only way I can think to, by pressing my lips to his until the rise and fall of his chest becomes closer to normal.

“It’s okay, Seth. It was a bit of a shock, but we’re okay.” He rests his forehead against mine, but I can tell he’s still beating himself up over the whole thing.

“But…what if you…we didn’t use protection, Izzy. We haven’t even discussed the possibility of having pups. Hell, we haven’t even really figured out where we’re going to live.” I smile when he mentions pups, the term making me feel both amused and strangely excited.

“Well, let’s get this out of the way right now. I want to have kids. Obviously I’m not saying right this second, but if it’s meant to happen, it will. If you’re not ready for that step yet, we can use protection from now on. It surprises me that I can say this without a doubt in my mind, but I’m all in, Seth.” You would think I just gave this man the moon and stars with the way his face lights up before his lips crash into mine.

“I’m all in too. You don’t know how fucking happy you make me.” I can’t help smiling against his lips as I feel him growing hard again inside me before his knot has even gone completely down.

“I think I have an idea, but why don’t you show me.” And he does, two more times before we finally get cleaned off and go to bed.

Chapter 23

When I woke up this morning, wrapped up in Seth’s arms, something felt…off…not wrong, but I felt strange. It took some effort, but I managed to slip out of bed and make it downstairs to make coffee and relieve myself in the half-bath by the kitchen then I use the mouthwash in my purse to rinse my mouth, but I still feel strange. After pouring myself a cup of coffee, I go into the living room and take a seat on the couch before getting lost in my thoughts.

‘What the hell is wrong with me?’

‘Nothing’s wrong with you. I promise, you’re okay.’

‘Um, the first sign of insanity is answering your own questions in your head.’

‘Good thing you’re not answering yourself then.’

‘I’ve officially lost it. Seth screwed me senseless.’

‘Hell, yes he did!’

“Izzy?” my head snaps up, my eyes finding Seth’s green ones that are filled with concern and curiosity.

“Hey, sorry. I was lost in my thoughts I guess. There’s coffee in the kitchen.” His eyes never leave mine and rather than head to the kitchen, he walks over to me and sits down on the coffee table right in front of me.

“Izzy, baby, your eyes…they were glowing.” Wait…what?

“My eyes?” He nods, but his eyes never leave mine, almost as if he’s hoping to see them verify what he believes he saw.

“Yeah, they were glowing, Izzy. What were you thinking when I came down?” You would think that I would be embarrassed to admit that I was having an internal argument, but he can’t exactly think I’m the crazy one here when he thinks he saw my eyes glow.

“I was kind of arguing with myself. It was weird, but considering my life as of the last twenty-four hours, it’s pretty normal in comparison, I guess. Why?” I watch as his lips curl into a small smile as he reaches for my hands, wrapping them in his much larger ones.

“Did the voice in your head sound like yours?” I don’t even take a second to think before shaking my head.

“No, well, one did, but the other one didn’t.” I swear, either he woke up in a really good mood, or he’s genuinely finding my ridiculous inner monologue fiasco too damn entertaining.

“Try focusing on that other voice and try talking to her.” And now I’m certifiably insane because, yep, I’m going to humor him.

‘Uh…hi?’

‘Hey! I thought you were ignoring me or something!’

‘No, not ignoring you…I just feel a little crazy talking to myself, but at least no one can hear me.’

‘You’re not talking to yourself, not really. You’re talking to me! Oh, how rude of me! My name is Lia!’

‘Lia…that’s a pretty name.’

‘Awe, thank you! Your name is beautiful too, Issalia! Man, I wasn’t expecting to be dormant for so long! I should’ve been awake years ago! How old are you now?’

‘Uh, twenty-four?’

‘Oh, that’s…well, I mean it isn’t too bad, I suppose. We’re only six years late. You’re going to need to eat a big breakfast so you have a lot of energy later. I’ll hold off as long as I can, but we’re going to need to do this sooner rather than later.’

‘Woah, wait a minute. Do what?’

‘Shift, silly!’

‘Holy shit! Are you like…my wolf, or something?’

‘Of course, I am! What did you think I was, your fairy god mother?!’

‘Well, no. I was thinking more like a figment of my imagination conjured by copious amounts of stress and caffeine.’

‘No, though I’m a little surprised you don’t have one of those too. Now, drag our mate’s cute butt to the kitchen and eat!’ I feel my mind clear and find myself staring at a clearly excited Seth.

“You talked to her, didn’t you?” There’s no point in hiding it, so I nod. I really feel like I should be freaking out about all this and yet, it all feels so damn familiar somehow.

“Yeah, her name is Lia and she’s too damn happy for my caffeine deprived mind. She said I need to eat a big breakfast so I’ll have energy later then said something about holding off as long as she can.” And there goes that damn panty dropping, heart melting smile of his.

“Come on, Casey has breakfast ready and she has a cup of coffee with your name on it.” He pulls me to my feet and keeps hold of my right hand as he leads me out of the cabin and straight to the main house where, thank the merciful deities that gave me Casey, there is a cup of coffee waiting for me.

“So…you look…different. It’s a good different though!” Casey is the first to speak and, because she knows better, she waits to do so until I’ve managed to down half my cup of coffee.

“I feel different. Seth and I are going down to the lake after breakfast and I was thinking I could take a picnic lunch to surprise him.” It’s not a lie, but Lia keeps sending me mental images of the lake, so I assume she’s hinting that she’d like to go.

“Awe, that’s so sweet! I’ll pack some food and drinks for you. How did things go with you two last night? Did you manage to talk and figure things out.” I feel my cheeks flush as my lips curl into an involuntary smile.

“We figured some things out, but there definitely wasn’t a whole lot of talking involved.” It doesn’t happen often, but I officially managed to shock Casey! To make it even better, she’s still standing there, completely speechless, when the boys walk in.

“Um, Izzy? I think you broke my mate.” Hearing Matt refer to Casey as his mate after Seth explained the significance of one makes my smile widen.

“I think you’re right. Oh well, time to eat!” We all manage to get through breakfast without further mention of what Seth and I got up to last night and by nine, Seth and I are climbing into my Durango to head out to the lake. I let him drive so I can take in the view and he holds my hand the entire way.

“What did you say that made Casey malfunction back there?” His tone is pure amusement and even without looking at him, I know he’s smiling.

“She asked if we talked things through and figured stuff out last night, so I told her we figured some things out, but there wasn’t much talking involved.” He bursts out laughing and I can’t help but join him.

“You, my beautiful mate, are going to be a handful, aren’t you?” I nod, confirming his belief and knowing it to be true.

“Yep. Having second thoughts yet?” He pulls my hand up to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles.

“Never going to happen.” A calm silence settles over us as we continue our drive, both of us feeling content and undeniably happy. Even in this peaceful moment, I feel something stirring to life. The other voice in my head, Lia, is quiet and yet I can feel her anticipation, I can feel that something’s coming, but I’m not afraid. If anything, I feel a faint thrill of excitement that only seems to grow as we get closer to our destination. When I finally see the break in the trees and catch the first sight of the shimmering water, there’s no denying that I’m ready for whatever is coming. As soon as he parks the car, I’m climbing out and feel myself being drawn toward the water. I feel Seth following me, his presence both steady and comforting.

‘It’s time. Don’t fight it and let our mate help you through it.’

‘Because that’s not vague as hell. It’s time for what?’

‘For us to meet properly.’ There’s no further warning before I feel a sharp pain as several bones in my right leg feel like they break, but then I feel them shifting, reshaping. I didn’t even realize that Seth was holding me until I feel those delicious tingles erupting across my face as he gently strokes my cheek. I didn’t even realize that he laid me on the ground, but when I open my eyes, I’m staring up at his beautiful green eyes, their faint glow more comforting than ever as we prepare for my transition together.

Chapter 24

“Don’t fight it, Izzy. I promise you that it only hurts like this the first time. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to shift without pain and it becomes quicker too. Just breathe through the pain and let me help you. My touch can help ease the pain some and I’ll be with you the whole time.” What started as a slow process of one bone reshaping at a time, quickly turns into a symphony of cracking bones and pained cries until suddenly it all…stops. I open my mouth to ask him why when a soft whimper comes out.

“Oh, goddess…you’re stunning, Izzy.” I try to stand up, but when I stumble, I look down and realize that my hands are now two large, black paws. It takes a monumental effort to get up and stumble to the water, but when I look down, all the effort was more than worth it. The image looking back at me is enough to make my breath catch and my heart race. Staring back at me is a large black wolf with the most beautiful stormy grey eyes. I’m so caught up with inspecting my new appearance that I hadn’t even noticed the large black wolf behind me until I hear a soft rumble, not quite a growl, but closer to a purr and when I turn around, I find myself staring into the familiar and oh so beautiful green eyes of Seth’s wolf.

‘Our mate is gorgeous! Come on, let’s give him a little excitement. Our mate’s wolf loves the chase.’

‘This is your show, Lia. Show him what you’ve got.’ It’s crazy knowing there’s another being sharing space in my head, but it feels even crazier when I feel her take over our physical body. She rubs herself against him, slowly circling him and ensuring he’s covered in our scent which he seems more than happy to copy. Once they both seem satisfied, I feel Lia’s excitement spike as she crouches down, issues a playful yip then takes off across the clearing and into the trees. I can hear Seth’s paws hitting the ground behind us, but Lia is surprisingly fast and I can tell she isn’t even pushing herself that hard yet.

The game of cat and mouse goes on for what has to be close to an hour before Lia takes us back to the lake, almost reaching the shore when we’re tackled to the ground. Lia’s amusement has me smiling internally as Seth’s wolf licks the side of our face before repositioning himself until he’s laying behind us, curled around our body like a shield. We lay there for a while, letting ourselves come down from the excitement of our run, but then I feel a strange sensation as Lia seems to retreat to the back of my mind…then it happens, the first bone cracking which is quickly followed by more. This time, things move so quickly that I barely have time to fully register the pain before I’m laying naked with Seth’s wolf staring down at me.

“Ugh, I need a shower.” The sound his wolf makes is most definitely a wolfish chuckle and earns a playful glare from me.

