《Alpha Markus and Celeste》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Prologue ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.o.V. ~11 yrs ago~


    I pushed through the chaos of the crowd. I could hear someone screaming my name, asking me to


    stop. I couldn¡¯t. I needed to see for myself. I had felt the break of the connection through the mind link


    but I needed my eyes to confirm what my heart refused to ept. It couldn¡¯t be him. He was invincible.


    I made it to the front of the crowd. As I pushed past thest of the crowd, my knees gave way at the


    scene in front of me. The tears running down my face.


    In front of me stood the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack looking at my mother, holding the head of my


    father. I felt sorrow and anger. I tried to get up and push forward but was grabbed and pushed behind


    my father¡¯s gamma.


    ¡®You can¡¯t, Celeste. He can¡¯t know it¡¯s you.¡¯ He mind-linked me. I swallowed a sob and held onto his leg


    with all of my might. I could still see my mother on her knees crying. Alpha Geoff wasughing, kicking


    my father¡¯s head like a hacky sack.


    ¡°Your mighty Alpha didn¡¯t stand a chance, Luna. Your pack now belongs to me. You belong to me.¡± He


    smirked andughed again. My mother looked over the crowd of our pack. My father had been


    challenged and by werewolfw, what he said was true. We now belonged to the Blood Moon Pack.


    Her eyes made contact with mine. I could see that her heart was shattered. Alpha Goeff pulled my


    mother up by the arm and squashed her to his side.


    ¡®I have failed you my people. I¡¯m sorry¡¯ I heard her say over the pack mind link. As Luna, she could


    project to everyone in the pack at once. Still looking at my eyes, her breath hitched. ¡®I love you Celeste,


    my little piece of sky. I hope you can forgive me one day. Don¡¯t let them know how special you are.


    Don¡¯t look peque?a(little one).¡® she said to only to me. My gift pulled me forward then and I saw a sh


    of future. But there wasn¡¯t enough time to prevent it. I saw the same image of what my gift had shown


    me y out in front of my eyes. I sobbed as I saw my mother grab the bloody knife from Alpha Goeff¡¯s


    waist band and sh it across her throat. A pain burst forth in my head. I buried my head to the leg that


    was holding me up.


    I heard the Alpha¡¯s roar ¡°Stupid b***h!¡± He kicked the lifeless body of my mother over my father¡¯s.


    ¡°Grab all the unmated females and baby males. Kill the rest¡± he screamed. I heard the snarls of his


    warriors and the screams of mine as his orders were carried out.


    I was lifted and carried through the crowd. He didn¡¯t stop until we reached the cliffs behind the


    Packhouse. I could still hear the screams of my pack as they were ripped to shreds.


    ¡°Look at me.¡± My father¡¯s Gamma, Lucian, said. He shook me a little when I didn¡¯t obey. ¡°Look at me


    little Celeste!¡± he said urgently. I looked at him. ¡°I can¡¯t take you with me little one. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll


    make it out of alive. You have to lie. You have to lie about who you are. You understand?¡± He said.


    ¡°I have to lie.¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked. ¡°If they ask you, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I said, crying again. All I wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare.


    ¡°Your name is Celeste Pierce. You are the daughter of deceased Gamma, Lucian Pierce. Say it.¡±


    ¡°My name is Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian Pierce. Daddy¡¯s g- Gamma of Alpha Cory¡± I said.


    ¡°Good¡± He said, giving me a hug and a kiss on my forehead. ¡°I would be honored to be your dad in


    name.¡± he said. ¡°I have to go little one. I will look for you. You hear me. I will find help and look for you. I


    will get you out. I want you to repeat what I said over and over until it feels natural ok? Until you no


    longer want to say your daddy¡¯sst name. You can¡¯t let them know who you are. Bad things will


    happen if they know. Promise me Celeste, promise me you will say the right words?¡± He said.


    ¡°My name is Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡± I said.


    He gave me another tight hug ¡°Good girl. I will find you. Flourish and live little one¡± he said and I saw in


    horror as he jumped off the cliff. He shifted half way through the jump and dropped into the river. I


    heard a yelp as he hit the water. I stared for what felt like hours waiting for him to resurface, but I saw


    nothing. I sobbed and fell to the ground. Curling into a ball.


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    ¡°My name is Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡± I said. ¡°My name is


    Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡± I sobbed into the night. ¡°My name


    is Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡± ¡°My name is Celeste Pierce. My


    daddy was Lucian Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡± ¡°My name is Celeste Pierce. My daddy was Lucian


    Pierce, Gamma to the Alpha¡±


    After what felt like forever. I passed out on the edge of the cliff, not waking until I heard footsteps


    Chapter 1 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P O V ~Present~


    ¡°Flourish and live¡± I hear the whisper in my head as I wake. I scoff, trying to clear the invisible cobwebs


    from my brain while I scrubbed my face. Well, 1 of 2 is the best I can do, Uncle Lucian. I look at my


    reflection carefully. I should be darker, but my skin had been deprived of sun for so long, I now looked


    pale and my skin looked washed out. I gather my unruly hair up into a bun and look at my pale


    reflection in the b of metal I had used as a mirror for about 5 years after the Alpha¡¯s daughter took


    mine.


    Alpha¡¯s daughter, I thought. Technically speaking, I was an Alpha¡¯s daughter. The only daughter of the


    deceased Luna Be and Alpha Cory. Once the rulers of the peaceful Sky Moon Pack. Alpha Geoff had


    been obsessed with my mother.  He challenged my father for her. Although my father was a peaceful


    man, he¡¯d fought valiantly to protect my pack and my mother. Despite his efforts, he was not strong


    enough to defeat the cruel and ruthless Alpha of Blood Moon Pack and so many of us were


    ughtered. I still remember being found by the edge of the river. Being asked my name. My father¡¯s


    gamma was not technically my uncle, but over time I¡¯vee to call him so. He was what saved me, I


    thought, remembering the conversation between the Alpha¡¯s Beta and warriors as they carried me,


    thinking I was still asleep.


    ¡°This better be the damn child. I can¡¯t believe we still haven¡¯t found her. How hard is it to spot the


    Alpha¡¯s pup? It will be a spoiled brat with 0 knowledge of the world.¡± The Beta hissed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know boss. This one doesn¡¯t look like an Alpha pup. She¡¯s small for a 10yr old. This looks like


    an Omega or something.¡±


    When I went before the Blood Moon Alpha, I had to fight hard to control the anger as I stared at the


    monster that killed my parents.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name pup,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Celeste Pierce¡±


    ¡°What rank are your parents and how old are you?¡± he asked. I looked down hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice


    my eyes. I had my father¡¯s deep blue eyes. Something in my head screamed at me that me he would


    make the connection if he stared at them long enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m 7 yrs old. My daddy was Gamma Lucian Pierce,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Gamma was mated¡± he growled


    ¡°My mommy died at childbirth,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know where that idea came from. It was as if I had


    someone whispering me the answers he wanted to hear.


    ¡°Take her to the Packhouse. She¡¯ll be an Omega Servant. Maybe once she gets her t**s, we can get


    something for her or at least have some fun¡± He smirked at his men. One of them dragged me over to a


    group of other children that were crying and holding each other. All of us orphans now. From here, I


    could still see my father and mother¡¯s lifeless figures on the training arena. Hundreds of bodies littered


    everywhere around them. All men, male children and mated women. At the same time, I could hear the


    cries of the unmated females all around me along with many grunts of the men raping them. iming


    their prices. I heard one of the men howl in pain and then a scream of a woman as he beat her


    senseless.


    ¡°DON¡¯T DAMAGE THE MERCHANDISE!!!¡± I heard the Beta scream.


    They¡¯d sent all of us little ones to work at the Packhouse. In the 11 years since, I¡¯d had basically


    be a ve. Although legally speaking, they were no such thing as ves, we were not paid, we


    were starved, beat, and molested. We had to cook and clean for the warriors and the Ranked families.


    But time was running out. Out of the 40 children that had been taken from the remains of my Pack and


    sent to the Packhouse, several had started to go missing as they reached 19. There were rumors of


    them being raped and murdered, or banished. It was always after the next full moon. The ones that


    found mates left the Packhouse, the ones that didn¡¯t were the ones that disappeared. I had a feeling


    that once the Alpha was sure his warriors had a chance to get a mate, then he would cast them out to


    be rogues. They were never seen again.


    I looked in the reflective surface. Thanks to the fact that they starved us, I was too thin and too small. It


    was easy for them to believe I was only 17. That I was yet to get my wolf. I had bought myself an extra


    year and half. I shifted in secret, letting Kara, my wolf, get strong.


    Damn right we¡¯re strong ¨C Kara smirked in my head ¨C We¡¯re destined for greatness you know.


    I would settle to be destined to live past next year. ¨C I scoffed.


    Soon Celeste, soon we will make them all bow down to us. I swear this to you.


    Sure, sure. Let¡¯s just keep practicing for that back up n. We need to get out of here before they


    discover you or realize I¡¯m not mated to anyone here. We need to get far away from here in case they


    kill us instead of turn us into rogue. ¨C I said, cating her.


    I wish you would have more faith in us and our gift. Maybe then, we would be able to control it. ¨C Kara


    said as she went to the corner of my mind and lightly blocked me.


    I sighed, I didn¡¯t like it when she blocked me. She was my best friend. The only one that knew about


    my sight and how broken it was. I was never able to train it, so my premonitions woulde only


    seconds before they came true and usually toote for me to stop them. It was frustrating, specially


    because they gave me splitting migraines after. Everyone thought I was weak and they weren¡¯t really


    wrong. My ¡°gift¡± could cripple me, but thankfully, being basically a ve, no one gave a crap and I was


    not allowed to go to the pack doctor to get it looked at, so my secret was safe.


    I sighed again and tried to wash myself as well as I could. My small room was basically a half bath that


    no one used. My bed was under the sink and the toilet was on the other end of the ¡°room¡±.  The few


    changes of clothes and a wash rag were neatly hung from the side of the metal b that I used as a


    mirror. The sink was broken, the tap hadn¡¯t worked in years. So I used a pot of water for washing.


    I fiddled with my raven ck hair to make the bun secure and sighed, time to get to work.


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chapter 2 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P O V


    It was only 4am. The entire house was sleeping, but I preferred it this way. Blood Moon Pack wasn¡¯t all


    bad, but the Packhouse was reserved for the ranked family and mostly unmated warriors. Almost


    everyone in this house was cruel and heartless. The days where I could avoid seeing any of them by


    finishing my tasks before they awoke, were the only good days I could remember having. The rest were


    filled with beatings, spittings, groping. I could only thank the goddess that raping a minor was


    punishable by death even here and no one had tried yet. By werewolfw, a werewolf was only


    considered of age once they got their wolf. Another reason I was d they thought I was younger than


    I am.


    My day starts the same as always, turn on all the ovens, start proofing the absurd amount of


    croissants, biscuits and other baking required for the day.


    Clean themon areas while the proofing was taking ce. One could confuse the warriors for


    werepigs as it was guaranteed to find bottles, tes, broken items and asionally even body fluids


    from ones that managed to drink enough alcohol to get themselves drunk. Werewolf metabolism was


    so quick, that drinking enough to get drunk took talent and dedication.


    After cleaning, the baking went in the oven as I got the batches of breakfast ready. Three types of


    eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, cut fruit, waffles, pancakes, toasts, shakshuka, bagels, spreads.


    They all went intomercial style buffet bars on either side of the dining room area. Once breakfast


    and baking wasplete, I would begin preparations for lunch and dinner. Today, that was marinating


    steak, peeling and cutting potatoes, slicing onions, slicing and prepping garlic bread. Starting and filling


    the giant rotisserie oven so that lunch would be ready in time.


    Cooking was always my favorite thing to do. Creating something delicious from the ingredients and


    hearing the positivements on the food. Most of the other girls could barely manage to put together


    sandwiches, so it was up to me to get them set up for the other shifts. We had found over the years


    that this reduced the bad moods of Alpha Geoff and we could avoid some beatings. asionally, I was


    even allowed to experiment with new recipes. I was always on shift for special dinners. Alpha Geoff


    demanded it and the girls were happy to help as long as they didn¡¯t have to do it themselves.


    Once my prepping was done and the kitchen was cleaned up, I could do whatever I wished with the


    rest of my day, as long as I was not needing to help another Omega if they were sick. I started to hear


    movement upstairs as the first of the warriors woke up so I finished my cleaning quickly, pocketed a


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    croissant and a couple slices of fruit and made it back to my ¡°room¡± to clean up and nap.


    ¡°Celeste! Wake up! The Alpha has requested all the Omegas in the kitchen! Hurry!¡± I groaned. When


    the Alpha spoke with the Omegas, it was usually to let us know that something was not done how the


    Luna and her daughter wanted, and one of us would end up with a beating. asionally, Sandra


    would cry to her father with lies about being disrespected for the fun of it and everyone got a beating.


    I rushed to the kitchen while trying to smooth my bed hair. My curly hair was not easy to control.


    ¡°Nice of you two to join us.¡± The Luna growled.


    ¡°We are having guests next week,¡± Alpha Geoff growled. ¡°As you all may know, Sandra received her


    wolf two months ago. All unmated Alphas, Betas and their unmated sons will be arriving for the full


    moon to see if they are mated to my daughter as they are the ones worthy of being her mate.¡± He


    puffed his chest proudly. I suppressed a roll of the eyes.


    Werewolves could only find their mate during a full moon. The full moon allowed the mate bond to snap


    into ce under the moon goddess¡¯s light. This was also when the she-wolves were most fertile so


    pregnancies were usually nned around a full moon. This made it extremely difficult for unnned


    pregnancies though not unheard of. Luna Luisa, the old Gamma¡¯s daughter, had managed to get the


    Alpha drunk enough during a full moon and seduced him. When it was found out that she was


    pregnant, his father¡¯s Gamma had tried to make him take responsibility. It is said that he was the young


    soon-to-be Alpha Geoff¡¯s first kill. Sandra was slightly younger than I was when Alpha Geoff took the


    throne and challenged my father for his pack and Luna. When my mother took her life, Alpha Geoff


    came back and took Luna Luisa as his chosen mate. The rumor was that although she was Luna, the


    Alpha took women to bed at any time he wished. It made me feel bad for the Luna as a mate can


    always tell when the other is having rtions with another. It is said to be painful and heartbreaking. I


    almost felt sorry for her¡­..almost.


    Sandra was average looking but as rotten to the core as her parents. When she first shifted, people


    had been surprised at the below average wolf she had been paired with. It was a dirty sandy brown


    with no unusual qualities. It wasn¡¯t fast, it wasn¡¯t strong. Sandra had been training with one of the


    Alpha¡¯s best warrior for almost 2 months and it was rumored that not much had improved. She would


    make a weak and terrible mate. I could almost bet my life that none of the ranked membersing to


    visit would be her destined mate. Selene, the moon goddess, did not reward cruel wolves. Alpha Geoff


    had never found his destined mate. I had a feeling the moon goddess would never grant him one. A


    destined mate was said toplete a soul, enhance their power and abilities and allow a pack to


    flourish and create a peaceful and loyal pack. The Blood Moon Pack, having no destined Luna was


    ruled through fear and cruel punishments to anyone that dared stand against it. Its members were


    either as cruel as the Alpha, or too weak to stand up and right the wrongs.


    ¡°We will have a total of 25 unmated males¡± the Alpha interrupted my thoughts. ¡°You are to ready all 30


    guest suites to amodate any added high ranking members that may apany them. They arrive


    the night before the full moon. I want dinner to be ready. Breakfast, lunch and dinners while they


    remain in the Pack Territory will need to be perfect. There will be a Pack celebration dinner the night of


    the full moon to celebrate my daughter¡¯s mate. Spare nothing. Celeste, you are in charge of all meals


    during the duration of their stay. Give a list of the supplies you need to the Gamma. Cook to impress,


    anything less and you will deal with me after the visitors are gone.¡±


    I bowed my head in submission at his Alpha tone. It never really affected me the same as everyone


    due to having Alpha blood myself, but I had learned to recognize it and pretend, ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Pick one other to help you. You will also need to stock the suites with snacks and drinks for our


    guests. Anyone else not picked, I still expect every single task to be done as usual. Any faults found


    during the visits will be dealt with harshly after the visitors are gone. Am I understood¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± Was heard from everyone.


    Without another word, the Alpha, Luna and spoiled brat left the kitchen. I picked another girl I liked that


    was somewhat capable of following cooking instructions to help me the week of the visit, and then


    everyone returned to their duties for the day. I returned to my so called room to finish my nap and begin


    nning the menu.


    I generally avoided the Packhouse during the day if I could help it. The servants in the house were only


    allowed leftovers and there were usually not a lot. Even though I cooked most of the food, I was still


    fairly underweight. When I started hitting puberty, my bosom didn¡¯t seem to care and blossomed a little


    too enthusiastically. This made me a target to the horny unmated warriors, and even some mated. I did


    my best to wear baggy clothes. There was a small garden I maintained for the Luna and tended to


    spend my afternoons there. It was beautiful and peaceful. It was generally used as the main location for


    all the parties and I would always weep when trying to fix the destruction made to the garden the


    morning after. The Luna truly didn¡¯t care much for it, but would use it as a point of pride with visiting


    Lunas. I was not allowed to work on the garden during their visit as she took full credit for the garden,


    so I would have to water at nighttime. It was something I didn¡¯t mind doing, in the rare instances when it


    coincided with a full moon, I could swear the garden was visited by the mood goddess herself. It was


    simply magical.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Chapter 3 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P O V


    The week leading up to the full moon was one going down in the books as one of the worst I¡¯d had


    since arriving at this forsaken ce. We all had double duties as we cleaned, prepared and nned for


    the nights before and after the full moon. I couldn¡¯t spend too much time in the garden, though I was


    expected to keep it immacte for the party. Talk about unreasonable expectations.


    I was only getting 3 hours of sleep a night and as I had to spend all my free time in the Packhouse


    cleaning, I was not always able to avoid the groping and innuendos. I¡¯d had 3 premonitions during the


    cleaning of the suites and I was not allowed to rest after getting hit by the migraines that tended to


    follow them. We also had to pre-pack everything that Sandra would be taking with her to her mate¡¯s


    pack. They were so sure that she would find her mate that night¡­


    The worst part was I was too exhausted to let Kara run free. She was mad at me, but was also


    exhausted from healing my exhaustion and migraines. I was having trouble controlling her as well. The


    more exhausted, the grumpier we both were and the less control I had over her.  We needed to be


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    careful, I could not afford to be found out. They would realize my lie and likely kill me. I was nning on


    running away before I hit what they thought was my 19th birthday. I had 1 year, 8 months, and 4 days.


    In reality, my 20th birthday was in 5 months.


    The only part I enjoyed over the week was nning the menu. It was only 5 or 6 meals to be nned.


    Dinner the night before the full moon, the three meals the day of, and Breakfast and lunch for the


    stragglers the following day. Still, I enjoyed having no budget for the meals and letting my imagination


    run wild. Dinners would be different. The Packhouse would be ordering takeout for the warriors. We


    had set up a temporary tent and moved the buffet tables there. The normal dining room had been


    rearranged to sit a dinner party of about 40 people. High Ranking members and visitors only. The


    visiting guards would eat outside with the other warriors. That allowed me to make a proper multiple


    course dinner on both nights. It would be an exhausting evening. I also had to n canapes for the


    celebration to be held after the usual moon run/ celebration for Sandra¡¯s mate.


    Maya and I had our work cut out for us as we would be the main ones cooking but we had a n. Big


    meals, followed by simple meals that could be mostly prepped before hand, followed byplex meal.


    Everything would be OK. We just had to stick to our schedule and hope that people loved our food.


    Thankfully, the other Omegas would be in charge of serving so we could dedicate ourselves solely to


    cooking. We had even tested out parts of the menu through the week. So far, I had heard no


    Aside from the groping, no one touched us for a full week. It was a change of pace as our bruises fully


    healed for the first time in a while. Every girl had at least one bruise that may could be passed for a


    birth mark at this point. Alpha Geoff and Luna Luisa didn¡¯t want to have healing omegas walking


    around with so many high ranking werewolves about. I had heard Luna Luisa telling a warrior that she


    didn¡¯t need some moralpass up in her skirts about how they treat their servants.


    The day before the arrival of all the Ranked visitors, the Luna surprised us all with two used sets of


    clothes for the duration of the visits. All the omegas that worked in the Packhouse usually wore throw


    away clothes we managed to fit in. All were worn past the point of being able to call it decent clothing,


    all were either stained or ripped. I was not super happy about this, as the new clothes were not baggy


    enough for me to hide my breasts. I knew it would spell trouble after the visiting parties were gone.


    The day of the arrivals was here. I woke up early to get breakfast going. I looked into my blurry


    reflection in my makeshift mirror.


    Today¡¯s the day. Are you ready Kara? ¨C I asked my wolf


    f**k yes I am. We¡¯ve got this. ¨C she said. I felt my eyes turn ck. A sign our wolves were front and


    center.


    Kara¡­


    Sorry, just excited . ¨CShe said sheepishly

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Chapter 4 ¨C Markus


    Markus POV


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I let you talk me into this visit. We have more than enough on our tes at the


    moment. I should not be leaving the pack¡± I grumbled to Gillian as I started going through the


    outstanding papers that needed to be dealt with before my trip.


    ¡°Because we need a Luna and you need to getid already. You¡¯re getting grumpier by the day¡± Gillian,


    my Betaughed at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of taking care of the pack without a Luna. Besides, I don¡¯t want to be tied to the


    Blood Moon Pack if I can avoid it. This is a bad idea, I should just cancel,¡± I said, looking at my phone


    to see what time it was. Gillian snatched the phone out of my hand and I growled.


    ¡°You¡¯re going and that¡¯s that. The Pack duties will still be here when you get back. You¡¯ve gone nonstop


    since you took over the Pack 4 years ago. You need a break. Even if you¡¯re not her mate, you just need


    a break brother,¡± he said.


    We need to see who his allies are. If the reports are true, we may be headed into a conflict ¨C As, my


    wolf said in my head.


    You¡¯re right. We need more recon ¨C I agreed.


    ¡°Fine, but you owe me one,¡± I said to Gillian. He rolled his eyes, ¡°I take it you¡¯re all packed and ready to


    go? I have to go grab my bag from my room. It¡¯s too bad Daniel isn¡¯t back yet. He enjoys this s**t way


    more than I do.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not due back until about a week after the full moon. He said he thinks he¡¯s close to something


    big,¡± Gillian said. His eyes flickered to ck and back at the thought of what Daniel was doing. If we


    weren¡¯t still trying to stabilize things in the pack, he would be right there with Daniel. The rumors that


    surrounded the Blood Moon Pack were enough to make any decent wolf rage; the little we¡¯d already


    been able to see for ourselves will make it hard not to separate Alpha Geoff¡¯s head from the rest of his


    body.


    ¡°You going to be able to control Otto while we¡¯re staying at the Packhouse?¡± I asked. ¡°We can¡¯t afford


    to give ourselves away just yet. We still need proof.¡±


    ¡°He knows. He will behave. He¡¯s not happy about it, but he knows what¡¯s at stake,¡± he grumbled.


    I sighed, ¡°Well let¡¯s get this s**t show going then. Maybe we hit the jackpot and find something to help


    us with this investigation.¡±


    I signed thest of the documents and gave my assistant ast few instructions of things to aplish


    while I was away.


    I went to my room and grabbed the suitcase that had been packed for me. I dragged my feet to the car


    waiting for me at the entrance of the Packhouse. I hated social gatherings, but As was right. We


    needed information before we could take on the Blood Moon Pack. I wasn¡¯t sure we could take them on


    alone. Our pack was getting stronger each day, but to take on the Blood Moon Pack, we would need


    allies. To get allies, we needed proof.


    The Blood Moon Pack didn¡¯t have a lot of unmated females. The Alpha had long ago culled anyone he


    thought could eventually be a threat to his fear dominated empire. Most of his men found mates


    outside the pack and for some reason, their offspring were rarely females.  I liked to think the goddess


    Selene did not wish that pack to exist. Only about 35% of their poption had found their destined


    mates. The few females that were born to the pack eventually became chosen mates.


    The chances that I would find a mate there was low at least. I wasn¡¯t keen on finding a mate. I didn¡¯t


    need one. I was 25 years old. Much too old to not have found one. I looked for a mate once, but after


    what happened to my father shortly after my 21st birthday, I distrusted the bond. Only after he¡¯d found


    his second chance mate, did I see any relief in his tormented eyes. I was thankful to the moon goddess


    for helping him find peace, but I also requested that I be spared from that pain. I avoided going out


    during the full moons. I only ever lead my own pack runs, but I could not refuse the request from the


    Blood Moon Pack. There was too much at stake to risk it all.


    ¡°We will arrive in about an hour. We¡¯re running a littlete so we¡¯ll be there just in time for dinner. We at


    least won¡¯t have to deal with the oaf for long today¡± I heard Gillian confirm after a few hours on the


    road. We had been traveling for about 3 hours now. The summer sun was still shining bright. I


    wondered if the sun even shone inside that forsaken ce. I couldn¡¯t imagine being a woman in a


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    ce like that. It must be unbearable. I¡¯d never been there, but other Alpha¡¯s had mentioned how the


    females were treated by the males of the pack. It made my blood boil thinking about it. Despite


    everything my father went through with his ex-wife, respecting the mate bond was something that he¡¯d


    taught me to cherish since I was a pup.


    ¡°How many pack leaders areing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About 12, us included. Most with 1 or 2 Ranked unmated males,¡± Gillian answered.


    ¡°Hmm. Sounds a bit desperate,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Sounds like he doesn¡¯t want to settle for anything below Gamma,¡± Gillian grunted. I knew it struck a


    nerve.


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Markus Chapter 5 ¨C Markus


    Markus POV


    The Territory was big. Almost as big as ours. But while our territory was well maintained and full of life,


    animal and werewolf, the


    Blood Moon territory looked as cruel as its Alpha. A lot of dead undeveloped wilderness. After crossing


    the territory lines, it was still


    another half hour before we actually saw any signs of civilization.


    The Packhouse was big. I knew they kept most of their unmated warriors in there, which were a lot. I


    saw a giant tent filled with


    warriors and food. There were a few young females running around refilling beverages and picking up


    discarded tes. I growled when I


    saw men pawing at their bodies as they passed by. I could see a few warriors that were sitting to the


    side. All seemed to be growling at the


    same disrespect. None seemed to want to get involved nor did any of them seem to try to make


    conversation with anyone. They must be


    the guards of the other Packs. I was d to see when one finally punched a drunk warrior that was


    pawing a terrified girl as I pulled


    around to the front of the Packhouse. At least I knew they would protect the servants if they got too out


    of hand. As much as I wanted to squeeze the neck of the handsy warriors, I knew I needed to y it


    cool. 2 days. We just need to be civil for 2 days. We would be out of here first thing on the morning


    after the full moon run.


    My guard/driver opened our door. ¡®If they cross a line with the girls, you have my permission to beat


    them to a pulp. Call for me, I will


    make sure you¡¯re not touched. I trust your judgement,¡¯


    Tmind linked my 3 guards.


    They all nodded at me as they heard someone at the door. ¡°Alpha Markus, wee to the Blood Moon


    Pack. Everyone is sitting down for dinner. I¡¯ll escort you to the dining room and let the kitchen know


    you¡¯ve arrived.¡± A fairly small female addressed me with a bowed head. I took her figure in; she looked


    to be skin and bones. I sighed internally. I knew my conscience, my wolf, and the bigger


    picture were going war with each other the entire time I was here.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, following the small omega to a giant dining room. There were two seats close to


    the middle of the room, ¡°Alpha Geoff, thank you for hosting us,¡± I managed to say with a pleasant voice.


    I could feel my wolf growl in my head. Neither of us liked this


    man.


    ¡°Alpha Markus! d you could join us. May I present the guest of honor for tomorrow and the reason


    you¡¯re here. My daughter


    Sandra.¡± He motions to a girl to his left hand side. I bow my head in her direction as she tries to shoot a


    sultry look my way. We sat in our tables and exchanged greetings with the rest of the men at the table.


    Everyone was already eating appetizers from tes scattered down the middle of the giant dining


    table. I took a bit of a few tes, though I must admit that it all looked pretty appetizing. I bit into a


    bacon wrapped scallop that seemed to be topped with some sort of creamy substance on top and had


    to suppress a moan. The taste exploded in my mouth.


    ¡°Oh wow¡± I heard Gillian say as he bit into what seemed to be some type of eggroll. ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    He motioned for me to try the


    one I¡¯d loaded on my te.


    He was not wrong. It wasn¡¯t a typical eggroll. It seemed to be some sort of tex-mex variation with ck


    beans, cheese, chicken and


    jpeno. My eyes wanted to roll into the back of my eyes. I dug in then, not bothering much with the


    chit chat except to agree with people that were praising the food. I managed to nab a few of the


    remaining egg rolls as the appetizer tes were taken from the table with a few disappointing grunts


    from the men at the table. Not that there was much left. I wasn¡¯t the only one that enjoyed the


    food.


    The main course was simple and yet I could swear it was the best damn thing I have ever tasted. It was


    a Garlic butter chicken with


    Cajun spices, creamy mashed potatoes with a drizzle of the same chicken garlic butter sauce, green


    beans with bacon and brussels


    sprouts. I noticed most tes were practically licked as they were picked up at the end of the course. I


    even heard a few wondering about


    seconds. I didn¡¯t me them. In any other circumstance. I would have been running to the kitchen to


    see if I could lick a spoon. Alpha


    Geoff was puffing his chest at all thepliments as if he¡¯d made it himself.


    Theard an angelic voice as a door opened ¡°Make sure everyone gets a saucer of cream¡± as people


    made their way into the kitchen. I


    was still staring at the door, hypnotized by such a delicate voice, when a te was lowered in front of


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    me. I resisted the urge to drool.


    raspberries on top.


    You gonna eat that¡¯ i mind linked Gillian.


    ¡°You bet your ass I am. If the other courses are any indication of how good this is going to be, I can die


    a happy man after I lick the


    te,¡¯ Gillian responded.


    I¡¯m your Alpha, I could make you?¡¯ Itaunted.


    ¡®My loyalty to you has a limit and it appears to stop atva cake,


    Gillian said seriously after taking a bite of his dessert.


    I smirked at him and then took a bite of my dessert. ¡®Oh f**k, I don¡¯t me you. I¡¯d kill me too.


    I didn¡¯t say anything else as I just kept


    eating dessert. Everyone seemed enraptured with eating the deliciousva cake. Thest of the tes


    were taken off and everyone chatted pleasantly to each other. I could tell Alpha Geoff seemed to be


    getting drunker and drunker as time went on. The other pack leaders started to feel ufortable and


    one by one, they all started to excuse themselves and heading to their assigned guest rooms. It


    was also obvious that Sandra kept trying to flirt with some of the Alpha¡¯s. I wondered if she thought she


    could nab the role of chosen


    mate to an Alpha as a back up n in case tomorrow was a dud. I truly felt sorry for her mate. She


    wasn¡¯t ugly, but you could see there


    wasn¡¯t much between the ears and she was the daughter of the most disgusting person. I doubt there


    was much to like.


    ¡°Please excuse us, it¡¯s been a long journey. We will take our leave and rest for tomorrow. My


    We made our way towards our assigned guest suites. I smelled the most intoxicating smell of honey


    and strawberries and what I could only describe as a winter¡¯s night. As stirred in my head and


    started wagging his tail. They must be getting ready for tomorrow¡¯s food, I thought, and kept going


    towards the room.


    ¡®We should try get some information from the kitchen staff tomorrow. Discretely. They all looked pretty


    malnourished. We may be


    able to offer them sanctuary in exchange for information.


    Imind linked Gillian as we reached our rooms.


    I¡¯ll see what I can do tomorrow.¡¯ He said.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Chapter 6 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I sighed as I settled down in my futon. The dinner was a sess. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food.


    Some even asked for seconds. I


    massaged my feet. The best part was all of the girls managed to get at least some taste of the food.


    Whatever little left overs from the appetizers, we ate. We split thest couple of entrees between all of


    us and even managed to get a taste of theva cake. I was thankful for the help cleaning up the kitchen


    though confused by the sudden whiff of an exquisite smellbination of pistachios, figs and


    something I couldn¡¯t quite ce. Almost like the smell of earth before a storm.


    y down on the futon and let sleep take me. I needed all the rest I could use. Tomorrow I had to cook


    breakfast for all the warriors and the guests, lunch and then dinner and ending with the canapes for the


    party. It would be a grueling day.


    I woke up at 3:30am, I went and knocked on Maya¡¯s room. She shared the small little room with 3 other


    girls. It was nicer for sure than where i slept, but I at least had privacy. She and another girl slept in the


    same bed.


    We started with the warrior¡¯s breakfast since that would just be the normal buffet style breakfast that


    everyone was used to. We


    pumped out the croissants, sausages, bacon, eggs and biscuits. We¡¯d pre-cut fruit the day before and


    had stored it for use this morning.


    After the warrior¡¯s breakfast, we began making the guests¡¯ breakfast. We¡¯d left a card requesting a


    choice of breakfast from a set of options when we stocked their rooms with drinks and snacks. Maya


    went and rounded them up for us while I started several pans with sauces. Breakfast choices was


    between eggs benedict, French toast, crepes, and a higher end warrior¡¯s type of breakfast: toast, eggs


    of


    choice, sausage, bacon, and hashbrowns. The tables were loaded with tes of toast, spreads, and


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    fruit


    After breakfast, we started baking fresh bread. The other girls delivered the tes just as before. One


    of the Betas came around and


    was silently speaking to a few of the girls as they were running back and forth from the kitchen. I would


    see him from the corner of my eye while cooking. The girls would go pale and just shake their heads


    profusely. He started to approach me but Luna Luisa came in and


    everyone scattered like roaches.


    ¡°Beta Gillian, how did you find your amodationsst night?¡± She asked in a sickly sweet voice.


    ¡°Luna, everything has been impable. You sure know how to host a gathering,¡± He said smoothly.


    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s a lot of work organizing it all but so rewarding. Is there something you needed? Was


    breakfast not to your liking?I ¨C can have the help whip up something different if you weren¡¯t satisfied


    with your te?¡± She said, sending a re my way as if I¡¯d done something wrong.


    ¡°No No No. In fact, I actually came to see if I could talk your cook into making me another eggs


    benedict. That sauce is the best I¡¯ve


    ever tasted,¡± he said, looking my way.


    ¡°Of course, Beta. Right away, sir¡± I said, not believing a word he said. I would have to ask one of the


    girls what he¡¯d asked, but now


    was not the time. There was just too much work to be done.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled at me and held his arm out for the Luna and walked with her towards the dining


    room,


    Lunch was simple a choice of Chicken Alfredo on angel hair pasta, Philly Cheese steak on fresh home


    made bread and, to add


    something different, fish tacos. This was the only meal that would be buffet style for the guests. We


    made about 13 tes of each dish


    and set them up along the dining room table. I noticed that all of the guests seemed to appear at once


    as ifing out of a meeting,


    though I¡¯d like to think that they were just looking forward to what I had to offer. I quickly cleaned the


    kitchen and began preparing for


    dinner.


    On the menu for dinner were a few appetizers for the first course, caprese sd for the second course,


    Beef Wellington with madeira wine sauce, roasted Cajun potatoes, saut¨¦ed carrots and parsnips for the


    main course and ended the dessert course with a sampling of desserts. Cheesecake, apple rose puffs,


    Mexican custard, chocte mouse with raspberries and ast-minute addition of mini pistachio


    and fig tarts. I couldn¡¯t get the smell out of my head.


    Isnuck a quick look as they were eating dessert. I smiled at the appreciative looks on everyone¡¯s faces.


    I caught a whiff of the same


    smell from yesterday and realized it must be someone¡¯s cologne. I closed the cracked door and went to


    start preparing the canapes for

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Chapter 7 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I wanted to go ask the cook to run away with me. I could imagine eating this all my life. Thesest two


    days were worth the trio just


    for the damn food. Putting up with Alpha Geoff¡¯s pompous ass was irritating, but the moment I would


    put the food in my mouth, As


    would just start wagging and running around like a mad wolf. For a grumpy wolf, he sure seemed to


    enjoy the cook¡¯s food.


    I looked at Gillian with a little bit of jealousy. He¡¯d gone to see if he could find anyone willing to talk to


    us and came out with a second


    helping of eggs benedict. Now it was lunch time and he was still eating like he¡¯d missed breakfast.


    Lucky bastard.


    ¡®Stop being madi got more food than you did. What else could I have used as a cover?¡¯


    He mind linked me when he saw me look at


    him eating the Philly Cheese steak.


    ¡®You could have shared. It¡¯s not like you got anything out of the girls,¡¯


    I said.


    ¡®Yeah, those girls look simply terrified. I don¡¯t think they believe we can protect them. The only one I


    didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to


    was the pretty cook.¡¯


    ¡®Pretty? Seems like a crime to be able to cook like this and be pretty at the same time,¡¯


    said.


    ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s a cutey. Young. Probably not even of age. Curls that don¡¯t seem to end and some pretty


    remarkable eye color,¡¯


    Gillian


    said.


    ¡®Sounds like you¡¯re smitten


    I teased.


    ¡®She is pretty, but not for me. I will wait for my mate. I could tell it wouldn¡¯t be her.¡¯


    ¡®You can tell without the full moon?¡¯ I asked, genuinely curious.


    My mom always said you should be able to feel some sort of pull towards your mate, some sort of


    attraction. Full moon or not. They are chosen for you at birth, so it¡¯s always there. You can feel it to


    some extent. The Full moon just helps the bond snap into ce!


    ¡®Hmm. Interesting,¡¯ I could feel As listening closely. His behaviortely was a little weird, but I figured


    he was just on edge from


    being in enemy territory.


    I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get anyone here to help. He¡¯s got everyone scared for their life,


    he finished.


    I sighed, ¡®Yeah, I was afraid of that. At least we get two more outstanding meals out of this trip.


    I smirked.


    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t wait for dinner.¡¯


    ¡®Dude, you literally have lunch in your mouth right now and you¡¯re thinking about dinner?¡¯


    ughed at him while taking a bite of my


    own fish tacos. They were so good. I was eyeing another te that seemed to not have an owner. I


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    know there were extras, so I chose a


    seat pretty close to one of the straggling tes in case no one jumped on it.


    ¡®And you¡¯re not wondering what¡¯s for dessert?¡¯ he asked.


    I smirked.


    ¡®Thought so,¡¯ heughed.


    Alpha Rhett approached me then. I thought he would say something but he just smiled, nodded and


    grabbed the te of tacos. I


    gave him a low growl. He smiled wider and said, ¡°Snooze you lose, Markus. You shouldn¡¯t be so nice to


    the rest of us.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Touch¨¦ my friend. Next time I¡¯ll be sure to challenge you for the extra te.¡±


    ¡°if it¡¯s by this same cook, I¡¯ll dly ept a challenge to the death. I already asked for theva cake


    recipe.¡± He winked.


    ¡°Be sure to email that over.¡± Iughed again.


    It¡¯s already in your email. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see the look on your face when you ate it. You looked like


    you were in heaven,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Looks like lowe you one then.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can ask for the next dessert. I don¡¯t want seem needy,¡± Rhettughed.


    Dinner time came around. I couldn¡¯t believe the food they had for us. When the sampling of desserts


    came out, I was absolutely in


    heaven. Even more so when I suddenly caught that wonderful smell of honey, strawberries and a


    winter¡¯s night. I looked down, sure that


    the smell wasn¡¯ting from the desserts. I turned around to see the door to the kitchen swinging.


    ¡°Everything OK?¡± Gillian asked.


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah. It¡¯s fine. I thought I smelled something weird,¡± I responded.


    After dinner, I got up and went to the kitchen. There was only one small girl there working on canapes


    forter. She looked rather


    thin.


    ¡°Hello, can I be of service, Alpha uhhh?¡± she blushed.


    ¡°Alpha Markus. Did you cook all this food?¡± I said, looking at the canapes and thinking of all the food


    we¡¯d just eaten. Even though!


    was stuffed, I was already salivating looking at all the food.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± sheughed, ¡°I could never cook like this. I am just helping Celeste. She¡¯s the real cook.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. Celeste. Even the name sounded as heavenly as the food ¡°And where is she? I wanted to


    ask for the dessert recipes. Maybe my cook back home might be able to make something close to as


    good as hers.¡±


    ¡°She had a headache and went to wash her face. I¡¯ll let her know and she can leave it in your room


    during the full moon run,¡± she


    said brightly.


    ¡°Thank you¡­..uhhh¡±


    ¡°Maya, Alpha¡±


    ¡°Thank you Maya. I guess I better be going. The moon is about to rise. Are you both not joining?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, we don¡¯t have our wolf yet and we have to make thest of the food for tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I said, surprised at my disappointment. ¡°Well, please let Celeste know that the food has been


    phenomenal. I wish my cook at


    home cooked half as good as her. No wonder Alpha Geoff seems to be getting a little bit round around


    the mid area¡± I winked. She


    giggled.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I came back from the bathroom after the migraine started to hit. I had a vision as I was assembling the


    canapes.


    It confused me as I mostly saw Sandra looking down on me through a haze of red. Shifting usually


    helps get rid of the


    migraine, so I had gone to the bathroom to quickly shift as I couldn¡¯t risk shifting outside during the full


    moon. The smell of cologne that I had smelled earlier hit me in the face as I made my way back in but I


    saw no one but Maya. My


    migraine receded slightly as I breathed it in.


    ¡°Oh hey, you missed Alpha Markus, he would like the recipes for the desserts. I told him we¡¯d leave


    copies of


    them in his room while they run.¡±


    Alpha Markus, so that is the name to the scent. Hmmm, I mulled over the name as I cooked more


    canapes. It had


    a nice ring to it. I¡¯d barely had a chance to see any of the ranked members. There was so much


    cooking to do. I¡¯d only


    met a few people asking for recipes. Something I¡¯d dly shared with all of them. I heard the howling of


    the wolves as the moon rose, a sign for us to go set up. I tried to ignore Kara¡¯s disappointment. I knew


    she would love to run during


    a full moon. It was supposed to be energizing and magical.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I know we will get to run under the goddess¡¯s light one day. ¨C Kara said, sensing my guilt.


    You¡¯re the best wolf a girl could ask for ¨C I said.


    We finished the canapes and Maya and I went to drop the food off at the outside tables. We could hear


    howling in the distance. I looked up at the sky and let the glow of the moon soak into my skin. All of the


    sudden I felt someone grab me by the hair and drop me to the ground. I looked up to see Sandra. I


    bowed my head, not knowing what I did. I quickly nced to the side and saw Maya was also on the


    ground, a sh on her head from Sandra¡¯s ws. I wasn¡¯t sure why Sandra was targeting us, but I


    could heal faster than Maya. She didn¡¯t have a wolf, which meant there was


    only one thing to do.


    You can¡¯te out to defend kara. ¨C I said.


    I will try, but if ites down to your life, screw the secret ¨C she warned.


    I stood up when I saw Sandra approaching Maya.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could stand up, you worthless piece of trash!¡± Sandra screamed and punched me in


    the face. I


    felt my orbital bone crack. Even if she wasn¡¯t that strong, she was stronger than my underweight body. I


    looked up and saw red. There was blood in my eyes. I stood up again.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T NEED YOU TO DO ANYTHING WRONG. IF I WANT TO BEAT YOU TO DEATH BECAUSE I


    f*****g WISH TO, I


    CAN. YOU¡¯RE PROPERTY. YOU¡¯RE NOT WORTH THE FOOD YOU EAT.¡± She said as she rushed


    me. I felt a punch to my


    shoulder. The vicle snapped. She shed my stomach. Kicked me in the ribs.


    Tam not sure I can keep healing you much longer, Celeste. I am exhausted. It may take a long time. Let


    me shift. ¨C Kara pleaded


    No, we just have to hang in there ¨C I said stubbornly.


    ¡°This was supposed to be my night. I was supposed to find my mate. Instead everyone is just talking


    about how


    good the food is.¡± She screamed at me.


    Shended a kick in my chin and I felt my jaw crack. I wasn¡¯t moving on the ground anymore as I felt


    kick after


    kick. Then suddenly, I smelled pistachios, figs and wet earth before a storm. I sat up slightly, wincing


    from the pain. I looked left, to where I could see a crowd arriving back from the run, shifting. My bloody


    eyes glued onto a pair of grey eyes and I felt something snap inside, almost like a physical tether being


    put in ce.


    ¡°Mate,¡± Kara whispered, before the darkness took me.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9 Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I wanted tough at the face of shock and dismay from the Alpha, Luna and their daughter as the moon


    rose. It seemed none of the


    leaders of the packs were her mate. I am not sure anyone was surprised, outside of them, but we were


    all doing a pretty good iob of


    looking sympathetic, I saw Sandra turn from the stage and stomp away, likely to go cry in her room.


    The moon reached the peak and we


    all removed our clothing and shifted. I can¡¯t help but actually admire hisnds under the full moon. The


    previously dead and uncared


    was clear that he enjoyed his


    moon runs.


    I feel like something is happening. I think something is about to change. ¨C As said as he ran faster.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I felt the same way.


    I heard the Alpha¡¯s howl to turn back. As we were getting closer to the area were the party was taking


    ce, I heard a woman


    shrieking like a banshee.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T NEED YOU TO DO ANYTHING WRONG. IF I WANT TO BEAT YOU TO DEATH BECAUSE I


    f*****g WISH TO, I CAN. YOU¡¯RE


    PROPERTY. YOU¡¯RE NOT WORTH THE FOOD YOU EAT.¡±


    ¡°This was supposed to be my night. I was supposed to find my mate. Instead everyone is just talking


    about how good the food is.¡±


    She screamed again.


    We reached the clearing and we all saw Sandra kicking someone on the floor. I shifted and started


    running towards them. Maya was


    to the side with blood running down a gash from her face. I smelled blood, strawberries, honey and the


    coolness of a winter¡¯s night mixed together. I looked at the woman on the ground. All could see was the


    copious amounts of jet ck curls shining against the full moon. I saw blood dripping from her chin. I


    saw her sniff the air slowly and sit up and look our way. My eyes met her bloody eyes and I felt the


    bond snap into ce. I heard her whisper something before falling over.


    My eyes turned ck as As took over ¡°MINE,¡± he growled.


    No longer under control of my body, I saw As rush Sandra and back hand her backwards. I felt my


    Beta run to my side as well as my warriors surround me as we bend down to inspect our mate. He


    gently pushed the hair from her face and roared. Her eyes were bleeding, I could feel a crack in her


    orbital bone. Her jaw looked broken and there were already bruises and swelling all over her face.


    Blood on her


    abdomen.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, exin yourself,¡± Alpha Geoff roared at me. Helping his daughter up from the ground.


    ¡°Your daughter was beating my mate.¡± As growled as I took control of my body and I picked up my


    mate and started heading


    towards where I knew the Packhouse Hospital was located.¡¯ Bring Maya, she looks like she needs


    medical attention too,


    Imind linked


    Gillian. I saw him walk towards her and gently lift her up and follow me. My warriors nked us as we


    headed towards the hospital.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. She isn¡¯t even of age yet. How can she bond?¡± Luna Luisa growled.


    ¡°Perhaps you need to pay more attention. Some of her injuries are healing. She clearly has her wolf.¡± I


    spat,


    ¡°WHERE ARE YOU GOING?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°To the hospital,¡± I said, without turning back to them. ¡°The omegas do not have hospital rights, ¡°Sandra


    shrieked, ¡°She can¡¯t be your mate! She¡¯s just trash!¡± There were a couple of gasps


    from the other leaders of the other packs.


    I felt my eyes turn ck once again and I let ATLAS roar,


    We turned around. I felt our fangs elongate. ¡°You havemitted crimes against my future Luna and


    have admitted to denying


    basic necessities to your omegas. We will discuss the punishment for the transgression AFTER my


    mate has received medical attention. If you try to prevent help being given, I will not hesitate to call the


    council. Maya and my mate are under the protection of the Crescent Moon Pack. Any attempts to hurt


    them will be considered a direct attack to my pack and a deration of war. Who here will stand beside


    stepped forward.


    ¡°This is ridiculous. Just wait until that piece of trash wakes. You will see how wrong he is and I will


    expect an apology from each one


    of you¡± Alpha Geoff screamed and he dragged Luna Luisa and his daughter into the house when he


    realized no one was on his side.


    Alpha Rhett stepped forward then, having put on a pair of shorts, handed me a pair. As gave me


    back control. I gently shifted my


    mate in order to dress myself, not wanting anyone to touch her. ¡°You are sure Markus?¡± he asked. I


    nodded. ¡°Then you have our support.¡±


    he said.


    ¡°Thank you my friend.¡±


    I saw my Beta put on a pair of shorts as well and then gently guiding a petrified Maya towards the


    hospital. She hesitated at the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s forbidden,¡± she said.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to stay here,¡± Gillian said gently, looking at me. I nodded at her and saw her relief.


    ¡°You can leave the Blood Moon


    Pack. You are under the protection of Alpha Markus and you will be allowed to join our pack.¡±


    ¡°What is her name? My mate,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Celeste,¡± she said.


    ¡°The cook?¡± I asked, she nodded.


    We went through the double doors and noticed that for a few omegas cleaning, the hospital was empty.


    I heard someone trying to


    push behind us while my warriors growled.


    ¡°Alpha, if I may. My name is Dr. Castle. I am the Pack doctor. I can help.¡±


    I nodded to my warriors and an elderly gentleman pushed through.


    ¡°This way please,¡± he said as he hurried past me.


    I carried my mate to a room andid her gently on the bed. I wasn¡¯t keen on having him touch her, but I


    knew she needed something I could not provide. I stepped to the side and sat on the chair by her side.


    After about 20mins of checking her over, he finally looked


    at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s got a broken jaw, several broken bones, including her vicle, her left side orbital bone is


    broken but intact. I would imagine with the damage to her head, she definitely also has a concussion. I


    could feel no internal bleeding though and she already seems to be healing. I would imagine that you¡¯re


    correct and this woman has her wolf. She should be healing much slower otherwise. She will likely


    sleep for a couple of days as her wolf heals her.¡± My eyes turned ck then grey several times as I


    tried to restrain As from losing control. I couldn¡¯t stop the growl that came from my throat.


    ¡°I want my guards at the doors at all times. No one is toe in ore out except for the doctor


    unless I say so. We will be remaining here until she¡¯s well enough to travel. Bring another bed in here


    for Maya. She is also under my protection. I would like some clothes and a pillow brought to me. I will


    remain in this room with her.¡± I instructed my Beta who was already mind linking my warriors.


    He brought out his phone to alert our pack that we would be dyed. ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± he said as he left


    the room.


    I looked down at the woman in the bed. My mate. I never wanted a mate and yet the moment I saw her,


    I already felt the need to protect her and murder the ones responsible for her suffering. I sighed and


    held her hand.


    I heard As whine inside my head ¨C They hurt mate.


    I know buddy. But they won¡¯t hurt her anymore. We will make sure of it.


    I sat down next to my mate. Celeste. Her name was like a song. I inhaled deeply and let the smell of


    honey and strawberries and that


    cool winter¡¯s night calm me.


    ¡°She protected me,¡± I heard a small voice say from the other side of the room.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I said,


    ¡°Sandra hit me first and then her. She wasing back to me, but Celeste stood up and took the


    attention away from me. I thought


    Thad messed something up with dinner and then she started screaming about not finding her mate. I


    don¡¯t think we did anything wrong


    I think she just wanted to take her anger out at someone,¡± she sobbed.


    ¡°Do they do that often? Hit you for no reason?¡± I asked. She nodded


    mess up the food just so we can all get some food. They usually beat her for it but we all know that she


    does it on purpose just so we have


    something to eat.¡±


    I looked down at my mate, a sense of rage growing but also of wonder. She¡¯s a protector of the


    abused. Even though it caused more


    abuse to her. She will make a great Luna ¨C As puffed his chest in my head.


    And she cooks like a goddess ¨C I told him.


    He smirked ¨C Best food we¡¯ve ever had. Even better than bunnies.


    ¡°We need to speak to Alpha Markus. We need to settle the matter of his mate and the omega.¡± I


    startied awake. I had fallen asleep in


    the chair while holding my mate¡¯s hand.


    ¡®Let them through. I mind linked my warriors. ¡®Gillian are you close? Something is happening.


    I switched to my Beta.


    I¡¯m justing through the doors. I thought I¡¯d grab a couple of bagels for you. I have to warn you,


    they are nowhere near as good as your mate¡¯s food. These are barely edible but I don¡¯t think anyone


    else knows how to cook in this ce¡¯ he smirked in my head.


    I suppress a groan as the Alphas walk into the room.


    ¡°Has the doctor confirmed that this omega has no wolf?¡± Alpha Geoff growled. Luna Luisa and Sandra


    were standing behind


    him.


    ¡°I am afraid that you¡¯re mistaken, Alpha. This youngdy appears to have her wolf. Her healing is


    definitely consistent with that of someone with a wolf and her pupils are ck,¡± the Doctor spoke


    timidly, baring his neck in submission at the re of Alpha Geoff.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. She is only 17,¡± he growled. My eyes widened at the knowledge and looked down


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    at my unconscious mate.


    I looked back at the Alphas in the room. ¡°If she¡¯s 17, then she has an early wolf. I will not question the


    moon goddess¡¯ n for my mate. She is the future Luna and even if I have to wait for her to hit her


    legal age. She will being with me. Her and Maya,¡± I said


    ¡°She can¡¯t take her. Who will cook our food then?¡± Luna Luisa whined.


    ¡°That is not my problem, nor is it theirs,¡± I respond, disgusted that this is what her worry is.


    ¡°You can take the b***h, but you won¡¯t take the other omega. She¡¯s mine,¡± Alpha Geoff growls.


    ¡°Watch what you say to a future Luna, Alpha Geoff,¡± Alpha Rhett said, ¡°No one in this room will tolerate


    disrespect to a mate.¡±


    ¡°Maya was part of the assault that your daughter inflicted yesterday. We all heard her say that she


    could beat them without cause. I


    would take all the omegas in the Packhouse with me if I could as I¡¯ve noticed that they are all


    underweight and mistreated.¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°However, I will settle for removing Maya from


    immediate danger that I believe she still poses. I have asked her to join my pack and she has agreed.¡±


    ¡°Is this true child,¡± one of the other Alphas asked. I could tell Maya was terrified, more so when a low


    growl escaped from Alpha


    Geoff¡¯s chest. All she could do was nod.


    ¡°Well, considering this is an underage omega, I would usually say it¡¯s up to her guardians. Where are


    her parents?¡± He asked Luna


    Luisa. She paled.


    ¡°Ehh. She¡¯s an orphan. We are her parents,¡± The Luna said, looking nervous.


    ¡°And we do not consent to her leaving,¡± Alpha Geoff smirked.


    ¡°What happened to your parents, child? Come speak. My name is Alpha Troy and I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Alpha Troy was an older


    gentleman that was here not for a mate, but to apany his Beta.


    Maya looked at the Pack Leaders. It didn¡¯t seem like she was going to talk, when she looked at Celeste


    on the bed. Anger and


    determination reced the fear in her delicate face. ¡°My parents were from Sky Moon Pack. They were


    killed the night the Blood Moon


    Pack challenged and killed our Alpha. We were forced toe here after.¡±


    There was a chorus of murmuring from the other Alphas. We all knew the story of what happened to


    the Sky Moon Park. It was


    borderline murder but the council had dered it legal. As there was no known survivors, all we had to


    go on was the story from the


    Alpha and his warriors.


    guardianship should shitt to the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. Anyone disagree?¡± Alpha Troy


    looked around the room. No one objected. ¡°Very well. This is an unfortunate end to a very pleasant


    visit. I believe we will take our leave. Alpha Markus, anything you need before we go?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I will remain in this hospital with my Beta and guards until my mate is well enough to


    travel. All need is ce for


    my guards to rest until that happens.¡±


    Aloha Geoff growled but nodded. He grabbed his Luna by the arm and carried her out. Their spoiled


    daughter stomping


    behind.


    Once I was alone with my Beta again, I sighed and sat back down. I took a bagel and after biting it,


    made a face and spit in the trash.


    Maya giggled.


    I looked at her and she paled. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that for thest 7 years, the only one that¡¯s been able to


    cook anything edible was Celeste. Don¡¯t expect any miracles from the rest.¡±


    Iughed and looked at my Beta. ¡°Order us something edible for lunch? I have a feeling we¡¯ll all end up


    with food poisoning otherwise.¡± Heughed and I saw his eyes ze over as he mind linked one of our


    warriors.


    ¡°Done and done. Now, do we know how long it will take for the Luna to wake up?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Doc said a couple of days at most. She looks better thanst night at least.¡± I stroked her swollen face


    gently, feeling the warmth from the bond on my hand.. She stirred but didn¡¯t wake up. Even with all the


    injuries, I could already tell my mate was breathtakingly


    beautiful. I looked at Maya again. ¡°You did well. That took courage.¡±


    She smiled shyly. ¡°I thought about what Celeste would do.¡± I smiled.


    I can see you¡¯re already falling hard,¡¯ Gillian smirked through the mind link. I roll my eyes but the smile


    stayed on my face.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V


    Icould smell food, bleach and that strange cologne of pistachios and figs and wet earth as well as other


    smells that were not as


    dominant. I tried to move my arm, but my side hurt, so I opened my eyes instead. I saw Maya with a


    group of men around a small table. It


    looked like they were eating and chatting amicably. I could tell we were in the hospital, but this room


    looked different than what I would


    expect it to look like. It was almost homey. There werefortable chairs, nkets and aptop about.


    I felt the man with his back to


    me stiffen and turn. I was met with the most wonderful grey eyes.


    I felt Kara sigh contently in the back of my mind. She sounded exhausted.


    Are you doing Ok? -I asked with a little concern.


    I am fine. It just took a lot of energy to heal you. I just need a nap. Be nice to him, OK?


    I will try. You rest.


    The man stood up and approached me like a weary man waiting for the rabbit to be spooked. He was


    tall, at least 6¡¯3¡± tall and muscr. The in white tshirt was tight around all the right muscly ces.


    His broad chest tapered down to a small waste and I could almost see the v line at leading down into


    his jeans.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± he asked gently. I looked back up to his eyes. He looked concerned. I saw his eyes ze


    over and one of the warriors


    sitting at the table got up and left the room. ¡°My name is Markus. Do you know where you are?¡± He


    asked.


    ¡°Hos-Hospital,¡± I said. My throat was so dry, it was hard to talk. Markus provided me with a ss of


    water. It soothed my throat as


    gulped down the entire thing.


    Maya ran past him and gave me a hug. ¡°I was so scared you wouldn¡¯t wake up. You saved me!¡±I patted


    her back awkwardly. I was not used to this kind of contact. I looked back at Markus. He was smiling


    softly at me. I tried to return the smile, but I am not sure it came out


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    as nice as his. Smiling was another thing I wasn¡¯t used to doing. I noticed the rest of the men then.


    They were all standing from the table.


    The food forgotten.


    ¡°You should keep eating. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± I said. They bowed their heads and stood to the


    side as the Pack doctor walked


    inside.


    ¡°Good Morning Luna. How are you feeling?¡± My head snapped around the room, looking for Luna


    Luisa.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± Markus looked at me with concern in his eyes. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± My brows furrowed. I


    couldn¡¯t understand why the doctor had called me Luna. My head was still too muddled and it was


    giving me a headache, so I decided to think about thatter.


    ¡°My head hurts, my side still hurts, and my jaw feels sore and I need to use the bathroom.¡± I said


    honestly.


    ¡°Well you have been sleeping for 3 days, so that¡¯s understandable. Can we help her to the bathroom


    please?¡± He turned to the warriors. Two started moving to help but there was a low growling from


    Markus.


    ¡°I got it,¡± he said, and the warriors immediately returned to the table. He walked over and lifted me like


    a child. I couldn¡¯t stop the blush that surfaced to my face. I could feel warmth and tingles at every point


    where our bodies touched.


    I took a moment topose myself while in the bathroom. I¡¯d never had that kind of reaction to any


    man. I washed my face and


    looked in the mirror. My hair was a mess, I still had some bruising around the base of my jaw.


    Suddenly, I shed forward. I saw Markus


    holding me to him. His hand in my hair. I felt a wave of heat burst from my core as I came back to


    myself. I felt the migraine burst forth


    like a train wreck. I stumbled out of the bathroom. I lost my bnce and started falling face first, but I


    didn¡¯t hit the floor. Instead, I hit a


    veryurm chest. I looked up and Markus was holding on to me. He pulled me up and held me up. I felt


    the same heat spread from my core.


    His eyes darkened and his hand came to up to my face and into my hair.


    ¡°Luna, what happened?¡± Doctor Castle asked. Markus lifted me up again and put me back in bed.


    ¡°Uhh, just got dizzy,¡± I said, trying to get my head back to the present, ¡°I have a migraine.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Markus,¡± Dr Castle said 15 minutester after doing an examination. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything wrong


    with her. She still needs rest


    I looked at Dr. Castle then. ¡°Travel7 Where am I traveling? Where am I going?¡± I said, panicking.


    ¡°Cocook with her alone please?¡± Alpha Markus asked. Everyone shuffled out of the room. Maya looked


    unsure, but then Beta


    Gillian gently guided her out.


    ¡°Celeste, have you met your wolf?¡± I looked at him and panic set in. They knew. Oh god, they knew. My


    eyes flitted from his face to


    the window. ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s OK. No one is going to hurt you. You know what a mate bond is, right?¡± All I


    could do was nod. Suddenly he


    looked less confident. ¡°D-do you remember the night of the full moon, before you passed out?¡± He


    asked.


    ¡°Sandra,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yes, but before you passed out?¡±


    My eyes widened ¡°Kara ¨C Kara said you were mate.¡± He smiled, relief shed across his face.


    ¡°Is Kara your wolf?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°We are mates Celeste. Do you know what that means?¡±I looked away, hurt and annoyed by his words.


    ¡°I know what that means. Just because I¡¯m an Omega doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m dumb,¡± I snapped, though my


    words had little heat behind


    them. It was mostly shame in knowing he wasn¡¯t too far off the truth. I hadn¡¯t stepped foot in school


    since I was 8 years old. I¡¯d only


    managed to learn to read and do basic math.


    ¡°Hey, look at me. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re dumb. No one here knows you¡¯ve got your wolf, so I wasn¡¯t sure


    that they¡¯d taught you what


    happens,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard people talk,¡± I turned my head again.


    ¡°Celeste, I need to know. How old are you?¡±


    I snapped my head to him again. Panic rising. I tried to stand up. I needed to run away. The lie i¡¯d lived


    for 11 years was crumbling


    around me.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s OK. We can talk about thatter. When you feel safe and you can trust me. Please don¡¯t


    run away from me. I will never


    hurt you,¡± he said. I was still breathing hard but his touch was calming my panic. I sat back down on the


    bed and looked at him. He looked


    so concerned and desperate. I suddenly wanted to touch his face and I didn¡¯t realize that my hand was


    actually moving of its own ord.


    I ced a hand on his cheek and felt the tingles and warmth. I sighed when he closed his eyes and


    leaned into my hand.


    We can trust


    mate ¨C Kara said sleepily.


    ¡°No one can know,¡± I said, and he opened his eyes. He nodded. ¡°I am 19. I will be 20 in December.


    They think I am 17. I had to


    lie.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Celeste is my real name,¡± I said, not wanting to lie to him. He looked at me for so long, then looked


    away and I could see some hurt


    in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t told-¡°


    He looked at me with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s OK. Thank you for trusting me. No one here needs to know,¡±


    he gave a deep sigh and then


    held my hand. ¡°So, back to business. I am Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. That makes you the


    future Luna of my pack. Don¡¯t worry, we


    I take it slow. We will only do things at your pace. But we do need to go back to my pack. We¡¯ve been


    gone for 5 days and I have duties


    to attend. And I want you as far away from this ce as possible.¡±


    My mind was going a mile a minute. I was a Luna. I needed to learn to be Luna but the most important


    part of what he said was, I was


    leaving this god forsaken ce. I smiled widely and threw my arms around him. He was surprised but


    held me tightly and then chuckled.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re OK with leaving this ce?¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    When I asked her if she¡¯d met her wolf, I saw the panic in her eyes. When I asked her age, I knew


    there was something else going on.


    She looked like a scared rabbit, ready to leap away. Away from me. I didn¡¯t know what to think. I didn¡¯t


    know this girl, but every fiber of


    my being screamed that I needed to protect her. To do that, I needed her not to be scared of me. The


    thought that she had to hide her


    age seemed weird to me. It made me wonder what else she had lied about.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Celeste is my real name,¡± she said. I could read between the lines. Herst name wasn¡¯t Pierce and


    she didn¡¯t want to tell me. Hurt coursed through me and I had to look away, remembering my father.


    This girl already had my heart, but I didn¡¯t even have her trust.


    Someone hurt mate. She is scared. We will earn her trust and protect her. No one will touch mate again


    ¨C As growled inside my


    head.


    Damn right they won¡¯t. ¨C I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t told-¡± I tried to hide my hurt and remembered that she had no reason to trust me


    other than a mate bond she felt before passing out. I forced a smile on my face and looked back at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Thank you for trusting me. No one here needs to


    know.¡±


    I grabbed her hand, desperate to hold her. ¡°So, back to business. I am Alpha of the Crescent Moon


    Pack¡­¡± I exined who I was and


    what my ns were. To my delight and surprise, she gave me the most dazzling smile and threw her


    arms around me. I held her tightly, breathing in that intoxicating scent of honey and strawberries and


    chuckling. I¡¯d finally done something right and this was the best reward. ¡°I take it you¡¯re OK with leaving


    this ce?¡±


    =


    ¡°Yes please,¡± she said against my shoulder. She seemed to realize what she¡¯d done and backed away


    shyly. Her face blushing adorably.


    ¡°We can leave tomorrow morning. You can rest a little longer,¡± I said, not wanting to let her go. She


    nodded and I heard her stomach growl. ughed. ¡°How about we get some lunch and then we can get


    your things packed up.¡± I said. She¡¯s good. We¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow. Can we get another order of


    whatever? She¡¯s hungry,¡± Imind linked Gillian¡¯


    Way ahead of you. George is already back with more food.¡¯


    Iughed at him ¡®This is why you¡¯re my Beta.¡¯


    ¡®And don¡¯t you forget it.¡¯


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He walked in with Maya, the warriors and another bag of food.


    ¡°Celeste, this is my Beta Gillian, this is George, Brent and Zack. They are some of my most trusted


    warriors.¡± I introduced her.


    ¡°Luna,¡± they bowed their heads in respect.


    Igrabbed a paper te and handed it to her. I saw her jump slightly as my fingers brushed her.


    She feels the bond ¨C As said smugly ¨C She will feel love for us soon.


    Thope so buddy, cus we¡¯ve already fallen pretty hard and we don¡¯t even know her real name. If she


    doesn¡¯t love us¡­..


    That woman was not father¡¯s real mate. She did not feel the bond. Our mate is different. Like father¡¯s


    true mates. She will love us. ¨C He said with determination.


    Let¡¯s hope.


    I saw her take a bite of food and she looked a little confused. ¡°Is something wrong Celeste?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had fast food before. I didn¡¯t think it would taste this good for something this squished,¡± she


    mumbled happily, taking another bite.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had fast food?¡± I asked incredulously. She shook her head.


    never any left overs when they buy takeout.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the growl that escaped my lips. I knew


    these girls were being underted but this was practically starvation.


    How many Omegas work in the pack house?¡¯ I mind linked Gillian


    ¡®Too many for us to take from the Alpha. I know what you¡¯re thinking, Markus, but going up against the


    Alpha for mistreating the girls is risky. We don¡¯t have any proof and those girls are scared to death. As


    much as I hate this too, we will need to think this carefully, back


    in our territory¡¯ he sighed.


    ¡®You¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t have to be happy about it. Let¡¯s get some groceries and slip them to the rest of


    the girls without the Alpha


    finding out. Some cash too maybe. It¡¯s the least we can do since we can¡¯t get them out of this s**thole.


    Let¡¯s make it a priority to talk to a


    few Alphas when we get back. See if anyone will back us up and take this to the council tounch a full


    investigation.¡¯


    ¡®Sounds like a n. Now, you might want to reassure these girls, because they look like they think you


    might want to eat them.


    You¡¯ve been growling non stop since our mind link started,


    heughed in my head.


    I looked at Maya and Celeste. They were both looking at me with wide eyes. I tried to smile and Gillian


    startedughing. ¡°It¡¯s alright


    started to giggle. I could feel As


    running in circles and wagging his tail. He was so whipped already. We ¨C As corrected. Iughed


    along with everyone else.


    ass


    At that moment, Dr Castle came into the room.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, Alpha Geoff has requested you and the Beta to his office. He would like to speak to you


    both.¡±


    I nodded at him and turned to the girls, ¡°Why don¡¯t you both go gather your things. I¡¯ll meet you back


    here after.¡±


    ¡°Maya ising?¡± Celeste asked, her bright eyes going wide and hopeful.


    ¡°Yes, since Sandra attacked you both, I was able to get guardianship transferred to my pack. She is


    another dazzling smile.


    ¡°Zack, why don¡¯t you go with them to carry their stuff back to the front. George, go grab the car so you


    can load their suitcases.


    Brent, youe with us. If this meeting goes south, we¡¯ll have to leave today.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± they all responded and I headed out to meet with the Alpha. I had a feeling this was not


    going to be pleasant, so we


    needed to be ready to go if we needed to.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V


    I was so happy to know that Maya wasing with us. It felt like it would be less scary with someone I


    knew there. Kara was still


    sleeping after healing me for 3 days, but I could feel her soft purring every time Markus touched us.


    We entered the house. I could feel people looking our way.


    ¡°Where are your roomsdies?¡± Zack asked. I frowned. I didn¡¯t want him to see where I slept.


    ¡°This way,¡± Maya said.


    ¡°Uhh, I¡¯ll just go grab my stuff while you help her with hers,¡± I told Zack.


    ¡°Luna, I was instructed to go with you,¡± he reminded me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It won¡¯t take very long. I won¡¯t need help packing,¡± I assured him, ¡°I¡¯ll be done before Maya,


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    and I¡¯ll meet you in her room.


    He hesitated then said, ¡°Yes Luna,¡± and followed Maya.


    Tran over to the half bath that had been my room for thest 5 years. I looked at the items there. Was


    there really anything I wanted


    to bring with me? I needed the few clothes I had as I was still in the hospital gown. Thankfully, I was


    thin enough that it circled me all the


    way around. I pulled a bag I¡¯d gotten from the kitchen on the way here. Carefully folded the 4 pairs of


    outfits I still had left. Sadly, one of the two new sets was ruined the night of the full moon. I was looking


    for my brush when I heard someonee up behind me.


    ¡°So the little b***h is finally alone.¡± I froze, recognizing Sandra¡¯s voice. ¡°You have some nerve, taking


    what¡¯s mine. Then pretending


    to be a victim.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t stolen anything. I swear,¡± I said


    TH


    AT


    ¡°LIAR!! First you took everyone¡¯s attention. Then you took my mate. I was supposed to find my mate


    that night, not you. Alpha


    Markus belongs to me.¡±


    ULLI


    TE


    HIS


    E


    Theard Kara growling in the back of my mind ¨C They already know the truth, let me have a go at her.


    We shouldn¡¯t. We will get Markus in trouble and you need to rest-I begged her.


    She¡¯s asking for it. She wants our mate. ¨C Kara growled


    ¡°He is my mate, he never belonged to you,¡± I said. I felt my eyes begin to glow. This time it was me. I


    was giving a warning.


    Sandra blinked, shocked by my actions, then she growled and charged me, her ws extending from


    her fingers.


    ¡°STOP!¡±I heard Markusmand in his Alpha voice. Sandra could do nothing but obey. ¡°You dare


    attack my mate again? Do you know the penalty for attacking a Luna?¡±


    ¡°I should be your mate, not that worthless piece-¡°She stopped when Markus¡¯ eyes glowed and then


    turned ck. His wolf roared


    and the windows shook.


    ¡°You will not speak of my mate this way. Alpha Geoff, get this pup out of my sight before I take back


    everything I said in that meeting.


    ¡± His wolf warned.


    Alpha Geoff grabbed her by the throat and dragged her away, ¡°WHAT THE f**k DID I TELL YOU?


    STAY THE F**K AWAY FROM HER. ARE


    YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED? WHY CAN¡¯T YOU DO ANYTHING If*****g ASK OF


    YOU? DISA-FUCKING-POINTMENT IS ALL I GET


    FROM YOU.¡±


    I looked back at Markus. His eyes were still ck, ¡°Where is Zack,¡± he growled, turning to Beta Gillian.


    ¡°I will find out As. Can you please let Markuse back?¡± Beta Gillian said quietly, as if not to rattle


    Markus¡¯ wolf¡¯s fragile


    control.


    Welped


    ¡°You were supposed to be with her! She could have been killed!!¡± As roared. Everyone bowed their


    heads and exposed their necks. I was unaffected, so I moved in front of Zack as As approached,


    worried that he would get in trouble. It made him halt his steps.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± I said, standing at my full 5¡¯9¡å height. I wasn¡¯t about to let anyone get hurt because of


    me.


    ¡°He disobeyed my order. He put you at risk. He must be punished. Please step aside little one,¡± he


    growled, eyes still zeroed in on


    Zack.


    I needed to diffuse the situation. Instead of moving aside, I moved forward slowly. Gillian seemed to


    hesitate, as if wanting to interfere, but I held my hand up to him. Asking him to wait. When I was within


    reach, I touched his chest. As finally broke the re he


    was giving Zack to look down at where my hand was on his chest. Without much ceremony, I was


    grabbed and crushed to his chest. He inhaled deeply and after a few more whiffs, I felt his arms rx a


    little more but they didn¡¯t let me go. I saw Beta Gillian¡¯s eyes wide with shock. Then he smirked and


    winked at me. I pulled back after a minute, Kara was quick to grumble in my head with the loss of


    contact.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, ¡°I told him to go help Maya. I don¡¯t have a lot of stuff to pack.¡± I looked up and saw


    that his eyes were back to


    normal.


    He sighed, ¡°I would prefer that you have a guard with you at all times while not in our territory. It is not


    safe otherwise,¡± He said with a pointed look. I blushed. ¡°Zack, please load Maya¡¯s belongings into the


    car. We are leaving now. I don¡¯t want to be here any longer than we need to. I will help the Luna.¡±


    I looked back at Zack and mouthed ¡°Sorry¡± to him. He looked at me and smiled in gratitude. A small


    growt escaped Markus¡¯ chest and I tried hard not to giggle.


    ¡°So, where is your room,¡± he smiled and I paled.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Markus Chapter 13 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Llost control of As when we saw that b***h Sandra charging Celeste. She still looked so fragile in her


    hospital gown. But the


    surprising part was how she stood up to As and more, how she managed to soothe him into giving


    me back control. It¡¯s not like As


    was some vicious beast with a temper, he was generally fairly in control, but the bond screamed at both


    of us to protect this magnificent


    fragile creature in front of us. We didn¡¯t expect her to stand tall when As threatened the guard that


    allowed Sandra to get so close. She


    didn¡¯t pull away when As crushed her to our chest, inhaling her delicious scent like a drug.


    Mate is already defending pack. Mate is already acting like a Luna. She is stronger than she looks ¨C


    He said as he gave me back


    control. ¨C I still kind of want to break his bones.


    I just smiled at his words as he purred and curled up in the back of my head. I noticed Gillian and the


    warriors looked shocked. As


    may not lose his temper often, but when he did, it was never easy to get him back in control.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said ¡°I told him to go help Maya. I don¡¯t have a lot of stuff to pack.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°I would prefer that you have a guard with you at all times while not in our territory. It is not


    safe otherwise,¡± I said with a


    pointed look. She blushed. ¡°Zack, please load Maya¡¯s belongings into the car. We are leaving now. I


    don¡¯t want to be here any longer than


    we need to. I will help the Luna¡±.


    I saw her turn around to look at Zack, who smiled at her. A small growl escaped my chest.


    ¡°So¡­ Where is your room?¡± I smiled at her. Then I frowned, confused as I noticed she paled quickly,


    followed by another blush.


    Goddess, she was beautiful.


    ¡°Uhh, why don¡¯t you wait here? I was almost done,¡± she said, turning and trying to go into a little door


    that was behind us. I followed her and put my foot in the door as she tried to close it behind her.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± I asked. I couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt that she didn¡¯t want me in her room. I saw her blush


    deepen and she sighed and


    opened the door as she went to retrieve a bag on the ground.


    I took in the toilet, the broken sink, and then the futon below the sink. I could feel As rage as he


    understood what this was before! did. ¡°This is where you sleep?¡± I growled lowly. The blush on her face


    deepened as she grabbed an old brush and toothbrush from the


    sink and added them to an almost empty trash bag. I looked at her again, noticing that she was just


    standing there ufortably,


    waiting for me to move from the door.


    ¡°Is this all you¡¯re taking?¡± I asked, holding out my hand to take her bag.


    ¡°This is all I own,¡± she said, not looking at me. I took the bag from her and looked inside. There seemed


    to be about 3 or 4 outfit


    changes, none of them seemed to be in decent shape. I could see neatly patched parts from other


    garments. My heart broke for her. When I looked up, I was surprised to see that while her face still had


    a blush of embarrassment in it, her head was raised as if daring me toment on any of it. I looked


    around the tiny half bath again. While not suitable for a person to live with, it was tidy and you could


    see she took care of what little she had in it. I sighed, dropped the bag and pulled her into a hug. She


    froze at first, then slowly rxed and


    returned the hug.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of stuff at home. You can leave this here. Maybe some of the other girls can use it,¡± I


    said. I only felt her nod. I


    sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this ce before I kill the entire pack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying. You¡¯re kind of taking up the whole door,¡± she gave a slight giggle. Iughed and let


    her go, hanging on to her


    hand.


    ¡®Are we ready?¡¯ I mind linked Gillian


    ¡®Yeah, we¡¯ve got Maya and the guards in the car. I slipped some cash to one of the girls and told her to


    find a way to buy food for the


    other omegas. I also grabbed our stuff. It seems the recipes for the desserts were on the night stand as


    well, so I grabbed them. Irigured


    you still owe them to Alpha Rhett since we¡¯ll have the master with us,


    Heughed in my head.


    the door


    Weah, I noticed the ce they kept her. This is going to be a long road for her. I hope you¡¯re ready to


    be patient. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s


    going to be an easy transition. She will need a lot of help,¡¯


    he said. He was my best friend for a reason.¡±


    Yeah I know. There¡¯s something we¡¯re missing about her past too. She¡¯s been lying about her age all


    this time. I am not sure how


    that¡¯s possible or why. She also wouldn¡¯t tell me what her realst name is.¡¯


    ¡®What do you mean her realst name?¡¯


    ¡®While we were alone at the hospital, she said that she would be 20 in Dec, not 17 in March like the


    Luna said. She also said her name


    was really Celeste, but did not give me herst name. She looked so scared to talk about it. I thought


    she¡¯d try to make a run for it at one


    point. I have a feeling there¡¯s more to her than meets the eye¡¯


    ¡®Whatever it is, the pack is behind you and the Luna,¡¯


    he said.


    ¡®Thank you my friend.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t thank me, the way that woman had As practically purring after he lost control, I¡¯m sure the


    entire Pack will be jumping with


    joy, heughed at me.


    I¡¯ll be sure to pay this back to you when you find your mate,


    Trolled my eyes and I heard himughing behind me.


    ¡°Duly noted,¡± he teased, and winked at a confused Celeste.


    We got in the car and after she took a moment to look back at the Packhouse, we sped off. We made a


    quick stop to grab her and Maya a new pair of clothes, then prepared for the long ride home. She


    settled in the groove of my arm and yawned, cuddling close. I was


    surprised and more than ted at her actions. Hope rose in me that I would get her to trust me if I


    didn¡¯t f**k this up too badly. I just


    hoped I remembered enough of my mother¡¯s teachings on how to treat a mate. I spent most of the


    drive to my pack answering texts. Celeste slept the whole way there. I only woke her up when we got


    close to the Packhouse. I wanted her to see the territory. I knew I¡¯d


    made the right decision as her eyes went wide with wonder. The entrance to mynds was separated


    by the G River outside of Phoenix


    The only way in was to cross a giant bridge that was gated and guarded. There was a massive


    scattered forest before opening up to our


    Pack grounds. It was modern and rustic at the same time. It had a small town feel with modern


    amenities. I had made sure of it. I wanted her to be proud of her new Pack and proud of the work I¡¯d


    done. As we arrived at the Packhouse, I had to stifle augh as her eyes went as


    wide as dinner tes. The building was 6 stories high and about two football fields long. There were


    enough rooms to house about 75%


    of the unmated males, the ranked families and the staff and their families.


    Mate likes our house. ¨C As puffed his chest inside my head and I smiled, also beaming with pride at


    her reaction.


    ¡°Wee Home,¡± I whispered in her ear as I wrapped my hands around her waist lightly after we got


    out of the car. I didn¡¯t want to


    seem controlling or pushy, but I just had this constant need to touch her. She was tall enough so I didn¡¯t


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    have to bend to reach her, I loved


    that about her.


    As she looked up, a couple of pups came running out screaming, ¡°Lunal Luna!¡± with papers in their


    hands. They were followed by a


    couple of kitchen staff running after them. ¡°Leave her be!¡±


    Theard Celesteugh as she bent down to the kids as they gave her the pictures they seemed to have


    drawn for her. My heart was


    bursting with affection as I saw her smiling around the children.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Celeste Chapter 14 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Thadn¡¯t been outside of Blood Moon Pack in almost 12 years. I only vaguely remember my parents¡¯


    appreciation at Markus waking me up to see the grounds. The beautiful river reminded me of the river


    behind my parents¡¯ grounds.


    There was a beautiful gate with CM in the front of a bridge that seemed to be the only way in. As we


    drove, I saw several wolves running


    on either side of the ck SUV. Some would howl yfully at us. When we got to the Packhouse i


    marveled at the size. It was easily 3


    times bigger than the one at Bloom Moon. It stood 6 stories high. It was pristine white and beautifully


    Markus let me out of the car, he wrapped his arms lightly around my waist. I was still not used to


    physical contact, so I was tempted to


    freeze at the touch, but his scent and the warmth his touch provided had me practically melting against


    him.


    ¡°Wee Home,¡± he whispered and my heart stirred in a way it hadn¡¯t in over a decade. Just then, I


    saw some pups running towards us yelling for me followed by some frazzled parents behind them. I


    bent down to take the pictures they offered me. They were of a girl


    with a moon on top of her head.


    She appeared to be glowing. I assumed that it was supposed to be me, as they didn¡¯t yet know what I


    looked like. Their gift moved


    me and I was on the verge of tears. ¡°Thank you. I love them so much,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come, let me give youdies the tour,¡± Markus said as Maya got out of the car that had just pulled up


    behind us.


    We walked through the double doors and I almost gasped. The foyer was giant. There were about 6


    doors to either side.


    ¡°To the left you will find themon room, rec room, and formal dining room. The right has the kitchen,


    and the dining area.¡± We walked through the right side door and this time I couldn¡¯t stop the gasp that


    came out of my mouth. The kitchen was twice the size of the one at Blood Moon Packhouse. If I


    thought the kitchen equipment there was up to date, I was sorely mistaken. This kitchen had walls


    of cabs, two refrigerators, one walk-in freezer, a giant pantry. There were three ranges with ovens,


    and two rotisserie ovens. I could


    see out the doors to a range of grills. I turned to look at a smiling Markus, ¡°I take it you like the


    kitchen?¡±


    Igrinned. ¡°This is amazing! You could cook for an army in here!¡± I said.


    Heughed. ¡°Well, we feed about 300 people a day from here. Come, you cane y in hereter


    and I¡¯ll introduce you to the


    cooking staff. Let¡¯s keep the tour going.¡± I took his outstretched hand.


    ¡°The first floor is mostlymon areas, offices and where staff live. The second floor is for guests.


    Third floor is for High Ranking


    guests and extended family. 4th and 5th floors are for my Gamma and Beta. The top floor is ours.¡± I


    blushed at the word ¡®ours¡¯.


    ¡°Do you not house warriors here?¡± I asked ¡°Warrior quarters are in the building next to us,¡± he


    answered.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I heard Maya hesitantly, ¡°where will stay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°For now, you will stay on the third floor. After you¡¯re settled into Pack life here, we can discuss you


    moving somewhere else. I would


    imagine the transition will be easier for you both if you do it together,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help it. I was so moved by his thoughtfulness that I hugged him.


    Kara


    For someone that doesn¡¯t know how to receive physical contact, you sure don¡¯t seem to be able to


    keep your hands off him ¨C said smugly.


    Are you seriouslyining? ¨C asked.


    No, I just like to tease you. This is the happiest I¡¯ve ever seen you.


    ¡°You turn 19 next week correct?¡± Markus asked and I wondered how he knew her age when Maya


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    nodded, ¡°We will set you up with


    someone to help you through the change. We will take care of inducting you two into the pack this


    evening in my office. It¡¯s a simple act.


    We you simply have to swear fealty etc. You renounced the old pack?¡± He asked both of us. We shook


    our heads.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how to do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°We will do that tonight as well. All will be well. Neither of you will be mistreated again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Alpha,¡± Maya said quietly.


    tor proper clothes,¡± he exined.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any money,¡± I said, twisting my hands, ¡°We need jobs.¡±


    ¡°You are my mate and future Luna of this pack. What is mine is yours. I have already texted my


    assistant to request a credit card for you and phones for both of you. Consider this shopping trip my gift


    to both of you as a wee to the pack. Gillian has a sister. I will ask her if she¡¯s avable to help you.


    Once you¡¯ve settled in, we will talk about jobs and duties,¡± Maya and I both widened our eyes.


    ¡°Come, Luna, I will show you to your room,¡± he said, extending his hand towards me. We went to a


    door which turned out to be an


    elevator. I got progressively more nervous as it climbed the floors. He led me to the left of the floor. He


    stopped at a door and opened it.


    The room was huge, with a giant bed in the middle on the left side. It was decorated minimally with


    warm colors. There were two


    doors on the opposite side of the room. A third door on the right side near the windows. ¡°This is our


    room,¡± he said. I looked at the big


    bed and blushed. Heughed and I frowned. I didn¡¯t see why it was funny, ¡°You are so cute when you


    blush,¡± he said, leading me past the bed to the third door. He gently opened it and led me through it. I


    frowned again. We were in another bedroom. This one wasn¡¯t as big as


    the other one but there was afortable bed with a door that I assumed led back out to the hall, and


    one that probably led to a


    closet.


    ¡°I had them put a connecting door between my room and yours. It was originally a second office, but I


    can work from the one on the


    first floor,¡± he then turned me around and held me loosely to him. Emotion evident in his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t


    know what you went through at


    that ce. I am not sure what you¡¯ve been hiding for so long. I am going to wait until you¡¯re ready to


    share yourself with me. We can take


    this as slow as you want,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the flow of tears that surfaced. I was so moved at the sacrifice he was making. I may


    have never gotten an official


    education regarding mates or one at all, but I had heard enough stories about finding mates to know


    the full mating and marking usually takes ce that same day. I wanted to trust him with everything, but


    I had lived with this lie for 11 years and I didn¡¯t know how to stop. I sobbed at the injustice of what had


    happened to me. I sobbed at the fact that he was cursed with a broken mate. He lifted me in his arms


    like a baby and sat on the bed, rubbing little circles on my back. I felt the warmth soothe my pain. I


    stayed with my arms around his


    strong sculpted waist and my head against his chest past the point of crying. He didn¡¯t say anything or


    force anything to happen. He just seemed content to hold me. Suddenly, I hupped, then hupped


    again. I felt hisugh bubbling up from his chest before I heard it. It


    was deep and wonderful. Iughed with him until there were tearsing out of his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that funn-¡± hup* I tried to say and startedughing again. All of a sudden, he got up quicker


    than I thought possible and I


    was being held in the air. Then he dropped me. I started to shriek when he suddenly caught me again,


    ¡°What the hell was that for!¡±T


    said.


    ¡°Do you still have the hups?¡± He asked, stillughing. I waited and then grinned. No more hups.


    I saw his eyes ze over for a moment. ¡°Dinner is ready, you ready?¡± I nodded, ¡°Oh, one more thing.


    That¡¯s a closet for you to use,


    but as this was an office, we have to share a bathroom,¡± he winked.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Markus Chapter 15 ¨C Markus


    Markus PO.V


    Il was a lot for her to take in, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for her. I asked for Maya to remain


    in the Packhouse to give her


    something to ground her as everything around her changed. When I showed her to her bedroom, she


    just crumbled. She began sobbing


    and my heart was breaking with her. As whined and howled inside my head and wanted to kill


    something, Anything, but he could sense


    that she needed us and let me stay in control. She cried for almost an hour and I let her. I could tell it


    was something she needed in order


    to begin her healing. Mental, emotional and even physical. As I held her, I was painfully aware of how


    many bones I could feel. We needed


    to get some weight on her.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Kelly, can you make sure whatever clothes the girls buy tomorrow are a size or two bigger than they


    currently are? They are both


    severely underfed.¡¯ I mind linked Gillian¡¯s sister.


    Underted! What did they do to them over there Alpha?


    She asked


    y dont know, but I intend to find out. The other girls they had working at the packhouse also appeared


    malnourished.¡¯


    11/ take care of them, Alpha.


    ¡®Thank you, Kelly. I appreciate this.¡¯


    Anything for our Luna¡¯


    ¡®Dinner is ready,¡¯ Gillian interrupted. ¡®Your father texted the cooks earlier. Since they weren¡¯t expecting


    us until tomorrow. They are


    out on the town for dinner.¡¯


    Ok. Thanks,


    ¡°Dinner is ready, you ready?¡± I said and she nodded, ¡°Oh, one more thing. That¡¯s a closet for you to


    use, but as this was an office, we


    have to share a bathroom.¡± I winked as I took her hand. I loved the blush that came to the surface and


    the giggle that came out of her


    mouth as I grinned at her like an i***t. This beautiful fragile girl had us whipped already. I would do


    anything to keep hearing that


    delightful sound.


