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Back From Beyond (Book 2 of The Claimed Series)

Chapter 1 

Adeline’s wolf blazed a clear path through the trees. She felt like her heart could sing it was so unfettered. The freedom was what she loved most about shifting.

Coming close to the edge of the border of her lands, her wolf became restless within her. For once, she let her beast take full control of their shared body and let the she-wolf inside consume her completely. It felt like she was trying to tell the human part of her something. Something important.

Living in Northern California at the base south of Lassen Peak, her favorite thing to do was patrol the woods and let her wolf run loose. It was the ultimate high, liberating her wolf for those lengthy runs and puffing her chest up with pride to be protecting her territory.

Her father, the pack’s Beta, always wished them to go in groups of two or three, but Adeline rarely ever listened, and she hadn’t been harmed as of yet. She was as careful as one could be, alone in the woods at night. She felt it an obligation to keep her pack safe, and though she could have taken any number of wolves with her, she also craved the alone time.

Being the age of twenty, she was glad that this year she would not be required to attend The Claiming. It was a yearly ritual where all unmated males and females twenty-one years old and above were to come together. Whether they found their true mate or not, no she-wolves would go unclaimed that night.

It was for that reason—and that reason alone—that she wished to find her mate sooner rather than later. A claiming mark and pull were dull compared to the bond she would feel for her true mate. If she were to be claimed, she would want nothing less than her destined other half to do it.

Adeline had almost come to the southernmost edge of the territory when she smelled the lovely scent of cedar. Cedar trees were not as prevalent in the woods around her territory, so the fragrance made her both cautious and curious. She halted her wolf and felt her stir restlessly once again in her mind, nearly prancing with the nervous excitement her wolf was feeling. It was such a heady sensation that Adeline was unsure of how to proceed.

Hearing a crunch of leaves off to her left, she watched with mild trepidation as a strange wolf carrying something in its mouth slowly padded towards her. The scent of cedar became stronger and was mixed with the refreshing odor of pine as well.

As the wolf came closer, she ached to touch the soft, golden fur of the beast. It looked silky, almost luxurious, and she wondered why she had the need to reach out and caress the strange animal.

Once the large, golden beast loomed closer, the slight tug in her solar plexus became almost unbearable. This wolf was not just any wolf, but a werewolf—a shifter—and the tug she felt could only mean one thing.

He was her mate.

Adeline then took a moment to find a likely tree and saw the hole that had been strategically dug into the base of it. Pulling out a long t-shirt that was hidden there with her teeth, she went behind the same tree and phased back to her human form, pulling the t-shirt on quickly.

She came back around from behind the wide trunk, thinking she would see the wolf still sitting there, waiting for her in its furry form. Instead, there was a tall, muscular man wearing the shorts he had recently held between his jaws.

He was statuesque, and power rolled off him in waves. His hair was short and blond, and he had piercing blue eyes and a scruffy-looking 5 o’clock shadow. He was the most delicious thing she had ever seen.

“What is your name, strange wolf?” she asked him. “And why are you here so close to my land? You don’t smell of rogue, nor does your presence emanate the feral qualities of one.”

“I am Hunter Douglass of Lassen Pack just north of here, son of William Douglass, Alpha to said pack,” he told her. He had a deep, booming baritone that made Adeline shiver with its huskiness. “And you, my future Luna? What is your name, my beauty?”

Adeline stopped herself from flushing at his words and cleared her throat before speaking again. “My name is Adeline Warner of the Willow pack. I am the daughter to our pack’s Beta, Corbin Warner,” she replied. Her voice was strong, her stance proud.

Walking toward his mate clad only in red basketball shorts, he cupped her chin in his hand as he looked down upon her. “You, my gorgeous mate, should take me to your father. I would like to meet my future father-in-law and the mother of the woman that stands before me.”

She nodded, her voice becoming tight at the powerful force behind his words. “Come this way.”

The two walked in silence for a while before Adeline broke it.

“My mother has passed already,” she said quietly. “You only have my father to worry about meeting. As for other kin, I have no one nearby.”