“Or maybe I’ll just go skinny dipping.” With a confidence I didn’t know I could possess, I stand up and slowly make my way into the water, not turning to look at Seth until I hear the now familiar cracking of his bones shifting. Seeing him standing at the edge of the water in all his naked glory is quite a sight to behold, but I don’t get to appreciate the view for long before he’s stalking into the water after me.

“So, how was it?” He stops only inches away from me, his hands easily finding their way to my hips as his green eyes stare down at me with such intensity that I can’t help but shiver with delight.

“It was amazing! I can’t believe this could’ve been my life all this time and I had no idea!” He pulls me by my hips until our bodies are pressed together, but I don’t miss how much the excitement has affected him when his erection becomes pinned between us. Knowing how much he’s affected by this moment has heat flooding me and I damn well know he can tell, but if I didn’t, his next words would only confirm it.

“Izzy, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to ravage you right here in the open.” For better or worse, this man has changed me. In the past, such a threat would have me feeling shy or embarrassed, but now, all I feel is excitement. Without giving him time to react, I grab his shoulders and jump up, my legs wrapping around his waist and my arms hooking around his neck as I slam my lips into his, making sure he can feel that I’m as desperate for him as he clearly is for me. His hands squeeze my hips tight and without hesitation, he most certainly does ravage me.

By the time we’re finished and fully sated, we’ve managed to make love in the lake and on the shore, but our fun is interrupted when my stomach lets out a very undignified growl that has us both falling into fits of laughter. Seth retrieves the picnic basket from the back of my Durango while I throw on his shirt and wait by the water for him. I can’t believe how much has changed in my life in such a short time and yet, everything seems to have fallen into place. I feel like all the things I’ve learned are simply pieces to a puzzle that are finally falling into place.

“Alright, get over here so I can feed you,.” I turn my head at the sound of Seth’s voice, but he’s already bending down to pick me up by the time my eyes lock with his. He carries me over to the blanket he laid out and carefully sits down with me settled in his lap.

“So, when do you have to leave?” I know he has not only a job, but his own house away from the vineyard, but the reality that he wouldn’t be staying here forever just now hit me and I have to admit, I’m not okay with it.

“Well, I have to be back at the office for a few meetings in two days, but I was hoping you would come with me. I know you don’t work there anymore, but you can check in on the progress on your house and after my meetings, we can go get lunch then I can take you to see the house.” I can feel how much he wants me to agree to his plan and aside from the whole ‘going back into the city’ part, it sounds great.

“I guess I really should check in with the realtor and I would love to have lunch with you and see your home.” He pulls me tighter against him and nuzzles into my neck.

“Why don’t we head to my place tomorrow, spent the night there and then we can take care of the other shit Thursday morning?” I nod my head, willing to agree to damn near anything if it means being with him. I’ve never been a clingy partner, but the thought of being away from Seth leaves a very physical ache in my chest.

“Can I stay in your office during your meetings? That way you can go with me to talk to the realtor and we can go get lunch from there.” He must sense my unease, or maybe he feels it too, because he doesn’t hesitate to nod his agreement.

“Sounds perfect. You should stop in and say hi to Sarah while we’re there.” I know he’s right and now that I’m not working there, I’m not worried about becoming part of the office’s gossip chain.

“Sounds good to me.” We continue to sit on the blanket together while we eat the sandwiches Casey had made us and talking about his upcoming meetings, what I need to discuss with the realtor and he even tells me a little about his house that I really can’t wait to see. We finally made it back to the ranch just before four and, while it pained us both, we parted ways to get showered and dressed for dinner. I’m not at all surprised when there’s a knock on the cabin door ten minutes till five and even less surprised when I open the door to find Seth standing there, his green eyes boring into mine with enough intensity to make my knees weak.

“I let Matt and Casey know our plans for the next few days. She insists that she’ll be making biscuits and gravy for breakfast tomorrow to celebrate?” He seems confused by her celebratory breakfast choice, but Casey knows me well. My mother used to make biscuits and gravy to celebrate my birthday, to comfort me when I had a bad day and toward the end, to help alleviate the sadness after my father had one of his ‘episodes’.

“It’s one of my favorite meals.” The simple statement doesn’t even come close to explaining how much the simple act of providing the comforting meal means to me, but looking into his eyes, I feel like he somehow knows.

“I’ll lock that information away for the future. Come on, let’s go have dinner with our family.” I couldn’t be happier to hear that he considers these people family, just as I do. I lace my fingers with his and let him lead me out of the cabin and up to the main house where Casey is just finishing placing the dishes on the table.

“Oh, goddess, Izzy! I can smell your wolf!” I never really considered that they would be able to smell the change in me, but I’m also glad she gave me the opening I need to lay it all out there for them.

“Yeah, I shifted by the lake. Seth helped me.” Casey’s eyes are watering and her hands are clasped together, pressed against her chest.

“I’m so happy for you! And…are you two…official?” Seth’s arm slides around my waist and pulls me against his side, but he looks down at me, looking almost hesitant to answer her. I thought I had made my intentions clear, but I can appreciate that he’s letting me vocalize where I stand.

“Seth is my mate, as crazy as it is to say it. I’m all in and we’re going to figure things out as they come, but…I’m one hundred percent his.” I feel his lips press gently against my temple and I can feel him smile against the skin there.

“Oh, I’m definitely all in.” His deep voice has my body trembling and the heat of his breath fanning against my skin is pure torture in the best way.

“I’m surprised you two haven’t already marked and mated…well, at least marked each other. Judging by the smell coming from both of you, there’s not a chance in hell you haven’t mated already.” Casey’s tone is both playful and challenging, but I’m not about to deny it either, so I offer her a shrug and a smug smile.

“Don’t blame me. I’ve had to endure staring at his gorgeous body for too damn long and finally found out that I get to touch, taste and worship him whenever I want? Hell yes, I took full advantage of that knowledge.” Seth pulls me in tighter and I pick up on a smell that has Lia going wild, but it takes a few seconds to realize it’s the smell of his arousal and it’s absolutely divine.

“Holy goddess, let’s eat so you can go wear her out already.” Casey’s playful eye roll is met with laughter from both Seth and I, but my laughter fades into a soft moan when he presses his lips to my pulse point on my neck, the simple action setting me on fire and making Lia whimper with anticipation. We head into the dining room and find Kris and James already waiting and they quickly inform us that the others were called back to their pack to tend to an issue there, so they won’t be joining us. As we all sit down to eat, I realize just how much there is that I still don’t know about this new part of my life, but I find myself feeling eager to learn.

Chapter 25

After finishing dinner, Casey refused to let me stay and help with the cleanup, insisting that Seth needed to go ‘take care of me’, which he did…twice. I’ve never felt so desperate for another person, craved a person so deeply, but I can’t even bring myself to be bothered by it and Seth certainly doesn’t seem to mind. As we lay in my bed, tangled in each other, questions start swarming in my mind and I find myself asking questions I probably should’ve asked when we first started getting close.

“How old are you?” His instant laughter tells me he’s amused that I waited so long to ask, but he answers easily.

“Twenty-nine.” I hum my approval, thankful he isn’t making me feel foolish for not asking sooner.

“If your father is the alpha, what does that make you?” He’s quiet for a moment, but I know he’s just trying to find a way to supply his answer without further confusing me.

“I’m third in line to become alpha. Kris and I have two older brothers and the alpha role will pass to the eldest son. My eldest brother, Luke, is thirty-four and will be taking over for our father in a few months. Should something happen to him that makes him unable to take on the role, it would go to the second oldest, my brother Grant, who’s thirty-two.” I won’t lie, it brings me comfort knowing that he’s not going to be taking over his pack. I know it’s because I’m worried they won’t accept me which is what brings out my next question.

“What if they don’t approve of you being with me?” Lia whimpers in my head at the thought of him leaving us because of them, but he’s quick to reassure me.

“They have no reason not to, but…if they didn’t approve, then it’s their loss. I won’t give you up, not even for them. You’re mine, Izzy, just as much as I am yours. I told you, what we have is not some weak commitment, it’s a lifelong bond that I would never give up, not even for family.” Our conversation with Casey when we were in the kitchen flashes in my mind and brings a whole new question up that I find myself increasingly curious about.

“Casey said she was surprised we hadn’t marked and mated yet. I obviously know what mating is, but what did she mean by marking?” His body tenses a little and he pulls me tighter against him.

“I figured you’d ask sooner or later. I’ll do my best to explain it without scaring you and I promise it’s not as savage of a process as I’m sure it’ll sound. When mates find each other, There is a process they go through to lay claim to one another. First is mating, a joining of the body, but the second is marking. During the height of passion during the mating process, both mates will undergo a partial shift, allowing their wolf’s teeth to extend and then they bite down on the spot between the shoulder and the neck…” His fingers graze my pulse point, the simple touch making my body tremble with need. “right there. The bite allows both mates to connect on a deeper level, combining their scents permanently and it creates a unique and powerful bond that allows them to use what we call a mind link, where they can communicate telepathically. Unlike the normal mind link used by pack members, the link between mates is stronger and can cover greater distances.”

“Does it hurt?” He places a tender kiss on my forehead before answering me with a gentle tone.

“At first, but everyone says that the pain quickly fades and is replaced by immense pleasure. This isn’t something we have to rush into, Izzy. I’m not going to pressure you to do anything you aren’t ready to.” I appreciate how much he considers my feelings in all of this, especially since he knows how new I am to it all.

“Is it normal for mates to wait to mark each other?” His body tenses again and I can’t help worrying that I’m making this harder on him by not knowing their customs, but he answers with the same, soft, loving tone as before.

“No, not usually. Most mates are mated and marked within days, sometimes only hours, of finding each other. Our circumstances are very unique, though. Most wolves know that they’re wolves from the time they develop awareness. You were deprived of this knowledge for twenty-four years, Izzy. You can’t compare us to the others, I certainly don’t.” I know he means every single word, but there’s one thing that my mind clings to. Not only is this something normal for a shifter, but it’s something that would permanently connect us and bring us closer.

“What if I said I’m ready?” The entire bed shifts under his wight as he turns onto his side to face me fully, my grey eyes raising up to meet his green ones with unwavering confidence.