    As we went down the elevator, I exined what was about to happen, ¡°I have to present you to the


    staff and members present that


    you¡¯re my mate and future Luna. Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to take any responsibilities until you¡¯re


    ready to have the Luna Ceremony,¡± She nodded her big eyes at me, ¡°My father won¡¯t be in until after


    dinner. They didn¡¯t expect us today.¡±


    When we arrived at the formal dining room, everyone stood and pped as we made our way to the


    head of the table. I felt her


    nerves and felt her grip my hand tighter. I couldn¡¯t help but feel nothing but love for her and the friends


    sitting around the table.


    ¡°Thank you for that warm wee. I am pleased to introduce my mate and your future Luna, Celeste.¡±


    I purposely left out the


    surname. I knew Pierce wasn¡¯t herst name and I would prefer not to lie to my friends.


    ¡°Wee Luna,¡± they all said.


    ¡°I would also like to present Maya Cassera. She is a neer to our Pack and I hope everyone treats


    her with the same warmth and


    respect as you¡¯ve shown towards the Luna. She will be staying on the third floor until further notice.¡±


    ¡°Wee!¡± they said or nodded towards her.


    We sat and began dinner. I looked and noticed someone was missing


    ¡®I thought Daniel was supposed to be back by now,


    mind


    linked Gillian.


    ¡®He reported in yesterday. He was dyed. He hasn¡¯t found what he needs yet, but feels like he¡¯s


    close.¡¯


    ¡®We need to pull him in soon. If he hasn¡¯t found anything in another week, he needs toe home and


    reassess. The pack needs their Gamma.¡¯


    ¡®Yes Alpha. I¡¯ll let him know.¡¯


    We ate dinner. The girls were eating fairly slowly and not very much. I shifted towards Celeste, ¡°Is


    everything OK? Do you and Maya


    not like the food?¡± I asked, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as what you cook-¡±


    ¡°You can tell me love,¡± I encouraged. She leaned even closer and I took a moment to inhale her scent..


    She whispered, ¡°We have never been allowed to eat with people. We¡¯re usually left to fend for


    ourselves with whatever leftovers we


    can find. I¡¯m sure how to use all this silverware and I¡¯m afraid to make a fool of myself.¡±


    I tamped down the rage As was feeling. Hoping it wasn¡¯t evident on my face, ¡°Would you like to eat


    in the bedroom instead? I can


    have someone send up food? It¡¯s not normally this formal. The cook kind of went overboard because


    you wereing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! No need to make a fuss. We aren¡¯t used to a lot of food anyway. We will get sick if we eat


    more than what we¡¯re eating.¡± ||


    sighed and nodded, making a mental note of asking Kelly to get themfortable with eating with us.


    Next time we see that Alpha Oaf.


    you will not deny me avenging the cruelty he¡¯s shown mate ¨C


    As growled in my mind.


    As long as you let me get some hits in too ¨C Tagreed.


    ¡°OK, we¡¯ll talkter,¡± I said as I gently squeezed her hand. I turned and noticed a few smirksing


    from my friends. They were all


    looking at our exchange. I rolled my eyes.


    After dinner, Gillian and I went into my office with Maya and Celeste.


    ¡°To break your connection to your pack permanently, you have to say¡¯l, full name, do hereby renounce


    my allegiance to the Blood


    Moon Pack,¡¯¡± | said. When I saw Celeste¡¯s eyes go wide, I realized that it would require her to use her


    true name. She looked at Gillian and


    Maya. ¡°Guys, can you please go see if my father has arrived?¡± Gillian looked at me funny.


    in person,¡¯ I mind linked him.


    ¡°Sure thing Alpha,e Maya. We¡¯ll be back in a little bit,¡± After they left, I went to the door myself. I


    looked at her and smiled, but I knew by the guilty look in her eyes that it didn¡¯t reach my eyes and the


    hurt I was feeling was showing, ¡°I¡¯ll be outside the door love. Just say the words and let me know when


    you feel the link snap.¡± I closed the door and walked away a few steps. I was tempted to listen, my


    hearing being a little better than most, but I couldn¡¯t break the small trust she had ced in me. It was


    precious and needed to be


    nurtured.


    ¡°Markus?¡± I heard the door open and saw her angelic face looking for me. She smiled when she saw


    me waiting down the hall. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± I smiled and walked over to her.


    ¡®You cane back now,¡¯ I linked to Gillian.


    I walked through the office door and she flew into my arms and kissed me. I quickly caught her,


    wrapping my arms around her waist


    and returned the kiss. Alpha howled at the taste of her lips.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± I heard behind me and I wanted to growl at the interruption. I let Celeste down reluctantly. If


    blushing was a contest, we had


    a winner. I turned to Gillian, who was wagging his eyebrows at me.


    ¡°You have the worst timing,¡¯ Imind linked him.


    ¡®You¡¯re the one who said we coulde back,¡¯ he said.


    I smiled I didn¡¯t know she would do that¡¯


    ¡®Rawr¡¯ he taunted.


    ¡°Now that both tethers to the Blood Moon Pack have been severed. It¡¯s time to officially join our pack. I


    will ask you if you ept and swear fealty to the pack and when you ept, I will make a small cut on


    your hand. You should then be able to feel the new Pack


    connection click into ce.¡±


    ¡®Son, we¡¯re home. I would like to meet my future daughter-inw and Luna, join the pack link.


    my father mind linked me after I felt Celeste and Maya


    ¡®We¡¯re in the study,¡¯ I responded.


    ¡°Wee to Crescent Moon Pack,¡± I smiled at Maya, ¡°You guys have a busy day tomorrow. So I will let


    you get some rest. Love,


    someone wishes to meet you before we retire for the night,¡± I said. She smiled nervously and nodded, I


    took her hand and pulled her next


    ¡± to me. Hoping she felt the bond as strongly as I did and my presence would soothe her as much as


    hers did me. When I felt het rx,!


    smiled smugly in my mind. As was wagging his tail.


    We heard a knock and then the door opened. My father stepped in and gasped, ¡°Be?¡± He whispered.


    Letting the bottle of

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Celeste Chapter 16 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°Be?¡± He whispered. I stared in shock at the gentleman in front of me and heard the shattering of a


    bottle.


    ¡°Who is Be?¡± Beta Gillian asked.


    I started hyperventting and felt the room spinning. How did this man know who my mother was?


    Wastin danger? I felt my eyes


    glow and then flip back and forth to ck as Kara tried to take over. My flight or fight response forcing


    her forward even though she kept


    telling me to breathe.


    We¡¯re safe. Markus won¡¯t let anyone hurt us. He is our mate. He can protect us. Breathe Celeste. ¨C


    Kara said gently, trying to push


    herself back into the recesses of my brain.


    ¡°Celeste? Are you OK? Talk to me. Dad, what did you do to her


    ?¡± heard Markus growl. And then it hit me. This was his father. Of


    course he must have known my parents. He would have been Alpha at the same time as my parents. I


    felt tears flow from my eyes as I realized I must look like my mother. I could barely remember her, my


    mind having pushed those memories back in order for me to live. I


    suddenly felt my body jerk backwards and I could see my mother and fatherughing and ying with


    a 4-year-old version of myself by ake. My mother looked like me, but she had straight brown hair


    whereas I¡¯d gotten my hair color, curls and eyes from my father. I felt myself jerk back to the present


    and an instant migraine hit me. I tried not to cry out. ¡°Celeste! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Markus lifted me and


    ced me on the couch as he felt my pain. It was so overwhelming, but his scent was beginning to


    soothe it. I hung on to him for dear


    life.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who is Be, Dad?¡± he asked this time.


    ¡°Be was my mother.¡± I said, knowing that I had hit the point of no return. I worked hard to get my


    breathing under control. It was time toe clean about who I was. I gently extricated myself from


    Markus¡¯ arms and stood up, looking at everyone in the room. ¡°My name is Celeste Aurora Derosa,


    daughter of Alpha Cory and Luna Belta Derosa, thest leaders of the Sky Moon Pack,¡± I said with a


    raised head, my eyes glowing. I then saw everyone¡¯s eyes go wide as they realized who l was.


    ¡°You¡¯re the spitting image of your mother. Except for the hair and eyes,¡± Markus¡¯ dad said. His brows


    furrowed, his eyes watered, ¡°I thought you were dead. We looked for you among the bodies. We were


    told there were no survivors that day. How is this even


    possible?¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s Gamma saved me. He warned mel would be in danger if anyone knew who I was. He gave


    me hisst name. He tried to get help,¡± I said, and then, because I needed the warmth of my mate, I sat


    back down on the couch and leaned against him. I felt his arms go around my waist before I continued,


    ¡°They killed all the mated werewolves in my pack and most of the male children that would remember


    the ughter. I heard them looking for me, but as I was one of the few ranked pups at the time, not


    many knew who I was. I lied about my age and my name. The unmated women were taken back to


    Blood Moon Pack. The ones that didn¡¯t find a mate there, disappeared shortly after. The few of us pups


    that were taken before we had our wolves, were basically ves until we came of age. We


    know once one of us reached the age, they were sent to be introduced to the unmated warriors on the


    next full moon. The ones that


    didn¡¯t find a mate were never seen again.¡±


    I felt rage building in the room as I talked. Markus¡¯ fingers were almost digging into my hips as he tried


    to restrain himself. His eyes


    were ck.


    ¡°That¡¯s illegal! How is he getting away with this!¡± Markus¡¯ dad raged. His mate was silently crying while


    clutching him tightly. ¡°What is


    happening to these women? How has no one noticed this happening? Why has no one denounced


    these heinous behavior?¡±


    I was about to begin talking when I felt Markus shift. I looked back up at him and he was looking at


    Beta Gillian, ¡°Tell them.¡± He said calmly while stroking my back.


    ¡°We have been noticing some strange behavior from the Blood Moon Pack for a couple of months. We


    had suspicions that they have


    been trafficking she-wolves in the ck market for a while now. We have been trying to figure out


    which Alphas can be trusted and which


    can¡¯t, but we also need to find proof. It is the only way to bring other packs in as allies and to make


    sure the council will take our


    of the trafficking.¡±


    Itensed, ¡°Trafficking?¡±


    ¡°On the ck market,¡± He nodded.


    Everything made sense then. The reason why we were treated so poorly, why they disappeared once


    they had their wolves. Why they


    never bothered to include us into the Pack fully and why it only seemed to happen to the people of my


    pack. I felt Kara trying to push forward. I hadn¡¯t realized I had stood up. I felt my eyes glow but it felt


    different. I felt a pain starting to form behind my eyes. Everyone


    seemed to be moving away from me except Markus.


    ¡°Celeste? Are you Ok? Sweetheart can you look into my eyes?¡± I looked at him then and the pressure I


    had been feeling behind my eyes disappeared. There was a small shriek and Gillian said, ¡°Firel¡± in


    rm. They grabbed the curtains behind me and stomped on


    them, putting the small fire out.


    I suddenly felt very tired. I could barely hold my head upright. Markus lifted me up bridal style, ¡°Let¡¯s


    continue this conversation in


    my room. The office is sound proof but we need to be 100% sure we¡¯re not being heard.¡± He pushed


    past and went towards the elevator


    and turned around at thest second. ¡°Marie, could you please grab something to help with a migraine.


    I can feel she¡¯s got one,¡± His dad¡¯s


    mate nodded and hurried off as we waited for the elevator to arrive.


    ¡°Got it,¡± She came running back, just in time to hear the ding of the elevator.


    ¡®Are you OK?¡¯ Markus asked


    I am not sure. This is all¡­.it¡¯s a lot,¡¯ I answered honestly.


    I felt him kiss my head and I smiled.


    ¡®We will get through whatever together, he assured me.


    ¡®My friends¡­the other girls that were taken from my parent¡¯s pack. I knew they were disappearing but I


    had no idea this was


    happening. We need to go back for the ones that are left.¡¯


    ¡®We will. Do you know which of them turns of age next? We can focus our efforts on tracking her. We


    hadn¡¯t been able to figure out


    where he was getting the she-wolves.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, I think it was Ruby. Next month, since Maya was next, but she¡¯s safe


    ¡®We will need you and Maya to work with a friend to get aposite of her together. Will you be able to


    do that?¡¯


    ¡®I think so. Markus?¡±


    ¡®Yes?¡¯


    ¡®Do we have to tell Maya whom? She will be mad Ilied to her. She¡¯s the closest thing I¡¯ve had to a


    friend¡¯


    I don¡¯t think we should hide who you are anymore, love. You are safe. I won¡¯t let anything happen to


    you. I will let you tell her on


    your terms though.¡¯


    ¡®Will she think I failed her?¡± I asked, voicing the one question that I asked myself when I was in the


    deepest holes of despair all these


    years.


    Fail her? How could you possibly fail her?¡¯


    Suddenly I heard a low growiing from


    Tam the Alpha¡¯s daughter. They were still my people and I let the Alpha do this to them?


    Markus. We were headed towards the rooms now but everyone stopped and looked our way.


    ¡°Will you all please wait out here for a moment? I need a moment with the Luna,¡± He said as he opened


    the door to his room.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Markus Chapter 17 ¨C Markus


    Markus PO.V.


    When my father came into the room and confused Celeste with her mother, everything changed. For


    someone that had seemed so


    fragile to me, I felt her Alpha aura snap into ce when she said her full name. It was like her aura had


    also been pretending to be


    something she wasn¡¯t. Her attempt to protect herself went so deep. I believed her when she said she


    had been in danger.


    I was still young when it happened. My father had been outraged and demanded the council


    investigate. He¡¯s been friends with Alpha Cory and Luna Be. I never met them myself, though I know


    their territory had only been a half hour¡¯s drive to from the most southern end of our territory. I should


    take her there sometime if she wants to, I thought to myself as I rubbed her back in little circles as


    Gillian told them of our suspicions. Suddenly she stood up and I frowned at the loss of contact with my


    mate. I looked at her and I


    couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. You could feel her powerful aura nket the room, but more


    importantly, her eyes were glowing with


    fire. Not the simple glow that wolves get, but actual fire seemed to rece her pupils. I heard everyone


    gasp and move back. I tried to use


    the bond to calm her, unsure if this would hurt her.


    ¡°Celeste? Are you Ok? Sweetheart can you look into my eyes?¡± I pleaded. I saw her face move to look


    at me and suddenly the fire in


    her eyes was reced with her striking blue eyes once more. I felt her exhaustion and migraine


    through the bond.


    Gillian alerted us to a fire and he and my father went to stomp on the curtains, which appeared to be


    the origin of the fire. I know Celeste had caused it somehow, but that was something to think about


    I lifted her in my arms. As was happy to be touching our mate once again. The implications of what


    just happened was not lost on


    either one of us. The urge to protect was currently more fierce than our need to mate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue this conversation in my room.¡±


    My private conversation with Celeste as we made our way to our room made we want to tear Alpha


    Geoff in small little pieces.


    ¡®Will she think I failed her?¡¯


    ¡®Fail her? How could you possibly fail her?¡¯


    I am the Alpha¡¯s daughter. They were still my people and I let the Alpha do this to them¡¯


    I felt my family stop at the growl that escaped my chest.


    ¡°Will you all please wait out here for a moment? I need a moment with the Luna.¡± I said and didn¡¯t wait


    for an answer. I knew they


    would obey.


    Iid her gently on my bed. Grabbed her face and gently made her meet my eyes. I could see the deep


    sorrow she felt for what was happening to her people and that she believed that she had failed. I


    realized then what Maya had said. She had taken the beating Sandra was going to give both of them.


    She took beatings from the Ranked in Blood Moon in order to be able to feed the other girls. Despite


    being starved, beaten and in hiding, my little tuli had done everything within her limited power to protect


    her people. In that instant, I realized there was nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for her.


    ¡°You were & when your parents were killed. Then you were starved, beaten and practically enved.


    You put yourself in danger over


    and over to protect them. You haven¡¯t failed anyone. You are one of the bravest warriors I have ever


    met and I could not be more proud to


    call you my mate,¡± I said, showing her with my eyes all the words I was not able to say out loud just yet,


    I saw her eyes scanning my face in


    amazement and gratitude. Suddenly she hugged me. ¡°Markus?¡±I heard her say.


    ¡°Yes my little Tuli,¡± I felt her nose scrunch against my chest as she wondered what it meant, but I


    smiled, knowing that was a conversation forter.


    ¡°What¡¯s your dad¡¯s name?¡± she asked surprising me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You never introduced us¡± she said, blushing.


    Iughed.


    The door opened and I heard my father, his mate and my beta shuffle in. I went to the other side of the


    bed and pulled Celeste


    against my chest, so we were both facing the crowd.


    ¡°Dad, Marie, allow me to properly introduce you. This is Celeste Derosa, my mate.¡± I grinned at them


    like an j***t child, ¡°Celeste, this is Alexander Salonen, the previous Alpha and his mate, Marie.¡± I felt


    Celeste trying to get off the bed but I held her firmly against my


    chest. I could still feel the exhaustion and headache emanating from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you,¡± She said shyly, It¡¯s rude not to shake hands,¡¯She chided me. I chuckled


    through our mind link, pleased


    that she had initiated the dialog this time.


    I think he will be alright, she gave me a light growl with no heat behind it.


    ¡°I am very happy to meet you, Celeste. My boy had lost all faith in the mate bond. Happy to see you¡¯ve


    changed his mind so quickly,¡± I


    could see Celeste blush adorably.


    ¡°We need to talk about how we¡¯re going to handle this new information,¡± I said, bringing us back to


    business. ¡°The Luna ceremony


    will need to be done using her full name, so that¡¯s the deadline to make some decisions. We need to


    contact the council with this new information, but the word of two women against someone like Alpha


    Geoff won¡¯t be enough. We still need to get proof. I am not sure why Alpha Geoff was looking for her


    after he killed her parents, but we will have to be prepared for a possible act of aggression after he


    finds out she was under his nose all this time. He doesn¡¯t seem the type to let go quick.¡±


    ¡°I know why,¡± my father spoke up then and all heads snapped to him. He sighed and sat on the chair


    near the living room. Marie was next to him a secondter and he seemed to rx a little when she put


    her hand on his shoulder. I was amazed that I had never noticed


    the effect the bond had on him. Maybe if I had, I would have looked for Celeste sooner. Maybe I could


    have saved her from the suffering she endured a lot sooner. ¡°When Alpha Geoff challenged Cory for


    Be, there had been rumors that he¡¯d barely even met her before that.


    The challenge was a cover for something else.¡± He looked at Celeste, ¡°There was a rumor that your


    mother was from an ancient line of


    Alpha wolves. A line that still retained gifts from the moon goddess Selene. And that every heir from


    that bloodline would retain these gifts.¡± He frowned and I saw him gulped back emotion. ¡°When he


    challenged your father and won, he did it with the intention to take your mother as his chosen mate,


    produce an heir and provide him with more power. When your mother chose to take her life, his next


    best choice was to take the current heir, but you disappeared. Everyone concluded that you had been


    killed in the chaos. I knew the rumor to be true but I had no proof. I could do nothing.¡±


    ¡°How did you know my parents,¡± she asked, wiping a tear away from her eyes. I gave her a gentle


    squeeze, letting her know I was here. As and I were both pondering what my father had said. If the


    rumors were true, it meant that Celeste was a target. One that I


    would protect until myst breath.


    ¡°Your father was a good friend of mine. Our parents were both Alphas and we shared the same


    upbringing. When your father met your mother, he was instantly in love with her. Duties kept our


    friendship after we took over as Alphas to mostly phone calls, but when you were born, I was there. I


    had been on my way back from a meeting at another pack when your father called me. He was so


    excited


    and nervous. He was rambling like a little boy. I went there to support him and I witnessed the power


    your mother had get out of control


    during the delivery pains. She could conjure the winds. I thought the Pack Hospital would get swept


    away by the tornado. Almost s**t my pants,¡± heughed, ¡°That¡¯s when he told me about her blood line.


    I was sworn to secrecy, I never quite managed toe see them as much as I hoped. It was mostly


    quick 10mins stops on the way home from somewhere. When I found out what happened¡­¡± He closed


    his eyes. One tear fell from his eyes, ¡°I am sorry my dear, I should have looked for you harder.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. We were held in the dungeons for two months after it happened. I never knew why,


    but now I see that he hid us


    so they thought there were no survivors,¡± she said.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Gillian asked.


    ¡°We protect her. We will schedule the Luna Ceremony for two months from now. That should give us


    enough time to find some


    proof to bring the bastard down. We find proof of what he did to her parents.¡±


    ¡°No, our priority is the girls still at the Blood Moon Pack,¡± Celeste pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen thest of my


    people disappear one by one over thest 12 years. We need to save them first. What happened to my


    parents can¡¯t be changed. We need to save my friends.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll contact Daniel and ask him toe back. We will need a new strategy,¡± Gillian said then


    he smiled at my mate and I


    You will make an excellent Luna,¡± He bowed his head and added via mind link, Down Cujo. I have no


    intention of getting between


    you. She is definitely your perfect mate. Just as protective of her people as you,¡¯l rolled my eyes, but


    agreed with him.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for now. It¡¯s been a long day,¡± I said as i saw Celeste blink to keep herself awake.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have to remind


    anyone here the importance of keeping her fire ability a secret?¡± I said, knowing the answer but also


    needing to say it anyways. ¡°Of


    course son.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡± Celeste said.


    ¡°Maybe tomorrow?¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve kept this a secret all my life. I don¡¯t want to have any more,¡± she said.


    ¡°What is it my dear?¡± My dad said.


    ¡°I have never had the power of fire before today, but I¡¯ve had premonitions since I was a little girl. I think


    it¡¯s broken, it only gives me premonitions a couple of seconds before they happen, and they give me


    migraines. I think it broke after my mother passed. I saw her death seconds before she acted and it


    was the first time I had a migraine after.¡±


    ¡°We will keep this a secret as well, but if you don¡¯t mind? I might know a witch that may help you


    control it or at least help you have


    them without the migraines,¡± He looked at me with the question. I nodded


    ¡°Probably a good idea, but she will need to be vetted first.¡±


    ¡°Of course, son, I¡¯ll forward the details to Gillian so he can begin the vetting process. Good night.


    Celeste, it has been a pleasure to


    meet you.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, Luna, Good night.¡± Gillian said and left the room.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Celeste Chapter 18 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V


    Gillian and Markus¡¯ parents left and then there was just me and Markus. Alone. He was still holding me


    against his chest. I didn¡¯t


    know what was supposed to happen now. I had a room, but neither of us moved. I don¡¯t know that


    either of us wanted to. I couldn¡¯t stop


    the yawn that left my mouth. I felt Markus chuckle and move from behind me. ¡°Long day?¡±


    ¡°In a good way,¡± I said. I got up and winced, feeling a pain in my ribs now that his sparks weren¡¯t


    distracting my body. All the bruises


    seemed to scream at me suddenly, reminding me they were still there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I almost forgot you were still healing. Come. Let me get the shower started for you and so


    you can get a good night¡¯s rest,¡±


    I nodded then paused, ¡°Something wrong?¡± He asked. I wrung my hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any clothes. We left mine at the Packhouse,¡± His eyes widened.


    ¡°S**t, right. Gillian¡¯s sister will take you shopping tomorrow. Until then,¡± he went to a set of drawers,


    ¡°How about you put these on?¡± |


    looked at the shirt and shorts that he gave to me and I giggled. ¡°Those shorts won¡¯t fit me.¡± He looked


    down at his pair of shorts. Went back to the drawers and pulled a few out, cursing under his breath.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Aha!¡± he said triumphantly as he pulled a pair that had drawstrings. He turned back to me and wagged


    his eyes brows at me. I giggled more and grabbed the clothes from him. Following him to the


    bathroom. I almost dropped the clothes as I took in the bathroom.


    It was the most luxurious bathroom I had ever seen. There was warm sand colored marble everywhere,


    making it feel inviting and cozy. There was a ss shower all on one side of the room that looked like it


    could fit 5 people. There were shower jets on the top and on


    the walls. There was a bench to sit along the wall of the shower. The wall closest to the bedroom had


    the floor raised with three giant


    steps leading to it. A giant bathtub was sunk into the raised flooring and there was an elegant firece


    in the raised tform. There were


    two sinks and a giant mirror to my right. It had a recessed roof and lighting.


    Theard the showers going. I looked at multiple shower heads running. The shower area filling with


    steam quickly.


    ¡°I think these will help the pain. Just let me know if you need anything,¡± Markus said, heading towards


    the bathroom door. He turned at thest minute with a mischievous grin. ¡°Unless you want me to join


    you?¡± He wagged his eyebrows at me. Heughed at my squeak.


    ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you,¡± he said as he moved to close the door behind him. Before it clicked closed,


    he opened it fast and wagged his


    eyebrows once more, making meugh and roll my eyes, before he closed the door again.


    I turned to look at the shower and scrunched my nose. The little pad that controlled it looked


    before I went into the shower, 1 turned my attention to the mirror. I sighed as I took myself in. It¡¯d been


    a few years since I¡¯d gotten a


    chance to really look at myself. Even ignoring the bruising and raised lines from the attack, my body


    was a testament to the abuse I had


    suffered at the hands of the pack. My olive skin seemed washed out, pale and sad fromck of sun. My


    ribs were protruding, my stomach


    concaving inwards from theck of food. Every bone in my body could easily be seen. My breasts and


    my ass seemed to be the only thing


    that had any fat on it. My eyes, the only part of me that seemed to hold life. I had old scarring faintly


    visible along my back and my legs.


    Markus seemed to look at me with so much love and devotion already that it scared me. Looking at the


    mirror, I couldn¡¯t see why. In a


    world where most werewolves looked like they belonged in a super model magazine, I did not.


    Markus sees more than what we look like. He knows we¡¯ve suffered. He sees the strength in us. The


    real beauty


    Karamented


    quietly. I knew how much it hurt her when I had my pity parties. When she knew I believed we weren¡¯t


    enough.


    He can have anyone, when he sees us like this¡­. ¨C


    I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    He was made for us and we were made for him. The moon goddess doesn¡¯t make mistakes. ¨C


    She insisted.


    I sighed and made a mental note to ask Maya to take some pictures with the new phone Markus told us


    he would give us. Maybe they


    would be useful in the investigation. There was no point in wallowing in a pity party. I had to trust that


    Kara was right and the moon


    goddess hadn¡¯t made a mistake. I would also do everything in my power to prove to Markus that I


    would not be a burden, that we were


    worthy of being by his side.


    I entered the shower. I put my hand out to check the temperature. I walked under the heated sprays


    and almost moaned as my


    panel. I had no idea how to shut off the water stream. I dried myself and put on the ridiculouslyrge


    clothes he gave me. They smelled


    like him though and that had Kara purring. I went to the door and my jaw dropped. Markus¡¯ back was to


    me, bent over aptop¡­..in


    boxers¡­. I had a full view of a broad back, tapered waist, hard muscles and round bottom. His legs


    looked like tree trunks, all muscle. He


    suddenly stood up and turned to look at me. I blushed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to turn off the shower,¡± I blurted. He smiled, ¡°Not a big deal, I¡¯m about to shower


    myself.¡± I nodded and headed to


    the door that led to my bedroom.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± He called and I turned. He was right behind me and he gathered me into his arms. I could


    feel every muscle in his chest


    ripple under my hands. I was surprised at the random thought that passed through my head, wondering


    how his buttocks would feel under my hands. ¡°Thank you for trusting us today,¡± He kissed my forehead


    and let me go


    ¡°Good night¡± I said quickly, blushing at my own thoughts. I felt Kara purr inside my head. I was going to


    close the door as I saw him headed to the bathroom, but decided against it. I enjoyed smelling his


    scent of pistachios, figs and earth before a storming through the door, so I left it slightly ajar. I


    looked at my bedroom in the dark. I had not slept in a bed in over 12 years. I crawled into bed and was


    out by the time my head hit the pillow.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Markus Chapter 19 ¨C Markus


    Markus R.O.V


    I had a hard time sleeping alone in bed. I could smell Celeste just in the other room. She had left the


    door slightly ajar and as much as I knew if I closed it i¡¯d be able to fall asleep. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to


    close that connection with her. I knew it was a sign of trust. 1 looked up at the ceiling thinking of


    everything that had happened in thest week and everything that wasing.


    You worry too much. We will protect mate. We will not fail. ¨C As grumbled sleepily.


    If only I had your confidence, if what dad said was true, there¡¯s bound to be more than just Alpha Geoff


    looking to get their hands on


    our mate.


    The Moon Goddess Selene doesn¡¯t make mistakes. If we were chosen to be her mate, it means we¡¯re


    able to protect her ¨C


    As


    puffed his chest out.


    How can we protect her from danger we aren¡¯t aware of?


    Well, we can always lock her up in a tower ¨C As teased. I was surprised at his personality change in


    thest week.


    I don¡¯t know what you ¡®re talking about. I have always had a clever sense of humor ¨C


    As countered.


    Telling me how you want to dismember our enemies is not what I¡¯d call a clever sense of humor ¨C


    Icountered.


    That¡¯s because you have zero sense of humor. ¨C he confirmed and I rolled my eyes.


    Mate is supposed to change us. She is our other half. The ones that make us better


    ¨C As schooled me.


    You never seemed interested in this mate stuff before.


    You were not ready for mate before. After what happened, I knew the only way to change your mind


    was to meet her. ¨C


    confessed.


    So what do we do buddy?


    We protect mate. We will know when the time is right what we need to do. The Moon Goddess and our


    Tuli will guide us. Trust in the


    mate bond. It will not lead us wrong. ¨C As assured me.


    I sighed- I hope you¡¯re right.


    I am always right ¨C As said as he curled up in a corner of my mind and fell asleep.


    I could hear Celeste¡¯s heart beat steadily on the other side of the wall. I had memorized that beat


    during the 3 days she was


    unconscious in the hospital. I knew it as well as my own. Listening to its steady rhythm, sleep finally


    imed me.


    I woke up the next morning to the phone ringing.


    ¡°What,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting for you downstairs for a meeting¡± Gillian¡¯s voice came through.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just mind link me?¡± | grumbled, trying to wake up,


    ¡°I have been trying to for thest 2 hours. You never responded.¡±


    ¡°2 hours¡­what time is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost m¡±I sat up.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT POSSIBLE¡± I growled.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s possible, look at your clock. You slept in.¡±


    I looked at the clock. 10:45. That surprised me. I may not be a morning person, but I never slept past


    7am.


    ¡°Who¡¯s all waiting?¡± I said, getting up and heading to the closet to change.


    ¡°Your father, Daniel is on conference call as well as Alpha Rhett.¡±


    ¡°s**t, OK. I will be right there. Give me 5mins.¡±


    ¡°Rhett wants to talk to Celeste,¡± Gillian said carefully. I suppressed the growl rising in my chest.


    ¡°They should be outside your door. She grabbed a couple for Maya already.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll be right down. Can you have someone bring a couple of bagels from the kitchen to the


    office. I need to get some meat


    on her bones,¡± I said as I grabbed the clothes outside her door.


    ¡°You got it.¡±


    I went through the door and inhaled her intoxicating scent. She was in the middle of the bed, hugging a


    pillow. The covers were on


    the floor. I dropped to a squat next to the bed, trying to memorize every feature of face. I sighed, I


    would let her sleep, but something told


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    me she would want to be in this meeting.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± I caressed her face. She scrunched her nose but kept sleeping. ¡°You have to wake up my


    little Tuli. There¡¯s people waiting


    for us¡± I saw her eyes flutter open. She smiled at me with sleepy eyes as she inhaled deeply. I smiled.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She blushed. She squinted at the windows and then got up in a sh. ¡°What time is


    it?¡±


    ¡°Almost 11,¡± I said, and her eyes went wide.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never sleep that long. I¡¯m usually up by 4am. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°You were healing. That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    She somewhat rxed but still looked ufortable. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do. I usually cook and clean most of the day.¡±


    ¡°Right now, you will rest, heal, and shop for some clothing so you don¡¯t have to wear my baggy stuff at


    night,¡± I said and she blushed. ¡°After, we can talk about how you want to approach your Luna role and


    life in the pack.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Here, you can wear this today. Kelley dropped them off. Now I¡¯m afraid we have to hurry. We have to


    talk to some people.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± she said, then pouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t change with you here,¡± she blushed.


    I couldn¡¯t help theugh that came out of me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I teased as I went to her door. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    right outside.¡±


    As grumbled something in my head, but lignored it.


    We made our way down to the office. Gillian and dad were waiting for me there. I could hear random


    noises on the speaker phone


    indicating people were on the other end.


    ¡°Good Morning,¡± I said to the room.


    ¡°Alpha, Luna¡±


    ¡°Good Morning¡±I heard Alpha Rhett


    ¡°Apologies for the dy,¡± I said as I sat behind my desk. I pulled Celeste to my side. Delighting in the


    blush that spread through her face, though she didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°What¡¯s this meeting about Markus,¡± I heard Rhett ask. ¡°Your Beta wouldn¡¯t say much, only that this


    had something to do with that thing we talked about a couple of months ago and the Luna. Did you get


    any proof?¡±


    ¡°Daniel? Have you found anything new?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No Alpha. There seems to be something going on. All the traffickers appear to have been recalled


    back. I¡¯m driving back home as we


    speak. Alpha, can I ask, what does this have to do with the future Luna?¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, as you know. I met my mate at the Full Moon Celebration of Alpha Geoff¡¯s daughter


    getting her wolf. What I¡¯m about to


    say is strictly confidential information. Telling anyone outside of this inner circle will put the Luna¡¯s life in


    danger.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Markus, I need to be able to speak to my Beta if we are to take part in whatever you¡¯re asking of


    my pack,¡± Rhett said.


    ¡°If you trust him, I can concede that Rhett,¡± There was silence on the other end.


    ¡°Thank you, I trust him with my life,¡± Rhett said.


    ¡°My mate is the only daughter of thete Alpha Cory and Luna Be of the Sky Moon Pack,¡± I said, and


    I felt the sharp intake of


    we have found out that the she-wolves that Alpha Geoft has been trafficking are the remaining


    unmated temales from the Sky Moon


    Pack. Every time one gets their wolf and it is confirmed that they are not mated to a member of his


    pack, they disappear.¡±


    I heard Daniel curse,¡±That exins why they don¡¯t seem to care about who they sell these women to or


    why we haven¡¯t found any


    documentation on what Pack they belonged to. I couldn¡¯t understand why it appeared all of these


    women were off the grid but not


    rogues.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if the conditions under which they¡¯ve been living is any indication, it appears that he keeps them


    only long enough to make sure his Pack can¡¯t benefit from the she-wolves and then he sold them to the


    highest bidder. These girls have spent 12 years half starved,


    beaten and with no medical intervention. They are essentially ves,¡± I felt Celeste shift ufortably


    next to me.


    ¡°Do we have any proof of any of this?¡± Alpha Rhett said over the inte.


    I sighed, ¡°Nothing but the words of Maya and Celeste. Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t approach the council yet,¡± Alpha Rhett muttered, as if speaking to himself.


    ¡°No, but we have something else. Celeste said that after each girl gets their wolf, they are introduced to


    the pack and then never


    seen again if they don¡¯t turn out to be mated to one of his warriors. The next girl toe of age is


    thankfully Maya, who is currently safe with us. The next is a girl named Ruby. Her birthday is next


    month. That¡¯s our deadline to n. I¡¯m not letting one more of these girlse to harm.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Alpha, if I may ask. If these girls all disappeared after getting their wolf, how did the Luna


    manage not to get taken?¡± Daniel


    asked.


    I looked at Celeste and nodded to her in encouragement.


    ¡°I lied about my age the night of my parents¡¯ murder. They thought I was 2 years younger than I was. I


    managed to hide my shift from


    everyone 8 months ago and Kara was kind enough to keep her emotions in check so we wouldn¡¯t be


    found out,¡± I heard her say with a little bit of pride in her voice. That pride was more than called for. The


    first shift was usually painful, slow and uncontrolled. Hearing a


    wolf controlling their emotions so shortly after the first shift was also fairly impressive. It took discipline


    and strong will. We are


    emotional creatures.


    ¡°You kept it secret for 8months?¡± Rhett sounded impressed. ¡°OK. I¡¯m only an hour and a half away so


    we should be able to


    brainstorm better in person. Have your assistant call mine and we can figure out when we have


    avability. One more question for the


    Luna if I may.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Celeste said shyly.


    ¡°Can you forward the recipe to that chicken my way? I have been thinking about it all week. I want my


    cook to give it a shot.¡± Celeste


    started giggling. ¡°I¡¯ll write it down for Markus to send to you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for calling Rhett. I still have that other email to send to you. I¡¯ll have my assistant contact your


    offices for that meeting. The


    sooner we get started, the better.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    ¡°Danny, when will you be home?¡± I asked once I heard the click from Alpha Rhett.


    ¡°I should get there in about two days?¡± he said. The question in his voice asking what else was going


    on.


    ¡°We can¡¯t really discuss over the phone. Everything is fine for now. Just get home brother,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will do. I can¡¯t wait to meet your mate so I can give her my condolences on being mated to an asshat


    like yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, drive safe so I can pummel you when you get here,¡± Iughed and hung up. I looked at the


    rest and they all excused themselves.


    ¡®Alpha, Maya and I are ready to head out. Will the Luna be avable soon?¡¯


    Kelly mind linked.


    I¡¯ll send her out shortly. Make sure she eats Kelly. She hasn¡¯t had a chance,¡±


    I said, looking at the untouched bagels on my desk.


    ¡®You got it, I¡¯ll make sure we hit the food court. Does she have money?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give her my credit card. Put whatever you need for her and Maya on there. Feel free to add some


    stuff for yourself. As a thank you.¡¯


    ¡®Zack, George, can you please escort the Luna, Maya and Kelly to the mall. You¡¯re not to leave them


    alone. Protect them at all


    cost.¡¯


    ¡®Yes Alpha.¡¯They responded.


    Iturned to look at Celeste. She was looking out the window now.


    ¡°What are you thinking love?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I was just looking at theke. It¡¯s very pretty. I was trying to remember thest time my parents took


    me out to a pic by the river.


    My sight sent me there yesterday when we talked about mom. It was the first time I¡¯d remembered


    what she looked like,¡± She said


    wistfully.


    ¡°You know their pack grounds is only half an hour from the edge of our territory. I could take you there


    at some point if you want. My


    father had the ce cleaned and locked down.¡±


    Her face lit up. ¡°Yes please!¡± then she got a little sad.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong my Tuli?¡±


    ¡°D- Do you think there will be pictures there?¡±


    Thugged her. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are. Maybe dad will tell you some stories too.


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°I know so. All you have to do is ask, when you¡¯re ready. Now enough sadness. You have two girls


    waiting for you to go shopping. Here¡¯s my credit card. The code is 2832. Put anything you want on it.


    Don¡¯t hold back. You have a big closet that needs to be filled,¡± She


    blushed and took the card.


    ¡°I would like a job. I don¡¯t want to be a burden,¡± She said.


    ¡°You have a job. Luna is not an easy role. We will talk about the duties when youe back. I¡¯ll make


    a few calls to see who can help


    you with it.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± She said and gave me a quick awkward hug and ran out the door. As soon as she left, I left her


    absence like a ck cloud hanging over my head. I sighed and picked up the phone.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Celeste Chapter 20 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    .


    I didn¡¯t like taking Markus¡¯ credit card. It felt like I was taking advantage of the mate bond, but I knew


    that I needed clothes. I would


    meeting a lot of people in the next while and I couldn¡¯t wear the oversized jeans that he had given me.


    The sports bra had tags, so I


    knew they were new, but it provided me zero support and was a little small for me.


    I sat in the back seat of the SUV. Zack and George were escorting us and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad


    for them. They were warriors


    who had trained to fight battles, and here they were, supervising 3 girls on a shopping trip.


    ¡°Celes-i mean Luna?¡± Maya said timidly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Celeste, Maya¡± I said, I was still notfortable being called Luna.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Markus said we will use his card.¡± I smiled quietly.


    She shifted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right. I didn¡¯t earn this money¡±


    I sighed, I knew exactly how she felt, but instead of agreeing with her, I squeezed her hand gently,


    ¡°Maya, we¡¯ve worked for people without getting anything in return since we were little. I am not all that


    more than one change of clothes. We¡¯ve never had anything new. So let¡¯s just enjoy today and maybe


    we can find a way to let him know


    1


    ¨C


    how thankful we areter? Maybe you and I can make some dinners for the Packhouse at some point.


    OK? Think of this as an I.O.U.¡± She


    CD


    smiled brightly at that and nodded and continued to look out the window in fascination. Neither of us


    had been outside the Packhouse


    since we were little. I could tell Kelly had been listening but decided not to intervene. She probably


    didn¡¯t know our story and what we


    !


    ¨C


    !!


    were talking about.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    El


    ¡°Alright girls, prepare for the shopping trip of your life!¡± Kelly said as she wrapped one arm through


    each of ours and dragged us across the parking lot towards the mall.


    Le Tiles


    I was amazed at her energy. I was done with the thrill of shopping after 2 stores but she just kept


    dragging us from one to the other. Zack and George had to take a couple of trips down to the SUV to


    drop off all the bags. I was getting more and more anxious at the amount of clothes we were buying.


    She kept blowing off my protests and adding more and more bags. She brought us into a fancy store


    and insisted on a few outfits for ¡°Luna official business.¡± I balked at the price tags but she just kept


    handing the credit card to the sales


    We also hit a couple of make-up


    stores. By the time we hit the food court, I was on the verge of tears. I could barely eat my fries, though


    tasty they were. Kelly and Maya


    were chatting it up.


    ¡°Luna are you OK?¡± Kelly asked. I nodded, not trusting my voice.


    Kelly looked worried but continued to eat. I saw her texting on her phone every now and then. She took


    us to more stores here and


    there, but I couldn¡¯t concentrate anymore. At thest store, she gave me a dress to try and I just burst


    out crying, unable to stop


    myself.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a pin still in the dress or something? Luna?¡±


    I tried to exin but nothing but blubbering came out. Kelly and Maya looked lost and Zack and George


    had barged into the changing room prepared to fight and then just looked fully ufortable once they


    realized the danger was a 19-year-old girl crying. It


    seemed like that was not something they had been trained to deal with. After about 10mins of trying to


    calm down, I felt sparks on my arms as someone knelt down to look me in the eyes. When I saw


    Markus¡¯ concerned face, I started sobbing all over again. He picked me


    up and sat down on the same spot with me in hisp. He rubbed my back, leaving sparks along his


    trail.


    .


    ¡®You ready to talk yet?¡¯he mind linked me


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¯ I cried. ¡®I tried to stop her.¡¯ I sobbed as a new rack of sobs left my chest.


    ¡®Stop what? Who hurt you?¡¯ he growled.


    She what? Did she not let you buy them?¡±


    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t stop!¡¯ I whined. ¡®We¡¯ve gone to 15 different stores and we spent so much money. I¡¯m


    sorry. I couldn¡¯t stop her. I kept the receipts, I can return a lot of itter. Please don¡¯t be mad.¡¯


    ¡°How much do you think you spent today¡¯


    It was $6,783. I kept a tally¡¯ I said as another wrack of sobs imed me. I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be


    mad.¡¯


    Suddenly, I felt a rumble rising from his chest. It sounded like he was in pain. I looked up at him to see


    that he was trying to stifle


    confused delight and the shock of


    everyone in the little changing room, he lost it. This tough but fair serious Alpha startedughing like a


    hyena. I got up from hisp and


    he just doubled over, holding his stomach with one hand and my hand with the other,ughing


    uncontrobly. The snortsing out of his mouth surprised even him but didn¡¯t stop theughter. My


    confusion grew but I couldn¡¯t help the smile that formed on my mouth as I saw this god-like man


    snorting. He had tears in his eyes when he was finally able to control himself and he tried to push his


    dark brown


    hair over his face. I tried to pull my hand away, still confused.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said and pulled me to hisp. ¡°I told Kelly not to stop until you¡¯d gotten at least 10


    outfits for every asion. You


    two have literally zero clothes. I don¡¯t want you to ever feel like you arecking again. I want to see you


    happy, spoiled and eating full


    meals until you can¡¯t fit into the clothes you bought today and then go shopping all over again. $7000


    doesn¡¯t mean anything to me when it means you and Maya start having the life you were meant to


    have.¡± My heart moved at his words and I did my best not to tear up


    again.


    ¡°Not to mention he¡¯s loaded. $7000 is pennies,¡± Kelly added behind me.


    ¡°Thank you Kelly,¡± he rolled his eyes and looked at me again, ¡°You are my mate. I want to give you


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    everything you¡¯ve been missing for thest 12 years. Please allow me to give you this?¡± | hesitated but


    nodded and my stomach growled. Heughed again as I


    blushed.


    ¡°Come on, you guys can go shopping again another time. I think you probably had enough shopping for


    one day. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    unnn, we technically already ate, but she was just ying with her food,¡± Kelly ratted me out and I


    blushed more. ¡°How about we


    head home and you take her to eat? I¡¯ll make sure all her stuff gets left in her room.¡±


    ¡°Yeah OK. Thank you Kelly. Maya, I hope you got all you needed.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha, thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Come on my little Tuli, let¡¯s get some meat in your belly,¡± he said, offering me his arm.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Markus Chapter 21 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Text: Alpha, something is wrong with Luna. She seems upset. She won¡¯t talk to me about it.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was wrong. I couldn¡¯t mind link so far away from me and her phone hadn¡¯t arrived


    yet.


    Let¡¯s go to mate. What if she¡¯s still injured ¨C As whined and we got in the car and drove.


    Text: Alpha! Please tell me you¡¯re close. The Luna just started crying and won¡¯t talk. I don¡¯t know what


    to do.*


    Text: Omw


    I practically ran the whole way to the store. My heart almost broke when I heard her sobs from outside


    the changing rooms.


    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t stop!¡¯ sheined. Weve gone to 15 different stores and we spent so much money.


    I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t stop her. / kepta tally, I can return a lot of itter. Please don¡¯t be mad.¡¯


    ¡°How much do you think you spent today¡¯ I was realizing why she was upset.


    It was $6,783. I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be mad.¡¯


    I tried. I really tried not tough but it bubbled out of me, making me clutch my stomach. I had tears in


    my eyes when I was doneughing and Celeste was just looking at me with a slight smile but confusion


    still evident in her eyes. Her stomach growled and Iughed as I watched the beautiful blush that rose


    to her cheeks.


    I had her wrap her arm around mine after I dismissed everyone. I took her to the food court. Although I


    wanted to take her to a fancy


    restaurant, I remembered that she mentioned she never had take out food. Hled her to a fast food


    Chinese ce then settled us in a


    booth. The little noises she was making while eating the food were almost too much for me. I could feel


    my c**k twitch each time a little moan came out of her mouth. I didn¡¯t trust myself to touch her right


    now. I just did my best to eat and not look creepy while I stared at


    her.


    ¡°You¡¯re barely eating,¡± she said. I took a bite of my food and grinned at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had a breakdown. I thought you would be mad at how much money we were spending. I


    guess I didn¡¯t realize that money wasn¡¯t important to you.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°But?¡± I asked


    ¡°We¡¯ve never had control over our lives, food, money, clothes. We¡¯ve worked for nothing and gotten


    even less than that. I will take this gift, but I need to pull my weight. I need work,¡± she said with a


    stubborn look on her face.


    ¡°You are the Luna -¡°


    ¡°Not for two months. I can¡¯t not do anything for two months. I don¡¯t want to be a burden. If I am to be


    Luna, I need to be productive. ¡± Her determination surprised me, but As was just puffing his chest


    proudly.


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± I said, holding her hand. She looked surprised that I agreed so quickly.


    ¡°I want to talk about what my duties are as Luna.¡± She looked down as if embarrassed about what she


    had to say next. I squeezed


    her hand encouragingly. ¡°I want a tutor. I learned basic math and reading skills before my parents died,


    but we weren¡¯t allowed to go to


    school once we got to the Blood Moon Pack. I don¡¯t want to be a useless Luna. I would like to have the


    schooling I need to be apetent


    Luna.¡± My heart exploded with love. I pulled her to me and mmed my lips against her. She stiffened


    in surprise, but soon after returned


    it. This little ball of fire was my world and I would do everything in my power to show her this. I


    eventually stopped the kiss, needing to


    breathe. I ced my forehead against hers, she was breathing fast and I could smell her arousal


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    through the muddled smells of the food


    court that now paled against hers. I brushed my lips against hers. She giggled, ¡°Is that a yes?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°That was a hell yes. I will make the call and have someone teach you. Do you think Maya


    will want the same?¡± She smiled.


    ¡°I think so. We always shared the few books we could find discarded.¡±


    ¡°You like to read?¡± I asked, wanting to know more about her life even though I knew some of it would


    make want to go rip the


    Alpha¡¯s head off. She smiled and nodded as she ate more Chinese.


    i frowned. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to cook.¡±


    ¡°But I like to. You liked my food, didn¡¯t you?¡± She pouted.


    ¡°Yes it was some of the best food I¡¯ve ever had but love¡­¡± She pouted and I sighed. ¡°Once a week?¡± I


    tried topromise,


    ¡°Three¡± she said.


    ¡°Two? Please? You¡¯re going to be so busy once you start your tutoring and learning the Luna duties.¡±


    She thought about it and then smiled and stuck her hand out to shake on it. I took her hand and pulled


    her forward, mming her


    against my chest with a squeak. I gave her another kiss and she giggled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home my little Tuli,¡± I said, getting up. She scrunched her nose adorably but allowed me to


    putt her up. I wrapped my arm around her waist as we headed out of the mall.


    ¡°What does Tuli mean?¡± She asked.


    I smirked and looked down at her. ¡°It is the Finnish word for Fire.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Markus Chapter 22 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V


    It¡¯s been two days. Maya and Celeste were starting private tutoring lessons today after we found and


    vetted someone. I was still


    proud of her for wanting to get an education. We were still waiting for dad¡¯s witch friend to be fully


    vetted. I wasn¡¯tfortable with a


    witch knowing about her abilities, but there was no avoiding it. Celeste needed help only she could


    provide.


    Danny had arrivedst night but I let him take a hot shower and good night¡¯s rest before I hounded him


    for any information that he


    had. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t much. These traffickers were very good. They dealt with the


    transactions digitally with encryption and made things hard to track. I was surprised that they seemed


    to have such a sophisticated set-up. Alpha Geoff was a?oaf. It was hard to


    reconcile this level of sophistication with the man.


    ¡°So¡­.when do I get to meet the Luna? Or are you ashamed of me?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°I have always been ashamed of you, my friend.¡± Heughed. ¡°She¡¯s busy at the moment. She will be


    done around 4 and then she¡¯s decided to cook you dinner.¡± I smiled, thinking about my little ball of fire.


    She was slowly opening up a little more. I knew it was hard for


    her. After living with a lie and being discarded for 12 years, it was hard for her to realize that someone


    could care for her. But As and I were determined to win over our mate. We had seen the interest in


    her eyes, we just had to nurture that interest and turn it into a raging fire that rivaled ours. We spent


    hours in my bed each night, ying 20 questions. I wanted to get to know her. I wanted her to know


    me. I knew I already loved her with every fiber of my being, but I needed to wait for her to catch up.


    As had a hard time reigning himself in while we made out in bed. Sometimes wanting to push


    forward and im her, but I reminded him of what she¡¯d been through and he


    would settle down somewhat. It didn¡¯t stop either of us from asionally squeezing her fantastic ass.


    ¡°A Luna cooking? Should I prepare my anti-acids?¡±


    ¡°Ask Gillian about her cooking,¡± I smirked. I was looking forward to her cooking, though I still thought it


    would eventually get to be too much for her. Gillian¡¯s mother was also spending a few days a week


    helping her learn what her responsibilities of a Luna entailed. I


    was afraid it was going to be information overload soon.


    ¡°Hmm, he¡¯s saying he¡¯s pre-requested seconds and is wearing his stretchy pants to dinner today. Is it


    that good?¡± He asked. I


    nodded.


    ¡°OK, what else do we need to talk about that you couldn¡¯t tell me over the phone?¡± He asked.


    Ileaned back in my chair, ¡°It¡¯s about Celeste and who she is.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of those people from the Sky Moon that got killed right? You already told me that.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did I mention her blood line?¡±


    He frowned, ¡°No, what about it.¡±


    I gave him all of the information my father had given us. At the end of the exnation he whistled,


    ¡°Damn, you got one interesting


    mate.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. She¡¯s f*****g perfect.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the mighty 1-don¡¯t-need-a-mate has been turned into man putty.¡±


    ¡°When you meet her, it will make sense,¡± I assured him, ¡°When you hear what she¡¯s been through, you


    will admire her, and when you


    see what kind of person she is, you will vow to protect your Luna just like I have.¡±


    ¡°Forget the man putty, you¡¯ve fallen hard brother.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Just waiting for her to catch up in that department. She¡¯s like this little ball of fire that isn¡¯t


    used to someone caring for her.


    ¡°Well, we both know I don¡¯t know s**t about women, but whatever you need. I will tell her you¡¯re a great


    Alpha and a romantic and


    s**t. You know, lie¡±


    Iughed.


    to stay on target despite his carefree personality.


    I sighed, ¡°I am not sure yet. We have a couple of weeks before we have to decide. Alpha Rhett is


    decided to change his meeting to tonight when he heard Celeste was cooking.¡±


    ¡°Well damn, now I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go see my grandparents. Let me know when dinner is ready¡±


    ¡®How¡¯s it going, Tuli?¡¯


    ¡®Shhh, I¡¯m trying to learn¡¯ she said and cut the mind link.


    Iughed. Mate is dedicated. She will be an excellent Luna ¨C


    As purred with pride for what seemed like the 50th time in thest


    week. Danny thought I was man putty, he hadn¡¯t seen As talk about our mate.


    Still, I missed her already, so I casually passed by the makeshift ss room we had made from one of


    themon rooms in the


    Packhouse for her and Maya. I looked at her from the little window in the door. I couldn¡¯t smell her from


    here, so I knew that I wasn¡¯t


    going to distract her. Still, I was surprised when she looked out the little window and met my eyes. I


    grinned and waved. ¡®Sorry, I will let


    you study.¡¯ She just smiled and turned back to her tutor.


    I wondered back to my office and started doing some work. My assistant came in and gave me the


    things I¡¯d ordered for Celeste. I


    can¡¯t wait to give it to her.


    Two hourster, I smelled Celeste on the other side of the door. I heard a light knock. ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with my lesson. I¡¯ll be starting dinner in an hour but I just wanted to spend some time with


    you,¡± She said, blushing.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I said, swiveling around on my chair so that she could sit on myp. I inhaled her scent


    as she wrapped her arms around me. I loved the fact that she was getting morefortable with my


    touch, ¡°Are you enjoying all the lessons you¡¯re having?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a lot more to being a Luna than I knew. Luna Luisa never seemed to do any of them and


    Mrs Quinn is very patient. She¡¯s


    teaching me how to use herputer so I can ess all the stuff.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, about that. I got something for you,¡± I opened the desk drawer and pulled out the phone and the


    help with your assignment and your duties. The phone is so we canmunicate if you¡¯re ever off the


    Pack Grounds.¡±


    She blushed and kissed me lightly on the lips. Unable to stop myself, I pulled her closer and deepened


    the kiss. I gently requested


    ess to her mouth. She gave a tiny little moan that made my c**k hard and opened her mouth for me.


    Her sweet taste fueled my desire.


    She pressed herself forward, her heavy breasts pressing against my chest. It was my turn to moan as I


    moved my right hand from her butt


    to her luscious breast, pushing her shirt up along with it. I felt my c**k twitch, struggling against my


    jeans, when I felt her n****e harden


    under my touch. She grinded her s*x on my c**k as if on instinct. I shuddered. ¡°f**k, we should stop


    before I take you right here in my


    office.¡±hated saying those words, but I knew she wasn¡¯t ready. She pulled back and hugged me tightly,


    putting her head on my chest,


    and she sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± she said. I pulled her head upward to look back down at her.¡°I


    love every time you touch me.


    Please don¡¯t stop.¡± She smiled and gave me a light kiss. ¡°I¡¯m going to go change and get started on


    dinner.


    dessert. Come taste test the custard if you have time.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I went upstairs to take a cold shower. Our make-out sessions had been getting out of control. I knew


    who was to me too. I don¡¯t know what woulde over me. I wish I could even me Kara, but


    while she encouraged me, she let me take full control of the situation. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing,


    but every time Markus touched me, my body would have a mind of its own. I would feel my back arch


    to press my breasts to him as if of its own volition and when that got the desired response out of


    Markus, would go on to the next. I felt bad for Markus, he had more restrain than I did even though I


    was the one that wasn¡¯t ready to push past thosest steps of the mate bond. I felt like I was torturing


    him. I knew he needed release, but I was never able to provide it.


    He loves us. He will wait until you¡¯re ready. ¨C Kara


    How do I know we¡¯re ready? I hadn¡¯t even kissed a person beforest week.


    The mate bond will help you be ready. Just keep spending time with him. The stronger the bond, the


    better you will learn to read


    your body. When you¡¯re ready, you will know.


    Why does it have to be soplicated?


    Because a true bond is more than just s*x. He understands that and that¡¯s what he wants.


    He¡¯s too good to us..


    He is what the Moon Goddess said we deserve.


    After the shower, I went downstairs to prepare dinner. The cook wasn¡¯t all that eager to let me take over


    her job but she showed me


    where everything was and how the range worked. It was more modern than the one in the Blood Moon


    Pack.


    ¡®Celeste, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to mention that Alpha Rhett and his Beta are arriving in time for dinner. Will


    you have enough food for


    them?¡¯ Markus mind linked


    I will, but you¡¯re the one telling Gillian he might not get his second helping,¡¯


    said,ughing.


    ¡®Remember me fondly then, he might kill me for this.¡¯


    Just remind him that I¡¯ll be cooking twice a week.¡¯


    ¡°Smart. Maybe that will spare my life,¡¯ heughed.


    He shut off the mind link and I went to the fridge to see if there was anything I could do to stretch the


    food I was nning to make. I


    always made extras, but these guys ate a lot.


    I asked Gillian what Daniel¡¯s favorite meal was. He has said it was a toss up between fried chicken and


    chicken parmesan. I had


    chosen thetter tonight.


    Text: Celeste, I am not feeling myself. Can I be excused from dinner? I will just grab a snackter.


    Maya texted. She still couldn¡¯t link since she didn¡¯t have her wolf.


    Text: Of course, but what¡¯s wrong? Do I need to call the pack doctor?


    Text: No. The health nurse had warned me that I might start feeling this way close to my birthday. That


    it¡¯s a sign that my wolf is


    waking up..


    Text: OK. I understand. I will have someone bring you a sandwich and some snacks. Let me know if


    you need me.


    Text: Thank you, Luna.


    prepared and asked a pretty Omega if she could take dinner to Maya. I was worried about her, but I


    also remembered how I felt the


    days before Kara arrived. I had felt sweaty, itchy and with the constant nagging sensation that


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    someone was watching me. I had been


    paranoid. Having no information of what happened when you got your wolf, I had thought I might be


    sick or being found out. I had tried to run away at night when the shift happened. It was painful and


    took forever. I thought I was dying. After it was done, Kara was there, in


    my mind, soothing my fears.


    I will ask Markus. We don¡¯t know the area so maybe he can run with us.


    Ooooh yes, I¡¯m dying to meet As. ¨C Kara purred.


    I heard the loudugh of Alpha Rhett. I was in the middle of making the lemon tarts for tonight¡¯s dessert


    when I heard theming


    in.


    ¡°Celeste, you look 100 times better than thest time I saw you! I must say, I have conflicted emotions


    when I heard you were


    cooking tonight.¡± I gave him a confused look as I passed him a spoon filled with lemon custard that I


    had made for the tarts.


    ¡°I was appalled that Markus would make his Luna cook, but I also made it a point to be here because I


    have been dreaming about the


    food since that dinner during the full moon.¡± I started giggling as a full blush rose to my cheeks. I heard


    a loud growl and turned to see


    Markus walking towards me. His eyes were pitch ck. He grabbed me by the waist possessively and


    mmed me into his side. I looked


    up at him in confusion but heard Alpha Rhettughing hard on the other side of the counter. I blushed


    and giggled again.


    ¡°Rx friend, you can¡¯t me me for enjoying a good meal. I assure you, I have no intention of doing


    anything but appreciate your mate¡¯s cooking skills. I did wonder why you had her cooking though.¡±


    Markus went red and grumbled something incoherently. I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the blush being


    on someone other than me


    for once, ¡°I am the one that asked to cook Alpha Rhett, I enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I look forward to another amazing meal. This custard is amazing,¡± he said, finally eating


    the spoonfull had given


    him.


    ¡°How much longer do you need love,¡± Markus said, putting his head near my neck and inhaling deeply.


    He was still trying to calm As, flecks of ck still visible in his grey eyes.


    ¡°About 15mins. I have to assemble the tarts and change out of these dirty clothes,¡± I said, turning my


    head and giving him a quick


    kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Danny start making his way here,¡± he said, and they left the kitchen. I finished the tarts and


    took a quick shower. The little


    panel was still scary to me, but I had managed to learn how to turn on the basic shower functions. I


    went and grabbed a pretty midnight blue satin cowl neck with short sleeves and ck cks. I kept my


    hair dry in the shower so I just needed to brush the curls out of my face and then I added some simple


    make-up that Kelly had taught me. Mascara, some translucent eye shadow that made my eyes


    shimmer and lip gloss. I went down the stairs to dinner.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    We sat down for dinner. Danny arrived and we were just waiting for Celeste. I was about to mind link


    Celeste when I smelled her approaching the dining room door. My jaw almost fell to the floor when I


    saw her walk in.


    She always wears jeans and baggy tshirts around the Packhouse. This time she walked in and looked


    like the goddess herself. Her


    loose ck curls that went down to her waist shone in the light. The midnight blue shirt made her eyes


    pop and the cks made her


    small waist look even smaller. Her luscious breasts were ying peek-a-boo along the top of her


    blouse.


    ¡®You¡¯re wee.¡¯Kelly mind linked me, breaking through my lust.


    I smiled and I got up to lead her to her seat. Just wanting to touch her. We stopped half way down the


    dining room table as Danny


    got up.


    ¡°Celeste, this is Daniel, my Gamma. Danny, this is Celeste, my mate.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    For once, Danny didn¡¯t have a witty quip. He simply took her hand, gave it a gentle kiss and bowed his


    head. ¡°Luna, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Our Pack has been waiting for its Luna for many years, and I


    can see it was worth the wait.¡± Then, ruining the moment, he added, ¡°Thanks for putting up with this


    asshole; clearly takes a special wolf to get rid of his grumpy ass,¡± he smirked my way. I rolled my eyes


    but smiled at the beautifulugh that came from Celeste.


    She¡¯s beautiful,¡¯Danny mind linked me as I pulled Celeste¡¯s chair out for her. Don¡¯t f**k this up.¡¯


    I don¡¯t intend to,¡¯l responded.


    ¡°Maya won¡¯t be joining us tonight. I think she¡¯s close to getting her wolf. She preferred to stay in her


    room,¡± Celeste said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the Pack Doctor to her after dinner to make sure she¡¯s doing alright,¡± I said and she nodded.


    The food arrived and I was


    surprised to see she had made one of Danny¡¯s favorite food. I was making a mental note to ask her


    how she knew, when Danny practically


    jumped for joy when he saw the food. It had been a full month since he¡¯d had a home-cooked meal.


    ¡°How did you know this is my favorite?¡± He demanded as he impatiently waited for everyone to be


    served.


    ¡°I asked Gillian,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee for not lying and making her make my favorite instead,¡± Gillian said and the whole


    table chuckled.


    I almost growled at the orgasmic moan that Danny let out as he took his first bite, but I realized that I


    would probably have to fight


    every person at the table as more moans followed. Clearly, I wasn¡¯t as biased as I thought I might be.


    This woman was a goddess.


    I turned to let her know and paused a moment as I saw the joy in her eyes. I am guessing that she had


    never been allowed to eat with


    the people she fed at Blood Moon Pack. She was pleased that her food was going over so well. I


    grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She


    turned to look at me and her smile only grew as she met my eyes, ¡°This is amazing. You¡¯re a very


    gifted cook,¡±I encouraged. Her eyes


    sparkled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yo is there more?¡± Danny called about 20 minutes into the dinner. An omega came and took his te


    for a refill.


    ¡°Hey wait, I reserved seconds!¡± Gillian called


    ¡°I¡¯d also take some seconds if there¡¯s more¡± Rhett called while his Beta licked his te and nodded to


    his clean te too.


    I don¡¯t know that there¡¯s enough for everyone to get seconds,¡¯Celeste mind linked me.


    I smirked. Let them fight it out.¡¯ She giggled. ¡°If you¡¯re all having seconds, I¡¯m iming all the desserts,¡±


    I called out, winking at her. Gillian, Kelly, my dad and Alpha Rhett decided to pass on seconds as long


    as Celeste could assure them that they could have additional


    desserts.


    After dinner, we tried to spitball some ideas for finding proof but most people had over eaten and were


    falling asleep so we decided to pick it back up the next morning. ¡°Is the Luna cooking breakfast?¡±


    Danny asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I have been getting tutored in the mornings and it doesn¡¯t give me enough time to cook


    in the mornings.¡±


    ¡°Tutoring?¡± Alpha Rhett asked, visibly disappointed.


    ¡°Celeste was denied ess to schooling after her parents were killed. She requested a tutor to help


    her catch up quickly in order to be able to better fulfill her Luna duties,¡± I said proudly. It took a lot of


    courage to try to improve yourself, and while she may be embarrassed to say she didn¡¯t attend school


    past the 2nd grade, I was not.


    ¡°That¡¯s admirable,¡± Alpha Rhett mentioned. I nodded.


    We went up to our floor. We were walking toward our rooms when I felt Celest stiffen. She doubled over


    and I grabbed her by the


    waist to keep her from falling over, ¡°Celeste, what¡¯s wrong baby?¡± I bent and looked into her eyes. They


    were white. She was staring at


    nothing, her hands on her head. Finally, her eyes went back to their crystal blue and she groaned.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± I asked, concerned. I could


    feel the pain of a migraine as if it were my own.


    ¡°Maya,¡± she grunted, turning around towards the elevator. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with Maya.¡±


    ¡®Dr. West. Please head to the third floor. Something is wrong with Maya.¡¯


    I¡¯m already here, Alpha. I came to check on her as you requested. She¡¯s having trouble shifting. Her


    body is still too malnourished. /


    am not sure if she will survive the first shift¡¯


    We got to Maya¡¯s room and Celeste ran towards her. ¡°Be careful Luna, one of her ws is extended,¡±


    Dr West said.


    Maya was on the floor by her bed. She looked like she was mid shift. Her nose was elongated into a


    snout. She had 1 paw and 1 leg.


    Her torso was extended and filled with furr. The first shift is known to be excruciating. I couldn¡¯t imagine


    being stuck in that pain. Unable


    to stop it; unable toplete it. Maya was crying and whimpering. Celeste pulled her onto herp and


    started caressing her half


    transformed cheek. She started singing lowly to her. As she sang, I recognized that she was singing in


    Spanish and her voice was


    bing ethereal. Her eyes began glowing.


    ¡°A nanita nana, nanita e, nanita e


    Mi ni?a tiene sue?o, bendito sea, bendito sea


    A nanita nana, nanita e, nanita e


    Mi ni?a tiene sue?o, bendito sea, bendito sea.¡±


    Dr. West and I stood back in stunned silence. After she appeared to start the song over about 3 or 4


    times, Celeste¡¯s hair was glowing


    blue. Her body was glowing. Her Alpha aura was radiating, but it didn¡¯t feel heavy like most Alpha


    auras. You could recognize the power of the Alpha in it, but it was almost soothing, instead of


    frightening. Her hand would leave a shimmer on Maya¡¯s face that lingered for a few


    seconds before absorbing into her. Slowly, Maya¡¯s whimpering slowed. She was no longer in pain. Her


    body resumed the contortion that urs during a first shift. Her bones snapped and realigned, light


    brown fur exploding from her body. She didn¡¯t appear to be in the pain we all knew she should be


    feeling. Her wolf was small. She got up and shook her fur once her shifting was done. She nudged her


    nose at Celeste in gratitude, who smiled and caressed her fur. Her eyes were still glowing. I felt her


    exhaustion and moved of my own volition. I dropped behind her and held her against my chest as she


    suddenly passed out. I ran my hand through her hair and kissed her head. / could tell she was fine.


    Though I didn¡¯t like to see her unconscious, As and I could tell that she was physically alright.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that,¡± Dr. West said, approaching Maya¡¯s wolf and checking her vitals.


    ¡°What happens in this room, stays between us, Dr.¡± I said, using my Alpha voice. Dr. West bowed his


    head. ¡°Of course, Alpha. Would


    you like me to check over the Luna?¡±


    ¡°No, help Maya shift back and then you can go. The Luna is fine, she just needs to rest.¡±


    Dr West guided Maya into shifting back, giving her a robe to change into. Maya came to check on


    Celeste, tears in her eyes. She


    looked scared to touch her. ¡°She is OK Maya. She¡¯s just resting. I can feel her heart beat. It is steady.¡±


    ¡°I could hear her voice, through the pain, and Kara helped Esmeralda get the strength to finish shifting.


    She took our pain Alpha. Her


    and Kara absorbed it and gave us back warmth. How did she do that, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°She is special. I¡¯m d you¡¯re OK Maya. We will work on your nutrition over the next few weeks to


    make sure you can shift on your


    own during the Full Moon run,¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    eaten anything. We should make sure she gets a lot to eat from now on.¡±


    I smiled at Maya ¡°I¡¯m working on that.¡± I stood up and took Celeste into my arms, ¡°Thank you for your


    concern over the Luna. I¡¯ll let


    you know once she¡¯s awake. She¡¯s lucky to have a friend like you.¡±


    ¡°No, I think we¡¯re all the lucky ones to be in her life,¡± She whispered, and I could not agree more.


    I went upstairs andid her in my bed. I pulled off her clothes until she was in her underwear and put


    one of my shirts on her. It was giant enough on her to double for a night gown. As was raging in my


    head as we noticed the extent of her malnutrition and the


    scarring on her back and legs. I knew it was selfish, but I was d I was seeing her body now and not


    the day I met her, because I was sure


    this looked a lot better than it would have then. If I had seen it back then, I¡¯m sure I would have killed


    every f*****g piece of trash in that


    pack. I removed most of her make-up gently and just settled into the bed and cradled her in my arms.


    As much as I told everyone she just


    needed rest, and as much as I knew that to be true, I couldn¡¯t tear myself away from her. I needed to


    be there when she woke up so I


    could verify she was really OK.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    The first thing I smelled when I woke up was pistachios and figs and damp earth that made me tingly all


    over. I tried to get up to pee but I felt a pair of strong arms around my waist. I shifted to find Markus¡¯


    sleeping face. He looked so young when he was asleep, almost like a little boy hugging his teddy bear.


    I almost imagined him with his thumb in his mouth. The imagine of that shed in my head and it made


    me giggle. I felt him take a deep breath and his eyes slowly fluttered open and then closed again.


    ¡°Five more minutes,¡± he grumbled. I grinned. He was not a morning person. I did something bold then. I


    snaked my arms around his chest and kissed his nose lightly, then his cheek, his eyes, then his lips.


    His breathing changed and he pulled me to him roughly. He opened his eyes and I noticed they were


    ck.


    ¡°Hello mate. Markus is still waking. I thought we could y.¡± He smirked and then kissed me roughly,


    demanding entrance to my


    mouth. I gasped and he took that as an invitation to invade my mouth. His hands went to my butt and


    he squeezed.


    ¡°As,¡± I moaned against his lips and I felt Kara pushing forward.


    ¡°As,¡± she murmured as I felt myself watching them kiss from the back of my mind. She pushed his


    shoulder so that he was on his


    back and Kara moved to straddle him.


    Kara, behave, if you push As past his self control¡­.- I warned.


    Rx, enjoy. ¨C Kara purred.


    She leaned down to kiss him. Pressing every inch of our body to his. As moaned, one hand gripping


    her butt, the othering up to our breast, kneading the n****e. I couldn¡¯t help but observe their


    movements. Feeling the pleasure but at the same time being a


    voyeur.


    ¡°Kara,¡± As said huskily.


    ¡°As,¡± Kara moaned back as he took our n****e into his mouth. She grabbed his head as he sucked


    and bit. Rubbing herself against


    his erection.


    Kara, that¡¯s enough. We can¡¯t. We¡¯re not ready yet. ¨C


    I begged.


    Kara hissed as As pulled on our n****e and then sighed. ¡°Celeste wants control back. She¡¯s not


    ready yet.¡±


    As growled, ¡°I know. Markus is saying she¡¯s not ready and we shouldn¡¯t push. These kids need to


    learn to have some fun.¡±


    Karaughed and purred, ¡°¡®ll see youter lover,¡± And she pushed me forward. Markus¡¯ eyes went back


    to grey. I blushed, realizing!


    was still straddling him. The scent of my arousal filled the room. He kneaded my breast for a second


    and then lowered the shirt I was


    wearing. Giving me a sweet kiss as he tried to get his breathing back to normal.


    ¡°Our wolves are worse than hormonal teenagers,¡± I giggled. Heughed then looked down at me with a


    serious face.


    ¡°Are you feeling OK? You spent a lot of power yesterday.¡±


    Iscrunched my nose trying to remember what happened. I remember singing to Maya and then feeling


    very tired. ¡°I think so? I don¡¯t even know what I did. My mom used to sing me that luby when I was


    hurting and it always made me feel better. It distracted me from


    the pain. Is Maya OK?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Thanks to you. Maya said you and Kara helped her wolfe forward. Soothe the pain of


    the shift. Love, she said you


    absorbed her pain. Do you know how you did that?¡± I shook my head no.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. We will figure this out together,¡± He said, kissing my hair. ¡°Let¡¯s go get breakfast.¡±


    After my morning sses were done. We were all seated in Markus¡¯ office. Hashing out the n on


    how to prevent more she-wolves from getting sold on the ck market. I didn¡¯t like that we were using


    Ruby as bait, but I understood why it was the only way. We needed


    proof.


    After the n was in ce, I went to check on Maya. She was not in tutoring sses this morning. The


    Dr told me he asked her to


    rest. I got to her door and knocked lightly. She opened the door and her face lit up. ¡°Luna! You¡¯re


    alright!¡± I stumbled back as she hugged


    ¡°Right back at you! I was so scared for you.¡±


    ¡°Dr. West said my body wasn¡¯t strong enough for the shift. He isn¡¯t sure how I managed to shift. He


    thought I would die. You helped


    my wolf. She told me you were singing to her, absorbing the pain.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what I did. I just sang the luby my mother used to sing to me. Maya, do you know who


    my mother was?¡±


    ¡°No, you never talk about them.¡±


    ¡°My mom and dad were Alpha Cory and Luna Be.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re mated to the Alpha!¡±


    Iughed. ¡°It is a possibility, but I don¡¯t think the moon goddess matches by rank or Sandra would have


    found her mate at the


    party,¡±


    ¡°Will you be able to shift again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mhmm. The doctor gave me multivitamins and a high calorie diet. I should be strong enough to shift at


    the next full moon


    again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯m so happy for you. Plus, now you can find your mate!¡± I said.


    ¡°What if he rejects me because I¡¯m an omega?¡± she asked, looking down at her hands in herp.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey, if Alpha Markus could ept me when he thought I was an omega, so can anyone else. Besides,


    you¡¯re beautiful and smart. Any man that can resist you is probably not a man. How about we n what


    you¡¯re wearing to the full moon gathering? Make sure you look hot for them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need Kelly for that because you and I are hopeless Celeste,¡± she giggled as she put her arm


    through mine and we bounded up


    the stairs to find Kelly. She was living in the Beta quarters until she or Gillian found their mates.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    The following couple of weeks passed by quickly. I learned so much from the tutor and Mrs. Quinn. The


    tutor said we should be ready to take the GED exam next week. I found I quite enjoyed economics and


    history and I seemed to bepetent at them. Maya seemed to favor English and biology. We were


    spending afternoons helping each other with the subjects in which the other was weaker. We made a


    good team overall, I had grown closer to her now than I ever did in the 12 yrs at Blood Moon. I suppose


    that was understandable, considering how they treated us and how exhausted everyone always was at


    the end of the day.


    My cooking days were always a hit and some of my favorite days. Mrs. Wriley, the cook, had gotten


    over me taking over her kitchen as it gave her more time to spend with her grandchildren. I always sent


    her home with some Tupperware for her family and they all seem to go over well. I had even met some


    of her grandchildren. She had 4 grown children and about 9 grandchildren already. They hung out


    from time to time with her and loved to run around the Packhouse. My favorite was little Matthew. He


    seemed to be smaller than most


    kids his age but he was fast and sneaky.


    Danny had gone back out along with a few of the warriors to track Ruby. The few times he came in to


    report, I would have a Tupperware of food ready for him. I liked him, he was wild and carefree. He


    acted like a stubborn rebel child, but I could see the love he


    had for Markus and the Pack. Markus was jealous that I made food specially for him, so I had to make


    sure to make extra for him. He


    would stop in only long enough to report, grab food, grab clothes and visit his grandparents. From what


    little Markus had told me about


    him, Danny was not born of the Gamma bloodline. His parents had been trusted warriors of Alexander


    when he was Alpha. Markus Gillian and Danny had all grown up together even though Danny didn¡¯t


    grow up in the Packhouse. When his parents died when he was 12, Danny


    continued to be raised by his grandparents, and made sure to take care of them now that they were too


    old to work. Markus and Danny


    had tried to get them to live in the Packhouse when he was made Gamma, but they refused to leave


    their home, so there was staff that


    went to check on them while Danny was away. Danny had promised to bring them around sometime for


    me to meet them. He promised


    me that his grandma would absolutely love to exchange some recipes with me.


    M


    The Luna Ceremony was drawing near. It was to take ce on the following full moon. It would be the


    Harvest Moon. The council


    would be showing up to conduct the ceremony and many Alpha¡¯s were invited. I was nervous. The


    Luna ceremony would mark the end of


    my lie, but at the same time, I thought I might actually enjoy the Luna duties. Mrs Quinn had already


    sent invitations to all the Alphas and


    the Council. She was trying to get me to n what I wanted for decorations, but I was having trouble


    making any decisions. I still didn¡¯t


    feel right spending so much money when I wasn¡¯t working.


    I was currently making croissants, thinking about how much my life had changed in 4 weeks. I was


    already having to rece some of


    the clothing we bought. Dr West said I was 30lbs to my ideal weight.


    Kelly was more than happy to take Maya and me shopping again. Maya had also been given the green


    light to attempt to shift


    tomorrow. She had hit her ideal weight. She was hoping to ask for a job soon. She just needed to pass


    her GED. She often helped the staff with small tasks, feeling the need to feel useful. I was happy to see


    her getting stronger.


    ¡°You were not in your room my little Tuli,¡± I felt a pair of arms around my waist. I leaned back, relishing


    the feeling of sparks where our bodies touched, his scent surrounding me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten up at 4am for thest 8 years. I am bad at sleeping in. I thought I¡¯d make some croissants


    for breakfast,¡± I said. I stopped kneading the dough and turned around. Even though I was 5¡¯9¡å, Markus


    still towered over me slightly so I had to get on my tippy-toes to kiss him. It was my favorite thing to do


    as he would envelop me in a tight embrace and I could feel the sparks down my entire body. Over the


    best friend, my protector, my mate, my love. Thest part was something I¡¯d only juste to realize


    this morning as I watched him sleep. Since we were sharing a bathroom, I had an all-ess pass to


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    his bedroom. I had sat on the side of his bed and watched him sleep for almost half an hour..


    Thinking about what he meant to me. From the moment he met me, he¡¯d done nothing but care for me.


    I felt his love for me, even if he wouldn¡¯t say the words, every action and decision he made screamed it


    to me. He still hadn¡¯t pushed me into sleeping with him, but I was


    him. I just needed to find the right moment. I was hoping that moment was tomorrow during the full


    moon.


    ¡°I missed you. I was having the most delicious dream and then it left me and I woke up and your scent


    was gone,¡± He pouted after we


    came back up for air.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you want some croissants for breakfast?¡± I raised an eyebrow. He grinned that grin that I


    loved. It made him look like a


    little boy.


    Suddenly, his eyes zed over as he got a mind link. I frowned, the smile was gone from his face.


    ¡°We gotta go to the Packhouse Hospital. Danny¡¯s back with the warriors. He¡¯s got Ruby and they are


    both injured.¡±


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Alpha, this is Gabriel. We rescued Ruby at the exchange but she and Danny got injured. We¡¯ve alerted


    Dr. West. He¡¯s meeting us at


    the hospital. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood Alpha.¡¯


    ¡®How the f**k did that happen? Don¡¯t answer that. We will debriefter. We¡¯re on the way there.¡¯


    I ended the mind link and saw Celeste looking at me with concern in her eyes.


    ¡°We gotta go to the Packhouse Hospital. Danny¡¯s back with the warriors. He¡¯s got Ruby and they are


    both injured,¡± She took off her


    apron and took off with me.


    We arrived at the Pack Hospital. We heard amotion through one of the double doors and a woman


    screaming. We rush in to find


    blood everywhere. The nurses were trying to tie down a she-wolf while the doctor was working on


    Danny.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± Celeste whispered.


    ¡°Go,¡± I urged her. ¡°Maybe a friendly face will help calm her.¡± She nodded at me and ran to her side.


    ¡°Celeste? Did they get you too? I thought you found your mate?¡±


    ¡°I did Ruby, I did. The person you attacked is named Danny. He¡¯s my mate¡¯s Gamma. We sent him to


    rescue you.¡±


    ¡°Rescue? Omg I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I thought he was the buyer. They told me they were selling


    me. That they barely made any


    profit off me,¡± she said, sobbing. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die, Celeste. Please forgive me.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK Ruby, he will understand.¡±


    ¡°The hell I will! This is my favorite shirt! Ow,¡± Danny answered from the other bed. Dr. West was


    cleaning his wound. ¡°She shed me pretty good. Luna, I will need some food to get my blood count


    back up to normal,¡± he said, giving Celeste his puppy dog eyes.


    Celeste justughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got croissants in the making, I¡¯m sure I can make a few croissant breakfast


    sandwiches for everyone.¡±


    Danny grinned and I pinched him on the shoulder. ¡°OW! I¡¯m wounded, you know!¡±


    Trolled my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll heal. What happened?¡±


    ¡°We noticed her getting the signs of a shift two days ago. We started tailing her more closely. Last


    night, we saw her being dragged out in the middle of the night. We¡¯re not sure why they sold her before


    the full moon. We followed and video taped the exchange and


    then we managed to get her from the buyer wearing hoodies. She was knocked out the entire time. I


    thought wolf bane. About an hour


    from here, she woke up and freaked out. I was trying not to hurt her and she shed me twice with her


    damn ws before I managed to


    knock her out.¡±


    ¡°So what I think you¡¯re saying,¡± I said with a smirk, ¡°was that dealing with ck market buyers was a


    piece of cake, but you were


    wounded by a 19-year-old.¡±


    ¡°I was trying not to hurt her!¡± Danny said indignantly, making Celesteugh until she had tears in her


    eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go make breakfast. Ruby, I¡¯m going to leave you with these nurses and Dr. West. They will


    look you over to make sure you¡¯re well. Then we¡¯ll have to talk to you about what is going on and what


    you want to do. OK? You¡¯re safe. Maya is here too. I will have


    here keep youpany when she wakes up.¡± Ruby just nodded, wincing as they put an IV line


    into her arm. I was proud of how she


    took charge of her. She was acting like a Luna more and more each day, building her confidence the


    more she learned from Gillian¡¯s


    mother.


    ¡°Celeste,¡±Ruby said. We both turned to look at her. ¡°I can¡¯t have children. When I shifted, something


    happened and the pack doctor


    was called. I was told that something went wrong with the shift and it tore my womb to pieces. The


    people that took me said I was useless if I couldn¡¯t bear a child, so they didn¡¯t care if I had a mate or


    not. That¡¯s why I was sold earlier,¡± she cried. Celeste gave her a tight


    hug and I saw her eyes sh with fire when she walked past me and out the door.


    She left and I already missed her as I watched that nicely rounded ass disappearing through the double


    doors. She had filled in quite nicely in the few weeks she¡¯d been getting proper meals. ¡°Ahem.¡± Danny


    interrupted with a grin. I rolled my eyes again. ¡°We got the video


    My eyebrows went up at that. ¡°Banged up job man. We will put together all of our data and present it


    the day after the Luna Ceremony. I¡¯ll ask Celeste if anyone else is close to getting their wolf before we


    make the final decision.¡±


    ¡°So I can stay now?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°Yeah man, rest. Tomorrow¡¯s the full moon run.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I get to eat more of Luna¡¯s food?¡±


    I rolled my eyes.¡±She only cooks twice a week. It was thepromise we reached. So yeah, you will


    enjoy her food more.¡±


    ¡°Awesome, I¡¯ve been dreaming of that parmesan.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure if you ask, she takes requests and so far, no one¡¯s been disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you think she¡¯d make some southern fried chicken? I haven¡¯t had a good one since my grams


    burned herself. Gramps threw away the fryer.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t hurt to ask. Alright, I¡¯m going to go look at the video. You gonna be alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s already mostly healed. She just got a good jab near an artery. Hurt like a bitch.¡±


    Later that evening, we started to gather around the table. We were just waiting for Danny. Dr West had


    deemed Ruby too dehydrated and wanted to keep her for observation. Celeste had not only made


    breakfast, but after some begging from Danny, she also made


    southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and biscuits. She even went so far as


    to make sweet iced tea.


    ¡°Damn if that doesn¡¯t smell like my grams¡¯ food.¡± he said running in.¡±Sorry, I¡¯mte, I needed a show¡­


    er,¡± he said as he locked eyes


    with Maya. He sat at his seat.


    ¡®Who¡¯s the tiny she-wolf?¡¯ He mind linked me


    ¡®That¡¯s Maya, the other girl we brought with us when I met Celeste.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm, she looks young¡¯ he mused.


    ¡®She got her wolf a couple of weeks ago,


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡®Why?¡¯


    ¡®Something about her. She¡¯s quite pretty and smells like lemon merengue.¡¯


    Traised an eyebrow at him from across the way as he loaded up a te,


    ¡®Eat your food and stop ogling the poor girl. She¡¯s been


    through enough.


    ¡®Yeah whate¨COMG this is better than my gram¡¯s. Is she avable for rent?¡¯


    ¡®WHAT?¡¯ I growled.


    ¡®For some cooking. Get your head out of the gutter. You really need to mark her already so you don¡¯t


    think every unmated male wants to challenge you for her.¡¯


    I¡¯m waiting for her to be ready. We¡¯re not all beasts like you. I didn¡¯t wait 25 years for her to f**k it up


    because I¡¯m impatient.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re such a gentleman.¡¯ He grinned and then winked at me. I narrowed my eyes


    suspiciously.


    ¡°Luna, will you marry me? This food¡¯s delicious.¡± He smiled at Celeste. As pushed forward before I


    could stop him. He grabbed Celeste and put her on ourp, ¡°Mine.¡± he grumbled, and stuck his nose


    into her hair. I pushed him back but didn¡¯t let her go back to her seat just yet. Sheughed along with


    the rest of the table. I couldn¡¯t stop the blush that rose to my face.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to get you back for that one,


    I warned him and he justughed harder. Celeste turned in myp and kissed me and my


    humiliation was forgotten.


    ¡®You¡¯re wee¡¯ he teased.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°How can you guys go 19 years without doing hair and make-up?¡± Kelly asked as she went over to the


    little make-shift make-up table. Maya and I looked at each other. We really liked Kelly, but Markus had


    asked that we tell no one what happened until everything


    came to light.


    ¡°We were omegas. We didn¡¯t get paid much,¡± Maya said. It wasn¡¯t a lie per se.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re just going to have to learn quicker. The Luna ceremony brings a lot of people in. I will


    need to look my best so I can¡¯t spend the whole day getting you ready. I need to look good when I meet


    my mate too,¡± she said. Maya and I both blushed. Kelly noticed and her face fell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t


    mean it how it sounded. I really like spending time with you guys, I am just a bad teacher and I get


    frustrated.¡±


    I gave her a small smile, ¡°We appreciate all that you¡¯ve taught us.¡±


    Suddenly, her face lit up. ¡°Sephora has sses that teach you about what make-up works best for you.


    I will sign all three of us up. It


    will be lots of fun,¡± Maya and I agreed.


    We were getting ready for the dinner before the full moon run. I had argued that we didn¡¯t need to go all


    out because we were going


    to get naked and shift after, but Kelly said this was the first time I would be presented as the future


    Luna, so I needed to look my best.


    I mostly wanted to have a chance to let Kara run free. We still hadn¡¯t been able to. Dr. West said it was


    better if I gained some weight


    first. I had argued that I had a handful of times before already, but he said I had never run before. I


    reluctantly agreed. I wanted Kara to


    meet As. Since we hadn¡¯tpleted the mating yet, they couldn¡¯t talk to each other. It made it that


    much harder to keep my own hormones in check while our wolves were pushing us to mark each other.


    I had told Kara that I was ready, but that we needed to find the


    right moment.


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    Kelly spent a long time on my hair. She had wanted to tame the curls but then gave up when they were


    not cooperating. Instead, she added a bunch of stones to my hair. They sparkled when I moved. I was


    wearing a silver and ck gown. It had a portrait top in ck corset with silver waning crescent moons


    delicately embroidered throughout. The skirting of the gown was a shimmering delicate silver fabric that


    went down to my feet. She¡¯d managed to gather my curls back neatly and fastened it in a half crown


    with a silver barrette. The


    rest of my hair was flowing down to my butt. I had never been able to do much to my hair except braid


    it or hand it in a pony tail, so I was


    quite impressed at the pretty yet simple do. I had smoky grey eyeshadow with a hint of blue. It made


    my eyes strikingly blue. She¡¯d


    paired it with pink tinted lip gloss.