“How did your mother pass, if I may ask?” Hunter asked after a brief pause.

“Hunters, a long time ago,” she replied.

It felt like ice was trickling into her veins as she heard the low growl, and Adeline had to turn around to find out where it came from. She looked over at Hunter as he stood still, his fists balled at his sides.

“Are…are you okay?” she asked of him.

“Hunters? Here?” he asked in a raw, gravelly tone. It was immediately clear that his wolf was fighting to take over, to protect its mate.

“Not for many years.” Her tone was soothing. “The hunter that killed my mother was part of a small group some miles from here. We are pretty much off the beaten path when it comes to civilization. We haven’t had problems since then. I hear many of them moved on to more northern states or Canada.”

Hunter seemed to gain some control over himself. At least he started to move again, though his gait was a little stiffer. He sniffed the air many times and looked behind him as if a hunter might pop out from behind a tree at any given moment. He also drew close enough to Adeline so that their arms brushed as they walked.

Hunter indeed was trying to control his wolf. It was begging to be let out so it could defend its mate. It was ready to safeguard her at any cost.

“I have never heard of the Lassen Pack. Are you new to this part of California?” she asked, just to make conversation. The way their arms brushed against each other was distracting her, and she needed to concentrate on getting home. The woods in this part of northern California were like a maze, and though she could just smell her path back to her house, she was ten types of muddled in the head. Her mate, the pull, his eyes, that body...

She tried to pull herself out from under those errant thoughts and concentrate on moving forward towards home.

“We are indeed new to the area. We come from southern Oregon originally but decided to move down to California. Many of our members have family here, and with the recent rogue attacks and that bloody war going on up north in Washington, we decided to relocate.”

“What war?” Adeline asked. Living where she did, she rarely heard news from other packs. If not for cell phone technology and Wi-Fi, she probably wouldn’t know anything going on in the outside world at all.

“A few weeks ago, some wolf packs allied against another pack that was trying to take their Luna. I heard the interloping pack was beaten, the Luna safe, and the rest of the pack liquidated,” he told her.

“How many packs were involved?” she asked, curious to get the first news of any of their kind in what seemed like eons.

“The allied numbered at least six packs. The attackers had only its own members and some rogues to help them. It is no wonder they were defeated. Rogues are such vile creatures that think only of themselves. They have no loyalty. No sense of community.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad you were able to get away unscathed,” Adeline told him.

“As am I, princess. As am I,” he murmured quietly.

After another twenty minutes of making stilted small talk, they came to a clearing at the edge of the woods. Many cabins and small houses adorned the area, and near the top of the tallest hill was the house where the Alpha and Beta families lived together.

Adeline hesitated for a moment, turning to him. “I will have to ask for permission for you to come any further. While I feel you are no threat to any of us, my Alpha would have my head on a pike if I let you into his home without warning. Please wait here while I speak with him. And my father, of course. He will be with the Alpha.”

With the lights from the surrounding houses, Hunter was finally able to see his mate a little clearer. She had a smooth, white complexion, unmarred by any scars. Her hair was a deep, midnight black, and her grey eyes were deep pools of stormy waters. Hunter’s wolf purred, awakening a little more at the sight of her.

“Whatever it takes, angel,” he said to her with a small smile. Adeline smiled back before turning away to walk towards the Alpha’s house.

While Adeline was gone, Hunter mindlinked his father, letting him know what was going on.

Father, I have found her, he told him. My mate. She is stunning.

You will bring her back with you straight away. Once you have met her parents, of course, his father ordered.

No congratulations, no we’re proud of you son. 

Her mother is gone. I will meet her father momentarily. And her Alpha, Hunter replied through the link.

Then obtain permission from her Alpha to bring her here, in lieu of both of the parents not being present, his father commanded.

I will procure her father’s blessing first, Hunter stated firmly. His father’s tyrannical leanings didn’t intimidate Hunter anymore.

Fine, his father shot back abruptly. But then I want you home. With finding your mate, you will become Alpha soon, and preparations must be made.

With that, his father cut off the link.