“Izzy, as much as I can’t wait to mark you, that step will bind us together permanently. You won’t be able to walk away or change your mind after that. I want you to be mine in every way, but only when you’re sure you’re ready.” If I hadn’t already been ready to take that step with him, I sure the hell would be now. Instead of giving him a verbal response, I put my mouth to better use, stretching up to press my lips to his as my hand grabs the side of his neck then I let it glide down to his chest, then lower until I find his already hard cock waiting for me. I wrap my fingers around him, earning a hiss followed quickly by a deep moan as my hand begins stroking him.

I feel his hand grazing the skin on my inner thigh, making its way to my core that’s already dripping with arousal for him. The second he realizes how ready I am, he grabs my wrist and guides my hand above my head then slides between my legs before taking my other wrist and bringing it above my head as well. I feel the large head of his erection as he moves it across my heated core, teasing me as he coats himself in my arousal in preparation before positioning himself and thrusting forward. He bottoms out in a single thrust that has us both moaning loudly, my body igniting from his touch and the feeling of him buried inside me.

We’ve made love many times now, but something about this time feels so different. I feel the anticipation, the eagerness and excitement of what’s to come. He brings me to my first climax quickly and by the time I feel the stirring of sensations coming on for the second time, I know he’s not far behind. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, but Lia pushes forward, taking the reins as her instincts guide her.

Just as our orgasm reaches its peak, I feel a sharp sting in my neck, but the sting quickly brings a third orgasm on and Lia extends her teeth, sinking them into the soft flesh on Seth’s neck which seems to trigger his own climax and I feel his knot push into me as he moans loudly, crying out my name in the most beautifully breathy tone. We both lick the new wounds clean and as Lia retreats, satisfied with her work, I’m shocked when I see the fresh wound healing and sealing shut right before my eyes.

As he presses his forehead to mine, his eyes closed and a look of complete serenity taking hold of him, I feel a sudden flood of emotions tear through me. I can feel happiness, surprise, contentment, but most of all, I can feel love. When he opens his eyes, every single one of the emotions I feel are reflected in his eyes, and that’s when I realize they aren’t my emotions I’m feeling, they’re his.

“I feel you. Is that normal?” He chuckles softly and nods his head without removing his forehead from mine.

“It is. You’re officially mine, Issalia Montenegro, heart, body, mind and soul.” Such a possessive declaration from anyone else would send me running for the hills, but from Seth, it makes me feel comforted, loved and desired.

“And you, Seth Iverson, are mine.” He presses his lips to mine and the sparks seem to intensify. I feel his knot recede and he slowly rolls onto his side then pulls me into his arms, holding me like I’m the most precious thing in his world.

“Let’s get some rest. We can leave after breakfast tomorrow so you have time to explore the house and we can spend some time alone before we have to face our trip to the city.” I can feel how excited he is to show me his house, but I also feel a hint of nervousness from him. I know he’s worried I won’t like it, but how could I not? It’s close to Matt and Casey, it’s a place he loves and he’ll be there. What’s not to love?! Wrapped tightly together, we both easily find sleep.

Chapter 26

The warmth of the morning sun shining through the small slits in the curtains guides me out of the most comfortable sleep I’ve ever experienced. I can feel the warmth and weight of Seth’s body still holding me tightly which brings an instant smile to my face. I carefully extract myself from his arms and make short work of running through my morning routine, showering and get dressed without waking him. Once I make it downstairs, I get started on making a pot of coffee then grab my phone off the charger on the breakfast bar so I can check my email while I wait.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” I flash him a smile before hurrying over to the coffee maker and pouring him a cup of coffee.

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?” I hand him the cup which he takes then immediately sets it on the counter and pulls me into his arms.

“Better than okay. I couldn’t tell you the last time I slept so well. How about you?” I stretch up on my toes and press my lips to his, leaving a soft kiss there, though part of me really wants much more. I can’t believe I could already be so eager to jump him after we spent so much time wrapped up in each other last night!

“I think that was the best night’s sleep I’ve gotten in years.” He gently kisses my forehead then reaches over for his cup of coffee, but one arm stays around firmly my waist.

“Well, let’s go face the others over breakfast. I’m sure they’re going to be overjoyed and eager to congratulate us before we take off. I already handled packing everything we’ll need for the trip, so I just need to load it in the car before we go.” I grab my mug off the counter then smile when he takes my hand and laces his fingers with mine before leading the way out of the cabin. Seth was right, they were all more than excited for us and barely managed to settle down enough to eat their breakfast…not me though. Thanks to Seth, I’ve worked up quite the appetite!

“So, what are your plans? You’re going to Seth’s place tonight, then the city, then back to Seth’s place, right?” I nod in answer to Casey’s question.

“Yeah. He has to attend a few meetings and I need to check in with the realtor about the house. Before we go there, we’re going to check out his house so he can show me around. As far as I know, the plan is to go back to his after we finish up in the city.” I honestly wish we could skip the city altogether, but he has work and the sooner I wrap things up with my old house, the sooner I can completely close that chapter of my life for good.

“Well, just make sure you both are back here in four days.” I give Casey a curious look that has her smile widening.

“Why? What’s in four days?” I mentally go over every upcoming holiday and anything I may have committed to, but come up short.

“It’s the full moon! We’ll be having a big barbeque where you’ll get to meet the others in our pack and then we let our wolves run at midnight!” She’s so excited and I feel bad that I don’t share her enthusiasm, but this is all so new to me still.

“Oh, okay. Do you…think the others will like me?” Casey gives me a soft smile and I have a feeling she was expecting me to feel nervous.

“They’ll love you, Izzy. You have literally nothing to worry about and I think you’ll be surprised by how many members of our pack you already know.” The idea that I’ve already met at least some of them is actually comforting.

“Hey, beautiful. You about ready to go?” I swear, just his voice alone puts a damn smile on my face, but I don’t mind it one little bit.

“Yeah. I guess we have to be back here in four days?” He nods at me as he closes the distance between us and wraps me in his arms.

“Yes, we do. Can’t let you miss the first full moon run, can I?” Feeling his excitement through our bond sparks my own and now I can’t wait to experience yet another new thing in this world I never knew existed. After saying our goodbyes, we head out to Seth’s car where he already has our bags loaded up and ready to go. Our drive to his house is actually quite short and once we pull onto the well-maintained dirt road, I can’t contain my excitement as I take everything in. His house, if you can call it that, lies nestled deep within the forest and it…is…glorious! It’s a two story log cabin style home with a wrap around porch and a balcony that covers the whole front of the second floor. There are tons of large windows that flood the house with natural light and forest surrounding every side.

“This place…it’s so beautiful, Seth.” We’re both sitting in his car, taking it all in, and he gives me a bright smile before getting out of the car and he hurries over to open my door for me like a damn gentleman.

“I’ll get our bags later, but for now, let me give you a tour.” And he does. He shows me the living room, dining room, kitchen, his office, the in-home gym, all five bedrooms and the master bathroom that I fully intend to enjoy to the fullest with it’s walk-in shower with a rain shower head, the jacuzzi tub and the vast expanses of counter space.

“You seemed nervous about bringing me here, but I can’t understand for the life of me why…” I wait until we’re back in the kitchen to voice my thoughts and when I feel the warm emotions flowing from him, I’m glad that nervousness is gone.

“I was a little worried you wouldn’t like it. I built this house when I was twenty with my mate in mind. I wanted to have plenty of space, but I wanted it to be a place she would be comfortable and happy…a place where she could feel safe.” He grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge and hands it to me.

“Seth, it’s perfect, it really is. I’ll let you in on a little secret though…it could’ve been a one bedroom cabin and I would’ve been happy as long as you were there.” And that comment is what led to us christening the kitchen counter…and the dining table. By the time we’ve brought our things inside, it’s nearly eleven at night and we’re both beyond exhausted, barely making it to bed before falling asleep.

Waking up this morning with Seth’s arms wrapped around me, it was absolutely perfect…until I remembered that we have to go to the city today. Even Lia is a little on edge about it, but when I asked her why she was so bothered by it, she didn’t seem to understand the reason either. As soon as I move to slide out of bed, Seth pulls me back into his arms and peppers my shoulder, neck and cheek with kisses and the sweet gesture momentarily eases some of the tension.

“You okay?” Honestly, I had forgotten that he can literally feel my emotions as if they were his own, but I’m kind of thankful he can right now.

“I just feel…off? It’s not nervousness, I don’t think, but something just feels…weird.” Instead of brushing off my feelings or downplaying them, he sits up and gives me a serious look, one that makes me feel like maybe my concerns are valid, or at least like I shouldn’t be ashamed of feeling this way.

“Is Lia saying anything? Does she feel it too?” I nod my head, a strange sense of unease hitting me like a freight train.

“Yeah, she feels it, but she doesn’t understand why we’re feeling this way either.” He pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head, but now I can feel unease coming from him too, which only makes mine intensify.

“Baby, I need you to listen to me, okay? Our wolves can often sense things that we can’t. Sometimes they can pick up on danger, sometimes it’s just sensing something coming or something that’s going to happen. If you ever feel strange, or nervous and Lia feels it too, don’t ignore it. When we get to the office, I want you to stay in my office with the door locked during my meetings. Don’t open the door for anyone. I have a key, so I can get in after my meetings are over and then we’ll go to your house together.” The urgency in his tone has me agreeing without hesitation which seems to soothe his worry some.

“Yeah, I can do that. I need to take a shower before we go, so I should be able to be ready in thirty minutes.” He gives me one last kiss before letting me get up and run into the bathroom. The shower is amazing, lifechanging even. By the time I finish showering and get dressed, Seth is already wearing a charcoal grey suit with a white button-down shirt and a burgundy tie, officially looking too damn delicious. He even prepared two travel mugs with coffee and since neither of us are feeling up for breakfast, we head out twenty minutes early so he has extra time to prepare for his meetings.

Chapter 27

The office building hasn’t changed, not even a little bit…not that I thought it would, I guess. It has only been a few days since I was last here after all. It’s the same sleek, steel structure with hundreds of windows that look into office filled with people who hate their damn jobs, or at the very least, they hate one of the big bosses.

When Seth parks in his designated spot in the parking garage, I feel the heaviness in the air amplify, almost like a physical weight settling on me. I Know Seth can feel it, which he proves when he wraps his arms around me in the elevator, holding me tightly as he draws some of the tension from me.