    She was wearing a red sweetheart dress with matching red lipstick and a beautiful ombre eyeshadow


    look. Her hair was gathered up


    in swirls. Maya was wearing a baby blue princess cut dress. Her make-up was earthy neutral


    eyeshadows with soft pink shimmery


    lipstick.


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m good,¡± Kelly said as we all looked into the mirror together. I had to admit, she was good. I


    never thought I could look like


    that.


    ¡°Well, time to go girls. Gillian just told me everyone is waiting for us.¡± She grabbed us by the hand and


    pulled us towards the staircase.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Maya said, ¡°I don¡¯t have my shoes. You go ahead, I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    We headed down the stairs and out the back door. Past the back gardens was a tform that looked


    down onto a field that led to


    the woods. It was currently littered with tables filled with food. I was to be introduced and then we would


    have dinner with the Pack


    before the run. Kelly led me towards the tform where I could see Markus¡¯ back to us. He turned to


    look at me, hearing our steps. His


    mouth opened when his eyes locked on mine. I blushed as I felt his eyes roam my body. The dress


    wasn¡¯t very revealing, but I felt naked


    under his gaze.


    That¡¯s probably because he¡¯s undressing us with his eyes ¨C


    Kara smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking very handsome yourself. That suit matches your eyes perfectly,¡± I said, noticing how his


    Armani grey suit enhanced the color in his eyes. You could tell it was perfectly tailored to his body.


    ¡°Where is Maya? I am introducing her first.¡±


    ¡°Alpha! I¡¯m here!¡± I heard Maya breathless as she reached us.


    ¡°Stay here. I will call you up,¡± Markus said to both of us. The moon was starting to peek out.


    ¡°Wee to the monthly full moon gathering. As is the custom, we will be having dinner momentarily,


    however I have a couple of announcements first. I would like to introduce you to two new members of


    the pack. The first is Maya. She joined us about a month ago. Some of you may have seen her around


    the Packhouse as she has been a guest there until she limates into our pack. Please help me


    wee Maya to the Crescent Moon Pack!¡± He said and motioned for Maya toe forward. I


    squeezed her hand in encouragement as !


    nudged her forward to the edge of the tform. There was a lot of pping and wees when I


    suddenly felt Maya stiffen. I saw her


    mouth move and then I heard a growl as someone jumped up to the tform and growled, ¡°Mine.¡±


    Igasped as I realized it was Danny that was standing in front of her.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Kelly looked very pretty as always, but walking behind her was the goddess herself. Celeste looked


    ethereal in her ck and silver dress. Her hair was sparkling and her eyes looked like the deepest


    parts of the ocean. I couldn¡¯t help but look down at the way the dress entually all of her curves.


    From the luscious big curves of her breasts, to her hips and her ass. I wanted to grab her and mark her


    right


    here, right now.


    ¡°You¡¯re drooling Alpha,¡± Kelly said as she walked past me. I shut my mouth, which was hanging open,


    and regainedposure. I


    walked to Celeste


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking very handsome yourself. That suit matches your eyes perfectly.¡± She said. Her eyes


    darkened with lust as I saw her


    looking at me in the suit. I really owed Kelly. She had picked it out for me. I realized it also matched


    Celeste¡¯s dress. I smiled.


    She wants us- Alpha said smugly ¨C Let¡¯s get this over with so I can run with my mate already.


    Maya came running towards us as the moon was starting to peek out and I needed to get things rolling.


    I introduced Maya to the pack. I scanned the crowd and immediately noticed one person was not


    pping. Danny was standing motionless, his eyes glued. to Maya. I heard Maya gasp beside me and I


    thought I heard her whisper ¡°Mate¡± just before Danny growled and


    jumped on the tform. ¡°Mine¡± he growled as he looked at Maya. I looked up at the moon and realized


    it was peaking. I really sucked at


    timing things sometimes.


    I was momentarily as shocked as the Pack was at the scene in front of me, then there was a shattering


    of howls and pping and whooping as Danny crushed his lips to Maya¡¯s, who wrapped her arms


    around his neck as he lifted her up by the waist. I turned to look back at Celeste, who wasughing and


    pping along with everyone else.


    Iughed and motioned for the crowd to quiet down. ¡°Let me rephrase that. Please help me wee


    Maya, the new Gamma Female


    of Crescent Moon Pack and Daniel¡¯s destined mate.¡± There was another burst of pping.


    ¡®You should probablye up for air before poor Maya passes out,¡¯


    I smirked to Danny through the mind link. When he just growled


    in my head, I said, I¡¯m not sure she wants you to mate her right here in front of the pack.¡¯.


    ¡®She doesn¡¯t seem to be objecting he growled, but I saw him start lowering her down. They stared at


    each other and then it seemed like they both finally remembered they were in front of a couple of


    hundred people. He stood to the side, wrapping his arm around her


    waist and looking back at the crowd. Maya was softly blushing as she realized she had just made out in


    public. Itet Danny lead her off the


    tform and they stood to the side of the crowd holding each other.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a moment of silence for Maya¡¯s mental health once she realizes what it means to be mated


    to Daniel,¡± I said to the crowd,


    which had them allughing.


    ¡®Asshole, he growled at me, but I could tell that there was no real anger behind it.


    ¡®That was for yesterday,¡¯ I smirked. I saw himughing as he gave Maya a kiss on the forehead.


    Who¡¯s the man putti now ¨C As smirked in my head.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± I said and waited for the noise to die down. ¡°Now onto another set of good news. I would like


    to announce that I, too, have found my destined mate.¡± The whole pack pped. I waited for it to settle


    down. ¡°I would like to introduce to you, my mate and your


    future Luna, Celeste!¡± I said and moved back to grab her hand and lead her towards the tform. The


    crowd erupted. She looked like she


    would cry with joy. Her eyes were glowing and it was mesmerizing. Our eyes only really glow with


    extreme emotions. Our wolf turns our eyes darker when in control or feeling extreme emotion, but when


    they lets us remain in control during these extreme emotions, they


    glow.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, using her Luna voice, which surprised me. She shouldn¡¯t be able to direct that


    kind of power until after the Luna ceremony. The entire pack quieted down and bowed their heads,


    submitting to their Luna. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you I will never make a


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± I said and the crowd began to shuffle towards the food tables.


    ¡®Damn, that was some power rolling from your mate. You sure you haven¡¯t marked her yet?¡¯


    Gillian mind linked me.


    ¡®Must be the double Alpha status and blood line,¡¯


    said.


    Her aura is as powerful as yours but gentler.¡¯ ¡°Buddy, ifI was a lesser wolf, I would have submitted too.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s OK, you have a lifetime to submit,¡¯ he smirked as he saw us walking towards him. My arm was


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    around her waist. The whole pack


    would bow and greet us as we passed through.


    After dinner, we all gathered at the end of the dining area. We were all down to our undergarments,


    ready to shift. I had growled at


    every male that seemed to look Celeste¡¯s way and I could hear several others do the same. Mates


    were always extra protective of their


    mates before they had been marked. To my surprise, I heard Celeste growl beside me. I turned and


    saw a couple of she-wolves turning


    away. A shocked blush blossomed from her cheeks. Iughed and kissed her.


    ¡°Alpha, it¡¯s time,¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°SHIFT¡± I said with my Alphamand. There was a crackling of bones as the pack shifted. I shifted


    myself. I always enjoyed the


    shift. Feeling my body morph into As¡¯ wolf form. We stood above the rest, Alpha wolves were always


    almost all ck and I was no


    exception. I was full ck but for one paw. The paw was red tinted. I looked to my side at Celeste¡¯s


    wolf. This was the first time meeting


    Kara, as Dr. West had preferred that they be in better health for their safety. My mouth dropped open


    as I saw her through As¡¯


    eyes.


    She was smaller, that was for sure, but still bigger than a normal she-wolf. Her body was almost all


    ck. Her paws and ears were almost fully red. Her tail started ck and ended in red. It was as if she


    were on fire. Her fur was long and shone against the moon light. If


    you looked close enough, you could almost see light patterns of red fur all over her body. They looked


    ancient and native in origin.


    Our Aztec goddess ¨C As stated. Kara shook her fur out and then looked at me.


    As is beautiful,¡¯ I heard Celeste in my mind.


    So is Kara love. You are both perfect.¡¯


    She trotted over to me and rubbed her body against mine. As lifted our heads to the moon and


    howled. The entire pack howled back and we began our run. Kara and As were leading the run. To


    my right was Otto, Gillian¡¯s silver wolf and behind him Laney, Kelly¡¯s tawny wolf. To my left was Dash,


    Danny¡¯s dark brindle wolf, with Esmeralda, Maya¡¯s fawn colored wolf running beside him. My heart was


    full. I only hoped Gillian found his mate soon. He deserved to feel the happiness we felt.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    As was so beautiful and fast. He was the biggest wolf in the pack. Kara was over the moon at being


    able to run with him. Even


    though they still couldn¡¯tmunicate through mind-link she was just gushing and purring the entire


    run, biting at his heel yfully from time to time. She was carefree and happy for the first time. We


    didn¡¯t have to hide her anymore. She could run with her pack, her


    people.


    I was so happy for Maya. Danny seemed already fully devoted to her. We saw them head up the stairs


    ahead of us after the run. Danny was leading her up the stairs like she was this fragile flower. I sighed


    as I watched them going up the stairs when I felt and smelled Markusing up behind me and


    wrapping his arms around my waist. He watched as Danny and Maya disappeared up the stairs.


    ¡°Hmm, how much you want to be they are marked by the morning?¡± he teased against my ear. I gave a


    small smile that I didn¡¯t quite feel.


    Mates tended to mark each other almost the same night they found one another. The mate bond was


    sacred and beautiful. I realized that I had never talked to Markus about waiting. He understood what I


    had gone through. He knew I knew very little about the mate


    bond and how it worked. He never pushed. He neverined. He let me lead everything at my own


    pace.


    ¡°Tuli? Are you OK? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. Always concerned.


    I gave him a small smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just tired. Ready to head up?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Come. Let¡¯s get some rest,¡± he said, holding his hand out. I took it and we walked to the


    elevator.


    Kara, I¡¯m going to need your help tonight


    What did you have in mind. ¨C she answered with a yawn.


    I want toplete the mate bond ¨C I said. That got her attention.


    Seriously?


    Yes, I think you, As and Markus have been patient enough. But


    But?


    Markus won¡¯t initiate it. He¡¯s waiting for us to be ready. I need your help. I don¡¯t know how to do this.


    Girl, yes! I¡¯ll help you! -She purred and circled in my head.


    Ok. What do we do?


    We wait and ambush him in the shower. It will be delicious ¨C


    she said.


    Do you think that would work?. I asked.


    Oh trust me. Go into your room and getpletely stark naked. Once you hear him in the shower, go


    in and join him. Your body will


    help you with the rest.


    ¡°Do you want to have our nightly chat or do you just want to go to bed? It was an early morning today,¡±


    Markus asked.


    Tell him tomorrow so you can surprise him


    ¨C Kara advised.


    ¡°Can we do tomorrow? I¡¯m dead on my feet,¡± I lied and almost felt guilty at the quick look of


    disappointment that passed through


    his face before he gave me a kiss on the forehead.


    ¡°Of course. Rest, I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± he said with a smile.


    I went into my bedroom and sat on the bed and waited to hear the shower. Once I did, I started to


    disrobe. I walked through the door into Markus¡¯ bedroom. I could see the door slightly ajar, the light


    shining through the crack. I walked to the door and took a deep


    steadying breath and I opened the door. Markus was under the shower, his back to the door. I could


    see the water falling along the hard


    grooves on his back.


    Kara was right, I felt my eyes glow and my body carried me to the shower door. I opened the door and


    felt the steam hit my body.


    Markus turned around as he felt the cold air hit him.


    muscle lines. The V that always teased my eyes leading my gaze down to his long member already


    hardening. I licked my lips asl¡­


    stared.


    ¡°Celeste? Love, you can¡¯t be here. I won¡¯t be able to control As very long,¡± he said hoarsely, putting a


    hand against the wall to


    steady himself against it. He was breathing heavily and I could tell by the way his eyes kept flipping


    back and forth from grey to ck that he was fighting for control.


    I took another step forward and closed the door behind me. The spray of water started hitting me in the


    chest. He looked at me like


    a starving man looked at food, but didn¡¯t try to move.


    You¡¯re going to have to make the first move. ¨C Kara said ¨C He¡¯s going to wait until you tell him what you


    want.


    I took another step. The spray hit my face. I reached for Markus and he shivered at my touch. I


    grabbed his cheek:¡±I am ready,


    Markus. I want to make love to you,¡± I said. Markus shivered again at my touch and closed his eyes. I


    stood there, starting to feel some


    doubt. Maybe he didn¡¯t want me. Before I could form another thought, Markus snapped his eyes open,


    crushed me to his chest and


    mmed his lips on mine. My body responded before my brain did. Reacting to his kiss with the same


    passion. He lifted me up and I


    wrapped my legs around his waist. He mmed me against the wall, letting his lips trail down my neck,


    nipping at my neck where the


    mark would go.


    ¡°Markus,¡±I moaned as I ground my hips against his waist, feeling the tip of his member against my butt.


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    Markus opened the door to the shower and walked us to his bed. He set me down gently, bracing his


    arms to either side of me so he wouldn¡¯t put his full weight on


    me.


    ¡°Are you sure Tuli?¡± He asked, giving me onest chance to back out. I looked into his lust-filled eyes


    and smiled. I wrapped my arms


    around his chest and pulled him down to me.


    ¡°Make me yours Markus,¡± I whispered in his ear.


    It was all the encouragement he needed. His eyes shed ck, then back to grey and he crushed his


    mouth to mine. His tongue


    gently requested ess and I gave it to him with a moan. I felt his hand start kneading my breast as he


    started kissing down my neck. Everywhere our bodies touched sent sparks through me. My back


    arched of its own ord, pressing my full breast against his hand. Needing every bit of his touch. His


    mouth arrived at my other breast. I felt him lick it and blow air on it before he pulled the entire n****


    into his mouth. I felt the pressure of his teeth mp down on the n****e and gasped as it sent electric


    shocks to my core. He growled in


    approval. I was hot with need and pleasure.


    Thad never felt this much pleasure until I felt him leave my breasts. I pouted until he pushed my legs


    open. I looked down, my eyes


    going wide as I saw the lust in his eyes as he looked at my core like a wolf that had cornered the cat.


    His hungry eyes made my core throb


    in anticipation. Suddenly, he pressed his mouth to my core and sucked. My head fell back ¡°Markus!¡± I


    screamed, but he didn¡¯t stop. He sucked and licked and when I didn¡¯t think that I could take it anymore,


    he inserted a finger into me. I felt my walls clench his finger as I went over the edge, my eyes glowing


    as I rode my orgasm. Markus didn¡¯t stop his assault. He licked, sucked and bit until he sent me to


    another orgasm. I was breathless and panting and I wanted more. I wed at his shoulder, whimpering


    for him until he came up to kiss me. I could still taste myself on his lips, which made me bold,


    demanding he allow me into his mouth. He groaned at the invasion. I felt him shift as he positioned


    himself at my entrance. I closed my eyes in anticipation. I had heard stories of how much the first time


    could


    hurt.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said gently. I opened my eyes. He looked me in the eye, kissing me tenderly as I felt


    the tip of his p***s pushing into my core. I whimpered slightly with pain as he stretched me. His p***s


    wasrge and thick. He stilled, allowing my walls to adjust to his girth. He pushed in a little more then


    paused for a moment, a shiver going through his body. He deepened his kiss, making me moan. With


    one push, he slid all the way in and I whimpered, tears forming in my eyes. He stayed in that position


    untill kissed him again, feeling full of him but wanting more. He started moving then, slowly out to the


    tip and then in to the hilt, slowly picking up speed.


    ¡°You¡¯re so tight,¡± he groaned as his hips jerked. His rhythm was getting erratic. I was close to the edge.


    I saw his teeth elongating and I moved my head to the side, allowing him ess to my neck. His eyes


    zeroed in on the spot where his mark would go. I gasped as he picked me up by the waist. We were


    chest to chest. He was guiding my hips as I bounced myself up and down his shaft. I let my head fall to


    the side as I felt myself teetering at the edge of another orgasm. I felt his teeth pierce my skin and I


    was sent careening into another


    reach his release inside me, sending me into another orgasm. We rode that orgasm together. As we


    came down from the high, I removed


    my teeth from his shoulder, and licked the wound close. I felt him do the same. I kissed his shoulder,


    knowing soon a unique mark of our


    love would form from the scars. He lowered us both down to bed, pulling out of me gently. He kissed


    my lips sweetly. I looked up at him


    as he pulled away, a satiated blush blossoming on my face.


    He smiled, pulling me close to him so we were close enough for our lips to brush against each other.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine now my little Tuli.¡±


    I smiled and Kara pushed forth long enough to say, ¡°And you are both ours,¡± before she retreated back


    into the back of my mind, curling


    up and purring as she settled in for sleep. She and As could now mind link each other.


    Markusughed, ¡°As won¡¯t stop wagging his tail.¡± I giggled and yawned, which made Markusugh


    again. ¡°Rest my little minx.


    You¡¯re never sleeping in that other bedroom again. We¡¯ll convert it back into our personal office.¡± He


    gave me another mind-blowing kiss


    and my eyes fluttered closed. Happier than I¡¯d ever been.


    ¡°I love you Markus,¡± I said, as I felt myself falling asleep.


    ¡°I love you Celeste, my goddess, my life.¡± I heard him say as he kissed my head and I fell into a deep


    sleep.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter 31 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    id in bed with Celeste nestled against my side. I had been so disappointed when she said she was


    tired. I know this was a big day


    for her. She was being introduced to the pack, and had done her first pack run. She was such a


    beautiful wolf. Rare, beautiful, powerful


    and other worldly. Yet she was still our Tuli. Graceful and yful all at the same time. She was as fast


    as As, who was enjoying running


    with Kara. Feeling her yful bite as she would catch up to him, purring as she would over take him,


    and let him chase her. Our bond


    grew stronger every day. All I wanted was to touch her and be with her. But she was still a bit


    underweight. The vitamins and food were


    helping, but I knew she still got tired and overwhelmed. I had gone to shower to get As under control.


    He had not been satisfied with


    the run. He wanted to im her. He wanted his connection with his mate.


    Thad been trying to talk to As. Calming him down while in the shower that we didn¡¯t hear or notice


    her smell until she opened the


    door to the shower. As and I fought for control as we saw our mate breathtakingly naked. The smell


    of her arousal filling the shower as


    she closed the door behind her. I tried to control As, thinking she didn¡¯t understand what she was


    doing to us when she suddenly said


    the magic words.


    ¡°I am ready, Markus. I want to make love to you.¡±


    I was getting hard just remembering her words. The way she touched me, encouraged me and assured


    that she was ready. I looked at my little ball of fire. Everything about her screamed ¡®protect me, yet her


    aura and her powers said otherwise. I knew that kind of power would be coveted by many. Many


    wouldn¡¯t respect the mate bond or hesitate to try to take her by force. To use her for her powers and


    bloodline. I needed to protect her, but I didn¡¯t know how. As would put her under lock and key, but


    she had been confined to pack


    grounds all her life. She deserved to have a life.


    I¡¯m not the one thinking she¡¯s fragile, dickhead ¨C


    As growled in my head.


    You keep screaming at me to protect her.-


    Treminded him


    Of course, she¡¯s mate. It is our job. I never said she was fragile.


    Then what were you talking about?


    She has all this power and she doesn¡¯t know how to use it or control it. She¡¯s already shown us what


    she wants to do. Listen to her


    instead of rattling on, ming me for doubting our mate.


    What do you mean?


    She had no education and she asked for a tutor. She didn¡¯t know what being Luna meant and she


    asked for help. Dad is trying to find


    someone to help her with her powers. All she needs to be her badass self is to be able to protect


    herself physically. So get her training


    dumbass. A woman like her doesn¡¯t need us to take care of her every step of the way, she needs us to


    give her the tools to be the goddess


    she was born to be.


    I looked down at our mate as I heard As school me and realized he was right. Celeste had ovee


    so much. I was trying to


    protect her, thinking her fragile because of it and ignoring the fact that it took a strong person to


    ovee everything she had and still


    be as strong and kind as she is. I sighed. As seemed smug in my head.


    We¡¯ll ask her if she wants to train in the morning.


    I conceded.


    Excellent, now can we take her again? I want to finish that romp I had started with Kara the other night


    ¨C


    As wagged his tail.


    I rolled my eyes- She needs rest. We¡¯ll worship that luscious body again in the morning.


    I promised.


    As is our right ¨C He said before curling up in the back of my head as I felt myself go to sleep.


    I woke up to giggling. It was light and musical. I grunted, not ready to wake up, but that only made the


    giggling increase. I opened


    one eye and looked down at our mate.


    ¡°What is making you giggle so early in the morning, Tuli. Mornings are for sleeping.¡± She was giggling


    so hard that she already had


    ¡°I¡¯m ¨C I¡¯m stuck. We¡¯re stuck and I have to pee,¡± she said, full onughing now.


    ¡°Stuck?¡± I asked and waited for her to be able to speak again. She was holding her stomach now, tears


    streaming down her


    face.


    ¡°Yes! We were wet and ickyst night. We¡¯re not wearing any clothes and my back is st ¨C stuck to your


    chest,¡± she said, trying to catch her breath. I looked down at my chest. Her back did indeed seem stuck


    to my chest. I leaned back, and I felt the sticky skin slowly unglue


    from each other. I startedughing and that just sent Celeste into another fit of giggles. It was music to


    my ears. Suddenly she was free


    and she jumped up out of bed. I zeroed in on her bouncing breasts as she continued tough.


    Suddenly, she noticed me looking at her


    and her blush spread from her face down to her body. I growl, ready to pounce and she screamed and


    ran ¡°I gotta pee!¡± she shrieked, still


    Iid back down and continued tough staring at the ceiling. Two minutester, I heard the shower


    running. I shed back tost


    night and my d**k stood at attention immediately.


    My turn ¨C As said, pushing forward. He headed towards the bathroom and closed in on his prey.


    Celeste was in the middle of


    shampooing her hair when she saw us stalking towards us.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she blushed.


    ¡°Hi beautiful mate. Can Karae out to y?¡± As said, pushing her against the wall and kissing


    her, immediately pushing our tongue down her throat. Celeste wrapped her legs around us and kissed


    us back. She opened her eyes and I saw Kara had taken over.¡± Yessssss,¡± She purred as As


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    devoured her neck. ¡°Take me now As. Hard and fast. Make us scream.¡± As growled in approval.


    He took


    her tit into our mouth and thrust into her to the hilt.


    ¡°As!¡± Kara screamed in pleasure. As grunted appreciatively, driving into her. s*x between our


    wolves was rougher and more


    primal, as was their nature, but no less satisfying. As we grew closer to our mates, we became


    stronger. I could feel everything Kara and Celeste were feeling and I knew they could feel our pleasure.


    It was beautiful and right. A sacred gift from Selene. As we found our release, I wondered how I could


    have doubted the mate bond all those years.


    As kissed Kara as he pulled out of her and it was slow, sensual and full of emotion. ¡°Back to work?¡±


    he said as Kara kissed his


    chest.


    ¡°See youter lover,¡± she said, and I saw Celeste push forward, her eyes glowing.


    ¡°I love you, As,¡± she said.


    ¡°I love you mate,¡± he said as he ced a light kiss on her lips before pulling back, allowing me to push


    forward. I hugged Celeste


    tight.


    She looked at my face and smiled, ¡°I love you Markus.¡±


    I brushed my lips against her. ¡°I love you more Tuli,¡± I sighed. We stood holding each other for a few


    minutes before we pulled apart.


    We finished showering and as we came out of the shower, she looked wistfully at the bath. ¡°I¡¯d like to


    try that soon,¡± she told me.


    I smiled, a n forming in my head. ¡°We can definitely make that happen.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    He was mine. I thought as I dressed after our shower. Ours ¨C Kara reminded me.


    giggled-That was implied.


    She smirked in my head. We were both the happiest we had ever been. We felt.plete. It was early


    in the morning and I wanted to get some studying in before the rest of the house was awake. I was


    slowly trying to take on some responsibilities of being Luna in an unofficial way. Mrs Quinn, Markus and


    I were sitting downter to make preparations for the new mated couples from yesterday¡¯s full moon.


    As Luna, it would be my responsibility to make sure they had appropriate living conditions. One of the


    things to consider were current and future pack jobs, rank, need, budget and resources. This full moon,


    we¡¯d only have a couple of mated pairs. Maya and Daniel were moving into Daniel¡¯s floor, so we only


    needed to find amodations for 2 others.


    Mrs Quinn had let me know that during the Strawberry Moon in June and the Harvest Moon in


    September, the pack allowed for people still searching for a mate toe join the full moon. It means


    getting the guest suites together, arranging dinner etc. Because this Harvest Moon would also be my


    Luna Ceremony, that meant we were also having the elder council and many other Alphase for the


    ceremony. It was actually really enjoyable work and I was d to be able to do my part. Markus would


    be dealing with security arrangements.


    ¡®Tuli, where did you go?¡¯ Markus asked through the link in thete afternoon.,


    I¡¯m in the library studying for my GED test on Wednesday,


    I responded.


    ¡®Alpha Rhett is on his way. We want to look at the video and make a n on how to approach this.¡¯


    Ok. I will be up shortly¡¯


    I gathered all my study materials and headed up to our bedroom. I almost walked into the old bedroom


    when I remembered that I


    would be staying in our bedroom from now on. I blushed slightly thinking about it.


    I walked into the room and gasped. There was an extra night stand on my side of the bed. There was a


    vanity dresser against the wall


    with a full mirror and all of the makeup and toiletries that Kelly had bought for me neatly organized on


    the surface. I went to the closet and all of my clothes had been put in. Markus came out of the


    bathroom. He took in my face, ¡°Is this OK? We can change anything you


    don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°This is perfect. How did you have time to do any of this? You¡¯ve been busy all day.¡±


    He grinned, ¡°I gave Kelly my credit card, so I can¡¯t really take credit for it. I don¡¯t really know much


    about d¨¦cor.¡± Iughed a little and went to give him the biggest hug I could muster. Iid my head on


    his chest and listened to his heartbeat.


    ¡°I have never had anyone care for me the way you do. I don¡¯t deserve you.¡± I said, my voice cracking at


    the end from the emotion.


    He hugged me back and then lifted me while I was still stered to his chest by his arms. He walked


    towards the bed, my legs


    dangling side to side as he did. I giggled as he dropped me in the bed. He crawled next to me and held


    me to him, cradling me as if I was the most precious thing in the world to him. ¡°Come, let¡¯s nap before


    Alpha Rhett arrives. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to have a long night. ¡± I snuggled closer to him and


    allowed myself to drift off to sleep.


    I felt someone poking at my ribs. My eyes fluttered open and Markus was slowly lowering his hand to


    poke me again. I frowned. ¡°Why


    are you poking me?¡±


    ¡°I am checking to make sure you¡¯re still gaining weight. I want to make sure you¡¯re plump so I can cook


    you for Thanksgiving,¡± he said, and then instead of poking me again, he began tickling me all over. I


    minster.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alpha Rhett has entered the pack grounds. He should be in here shortly,¡± he said, nibbling on my lips.


    I whimpered as he got off the


    bed, but followed him down to the foyer.


    ¡°Alpha Rhett, please call me Celeste.¡± I said, smiling,


    ¡°Only if you call me Rhett¡± he winked, and Markus pulled me to his side. I blushed but did not move


    away.


    Alpha Rhettughed. ¡°Sooo, I¡¯m told we¡¯re not getting the privilege of eating your food tonight?¡± he said


    with a little


    disappointment in his eyes.


    ¡°I am afraid I used my cooking nights already this week, but let me know what you want next time and


    I¡¯ll be sure to save one of my


    cooking nights for you and your Beta,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°I will hold you to that. My cook is excellent and it still doesn¡¯t taste the same,¡± he mourned.


    Markusughed. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯re going to have to set up a waiting list for your food love.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen¡± I heard Dannying from the left. ¡°1. The conference room is set up with the video


    equipment and 2. I catt dibs on the first 10 slots in that waiting list. Maya has been telling me of the


    food they made during the previous full moon.¡± We allughed as we


    headed for the conference room.


    We were notughing 15mins minutester after we¡¯d seen the video of Ruby¡¯s rescue. Markus was


    holding me in hisp after I¡¯d


    started shaking from anger. He whispered at me soothingly.


    ¡°This is insane. Do we know who these guys are? Celeste, are they part of the Blood Moon Pack?¡±


    Alpha Rhett asked. Everyone


    looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°I have seen them around the Pack Grounds a few times but they never stayed in the Packhouse. That


    was the only ce I was


    allowed. The one with the short hair is named Levi. I think the one with the longer hair is named Lucas.¡±


    I shifted ufortably, hoping


    no one would ask me how I knew.


    ¡°How often do you see them?¡± Danny asked. I scrunched my face as I tried to remember, then I


    realized something.


    ¡°They were there after each girl got their wolf! Always a day or two after a full moon. They -¡± I shifted


    again and didn¡¯t finish my


    sentence. I looked at the floor.


    Markus squeezed my waist, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He asked, concerned. I couldn¡¯t look at him in the


    eyes. Instead, I looked back at the frozen video. An unconscious Ruby frozen on the screen. ¡°Two


    years ago, they showed up early. Everyone was outside running. I¡¯m always in charge of the meal and


    since I didn¡¯t have my wolf, I wasn¡¯t allowed to run anyway. They came in and tried¡­.well, they tried¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. ¡°Beta Trevor came in and said something like ¡®Hands of our property. I


    thought this was their way of protecting us, but now it makes more sense. We really were property,¡± I


    said, shaking with anger, feeling dirty again as I remembered their


    hands on me. Markus buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent. I could feel his chest


    vibrating as he tried not to growl.¡¯It


    was a long time ago, my love. I am fine. I am safe, thanks to you,¡¯ Twrapped my arms around his waist


    and let him calm down. The others were giving us a moment as they averted their eyes to give us


    privacy. Finally, Markus lifted his head and kissed my cheeks.


    ¡°We need to find out if these guys have a connection we can trace back to Blood Moon Pack.


    Otherwise, Alpha Geoff can just deny he


    had any knowledge of what was happening. Have we found any information from Ruby?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet. She was told she was being sold because she was useless. She doesn¡¯t remember


    anyone taking her. Just that she was


    knocked out as she was doing her duties with wolfsbane. She can¡¯t identify anyone,¡± Danny said darkly.


    ¡°What do we know about the buyer and how they are arranging the meet ups?¡±


    ¡°They actually have a really weird set up. It took us a while to find it, but again we can¡¯t trace it back.


    We still have IT trying to crack it. They use product website to sell ¡°furniture! The description is used to


    describe the female. The shipping date is the meet up. We aren¡¯t sure how theymunicate the


    location yet.¡±


    Alexander spoke then. ¡°We need to take this to the council. They have more resources than we do.


    They canunch an investigation


    and connect the missing dots. Son, we can at least approach one or two that I know we can trust.¡±


    ¡°We will keep researching during the next month. If we have nothing by the Harvest moon, we will give


    the council everything we have so they can also conduct an investigation. At minimum, it will put an eye


    on the Blood Moon Pack and they will have no choice but to stop selling the she-wolves until the


    investigation is over. We will also let them know that each of the girls are survivors of the Sky Moon


    pack and have that investigation re-open. We at least know for sure that they lied about that,¡± Markus


    said.


    ¡°We will not let them,¡± Gillian said.


    We closed the meeting on that dark note. I was furious. I would not let him get away with it. If I had to


    take matters into my own hands, I would.


    ¡°Alexander, Gillian could you please wait a moment¡± I asked. ¡°Alp-Rhett, i will be making breakfast in


    the morning. Send me a text if you want anything special,¡± I added as everyone else shuffled out. Alpha


    Rhett smiled and nodded. Danny could be heard whooping


    ahead of him.


    ¡°Luna,¡± they both said. I looked at Markus and then back at them.


    ¡°Have we been able to vet your witch? I would like to get started on training. I also need a secure ce


    for me to start training my


    offensive power. I haven¡¯t been able to do much more without being afraid of burning the ce to the


    ground, since I have little


    control.¡±


    ¡°We are still looking at a couple of details but should be done with the vetting in a few days,¡± Gillian


    responded.


    ¡°I can contact her immediately after. I know her and have no doubt that she will agree to help. I know


    she¡¯s not overlyfortable


    with being in the Pack grounds, but if we set her up on a ce near the edge, she will ept to stay


    near, so you don¡¯t have to leave the grounds for the training, my dear.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to both of them. I turned to Markus, ¡°I would also like someone to train me to fight, if


    we can?¡±


    Markus¡¯ eyebrows went up and he smiled, ¡°You beat me to it. I was going to ask that this morning


    before we got distracted,¡±I blushed, remembering what we did that morning. Gillian let out a cough that


    sounded a lot like augh and I thought my head would turn into a tomato.


    ¡°Gillian, please arrange for someone you trust to train the Luna. An experienced female warrior please,


    so that she can be taught the


    best way to defend herself against someone stronger than them.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± he bowed and left, waggling his eyebrows at us as he did.


    Alexanderughed. ¡°Sometimes I forget you guys are young, then he does something like that and I¡¯m


    reminded how talented you must all be to grow the pack as you have when half the time you behave


    like horny teenagers.¡± Iughed along with him as he left, which


    left me with a disgruntled Markus. He looked at me and then grabbed me and put me over his shoulder.


    I was squealing at him to put me


    down when he pped my behind as we waited for the elevator. ¡°I¡¯ll show you horny teenager,¡± he said


    huskily, and I felt the heat of his


    words down to my core. We were in the elevator and he groaned, ¡°I¡¯ll take you right here if you don¡¯t


    stop throwing that delicious smell Tuli.¡±


    1 blushed as I realized he was talking about my arousal. ¡°It¡¯s your doing!¡± I said indignantly. He got off


    the elevator and I felt his hand


    go up my skirt to squeeze my butt as he hurried his steps.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter 33 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I looked out the window towards the old retrofitted training building and sighed. After passing her GED,


    Celeste had started spending most of her free time over thest two weeks in that little building. She


    was always either training with Ashley, the witch my father had found trying to learn of her gifts and


    lineage, with Brittney, the female warrior that Gillian had assigned to her physical training, or


    meditating, trying to get her pyro ability toe forth at will. She still cooked twice a week, much to


    everyone¡¯s delight. Mrs. Quinn had told me she was ready to take up her Luna duties as she was a


    natural. They still spent time together, but this time it was with Maya as they tried to n everything for


    the Harvest Moon festival. I had been busy getting the entire investigation ready to present to the


    council in two weeks¡¯ time and dealing with security measures for the ceremony. Celeste insisted on


    being at every meeting, insisting that as she had first-hand information on the pack, she might be of


    use. Between everything she had going on, we only had stolen moments to


    ourselves for thest two weeks.


    I knew how important everything she was doing was to her, to us, to our Pack and to her people, but I


    missed my Tuli. She was losing a bit of weight, much to my dismay. I knew she was not sleeping a lot,


    choosing instead to meditate tomand a vision. I could also


    sense her exhaustion when she left her defenses down. She was like a woman on a mission, but she


    wouldn¡¯t share what that was. She


    insisted all she wanted to do was catch up to what everyone else had growing up, but I could tell there


    was more. As was also having


    troublemunicating with Kara through their mind link. It made us uneasy and sad. All we wanted to


    do was be with her but she shut


    us out of her bond. I could tell there was something simmering under the surface, but I had no idea how


    to help her and I had a bad


    feeling that when it finally exploded to the surface, it was going to be bad. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Danny interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said.


    ¡°Is everything OK with the Luna? Maya said she hasn¡¯t seen her since the day you took them to see


    the old Sky Moon Territory a week and a half ago. She said she¡¯s responding to her mind links and her


    texts even less.¡±


    ¡°She keeps saying she¡¯s fine, but I don¡¯t think so. Something is bothering her and she won¡¯t tell me


    what. She cries in her sleep sometimes but just says that she¡¯s having nightmares.¡± I sigh, still looking


    at the old building. I turn to my friend, ¡°She¡¯s blocking her emotions from me.¡± He raised his eyes at


    that. ¡°When she sleeps and lets her guard down, I can feel her anger, sorrow and fear, but every time I


    try to talk to her about it. She just says she¡¯s tired and then goes off to do something. I don¡¯t know what


    I did wrong. I thought she


    trusted me, trusted the mate bond. It seems I was mistaken.¡± That was it. I finally said what had been


    eating at me for thest two weeks.


    Did Celeste not love me and trust me enough to share her thoughts with me? Tell me what was


    bothering her and what she was feeling.


    She had told me she loved me, but maybe not enough.


    ¡°Hey man, we have all seen the way she looks at you. That girl loves you. Even a brute like me can see


    that. We have heard stories but we still can¡¯t know what these girls were feeling for thest 12 years. I


    can¡¯t imagine being kept so weak that you couldn¡¯t defend yourself. Being taken from your home and


    thrown into a pack that not only doesn¡¯t care for you, but tears you down instead of protecting you.


    From the little Maya is willing to talk to me about it, Celeste usually bore the brunt of the beatings and


    mistreatments. Something inside you dies when you can¡¯t fight back. Maybe this is Celeste¡¯s way of


    taking that part back.¡±


    I shut my eyes and saw her beautiful face sleeping at my side. She always looked like such an


    innocent and precious angel to me. I know she¡¯s been through a lot and she needed to heal, but was


    that inept at helping her that she didn¡¯t even try to share that with


    me?


    Kara has some stories about what happened to them, but all she will talk about is after she woke up.


    That¡¯s 11 years that Celeste had


    to go through it all on her own. Maybe she doesn¡¯t know how to talk about it ¨C


    As suggested. He was desperate to have our Tuli back to


    her normal self.


    I looked back at Danny. I felt like he understood some of what I was going through, being mated with


    Maya.


    ¡°Have you had any trouble with Maya because of what she¡¯s been through?¡± I asked.


    continue. He sighed,


    ¡°Maya is sweet, kind and a little kinky.¡± He smiles. ¡°She is perfect for me.¡± His eyes darken. ¡°But there¡¯s


    been a few things that havee up as we get to know each other. I can¡¯t sneak up on her. The first


    time I tried to surprise her by wrapping my arms around her from behind while she was looking for


    something to wear, she basically jumped to the ceiling in fright and then cried for 30 minutes. The


    second time it happened, she finally told me that she almost got raped in a pantry by one of the


    warriors that had gotten drunk. If Luna hadn¡¯t found her and knocked the guy out with a frying pan¡­¡±


    His voice shook with anger, ¡°She refuses to be near me when I drink beer,


    so I¡¯ve switched to scotch. She said she associates the smell with the warriors of the pack and doesn¡¯t


    want to remember what they


    would do to them. She has night terrors at least once a week.¡± He smiled. ¡°but then I also found out


    she¡¯s been asking every Omega¡¯s pups if they had enough supper. She only uses the credit card I got


    her to buy toys and books for them. She is always kind to the staff, helping them gather things up.


    Scolding me for leaving the towel on the floor for them to pick up.¡± He looked at me, ¡°She¡¯s a hell of a


    woman. I know it will take time for her to ovee 12 years of suffering but my grams taught me that


    when a woman needs time, nothing good wille from trying to rush it, so that¡¯s all I can do. Let her


    take her time.¡±


    ¡°Well now who¡¯s fallen hard?¡± I tease, then more seriously, I add, ¡°but perhaps you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t do


    anything but give her time.


    Hopefully I don¡¯t f**k it up enough to get shut out entirely.¡±


    ¡±


    ely.


    ¡°Celeste loves you. Just be next to her and eventually she will let you in. I would prepare you though,


    she had it worse than Maya.


    The way she and Ruby tellit, Celeste was everyone¡¯s shield against the entire pack. When she does let


    you in, be prepared to want to tear


    apart that pack, but you can¡¯t. It won¡¯t be about you then. Celeste will need you to control your s**t and


    hold her. I¡¯ve broken my fair


    share of heavy bags trying to calm Dash after Maya will share something that happened to her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for sharing. It makes it easier to know someone else understands what¡¯s happening to our


    mates.¡±


    ¡°If you ever tell Maya I told you about all this s**t, I will absolutely deny it and poison your drink,¡± Danny


    saidughing He gets up to leave and turned at the door. ¡°These women are warriors in every sense of


    the word. How did we get so f*****g lucky to end up with


    them?¡±


    ¡°Beats me man.¡±


    I finished some paperwork and then mind linked the cook to have a pic basket ready tomorrow. I


    was going to take Celeste to a


    .


    pic by the river. Wooing mate is always a good idea. Maybe Kara and I can also go for a run?-


    As suggested.


    The next morning, I woke up and the bed was empty. I looked at my phone. It was only 4am. I got up


    and went to look for Celeste. I


    followed her scent out the door to the old training building. She was standing in the middle of the floor,


    her back to me.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± I asked as I approached. She did not respond. Something felt off.


    ¡°Baby, are you OK? It¡¯s very early,¡± I said as came around to the front of her. I stopped. Her eyes were


    on fire. She was looking at something in front of her. I followed the direction of her gaze, but there was


    nothing there. I approached her slowly. I was getting close


    when she winced as if someone had pped her. She looked back at the empty space and raised a


    hand. ¡°I WILL KILL YOU,¡± she said,


    eerily calm and fire flowed from her hand and hit the wall, singing the entire concrete wall. I could feel


    the heat of the fire flowing toward


    the wall. ¡°YOU WILL KNOW THE PAIN YOU HAVE CAUSED.¡± The fire was slowly creeping up her arm


    and up her shoulder. She was slowly


    being covered in fire.


    I realized then that she must be sleep walking. Looking at this ce, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t the first


    time she¡¯d done this,


    although she said she still wasn¡¯t able to call up her power, it seemed she had no problem calling it


    while sleeping. I slowly brushed my


    hand against her other hand, allowing the sparks to soothe the rage I was feeling through the bond.


    She shivered and her fire ceased


    from her hand, her eyes returned to normal. She looked at me then. ¡°Markus?¡± she asked and then


    fainted. I managed to catch her


    before she hit the ground. I carried her back to our bed and texted Dr. West, thinking him asleep.


    Text: Celeste seems to be sleep walking. Can we do anything to help her get a restful sleep?


    He responded right away.


    Text: We can get her some sleeping aids. How long has this been happening?


    Text: I am not sure. I only noticed it today. I¡¯ve noticed she¡¯s been tired for about a week now. Perhaps


    this is why? Text: Possibly, would you like to bring her to get checked outter today?


    Text: See you then Alpha


    id in bed and caressed her arm. She sighed and curled into my arms. I sighed, remembering what


    Danny said. All I could do was be there until she was able to let me in. This wasn¡¯t about me. This is


    about her being able to talk about what happened to her. Tinhaled her


    scent and listened to her heart beat. Slowly, I went back to sleep, hugging her closer.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Chapter 34 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    ¡°Tuli, are you awake?¡± I asked Celeste as I felt her breathing change.


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± She murmured, not opening her eyes.


    ¡°We have an appointment with Dr. West this morning, then I¡¯m taking you on a pic,¡± \ said. She


    smiled but then frowned.


    ¡°Why are we seeing Dr West?¡± She asked sleepily.


    ¡°You were sleeping walkingst night. You threw fire from your hands. I just want to make sure you are


    OK. I think this is why you¡¯re


    so tired all the time. I¡¯m sorry I hadn¡¯t noticed it before.¡±


    ¡°Sleep walking?¡± She said, looking at me confused.


    ¡°You were talking to someone. You said you would kill them, then you sent fire from your hands to the


    wall,¡± I said gently. Her eyes


    opened wide.


    ¡°I thought I was dreaming,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Tuli-love, you need to let me in. I know something¡¯s wrong. It hurts that you¡¯ve shut me out of your


    emotions,¡± She crinkled her


    adorable nose.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Markus, I didn¡¯t know I did that. I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± My eyebrows shot up at that. I


    didn¡¯t know she had no control of what she¡¯d been doing. Hope sprung that she wasn¡¯t keeping me out


    on purpose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt your feelings. How do I take


    it back?¡±


    ¡°I can help you,¡± I said gently, ¡°I will try to push through the wall. Once you feel me pushing against it,


    you should be able to grab it


    and pull it down.¡± She nodded. I sat in front of her, our legs crossed and I grabbed her hands in mine.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I said. She nodded. I slowly pushed at the barrier she had sprung up. ¡°Do you feel that?¡± I


    asked. She shook her head. I


    pushed a little harder. She looked at me and still shook her head.


    As, a little help.


    As and I pushed again. Celeste gasped. ¡°You need to hold on to the feeling of the barrier and push it


    down.¡±


    As and I pushed again and suddenly I was drowning. I gasped as I felt everything. Her sorrow for her


    parents. That we hadn¡¯t found any pictures in her old home. Her anger that Alpha Geoff had taken


    everything from her. Her pack, her history, her memories, her family.


    Despair that we still had nothing to connect the traffickers to the Blood Moon Pack. Fear that she would


    not be able to save the women


    still left. Guilt that she had escaped but hadn¡¯t managed to save them. Frustration that her training


    wasn¡¯t going as fast as she hoped. Her doubts that she was worthy of being Luna. Worthy of us.


    Sadness that she thought she was broken. I felt Celeste touching my face, tears


    were streaming down my face. I could hear her calling my name but I was in a hurricane of her


    emotions. I couldn¡¯t find my way out.


    ¡®The Love. Find her love for you,¡¯ I suddenly heard Kara push into my head, Find the love that she feels


    for you. It¡¯s what keeps her fighting. What keeps her grounded.¡¯


    I can¡¯t breathe¡¯ I said. I felt As next to me. ¡®Together,¡¯ he said, ¡®Mate needs us. We are strong


    enough.¡¯


    I tried to breathe and I felt the pull of the bond in the storm of her emotions. I held onto it like a tether. I


    followed it and allowed myself to feel her love for me. It was like the eye of the storm. Serene, beautiful


    and calm and pure. I opened my eyes. Celeste looked so


    concerned for me. I realized what an i***t I¡¯d been for doubting her. That she didn¡¯t feel the same I felt


    for her. I grabbed her and held her,


    Tears falling down my face as I realized that everything I had just felt, she¡¯d been living with for so long.


    By herself. I could hear As


    howling in my head. Angry that our mate was suffering. He hung onto to the love we felt and bowed to


    never let anyone hurt her again. I


    just held her. We stayed like that for god knows how long. Celeste¡¯s breathing hitched asionally and


    I could feel the turmoil inside her.


    I tried my best to let my love flow through the bond. My love and my determination to keep her safe.


    Eventually she sighed and I felt her rx, her grip on my shirt lessening.


    Alpha, will you and Luna being?¡¯ Dr West mind linked me.


    ¡°Tuli, we need to go to Dr. West. We will get you some sleeping aids so you get some rest.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°OK,¡± she said and sweetly kissed my chest before leaving my arms. ¡°Are we still heading to the


    pic? I haven¡¯t been on one in a


    long time,¡± she said, wringing her hands. I could feel guilting from her.


    ¡°Why do you feel bad for asking?¡± I asked.


    ¡°1- I just didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad. I love you. I don¡¯t want to see you so sad,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I said, and she came to stand between my legs and I pulled her to me. My face in her


    chest. I inhaled her wonderful


    scent. Each time I smelled it, I could swear it was sweeter than before. I looked up at her then, she


    smiled and put her hands through my


    hair. ¡°I was feeling sad when I thought you were shutting me out. I thought maybe you didn¡¯t love me as


    much as I loved you. I am happy


    that you¡¯re sharing yourself with me, Tuli. You have not had an easy life. You have been through so


    much suffering. It breaks my heart that


    I was not able to protect you from it, but I don¡¯t want you to hide it from me. The good, the bad and the


    heartbreaking. Let me share that burden with you.¡± I saw tears form in her eyes and she bent down to


    kiss me.


    ¡°Thank you. You are more than I deserve.¡± Before I could object, she stood back and started toward the


    closet. ¡°Let¡¯s go to this


    appointment,¡± she said.


    They really f****d with mate¡¯s head if she thinks she doesn¡¯t deserve two dickheads like us ¨C


    As said, growling. For once, I agreed. ¨C


    We will have to show her what she deserves. We will spoil her and make her round with our pups and


    we will massage her feet and make


    sure everyone treats her like a Queen for the rest of our lives.


    Or die trying-i assured him.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter 35 ¨C Celeste


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I flinched as Dr West took some blood.


    ¡°Well my dear, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with you. I think you just haven¡¯t been getting rest. You lost a


    bit of weight. Have you been


    eating properly?¡± He asked. I shifted nervously, not wanting to look at anyone.


    ¡°Tuli?¡± Markus asked. A hint of suspicion in his eyes, letting me know that he would be able to tell if I


    lied to him. I sighed.


    ¡°Yes, but sometimes I forget to eat. I used to eat half a meal a day. I feel bloated when I eat too much


    and I want to throw up. I have been eating by myself this past week, so instead of grabbing a full


    dinner, I just eat a fruit instead,¡± I said. Markus stiffened at my words


    but didn¡¯t say anything. I could feel angering off him now that I had lowered the wall I didn¡¯t know I


    had put there.


    ¡°Well, with your history, we need to make a bigger effort to eat. Your body needs all the nutrients it can


    get. You were getting better and we seemed to have backstepped a bit. I know it takes your stomach a


    little while to get used to not being empty, but you need to push through it. We need our Luna healthy


    and strong. I am going to give you some mtonin for sleeping. It¡¯s a natural medication so it shouldn¡¯t


    upset your stomach. I am also going to suggest you drink some calming tea about an hour before


    bedtime so it will help you


    get a restful sleep. I will send this blood work to theb and let you know if I see anything out of the


    normal when the resultse back,¡±


    he said and I nodded.


    ¡°Come Tuli, let¡¯s get some breakfast, then you and I will be spending the day together.¡± Markus


    wrapped his arm around my waist


    and led me out of the hospital.


    We went into the kitchen as Mrs Wendell was cleaning up. She usually assisted Mrs Wriley with the


    food. ¡°Do we have everything we


    need for pancakes?¡± Markus asked as he led me to a seat on the counter.


    ¡°Oh, I can whip some up for you, Alpha,¡± Mrs Wendell said, starting to pull some pots out of the


    cupboards.


    ¡°No no, I want to cook for my Luna. You¡¯ve done a lot this morning already. Just take a break,¡± he said


    as he escorted her out of the kitchen. I smiled at him as he came back out and started rummaging


    through the pantry.


    He took out his phone and started looking up a recipe. I tried not tough, knowing he was trying to be


    sweet. ¡°Do you need some


    help?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I am cooking for you. You just sit there and eat some raspberries while I cook,¡± he said as he


    pulled some fruit from the fridge


    and put it in front of me. I leaned back on my chair and watched him.


    This is going to be a disaster isn¡¯t it?- Kara asked, giggling inside my head.


    Oh yeah ¨C I said.


    20 minutester, I watched a flustered Markus try to flip his 4th pancake. I was trying my best not to


    and on everything, including himself.


    I can hear As growling. I think they are fighting over how to make a proper pancake ¨C


    Karaughed.


    ¡°Markus,¡± I said tentatively. I could hear him muttering to himself angrily. I went over to the freezer and


    grabbed some frozen waffles


    I¡¯d bought for the omegas in case they missed breakfast while doing their duties. I gently grabbed his


    hand and pulled him around. He


    had flour on his nose and looked defeated. I let out a small giggle.


    He sighed, ¡°I am a failure of a person. I can¡¯t even cook a pancake.¡±


    Iughed and shook my head. ¡°You just need the right tool,¡± I said and shook the box of frozen waffles


    lightly. Heughed and tried


    to hug me, but I ducked and ran to the other end of the counter. He looked slightly hurt at my actions


    but I justughed and shook my


    head, ¡°You¡¯re not hugging me with half a pound of flour all over you.¡± He looked down and it was like it


    was the first time he noticed the state of his clothes. Heughed and then got a really mischievous look


    on his face.


    ¡°Oh but mate, we need to hold you. It is our right.¡± He and As¡¯ voice were mixing together.


    Oooooh, mate loves the chase. Let¡¯s give him a challenge! ¨C


    Kara encouraged and I didn¡¯t need telling twice. I ran out the door and


    fast, but we were taster. We dashed into the woods and out the other end. As would asionally


    gain on us but we made it to the river


    without getting caught. We stopped at the edge and As came barreling into us, unable to stop in


    time. We rolled down the embankment with a bunch of yelps from our wolves.


    We finallynded at the edge of the river with an oof Kara was shaking the dirt and water off her fur


    when Markus rushed to us with


    concern and guilt in his eyes. He started feeling for injuries, making Kara ticklish. She rolled onto her


    belly and panted.


    ¡°Kara, are you OK? Celeste baby can you hear me? I¡¯m so sorry, we were too caught up in the chase,


    we didn¡¯t realize you had


    stopped because we were at the river.¡±


    Kara, do something. He thinks he hurt us. ¨C I said, not liking to see Markus in distress


    Kara got up and pushed her snout into his arms, practically purring. Markus held her face and looked at


    us with so much love in his


    eyes. Kara licked his entire face and heughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast. As has never had trouble catching anyone before. You¡¯re definitely his new favorite


    challenge,¡± Kara wagged her tail at


    the praise from our mate. ¡°Come on, we should get back. I was going to take you to a pic today, but I


    think since we¡¯ve had our


    outdoors fun, I¡¯m taking you on an actual date in town,¡± Karajumped on his shoulders and licked his


    face again. Making himugh and


    cover his face. Kara got up and turned to him,ying down expectantly. Markus¡¯ eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°You want me to ride you back to the


    Packhouse?¡± Kara nodded and let her tongue fall out of our mouth. Markus seemed to think about it for


    a minute and then shrugged and


    climbed on. Kara took us back to the Packhouse. Gillian was outside waiting for us with clothes. He


    seemed to find his view


    amusing.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking verydy godiva right now,¡± heughed at Marcus as he dismounted from us. He


    scratched behind our ear and


    ¡°Kara wanted to keep stretching her legs. I didn¡¯t see the harm in it,¡± he said.


    Gillian gave him a robe for me and turned around. Kara went back to the recesses of my mind and


    allowed me to push forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the Luna to dinner tonight. Is there anything pressing that needs to be dealt with before we


    go?¡± Markus asked, helping


    me into the robe.


    ¡°No, we cleared the day for you to spend with the Luna. Ruby will be moving to the Packhouse this


    afternoon. Dr. West still wants to


    see her twice a week as she has a few health issues and the wolfsbane isn¡¯t leaving her system as


    quickly as he hoped.¡±


    ¡°Put her in Maya¡¯s old room. Make sure Kelly buys her some proper clothing since Ruby isn¡¯t able to


    leave the Pack grounds yet¡­.¡±|


    put my hand on his arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tuli?¡±


    ¡°Maya and I have already prepared her room. We also put a lot of the clothing that we outgrew as we


    gained weight in the closet for her. It¡¯s only lightly used and we can buy her proper clothing for her


    when she¡¯s at her ideal weight. Ruby said she is hoping to be a


    warrior after all of her health issues clear up,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Well, it seems like the Luna has handled everything for now,¡± Markus said proudly.


    ¡°Indeed, should I have your assistant make a reservation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that Italian ce please,¡± Markus turned to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go up and nap.¡± he said, taking a leaf out of


    my hair with a smirk on his face.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Chapter 36 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Thad never been to such a beautiful restaurant. We were about 20 minutes outside of the Pack


    grounds. The Restaurant had this old


    soul feel to it. Something straight out of the romantic books I loved to read. The restaurant was divided


    into a main level on the left and a


    raised level on the right. There was low light all throughout, making the dark wood and brick of the


    walls look intimate and romantic. We were led to the raised level. I could feel several people looking


    our way as we passed by. I could only imagine it was because Markus was Alpha. I was surprised it


    was empty, with only one table by the open balcony set up for two.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Markus asked as he led me to the balcony and wrapped his arms around my waist


    from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± I said. From the balcony, we could see the start of the forest and the river a little ways


    out.


    ¡°Markus! I¡¯m so happy to see you! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing?! I would have joi-¡± A very


    pretty blonde stopped, finally


    noticing me. She took in the arms Markus had around my waist and raised an eyebrow. I already didn¡¯t


    like her.


    This b***h is looking at our man like she wants to eat him ¨C


    Kara growled in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Marcie!¡± Markus said and I could tell he was ufortable through the bond. ¡°I thought you had


    returned to your father¡¯s


    restaurant in Italy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could never stay away from here for too long. Too much history.¡± She batted hershes


    seductively. I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Where are my manners? Marcie, this is Celeste, my soon to be Luna. Love this is Marcie, an old


    friend,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh Markus, don¡¯t make me feel old. I¡¯d like to think I am more than an old friend,¡± she said, deciding to


    ignore me.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said politely, putting a hand possessively over Markus¡¯ arms on my waist and


    extending the other to shake her


    hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the chef know you¡¯re here. I take it you want the usual?¡± She asked, ignoring my hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have two tasting menus, if you don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s Celeste¡¯s first time here.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll have someonee over with drinks,¡± She walked off with a smile to Markus, still


    ignoring me.


    A pretty brtees and pours us some wine. I can¡¯t take my mind over the familiarity of the


    ¡®Marcie¡¯ but I don¡¯t want to ask the question. Markus has lived a life before me. I know this, but I¡¯m


    having trouble reconciling what Marcie insinuated in my head and my


    heart.


    ¡°Tuli, are you OK?¡± He asked, ¡°You¡¯re very quiet.¡±


    I smiled and took a drink of wine, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He looked concerned but didn¡¯t push.


    We ate through the sampling menu. It was delicious. I was beginning to enjoy the dessert and my date


    when I heard hering up


    the steps again.


    ¡°Markus, how would your little girlfriend like to see the chef? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to talk to someone that


    can cook,¡± she


    smirked.


    Markus frowned slightly, finally catching her tone. ¡°Celeste is actually an amazing cook, but love, would


    you like to talk to the Chef?¡±


    He asked.


    I was still trying not to be rude, so I said, ¡°Sure, I can ask him what thatst ingredient in the souffle is. I


    can¡¯t figure out if it¡¯s anise or


    fennel,¡± I said, getting up. I expected Markus toe with me, but Marcie held him back.


    ¡°Stay a moment, we need to catch up,¡± she said. Markus looked at me as I was led out by a waitress


    with a frown on his face.


    I chatted with the chef a little. He was actually a very pleasant man, but the entire time I felt


    ufortable. I didn¡¯t trust Marcie. I


    made my way back to the dining area and started up the steps. The raised tform came into view as I


    saw Marcie rubbing herself against


    Markus and kissing him. I could see the surprise on Markus¡¯ face and he stiffened at the touch.


    Grabbing her hands he pushed her


    away.


    Aloud growl escaped from my throat as Kara tried to push forward and im what was ours, but the


    pain in seeing them together


    flowing through me, crashing and invading every cell. Seeing that beautiful woman who was graceful,


    sessful and seductive against


    Markus. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was probably more suited for him than me. A lowly ve


    servant who didn¡¯t even know how to


    use proper silverware two months ago. With my heart in pieces, I turned around and ran out of the


    restaurant.


    I heard Markus calling my name but I didn¡¯t listen. With tears flowing from my eyes, I ran around the


    corner of the restaurant and


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    shifted, not caring that my beautiful maxi dress was shredded in the process.


    Tlet Kara take us away, knowing that neither Markus or As would be able to catch us. Our eyes


    glowed as the heartache took charge of our direction. I could feel Markus trying to mind link but I


    refused to open the channel.


    Where do we go? ¨C Kara asked as she kept running away from Markus. That was my only goal at the


    moment. Getting away from Markus. I shed Kara an image and she changed direction. We were


    going home.


    We ran for over an hour. Our legs were burning but we could no longer feel the tug of Markus¡¯ mind


    link. We ran up the steps of what


    was once the ce we had felt safe. It wasn¡¯t until we were in front of my parent¡¯s old bedroom that we


    opened the door, dropped onto


    the bed and passed out from exhaustion, weing nightmares as tears still flowed from my eyes,


    feeling warmth building inside me.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Chapter 37 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    It¡¯s been two f*****g days without Celeste. I hadn¡¯t slept. I hadn¡¯t eaten. Every time I closed my eyes I


    sh to the look of pain in


    Celeste¡¯s eyes as she wasing up the steps. The whole evening was a disaster.


    Thadn¡¯t caught the undertone of Marcie¡¯s talk, but apparently Celeste did and so did Kelly as I


    exined what happened through the


    dinner. She called me an i***t and stalked off after I finished telling her what happened at the


    restaurant. She had joined the search for


    Celeste and would only asionally mind link me to remind me that I was an asshole who hurt her


    friend. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I had


    been caught off guard by Marcie¡¯s kiss. I always knew that she wanted more from me, but I had never


    been interested. I was friendly because the chef made amazing food. I didn¡¯t expect her to make a


    move on me, especially considering I had brought what I made sure


    to point out was my mate.


    When I saw Celeste turn and run, it took me a second to react. I ran after her but by the time I was out


    of the restaurant, I couldn¡¯t see


    her. I followed her scent and found pieces of her dress around the corner of the restaurant. I shifted


    and As tried to catch up to her but


    Kara was fast and we both realized that she was much faster than she¡¯d led on. We lost her scent in


    the woods. She had looked to be


    headed to the Pack grounds, but when I reached the borders, my guards at the gate said she hadn¡¯t


    been by. I had sent every guard and


    tracker to search for her and, so far, we hadn¡¯t found her. As was pissed at me. We hurt our mate


    and made her leave us. He never liked


    Marcie and now he was ready to rip her to shreds.


    ¡®Anything?¡¯l mind linked Gillian for the 500th time as I searched the area she¡¯d taken off from to see if


    we could pick up her any sign


    of which way she went.


    ¡®Nothing from the trackers yet,¡¯ Gillian said. It was 11 at night and i knew they were all exhausted.


    Wherever Celeste was, she didn¡¯t


    want to be found. I would spend another night without her.


    ¡®Call them all back to rest. They can start back up again tomorrow, I told him. ¡®Yes Alpha, he said. I


    could feel the sadness in his voice. Everyone loved Celeste.


    ¡®Hey man, youing back?¡¯ Danny asked.


    ¡®No, I need to keep looking!


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten or rested in 2 days.¡¯


    I need to find my mate.¡¯


    ¡®How are you going to do that if you pass out?


    IAM NOT GOING BACK TO AN EMPTY ROOM. I NEED TO KEEP LOOKING,¡¯


    my voice and As mixed together through the mind link


    unable to keep the raw emotion from my voice.


    Danny sighed in my head, At leaste back and grab a bag of food. Maya will get something ready


    for you and for Celeste when you


    find her.¡¯


    growled and began running


    ¡®Fine, but have it ready by the time I get there or I¡¯ll keep going without it. I¡¯m not wasting my time,¡¯


    towards the Packhouse.


    I arrived at the pack gates. They were instantly opened as I passed by. I tried not to notice the looks of


    pity and sympathy from my guards as I passed by.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± Maya said tentatively as I walked towards her. I hadn¡¯t shifted back to human form in 2 days.


    As nodded for her to


    continue as he picked up the bag. I noticed that she had put some clothes in the bag. A dress that


    smelled like Celeste. We inhaled her scent like a drug. Whimpersing from As. ¡°Have you


    considered she¡¯s not in the area?¡± she asked as Danny came and put his arms around her. As


    turned away from the sight. It hurt too much to see the love they shared, knowing ours was in tatters at


    the moment. I


    opened amunication with Danny and Maya.


    ¡®Where would she go? The only ce she would know to go is the Blood Moon Pack and she hates


    that ce.¡¯


    head towards her. Why hadn¡¯t we thought of that? It was far, but not far enough that she couldn¡¯t get


    there.


    ¡®Danny, your mate is a genius and I will buy her a new wardrobe if Celeste is there,¡¯


    I said, and As went up on two legs, and licked


    both of their faces.


    ¡°Dude, gross,¡± Danny gagged as Mayaughed.


    As took the bag of food, water and clothes and we took off. Hope giving us the energy for the long


    trek to the Sky Moon Pack


    grounds.


    It was almostm as we approached the grounds. We couldn¡¯t see or hear anything moving about.


    It¡¯ste, maybe she¡¯s here but


    asleep. ¨C As said desperately. I am not sure either of us could handle not finding her here.


    Let¡¯s go inside. ¨C I said as we got closer. ¨C There¡¯s a weird glowing from the other side of the


    house. Maybe she has a fire going for heat. We can go through to the back.


    We walked inside the house. We could see a faint track of paws on the dusty ground. I tried to mind


    link Celeste. I got no response but there was a connection. She was here. I could smell her faintly and I


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    followed the pull of the mate bond. I went upstairs but I slowed. I could see an orange glowing


    from one of the rooms and I also felt heat. I dropped the bag and shifted. The closer I got to the door,


    the hotter it got. We were sweating but I couldn¡¯t stop. I knew she was in there and I was concerned at


    the amount of heating from under the door. If I was sweating, she could be in trouble or hurt.


    I slowly opened the door and my eyes went wide. In the middle of the room was my mate. And she was


    floating, covered in fire.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Chapter 38 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I whispered as I saw the love of my life levitating from the burnt bed. Her entire body


    was covered in mes. She


    was radiating so much heat. The mes licked at the bed below her, yet they didn¡¯t spread. She didn¡¯t


    seem to be conscious, yet her eyes


    were open and her pupils had been reced by fire.


    She is our Aztec goddess ¨C As whispered in awe and love in the recesses of my mind. I didn¡¯t


    disagree, but I was concerned for her.


    The amount of heating from her was not normal and I was afraid she might be hurt. Now that I was


    close, I could sense the drain on her body. Had she been like this for 2 days? I worried. I slowly


    approached her, afraid of getting burned but willing to do whatever was


    needed to keep our mate safe.


    We were made for her. It will not hurt us ¨C As assured me.


    How do you know this? ¨C I asked.


    Goddess Selene made us for her. To protect her and love her. We wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her if her


    fire hurt us.


    OK / trust you. Here goes. ¨C Isaid as I reached out tentatively through the mes. They licked and


    danced on our hand but didn¡¯t


    burn. I put my hand on her face, caressing it. Her eyes snapped to us.


    Mate ¨C Kara and Celeste said into my mind. Her body stopped burning and she fell downward. I caught


    her in my arms. She curled


    into my arms and inhaled my scent. I held her tight, my face in her hair. Her delicious scent soothing


    every part of my soul. She was


    sleeping. Her heart beat was strong, and her body was back to normal temperature. She was naked


    and dirty from her run. It was clear to


    me that she had indeed been in this suspended state of burning since she left us two days ago. The


    kind of power that it took to maintain


    that kind of burn must have been giant.


    I sat down on the floor for a long time. Just holding my mate, my goddess. The most important piece of


    my life. I let my hands roam her body, relishing the feeling of the bond sparks that I had missed so


    much. Hearing her sweet little moans of contentmenting from her mouth as she slept. Once I was


    sure she wouldn¡¯t disappear from my arms, I got up and walked with her to the bag and picked up the


    phone Maya had dropped in there. It was hers. It was getting close to 4 in the morning. I dialed Danny.


    He picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± he said tentatively.


    ¡°She¡¯s here. Can you send a car to pick us up?¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the car ready. Maya and I will see you there. Is she alright?¡± he said, relief evident in his voice.


    ¡°I think so. She was floating in a ball of fire. She¡¯s asleep now.¡±


    ¡°Ball of fire?¡± Danny said incredulously.


    ¡°Ball of fire. If I hadn¡¯t seen it myself, I would not believe it either. My Tuli has got a hell of a lot more


    power than we thought,¡±I


    said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a sh. Make sure you eat,¡± he said, and hung up. I picked up the shorts and wiggled


    them on as best as I could with


    Celeste in my arms. I then dressed Celeste as best as I could, but she wouldn¡¯t let go of my neck so I


    had toy her on a couch with her


    arms wrapped around my neck as I slipped the dress up through her feet. Not that I wasining, I


    didn¡¯t want her to stop touching me. I went to the steps of the mansion and ate a couple of sandwiches


    Maya had added to the bag and a couple of protein bars. I drank


    some water and managed to get her to drink some water, though she didn¡¯t wake.


    An hourter, one of our SUVs approached. I got up with Celeste still sleeping soundly in my arms.


    Maya, Danny and Gillian got out of the car. All looking relieved. Maya had a fuzzy nket that she


    draped over Celeste and I returned her phone. Feeling the nket around her made Celeste snuggle


    further in my arms, putting her head into my chest, making a noise of happiness that had my heart


    soaring.


    ¡°We need to find out more information about her lineage. There¡¯s no way there¡¯s no record of the


    abilities in her line,¡± Danny said as


    we drove back to the PackHouse and I described to them how I found her.


    answered.


    ¡°What if we¡¯re looking at this from the wrong angle?¡± I wondered out loud. All three heads looked at me


    as I caressed my hands


    through the hair of an unconscious Celeste, trying to brush some of the knots in her hair. ¡°We¡¯ve been


    trying to follow her lineage but


    what if these abilities only follow the women? That¡¯s much harder to track and much easier for there to


    be no mention of abilities. Think about it. How often does a Luna need to exert power in front of outside


    packs?¡±


    Gillian¡¯s eyes widened with realization, ¡°That makes sense actually. Otherwise, these abilities would be


    possessed it. We¡¯re not known for being bashful of our power.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of power. Does anyone have a lighter? I have a theory to test,¡± Danny looked confused but


    handed me a lighter from the


    glovepartment. Maya was sitting on hisp since Celeste and I were taking up the entire back


    seat.


    I flicked on the me, took a breath and then put my hand over it then quickly removed it as I felt the


    sting of the me. ¡°Ouch¡±


    said, and Celeste whined slightly in her sleep.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± Maya looked concerned for my mental health, ¡°Did you forget fire hurts?¡± her confusion at my


    actions was so genuine that I


    had to chuckle.


    ¡°Fire bad,¡± Danny smirked.


    ¡°I was checking to see if I was immune to all fire or just Celeste¡¯s. The only way I managed to calm her


    out of her state of fire was by touching her. Her fire didn¡¯t burn me. In fact, it seemed to like me. It was


    jumping on my skin like it wanted to y,¡± I exined.


    ¡°That kind of makes sense. If she¡¯s immune, since you¡¯re fully mated, you should be too,¡± Danny said,


    ¡°Never heard of though. Kind


    of badass.¡± I smiled at his words.


    Celeste was still sleeping when we pulled up to the Packhouse. Hints of pink and orange were starting


    to spread across the sky as the


    sun began to rise. Gillian told me he had let everyone know that we had found Celeste. They all had


    our mate. She had be loved by everyone in the short time she¡¯d


    been with us.


    ¡®The Luna is sleeping, you will have to be quiet. She is fine. I thank you for your concern,¡¯


    Imind linked them as I gathered Celeste in


    my arms as I got her out of the car.


    I saw each and every face light up as they saw her in my arms as I passed by them and they bared


    their necks in submission to show


    their love for their Luna.


    ¡®Damn, that¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day. Bowing at a Luna who isn¡¯t even awake


    Gillian mind linked me, Danny and


    Maya.


    ¡®The Pack loves her.¡¯ I was proud of my people and my mate.


    ¡®We should have woken her up to see this. She should know we love her as much as she loves us,


    Danny said.


    I took a video, Maya giggled.


    ¡®You are so smart baby,¡¯ Danny said huskily.


    ¡®Aaaand that¡¯s my cue to go to bed. Good night Markus. I¡¯m d we got our Luna back,


    Gillian said, and I saw him yawn.


    ¡°Good night brother. Maya, can you please let the cook know we won¡¯t be needing breakfast but to


    leave some snacks outside the


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    door? I¡¯m fairly certain Celeste will be hungry when she wakes up, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll wake up


    before lunch time. I could feel her drain, she will sleep a long time. I know I will.¡¯


    ¡®Will do. Good night Alpha.¡¯ She said as she let Danny carry her up the stairs. None of my friends had


    really slept much while Celeste


    was gone.


    I carried Celeste to the elevator and pushed the button for our floor. I sighed as we started going up. I


    looked down at her in my arms


    and I felt all of my emotions of thest 2 dayse crawling out of the box I put them in while I looked


    for her. The tears were flowing


    down my face as I finally made it into the bedroom and Iid her down gently in the bed. I removed my


    shorts and put on some boxers


    and crawled in after her, pulling her to my chest. I cried silently as I just held her. I had never been so in


    love and so scared that I had lost her. A small pessimistic part of me had shown me a life where I


    wouldn¡¯t hold her in my arms again while I looked for her. It was not a life


    We can¡¯t lose mate. We will not survive her loss. ¨C


    As whined in my head.


    You did not lose us. Celeste needed to heal her heart. Not from you, but from the life she¡¯s led. She


    knows you did not betray us. But


    she doubts her own worth. We have talked to Selene. There¡¯s a storming, but as long as we are


    united, we will OK. We are special.


    Not just us, but you and As. Our bond goes deeper than most. We have shared so much and we will


    share more of us soon. The


    stronger our bond, the more invincible we will be. Celeste has suffered so much, it is hard for her to see


    just how special she truly is


    sometimes. You have done so much to heal her heart and mind. Just show her how much you love us


    and she will do the rest.


    ¨C Kara¡¯s


    voice came through into my mind, soothing our soul and raising so many questions I knew we would


    get no answer to. The moon


    goddess Selene does not make mistakes. We were made for them and they for us. We had to trust the


    bond.


    We won¡¯t let you down ¨C Mine and As¡¯ voice said back.


    I know you won¡¯t. We were made for each other. We are strong. ¨C


    Kara and Celeste¡¯s love flowed brightly into us and for the first time


    in 2 days, I was able to fall asleep while inhaling the wonderful scent of our mate.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Chapter 39 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Kara¡­.Kara are you there? I sobbed as I walked through a mist. It had an orange glow to it and I


    couldn¡¯t seem to find my way out of


    the haze. I had been walking for a while and it was like the mist never ended. Was I dead? Is that why


    Kara wasn¡¯t with me anymore.


    Suddenly, I feel something soft pressing against my legs. I look down to see Kara purring at my feet.


    Kara were are we? I asked her. I must be dead if I can see her in front of me.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    We¡¯re in theher. We need to heal Celeste. You need to heal ¨C


    She spoke into my mind.


    But I¡¯m not injured. I argued. I didn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    Not physically. You have gone through things that would break a normal wolf. But we are not normal.


    We are special. We need to heal to meet what¡¯sing head on. The actions of that she-wolf broke


    you. Broke your faith in the bond. It made you doubt that you


    were worth being mated to Markus. You need to learn details that are important for the battle ahead


    and restore your faith in


    yourself.


    What¡¯sing?. I said as I stroked her soft fur. She was such a beautiful wolf.


    I will let our mother tell you. We must make it to her first. You will see things that will hurt you and things


    that will not make sense


    now. I¡¯ll be with you the entire way. You don¡¯t have to go through anything alone ever again. Are you


    ready?


    Ready for what? I don¡¯t understand. ¨C I was still scared and confused at what was happening.


    You will. Follow me. ¨C She said as she rubbed herself against me.


    We start walking through the mist. We finally push past the mist and I gasp. We are at the edge of a


    cliff. Behind us is nothing but that strange orange mist, but in front of us there¡¯s a giant ck chasm.


    The only thing I can see is a path leading upwards. The path is covered in orange marigold petals and


    seemingly floating. There are several tforms along the way. It leads up to the stars, where I can see


    the


    small silhouette of a woman.


    We take this journey together. No matter what you see, I am here with you ¨C


    Kara said. My hand shook as I stroked her fur and


    nodded.


    Together ¨C I responded as we took our first step onto the path.


    We walked slowly to the first tform. There was another swirling mist on the tform. I looked down


    at Kara, who nodded her


    head at me. ¨C Be strong Celeste.


    I walked into the mists, hanging onto Kara¡¯s fur like my life depended on it.


    The mist enclosed us within it, transforming into a scene.


    I immediately knew where I was and started shaking. I was right on the tform. Alpha Geoff was


    standing on one side, my father on


    the other. They began fighting. The whole fight was as if at fast forward speed. It was clear my father


    was strong, easily overpowering


    Alpha Geoff and I wondered how he¡¯d lost. Suddenly, the entire fight stopped and moved as if in slow


    motion. I saw the needleing


    out of the wrist of Alpha Geoff¡¯s coat. No, not a needle, a syringe. I saw how my father blocked a


    punch, and Alpha Geoff took the contact


    to stab my father with the syringe, a purple liquid pulsating into my father¡¯s arm. Even if I hadn¡¯t seen it


    myself, I knew what happened


    next. My father fell to his knees and Alpha Geoff slit his throat and then rips the head from my father¡¯s


    body. I trembled with anger and


    grief. I saw my mother rush forward and fall on his corpse. I didn¡¯t want to look at what happened next.


    I had dreamt it many times. It was


    my own personal nightmare. I buried my head in Kara¡¯s fur and cried.


    This is where your path began. This is the moment we thought defined our life, but you hadn¡¯t seen it


    all. You didn¡¯t know the truth. I¡¯m sorry Celeste, for making you relive this, but now you know the truth.


    Let it fuel you.


    He killed him. He cheated. He didn¡¯t just challenge my father for my mother, he came ready to murder


    him. ¨C


    I cried.


    Yes, your father was strong. Stronger still with your mother at his side. Alpha Geoff did not win the


    challenge. He betrayed the natural


    order of nature and thews of werewolf kind.


    Kara growled. Then a little gentler, she said


    ¨C When you are ready, we must keep


    I weep a little longer for all those lost that night. Finally, I stand and nod at Kara. She brushes herself


    against my side and leads me


    out of the mist and back onto the path upwards.


    Why do I need to know that my father was murdered? Why does that matter now. It can¡¯t be changed. ¨C


    Tasked Kara


    It matters, because his murderer has not received his punishment. So many of our people were


    murdered that night.


    Am I supposed to avenge my father, our people ¨C I was confused. I did not see why moon goddess


    Selene would want to put me on a


    path of revenge.


    Kara shook her head. ¨C


    This will matter when future eventse to pass. I cannot say more, but you will know why this was


    important to know soon. Everything you will see here has a purpose. Even if we don¡¯t always


    understand it right away.


    I trust you and our goddess.- I say as we arrive at the next tform. I grab hold of her fur as she leads


    me through the mist. This time,


    I don¡¯t recognize where we are. This isn¡¯t something I lived. I recognize the river as the one that runs


    through Sky Moon and Crescent


    Moon, but this part isn¡¯t part of either territory. I am floating on top of the river. I am not sure what¡¯s


    going on until I see it. I see him.


    Lucian Pierce, my father¡¯s gamma and the man who saved me. He was floating down the river face up.


    His face was bruised and tinted blue. He flowed down the river until he hit a rock. His body twisted and


    hit the bank of the river, a foot stuck on a branch, stopping him


    from pushing further down.


    Time seemed to speed up again, noted by the faster current and unnatural movement of his body in the


    river. The night was giving way to day when time slowed down to normal again. I heard a howl,


    followed by the pattering of paws and then saw three wolvese to where Lucian wasying. Two of


    them transformed and pulled him out. They fastened him to the third wolf and all three of them ran


    off again. I felt myself being pulled forward. I stopped in a hospital room. Lucian was hooked up to


    several machines. His face was no


    longer bruised, so it must have been a different day. There was a man talking to one of the doctors.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll ever wake up Alpha. There¡¯s nothing physically wrong with his body, but his brain


    was severely bruised when we


    found him. I don¡¯t know the extent of his brain damage. He¡¯s stable but in aa.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone figured out who he is yet?¡±


    ¡°Beta Derek has been looking but hasn¡¯t found anything. There was nothing on him to identify him.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give him a week. If he¡¯s not awake by then, we¡¯ll move him to the Packhouse. We can have


    a nur-¡±


    ¡°Dad, Mom sent me to volunteer at the children¡¯s ward. She wanted to know if you were going to be


    home for dinner. She said text


    her, because she¡¯s heading to the city on some errands.¡± I squinted at the boy. He looked to be about


    12 or 13 here¡­.something about


    him looked familiar.


    ¡°Thanks Rhett, did you bring anything for the little ones?¡± My eyes widened. Alpha Rhett. Lucian has


    been at Alpha Rhett¡¯s Pack this


    whole time.


    ¡°Yeah, mom and I made lemon squares¡± he grinned.


    The mists swallowed the scene around me, I felt Kara push her snout into my leg, guiding me out of the


    tform.


    Why did he never look for me? ¨C I asked her ¨C He said he woulde back for me.


    He is still in aa. He¡¯s been stuck in darkness for almost 12 years. He needs you to help guide him


    out of that darkness so he can


    return to our mother and be reborn. ¨C Kara mourned along with me ¨C Come, we must keep going. The


    longer we are here, the longer our mate is without us. I can sense their distress.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Chapter 40 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    We walked towards the next tform. The mists swirled around us. Revealing another scene.


    We were at Alpha Geoff¡¯s office. The table was flipped over. A younger Alpha Geoff was pissed. He


    was red in the face. Beta Trevor was against a wall, looking scared.


    ¡°Everything we did for nothing. That b***h killed herself and her little b***h of a daughter is nowhere to


    be found. How did you f**k


    this up? You had one job, Trevor. Find her b***h of a pup while I took care of Alpha Cory and took her


    b***h of a mom as my Luna.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, we looked for her everywhere. She is either dead or they snuck her out before the fight began.


    We couldn¡¯t even find


    child


    pictures. We found the Beta¡¯s b***h destroying the phones and pictures in the Packhouse. There was


    nothing to tell us what the child looked like. None of the children we have in the dungeon match the


    age.¡±


    ¡°We have the council breathing down our necks and nothing to show for it. If they find all these pups


    and she-wolves¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Gamma Gabriel has everyone down in the old dungeons in the forest. No one knows about them. We


    can keep all the bitches there


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    until the investigation is over. Then we can see if any warriors find a mate. We can kill the rest. The


    pups can work the Packhouse until


    they get their wolves. Some of the warriors are having trouble controlling their wolves. They need


    mates.¡± Beta Trevor said and my eyes widened, knowing this whole thing was his idea.


    ¡°If they find them, I will personally end your life in the most painful way I can think of before the council


    can even get their hands on me. Get the f**k out of my office and have someone fix this. Have Luisa


    all,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Alpha, if I may. I think it would be good for the warriors to see you with a Luna. She already has your


    pup. Perhaps..¡± Beta Trevor¡¯s


    voice trailed off as he saw how angry his Alpha was.


    ¡°DO NOT TELL ME WHO TO CHOOSE AS A LUNA¡± Alpha Geoff held Beta Trevor by the throat


    against the wall.


    He let Beta Trevor drop to the ground, before he exited he said, ¡°I¡¯ll mark the b***h after the


    investigation. I¡¯m supposed to have


    wanted the Luna of that pack for mine anyway.¡±


    He left and after a few minutes Luna Luisa walked into the room. Beta Trevor was still massaging his


    throat. ¡°So¡­.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll mark you after the investigation is over,¡± he said, looking at her with lust in his eyes.


    ¡°Perfect, that gives us a few weeks together¡± she purred.


    ¡°Why do you need to be Luna? Why aren¡¯t I enough?¡± he whined as he tried to grab her.


    ¡°Our child will have an Alpha father. I will be Luna,¡± She held him back, ¡°Don¡¯t. He called for me. I am


    not risking him scenting you on


    me. I will be Luna.¡±


    ¡°But you said you would be my mate!¡±


    ¡°I deserve better. I will never again let anyone look down on me. Since we won¡¯t be getting our price


    from Helios for that Luna b***h


    and pup, this is the next best thing.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Alpha Geoff that Sandra is mine,¡± he challenged.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the balls,¡± she hissed, ¡°You think he would spare you, or Sandra? Don¡¯t you want your


    child to grow up to be Luna


    someday?¡±


    ¡°She could do that with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic. You can¡¯t even leave the pack without Geoff¡¯s permission. With me as Luna, I will


    change this pack for the better.


    Only I can control that beast. You and I will rule, and one day, we will kill him and take over the Pack.


    Trust me my love.¡± She cooed


    ¡°When¡±


    ¡°When I find a way to take over every aspect of this pack. I¡¯ll visit you tonight. We have a few more


    weeks to f**k before he marks me. ¡± She said as she left the room, leaving a dejected Beta Trevor


    looking after her.


    I am not sure. I think some stuff will be easier to understandter.


    We walked towards the next tform. The mists swirled around me and I waited as a new scene


    spread out around me.


    We were once again inside Alpha Geoff¡¯s office. Sandra was fuming and crying on the couch while


    Alpha Geoff was arguing with Luna


    Luisa.


    ¡°How does that b***h have a wolf? Isn¡¯t she 177 How can you not know she has a wolf7¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I saw her be f*****g born¡± Luna Luisa growled.


    ¡°What the f**k are we going to do now? They are going to find out that we kept the she wolves from the


    pack and that we kill them


    so we don¡¯t have to feed them,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if she talks, who¡¯s going to believe an omega b***h. She has no proof¡±


    ¡°I want her dead! She stole my day. I was supposed to find my mate! Not her! That Alpha is supposed


    to be my mate!¡± Sandra


    shouted


    ¡°Shut your trap useless pup! I already have to figure out a way for Alpha Markus not to demand


    punishment from you. Couldn¡¯t you control your f*****g mouth for two days? You know the kind of mess


    you got yourself into? You beat someone in front of all the f*****g Alphas and none will protect you


    because you couldn¡¯t f*****g grab one as a mate.¡± He growled at her and she shrank into the couch.


    ¡°That mutt ising. Make sure you stay the f**k away from the hospital wing.¡± He said.


    Sandra stomped out of the room as Markus came in.


    ¡°You wished to see us Alpha Geoff,¡± Markus and Gillian came in. Hostility rolling off both of them in


    waves.


    ¡°Yes,e in,e in. I would like to apologize on behalf of my daughter. She was not under the right


    state of mind. She had her


    heart set on finding her mate and was extremely disappointed. Had she known Celeste was your mate,


    I assure you, she would not have


    acted the way she did. You know how young girls are,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°The problem here is that your daughter beat two innocent women that have done nothing but work


    hard for your Pack all weekend. They are also underage. That is fairly illegal.¡± Markus said, and I saw a


    vein at his temple pop. I could tell he was trying not to lose his cool. I could see his internal fight with


    As to remain in control.


    ¡°Come now Markus, you know how it is with ranked wolves, we get a little over zealous with the help


    when we¡¯re upset. We don¡¯t


    need to involve the council over a temper tantrum.¡± He tried to wave it off.


    I could see Mark¡¯s fists at his sides, but Alpha Geoff seemed not to notice. Markus sighed. ¡°I will not


    call the council to report the


    attack, however, I need some assurances.¡±


    ¡°Name them.¡± Alpha Geoff growled.


    ¡°Your daughter is not to get near my mate or Maya. She is not allowed on my packnds unless she is


    invited or in an official capacity.


    She will address my mate as is deserving of her role as my future Luna. If you can guarantee me this, I


    will leave here in good terms, and


    not an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Done. I will make sure she never touches your mate again,¡± he said.


    Just then, I heard Sandra shrieking and everyone bolted out of the office.


    The mists swirled around us.


    Why would Markus not press charges? She almost killed me. ¨C


    I asked Kara.


    He needs them to lower their guard. He cannot afford Alpha Geoff to go on the offensive. I think he was


    also afraid for the other girls,


    considering they are already disappearing.


    Why did I need to know this?


    Because you need to learn to choose your battles. It is important to know when to let something go in


    order to keep the peace or for


    a greater purpose. ¨C She said as we walked out of the mist.


    We walked towards the next tform. There were only two left before reaching the top. I could see the


    back of the woman sitting on


    could not see her face.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Chapter 41 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    The mists swirled around us. We were back at my parents¡¯ Pack grounds. We were having a pic by


    the banks of the river. I saw 6


    year old me chasing a butterfly, my parents talking happily from nkets on the ground feeding each


    other food from a pic basket. The scene was in fast forward but my heart was overflowing with love


    for them. Being able to remember them happily. I only have a


    couple of memories of them after so many years. So many lost memories.


    Suddenly, I saw as 6 year old me got too close to the edge of the bank and started falling in, but then


    she didn¡¯t. She floated upwards


    on the top of a small wind tornado. My father grabbed me from the top and carried me back to my


    mother who was running towards us with her hand upraised. I cried into his chest, scared.


    ¡°You have to be more careful,¡± Mom said tenderly before I saw my dad lift his head and sniff. They both


    turned to the other side of


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    the river and I saw the back of a man running into the woods with inhuman speed.


    ¡°Cory.¡± Mom whispered and I could see worry in her face. My father shifted and ran after him.


    Five minutester, my father runs back. I see my mother sigh in relief until my father shifted.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t catch him. It had too big a head start.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s him?¡± My mother asked. Fear evident in her brown eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We have never seen his face. How could he find us?¡±


    ¡°Do you think he saw?¡± She asked, referring to her wind tornado.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but we should be more careful. Little Celeste, we should not run by the end of the


    river,¡± he said. I giggled as he


    tickled me and then my eyes went white. When my eyes went back to their normal color, I was smiling.


    ¡°What did you see baby?¡± My mother asked.


    ¡°Mommy, I saw a boy! He had the prettiest grey eyes and he called me his little Tuli and then he made


    a kissy face.¡± 6 year old me


    made a face that made my parentsugh. ¡°What does Tuli mean mommy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know my love, but we¡¯ll look it up when we get home OK?¡±


    My eyes went wide at the exchange. I couldn¡¯t remember any of this but I knew who I must have seen


    in my vision at 6 years old.


    You saw your future with Markus many times when you were younger. You just don¡¯t remember. You


    were destined to meet.


