Page 54

"Fuck... Arlene... " His grip on my throat tightens just enough to make my pulse skip. His thumb presses against the crescent moon scar on my collarbone, tracing the old mark like a promise renewed.

"More," I breathe, and I don't recognize my own voice, wrecked, hungry, belonging to something older than me.

He pulls back, nearly all the way out, and I whine at the emptiness. Then he slams forward and my vision whites out. His hand abandons my breast to grip my hip, steadying me as the rhythm turns savage. Each thrust shoves me against the dresser; the wood bites into my palms. I don't care. I push back into every stroke, meeting him, matching him, our bodies colliding with a wet slap that echoes off the walls.

The bond floods warm and bright between us, his need, his devotion, the primal satisfaction of being inside me, of knowing I'm carrying his child. I feel all of it. My inner walls flutter around him, clenching, releasing, clenching again.

"Don't stop," I gasp. "Don't you dare..."

His hand on my throat turns my head, forcing me to look at him over my shoulder. His brown eyes are nearly black now, blown wide with want. "Mine," he snarls. "Always."

"Always," I echo, and the word dissolves into a moan as his cock hits that spot inside me, the one that makes my legs shake and my core clamp down hard enough to wring a growl from his chest.

The bond pulses between us, golden and alive, and I know we're close, both of us, tethered together in the dark.

*****

DARIAN'S POV

I push through the heavy oak doors of the great hall beside Arlene, Damian, and Darlene on a Friday afternoon. Warm crystal light glints off polished wood tables stretched in neat rows. At the head table, Alpha Rylan’s broad shoulders fill one end; beside him sits Luna Selena, her silver braid shining under the lanterns. To Luna Selena’s right, Gamma Joshua chats quietly with Gamma Female Jasmin and their children. On Alpha Rylan’s left are two empty seats, silent invitations I note but ignore for now.

I sweep the room. Michael, Paige, Milo, and Piper cluster at the Enforcers’ table on the far side, their armor clinking as they shift in their seats. Between us, higher ranking families drift in small groups, jockeying for positions closest to Alpha Rylan and Luna Selena. A sleek alpha pair in midnight blue tunics intercept an elder’s direction, then slip him a narrow package wrapped in pale silk, way too bulky to be herbs. I catch the edge of tan paper folded around crisp bills. A half hidden growl rumbles from a tall wolf beside them as he steers two trembling Omegas toward the back tables. Their heads bowed, the smaller wolves hurry off like beaten pups.

I remember my father’s pack, how every cutthroat grin and whispered bargain felt routine. But here, even these power plays carry a different weight. Alpha Rylan’s rule has shifted something fundamental. I feel it in the way Luna Selena straightens when she spots a weaker wolf being pushed aside; in the quick, decisive flick of Alpha Rylan’s hand when a bristling alpha leans in too close.

Just as Arlene murmurs about where we might sit, a deep voice calls out my name. I turn to see Garren, one of the seasoned warriors, beckoning with a broad sweep of his arm. He grins and motions to the empty benches beside him and his mates. “Come on, Carter pack,” he rumbles. “There’s room here.” He tucks an arm around his mate’s shoulder and waves at their children, who scramble aside to make way. Arlene squeezes my hand, and we all file in, three generations fitting snugly onto the wide bench.

Arlene drifts into easy conversation with the shewolves, their laughter rising like music. Damian tugs on a boy’s sleeve; within seconds they’re racing around the table legs, laughter echoing. Darlene hangs back at first, peeking at shy faces, until one little girl offers her a chunk of bread. Instantly, they’re inseparable.

The warriors lean in, praising my performance during the morning’s pack run. Garren’s voice rumbles, “Never saw a wolf stand his ground like you did when Alpha Rylan asked for a sparring partner.” He claps me on the shoulder so hard my ribs ache, in a good way. Another warrior, steel eyed and grinning, adds, “If trouble ever breaks out and you can’t reach your Alpha or Gamma, you’re the one I’d want at my side.”

He points toward Damian, kneeling beside the table. “This pup outran every Junior Warrior today. If he’s half his father’s strength when he grows, he’ll be the pack’s shield.”

Damian puffs out his chest, tail wagging in approval. Darlene peeks around Arlene’s leg and whispers, “Me too.”

Dinner slows to satisfied sighs and content slurps of broth. Then Alpha Rylan stands, the torches glittering in his dark eyes. Luna Selena rises with him, her smile soft but sure. “Tonight,” Alpha Rylan calls out, “we begin our Pack Bonding Triathlon!” A cheer ripples through the hall. “Pups by age, teens by age, adults by age, but teams will be mixed. Speed, strength, teamwork, every wolf counts.”

At the whistle, we spill out into the courtyard. I see hopeful pups sprinting alongside rank and file Enforcers. A lumbering alpha tries to muscle an Omega into dragging a log; the Omega stumbles, and the alpha snarls, until Alpha Rylan strolls over, nods sharply at the alpha, then helps the Omega right the beam. Murmurs spread: this is no empty show.

Arlene and I find ourselves passing water skins and cheering on team members, a role we slip into without thought. Damian and Darlene dart around, hands out for high fives, urging smaller pups along. I glimpse old rivalries melting into genuine teamwork, while a few grumbles…“I didn’t sign up to carry someone else’s weight”... drift off like smoke in the night breeze.

When the final race ends, panting wolves collapse in happy exhaustion. The pack congregates again by long tables, sharing bread, laughter, and tales of spectacular spills. Then Alpha Rylan stands once more. Luna Selena picks up the thread. “One last challenge tonight: males with your Alpha,” Alpha Rylan says, eyes sweeping the crowd. “Females with your Luna.”

My throat tightens as I watch Arlene and the girls rise and walk toward Luna Selena, their heads held high. I look at the seasoned warriors standing beside me, expecting knowing smiles, but they shrug, surprised. One chuckles, “Don’t look at me. This is new.”

Another grins. “Looks like our Alpha and Luna still have a few surprises for us.”

I let my gaze follow Alpha Rylan as he turns and leads the males away. Heart hammering, I fall into step, and wonder exactly what our Alpha has planned for us now.

19

Arlene’s POV

Darlene slips her little hand into mine as the males begin moving in the opposite direction. I glance back and find Darian among them with Damian beside him. His eyes meet mine, and he gives me a small smile before our son grabs his hand and pulls him toward the other males. I smile back, then let Darlene lead me toward Luna Selena.

Shewolves are gathering around her from every direction. Mothers carry infants against their chests while young pups stay close to their families. Teenagers gather with friends, and some of the older shewolves settle into chairs brought over from the dining area. Warriors, Elders, pack members, Omegas, Werewolf Humans. After a month in Silver Moon, I recognize more faces than I would have expected, although there are still far too many for me to know everyone.

“Can I sit with you, Mommy?” Darlene asks, pressing against my leg.