“Maybe I should cancel the meetings today, reschedule them.” I hate that my weird emotional conflict is affecting his work, so I shake my head, refusing to be a complication for him.

“No, don’t do that. I’m sure it’s nothing, Seth. Let’s just get this done so we can meet with he realtor then go home.” He lets out a low growl that has my heart rate kicking up instantly.

“I love that you’re already calling it home. Alright, you know what you need to do. I promise we can come back so you can see Sarah soon, but right now, your safety is more important than anything.” I can’t imagine what kind of danger I could be in, but I agree because I know he needs me to for his own sake.

“Sounds good.” The doors open on the seventeenth floor and we both walk in, hand in hand. Eileen gives me a cold glare as we walk by her desk, but I try to ignore her as I let Seth lead me to his office. Seth quickly dives into reviewing the files for his first meeting, so to keep myself busy, I email my realtor to make sure we’re still on to meet up this afternoon. It’s ten minutes before his first meeting is set to start that the silence in the room is broken, but I don’t think either of us expected the intrusion of a loud knock followed by the door opening.

“Seth, I hope you’re…ah, Ms. Montenegro, I wasn’t expecting to see you again. I do hope you’re not here to try to ask for your old job back. The position has been filled, I’m afraid.” I really…really…want to roll my eyes…or slap him…hell, let’s be real here…I would love to do both.

“No, definitely not. I’m here today as a guest, so no need to worry.” I catch the faint glow is Seth’s eyes and I hope like hell he can rein it in until we leave. Explaining werewolves to an office building full of humans might be a little difficult. Wait, are they all humans?

“Seth, it seems you finally staked your claim. Good for you. Now, are you ready to get this meeting started?” Seth stands up, straightens up the pages in the folder then moves around the desk to stand in front of me where he drops down on one knee and locks those gorgeous green eyes on me.

“Remember what I told you. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you.” He leans forward, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that’s not just passionate, it’s claiming. He’s making it clear to Mr. Stone that I’m off limits.

“I love you too.” I can’t fight my smile as he places a kiss on my forehead then stands up and walks out the door. Once the door closes, I rush over and lock it then immediately hear Seth’s voice in my head.

“Good girl. I’ll be back soon.” I smile, loving that he can reach me without others knowing he’s doing it, now I just have to figure out how the hell to do it too. An hour has passed with me sitting in his office…alone…and completely, utterly bored out of my damn mind! As if that isn’t bad enough, I have to pee like it’s nobody’s business. Leave it to my amazing mate to have a fancy office with no bathroom attached! Isn’t that a requirement to be a CEO? Your own personal luxury bathroom attached to your luxurious office?

I try several times to send a message through the mind link thing, but I must be doing it wrong because he’s not responding. After waiting for another fifteen minutes, I can’t hold it anymore. I grab a sticky note off his desk, write a quick message then stick it on his computer monitor before slipping out of the office and down the hall toward Eileen’s desk.

“Excuse me, but can you point me in the direction of the restroom on this floor?” She gives me a dirty look then rolls her eyes as if my request is beneath her.

“Yeah, guest restrooms are on the first floor in the lobby. Last I checked, you’re no longer an employee here.” God! This woman needs to either get laid, get drunk or get high, maybe all three! I give her a sickly-sweet smile then make my way to the elevator, pushing the button which has the doors opening right away.

Once inside, I pull out my phone and send Seth a text to let him know exactly where I’m going so he won’t panic if he finishes his meeting early and I don’t come back right away. The doors open to the lobby and I turn down the hall then stop when I see the restroom doors blocked off by the cleaning crew and I want to scream! I stomp back to the elevator and press the up arrow then wait for the doors to open…yet again.

“Is everything alright? You seem upset.” The deep, gravely voice has me whipping my head around to find a large, tall man standing behind me. He almost looks familiar, but I’m fairly certain I’ve never met him before.

“Um, yeah. I needed to use the restroom, but they’re our of service at the moment. It’s just my luck, really.” I force a smile then turn back to the doors as they slide open. I step inside and the giant man follows behind me, making the small space seem impossibly smaller.

“What floor are you from?” I wrap my arms around myself, feeling that unease from earlier return with a vengeance.

“The seventeenth. I’m here with my boyfriend. He’s in a meeting right now, so I thought I could find a restroom while I wait.” I try to keep my tone light, not wanting the man to see that he makes me uncomfortable.

“You can use the one in my office. If your boyfriend is here for the Lawson meeting, they’ll be in there a while longer. Oh, where are my manners, I’m Lucas, and you are?” He holds out his hand to me and I cautiously grab it, giving him a handshake that feels far from comfortable.

“I’m Issalia. It’s nice to meet you.” He flashes a smile that seems far from friendly, but I’m saved when the doors open on the seventeenth floor…only I’m not…because he follows me.

“Here, follow me. My office is at the end of the hall and has a fully stocked restroom that you can use any time you need it.” I swear, my bladder must be doing the thinking because I follow him like a damn puppy. While his back is to me, I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to Seth.

Me: restrooms downstairs closed for cleaning. Lucas down the hall letting me use his. I love you.

Lucas pushes open the door at the end of the hall then steps aside and waves for me to enter, so I step inside and jolt from the sound of the door closing behind me.

“It’s just through the door there.” He points to an open door on the far side of the room and I waste no time getting in then close and lock the door. I’ve barely finished handling my business when I hear Seth’s voice, but he sounds far from calm. Hell, he sounds frantic!

“Izzy! Where are you?!” I try and fail yet again to reply, so I turn on the faucet in the sink and text him a reply.

Me: Can’t get this talking in my head thing to work. I’m in the restroom in Lucas’s office.

I slip my phone in my pocket then wash my hands thoroughly. After drying my hands and wiping up the few droplets that splattered on the counter then use the hair tie on my wrist to pull my hair into a messy bun before taking a deep breath and unlocking the door. I barely get it open when a hand wraps around my throat, drags me out of the doorway and slams me into the wall.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. So, my little brother got himself a little half breed mate? How pathetic. I knew I smelled him on you, but I never would’ve believed he marked you! He’s a disgrace to our bloodline, but at least this is one of his mistakes that I can erase!” I feel his grip tightening and Lia is panicking, pushing our claws forward and tearing into his arm, trying desperately to free us from his grip. I feel myself fading, but a sudden burst of energy hits me and I feel the familiar tingling that’s quickly followed by the breaking and shifting of bones, my wolf form forcing his grip to loosen as he struggles to maintain his grip, but fails as my large black wolf lunges at him, knocking him to the ground with her landing on top of him. With Lia controlling the show, I’m left to watch as she snarls at him and in his eyes, I see something I hadn’t expected to…fear. I hear the door swing open hard enough for it to slam into the wall.

“Baby! It’s okay! I won’t let him hurt you, but I need you to come back to me. We can’t let anyone else see you, Izzy.” Lia doesn’t want to back down, but I can feel her energy draining quickly until darkness consumes us.

Chapter 28

My head feels fuzzy, almost like I’m floating, but I can hear muffled voices that seem to be coming from all around me. It feels and sounds like my head is underwater and I can’t get my body to move, unable to even open my eyes, but the voices are slowly starting to come into focus. A sudden pressure that’s accompanied by tiny electric sparks lets me know that Seth is here, but the other voice…the one of the man who hurt me…Lucas…it has me feeling a toxic mixture of anger and fear.

“I can’t believe you marked a damn half-breed! What the hell were you thinking, Seth?! Do you have any idea the trouble this will cause?! The entire pack will be in chaos if they find out! It doesn’t matter if you’re a member or not because you’re the alpha’s son!” Lucas sounds just as angry as he did before I blacked out…no surprise there.

“A half-breed that knocked you on your ass, so watch your fucking mouth. She’s my fated mate and I don’t give a shit if she’s a half-breed, a human, a witch or a fucking vampire for fuck’s sake! She’s my mate! I chose her and I’ll choose her every damn time! You’re lucky I didn’t let her wolf finish you off!” Seth’s rage is so strong that it’s flooding our bond, but it’s oddly comforting. Knowing he cares so much about me that he’d be this angry and with his own brother no less, it’s something I’ve never experienced before. I’ve never had anyone but my mother, Casey and Matt who would be willing to stand up for me…to fight for me.

“Father will never allow it, Seth! She’ll never be accepted by our pack!” I feel Lia stirring, the first time I’ve sensed her since we passed out and she’s not happy.

“That’s too bad for him because I’m not asking. She’s mine, by the moon goddesses decree, and that will be honored by the elders and council, whether our father likes it or not. Just wait till they find out you tried to kill my mate, Luke. How do you think they’ll feel about that? Killing a wolf’s fated mate without cause is punishable by death. The only reason I haven’t already reached out to them is because I don’t want to become alpha of that goddess forsaken pack and I know Grant doesn’t either! Why the hell do you think I left? The entire pack has been corrupted by him! Our father lost his damn mind the minute our mom died and he’s punished us for it ever since. Well, I’m done paying the price for something I played no part in. From this day forward, I’m cutting my ties with all of you. Consider this my resignation from not only the company, but from our whole fucked up family.” I feel my body being lifted, the sparks erupting all over me and I finally manage to peel my eyes open enough to see us moving down the hall then we enter Seth’s office.

“Baby? Oh, thank the goddess. Hey, can you look at me? It’s going to be okay, baby. You’re going to be okay. I’ve got you.” It takes a little effort, but I turn my head just enough to lock eyes with him.

“Don’t try to talk, your throat’s going to hurt like hell. I’m so sorry, Izzy. I should never have left you. I should’ve cancelled the meetings and just taken you home. I promise you, he’ll never lay a hand on you again. I’m so damn sorry.” He presses his lips to my forehead and I can’t even sort through the overflow of emotions coming from him right now…there’s just too many.

“I’m going to email the realtor, we can just talk to her over the phone, or go another day, or hell, maybe even send Casey, but right now, I’m taking you home.” He sets me on one of the chairs, making sure my limp body doesn’t slide before pulling off his suit jacket then carefully wrapping me in it then lifting me back up so he can carry me out of the office. We’re almost halfway home by the time I can move any of my extremities and the first thing I do is reach for his hand, smiling when he instantly wraps his hand around mine.