    Everything that happens, happens for a reason. It will be important for you to remember this.


    Kara, why? Why are you showing me all of this? What does it mean?


    Some things are destined toe to pass. You need to understand because you can¡¯t me yourself


    for anything that happens in theing months or what you will learned happened in the past. It is not


    your fault, it is destined.


    What¡¯s going to happen?


    I don¡¯t have that knowledge. I only know what our mother tells me. ¨C


    she said sadly


    We walk out of the mists more frustrated than when this whole thing started. I was being shown so


    many things and I was to believe


    that it was for a purpose and would make sense, but without an exnation. I only hoped when we got


    to the top, it would all make


    sense.


    We reached thest tform and I hesitated. This one was different. The mist was golden instead of


    orange and I could hear things


    happening inside already. I looked down at Kara and she also looked a bit worried as we stepped in.


    We were instantly in the middle of a war unlike anything I had ever seen. We¡¯re in a big ancient za.


    A strange pyramid in front of us and another one some way away. But these pyramids were not like the


    ones from Egypt you could see in movies. They looked older¡­ more ancient and primal. The pyramids


    seemed to have several levels tapering up to a small tform. Big stairs going up the middle all the


    way to the top. The area was surrounded by simr-style tforms, as if they had begun building


    smaller pyramids but had stopped at the first level. The entire ground was littered with bodies, blood


    and weapons. There are wolves fighting against humans everywhere.


    My heart was breaking as I took in the fighting, seeing how many souls were lost. The warriors¡¯ skin


    was a deep copper. Muscles


    rippled through their bodies. Each was dressed for battle in leather and feathers. Their chests were


    bare and painted, their waists adorned with loins. Their heads were adorned with animal headdresses:


    eagles, jaguars, wolves. They looked like they belonged to an


    ancient period, their weapons made of wood and stone. They were as beautiful as the wolves they


    were fighting. I felt a pull and was


    transported to the top of one of the pyramids. I could see a woman on the ground, a dark beauty to her.


    Her face was ethereal, though at the moment she was smirking at the two people fighting each other. I


    gave me a shiver. Something seemed off about her. There seemed


    to be a dark shadow behind her.


    I turned to look at the two people fighting. It was a man and a woman. They were both beautiful and


    there was a resemnce


    between them.


    The woman had raven ck hair flowing behind her down to her waist. Her wless dark skin is


    adorned with paint in hues of blue


    and yellow. She was wearing a giant feathered headdress framing her head. She was wearing a


    matching chest covering made of cloth and gold beading, her loin cloth in the same style, the skirting


    dropping below her knees. She was holding a spear, a curved crystal knife


    held at her waist. Her movements were defensive. I could see no attempt to attack the man.


    The man was beautiful. He looked like he had been kissed by the sun. His body was dark and full of


    muscle adorned with the same


    paint as the woman. He was wearing a smaller but more vicious looking headdress with blue feathers


    adorning the skull of an eagle. He


    had on a leather shoulder piece that looked simr to a cape and matching loin cloth. He was holding a


    big t bat-looking weapon with


    sharp t stones attached to either side of the wood. He was attacking the woman.


    ¡°Brother, I am not your enermy!¡± she cried as she deflected another attack.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying! You saw her trying to kill me son!¡± the woman on the floor attacked. She smirked at the


    woman from behind her son¡¯s


    back when the man charged. The weapon he was holding shed her side. They continued fighting for


    what seemed like an eternity.


    could see the sun and moon rise and set for what looked to be years. Suddenly, she was near the edge


    of the top. She looked down at the


    fighting, a sob catching in her throat as she saw the destruction. She turned to face the man, her eyes


    glowing white with tears flowing


    down her face. She threw hernce. The man tried to deflect, but it was not aimed at him. I see it fly


    past him and with a sickening thud,


    m into the heart of the woman on the ground. The man turned and ran to her, roaring in anger. He


    held her in her arms and sobbed.


    He turned to look back at the woman, his eyes ck as night. The woman sobbed and dropped to the


    ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry mother. I¡¯m sorry brother. There was no other way.¡± She looked again at the fighting below.


    ¡°They will not be lost. I will


    bring them together and one day, you will see the truth. Until then, I will protect my people and yours.¡±


    The man stood and began to


    charge, but she grabbed the crystal knife from her belt and plunged it into her heart. A blinding light


    burst forth from it and I had to


    shield my eyes from it.


    The mists swirled and this time they disappeared. I was standing on the tform. Kara whined and


    pushed into my leg


    ¡°What was that?¡±I asked her.


    ¡°That was my end and the beginning of the werewolf race,¡± I snapped my head towards the top of the


    path. The woman whose back to me was now looking down and I couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Her clothing


    was different, her hair longer and she was no longer adorned in


    paint, but there was no mistaking it: this was the woman in the vision. I knew then that she was the


    moon goddess. ¡°Come children. I.


    won¡¯t bite.¡± She said with a smile.


    Kara left my side and bounded up towards her like a pup, jumping on her with her front paws to lick her


    face. The Moon goddess


    towards her.


    I arrived at the top to see Kara on her back twitching her leg as the moon goddess rubbed her belly


    while sitting on the ground,


    somehow looking graceful on the floor.


    She got up at me smiling, ¡°So you found me. I have been waiting for you for a very long time, Celeste,¡±


    she said as she pulled me into a hug.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Chapter 42 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    There¡¯s no describing the feeling of being hugged by the moon goddess. It was like every crevice of my


    soul was lit up with love and


    light. All the pain, physical and emotional, seemed to disappear. The exhaustion, the feeling of failure,


    of not doing enough and not being enough, while in her arms, all went away. All I felt was peace in my


    soul and love in my heart. As much as I loved my parents, I knew, this was all of our mother.


    She pulled away and I wanted to pout. She grabbed my hand and took me to sit on the bench.


    ¡°I have so much to tell you both,¡± she said as Kara came andid at her feet. ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of


    time. Markus and As are going


    out of their minds without you. You¡¯ve been gone too long for their liking,¡± she giggled, ¡°You have them


    wrapped around your fingers, you know? They fell for you from the moment they tasted your food.¡±


    I blushed, ¡°I love them too.¡±


    She smiled at me. ¡°I know you both do. Not to toot my own horn, but it is one of my better matches, so


    Toot Toot.¡±


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    Iughed and the smile slipped off her face slightly. ¡°I wish your life wasn¡¯t so hard. I wish I had been


    able to stop all the pain you have gone through my child.¡± A tear slipped from her eyes. ¡°It all started


    when my mother, Coatlicue(koh-at-lee-kway), became pregnant


    with my brother Huitzilopochtli(weet-see-luh-powch-tuh-lee), the Aztec god of war and the sun. We all


    go by many names. I am Selene,


    but back then, I was known as Coyolxauhqui (coh-yohl-shau-kee), the Aztec goddess of the moon.


    When my mother became pregnant,


    me and my brothers built Huitzilopochtli¡¯s temple across from mine. We were excited to meet him.


    However, as my mother¡¯s pregnancy


    progressed, we became concerned with her actions. We realized toote that Tezcatlipoca(tes-kaht-li-


    poh-kah), the god of darkness, had


    been influencing my mother and our unborn brother, hoping to sway him to the dark side and take


    control of all the creatures on earth.


    We mounted an assault, hoping to capture my mother and remove the influence of Tezcatlipoca before


    my brother was born.


    Unfortunately, we were toote. As we attempted to take her, Huitzilopochtli was born and my mother


    told him that I was trying to kill


    him and her.¡±


    Kara meowled and rubbed herself against Selene¡¯s legs, sharing her pain. I was holding her hands and


    gave them a supportive squeeze. She paused for a moment, silently crying and looking away, as if lost


    in the memory, ¡°We fought for 100 years, stuck in a perpetual fight. At one point, I realized the amount


    of loss my people, my brothers and our wolves were suffering.¡± She looked back at


    me and her eyes were glowing, ¡°I made the decision then. I gave up my physical life. I fed as many as I


    could with my life force but I knew


    it wouldn¡¯t be enough, so I got creative,¡± sheughed a little at this, ¡°I merged the life force of my


    wolves with my brothers and warriors.


    25000 female werewolves and 25000 males. Among them, my 400 brothers and sisters.¡±


    She looked at me with sorrow in her eyes. ¡°I knew there was no saving my mother, I had to kill her, lest


    the world be plunged into


    chaos and death. My brother, believing us to be evil, swore to kill all of my brothers and sisters, vowing


    to make me regret my sacrifice. I


    scattered them all across the globe, erased their memories and renamed them in the hopes of saving


    them from his wrath. I have


    watched for a millennia as he hunts down the descendants of my brothers and sisters. There¡¯s only a


    handful of them left. Each of my


    brothers and sisters has been systematically eradicated from the earth. Their deaths are slow and


    horrendous. Each done under a full moon so that I may watch,¡± | gasp as tearse down my face,


    unable to imagine seeing 400 of your siblings die at the hands of your brother, unable to do anything.


    ¡°You, Celeste, are among one of the handful of descendants of my sister Chantico, the goddess of fire.


    Kara was the wolf that


    originally merged with her. She is only reborn every 100 yrs to one of my sister¡¯s descendants. You


    were blessed from birth, as has every


    woman in her line, but being paired with Kara activated more powers than even I knew. You have


    always had the power of sight, she has


    awakened the power of fire in you. When I sent kara back down to you, I also imbued her with some of


    my power. In rare asions, you can both work together to heal but it only activates when it is meant


    to. When someone is between life and death, that should not have


    been.¡±


    ¡°Like Maya. She was too malnourished to shift on her own,¡± I nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Yes, Maya, yourself and all of the females in your pack should have had a normal life. What happened


    to you, was catalysed by my


    brother attempting to destroy your line. I cannot give you more information on him as it is forbidden. It is


    a journey you must discover for


    yourself. I was only able to give you snippets of the past for you to decode on your own and to provide


    you with some tools for your journey. I know you can bring an end to this suffering, my child. I trust you


    to make the right decision when the timeses,¡± she said. She looked off into the ether, then smiled.


    ¡°Markus and As have almost found you. There¡¯s just a few more things I can do for you both. I have


    given Markus and As the ability to share your many blessings. He should be able to tap into them as


    he is the other half of your soul. He will slowly figure out how


    to do this, but you must both remember that the more power you disy to the world, the more you will


    attract those hungry for it. Use them wisely, my daughter. My next gift is one you¡¯veined about


    for many years,¡± sheughed as I scrunched my nose and c**** d my head, confused. ¡°Your sight did


    break when your mother passed. I will fix it. No more migraines,¡± she smiled, ¡°Now you will sleep, as


    this trip has taken a lot of energy. Kara, you will have to exin to Markus while Celeste regains her


    strength. A storm ising, he needs to trust in the bond so he can unlock her gifts. The stronger your


    bend gets, the stronger you will all be. I love you my daughters.¡± She


    said as she leaned forward and kissed my forehead. Once more, I felt her light fill my soul and my


    body, healing the scars of my past.


    Suddenly, I heard Markus¡¯ voice far away.


    ¡°Find your allies, my daughter. Those who are closest to you and Markus, I will make sure they find


    their mates soon. It will make


    them all stronger for the fight ahead. Go to where this all began. And do me a favor. Have Gillian


    practice his Spanish. Don¡¯t tell him why,


    but it will make his mate very happy,¡± sheughed as my body felt the sparks of the bond and Kara and


    I suddenly fell from the tform


    as she continued to speak. We screamed as we looked down, only to see Markus and As on the


    tform below. ¡°Mate,¡± we both said, and suddenly I felt myself in his arms, the sparks of the bond


    lulling me into a calm and dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Chapter 43 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Celeste has been sleeping for almost 16 hrs. Breakfast came and went, as did lunch. I was starting to


    get worried when I finally felt


    her stir in my arms. I had spent the morning in our office, trying to catch up on some of the pile of work


    that had been building up while ! searched for her, but I could not stop myself from checking on her


    every ten minutes, making sure she was still there. I left the door between the two rooms open so I


    could hear her heart beat steady and her breathing deep. Barking at anyone that came in and tried to


    make noise. Finally, at 2,1 had given up on work and crawled into bed with her. Holding her as lightly


    as I could without waking her, but


    close enough to make sure she couldn¡¯t get up without me.


    Her breathing changed, she snuggled further into my chest and then her beautiful eyes finally opened.


    Her sleepy smile broke every


    bit of will in me to let her choose to allow me near her, and I started kissing her with all of the emotions I


    had felt in thest three days. I


    kissed her head. I kissed her eyes. I kissed her nose. I kissed her mouth. I tried to kiss her neck, but


    she grabbed my face and pulled my


    head back up to hers. She looked into my eyes and I saw as one of her eyes glowed yellow and the


    other turned ck, before she crashed her lips onto mine, pushing me onto my back as she straddled


    my chest, never letting go of my face. She finally came up for air. She looked at me while we caught


    our breath and she removed her dress over her head. She then slid down my chest and released my


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    hard, throbbing c**k. She grabbed it with her hand and gave it a lick from my balls to the top of my


    shaft, making me throw my head back and


    groan. She pulled my c**k into her mouth and took it to the back of her throat. Once she had licked my


    c**k wet for what felt like a


    glorious eternity, she positioned herself on top of me, guiding my c**k to the entrance to her core. We


    both moaned as she lowered


    herself onto me.


    This is what I needed. To feel her love through the bond. To feel her bing one with me. To be


    inside her. To know I owned her


    heart, as much as she owned mine. To know that everything that had happened hadn¡¯t broken what we


    had. She bit her lip as she started


    riding my c**k, looking down at me with hooded eyes. I slid my arms from her hips up to her breast,


    letting her control the speed. I


    kneaded her breast, loving the reactions it elicited from her. When she dropped her head back in


    ecstasy, I felt my hips buck under her,


    my c**k twitching as her walls tried to milk it. She gasped as I grabbed her hips and lifted her slightly,


    suspending her there as I drove my


    hips upwards to sheathe my c**k into her dripping p***y over and over. She started moaning non stop


    and I knew she was close. I was


    close. She dropped her body onto my chest and nipped at my neck as I felt her orgasm shake her walls


    around my c**k. With a moan,


    drove into her a few more times before I also found my release.


    We stayed like that for a few minutes as we caught our breath.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said into my neck. I gripped her hips and wrapped my arms around her.


    ¡°I was scared that you would nevere back to me,¡± I admitted. She lifted her head and searched my


    eyes. I felt her guilt crash into


    me and tears drop from her eyes. I kissed the tears away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Markus. When I saw her kissing you¡­all I could think about was how much better she looked


    at your side. How much you


    deserved someone that was beautiful, poised, educated. Someone that had no baggage as your Luna.


    It hurt so much to feel like maybe you would be better off with someone like her,¡± She said as she tried


    to remove herself from on top of me, but I gripped her tight to me,


    flipping us over in the bed instead, so that I was on top of her.


    aro


    ¡°Are you crazy? From the moment I met you, all I¡¯ve been able to think is how lucky I could have been


    to be paired with someone as


    strong and amazing as you. Have you any idea what you have ovee? How strong and amazing


    you are?¡± I was almost yelling at her and when her eyes went wide I just crushed my lips to hers, letting


    my love and admiration for her flow through the bond. ¡°If anyone got screwed in the mate department it


    was you. I¡¯m nothing but your average alpha. You are my Aztec goddess.¡±


    She squinted her eyes at that, ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± I said, full of confusion.


    ¡°That Ie from an Aztec blood line.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s something that As keeps telling me you are,¡± I said, feeling the smugness from As in


    my mind, ¡°Are you?¡±|


    She nodded, ¡°I went on this trip. Vision? I don¡¯t know how to describe it. I had a visit with Selene.


    There¡¯s a lot I have to tell you.¡± She


    said and sat up, caressing my hair in herp. I listened to everything she saw while she was


    suspended in fire, which she didn¡¯t know she


    had done. My eyes went wide as she told me of the visions on each of the tforms. At first, I would


    have argued that it was likely just a dream, but she had information she should not know about. My


    eyes went even wider as she told me about us and sharing powers, while trying to ignore As¡¯ ¡°I told


    you so¡± dance while prancing in my head.


    After she was done, I was sitting up on the bed in front of her, mulling over everything she had just told


    me when suddenly, remembered something Rhett had told me long ago. I suddenly got up and ran to


    the office and grabbed my cellphone. I was dialing by the time I jumped back onto the bed, making her


    give a tiny yelp. I put the phone on speaker phone.


    ¡°Markus, I was about to head for dinner. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°My apologies Rhett, I was wondering if I could ask you a question about something you had


    mentioned to me a long time ago about a member of your pack. I have Celeste on speakerphone.¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­..sure?¡± He said hesitantly.


    ¡°You once told me you had a hospice pack member in your Packhouse that had been there since your


    dad was Alpha,¡± I said and Celeste¡¯s eyes finally went wide as she realized what I was doing. ¡°Is he still


    alive and can you tell me a little more about him.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡± He said.


    ¡°Please, I will exin in a little bit. Can you tell me about him?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t really a pack member. My father¡¯s Beta found him near death in the river as they felt someone


    without permission. He has been in aa for thest 12 years or so. We could never find out who he


    is or where he came from.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lucian,¡± Celeste whisper yelled, grabbing my arm.


    ¡°Is he still in your care?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he has never woken up in thest 12 years. Who is uncle Lucian?¡± He asked. I nodded to


    Celeste to answer.


    ¡°My father¡¯s Gamma. The one that saved my life the night my parents died. He jumped in the river to


    try to find help but I never saw


    him resurface.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s who is here?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she said and nodded at the phone as if Rhett could see him.


    ¡°Are we able toe see if it¡¯s him this week?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course, but even if he is, he hasn¡¯te to. He is stable, asleep, so we have never been able to


    bring ourselves to let him die, but


    no one has much hope of him ever waking up. We just do what we can and feed him through an IV. I


    wouldn¡¯t be a good friend if I didn¡¯t


    warn you not to get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°We understand. I would just like to be able to thank him for saving my life,¡± Celeste said.


    ¡°Let me know when works for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you my friend. We will be in touch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bake you cookies!¡± Celeste squealed at the phone. I heard Rhett chuckle before hanging up. As


    soon as the phone clicked off,


    Celeste jumped in my arms. ¡°Thank you!,¡± she said. I held her in my arms for a moment before I heard


    her stomach rumble. I


    chuckled.


    ¡®Celeste is awake. We¡¯ll be down for dinner,¡¯ Ilet Maya, Danny and Gillian know.


    ¡°Come Tuli, let¡¯s shower and get some food in you,¡± I said and she jumped off the bed and ran to the


    bathroom door, stopping at the


    entrance and looking back at me with a sultry look.


    ¡°Youing?¡± she asked as she moved into the bathroom, leaving the door open. My c**k twitched


    and I moved off the bed to


    follow.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Chapter 44 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    It felt good talking to Markus. Telling him everything that happened and that I didn¡¯t me him for what


    I saw at the restaurant. He never judged me or doubted me. He just listened and understood. As we


    made love in the shower, I sent up a prayer of thanks to Selene for deeming me worthy of such a mate.


    For once in my life, I felt like my heart was full. But I was wrong and when I walked down with Markus


    for dinner, I realized just how wrong I was.


    As we got closer to the first floor, I heard people and amotion. I looked up at Markus.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked as we paused on the 3rd floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I will ask,¡± he said and his eyes zed over as he engaged in mind link conversation. I


    saw his face slowly transform into one of joy. He looked down at me with such love and adoration that it


    took my breath away. I squeezed his hand and c****d my head


    in question.


    ¡°It appears there¡¯s been a change of ns and we need to wait a minute before we go down,¡± he said,


    pushing me to the wall and


    crushing his lips to mine, not allowing me to ask what was happening. By the time he let me back up for


    air, I was flushed, breathless and


    more than a little disoriented. What were we doing?


    You were going to dinner ¨C Kara smirked in my head.


    I looked up at Markus, who was trying to get his breathing under control. He dipped his head and gave


    me a slow sensual kiss. ¡°OK,


    they are ready now,¡± he said, ¡°Although I¡¯m tempted to just take you back up and lock us in the room


    for the next couple of weeks,¡± he


    ¡°What¡¯s ready?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Come, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    We started back down the steps. Everything was quiet now. I started going towards the dining room


    when Markus pulled me towards the back yard. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to dinner?¡± I asked. He smiled.


    ¡°We are, but the Pack heard that you were home and awake and they wanted to see you. Wanted to


    make sure you were OK. They were hounding Daniel and Gillian all day and Maya had the idea of


    having dinner with the pack. They set up catering in the backyard. He


    said as he opened the back door and I gasped.


    Lined up from the door to the clearing were pack members. I was frozen in ce with emotion as some


    of the children from the staff


    ran up to me, wrapping their little arms around my legs. ¡°Luna Luna, you¡¯re back!¡± They chirped. I bent


    down and hugged them both,


    tears in my eyes.


    I picked Matthew up, one of the cook¡¯s grandchildren, and relished his little hands wrapping around my


    neck and the kiss he gave my cheek melted my heart. Markus wrapped his arm around my waist and


    started leading me through the Pack towards the dining tables.


    Everyone either bared their necks in reverence, weed me back or bowed as they called me Luna.


    The tears were starting to flow from my eyes at the love they all showed for me when we got to the


    tform where Markus had announced our arrival. I stopped and realized


    that the dining room tables were packed.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± I sobbed to Markus.


    ¨C


    ¡°Yes, they all love their Luna,¡± Markus said. I looked up at him and his eyes were also brimming with


    tears of affection for me and his


    pack


    My eyes began to glow. Kara, help me please. Come forward with me. ¨C I said.


    Right here with you always. ¨C She responded as moved with the showing of love as I was.


    I stepped forward. I felt my eyes go ck and my body began to glow. I felt the same love I felt when


    Selene had kissed me. There were gasps from the Pack members as they saw how I looked.


    ¡°Luna you¡¯re glowing!¡± Matthew eximed with awe. I turned and kissed his cheek, my kiss left a


    glowing mark before the glow was


    vas


    absorbed into his skin.


    ¡°I know little one. I¡¯m just happy,¡± Kara and I said together.


    I let him down and he ran to his grandmother, ¡°Gammy! Luna kissed me! Did you see?!¡±


    I left Markus¡¯ hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward with love in his eyes.


    I turned to the Pack. Our pack. Ours to protect. Ours to love. Ours to help thrive. My voice mixed with


    Kara¡¯s as we spoke to our family, our power flowing through our voice. My aura flowing over the entire


    space, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve all the love you


    have shown me. I am forever grateful that you have epted me and cared for me. I love you all more


    than you can imagine. You have made my heart whole. You are my family, the one I craved for 12


    years. I will protect and love you with everything I have. I will fight with


    you and for you.¡±


    Markus gathered me in his arms now and bent down to kiss me. I heard some gasps and when I


    opened my eyes, I saw that he too,


    was glowing now. ¡°The moon goddess said you would share my gifts,¡± I whispered as I touched his


    surprised face. His eyes turned ck


    and he turned to speak to our people.


    ¡°We are both thankful of the love, support and loyalty of our Pack. No other Alpha or Luna could be


    luckier than us. Now let¡¯s eat and


    be merry. Our Luna is home,¡± His and As¡¯ voices were mixed together. His voice full of power and


    affection. The entire pack cheered


    and pped.


    ¡°You are truly special. How could I have been so blessed by the moon goddess,¡± he said as he put his


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    forehead to mine.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± I giggled. He brushed his lips on mine and then my stomach grumbled.


    Heughed.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get some food in you. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.¡± I nodded and took his hand


    as he led me down to the


    table with Danny, Maya, Gillian, Alexander and Marie.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter 45 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    ¡°Are you ready for this Tuli?¡± I asked as we pulled up to Rhett¡¯s Packhouse a few dayster.


    ¡°I am. I know the chances that it¡¯s him are low and that he¡¯lle to are even lower, but I need to try. I


    owe him that,¡± she said,


    gripping the Tupperware despite her assurances.


    We had talked about what she was going to do when she saw her father¡¯s gamma. I still didn¡¯t like what


    she was wanting to try. After


    a lot of conversations, I had to admit that it was her right to try. I trusted Rhett to keep her secret, but I


    was more concern over the risk to


    her mental health as well as the physical toll it had on her body before. I got out of the car and helped


    her out.


    ¡°Markus! Luna Celeste! Wee to Blue Moon Pack!¡± Rhett walked down the steps towards us. His


    smile widened when he noticed


    the Tupperware in Celeste¡¯s hands. That man has a soft spot for sweets.


    ¡°Call me Celeste please. I brought you some baking,¡± she said shyly, holding out the Tupperware.


    ¡°Only if you call me Rhett,¡± he insisted, then stopped. ¡°I think we¡¯ve had this line of conversation


    before,¡± heughed, unable to stop


    himself from taking one of the brownies in the Tupperware and practically inhaling it. ¡°Ohh¡­this is


    better than Ambrosia¡± he moaned,


    almost making me growl possessively. Celeste put her hand on my chest and giggled.


    Rhett smirked at my reaction before frowning a little. He looked at Celeste, ¡°Are you sure you want to


    see him? He¡¯s been in bed for


    12 years. That does something to a body. He will not look as you remember him.¡±


    Celeste¡¯s eyes rimmed with unshed tears but she nodded at him. He sighed, ¡°Follow me.¡± He turned


    around and went up the steps


    and through the foyer. He stopped in the kitchen, then seemed to change his mind. He grabbed the


    attention of a small child. ¡°Can you


    take these to my office? You can have 1 treat from it after you ce it on my desk,¡± he said, and the


    little girl nodded in excitement. He


    then led us to the first floor bedrooms on the left wing of the house. ¡°We have him next to staff quarters


    in case there¡¯s any kind of


    emergency. They look after him through the night. We have a nursee out once a day to provide


    medical care and the staff has been


    taught how to exercise his muscles and rotate his position to avoid bed sores. I¡¯m not going to mince


    words, Celeste. We have done our best, but it¡¯s been 12 years. There was nothing we could do to stop


    the eventual atrophy of his body.¡± He stopped at a door at the end of the hall. Celeste gripped my hand


    as I nodded at Rhett. He opened the door and walked inside. I put my arm around her shoulder and


    gave it a squeeze.


    We came into a room with a single bed in the middle. There were a couple of monitors next to it and a


    dresser with medical supplies.


    The man in the bed was something my mind would never forget. Despite being under a bed sheet, I


    could see the outline of every bone


    in his body. There was hardly any muscle left in his limbs. His cheeks were gaunt, we could see the


    outline of his orbital bones and his hair


    was long.


    ¡°Uncle Lucian,¡± I heard Celeste whisper. She didn¡¯t let go of my hand, instead we walked slowly


    towards the man in the bed together. Tears were flowing freely down her face. I could hear As


    howling at the pain we could feeling from our mate.


    She finally let me go a few steps from the bed and walked the final steps to the bed. She bent down


    and hugged the torso of the


    unresponsive man, a sob leaving her mouth. Looking closer, you could see how well taken care of he


    actually was. He had an IV on his arm, his face was shaved, his hair was clean and free of knots.


    There were two electrodes attached to the sides of his forehead. My heart was breaking for Celeste.


    ¡°I will let you have some time with him,¡± Rhett said ufortably from the other side of the room. He


    started to move towards the


    door when Celeste got up. She ran and hugged Rhett. I thought I or As¡¯ possessive instinct would


    surface, but they didn¡¯t. As and I


    both knew that this was not the time. There was too much grief hitting us from Celeste through the


    bond.


    ¡°Thank you for caring for him. It is a debt I will never be able to pay back,¡± she said. Rhett looked to


    me, waiting for permission. I


    nodded at him, allowing him to return her hug.


    ¡°There is nothing owed. I wish we could have done more for him. My dad tried his best, but the doctors


    that looked at him said the swelling to his brain had been too much.¡± Celeste let him go and went back


    to stand at the side of the bed. She started to caress his hair,


    talking to him so low that even my werewolf hearing couldn¡¯t catch it. She brushed his hair with her


    hands while talking to him. Rhett


    and I moved to the side of the room, allowing her some privacy. As started pacing in the back of my


    head.


    Something is happening. Kara said be ready. ¨C He said. I took a step closer to Celeste as I started


    noticing her begin to glow.


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    ¡°Markus?¡± Rhett asked, taking a step back. Unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. I¡¯ll exin after,¡± I said as I stood behind Celeste, already feeling the drain on her body.


    Celeste lowered herself to kiss his forehead. Her glowing kiss remained on Lucian¡¯s forehead before it


    expanded and covered his


    entire forehead, finally absorbing into his head. One of the monitors started beeping, and he opened


    his eyes.


    ¡°Uncle Lucian,¡± Celeste said, her eyes still glowing, her hand caressing his hair. The man looked up at


    her.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± He said.


    ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t have much time. This is a small gift from our goddess. I cannot heal you. It was not


    meant to be. This is only a reprieve.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said.


    ¡°I survived Uncle Lucian. I am alive because of you. You saved my life. I escaped Alpha Geoff and I


    found my mate. I am happy. All because of you.¡±


    A tear fell down from his eyes. ¡°I am d little one. I have spent so much time trying to find you in the


    darkness but I couldn¡¯t find a way out.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t have to look anymore. You don¡¯t have to go back to the darkness. You can go


    back to our mother, to live your


    next life. I love you, Uncle Lucian. I have never forgotten your sacrifice. It kept me going when I thought


    I had nothing to fight for.¡±


    ¡°In the house, Celeste. In my room, on the side of the mantle, is a secretpartment. It has a book


    and some documents for you. I


    saved them for you.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I will find them. You can let go now, Uncle Lucian. Be at peace. Selene is waiting for


    you,¡± she said as she cried and


    bent down again, kissing his cheek. I saw a final breath leave his lungs as he closed his eyes and then


    the monitor started beeping before


    the sound of his heart rhythm tlined. Celeste stopped glowing and I moved to catch her as she


    fainted.


    Rhett went to the monitor and turned it off, filling the room with silence. I looked down at Celeste. I


    could feel her steady heart rate. I


    looked back up at Rhett to see him staring in awe at Lucian and Celeste.


    ¡°Can we go to your office? I think we need to have a conversation,¡± I said.


    He c****d an eyebrow at me before looking back at Celeste. ¡°I think that¡¯s the understatement of the


    century my friend,¡± he said,


    moving towards the door. He opened it for me and as I passed he asked, ¡°Is she OK?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so. Can you ready him for transport?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said and walked away. I saw two women pass by us shortly after with white cloth in


    their hands and tears in their


    eyes.


    Once inside his office, Iid Celeste down on the couch. I sat at the end of the couch and set her head


    on myp.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Chapter 46 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I sighed. ¡°Celeste is aplicated conversation,¡± I said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± heughed, passing me a scotch. I took a long drink and looked down at her sleeping


    face, cleaning the tears from


    her cheeks with my hand as I pondered where to start.


    ¡°You remember me mentioning that Celeste is thest remaining Ranked member of the Sky Moon


    Pack. An Alpha female.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and if you don¡¯t mind my bluntness, that¡¯s quite the mate.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°That¡¯s not even the half of it.¡± I looked him in the eye, ¡°What I¡¯m about to say is something


    only a handful of people know. It needs to stay that way or Celeste could be ced in danger. I am


    trusting you because you have been my friend for as long as I¡¯ve


    been alive.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Celeste is part of an ancient Alpha bloodline, through her mother¡¯s side. It dates back to Aztec times.


    All the females of her bloodline have a few gifts given to her by the moon goddess. They have been


    hunted down for her powers for generations. This is why we


    are trying to keep her abilities a secret.¡± I gave him the condensed version.


    ¡°So the glow¡­.¡±


    ¡°She has the ability to heal her people, if the goddess so chooses it. She cannot really control who it


    works on or how, as far as we


    know. It is not so much her gift as she is a conduit for the goddess to right some wrongs.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Research and Celeste had a visit from the goddess while she was gone for two daysst week,¡± I said,


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot of take in and


    to believe¡­¡± He held up a hand.


    ¡°Let me repay the same trust you have ced in me. I have no reason to doubt you or Celeste. I can


    honestly say I have yet to meet someone as pure of heart as she, specially considering everything she


    has gone through. I believe you. You have my word that I will keep her secret as well as my support if it


    is ever needed. Just keep the treatsing.¡±


    Iughed, relieved and thankful. ¡°I am d to call you friend.¡±


    ¡°As am I. You have always been there to lend a hand when we¡¯ve needed it. It¡¯s only fair to be able to


    return the favor,¡± he said as he


    went to grab another treat from the Tupperware. ¡°It really isn¡¯t fair that she¡¯s so good at baking. My


    cook has been trying those recipes of


    hers and they just don¡¯t taste the same.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always wee toe grab some. I always keep a big batch of goodies for the Packhouse,¡±


    Celeste said, getting up from myp, surprising us both¡­


    Are you OK Tuli?¡¯I asked her.


    She nodded and squeezed my hand as she stood to a sitting position. I¡¯m fine.¡¯ I could feel the truth


    through the bond. Although I


    could feel her grief, I could also feel the peace finding him brought to her.


    ¡°I might take you up on that. Or maybe I can convince you to sell me some around the holidays. I know


    the Pack would go nuts.


    ¡°Perhaps we can do some sort ofbined event soon?¡± She asked, ¡°I know it¡¯s not usual for packs,


    but if we time it around a full


    moon, we could create an opportunity for our unmated Pack members to possibly find their mates.¡±


    ¡°That is an interesting concept. I don¡¯t see why not. Why don¡¯t I talk to my Beta¡¯s mate. She can get in


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    touch with you to figure what


    works best for everyone?¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably good to instill that kinship between the two packs. We are close enough to each other. It¡¯s


    time for our friendship to extend past just us,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s settled then. One or two of these events a year should bring the two packs closer together.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Some of my people are already getting him ready for transport. When would you like us to


    take him?¡±


    ¡°Today, he has waited enough to be at peace. Anyone who wishes to attend is wee. I cannot thank


    you and your staff enough for all the care you gave him all these years. You gave us both closure.¡± He


    nodded at her, his eyes zing as he mind linked his people. She turned to me. ¡°I would like Maya and


    Ruby to be there. They might not remember him, but he deserves to have his people around him,¡±


    she said.


    ¡°Danny, Gillian and I will prepare the pyre ourselves. It¡¯s the least he deserves,¡± I said, bringing out my


    phone to send out texts.


    ¡°He will be ready in about an hour. His nurse and some of the staff would like to say goodbye. I will also


    be attending. I insist you stay for lunch, and we can meet your people at your parents¡¯ grounds?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me. Could I use your facilities?¡± Celeste asked.


    ¡°Down the hall on your left before you reach the foyer,¡± he said. Celeste kissed my hand and left the


    room.


    ¡°Is she really OK?¡± Rhett asked.


    ¡°I think so. She is grieving, but I can sense she¡¯s at peace with it.¡±


    ¡°I envy you that kind of connection,¡± he said.


    ¡°At one point, I hoped to never find my mate. I am happy the moon goddess ignored my idiotic request.


    I didn¡¯t know how much! needed her in my life. She makes meplete. I hope you find your own


    soon. It¡¯s really another level of happiness I couldn¡¯t have imagined,¡± I answered honestly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want a mate?¡± He asked, curious. No one outside the pack knew of what had


    happened to my dad as I had already


    taken over as Alpha.


    ¡°My father lost my mother when I was 5. You know he raised me for a long time by himself. At some


    point, I believe he got lonely and


    he chose a mate shortly after retiring.¡± My eyes darkened. ¡°His chosen mate eventually found her


    destined mate some monthster and


    left him, but even though she reced my father¡¯s mark on her, my father still felt the pain when she


    bedded her mate.¡± Rhett¡¯s eyes


    went up at that. ¡°He suffered for 3 years and then by the moon goddess¡¯ grace, she gave him a second


    chance mate and he was finally able to have peace. When that happened, I decided I didn¡¯t want or


    need a mate. I didn¡¯t want that kind of pain. I never sought mine after that but the moon goddess had


    other ns for me.¡± I sighed. ¡°A part of me wonders if I would have been able to spare Celeste some


    pain


    if I had looked for her sooner,¡± I admitted.


    He shook his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t Celeste only turn 19 less than a year ago? Perhaps you not looking spared


    you the disappointment of not


    finding her for thest 6 years. Something I¡¯m very familiar with,¡± he smirked dryly.


    ¡°I never thought of it that way. I do hope the moon goddess grants you the same happiness she has


    given me,¡± I said.


    ¡°As dol my friend. Maybe she¡¯s justing of age like yours. I am only 23¡­Perhaps I should start


    making my rounds during the full moons soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll being to the Luna Ceremony this month. Plenty of people from around the other packs


    wille. Maybe you can find her there,¡± I said.


    ¡°From your lips¡­.¡± Heughed.


    ¡®He will. The moon goddess told me so,¡¯ Celeste mind linked me whileing in. ¡®But let¡¯s keep it


    between us. We don¡¯t need him smelling every woman at the ceremony.¡¯


    I just about choked on thest of my scotch at her joke as I couldn¡¯t help theughter that bubbled up


    from my chest. As was


    hollering on his back.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Rhett asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Oh, I just told Markus if your mate knows how to cook, we might need to buy you a treadmill as a


    congrattory present so you


    don¡¯t gain 100lbs on the first year,¡± she lied, which made meugh harder still as Rhett was in the


    process of inhaling another brownie.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter 47 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    After lunch with Rhett, we made our way to my parents¡¯ pack grounds. The sun was already starting to


    make its way down the horizon. Danny and Gillian were already downing some tree in the distance to


    create a funeral pyre. I joined Maya and Ruby as Rhett and


    Markus joined the effort.


    It was well past dusk when the pyre was ready. We were gathered around it as Rhett and Markusid


    Lucian on top of the pyre.


    ¡°Tell us about him. Luna,¡± Ruby asked. Everyone was gathered around us.


    ¡°His name was Lucian Pierce. He was my father¡¯s Gamma. He was fierce in front of outsiders but


    would always bring me toys when he


    left the Pack grounds. He was always ready with a dad joke at the dinner table. He was loyal and


    brave. He was always ready with a hug, whether you wanted one or not.¡± Peopleughed before I


    continued, ¡°He always told me he wanted to find his mate and have a boy so that he could be my mate.


    He told me I would be a cougar and I would try to convince him I was a wolf,¡± There were a few more


    chuckles as Markus and Rhett joined the group. Markus held me to his chest as I kept talking, ¡°He tried


    to get help for all of us. He jumped into the river to try to get away. He held me when my parents


    passed away and told me to be brave, to live and to thrive. Those words saved my


    life more times than I can count. Any time I felt I should give up, I heard his voice. I remembered his


    my hero,¡± I walked towards the pyre. I looked up at his body enveloped in a white shroud. I felt the fire


    building inside of me. Markus


    shifted to shield my fiery eyes from the rest. He held a torch in his hand. I felt my Alpha aura flow from


    me as I spoke the rest, Kara¡¯s voice


    mixed in with mine. ¡°You were the fiercest of warriors, Lucian Pierce. You were everything a werewolf


    wished they could be. Rest with the


    goddess and may she give you the reward you deserve at her side. May your next life be filled with


    love, fortune, warmth and peace.¡± I


    ced my hand on the pyre and let the fire flow. I threw my head back and howled at the moon as his


    body was enveloped by the fire and


    his spirit returned home. Markus and everyone behind us threw their heads back and howled along


    with me.


    Suddenly, I felt myself jerk forward. I saw a small boy running after a couple of other older ones. Two


    with ck curls and another


    one with long dark brown hair. He turned back andughed as he was chased by someone, his eyes


    were blue and his head full of dark


    curls. My soul recognized his. I came back into myself and smiled. There was no migraine this time. I


    thanked the goddess Selene for my ¨C


    gift. I watched as the pyre consumed his body, as I wondered at the significance of the vision. I hung


    onto Markus until the fire went


    out.


    We thanked Alpha Rhett and everyone that came with us to honor him. We found the box in the hidden


    ce that Uncle Lucian had said it would be. I didn¡¯t want to open it. I needed to process today before I


    dealt with it. We decided to wait to open it tomorrow in the privacy of our room. Markus and Iid in


    bed, his head on my chest and Ibed my hand through his hair and kissed his forehead before


    allowing sleep to im me.


    The next day, we had breakfast upstairs together. We were sitting cross-legged on the bed with the box


    in front of us. I took a deep


    steadying breath. I didn¡¯t know what would be in it. I knew whatever it was would be important.


    Markus put his arm over my shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Whatever it is, we face it together,¡± he said. I could


    feel his, As and Kara¡¯s strength flow into me.


    I nodded and opened thetch. The contents looked like they had been stuffed into the box in a hurry.


    He must have put it there the


    same night everything happened.


    I flipped the box open and let the contents fall out so I could begin to unravel them. I chose to start with


    the official looking documents first.


    ¡°That looks like a deed?¡± Markus peered over my shoulder. I nodded, reading the contents.


    ¡°It looks like the deed to the Packgrounds, at least I think it is,¡± I said, passing him the document,


    knowing he would understand it


    more than I would.


    I picked up the next one. It looked like the Pack¡¯s bank statement. I scrunched my nose in confusion.


    Why was it in my name?


    I put it on Markus¡¯p and kept looking. There were a couple of other property deeds in my name. A


    receipt for a deposit box. Also in


    ¡°Why is everything in my name? I was 8 at the time,¡± I asked.


    Markus picked up some of the other documents. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like they knew something would happen to them,¡± I finished for him, looking up to meet his eyes,


    ¡°How could they know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What¡¯s that?¡± he said, pointing to an envelope.


    I picked it up and it was too heavy to be a letter. I opened the p and a key fell out. It had a tag on the


    bow of the key. It had a


    number and the name of a bank.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bank deposit box. Maybe we¡¯ll find more answers there,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is it far?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°About 15min drive into town. It¡¯s the same bank we use, actually¡±


    I picked up thest of the documents and a sob escaped my lips. There were about 10 pictures. Most


    were of my parents and myself. A couple of them featured people I could barely remember, and Lucian.


    One of the pictures was of my dad with Markus¡¯ dadughing in what looked like the training grounds


    here. The pictures were yellowed and creased and more precious to me than anything else in the


    box. Markus gathered me and put me on hisp, my back against his chest and he put his chin on my


    shoulder as I told him who the


    people in the pictures were.


    ¡°You should show that picture to my dad. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to share some story about it.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Maybeter. I¡¯d like to go to the safe deposit box and see what we find. Do you think those


    ounts and deeds are still


    valid? Even though the council dered the challenge legal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think so. Everything is in your name, so it would not have been able to be transferred over to Alpha


    Geoff. It makes sense why that


    property hasn¡¯t been touched since that day. Same with the ounts, I believe you should be able to


    ess them as long as you show your identity. It¡¯s a good thing we got your passport and ID when you


    came down here.¡± He picked up one of the ount statements, ¡°It¡¯s the same bank as the safe deposit


    box. We can ask when we are there.¡±


    ¡°Do we have time today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s Sunday. The bank will be closed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some work done today and we can head there in the morning?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a meeting with Danny about the presentation to the council after the Luna ceremony?


    We¡¯re running out of time¡­


    it¡¯s next week.¡±


    ¡°Danny can wait until after lunch. It¡¯s the perk of being Alpha,¡± he smirked down at me.


    I picked up the 4 bank statements and put them side by side. They had 4 different ount numbers on


    them. Different


    bnces.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money,¡± he mused.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to lunch if it¡¯s still there,¡± I said and heughed.


    ¡°Anything but Italian,¡±


    I looked up at him and then realized what he said andughed, ¡°I think I¡¯m OK with that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s time to get to work if we¡¯re taking the morning off. What are you up to today?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°I am going to have a conversation with Ashley. I think she will be happy to go home.¡± He c****d his


    head at me.


    ¡°What about your training?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore. Selene fixed my premonitions. I will never be able to control my healing, since


    it only works if she wills it and¡­¡±I put my palm up and called upon the fire. A small fireball appeared in


    my hand.


    ¡°Hey! Your eyes aren¡¯t even burning this time,¡± he said, and I smiled. He put his hand slowly over the


    ball of fire, lowered it slowly as


    he tentatively looked to see if it burnt him. When it didn¡¯t, he grabbed my wrist with the other hand and


    tilted my hand, the small ball of fire danced on his skin as if it liked him before it slid fully onto his hand.


    He was now holding fire in his hand.


    ¡°How did you know that would work?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The day I found you, you were covered with fire. I couldn¡¯t get you to wake up, so As and I decided


    to touch you to see if the bond would call you back. The fire didn¡¯t burn us. In fact, the closer we got,


    the happier it seemed to get. Like it wanted to y with us. Like it liked us. Kara said you would be able


    to share your abilities with us, so I figured it might be interesting to see if we could manipte it too.¡±


    He exined as he yed with the fire in his hands until he closed a hand over the other and the fire


    went away, absorbed into his skin. He grinned at me. ¡°Now that¡¯s a cool trick.¡± Heughed as he kissed


    me.


    ¡°Are you able to make it too?¡± I asked after we came back up for air. He held his hand up for a minute.


    ¡°As is saying we can only share it. You make it, and I can use it. It doesn¡¯te from me.¡± He blew


    air out of his mouth and his hair


    ruffled above him and Iughed.


    Then an idea came to me and I jumped up and turned around to face him. ¡°We should train together. I


    make the fire and we use it


    together!¡± I said. His eyes went wide and I saw them twinkle.


    ¡°You are genius!¡± he said, kissing me hard. ¡°We¡¯ll have to make sure you don¡¯t use all of your energy,


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    but it would be good to use in a


    tight spot!¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Chapter 48 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    We were working in one of the conference rooms today. Gillian, Danny and me were in one corner of


    the room, getting business out


    of the way so I could take tomorrow morning off. Celeste, Maya, Mrs Quinn and Kelly were sitting at the


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    other end, trying to figure out details for the Luna Ceremony. It was not easy to concentrate on either


    side, everyone¡¯s voices flowing from one side to another, but I


    refused to let Celeste out of my sight. As and I were still not quite over the two days that she was


    gone. We needed her with us.


    Thad already talked to Gillian about starting construction on my downstairs office. We were breaking a


    wall in my office in a month to make a bigger double office. A smaller ¡°official office¡± would also be built


    next to it with a clear soundproof divider that would be used


    when we had to deal with duties that required individual attention. The divider could also obscure into a


    double sided window when


    necessary to ensure our privacy from outside Packs.


    Danny and I looked up when we started hearing distressing from Celeste and Maya. We didn¡¯t


    interrupt because we knew the theme of the arguments they were having with Mrs Quinn and Kelly


    over thest week.


    At first, it had just been Mrs Quinn, Maya and Celeste, but Mrs Quinn requested back up one dayst


    week. Celeste had insisted that


    since Maya was the Gamma female, she should also be allowed to celebrate the day with us with a


    smaller ceremony before ours. Danny


    and Maya had insisted that it was not necessary, but Celeste argued that it would be easier to share


    the day and that just because they


    were of a lower rank, didn¡¯t mean the pack wouldn¡¯t want to celebrate their happiness as much as they


    would celebrate ours. I wasn¡¯t


    against it and neither was Mrs Quinn however, other problems started arising as they tried to select the


    details of the celebration.


    Celeste and Maya kept balking at the prices and ideas that Mrs Quinn was suggesting. They insisted


    that it was unnecessary to spend


    so much over a one-day celebration. Mrs Quinn kept reminding them that many Alpha¡¯s and Lunas


    would being to the celebration


    and therefore no expense should be spared. She came to ask me for help as the girls were making it


    very hard to make decisions and that she could see when Celeste and Maya would like something, but


    would decline it when they noticed prices. I brought Kelly in to help Mrs Quinn, to even out the


    discussions, but it didn¡¯t seem to improve things. Mrs Quinn and Kelly both kept mind linking me every


    time


    Celeste and Maya would shoot something down because of the price.


    I sighed, not able to concentrate on the report anymore. They were running out of time and there was


    zero chance I would dy her


    bing my official Luna.


    ¨C


    Itake it you¡¯ve also not had any luck getting Maya to spend some money on the ceremony Danny?¡¯ I


    opened a mind link with Danny


    and Gillian.


    ¡®Not unless I want to sleep on the couch again.¡¯


    He huffed ¡®Last time I tried to remind her that we have enough money to spend on


    this, she almost bit my head off and reminded me I had already gone back my word when she asked to


    help the staff and then refused to


    let her clean bathrooms so to keep my nose out of it. Then she yelled at me that she felt useless


    enough without spending all of this


    money and threw the pillow in my face and pointed to the couch.¡¯


    ¡®Celeste won¡¯t even talk to me about it. She just insists that it¡¯s not necessary and we could use the


    money for something else.¡¯


    I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to win here guys. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that we took them from Blood Moon


    Pack. Celeste still looks


    underfed. The mental trauma isn¡¯t something you can get out of your head as easily as putting on some


    weight. Remember what


    happened to me? And I didn¡¯t even go through anything near as bad as them,


    Gillian interjected.


    I looked at Celeste and Maya. It was true. Celeste looked a lot better than she did when she got here,


    but you could still tell she was


    still somewhat underweight. Maya looked at a healthy weight now, but I knew from Danny that she still


    had night terrors and issues from


    their time in the pack. It really was asking a lot of them to ovee 12 years of abuse in a few months.


    So what do we do?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®Well, 1 ¨C Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a chair pulling back. Celeste was standing,


    visibly upset.


    ¡°Luna, there are expectations that need to be met when you host a Luna Ceremony. You are hosting


    many important people. Many


    of them traveling for hours just to witness your ceremony. They expect a certain level of luxury. We


    can¡¯t just serve them hot dogs on


    ¡°That ¡®staff¡¯ is more important to me than an Alpha that might find it offensive to eat with members of


    my pack. Why should we


    spend so much money just to sit them separately because they are snobs? Markus has never had an


    issue eating with anyone.¡±


    I started to get up but Gillian touched my arm. ¡°Alpha, may 1?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Please. I also don¡¯t want to sleep on the couch,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Luna-¡± Kelly started


    ¡°No, why can¡¯t we just do it our way? Isn¡¯t this about us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about you. It¡¯s about the image of-¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t it be both?¡± Gillian said as he rose from his seat. All heads turned to him.


    ¡°Son, you know there are expectations about how we present to the other Packs,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, but perhaps we¡¯re looking at the image we want to disy from the wrong angle.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kelly asked. She looked just as frustrated as the rest.


    ¡°Well, we want to present an image that Crescent Moon Pack is a great Pack with wealth and prestige


    with a happy and loyal pack.


    Maya and Celeste don¡¯t want to spend money to superficially present this picture because, more than


    any of us here, they know what it¡¯s


    like not to have any of that. So why can¡¯t webine those two sentiments?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I asked, curious myself.


    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t want things to be wasted, so limit the waste while still creating a beautiful ceremony.


    Take advantage of the


    significance of the full moon.¡±


    ¡°What does the full moon have anything to do with it?¡± Celeste asked, sitting in the middle of the long


    table now.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Harvest Moon. Use that as your theme. Make your centerpieces cornucopias with food


    generally harvested around this


    season. You can donate them to a food bank afterwards so they can be put to good use. Use the


    children to pick wild flowers and other


    seasonal things found in the forest and surrounding areas as part of the decorations. We also have a


    lot of decorations we use for the


    usual Harvest Moon celebrations, considering we always have guests looking for their mates at this


    time. You can upcycle them into new


    decorations. I know Celeste and Maya take a lot of time out of their days to spend with the kids running


    around the Packhouse. Why don¡¯t you buy a bunch of stuffed animals to use as part of the


    centerpieces? Have the plushies holding the wild flowers the kids gather instead of just dumping them


    into shiny vases. You can have the kids take one home at the end of the night or donate them to the


    Pack


    Orphanage. God knows I would have been over the moon to get one when I was a child there. It will


    show what kind of Luna we have. One


    that will care for her pack and their happiness above anything else,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°You were in the orphanage?¡± Celeste asked, ¡°but then¡­.¡± She turned to Mrs Quinn and Kelly.


    ¡°My parents died in a rogue attack when I was 3. I was in the Orphanage for another 4 years until


    Markus and I met and became


    friends. Mom saw me running around with him at the Packhouse and a few monthster, they adopted


    me.¡± He finished and looked at his


    mom with so much love that Maya started sniffling. Danny walked over to her and held her.


    ¡°That¡¯s an amazing idea,¡± Celeste said, excited for the first time about her ceremony. She turned to Mrs


    Quinn, ¡°Would that be OK?


    We can spend all the money you want on centerpieces that can be gifted to the Orphanage. We can


    set up a gift table next to the Alpha


    tables and have them interact with the little ones. Maybe even have them give them the gifts on our


    behalf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that will work just fine. Kelly and I will spend some time today getting some mood boards


    and prices ready of what we can get. We can shop locally and with the amount of ingredients we¡¯ll be


    ordering, we can probably get some discounts if we buy directly from farms,¡± she said. I could already


    see the gears running a mile a minute in her head.


    ¡°Any discount we get, be sure to use that difference for more gifts and perhaps we can sneak some of


    that food to the girls we


    haven¡¯t been able to rescue?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯s covered,¡± Gillian mentioned.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®It¡¯s covered,¡± I asked.


    ¡°While Celeste was in the hospital, I managed to strike up a few conversations with the Pack Doctor.


    He mentioned that he would


    usually sneak check-ups on the girls and some medicine when he¡¯s able to do so. It was always out of


    pocket, as Alpha Geoff wouldn¡¯t let


    sneaking vitamins and food to the girls. Alpha Geoff tried to beat him when he found out, but as it


    appears to being out of his pocket


    and he¡¯s their only doctor, he didn¡¯t forbid him from doing it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t know about this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the need. I am not using pack funds so they didn¡¯t need to be in the expense reports.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been using your personal funds?¡±


    He shrugged ¡°I was just trying to he-,¡± he grunted as Maya and Celeste basically sandwiched him


    between the two of them. As much


    as I was tempted to growl that Celeste was touching another man, the truth is, I was tempted to join


    them and even As respected what


    was happening.


    ¡°Use Pack funds from now on,¡± I said, trying not tough at the distressed look on his face. ¡°These girls


    are part of our pack too, even


    if not officially.¡±


    ¡®This is why we chose you to be Beta despite the ones that disagreed,¡¯


    As mind linked him, ¡®You and Otto are better wolves than all


    the assholes that thought they deserved the role based on their family status.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you As, that means a lot,¡¯


    he said. Then on a mind link with me and Danny, ¡®Can you guys peel your mates off me, I am


    going to pass out if I don¡¯t get a breath in and they are squishing my lungs.¡¯


    Danny and Iughed and we grabbed our mates, who were pretty much blubbering on his shirt.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s a good n then and it makes everyone happy?¡± I said. All four girls nodded.


    Kelly suddenly stood up. ¡°We can shop for dresses now that we know what the theme is!¡± Celeste


    groaned and everyoneughed at her. We all knew how much she hates shopping.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter 49 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°I want to cook all of Gillian¡¯s favorites this week, though I am a little mad he¡¯s been helping them this


    whole time without telling us, so maybe I should only make him one thing. I¡¯ve been so worried about


    them. Feeling guilty that I was getting full meals every day when I


    couldn¡¯t know if they were getting any food at all,¡± I said as we drove to the bank the next morning.


    ¡°That¡¯s Gillian for you. He will never tell the extent of what he does for others unless you catch him mid


    act,¡± Markus exined.


    ¡°How did you meet him?¡±


    ¡°Dad always made time to visit the orphanage. He still does I think. His dad was not a kind man. He


    provided the bare necessities


    and refused to grant any past that. It takes a while to rebuild trust after having that type of Alpha and


    dad worked very hard to get it. He


    made personal visits to the Orphanage because he wanted to make sure the kids had a happy life


    despite their tragedies. One day, Mrs Quinn wasn¡¯t avable to babysit and dad decided that it wouldn¡¯t


    hurt for me toe y with the kids. They were going to be my


    people eventually anyways¡­¡± He said as he got lost in the memory.


    ¡°I found Gillian in a corner of the yground. He was getting bullied by a couple of bigger kids and I


    threatened to call my dad if they


    hurt him. When they finally left, I realized that he wasn¡¯t even protecting himself, he was taking s**t


    because he was protecting a little


    bird that they had been trying to pluck the feathers off of. We took the bird to my father, who allowed


    me to take it home to watch until it


    was better and could fly off. He arranged for visits from Gillian toe see the bird at the Packhouse.


    We have been friends since.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s been helping since he was a boy.¡± I nodded. ¡°OK, I¡¯m back to cooking him three meals this


    week,¡± I said and Markusughed


    as he parked the car in front of the bank.


    ¡°When am I going to get my favorites cooked for?¡± He demanded.


    That was true, I had never cooked specifically for him. ¡°What are your favorites? I can cook them for


    you next week?¡±


    He smirked at me. ¡°You.¡± I was confused and about to ask what he meant when Kara shed me some


    images that made me realize


    what he meant and I swear I heard the capiries in my face all burst at the same time. Heughed and


    pulled me over the seat and onto hisp. It was a good thing this was a big truck or I would have hit my


    head on the roof.


    ¡°Markus!¡± I said before he crashed his lips on mine. His kiss was hungry and electrifying. My entire


    body reacted and molded to him,


    wanting to feel him everywhere. I moaned as his lips finally left my lips and trailed kisses down to his


    mark. My core clenched when I felt his teeth gently scraped on the mark, sending jolts of pleasure


    through me.


    ¡°Fuck¡­.we should get this over with so I can get you home and take you properly,¡± he groaned. We sat


    there for a few minutes while


    we got our lust under control and then he opened the door and I jumped off the truck. He wrapped his


    arm around my waist and handed


    me the file folder we had put all of the documents in and led us to the bank.


    ¡°Mr Salonen! Good to see you sir! How is your father?¡± an older gentleman greeted us at the entrance.


    ¡°He¡¯s great. Enjoying retirement, thanks for asking,¡± Markus responded, shaking his hand. ¡°Thank you


    for meeting with us on such short notice, Mr. Ronin. This is my ma-ehh¡­partner Celeste.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you Celeste! And it¡¯s no bother at all! We¡¯re happy to have you. You¡¯re one of our


    biggest clients. Can I offer you


    some water, champagne, some lunch?¡±


    ? I looked at Markus and scrunched my nose as he walked us towards his office. He smirked, ¡°No thank


    you, we have a lot of business


    to get done today.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. I would imagine the owner of a billion-dorpany has a lot of work to do,¡± he


    said as he sat down. ¡°So


    what can I do for you Mr. Salonen. Do you have any concerns with how we¡¯ve been handling your


    ount?¡±


    ¡°No no,¡± Markus said, ¡°In fact one of the things we need to talk about is adding Celeste as joint holder


    to my personal ount.¡± One


    of my eyebrows rose on its own ord at this. He had never mentioned this being part of the n.


    ¡°Ha-have you talked to your attorney about this sir?¡± he said, darting a look at me.


    couldn¡¯t see, trying to calm his anger with the mate bond.


    ¡°- I just thought, considering the size of your estate, that perhaps you should consult with your attorney


    before adding a youngdy that isn¡¯t yet your wif-¡± He shut up at the look that Markus gave as he stood


    up. I grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Markus, we can discuss thister. How about we go through my documents instead? That was the


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    reason we came.¡±¡® Please love, 1 don¡¯t care about what he thinks. He is human. He doesn¡¯t understand


    the mate bond, mind linked him as I rubbed my arm up and


    down his arm.


    Markus sat back down, breathing hard. Clearly trying to calm himself. He gave a curt nod before he


    crossed his arms, not taking his


    angry re from Mr. Ronin.


    I pulled out the statements from the file folder. ¡°I found these documents among some of my parents¡¯


    things. I would like to know if


    these ounts are still open. They appear to be in my name.¡± I ced the statements and slid them


    over to him. He took them from me


    and his eyes bulged.


    ¡°Derosa? The Derosa?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You are familiar with those ounts?¡± I asked.


    ¡°How can I not? They were the biggest ounts we had before Mr. Salonen here grew his into what it


    is today. It was a terrible.


    tragedy what happened to your parents.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s been happening to those ounts since Celeste has been away?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°Well, there were very specific instructions from Mr. Derosa. He had liquidated all of his investments


    and put them into a trust. We were to keep investing conservatively to help it grow and once Ms


    Derosa came of age, it was to be transferred over to her. I remember


    asking why he was transferring things over and he said that he had other assets with another bank but


    wanted to make sure your future


    was secure. A couple of weeks after the changes werepleted, they died in that awful airne


    ident of all of those people from


    that town over.¡±


    ¡®ne ident?¡¯ I asked Markus.


    ¡®We can ask dad, but I would imagine that it was the work of the council to try to cover the m******e to


    the humans,¡¯


    responded.


    ¡°So the ounts are still valid?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yes. They all have grown considerably over the past decade. We have a team of investors


    dedicated to your ounts. We take


    care of all of our clients here,¡± he said and shot a quick look at Markus, who was still ring. He visibly


    gulped before he turned to his


    miss, but I need to see


    identification.¡±


    ¡°You have got to be f*****g kidding me.¡± Markus practically growled. I could feel the rage and knew


    As was just under the


    surface.


    ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s procedure,¡± I sighed as I reached for my purse. I handed him the ID.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± he said. I could smell nothing but fearing from him as he handed


    me the papers he had printed


    out and my ID. The door opened behind us.


    ¡°Everything OK Mr Ronin?¡± A security guard asked as he looked at us and the banker.


    ¨C ¡°Of course, yes. Everything is fine. Just a misunderstanding,¡± He said quickly, shooing him away from


    his office.


    I looked at the papers he handed me and I worked very hard not to let my eyes bug out the same way


    his had. I handed them to Markus, who flipped through them with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°She will need some debit cards and check books for her to finally have ess to her ounts.¡± he


    said, ring at Mr. Ronin


    again.


    ¡°Of course. I can order all of that straight away. I will need some paperwork filled out for the check


    books and she can select what she wants from it. About 70% of the funds are tied up in investments,


    the rest are in savings. We will need some advanced notice if you want us to withdraw any of the


    funds.¡±


    ounts or transter them to another institution.¡±


    I sighed as Mr. Ronin became flustered.


    You¡¯re basically threatening to shut his bank branch down, my love. Is that really


    necessary?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, we can¡¯t kill him for his disrespect to you. The least you can do is let me and As watch this


    human squirm,


    he said. I tried not


    tough.


    ¡°I also have a safety deposit box key. Could we have a look at it please?¡± I said, showing him the key


    after he made me choose check


    temtes, card look and had me fill out a bunch of information regarding some credit cards. All the


    information was making my head


    hurt.


    ¡°Of course. How could I forget? We had to restructure the entire vault to build his deposit box,¡± he said


    as he stood up. We followed behind him, Markus slipping his fingers through mine. I could see more


    than a few women looking at Markus as we passed. Kara and I


    both wanted to growl. I could feel it in my chest. Suddenly, Markus let go of my hand and wrapped his


    arm around my waist and pulled


    me close. I looked up at him and saw him smirk. I blushed, knowing I¡¯d been caught.


    ¡®You¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re jealous,¡¯ he said smugly. I didn¡¯t bother to respond.


    ¡°Here we are. I will give you some time,¡± Mr Ronin said as he motioned to a giant locker-style deposit


    box before he closed the door


    behind him.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Chapter 50 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°Are you ready for this Tuli?¡± Markus asked.


    I took a deep steadying breath and nodded, grabbing the key and unlocking the door. It opened to


    about 10 different regr sized


    deposit boxes. I grabbed the first one and brought it out onto the table. Markus grabbed the second


    and ced it next to it and so we


    went until we¡¯d gotten all 10 boxes onto the table.


    Topened the first one. It had a bunch of pictures of my parents and myself. I looked through them with


    Markus¡¯ chin on my shoulder.


    There were about 100 pictures and a usb drive stick, which I hoped would have more saved on it.


    The second box had a pretty basic Last Will and Testament where they left everything to me. There


    were a few more deeds in my


    name and a couple still in my parent¡¯s names, along with car titles and other documents.


    ¡°We can drop the Will and all the titles and deeds to my attorneys before we head home so they can


    start transferring everything over to you,¡± Markus said as he piled things into categories.


    There were two deposit boxes full of jewelry. We decided to keep most of it in the deposit boxes for


    now, but I took a set of sapphire


    jewelry that wouldpliment my eyes and some amber items that I thought I might be able to wear


    for the ceremony.


    The next 4 boxes had what looked to be formal and ceremonial dresses. They were beautiful and each


    looked to be hand made.


    Intricate delicate stitches decorated some parts of each dress with Aztec symbols. They looked old, but


    new at the same time. Almost as


    if they were magic.


    Only one of the dresses didn¡¯t look like it belonged with the theme of the other dresses. It was a light


    yellow bohemian style halter


    dress. Light fabric under handmadece. It had some brown beading dangling curtain style in the torso.


    The fabric ended around the


    knee level, but thece fabric continued down to cover the legs. Something about it called to me when


    Markus pulled it out and I just had


    to touch it. I felt my body push backwards the moment I did. I saw a younger version of my father. Curly


    hair, blue eyes, and soft smile in


    loose khaki cks and a light button shirt with the top 4 buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up


    talking to a young version of Lucian when a younger version of my motheres out in the dress I¡¯m


    holding from a ce called Cantina de Loba. I saw as my father¡¯s head


    suddenly turned upwards, smelling the air. He turned and I saw the moment their eyes connected.


    ¡°Mate¡± his eyes glowed as he


    approached my mother. I looked up and saw a full blue moon in the sky.


    I jerked forward again to the present, where Markus was looking at me with his head c****d, ¡°What did I


    just see?¡± He asked.


    I smiled, ¡°I think that was the moment my parents found each other.¡± A sudden thought urred to me.


    ¡°Did you see the vision I had during Lucian¡¯s funeral?¡±


    He looked at me funny, ¡°I saw something. It wasn¡¯t clear though. It was like I was looking at it through a


    fog. I just saw figures running


    and heardughter. I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. I thought I imagined it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­must be because you were only just starting to share that gift with me. This one was clear?¡± He


    nodded.


    ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll always have the same visions or if you will have different ones or if we need to be


    touching/together for them to be


    shared.¡±


    ¡°Not sure how you would test that. You can¡¯t control when theye, can you?¡± He asked. I shook my


    head, ¡°We will just have to


    wait and see, I guess.¡±


    I nodded and added the dress to the take pile.


    Two boxes left. I opened one of them. I gasped. ¡°I remember this dress. I used to see it in her closet all


    the time. She told me it would be mine when I grew up,¡± I said, as I gently touched the shimmery


    beaded fabric. I didn¡¯t need to take it out. I knew what it was. It was something I thought was long lost. I


    grinned at Markus, ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t have to go shopping tomorrow after all,¡± Heughed at me and


    shook his head. I took the dress out of the box and passed it over. As he took it, a letter fell out from


    within the folded cloth. It just said¡± Celeste¡± on the outside of it. I held it in my hands. !


    and put it on top of the dress.


    One box left. I opened and saw a really old looking document. On top of it was a pendant. It was made


    of beautiful solid obsidian


    stone. It was round and had a lot of symbols on it. There was rose gold filigree attached to the top,


    bottom, left and right sides of the


    round pendant as if holding it together. A single fire opal in the middle shone brightly. It was beautiful


    and magical.


    ¡°That looks like the Aztec Calendar,¡± Markus said,ing over and taking it from my hands to inspect it


    more closely. The amulet


    seemed to respond to him, the fire opal shining more brightly.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s chosen its owner,¡± I said. He looked confused but added it to the take pile.


    I pulled out the parchment paper, ¡°It¡¯s a family tree,¡± I mused. Markus took a good look at it and his


    eyes widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s your mother¡¯s family tree. Look at this¡­it seems to follow the matriarchs. All of the females.


    Celeste, I think this is the tree


    that documents all of the females with the blood lines. All of the gifts. Look. The males are noted, but


    not followed. There¡¯s only a name


    to them unless a woman was born to them. But see, the women all have dates of birth and death as


    there¡¯s little symbols underneath


    them.¡±


    I looked at it more closely, ¡°Half of these women died so young. Not even past 20 for some. Many didn¡¯t


    even find their mate before


    they died,¡± I whispered, my stomach sinking.


    He took the tree and put it down on the take pile and wrapped his arms around me, ¡°That won¡¯t be you.


    We will never let anything


    happen to you,¡± he said as he held me tight to his chest. I sighed and let him hold me in silence. After a


    few minutes, he pulled back


    chuckling as my stomach growled, ¡°I¡¯ll go get us a box for the take pile, why don¡¯t you start putting the


    rest of the stuff back and we can go drop off the documents to the attorney and then I¡¯m taking you to


    lunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m paying remember?¡± I yelled after him as he left the deposit box room and I took all the boxes with


    the items we weren¡¯t taking


    with us and cing it back in the box locker. I was locking it when Markus came in and we went on our


    way. Mr. Ronin gushing after us the


    entire time.


    We then dropped the documents at Markus¡¯ attorney¡¯s office. We were just parking near a little


    restaurant called Bailey¡¯s Diner when


    the phone rang through the truck¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°Hey Gillian, What¡¯s up?¡± Markus answered.


    ¡°Alpha, someone took her. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know where the security measures in ce failed. I am


    getting the camera¡¯s video to see.


    You need toe home.¡±


    ¡°Who Gillian? Who did they take?¡±


    ¡°Ruby. Someone took Ruby. Her bedroom windows are shattered. Two of the kids heard a scream and


    saw two people dragging her


    towards the forest. We couldn¡¯t catch them. They had too much of a head start,¡± He said in a defeated


    tone.


    ¡°How did they get past the gates?¡± I cried, ¡°Who took her??! We have to get her back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find out Luna. I¡¯m so sorry.I am trying to figure out how something like this could have


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    happened. We should have


    been able to sense anyoneing past the borders uninvited.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be home soon, Gillian. Have all the cameras pulled for the time window we need. No one takes


    my pack members and lives,¡±


    As and Markus growled, already pulling out of the parking spot.


    ¡°Maya? Has anyone checked on Maya? Did they get her too?!?¡± I said, panic filling me.


    ? ¡°Maya is fine. Danny and a few guards are with her. She was with Mrs Quinn and Kelly hashing out


    some details for the ceremony


    when they took Ruby. They were supposed to me-f**k. OK. Just get home please. I think I know how


    they got in,¡± He hung up. I looked at


    Markus and he grabbed my hand, speeding up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get her back, Celeste,¡± he said with determination, but I had a bad feeling we were going to be


    toote.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    How the f**k do people get on my property and take someone from my f*****g packhouse. Someone


    f****d up and lintend to find


    them and make them pay. What if Celeste had been there?


    I drove so fast back to the Packhouse, I was sure we would flip over during a bend in the road. Celeste


    was silent the whole ride home. She was just silently crying and wringing her hands, though the hand


    wringing was probably due to the speed.


    We drove right to the Packhouse and Celeste was out of the truck with a jump before I had shut down


    the engine. She rushed


    towards Maya who ripped herself out of Danny¡¯s arms to meet her in a hug. Maya was shaking and it


    looked like her legs would give out. Danny looked on helplessly. I thought he was struggling with the


    fact that Maya looked to Celeste forfort and protection and not him.


    For 12 yrs she was her protector. It¡¯s a natural instinct to her,


    mind linked Danny.


    ¡®No, it¡¯s not that. Maya was still sleeping when it happened. She had forgotten that Celeste was out of


    the Packhouse. I was searching


    in the woods when she woke up and she was going nuts trying to find Celeste. She thought she had


    been taken too. She had to be


    .


    restrained by two guards to stop her from shifting and trying to find her and I couldn¡¯t even f*****g find


    Ruby while she went through all of that alone. It was all for nothing.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s not your fault


    ¡°Show me,¡± Celeste said to Danny as she held Maya around the shoulders as they walked towards


    him. Maya transferred herself from Celeste to Danny and buried her face in his chest.


    Danny hesitated, flicking his eyes towards me before looking back to Celeste. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to


    see Luna. It looks worse than


    it likely is.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± was all she said and she waited for me to get to her before we followed Danny inside. I


    wrapped my arm around her


    waist and she held on to my arm as we walked to the third floor. The door was open and there were a


    few of our security people taking prints. I growled at the scene in front of me.


    There were sshes of blood on the floor and the broken window. You could see there had been a big


    struggle.


    The guards all turned and bared their necks at us as both of our auras rolled off of us. ¡°Tell me


    everything. How did they manage to


    get to the third floor of our parkhouse,¡± I growled.


    ¡°There¡¯s been several crewsing in and out of the packgrounds to deliver decorations and settle the


    menu for the Luna Ceremony. They followed one of the approved crews in. They had the same type of


    van. We didn¡¯t realize they weren¡¯t part of the crew until the other two delivery vans left without it. We


    hurried to find them but by the time we heard the staff screaming about intruders, they crashed through


    the windows and ran with the unconscious she-wolf over one of them.¡±


    As pushed me to the back as he pushed forward and roared. ¡°Where¡¯s the video? Show me.¡±


    One of the techs came by with a tablet. He pulled up the feed. I felt Celeste get close to us as she


    looked at the feed. The camera feed


    was first of the crewsing in through the gates. The first two had clear catering signs on the side,


    while the third was just white. I


    growled as the van was stopped, they chatted shortly with the guard and then they were passed


    through. The feed cut to a camera on the


    side of the house. The two other vans were seen leaving and Kelly went over to a guard and asked


    about the other van. You can clearly


    see her asking who it belonged to, the confused look of the guard and running inside when you heard


    running as a little girl yelled ¡°Help,


    someone¡¯s attacking Luna¡¯s friend!¡± Every guard on the outside moved inside, a few shifting on the


    way. The feed flipped cameras once again and you can see the back of the Packhouse. You can hear


    struggling and grunts, then you hear a voice screaming ¡°Leave her alone!


    Millie go get help.¡± then you hear two yelps and a chair crashing through the double windows. One man


    jumps out, shifting mid way through to avoid injury. He shifts back and looks up to catch Ruby. As


    growled and Celeste gasped. It was one of the men that Danny had photographed. The man caught an


    unconscious Ruby as she was dropped from the third story. The second man dropped down, blood


    clear on his face and torso when he shifted. One turned into a wolf, Ruby was strapped to its back


    before the other shifted and they


    ran. Not a full minuteter, you can see Danny and Gillian jumping out the window in their wolf forms to


    chase after them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the boy from the video? Is he OK?¡± Celeste asked. As retreated at the words, letting me


    take back control, knowing she


    would not be able to deal with his anger. She had too much worry in her voice. She cared too much for


    everyone.


    ¡®The guards at the gate, make sure they double their training. I will not be so lenient twice,


    He mind linked to the guard as he


    retreated.


    ¡°I had him taken to the Pack Doctor. He tried to fight the traffickers and he got knocked into the


    dressers. The Pack Doctor has linked


    that he will be OK. Mild concussion and a lot of anger that he got knocked out. He is Millie¡¯s twin


    brother,¡± Danny said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gillian?¡± I asked. Danny looked at me confused and surprised. He¡¯d never seen As give


    back control as quickly as he had


    after something like this happened. He had a habit of making himself understood that failure was not


    tolerated when it came to the


    protection of the Pack. It was probably why the guards were out of practice with proper protection


    procedures. No one had dared attack


    our pack since word had gotten around of what thest people to get into the pack had been put


    through. We would have to change that.


    The Pack would not get this close to danger again.


    ¡°He¡¯s still out with a couple of trackers, trying to get a trace of which way they went. We were in the


    middle of a conference meeting with one of Alpha Rhett¡¯s men who had found some information about


    the men in the pictures. I¡¯ve been working with him on and off sharing information as we were both


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    trying to track them a few months ago.¡±


    ¡°What did they find?¡± I said as Celeste walked towards the window. I was itching to grab her to my side,


    every nerve in my body on


    edge that she was so close to the open window even though I knew it was irrational, I wanted her no


    where near any kind of danger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We didn¡¯t get that far. I will have to get in touch with him again when this is settled¡±


    I need to get Maya out of this


    room. I can feel her anguish,¡¯he added through the mind link and i nodded at him.


    ¡°Tag everything you can. Ruby fought, let¡¯s not let it go to waste. Have Gilliane back. I need him to


    figure out how they knew the


    caterers wereing in today. This was too nned for them to have been waiting for a random


    opening.¡±


    I started walking through the room to where Celeste was kneeling. I saw her touch the edge of the


    ss and I was suddenly pulled


    forward, into one of her visions.


    We were in a shallow cave opening. I could see the river rushing over the edge. The sun was high in


    the middle of the sky. The two men were talking on the phone. While Ruby was beaten and bloody in a


    corner. Her hands were bound in silver shackles. She was crying. I


    turned to the talking men, trying to hear what they were saying.


    ¡°The b***h bit my ear off. If we¡¯re found, we¡¯re not going down alone. You better do something. Grab


    the damn Luna before they catch us so they don¡¯te looking for us. Give them something else to


    chase¡­..Yes, I told you. The b***h said Luna is the girl you were looking for all those years ago. The


    Derosa kid. Well f**k, I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re surrounded by idiots, cousin. No wonder she was right


    cre


    under your noses this whole time¡­..Look I can keep low for a while but you need to clean up this


    mess.¡±


    He hung up and then turned to look at Ruby, who was crying. Her eyes went wide as she saw the glint


    of the silver knife that one of


    the men pulled out.¡±No, no, you said if I gave you information you would let me go. Please, I don¡¯t want


    to die.¡±


    The men chuckled, ¡°You think I would let you leave after you bit my ear off like a rabid dog?¡± Ruby


    closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Celeste, I just wanted to live. I hope you


    can forgive me one day.¡±


    ¡¤


    She looked at the men and said, ¡°I hope they make you suffer a slow death. My only regret is not being


    there to watch them do it,¡± Then


    she screamed and ran at them. She didn¡¯t get very far, he mmed the silver knife straight into her


    chest to the hilt. She fell to the


    ground, looking up at the roof of the cave, tears running down her face.


    I got jerked back and I heard Celeste gasp. I looked at her and our eyes connected. Then, as if in slow


    motion, she jumped off the window, shifting into her wolf half way down andnding with a small huff,


    and off she went in the direction of the woods.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52 ¨C Markus


    Markus POV


    Celeste!¡¯ I screamed my mind link at her, jumping off the window as I tried to follow her. As was


    going at full speed but I knew she was faster than us. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if she disappeared


    again.


    YOU CAN¡¯T LEAVE US AGAIN. PLEASE MATE. I CAN¡¯T LIVE WITHOUT YOU, As roared in our


    minds. The raw emotion and desperation are clear in his words. He was trying to catch up but both of


    us were in full panic mode, knowing that we wouldn¡¯t be able to catch her if


    she didn¡¯t let us.


    I know that ce. I am not running away. I need to get to her before she dies. I can¡¯t let her die thinking


    I would not forgive her!


    Let use with you. It¡¯s not safe for you to go alone.


    We said


    I¡¯m not. Look down. I can¡¯t slow down. It might be toote if I do. I left a trail.¡¯


    We looked down at the ground as we ran, wondering what she meant ¡­.and then we saw it. Small little


    fires in the shape of


    paws.


    Alpha, what¡¯s happening? Danny said Luna ran,¡¯ Gillian¡¯s voice came into my head.


    Are you close? Follow the fire paws. She knows where they took Ruby. We had a vision of it,¡¯


    As answered for us.


    ¡®Fire pa-¡® see them, we are a few steps behind you, As,¡¯


    Otto¡¯s wolf interrupted,


    ¡®They only make it out of this area dead or in chains. They will pay for the suffering they have inflicted


    on our people,


    Kara and Celeste¡¯s voices rang through my head and I heard a few growls of agreement around us.


    She wasmunicating with everyone through mind link at once, something only people initiated into


    their ranked roles should be able to do. Her Luna ceremony was still two days


    away. She shouldn¡¯t be able to do that.


    Mate is special. When are you going to stop being surprised ¨C


    As rolled his eyes.


    Fair Point, but I can¡¯t help it if I¡¯m f*****g impressed every time she shows us what she¡¯s capable of. ¨C


    Targued back.


    We can show her how impressed we are ¨C As purred,


    The moment I said those words, As


    You¡¯re a f*****g horn dog. Focus. The sooner we catch up the less chance she gets hurt seemed to


    pick up even more speed.


    We ran for about half an hour. We were getting close to the river and close to the edge of our territory.


    We made it out of the forest


    and I could barely see Kara¡¯s ck and red tail about a mile ahead of us. Damn but she was fast. We


    had only been a few seconds behind


    her when she jumped.


    ¡®We¡¯re almost there, Markus. They can¡¯t escape. They have to pay. I have never been able to change a


    vision. I know it means Selene will not let me heal her. This is meant to happen. We cannot let her


    death be in vain, Celeste¡¯s voice was strong and full of pain.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    It stops here,¡¯ I say.


    I¡¯m just out of range of them catching my scent. Are you close?¡¯


    ¡¯30secs from you¡¯As answered.


    ¡®Surround the cave. No one escapes, ¡®I instructed my warriors ¡®If you can, take them alive, but I rather


    see their heads rolls than allow


    them to leave.¡¯


    We reached the end of the cliff that went down to the river. I heard Ruby scream the same scream in


    the vision and I saw Kara jump into the cave with a giant roar. There was the sound of a scuffle and


    one of the traffickers could be seen running out of the cave and


    towards the river.


    One headed north,¡¯ I said.


    ¡®We¡¯re in position Alpha, he will not get away,¡¯ Gillian answered.


    be concerned. The second trafficker was crumpled against the wall, an arm could be found along the


    other side. Celeste was on the ground with Ruby, the silver knife still protruding from her chest. They


    were speaking in hushed whispers and then I felt the Pack link snap and her chest stopped moving.


    As gave back control as we shifted back to my form. I crouched in front of them and I squeezed her


    hand that was still holding


    Ruby¡¯s.


    ¡°Is he still alive?¡± She asked calmly. There were tears in her eyes but her tone was monotone. She


    wasn¡¯t blocking the bond


    connection, so I could feel the depth of her grief, but I didn¡¯t know if I should consider her calmness


    with concern or admiration at her


    ability to control her reactions to this terrible situation. I went over to the piece of trash wolf against the


    wall.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive¡­for now,¡± I said. The left over stump on his arm was still bleeding but not much. You could


    see the skin trying to mend


    itself.


    ¡®We got the asshole Alpha, everything OK over there?/ would like to escort it back myself to make sure


    there are no more surprises


    today.¡¯Giin growled.


    Celeste is fine, but Ruby is not. Come get this asshole as well. Celeste and I need clothes and we need


    to transport Ruby¡¯s body back


    to the Packhouse to give her a proper funeral.¡¯


    Thad hoped we weren¡¯t toote. She had already been through hell and back. She didn¡¯t deserve this,¡¯


    he sighed


    ¡®The best we can do now is make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again and take their whole organization


    down. We are going to rehaul the


    security measures in ce and I want to talk to Evergreen. It¡¯s time to up our security measures.¡¯


    ¡®Yes Alpha. I¡¯m outside the cave now with clothes for you and Celeste. We¡¯lle in once she¡¯s


    clothed,¡¯


    I grabbed the clothes


    quickly, my eyes never leaving the crumpled man against the wall.


    ¡°Celeste? Tuli, can you put these clothes on. Gillian wants toe take the prisoner to the dungeons,¡±


    I said as I put the shirt over


    her head. She put it through her arms and then put the shorts on. Gillian came in with another two


    warriors and they grabbed the


    unconscious man and threw him out the cave, where another pair grabbed him and began taking him


    back. I turned to grab Ruby, to see that Celeste was already carrying her.


    ¡°Baby let me,¡± I said.


    She shook her head. ¡°This is something I have to do.¡± i


    This is our penance. This is how we honor her sacrifice.¡¯ Kara¡¯s voice came through our head.


    ¡®None of this is your fault,¡¯ As answered for us.


    ¡®It¡¯s not about fault. You have your job and I have mine. My job as Luna is to care for the women and


    those that can¡¯t defend


    themselves. Your job is to make sure her captors face justice. Make them pay, my love. I will take care


    of Ruby¡¯s souli¡¯


    Celeste said.


    ¡°It will be done. No more she wolves will be hurt. I promise,¡± I said as I made my way out of the cave.


    One of the warriors came forward to take Ruby¡¯s body from Celeste but I stopped him. ¡°Ruby will be


    carried home by our Luna.


    Prepare the pyre once the prisoners are secure in the dungeons.¡±


    Everyone bowed their heads as we made our way back up the river bank. Celeste¡¯s foot gave way in


    the loose dirt and she dropped to


    one knee. I wanted nothing more but to run to her and take her burden, but she once again just shook


    her head and continued her trek


    up the cliff.


    As we arrived at the top, Danny came up with an SUV. Maya got out of the passenger side with a cry of


    anguish at seeing Ruby¡¯s body.


    ¡®Alpha?¡¯ Danny asked as he saw Celeste carrying the body.


    ¡®It is her choice and I respect it. She is the Luna and this is her right¡¯


    Danny turned to a warrior and handed him the keys. ¡°The Dungeons are ready. Treat them with


    prejudice, but make sure they are


    alive. We need answers and the council will want to question them as well. We will walk with the Luna,¡±


    he said. He gathered Maya in his


    arms and fell in step behind Celeste. I walked at her side, wanting nothing more than to wipe the silent


    tears from her eyes. Five warriors


    left with the traffickers in the SUV. Gillian fell in step beside Danny and Maya. The remaining warriors


    shifted to their wolves and circled


    our group as we slowly made our way back through the forest to the Packhouse. It took longer than it


    would have had we asked for


    another vehicle, but carrying Ruby home onest time was a sign of respect and honor to what she had


    been through. I sent a prayer up


    to the goddess on our walk home to allow Ruby to have an easier time in her next life.


    It was a 4 hr walk back to the Packhouse at our slow pace, but no one said a single word ofint.


    By the time we got to the


    Packhouse, a pyre was already set up and the pack was waiting with their heads down in respect as


    we approached. There were two people with ceremonial white cloth, water and washcloths to prepare


    Ruby.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    The walk back to the Packhouse was exhausting. Every muscle was screaming at me. Kara was giving


    me her strength to make it.


    When we got to the pyre, Markus finally stopped me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time, Celeste, we need to get Ruby ready to meet the moon goddess.¡± He said as he gently took


    Ruby from me. My knees started


    to give way and I felt two arms on either side of me, holding me up. I turned to look at Gillian and Dany


    on either side of me. Maya


    wrapped on Danny¡¯s other side.


    Markus gentlyid Ruby¡¯s body on the table. They quickly began the task of cleaning her body of the


    dirt and blood. Markus began helping the final set up of the pyre. I wanted to help, but my legs couldn¡¯t


    move anymore. My eyes were glued to the body of Ruby as she slowly became her old self. She


    looked beautiful and asleep. Once they were done, they wrapped her up in the ceremonial white


    cloth.


    Markus lifted her up to the top of the pyre, then he came up to my side and gathered me to him. I was


    about to move forward to send her to Selene when Maya mind linked me.¡¯Celeste, can I?¡¯I knew she


    was closer to Ruby not only here, but when we were in Blood Moon


    Pack.


    ¡®Of course¡¯ I said.


    I saw Maya move forward. Danny at her side. Markus looked at me and I nodded, so he passed the


    torch to Danny.


    ¡°Ruby was not always the nicest person but she was always honest. She liked to do things her way and


    hated being told how to do her job. It alwaysnded her in hot water with Alpha Geoff. She never


    screamed when she got beat. She was too proud for that. When she


    came here, she was softer, kinder. Like she didn¡¯t have to put up that front. She told me she wanted to


    be a warrior, she didn¡¯t want a mate, she just wanted to protect those that couldn¡¯t protect themselves.


    Like Celeste always did for all of us. She wanted to get strong


    and train. She would have been a fierce warrior. Selene, please help her be who she wanted to


    be.¡± Her voice broke at the end and


    Danny came forward and lit the pyre.


    We stood there all together until the pyre was nothing but ashes. Then Markus led us all into the dining


    room where there was a light


    dinner set out for us. As much as I wasn¡¯t hungry, I didn¡¯t want to worry Markus and the doctor had


    already scolded me once about not


    eating. I pushed some of my food around for a bit.


    ¡®Luna please eat. We need you strong. I can¡¯t lose anyone else,


    Maya¡¯s voice came through the mind link.


    I¡¯m fine Maya, I am not going anywhere,¡¯ I said and smiled across the table to her and took a bite of my


    food.


    ¡®Tuli?¡¯ Came Markus¡¯ tentative voice after dinner. We were sitting in the living room.


    ¡°Hmm?¡¯


    ¡®We need to question the prisoners. I would prefer you not to be there, but I won¡¯t stop you if that¡¯s what


    you want¡¯


    I need to be there, Markus. We need to put an end to this once and for all.¡¯


    ¡°You will need to let us do what we need to love. It won¡¯t be pretty. We can¡¯t show hesitation,


    As answered back.


    ¡®We understand. Do what you need to, I just have some questions of my own.¡¯


    ¡°Markus, we need to have that conversation with Danny¡¯s contact,¡± Gillian said into the silent room.


    ¡°OK. Then we head to the dungeons,¡± I said, getting up. This was everyone¡¯s cue to clear out of the


    dining room. Markus, Gillian, and


    myself started heading to the office.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in two minutes.¡± Danny said, leading Maya to the third floor.


    ¡®Maya, do you wish to be part of this? I could talk to Markus, ¡®I asked her. This was as much her fight as


    it was mine.


    I don¡¯t think it would be wise. I am not as strong as you. I don¡¯t have the stomach for what is going to


    happen in the dungeons. /


    would just be a distraction,¡¯ She said weakly.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, Maya. You have a kind soul. It¡¯s good that you won¡¯t let this stain it.


    That is what makes you a


    ¡®It¡¯s Mkai. He is one of Mrs. Wriley¡¯s grandchildren. His mom works at the Packhouse too. They


    often help her.¡¯


    ¡®Go see him. Make sure he¡¯s OK. Tell him we will make him whatever he wants because he was so


    brave,¡¯


    said.


    ¡®Yes Luna, he will be so happy. He devours everything you make,¡¯


    sheughs.


    Danny walked into the office. ¡°Is she going to be OK?¡± Markus asked him.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a tough cookie. Plus, our Luna is keeping her busy.¡± He said, smirking at me. Markus


    looked at me, a confused question in


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    his eyes.


    I just shrugged. ¡°Of course, she is officially my Gamma female in two days. We have duties and like


    Danny said, she¡¯s a tough cookie.


    She can handle it.¡±


    ¡®Thank you, she needed to feel a sense of purpose. She¡¯s been unhappy without duties,


    Danny¡¯s voice flitted through my head.


    ¡®She just needs to be reminded of how important she really is to everyone sometimes. I am d she


    has you, but sometimes being


    told you are enough by someone other than the person that was made to love you makes a bigger


    impact.¡¯


    Well, let me be the one to tell you today, that you are an amazing Luna and we are all the better for


    being in your life,¡±


    he said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done having private conversations with my mate, can we get the call going? We have some


    unpleasant business to


    noticed the zed looks on Danny and


    me. I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I slid my arms around him as I was already sitting on hisp. His


    jealousness was cute. Danny went red


    and started to dial his contact¡¯s number on thendline so he could put it on speaker phone.


    ¡®Do I want to know why Danny blushed?¡¯ Markus asked as the phone rang.


    Just having a chat about Maya and he told me I was amazing¡­you know. Normal things,


    teased.


    ¡®So you¡¯re going to leave me with those words without context? Do you hate Danny that much that you


    would let me kill him today?¡¯


    he asked.


    ¡®A little jealousy never hurts in the bedroom,¡¯ Ipurred.


    It hurts Danny,¡¯ he grumbled before we heard Gillian¡¯s cough. Someone had answered and they were


    waiting for Markus to


    respond.


    Danny tried to cover augh with a cough as we both realized we were caught. Gillian, it seemed, took


    pity on Markus and mind


    linked him the question because, suddenly, Markus cleared his throat and answered.


    ¡°Yes, we have them in the dungeons. We are about to go interrogate them but I believe the information


    you have may help steer the


    interrogation in our favour.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Markus, to be honest, the only thing I have found out is who these people are. I don¡¯t know that


    they will necessarily make or


    break your interrogation.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate any information you have for us,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Very well. The man with the long blonde hair is named Levi Garth and the one with dark hair is named


    Lucas Rogers. They belong to


    the Desert Moon Pack near Tijuana. Sadly, we haven¡¯t found a connection to the Blood Moon Pack.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, ¡°Luna Luisa¡¯s maiden name was Rogers. They must be rted somehow.¡±


    ¡°Cousin¡± Markus said, as if suddenly something made sense.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Danny said.


    ¡°It¡¯s what Lucas said while he was on the phone. He called the other person cousin! That must be how


    they are rted. Gillian, can


    you contact dad¡¯s contact from the council? Maybe he can look up the registries to see if we can


    connect them to confirm the


    rtion.¡±


    ¡°I will give him a call,¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°Thank you so much for all of your help, Todd. I¡¯ll be sure to let Alpha Rhett know how much help you


    have been to the investigation.


    ¡°Markus said.


    ¡°Thank you Alpha Markus. Danny, we¡¯ll keep in touch.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good man,¡± Danny said before he hung up the call.


    We stood in silence for a moment as Gillian made his call. Once it was done, and he confirmed that the


    council member would call us


    back tomorrow, there was no putting it off anymore.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go question the prisoners.¡± Markus said, his eyes shing ck, then back to grey.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I wish I could convince Celeste not to be down here for the questioning. It wasn¡¯t even that she would


    not be sensitive about seeing


    someone tortured, but I didn¡¯t want her to see that side of me. I didn¡¯t want her to be scared of me.


    As was worried what we were


    about to do would change how she looked at us.


    Celeste, are you sure you want to see this? We will have to do things to make him talk. Things we don¡¯t


    like doing but are necessary.¡¯


    We asked, onest time. Hoping she would change her mind.


    Kara said you¡¯re worried about what we will think of you when you torture the prisoners. Is she right?¡¯


    Celeste asked.


    I sighed, I¡¯m not going to pretend she¡¯s not right. We have to do things to make them talk. That usually


    means crossing a line I don¡¯t generally like to cross, but if I believe the ends justify the means, I will do


    it and I¡¯m afraid what these fuckers did is more than worth leaving my morals at the door. I will get


    justice by any means necessary.¡¯


    ¡®You don¡¯t have to bear this burden alone. You don¡¯t have to anymore. This is also my fight. Whatever


    we do tonight, we will carry the


    moral repercussions together. This torment of my people ends this week, no matter what needs to be


    done.¡¯


    ced my fingers through hers. Together then¡¯ I said.


    Always¡¯


    We entered the dungeons. The two traffickers were in individual cells. One was wearing silver cuffs


    around the wrists and ankles.


    There was a cot in a corner and a chair for questioning. The other one was wearing normal cuffs


    around his right wrist and on the ankles.


    There was a bandage over the stump where the left arm should be and it was permeated with blood. I


    had ordered they didn¡¯t put silver


    on him so he could heal enough to answer questions. He looked pale and in pain. Good. That will make


    it easier to punish him. I went to


    the blonde in the cuffs first, make him sweat. He won¡¯t break as easily, but it might scare the other


    already in pain into talking.


    ¡°Fasten him to the chair,¡± I instructed my men. The binds on the chair were not silver. It allowed me to


    hurt them more if their wolf


    can heal them. Gillian brought over a tray with torture instruments. I rolled up my sleeves. I turned


    towards Celeste. ¡°Stay out of the cell.


    The chair is secured to the floor but I don¡¯t want you anywhere near them,¡± I said as I pushed her to the


    corner with my body. I gave her a


    sweet kiss that way so no one could see, and pressed my forehead to hers. I closed my eyes, inhaling


    her scent. Ready As? I asked.


    Let¡¯s protect what¡¯s ours ¨C As growled and came forward slightly, both of us sharing control. I opened


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    my eyes and Celeste¡¯s eyes


    glowed with love at the sight of ours. I knew you could see one fully ck iris and one normal grey.


    I turned and entered the cell. Everyone bared their necks to us as they noticed the presence of both


    wolf and man. It was not something that could easily be achieved by everyone. It was a show of power


    and strength as well as a show of how deep the connection to our wolf was.


    ¡°You will tell me what I want to know, Levi,¡± Mine and As¡¯ voices were mixed together. Levi paled


    when he saw us and visibly


    started shaking when he realized we knew who he was. That part was interesting. What was so


    important about knowing who he


    was?


    Gillian do we have someone we can trust in the Desert Moon Pack?¡±


    I asked as I turned towards the small table of tools.


    ¡®Yes, we have a few.¡¯


    ¡®Find out if Levi has a family. That might speed things up¡¯


    ¡®Yes Alpha,¡¯ he said and stepped out of the dungeon, Danny taking his ce in the cell.


    I started small, a couple of fingernails, some broken fingers. I was mostly biding my time until Gillian


    had the information I needed to


    put things to the next level.


    ¡°You will tell me who hired you. Who is in charge of your trafficking ring,¡± We said as we punched him in


    the g¨´t, blood sshing on our face as he coughed up blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you shit.¡±


    ¡°Who is organizing the trafficking of the young she-wolves?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t traffic she-wolves, we simply resale trash. It¡¯s environmentally friendly,¡± he mocked. I


    grabbed the garden shears and cut one of the pinkies down to the first knuckle. His screams filled the


    dungeons as I removed the stubpletely.


    ¡®Alpha, he has a mate and a child. I also asked about Lucas. He doesn¡¯t have a mate, no parents, only


    some distant cousins from


    another pack¡¯ Gillian said through the mind link as he made his way back into the dungeons.


    Any chance you got some names?¡¯


    ¡®Yepp¡¯he said, popping the p. ¡°Alice and little Marissa. No name on the cousin but I believe Celeste


    already provided that for us.¡¯


    ¡°Who is organizing your operation? If you make me ask again, you will regret it,¡± we said, and jabbed a


    silver knife deep into his


    leg.


    He was panting after his screams died down. He red at me as I went over to the table again. I turned


    to face him, waiting for a


    response.


    ¡°That cunt of a Luna you have will never be safe again,¡± he spit blood at my feet. I sighed despite the


    anger his words made me feel. I


    turned to Gillian. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll need to ask little Marissa when she gets here. How far away are they?¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE f*****g LYING,¡± he screamed.


    ¡°I am not usually one to make empty threats. Youe into mynd, kill a pack member and threaten


    my mate. My Luna. Did you think the consequences of that were going to just be yours? Your Alpha


    Charles was more than willing to hand them over as long as we didn¡¯t dere war on his pack. He


    knows better than to get in the way of an Alpha when his mate is threatened. If I don¡¯t get answers from


    you, I will get them from Lucas. If he talks before you do, I will give him a quick death. Your mate and


    your child won¡¯t be given that


    mercy.¡± I turned and walked out of the cell.


    ¡°Wait! Wait a damn minute!¡± He yelled.


    I smirked, ¡°Oh no no, I spent an hour trying to get you to talk to me. Now Lucas gets a turn. You better


    hope he doesn¡¯t talk, then maybe we can talk when I¡¯m done with him and discuss just how much you


    want your child to live.¡±


    I walked into Lucas¡¯ cell. He was already strapped on the chair. The stump on his left arm was not


    bleeding profusely.


    ¡°I am not telling you anything.¡± He snarled weakly.


    ¡°Oh? But you¡¯ve already told us so much. We just need a few more things,¡± I said as I unwrapped the


    bloody gauze.


    ¡°We know you talked to your cousin just before you killed Ruby. Tell me, who is your cousin?¡± I asked


    as I pushed two fingers into the


    slowly closing wound. He screamed as he tried to yank his stump away from me. I punched him in the


    jaw to shut him up and I felt it


    crack under my knuckles. Blood oozed from his mouth as he slumped forward, passing out.


    s**t, maybe I put too much force into the


    punch. ¨C As said in my head.


    No, I think he just lost too much blood ¨C Tresponded.


    ¡°Wake him,¡± I said to Danny, who went in and pped Lucas. When Lucas didn¡¯t wake, he put on a


    glove and grabbed the wolfsbane infused water. I thought he would throw it at his face, but he had


    another idea. He poured it into a bowl and dipped the stump in it. A full agonizing scream erupted from


    Lucas as the pain brought him about.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Who is your cousin,¡± I said,ing back into the cell and putting on gloves. It was time


    to get to business.


    ¡°They are going to destroy you and your pack once they get their hands on your precious Luna,¡± he


    wheezed, letting out a cackle,¡±


    You have no idea who wants her.¡±


    I snarled. ¡°You will tell me what you know and then you will beg for us to kill you,¡± I grabbed the syringe


    with silver nitrate and


    stabbed his leg with it. I strapped a tourniquet to his leg, cutting off the blood flow. If the liquid silver


    reached his heart, he was dead, but


    until undid his tourniquet, his leg would be on fire. He would beg me to cut it off.


    ¡°Alright, guess it¡¯s your lucky night Levi. It might be a while before he gets used to the liquid silver in his


    leg. Let¡¯s have another chat,


    shall we? Gillian, put a gag on Lucas, he¡¯s getting a little loud.¡±


    I came back into the little cell. I took the gag out of Levi. You could see the hatred in his eyes. Too bad


    it came no where near my


    hatred for him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s chat, shall we,¡± I said, picking up the second syringe of silver nitrate and turning around. ¡°Or you


    can scream like your buddy there and I can ask your mate and pup.¡±


    ¡°You promise me you leave them out of this,¡± he growled, ¡°You promise me my pup will live and I will


    tell you whatever you


    want.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to bargain here,¡± I growled ¡°You¡¯ve cost so many women their lives. Why


    should I give your women any


    mercy?¡± I said. I was going to plunge the syringe into his thigh when Celeste came forward.


    ¡°I will guarantee the safety of your child. Your mate¡¯s life is forfeit as she knew about your activities, but


    perhaps your child can have a life with a foster family,¡± She said.


    Hope sprung into Levi¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, please. She didn¡¯t know anything. She doesn¡¯t know what we¡¯ve


    done. She thinks I¡¯ve been away on pack business. Please think of my pup,¡± He pleaded to her, but


    Celeste¡¯s eyes turned ck at his words.


    ¡°You dare ask for mercy for your mate when I just saw my friend being robbed of her life. Where was


    your mercy when you took


    ra, or Sophia or J? Where was your mercy when Lucas tried to rape Maya or when you beat


    me senseless after I stopped him?¡± She


    growled. Recognition and fear crossed through Levi¡¯s eyes. Someone came downstairs and gave


    something to Celeste and set up¡¯a tripod before bowing and leaving, ¡°No, you don¡¯t get to ask for


    mercy. Mercy will be what I decide you deserve after you tell us everything we


    want to know. If I feel like you¡¯re keeping something from us, if I feel you¡¯re lying, whatever little mercy I


    have for your pup will vanish. I


    will make sure it¡¯s turned rogue and left in the middle of the forest, defenseless. Just like all the newly


    shifted women you took all these


    years.¡± she said. Levi gulped and nodded. Celeste ced a burner phone on the tripod and set it up.


    She nodded to me before turning


    and heading back to the corner.


    ¡°So then, let¡¯s begin¡± I said.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55 ¨C Celeste


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I was having trouble keeping my stomach from emptying as I watched Markus interrogate them. He


    was just beginning, he wasn¡¯t actually doing anything gory, but it was the screams that made me sh


    back to the beatings I used to get and the times I was forced to


    watch the public beatings Alpha Geoff liked to give. Kara was doing everything in her power to give me


    strength, but I was beginning to


    regreting down here. I couldn¡¯t leave now though. I didn¡¯t want Markus to believe I was sickened


    by his actions, because I was not.


    This was necessary and I loved him the more for it because it took strength to do something like this for


    the good of the Pack. When he


    talked about Levi¡¯s pup, I knew without needing him to tell me that he would never harm the child. He


    would never punish an


    innocent.


    I could also tell that despite the despicable things this man had done to us, he loved that pup by the


    fear that took over him when it was threatened, so I yed my role of the soft Luna. I promised him I


    would make Markus give the pup mercy and this way we could forgo another hour of torture. I had


    someone bring me a burner phone to take video. I didn¡¯t know if this man would be alive by the time the


    council got here. This was too valuable to risk.


    Nice one Luna. Video will go a long way,¡¯ Danny mind linked as he came to stand behind the camera to


    make sure the video didn¡¯t stop recording.


    ¡°State your name, your pack and what you have been doing for thest 12 years to the surviving


    women of the Sky Moon Pack,¡±


    Markus and As¡¯ voices mixed together, both sharing control perfectly.


    Mates are really something ¨C Kara purred. She wasn¡¯t wrong. It was known for ranked members to


    ovep voice as they experienced


    extreme emotion, but it was rare to see a wolf and human sharing full control in harmony with each


    other and onmand.


    ¡°My name is Levi Garth, I am from the Desert Moon Pack. 12 Years ago, Lucas Rogers approached me


    to help him sell some prisoners


    from the Blood Moon Pack. I was given 20% of the sale cost on anypleted transaction. After the


    initial bulk of girls, we¡¯ve sold 1 to 2


    girls a year.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about these girls you¡¯re selling?¡±


    ¡°Just that they are she-wolves that are about to be exited from the pack. We pick them up the day after


    a full moon. We¡¯re given an


    i


    encrypted tablet that tells us where the meet is, when the payment has been received and who to look


    for. Once they are sold, I am paid


    via wire transfer to an offshore ount. Once the deal is done, Lucases and lets me know when


    we have to pick up another she-wolf.


    ¡°Who is in charge of the whole operation? Who gives you your instructions?¡±


    ¡°I am not supposed to know this. I¡¯m just muscle, but over the years I¡¯ve managed to piece things


    together. Luna Luisa and Beta


    Trevor are the ones that mostly interact with Lucas. Lucas is Luna Luisa¡¯s cousin. His father and her


    father were brothers. Lucas¡¯ father


    defected from Blood Moon after he found his mate as Alpha Geoff¡¯s father wanted to take his mate as


    his chosen Luna.¡±


    ¡°So Alpha Geoff isn¡¯t involved in this whole operation?¡±


    ¡°That Oaf doesn¡¯t have the brains for the sophistication of the operation to be the brains, but I have no


    doubt he is aware of what¡¯s


    happening. I heard Alpha Geoff and Luna Luisa arguing one day about one of the girls we were taking.


    Alpha Geoff was asking why it was


    necessary and Luna Luisa shouted that if he could keep it in his pants, she wouldn¡¯t have needed to be


    gotten rid of. I also heard a


    conversationter between her and the Beta about some pup they killed so that her daughter had no


    title. They believed the pup to be a threat to their daughter. Of the three women we took with us that


    time, one was visibly beaten and


    emotionally broken. She kept cradling her sweater, speaking to it as if it was a baby.¡±


    ¡°How many women in total have you sold?¡±


    ¡°52 women total.¡±


    ¡°Did they alle from the same ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were all omegas working in the Packhouse of the Blood Moon Pack. They were all


    malnourished, beaten and most of them


    looked barely old enough to shift.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would you agree to selling these women?¡± I asked finally. I needed to know why this was


    happening.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was easy money. These girls looked so malnourished and weak. They barely put up


    any kind of fight when they


    knew what was happening. I think most of them would probably even fare better wherever they were


    taken than where they were. It¡¯s what I told myself anyway. I just wanted the money. I wanted to give


    my mate and pup a life I couldn¡¯t afford.¡±


    ¡°What was it that Ruby told you about me?¡±


    ¡°She said that you were Alpha Cory¡¯s daughter. The one that Alpha Geoff and Luna Luisa had been


    looking for many years ago. I


    don¡¯t know why. It was confusing to me why it mattered, but Lucas insisted that you were special and


    we would get a bonus if we delivered you to Luna Luisa.¡±


    ¡°How did you get into the Packhouse? How did you know there were peopleing?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°We have a contact that cane and go as she pleases. She owns an Italian restaurant just outside


    the Packgrounds but doesn¡¯t


    belong to this Pack. Lucas knows her from school. We mentioned that we wanted to kidnap a she-wolf


    that had recently joined the pack


    and lived in the packhouse and she seemed very eager to help. Something about how she didn¡¯t


    deserve what she had worked to get for so many years. She took a bug and put it in thendline as


    well as another one in your office, Alpha Markus, but you haven¡¯t been in there for thest week, but


    yesterday we heard two females talking about you and Luna being gone in the morning and scheduling


    the caterers and some farmers to deliver. They were looking for some contact and when they found it,


    they used thendline to arrange the


    deliveries. It didn¡¯t take us long to find thepany and find a matching vehicle to follow them in.¡±


    ¡°Find Marcie, bring her here NOW,¡± As raged. His eyes had gone full ck. Three of the guards


    scuttled like roaches out of the


    basement.


    ¡®As, breathe. We¡¯re almost there,¡¯ I said.


    ¡®That b***h thought they were talking about you. I¡¯m sure of it. She will pay for everything, Markus and


    As¡¯ voice came through. I looked at Markus again and noticed he was back to sharing control of his


    human form. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡¯


    Tam here, and I am fine. The important thing is to continue the video. We have almost everything we


    need to take the Blood Moon


    Pack down.¡¯


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ As pouted, and I had to struggle not tough.


    ¡°Where is the tablet and burner phones you have for this?¡±


    ¡°Alpha, there were a bunch of items picked up from the cave where we found them. There¡¯s a few


    electronics among them. I¡¯ve already called Evergreen and he should arrive tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    ¡°So we don¡¯t need this piece of trash then?¡± Markus asked, grabbing the syringe again, making Levi


    pale and then we smelled the clear smell of piss. Markus put the syringe down and smirked.


    ¡°Hose him down and then put him back in the silver restraints. Put Lucas back in the restraints as well.


    The iron ones,¡± he turned off


    the phone recording and smirked at Levi again, ¡°Remove the gag. Levi can spend the next few days


    with his pal. We¡¯ll let the council


    sentence them.¡±


    He came out of the cell, wrapped an arm around me and guided me out of the dungeon. I leaned on


    him the moment the dungeon


    door was closed and he lifted my legs to carry me bridal style. I was so emotionally drained at this


    point. I just wanted to go to our


    bedroom and ask Markus to hold me.


    ¡°You did so well. Let¡¯s get upstairs and sleep. I need to hold you; to make sure you¡¯re safe in my arms,¡±


    Markus said huskily.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    All I wanted was to hold my Tuli for the rest of the night. It was almost midnight and I could feel her


    exhaustion, both mental and physical. All I wanted to do was take a shower and hold her in my arms to


    rid myself of the thoughts and actions that I had to make tonight and to assure myself that she was


    safe. I hated torture, but I didn¡¯t want to make anyone else bear that burden on their souls.


    As and I always shared control, which helped put the fear into them. Even Gillian said he was still not


    used to seeing As¡¯ one ck


    eye and my one grey.


    I picked her up and was heading to our floor when I saw Gillian arguing with the 3 warriors that went to


    get Marcie. sighed, I had a sneaking suspicion of what the argument was about. Gillian made eye


    contact with me and I knew my night was not yet over. I sighed and kissed Celeste on the forehead.


    ¡°Evil never sleeps,¡± she half giggled.


    ¡°I wish I could though,¡± I grumbled as I headed for the office instead. I was about to sit on the couch


    when I remembered what Levi


    had said about the office being bugged and I turned around to back out of the office when Gillian came


    in.


    ¡°Not here,¡± I said, ¡®Bugged remember? Not sure who might still be listening,¡¯1 finished through mind


    link.


    He grinned at me and pulled a small Tupperware out of his pocket. ¡°No more bug. I¡¯ve had people


    scanning the entire packhouse for bugs. All except your bedroom and personal office. I¡¯ve got someone


    waiting outside for your permission.¡± I looked at the Tupperware closely, I could see the little electronic


    bug inside.


    ¡°Do it now, I would like to sleep at some point tonight,¡± I sighed and sat down on the couch. I didn¡¯t


    want to let go of Celeste, so she


    just sat up on myp. Gillian¡¯s eyes zed over as he instructed them to scan our bedroom and office.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find Marcie,¡± he said. And even though I had already figured as much, I couldn¡¯t help the


    growl that made its way out of my chest. ¡°It appears she cleaned out in a hurry. The guest apartment


    she was staying at looks like she ransacked it. I called the restaurant since it was still open and they


    said she went back to Italy yesterday. Some type of family emergency.¡±


    ¡°Family emergency my ass. She knew what they had nned,¡± I said.


    ¡°I believe so as well. We will have to speak with the council. They are the only ones that can request


    her parent¡¯s pack to hand her


    over.¡± I buried my face in Celeste¡¯s hair.


    I took a deep breath, allowing the mate bond to calm my rage. ¡°Alright, it looks like that¡¯s all we can do


    today. Get some rest. We will revamp the security measures not only for everyday tasks, but also


    revisit the security measures for the Luna Ceremony. I don¡¯t want any more incidents of what happened


    today. They got too far in forfort.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have already asked Evergreen to revamp our electronic security measures. He¡¯s bringing his


    tools with him. He¡¯s also


    requested that while he¡¯s home, he be allowed to stay for the full moon run as it¡¯s been 4 years since


    he¡¯s made some rounds.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Good night brother. We will talk in the morning. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done today.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I only wish it would have had a different oue,¡± he said sadly.


    ¡°Gillian,¡± Celeste said, getting up.


    ¡°Luna?¡± He questioned. Celeste hugged him then. ¡°Thank you for being in our lives.¡± When she pulled


    back she smiled at both of us. ¡°We are going to be going to Mexico next month. Please make sure to


    learn some Spanish. I can help you with some of it, but I have been looking online and there¡¯s an app


    that will teach you how tomunicate. Can you do me a favor and download it? I would prefer not to


    be the only person tranting.¡± I dropped my jaw and Celeste only giggled. ¡°Come love. I think we¡¯re


    overdue for a shower and I am


    exhausted,¡± she said, holding out her hand.


    I took her hand and allowed her to lead me to the elevator, leaving a very confused Gillian still in the


    office. As we ascended, I finally


    looked at her still smiling. ¡°Do I want to know what that was about?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°I was just letting him know of a vision I had a little while


    back. With everything


    happeningtely, I¡¯d forgotten to tell him. Being the only person that understands Spanish will be


    exhausting, so I¡¯d like him to learn,¡±


    She said innocently.


    ¡°Mhmm, and why wouldn¡¯t you ask me to learn it as well?¡± I asked, not believing the exnation


    mouth.


    ¡°Well, I would like you to learn too, but you¡¯ve got me to teach you,¡± she purred now. Actually f*****g


    purred as she pressed her entire body against mine to stand on tippy toe and kiss me hard on the lips.


    It was a distraction. She knew that. I knew that. She knew


    that I knew. I knew she knew that I knew and I still didn¡¯t care. I picked her up and she wrapped her


    legs around my waist. I ran us straight


    I to the shower, tripping over my pants as I simultaneously tried to close the door with my foot and


    shimmy out of the stacks. Celeste


    threw her head back andughed as I tried to steady us, leaving her luscious breasts heaving upwards


    near my mouth. I took her n****e in my mouth through her shirt and she gasped, grabbing and pulling


    my hair, tugging it closer to her breast. I growled in approval as I took


    more of her breast into my mouth.


    I went into the bathroom and, still holding Celeste around my waist, I turned on the shower as she


    sucked on my mark, making me groan with the pleasure it sent straight to my d**k. I pulled us into the


    shower without waiting for it to be the right temperature or caring that we were both still mostly dressed.


    She grabbed the edge of the shower door for a moment and I hesitated, wondering if she changed her


    mind when she brought out her phone from her pants and lightly threw it into the dirty hamper so it


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    wouldn¡¯t break. She then grabbed my hair and crushed her lips to mine again.


    I closed the door to the shower and brought us both into the shower stream. She gasped as she felt the


    water hit her and I dove my tongue into her mouth, getting a moan from her. I mmed her against the


    wall of the shower. I extended my ws out and ripped the


    pants down the sides, then pulled the fabric right off her. Without missing a beat, I took my straining


    c**k out of my boxers briefs and


    sheathed it into her wet p***y in one thrust, making us both moan at the feeling.


    Tonight was not about making love. It was about feelingplete. Feeling myself inside her and


    knowing that she was safe and that


    she was mine. I thrust in and out of her with force and speed. I wanted to feel her p***y milk my c**k as


    it spasmed in the middle of her


    orgasm. I started feeling my balls tighten and I started pounding harder into her. I bit her mark and she


    moaned as her orgasm hit her. I


    felt her p***y constrict deliciously on my c**k, pushing me over the edge. I buried my face in her neck


    as we came down from our high.


    ¡°Gracias Amor,¡± she said and giggled. Iughed.


    ¡°I know that one,¡± I said as I kissed her nose.


    Igently pulled out and helped her stand. We removed our clothing and began the actual task of


    showering. Suddenly she turned


    around.


    ¡°The stuff! From the deposit box,¡± she said.


    ¡°It is all in the closet. Maya grabbed it all and ced it on the ind in the closet for us when we were


    retrieving Ruby.¡±


    ¡°Oh good. It will save a lot of time tomorrow with the dress. I¡¯m pooped,¡± she said and I nodded. We got


    into bed and I grabbed her


    and pulled her to me. Spooning her into me.


    ¡°I love you Tuli,¡± I murmured. I got back a gentle snore in response and I felt As¡¯ smugness at having


    satisfied our mate before


    also followed her into sleep.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter 57 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I woke up from a dreamless sleep to find the bed empty. I frowned. I didn¡¯t like waking up alone


    anymore. I need my morning dose of


    Markus¡¯ scent. Kara was already asking me to go look for him. I grabbed some clothes and went into


    the bathroom. I showered, changed and put my hair in a braid. I was about to go look for Markus, when


    I heard him calling me from our personal office. He had opened the


    door while I was showering.


    ¡°Good Morning,¡± I said, noticing Gillian and Danny in the chairs across the desk. A blush rose to my


    cheeks as I slowed my walk. I had


    intended to jump him the moment I¡¯d seen the smile on his face widen as he looked at me.


    ¡°Good Morning Luna,¡± Gillian said, trying to cover augh with a cough as I walked towards Markus¡¯


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    desk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him shame you, Luna. Nothing wrong with a little morning nookie. I had mine with Maya


    already. He will understand when he finds his mate,¡± Danny said, and I was sure I resembled a tomato


    more than a person right now and turned to just walk away when I felt Markus¡¯ arms around me and he


    dragged me back and onto hisp. I squeaked in surprise.


    ¡°How you two haven¡¯t gotten punched in the face before is beyond me,¡± Markus sighed as he put his


    face in my neck.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, desperate to change the subject but sneaking my own inhale of Markus¡¯


    scent into my body.


    Gillian¡¯s eyes lit up at this. ¡°Well, we were discussing the vision you told us about yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Ruby?¡± I asked, a pang of pain shooting through my heart. Gillian looked crestfallen at that.


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m sorry Luna, I forgot you had one yesterday about Ruby. I was talking about the one you


    spoke to us aboutst night


    before bedtime.¡±


    I scrunched my nose, trying to remember Mexico¡¯Markus mind linked. ¡°Oh right, did you download the


    app I suggested?¡± He smiled ¡°I did, especially after I got a file from Evergreen this morning.¡±


    ¡°We trust this Evergreen?¡± I asked.


    Dannyughed. ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t, he would know. Evergreen is a genius level security specialist and


    hacksworks for a hobby, but


    he is also my cousin. My mother¡¯s sister mated outside the pack, and we visited him and him us, often.


    He joined the pack only a couple


    of years ago after he became an employee for Markus¡¯ security firm and has done our electronic


    security measures every time we have


    asked him. He¡¯s never here as he likes to take an active part in implementing all of the security


    measures we sell to clients.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± ¡®I should find out more about what you do for business, I mind linked Markus.


    ¡°All in good time love. We can¡¯t push everything at you at once,¡¯ he said as he hugged me.


    ¡°What did the file say?¡± I brought us back to the topic at hand.


    ¡°He traced your bloodline back to Mexico City then traced it forward through both the male and female


    side. Most of your particr blood line has almost died off, but there¡¯s a few people in a small pack


    outside of Mexico City that are part of your same bloodline, albeit through the male side. He believes


    we may find more information there, as the knowledge would still be passed on in the event that a


    female was born with an ability. He is waiting for our go ahead to try to make contact and arrange a


    visit.¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I like him already. Can you forward me the file? I¡¯d like topare it to the tree we


    found in the PO Box.¡±


    ¡°Tree? What tree?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°s**t, I¡¯d forgotten about that,¡± Markus said and got up to go grab them.


    As we were waiting for Markus toe back. We heard rapping on the bedroom room door and then a


    very loud. ¡°LUNA WAKE UP,


    WE HAVE TO FIND YOU A DRESS.¡±I quickly put my finger to my lips to Danny and Gillian who were


    about to startughing and hid in the


    little closet in the office. I heard Markus¡¯ muffled voice as the door opened. I heard Kelly speaking with


    Markus and then I heard her voice


    in the office. ¡°Where did she go?¡± she said.


    ¡°I think she went that way.¡± I heard Gillian say.


    ¡°No, No, she went out the window when she heard your voice,¡± Danny corrected. I was trying not to


    giggle in the closet as Kelly


    ¡°Tuli¡­.¡± Markus¡¯ voice called before the door opened to reveal a frustrated Kelly.


    She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the closet. ¡°I have never in my life met two women that


    didn¡¯t like to go shopping. You


    are truly monsters.¡±


    I was dragged to the door and as I passed Markus, he dipped quickly to give me a good bye kiss.


    ¡°Betrayed by my own mate. Don¡¯t think this breach of trust will go unpunished,¡± I warned, and held two


    fingers in front of my eyes before I flipped them to point to his. He just chuckled and shook his head.


    Before she could drag me down the hallway, I stood my ground. ¡°Wait, Kelly¡±


    ¡°Luna, we¡¯re going to bete,¡± she said, ¡°I already spent 10mins corralling Maya,¡± she said, gesturing


    towards the elevator where Maya was waiting with her arms crossed over her chest.


    ¡°But I have my dress,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What? How? Did you actually go shopping by yourself?¡± She demanded, slightly hurt.


    ¡°No, of course not. I found my dress at the safety deposit box my mother left me,¡± I said, and we made


    our way to the bedroom


    door.


    I motioned for her and Maya to follow me. We entered the bedroom and I went to the closet. I brought


    out the dress and unfolded it.


    The letter came out of it and I quickly grabbed it and put it on my dresser. I held up the dress for their


    approval.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful Celeste!¡± Maya gushed.


    ¡°It is and it¡¯s perfect for the theme you picked. Put it on. We need to make sure we don¡¯t have to adjust


    it today,¡± she said.


    I went back into the closet to change. I put it on and saw myself in the mirror on the back of the door.


    The dress was perfect. It fit


    perfectly, and it gave me such a longing for my parents.


    ¡®Everything OK, Tuli?¡¯ Markus asked, concern in his voice, I can feel your sadness.¡¯


    I¡¯m OK. Just trying on the dress and I suddenly missed my parents,¡¯


    said.


    ¡®You want me toe in there and chase them out?¡¯ He said.


    ¡®No, I¡¯m OK. This is just the first thing I¡¯ve gotten of my mother¡¯s,


    Tresponded.


    ¡®I love you.¡¯


    I love you more,¡¯ I said as I came out the door to show Kelly.


    ¡°Whoa, you look seriously hot and elegant,¡± Kelly said as she circled me, ¡°And it looks like it was made


    for you. Fits like a glove!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Maya squealed.


    The door to the office opened as Gillian and Danny stepped inside. They looked at me with their jaws


    dropped, but then Markus


    could be heard trying to push them and Kelly squeaked before pushing me into the closet. ¡°Don¡¯t see


    her Alpha! It¡¯s tradition,¡± she said as


    she locked me in.


    ¡°f**k tradition,¡± Markus grumbled and then, ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m going. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t already see


    the dress at the bank.¡±


    ¡°Not the same. You can see her in the dress tomorrow during the ceremony,¡± Kelly said, and then I


    heard the door m. ¡°Luna,


    please change. We still need to find Maya¡¯s and my dress. We have a full schedule today and mom


    wants you out of the house as they start putting up decorations.¡±


    groaned and I heard the guysugh in the office. I had forgotten about their dresses. Well, at least I


    didn¡¯t have to try 100 dresses on. I could just watch and judge. I dressed in my usual jeans and t-shirt


    and headed out the door. Danny and Markus opened the door and gave Maya and me a kiss before


    going back into the office as we left. Kelly sighed as she waited by the elevator, ¡°You are luckydies to


    have found your mate so quick. I¡¯m almost 21 and still got zilch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the wait will be worth it.¡± Maya said, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine life without Danny.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. Life without Markus seemed so far in the past already.


    All three of us sighed and then started giggling at the mirrored emotions. We headed to the mall. Zack,


    Brent, George, and Gabriel wereing with us as guards. I hadined about the amount of


    attention 3 girls with 4 giant body guards would attract at a mall


    with humans in it, but after Ruby, neither Markus or Danny would let us out of their sight without a


    warrior and even Gillian argued with Kelly about heading out with fewer guards. It was sweet that they


    worried about us, but who would try anything at the mall?


    We went to three stores before Kelly found a dress for Maya. It was simply beautiful. It was a fiery


    yellow A-Line Off-the-Shoulder Sweep Train Chiffon Evening Dress with some intricate sequin design


    on the bodice with a slit going down the right leg. Danny was going to have trouble keeping his hands


    off her for the whole ceremony.


    Two storester, we found Kelly¡¯s dress. It was a forest green one-shoulder mermaid dress with a


    diamond cut out at one side. It was


    elegant and sexy. Something that always seemed to describe the way she was.


    Once we had found the dresses, we went to the food court to get some food. I was standing in line with


    Gabriel near the Chinese line


    up when I felt it. The hair was standing on end at the back of my peck. I supressed a shiver and looked


    around, trying to find the source of


    difort, but I saw nothing. Kara was pacing in my head, also feeling anxious. We received our food


    and went to sit with Kelly, Maya, Zack, Brent and George. We were sitting there eating and talking


    again and thought I saw a familiar face in the crowd but it was gone so quick, that I thought I must be


    imagining it. Yet Kara seemed tense. She didn¡¯t want to be here anymore.


    ¡°Luna, are you OK?¡± Zack asked, looking around.


    ¡°I just felt like someone was watching us. I¡¯m probably imagining it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is that what you felt earlier when we were waiting for our food?¡± Gabriel said, standing up and looking


    around. Their food forgotten, the boys all stood around us.


    ¡°You noticed that?¡± I asked and when he nodded I sighed, ¡°I am probably just imagining things. With


    what happened to Ruby. I¡¯m


    sorry to rm you all.¡±


    ¡°We will wait for you to finish eating and then we will head home,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°I am not really hungry anymore. Plus dinner is in a couple of hours. We should get home,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Plus, we need to fit in these dresses tomorrow anyway,¡± Kelly


    said, getting up and dumping the


    food in the trash. We all got up and dumped our trash in the bin, then started to make our way out of


    the food court when I caught a


    familiar scent. Familiar, but not enough for me to recognize it. It was too muddled from the food court


    that I didn¡¯t have a chance to


    really process what it was.


    The moment we got back home, Mrs Quinn pushed us into the conference room forst minute


    decisions and then forbade us to go


    to the back. She was quite adamant on it, and even made Markus ce a guard at the back-door


    entrance. I thought it was a bit extreme,


    but Markus asked me to y along. There had not been Luna since his mother passed when he was 5


    and the entire pack was over the


    moon.


    Twent upstairs to get ready for dinner. Markus said there would be several Alphas and guests arriving


    for tomorrow that had had to travel long distances. They would be staying for a few days for the


    ceremony. Tomorrow morning, the council would arrive. With the help of Kelly, I had chosen a few


    outfits for each day. This whole event would be a full formal wear event. I was working on my make-up


    when


    Markus mind linked me. ¡®First guest is at the gate. Could you pleasee down to greet them with me


    love?¡±


    On my way,¡¯ I said, finishing putting on the lipstick and looking at myself in the mirror.


    Ready Kara? ¨C I asked.


    My eyes flipped to ck for a moment as she said ¨C Born ready baby. It¡¯s show time.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter 58 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I wish the Luna ceremony didn¡¯t require the Packhouse to be so full of people. I couldn¡¯t wait for


    Celeste to be officially recognized as


    my Luna, my mate, my partner, but damn it if I didn¡¯t just want to keep her in our bedroom so I could


    have her all to myself.


    All the additional bodies made me uneasy as well. I was still on edge over what happened to Ruby.


    As was on full alert. Always keeping a link open to Kara so they couldmunicate. It had been


    really hard to let her go to the mall but I had kept in constant contact


    with Gabriel through text.


    Evergreen had arrived and we were going over all of the security measures we had and his


    suggestions. We went over the security


    measures for tomorrow as well, leaving no stone unturned. His new tech would be pricey, but worth


    every penny. The man was a genius


    and a master of his trade. Still, every 5 minutes or so, Danny, Gillian or myself asked the guards for


    updates via text. I knew they were probably annoyed, but I also knew they took their job seriously and


    with everything that happened, we were even being sent discreet


    pictures of the girls in the stores, looking through dresses. Mind you, Danny wasn¡¯t happy that they


    refused to share pictures of Maya in


    the dress she bought. They insisted that was a breech of trust and were not going to get in the middle


    of it. I found it quite funny after


    he¡¯d been teasing me about not being allowed to see Celeste in her dress.


    Now we were waiting for the arrival of the Alphas in my office. The girls were back home and changing


    for tonight¡¯s dinner. We were


    already dressed in cks and button-down shirts. Alpha Troy is at the gates,¡¯ Brandon, one of my


    guards, let me know.


    Treached


    ¡°Show time boys¡± I said, getting up.¡¯ First guest is at the gate. Could you pleasee down to greet


    them with me love? out to Celeste.


    ¡®On my way,¡¯ She answered.


    We headed out to the front of the Packhouse. Alpha Troy was a good man. We were distant allies. It


    would be a good start to the


    evening.


    Maya and Kelly came down first. Maya went straight to Danny¡¯s side and wrapped her arm around his.


    Danny¡¯s features instantly lighting up at her in her pretty sundress. Kelly stood next to Gillian in a blue


    silk shirt and ck skirt. I looked back at the door, waiting for my Tuli. I finally saw hering down the


    hall and I was mesmerized. She was wearing a white fitted shirt with loose sleeves down to her


    elbow, tucked into a red pencil skirt with big ck buttons down the sides. She looked spectacr and


    I just wanted to grab her and


    take her back upstairs. She smiled at me as she approached me. As she passed, I saw Maya sniff the


    air before blushing at realizing she was sniffing. When Celeste joined my side, I wrapped my arm


    around her waist and turned around to wee our guest. A faint smell of


    apples hit my nose but I assumed it wasing from the kitchen. Probably what Maya was smelling. ¨C


    As said.


    I didn¡¯t have time to respond as Alpha Troy got out of the car. ¡°Alpha Troy! Wee to Crescent Moon.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    We¡¯re so d you coulde,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you Alpha Markus, for hosting us. Maya! You look a hundred times better than thest time I


    saw you, my dear. I see you¡¯ve


    found your mate. I am d for you both,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you! It¡¯s good to see you again, Alpha Troy.¡± Maya said, blushing as Danny held her closer.


    ¡°And Celeste, considering you were half deadst time I saw you, I¡¯d say you look 1000 times better.


    Being a Luna suits you, my dear.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Alpha Troy, I¡¯m sorry you met me under those circumstances. I hope this meeting goes


    better,¡± she chuckles and I can tell she¡¯s already enchanted the older man. Alpha Troy was


    approaching 40.


    ¡°Alpha Nicks has arrived!


    ¡®Thank you, let him through¡¯


    ¡°Alpha Nicks ising. Shall we wait before we head inside? We¡¯re only expecting Council Member


    Matthias today. The rest won¡¯t


    be arriving until tomorrow morning.¡±


    mate, who I knew to be a very shy woman. I was actually surprised to see her here. She usually didn¡¯t


    travel.


    ¡°Celeste, Maya, may I present my mate, Kiara. My dear, these are the two girls I told you about, and


    I¡¯m sure you remember Daniel,


    Gillian and his sister Kelly. We met them at Markus¡¯ Alpha ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you Luna, Maya. Thank you for weing us into your home,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine. I believe I have Alpha Troy to thank for pushing for Maya and myself to be


    allowed to leave Blood Moon. You will always be weed in our Pack,¡± Celeste said, hugging her.


    Luna Kiara seemed shocked and stiff at being hugged, but then rxed and returned the hug. Alpha


    Troy beamed at her.


    Alpha Nicks arrived and after the introductions and pleasantries, we headed into the dining room.


    Once councilman Matthias


    arrived, we sat down to eat.


    Nothing in the food tonight had apples ¨C As mentioned.


    Yeah, weird. Must be something in her make up?


    I wondered.


    Must be. Smells nice with her honey and strawberry scent. We should ask her to wear it more often ¨C


    He said, wagging his tail. It was true. Thebination of her honey and strawberries scent with that


    touch of winters nightbined with crisp apple was


    amazing.


    ¡®Are you OK?¡¯ Celeste mind linked me, ¡®Councilman Matthias asked you a question.¡¯


    ¡°Sorry Councilman, I didn¡¯t catch your question. Can you repeat it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was wondering if you wanted to meet today or tomorrow about that private matter you mentioned


    over the phone?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, today if you¡¯re not too tired from your trip. I don¡¯t think I want to deal with unpleasantness


    tomorrow,¡± I said, and he


    nodded. We were chatting amicably after dinner when another mind link interrupted


    Alpha Markus, Alpha Geoff has arrived with his Luna, Beta and daughter. We have the daughter in our


    banned list. How would you


    like me to proceed?¡¯ I growled and the entire dining table looked at me startled.


    I got up,¡±Please excuse me. I have to deal with an urgent matter. Celeste, would you please join me for


    a minute?¡± I said, trying not


    to rm everyone. Gillian c****d a questioning eyebrow at me, and I shook my head slightly.


    We headed out of the dining room and I pulled out my phone. ¡°I have to make a call but I need to know


    what you want to do before I


    do,¡± I said, not wanting to actually say the words as I know this will ruin her night.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she said.


    ¡°Alpha Geoff, his Luna, Beta and Sandra have shown up unannounced. We had specifically told them


    they were toe for the ceremony only so that they could be put in front of the council when we


    presented our proof. I am not sure why they are here early. How would you like me to handle this?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Of course they would. Alpha Geoff likes to challenge orders as he believes to be above


    them.¡± She thought for a second.


    ¡°I think we should consult with Maya as she was just as abused by them as I was, but I would imagine


    we just put them in one of the


    empty guests suites. If we kick them out now, they might head back and take it out on the girls and they


    won¡¯t be here to face the


    council. I will link Maya, then you can make your call.¡± I nodded to her.


    Maya came out shortly after. I was surprised that Danny hadn¡¯t followed. ¡°Danny didn¡¯t want to rm


    the guests, I told him I¡¯d just let


    him know what was happening,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Maya, we are going to have to host Alpha Geoff, Luna Luisa, Beta Trevor and Sandra. Will you be OK


    with them here?¡± Maya paled


    slightly at the mention of the Beta, then sheposed herself.


    ¡°Of course. I will be OK Celeste. As long as they don¡¯t try anything,¡± she said, and then her eyes


    sparkled mischievously. ¡°You know


    Luna, while we have space to amodate the Alpha and Luna, we don¡¯t have any additional guest


    rooms. We will need to ce Sandra


    and Beta Trevor in the staff suites. The ones by the bathroom.¡±


    Celeste and Iughed. ¡°Danny has corrupted you. I do love that idea though.¡± I dialed the gate booth


    line. ¡°Let me speak with Alpha


    Geoff,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alpha Markus,¡± I heard the oaf grunt.


    ¡°Alpha Geoff, I¡¯m surprised you arrived so early.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well my Luna doesn¡¯t like traveling so close to a party. You know how women are. We decided to


    get here early. Perhaps catch


    up with our old pack members. Make sure they are being treated right,¡± he said mockingly. My eyes


    shed ck as Altas tried to take


    control.


    ¡°Well, I wish you would have checked with us first. I¡¯m afraid Maya and Celeste will be quite busy with


    details tomorrow. It could have


    saved you a trip.¡±


    ¡°No matter, we are here. Will you host us or should we find a hotel and hope there are vacancies?¡± He


    growled.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. We have a room for you and Luna Luisa, but we have all the other guest suites


    prepared for other Alpha¡¯s and


    theirpany that already RSVP¡¯d. I¡¯m afraid we will only be able to settle your Beta and daughter in


    two of the staff rooms we can make


    avable,¡± I said casually.


    ¡°You expect my daughter to sleep in the staff¡¯s quarters?¡± He screamed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is all we have. If you¡¯re ufortable with that, we can always call the local inn to see if


    they could find you a room


    and before you say anything, please remember we had agreed that your daughter was not toe into


    my pack grounds. We¡¯re doing


    this as a courtesy as tomorrow is the Harvest Full Moon and there will be many peopleing. She


    has a chance to find her mate and


    Celeste insisted she be given a chance to be as happy as we are,¡± I winked as Celeste who tried not to


    giggle.


    ¡°Fine, tell your guard to let us in,¡± he growled and handed the phone over.


    ¡°Let them in.¡± I said.


    I cut off the phone and sighed. I led the girls back into the dining room. ¡°Pardon my absence. Alpha


    Geoff decided to arrive early and I needed the Luna and our Gamma Female to help deal with the


    amodations for the surprise arrival,¡± I told them. Gillian¡¯s jaw


    dropped.


    ¡°Well, I believe that¡¯s my cue to retire to our room,¡± Alpha Troy said, ¡°Luna Kiara is ufortable


    around the Alpha and Luna.¡± He


    led an apologetic Luna out of the dining room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, Luna Kiara, no one could rte to those feelings more than those of us in this room.


    Please let me know if we can do anything to make your stay better,¡± Celeste said, with a hug to the


    Luna to try tofort her.


    ¡°I believe we will also excuse ourselves,¡± Alpha Nicks stated.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, can I wait for you in your office while you deal with the Alpha? I am having quite the


    lovely evening. I prefer not to


    have it ruined,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course. Kelly, would you please show him to our conference room? My office is currently


    undergoing some renovations.¡± Kelly led


    the councilman away.


    I turned to my friends now. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this unpleasantness out of the way,¡± I said, and I took


    Celeste¡¯s hand in my own.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter 59 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Alpha Geoff was here. A part of me had hoped to never see him again. I knew when we made the n


    to take him down that I would,


    but I thought it would be only from a distance until we were in front of the council. Now here we are,


    weing them to stay under our


    same roof. I turned to look at Maya. In outward appearances she seemed strong and unphased,


    though I had caught how she paled at the


    mention of Beta Trevor. I remember he had once promised her that the moment she turned 19, he


    would be the one to sample her first. I


    wondered if she was dealing with the same inner turmoil I was. I saw her take a closer step to Danny


    asi heard the SUV approaching.


    want a guard on Maya at all times. Beta Trevor is not to get anywhere near her,


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    mind linked Markus as I too, took a step closer to


    him.


    He looked down at me. ¡®Do I want to ask?¡¯When I didn¡¯t answer, he sighed, ¡®You will both have a guard


    at all times from now until


    everyone leaves. I am not taking any chances with them or anyone else that might think it wise to


    attack my future Luna. I¡¯ve also


    assigned Kelly one,¡¯ I squeezed his hand in response and took a steadying breath as the SUV came to


    a stop. The back door opened and


    out came our tormentors for thest 12 yrs.


    ¡°Alpha Markus,¡± Alpha Geoff growled as he helped Luna Luisa get out of the car. Beta Trevor was


    helping Sandra on the other side of


    the vehicle.


    ¡°Alpha Geoff, wee to Crescent Moon. I believe you have already met everyone but my Gamma


    Daniel here,¡± Markus motioned to Danny, who just barely nodded. I knew he was having trouble not


    running up to punch the man.


    ¡°Will there be dinner?¡± Luna Luisa asked out of the blue.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve missed dinner and the guests have all retired to their rooms for the night, but I can


    ask the cook to see if she can


    get something together for you.¡± I said.


    ¡°Nonsense. Celeste, you will cook. You already know what we like,¡± she said, eyeing me in my outfit. I


    saw Markus wanting to respond


    but I just squeezed his arm to stop him.


    ¡°I am not a cook anymore, Luna Luisa. I would appreciate you giving me some respect while staying


    under our roof,¡± I replied back as civilly as I could muster, trying to keep the rage out of my voice.


    Markus just beamed with pride next to me.


    ¡°But,¡± Sandra began and Alpha Geoff growled at her, shutting her up. She red daggers at me.


    ¡°That is fine. Could you please direct us to our suites. It¡¯s been a long drive,¡± he said.


    I called over one of the staff. ¡°Please show Alpha Geoff and Luna Luisa to the empty guest suite and


    then show Beta Trevor and Sandra to their rooms in the first floor,¡± I said to her, mind linking the


    specific ces of where to put them. And don¡¯t let them push you


    around. If anything happens,e to us,¡¯ I finished. She smiled at me gratefully and followed us in.


    ¡°The dinning table is just to the left here at the entrance. Breakfast will be ready at 7am. The cook is


    preparing some dinner for you


    as we speak. I will have someone deliver it to your rooms once it¡¯s ready. Please let one of my staff


    know if you need anything. We have


    some details to go over for tomorrow so we will take our leave. For the time being, no one is allowed in


    the backyard where the ceremony


    will take ce as they are still working on it,¡± Markus told him, ¡°Come love, let¡¯s get this over with so we


    can head to bed,¡± he said as we


    all headed to the conference room where Councilman Matthias was waiting.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting, Councilman Matthias,¡± Markus began.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. If we¡¯re being honest, I¡¯ve been gathering some information on my own after your


    father reached out to me and


    I didn¡¯t quite trust myself to be diplomatic.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Trust me, we all know exactly how you feel,¡± Markus sighed as he pulled me closer.


    ¡°What have you been able to find?¡± I asked, ¡°Maybe we canbine it with what we have before we


    present it to the entire


    council¡±


    ¡°Not a lot,¡± He admitted, ¡°I had one of my nephews who is good with technology to hack into their


    finances. It turns out that the


    but ever so often, there arerge deposits in their ount from offshore ounts.¡±


    ¡°We canpare them to the dates on the photos we have of the transactions. These might be


    payments,¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°We also have no record of Maya or Celeste in the pack registry. ording to the Council Ledger,


    Maya and Celeste are deceased,¡± He frowned, ¡°That will go a long way to damn them, but I did find


    one thing that concerned me about your investigation.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°I had my nephew send a drone to take some pictures. While we did see some punishments that I felt


    were a little excessive, we


    cannot interfere with how a pack disciplines its pack members unless there¡¯s proof of torture. But the


    pictures we took of the girls, while


    a bit underfed, did not corroborate what your report ims. The pictures from the exchanges don¡¯t


    really help either, they are from too 1 far away.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Danny asked, ¡°They were literally staryed. Every girl I saw sold was skin and


    bones and some were beaten half


    to death.¡±


    ¡°The pictures that we got back doesn¡¯t show that,¡± Councilman Matthias pulled out a tablet and showed


    us. The girls definitely looked a lot better, ¡°And the council will be looking to see the girls themselves.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows ¡°That¡¯s not how they looked like when we left.¡±


    Gillian suddenly cursed and we turned our attention to him. ¡°I¡¯ve been giving the Dr at the pack money


    to feed the girls. I never


    thought it woulde back to bite us in the ass like this.¡±


    ¡°Can you get the doctor to testify?¡± the councilman asked.


    ¡°Maybe? But he would likely need assurances. He has a family.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need that.¡± I said, sighing.


    I pulled out my phone. ¡®Maya, are you OK with me showing the pictures we took?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, if it¡¯s necessary. Whatever it takes¡¯


    ¡°Celeste?¡± Markus asked me. I had never shown him the pictures and I don¡¯t think he ever saw the


    extent of my body before I started


    gaining weight.


    ¡°When Maya and I got here, we took some pictures. But Markus, Danny, I need you two to sit down and


    promise me that you will not do anything rash. There¡¯s a reason I haven¡¯t shown these pictures. You


    need to promise that you will wait for the council to pass


    judgement.¡±


    ¡°I am not promising anything until I see what you¡¯re hiding, Luna,¡± Danny said, already getting worked


    up. ¡°Danny, you will ept her terms or you step outside¡± Maya said, moving to my side. We both


    knew what their reactions would be to


    the pictures.


    ¡°Celeste, you can¡¯t expect us to make a promise blindly,¡± Markus said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°I can because I know you. In fact, Gillian and Kelly, you need to make the same promises or you can


    step outside,¡± I folded my arms


    and looked at them.


    Kelly sat on a chair. Gillian sighed and sat. Danny and Markus were having a stand off with us. Danny


    you could see was having a


    private mind link conversation with Maya, asionally growling. He finally stomped over and sat on a


    chair and Maya went to sit on his


    As is trying to convince Markus, but damn if he¡¯s not stubborn ¨C


    Kara mentioned.


    ¡°Markus?¡± I pleaded with him.


    ¡°No Tuli, you can¡¯t expect me to say I will be fine with whatever you show me. You are my mate, I am


    allowed to be outraged.¡±


    ¡°Outraged yes, throwing away months of work and risk the girls still stuck at the Pack because you feel


    the need for revenge, no.1 can¡¯t have you storming off to kill Alpha Geoff, it would ruin everything and I


    would lose you. I would prefer you see these today so you¡¯re prepared for when we show the council,


    but if you don¡¯t give me your word, you can wait and see them with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Markus, she is right. There¡¯s more at stake than revenge. Think of all the girls she¡¯s trying to


    save,¡± Councilman Matthias


    tated. Markus pushed his hand through his hair and went to sit on a chair. I turned and started to


    connect the phone to the TV.


    Gillian, I¡¯m going to need you to restrain Markus,¡¯l mind linked him.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter 60 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you need me to do what?,¡¯ Gillian asked. I could hear the panic in his voice.


    ¡®The pictures are not pretty. As is helping Markus stay calm right now. That will change when As


    sees the pictures too,


    said.


    ¡®Yes Luna,¡¯ he said sadly.


    The phone connected and I went through the pictures until I found the ones I was looking for. I grabbed


    the remote to turn on the TV.


    ¡°These pictures were taken 3 days after we arrived at Crescent Moon. When I realized Alpha Geoff


    was selling my friends, I asked Maya


    to take some pictures of myself in case they could help free them and condemn Alpha Geoff. When I


    exined to Maya, she agreed to let


    me take pictures of her as well. Councilman Matthias, this is how every one of us looked before Gillian


    began helping my friends.¡±


    I turned my back on Markus and my friends. I did not want to see the looks of outrage and pity. I turned


    on the TV and I heard Kelly


    and Councilman Matthias gasp. It was a side view of my body, every rib visible, my stomach orck


    there of indented inwards. The next


    picture was of my back. Every bone in my spine protruding and scars littered the back. My legs had


    very little muscle. The pictures of Maya were almost the same, except she had fared a little bit better


    than me in terms of scars and food. At thest pic, that showed my body from the front, the raised


    scars from Sandra¡¯s ws on my stomach still healing, I heard the cracking of bone.


    I turned around to find Markus shifting with Gillian on top of him. I ran to him. I wrapped my arms


    around him. It would force As to


    stop shifting or he would hurt me. Gillian released him. The rest had stepped back, knowing the kind of


    rage As was in, they didn¡¯t


    want to be identally on the receiving end of it.


    ¡°Let us shift, Tuli,¡± As growled, trying to push me away without hurting me with his ws. I looked up


    at him. He looked like he


    was in pain from stopping mid shift, but there was so much anger in his eyes.


    I just pushed my head into his chest and cried. ¡°Please, As, it¡¯s not worth it. You already saved me,


    you saved Maya. Help me save


    the rest,¡± I told him.


    I could hear Kelly crying behind me and Gillian was now restraining Danny as Maya tried to calm him


    down. He was also mid shift. Markus and As were breathing so heavily. I moved my hand to their half


    covered fur back and ran small circles, hoping the bond sparks


    would calm him. Eventually, it seemed he did calm down because I felt his arms wrap around me and


    his face dip into my neck, kissing my cheek.


    I¡¯m sorry, he said, and I felt the dampness on my neck.


    It is not your fault. You are the reason why those are but a memory now. I am sorry you had to see


    them. This nightmare is almost


    over for all of us, thanks to you¡¯


    Councilman Matthias cleared his throat. I pulled from Markus but he wouldn¡¯t let me go. Instead, he


    allowed me to twist in his arms


    so we were both facing the councilman.


    ¡°I am sorry this happened to you and your people under our watch. Please add these to your


    presentation tomorrow. I can safely say, they will not leave this ce free wolves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Councilman. May I ask, what will happen to the girls once Alpha Geoff is under arrest,¡± I


    said.


    ¡°We will look to see if any of them have any family in other packs that will want to take them in. Any we


    aren¡¯t able to ce, will need


    a ce to stay.¡±


    ¡°I would like them toe here, with me. To our Pack. As thest remaining ranked member of Sky


    Moon Pack, they are my responsibility. We can house them, provide the health measures they need as


    well as therapy and education. They would be full members


    of our pack,¡± I said, and I could feel Markus¡¯ pride through the bond.


    ¡°I believe that request will be granted. As someone who¡¯s gone through it yourself, I believe you and


    Maya will be the most qualified


    people to know what their needs are. Now I must take my leave. It was a long flight here and I would


    like try to rest. Tomorrow will be a


    happy day, but it will be followed by a long one,¡± he said as he made his way to the doors.


    ¡°Councilman Matthias?¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha Markus?¡±


    ¡°I would like US,¡± he motioned to the group, ¡°to be the ones to retrieve the girls. They will find it easier


    to trust us with Celeste and


    Maya¡±


    ¡°That is an excellent idea. They can also remain here while we conduct the investigation to see if any of


    them have rtives in other packs. Good night,¡± He said and left.


    The moment he left, I heard something hit wood. I turned around to see Danny had punched a hole in


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    the conference table. He was


    visibly shaking with anger and rage, ¡°I need some air.¡± He growled and left. Maya tried to follow him but


    Markus stopped her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow him and talk to him. Go rest, you have a big day tomorrow,¡± he said. He turned and gave me


    a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    up in a while. As also needs a run,¡± he told me and I nodded.


    I went to Maya to lead her out and suddenly we were engulfed in giant hug. Kelly was bawling as she


    tried to murder us with her


    affection.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I knew you were mistreated but I didn¡¯t know how badly,¡± I turned to look at Gillian and he


    had a mixed face of


    amusement and restrained pain, like he was stopping himself from doing something and it was


    physically hurting him. I rolled my eyes


    and motioned for him to join us. He grinned and embraced all three of us.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to bed,¡± I told them, ¡°The stylist ising tomorrow and we all need out beauty sleep.¡±


    ¡®Will this take long?¡± I asked Markus.


    ¡®I would count on it. He¡¯s pretty broken.¡¯


    will take Maya with me to our bedroom. He can carry her down when you are both back,¡¯


    I told him.


    OK. I love you,¡¯ he said before he cut the mind link. I stepped outside the conference room to find two


    guards waiting for us.


    ¡°Maya, you¡¯reing up with me. Danny will get you when they are back,¡± She nodded and sniffled a


    little.


    ¡°Uh uh, none of that. He will be fine, he probably just needs to punch something for a while. We can¡¯t


    have puffy eyes in the morning


    or Kelly will kill us,¡± I said and that got a smallugh out of her.


    We slept in the bed together until I felt Markus¡¯ arms move my arms around Maya. I felt her body lift as


    I struggled to open my eyes. Danny gave me an apologetic look and I nodded to him as he left. Markus


    closed the door behind them and crawled into bed with


    me.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, yawning and curling up into him.


    ¡°Around 2am,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± I said.


    He was quiet for a little bit, then he kissed the top of my head. ¡°Yes, we will be. Two days from now will


    make it easier to know what


    you¡¯ve gone through.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± he said and we started falling asleep. ¡°I like your new lotion. Makes you smell like


    apples,¡± he mumbled in his sleep


    as I drifted off myself.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Chapter 61 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    It took Dash and As a few deer and ck bear kills to get their rage under control. A few times, I had


    to steer Danny and Dash from turning around towards the Packhouse. I knew it hit him harder. As bad


    as the pictures had been of Celeste, l¡¯d actually seen her before she was healthy. Danny met Maya


    when she had already been cleared to shift. He never saw her before that. It took a lot of talking down


    before I managed to calm him. We bathed in the river¡¯s cold water beforeing back to the


    Packhouse. He gently picked up Maya from Celeste¡¯s arms and headed back to their floor.


    I woke up early the next morning to someone banging on the door. ¡°Alpha, Luna. You both need to get


    up. We are having breakfast on time for once because the hair stylist ising in promptly at 1pm. We


    have a packed schedule and everything has to go right. You have 2mins to open this door, before I


    break it down,¡± she yelled through the closed door.


    ¡°Can we just banish her?¡± Celeste mumbled and Iughed.


    ¡°Gillian would probably hurt us if we tried,¡± I said, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. Her arms


    instantly wrapped around my neck and she deepened the kiss. I growled, feeling my c**k twitch. I


    started to move on top of her when I heard another knock on the


    door.


    ¡°1 min! Unless you¡¯re not very gifted, Alpha, you don¡¯t have time to do what I heard you growling to do!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we just banish both of them,¡± I said as I pressed my forehead to hers before moving off the bed


    and going to open the


    door.


    ¡°Good Morning Kelly.¡± I said.


    ¡°Good Morning Alpha, we need to go have breakfast with the guests. Mom has put me in charge of


    shoving both of you along so


    you¡¯re both ready in time. She¡¯s handling Maya and Danny, then we will switch at 3 so Maya, Luna and


    I can get ready and you and Danny and Gillian will get ready under mom¡¯s watchful eye,¡± She said as


    she went into the walk-in closet and grabbed some clothes for us to wear for the day. She had already


    picked for us. I rolled my eyes as I took them and headed to the bathroom to change.


    ¡°Wait! I have to pee,¡± Celeste yelled, and tried to beat me to the bathroom. Iughed and went into the


    walk in to change. Once !


    changed, I came out of the closet, waiting until she came out to brush my teeth and make sure I was


    presentable. I heard a weird noise in


    the bathroom before it opened.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just nerves,¡± She smiled as she went to sit on the bed to wait for me.


    ¡°Three minutes, Alpha. The cook just linked me. Your food is ready.¡± Kelly said and I rolled my eyes.


    Again. Today was going to be a long day if Kelly took her duties so seriously, which it seemed like she


    did. I loved this girl like a sister, but I just wanted to make Celeste my Luna, get Alpha Geoff arrested,


    go rescue the girls and then forget about the world in this room with Celeste. That wasn¡¯t too much to


    ask of a morning, was it?


    Maybe we can take her on a trip after? ¨C As said, wagging his tail. -Don¡¯t humans call it a


    honeymoon?


    Yes, I like that idea. We¡¯ll talk to Gillianter about arranging it. ¨C


    I said.


    We headed back down to breakfast. Celeste was wearing a turquoise silk shell top with a light, ck


    cardigan, blue trousers and some low-heeled ck pumps. She looked stunning as always. Her curls


    cascading down her back in a pony tail. We weed the


    arriving Alphas and Lunas and went in for breakfast. Some remembered her from when we were at


    Blood Moon andmented on how


    beautiful and healthy she looked now.


    We ate breakfast and I noticed Sandra kept ring daggers at her and Maya. It seemed she finally


    realized that they had both been mated to ranked members while she was not only still mateless, but


    more than likely mated to someone without rank. I saw her keep eyeing Gillian and Kelly sitting


    together. She was trying to figure out if they were together.


    ¡®Sandra is eye f*****g you,¡¯ i mind linked him.


    me, I might just throw up my breakfast all over her hair,


    he said and I almost choked on my toastughing. My face heated as a tew


    amused heads turned my way as I tried to clear the blockage with coughs.


    We spent the rest of the morning weing and settling in the Alphas and their people as they arrived.


    Celeste and Maya were


    getting pulled one way and another. Kelly kept flitting in and out the back yard to ask questions or


    dealing with something or other rting to the Ceremony. Each was always discreetly followed by one


    of their guards. They were smart enough to keep rotating between


    the 4 of them so that it went unnoticed by the guests.


    I was a little concerned over the fact that Beta Trevor and Sandra couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Celeste


    and Maya. Every time they came into view of the sitting room, they zeroed in on the girls. I was talking


    with one of the Alphas halfway through the morning when Maya came in through the sitting room and


    towards the kitchen, seemingly alone, when I saw Beta Trevor get up and follow her out.


    ¡°Maya, kitchen. Go now,¡¯ I mind linked Danny, who quickly excused himself and dashed to the kitchen. I


    heard a few raised voices and then Beta Trevor came back to the area they had upied, his jaw tight.


    ¡®Good looking out. Now I¡¯m going to go figure out where the damn guards are. Check on Celeste and


    Kelly,¡±


    he said.


    ¡®Tuli, are you ok?¡± I asked, nervous and angry that Maya was not with a guard when I specifically told


    them they were not to be alone.


    Ever.


    ¡®Yes. Is everything OK? I¡¯m with Luna Kiara. She seems to be avoiding the other Alphas,¡±


    she said.


    ¡®Is one of the guards near you?¡±


    ¡®Yes, Gabrielis. I think Luna Kiara might benefit from having one. It seems when she became Luna, it


    was not pleasantly received and


    she¡¯s still afraid of them,¡¯s he said.


    ¡®I will make sure one is assigned to her so she feels safer. Make sure you¡¯re always followed by one. I


    don¡¯t trust your old Beta. I love


    you. Come sit with me when you have a chance.¡¯


    ¡°I love you more,¡¯ she said, and we ended the mind link.


    ¡®Kelly, are you OK? Do you have a guard near you?¡¯ Tasked.


    ¡®Yes Alpha, he¡¯s currently helping me hang some decorations that fell with the windst night. Is


    everything OK?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, just checking in,¡¯ I said and cut off the mind link.


    Celeste and Kelly are both with guards. Did you figure out what happened?¡¯


    I asked Danny.


    ¡°Yes,¡¯he growled, ¡®Maya sent him away to get more wine from the cer. She is a little shaken up that


    Beta Trevor would try to get her


    alone. The asshole had promised to take her once she turned of age and now I¡¯m just trying to get her


    to calm down and me before I go


    in there and beat the s**t out of the man.¡¯


    Just a few more hours, brother,¡¯


    I¡¯m counting the minutes,¡¯ he halfughed.


    ¡°Alpha, the rest of the council has arrived together. One of my gate guards mind linked.


    ¡®Thank you, let them through.¡¯ I said. ¡®The council is here.¡¯ I mind linked Kelly, Dad, Giin, Celeste,


    Danny and Maya at once.


    ¡°The rest of the council has arrived. You¡¯re wee to join us outside as we wee them,¡± I told the


    room. Most followed behind us, Sandra falling in step with Gillian as he passed and trying to get a


    conversation going, but Kelly came up and wrapped her arm


    through his and led him away. Sandra red at their backs. I looked at Kelly as they fell in step with us


    as Celeste, Maya and Danny joined


    the group. My father behind them with Marie. She winked at me and I smirked.


    ¡°Councilmen, Wee to Crescent Moon Pack. We are honored you epted our invitation to see my


    mate be my Luna,¡± I said


    as they starteding up the steps.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, how could we miss such a momentous asion? The Crescent Moon Pack has been


    without a Luna for far too long,¡±


    one of them said.


    ¡°And with all due respect, may I add that she is truly a rare beauty,¡± Councilman John said. He was my


    least favorite of the bunch and


    the way he eyed Celeste had As stirring in anger under my skin. I felt Celeste shift ufortably


    next to me, getting just a little closer


    ¡°Well, shall we go inside? I believe we are still in time for lunch and I¡¯m afraid we haven¡¯t had the


    chance,¡± One of the councilmen


    broke the tension, sending a small re at Councilman John.


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re still missing a couple of Alpha¡¯s. I am at your service for anything you may need.


    Celeste has arranged your suites and every staff member here should be able to help you find it. Lunch


    is at noon, and I¡¯m afraid at 2, we will have to take our leave to be ready for the ceremony which starts


    at 5pm,¡±I told them as we walked back into the dining room. The Alphas and the councilmen were


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    using this opportunity to talk some business. Lunch was fairly informal, small groups littering the


    for more than a couple of minutes. I was taking notice of everyone that


    did so I could be sure to look to see if there were any issues from those Packs.


    ¡°Alpha, it¡¯s time.¡± Gillian¡¯s mom approached me with Danny and Gillian on her toes.


    ¡°Go, son, Alpha Rhett and I will keep down the fort for you.¡± Dad said. I nodded as I watched Kelly,


    Maya and Celeste being followed by all four guards.


    See you soon Tuli¡¯


    ¡®We should just run away together. There¡¯s too many people here.¡¯s


    he said and Iughed through the link.


    want everyone to see that I¡¯m the luckiest wolf alive to have you by my side,¡¯


    said.


    ¡®You sure know how to take the fight out of a girl,


    sheughed, I will see you in 3 hrs. I love you.¡¯


    ¡®Love you more.¡¯ I said as we headed to Gillian¡¯s floor to get ready.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Chapter 62 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°Kelly, can we be done? I need to peel¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine, go pee, but we¡¯re not done!¡± she said, and one of the girls working on my hair let me up. Kelly


    had decided she wanted my hair straightened for this and two of the hairstylists had been tackling a


    side of my hair each. We were about an hour in and they still needed to do about a third of my hair.


    Naturally curly, my hair reached my butt, but the hair they had managed to straighten went past my


    knees. Kelly had opted for doing her own makeup in order to get her stylist to help with Maya¡¯s hair. My


    makeup was being done by a third, who


    would then do Kelly¡¯s hair. Kelly had said she didn¡¯t matter as she wasn¡¯t in the ceremony, but I had a


    gut feeling she¡¯d find her mate.


    tonight and I insisted she get it done too.


    Thirty minutester, I was finally deemed ready for the ceremony and the girls were working on Kelly. I


    went into the walk-in closet and slipped on the dress. When I came out, I finally grabbed the letter from


    the dresser and sat down on the bed to read.


    Celeste, my little piece of sky,


    The day you were born, I had a vision. This isn¡¯t normally my power, but I believe Selene allowed me to


    tap into yours. I saw your Luna Ceremony. I saw the beautiful, strong Luna you will be. I am so


    proud of you, my daughter. As / watch you grow, I see glimmers of the woman you are.


    I also saw that your father and I were not at the ceremony. Only one thing could have kept us away. I


    am sorry that you will lose us. /


    hope you know we would have done anything to have been there. Stay safe, trust your mate. He looks


    like a good man. I know the future


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ahead is going to have some rough moments, but you can ovee anything. Find your allies. I know


    you can put an end to what has


    gued our bloodline for so many generations. I hope this day is everything you hope for. Know that


    your father andre and always will


    be proud to be your parents. You can always find us in the wind and in your heart. Give them hell little


    one.


    Love,


    Mom.


    ¡°Celeste? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maya asked. I blinked several times, making sure I didn¡¯t cry and my eyes


    stopped glowing. Maya and Kelly


    were looking at me concerned.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong. Just reading a letter my mother left me with the dress,¡± I said. I felt Markus pull on


    the mind link. Iam fine love.


    Just emotional today,¡¯ I told him.


    ¡°Do you need a moment? We only have a few minutes. I can ask mom to wait,¡± Kelly asked, and I


    shook my head. I put the letter on


    my nightstand and put my nude wedges on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to wait to be Markus¡¯ Luna,¡± I said, Maya smiled and hugged me.


    ¡®I¡¯m going crazy waiting to see you Tuli, Markus¡¯ voice filled my head.


    Just a little while longer,¡¯ I said.


    ¡°Luna, Maya, It¡¯s time. Mom¡¯s ready for us.¡± Kelly said.


    Maya wrung her hands nervously. I put my arm around her shoulders. ¡°Danny¡¯s jaw will drop when he


    sees you,¡± I said.


    She looked beautiful. They had gathered her hair upwards with a delicate band around the crown of her


    head, her bangs flowing


    down the side of her face. I had opted to let her borrow the amber jewelry I had picked up from the


    deposit box. It just looked right with


    her dress. Her makeup was a smoky yellow and orange ombre with nude lips.


    Kelly¡¯s hair was elegantly swept to the side. She had applied metallic green with ck eyeshadow that


    almost looked like a masterful shimmery oil spill. Her bright red lips.and dress made her look like she


    was headed to a red carpet event.


    I had a gold and ck ombre eyeshadow and maroon lips. Itplimented my tanned skin and dress.


    When the light hit me just


    right, I looked like I was on fire.


    We headed down to the first floor where Mrs Quinn was waiting for us. She smiled and teared up when


    she saw us.


    of words and then she got right down to business. ¡°We have about two hours before the sun sets and


    the moon begins to peak. We have a


    wall temporarily set up on the right side so you can take your ce behind the stage area. We don¡¯t


    want anyone seeing you before the Ceremony. Maya and Danny will be called up first. Luna, you will


    be allowed to watch from the side of the stage, Markus will be on the


    other side of it so he can¡¯t peek.¡±


    ¡°Is it really necessary to be separated that long? Why can¡¯t we just watch together?¡± I asked. I hated


    being away from Markus for so


    long. It gave me an upset stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s tradition,¡± she insisted. I sighed and nodded. ¡°Once the Gamma oath ispleted by councilman


    Matthias, Maya, you and Danny have seats in the front row. We will call you up Celeste, and you can


    take your oath as Luna. Shortly after that, we will get ready for


    the Full Moon Run and there will be dinner after. I¡¯m so proud of you girls and Kelly dear, you look


    amazing,¡± she said, hugging her


    daughter.


    ¡°Thanks mom!¡± she said brightly and headed out to the seating area.


    We followed Mrs Quinn to the stage area. I could barely see the stage from where I was but Mrs Quinn


    wasn¡¯t budging.


    Councilman Matthias stood up and called Maya and Danny up. Maya and Danny performed their oaths


    to each other and the entire pack cheered. I was cheering with the rest of them, trying not to tear up


    because I knew Kelly would have some words for me if I messed


    up my make-up.


    Finally, Councilman Matthias called us up. I went up the steps and saw him. He was the most


    handsome man in the world to me, and


    !


    he was all mine. He was wearing a ck Armani suit. It looked like it was made for him ande to


    think of it, it probably was. He had a


    maroon undershirt and matching handkerchief and tie. He looked like a god and he smiled so big when


    he saw me. I was mesmerized.


    His eyes turned ck, before one of them went back to grey. As and Markus, our mates, were both


    present.


    I let Kara push forward with me. Meeting our mate in the middle of the tform.


    ¡°Hello mates,¡± As and Markus said.


    ¡°Hello mates,¡± I said and closed the distance, still having to stand on my tippy toes to kiss him even


    with the heels.


    ¡°Ahem, the kisses after the oath¡­¡± Councilman Matthias said and the crowdughed as we broke


    apart.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter 63 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Thad seen the dress on the hanger for thest three days. In fact, Kelly had even brought it in when I


    was being measured for my suit. She wanted to make sure it matched the colors, but I had never


    expected it to look like that on her body. I was absolutely stupefied. As was the one making us walk


    to our mate. I could barely speak as I saw hering up the stairs and to the stage. All I could do was


    grin like an i***t. The dress was a halter top with a sliting down the middle between her


    magnificent breasts all the way down to her


    navel. There was a wraping out from the cor that wrapped around the backless dress into a v.


    The entire dress fit her like a second


    skin and was covered in a few different shades of maroon beading. Starting at the navel, there were


    curtains of white beading in an upside-down v going all the way down to the end of the dress. Her usual


    ck curls had been straightened down. Her hair like a veit ¡ª


    reaching down past her knees. Her make-up against her dark olive skin made her look like a


    seductress. All I wanted to do as As led us


    to the center of the stage was throw her over my shoulder and take her away from every male¡¯s hungry


    eyes.


    I smiled when I saw that she had let Kara forward with her. I didn¡¯t know she could do that on


    surprised. When she closed the distance and kissed me, I felt like the luckiest wolf in the world. There


    was not an ounce of shame as


    Councilman Matthias made a joke about the kiss. Celeste took a step back, grinning up at me.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin. A Luna ceremony is one of our most sacred traditions. It¡¯s an introduction the Alpha


    makes to his pack to present


    his mate, but it is also a promise the Luna makes to put her pack above everything else. Shemits


    to her pack, its people and its


    future.¡±


    He passed a silver dagger to me and held a chalice out. I cut a slit on the palm of my hand and made a


    fist, allowing the blood to drip


    down into the cup.


    ¡°I, Alpha Markus David Salonen of the Crescent Moon Pack, ept you, Celeste, as my destined mate


    and Luna. I promise to protect


    and cherish you as my Luna, my mate, my partner. I will share with you my life, my pack, my heart. I


    vow to protect you with my heart, my ws and my life,¡± I said, and I saw her eyes water. Don¡¯t cry.


    You¡¯ll make Kelly mad¡¯ I said to her as I handed her the knife. Sheughed a


    little, then looked me in the eye and took a steadying breath. We had rehearsed how she would do this


    part.


    ¡°I, Celeste Aurora Derosa, daughter of thete Alpha Cory and Luna Be Derosa of the Sky Moon


    Pack, ept you, Markus as


    my destined mate. My Alpha.¡± There were a few gasps and whisperings and I could see from the


    corner of my eyes how Luna Luisa¡¯s and


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    Alpha Geoff¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger. ¡°I ept my position as your Luna, promising to put their well


    being first, caring for our pack from


    the smallest pup to the oldest wolf. I will share with you my life and my heart. I trust you with both. I


    take into my heart the pack you¡¯ve


    chosen to share with me. I promise to love them and cherish them as the family they have already


    be.¡± She cut a slit in her hand and


    let the blood drip into the chalice.


    Councilman Matthias brought the cup over to me and I took a sip, then he passed her the cup. The


    moment she took a sip, I felt her


    position as Luna snap into ce. I could hear my people wee their new Luna over the link. ¡°I


    present to you, Luna Celeste Derosa


    of the Crescent Moon Pack,¡± Councilman Matthias said, and as our people howled, I felt a current of


    wind surrounding us both.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I heard Celeste and Kara whisper as her hair floated in the wind.


    ¡°Now you may kiss her Alpha Markus,¡± Councilman Matthias said. I grinned and brought her to me,


    wrapping her up in my arms and


    pouring all of my love into the kiss. Once we separated, I turned to the crowd. I could see the moon


    about to peek out of the clouds.


    ¡°I would like to thank everyone that could make it. We have a little bit of a twist to our celebration. As


    you may see, there are stuffed


    animals on the tables. Celeste and Maya hold children very dear in their hearts, so we have decided to


    share this night with them. Please hand out toys you see around the tables and decorations to the


    children. Lunas and Alphas, there are toy containers at the end of the tables. Please feel free to give


    them out to the children running about. While most of the children here are with their families, we also


    have in attendance the children from the Orphanage. They are well taken care of, but there¡¯s no such


    thing as enough love for those that have lost their loved ones. I encourage you to get to know them.


    Now, we have provided some makeshift changing rooms to the side here


    with tear-away clothes for those of you that do not wish to change in front of others. Once we return,


    we will have dinner and -¡±


    particr stood out from the rest. Alpha Rhett had run straight in front of Kelly and roared, ¡°Mate.¡± I


    smiled at Celeste, who looked like


    she wanted to jump for joy to see them mated,


    Once the noise had settled, I said, ¡°As I was saying before our blessed moon goddess Selene decided


    to make an entrance a minute


    ne


    early,¡± I chuckled at my own joke, making everyone elseugh with me. ¡°Once we return, we will have


    dinner and celebrate not just our new Luna, but the many pairings that Selene has blessed our packs


    with. Also, I¡¯d like to be the first to break the news that Alpha Rhett is officially out of the singles market


    and has been mated with our own Beta female, Kelly Quinn,¡± I finished. Alpha Rhett seemed surprised


    that I would share the attention with him but quickly recovered and howled at the moon with joy. ¡°Now


    let¡¯s get ready for the Harvest


    Moon run. Please meet me at the clearing in 5 minutes,¡± I said, and everyone started to move about,


    removing clothes and putting on the


    tear-away clothes.


    Because we had so many high ranking members, we had decided to provide tear-away clothes to


    avoid any potential problemas.. Celeste grabbed my hand and led me off the tform to a set of tear-


    away clothes waiting for us. We changed out of our clothes and put


    them in a basket under the tform. We had been told by Mrs Quinn that it was put there for our


    clothes.


    We made our way to the clearing we had for the runs. Celeste and I stood at the front, with many Alpha


    and Lunas and councilmen at


    the far left. Gillian, Danny and Maya to my immediate left and my father and Marie to my right. ¡°SHIFT,¡±


    I shouted, not using my Alphamand as that would be considered a challenge to the visiting pack


    leaders. Celeste and I shifted to our wolves and howled at the moon, signaling the beginning of the run


    as we took off at the head of the crowd. We ran through the forest. I could feel the joy of my pack at


    running under the moon goddess¡¯ light and their joy at following behind their Luna. I sat back and


    enjoyed Kara and As leading our people around the property.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chapter 64 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    We made our way back and retrieved our clothes before we shifted. I wasn¡¯t going to be wearing the


    jacket of my suit or the tie for


    the rest of the evening. I put on my shirt and I was buttoning it up when Celeste pulled me down by the


    shirt and crashed her lips into


    mine, making me stumble into her and I had to grab her to stop us from going to the floor. I quickly


    crushed her body to mine and


    growled as I pushed her to the back of the stage. My hands went to her ass as I lifted her to me. She


    couldn¡¯t wrap her legs around me as


    her dress didn¡¯t allow her that much movement. Instead, she wrapped the one leg on the side that had


    a slit on her dress and leaned her body into mine, grinding up against my hardening c**k as I shoved


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    my tongue in her mouth, tasting her. I couldn¡¯t get enough of her. If


    this dress was not a gift from her mother, I would rip it off and take her.


    Markus, we can¡¯t start eating without you or our Luna, so don¡¯t be thinking you can y hooky,¡¯


    Gillian teased over the mind link.


    Igroaned and pulled away from Celeste. ¡°I want nothing more than to make sweet sweet love to you,


    but I¡¯ve just been advised we can¡¯t y hooky to our own celebration dinner,¡± I told Celeste as I pulled


    away, trying to adjust my clothes. Celeste giggled and blushed and then turned around, sweeping her


    long hair over her shoulders for me to pull up the zipper that went down her glorious ass. I pulled it up


    slowly, letting my fingertips brush up against her skin. I felt her shiver. I grabbed her by the waist and


    led her to the table. I noticed Kelly sitting next to Rhett looking like they were in their own little world.


    ¡®Enjoy the party, they will be with us the rest of the night,


    told my warriors who were still standing near the girls.


    ¡®Thank you Alpha,¡¯ they responded and went to join their families and friends in the celebration.


    I switched my attention back to my little seductress, ¡®You didn¡¯t tell me Kelly would be Alpha Rhett¡¯s


    mate,¡¯ Iscolded my Tuli.


    Sheughed, I didn¡¯t know it would be her. Selene just told me all of our close friends and allies would


    find their mates. That the


    mate bond will make them strong and happy. That this will help us in the struggles ahead.¡¯


    ¡®Wait, does that mean that Gillian will find his soon too?,


    Tasked, excited for him. I know even though he put on a good face, he


    wanted nothing more than to find his mate.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ she said mischievously, but didn¡¯t borate.


    ¡®Tuli, do you know who Gillian¡¯s mate is.


    I asked.


    She shook her head as one of the children from the Orphanage came over and gave her a red wild


    flower that must have been on


    one of the teddy bears and put it in behind her ear. ¡®All she gave me was a hint and I¡¯m not sharing,¡¯s


    he told me as she bent and gave the


    little boy a kiss. She looked back up at me and smiled.


    Keep smiling like that and I¡¯m going to say damn the rules and take you upstairs,¡¯ said and she


    blushed, but before she could respond, they began serving our food. We were all chatting amicably,


    except for the Blood Moon Pack. They were mostly by themselves near the end of the table. Sandra,


    however, was flirting with every possible member of the table that didn¡¯t have a mate. Even the kids


    avoided their area of the table as they ran around with their toys, ying together and ying with a


    few Lunas.


    I looked over at Celeste. She was eating with a lot of energy, practically wolfing down her food as she


    chatted amicably with Alpha


    Troy and Luna Kiara, who looked a little more rxed as she yed with a 4-year-old little boy who


    had lost his parents in an attack a


    couple of years ago. I made conversation with a few of the Alphas. A couple of Lunas even noticed the


    decorations and mentioned how


    novel of an idea it was to use all-natural decorations for the Harvest Moon. I mentioned the fact that the


    food was to be donated to a


    local food bank and a couple of themplimented us on such a creative idea. It wasn¡¯t until the party


    was thinning out that I requested all of the Alphas for a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss some


    matters before they left back to their Packs. The councilmen already knew that I had requested a


    meeting beforeing.


    I saw the Blood Moon Pack all make their way out of the party and towards the Alpha¡¯s suite. I mind


    linked one of the warriors to


    keep an eye on their actions. If they tried to leave before the meeting tomorrow, I would need to move


    the meeting to tonight, so I was to be informed if they tried to leave. I grabbed Celeste and led her to


    the dancing floor as a slow song began. I wrapped my arms around her


    I led her back to the table and we started to chat with a few people. I was in the middle of a


    conversation with Alpha Nicks when I felt Celeste¡¯s arm on mine and she whispered that she would


    be going to the bathroom. A couple of minutester, I felt As suddenly start pacing in my head,


    growling lowly.


    What¡¯s going on with you? ¨C I asked.


    I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t link Kara. It is like she¡¯s gone to sleep. I don¡¯t like this Markus, go check on mate. ¨C


    He said.


    I instantly looked to my left and noticed that Celeste still wasn¡¯t back from the bathroom. Both Maya


    and Kelly were still at the table so she hadn¡¯t taken anyone with her. I tried to link her but I couldn¡¯t


    connect. I rose, starting to feel panic. I excused myself and almost ran towards the bathroom. She


    wasn¡¯t in the guest bathroom, but there was a long line. If she needed to go, she would have gone up


    to


    use our bathroom or go use the staff bathrooms. I hurried towards the staff bathrooms first.


    I could smell her down the hallway along with a sour scent around the bathroom area. I pushed the


    door open to find all of the


    toiletries from the sink on the floor. There had been a struggle. I let As forward so that we could


    share his enhanced senses. I went back


    out of the bathroom and sniffed. As growled as we recognized the sour smell to be Wolfsbane.


    Celeste¡¯s smell went a bit past the


    bathroom. We walked three steps and kicked the door open. There were two smells here, Celeste and


    someone else. I looked around the


    items in the room to realize what was happening. I went to the open window to see one of Celeste¡¯s


    shoes right below it.


    I opened a mind link to the entire pack. ¡®THE LUNA HAS BEEN TAKEN. SPREAD OUT AND FIND


    HER. SHE WAS TAKEN A FEW MINUTES


    OUT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PACK HOUSE. THEY CANNOT HAVE GONE FAR. FIND AND


    BRING OUR LUNA HOME.¡¯


    I heard the howls


    from inside and outside the Packhouse as my pack began to search for their Luna.


    Topened a mind link to Gillian, Danny and a couple of guards. Gillian, inform the Alphas and council


    that Celeste is missing. She was


    taken out of Sandra¡¯s room. Guards detain anyone from the Blood Moon Pack.¡¯


    ¡®Yes Alpha,¡¯ they all said as I made my way to the Alpha Suites. I was climbing the stairs two at a time


    when I felt someone pulling at


    my mind link.


    ¡°Yes?¡¯l growled.


    ¡®Alpha, we have to find the Luna, Dr West said. I paused.


    ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do, Igrowled back. This was a waste of time. I cut the mind link but then


    immediately felt Dr West pulling


    for a mind link again.


    ¡®WHAT¡¯ I yelled.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, I got the results this morning of the full blood panel we took from the Luna. She was 1.5


    weeks pregnant when we


    took the blood sample. She and Kara won¡¯t be able to feel the pup until 3 weeks. We need to find her


    before she gets hurt,¡¯


    Dr West


    hurried to tell me.


    As and I roared so loudly, I felt the stairs shake. He pushed forward and jumped up,nding over the


    guard rail of the third floor. He


    went straight to where Alpha Geoff was arguing with the guards. I grabbed Alpha Geoff by the throat


    and lifted him up as As allowed


    me to take over. He would kill him before we got any information out of him.


    ¡°WHERE IS SHE??¡± I roared. Luna Luisa screamed and Beta Trevor tried to pull me off Alpha Geoff,


    but my guards restrained


    him.


    ¡°Where is Celeste?¡± I yelled. I saw him starting to go red and released his throat but still held him


    against the wall.


    ¡°How the bloody f**k would I know where your Luna is?¡± He growled while taking deep breaths. I saw


    and heard Gillian and the


    others arrive but the only thing that mattered was Celeste.


    ¡°Your daughter took my mate. There¡¯s the stench of wolfsbane where the struggle took ce. I followed


    her scent to your daughter¡¯s room. YOUR DAUGHTER USED WOLFSBANE ON MY PREGNANT


    MATE,¡± I roared at him and I heard growls from behind me at the news,¡±


    WHERE IS YOUR DAUGHTER?¡±


    I saw Alpha Geoff¡¯s eye try to ze over but not long enough for him to have actually talked to anyone.


    He paled slightly and then looked at her Luna.


    ¡°What the f**k did your daughter do? Where is she? I told you we should have taken her back when


    she ran off yesterday to find her,¡±


    appeared to attempt to mind link her daughter and started panicking when she didn¡¯t get through.


    . ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. Where the f**k did your b***h of a daughter take my mate?¡± As¡¯ and my voice


    roared together.


    Alpha, I caught her scent. They are headed into the forest towards the river.¡¯ Danny¡¯s mind link came


    through.


    ¡°Hold them in the dungeons where her cousin is kept. Next to Levi. Daniel caught her scent,¡± I said as I


    jumped out the window,


    tearing my suit as I shifted. I had to find her. If anything happened to her or our pup, As and I would


    tear the entire world apart, and we


    would start with Alpha Geoff.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Chapter 65 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I groaned. My feet hurt, it felt like someone had taken sandpaper and rubbed them raw. I felt weak and


    my whole body felt like I was


    on fire. I tried to stand up but my hands were tied together with silver cuffs. My shoes were missing and


    the back of my feet did indeed


    look like they had been rubbed raw. I tried to stand up but was so nauseated that I fell back down and


    threw up.


    ¡°Oh, the b***h is finally awake. It was only a little wolfsbane. I had to drag you all the way out here


    myself,¡± I heard a voice say from


    behind me. I turned to see Sandra waving a gun around. I frowned, a gun would hurt me, but it was


    nothing I couldn¡¯t survive. As if


    reading my mind, she said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think about running, the gun is full of silver bullets.¡± She pointed


    the gun at me.


    I tried to mind link but the silver cuffs were preventing me from doing it. The wolfsbane was preventing


    me from talking to Kara, but


    I could feel her whimpering while she tried to heal¡­.my stomach? I looked down. I couldn¡¯t see any


    wound there.


    ¡°My mate is going to tear you to pieces if he finds out what you¡¯re doing Sandra,¡± I said, trying to


    reason with her. I could hear


    howling from a distance. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed since she jumped me in the


    bathroom, but I knew they were already


    looking for me.


    ¡°Your mate? YOUR MATE? He should have been MY MATE!¡± She growled at me, ¡°Why do you get an


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Alpha mate? I¡¯m the Alpha female. You¡¯re just a f*****g ve. The goddess made a mistake. She must


    have. Alpha Markus was supposed to be mine,¡± She growled as she


    waved the gun at me.


    ¡°You might still find your mate. Maybe he just wasn¡¯t able to attend your party?¡± I was trying to buy


    some time. She looked pretty deranged. I looked at my surroundings and I could tell we weren¡¯t even


    off the Pack grounds. She really didn¡¯t think it through but maybe


    that was a good thing for me.


    She growled and shot at the ground in front of me, ¡°I found my mate. He was a lowly f*****g servant


    from another pack. I killed him


    the moment I knew. I am of Alpha blood, I do not have amon mate,¡± she looked behind me and I


    saw the body of a young man a couple hundred yards away looking up at the moon, arge pool of


    blood stained his chest. She killed her own mate? How could


    someone be so greedy that they would kill half of their soul because they wanted an Alpha?


    ¡°No, I will not have amon mate. I will kill you. Then when Markus finds your body, I¡¯ll tell him I got


    here toote and I killed the


    man that murdered his mate. While he grieves, I will make sure that he takes me as his chosen mate.


    The way it should have been from


    the start. I tried to do it before the ceremony, hoping it would be me instead of you, but you were never


    alone in the mall. That stupid


    giant warrior was always with you. No matter, we can have another one. A better one,¡± she said, and I


    realized she was just


    demented.


    ¡°Markus will never take you as his mate¡± I said calmly.


    ¡°Yes he will!¡± She said as she hit me with the gun across the face. I felt the stinging of her hit and I


    tasted blood in my mouth. I


    growled and charged into her. Wolf present or not, I was no longer the same omega she had picked on


    and beat for 12 years. I struggled as I rolled off her. These damn cuffs were making things hard. I used


    my burning feet to kick the gun out of her hand. Thank god for the


    slit in the dress. She grabbed my foot and I screamed in pain as her ws dug into my legs as I fell


    forward. She tried to scratch my face


    and I put my feet under her and pushed her off. She shrieked and picked up a branch off the ground


    and charged, but I moved out of her


    way as she swung and fell forward.


    I could hear the growls growing near and I screamed ¡°I¡¯M OVER HERE¡± towards the forest. I didn¡¯t


    realize how much that distraction cost me until I turned back in time to hear the gun go off. It was like it


    happened in slow motion. I saw the bullet leave the gun and I released a stream of fire toward Sandra.


    Before the bullet could hit, I felt something barrel into me. Inded on the floor with a thud and I heard a


    whinee out of the dark brindle wolf thatnded next to me. I heard a loud scream from the


    distance. Sandra was shrieking in front of me, her body on fire. I heard more wolves approaching but


    all I could see was Dash receding from the silver and leaving Danny¡¯s face as he transformed in pain.


    He was breathing shallow. I pushed him to his back and saw the bullet wound on his side, very close to


    his


    lungs. I didn¡¯t know how to get the silver out of him. I didn¡¯t know how to help him. I just put my hand


    over his wound and cried.


    ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s OK,¡± he wheezed out with a cough.


    ¡°No, you fight. Maya needs you. We need you. You f*****g fight,¡± I said using my Lunamand as he


    started losing consciousness. I felt Kara through the silver cuffs push forward, flowing strength through


    me and I broke the silver cuffs off my hands. As soon as I did, I felt


    Kara push forward.


    ¡°GET THE PACK DOCTOR HERE NOW,¡¯ she screamed through the mind link.


    Kara, we have to heal him. ¨C I told her.


    I don¡¯t know if we can Celeste. Only Selene decides who we can heal..


    she whimpered.


    We have to. We can¡¯t take him from Maya. ¨C


    sobbed.


    Ok. You start praying to the moon goddess. Maybe she will let us. This is going to take a lot. We need


    our mate. ¨C


    She said.


    ¡®Markus! I need you. Help me help Danny,¡¯ said through the mind link. ¡°I¡¯m right here baby. What do


    you need. Tell me?¡± He said behind me. I turned and briefly saw a bunch of our warriors holding a


    half-burned and soaking wet Sandra, dragging her out of the river.


    ¡°I need to heal him, but Kara said it¡¯s going to take a lot of energy, just help us. Hold us. We have to get


    the silver out,¡± I turned back


    to Danny, who was unconscious now. His heart barely beating. I put my hands over his wound and


    started praying. Please Selene, don¡¯t take him from Maya. Please don¡¯t let him die protecting me.


    Trepeated over and over. I ignored the cry of anguishing from Maya as she arrived and saw her


    mate. I ignored Markus barking for Gillian to restrain her and Maya growling to get to Danny.I even


    ignored as


    Markus told everyone to leave, as I felt my hands begin to glow.


    I sobbed a thanks to Selene and felt Kara and I pouring everything we could into Danny. I opened my


    eyes as I felt my body lift. Danny


    and I were both floating about a foot off the floor, Markus¡¯s hands on top of ours as he also began to


    glow and I realized we were pulling


    from his strength. I saw as Danny groaned as the bullet slid out of his wound and fell to the floor. There


    was a small drip of silvering


    out of his wound as we pulled all the poison out of his system. The stream hissed as it burned his flesh


    on the way out. I could almost see


    in my mind how his body was slowly healing. I heard him cough and groan and then I heard As in my


    head.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough, Tuli. He will live. We¡¯ve healed him. He can finish healing on his own. It will hurt the


    pup,


    he said as he removed our


    hands from Danny. We all dropped to the floor with small thuds and I saw Maya fall next to Danny as


    he struggled to sit up, his wound still


    bleeding. I sent up a silent prayer of thanks to Selene before I felt myself faint.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Chapter 66 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I heard two shots and screams sounded from behind me and then in front of me. As ran faster. As


    we arrived, I saw Celeste ripping


    off her silver cuffs and suddenly we heard Kara send a mind link to the entire pack. I was relieved to


    see them rtively unhurt, but then saw Dash shift back into Danny, a wound on his side, and panic set


    back in. I was rushing to them before I heard her mind link


    Markus! I need you. Help me help Danny¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m right here baby. What do you need. Tell me?¡± I told her as I dropped to her side.


    ¡°I need to heal him, but Kara said it¡¯s going to take a lot of energy, just help us. Hold us. We have to get


    the silver out.¡± I wanted to argue with her. I didn¡¯t want her to put herself at risk, but I held my tongue. I


    knew this could be the difference between Danny making it


    through.


    Kara knows. She knows about the pup. She said the goddess told her when Celeste was given the


    wolfsbane. She¡¯s been healing the


    pup. She said she can pull on us to heal Danny. We can¡¯t break contact


    ¨C As said in my head. I put my hands over hers on top of Danny¡¯s


    wound.


    I saw Maya¡¯s wolf, Esmeralda, arrive and quickly shift back to Maya. ¡°Gillian hold her,¡± I said, and


    Gillian grabbed onto Maya as she


    growled at him and struggled to get to her mate.


    ¡°Everyone out. Head back to the packhouse and secure the prisoner. No one is to remain here but


    Gillian, Maya and the pack doctor.¡± Imanded as I started feeling Kara pull on my energy. Celeste¡¯s


    hands began to glow and then we did. As the pull of energy got stronger, Celeste and Danny floated


    about a foot off the ground as I stood behind them, making sure my hands didn¡¯t break contact. I


    watched as a silver bullet slid out of his wound and the silver that had already made it into his blood


    stream began to dribble out. I started feeling really tired and felt as Kara started to slow the pull of


    energy, but Celeste hadn¡¯t stopped.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough Tuli. He will live. We¡¯ve healed him. He can finish healing on his own. Stop, It will hurt


    the pup,


    As growled. I felt joy


    and I felt her faint.


    ¡°Dr West,¡± I growled and the doctor rushed forward, using the stethoscope on her t stomach to check


    on our pup. After a bit, he


    got up and nodded to me.


    ¡°Strong heart beat Alpha. She likely just needs rest but I¡¯d like to monitor her at the Hospital.¡± I nodded


    at him before he moved over


    to Danny, who was still bleeding, but was conscious and alert.


    After getting checked out, Dr West said he could walk back to the Pack Hospital and he would stay


    there to make sure that there was


    no more silver in his system.


    ¡°Gillian, please tell the Alphas and the council that we will still be meeting first thing in the morning after


    Celeste wakes. Let them


    know what has happened tonight and that the Blood Moon Pack is officially at war with Crescent Moon


    for attempting to kill my Luna.


    They will remain in the cells. I want them in silver cuffs and chains all night. Anyone from our group that


    needs to see Celeste cane but they have to be quiet. She needs to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± Gillian said as we walked into the hospital and I ced Celeste gently down on a bed.


    Danny refused to leave Celeste and


    my side, so they brought in another bed and monitors for him. Maya was at his side, growling at


    anyone that suggested she move away


    so they could get him hooked up. Eventually, the nurses gave up and moved around her as they


    worked.


    Kelly, Rhett, Mrs Quinn, Dad and Marie all filtered into the room with Gillian.


    ¡°Some of the Alphas wanted to push the meeting to tonight but I exined that was impossible as your


    ce is with the Luna. Councilman Matthias helped. They will meet us at 10am,¡± he reported.


    Dr. West came into the room with a monitor. He paused at seeing how many people were in his patient


    room but sighed and


    continued his work. I think he realized this wasn¡¯t a fight he would win. He moved the monitor towards


    Celeste. He looks at her still in her dress and goes to the hanging room partition.


    and closed the partition to give Celeste some privacy. I gently undid her zipper and removed her dress.


    I put the pants on and as I was


    putting on her shirt, I looked down at her t belly. Our pup was growing in there. I leaned down to give


    her stomach a kiss, my emotions


    threatening to overtake myposure. Altas was purring in my head, a fierce protectiveness


    emanating from him and me.


    The partition opened and Dr West put some gel on her stomach and turned on the ultrasound machine.


    I noticed that Gabriel and


    Zack had filtered into the room.


    ¡°Alpha, everyone from the Blood Moon Pack is in the dungeons. We put silver chains on all of them.


    Luna Luisa is requesting that


    Sandra be taken off the silver shackles so she can heal,¡± Zack said.


    ¡°Take the silver chains off¡­.in maybe another hour,¡± I said, and he nodded. He and Gabriel looked torn


    between leaving toplete their duty and their concern for Celeste. ¡°You can both stay. I know


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Celeste considers you both friends,¡± I told them and visible relief and


    gratitude flittered through their faces before they nodded and went to stand with the rest.


    I turned back to Dr West as he fiddled around with the wand probe for a minute or two before he turned


    on the sound. A strong heartbeat reached my ears, then Dr. West moved the probe slightly and another


    heartbeat joined the first. Everyone was dead silent as they listened to the heart beats of the Crescent


    Moon Heirs. My eyes were glued to the monitor as I saw what looked like two tiny beans. Twin pups ¨C


    As wagged his tail and summersaulted in my head.


    I felt Celeste stir and I looked down at her. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled as she looked up at


    me. I bent down to kiss her with every inch of love I felt for her. She responded to my kiss with as much


    fervor, before she felt the probe on her stomach. She


    scrunched her nose at the monitor. I could see her trying to figure out what she was looking at and I


    saw her eyes slightly unfocused as


    she started having a conversation with Kara. I could tell exactly the moment she realized what was


    happening. She gasped and looked at


    me, her eyes tearing up and full of joy. I grinned down at her as her emotions went everywhere. Panic,


    worry, love, protectiveness and


    above all, joy.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Chapter 67 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Twins, I was pregnant with twins. That¡¯s what Kara just told me as I looked at the two little beans on the


    monitors. I looked at Markus who grinned at me, his eyes full of joy and happiness. I looked back at the


    monitors. How could my life possibly get any better? As ifon cue, reality crashed down on me as I


    thought those words and I remembered everything that just happened and I felt a pang of panic.


    Danny. I looked back at Markus.


    ¡°Danny, where¡¯s Danny? Sandra shot him,¡± I asked desperately.


    ¡°Over here, Luna!¡± I heard and my head snapped to the side. There was Maya standing next to Danny,


    who was sitting on a bed. the looked a little pale and had several ivy¡¯s on his hand but he was fine. He


    was alive. Our moon goddess heard my pleas. I leaned back with


    relief against Markus, the bond sparks bursting from my sidefortingly. We were all OK.


    ¡°What happened to Sandra?¡± I asked, remembering her seeing her as everyone arrived.


    ¡°She was on fire when we arrived. She dove into the river to put the fire out and we have her detained


    in the cells along with Alpha


    Geoff and the rest of his group,¡± Gillian answered. I nodded, looking back at the monitor.


    ¡°Would you like some pictures Luna?¡± Dr. West asked and I nodded again. I was too filled with


    happiness to talk anymore. I was still


    really tired and I yawned.


    ¡°You should rest. We still have that meeting in the morning.¡± Markus chuckled though I could sense


    exhaustioning from him


    too. I turned to say good night to everyone when I saw that no one wanted to move. Iughed and


    motioned for them toe forward


    with my hands. The girls all rushed me and the men all went to hug Markus, who couldn¡¯t stop grinning


    from ear to ear as we received


    congrattions.


    Maya wasst and she cried as she hugged me. ¡°You saved him. Thank you,¡± she cried. I patted her


    back soothingly.


    ¡°He saved me first,¡± I reminded her, and when she finally calmed down she returned to her side next to


    Danny. I turned to Kelly and Rhett and smiled at them as I saw him holding her around the waist.


    ¡°I am happy to see you both found each other. Kelly will make a great Luna, Rhett. And now you can


    see us and you can get some baked goods. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    He grinned at me. ¡°I look forward to having our packs be more than allies. I believe a bunch of my


    people mated with your


    people today. It is as if Selene is giving her approval to our alliance.¡± I smiled at his words, knowing


    them to be true.


    Dr West handed me the first picture of our pup and, as if knowing what he was dealing with, he handed


    a copy to everyone before


    shoo¡¯ing them out. I moved to the right of the bed and patted the empty side for Markus to crawl in,


    knowing that he wasn¡¯t going to leave me tonight. He crawled under the covers and rested his head on


    my shoulder. Both of us looked down at the little picture of our


    pups as we settled in to sleep.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Maya said and I saw she had crawled in with Danny as the hospital partitions were pulled


    by the nurses to allow us to


    sleep.


    Ileaned the bed down into sleep position and felt myself fall into a dreamless sleep. Almostpletely


    content with my life.


    Tomorrow would be a big day. Everything we had worked on for thest few months woulde to


    fruition. We would free my friends.


    We would bring justice to everyone that lost their lives in the m******e that took the lives of my parents.


    I heard movement and opened my eyes. Dr West was reviewing some monitors and making notes. He


    saw I was awake and smiled.¡±


    Good Morning Luna. I think you can go home. I will draw up your discharge papers shortly. Everything


    looks perfectly normal. You and the


    pups are in perfect health. I¡¯ll be giving you some vitamins for you to take with you.¡± I thanked him as


    Markus woke up next to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been given the all clear,¡± I told him with a kiss. ¡°What time is the meeting with the council again?¡±


    ¡°10am,¡± he said, helping me off the bed. We looked outside the partition and saw that Danny and Maya


    had already left.


    He pulled out his phone. ¡°8:30, we should go change and get ready,¡± he said. He quickly mind linked


    someone. Dr West gave me


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    prenatal vitamins and scheduled some appointments for us and then we left the hospital. We walked


    into the Pack House. Maya had a


    couple of tes of breakfasting out of the kitchen. Danny at her side, munching on a biscuit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some breakfast for you guys,¡± she said brightly, ¡°Danny¡¯s going to set up the conference for


    the meeting so you have some


    time to shower and get ready. Celeste, make sure you eat all of it,¡± she said. I looked at the te.


    There was lots of fruit and some peanut


    butter while Markus¡¯ te was full of sausage, bacon and eggs.


    I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get normal food?¡±


    She blushed, ¡°Oh, well I kind of let it slip that you were eating for 3 to Mrs. Wriley, and she thought you


    might get nausea with


    eggs.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Well I haven¡¯t gotten any nausea yet, but tell her thank you.¡± I grabbed my te and picked


    a slice of bacon off Markus¡¯ te as I headed towards the elevator. The door to the elevator was


    closing as I heard a little boy running and giggling as Luna Kiara appeared to be chasing him, one of


    our guards right behind her.


    ¡°It looks like having a guard with the other Alphas here has really helped Luna Kiara,¡±I mentioned to


    Markus.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t remember what happened to her when she became Luna. Dad might know more. I made


    sure the guard was aware that she is not to be alone with other Alphas and Lunas unless she is OK


    with it and to remove her the moment she looks to be getting


    ufortable by faking a mind link from us so that she wouldn¡¯t be forced into an ufortable


    situation. She seems to have taken a


    liking to little Cade,¡± Markus exined.


    ¡°She sounds 15 years younger ying with him,¡± I said as we reached the bedroom. We put our tes


    down and went into the


    bathroom. We didn¡¯t have a lot of time before we had to go down to the meeting. I walked in and


    paused. There were melted candles all around the bathroom. Rose petals leading to the tub that was


    full of cold water, petals and a faint smelling from it. I turned back to look at Markus, whose face


    told me he seemed to have forgotten about the bathroom.


    He sighed and looked at me, ¡°It was supposed to be my surprise after the party. To rx you after a


    long day and before a longer one. Ipletely forgot about it yesterday after you were taken.I¡¯ll have


    someonee clean it upter,¡± he exined, and I rushed to hug him. We just stood there in the


    middle of the bathroom, not speaking for a couple of minutes but just enjoying being in each other¡¯s


    arms. We showered and changed. I opted for a Chiffon button-down pink blouse and ck skinny


    pants. I brushed my hair and tied a half


    pony tail. I added some light pink eye shadow and lip gloss. Markus was just sitting on the bed, just


    looking at me.


    I smiled at him.¡±What are you looking at?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The mother of my pups. The woman that owns my heart and I want to see next to me every morning


    when I wake,¡± he answered


    without hesitation.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you feeling romantic today,¡± I teased. He almost purred as I started walking towards when


    I saw him get a mind link. He


    sighed.


    ¡°Everyone is ready for us,¡± he said, getting up from the bed. We headed into the conference room.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Chapter 68 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    We walked into the conference room. All of the Alphas were seated around the room, there was a small


    table at the center of the conference room where the council was sitting. Kelly and Rhett (both fully


    marked, mated andpletely engrossed with each other as they waited for us), Gillian, Danny and


    Maya were sitting all together at one side of the conference room immediately to the left. Alpha Geoff,


    Luna Luisa, Beta Trevor, Sandra, and Levi were alt sitting across from them. Lucas was in the hospital


    getting the liquid silver taken out of his bloodstream. He would never use his leg again. The prisoners


    were surrounded by guards. I was d to see that Sandra was still


    covered in burns and looking like hell. Parts of her hair were missing and singed and she still smelled


    like burnt flesh.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, could you please exin the nature of this meeting?¡± Councilman John said.


    ¡°I asked for everyone to be at this meeting today because I needed to request the council to open an


    investigation on the Blood


    Moon Pack. However, afterst night¡¯s incident and some incidents that urred a few days ago, I now


    ask that actions be taken


    immediately against the Blood Moon Pack,¡± All of the Alphas started whispering to each other.


    ¡°What are you using the Blood Moon Pack of exactly, Alpha Markus,¡± one of the councilmen asked.


    ¡°12 Years ago, Alpha Geoff challenged Alpha Cory for his Luna. There was a m******e after the


    challenge that you deemed legal as Alpha Geoff alleged the Sky Moon Pack would not honor the


    oue of the challenge. You based this on his word, and the fact that there appeared to be no


    survivors from Sky Moon to refute his version of events. I am requesting action be taken against Alpha


    Geoff for lying and killing the Sky Moon Pack. I am also using him of kidnapping, starving, beating


    and selling the surviving members of the Sky Moon


    females.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very serious usation. Do you have proof to back up that im?¡± another councilman


    asked.


    ¡°My mate and my Gamma¡¯s mate can both testify that they are, in fact, survivors of the Sky Moon Pack


    m******e and that all of the servants in Alpha Geoff¡¯s Packhouse are also survivors. They were treated


    as ves, never registered with the Pack Council and then the she-wolves, when they were assured


    they were not mated to pack members, would disappear. Through some investigation, we have


    discovered evidence that they have been selling these she-wolves on the ck market.¡±


    ¡°Show us, please?¡± Councilman Matthias encouraged.


    I began exining all the documentation I had found as I went through the presentation. I showed the


    link between the sales on the


    website to the deposits into their bank ounts. Danny exined the operation and showed the video


    of Ruby¡¯s rescue. Once he


    finished, I got up to speak but Councilman John beat me to it.


    ¡°I can concede that we will need to re-open the investigation but I don¡¯t see enough information here to


    take immediate action. If


    you¡¯re basing that demand on yesterday¡¯s incident -¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. As you saw in the video, over a month ago we rescued one of the she-wolves. She was


    convalescing from long term severe


    starvation, and side effects of shifting while in that condition. A couple of days ago, a van pretending to


    be with the caterers for


    yesterday¡¯s celebration, came onto mynd, kidnapped her and killed her. We managed to catch up to


    them, but were toote to save Ruby. We did, however, catch the two murderers, who also happen to


    be the traffickers. These events also happened at the order of the


    Blood Moon Pack.¡±


    ¡°Are they Blood Moon Members?¡±


    ¡°No, they belonged to the Desert Moon Pack.¡± I said, trying to keep my patience at all of the


    interruptions. If they would just let us


    finish¡­


    ¡°Then why are we not questioning the Alpha of Desert Moon Pack?¡±


    ¡°I had nothing to do with this!¡± Alpha Charles stood up.


    ¡°Because they were not working for the Alpha of Desert Moon. They were working for the Blood Moon


    Pack,¡± I said. ¡°Please, councilmen, allow us to continue with our presentation. It will all make sense at


    the end.¡± Gillian said.


    sense


    I pushed y and let them listen to Levi speak. Alpha Geoff tried to get up to hurt him but was quickly


    pushed back down into the seat by my guards. Finally, we finished with everything but the photos.


    Celeste had agreed that unless they were needed, she would not


    show them. One of the councilmen got up after brief deliberations.


    ¡°I agree that immediate action should be taken. I vote to remove the Ranked members of the Blood


    Moon Pack immediately. We will


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    have a full sentencing trial at ater time. I move to dissolve the packpletely. We can give the rest


    the option to join other packs or


    be peaceful rogues,¡± Councilman Matthias said. There were a lot of murmurs in favor of this and


    Alpha Geoff paled as he realized he


    was done for. The sentencing trial would just be for show, they would not give them anything less than


    death.


    ¡°I will leave the council to decide the proper punishment and actions towards the pack. However,


    Celeste and I,¡± I said as Celeste


    joined me at my side, ¡°would like to request the girls from the Sky Moon Pack join Crescent Moon, as


    survivors themselves, Maya and.


    Celeste know the type of needs these girls will need to ovee all that they¡¯ve suffered for thest 12


    years.¡±


    ¡°What proof do we have of the treatment of the she-wolves? I have seen nothing -¡± Councilman John


    started.


    ¡°I can attest to what I saw when we attended the Alpha¡¯s daughter¡¯sing of age party,¡± Rhett stood


    up.


    ¡°As can l¡± a couple of others stood as well.


    ¡°They are his allies!¡± Alpha Geoff roared. ¡°You can¡¯t sentence me to death on hearsay. You can go see


    these women in my pack, they


    are healthy.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps now,¡± Celeste spat, finally looking at him, ¡°Beta Gillian has been sending money to Dr. Castle


    to provide food and medicine


    to the girls until we could set them free. We have the receipts to prove that and testimony from the


    Doctor, but if you want proof, we can


    show you that,¡± she said, and I gave her the remote. She clicked through the pictures and I could tell


    even the coldest of the Alphas was


    appalled at the photos.


    ¡°If any of these photos are not sufficient, I can assure you, the scars are still quite visible,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need Luna. I think we will be taking Alpha Geoff, Luna Luisa and Beta Trevor with us for


    sentencing. Meanwhile, I believe Sandra was caught red-handed attempting to kill you, resulting in the


    near death of the Crescent Moon Gamma. I am assuming, as she¡¯s still in her bindings, that you would


    like to keep the charges against her.¡±


    Celeste nodded and turned to Sandra, ¡°In the clearing where you found me, a few hundred yards


    deeper into the woods, you will also find the body of her mate. The man was a visiting guest from the


    Desert Moon Pack. She refused to ept him and instead killed him with a silver bullet. She should


    pay for his death as well.¡±


    Traised my eyebrows at that. We had been so concerned with Celeste and Danny, no one smelled or


    saw the body of the man. I


    nodded to one of the guards by the doors, ¡°Please send someone to retrieve the body. Alpha Charles,


    you will want to take the body with you for proper burial?¡±


    Alpha Charles nodded and stood up to follow him when Levi stood, ¡°Wait! Alpha, please! My mate and


    child knew nothing of what


    happened. Please, they are your pack members. I beg you, don¡¯t let them kill my pup!¡± He said as he


    cried, the desperation and anguish clear in his pleas.


    Alpha Charles looked at me. ¡°Are you saying you are wanting to ask for the lives of his mate and


    child?¡± he asked. Levi looked at me


    with confusion in his eyes. Looking from me to his Alpha.


    I shook my head. ¡°I would never punish innocent women or children for the sins of the father. I had his


    mate thoroughly checked and


    am positive that they had nothing to do with it. Neither I nor Celeste wish for any repercussions for


    them. Losing a mate and parent will be hard enough.¡±


    ¡°But, you told me¡­¡± Levi sat down dumbfounded.


    ¡°I said what needed to be said to prevent more blood shed,¡± I said simply, he sat down and nodded at


    me in thanks.


    ¡°Guards, please take the prisoners back to their cells. Make sure Levi and the rest are in separate cells


    to avoid retribution. Alphas, Councilmen, I am grateful to you for hearing us. Celeste also wished to


    acknowledge the Gamma of Blood Moon Pack never participated in their treatment, nor did we find any


    connection to the crimes we discussed,¡± I said as I wrapped my arm around my mate, ¡°Celeste and


    I have a bus ready to begin the journey to the Blood Moon Pack to retrieve the girls. I will leave the rest


    of the pack¡¯s fates in your hands. I


    girls.¡±


    ¡¤ ¡°That is eptable, Alpha Markus. If the doctor wishes to join your pack, he is most certainly


    weed to do so,¡± I nodded to


    him.


    ¡°Lunch will be served in the dining room in about 15mins. I thank you foring to my Luna


    Ceremony,¡± Celeste said, as everyone


    started walking out of the conference room. Alpha Troy hung back after everyone left.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you were aware, but my Kiara was mistreated by her Alpha before I found her. She is


    the sweetest thing,¡± You could see the love for his mate in his smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to


    tell her your story. I know she is alreadyfortable with you


    both. Perhaps, if she were able to talk about her experiences with you, she would get somefort


    and hope that things can get better


    and that she doesn¡¯t have to hide anymore,¡± he said to Maya and Celeste.


    ¡°I think that would be a good idea,¡± Celeste said.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Alpha Troy said, and I saw him mind link someone. A minuteter, Luna


    Kiara walked in with little Cade


    hanging from her hip. She looked a little scared but also determined. ¡°One of the unfortunate effects of


    her treatment is that Kiara is not


    able to carry children. We¡¯ve been considering adopting for thest year and to be honest, Cade has


    captured both of our hearts. I have


    learned of what happened to his parents from the headmistress of the Orphanage and would like to


    discuss the possibility of you allowing us to adopt him,¡± Alpha Troy exined. I looked at little Cade


    ying with his teddy on her hips, like it was the most natural


    thing to him. I didn¡¯t even have to ask Celeste, I could feel her joy through the bond.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea. We will talk to the headmistress before I leave,¡± I said, and Celeste


    ran to Luna Kiara and hugged her and kissed Cade. Alpha Troy, Luna Kiara and her guard left and we


    were left with just the gang.


    We stood silently for a couple of minutes, before my dad brought out a bottle of champagne from under


    his seat and a bunch of


    cups.


    ¡°You did it. Time to celebrate!¡± He said. He poured everyone some champagne, though when he got to


    Celeste, he put the bottle


    down and brought out a juice box from his pocket. We allughed as he poured Celeste some apple


    juice.


    ¡°To justice for Cory and Be and all of Sky Moon Pack,¡± he said, and we all drank. Celeste¡¯s stomach


    rumbled, ¡°How about we get


    some lunch. I will have the bus and our vehicles ready to travel.¡± I said, and we all filed out towards the


    dining room.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Chapter 69 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    After all the guests had left shortly after lunch, we started the trip to Blood Moon Pack. We were in


    several SUVs full of people. Kelly


    had left with Alpha Rhett, promising toe back in a few days. Alexander and Marie had agreed to


    stay and look after pack matters along with Mrs Quinn while we went and dealt with the girls. Two of


    the SUVs were full of guards to make sure none of the warriors at Blood Moon Pack attempted to


    prevent us from taking the girls.


    We were about 2 hrs from the Pack when I felt Maya fidget. It was subtle at first, but as we got closer,


    she was bing agitated.


    Danny kept trying to distract her and soothe her but about 10mins away from the pack borders, she


    started freaking out.


    ¡°Stop the car. I can¡¯t. Please stop the car. STOP THE CAR!¡± She said, in full panic mode. Markus


    pulled to the side and we hadn¡¯te


    to aplete stop before the door flew open and Maya ran out. I made a move to go for her when


    Danny stopped me.


    ¡°I got this one Luna,¡± he said solemnly before he jumped out and walked to where Maya had dropped


    to her knees. I watched as Danny held her and talked to her. Maya visibly shaking.


    I want her and Danny to stay behind when we go to Mexico,


    told Markus via mind link.


    I¡¯m sure she will be fine. It¡¯s this f*****g ce, Markus said.


    I shook my head. ¡®She hasn¡¯t healed like I thought she had. She hides it well. She has never been on


    her own, without me. I thought 1 was doing my job, trying to protect her, but I think I¡¯ve just been


    keeping her vulnerable. I want her to stay and see how strong she is


    without me. I want her to train. Actually, I want all the girls to train. This is the best way to get your


    power back from thest 12 years. /


    want her to lead, because she can. She just needs to figure that out on her own,¡±


    I exined.


    I will talk to Danny about it. I¡¯ve never asked, do you need to talk to someone about what you went


    through?


    Iturned to look at him


    and he looked concerned. From the mate bond, I could tell he was concerned for both me and Maya.


    I smiled at him through the mirror, It probably wouldn¡¯t hurt either. Maya and I have already been talking


    to the pack therapist


    about group sessions. It might do us some good to have some individual sessions too.¡¯


    He nodded. Ilove you.¡¯


    I love you more,¡¯ I responded.


    Maya and Danny came back into the car. She tried to apologize but Markus didn¡¯t let her. She looked at


    me to apologize and I popped a grape into her mouth before she could, making herugh. We set back


    out on the road. When we passed the Pack territory grounds, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This had never


    been a happy ce for anyone. I once thought this ce must have been cursed by the moon


    goddess. I felt Kara pacing and I wondered if my theory was right.


    We arrived at the Packhouse to find the Gamma waiting for us with about 12 of their warriors behind


    him as they sensed their


    borders breached. We had not called ahead, afraid they would hurt the girls. We had instead requested


    an official decree from the council


    to avoid confrontations. Gillian had spoken to Dr. Castle. He¡¯d asked him to gather as many of the girls


    as he could in a hospital room. He


    and his family would also be joining the pack. We had stopped on the way in to grab a rental moving


    truck for him. It was to go straight to his house once we gave them the signal.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, Alpha Geoff went to your Luna Ceremony and has yet to check in since yesterday to let


    us know of their return. Now


    we find you arriving without my Alpha,¡± he said, suspicion thick in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I havee with some bad news, Gamma Richard,¡± Markus said as everyone stepped out


    of the SUVs and ced


    themselves behind Markus. The Blood Moon Warriors were twitching for a fight. He gave the decree to


    Gamma Richard.


    I could see the emotions and surprise pass quickly through his face as he read it. He red at me


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    before he turned his eyes back to


    Alpha Markus when As growled. ¡°You¡¯re dissolving the Blood Moon Pack?¡± He asked incredulously.


    ¡°No, as the letter states, the council has chosen to do that and they will be here in two days¡¯ time to


    begin the process. I am only here for the girls from the Sky Moon Pack. They are to join my pack and


    get the help they need.¡±


    wouldn¡¯t know. His pack had also been swallowed by Blood Moon, though I believe his people had


    tared a lot better than mine.


    * ¡°We are here for the women taken when Alpha Geoff murdered my father, Alpha Cory. They are the


    girls that have been working in the Packhouse for thest 12 yrs. The ones that have been


    disappearing after they get their wolf,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°You are Alpha Cory¡¯s daughter? You¡¯re the girl Luna Luisa has been so obsessed in finding all these


    years,¡± he used. I nodded. Then heughed, looking slightly relieved, confusing all of us, ¡°I bet they


    were over the moon to find out you¡¯ve been under their noses this whole time. I would have loved to


    have been there when they found out. They were always so hush hush about it but I heard plenty,¡± then


    he got serious, ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the council to decide. I believe joining the others packs is one of the options,¡± I said, then I


    added, ¡°You were never mean


    to us. Why?¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°I never quite understood what happened before I got here. I was just told you were


    ves and should be treated as such. My old pack was absorbed by Alpha Geoff. He kept me because


    he needed someone to lead the warriors he wanted to add to his army. He liked my fighting style. He


    killed his other Gamma when I got here. I have never had a ve, nor did I know of anyone who did. I


    could never bring myself to treat you badly just because you had been unfortunate enough to be in his


    warpath.¡±


    Markus grabbed my hand. ¡°We have a long road ahead. Can you please ask the girls to head to the


    hospital? Dr. Castle will also be


    joining our pack and has already begun gathering some of them for us.¡±


    Gamma Richard turned to the warriors ¡°Bevin, Donald. Go tell the girls they are to gather their things


    and head to the hospital. Do


    not mention anything about leaving. They will panic and try to run. Tell them we¡¯re making remodels to


    the suites and they will be staying in the hospital for the time being.¡±


    Two warriors broke away and headed inside. Gillian began texting Dr. Castle and the moving truck


    driver to head to his residence. We were about to head to the hospital when I saw Gamma Richard


    begin to take a step forward and hesitate. I turned back to him, ¡°Was


    there something you needed?¡±


    ¡°Are all of the girls leaving?¡± he asked. I nodded as Markus joined my side. He looked to be having an


    argument with his wolf and then he sighed. ¡°Two weeks ago, one of the girls was beaten for burning


    dinner. She almost died. I told Alpha Geoff she had. Something happened when she asked me for help


    so close to death. My wolf is over protective of her. She has been staying in my room since,


    recuperating. She¡¯s still not awake. I¡­I know she turns 19 in 4months, but my wolf is convinced that


    she will be our mate.¡±


    Traised an eyebrow at that.¡°Does Dr. Castle know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hees to check on her once a day. He said she is in a healinga. She was so close to


    death that it took everything she had


    to hang on. He is hoping she wakes in another week or so.¡±


    Markus nodded. ¡°I will speak to Dr. Castle. We will transport her if he deems it appropriate.¡± his eyes


    flicked to his wolf before he


    shook his head and turned away and bared his neck in submission.


    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s fighting me.¡±


    I was surprised that his wolf was so convinced that she was his mate that he would challenge an Alpha.


    Markus though, seemed to


    understand. ¡°Once the council is finished with the dissolution of the pack. You cane visit her. If you


    turn out to be her mate, we will


    not stop you from taking her where you are going, if she epts.¡± He hesitated and looked down at me


    for a moment. ¡°I cannot offer yo


    a spot as a ranked member. I am more than happy with my Gamma, but if you wish to stay, we would


    offer you a ce in my pack. The


    decision is yours,¡± he told Gamma Richard.


    ¡°Thank you Alpha Markus, I never wanted to be Gamma. It was not an option for me to refuse it. I think


    I would like to take you up


    that offer.¡±


    Markus nodded to him again. ¡°Then once you have helped the council, make your way to Crescent


    Moon.¡± I squeezed the arm I had


    around his waist approvingly as we headed to the Pack Hospital.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Chapter 70 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I probably should have consulted with Celeste about offering Gamma Richard a ce in the pack as


    she and the girls were the ones that had dealt with them for 12 yrs, but something inside me moved


    when his wolf challenged me when I told him we were taking the girl. I believed him when he said he


    thought she was his mate. Gillian¡¯s words that morning I met Celeste had reyed in my head. The


    way Celeste squeezed my waist after, told me she approved, which was a relief.


    We walked into the Pack Hospital to find it chaos. The two guards that were tasked with getting all the


    girls were fighting against 4


    warriors trying to get in through the double doors. I could hear and see the girls screaming each time


    one of them stammed on the door. A very pale and slightly bloody doctor was on the other side of the


    door holding it closed. I felt Celeste¡¯s arm leave my waist and I grabbed her arm before she could join


    the fight, Asing forward. ¡°The pups,¡± he growled as we pushed forward. Gillian, Danny and the


    guards followed behind. I sent a quick mind link to Maya to make sure Celeste didn¡¯t follow. I grabbed


    the first guard trying to push through and rolled out my aura to make the rest submit. Gillian and Danny


    grabbed and pinned another as the guards grabbed the other


    two and helped the other guards up.


    ¡°What the f**k is going on here? Why are you trying to attack my pack members?¡± I growled. None of


    them spoke. I looked at the one I was holding by the throat and pushed the full Alphamand into my


    voice. ¡°Why were you trying to attack these minors?¡± He whimpered and tried to fight themand


    until As pushed forward. ¡°Answer us!¡± He said.


    ¡°Luna Luisa left instructions that if anyone came looking for the girls, that we were to kill them so no


    one would find out who they


    were,¡± he answered. I looked at the men pinned. They were all older.


    ¡°Where all of you present at the m******e?¡± I asked and I saw Gamma Richard running into the hospital,


    taking in everything that was


    happening.


    ¡°Yes, we were there,¡± he answered after trying to fight mymand and failing.


    I turned to Gamma Richard. ¡°I want these 4 taken to your dungeons and left there for the council to


    question. They appear to have more information of what happened the night of the m******e. My guards


    will assist you,¡± I said and a guard came over and took him


    from me.


    ¡°You two,¡± I turned to the two guards, ¡°Thank you, my men will take it from here.¡± They bowed their


    heads and headed out the


    double doors. I looked back at Celeste, stretching my hand out. She came over to me.


    ¡°Ready Tuli?¡± I asked. She was slightly pale and before she could say anything she put a hand to her


    mouth and her eyes went wide. She ran to the nearest trash can and threw up all of the fruit she¡¯d


    munched on the way here. Theld her hair back until she finished and Maya handed me a bottle of water


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    and some anti-nausea tablets.


    I looked at her with a smirk. She shrugged. ¡°I asked Dr West about herck of nausea. He said it was


    until after the first month, which he said was probably within the next few days, so I thought I¡¯d be


    prepared.¡±


    Celeste came up and took the bottle from me. She swished some around her mouth before she spit it


    in the waste basket and then


    took a sip. ¡°Goddess love you Maya,¡± she said as she took one of the tablets.


    Maya smiled brightly, ¡°Dr. West said your nausea might hit worse than usual because it¡¯s twins. I


    stacked my purse with stuff for


    you.¡±


    Celeste red at me before she got up and that had me confused. ¡°Wait, what did I do?¡± I asked as I


    followed her to the double


    doors.


    Kara said we caused this ¨C As said torn between amusement and sadness, that our mate was mad


    at us.


    I sighed, that was not a fight I would ever win. I simply took her hand as I opened the double doors for


    us. She approached the girls


    and I could see their surprise at seeing her there. Even more so when Maya walked in with Danny and


    Gillian behind us.


    No one said anything until a girl that looked to be about 13 pushed through everyone and ran straight


    at us, arms open, Celeste bent


    What are you whining for? ¨C 1 asked.


    Kara told me to shut it. ¨C He whined and Iughed ¨C Apparently I¡¯m not allowed to be concerned for my


    pups. She said if they can


    kick Sandra¡¯s ass, they can hug a terrified girt.


    She¡¯s not wrong ¨C I pointed out.


    She¡¯s never snapped at me before. Are mates going to be mad at us from now on? -¡±


    He asked, as we felt Celeste¡¯s annoyance at his


    growling through the mate bond.


    I don¡¯t know. We may be in for a rough few months. I think we¡¯re about to get used to being put in our


    ce.


    I predicted.


    f**k, no one tells you these things when they talk about having pups. ¨C As said with his tail between


    his legs.


    They certainly f*****g don¡¯t. We¡¯ll have to ask dad for some advice when we get home. Maybe then


    we¡¯ll have a chance at surviving


    this.- Imented as Celeste and Maya went to hug the girls, who all seemed to be scared and in


    tears.


    Tuli?¡± I said tentatively. She was also fairly teary. She turned and walked back to us. She wrapped her


    arms around me and got on


    her tippy toes. I bent down and kissed her softly. She pulled back and turned back to the room, her


    hand in mine.


    ¡°Alpha Markus has been investigating Alpha Geoff for a long time now. Alpha Geoff has not been


    exiling us as we got our wolves. He and Luna Luisa had been selling our friends on the ck market.¡±


    When the girls started shaking and crying, Celeste let out her Luna


    aura. It was so strong, as strong as an Alpha aura, but still somehow gentle. The girls started calming


    down and looked at her in awe. ¡°We


    had a meeting with the council this morning. They have stripped Alpha Geoff of his title. We are taking


    you home with us. Crescent Moon


    Pack is a ce where we have been epted,¡± she said.


    ¡°But you¡¯re mated to ranked members,¡± one of them said, ¡°We are just ves.¡±


    Celeste was going to respond when Maya surprised us both, taking a step forward and speaking, ¡°I


    wasn¡¯t always mated to Daniel. I spent an entire month at Crescent Moon before I met him. Everyone


    at the pack was kind to me, helped me, and cared for me. Alpha


    Markus allowed me to study. They never beat me or touched me or made me feel worthless. The short


    time I¡¯ve been at Crescent Moon,


    I¡¯vee to realize that what we¡¯ve gone through here is not how an Alpha treats its pack members,


    no matter how low ranked they are.


    Celeste is an amazing Luna.¡±


    Celeste stepped forward too, ¡°We won¡¯t be forcing any of you toe with us. You are free, but I would


    hope that after everything we have been through together, that you give us the chance to take care of


    you. Beta Gillian, has been giving Dr Castle money to feed you


    since we left. Gamma Daniel has been investigating the ck-market sales, often putting himself in


    danger. Without his effort, we would


    not have had the proof to present to the council. We are bringing Dr Castle and his family with us. You


    will have a full assessment by


    doctors and therapists. You won¡¯t have to work until the Dr. clears you and when you do you will be


    paid for your work. Maya and I have


    been organising this since we left. You will go to school and once you have an education, we will


    discuss what you want to do. If you


    choose to go to another pack, you are free to do so. We¡¯re giving you back that power. Your life is yours


    to choose again.¡±


    ¡°The council is also doing some research on each of you. They will look to see if you have any family


    that had been outside the Pack


    before they were murdered. You see, no one outside of this pack had known that you were survivors of


    the Sky Moon. We had been led to believe you all died,¡± I told them. I could see them thinking and


    talking to each other. Finally, it was the same little girl that rushed Celeste that spoke up first.


    ¡°I want to go with Celeste. She always stopped Sandra from hitting me,¡± she said, and Celeste smiled


    at her and took her hand with


    her free one. Slowly, all of the girls epteding with us. Celeste let out a breath.


    ¡°We have a bus outside ready to take us home. Bring what you want to take and meet us outside. We


    have clothes waiting for you at


    home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about a 5 hour drive back and we will be stopping to get take out on the way, so the sooner we hit


    the road, the better,¡± I said


    and the thought of take out seemed to get everybody excited. I grinned at Celeste, happy with the joy I


    could feel through the mate bonding from her.


    ¡°Dr. Castle, my men are at your house. They are helping your mate and kids load the moving truck. We


    can drive there to pick them up. Someone will drive the truck back. You can ride in the bus with the girls


    if that¡¯s OK?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a girl. Gamma Richard¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, he mind linked me earlier. She should be OK to transport. She doesn¡¯t need any special


    equipment. She¡¯s just in a healing sleep. I¡¯m sure we can set up some seats in the bus into a makeshift


    bed for her.¡± I nodded and then I felt sick. I frowned and it took me a moment to realize the emotion


    wasn¡¯t mine. Celeste suddenly took off and ran straight for a waste basket, Maya right behind her. I


    went


    and rubbed little circles on her back as she threw up again.


    ¡°Oh god, please tell whoever has been eating jerky to grab something else to much on,¡¯


    she mind linked me as she heaved


    again.


    ¡°Umm, odd request, but if you¡¯re eating jerky, please throw it away in a different room. We will get food


    on the way home. The Luna


    is expecting and the morning sickness just started to hit,¡± I told them. I heard a quick ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    squeak and a girl of about 15 ran out of the room, running back in 30 secondster, her face beet red.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head home!¡± I said and they all started moving around, picking up some bags with their


    belongings.


    *They areing out. Make sure to help any that need it,¡¯ i mind linked my warriors.


    ¡®Yes Alpha,¡¯I heard back.


    Celeste stood up and groaned. ¡°Tuli?¡± I asked as she swayed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just stood up too quickly. Let¡¯s get out of this ce,¡± she said and we headed out behind the


    girls.


    Gamme Richard met us outside. He was carrying an unconscious girl very gently. You could see how


    scared he was to hurt her and


    how much he cared. ¡°Zack, please grab any nkets and pillows you can find. We need to make a bed


    in the back of the bus,¡± I


    ordered.


    He struggled with his wolf as one of the guards came to take the girl from him, but he finally let her go.


    He looked wistfully after her


    as he took her up into the bus, his eyes following her through the windows until she disappeared as


    she wasid on the seats. I took out


    my phone. ¡°Here, add your number on there. I will make sure to update you on her condition regrly.


    Once you are done with all of this,


    let me know if you¡¯reing to visit or to stay.¡±


    He looked at me gratefully, ¡°I already feel Odin losing his mind at the thought of being away from her. I


    think you can count on me at your gates as soon as I can,¡± he halfughed and frowned, looking at the


    bus.


    I pped him on the shoulder. ¡°Celeste will make sure she¡¯s under the best care,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, she was always like that. I always felt bad that she was always so stubborn. Letting them beat


    her instead of the girls instead


    of keeping her head down. I guess she was always meant to be a Luna,¡± I nodded before one of the


    guards came over.


    ¡°The moving truck is full and the Doc¡¯s family is ready to be picked up. All of the girls are loaded and


    ounted for. Luna Celeste is


    making sure everyone isfortable and they have snacks for the trip. We are ready to head out


    Alpha,¡± Gabriel said.


    I turned to Gamma Richard. ¡°Good luck with the council. Celeste already told them you never


    mistreated them, so they won¡¯t be


    arresting you too. I¡¯ll wait for your text when you are on your way. Thanks for helping,¡± I said and shook


    the man¡¯s hand before I saw


    Celesteing towards the front of the bus. I walked to the entrance and held out her hand to help her


    down. She rolled her eyes but


    smiled and took it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home Tuli,¡± I said as I picked her up and took her to the SUV. She sighed and ced her


    head on my chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± she said. She looked truly at peace for the first time in a long time. I put her in the back seat


    and then slid in after her.


    ¡°Are you not driving?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Danny and Maya will be riding up front for the drive back.¡±


    Celeste snuggled up against me and was fast asleep by the time Gillian, Maya and Danny got in the


    SUV. Maya looked back and


    giggled. We made a stop at burger ce. Danny went inside with Maya as they ced an order for


    about 50 people. An hourter,


    everyone was munching on some much-appreciated burgers and fries, then everyone had to throw


    their tomatoes out the window as


    Celeste¡¯s nausea kicked in.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Chapter 71 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    ¡°Why do they call it morning sickness if it happens all f*****g day?¡± I grumbled as I brushed my teeth for


    like the 5th time today.


    It had been a week since we¡¯d returned from the Blood Moon Pack with all the girls and we were still


    trying to find the best way to help them settle in. We ended up putting some bunk beds in the second


    floor rooms as the girls were having nightmares and had trouble


    sleeping alone. The first night, we found a group of them in one bed after Maya didn¡¯t find them in their


    rooms. We started with two bunk beds per room and we hoped, as the girls became morefortable


    and felt safe, they would request their own room.


    Dr Castle had stayed in the Packhouse the first few days as we got his house ready. They had moved


    out yesterday into their


    permanent lodgings. He seemed to get along well with Dr. West. They had evaluated the girls and put


    them in the proper regimen to get them in better health. The nurses had set up a couple of sses for


    them to learn about their first shift and what finding your mates


    meant and how the bond worked. They would be beginning individual therapy sessions next week.


    Some of the teachers from school had


    their age group.


    It was exhausting work but rewarding. Maya and I had been extremely busy. I had not yet managed to


    sneak a cooking night in. It all would have been a lot more pleasant if it wasn¡¯t for the nausea. With the


    girls all eating micro meals, a lot of snacking took ce all over


    the Packhouse and I was assaulted by random smells that had me running to the closest bathroom


    each time. Dr West and Dr Castles


    both insisted on fussing over me. I was constantly pulled to do some test or another so they could keep


    track of the pups¡¯ growth. They


    made me weight myself every second day since they both wanted me to be at least 10lbs heavier to


    make sure I could carry the pups to


    full term, but how am I supposed to gain weight when I throw up at everything?


    Evergreen was here for the first 4 days installing the new security software and hardware and at first,


    the girls were scared, thinking it was to keep them in. I had to exin everything that happened to


    Ruby and with Sandra for them to see that we were doing it for them and, if we¡¯re being honest,


    because Markus was at an all-time high level of protectiveness.


    Gabriel or Zack were always glued to my side when Markus wasn¡¯t. It was starting to really annoy me. I


    wasn¡¯t even leaving the Pack


    grounds right now. We¡¯d had a fightst night about it and even though I put in what I thought was a


    to the couch, I¡¯d woken up alone this morning and could hear Zack outside the door. I had been on my


    way to the office when someone


    had pushed past me with a bowl of bananas and I had run straight to the bathroom.


    I looked at my phone and realized I now didn¡¯t have time to go argue, as I had yet another appointment


    with Dr West for another ultrasound. I walked into the appointment room to find Markus already there. I


    tried to re at him as much as I could but it just made


    me notice how good he looked in his rugby shirt and blue jeans.


    Mate shouldn¡¯t look this good when we¡¯re mad at them. It¡¯s ying dirty ¨C Kara half grumbled, half


    purred. She was just as annoyed with their antics as I was. I had a sneaking suspicion that part of it


    was the hormones, but no, I was right in this. Markus sighed at the re we gave him and stood up.


    Walking to me and bending down to kiss me. I turned my head and gave him my cheek. He growled


    lightly but pressed his forehead against mine. I could feel his hurt through the bond and I sighed,


    moving my face around and giving his lips a quick peck.


    ¡°That was barely a kiss but I¡¯ll take it,¡± he pouted, looking into my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like fighting with you,


    but I¡¯m not removing the


    guards until I know you¡¯re safe,¡± he said, standing back up.


    ¡°But I am safe,¡± I argued again, ¡°Alpha Geoff, Luna Luisa, everyone that has ever hurt me are with the


    council, getting sentenced,¡± I


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    said, and then I saw it. That look that I had not seen from Markus before. Guilt. He was hiding


    something from me. It was only there for a


    split second but it had definitely been there. ¡°What is it? What aren¡¯t you telling me, Markus?¡± I asked.


    He looked away.


    I was about to push the issue when Dr West entered the room and began asking questions. He took a


    blood sample and weighed me


    before he had mey down for the ultrasound. I was only about 5 weeks along, but as werewolf


    pregnancies were only 5 months as


    opposed to 10, they were concerned that with my previous history with malnutrition, health issues


    would re up as not one but two pups tried to pull the nutrients from my body to grow. The ultrasound


    monitor came on and we waited until we heard the heart beats..


    off the monitor. He¡¯d yet to miss one of these appointments. Al! I could feel through the bond was love


    and admiration right now.


    ¡°It looks like everything is looking good, Luna. Your weight still needs some work. I rmend you eat


    more high-calorie snacks


    and meals. Are you still missing meals?¡± He asked. I shook my head.


    ¡°Like anyone would let me skip anything,¡± I joked, ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by a dozen over protective mother


    hens.¡±


    ¡°Good. Keep this up and once we get past the 2 month mark, we should be able to rx a little more.


    I¡¯ll let you clean up. If anything


    abnormales up in the blood test, I¡¯ll let you know,¡± he said as he left the room. Markus got up and


    grabbed some tissue to clean my


    stomach.


    ¡°We have a conversation pending. You¡¯re not getting out of it,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Nothing is going on Tuli, I am just worried about you,¡± he said, but this time I was looking for it. Paying


    attention to the bond. He was lying. I saw him get a mind link and I felt a ping of fear and anger before


    he shut me out of his feelings. ¡°I gotta go, I need to meet


    Gillian,¡± he said, handing me the tissue.


    I got angry and took them from him. ¡°f**k you Markus,¡± I growled as pulled down my shirt, ¡°At least


    when I shut you out, it wasn¡¯t


    on purpose,¡± I said and walked out of the meeting room, leaving him standing there shocked at my


    words.


    I walked towards the Packhouse. I heard someone walking behind me and I thought maybe it was


    Markus, but it wasn¡¯t. It was


    Gabriel. I felt the pang of pain in my heart that Markus wasn¡¯t trying to reconcile. I reached the


    Packhouse when I finally felt the pull of his


    mind link but ignored it and shut him out of the mate bond too.


    ¡®Maya, can/sleep in one of the guest rooms on your floor?¡¯


    I mind linked her.


    ¡®Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡®Nothing. Thank you,¡¯ said and cut off the mind link.


    I went into the Packhouse and checked on Lacey. She was still in a healing sleep, I had tried to help


    her healing along when we set her up in the room but hadn¡¯t been able to. Richard was supposed to


    arrive tomorrow to join the pack and check on her. I looked into the


    room next to hers. We had left it empty so Richard could feel calmer next to her. I spent most of the


    afternoon talking to the teachers


    about the girls¡¯ levels in reading, writing, math, science and history. As expected, science and history


    levels were very low for most of


    them, so we decided those subjects they could take together as a group. Reading, writing and math


    varied depending on the age and the job duty they had at Blood Moon so we divided them up into 4


    different group levels. By the time we finished, it was time for dinner.


    Markus had tried to mind link me all day and I was still ignoring him, so I sat down with a couple of the


    girls for dinner. I could feel Markus


    eyes on me the entire time.


    After dinner, I was wiped. Being mad while functioning was exhausting. I had already grabbed some


    clothes from the bedroom


    earlier, so I headed straight for the guest bedroom. I was asleep within 30mins.


    Sometimeter, I heard the door crash open. I blinked several times as the light was turned on to see


    an angry Markus in the


    doorway. One of his eyes ck, one of them grey. He was breathing hard. I huffed and turned around,


    pulling the nket over my head. I


    heard him stalk forward before the nket was taken from me. I turned back over and red at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep. Aren¡¯t you the one always saying I should get more rest? Give me back my nket,


    Markus.¡±


    ¡°This is not your nket,¡± he growled, tearing it apart. I raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°This is not your


    room. This is not even your floor,


    ¡± he said slowly. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breathes before he opened them up again.


    Both of his eyes back to grey. He sat on the bed and I turned my back to him again. Trying to blink back


    tears. Damn these hormones.


    ¡°Pleasee back to bed,¡± he whispered, his hand on my hair. Silent tears slipped from my eyes and I


    just shook my head, unable to


    talk.


    After a while of Markus just sitting there and me crying, I suddenly felt him get up from the bed. I cried a


    little more as I realized he had left. I hated being away from him, but he was always the one pushing for


    me to share everything with him. I would not be the only one that gave everything to this mate bond. He


    needed to treat me as his equal. I was still crying when I felt a different nket ced on me and the


    bed dipped. I felt his arms wrap around me as he pulled me to him. He put his head on the crook of my


    shoulder and inhaled my scent. ¡°What are you doing,¡± I said, trying to sound like I hadn¡¯t just been


    crying for thest half hour and trying not to let him feel


    how happy his scent made me.


    ¡°If you won¡¯te to bed, I¡¯m sleeping here too. I told you, you were never sleeping away from me


    again,¡± he said as he kissed my


    mark, sending a shiver through me.


    ¡°I came down here for a reason,¡± I growled.


    He put his forehead on my shoulder and gave it another small kiss. ¡°I know. I will tell you tomorrow. Not


    tonight, Tuli. Not before bed. Rest, we can fight again in the morning,¡± he said sadly. I was going to


    argue, but decided against it. Instead, I let myself go to sleep as he rubbed the tiny baby bump that had


    been starting to make an appearance.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Chapter 72 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I watched Celeste eat her pop tart in the morning. My neck was hurting from falling asleep with no


    pillowst night. I was still mad that she tried to sleep away from me, but then, at the same time, I knew


    I deserved it. I was keeping something from her and it was time toe clean. We¡¯d had 3 different


    fights over her having a guard while on packgrounds. She didn¡¯t understand why. I hadn¡¯t nned on


    keeping it from her for more than a few hours, but all the tests that Dr West and Dr Castle kept doing


    had made me nervous. They were


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    worried she¡¯d have issues with her health because of the long-term malnutrition. What if this news


    caused harm to her or the pups? But


    now, I knew keeping it from her was worse. She had blocked me out of her emotions and that made me


    and As stress over not being


    able to feel if something was wrong.


    She was eating her pop tart, not saying anything as she waited for me to exin myself. I pushed my


    hand through my hair and got


    right to it. ¡°Luna Luisa and Sandra have escaped,¡± I said and that made Celeste choke on her pop tart.


    I ran over as she hunched over choking and patted her back. She continued to hyperventte long past


    choking. I could feel her emotions going all over the ce as she


    processed the information. I sat down and put her on myp and hugged her, letting the mate bond and


    As and my determination to


    keep her safe calm her down. I smelled burning. Celeste¡¯s eyes were aze and I looked around and


    saw that the waste basket was on fire.


    ¡®Gillian, can youe to my office? Celeste is having a panic attack and the waste basket is on fire.¡¯


    ¡®On my way,¡¯ he said. Less than a minuteter, he came in with a fire extinguisher and put out the


    waste basket, then the chair that


    was right behind us.


    ¡°You told her then?¡± He asked. I nodded, but that was to be a mistake. Celeste snapped his head to


    Gillian and he paled at the look she gave him.


    She red at me. ¡°Did everyone but me know?¡± I looked away guiltily. She stood up suddenly and


    started going around the couch. I


    jumped over it to block her way.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am going for a run,¡± she said and panic filled me.


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    ¡°No? Am prisoner now?¡± she asked, her eyes burning with fire again and Gillian doused the curtains


    with the fire


    extinguisher.


    ¡°No, of course not. Tuli please. It¡¯s not safe,¡± I begged.


    She thought about it and nodded and for a second I thought I was in the clear before she plunged the


    dagger into my heart. ¡°I am going to spend the day in our bedroom. I don¡¯t want to see you right now. I


    don¡¯t want to see any of you. You all need to respect me for who I am. I will no longer be a passenger


    in my life.¡± She walked around me and stopped at the door. ¡°Try to push me and I will jump out the


    window and go on my run and we both know, none of you can catch Kara,¡± she growled. Her eyes


    flickering to ck a couple of times.


    She was fighting Kara, but I felt like she was fighting her to stop her from losing her s**t on us. Kara


    had been feeling the hormones a lot


    harder than Celeste. I felt her shut me out of the bond again as she stomped past the door towards the


    elevator. I saw Zack follow her up.


    I walked over to the desk and dropped on it, putting my head on my hands. This is not how I hoped this


    would go, but at this point, I


    counted myself lucky she hadn¡¯t run away.


    Kara shut you out too? ¨C I asked As.


    He whined -Shortly after telling me what she wanted to do with our d***s if we got close enough. We


    f****d up.


    ¡°Umm, should I tell Maya to go check on her?¡± Gillian asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure she was included in her s**t list right now. I don¡¯t doubt she would


    follow on her threat. The


    best thing to do is wait out her anger and then hope some groveling will smooth things outter,¡± I


    answered miserably. ¡°Have we heard


    anything from the council?¡± I asked. Finding them would go a long way to mulling things over with


    Celeste. I had sent two of my best


    trackers to help.


    ¡°They followed them to no man¡¯snd but they are hesitant to send 3 wolves by themselves into rogue


    territory.¡±


    Immed my fist against the desk, hearing it crack. ¡°Have they figured out how they got away?¡±


    ¡°Beta Trevor got his hands on a wolfsbane dart gun from one of the guards and managed to get the


    keys to their cuffs off him. He


    uncuffed the women but didn¡¯t manage to get them off him or Alpha Geoff. The girls shifted and ran as


    the guards struggled with the men,¡± he informed me, ¡°We will find them, Markus. I sent a couple of


    guards to join the others. They know what¡¯s at stake. They won¡¯t let


    us down. Celeste will be OK.¡±


    I leaned back into the chair and tried pulling on the mind link. I was blocked. ¡°But will we?¡± I said mostly


    to myself.


    ¡°Celeste is kind and rational. Her hormones may be making things worse right now, but she will forgive


    you. Just give her time.¡±


    I looked at Gillian. ¡°You haven¡¯t said ¡®I told you so!¡± I mentioned, remembering he was against keeping


    things from her.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re miserable enough without adding to it,¡± he smiled kindly. ¡°I suggest asking mom what the


    proper way to grovel is.


    She sure made dad do it often enough.¡±


    I was miserable the rest of the day. We had never really fought much before this and I was not OK with


    it. She was my drug, my calm,


    half of my soul. I had kept her so close to me since she had disappeared from mest month. I didn¡¯t


    know how to be without her, even


    knowing that she was just upstairs, I needed to see her smile at me, that sparkle in her eye when she


    thought of a smart-ass reply and the


    way her body reacted every time I touched her.


    I kept trying to mind link her until she opened it once and yelled at me to stop. I could tell everyone else


    was also upset that she was angry with them for the decision I ultimately made. She didn¡¯te down


    for lunch or dinner and when I texted her that she needed to


    eat, she sent Melissa, the 13-year-old girl we brought with us, for tes for both of them to eat.


    asionally, she came down for more


    snacks. When I asked her how Celeste was, she said she was only allowed to tell me that she was


    pissed and that they.were watching


    TV.


    That night, when Melissa came back down with the empty tes from dinner, she looked at me with


    pity before she said, ¡°Luna


    Celeste said she needs space. You cane up to sleep but she warns you not to wake her up and


    that you should get up early before she


    wakes up.¡± Then she patted me on the shoulder and I felt like I had hit a new all-time low if a 13 year


    old that had been through hell felt


    sorry for me.


    I looked at my dad and my friends. They all had that same look of pity on their faces, ¡°Any one of you


    manage to get her to speak


    with you?¡± They all shook their heads no.


    ¡°I tried to get her to talk to me when I took up her prenatal vitamins and she had Melissae up and


    grab them from me,¡± Maya


    said sadly.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Chapter 73 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    It¡¯s been three days. Celeste is still freezing all of us out. She speaks the bare minimum to get her work


    each night. Not being able to touch her, seeing her nightsstand littered with used tissue, knowing she


    cried herself to sleep. I was trying to respect her rules, but I was slowly losing my sanity. The only


    words she directed to me every day was to ask if they had found them and then she would shut me out.


    Even her appointment with Dr West, she had changed the timing of thest one so I had missed it,


    instead asking.Dr West to give me a copy of the ultrasound and summary of what was discussed


    during the appointment.


    Melissa was my only source of information, since Kara was also freezing out As. We were moody


    and short-tempered with everyone. Melissa was only allowed to tell me that my Tuli was eating, but


    also told me that she was now ¡°more sad than pissed¡±. Everyone in the packhouse was miserable as


    they saw their Alpha and Luna fighting.


    Finally, not knowing what else to do, I asked Mrs Quinn and Marie to meet me at dad¡¯s apartments.


    They both looked sympathetic


    when they saw me walk in.


    ¡°Please help me,¡± I just about cried, ¡°I can¡¯t do this much longer. I miss my mate.¡± I was past the point


    of pathetic and both women took pity on me. They gave me advice on why my actions triggered


    Celeste the way they did, and what I might be able to do to get her to


    talk to me.


    I got back to my office and began looking at everything I might be able to use.


    If this doesn¡¯t work, I say we lock ourselves in the


    room with her until she talks to us ¨C


    As growled. Kara wasn¡¯t speaking to him either. The few times he¡¯d tried she would only open the


    connection long enough to remind him of what she¡¯d do to our manhood and shut him out again.


    I was contemting As¡¯ n when Gillian burst through the door, Danny right behind him. They


    looked pretty excited. ¡°What¡¯s


    going on?¡± I say. Gillian put the phone down on the desk. ¡°Evergreen you¡¯re on speaker phone.¡±


    ¡°Good Morning Alpha. I was just telling Beta Gillian that I finally managed to make contact with Luna¡¯s


    distant family. They are willing


    to meet next month. They are a bit remote, so the sooner we can get back to them, the better they can


    prepare.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great Evergreen. I will call you shortly with a response,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± he said and hung up the call.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you ept the invitation?¡± Danny asked. ¡°You know Celeste already said we were


    going.¡±


    I sighed and reclined back in my chair. ¡°Because I¡¯ve already f****d up enough not telling her about


    Sandra and Luisa. I¡¯m not about


    to make any more decisions on her behalf without-¡± The half open door burst all the way open and


    Celeste walked in, flying into my


    arms, tipping over the chair past the point of no return. I managed to grab her as we went down and


    hugged her to my chest to prevent her from hurting herself. My head hit the back of the chair with a


    whack and I saw stars for a second. The pain was not important though,


    as I felt the rush of sparks dance down my entire body. Goddess I¡¯d missed her.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± I asked her. She smiled and dipped her head down to my lips. My reaction was


    instantaneous. I felt my d**k hardening


    at her soft touch. Four days sleeping next to my Tuli without being able to touch her had given me the


    biggest case of blue balls in


    history. I growled as I felt her tongue demanding entrance to my mouth.


    ¡®Leave,¡¯l mind linked my friends.


    ¡®Way ahead of you,¡¯ Gillian and Danny responded as I heard the door close shut.


    The moment I heard the click, I pushed my hands into her hair, pushing my tongue into her mouth and


    groaned. I love the taste of


    her. She tasted better than the sweetest nectars, and I was starving for her. I let one of my hands


    wonder down to her breast. She moaned and pressed against me. I couldn¡¯t take the forey right


    now. I needed to feel her, feel how her walls gripped my d**k. I slid backwards until we were out of the


    chair. Her hands going straight for my pants button. She purred when my d**k sprung loose and then I


    felt her wet folds cover the tip of my d**k as she positioned herself over it. I was grateful then that she


    was wearing a skirt today. I swore lightly as she lowered herself on me, swallowing my shaft. My eyes


    rolled to the back of my head as I felt her walls adjust to my size, her juices


    coating my d**k and balls. She moaned as she started riding my d**k. I dug my fingers into her hips,


    trying to slow her down. I would not


    She looked down at me, her eyes glowing and she shook her head, her infinite curls falling over the


    sides, ¡°Don¡¯t stop. I need you,¡± she whispered to me and I lost thest threads of my control. I picked


    her up slightly and mmed her back onto my shaft, earning me a gasp and a moan of pleasure


    rippling through Celeste. I couldn¡¯t look away at the look of pleasure that was on her face. f**k, she was


    gorgeous. I started feeling my balls tighten and I could feel through the mate bond she had reopened to


    me that she was close too. I pulled her down to me, her face on the crook of my neck, giving me


    ess to hers. I drove into her faster and faster as I started to suck on my mark on her neck. She bit


    my shoulder as she screamed my name and I exploded inside her. Holding her tight to me.


    Weid there on the floor for a few minutes. I was relishing in being able to have her body close to


    mine again, feeling the bond sparks, when she started to move away. I held onto her and looked down


    at where her face was on my chest, ¡°Don¡¯t leave again please,¡± ! pleaded. I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. I


    couldn¡¯t be away from her. I felt like a part of me was missing for thest 4 days. She kissed my chin


    and rolled over to where she wasying beside me. Her hand on my chest, drawing small circles on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, looking up at the ceiling, ¡°I should not keep things from you. I was worried about the


    stress on the pups but


    instead, I just made it worse. We work better together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I was hurt and angry, but I took it too far. My hormones are all over the ce. I was


    you said to Gillian and Danny,¡± she answered.


    ¡°When is your next Dr appointment¡± I asked, not wanting to dwell on the past 4 days. I had my


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    soulmate back and I would do whatever I needed to make sure I never lost her again.


    ¡°30mins.¡± she said, looking at her phone. ¡°Will youe with me?¡±


    I turned on my side so we were facing each other. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡± I kissed her nose.


    ¡°I want to cook tonight. Creamy Tuscan chicken with saffron rice,¡± She said as I helped her up from the


    ground. We adjusted our


    clothing.


    ¡°That sounds amazing. Do you need someone to help you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fairly simple.¡± I tried to stand up my chair again but the back leg was broken. Celeste blushed


    when she saw, ¡°Sorry, I was a


    little too eager,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°It was old anyway,¡± I said, mind linking the assistant to order a new one. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go check on our


    pups,¡± I grabbed her by the waist and we headed to the Packhouse. I saw several people¡¯s faces light


    up seeing we were no longer fighting. ¡°So, shall I tell Gillian we ept the invitation to head to


    Mexico?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, maybe by the time we get back, the elders will have captured Sandra and her mom,¡± she


    answered wrapping her around my


    waist too. It felt so right. As was wagging his tail again in the back of my head and I could tell he was


    talking to Kara too.


    We arrived at the Dr appointment. Dr West seemed happy with the progress of Celeste¡¯s weight and


    blood tests. Celesteid down


    and lifted her t-shirt to reveal her stomach. Seeing her tiny bump made me feel so much joy as I held


    her hand and waited to hear those


    wonderful strong heartbeats again.


    ¡°The pups look to be growing quite well. They will berge, something normal with Alpha pups and


    since you¡¯re both of Alpha lineage, we can expect that bump to grow quiterge before the end of the


    pregnancy. Given your small frame, we might need to discuss bed rest as we near full term, but we will


    cross that bridge when wee to it. Other than that, everything appears to be going great. Keep


    eating as you are, we are seeing very positive results,¡± he smiled at us, ¡°Next week, we should be able


    to tell the stx of the babies,


    unless you want to speed things up with a blood test.¡±


    ¡°We can wait?¡± Celeste said as she looked at me to confirm


    :¡±As long as the three of you are happy and healthy. We can definitely wait,¡±I told the Doc.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Chapter 74 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    It was day 4 of our fight and I was done. I had lost steam and had realized that while I was right to be


    angry, I might have over reacted a little. I could see how everyone was miserable over thest couple


    of days, but I needed to find a way to express what I needed. I


    couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t let anyone make decisions for me. I deserved to know what was happening. How


    can I protect myself if I don¡¯t


    know the threats? Being a delicate porcin doll wasn¡¯t really my thing and what hurt the most was


    that everyone was treating me as such. Markus was supposed to be my partner, not my parent or my


    keeper.


    Even Kara, who had wanted to do unspeakable things to Markus and As¡¯ manhood, was feeling a


    little sheepish at her reaction As had stopped trying to link her and it made her sad. We had agreed


    that the pregnancy hormones were likely part of the issue and


    we decided to ask Markus toe with us to the next doctor¡¯s appointment. The office door had been


    partially open and I heard Markus


    telling Danny that he wouldn¡¯t be making any decisions for me anymore. That he¡¯d made a mistake not


    telling me about Sandra. With a little pushing from Kara, we flew into the room and onto his chest. We¡¯d


    missed him and we didn¡¯t care that Danny and Gillian saw how


    we threw ourselves at our mate.


    Now I was cooking dinner. Everyone in the Packhouse seemed happy to see me back out of my room.


    I¡¯d had plenty of offers to help


    but I¡¯d grown close to Melissa in the past few days, so I¡¯d taken her on as my apprentice. She seemed


    to be enjoying it, having never been


    allowed to touch anything that wasn¡¯t bleach at Blood Moon.


    Danny and Gillian came into the room. They kind of shuffled their feet from one side as they elbowed


    each other, trying to decide who would speak first. I rolled my eyes, amused at their antics. I pushed


    forward a batch of brownies I had made earlier for the kids at the


    Packhouse at them. They grinned and grabbed the container, sitting on the kitchen counter as they


    talked to me about what had been happening with the girls¡¯ training and who was improving the most. I


    was turned to the stove when I felt a set of delicate arms around


    me. I turned and hugged Maya back. She was close to tears, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s OK. Sorry I was a b***h. I im


    pregnancy as my defense,¡± I chuckled


    at her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been mad at me before,¡± she said.


    ¡°And I have a feeling it might be a long 4 months for all of you,¡± I teased her and sheughed. She


    went over and sat on Danny¡¯sp


    and started eating brownies.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys eating dinner?¡± Melissa eyed them as they wolfed down most of the batch while she


    chopped mushrooms and


    sundried tomatoes.


    ¡°Of course, Celeste is cooking. Who would miss that,¡± Gillian spoke with his mouth full.


    ¡°How are you able to fit all of that plus dinner?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Their stomach is bigger and they have their wolf,¡± I told her. ¡°They need more calories because they


    burn so much more. You will


    see. You will be eating lots once your stomach is used to it and then even more after you get your


    wolf,¡± I said as we continued to


    prep.


    We went in to dinner and the girls were very excited about having my food. They had only ever had


    scraps or bites of it before. I sat


    with Markus and we talked pleasantly about the trip. Danny and Maya now knew they were noting.


    They were OK with staying to take care of things as long as we promised they could go the next time.


    Maya looked nervous about being in charge for a week.


    ¡®You will be fine. You got this,¡¯I reassured her, ¡®The girls are lucky to have you in their corner.¡¯


    She smiled at me and gave me a quick nod.


    The next week passed by quickly. Lacey had finally woken up and while she couldn¡¯t confirm a mate


    bond because she didn¡¯t have her wolf, she did feel safer when Richard was around. We allowed them


    to keep their side by side rooms, though Markus assured me he had spoken to Richard about the fact


    that Lacey was still a minor.


    more remote and we would be surrounded by volcanos. Communication was not going to be easy, so


    we were trying to arrange everything before we left. Gillian was practicing his Spanish every day. I


    could hear him walking around with his phone in his hand and headphones on repeating phrases.


    Markus¡­.was trying, but goddess knew it was almost a lost cause, so I was teaching him just basics. It


    wasn¡¯t like my Spanish was perfect. I¡¯d barely used it since my parents died, but I had tried to talk to


    myself in Spanish and had found a couple of books to help me practice it when I had free time at Blood


    Moon, so I was fairly confident I would at least be able to hold some sort of conversation with them.


    It was the day before we were scheduled to leave and we were in Dr West¡¯s office. I had been cleared


    to travel already but this was so


    we could find out the gender of the pups. The Dr came in as I wasying down on the bed and lifting


    my shirt to reveal my stomach.


    Because I was having Alpha pups and two of them, it was definitely growing steadily, much to the pride


    and delight of Markus and


    As.


    ¡°Good Morning Luna, Alpha. Ready to see the genders of the future leaders of the Pack?¡± He asked


    with a smile as he set up the


    ultrasound machine.


    ¡°I will be happy as long as they are heal-¡° Markus started saying again, and was interrupted by the door


    to the appointment room opening. Danny and Gillian came in, followed by Maya, Alexander, and Marie.


    Markus was on alert immediately, ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, moving to the other side of the bed to


    protect me.


    ¡°Happened? What? Oh no, nothing happening.¡± Danny said, looking at the ultrasound machine and the


    probe still in Dr. West¡¯s


    hands


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to miss the gender reveal,¡± Gillian said, his eyes twinkling with excitement. I couldn¡¯t


    help but smile. I already knew


    they had an ulterior motive.


    Markus rolled his eyes and moved back to the other side of the bed as the others scooted closer. I saw


    Melissa, Gabriel, Zack and a


    few other warriors outside the door. ¡°We were going to tell everyone,¡± Markus sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t all


    need to be here.¡± I giggled.


    ¡°This will be cold Luna,¡± Dr West said as he turned on the monitors. I saw Melissa, Zack and Gabriel


    trying to sneak their heads in the


    door without actually being inside and Iughed as the cold gel was put on my stomach.


    ¡°You may as well get in here before you fall sideways,¡± I told them and they blushed and walked inside.


    Dr West put the probe on my stomach and after a bit of probing up and down, a clear ck and white


    image of one of the twins came into view. The entire room started cooing but were in silent awe the


    moment Dr. West turned on the sound and the loud heartbeat


    echoed through the speakers. He started shifting the probe, trying to get a picture of the gender.


    ¡°Well Alpha, it looks like our first heir is a girl,¡± he said, and Markus¡¯ entire face lit up. He bent down to


    kiss me as we heard many excited voices on our side, but we paid them no mind. Dr West was now


    looking for pup number two. Another strong heartbeat sounded


    and everyone held their breath. I smiled.


    ¡°Our second heir,¡± he said pointing at the monitor, ¡°Appears to be a very unbashful Alpha male,¡± he


    finished,ughing. It was true.


    The pup¡¯s legs were basically opened wide for all to see. Markus looked like he¡¯d won the lottery.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I get one of each!¡± He howled happily. Suddenly, our moment was interrupted by a couple of ¡°Whooo!¡±


    followed by a couple of groans not only in the room but outside the doors.


    We turned to look and saw Gillian, Danny, Maya and Marie were pulling out their wallets while, Melissa,


    Gabriel and Alexander were


    holding out their hands with big grins. Zack¡¯s money is already out and splits it between the three. I


    turned back to look at Markus, who was looking at everyone with his jaw open.


    ¡°You bet on our pups!?¡± He whispered in a cold, deadly voice. Everyone stopped and turned to look at


    us. It was funny to see the moment each realized they might be in trouble. Maya slowly moved behind


    Danny, and Marie blushed.


    Gillian¡¯s phone rang and he must have thought that would diffuse the situation because secondster


    Kelly¡¯s voice could be heard screaming, ¡°Boy and Girl! Boy and Girl! I told you it wouldn¡¯t be all boys.


    You are paying my share, there¡¯s no way her butt would give away the gender with twins!¡± Gillian paled


    as he pushed the end call button when Markus let out a growl.


    ¡°YOU LOOKED AT MY MATE¡¯S BUTT?¡± Markus half growled. I was trying really hard not tough at


    this point, but then Melissa slowly


    inched over to my end and handed me half-her share of the money. Markus¡¯ eyes snapped down to the


    money that was now in my hand


    and then looked at me.


    ¡°You too?¡± he said.


    I burst outughing. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m growing them¡­..¡± I said and I had tears in my eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t bet,¡± I


    exined, ¡°Melissa doesn¡¯t have money so I told her I¡¯d give her the money if she lost but she¡¯d have


    to give me half if she won.¡± Even Dr. West wasughing by now.


    Markus shook his head and smiled. ¡°And here I thought everyone was just excited to see what we were


    having,¡± he chuckled as he


    cleaned the gel off my stomach.


    ¡°Oh we are!¡± Alexander was quick to talk, ¡°We just thought a little healthypetition to see who could


    guess the genders right


    would be fun. This one isn¡¯t 1 in two, it¡¯s more like 1 in 3. It¡¯s more exciting,¡± while the rest nodded


    enthusiastically.


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Markus said as he took the money in my hand.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested.


    ¡°What, I helped make them, half of it is mine,¡± he said as he gave me back half of my half.


    Trolled my eyes as sat up and I gave them the money back to Melissa. ¡°Congrats on guessing right.


    Maybe Maya can take you to buy


    something with your winnings while we¡¯re away.¡±


    Her eyes lit up at that and then her jaw dropped when Markus and Alexander and Gabriel gave her


    their parts. She gave me a big hug and then ran out screaming, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy icecream and a


    proper sketchbook!¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s the show folks,¡± Dr West said. ¡°Now out so I can finish my consult,¡± he shooed them out of


    the room.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    Chapter 75 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    A boy and a girl. We were having a boy pup and a girl pup. I could feel As doing flips in my head and


    howling with happiness. What more could I ask of our moon goddess? I felt like a million bucks. We


    were headed to Mexico tomorrow, so Celeste had wanted to cook for


    the Packhouse. I wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea, but it was hard telling her no, so instead, I asked Melissa


    to help her with the promise of


    bringing back a few gifts from Mexico. I¡¯m pretty sure she would have done it anyway. She flocked to


    Celeste anytime she had free time and Celeste loved spending time with the young girl. I was eternally


    grateful she had someone with her while she was mad at all of us.


    We were all packed and ready to go. I had a few more things to go over with Danny and Evergreen. I


    had asked for them to look for


    any information on the Pack we were visiting. As much as I wanted to trust Celeste¡¯s long-lost rtives,


    I was not willing to simply go on


    faith. We were on our way back to have lunch before meeting with them. I helped Celeste do some


    quick preparations for dinner. She was making pot roast, so she asked me to put the roasts in the


    ovens so they could begin cooking. As and I were quite pleased to help with the heavy lifting, though


    I feel like Celeste may have been doing it to cate my over-protective instincts by the way Dad


    smirked at me at the thank you kiss Celeste gave me as we were heading to our meeting. Whatever, I


    would take any pity thank yous as long as they


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    came with kisses.


    Evergreen was staying in the Packhouse while he finished all the security upgrades. He would remain


    here until we were back in case


    we needed quick action.


    ¡°Gentlemen, what have you found,¡± I said as we sat in the conference room. Our office was still being


    finished and Evergreen would


    be setting up some new gadgets.


    ¡°Quiet, as far as I could see,¡± Danny said.


    Evergreen nodded in agreement. ¡°Their finances are all up to par. They have about 400 pack


    members. The Pack is quiet, keeps to


    themselves. There are not many packs nearby, so they have no conflicts to speak of. I couldn¡¯t find any


    debts. ording to my satellite info, they are a Pack of farmers with supplemental ie from


    tourism. They mostly live off thend, but they do have some modern


    Other than a couple of incidents


    with thew forck of a driver¡¯s license by some pack members, nothing to note. I dug as deep as I


    could.¡±


    ¡°Any information on rogue attacks or local crime I should be aware about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary. There¡¯s not much record of rogue attacks, but I can¡¯t be sure. As I


    mentioned, they mostly work the


    ¡°And you confirmed that we will arrive tomorrow?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I spoke with Alpha Diego via Zoom yesterday. He will be having some of their men pick you up at


    the airport.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Anything else? Danny, do you have anything else you need me to take care of


    before we leave?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re all covered. Should be OK,¡± he said. I turned to Evergreen. He pulled out a package.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an encryptedptop and a satellite dish. You should have a signal from 9am to 12 noon local


    time. I¡¯ll be monitoring messages and phone callsing in and out of the pack. If something appears


    off, I¡¯ll send you an email through this encryptedptop. I will connect it to theirwork and keep it


    online until you have read the message.¡±


    ¡°Is that not a little extreme?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be going in good faith to meet my


    rtives.¡±


    ¡°For normal people, yes. For me, no. When ites to protecting not only my Alpha, but my Luna, the


    pups and our Beta, I¡¯d rather not risk it. You will be isted, alone with but a few warriors and in a


    different country,¡± he said, and I saw Celeste¡¯s skepticism turn to


    warmth and understanding. ¡°Speaking of, I know Luna is mostly fluent. I¡¯ve installed an app in your


    phone Alpha and Beta Gillian¡¯s. I¡¯ve


    also stuffed an emergency envelope in the lining of the phone pack. It¡¯s got about $10,000usd in


    Mexican pesos, Fake passports and some


    contact information to associates of mine that I know we can trust.¡±


    with us.¡± I stood up and patted him on the arm. ¡°See you at dinner. Celeste is making Pot Roast.¡± I said


    and his eyes brightened at that. As


    a traveling bachelor, he rarely got homecooked meals and had be another aficionado of Celeste¡¯s


    cooking.


    ¡°Tuli, are you sure you¡¯re OK?¡± I asked her again as we got ready for take off. Celeste was sitting next


    to me. I had been feeling her


    nerves all morning the closer we got to the airport hangar. I knew they were stemming from her, but


    wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was. It wasn¡¯t the usual nausea that had gued her for a few weeks.


    Those seemed to be getting more infrequent.


    Celeste nodded but gripped the seat as the ne started moving forward and I felt like an i***t. Celeste


    had never flown before. I put my arm around her and pulled her as close to me as I could. She grabbed


    my shirt and held on until we were in the air and the flight


    stabilized and she finally started rxing in her seat.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said as I unbuckled my seatbelt. I smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. It was only


    a 3 hour flight to Mexico City. We¡¯d be arriving in time for ate lunch in the city before we were driven


    to the Packhouse.


    The stewardess came by and offered us some refreshments. I made sure to order whatever Celeste


    ordered. At this close proximity, 1


    wasn¡¯t going to risk whatever I ordered not to give her nausea. I noticed Gillian, Zack, Gabriel, and


    George, who were used to being


    around pregnant Celeste, did the same, while the others ordered different things. It was all good until


    someone decided to have a snack


    and Celeste¡¯s over-sensitive nose caught the smell of sour cream and onion chips. I felt the wave of


    nausea hit me from her as she bolted


    for the little bathroom. I heard Gabriel growl and saw him snatch the chips away from one of the other


    warriors as I headed for the restroom where you could hear Celeste throwing up her breakfast, my


    ss in hand. I heard the water running before the bathroom door opened. I passed her the iced tea.


    She quickly drank it down and then put her forehead on my chest while I rubbed small circles on her


    back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Luna,¡± Mateo said as we headed back to our seats, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about your morning


    sickness.¡±


    Celeste smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s just the enclosed space. I have some gran bars in my


    purse that Maya gave me before


    we left if you¡¯re still hungry,¡± she said. Mateo shook his head and we continued to our seats. We had


    brought an extra 5 guards with us. 3 of them had never guarded us before, being warriors that tended


    to be out in the field when issues arose, but they had the advantage of knowing Spanish and used to


    adapting to vtile situations. I felt As in my head lowly whining as we asked for more iced tea.