“As soon as we get home, I’m running you a bath and while you soak for a bit, we’re going to work on using the mind link. That should’ve been one of the first things I did and if I had, this never would’ve happened.” I feel a wave of guilt hit me from his side of the bond and I’m not having it! My throat actually feels a lot better already, so I decide to test out my voice.

“Stop it. We didn’t know something like that would happen. I’m here…I’m okay…and it’s all because of you.” My voice is a little raspy, but nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I squeeze his hand and give him a soft smile when he looks over at me and I can see his muscles relax right before my eyes.

“When you attacked Luke…” I shake my head before he can finish, quickly cutting him off as I correct him.

“I didn’t. Lia took over and shifted. I was barely conscious and couldn’t stop her. She was so damn angry and I just…I couldn’t pull her back. Oh god! She clawed up his arm!” He lifts my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles as he smiles so bright it has his eyes glowing.

“She did the right thing. I’m so damn proud of both of you. You took down a wolf with alpha blood and when I walked in, he looked like he was about to piss himself. That’s pretty damn impressive, Izzy. Don’t worry about his injuries. They’ll heal quickly, though his pride might be wounded for a while. It looks like the only thing we have left now tying us to the city is your house.” I can feel his relief and I’m damn sure he can feel mine.

“I’ll call her tomorrow and check on how things are going.” He turns onto the dirt road to the house and I feel instantly calm, completely at peace.

“I emailed her and said we had an emergency come up. I didn’t check to see if she wrote back though.” A sudden thought comes to me and I know he feels the spike of worry because his hold on my hand tightens.

“You quit your job, Seth. I have money in my savings and hopefully soon I’ll have the money from selling the house, and then there’s the settlement my lawyer is working on for the sexual harassment, but…we’re going to have to find work eventually.” My mind stalls out when he bursts out laughing, He laughs hard enough that he has to stop the car in the middle of the damn dirt road!

“Baby, we don’t have to work. We’ll talk about it more when we get home, but that’s the last thing you need to worry about.” He sounds so sure, but after growing up in a home where we were considered poor and had to struggle for what we had, it’s hard for me not to worry about it. He continues down the dirt road and five minutes later, we pull up in front of our beautiful home. Instead of heading to the bathroom for the bath he promised me, he leads me to his office then sits down in his chair and pulls me into his lap.

“Alright, baby. I know you won’t stop worrying until I give you a reason to, so I want to show you something.” He logs onto his computer, opens one of the tabs on the already opened window then he logs in before he points at the screen.

“You see that? That’s my shares in the company. Now watch.” He clicks and types so quickly that I can barely keep up, but then he points at the screen as he taps another button…showing me he just sold his shares…for over three hundred million dollars. As if that’s not enough to blow my damn mind, he opens another tab, on online banking screen, then logs into his account there and points to the account balance that has ten zeros behind it!

“Holy shit…you…you’re a fucking billionaire?! Are you kidding me right now?!” His deep laughter vibrates through me, but this.it’s not something that happens to people like me! Not only did I become bound to a shifter, I found out that I’m a damn shifter too and now I find out my mate is filthy stinking rich?!

“Not kidding, baby, but I’m not a billionaire…we’re billionaires. What’s mine is yours, beautiful. Now, let’s go get that bath going.” He guides me to stand up then earns a surprised squeak from me when he sweeps me off my feet and carries me out of the room.

Chapter 29

Last night during my bath, Seth taught me how to use the mind link between us just like he promised and then he told me it works the same with the others once I’m sworn into the pack, which will apparently be happening during the full moon celebration at the vineyard. I actually had a little fun with the mind link when things started to get heated, moaning and talking dirty so only he could hear it, not that we weren’t already alone, but damn did it get him going! Hell, we made love three times before finally falling asleep! That’s why I woke up this morning with my muscles aching in the most delightful way and feeling dehydrated enough to down three bottles of water back to back. 

After finally rehydrating my body to an acceptable level, I get to work making coffee and cooking breakfast, hoping to have it done before Seth wakes up. Either the gods are smiling down on me or I just got damn lucky, but Seth wanders in just as I finish plating everything. He greets me by wrapping his arms around me from behind and pressing a tender kiss over my mate mark which has my damn toes curling and I can’t even hold back my damn moan. I swear this man makes me feel like a hussy, but I can’t even be bothered by it.

“What’s all this, baby?” I know he can see what it is and I’m sure his real question is why, but there’s no one reason in particular.

“Well, this is called breakfast and if you’re wanting to know why, well, it’s because I can.” I turn my head just in time for his lips to meet mine.

“Thank you, beautiful.” He takes both of our plates and heads to the breakfast nook with them while I pour us both a cup of coffee then quickly join him. We’re both almost done eating when his voice fills my head and instantly has me smiling.

“I thought we could head up to the vineyard the day after tomorrow so we could enjoy one quiet night with our family before the rest of the pack shows up. You okay with that, beautiful?” God, I love this man!

“Sounds good to me. I wouldn’t mind a little late night swimming either.” I hear the low growl rumble through him and try to hide my smirk.

“I think that can be arranged. You’re becoming quite the addiction, Izzy. I can’t seem to get enough of you.” And this is why we ended up with two broken plates, half a cup of spilled coffee and clothes scattered all over the kitchen floor. After our little romp in the kitchen, we both decided to hit the gym to work off some of our…tension…which resulted in us finding a better use for the rowing machine. After we finished in the gym, we ravaged each other in the shower and only then did we finally feel sated enough to sit down and watch a movie in the living room which is where we finally fell asleep before the sun even set.

I…feel…exhausted. We fell asleep somewhere around seven last night and I just woke up at ten in the morning, but I think Seth officially wore me out. His side of the bed is already empty when I wake up, but I can sense he’s not far which keeps me from worrying, thankfully. I barely manage to crawl out of bed and into the bathroom, deciding to take a shower in hopes that it will help wake me up. I can feel Lia and she definitely seems only slightly more energized than me which is certainly not helping my situation any.

I’ve just stepped out of the shower when I feel Lia begin to growl and I can just feel that something’s wrong. I take Seth’s robe off the back of the bathroom door, slip it on and hurry out of the room on shaky legs to look for him. Just as I reach the top of the stairs, I suddenly realize that while I can sense his presence, I can’t feel his emotions coming through and that terrifies me. I stumble down the stairs, desperate to find him, but then I hear his angry voice practically growling from the direction of his office. I can feel Lia stirring, pushing closer, just as his voice comes into focus.

“Like I already told you, Luke, I’m not going to leave her. Who I’m mated to is no longer any concern of yours or his. I’ve made my choice and I’ll stand by it until I draw my last breath, even longer if I can.” Lia is snarling and at first, I think it’s because of what we’ve overheard, but then she speaks.

‘We’ve been drugged! We need to tell him they’re here!’ I can feel my body weakening, though I had apparently wrongly thought it was a result of exhaustion.

“Seth, something’s wrong. Lia says we were drugged and she said they’re here…” A loud growl echoes through the house, shaking the damn walls, before his voice erupts in an explosive yell that makes me wince.

“You drugged her?! You dare send people to my home to harm my mate?! You’ve just sealed their fate, brother. Their blood is on your hands.” Within seconds, Seth is standing in front of me, his eyes slowly inspecting every inch of me until a deep growl rips through him when he looks at my neck.

“They injected you, probably while you were sleeping. They couldn’t have gone far. I’m putting you in the safe room then I’m ending this.” He scoops me up and I’m honestly too weak to argue as he carries me into the home gym then pushes one of the pictures on the wall aside to reveal a keypad. He types in a code that opens a door that blended seamlessly with the wall, opens it and carries me inside.

“Stay here and don’t open that door, baby.” I’m now too weak to even speak, so I use our mind link, hoping like hell I can say what I need to before the darkness drags me under.

“I love you. Be careful and you better come back to me.” The last thing I see and feel is his lips pressing against my forehead.

I feel like I was out for hours, maybe longer, but it’s hard to tell when this room has no damn windows. I was at least out long enough for whatever they gave me to leave my system enough for me to function. Lia is panicking and I realize rather quickly that it’s because I can’t feel or sense Seth at all. He had told me that when a wolf’s mate dies, they’ll be in excruciating pain and since I’m not, I’m hoping that’s a good sign and that I wasn’t just unconscious when it happened. I, of course, try reaching out through our mind link, remembering how he said a mate’s link is stronger and covers more area, but it’s like hitting a mental brick wall.

‘What if he’s in trouble? Or what if he’s hurt? What if they took him?!’ hearing Lia voice all of my own fears really isn’t helping me right now. I briefly considered leaving the room to go look for him, but I remember what happened when I didn’t follow his instructions last time. He already has so much to worry about and focus on, I can’t make him have to worry about me too. It feels like several more hours pass when I feel a strange sensation, like someone trying to push their way into my mind. It continues for almost a full minute then stops, but then it goes from feeling like a gentle nudge to a violent pounding until the mental door bursts open and I’m hit with intense waves of panic, anger, fear and, finally, relief.

“Izzy?!” I’ve always loved hearing his voice in my head, but this time it’s like being thrown a lifeline after drifting alone at sea.

“Oh, my god! Seth?! You scared the shit out of me! I couldn’t feel you…I couldn’t talk to you! Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I know, baby and I’m sorry I scared you. I’m okay and I’ll be home soon. I had to chase that bastard pretty far, but the rest of the pack showed up to help. How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine now. I just really need you.”

“I’ll be there in no more than ten minutes, baby.” While we stop talking, I take comfort in being able to feel him again and let that knowledge calm me until the second I hear the door hiss right before the lock releases and it opens. Seeing Seth standing there, bare and covered in blood, it should terrify me and yet all I feel is immense relief.

“Are…are you hurt?” My eyes slowly scan every inch of him, but I see no wounds.

“Izzy, baby, it’s not mine.” I can tell he doesn’t know how I’ll react, but if this blood belongs to the bastard who tried to hurt me, then I’m grateful for whatever Seth did…because he did it to protect me.

“Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up, yeah?” I step forward, grab his hand and lead him quietly through the house, up the stairs and into our bedroom, veering straight into the bathroom. I get the shower going and test the water before dropping the robe to the floor and pulling him in with me. I take my time washing him, cleaning away every visible trace of today’s ordeal. I can tell the sun is about to set by the colors flooding the bathroom through the large window, so I know he must be tired and probably hungry too. As soon as he’s clean, I turn off the water and grab a towel, carefully wrapping it around his waist and leading him back to our room.

“Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll make us both something to eat?” He pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine, but this kiss, while still passionate, is full of appreciation and love. As soon as we break apart, I place my hand on his cheek, giving him a soft smile before grabbing one of his t-shirts out of the drawer and tugging it over my head as I make my way to the kitchen. Knowing it’s getting late, I quickly throw together two omelets with ham and cheese, finishing them just as I hear Seth coming downstairs.

“You’re really feeling okay?” I turn when I hear his worried voice and smile, a plate in each hand and my body finally feeling the effects of the stress we’ve both suffered through today.

“Yeah, just tired. Sorry it’s not something better, but I figured you’re probably as ready for bed as I am.” He takes the plates from me and sets them on the counter then pulls me into his arms, just holding me, seeking comfort while offering it in return.

“Thank you, Izzy. Thank you for dinner, for taking care of me just…thank you.” I feel the sting as my eyes fill with tears and my arms tighten around his waist.

“Thank you for protecting me.” He kisses the top of my head then turns and slides the plates across to the breakfast nook then leads me over and pulls out my stool for me. We eat in a comfortable silence, both of us too tired to talk, but not even needing to. I can feel his love for me and when we finally make it back to our room, his love surrounds me as we drift off peacefully.

Chapter 30

We reached the vineyard just after two and Casey had me jump right into helping her with prepping everything for tomorrow’s celebration while the boys worked on getting things set up outside. I told Casey everything that’s happened since we left and, needless to say, she wants to murder Seth’s older brother. She knew about the hunt for the prick last night, but until I told her everything, she had no idea that why the guy was being hunted was because he drugged me, which is something I have a feeling Matt will be hearing about later.

“Goddess, you’ve just been to hell and back since you first came out here! I think you and Seth need a damn vacation! So, how are you feeling after everything?” Casey’s worry is written all over her face, but for some reason, I can feel it too, not as strong as I can feel Seth’s emotions, but it’s still there.

“I’m okay. It definitely has been…a lot to take in. Between Seth and Lia, I’ve been well cared for though. Hell, if it wasn’t for Lia, we would never have known what was happening until it was too late. She warned me that we had been drugged then warned me someone was there.” I see the way she’s trying to process everything, but I feel like there’s something on her mind, something that won’t be likely to make this mess any easier to digest for me.

“Yeah, that’s something I’m trying to figure out. You said Lia told you that you were drugged and, obviously, the wolf they hunted down is the one who drugged you, but…Matt and Kris said the only thing they found on the guy was a used syringe that had trace amounts of wolfsbane and silver dust in it. If that’s what he used to drug you…you shouldn’t be here right now, Izzy. That wasn’t an attempt to just drug you, that was an attempt to kill you. Wolves can’t survive long if that shit gets into their system, especially not when mixed together. One of them alone is bad enough, but both together is lethal!” And there it is…the bomb that completely fractures the fragile string of sanity I was holding so tightly to.

“He…tried to kill me?! Why the hell do all these fucking wolves want me dead and why the hell wouldn’t Seth tell me?!” Casey pulls me in for a hug, trying to soothe me, but it’s not helping and my mood only takes a bigger nosedive when Seth bursts through the door, his panic both visible and felt through our bond.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He starts moving closer, but stops when I turn around and pin him with a sharp glare, likely also feeling my anger and confusion pulsing through our bond.

“When were you going to tell me that those bastards were trying to kill me when they injected me with that shit? That it should’ve killed me?!” His eyes shift from me to Casey which only pisses me off more.

“Don’t look at her! You look me in the eye and tell me why I’m hearing this from anyone but you.” The emotions through the bond are, for lack of a better word, chaotic, but his pained expression makes my heart ache. He hid something from me and it wasn’t something small, it was a huge thing! Shouldn’t I know if my life is in danger?! Why the hell is he hurting when I’m the one who was kept in the dark while some psychos are running around trying to murder me?!

“Izzy, let me explain…I wasn’t sure until we caught him and I didn’t want you to worry until we figured everything out. Until I talked to Matt a few minutes ago, I wasn’t even sure he was from my father’s pack…I had a feeling he was, but I didn’t know for sure. You’ve been through so much already, baby. I was just trying not to add more shit onto your plate. I’m sorry and you’re absolutely right, I should’ve told you.” I want to forgive him, or at least part of me does, but the fact that he hid something so damn big from me, it’s hard to look past that. If he can hide something like this from me so easily, then what else might he try hiding from me?

“I thought we’re in this together…that we’re a team…but you hid this from me, Seth. It’s not like you hid from me that you accidentally bought decaf…you purposely hid from me the fact that someone tried to kill me! I think that’s something I deserved to know! How can anyone keep me safe when no one tells me who the hell I need to be watching out for?! You know what, this is too fucking much right now. I need a few minutes alone to clear my head.” I step around him and almost make it to the door when his voice stops me.

“Izzy, it’s not safe for you to be running around alone…” I roll my eyes, fiercely, then turn to glare at him again, the angry part of me wishing I could force him to not only feel what I’m feeling, but for it to hurt him the way it hurts me.

“Thanks to Casey, I know that, which is why I’m going to my cabin.” I storm out of the house and straight to my cabin, not stopping until I reach the master bathroom. My anger has me feeling hot, not just mentally and emotionally, but my physical temperature feels like it’s rising, so I strip off my clothes, turn the shower on with only cold water, then climb in and relax under the cold spray. Once I feel my anger fading, I step back against the cold tile wall and slide down, draw my knees up to my chest then I just…let it all go. As much as I hate crying, sometimes it’s the only way to truly release everything that’s building up inside you, yet another thing i learned from my mother after the years of us both suffering through my father’s rage.

“Baby? Oh goddess, Izzy! Are you trying to get hypothermia?!” I hear the soft squeak as he turns the water off then the warmth of his arms wrapping around me, but I just feel so…cold. Inside…outside…it’s like the cold water numbed my emotions as much as it did my body.

“I’m sorry, Izzy. I’m so damn sorry. You were absolutely right and I should’ve told you. I hate that my brother hurt you and I fucking hate it even more than my own father sent a member of his pack to take you away from me. I feel like I’m failing you at every turn and it’s killing me.” I feel the first flicker of emotion, mine, not his, and I look at him, seeing the guilt and regret clearly in his eyes, but I can’t feel it and I hate it.

“You aren’t failing me. Your dad and brother are just really big assholes.” His responding chuckle is definitely not a happy sound and I hate that too.

“Baby, calling them assholes is being far too kind. Izzy, baby, I swear I’ll never keep anything from you again. I know I was wrong for doing it, no matter what my reasons were. Keeping you in the dark could’ve resulted in you getting hurt. Just like you said, you can’t be kept safe if you don’t even know what we’re protecting you from.” I still can’t feel him, but the honesty in his tone is matched by the sincerity in his eyes, so at least that’s something.

“I can’t feel you, Seth…” Great, and now I’m crying again! Could this day just stop being so much?!

“It’s okay, baby. You just put up a block. Just focus on me in your mind, reach out to me, kind of like I taught you to do when you want to mind link me.” I do as he says and it happens slowly, but I feel a small trickle of emotions flow through that suddenly force their way in like a tidal wave and I feel immediate relief wash over me.

“God, I thought I broke something.” I can feel his amusement, but he doesn’t laugh, he just holds me tighter.

“No, baby, you didn’t break anything. Can you forgive me, Izzy?” I nod against his chest, knowing I’ve already forgiven him. Deep down, I know he wasn’t keeping the information from me to hurt me and I trust him when he says he won’t withhold information from me again.

“Are you guys done setting up?” I want to ask him to just stay here with me, but I know they have things they need to get done for tomorrow night and I refuse to be some whiny, needy bitch right now…even if I really want to be.

“We were pretty much done when I came inside, so why don’t you and I just hang out here for tonight and I’ll see if Casey can drop off some dinner for us?” Screw it! I don’t even care…I’m going to be greedy.

“I’d like that.”

Chapter 31

It’s another beautiful sunny morning, but, unfortunately, it’s another morning where things feel really off. Lia seems restless too and I hope it’s because we’ll be meeting the entire pack tonight and we’ll be sworn in, but Seth’s word from before are swirling in my head. “Our wolves can often sense things that we can’t. Sometimes they can pick up on danger, sometimes it’s just sensing something coming or something that’s going to happen. If you ever feel strange, or nervous and Lia feels it too, don’t ignore it.” I refuse to ignore it because I’m not going to risk this being more than me being nervous.

“Hey, what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” I take a deep breath and turn to face him, hoping his green eyes will help ground me while I tell him what I need to.

“Remember how you told me not to ignore it if I feel weird?” He sits up, all trace of playfulness and calm replaced by firm concentration.

“What are you feeling, baby?” I take a moment to focus on the unease then focus on him, hoping like hell this works like mind links do. After a few seconds, his hand grabs mine and I can hear his heart rate increasing.

“Is that how you felt when we went to the office?” I nod my head, feeling more than a little thankful that I don’t have to try to describe the feeling to him.

“It was like that, but Lia wasn’t quite as crazy. Right now, it feels like she’s pacing holes in my mind.” I watch as his eyes glaze over for a few seconds before returning to their usual, vibrant green.

“I asked Matt and Kris to come over. We need to tell them so they can help with upping the patrols and make sure everyone knows to stay alert. With the whole pack coming here tonight, we need to make sure we can keep everyone safe.” I envy his ability to talk to the others like this, but soon, I’ll be able to do it too and that is pretty damn exciting. After spending roughly forty minutes going over everything with Matt and Kris, we head to the main house for breakfast where we fill Casey in on the updates being made. We all work together to finish up the last minute preparations and by one, the first of the pack members have arrived with more trickling in until six o’clock when the last of the members arrive, the alpha, Joel, and his mate, Luna Fiona.