    What¡¯s wrong with you? ¨C I asked


    That i***t made Celeste throw up. ¨C he said, which confused me.


    Celeste has been throwing up at random things for thest month. ¨C


    I reminded him.


    Yes, but Kara is grumpy. She¡¯s saying this is all our fault again ¨C


    He grumbled and I couldn¡¯t help theugh that bubbled out of my


    mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny¡± Celeste asked, smiling at me.


    ¡°Kara is mad at As. She¡¯s ming him for the nausea.¡±


    She raised her right eyebrow at that, ¡°Well, she¡¯s not wrong. Is she?¡± she asked me. ¡°Well, I-I mean,¡± I


    started stuttering, my face paling until she just burst outughing at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you. You should see your face. Kara is just sick of losing our lunch.¡± Everyone


    behind us startedughing and I turned around and growled at them. A few stopped but the others just


    seemed tough louder when they noticed the redness in my face.


    Even As wasughing on his back in my head.


    ¡°That was mean Tuli,¡± | grumbled as I sat back on my seat.


    ¡°Would a kiss make it better?¡± she purred, pulling my shirt to bring me over to where her soft plush lips


    were waiting for me.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said after we came up for air. I tugged her onto myp and we napped like this for the rest of


    the flight.


    ¡°Mr Salonen, we will be descending shortly. We require your partner to take a seat and put on her seat


    belts,¡± She said, and I frowned slightly. This was a human crew, so it was normal they wouldn¡¯t know


    who Celeste was to me. That didn¡¯t sit quite right with me and made a mental note to remedy that as I


    helped a sleepy Celeste back onto her seat.


    Wended a few minutester and I was d to see Celeste was a little less nervous on the way


    down. A few of our warriors


    descended first before I helped Celeste down the steps of the ne. There were three long ck SUVs


    waiting for us when we arrived to


    transport all 11 of us to their Pack grounds. I approached the man in the front waiting for us.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, Luna Celeste,¡± the man said in a heavy ent. ¡°Wee to Mexico. I am Gamma


    Tomas,¡± he said as he extended his


    hand out.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Chapter 76 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    flooked around as we exited the airne. The first thing I noticed were the mountains in the distance.


    They were more breathtaking than when I did my research on the area. Sadly, I didn¡¯t have much time


    to admire the view. Zack and Gabriel were still behind us. I saw Zack look around as he exited the


    ne and shake his head. He then retrieved some yellow tinted sses and put them on. He smiled at


    me and said, ¡°Much better.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s much better?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°Now it looks like in the movies,¡± he smirked, ¡°yellow tinged.¡± Gabriel punched him in the arm while


    SUVs with several men in front of them.


    We approached what looked to be the leader among them. He was not a tall werewolf. In fact, I think I


    was taller than him. He was


    wearing a light t-shirt and jeans, dark skinned and defined jaw. His dark eyes and curious smile could


    have made many girls swoon. He didn¡¯t seem at all intimidated by the 10, 6ft tall men approaching him.


    He gave me a curious look before extending his hand out to Markus.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, Luna Celeste, Wee to Mexico. I am Gamma Tomas,¡± he said in a very thick


    ent.


    ¡°Tomas, thank you foring to meet us all the way out here. I appreciate your Alpha allowing us to


    visit.¡±


    ¡°No worries at all. We will always wee one of Selene¡¯s descendants,¡± he said as he bowed deeply


    to me. ¡°My Alpha sends his


    apologies. His duties don¡¯t currently allow him to leave the pack grounds. He is very interested in


    meeting with you both.¡±


    ¡°As are we,¡± Markus said and in the lul of the conversation, my stomach decided to make itself known. I


    blushed


    ¡°Sorry, I kind of missed breakfast,¡± I said. Markus and I had decided that until we could make a decision


    on trusting them, it was


    better not to tell them about the pups.


    Tomasughed, ¡°All good se?orita, we have picked an amazing taco ce for you to have lunch. It¡¯s a


    ce we all enjoy eating at when wee out this way.¡± He said as he led us to the SUV.


    I could see Gillian mind linking the warriors so that they divided in so that at least one Spanish speaker


    was in each vehicle. Gillian,


    Gabriel and Zack all filed into our vehicle. One of the SUVs behind us went past us before we started


    moving.


    We stopped at a small store front with a line up going out and around the corner. ¡°Ummmm, perhaps


    we try another ce?¡± Gillian


    asked, looking at the line up as we slowed out in front.


    ¡°Nonsense, I know the owner. They are expecting us. They own the house behind it. We are eating


    there. There¡¯s no sitting space in


    the restaurant,¡± Tomas said, as the driver found a parking spot and we filtered out.


    ¡°Where are the other vehicles?¡± Markus asked, looking around.


    ¡°Right around the corner.¡± Tomas answered, and as he finished speaking, the rest of the warriors


    turned the corner on their way to


    We headed into a little house around the back. There was a big table and a few kids running around.


    When they saw everyone, they


    all seemed to run into a bedroom. ¡°I guess 11, strange 6ft white men will do that to you,¡± Tomas


    A petite sun kissed young girl drying her hands on an apron came down from the second floor,


    ¡°TOMASI¡± she squealed and ran the


    rest of the way down, ¡°Por que no me dijiste que venias!(Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing)¡±


    ¡°Le dije a tu papa. Vengo nomas de pasada. Tu papa me dijo que nos hace el pare de darles una


    Buena bienvenidas de tacos a los gringos (I told your dad. I am just passing through. Your dad said


    he¡¯d do us the favor of giving them a warm wee by feeding the white people)¡±


    ¡°Ah vale, dejame voy por unos menus. Mientras, cuentales que hay para beber. Ahorita vengo. (OK, let


    me get the menus. Ask them what they want to drink in the meantime, I¡¯ll be back)¡±


    ¡°Anything but beer guys, please,¡¯ I mind linked the rest.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve heard great things about your Or-Jor ¨C Horchata?¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°A ro. Of course. Everyone wants the same?¡± Tomas asked. We all nodded as we sat.


    The young girl came back and gave us some menus ¡°Que para beber? (What are you drinking?)¡±


    ¡°Que todos quieren Horchata.(Everyone wants Horchata)¡± Tomas said with a shrug.


    ¡°Pos ven ayuda entonces. Nos traemos unos de los garrafones que hizo mama (Come help then, we¡¯ll


    grab one of the containers


    mom made in the morning)¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for one moment. I must help her get the drinks,¡± Tomas said.


    Anything sketchy,¡¯ Markus asked via mind link.


    ¡®Not outside of being called white people,¡¯


    giggled as I looked at the menu.


    ¡°You guys know what you want?¡± Tomas said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever you have in beef. I will leave it up to what you think we would like,¡± Markus said.


    There were a few chickens and steaks and then he came around to me. ¡°And for you se?orita?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°Dos de lengua, uno de seso y dos de trompo¡± I said. (Two tongue, one brain, two pork)


    He looked surprised and pleased, ¡°Me dijeron que usted era familia pero no que sabia espa?ol. Ha


    probado los tacos de seso antes?


    No son para cualquiera. (I was told you were family but not that you spoke Spanish. Have you tried the


    brain tacos before? They are an


    acquired taste.)¡±


    ¡°Mi mama me ense?o. No he probado pero se me hizo boca agua cuando los vi. A y uno de tripa por


    favor. (My mom taught me


    before she died. I¡¯ve never had them but my mouth watered when I saw them. Oh and 1 intestine


    please)¡±


    ¡°Bueno, salsa?¡± I nodded. Markus cleared his throat and Tomas smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll be back after I tell them the


    order.¡±


    ¡®What just happened,¡¯ Markus said, I could tell he was stressed that he didn¡¯t know what was being


    discussed. He was out of his


    element here and wasn¡¯tfortable.


    ¡®He just asked me about my order. He said it was an acquired taste. Rx love, I will not talk about


    anything important without


    including you,¡¯ I said as I took his hand. He sighed and kissed the back of my hand.


    The food arrived and we were too busy eating to talk. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their food after


    a first nce at my


    te.


    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡± Gillian asked, as my dish looked a lot different from everyone else.


    ¡°You sure you want to know?¡± Tomas asked with a grin.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked tentatively.


    ¡°These two are beef tongue. This one is cow brains, this one is cow intestine and this one is pork¡± I


    said as I pointed to each one. saw Zack look at his te as if it had sprouted legs looking for anything


    weird in it.


    ¡°But my sour cream and onion chips gave you morning sickness,¡± Mateoughed but quickly quieted


    when Markus growled.


    ¡°You are pregnant?¡± Tomas asked. Well, that was in the open a lot sooner than we wanted to. I nodded.


    ¡°I will ask them to give us


    some capirotada for the trip back. It helps with the nausea,¡± he said.


    ¡°Since the cat¡¯s out of the bag, you mind keeping that beer away from me? It kind of makes my


    stomach turn,¡± I said.


    Tomasughed, ¡°Your warrior is right. How can you eat brains and intestines but something like beer


    makes you throw up,¡± he said


    as he went and put his beer back in the fridge and grabbed a ss of horchata instead.


    I shrugged and dug in. It was delicious and the pups and Kara both seemed to enjoy the food with me,


    even Markus tried the beef


    tongue and wasn¡¯t adverse to the taste. After eating and thanking the owner for such a wonderful meal,


    we were once again on the way.


    Tomas assured us it was about an hour and a half away.


    I wish we could have kept the pups hidden until I felt safe,


    Markus mind linked me.


    I know, but not much we can do now. We didn¡¯t exactly tell the other warriors to keep it under wraps,


    I said, I don¡¯t sense any ill


    ¡®I don¡¯t either, but we¡¯ve yet to meet the rest. I don¡¯t like having this many factors out of my control.¡¯


    Iid my head on his shoulder and allowed the sparks to soothe his worry. I didn¡¯t realize I fell asleep


    until Markus nudged me awake.


    ¡°I think you will want to see this,¡± he said and pointed out the window.


    Igasped. There were mountains to either side of us. All around us was natural beauty, the sinking sun


    making everything look


    magical, Markus pulled me onto hisp so I could see out the window better. His hands slowly petting


    the tiny bump hidden by my blouse. I spent most of the rest of the drive with my nose practically


    stered against the window. I started seeing little buildings here and there and we finally hit a town


    called San Juan totenco.


    ¡°We¡¯re only about 20 minutes from the Packgrounds now,¡± Tomas said.


    We went through the middle of the town and were almost to the edge of the town when I saw


    something. ¡°Stop!¡± said and we


    screeched to a halt. I opened the door but Markus was holding onto to me.


    ¡°Celeste?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That ce Markus,¡± I said, pointing. ¡°I know that ce.¡± He followed my hand to where it was pointing


    and I saw as he realized why!


    recognized it. He let me go and climbed down behind me. I walked towards the Cantina de Loba. It


    looked the same as it did in my


    vision. I walked inside with Markus hot on my trail.


    ¡°Tuli, we can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Be? No, no puede ser. Be murio (No, it can¡¯t be. Be died),¡± I heard someone whisper from over


    the counter. I looked at her.


    She looked familiar. I think she was on one of the pictures we found in the deposit box. She came


    around the bar and towards me. ¡°Tu


    pelo esta mal, y tu piel no es tan morea y tu ojos¡­ (Your hair is wrong and your skin is lighter and your


    eyes¡­),¡± she said as she looked at


    me, but it was like she was talking to herself. ¡°Celeste?¡± She asked me now. I nodded. ¡°Pero por


    luna. Te pareces tanto a Be (By the


    moon, you look just like Be)¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Como conocias a mi mama? (How did you know my mother?)¡± I asked as Tomas came into the bar.


    ¡°Mama, estas bien? (Mom are you OK?)¡±


    His mom ignored him, then in a very thick ent she asked, ¡°Can I hug you?¡± I was going to say no,


    but there were tears streaming down her cheeks, so I nodded. She closed the rest of the distance and


    hugged me so hard, I heard Markus growl.


    ¡°Mama, dej ir, es pareja del Alfa de Estado Unidos.(Mom, let her go. She is the mate of the Alpha


    visiting from the US.¡± She reluctantly pulled back, grabbing my face with her hands. ¡°Your mother was


    my best friend. I was here when she met your father. I went


    to live with her for a few years, but I came back to visit my mother who owned this bar and found my


    mate. I thought you were dead,¡± She


    cried.


    ¡°Alpha Diego is waiting for them mama,¡± Tomas said and I felt Markus put his arm on my shoulder.


    ¡°Perhaps we cane back another day? We are here for a week,¡± he suggested. I nodded.


    ¡°I would like to know more about my mother,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°Of course,e by any time,¡± she said as we headed out.


    ¡°Wait, your name?¡± I asked her.


    She smiled, ¡°Lupe¡±


    Twenty minutester, we went through a set of gates deep in the mountains. We were let through and


    we passed fields of farming


    before the road opened up to arge space right before the mountain. The Packhouse seemed to have


    been built right into the


    mountain. It was both impressive and beautiful. There were tons of windows carved out of the


    mountains and a giant set of double


    doors.


    ¡°This is impressive,¡± Gillian said as we exited the vehicle.


    ¡°It is strategic. There was a time our people were in a war. The cover of the mountains ensures only


    one way in, same with the


    Packhouse,¡± A man waiting for us at the end of the steps said as he approached us. He smiled at


    Markus as he stretched his hand


    out.


    ¡°I am Alpha Diego. Wee to the Mountain Moon Pack.¡± He turned to me then. ¡°Wee to your


    ancestor¡¯s home, Luna Celeste.


    nodded and Alpha Diego gave me a quick hug, ¡°Come, my mother has cooked for you all. I will show


    you to your rooms and give you a


    tour. If you need to speak to the outside, we get connection between 9am to 11am. If you have an


    emergency, you will have to leave the


    mountains and head back to San Juan. We can talk about the family legacy tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Chapter 77 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    This was going to be such a long trip. I wish I had spent more time trying to learn Spanish. It was


    looking like I would be waiting for someone to trante for me all week. It made me uneasy. How am I


    supposed to react if something threatens us if I have to wait to have it tranted for me. As had been


    pacing all day and it was driving me nuts. At least Alpha Diego was speaking English to me, but all


    around me, all I heard was Spanish. I had my Spanish speaking warriors in strategic points along the


    table. I tasked them with keeping an ear open for any kind of threat, but I didn¡¯t like feeling like I was in


    the dark.


    We were currently in the dining room eating some sort of spicy dish. It was delicious but I had to admit


    to being on my third ss of water. The red rice was especially tasty. Despite the heat, I had cleaned


    my whole te. Celeste was currently talking to Diego¡¯s mother


    about the recipe.


    ¡°So, Alpha Markus, have you encountered Huitzilopochtli yet?¡± Alpha Diego asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Hmm, your people know who Celeste is, do they not?¡± I nodded. ¡°Then it is probably just a matter of


    time. I would be careful who


    you show her gifts. The more people know, the easier he will find her. He has killed many of our people,


    though he never bothers much


    with the males in our blood line. He wants to kill his sister. The one that fought against him and his


    mother. My great aunt and my


    grandmother died to the monster. We have since only had boys on my great grandmother¡¯s line, but my


    great aunt¡¯s branch had a few


    women. We thought we had kept Be safe by sending her so far with his mate, but we heard what


    happened. We believe he found


    her.¡±


    ¡°But Celeste¡¯s parents were killed by a neighboring pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, Be¡¯s father Alpha Jose, sent his people to try to find Celeste. They were unable to find her, but


    they encountered


    Huitzilopochtli also looking for her. My uncle believed that he was ultimately responsible for her death.


    How, we¡¯re not 100% sure but if


    he was there, he had a hand in it.¡±


    ¡°Is my grandfather alive?¡± Celeste asked, I hadn¡¯t noticed when she had started listening.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. He passed 8 years ago. Having lost his mate and his only daughter left him heart


    broken. His wolf died and the Pack


    passed to me as the only living heir of our blood line. Well, at least at the time, I was. With you back,


    the Pack is yours by birthright,


    should you wish it,¡± I was taken aback by his statement and I could see so was everyone around the


    table who understood him.


    ¡°You would just give up your Alpha title, just like that, without a fight?¡± I said incredulously.


    ¡°It is hers by birthright, Alpha Markus. My people, her people would follow her. I would follow her. We


    do not hold the same standard that a woman can only be Luna. She would be the Alpha,¡± He stated


    simply.


    ¡°My pack is Crescent Moon. It was destined by our moon goddess Selene. Coyolxauhqui. I will not


    doubt her wisdom. As far as I can see, the men and women here are well cared for. Unless you need to


    be removed for their safety, I can assure you, this is your pack cousin. ¡± Celeste stated as she took my


    hand. As purred in my head.


    Alpha Diego inclined his head at her, ¡°Thank you, if there¡¯s ever anything we can do for you, we will


    dly respond.¡±


    ¡°Enough heavy s**t,¡± Alpha Diego¡¯s mom said, making us allugh, ¡°Let us dance!¡± She said as


    everyone got up from the table, ¡°It¡¯s not every day our long-lost peoplee home for a visit! A


    celebrar!¡±


    Celeste startedughing as we followed them out to the front of the Packhouse. The area had been


    cleaned and set up into a dance


    area with tables and chairs all around. There was Spanish music ying from some speakers. We


    moved to an area and I noticed my


    warriors all standing at attention around us. They were good warriors.


    ¡®Do you feel safe here, Tuli?¡¯ I asked Celeste.


    ¡®Yes, do you?¡¯ She asked.


    Ido,¡¯I responded, then I looked back at our warriors. ¡°I believe we will be fine. Why don¡¯t you go have


    some fun?¡±I told them. All but


    said as I noticed one woman making her way towards us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know how Alpha. I have two left feet.¡± He said as his face reddened. The woman reached us


    then. She was quite pretty. Her light chocte skin shining against the light of the moon and lights. She


    stood in front of Gillian, who was staring at her as if frozen.


    ¡°Bas conmigo?¡± she asked him shyly. Gillian was still frozen, just standing there.


    ¡°She said dance with me?¡± Celeste leaned over and nudged him.


    It seemed to bring him back out of his stupor because he suddenly blushed as the she-wolfughed


    and said ¡°I promise I don¡¯t bite until the 4th dance.¡± Gillian¡¯s blush deepened to a darker shade of red


    as he stumbled upwards and allowed the she-wolf to lead him to


    the dance floor.


    Can/teach Zack?¡¯ Celeste asked.


    Can you teach him what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To dance,¡¯ sheughed.


    Of course love, but save me one or two, I answered.


    ¡°Come Zack, we¡¯ll have you dancing before the night is over,¡± she said. Zack visibly paled and looked


    at me. ¡°Just keep your hands in


    the safe zones,¡± Iughed, not that I had anything to worry about. In the months he¡¯d guarded Celeste,


    he had been nothing but respectful. When Zack still didn¡¯t move, Celeste huffed and pushed him to the


    dance floor and I realized he was more scared to dance


    than a jealous Alpha mate.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you let your mate dance with someone else,¡± Alpha Diego came and sat down, offering


    me a drink.


    ¡°I trust Celeste and I trust my guard,¡± I shrugged as I watched Celeste trying to show Zack how he


    should be moving his feet. Zack


    had a permanent blush on his face. I could hear Asughing in the back of my head.


    ¡°Most Alphas are not keen on anyone touching their mate,¡± he said, looking at me as if I was an


    anomaly.


    ¡°Most Alphas don¡¯t volunteer to give up their Alpha status either,¡± I countered and heughed.


    ¡°You would if you were raised by my mother. I have lived under the shadow of strong women. They


    routinely kicked my ass growing


    up.¡±I tipped my drink in his direction. Zack was now trying to learn how to move his hips and there were


    a few females looking and


    giggling.


    I looked over to Gillian and the she-wolf. They seemed to not be aware of anyone else on the dance


    floor. I thought back to what Celeste had said earlier about Gillian finding his mate. I¡¯d never seen him


    this interested in another woman before. It was still about 5


    days until the full moon. Maybe¡­.My head turned back to Celeste as I saw a woman approach them. I


    saw her talking to them and


    Celeste taking a step back with a smile. She turned to look at me and gave me ae hither look.


    ¡°Pardon me. I believe I am being asked to dance.¡± I put my drink down and walked over to Celeste.


    ¡°Do you need a lesson too?¡± she teased as I reached her. I grabbed her hand and spun her around a


    few times.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, they teach us salsa dancing during Alpha training,¡± I said as she giggled into my


    arms.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, but Gillian¡¯s mom made both of us take dance lessons since we were 8 years old,¡± I said as we


    danced.


    Two hourster, I could feel Celeste¡¯s exhaustion.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to sleep, Tuli,¡± I said as I picked her up bridal style. She only snuggled into me in


    response.


    You can all enjoy the


    I told Gillian and


    evening but care of your alcohol consumption and care to not disrespect our host pack. We are


    heading to bed,¡¯


    warriors.


    ¡®Yes Alpha,¡¯ they responded.


    I passed by the table Alpha Diego and his mother were at, ¡°Thank you again for hosting us. We will see


    you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have much to talk about,¡± Alpha Diego said.


    I carried her up to the suite. I removed her shoes, her shirt and pants. I tried to dress her, but she just


    grunted and curled into the bed so I removed her bra, locked the door and then stripped down to my


    boxer briefs before I climbed into bed with her. I put an arm around


    My eyes fluttered open as I felt Celeste¡¯s hands in my hair. I saw her long tanned legs in front of me. I¡¯d


    somehow ended up with my


    head on herp. I turned around and my d**k instantly stood at attention as I saw the bottom of her


    glorious breasts. She was sitting


    against the wall.


    ¡°Good morning. Liking the view?¡± she teased.


    ¡°It¡¯s magnificent,¡± I growled as I gave her belly a quick kiss. ¡°Good morning pups,¡± I said, ¡°Cover your


    ears. You¡¯re about to hear mom and dad y.¡±


    ¨C


    Celesteughed and squealed as I got up and pulled her down by the legs so she wasying on the


    bed. I settled myself between her


    legs as I crashed my lips on hers. I grabbed one of her plentiful breasts and began kneading it, making


    her arch her back and moan.


    Pregnancy had made them one of her most erogenous zones. I let my lips travel down her chin, to her


    neck. I nibbled on my mark on her


    neck for a little bit, loving the reactions her body was giving me. I sucked on the mark one more time,


    making her arch her back again,


    and I quickly slid down to suck on her breast.


    ¡°Markus,¡± she gasped my name as I pulled on the n****e. The sound made my c**k throb with need.


    After properly worshipping her mounds, I slowly kissed down her body, nipping at the inside of her legs


    before paying proper attention to her bud. It was already swollen and itching for me. I blew air on it


    gently, making her squirm with need. Her hands reaching down to grab my head.


    ¡°Impetient Tuli,¡± I purred before taking her bud into my mouth with my teeth. I sucked and licked her


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    delicious p***y until she cried out for me as she went over the edge. Ipped up her juices like a man


    starved.


    I felt her hand pull on my hair, ¡°Markus, I want you,¡± she meowled at me desperately. I didn¡¯t hesitate, I


    pulled off my boxer briefs,


    letting my erection spring free. I settled between her legs.


    ¡°Tell me what you want Tuli,¡± I asked her between kisses. She grabbed my c**k, making me twitch in


    her hand as she guided me to


    her entrance.


    ¨C


    ¡°I need your c**k inside me,¡± she said and gasped as I pushed my d**k into her waiting core. I pulled


    out to the tip then pushed in hard. This felt right. This was my world, I thought as I drove into her over


    and over, my speed increasing as I felt us both teetering on at


    the end of that cliff. ¡°Tuli,¡± I groaned as I felt my balls tighten. ¡°Yessss¡± I heard her gasp as she rode her


    orgasm. I drove into her, chasing


    my own release. I groaned as I felt myself release into her. Iid down next to her, panting. I pulled her


    to my side, waiting for our


    breathing to even out.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Chapter 78 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    I fell asleep again after having sex, only to be woken up by my growling stomach and a chuckling


    Markus, ¡°We should shower and


    grab breakfast. Today might be a long day,¡± he said as he helped me up.


    We showered and headed down to breakfast. Alpha Diego¡¯s mom grabbed me and led me down to the


    kitchen the moment she saw


    me. Yelling at Markus to go wait in the dining room. ¡®Are you OK, Tuli?¡¯ He asked me while I was being


    dragged away.


    ¡®Yes, she wants to teach me some dishes,¡¯


    answered. Mrs Rodriguez taught me to make Chquiles, huevos divorciados, huevos


    rancheros among other dishes. We worked together for about an hour, enjoying chatting and pumping


    out the food until she gave me a te of chquiles and told me to go join Markus before he used


    her of vebor as she finished thest of the tes.


    I walked in to everyone eating happily. I noticed Gillian was sitting next to the woman that had asked


    him to dance yesterday. I shot


    him a wink as I passed by and I heard him trying to say a word correctly. He blushed and it made me


    when she turned around.


    ¡°Se ve. Cam, gusto en conoce Luna Celeste(I can tell, nice to meet you Luna).¡± she said with a


    smallugh, ¡°Sera fluente para cuando se regresen. Yo hablo ingles pero prefiero mi lengua. Ademas,


    es lindo verlo tratar. No muchos lo hacen. (He¡¯ll be fluent by the time he leaves. I know english but


    prefer my native tongue. Plus it¡¯s adorable to see him try. Not many make the effort)¡±


    I nodded, ¡°S¨ª, es buen hombre. Tratamelo bien (Yes, he¡¯s a good man. Treat him right.)¡±I told her asl


    patted him on the back and


    kept going until I reached Markus.


    ¡°only understood half of those words. Do / want to know?¡¯ Gillian¡¯s voice reached me.


    I wouldn¡¯t be a good Luna if I wasn¡¯t willing to be a wingwoman¡¯


    said as I dug into my food.


    ¡®-well Thank you¡­ I think, he answered.


    ¡®Hey, you did all the hard work. I just gave you a nudge


    I said.


    I don¡¯t know what that means,¡¯ he said. ¡®You will.¡¯ Iughed and cut off the mind link.


    ¡®Tuli, ¡®Markus asked, is that going to be who I think it¡¯s going to be?¡¯ ¡®I hope so. He looks smitten


    already,¡¯ I said.


    ¡®So his mate will be Mexican?¡± he asked me. I could feel his curiosity through the bond.


    ¡®Yes. I think so.¡¯


    ¡°How was your breakfast? I made it with the help of Mrs. Rodriguez,¡± I changed the subject.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I¡¯ve never had something quite like it,¡± he said showing me his clean te.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s always been a gifted cook,¡± Alpha Diego said proudly.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait to try some of these recipes when we get back home. Hopefully I can learn a few


    more before I go,¡± I said


    enthusiastically as I took another bite.


    We chatted amicably for a little while as I ate. Once I was finished, Alpha Diego gave us the tour of the


    grounds. It was really amazing how self sufficient they seemed to be. They farmed, processed and


    canned a lot of their products. There were drying racks filled with peppers we had used this morning.


    They even had some refrigeration carved into the mountain that used the coolness of the rock with


    minimal electricity to store their meat.


    Although the Packhouse was built into the side of the mountain, we hadn¡¯t realized that even the parts


    that didn¡¯t face the outside


    were so light without requiring electricity during the day. Alpha Diego pointed to a bunch of thin


    skylights that seemed to lead to the top


    of the mountain. It was always cool despite the summer heat, he assured us as he led us to the back.


    He opened a door,


    ¡°This is what you came here to see. This is our, how do you say, hall of records. This is where the


    entire history of our family is stored.¡±


    show many generations. There were books on pedestals all around and shelves littered through out the


    room.


    ¡°Our family has been here for many generations. As we¡¯ve discovered information, or have had other


    siblings of the moon goddess reach out, we¡¯ve attempted to document as much as we could in the


    hopes that one day, we would have enough to put a stop to Huitzilopochtli before he ends all of our


    blood lines. Many of the women in our family have kept journals. Some men, too. Your mother¡¯s is


    here,¡± he said as he pointed to a set of journals and a binder. ¡°Even after she left with her mate, she


    sent us her entries via email,¡± heughed. ¡°It was the reason my great-uncle bought his firstputer


    and connected us to the outside world with inte. They are all printed, I reached for my mother¡¯s


    journals. I noticed my hands were shaking as I let my fingers trail down the spine. I felt the all too


    familiar pull as I went backwards in time. I saw her, on a small ledge above the Packhouse. She was


    smiling as she wrote in her journal.


    Her tanned skin and wild brown hair blowing in the wind. I was pulled forward and back into the room.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Alpha Diego asked. I turned and he wasn¡¯t looking at me but at Markus.


    ¡°You saw?¡± I asked him.


    He nodded, ¡°She was beautiful,¡± e said.


    I smiled.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Alpha Diego cleared his throat, waiting for an anshwer.


    ¡°I have the power of sight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Your mother wrote it in one of the journals, but I saw his eyes go white,¡± he said, pointing


    at Markus.


    I nodded. ¡°Markus and I have a deep bond. He is able to share my gift.¡±


    Alpha Diego looked surprised at that. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that happening before. He gets his own


    visions?¡± he asked. I shook my


    head, ¡°He only shares it. I had the vision and he can see it with me.¡±


    ¡°This is new,¡± he scratched his head. ¡°I wonder if everyone after you will have this ability. It would


    certainly up the game if someone


    has an offensive power.¡±


    ¡°Do we tell him?¡± I asked Markus.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little. Maybe we show him before we leave,


    Markus said. I nodded.


    ¡°Are we OK to look around Alpha Diego?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Diego. You are my cousin after all. You can look around all you need. I will bring you some


    snacks,¡± he said as he exited.


    ¡°Where do you want to start,¡± Markus asked. I looked at my mother¡¯s journals. As much as I wanted to


    read them, we needed other


    information first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to find information on Huitzilopochtli,¡± I said, ¡°He¡¯s the threat Selene warned me about.¡±


    ¡°OK. At least everything seems to havebels. You start on that side and I will start over here,¡± he said,


    pointing to a shelf near


    him.


    We began looking at the books, seeing if any of them would give us any new information on


    Huitzilopochtli. We sat there for hours.


    Gillian joined us at noon, bringing us lunch and grabbing a few books to read, but I sent him off to


    spend time with Cam after two


    hours.


    ¡°How did you say the name was spelled? Huz- Huzipotle?¡± Markus said, giving up and bringing the


    book over. He¡¯d been struggling to


    read anything at all, his Spanish was basic at most, but he was looking for the name in the books.


    ¡°Huitzilopochtli,¡± I said, and took the book from him.


    There was a big picture of the warrior from the vision Selene had shown me. ¡°This is him,¡± I said.


    I read underneath. There was not much:


    Huitzilopochtli


    God of Sun and War


    Brother of Moon Goddess Coyolxauhqui


    Goes by:


    Helios ¨C The Sun God of the Greeks.


    Surya ¨C The Hindu Sun God.


    Inti ¨C The incan Sun God.


    Kinich Ahau ¨C Mayan Sun God.


    ¡°Markus,¡± I gasped.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Helios. In one of the visions I had when I visited Selene. Luna Luisa had mentioned getting a prize


    from Helios in exchange for mom


    and me. They must be the same person. He found us and must have made a deal with Blood Moon to


    get to us, but they f****d it up.


    ¡°So Alpha Geoff was never after your mom for her powers?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure he pushed them to attack my parents,¡± I said and I could feel tears of rage


    roll down my face as I held my


    stomach protectively.


    ¡°We won¡¯t let him get to our pups, Tuli.¡± he said as he gathered me in his arms. ¡°We know he¡¯sing.


    We know what he looks like.


    We will be more prepared than your parents. You¡¯re not alone.¡±


    ¡°Everything OK?¡± Diego came in as I sobbed into Markus¡¯ chest. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just hard for her. She¡¯s dealt


    with all of this alone for so long.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Mom wanted me to ask Celeste if she wants to join the preparations for dinner, but I can


    tell her she can help another


    day.¡± He said, but I looked up.


    ¡°No, I want to learn all I can.¡±


    ¡°You know, would you be opposed to digitizing all of this?¡± Markus asked Diego.


    ¡°How?¡± He asked, ¡°It¡¯s generations of hand-written records. At one point, I tried to have people start


    typing it, but it was just too


    much.¡±


    ¡°Evergreen, the man who reached out to you on our behalf. He is a tech genius. If you¡¯re not opposed, I


    can have hime out and


    take a look. I¡¯m sure he either has or can make some sort of software program to get it all digitized¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt. I often worry something will happen and all of these records will be lost forever.¡±


    ¡°I will contact him. Maybe he can even join us here,¡± Markus said, looking excited at the thought.


    ¡°So, what is your mom making?¡± I said.


    ¡°Mole. Come, I¡¯ll show you to the kitchen,¡± Diego said as he led us out.


    ¡°Tuli, are you sure you¡¯re up for more cooking?¡± Markus asked me, worry in his voice. Diego looked


    confused, ¡°Is she sick?¡±


    ¡°Did Tomas not tell you?¡± Markus asked, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Madre de dios. So this is why your guards seem so on edge when they aren¡¯t actively guarding you? I


    swear I¡¯ve seen them all pass by


    this door every time I¡¯vee near.¡±


    Markusughed. ¡°They love their Luna,¡± he said simply. ¡°I hope you know, I did tell them that we were


    safe while inside the


    Packhouse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their instinct to want to keep protecting their Luna while not in their ownnd. Rest assured, no


    offense is taken. Now that I


    know she¡¯s expecting a pup, I will make sure to double the guards at the gates,¡± Diego said.


    ¡°Pups,¡± Markus corrected. ¡°We¡¯re expecting twins.¡±


    ¡°A double blessing. Come cousin,¡± he said cheerfully to Markus as we arrived at the kitchen. ¡°We will


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    celebrate. Don¡¯t worry about your mate, mom will be doting on her hand and foot. She loves pups.¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Chapter 79 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    The next couple of days passed by fairly quickly. Evergreen joined us the next day, in the evening. He


    went straight to the room, came back out, took my credit card to buy some generators and has only


    wifi withdrawal. He was short tempered and keeps checking his phone only to grunt and put it back


    down.


    It turned out that there already was the technology to digitize all of the books and journals in the room.


    They would be scanned and


    a digital copy of the journal would be stored for future reference, but a software would also extract the


    document¡¯s writings and pictures


    and not only would it create a typed script of the page, but could trante it to whatevernguage you


    needed. An index was being generated for easy search function as each document was being


    scanned. It was quite impressive, but we were all scared to let him know


    lest he call us all primitive brutes and shut the door on our face. Again.


    Gillian came and sat next to us as we talked outside a couple of hours before lunch, ¡°Someone will


    have to go grab him at lunch


    time. I have been barred from the room for the rest of the day.¡±


    Diegoughed, ¡°What did you do? Last night, I was asked to leave very politely but firmly after I thought


    the machine was broken and


    he told me that he¡¯s not a miracle worker. He can only get so much amp out of the generators and he


    doesn¡¯t understand how someone


    can live without Netflix.¡±


    ¡°I am apparently not to be trusted after he discovered I mibeled a page under another index,¡± Gillian


    grumbled, ¡°It seems the only one that can do no wrong is the Luna. He¡¯s all rainbows and sunshine


    talking about possible pup names with Celeste before I got kicked


    out.¡±


    ¡°I am beginning to understand my cousin has that effect on just about everyone she meets. Tomas


    hadn¡¯t gotten his mom toe


    into the Pack grounds in almost 5 years and she¡¯se to thest two dinners,¡± he said.


    ¡°She is fiercely protective of her loved ones and they her. Everyone that gets to know her loves her. But


    man, wait until you¡¯ve been


    on the other side of her temp-Oooh h-hi love. How¡¯s the scanning going?¡± I said as I saw hering


    out of the Packhouse with a ss of


    lemonade. Everyone at the table was smirking at me.


    ¡°On the other side of my what, Markus?¡± she asked casually, not moving from the door.


    ¡®Help me,¡¯l mind linked Gillian as my mouth bobbed open and closed.


    I¡¯ve already taken s**t from one moody wolf today. I don¡¯t need to add hormonal pregnant she-wolf to


    my day,


    Gillianughed.


    Celeste raised an eyebrow and was waiting for me to answer when Lupe¡¯s bike came out the rows of


    maize. She walked up to Celeste


    and led her inside. They were beginning preparations for tomorrow¡¯s full moon. As three other packs


    wereing, their small numbers


    just made sense when trying to find their mates. I sighed with relief as I saw her retreat when I heard


    her in my head, If you think talking s**t with the guys about your mate is something I¡¯m going to forget,


    you¡¯ve got another thinging, my love. Payback is a b***h!


    groaned as the guys startedughing. ¡°Are you in the dog house, cousin?¡± Diego saidughing, ¡°The


    big mighty Alpha, scared of a tiny she-wolf.¡± I noticed only the ones without mates were doubled over


    ¡°Yes, well, if I show up at your suite tonight asking to hide me, you better f*****g open the door,¡± I said


    as I looked back at the door.¡± can¡¯t wait to hear how you guys put your tails between your legs when


    you find your mates.¡±


    One of the older mated malesughed at that and tipped his beer at me. ¡°Every male thinks they can


    handle a woman until they get


    mated to one. I always enjoy watching their faces fall as they realize who the weaker s*x actually is.¡±


    Diego¡¯s eyes zed over. ¡°Intruders at the river,¡± he said as he stripped, shifted and started off. We all


    followed suit.


    The mountain had mostly one way in and one way out, but asionally, someone managed to find an


    underground water river that


    provided them with a water source. It took a lot of strength to fight up the river in order to make it to the


    only climbable entrance to the


    Packgrounds. Diego told me it always made for either an easy capture or a frightening fight. Anyone


    who could make it up was either


    ¡®Markus!¡¯ Celeste¡¯s voice came into my head.


    I¡¯ll be fine Tuli. I need to help,¡¯ I answered her.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I heard her sigh in my head, making my heart clench, I know. Please be careful. I love you.¡¯


    I love you more. See you in a little bit, I said as I heard the fighting and cut off the mind link.


    We followed Diego¡¯s wolf Tenoch down into a cavern. The growls of the other wolves echoed through


    the cavern but what surprised


    me was the cking of what sounded like staves.


    We arrived in time to see two men fighting against 6 werewolves. They did not smell like werewolves


    themselves, but they also didn¡¯t smell human. They smelled like¡­.more. It was hard to describe. They


    had inhuman strength. They were wearing nothing but a loin cloth. Their copper skin glittering with


    sweat and water. 3 werewolves were in their human form, fighting with sticks, trying to make


    openings for the wolves to strike. Somehow, it didn¡¯t seem like they were winning.


    I waited for Tenoch to do something so we could follow his example, but then he surprised me when he


    shifted back into his human


    form.


    ¡°It¡¯s them. Go back! He must have figured out Celeste is here. It¡¯s the only reason they would attack.


    The borders are safe but


    Huitzilopochtli has ways around the mountain. Go protect your mate. We¡¯ll handle these guys.¡±


    Otto, As and Zack¡¯s wolf Perseus turned around with As¡¯s roar. We were half way back when I felt


    Celeste¡¯s panic and anger,


    making As push to run faster.


    I saw only one man in front of the Packhouse surrounded by wolves. I circled around towards the front


    doors of the Packhouse. I couldn¡¯t see Kara outside, which means Gabriel must have kept her inside


    as I could not see his wolf out here either.


    ¡®Celeste?¡¯ I mind linked him.


    ¡®She¡¯s in the records room. Evergreen, one of their warriors and I are guarding the door.¡¯


    ¡®Good. Keep her there,¡¯ I said.


    She is fighting us Alpha,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®Tie her down in the room if you have to. They are here for her,¡¯


    I told him and cut off the mind link.


    ¡®Tuli, stay in the room,¡¯ I begged her.


    ¡®Markus I can fight,¡¯s he said.


    ¡®No, the pupse first. It is just one man. We can handle this,¡¯


    As answered for me.


    ¡®You can¡¯t expect me to hide while you¡¯re in danger, As,¡¯


    she growled, and I could feel her struggling against someone.


    You can and you will. I will not risk the pups,¡¯ he shut the mind link after that, hoping she would heed


    his words and we turned our attention to the man in front of us. Aside from the light somewhat modern


    clothing he was wearing, he looked exactly the same as in the pictures we found in the books.


    ¡°Entreguen a loba de que peleo contra mi. No tengo pelea con ustedes. E pagara los pecados


    de sus ancestros.¡±


    ¡®Give me the she-woll, descendant of the one that fought against me. I have no quarrel with you. She


    must pay for the sins of her


    ancestors,¡¯ Mateo¡¯s voice came into my head.


    As growled. One of the wolves shifted back, Diego¡¯s mother walking to the front.


    ¡°Has echo suficiente da?o. Pide perdon a tu hermana. Deja a tus hermanos en paz. Nadie aqui a


    peleado contigo Huitzilopochtli.


    Vete en paz, y nadie te atacara.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ve done enough harm. Ask your sister to forgive you. Leave the rest of your siblings¡¯children to


    live in peace. No one here has fought against you. Leave in peace and no one will stop you¡¯- Mateo


    Huitzilopochtli roared and rocks fell from the sides of the mountains, ¡°Entonces moriran todos por solo


    una perra.¡± he said and a


    turquoise staff appeared in his hand.


    ¡®Then you have chosen death. All of you will die for one bi-woman,


    Mateo stuttered and didn¡¯t finish the original wording, knowing


    it was Celeste he was speaking of. Everyone growled at that. The male wolves took a tentative step


    forward while most she wolves took a


    step back. The staff began glowing red. The bottom of the staff began undting.


    ¡®What¡¯s the n Markus?¡¯ Gillian asked, as Otto moved in front of a she wolf. There was no doubt in


    my mind that this was Cam¡¯s


    wolf.


    As answered. I could sense


    Wait for the pack to make a move. We cannot attack on our own. We can¡¯t coordinate an attack,


    frustration from everyone through the mind link.


    ¡°Suficiente,¡± Huitzilopochtli said, and I saw in horror as a wave of lighting left his staff. It was directed at


    Mrs Rodriguez, but


    thankfully a wolf barreled into her side and the lighting hit the rock behind her, leaving a scorched mark.


    Everyone rushed the god of sun and war. You could hear growls and whines of pain as we tried to


    make it under his turquoise staff. He wasn¡¯t the war god for nothing. I saw as wolves were sent flying


    by the force of his staff. asionally, you could smell the burnt flesh


    as they were hit by the rays emanating from it.


    ¡®We have to get the staff away,


    growled at my pack. Find an openi-¡® I was interrupted as there was a st that seemed to go in every


    direction as if a bomb had gone off in the center. We all hit the ground at once. Some of us fairing


    better than others.


    ¡°Suficiente! La perra o muerte¡± He screamed.


    ¡®Enough! The woman or death,¡¯- Mateo groaned into my mind as he struggled to stand.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Chapter 80 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    As shook off the hit and was about to charge again when the door to the Packhouse opened and out


    came Celeste. Long ck


    curls blowing in the wind and eyes glowing fire as fire dripped from her hands. If she wasn¡¯t in danger,


    I¡¯d take a moment to admire how fearsome and powerful my mate looked. But I did not have a moment,


    and As began running as we saw Huitzilopochtli shoot his staff in her direction. We almost barrelled


    into her as she rolled away from it in time, throwing her own fire balls at him. Shended standing next


    to us in wolf form. I had never seen anyone shift as fast as she had. Kara lifted up on her hind legs and


    stomped back down to the


    ground with a roar, and I stared in awe as two giant des of fire rose from the ground and rushed at


    Huitzilopochtli. He dodged one but


    roared when the other one hit him across the right side of his body, sending him flying at the wall of the


    mountain, burning everything in


    its path.


    For a few moments, it looked like the fight was over, but we weren¡¯t that lucky. Though his side was


    scorched and rubble had fallen


    on top of him, he opened his eyes and began to dislodge his legs from the rubble. Kara began charging


    towards him but stopped when we heard movement from the side. Huitzilopochtli smirked, thinking his


    warriors wereing with back up, but then his face fell when he


    saw Tenoch running in front of the other warriors a head in his jaw and the other in the jaws of his Beta.


    He turned to look at Kara, As


    quickly moved in front of her.


    ¡°He esperado mucho tiempo para encontrar a perra de Chantico. Esto no ha terminado¡­¡± He spit


    blood onto the ground as he got out of the rubble. ¡°Hermanita.¡±


    I¡¯ve waited a long time to find the dog of Chantico. This isn¡¯t over, sister,


    Mateo said in my head. I owe that man a raise.


    With Diego closing in, he bent his knees and jumped, somehow making it all the way to the top of the


    mountain and disappearing over the side. As quickly turned and growled at Kara as he sniffed her


    abdomen. While not dangerous to shift during most of the


    pregnancy, the roll on the ground could have hurt the pups. Kara growled back but allowed us to make


    sure the pups were OK, then


    huffed and trotted back into the packhouse, hitting As in the face with her tail as she pivoted away.


    As whined at the action and then


    ran after her.


    As receded as we went into the house. ¡°Do not walk away from me Tuli,¡± I yelled after her. Kara


    turned around and growled at me


    then shifted to Celeste, who looked even more pissed off than Kara was in all her naked glory.


    ¡°You do not get to tell me when I can and can¡¯t help fight for those I love. It is my right. It is my birth


    right. You forced me to hurt my


    friends. Just because I am carrying your pups doesn¡¯t give you a right to dictate my actions. You are


    my mate, not my keeper. You said you


    understood, but they were just words¡­¡± she said and I understood why she was angry, but I was just


    as angry as her this time.


    ¡°HE WANTED YOU. HE WOULD HAVE SPARED EVERY PERSON IN THIS WORLD TO GET HIS


    HANDS ON YOU,¡± I roared at her, making her pause. ¡°I will forever choose your wrath, than your


    death,¡± I told her calmly. I turned around and walked out of the Packhouse. I left her standing in the


    middle of the hall. I pushed through the crowd gathered at the entrance and shifted. Needing to run off


    my anger. How could she not understand she was my life. That her death meant mine. There was


    nothing in this world for me if something happened to her and the pups. I would burn the world to the


    ground if she wasn¡¯t in it.


    I didn¡¯t get very far. As much as I felt we were running at a fast pace, Kara was faster. She caught up to


    us and stopped in front of us.


    We ran around her, not stopping, but she caught up to us again and again, until we stopped just short


    of the border when she barreled


    into us.


    As growled at her but she stood her ground, her long ck fur blowing in the wind, her red furred tips


    and runes glowing against


    the sun.


    Celeste shifted again and walked to a tree near by and sat on the ground. She patted herp and As


    only hesitated for two seconds


    before he walked over and plopped on top of herp. She petted us as our anger dissipated, only


    sighing asionally. As turned his head towards her stomach, cing his ear against it, letting the


    sound of their heartbeats calm us. Finally, he pushed back to the recesses of my mind. I could feel him


    talking to Kara through the bond. I didn¡¯t move my head from her stomach. I wasn¡¯t ready to go


    reces


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± was all she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± I kissed her stomach before I sat up and cradled her to me.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep fighting every time there¡¯s danger. We need to be in sync. That¡¯s how we win,¡± she


    whispered.


    ¡°Alli can think about is you getting hurt. Everything else just goes out the window,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Then train with me. I can¡¯t let you fight my fight alone. We¡¯re supposed to be a team.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just¡­I don¡¯t know how to turn off the need to protect you and them,¡± I said, cing my hand


    on her belly. It was getting


    bigger by the day. Soon, there would be no hiding it from the world.


    ¡°We will work on it together. We are safe for now. All of us,¡± she said. We stood there quietly until I


    heard movement and tensed,¡± asked Gillian to bring us some clothes,¡± She said. I sighed and nodded. I


    met Gillian a little bit away from where Celeste sat, holding her


    knees up to her chest.


    ¡°Everything OK?¡± He asked. I nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± I said.


    We got dressed and walked back holding hands. When we came into the open area, we saw the


    aftermath of the fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go help with the wounded. You help them clean up?¡± she asked.


    I kissed her forehead, ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a n.¡± Before she could leave, I asked ¡°What did you do


    to Evergreen, Gabriel and


    Pablo.¡±


    She grimaced, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fair fight, considering none of them wanted to hurt a pregnant Luna. I will


    apologize when I find


    them.¡±


    Iughed and shook my head. ¡°Remind me to give them a bonus.¡±


    I walked over to Diego, ¡°Did you lose anyone?¡± I asked him as I helped him turn over a grain trailer.


    He shook his head, ¡°We had a couple of close calls and injuries being tended to but no loss¡±


    ¡°How did he know where to find us? No one knows where we are but my Gamma and he would die


    before betraying us.¡±


    ¡°I can answer that Alpha,¡± Evergreen came out of the Packhouse with a ck eye. Celeste¡¯s doing, I


    was sure.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Luna had mentioned the Blood Moon Luna talking about a deal with someone named Helios. She


    believed it to be Huitzitopochtli. I


    contacted the Pack a few minutes ago. Danny confirmed you should have an email from the council


    exining that they have found the


    body of Luna Luisa in no man¡¯snd. She had been dead for about a week. Her body looked to have


    been hit by lightening,¡± He pointed


    over to the scorch mark Huitzilopochtli¡¯s staff left and could see a lightning pattern spreading outward in


    the rock. ¡°He may have been watching the pack after extracting information and seen us leave.¡±


    ¡°What about Sandra?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There were signs of a struggle, but no body. They believe her to have escaped or taken,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course. Thank you,¡± I said, turning back to the task at hand.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± he said


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I turned back at him.


    ¡°Gabriel could use a talk. He¡¯s not very happy he got overpowered by the Luna. He was talking about


    failing to protect her as he was trying to open the record room door. Luna had put a metal bar through


    the door handle.¡±


    I sighed and nodded, ¡°Thank you Evergreen. I¡¯ll be sure to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, I am not ashamed of being beaten by our Luna. In fact, I¡¯m going to try to milk this


    for some brownies when we get back, but the man takes his job pretty seriously.¡± he said as he turned


    back, ¡°If you are both OK with it, I¡¯m going to go back to scanning. I would like to be done before we


    head home.¡±


    I looked at Diego who nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a priority. We¡¯ve got the clean up.¡±


    ¡°So my cousin¡­¡± Diego started as we continued to upturn farming equipment. ¡°She¡¯s got more than


    one ability?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°Her fire ability started when she got her wolf,¡± I grunted as we worked.


    ¡°Does she have any more?¡± He asked. I was tempted to tell him about the healing, but since it wasn¡¯t


    hers, I just shook my


    head.


    ¡°Just the two, as far as we know.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Whatever you guys need. I hope you know our packs are bound by blood. You need only


    call and we will show up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. The same goes for you. If hees back¡­.just give us a call and we¡¯ll bring the back up.¡±


    After working for about 15 minutes, he looked at the destroyed crops and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go check on


    the wounded. Nothing to be done about the crops. Things will grow back.¡±


    ¡°If you need any help at all to rece them. We can help.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much. A couple of less tortis a meal and we¡¯re back on track,¡± heughed as we headed


    towards the make shift


    area.


    I watched Celeste cleaning a wound. As soon as we got near, her head went up and she turned our


    way, a giant dazzling smile forming on her gorgeous face when she saw me. Mrs Rodriguez took over


    the cleaning as she whispered something to Celeste, who


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± I said as I pulled her close and kissed her.


    ¡°Oh nothing.¡± She said mischievously.


    ¡°Tuli?¡± She just giggled and walked towards the next injured she-wolf. ¡°We¡¯ll be cooking in a couple of


    hours. We might need your


    help with the pots. Go rx with the guys, we¡¯ve got this covered. There¡¯s only a couple more that


    need help, most will be healing well on


    their own.¡±


    I shook my head and walked towards Diego. He handed me a beer and we sat down. I looked back at


    Celeste and noticed Gabriel


    standing a few feet away. If she moved, he moved. Never quite behind her but never far away. He was


    a good warrior.


    ¡®Evergreen¡¯s got a ck eye. How did you fare?¡¯ I asked him. I saw him stiffen as he heard me.


    ¡®Broken rib and a failed assignment. I¡¯m sorry Alpha. I didn¡¯t think she would take on all three of us.¡¯


    She¡¯s the daughter of two Alphas and stubborn as f**k. It is not an easy assignment.¡¯


    I should have tied her inside like you suggested.¡¯ He sighed.


    ¡®No, I was wrong to suggest it. You¡¯re a good warrior and a good guard.¡¯


    ¡®She still managed to put herself in danger,¡¯ he huffed.


    ¡®Yes well, have you met her? ¡®Iughed and I saw him snort.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Chapter 81 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    It¡¯s the morning of the full moon and I was excited for Gillian. I was pretty sure Cam would be his


    mate. I had not failed to notice


    how he kept gravitating towards her. They spent almost every moment together. Always looking like


    they were in their own little world. Unaware of everyone around them cheering them on silently on the


    sidelines.


    There was another pairing i had seen. One of the female warriors seemed to have caught Gabriel¡¯s


    eye, even if he never seemed to


    get himself out of guard mode long enough to approach her. They kept getting pulled around each


    other as if by mas all week. Never touching, but always in each other¡¯s direction. I was already


    devising a n so I didn¡¯t lose him as a guard, but he would still be happy if my instinct turned out to be


    right. I had grown to like him a lot. He was smart and loyal. He had a goofy side to him when he


    allowed


    himself to rx.


    We had put a bunch of meat in some slow cooking holes they had in the groundsst night. Mrs


    Rodriguez said it was an easy and tasty way to handle preparations for the Full Moon dinner. All that


    would be left to do was heat the tortis, cut up the toppings, make


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    the salsas.


    But first, I made my way back into the bedroom. Markus was still sleeping and I¡¯d managed to get Lupe


    to bring me a can of whip


    cream from her cantina before the night was over. He was going to learn not to talk s**t about his mate


    to his buddies. I had hidden his


    clothing under the bed so I could get away after the deed was done. I struggled to contain myughter


    as I put the whipped cream in his outstretched hand. He almost ruined it when he stirred, but he just


    mumbled something and kept sleeping. Kara wouldn¡¯t stop chuckling


    in the back of my mind as we poured almost the entire can on his hand.


    I hope you¡¯re ready to run. ¨C Karaughed.


    Just make sure you give me some of that speed. We make it out of the room and we¡¯re in the clear. ¨C


    Isaid.


    I grabbed the feather I had borrowed from Mrs Rodriguez yesterday and tried to tickle his nose. His


    nose twitched like Samantha in


    Bewitched and I could feel myughter just under the surface. My eyes were watering. I needed to


    hurry. I tickled his nose again and he made a weird noise as his twitched his nose again. I tried one


    more time and this one was the winner! He brought his hand to his face to


    scratch and smeared the whip cream all over his face. I got up and ran to the door.


    ¡°What the fu-¡± he growled and then noticed me folded overughing at the door. ¡°TULI,¡± he yelled as I


    mmed the door shut and


    ran like a bat out of hell. I was close to the end of the hall when the door mmed back open and he


    thundered after me.


    ¡°Where are my clothes? You will pay for this Tuli,¡± he said as he ran in nothing but his boxer briefs, face


    full of whipped cream despite


    having tried to wipe it.


    ¡°Talk bad about your mate again,¡± I yelled as I ran into the kitchen and hid behind Mrs. Rodriguez,


    Theardughing as Markus walked towards the kitchen. The anger on his face had a few scampering


    away but I could feel he was struggling not tough through the bond. ¡°You will pay for that woman,¡± he


    thundered.


    ¡°Now now Alpha, you wouldn¡¯t hit a pregnant Luna would you?¡± Mrs Rodriguez chided.


    ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t thinking about hitting her, Mrs Rodriguez,¡± Markus said as he smiled, his canines


    elongating, looking at me like he was the big bad wolf and I, little red riding hood.


    ¡°Well, then. You may proceed,¡± she said with a chuckle, and left me standing on the other side of the


    counter. Alone. Markus put his


    hands on top of the countertop as he circled around like prey.


    ¡°My, what big hands you have,¡± I teased.


    ¡°The better to lift you with my dear,¡± ¡°and spread those legs apart.¡¯ He added via mind link.


    ¡°A-and what big eyes you have,¡± I said, a shiver going through my body. ¡°The better to see you with my


    dear,¡± and watch as myc**k drives into your quivering quim.¡¯


    ¡°And what big t ¨C teeth you have,¡± I stuttered, my legs starting to go weak.


    times, Markus added as he stalked forward. My knees had be jelly at his responses. He grabbed


    me, put me over his shoulder


    somehow without crushing my stomach and started towards our room.


    ¡°Breakfast is in 30 minutes!¡± Mrs Rodiguez called out as he marched us towards the bedroom. I could


    hear men hollering in approval


    and women giggling as we passed by.


    We made it to the room and I heard as he locked it. He gentlyid me down on the bed. He nestled


    himself on top of me, spreading


    my legs with his. He held my arms up above my head, ¡°You woke up really naughty today, Tuli. What is


    a good punishment for naughty


    girls,¡± he said as he nipped my shoulders.


    ¡°Fi-Five¡± is all I could say.


    ¡°Five what?¡± he said as he continued his assault down my chest, pushing my shirt down to reveal my


    breast.


    ¡°Five times,¡± I moaned as he bit so close to my n****e but wouldn¡¯t give them any attention. He licked


    around it, never


    touching it.


    ¡°Hmmm. Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± he said, making circles with his tongue around the other


    n****e.


    ¡°Yes! Markus please,¡± I begged and gasped as he took the entire n****e into his mouth and sucking on


    it hard. My back arched into his


    mouth, wanting him to take more. His throbbing erection pushed against my core through the fabric,


    making me moan. I felt his canines


    nip my n****e and it was like a jolt of electricity ripped through my body and straight to my core, making


    me cry out as an orgasm


    surprised me.


    Markus chuckled as I came down from my high. He licked the n****e before blowing on it. ¡°1¡± he


    whispered huskily as he lowered


    himself down the bed, tearing the shirt down the middle with his w as he went, my skirt bunched up


    to the waist. He nipped down my stomach as he made his way down to my p***y. I was writhing by the


    time his lips touched my mound, the feeling already building again. His tongue teased my core as he


    hair to make him pay attention to where I wanted him, but he simplyughed and held my hands from


    his head as he ravaged my core


    without touching my clit. I felt the frustration and pleasure keep building hand in hand and when he


    finally took my clit into his mouth,


    fell apart.


    ¡°2,¡± he said before taking my clit into his mouth again. He left for a moment and I looked down, pouting.


    He had a grin on his face and then I felt a cold wetness on my p***y as he poured some whipped


    cream on it. He disappeared again between my legs as he licked


    my p***y clean. The way he dipped his tongue in my folds made my eyes cross in pleasure. I started


    feeling the tension build again and as


    pushed my hips upwards to meet his mouth, his tongue delved into me, his hand pinching my clit. I


    screamed his name in pleasure as I


    went careening over the edge again.


    ¡°3,¡± he moaned as hepped up all of my juices. He pulled up and crushed his lips to mine as his


    fingers reced his tongue in my


    core. I could feel his erection poking my leg as his fingers expertly assaulted my core while his mouth


    assaulted my neck.


    ¡°Markus, please,¡± I begged him. For what, I wasn¡¯t sure. My entire body was humming at this point. He


    moaned against my neck as he


    sucked on his mark, his fingers curled and twisted inside me, his knuckles rubbing into my G spot,


    sending me flying off the cliff once again. I tried to cry out but his lips crashed on mine, swallowing my


    scream as his tongue invaded my mouth. I could still taste myself on


    him along with the sweetness of the whipped cream, only pushing my pleasure higher, longer.


    ¡°4;¡± he grunted as he pulled off his boxers, pushing himself into me in one stroke, making me arch my


    back in pleasure. His


    throbbing hard c**k filling me. I could feel his balls already tense, hitting my ass. There was no slow


    start. He had denied himself for too


    long, fulfilling his promise first. He pounded into my sensitive core over and over as I wrapped my legs


    around his waist, meeting him


    thrust for thrust.


    ¡°Come for me Tuli,¡± He said huskily into my ear as he kept thrusting into me. I pushed against the bed


    and felt as he trusted into me,


    the strange angle hitting all the right spots and I screamed as I felt my core squirt all over his d**k.


    ¡°f**k!¡± he moaned as he kept thrusting into me. He pulled up onto his elbows so his face was above


    mine ¡°Fi-¡± he tried to groan


    when his own release finally hit him and he buried his face into my neck. I felt his c**k pulse as his


    seed spilled into me. He copsed next¡¯


    to me, one hand across my belly.


    An eternityter, we were finally catching our breathes. ¡°Five,¡± he said as he kissed me tenderly on the


    lips and Iughed.


    ¡°What did you do with my clothes,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Under the bed,¡± I said as my stomach growled.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s shower,¡± he said as he got up. I tried to follow, only to find my legs were still made of jelly.


    He gave me a knowing smirk and picked me up and took me to the bathroom. He sat me on the sink


    while he tempered the water.


    ¡°So¡­big day for Gillian,¡± he said as he stepped between my legs. I wrapped my arms around his waist.


    ¡°Yes. Gabriel too I think,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t tell me about him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling,¡± I said, ¡°Or a hope. I¡¯ve seen him pulling towards one of the warriors but he takes his


    job too seriously to go mingle.


    ¡°That is not a bad thing, Tuli,¡± he told me, kissing my head and tapping my legs.


    ¡°No, I just want him to be as happy as you make me,¡± I said, wrapping my legs around him as he


    carried me over to the shower. ¡°I thought, if it happens and she epts him, that maybe we could try


    her out to be the pups¡¯ guard once they grow up a little. That way their assignments would let them


    travel together with us,¡± I told him of the n i¡¯d been formting for a few days.


    ¡°Hmm, point her out to me when we go to breakfast. If she¡¯s a good warrior, I think that¡¯s brilliant,¡± he


    agreed as hethered


    my hair.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Chapter 82 ¨C Gillian


    Gillian P.O.V.


    There was something different about tonight. Not the usual anticipation of a full moon run with new she-


    wolves. I had one thought in my mind. Will Cam be my mate? Otto and I had been fighting to control


    ourselves all week. Never had we been so tempted. We¡¯ve always been able to control our urges. Mom


    had always told us how sacred and important the mate bond was. Even though we were


    almost 27 now, we had never relented. Cam was different. She evoked so much in us. I tried to


    exin it away. She was exotic. Her soft


    voice with that thick ent sent shivers down my body. Just thinking about it was giving me a semi.


    We¡¯d gotten close. So close. I thought as I remembered the way we¡¯d found ourselves in my room


    yesterday after the attack, letting


    our bodies say what our mouths couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t do that to her though. She had a mate and she had


    saved herself for him. If we were


    not her mate¡­.I didn¡¯t want to think about it. I knew I was falling hard for her rich sun kissed skin and


    chocte eyes and joyful


    personality. She was selfless and reckless. She was the Gamma¡¯s daughter and though she hadn¡¯t


    trained to fight, she had refused to hide


    when Huitzilopochtli threatened her pack. The need to protect her had been too much for Otto to resist


    and we had tried to hide her


    behind us. Something that had not gone unnoticed by her.


    Thad never wanted something as much as I wanted her. From the moment I saw her the first night, I


    could not get her off my f*****g


    head. I grew up hearing stories from mom about how mates could feel the pull even when it wasn¡¯t the


    full moon and I wanted to believe


    this was it, but it had also been almost 8 years¡¯ worth of monthly disappointments.


    We could always ask her to be our chosen mate ¨C Otto had been telling me all week.


    We can¡¯t do that to her.


    I argued for the 70th time this week


    And what if what happened to Alpha Alexander happened to us.


    Otto whined in my head. No, we couldn¡¯t do that. All we could do right now was pray. Pray that this was


    thest full moon we would


    look up at the moon and pray for our mate. I knew she was nervous too and that was a small


    constion. I hadn¡¯t even had the heart to


    ask her if she¡¯d be willing to leave for Arizona with me if we were mates. nning for a future that


    might never be was too much torture


    to think about.


    I walked into the records room around noon. I hadn¡¯t seen Cam at breakfast today, but it was my turn


    to help, and above


    everything, I cared about Celeste and Markus. ¡°Where do you want me to start,¡± I said to Evergreen.


    He turned to look at me and pointed


    at a stack.


    ¡°Those are all the same index. I pulled them for you.¡± I rolled my eyes. One f*****g bad index and


    suddenly I was an ipetent


    nipoop that couldn¡¯t be trusted. Whatever. I wasn¡¯t in the mood and this would make this easier.


    We worked in silence for an hour.


    Usually, I didn¡¯t mind the silence, but today it was all I could do to not scream. I needed something to


    distract me from the uing full


    moon.


    ¡°You think we¡¯ll be done before Sunday?¡± I asked. It was only two days from now and it still seemed like


    the scanning was endless.


    How this man managed to keep his sanity, I didn¡¯t know. He was in here 15hrs a day pretty much every


    day for thest 5.


    ¡°We should be done tomorrow at this pace,¡± he said and continued to scan. I sighed, so much for a


    conversation. He was not usually


    this dry and grumpy. He was dedicated and passionate about his work. Slightly immature even at times


    when he wasn¡¯t on the clock. I


    think he was going through tech withdrawal. Aside from a TV and oldputer in themon room,


    and a slightly more modern


    I¡¯ve never seen him without


    multiple tech devices on him or around him. I think the only thing keeping him sane was the need to


    finish the job. Markus had told him


    he might need to stay back a couple of days with a few warriors to finish the job and Evergreen had


    looked as if he was threatening to kill his puppy.


    The door opened and Celeste walked in with a te of food. She was wearing a dress Markus had


    mentioned earlier today had belonged to her mother. It wascy and off white; her tiny bump was


    growing rapidly and it suited her. I know pregnant women said that morning sickness was usually the


    reason for the glow, but Markus said he hadn¡¯t known of any morning sickness since she came here,


    but


    use thatnguage app. My broken Spanish and Cam¡¯s only slightly broken English had helped break


    the ice. That and whatever she¡¯d


    told Cam that first night. Since we arrived, my Spanish vocabry had almost doubled.


    ¡°Can you go help Markus? He and Diego have to go grab some items for tonight, get the barbacoa out


    of the ground, and then in the afternoon, we need you around to wee the other Packs. Diego


    asked we meet everyone officially. I¡¯ll take over for you,¡± she ced a te on Evergreen¡¯s desk and


    turned back to me. There was a weird smile and a twinkle to her eye. ¡°We made empanadas with some


    left


    over meat from dinnerst night. Make sure you grab a few on the way out. Easy hand food.¡±


    ¡°Yes Luna,¡± I said, happy to be out of here. The overthinking was killing me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep missing meals, Evergreen. I didn¡¯t see you at breakfast again,¡± I heard her chide as I


    closed the door behind me.! chuckled. Evergreen had gotten food while they were romping around


    before breakfast. I can only imagine her face when Evergreen told her so. Everyone had seen the


    remnants of the prank she pulled on Markus and could guess what had happened after he¡¯d shut


    himself in the room with her after he carried her back to the room caveman style.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I walked past Gabriel on his way to the records room. I met Alpha Diego, Markus, Zack and Mateo at


    the door, ¡°Where are we off to?¡± |


    asked.


    ¡°Diego wanted to show us to one of the properties that belongs to Celeste. I confirmed with thewyers


    that they have the deed


    among the documents we found in the safety deposit box. Then his mom asked that we get some more


    ingredients for today¡¯s. It seems a


    dozen extra wolves have drained her reserves for the full moon dinner a little more than she had


    realized.¡± Markus said as his eyes


    narrowed at me with a smile. He was excited about something but he didn¡¯t seem to want to share. He


    and Celeste had been acting a


    little weird all week and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was some sort of ¡°pregnant couple¡± thing or nning to


    murder me and bury me out


    here.


    ¡°No, this happens every full moon we host. She always has enough, but the thought ofing up a


    little short terrifies her. So then we end up eating the same thing for days after,¡± Diegoughed.


    We had been driving for a while when Markus mind linked me. ¡®So¡­.are you excited to go home,¡¯


    Markus asked¡­a little too casually.


    I narrowed my eyes at him through the car mirror.


    I guess¡­.It is home after all,¡¯ I said suspiciously. Markus was never one to beat around the bush.


    ¡®Right.¡¯ He was quiet for a while, ¡®Do you like it here? Mexico¡­with all the se?oritas?¡¯


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me something? Are you trying to leave me here, Alpha?


    Tasked.


    ¡®What? No. Why would you think that?¡¯ He said.


    ¡®You and Celeste have been really secretivetely. Now you¡¯re being weird.¡¯


    His face went red.m not being weird. I was trying to make conversation¡¯


    ¡®Well you¡¯re either dumping me on this pack or killing me and burying me in the middle of nowhere. You


    wouldn¡¯t be this awkward


    otherwise.¡¯


    He crossed his arms and looked away from the mirror, ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡¯ ¡®Are you¡¯re still hiding


    something.¡¯ I said, not buying it.


    Our chat was interrupted as we pulled to an old house in front of ake. ¡°Wow, this is beautiful¡± I said.


    ¡®


    ¡°Yes, Aunt Be¡¯s parents liked toe here many times with her mom when they were little. It was


    ce where they could just be a family, without Pack responsibilities,¡± he exined, ¡°Bute Markus,


    there was one thing I wanted to show you.¡±


    We walked into the house. Despite it being old, it was very well taken care of inside. ¡°We have been


    taking care of it since my great


    uncle passed. We found this in one of the rooms.¡± He pointed to a trunk. ¡°I thought maybe you and


    Celeste would like to go through it


    tomorrow and see if you want anything from it.¡±


    Markus opened the trunk and a big grin spread on his face. It was full of toys and baby clothes and


    nkets. ¡°Do you guys not want


    to keep anything for when you find your mate?¡± he asked Diego.


    Diego shook his head. ¡°These toys belonged to Be and I believe a few even belonged to Celeste on


    the few asions Be brought her to visit. It¡¯s all yours if you want it.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to get that home without her noticing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Should be easy enough to distract her while they load it,¡± He smirked at me and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Help me load it into the car.


    We were not back until close to 6pm. I still hadn¡¯t seen Cam and I was getting nervous. What if she


    wasn¡¯t even here tonight?!


    thought as I unloaded some of the barbacoa.


    ¡°She won¡¯t be out until the full moon is about to begin,¡± Tomas said to me from behind. I turned to look


    at him. ¡°You¡¯re looking for my sister right?¡± I fought a blush and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s an Alpha that has


    been asking her to be his chosen mate. He¡¯s 34 and needs a Luna. Cam told me she was going to


    ept his offer for the sake of the pack afterst month¡¯s full moon and we fought about it a lot over


    thest month. That man is an asshole and I don¡¯t him harassing her.¡±


    ¡°She wants to be Luna?¡± I asked, my heart contracting with hurt. Tomas shook his head.


    ¡°No. I think she had just given up on finding her mate. She¡¯s 25. It¡¯s unheard of for her to be this old


    and not find a mate around


    these parts. Not for she-wolves. She told me this morning she changed her mind though.¡± He gave me


    a knowing look, ¡°Even if she


    doesn¡¯t find her mate tonight, she would rather choose a man she loves than go with him.¡± Then his


    eyes darkened as we saw a caring up the drive. ¡°That¡¯s him. I told her to stay in her room until the


    run. I¡¯ve gotten close to starting a war for the things he says to


    her. We don¡¯t need an altercation between the packs on a full moon. It¡¯s bad juju,¡± I sighed. Great. I


    wouldn¡¯t see her until the full moon


    and to top it off, I would have to be nice to the man that made his intentions known to her.


    Gabriel came out and helped me move Celeste¡¯s trunk into one of the vehicles we were taking to the


    airport as Markus was


    supposedly ¡°distracting¡± Celeste by keeping her inside.


    He and As can¡¯t keep away from her for more than an hour before he¡¯s jonesing for her ¨C


    Ottoughed, but I could feel the longing


    in his words too.


    We joined Celeste and Markus as they wereing out to greet the Alpha, Gabriel taking his stand


    right behind Celeste. I stood next


    to them while Tomas and Alpha Diego¡¯s Beta stood behind him.


    ¡°Alpha Diego, good to see you. Beta Rafael, Gamma Tomas, but where is your sister? I am hoping she


    finally changed her mind about


    being my Luna,¡± he chuckled. I felt Otto wanting to growl, but felt Celeste¡¯s hand on my arm.


    I looked down at her. She asked me to tell you that she will be waiting for you in the maize field when


    the moon peaks,¡¯


    he said and


    it made Otto jump hoops in my head.


    Thank you,¡¯ I was all I could say.


    ¡°Alpha Markus, Luna Celeste. This is Alpha Josue. His pack is about an hour south of here.¡±


    Markus extended his hand out but couldn¡¯t help the frown that formed on his face when Alpha Josue


    was staring at Celeste very


    intensely. I even saw Gabriel on edge at the look he was giving her. Alpha Josue didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°You are Be¡¯s daughter are you


    not? I knew your mother you know? I had a big crush on her growing up but she wouldn¡¯t give me the


    time of day. You look so much like


    her.¡± He said as he licked his lips, making Markus growl lowly at the disrespect.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have been like 12 when she was here?¡± Celeste asked tooking bored, making people


    chuckle. This didn¡¯t seem to


    phase the Alpha.


    ¡°I was¡­.mature for my age and as future Alpha, I wanted the best. Shame she found your father and


    left. Maybe she¡¯d still be alive¡±


    he said and this made Celeste growl and all of us tense, ready to protect our Luna.


    ¡°Alpha Josue, stop making a pregnant she-wolf angry. I will not let you hurt her, but I will not stop her


    from giving you a good kick in the balls to help her stress levels go back to normal,¡± Alpha Diego said


    he gave Celeste and Markus.


    The two other packs arrived and I was starting to feel ustrophobic inside the dining room. It seemed


    so was Celeste as I started


    noticing her be flushed by the minute. I heard Markus talk to the remaining Alphas and then start


    to lead Celeste outside the


    Packhouse. I caught up to them as we made our way out.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± I asked.


    the nuts,¡± she added, and even Gabrielughed at this one.


    ¡°Looks like they are about to start the run anyway,¡± Markus said as we saw people start filtering out of


    the Packhouse. I looked up at


    the sky. The moon was almost out. ¡°Go man. We¡¯ll cover for you if anyone notices.¡± Markus told me


    with a smile. I looked at Celeste and


    she was also smiling.


    ¡°What do you two know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just that you have a date and we couldn¡¯t be happier,¡± Celeste said, pushing me towards the maize


    fields.


    ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over,¡± I said as Otto made my feet walk away. He was too excited.


    ¡°Yeah yeah. We¡¯ll talk after,¡± Markus said as he led Celeste towards the small stage.


    Three minutester, I was frustrated. The maize fields? This f*****g thing was huge and I couldn¡¯t see


    over the tops. How the f**k was


    going to find her. I looked up at the sky as I heard multiple howls in the air and saw the moon was at its


    peak. I grumbled as I started walking around faster. Then, near the edge of the maize field, I smelled


    her most delicious smell of cookies and cream. Otto was going nuts in my head. I hurried to find the


    smell. Nose up in the air.


    I made it to the edge of the maize by the mountain wall and I saw her. She was glowing under the


    moon and it was like she was the moon. The moment our eyes met, I felt the sizzle of the bond


    snapping in ce. I saw a few tears leave her face as she looked at me and I


    felt my joy diminish as a jolt of fear coursed through me. Why was she crying? Was she going to reject


    me? The thought had barely


    formed in my head before my heart sang as she ran towards me and jumped into my arms, burying her


    face in my neck. I crushed her to


    me as I felt more joy than I¡¯ve ever felt in my life. I heard the howlings to the moon and Otto was itching


    under the skin. He wanted to run with his mate. Before I could do anything, I felt her canines push into


    my skin and mark me, taking both Otto and me by surprise.


    She pulled back and gave me a terrified look. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Lily pushed forward and I couldn¡¯t stop her.


    She¡¯s been waiting so long to


    find her mate and hated that I was going to ept Alpha Josue¡¯s prop-¡°She stopped talking when I let


    Otto push forward a little.¡± Turnabout is fair y,¡± I said and crushed her to my chest. I kissed the spot


    on the crook of her neck before Otto and I bit into her skin, marking her forever ours. A feeling of joy


    filled every part of my heart as I felt all of her emotions crash into me. I turned my head towards


    the moon in thanks and howled.


    Let me run with Lily. ¨C Otto begged. As much as we both wanted toplete the mate bond, I knew


    both of our wolves deserved to


    run together under the moon goddess¡¯ light. It would strengthen their bond.


    ¡°Run?¡± I asked her. She smiled and nodded.


    We took our clothes off and shifted. Lily came up to us and purred, ¡®Follow us. We can catch up to the


    rest,¡¯I heard Cam in my head and we followed after her, the bond allowing her tomunicate with


    us.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Chapter 83 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    All of the Alphas seemed to be nice enough. A couple only knew broken English, but they seemed to


    get along well enough with Celeste and Diego. However, all throughout dinner, I kept seeing Alpha


    Josue eye f*****g Celeste and that wasn¡¯t sitting well with me and As. Even Diego seemed angry at


    his tant disrespect towards my mate. Celeste, however, seemed unphased. She was in quite a


    happy


    mood. She had prepared Gillian¡¯s room while we were away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get over how much you look like your mother. Same rare beauty. Same nice curves,¡± he said,


    and I growled.


    ¡°Same disinterest in you as well it seems,¡± Alpha Diegoughed as Celeste ignored his quips as she


    continued to eat and the rest of the tableughed.


    How are you so calm?¡¯ I growled at her, not meaning to sound as harsh as I did.


    She raised an eyebrow at my tone but sighed. spent years being verbally assaulted by the unmated


    warriors in Blood Moon Pack. This guy is pretty tame even though he feels he¡¯s bold for speaking to a


    Luna this way. I have learned reactions only elicit more


    me, and even if he tried, Kara


    and I would destroy him¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s my job,¡¯ I grumbled.


    ¡®The only thing we have to worry about is not letting him near Cam before the full moon.¡¯


    She said and I looked down to where


    Gillian was sitting a few seats down. He was not eating and kept looking at the door every time he saw


    someoneing through.


    ¡®You told her where to go? ¡®I asked her. She had talked to Cam earlier when she took her lunch. She


    had told Celeste why she was


    being forced to hide and Celeste had helped her make a n to meet Gillian in the maize fields. She


    had even told Celeste that if she and


    Gillian weren¡¯t mate, she would consider epting him as her chosen mate. Celeste knew better, but


    had told her if it was what Gillian


    wanted, we would support it.


    ¡®Yes, she¡¯s very nervous. Looks like he is too. I hate not being able to tell him but Selene made me


    promise.¡¯


    She sighed. ¡®Did you talk


    to Evergreen?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, he said he¡¯s too close to finishing. He will catch up to us after the run.¡¯


    Weter watched our Beta and friend walk into the maize field alone.


    Let her be his and he hers. I sent a quick prayer to Selene. I


    believed Celeste when she said he would find his mate here, but we could not be 100% sure it was her.


    We headed to the small stage that


    they used for the runs. Alpha Diego gave his speech and then we all looked up as we waited for the


    moon to reach the peak.


    Celeste and I kept our eyes on our people. We were the only mated pair out of the 11 of us that came


    down. Celeste thought maybe


    Gabriel would find his mate so we were excited to see if it was true.


    I saw a couple of people start smelling in the air, looking for that intoxicating scent that would be unique


    to their mate. Celeste grabbed my arm and I looked at Gabriel. He had gone stiff. His eyes were


    scanning the crowd a trying to sniff. ¡°Mio,¡± said a woman standing behind him. Gabriel turned around,


    ¡°Mine¡± He growled as he grabbed her to him. I saw Celeste do a small shimmy and then Eddie, one of


    the Spanish speaking guards we brought jumped onto the tform and in front of one of the daughters


    of an Alpha. ¡°Mine,¡± he growled as the Alpha stood in front of his daughter defensively. He looked from


    his daughter to


    my guard and rxed his stance and stepped aside.


    Igrinned at Celeste and pointed towards him but she was looking at Diego, who was sniffing at the air,


    scanning the crowd. He


    seemed to smell his mate but couldn¡¯t tell where she was. Suddenly, we saw a pretty female running


    out of the Packhouse. ¡°No aguante,


    necesita-¡± she stopped as she sniffed the air. She started looking around and Diego was in front of her


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    in a sh.


    ¡°MIA,¡± he roared and she gasped. Her Alpha father cheered her on at the match.


    Diego pulled her up to the stage before he announced it was time to shift. Everyone who hadn¡¯t seen


    her shift yesterday gasped and awed lightly at Kara while As stood proudly next to her. Her long


    ck fur blowing in the light breeze. People began running when we


    We were half way through the run when Otto and the pretty wolf he had shielded the day before joined


    in. He fell in step with us with


    Cam¡¯s wolf running at his side.


    I opened a link to him and Celeste, I¡¯m happy for you brother.¡¯ I told him and I saw Otto grin as we ran


    got your room ready while you were away. Diego assured me it was sound proof,


    Celeste added with a giggle.


    ¡°Thank you both, but we still need to have a conversation about how you knew,¡¯


    he said as we made our way back.


    ¡°All in good time,¡¯ Iughed. Unless you want to spend tonight talking about that.¡¯


    47**no. She already marked me. I¡¯ve waited too long for her,¡¯ Otto answered and we allughed. I cut


    the mind link off and we gave


    our congrattions to Gabriel and Eddie and let them know they can skip their next shift to guard.


    We wereing around the front of the Packhouse to shift back when I saw Evergreening out of


    the doors. He must have just


    finished the scanning. He looked tired. He handed us our clothes that we had left at the side of the


    door.


    ¡°I finished the scanning. I will just need to¡­¡± he stopped and looked behind us. His eyes went wide and


    we turned around as we saw a light brown brindle wolfing straight for him. I grabbed Celeste and


    pulled her from the path as it barrelled into him as he growled¡±


    Mine¡± under his breath.


    We waited patiently, Celeste basically vibrating from happiness. She grabbed a shirt and shorts and


    waited as the girl shifted back, but they remained on the ground until I cleared my throat. The pretty


    she-wolf blushed and stood up, gratefully thanking Celeste as she


    put on clothes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you guys long. I am very happy for you Evergreen and ehhh,¡± I said towards the girl.


    ¡°Valeria, Alpha¡± she said shyly.


    ¡°Valeria, wee to our pack¡± I said and turned to Evergreen. ¡°You were saying you were finished with


    the scanning but needed to


    do something?


    ¡°Right, uhh. Yeah.¡± He said nkly and Iughed. ¡°We have scanned everything. I just need to create a


    workable database software


    front for easy ess. It should take me an hour tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°OK great work. Get going! You have a lot of getting to knowing each other,¡± I said, and they were gone


    before leven finished the


    sentence.


    ¡°Well that was a surprise. We came for information and we found mates for 4 of our pack,¡± Celeste said


    brightly.


    ¡°Yep!¡± I said popping the p. ¡°So¡­what do you want to do?¡± I asked as we headed back inside the


    Packhouse. Most people had


    retired, or were eating again after the run. Alpha Josue seemed to be looking for someone while he had


    a woman in each side of his


    arms.


    ¡°He¡¯s still trying to find Cam,¡± Tomas said from behind, ¡°I¡¯m about to go break it to him that she¡¯s


    officially unavable. I saw her


    heading inside with your Beta. She¡¯s already marked,¡± he smirked. ¡°I¡¯m d to know she¡¯ll be in good


    hands, I hope it¡¯s OK if we visit on


    asion.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you are always wee,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now I gotta get a passport visa,¡± he sighed as he headed towards Alpha Josue.


    guided Tuli towards our room, a sudden thought urred me, ¡°How are we getting all of our new pack


    members home without


    immigration papers?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already prepared for that,¡± Celeste said, and I looked at her in surprise. ¡°I already knew that


    Gillian might have a mate here,


    so I had Evergreen get in touch with a Werewolf contact at US immigrations. As long as they have a


    birth certificate, we just have to take them to the US embassy in Mexico City the morning before our


    flight. They will issue them permanent residency identification before we leave. They are expecting us


    at 9am. Once we get home, they will get a letter for the US Citizenship ceremony.¡±


    ¡°OK, that¡¯s impressive. I didn¡¯t even think to prepare,¡± I said, and she smiled as she walked in.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m the Luna and you¡¯re the Alpha,¡± she teased me and I raised an eyebrow. ¡°How about


    we go for number 6,¡± she said as


    she walked into the bathroom, tossing the clothes to the side. It took me all of 5 seconds to figure out


    what she was talking about before


    ¡°Good Morning,¡± I said to the table as we walked in. I had called a meeting of all the warriors and their


    new mates. ¡°We will try to


    keep this brief as we¡¯ve got 1 day to make some decisions.¡±


    I sat at the table with Celeste sitting by my side, chewing on some dried beef stuff she had called


    machacado. It appeared to be one


    of her cravings.


    ¡°We need to know if you have all discussed who is going where. Usually, this isn¡¯t too big a task, but as


    we¡¯re in a different country and scheduled to leave tomorrow, it¡¯s a bit of an urgent issue. Have you all


    decided?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± most of my men responded.


    ¡°Alright, shall we go around the table?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Markus, before we continue, if I may,¡± Cam asked. I nodded at her encouragingly, ¡°None of us


    have been outside of the


    country before. How are we going to get to the United States? We can no longer just walk through like


    our parents used to.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well I asked that too, but Luna Celeste has figured that out with Evergreen over thest week. We


    have an appointment with the


    US conste tomorrow morning where we will meet a werewolf contact there. Anyoneing back


    with us will need their birth certificate. You will be issued permanent resident status. Once we¡¯re home,


    you will receive an appointment for a citizenship


    ceremony.¡±


    I looked around the room as the couples discussed things together. Cam spoke up first, ¡°I wille


    with Gillian.¡±


    ¡°I will also travel with Evergreen. We discussed thisst night,¡± Valeria said, smiling shyly at Evergreen.


    I turned to Eddie and Gabriel.


    ¡°With your permission, Alpha, I would like to stay,¡± Eddie said, ¡°Maritza¡¯s father is due to step down and


    her brother is about to


    be Alpha. They have no Beta and her brother has offered the position to me as the mate of his


    oldest sister,¡± he said.


    ¡°That is eptable, Eddie, though I¡¯ll be sad to see you leave the pack. You are a good warrior. Your


    new pack is lucky to have you. We can talk after and figure out what we need to ship down to you.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Thank you Alpha¡±


    ¡°Alpha, Brenda has a few questions before she decides,¡± Gabriel said. I had noticed they were the only


    mated pair that had yet to


    mark each other.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.


    ¡°Would I be able to continue being a warrior in your pack. Our previous Alpha and other Alpha¡¯s around


    here will not let women work as warriors,¡± she said tentatively, looking over at Gabriel. I wondered if


    they had discussed this and she just needed confirmation before


    she epted him.


    ¡°If that is your wish, we encourage women to pursue what they want to do. Luna Celeste had an idea,


    but we will respect whatever decision you make regarding your career,¡± I told her and nodded at


    Celeste to continue. She blushed as she was in the middle of


    munching on her beef.


    ¡°Well, I would like Gabriel to remain as my guard, but as Luna, we will have to travel on asion for


    Pack business. I don¡¯t like the idea of separating mates, so I thought, if you were up for it, you could


    train to be the twins¡¯ official guard once they are here. That way, you could travel together. In the


    meantime, you can train and do whatever you need. Take on assignments as you see fit,¡± she


    said.


    Brenda¡¯s face remained nk, giving nothing away. ¡°You would trust me to guard your pups?¡± she


    asked.


    ¡°Of course. You will be training until I give birth and I know the moon goddess would not have paired


    you with Gabriel if you were not as fierce and loyal as him,¡± Celeste answered without hesitation. She


    had observed her throughout the week and I had been keeping an


    eye out yesterday. People respected her as a warrior. One of the few female warriors in the Pack,


    which meant she had earned it.


    A smile slowly formed on her face, ¡°I would be honored to be the twin¡¯s guard. Yes, I ept,¡± she said,


    but she was looking at Gabriel,


    not me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume that answers my questions as well,¡± I said, trying to hold in myugh, ¡°You two


    may go. Gabriel, take today off,


    ¡°Thank you Alpha, Luna,¡± he said, grabbing Brenda¡¯s hand and practically flying out of the conference


    room. Everyone chuckled at


    that. It was clear they were about to goplete the mate bond.


    ¡°Well, shall we go have breakfast?¡± Celeste said brightly, ¡°Evergreen, can you show us your front-end


    user software before supper?


    Diego might need a bit to y with it so he can use it properly.¡±


    ¡°Yes Luna. I will have it ready before lunch,¡± he said as we all headed towards the dining room.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Chapter 84 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    It¡¯s been a long teary day. This pregnancy is really starting to f**k with my emotions. We woke up early


    to make it to the appointment


    and I went through half a box of tissues and Diego cracking jokes before I calmed down. Then needed


    another box again as Cam said


    good bye to Lupe and Tomas as we boarded the ne. It wasn¡¯t until we had taken off and Mateo once


    again opened a bag of chips,


    making me fly to the bathroom that I managed to calm down.


    Poor Mateo looked like a child in timeout when I finally made it back out to Markus handing me some


    water. ¡°You really like sour


    cream and onion don¡¯t you?¡±Iteased him and he just turned a beet red.


    ¡°Sorry Luna, you hadn¡¯t had nausea at all the food we had, so I thought it had passed,¡± he said


    sheepishly.


    ¡°To be fair, so did I,¡±Igrinned, then caught the lingering smell of the chips and dashed back into the


    bathroom.


    We all sat in silence for the first hour of the trip after that when I heard Gillian clear his throat,


    ¡°So¡­.¡± He said, looking at Markus and me, ¡°You two had been hiding something from me all week,


    then you not only seemed to


    know that I would find my mate, having made up my room for a romantic night, but you also had a


    game n for immigration


    documents foring back?¡± He said.


    ¡°ehhhh,¡± I said.