“Alpha, luna, this is my mate, Issalia. Izzy, this is Alpha Joel and Luna Fiona. That’s the beta, Oliver, and his mate, Malory. I already let them know about everything that my family has done over the last few days and they’re going to help ensure there aren’t any issues tonight.” I can feel my head nodding, but the luna is looking at me strangely and I’m trying to decide if it makes me uncomfortable, or if I should say something to break the tension, but she makes the choice for me.

“You’re not an ordinary wolf, Issalia. I can feel it, your aura…it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” Great…no one warned me that the luna is a damn hippy!

“I honestly wouldn’t know. I didn’t even know I had a wolf until about a week ago. This, all of it, is still really new to me.” She doesn’t give me a look of pity, which I’m grateful for, but she does give me an understanding smile.

“That must’ve been strange, to just be thrust into this world. We should talk sometime when things aren’t so chaotic. I’d love to learn more about you.” It’s so strange, but when she smiles at me, it eases my nerves, not as well as Seth’s touch does, but it’s definitely noticeable.

“Yeah, that would be great.” I’m introduced to another thirty or so shifters, not one with a name I’ll remember, then they begin the part of the ceremony where I’ll be sworn in. I thought there’d be some blood oath or something crazy like that, I blame all the werewolf romance books I’ve read, but the alpha has me recite a pledge and then he recites one too…then we’re done…five minutes tops and I’m now a member of the pack with dozens of voice in my head that Seth helps me to block out. Once the formalities are over, the party begins. Everyone is eating, enjoying the wine and having a good time, but as I’m talking with Casey and another female wolf, I feel my unease return, only it’s much worse and Lia is freaking out, howling and snarling in my head which has Seth running over to me.

“Hey, it’s happening again?” I nod and now I have the attention of every damn wolf here.

“It’s okay, maybe we should get inside…” Lia starts chanting something and it takes a few seconds for her words to come through clearly and the second they do, they tumble past my lips.

“They’re coming…” Seth’s eyes glaze over then all of a sudden, there’s a flurry of activity as women and pups are being rushed inside while the male wolves begin stripping and shifting all around us.

“I need you to go with Casey and the others. Stay with them and help keep them calm, Izzy. I love you, be safe and I’ll come get you as soon as I can.” He gives me a kiss that’s unlike any we’ve shared before and I hate how much it feels like it’ll be our last. As soon as I turn to run toward the house, I hear the familiar sound of his bones breaking and shifting, but I don’t look back.

I’m almost to the back door when something slams into me, knocking me to the ground. I don’t even have time to react before Lia pushes forward, obviously sensing the danger I didn’t realize was there. I honestly hadn’t realized that Lia’s size was so different from normal wolves, but we’re towering over this bastard, leaving it looking like a mere pup in front of us. Lia issues a warning growl, but this is one dumb mutt because he lunges at us and Lia easily dodges him then leaps onto his back and sinks her teeth into his neck then shakes her head back and forth until we hear the loud crack when it snaps.

I try to tell her to get to the others like Seth told us to, but Lia refuses to bow out of the fight and I’m powerless to stop her. She charges in, attacking one wolf after another while using the scent of our pack to decipher between them. I see a silver wolf that looks to be a little bigger than Lia and I instinctively know that it’s Alpha Joel, but he’s being attacked by four wolves at once, so Lia rushes to help him. Between the two of us, we make short work of the bastards and Lia rushes off, trying to find Seth in the mass of furry beasts.

We’re just finishing off another wolf when I catch his scent and Lia’s off like a bolt of lightning, ducking and dodging every attack to get to him. I don’t know what I had expected to find, but seeing my mate face off against two large black wolves, both of which look so much like him, but one is slightly bigger and both have golden eyes. I know one is Luke and judging by the scent, the other is probably his father. We rush to Seth’s side, but I don’t miss the claw marks on his shoulder that have Lia beyond pissed off.

The bigger of the two doesn’t seem to like the fact that I came to my mate’s aid and he makes it known by unleashing a menacing growl that has Lia’s hackles raising as she crouches into an attack stance. Lia is solely focused on the vile beasts in front of us, but my attention is pulled from them by the sound of Seth’s voice.

“What are you doing out here?! You’re supposed to be with the others!”

“Yeah, well, try telling Lia that! Some shit for brains wolf tried jumping me just before I reached the house and she took control!”

“I’ll distract them and then you need to run!”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Seth. They hurt you and Lia wants blood…but so do I. No one hurts my mate and gets away with it, damn it!” Lia must sense their plan because just as the bigger one crouches to attack, she’s already leaping through the air and biting into his neck, unfortunately only catching the scruff, but I know that shit has to hurt like hell. Seth attacks Luke and all that can be heard are growls, snarls and heavy breathing.

Seth’s dad lands a few good swipes, but Lia has caused much more damage, enough that even his rapid healing isn’t helping him right now. Just as he charges us, she swipes out, her claws catching his neck and tearing through his jugular, causing his body to drop to the ground. I can hear it when his heartbeat slows then suddenly it just…stops. The sound of fighting around us fades to silence and even Seth and Luke have stopped fighting now, both staring at their fallen father. I hear the breaking and shifting of bones, but it’s not just from beside me, it’s from all around me.

“Lia, it’s okay. You can let Izzy come back now. You did so good, Lia, so damn good.” Lia is hesitant to relinquish control until Luke drops to his knees beside their father, clearly too shocked to continue their fight. She finally steps back, letting me shift back and have Seth wrap his arms around me.

“It’s over now. You’re safe. They came here on my father’s orders, forced by an alpha command none of them wished to follow. With him gone, they’re no longer under his control. Luke will lead them home and we need to tend to our injured.” This seems to be the moment that he realizes I have claw marks on my side and arm, but they actually don’t hurt too bad and they’re already healing.

“Your mate fights well, for a half breed. You’ll face no further problems from us, Seth. We’ll gather our dead and wounded and then we’ll go.” And just like that, the battle is over, though I can’t help feeling that it came at too high of a price.

Chapter 32

Instead of getting to run with the pack under the light of the full moon, I spent the evening helping tend to the injured, but the way the entire pack was so kind, so welcoming, I honestly didn’t mind. Once every wound had been tended to, I spent a few hours with the women and their pups, playing with the younger ones while the older pups watched movies in the family room. That’s where Seth finds me several hours later after had helped the pack to secure the borders and prepare the two wolves from our pack that lost their lives for their burial that will take place tomorrow morning.

“You’re amazing with them, Izzy.” I’m currently sitting with an adorable little girl named Riley who’s a few weeks shy of two years old and this little one has a larger than life personality that I can’t help but love.

“She’s amazing, they all are. How are the others doing?” He knows I mean the wolves who were tasked with helping them, one of which is the brother of one of the wolves killed in the senseless fight tonight.

“Doing as good as they can be. The luna has requested to come to our cabin in the morning and speak with you after we’ve all had a chance to rest.” For some reason, this doesn’t surprise me, but I feel like it probably should.

“Okay. I think I’m ready for the world’s longest nap.” I look down and smile when I see that Riley has fallen asleep, curled up in my arms like she belongs there. Seth helps me by picking her up and taking her to her mother while I get up and clean up the toys she had been playing with. I feel a pang of sadness at the loss of her warmth, her weight, her presence.

“Alright, baby. Let’s get you a shower then we can go to bed.” I honestly don’t want a shower, but I know if I don’t take one, I’ll regret it in the morning. I take Seth’s hand and walk with him back to our cabin where we take a shower before laying down together, but now my mind is troubled and the cause of it is genuinely not making much sense to me. This is one of those times where having Seth feel my emotions is a pain in the ass.

“Alright, what’s wrong, beautiful?” When I first felt that strange sadness and longing, it didn’t make much sense to me, yet after having time to think things through, I realize that so much of what I was feeling was Lia’s emotions. Holding that sweet pup, she wants that for us and deep down, I do to.

“Lia is thinking too loud…or maybe feeling too loud would be more accurate.” I force a smile as I try to give him a reassuring look, but I know better…he sees right through it.

“What’s she feeling, baby?” I swear, all these damn emotions from two separate beings packed into my petite body are killing me and now…I’m fucking crying again!

“She didn’t want to let Riley go…she wants…we want that…a pup…” God, I’ve cried more in the last week than I have in the last two years!

“Are you sure you’re ready for that step, baby? I mean, it’s not like we’ve been doing anything to prevent it…but are you really ready? We don’t have to rush into anything.” In the past I had imagined a future with a family…with children, but until now, I never once felt ready for it.

“I am. I know it should feel like I’m rushing things, but I don’t…which is honestly pretty damn crazy.” I barely get the last word out before his lips are on mine. While it may take a while for this dream to become a reality, tonight sure the hell is a good place to start.

With the events of the past few days, I was a little reluctant to wake up this morning. When I first opened my eyes, I laid there and waited for the unease…the off feeling to arrive. It wasn’t until an hour later when Seth finally woke up that I finally realized it wasn’t going to. The second I see those gorgeous green eyes open and watch the way they automatically seek me out before he dares take a breath, it makes me melt for him.

“Good morning, beautiful. How long have you been awake?” His eyes watch me cautiously and I can feel him prodding around through our bond, checking for anything that would be a reason for concern.

“Around an hour, I think? How did you sleep?” He rolls over so that he’s covering over me and gently presses his lips to mine.

“I slept great, baby. How about you?” I wrap my arms around him, my fingers slowly tracing the defined muscles on his back.

“I slept like the dead. What time was the luna planning to come visit?” I watch his eyes cloud over then a smirk appears on that perfect face before they clear up to their brilliant green.

“She said in a few hours. So, it seems like we have some time to waste…” He doesn’t need to finish, not when his lips meet mine and not when I can already feel his arousal so close to where I need him most. Seth makes love to me, making excellent use of the time before the luna is due to get here, even going as far as to make sure we have just enough time to shower and get dressed too.

“Casey and Matt told me a little about you this morning and I must say, I find it fascinating that you lived your whole life without your wolf showing herself. It’s extremely unusual, Issalia.” Luna Fiona showed up only a few minutes after we finally left our room and she’s wasted no time diving right into her polite interrogation. The only saving grace here is that she had no issue with having Seth stay with us.

“It’s definitely been a lot of changes over the past few weeks, that’s for sure.” She seems to have a permanent polite smile and it’s weird to me that it’s so calming.

“What do you know about your parents?” I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the dive into my least favorite topic.

“Well, my mom was amazing. She was the most selfless, kind, funny and loving person I’ve ever met.” I know she senses my hesitation and I’m not at all surprised when she prompts me to continue.

“And your father?” Seth reaches over and takes my hand, encouraging me and giving me strength to go on.

“He was…a monster. He wasn’t always that way, at least I don’t think he was, but I can’t remember any truly good times with him. He was violent, always angry and abusive. Three years ago, while I was away at college, he murdered my mother then took his own life as well.” Her sympathetic look has tears forming in my eyes, but I blink them back, refusing to let them fall.

“What were their names?” Seth squeezes my hand and I’m thankful for him being here with me because I don’t think I’d have the strength to get through this without him.

“Maria and Nathan Montenegro.” Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open, but her reaction is only made more concerning when I feel Seth’s hold on my hand tighten and hear the sharp breath hiss through his teeth.

“Your father…his name…it was Nathan Emanuel Montenegro?” I turn at the sound of Seth’s voice, my brow furrowed as I try to figure out how the hell he knows my father’s full name.

“Yeah, but…how do you know that, Seth? How do you know his full fucking name?” I can’t help the way my body reacts when I pull my hand free from his and scoot further down the couch from him as I wait for his answer.

“I…shit…I should’ve put it together sooner, but…it really just never occurred to me…Goddess, it all makes sense. The fact that you’re a shifter, how different your wolf is, how different her abilities are…hell, even the fact that you never learned about what you are and never shifted…” He says it all makes sense, but now I’m more confused than ever!

“How does this make sense, Seth?! How does any of this make sense?!” He reaches for me again, but my body jerks away from him and I don’t miss the hurt in his eyes, nor do I fail to feel it flow through our bond.

“Izzy, your father, he was the rightful alpha of my old pack. When he found his mate and the pack found out she was human, my father was rumored to have started a rebellion, forcing him to make a choice no wolf should have to face…either reject his fated mate, or forfeit his title. This all happened before I was born, but the elders told the story as a sort of cautionary tale. It was said that he chose his mate and was cast out of the pack, forced to live the life of a rogue. Izzy, for a normal wolf, going rogue is hard enough, but for a wolf of alpha blood, it’s pure hell. An alpha is born to lead, to protect, but when their pack is taken from them, it will eventually drive them mad.” I can hear and feel his regret…hir guilt. If what he says is true, then his father is the reason my father was a monster…the reason he murdered my mother.

“How does that have anything to do with why I never knew about your world, or why I never shifted?” I can see the luna watching Seth, letting him be the one to tell me the rest of this twisted tale.

“Someone with shifter blood who’s born as a rogue and is raised as a human, their wolves can often remain dormant because they don’t feel the call of their kind. The more time you spent around me, especially once I discovered that you’re my mate, my wolf called to yours, pulling her from her dormant state and slowly waking her up.” So, he’s saying his wolf is the reason I have Lia now…and I believe it…so does she.

“I have to agree with Seth’s thoughts on this one. His explanation definitely makes sense. I saw your wolf last night, but even before that, I felt her power when we first met. She’s not some low ranking wolf and I’m willing to bet she has some unique abilities that are unlike normal shifters as well.” Seth quickly nods, but I have no clue if Lia is unique or not! I know very little about what’s normal for us!

“She does. Her wolf has shown signs of enhanced intuition, she was able to survive being injected with what should’ve been a very lethal dose of wolfsbane and silver dust, but she’s also shown signs of picking up on emotions of those she’s not bound to.” The luna looks impressed by Seth’s declaration, but me? I’m just as lost as ever, still a little hung up on the fact that his father is the catalyst for the most destructive moment in my life.

“She’s an impressive wolf indeed. Never take your mate for granted, Seth. I should get back to Joel before he gets anxious. I appreciate you speaking with me, Issalia. Enjoy your afternoon, you two.” I watch her get up and leave, but my mind is still stuck.

“Baby, I swear I wasn’t keeping anything from you. I honestly didn’t know…” I know he’s worried that I’ll blame him since it was his father who brought this all on, but I honestly don’t.

“I know. It’s just…all this time, I thought my dad was just a monster, but…I guess he wasn’t…not really. I know it’s your father who put all this in motion, but it’s hard to believe I technically avenged my parents without even realizing it, though I’m sorry I had to take him from you, Seth. God…you should hate me!” I can’t believe I never let myself really take in the fact that I killed my mate’s father!

“Hey, I’m not upset about it, Izzy. Don’t you dare go blaming yourself! He brought this on himself and he had plenty of chances to change…the be better. I can only hope that Luke will be a better leader than our father ever was.” For the first time since I first pulled away, I reach my hand out to him and he doesn’t hesitate to take it.

“We’re not our parents, Seth, and I refuse to let us punish each other for their mistakes. We choose what our lives will become and no matter what comes, I choose you.”

Chapter 33

It’s been a month since the night when I killed Seth’s father and I have to admit that things have been absolutely perfect. A week after the attack on our pack, I got news that my house sold and a few days later, Greg showed up at the vineyard while Seth was loading a shipment into the back of Matt’s truck. Before he could even make it over to play my protector, I made use of my abilities, mainly my increased strength that he wasn’t at all prepared for. He left here rather quickly with a broken nose and his metaphorical tail between his legs. Since then, Seth and I have split our time between his house and the vineyard, but we both love it.

Seth is currently on a run with Kris to some restaurant in the city and with Casey being busy with preparing for a wedding that will be taking place at the vineyard tomorrow afternoon, I decided to slip away and head to the lake. For the past few days, I’ve felt different…but not in a bad way, which is why I haven’t said a word to Seth about it. I figured some time at the lake might help clear my head, or at the very least it might make it so I can pinpoint the cause of this new feeling.

I reach the clearing and park in my usual spot then strip off my shorts and shirt before heading straight into the water. I had hoped Lia might be able to shed some light on this situation, but she’s been suspiciously quiet…especially today. I go out as far as I can with my toes still touching the ground then relax my body, letting the water lift me until I’m floating across the glassy surface. It shouldn’t surprise me that I lose track of time and truthfully, I guess it doesn’t, but when I hear Seth’s voice in my head, it does startle me a little.

“Baby? Where’d you run off to? Wait…you’re at the lake, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am. However did you guess?” I can feel his amusement which tells me he must be back at the vineyard since I can actually feel him again.

“Want some company?” Lia perks up and I can feel her excitement, but there’s something else there too…

“Always.” After he assures me he’s on his way, I decide to see if I can get Lia to actually respond to me, instead of ignoring me like she has been all day.

‘Hey, you done giving me the silent treatment yet?’

“I wasn’t giving you the silent treatment. I was focusing.’

‘Okay, vague much? What were you focusing on so hard that you couldn’t answer me when I tried talking to you?’

‘Our pup.’

‘Woah, back up a minute…pup? OUR pup? You mean…’

‘Yes! Can’t you feel it?’

‘I feel different, but I had no idea why. That’s what I was TRYING to ask you about earlier.’

‘You sensed our pup!’

‘Oh god, Seth is going to be so excited, Lia! Hell, I’m so excited! I can’t believe we’re having a pup! Should I tell him now, or should I make a big deal out of it and surprise him?’

‘You humans are weird. Just tell him!’

‘Okay, but when? Maybe after dinner?’

‘Or…right NOW.’ I can feel his eyes on me and lift my head just as he begins walking into the water toward me.

“Hey, baby. Needed to clear your head?” It baffles me that I suddenly feel so nervous to tell him the news. It’s not like we haven’t talked about this and we’ve both made it clear we want this, so why the hell am I so damn nervous?!

“Not exactly. How was the delivery?” He narrows his eyes at me and I know he’s not buying my crap.

“It was fine. Why are you acting weird, Izzy? Is everything alright?” I smile as he pulls me into his arms, his eyes searching mine for answers. I take a deep breath and decide to just spit it out…like ripping off a band aid…kind of.

“I’m pregnant. I didn’t know at first and I’ve felt strange for a few days, but not in a bad way. Lia was being unusually quiet and then I decided to come out here since she wasn’t helping me figure it out then she kind of just…told me.” Okay, so it came out like frantic word vomit, but hey, I did it! I wait for his reaction, his expression giving nothing away and his side of the bond is strangely just…calm.

“We’re having a pup?” His voice is so damn soft, unlike anything I’ve heard from him before.

“Yeah, we are?” I didn’t mean for it to sound like a question, but his reaction is really throwing me off right now.

“Are you happy?” O-kay? Is he happy? What the hell?

“Well, yeah…I am…but you don’t seem to be.” I push off his chest and start making my way to the shore, throwing up a mental block before he can feel my hurt and anger rising up. I grab my shirt and tug it over my head then decide to forgo putting my shorts back on, settling for just tossing them in the backseat instead. When I pull open the driver’s door, his large hand lands on the top of i and pushes it closed while his warm chest is now pressed to my back.

“Where the hell are you going, baby?” His deep, slightly raspy voice is right by my ear and I barely manage to fight off the shiver trying to ripple through me.

“I’m going back to the cabin to take a shower.” I feel his left arm snake around my waist with his hand coming to rest over my still flat stomach and the right wraps around my shoulders, anchoring me to his chest.

“Why did you block me, beautiful?” I can’t tell if it’s my anger that pushes me to do it or the hurt I feel over his reaction, but I drop that damn wall and let it all hit him full force. Instead of letting me go like I expected him to, his arms tighten and he takes a shaky breath before speaking again.

“Baby, I wasn’t upset or disappointed. I was fighting to keep my wolf from hijacking my moment with you after finding out we’re going to have our first pup. Calm those negative thoughts and focus for me.” It’s easier said than done, but I manage and that’s when it hits me…happiness, excitement, disbelief, love…hope.

“Now, I’m going to ask again…Where the hell are you going, baby?” Yeah, so I might’ve over reacted a little, so I take a deep breath and turn until I’m facing him, which all his hold would allow for. “I’m not going anywhere, Seth, not without you.”