    ¡°WellllI¡­.¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Well?¡± Gillian crossed his arms with a curious Cam cing her hand on his arm so she could look


    across him as she looked over to


    II


    ¡°Selene told me you should learn Spanish because you were meeting your mate¡¯where it all began for


    me¡¯ but she also told me not


    to tell you,¡± I said quickly, then looked at my phone like it¡¯s the most important thing in the world.


    ¡°So you two have known since you ran away a month and a half ago?¡± He said incredulously. I couldn¡¯t


    tell if he was mad or


    not.


    ¡°No! I only found out a couple of weeks ago and didn¡¯t know about the Spanish part.¡± Markus threw me


    under the bus. I red at


    him.


    ¡°Selene said not to tell you! And you, we¡¯re supposed to be a united front,¡± I said and crossed my arms


    and turned my head towards


    the window.


    ¡°What I don¡¯t get,¡± said Gillian, ¡°Is how you managed to get Markus to keep it a secret for so long. This


    man gossips more than


    Christians at church.¡±


    Everyone in the neughed and I turned and was satisfied when I saw Markus blushing. ¡°I do not,¡±


    he said indignantly. I fell asleep on hisp for a while on the flight back, but Markus¡¯ phone beeped with


    messages as we entered US airspace, making everyone look at


    their phones.


    Thad sent an email to Maya regarding the new pack members. I was checking to make sure things


    were ready for them. I had requested a phone for Cam with international calling. Evergreen had


    decided he would do more remote work now that he had found


    his mate and needed permanent lodgings. I saw an email response from her. It seemed there had been


    another couple of people in the


    pack that had found mates. I shot off a few texts to answer her questions and she responded right


    away. She told me how excited she was


    that I was back and that I had an appointment today as Dr West was quite anxious to check me over. I


    groaned, making Markus look up


    from his phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I have an appointment with Dr. West as soon as we get home,¡± I said.


    ¡°What time? I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he said, and the excitement in his voice made me hate the appointment a


    little less.


    ¡°He will be waiting for me the moment we get home,¡± I said, and his eyes brightened,


    ¡°I like seeing our pups in the ultrasound,¡± he said, rubbing my stomach. I was still sitting on hisp.


    ¡°I hate needles though,¡± I pouted.


    ¡°Luna, I¡¯m very happy with your progress. Mexico seems to have suited you well. You¡¯re finally at a


    safe weight to carry the twins. I¡¯ll run this for any issues but so far everything looks great! We are just


    about half way there. Have you been feeling anything wrong?¡± He


    asked


    ¡°No. I feel good. Other than the throwing up and my belly is always itchy,¡± I said.


    Dr West chuckled. ¡°Both of those are normal. Morning sickness should hopefully fully end soon. A


    thicker lotion should help with the


    itching as your body amodates the pups. We¡¯ll schedule you for a week from now and I would


    consider looking at birthing sses.¡±


    He said and it sounded like the end of the appointment.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Markus asked, visibly disappointed.


    ¡°Was there something concerning you that you wished to address Alpha?¡± Dr West asked.


    ¡°uhh no¡­l ¨C ljust thought we would have another ultrasound. You know. Check on the pups,¡± He


    stuttered while blushing. Dr. West


    smiled.


    ¡°Well, if that would relieve your concerns, we can certainly have another ultrasound. It is twins after all


    and that alwayses with


    possible risks. Right Luna?¡± He winked at me and I smiled and nodded. ¡°Pleasey down and I¡¯ll be


    right back with the ultrasound


    machine.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as Markus helped meid down.


    ¡°Celeste, can we talk?¡± Maya asked as I got back to the Packhouse. She was wringing her hands a bit.


    ¡°Uhhh, yes. I need a shower. Want to talk upstairs in my office?¡± I asked. She nodded and followed me.


    I kissed Markus as he headed


    to find Gillian and Danny.


    ¡®Everything OK?¡¯ He asked me, noticing Maya¡¯s distress.


    Jam not sure. Maybe ask Danny and let me know? I¡¯m showering first.¡±


    I said as I headed for the elevator.


    Ok. Love you¡¯


    ¡®Love you more¡¯


    ¡°Is everything OK, Maya?¡±


    She nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.


    I took a quick shower but Markus said Danny wasn¡¯t sure what was wrong.


    I went into the office shortly after, not even bothering to do anything to my hair. I was worried about


    Maya now. Maybe leaving her here alone hadn¡¯t been the right thing to do.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said and she rushed to me, crying. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong,¡± I said, feeling myself tear up at her


    anguish.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She just cried and cried, trying to speak a few times but then just kept breaking down.


    ¡°Maya, what is wrong? Did something happen while I was gone? Did someone hurt you?¡± I asked. She


    shook her head fast but still


    couldn¡¯t talk


    ¡®Tuli are you OK? I can feel your distress and so can Danny, though he said Maya shut him out of their


    bond yesterday and won¡¯t talk to him. This is the first thing he feels from her and he¡¯s about to stomp


    upstairs. I need something to tell him. He¡¯s losing it.¡¯


    My heart broke for Danny. I¡¯ll get answers. Just tell him to give me time.¡¯


    ¡°Celeste.¡± Maya said slowly.


    ¡°Talk to me Maya.¡±


    ¡°Dr Castle said I am three weeks pregnant,¡± She said and started crying again. Now I was confused.


    Her crying was not a happy cry.


    What was I missing?


    She was muttering through her cries but I couldn¡¯t understand her. I got up and grabbed her a water


    and a box of tissues.


    ¡°Maya, breathe sweetie.¡± I said and I tried to help her breathe by breathing with her. After a few minutes


    of taking deep breaths, Maya


    started doing the same until she was finally calm.


    ¡°When Dr. West was getting us back to health. He told me I had scarring in my uterus that would make


    it almost impossible for me to


    carry a child. When I found Daniel, I gave him an out. I told him he could reject me if he wanted, so he


    could find another mate because I


    would never be able to give him a pup. He told me he was OK with it. He was not the fatherly type


    anyway. He preferred the uncle role to


    father. I thought maybe that¡¯s why Selene had paired me with him, since he doesn¡¯t want pups and I


    can¡¯t give him one.¡± She had tears running down her face again and I was beginning to understand.


    ¡°Danny told you he doesn¡¯t want the child?¡± I asked with a low growl in my voice. I couldn¡¯t believe


    Danny would do that, but why


    else would she be crying.


    She cried again and shook her head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know yet. I only found out yesterday. Celeste, I won¡¯t


    give up my pup. He¡¯s a miracle gifted by the moon goddess. I¡¯m ¨C I¡¯m going to reject Danny,¡± she said


    and began to cry again.


    My heart raced at her words. ¡°What?¡± I said.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want children. I won¡¯t make him stay with me out of duty or responsibility. I¡¯m going to


    reject him,¡± she sobbed and fell


    into my arms. My heart was breaking and I was crying with her.


    ¡°Oh Maya,¡± I cried, ¡°maybe he won¡¯t be mad. A pup changes a person and he loves you. He would do


    anything for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to reject him. He shouldn¡¯t do something because of me,¡± she said, and I could


    see determination rece the


    anguish in her eyes as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it now,¡± she said and walked out of the office with


    me hot on her heels.


    ¡°Maya, think about this please. You shouldn¡¯t make this decision alone. You don¡¯t even know how he is


    going to react. Maybe he¡¯ll be happy,¡± I said as I ran down the stairs with her.


    I saw Danny and Markus walking towards the stairs as we reached the first floor.¡±Maya, your hormones


    are all over the ce. Please


    don¡¯t do this now¡±I begged, tears in my eyes.


    ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Danny said as he stopped at the look on Maya¡¯s face.


    ¡°I, Maya Casserra, Gamma of Crescent Moon Pack, rejec-¡°She didn¡¯t get to finish as Danny roared and


    was in front of her in an


    instant, covering her mouth. I could see the pain in his eyes as he looked into her eyes for answers.


    ¡°Why?¡± Was all he could say, his voice breaking.


    ¡°Danny,¡± I said, but I couldn¡¯t get him to look at me. His eyes were brimming with tears and he was


    looking at Maya, his hand still


    over her mouth.


    ¡°Danny, look at me,¡± I said, and let a little of my aura roll out to catch his attention. I didn¡¯t want to use


    my Lunamand on him,


    which I knew was almost as powerful as Markus¡¯ because of the triple Alpha blood running in my veins.


    ¡°Celeste. Why?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Do you want children?¡± I asked, praying that he answered correctly.


    ¡°Is this why? I told her, I don¡¯t care about that. I just want her,¡± he looked back down at her. ¡°Baby, if


    you want kids, we can adopt.


    Don¡¯t leave me. I thought we were past this,¡± he said desperately.


    ¡°Daniel,¡± I said again more forcefully and he growled at me lowly, making Markus growl in response. ¡°I


    need you to answer this truthfully.¡± I said as Gillian and Cam joined us at the foot of the stairs. ¡°How


    do you feel about having kids?¡± I asked, looking at Markus


    for a little help.


    ¡°Tell her the truth,¡± hemanded with his Alpha tone.


    Danny growled at Markus, trying to ignore the Alphamand. ¡°Markus, please,¡± I said.


    ¡°Answer your Luna, Danny.¡± he pushed themand again.


    Danny turned back to me, tears in his eyes. Begging me to drop themand with his eyes while I


    begged him with mine. Whatever he saw in them, he finally closed his eyes. He lowered his hand from


    Maya¡¯s mouth and looked at her. Hurt and fear in his eyes. He turned back to me. ¡°I have always


    wanted kids. I grew up dreaming about finding my mate and having a couple of pups that would look


    just like


    ¡°Why did you lie to Maya?¡± I said as Maya backed up until she hit my shoulder. I held her shoulders as


    she put her hand to her mouth


    now, crying freely.


    He dropped his shoulders in defeat. ¡°She wanted to reject me the night we were mated. She said it


    wasn¡¯t right that I be stuck with a


    broken woman, but all I wanted was her. I waited for her all of my life. I don¡¯t care if we never have


    children. We can adopt, like Gillian¡¯s


    parents adopted him. I just wanted her, Celeste,¡± he said, looking at the ground. Maya sobbed and I


    gave her a little push. It seemed that


    was all she needed because she ran and crashed against Danny, who only had time to catch her as he


    stumbled backwards onto the wall.


    She was blubbering again. Much to the confusion of everyone but me. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Danny said in


    between kisses to her face as he


    held her tightly. He looked at me as she buried herself in his chest.


    ¡°Maya, do you want me to do the honors?¡± I asked her. She only nodded.


    Finally, I managed to smile, ¡°Danny, Maya is 3 weeks pregnant. She thought you didn¡¯t want children


    and was trying to spare you


    forced fatherhood,¡± I said. Everyone froze at my words.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Chapter 85 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    Danny almost got rejected and somehow Celeste made everything better. She helped him and Maya


    figure out the misunderstanding. Now, my childhood friend was expecting a pup. I walked over to


    Celest?, whooping for Danny. I dipped my head and


    gave her a giant kiss. She smiled slightly dazed back up at me. I wondered if she knew how proud I


    was of her.


    Daniel was still in shock. Nothing but love and shock evident in his eyes. He pulled back slightly from


    Maya, lifting her face with his


    hands tenderly until she met his eyes.


    ¡°Is this true? Is my pup in there?¡± He asked her. She nodded and the biggest smile formed on his face.


    He grabbed her face and


    kissed her over and over and my heart was overfilled with joy. He suddenly threw his head back and


    howled. Gillian and I threw our heads


    back and joined him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a dad. I am having a pup,¡± he said as he grabbed Maya, lifting her up bridal style, and


    carried her over to the front of


    Packhouse. ¡°I¡¯M HAVING A PUP,¡± he yelled as sheughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to spoil you rotten. I am never letting you walk again,¡± he said as he carried her back inside.


    ¡°Danny, I have to walk,¡± Maya said.


    ¡°Yeah Danny, weren¡¯t you the one that said I was being over protective of Celeste when I found out she


    was pregnant? You said


    she-wolves have been having pups for thousands of years. Give her some space or she¡¯ll tear out your


    nuts and feed them to the Pack,¡±I


    teased my friend.


    Danny growled back in response, but there was 0 heat behind it. ¡°Danny, why don¡¯t you just go


    schedule an appointment with Dr. West so he can determine if Maya will require any special vitamins


    so she can carry the pup safely.¡± Celeste said, and he seemed to think on it before he nodded and


    turned back towards the door.


    ¡°She can walk Danny,¡± I yelled after him.


    ¡°Not until Dr. West says she can,¡± He screamed back on his way out the door.


    I snickered at his response. ¡°Well, I need a nap after that,¡± Celeste told me. I looked down at her and


    then lifted her into my arms and


    walked up the stairs. A nap with my mate sounded perfect right about now.


    ¡°Your wish, mymand,¡± I smirked down at her and she rolled my eyes, but I saw her smile.


    ¡°I hope you like your new digs, Cam! We¡¯ll connect after dinner,¡± She called over my shoulder,


    yawning at the end.


    ¡°Thank you Luna,¡± she called.


    ¡°Everyone, I¡¯d like to introduce you to several new members of the pack. Cam is our new Beta


    Female. Brenda is mated to Gabriel


    and will be the twins¡¯ guard. Valeria is mated to Evergreen, both of whom will take up permanent


    residence in the Packgrounds from now


    on. I hope you all wee them warmly. Eddie also found his mate and has chosen to join her Pack to


    be their new Beta. I wish him all


    the luck and blessings of the moon goddess.¡±I waited for all the wees to be done.


    ¡°Now, Danny and Maya have an announcement¡± I said, sitting down at the dinner table and letting them


    take the floor.


    ¡°Maya and I are having a pup.¡± Danny said, puffing his chest out. There were many congrattions and


    a fair number of quiet chuckles as many of them had already heard him yell it through the packhouse


    repeatedly before he also yelled it out the open car


    window on his way to tell his grandparents.


    ¡°Our pack has been many times blessed over thest couple of months. May Selene keep smiling


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    down on us. Let¡¯s eat!¡± I said.


    We started digging into the steak and mashed potatoes that Mrs Wriley had cooked for us, when one of


    the staff came walking in with a bottle of siracha and cubed pickles. She set it in front of Celeste, who


    took it and enthusiastically mixed it with her mashed


    potatoes. She looked up and noticed everyone was looking at her.


    ¡°What?¡± she said as she put a spoonful of the weird mixture into her mouth.


    down.


    It¡¯s not that weird is it?¡¯ She asked me via mind link.


    I grinned at her, took my fork and tried it. I did my best not to show my reaction when the heat and


    vinegar hit my tongue. ¡°It¡¯s pretty


    good,¡±I lied.


    ¡°You know I can feel you¡¯re lying to me, right?¡± Celesteughed, but at least she started eating again.


    Way to take one for the team ¨C As approved of our sacrifice, though I could feel my stomach rolling


    over on itself already.


    After dinner, Celeste, Cam and Maya went into the conference room to meet and talk about their


    Pack responsibilities, how things


    work and what¡¯s been happening.


    Danny, Gillian and I went into our almost finished office. We needed to design a space for all of us to


    work. Now that the ranks had


    filled out, the offices needed to be reconfigured. Again. We decided that we would turn my and


    Celeste¡¯s new office into the conference/meeting rooms. We would knock down some of the bedrooms


    on the third floor. Only Dad and Marie upied that entire


    floor now and theirrge apartment was at the end of the west wing. We were cing the offices at the


    end of the east wing.


    None of us wanted separate offices, so we decided to set up arge office area with 3 double desks for


    each of us. Across from it, we


    would set up two mini conference rooms for project nning as needed. We also figured we¡¯d surprise


    the girls by creating a day care room of sorts for our pups. We were just finalizing rough ns for it


    when the entire packhouse went dark. The emergency lights turned on and I heard the newly installed


    shutters begin to close. A loud speaker could be heard advising all women unable to fight, pregnant


    women, children and seniors to make their way to the Packhouse. The three of us ran out of the office


    and were met by Celeste, Maya and


    Caming out of the conference room. Gabriel, Brenda, Zack and George showed up and stood


    around the girls defensively.


    Celeste tried to say something but the ring was so loud, all I saw was her lips move. I opened a


    Grabbing Celeste close.


    ¡®What is going on? Who breached the border?¡¯ / asked.


    ¡®We¡¯re not sure Alpha. We haven¡¯t seen or felt anything cross the borders,¡¯


    The head warrior answered. I felt someone pull at the


    mind link.


    Alpha, it¡¯s just a drill. They finished installing the system while I was away and I wanted to make sure


    everything worked. I also thought it would be a good idea to see the Pack¡¯s response time, Evergreen


    said. I sighed and rxed.


    ¡®How about next time you let me know before you do. Also, these ring sirens make it impossible to


    hear anyone. Make them intermittent, like every minute or something. I feel myself going deaf.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, Alpha. It definitely needs tweaking.¡¯


    ¡®This is a drill,¡¯ I told my warriors, and everyone around me who all visibly rxed. Everyone had their


    hands on their ears. The


    ring sirens stopped, but the speaker continued to ask everyone to retreat to the Packhouse.


    We walked into the hall. There were women, children, seniors and men, escorting families in. Everyone


    looked scared and confused.!


    sighed and walked up a few stairs so people could see me. Meanwhile, I heard the shutters on all the


    windows lock. I saw Evergreen walk


    in with a stop watch and a blush on his face as Valeria followed him trying not tough at her mate.


    I nodded at him and he pushed some buttons on his tablet and everything went quiet. ¡°I apologize to


    anyone that was scared. Due


    to the two incidents that urred within pack groundsst month, we are trying out new emergency


    procedures and response times. It


    clearly requires some tweaks. We will improve the system based on today¡¯s performances and


    suggestions. I do expect all of you to take each drill seriously. Develop your own ns on getting here


    as soon as possible if an emergency were to ur. Talk to your neighbors, n on who¡¯s bringing our


    pack members that can¡¯t make it on their own. I trust each and every one of you to help each other


    keep our pack safe. You are dismissed, please turn in your suggestions to Evergreen via text or email,¡±


    I grinned thatst part while looking at


    Evergreen, who had paled when he noticed several people alreadying up towards him.


    I looked at my watch. It was 9:30. I turned to Celeste. ¡°Do you guys have a lot more to go over today?¡±


    Celeste yawned. ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t go over tomorrow.¡± She walked over to me as I pressed the elevator


    button.


    ¡°Good night guys. Congrattions again,¡± she said to Maya and Danny as we got to their floor.


    ¡°Good night,¡± She said to Gillian and Cam as they exited.


    ¡°Night,¡± Gillian said as Cam waved back. Finally, it was just the two of us and she leaned against my


    shoulder. I picked her up and


    carried her to our room. Iid her on the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re an amazing Luna,¡± I told her and she smiled that sleepy smile I loved. I went to change into


    boxers. I grabbed some clothes


    for Celeste, but she was softly snoring by the time I came out. I chuckled and I could feel As push


    forward so that we could both admire our mate in our bed. I climbed in and threw my arm over her


    belly. I felt a tiny kick and I smiled. ¡°I love you too pups,¡± I said as I fell


    asleep.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Chapter 86 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    It¡¯s been almost two months since we came back from Mexico. We were only a few days from


    December now and I was as big as a


    whale. Dr West estimated I was the equivalent of 28 weeks of human gestation. The pups were still


    looking to berge. I could officially


    not bend over anymore.


    Markus and I had started training my pyro ability, but as my belly grew, our training became more


    training him to ess my ability without pulling on my energy and using his instead. We wouldn¡¯t be


    able to resume my physical training until after the pups were


    born.


    I sighed as I waddled back to our office after yet another trip to the bathroom. I stopped as I felt anger


    bubbling in my chest. 1


    grunted, taken aback by the sudden feeling when I realized it wasn¡¯ting from me. I wobbled into


    the office faster. I could see


    everyone gathered around Evergreen who had aptop set on my desk.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Evergreen has gotten a hit,¡± Gillian answered. I heard a knock on the door and 6 warriors came in. It


    was Gabriel, Brenda, Zack,


    George, Brent, and Mateo all looked at attention, waiting for instructions.


    I looked back at Markus. ¡°I take it by the fact that you¡¯ve called all of our guards in, it means he¡¯s not in


    Paris?¡± | joked dryly. When I


    got no response, I sighed. ¡°Tough crowd,¡± I said as I waddled over to my desk to see what they were


    looking at.


    It was a picture of Huitzilopochtli at the airport. I was surprised to see him look so normal. He was


    wearing cks and a button-down


    shirt. ¡°So your software thing worked? You can find someone based on an old drawing?¡± I said,


    impressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m offended you doubted me, Luna, but I will ept your apology in the form of one of yoursagnas


    to take home. Valeria and I


    keep missing your cooking nights,¡± he said, and I grinned. Valeria was working in the Packhouse


    Hospital as a nurse so she sometimes had


    night shifts. They were living in a small house close to the Packhouse but they only joined us for dinner


    when I cooked and Valeria wasn¡¯t


    on shift. It was one of the few things Dr West allowed me to do and I had to promise to make meals


    that didn¡¯t require me to move around too fast. Now that I was getting so big, he was worried about


    something called centa abruption where the centa would detach and I would have to deliver


    early. I was essentially forced to cook sitting down and prep with Melissa moving about stirring and


    lifting for me. My friends had turned into snitches about anything else I tried to do.


    ¡°Which airport is this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sky Harbor.¡± I sighed at Danny¡¯s words.


    ¡°So he is near. Any chance he could just be here to catch the Suns y?¡± Still not a single chuckle. ¡°Is


    this thing on?¡± I said, tapping


    an imaginary mic.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, Celeste,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked


    ¡°Sit,¡± he ordered, and I raised an eyebrow at his tone. He sighed. ¡°Please Tuli. I don¡¯t want your body to


    get overwhelmed.¡±


    I sat and waited for someone to speak.


    ¡°Huitzpochtli is the man that bought all the girls from Blood Moon Pack,¡± he said, and I nched at


    his words.


    ¡°Danny recognized him as the buyer. He had thought at the time that it was a middle man for the ck


    market, but given who he is


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the reason anymore,¡± Danny said. ¡°I think-¡±


    ¡°That he was still looking for me,¡± I said tly and he nodded. So I was the reason all of the girls were


    sold. I wondered if he made them suffer like he made my blood line suffer. I hoped not. I hoped the lie


    that had saved my life, hadn¡¯t caused the senseless suffering of my friends. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any of


    the videos and pictures having a face of the buyer¡± I said.


    ¡°The time we rescued Ruby, I had to act fast and we attacked him to save Ruby. I clocked the man in


    the jaw in order to knock him


    It was hard to associate his handsome features with someone who had hunted my people and been


    responsible for my parents¡¯ deaths, I kept thinking of the words that Selene had told me and what I had


    seen in the memory. His mother had lied to him. He didn¡¯t


    know the truth. Could he be saved? I sometimes wondered as I watched Markus sleep some nights.


    Was there anything good left in the


    heart of a god that had killed for a thousand years. When he had attacked Diego¡¯s pack, he had not


    wanted to kill everyone. He just


    wanted me. Was he always merciful to those he believed innocent or was this a fa?ade?


    ¡°Tuli,¡± Markus said. I could sense his concern for me. He had expected me to have a panic attack and I


    know he was feeling anything


    but fear or panic. I looked at the picture again.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I said, pointing at a woman behind him. I squinted. She looked familiar, but the image


    was blurry.


    ¡°Let me Luna,¡± Evergreen said as he shifted theptop towards him. He worked his magic and then


    turned theptop back towards


    US.


    ¡°Sandra,¡± Markus growled.


    I tried not to let myself get worked up over it. I had a feeling I would see her again one day. I took a little


    bit of satisfaction that she


    still seemed to have some burns on her face. ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± I asked them.


    Markus sighed ¡°I am not 100% sure. Clearly, he¡¯s getting ready to make his move. I think sending this


    picture to the council will get them to send some additional resources to us. If they don¡¯t, we can ask


    Diego and Rhett to send us some support. At least until all the


    pups are born and you can train again. In the mean time, I know how much you hate it, but all three of


    you are under guard even in the


    packhouse. Unless you¡¯re with us, your guards will be keeping watch,¡± he said to Cam, Maya and


    me. I sighed but nodded. He looked


    relieved that I didn¡¯t object. He turned to the guards.


    ¡°I called you here because we trust you with our mates and the future of our Pack. Without any one of


    them, this pack will not


    function as it does. You will be guarding them at any time that they are not with us. I want two shifts.


    Divide it how you see fit but provide


    us with a schedule at the beginning of each week. I suggest keeping Brenda and Gabriel taking the


    same shift hours. Your duties begin as


    of now. We will be in here until close to dinner, so go make whatever arrangements you need between


    yourselves and your family.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± they all said in unison and left. He turned back to us. ¡°We should tell Rhett and Kelly about


    this. If we need help, they are


    the closest we can count on for support.¡±


    Gillian nodded at him, ¡°T¡¯Il arrange for them toe for a visit. I think this is better exined in


    person.¡±


    They were discussing the security measures in ce and whether they should beef them up, but I


    started to lose focus.


    Kara? -I asked. ¨C Was our friends dying my fault?


    No.


    Is this one of those things that were meant toe to pass?- Tasked, desperately trying to keep myself


    from spiraling down a path of misced guilt, anger and fear. I had been talking to a therapist and I


    hoped I¡¯d learn enough to keep my head above the waters. I


    could not afford to have a breakdown right now.


    I think so. I don¡¯t know everything, but I know this is not our fault. It is Huitzilopochtli. His obsession with


    revenge is to me. ¨C


    Kara


    said, mourning along with me.


    You think they suffered?


    I hope not. ¨C she answered.


    ¡®Tuli, I can feel your grief. Please talk to me, Markus said, and I noticed that he¡¯d brought me over to


    the couch and I was sitting on hisp. Everyone was gathered around him looking at me with concern


    in their eyes. I hadn¡¯t noticed I¡¯d even been moved.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK. I was having a conversation with Kara,¡± I tell them.


    ¡°It was like you were gone. We were all trying to talk to you and you wouldn¡¯t even react,¡± Cam said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to worry you. I ¨C I feel like maybe this is my fault. If I hadn¡¯t lied about who I


    was¡­¡± I said, not allowing


    myself to cry, ¡°I know it¡¯s not, but all those girls, my friends¡­¡± I said. ¡°We can¡¯t let that happen to


    anyone else. Huitzilopochtli needs to die.¡± I looked at Evergreen. ¡°Any updates on that dagger I


    described?¡±


    ¡°I have been looking but I don¡¯t have anything concrete. There¡¯s been a couple of mentions of simr


    daggers through out history


    had used, we could use it on Huitzilopochtli. It was our only theory at the moment, because otherwise,


    how do you kill a god?


    ¡°Do you want to take a break?¡± Markus asked and I knew he was worried about me and the pups.


    I shook my head, ¡°We have work we have to do today. The distraction will be good.¡± I told him, kissing


    his cheek. He sighed but nodded. I knew he would feel better if I was near him anyway, and I was used


    to taking naps in this giant couch through out the day. Even


    Maya had been joining in the naps, though her own little bump was not as tiring as two Alpha pups. Or


    so Dr West had told me, when I


    I turned to Cam, ¡°We should send out a pack wide message, letting them know we have spotted


    rogues near the border. Everyone


    should go over their emergency response n one more time, in case needed.¡±


    I turned to Danny, ¡°We should probably let patrol know we may have an imminent attack. They should


    know Huitzilopochtli has insane speed, strength and ability to jump, but they should be put under Alpha


    suggestion, anyway. You guys can make the final decision,¡± I said, yawning, ¡°I think I will take a short


    nap after all,¡± I said to Markus.


    ¡°I think that sounds like a good n. Danny gather them all in the conference room on the first floor


    after lunch. Sleep Tuli, I¡¯ll wake


    you up for lunch,¡± he said, getting up from the couch andying me on it. He bent down and gave me a


    small kiss on the forehead. I settled in, sleep almost iming me instantly.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Chapter 87 ¨C Markus


    Markus R.O.V.


    I worked through the rest of the morning, an eye and ear always on Celeste. I wasn¡¯t thatfortable


    with the exnation she gave me when she went into her fugue state. I did everything but p her to


    try to get her attention and she had just been staring at the wall. I


    know I had been overly worried since Dr West had practically wanted to put her on light bedrest but she


    had refused to stop


    working.


    As, any luck getting Kara to talk to you about what happened? ¨C I asked him.


    She said she was talking to Celeste, but that Celeste had been on the verge of a panic attack. Talking


    to Kara helped but she thinks she was probably too focused on her answers to notice us. ¨C As


    answered, I could feel him more rxed than before talking to


    Kara.


    Well, at least it¡¯s nothing wrong with the pups ¨C


    I told him.


    No, she said she would feel if there was. Pups and Celeste are fine.


    I sighed with relief and turned back to myputer.


    ¡°Guys,¡± I said and everyone looked my way. ¡°Should we cancel the surprise party for Celeste?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am not sure, Alpha. I mean I get that we have a threat, but is it right to take away her first chance for


    her to have a birthday since her parents died? I mean, for the longest time, she couldn¡¯t even tell


    people when she was born,¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°Plus, we¡¯ve hired and vetted everyone,¡± Danny said.


    ¡°Would we be able to get the caterers to agree toe two weekster?¡± Maya asked Cam, who


    had been doing all the vendor transactions.


    ¡°I can ask, but I need a date,¡± she said.


    ¡°The Cold Moon is two weeks from her birthday. We could do a small dinner, just the people of the


    Packhouse. Rhett, Kelly. We could


    do a pack celebration at the same time we do the full moon. All of the vendors are werewolves. They


    can join the run.¡±


    ¡°I will try,¡± She said and she started writing an email. Thanks to Tomas, who had agreed to spend a few


    years in Mexico City with her,


    she had managed to let her mom allow her to go to university and she actually had a business degree,


    though she was morefortable


    doing things in Spanish, she carried herself in English well and we started pushing her to be contract


    negotiator for our Pack needs.


    ¡°Markus, I need to pee. Move so I can unclip it,¡± Celeste told me as I pretended her seat belt was stuck


    in the buckle. I had taken her


    to sign a bunch of documents I¡¯d had mywyers hang on to for days so I could get her out of the


    house for the evening. Everyone in the packhouse had agreed not to remind her that it was her


    birthday. We had nned a small dinner party in the packhouse. I¡¯d brought Diego and his mate,


    Tomas and Lupe in for it.


    I¡¯d been feeling her hurt all day but she said nothing. Kara was also mad at us, having cut the


    connection with As, Celeste hadn¡¯t


    tried to shut me out of the bond, but I just kept asking if she was tired or if she was hungry, pretending


    to misunderstand what I felt. I felt


    bad, but Maya convinced me that she would forgive me when she saw the surprise we had nned.


    Ok Alpha, we¡¯re ready,¡¯ Came Maya¡¯s voice through the mind link. Tunbuckled Celeste and smiled at


    her, but she just bristled past


    me. I sighed, and caught up to her, taking her hand even though she tried to move it away. I stood in


    front of her as we got to the door


    and kissed her.


    ¡°You know I love you, right?¡± I told her. Her eyes softened for a little bit but I could still feel her hurt. She


    gave a curt nod and moved


    around me, opening the door to the Packhouse.


    The hall was quiet. Then a head popped out of the dining room. ¡°Celeste, I need your help for a


    moment,¡± Maya said.


    Celeste kept walking. ¡°I need to pee Maya, give me a few minutes.¡± Maya looked at me and I shrugged.


    She pees every 15mins.


    I followed her to the bathroom and waited for her. When she came out, she gave me an annoyed look


    as she walked past me to the


    ¡°I can go to the bathroom by myself, you know. I don¡¯t need an over-protective yet somehow oblivious


    and forgetful Alpha hovering over me. You practically put a mirror under the door. I¡¯ve peed by myself


    for 20 years and I¡¯m pretty sure I can pee for another 20. It doesn¡¯t take two people to put their ass on a


    toilet seat.¡± I grinned at her as I heard a couple ofughsing from the dining room followed by


    shushing. She went red the moment she heard them and red at me like it was my fault she had lost


    her temper on me in front of people. She turned around and walked through the dining room doors,


    then stopped when she saw everyone at the other end of


    the room.


    ¡°SURPRISE!¡± they yelled and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Probably would have been a better surprise if you hadn¡¯t all snickered before she came in,¡± I said and


    wrapped my arms around her waist ¡°Happy birthday Tuli. You didn¡¯t actually think I could forget the


    most important day in the world to me, would you?¡± I whispered into her ear. She turned around, tears


    in her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed like she was trying to say something. Finally, she settled


    for a halfugh, half cry and threw herself into my arms. Well, she tried at least. Hard to throw yourself


    when your stomach reaches it


    first. Iughed and picked her up instead. Walking over to those waiting for permission and putting her


    on her feet so they could all rush


    her. I waited as they all hugged her. Maya was my cue. She was to be thest one. She came forward


    and grabbed her into a giant


    sideways hug. She was talking lightly to her while giving me the thumbs up. I pulled the box out of my


    coat and got on one knee. Maya turned her around and I tried not to chuckle at her confused


    expression.


    ¡°Markus? What are you doing?¡± She said, tears flowing down her face.


    ¡°Celeste, you are my Luna, my life, my mate. The mother of my pups. I can¡¯t see life without you in it. I


    know we are already mated for life, but there¡¯s a world out there that doesn¡¯t know who we are or just


    how much you mean to me. I find that uneptable. The


    entire world should look at you and know you are mine and I am yours. Celeste, will you marry me?¡± I


    opened the box in my hand and


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    hoped to god that she would love it. I had not asked anyone what I should buy. I just went with my gut.


    It was a 10 carat oval sapphire surrounded by 12, 5 carat diamonds, the band had a wolf on either side


    of it howling at an amber moon. She smiled and nodded, not able to talk. I sighed in relief as she put


    her hand out. I took the ring out of the box and slid it up her


    slender ring finger. I got up and kissed her as everyone cheered.


    We sat down to dinner. Tomas was telling us the story of Alpha Josue finding his matest month and


    how the young daughter of one of the Betas from another Pack that had just turned 19 had basically


    grabbed him by the ear and told him that if he thought he could keep his womanizing ways, she would


    cut off his p***s before rejecting him and take over his pack in front of all the Packs.


    All through dinner, I couldn¡¯t keep my hands to myself. I would grab her hand or put my hand on her


    leg. I just needed to touch her.


    There was something in the back of my mind telling me not to let her go. As was pacing. He could


    feel something about to change too.


    We waited until she opened her presents before we went back to our room. We showered, made love,


    and after I just held her. I looked at


    her sleeping, feeling the asional kick from the pups. I couldn¡¯t sleep. As wouldn¡¯t stop pacing. We


    couldn¡¯t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. Finally, after a few hours of staring at


    our beautiful mate, we fell asleep.


    I woke up only a few hourster, it was 5am. The bed was empty and the bathroom light was off. ¡®Tuli¡¯ I


    called to her. I got no response though I felt the connection to her there. She hadn¡¯t left too long ago,


    her scent was still strong in the room.


    As, can you reach Kara?- I asked him as I pulled on a pair of pants and headed out the door,


    following her scent.


    No. I think they are sleep walking again. I can feel her, but she¡¯s not responding ¨C


    As growled.


    Thurried down the steps, jumping down thest floor.


    How are the borders looking?


    Tasked the patrolmander for


    tonight.


    ¡®Everything has been quiet tonight Alpha,¡¯ He said.


    ¡®Good, let me know right away if anything changes,¡¯


    I said, and continued towards the doors. I walked out and followed my nose. I


    saw her in the distance. She had on a nightgown and was barefoot. I started walking towards her when


    she stopped moving.


    ¡®Wait, Alpha someone is approaching the border from the east.¡¯


    S**t, that¡¯s the way Celeste is looking.


    Don¡¯t let them get through. Send everyone there.¡¯/ growled. Celeste turned around and I could see from


    here that her eyes were ck.


    ¡°This is the only way. The moon goddess showed me, but not Celeste. This is the only way to avoid the


    loss of so many. The loss of


    our pack. He will not harm us until the full moon. It¡¯s the only time he will kill so that Selene can watch;


    So he can make her suffer. Look


    for us mate. He always goes to where it started. We love you. We will do all we can to protect the


    pups,¡± she said and my stomach


    dropped as my brain processed her words.


    Alpha, he¡¯s just stan-Holy s**t, Alpha he jumped through the entire border. I don¡¯t know where he


    I started running to Celeste but I was thrown back as Huitzilopochtlinded between the two of us. I


    roared as I watched in horror as Celeste got thrown back as well, but Huitzilopochtli was behind her in


    an instant, catching her. My eyes went hazy as my head hit the


    ground. I stumbled up. Celeste looked OK. I was relieved and surprised that Huitzilopochtli had saved


    her. He was looking down at her


    stomach, puzzled, and then back at me as I ran towards him as fast as I could.


    ¡°Markus?¡± I heard Celeste muttered as she woke up. Her blue eyes looking up at Huitzilopochtli before


    she looked at me running


    towards her, terror in her blue eyes. I shifted then as I saw her start to struggle. Huitzilopochtli looked at


    me.


    ¡°Not this time,¡± He said, and I saw as he bent his knees and jumped. My soul left my body as I heard


    Celeste¡¯s scream as he jumped


    over the packhouse and into the woods.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Chapter 88 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    ¡±


    ¡°N0000!¡± As and I roared as we watched our mate disappear, waking up the entire Pack as our


    scream pushed through the Pack


    link. My fear and heartbreak flowing through it. My knees gave out and my knees hit the ground as we


    shifted back. Howls could be heard


    from every direction as people realized who had linked them.


    ¡®Markus, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Gillian said as he added Danny and my father to the mind link.


    ¡®He took her,¡¯ was all I could say as I looked up at the sky as if she would jump back down to me. I


    heard running to my right.


    ¡°He¡¯s over here!¡± I heard Danny scream and I looked over to see as they all ran out to me half dressed.


    As was howling in my head, but I felt nothing. There was no life without Celeste. She¡¯s gone and with


    her my heart.


    I stood up and walked towards the Packhouse. My friends, my family reached me but I just pushed


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    through them all. They tried to


    talk to me but I had nothing to give. I walked all the way up to our floor. Danny and Gillian and dad were


    still behind me, asking me what


    happened, over and over and I had no answer to give because I didn¡¯t know what had just happened


    either. I went into the room and didn¡¯t even bother to shut the door behind me. They would just break it


    down. I walked into the bathroom where I knew her clothes from today were in the hamper. I pulled out


    the red blouse she had worn and clutched it as if it was my safety nket. I went into the bed and


    closed my eyes. Inhaling her scent on the shirt. I heard them talking to me for goddess knows how long


    before they finally left. We stayed this way, reying what happened in my head over and over, trying


    to figure out how it could all go so wrong. Just a few hours ago, my life had been near perfect and now


    it was just gone. As howled for hours before we finally passed out.


    We slept a dead, dreamless sleep. As was still sleeping when I woke up. I could hear him whining in


    his sleep as the pain of


    everything that happened rushed to me. I started breathing hard. I couldn¡¯t catch my breath.


    ¡°Alpha!¡± I heard a voice but I couldn¡¯t pin point who it was. My chest was seizing, my heart was racing, I


    couldn¡¯t catch my breath. My eyes couldn¡¯t focus on anything. She left me. Kara left us. She knew it


    would happen and told no one. Why? Why would she leave us? Did


    she not trust us to protect her? The pain in my heart increased. Why did she leave us? She would just


    give up our life so easily?


    ¡°Son? Markus? You¡¯re having a panic attack. You need to breathe. Slow your breathing. Come on.


    Steady breath.¡± He tried to calm


    me but I could barely hear him over the rush of blood in my ears. I started to feel dizzy when I felt a


    sharp pain on my cheek, making me


    see stars but cutting through my panic. The pain in my chest decreased and I was able to take a full


    breath. I looked up to see Maya in


    front of me. Tears in her eyes, her hand to her mouth. As was still asleep. Whining loudly. Why


    wasn¡¯t he waking?


    Danny moved Maya away as Gillian pushed forward. ¡°Alpha? Markus, talk to me brother?¡± He said as


    he knelt in front of me to meet


    my eyes. ¡°Markus?¡±


    I felt tears begin to flow freely from my eyes. ¡°Markus, we need to know what happened so we can get


    Celeste back,¡± Gillian said, and I could see a tear falling from his eyes as he stared at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I choked out. ¡°I woke up and she wasn¡¯t in bed. I looked for her and found her outside. I


    thought she was sleep


    walking, but Kara was in control. I couldn¡¯t talk to Celeste. She sounded so scared,¡±I choked back a


    sob and looked away. I felt broken.¡± Kara said the moon goddess showed her that this was the only


    way to avoid loss.¡±


    ¡°She gave herself up?¡± Danny asked, his face full of hurt.


    I nodded. ¡°She said he wouldn¡¯t kill her until the full moon and I had to find her. He will kill her where it


    all began and under the full moon so he can make Selene watch.¡±


    Dad grabbed me and led me to the bathroom. He got it running and pushed me inside, ¡°Shower and


    change. We¡¯ve lost three days already. We need to find my daughter-inw before anything happens to


    her,¡± he said, and my head snapped to him.


    ¡°What do you mean three days?¡± I said.


    ¡°Markus, you have been sleeping for three days. Nothing we could do would wake you. Dr West and


    both Dr. Castle said you were in a


    healing sleep. They think you went into shock. Your heart rate was all over the ce the whole first day.


    They were concerned your heart


    ¡°I¡­how?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now, son. What matters is getting your mate and your pups home safe. We only


    have 12 days before the full


    moon,¡± He shut the door and I took off shorts I don¡¯t remember putting on. I walked into the stream,


    letting all of my anguish flow out of


    me. If dad was right, I didn¡¯t have time to let my grief overwhelm me again. I was going to get my mate


    back. Wake up As ¨C I said, but


    there was no response. I tried a few more times with the same result.


    I wrapped a towel around my waist and looked in the mirror. Despite apparently sleeping for three days,


    there wererge bags under


    my eyes and I was tired. I walked out of the room to find all of them there. Evergreen had joined them


    along with his mate Valeria 1


    walked to the closet and changed into a shirt and sweats. I stood at the door of the closet and took a


    few deep breaths, though I could


    find no calm, I got control of my emotions and opened the door, ¡°What¡¯s happened while I was


    sleeping?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We reviewed the cameras while you were out to try to figure out what happened. Evergreen has


    scanned his picture and one of Celeste and is having his software scan to let us know where they are.


    So far we have no hits.¡± Gillian said, disappointment in his


    voice.


    ¡°Alpha Diego returned to his Pack yesterday. He is gathering his warriors and will return so he can be


    near when we find and fight


    Huitzilopochtli,¡± Danny added, ¡°He also said he would call around for us to see if there have been any


    sightings from other packs.¡±


    ¡°Tell him not toe but to be ready. Kara said he would take them where it all began and that will be


    somewhere in Mexico.¡± I said and Evergreen nodded, already typing away on theputer.


    ¡°Get all of our warriors ready. The moment we know where he has her, we are flying to Mexico. Every


    warrior should have a bag ready


    with some change of clothing and their passport. I will call Rhett and ask him to send some of his


    warriors to protect the pack in case of a


    rogue attack.¡±I went back to the bed and sat down, grabbing her shirt again. I felt pain shoot through


    my heart as I thought of her. ¡°Have


    either Dr. West or Dr Castle be ready with supplies. We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s eating or if she¡¯ll need


    medical attention,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Hey man, Celeste has been through a lot. She can survive anything,¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°Can you call one of them? As is not waking up.¡±I told dad. He sighed.


    ¡°Dr West already said that might happen. When he checked your vitals, As¡¯ eyes were in ce, not


    yours. As healed you while


    you slept. He¡¯s likely just tired and will be asleep for a bit longer than you.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I asked them. I was tired. I just wanted to sleep again.


    ¡°Your people need to see you, son. The pain they felt, that we all felt. They are worried about you. They


    need to see their Alpha.


    I nodded. ¡°Not today, dad. I need to sleep.¡± I looked at my clock. It was only 7pm, but I had no energy. I


    didn¡¯t even have the energy to pretend I was OK. I curled back up in bed with Celeste¡¯s shirt. Her scent


    was faint but it was still there.


    ¡°Son, you need to eat something.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow dad. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I said and shut my eyes. I slept, but this time I had nightmare after


    nightmare. My mind reyed the same set of events in my head over and over. Sometimes kara was


    smiling, holding Huitzilopochtli lovingly. Another time, he ripped her head off. I woke up panting


    sometime around 5am from a dream where he had punched a whole through her stomach. Despite


    having an empty stomach, I threw up into a waist basket.


    Markus ¨C As howled at the dream.


    Are you OK? ¨C I asked him.


    We were dying. Our heart was hurting too much. I had to put us into a deep sleep ¨C


    He said.


    We have to find her. ¨C I said,


    She was being held in a basement somewhere. She hasn¡¯t been hurt and the pups are OK. They are


    taking her to Mexico. They were


    waiting on a fake passport. She will be in Mexico in a few hours. ¨C


    He said.


    How do you know this?


    After I healed you, I reached out through the mate bond. I pushed it as far as I could with everything I


    had. It took hours but I finally


    got through. That is why we had to sleep for so long. I used all of our energy.


    She¡¯s OK.- I sighed.


    Yes, she said look for two pyramids. When she visited the moon goddess, thest vision was two


    pyramids in front of each


    other.


    Will you be able to talk to her again? I asked him with a bit of hope and he howled.


    She¡¯s too far now. Trying to reach her would kill us. We need to find the ce so we can try to reach


    out. Even then, getting through would take too much energy for us to do. We wouldn¡¯t be able to fight


    after. ¨C He said.


    So no ¨C I said sadly ¨C Thank you for doing that. It¡¯s better than thinking the worst. We have to tell


    Evergreen and Diego, maybe they know the pyramids we are talking about.


    We have to gather all that we have. He cannot live Markus. He is a threat to our pups. ¨C


    As growled.


    We don¡¯t know if he can even be killed.


    -Treminded him, making him growl more ¨C We don¡¯t have time to look now, we need to


    think of the Celeste and the pups.


    Mate and pups first ¨C As agreed and we headed downstairs to where my friends and family had


    spent thest three days looking for Celeste.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Chapter 89 ¨C Celeste


    Celeste P.O.V.


    The first thing I see when I wake up is darkness, and cold concrete ceilings. Kara, what happened? ¨C I


    asked


    Celeste, we have to talk, but we¡¯re not alone. ¨C


    She responded, worry in her words.


    I stood up from the bed and looked around. There in the dark on a chair was Huitzilopochtli, his eyes


    fixed on me. Iscrambled to the farthest corner of the bed, covering my stomach defensively. He stood


    and turned on the light.


    ¡°Rx, child of Chantico. If I wanted to kill you right here, I would have done it at any point during the


    24hrs you¡¯ve been asleep.¡± He said and I was surprised he spoke English as well. He must have read


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    my face because he smirked, ¡°Surprised I can speak English? I have been alive for over a millennium. I


    speak manynguages.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to kill me, why did you take me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t going to kill you. I am just not doing it now. It will be during the full moon, when


    Coyolxauhqui can watch,¡± he


    taunted.


    My eyes brimmed with tears at his words. ¡°My pups.¡±


    He flinched, ever so slightly, that I thought he actually felt bad when he said, ¡°Yes, well that is


    unfortunate. I didn¡¯t know you were pregnant. I did try to take you when you were younger, to avoid


    more bloodshed.¡± He said, as if that excused his actions. He moved over


    to a mini fridge and opened it. ¡°There is water and food in here as well as snacks. There¡¯s some


    clothing in the drawers and a bathroom


    through that door. There¡¯s no way in or out but through this door, so don¡¯t try to do anything rash, you


    will hurt yourself trying. I will be


    back in a few hours. Try to do anything to escape and I will make sure you live longer than your pups.¡±


    He said and left the room. I could


    hear several padlocks click into ce.


    I let out a sob. Kara, how are we here? I don¡¯t know what happened. We were sleeping and then we


    were in the hands of


    Huitzilopochtli.


    I¡¯m sorry Celeste. That was my doing. I led us outside while you slept ¨C Kara said, guilt evident in every


    word.


    But why? I couldn¡¯t understand why she would do that to us.


    Selene showed me that Huitzilopochtli woulde for us. He killed so many in our pack. So much


    loss. Gabriel, Valeria, little Meli


    and the girls. So much death, just for us. She told me that the only way to avoid it was to turn ourselves


    in. That he wouldn¡¯t hurt us until the full moon. But I couldn¡¯t tell you. Markus would have never let us


    go and you wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep it from him. I had to


    wait and do it while you slept.


    But our pups ¨C I sobbed.


    It¡¯s not all lost Celeste. Markus has 2 weeks to find us and rescue us. We have to trust our mates and


    our friends. They won¡¯t let us


    down. ¨C She said soothingly ¨C Eat, we can¡¯t let the pups suffer. We must stay strong. We will need our


    strength.


    I went to the bathroom and then to the mini fridge. I grabbed some gran bars and a sandwich I found


    there. I forced myself to eat


    them, then hugged a pillow and cried myself to sleep while Kara sang me lubies in my head.


    I woke up some hourster when I heard the padlocks start to unlock. I sat up at the farthest corner of


    the bed again. Huitzilopochtli


    came in with some equipment and a bag of food. He saw the empty sandwich package and nodded.


    ¡°Good, you have eaten something. I


    need you to sit here,¡± he said, as he ced a white screen behind a chair.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We are going to Mexico, and for that you need a passport. I need some pictures to get one for you,¡± he


    exined, showing me the


    camera.


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡± I asked. Don¡¯t refuse Celeste, we need to follow along until Markus finds us ¨C


    Kara said.


    ¡°Then I will force you, and that will only end with you injured. I prefer not to hurt women without need,¡±


    he said and I scoffed.


    ¡°You have systematically killed everyone in my pack. The ones that survived were starved, beaten and


    then sold to you as well.


    His eyes darkened in anger at my words. ¡°The m******e was not my n. I only wanted you and your


    mother. That¡¯s why I hired those idiots to do it ording to yourws but they were mad. The c****te


    was senseless. I cut all my contact with them afterwards, only to find out they were trying to sell the


    young girls they took from there. I bought them, looking for you. I knew you weren¡¯t dead, but I didn¡¯t


    know who you were, so I bought them all.¡±


    ¡°And then killed them.¡± i snarled.


    He looked offended at that. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kill innocent people. Those girls were half dead. I fed them and


    when they were well enough,


    I took them to a brujo (sorcerer) and erased their memories of what happened to them. I dropped them


    off at several borders of packs in


    Mexico that I knew would be good to them.¡±


    My hand went to my mouth and I sat up now. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them?¡± I said as tears came to my eyes.


    ¡°I do not harm women,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°But you would kill me? Huitzilo-¡±


    ¡°Helios¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Call me Helios. Huitzilopochtli is a name I haven¡¯t used in a long time.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t hurt women, but you would kill me?¡± I asked. How did that make sense?


    ¡°Yes. I am not a monster. I am simply fulfilling a promise I made to my mother. Everyone who


    contributed to my mother¡¯s death will


    pay. Now enough talking. Sit, before I make you,¡± he said coldly.


    I sighed and did as I was told. After he was done, he simply took his equipment and went towards the


    door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. He paused at the door. ¡°Where is Sandra?¡± He looked at me curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to her, but she tried to kill you when I brought you back. I killed her. She was


    not a good person but she


    was the only way I could find you. I brought you dinner. We should be traveling in a few days.¡± With that


    he left, leaving me stunned on the


    chair as I heard the padlocks click back into ce.


    Kara, what are we going to do?- I sighed at her.


    Right now, we¡¯re going to eat dinner. ¨C


    She said ¨C and then, as much as you hate to be the damsel in distress, we¡¯re going to wait for


    our mate to rescue us.


    I sighed and ate dinner and did the only thing I could think to do. I slept.


    In the morning, Helios came by with breakfast. As he was heading towards the door, I thought of


    something, ¡°Wait! Huitz-Helios.


    Can I please have a couple of books? I have nothing to do here.¡± I was just overthinking while I was


    stuck in here and it was driving me


    mad.


    He looked at me curiously again then said, ¡°We will be leaving tomorrow. You can buy some at the


    airport,¡± and left. Padlocks clicked


    back into ce.


    Kara said sometimeter in the


    As is pulling at the mate link. I¡¯m going to try to talk to him. Maybe he¡¯s already close by ¨C morning.


    Hurry ¨C I said, knowing I wouldn¡¯t know anything until she was done.


    I forced myself to eat my breakfast as I waited for Kara to tell us if Markus was close.


    Celeste ¨C Kara started


    I stopped breathing ¨C Are they close?


    I could feel a deep sadness emanating from her.


    No, they almost died. The pain of us being taken¡­Markus¡¯ heart almost exploded. As put him in a


    healing sleep. They are fine


    now. He is using all their energy to reach out. To make sure we¡¯re OK. I told him everything we knew


    about leaving for Mexico and where


    we were and that he hasn¡¯t hurt us or the pups. They will look for us. He said when we go to the airport,


    to look at as many cameras as we can. Evergreen¡¯s software will find us and track us. If we get taken


    to a store, look at the camera, if we are at a stop light, look for a traffic


    camera. They will find us.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling down my eyes again. This entire time I had been worried about the


    pups and I didn¡¯t even think about what could have been happening to Markus. It¡¯s my fault ¨C Kara


    howled in the back of my head.


    No, you did what was necessary. We will survive this. Our mates are strong ¨C


    I said ¨C You and As have a n. It will work. We will


    y along with Helios and find a way to make it out of this. He doesn¡¯t know As could reach us. We


    have the upper hand.


    It¡¯s been 11 days since I was kidnapped and, honestly, I¡¯m so confused. I have got to be the most well


    cared for kidnap victim in


    history. While Helios said he doesn¡¯t hurt women, he is nning to kill me. But yet, anytime that I¡¯ve


    had difort from the pregnancy, he¡¯s practically jumped through hoops to help me. We bought a


    bunch of books at the airport, then he upgraded us to first ss when


    the seats were giving me back pain. He had yet to restrain me, hurt me or even threaten me since that


    first day. I was eating full meals, he


    was indulging my constant bathroom breaks. Which meant we hit about 5 different gas stations once


    we were in Mexico on the way to his


    hideout. I made sure to always look at the camera each time we stopped. He had even gotten me a


    craving I had mentioned as we made


    our way out of the airport food court.


    We finally arrived at his mansion in Mexico. It was just outside of Mexico City, near the pyramids we


    had seen in our vision. I was


    actually surprised he was so close. I¡¯d seen and felt his sorrow in the vision. I knew this ce held bad


    memories for him and yet he chose


    to stay. It¡¯s like he chose to relive that pain every time he looked out of the window.


    He allowed me to move about his house when we arrived. I was even allowed to go outside the


    balcony. I was too far along the


    pregnancy to shift now and he knew it. The house was surrounded by giant concrete fence and guards.


    I had no where to go. I spent a lot


    of time in my bedroom, but Kara encouraged me to go outside. I was sitting outside in the sun by the


    gardens when I heard him


    walk by.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally out of your room,¡± he said. I didn¡¯t answer. He sat down on the chair next to me and just


    looked off into the distance to


    where the pyramids were.


    ¡°Why do you do it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because they killed my mother.¡± He answered automatically.


    ¡°I mean why do you live so close to the pyramids? That¡¯s where it happened, isn¡¯t?¡± I asked.


    He nodded, still not looking at me, ¡°I made a promise to my mother to avenge her. They will all pay for


    killing her.¡± He stopped and


    hesitated a little before he decided to continue, ¡°Sometimes I get tired. Tired of killing, tired of fighting. I


    bought this ce to remind me


    of the promise. Of what they did to her.¡±


    ¡°I was abused, starved, beaten and mentally broken for 12 years by the same people that murdered my


    family, my pack, my friends.


    When I was free of them, I didn¡¯t seek revenge, all I wanted was to free the rest of my friends.¡± I shook


    my head, ¡°Your way sounds


    exhausting and heart breaking. You said you¡¯ve been alive for over a millennium, but have you really


    even lived?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That is not important. I have a promise to fulfill,¡± he said, standing up.


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t know the whole story? What if your siblings were right? What if your mother was being


    influenced by evil and it was


    the only way? Would you stop?¡± I asked him as he walked away.


    He stopped, never turning around. He looked up at the sky, ¡°Dinner will be in 20mins.¡± Was all he said


    before he left.


    I sighed and tilted my head up at the sky while I caressed my heavy bump. For the 100th time, I asked


    Selene for guidance. I tried


    pulling at the link but it was empty. I sent up a message to Markus, telling him I loved him and missed


    him. I told him that our pups were OK and hoped the wind carried the message to him. We had only


    two more days before the full moon. We were running out of time.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Chapter 90 ¨C Markus


    Markus PO.V.


    I had thought 2 days without Celeste was excruciating. Every day I felt like another part of my soul left


    my body. Outside of looking for her and organizing people for her rescue, I was barely going through


    the motions. It¡¯s been almost two weeks since she¡¯s been gone


    and it¡¯s been about 5 days since we¡¯ve managed to find anymore hits on Evergreen¡¯s software from her


    or Huitzilopochtli. Tomorrow was


    the full moon.


    After we woke up, we¡¯d seen Celeste looking at cameras over and over, my heart had soared. She was


    fine. She did not look hurt. We


    followed the software hits from the airport in Phoenix to a ce right outside Mexico City.


    We set up camp just outside Diego¡¯s packgrounds. Lupe, Tomas¡¯ mother, had allowed us to set up


    camp in her bar. Diego¡¯s location in


    the mountains provided a lot of protection, however did not provide stable inte. We needed all


    resources we could get in order to


    find Celeste, plus we couldn¡¯t drain all of their resources. We had brought all of our warriors with us.


    Rhett and Kelly had agreed to take


    care of the Pack protection. Maya and Cam had alsoe along. Danny had begged her to stay but


    Maya refused. Pregnant or not, she would not abandon Celeste and she threatened to remove all of


    your family jewels from your body if you try to leave me here¡± when


    Danny tried to make her stay.


    As had tried to connect with Kara again, but had to give up as we couldn¡¯t afford to lose another 2


    days of energy trying to reach


    her. We knew she was alive, we would know if she wasn¡¯t, and we had zero indications that Kara had


    lied about not being hurt.


    I looked up at the moon after I let As run loose again. It was the only way we kept thest of our


    sanity intact and the pain in our


    chest from overtaking us.


    Alpha we found movement.¡¯Evergreen¡¯s mind link came through.


    ¡®On my way,¡¯ As took off running back towards the bar.


    I shifted the moment I got to the door, taking a pair of shorts Danny was holding out to me. ¡°What¡¯s


    happening?¡± I asked, rushing


    over to where theputers were set up.


    ¡°The drones we have circling the pyramids picked up activity this evening. It is a bunch of men setting


    up atop of the moon pyramid.


    Diego has confirmed they are men that work for Huitzilopochtli,¡± Evergreen said, looking tense. I looked


    at the monitors. The men were


    setting up a long table with a white cloth on top. I growled, knowing what it was supposed to be.


    ¡°Have we found a way to get up there quickly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No Alpha, we will need to catch them before they take her up.¡± Gillian said.


    ¡°How are we supposed to stop him from jumping up there with her?¡± I said, it had been the part we


    were stuck on. No matter how


    many numbers we have, if we can¡¯t get Celeste away from him, he can just jump away like he did at


    the pack house.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re near. You need to mind link Celeste. It¡¯s our only hope. She needs to get away from his


    hold and then we attack,¡± he


    said.


    ¡°If we get Celeste away, we need to get her as far away as we can from here. Once he doesn¡¯t have


    her, he will leave. He can¡¯t do what


    he wants without her. Once we have her, we retreat. We don¡¯t know how to kill a god yet. We run, and


    live to see another day and we


    prepare to hunt him down once we have more information on how to kill him,¡± I said.


    There were nods from everyone in the room. ¡°How are we going to surprise him?¡±


    ¡°Can you pull up the surveince feed of the drones when we mapped out the ce?¡± I asked


    Evergreen. With a few clicks of his


    keyboard, we started going over the feed we¡¯d watched many times over.


    ¡°There,¡± I said and he froze the feed. ¡°Those little cubbies on the side of the mini pyramids. They


    should provide enough coverage


    for a few of us to hide there while we wait for them to show up. They are all around the front, we can hit


    them from all sides.¡±


    ¡°Those are barely partitions. They have no roof and no door. They might see us there easily,¡± Gillian


    said.


    ¡°it¡¯s the best we¡¯ve got. Two or three to each one. If someone is seen, they are close enough to be


    attacked,¡± I said.


    obvious you¡¯re a werewolt,¡± Danny said, handing out the cans of spray that cover your smell. I almost


    wanted tough. All of our men


    were not only werewolves but warriors. They were all near or over 6ft, huge and if we¡¯re being honest,


    most were white as f**k, myself


    included. We had very little chance of not being seen if they were watching, but it was worth a shot.


    ¡°Everyone get a good night¡¯s rest. Tomorrow we get out Luna back,¡± I said and everyone howled.


    I walked out of the bar and looked up at the sky. Please help me get Celeste and the pups back safely.


    Take my life if you need it, but don¡¯t let them be hurt. I sent up the plea to the moon goddess, hoping


    she would hear me.


    I need another run ¨C As pleaded.


    All yours ¨C I responded. The pain of not being with Celeste was always a little less when I wasn¡¯t in


    control. We shifted and As took


    off running. We took down a ck bear as we ran fast and far. Always trying to reach Celeste, only to


    find the link empty. Tomorrow.


    Tomorrow we would hear her voice again. We came back around midnight and dropped into the bed


    above the bar. Exhausted was the


    only way we could guarantee sleep. I miss you Tuli I said before I let sleep take me, hoping the wind


    carried my love to her.


    How are we going to get her out of his hands? ¨C Tasked As as we waited for dusk in our hiding spot.


    I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re going to have to work on the fly. Maybe we just distract him long enough for


    Celeste to run. ¨C


    He answered.


    That¡¯s not veryforting. ¨C I said.


    That¡¯s all we¡¯ve got, man. All we need is to get her away from him. What happens to us doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¨C


    He growled.


    If something happens to us, Tuli could go into earlybour. We are only 3 weeks from her due date


    ¨C I reminded him.


    Then we don¡¯t get killed. ¨C As said with determination and I rolled my eyes. If only it were that easy.


    ¡®Alpha, there¡¯s movement at the far end of the grounds. Two cars are approaching.¡¯


    Mateo said via mindlink.


    I could see Diego was also mind linking. It¡¯s almost time. Our priority is getting the Luna out safely.


    Don¡¯t move until I say so,¡¯


    sent


    out to my warriors.


    I then realized something. I pulled at the mind link that¡¯s been empty for two weeks. ¡®Tuli?¡¯ I said


    tentatively. There was no answer


    for a moment and I wondered if she could hear me.


    I have missed your voice,¡¯ she said quietly and full of emotion..


    Thave missed you every moment since you left me¡¯


    said, feeling a tear roll down my cheeks. I got down to business. We need to get


    you away from him. Do you have any ideas?¡± I asked.


    I will ask to go to the bathroom? He¡¯s never said no to that request,¡¯


    she said.


    ¡®Tuli?¡¯ I said, I didn¡¯t know how to ask.


    ¡®He hasn¡¯t hurt me, Markus. Me and the pups are fine. I¡¯m actually really confused. He feeds me and


    let¡¯s me move about the house. /


    don¡¯t think his heart is in it anymore, he¡¯s just going through the motions. His soul is in pain. We¡¯re


    here. I have to go love. I¡¯ll tell you


    when I¡¯m alone,¡¯s he said before she cut the mind link.


    On my signal. Our Luna will get away from him and then we rush him,


    I said, and then told Diego of the n so he could advise his


    people.


    I see movement Markus, they are in front of the women¡¯s bathroom. Celeste has gone inside,


    Danny said.


    ¡®Wait for her to tell me. We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s safe yet,¡¯


    answered.


    Markus, I only have 2 minutes. I¡¯m locked in the bathroom. If you¡¯re going to do something, do


    something now,¡¯


    She said


    urgently.


    NOW, I linked everyone and told Diego.


    We all shifted and ran towards the visitors area. We encountered his warriors and an angry sun god


    waiting outside the bathroom.


    His warriors rushed at us as he started pushing at the door. I heard the snarls of our warriors sh


    against his. As dodged everyone as


    he jumped over the fighting. I was slightly surprised at the distance we covered but had no chance to


    ponder on it as wended right in front of the sun god as he crashed into the door, only to stumble back


    out of the bathroom as he got hit by fireballs. I smirked. That¡¯s my


    As didn¡¯t hesitate, he ran forward and attacked. We managed to sp ourselves onto his arm,


    sinking our teeth onto the muscles He roared and swung out his arm, trying to get rid of us, but As


    hung on, swinging forward and using his hind legs and digging it into


    his burnt stomach, making him stumble back from the door. We saw Maya rush into the bathroom,


    tried to run but was unable to move very fast due to her giant stomach. She stopped and doubled over,


    Maya, Gabriel and Zack


    surrounded her.


    ¡°Markus!¡± she cried out in pain through the mind link. It was enough to distract As and we were flung


    away and mmed against the corner of the bathroom with a crack as I felt my spine break in two. I


    shifted back into human as Huitzilopochtli approached me, his staff glowing


    ¡°Helios NO,¡± Celeste fell in front of me while clutching her stomach. She looked up at him and cried,


    ¡°Please no more blood needs to be spilled. Just take me.¡± I tried to grab at her desperately, but she


    moved out of my reach. My spine was slowly healing, but I couldn¡¯t


    move forward yet.


    ¡°Take my hand and I will call back my warriors. I told you, no one else needs to die. Only you, child of


    Chantico,¡± I caught what looked


    like regret as he looked at the fight in front of him.


    ¡°Tuli don¡¯t.¡±I groaned, trying to move. She looked at me, pain in her face, tears rolling down her face.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said as she stood up but immediately doubled over again in pain. She looked up at


    Huitzilopochtli, ¡°Please, Helios,


    let my pups be born.¡±


    ¡°Your line must end. Chantico must not be reborn.¡± He said.


    ¡°But they are innocent,¡± she cried, and I saw Helios eyes soften for a moment before they hardened.


    ¡°Her descendants must pay the sins of the parent,¡± he held out his hand to her.


    She looked back at me. I tried to move, I could feel my spine almost back together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am not


    worth so many lives,¡± she


    then took his hand and he pulled her to him. I growled in rage.


    ¡°Warriors. Retreat!¡± He said before he looked down at me, and once again, jumped away with the love


    of my life in his arms. I saw


    himnd on top of the moon pyramid. I saw the wolves running towards me.


    ¡°GET HER. SAVE HER,¡± I yelled at them and they all turned and began running towards the pyramid.


    Celeste is unconscious. I¡¯m trying to stop the contractions. The pups are not ready. You need to get


    here. The moon is almost out.


    Kara¡¯s panicked voice came through the mind link. As roared and forced the shift. We began running


    towards the pyramid as we started


    feeling a strange strength flow through us.


    Jump.¡¯ We heard the word flitter through my mind but I didn¡¯t know where it came from. ¡®JUMP¡¯ the soft


    voice screamed at us again.


    I felt our muscles tense and As pushed off the ground. We shifted half way into the jump andnded


    at the top of the pyramid with a


    huff. I jumped over the altar where Celeste wasying on the table and crashed into his still tender


    flesh as he unsheathed a crystal


    dagger I recognized from the sketch Celeste had drawn for Evergreen. We stumbled to the ground and


    I saw the dagger fly out of his hand


    and towards the edge of the tform.


    We grappled on the ground, throwing punch after punch for what felt like hours until we heard Celeste¡¯s


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    voice shout, ¡°Enough


    fighting!¡± Her voice had an ethereal twinge to it that made us both stop.


    I looked up to see Celeste floating about a couple of feet in the air. She was covered in fire, her hair


    floating around her. Her eyes on


    fire. Her hands dripping fire down from them. Helios roared and charged her, trying to get to her but


    was thrown backwards as he tried to


    crash through her shield, the smell of burning flesh in the air. I ran towards the edge of the tform,


    and picked up the crystal dagger. I


    ran in front of Celeste defensively as Helios struggled upwards. I put my hands upward and through her


    shield, her fire danced on my arm


    before it started to slide over my arm and over my body until I was coveredpletely in her fire.


    Helios roared. He jumped off but I was


    right behind him. Landing in front of him, dagger at the ready.


    ¡°This ends now,¡± I said as I threw a fireball at him. I could see all the wolves had stopped running half


    way up the pyramid as they saw Celeste floating down towards us. Helios¡¯ staff appeared in his hand


    again and it instantly began glowing. Before either of us could do


    anything, a blinding light appeared between us moments after Celeste reached the ground.


    ¡°That is enough, brother,¡± a beautiful woman appeared between us. She was wearing a pure white


    gown with hair pooling at her


    feet. Her brown skin was glowing. An aura of immense power radiating from her.


    ¡°It will never be enough until you watch them all die¡± Helios said, rage in his eyes as he looked at our


    moon goddess.


    I was so distracted by her sudden appearance that I didn¡¯t understand what she meant when she said,


    ¡°Show him the truth,¡± until i


    saw Celeste put her hands on either side of his head and I felt myself pulled backward with her into a


    vision.


    I saw us on top of the tform again. It took me a minute to realize Celeste had been here before. This


    was the scene she had described to me when she visited Selene the first time. I saw as Selene and


    Helios fought while a woman was on the floor behind


    him.


    ¡°What is this? Why am I here?¡± Helios roared as he tried to swing at me, but we were not physically


    here so he hit nothing. He turned


    back and looked at the fighting.


    ¡°Watch Helios. You need to see the truth, just like I had to relive my parent¡¯s death. The truth will


    release you from the path you¡¯ve


    taken. You will never live, you will never have peace. You must alter your path,¡± Celeste said, and I


    looked at her. What was this? Had she


    not said we needed to kill him?


    ¡®He is just a victim in this too. Selene has shown me. There is another way. ¡®Her beautiful voice filled


    my head.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Chapter 91 ¨C Celeste & Markus


    Celeste P.O.V.


    Celeste, you have to wake up. ¨C Kara said. I groaned. What happened? -You passed out. We need to


    do the thing.


    The thing? What thing? ¨C I asked, trying to open my eyes. I could hear Markus fighting.


    You know, the thing we practiced with Markus. The thing we can do. THE THING ¨C


    she screamed.


    Kara, calm down. What thing? ¨C I said.


    The thing with the fire. It¡¯s a shield. We need to help Markus. Selene thinks we can stop Helios without


    killing him. ¨C She said. OK I understand ¨C I said, sitting up on the altar I was on. Markus and Helios


    were wrestling on the ground, the crystal dagger


    forgotten a bit away. I took some calming breathes and realized I wasn¡¯t in pain anymore. I touched my


    stomach.


    The pups are fine. I calmed your body and the contractions stopped. ¨C


    Kara answered for me.


    I started pulling deep within me, feeling and letting the fire burn like we¡¯d practiced with Markus. I felt


    myself start to burn and I


    opened my eyes. I started floating as the fire intensified.


    ¡°Enough fighting,¡± I said and my voice sounded louder than I thought it would. I saw Markuse


    towards me after Helios tried and failed to push through my shield. He lifted his hand and covered his


    entire body with fire. I couldn¡¯t help but admire his ass from behind as it glowed with fire until Kara


    reminded me that this was not the time. Helios jumped away and I was stunned to see Markus jump


    down


    to follow.


    Selene has gifted mate with a gift of his own¡¯-


    Kara purred as we floated down to them. I wondered briefly if we would be able to


    share his as he shared ours when a blinding light made me shield my eyes. Selene appeared between


    Helios and Markus. She looked at


    me and said, ¡°Show him the truth,¡± and without being told, I knew what to do. I put my hands on his


    head and I felt the familiar pull


    backwards.


    We watched as Helios walked forward towards his mother. He knelt in front of her, love in his eyes. I


    could see his sorrow the longer


    he looked at her. It was the same sorrow that I had felt when I relived my parents¡¯ deaths. I could also


    feel Markus¡¯ confusion at my words,


    but enough was enough. Too many lives had been destroyed, including Helios. He¡¯d live with this


    sorrow, unable to move on for over a


    thousand years. In the two weeks I¡¯d watched him, I could see he was not beyond saving. He just


    needed to see the truth.


    He jumped backwards when he saw it. That shadow behind her and the smirk as she poisoned her son


    against her own daughter. He


    walked around her, trying to see what the shadow was. As the moon gave way to the sun, the shadow


    of Tezcatlipoca, the god of


    darkness, became more visible. Helios¡¯ eyes widened and he leaned forward as he listened to the


    whisperings of the god of darkness to


    his mother. He saw the corruption of his words darken her eyes and she repeated the words to his son.


    She was working a spell, using his


    love for her to influence his actions and rage towards his sister.


    Time sped up and he saw as the shadow grew over the years, his mother¡¯s eyes bing ck as


    night as she worked her magic on


    him, causing him to attack faster and harder at his sister. He looked at his sister, tears glistening in his


    eyes.


    ¡°We fought for 100 years. Did she never attack?¡± He said as he noticed that she never went for an


    attack, even when he would leave


    himself open. All she did was defend herself as she tried to talk to him.


    ¡°She is your sister. She loves you still. She wants you to live,¡± I said as I saw her turn around and see


    the damage their fight had done


    to their people. She threw thence at their mother and the god of darkness shrieked before it


    disappeared, before Helios¡¯ past self


    rushed to her. There was nothing left but the lifeless figure of his mother for him to see. There was a


    blinding light after Selene plunged


    the dagger into her heart and I felt the pull forward as the vision ended. We were back in the field and


    the moment the vision ended, I ran


    towards Markus who put me behind his back. We were surrounded by wolves now, all bowing before


    our Moon goddess.


    Helios dropped to his knees in front of his sister, looking at the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You have spent a thousand years trying to kill our siblings for trying to protect you from our mother and


    Tezcatlipoca. It is time to stop,¡± she looked over at us. ¡°There will be more battles in the future, my


    children. Have faith in the bond, have faith in your friendships.


    before she looked up at the sky. There was another blinding light and when the light dissipated, they


    were both gone.


    Markus looked around, making sure the threat was gone. All of Helios¡¯ warriors were gone. The world


    began to sway as I felt thest


    of my energy leave me. The contractions, the fire, the visions. It was all too much. I grabbed onto his


    hand as he took me into his arms.


    The sparks I had missed for two weeks exploded down my body as he held me before I fainted. Sleep.


    Everything will be fine. This battle is


    over. You did so well -Kara said, before I gave into the darkness.


    Markus POV


    I felt her exhaustion and her hand on my arm as she fainted. She is fine. Kara put her into a healing


    sleep. She expended too much


    energy. The pups are OK. They need to sleep ¨C


    As said, though he couldn¡¯t keep the whimper out of his voice as we saw out mate


    unconscious.


    ¡°Dr West,¡± I called out, and I saw him push through the crowd. He checked Celeste over and agreed


    with what As said. Danny came


    forward and handed me a pair of shorts, only then realizing I had been fighting naked since I had


    shifted when I jumped to the


    tform.


    Speaking of, How did we jump like that? ¨C I asked As.


    It is a gift from the moon goddess. She deemed us worthy ¨C As said proudly.


    ¡°So¡­.¡± Diego interrupted our talk, fidgeting slightly from the adrenaline, ¡°That was anti-climactic. I kind


    of expected a longer fight. All we did was run.¡±


    Danny snorted as he held Maya in his arms, one hand on her stomach. She had refused to stay behind


    and he¡¯d been so worried about their pup. He was more than OK with not having her in a fight.


    A couple of people gave ufortableughs as they agreed. ¡°Speak for yourself. I fought him twice,¡±


    I said, unable to stop looking


    at my mate. Half expecting her to just disappear from my arms.


    ¡°What happened? I mean, that was barely a battle. No one died. Huitzilopochtli recalled his warriors.


    You just jumped to the


    tform, then back down covered in fire. The moon goddess shows up and you guys just stand still for


    like 20mins with all of your eyes


    gone white, then they just¡­..left?¡± He summarized the ridiculous series of events.


    ¡°Celeste happened,¡± I said, ¡°She didn¡¯t want to kill him. She told me he was kind and his soul was in


    pain. She wanted to stop the bloodshed, not just today, but for our pups and every generation toe.


    She took him to watch his battle with our goddess that began


    this whole madness and he finally saw the truth of what happened. Our goddess was not to me, but


    that the god of darkness was


    behind everything. The moon goddess told him he should find his redemption and took him from here.¡±


    I looked down at the crystal dagger I had dropped on the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. If my mate and our


    goddess deemed him worthy of redemption, who are we to go against it. If he dares to try again, we


    have a way to stop him,¡± I said, picking up the dagger and giving it to Gillian, who wrapped it around his


    shirt.


    I stood with Celeste in my arms and started heading towards the cars. I put my face in her hair and


    herscent calmed my soul. I settled


    her into our room and curled us both under the nket. ¡°You are going to hate me so much, but I¡¯m


    tying you to my side for the rest of


    eternity,¡± I told her as I felt her snuggle closer together. I put my arm around her belly and rubbed


    circles around it. ¡°I missed you my


    pups.¡± I said as I felt their hearts beat. One of the pups kicked my hand and I smiled. ¡°I love you too.¡± I


    kissed Celeste¡¯s cheek and let


    myself go to sleep.


    ¡°Markus. Markus wake up baby,¡± I heard Celeste¡¯s urgent voice in my ear. I pulled her closer to me and


    she groaned. My eyes fluttered


    open in rm.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re putting more pressure on my dder and I¡¯m about to pee myself,¡± she groaned and Iughed,


    just happy to have her back. I


    lifted her up and ran to the bathroom. ¡°OMG that¡¯s making it worse,¡± she screamed as I put her down in


    the bathroom. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let me pee?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course, go ahead,¡± I said, closing the door with me in it.


    ¡°No Tuli, you were gone for two weeks. You can pee with us here. We will turn around,¡± I said and


    heard her grunt. A minuteter, 1


    heard as she relieved her dder. She flushed and started washing her hands while I also relieved my


    own dder. I looked over at her and she was blushing. I washed my hands and put my hands around


    her. My arms barely wentpletely around her belly.


    ¡°Why are you blushing?¡± I whispered in her ear and felt her shiver.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me pee,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve never had to pee in front of someone.¡±


    I kissed under her ear,¡±I¡¯m sorry. I thought I had lost you. I -¡°My voice broke as I reyed her being


    taken again in my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± she turned in my arms as best as she could and grabbed my face.


    ¡°Helios won¡¯te after us again. I can feel it. His heart wasn¡¯t in it anymore even before I showed him


    the truth.¡± I buried my head in the curve of her neck.


    ¡°How can you truly know that?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I watched him for two weeks, my love. He was going through the motions but he couldn¡¯t even hurt


    me. No matter how annoying! got, how sick, or sad. He fed me, he gave me books, he stopped at every


    gas station imaginable so I could pee. By the way, did Evergreen


    catch me? I looked at the camera as much as I could without making it obvious.¡± I simply nodded my


    head against her neck. ¡°My point is,


    I don¡¯t think he could have hurt me. He didn¡¯t hurt the girls he bought.¡±


    I lifted my head at that. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He bought them off Alpha Geoff, fed them, got them healthy and then paid a brujo to erase their


    memories and then left them at


    the edge of packs to be taken in.¡±


    ¡°He told you that? And you believed him?¡± I asked her, wondering why she would believe the words of


    her captor. Wondering if she


    had Stockholm syndrome.


    She looked at me offended, ¡°No, of course not. He took me to a pack near his mansion. I saw J


    from a distance. She had a pup


    and looked happy.¡±


    ¡°So then why would he keep hunting for so long?¡± I asked her and she sighed.


    ¡°I think he did it out of duty. For his mother. Now that he¡¯s seen the truth¡­.I hope he and Selene had a


    chance to talk,¡± she sighed, putting her head against my chest. I hugged her as tight as I could without


    hurting her. I needed to feel the sparks I had missed for two weeks. I felt wetness on my chest and I felt


    her shake.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said and I picked her up and took her back to the bed where I just held her on myp as she


    cried. I rubbed small circles on her back, letting her release her fears. As kept howling until her


    shakes ceased.


    ¡°Kara said you almost died,¡± She whispered, holding me close.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve got you back.¡± I said, kissing her head.


    She looked up at me with her beautiful blue eyes rimmed with tears, ¡°It matters. I¡¯m so sorry Markus. I


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    didn¡¯t know Kara would do


    that, but I ¨C I don¡¯t know that I wouldn¡¯t have done the same. The vision Selene showed her. So much


    loss. I couldn¡¯t do that to the pack,


    but when I heard that I almost lost you. I felt like my heart was breaking.¡±


    ¡°I was so close Tuli. So close to you before he got to you. I felt my heart leave with you. There is


    nothing in the world for me if you¡¯re not in it,¡± I said, and she grabbed me and kissed me. I growled as


    she climbed on top of me. I stood up toy her on the bed when the door burst open. I sighed and sat


    back down, making sure that Celeste¡¯s legs were covering my raging hard on. ¡°You guys have really


    bad timing¡± I said and Celeste giggled.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one that missed her. Don¡¯t be greedy, Alpha,¡± Maya said as she came around


    behind Danny.


    ¡°You saw her yesterday,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°That was in the heat of battle,¡± she insisted, ¡°You would think he would have learned not to argue with


    a pregnant woman by now,¡±


    she told Danny as she grabbed Celeste and pulled her off me. How they were hugging, I don¡¯t know.


    They looked like a wishbone,


    attached at the arms with their two bodies to their side. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the scene as I put on


    a pair of jeans. I knew when I


    was vested. Danny, Cam and Gillian were all smiling at the girls.


    ¡°This room is getting cramped. How about we go down for breakfast?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why we came. Alpha Diego is expecting us for breakfast,¡± Cam said.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Chapter 92 ¨C Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    **A few weekster**


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You did this, you should feel this pain too!¡± Celeste yelled at me again as she pushed.


    As whimpered in my head at


    her words.


    Stop whining, Dad said this might happen and you¡¯re not helping ¨C


    Treprimanded him as I felt the hand she was holding break yet


    again as Celeste pushed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I love you Tuli,¡± I groaned as she squeezed harder. Her face was red, she was sweating


    profusely. She¡¯d been inbour for about 25 hours now. Dr. West and Dr Castle had been taking shifts


    through herbour and the waiting room outside was full of our friends and family. The entire pack was


    waiting for the twins to be born. I hadn¡¯t slept or left her side. She¡¯s gone through all the emotions in the


    rainbow in thest 25 hours.


    She¡¯s been happy, nervous, she¡¯s cried, she¡¯s begged the twins toe out, she¡¯d demanded an


    epidural and then growled when


    someone came in with the needle. She¡¯s tried to negotiate with the twins so they would be born soon.


    She¡¯dughed from exhaustion


    and now we had hit anger.


    ¡°No one tells you this s**t when they talk about having pups,¡± she growled in between pushes.


    ¡°That¡¯s because this is the most insignificant part of having kids for a family, Luna,¡± Dr West said.


    ¡°You say that because you¡¯ve never had two Alpha pups trying to tear you in haallllllllfff¡± she screamed


    at him as she began pushing


    again. She slumped back as Dr West lifted our pup up and gave it to the nurse.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t my baby crying?¡± Celeste asked, panicking.


    ¡°We have to clear the airway, Luna, give the nurse a ¡­..ahhh there it is,¡± he said as a strong solid wail


    came from the nurses¡¯ station.


    She turned back around with a blue bundle in her arms, dark tuffs of straight ck hair visible. She put


    the baby on Celeste so she could


    hold him while she passed the first centa and waited to push out our baby girl.


    ¡°Have you decided on a name yet, Luna?¡± Dr West asked. Celeste looked up at me and nodded.


    ¡°Cory Alexander,¡± I said.


    As if summoning the name sake, dad¡¯s voice came in through the mind link, ¡®Son don¡¯t be selfish. I


    want to see my grandchild.¡¯


    ¡°Maya is bugging me to see the baby. Why don¡¯t you take him to go meet his family,¡± Celeste said, ¡°I


    can feel a contraction


    I bent down and kissed her as I took our pup from her arms. His blue eyes staring up at me. As


    wouldn¡¯t stop doing flips as we walked towards the door and puffed his chest as we went through the


    double doors to see everyone waiting. I heard Celeste screaming


    again, and I hesitated.


    ¡°Go son. We will take care of¡­what did you choose for a name?¡± he asked, and I smiled at him.


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    ¡°Cory Alexander¡± I said, and his eyes started to mist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a nursee get him shortly.¡± I said. ¡°I have to go meet my daughter.¡± I went through to the


    double doors and let the nurse


    know where my pup was. I knew there was no way they would let him go so quickly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cory?¡± Celeste grunted after a push.


    ¡°Dad has him. The nurse will get him shortly. I would have probably been murdered if I tried to take him


    from the mob of our family


    standing outside.¡±


    ¡°Did they like his name?¡± She asked, her big blue eyes looking up at me nervously.


    ¡°Dad started crying. I think he approved,¡± I said as I took her hand again and kissed her lips. ¡°You are


    amazing.¡±


    ¡°On the next contraction, big push Luna,¡± Dr West said. She could only nod.


    she slumped back and Dr West handed the nurse our baby girl. After cleaning her airwaves, we heard


    the beautitul sound of her cries and


    the nurse handed Celeste our pup while they continued to work on her lower half.


    ¡°A name for this beautiful girl, Alpha?¡± Dr West asked.


    I looked down at our baby. ¡°Berose Grace,¡± I said. We had decided tobine the names Be and


    Rose. Rose having been my


    mother¡¯s name.


    ¡°You do both of your lineages proud,¡± Dr West said as he began filling out paperwork while the nurses


    cleaned.


    ¡°Son?¡± I heard dad through the double doors a few minutester and I looked down at Celeste. She


    shrugged and nodded with a small smile. We already knew we wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them out long.


    ¡°Come in, but only for a bit¡± I said. I could feel Celeste¡¯s exhaustion through the bond. I took our pup


    from her and she immediately began cooling in my arms. My heart exploded with love as I looked down


    at her grey eyes and ck curls.


    Our family and friends gushed over our babies and Celeste until Dr West came in and kicked them all


    out.


    **Two monthster**


    Alpha, there¡¯s an intruder at the border. He isn¡¯t doing anything. He¡¯s just standing there! ¨C


    One of my warriors mind linked me. Iran


    out the door of the conference room. Celeste was at the hospital with Maya while Marie looked after


    our pups. Maya had begun having


    contractions and Danny had time-sensitive work so I took it over while he ran her to the Pack Hospital.


    Celeste had gone to make sure he


    didn¡¯t faint.


    Alpha he just jumped the border,¡¯ Came a very rmed guard.


    I pushed through the double doors of the Packhouse when I saw Heliosnd in the driveway in front of


    the stairs. I growled as I felt


    panic and fear rush through me. He couldn¡¯t be here. He wasn¡¯t taking my family. This was supposed to


    be over. As if reading my mind.


    Helios pulled a hand up, showing that he wasn¡¯t here to attack. He put down a box and then leapt


    away.


    It¡¯s ok. Stand down. He¡¯s left again.


    I answered as I approached the box cautiously. I let Ase forward and we sniffed the


    box.


    I can¡¯t smell anything bad. ¨C As confirmed, so I picked up the box. There was a letter addressed to


    Celeste on top. I opened the box


    and looked at its contents skeptically. There were a couple of Mexican cloth dolls inside, two baby


    nkets for our pups and several


    stuffed alebrijes.


    ¡®You have a delivery Tuli,¡¯ I mind linked her as I walked back inside the Packhouse.


    ¡®But I haven¡¯t ordered anything,¡¯ she said.


    ¡®The sun god left it for you at our doorstep¡¯ I said, and I could feel the surprise through the bond.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ she asked.


    I don¡¯t know. It looks like gifts for the twins and a letter addressed to you,¡¯


    said.


    ¡®What does the letter say?¡± She asked, concerned.


    I haven¡¯t opened it.¡¯ I said, and I felt her roll her eyes.


    ¡®Well open it. What if he wants to kill me again?¡¯


    she said.


    I opened the letter and read it to her.


    ¡®Celeste,


    I can¡¯t ask for forgiveness because there¡¯s none that could be given for what I¡¯ve done, but I wanted to


    thank you for helping me see


    the light and to warn you. I¡¯ve heard through the channels that there were beings present in the


    shadows of our battle. They have seen


    the powers you and your mate disyed and covet them. I will be hunting them down, but you must be


    prepared to protect your family. /


    have left you my email and phone number below. If you have any need, I hope / eventually earn your


    trust enough that you will use them.


    I don¡¯t deserve forgiveness, but I will do what I can to make the rest of my eternal life mean something.


    You asked me if I had ever lived


    even though I had been alive for over a millennium, so I am taking your advice and try to find


    something to live for.


    I have changed the deed of the house in Mexico to your name. I think I need a fresh start, away from


    that ce. You may do as you


    wish with it.


    There was silence on the other end of the mind link for a minute. ¡°Have the gifts checked for any


    poisons before giving them to the kids. I want to believe he¡¯s changed Markus, but it¡¯s only been two


    months. I won¡¯t take chances, ¡®she said and I sighed, relieved at her


    response.


    ¡®Yes Tuli. I love you.¡¯


    I love you more. Come this way, Maya is going to start pushing, you don¡¯t want to miss the birth of your


    nephew, do you?¡¯


    ¡®On my way¡¯ I said as I ordered the gifts inspected to a guard I called over. I looked up at the sky as I


    walked over to the Pack Hospital.


    Thank you, Selene. I sent up a prayer of thanks as I walked through the double doors, Marie right


    behind me with the stroller. Celeste


    came over as I took over the stroller and I put my hand around her waist. I looked around our family in


    the waiting room while I heard


    Maya scream for 15mins before I heard a child¡¯s cry followed by Danny¡¯s howl of joy.


    There was nothing I would change about my life. It was everything I never knew I needed and the


    opposite of what I thought I wanted. The woman in my arms had changed my entire life and made me


    want to be a better person every morning as I watched her


    sleep.


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