*~*~*

“Father? Alpha James? Are you in here?” Adeline had just stepped inside the warm, homey atmosphere of the house and was calling out to find them. She always called out before searching for their scents. She had come upon quite a few awkward scenes that her eyes could never unsee before finally resorting to only calling out to people to get their attention.

“I’m in the office with Alpha James, sweetie,” her father cried out to her. If it hadn’t been for her supersensitive hearing, she might not have heard him at all.

Adeline never used the mindlink inside the house anymore. She never knew when her father was otherwise occupied or the Alpha and Luna were blocking her so that they could do whatever nastiness their hearts desired. It was an awkward home situation at times, but at least she knew her Alpha and Luna loved each other—even if it was a bit more public than she was comfortable with.

Adeline walked into the office after knocking and getting the okay to enter. Alpha James was there behind his desk looking at paperwork, his reading glasses slightly askew on his face. Her father was seated in the other office chair, facing the door.

“Addie? What’s wrong? You look odd,” her father stated.

“I was on patrol when I found something—or actually someone,” she explained.

Her father was on his feet instantly. “Was it rogues? Hunters?” he asked, walking up and shaking Addie as if she were a magic 8-ball that could come up with the correct answer if manipulated enough. “Why didn’t you mindlink us?”

“No, Daddy. Please chill.” She shrugged his arms off her. “I…I found my mate.”

“Mate, you say?” Her father looked relieved, though a bit concerned at the same time. Adeline, after all, was his only child now that her twin, Braelynn, was gone.

“Yes, he’s waiting outside, and I was wondering if I could let him come in and meet you and Alpha James,” Adeline looked at her father hopefully, a doe-like innocence in her grey orbs. It always worked so well on the both of them in the past, and this time was no exception.

“Of course,” Alpha James replied. “Send the boy in. We will see if he has the stuff to take care of your daughter, Corbin. If not, I will dropkick his ass back over the mountain. Face first.”

“Go get your mate, sweetheart,” her father soothed. Adeline had looked a little scared when the Alpha had said he would kick him out—literally. Both the Alpha and Beta still looked on Adeline as if she were a little girl and were slightly overprotective of her.

“Okay, Daddy.”

She looked back in trepidation at the two men in the office. Alpha James was rolling up his shirt sleeves, and her father’s wolf looked ready to burst out of his skin at any given moment. His eyes were flashing from black to blue with the power exchange between beast and man.

Sighing, Adeline went back to the front door to retrieve her mate. She hoped the two men wouldn’t scare the hell out of him before she could even get to know the man.

*~*~*

Corbin Warner watched as his daughter’s so-called mate strode confidently into the Alpha’s study. He studied the man while his fingers massaged his chin in silent contemplation. The man was tall, even for an Alpha, while his daughter was quite petite. If he had to guess, the man was around 6 feet, 6 inches tall. Adeline was a mere 5 foot 4, and the wide-shouldered, strange man towered over her in an almost protective stance already.

Overall, if first impressions were correct, he would make a suitable male for his daughter. Not that he had a lot of say in the matter. The mate bond was just too damn strong. Adeline left the room with a worried backward glance and closed the door on the three men.

“Pleased to meet you, sir. My name is Hunter Douglass of Lassen Pack,” the man proclaimed to Corbin. He nodded his head in respect to the two men in the room. “We are new to the area, so you may not have heard of us as of yet. We are a small but strong pack.”

Corbin thought about his response before speaking. He wasn’t a chatty man, so when he did speak, it was with purpose.

“We have heard of a new pack in the area, though we had not yet gotten around to arranging a meeting with your Alpha,” Corbin said with a weary tone, as if commenting on the weather.

“My father, Alpha William, I’m sure would be honored to meet with you. Especially now, seeing as how your daughter is my mate,” Hunter replied in a careful tone.

Corbin blinked slowly at him and continued. “It would be good for you to arrange a meeting with your father if you would. Good relations between our packs should be paramount.”

“I will set up something so that we can all meet, though my father will be stepping down as Alpha within a few months. Whether or not he approves of a pact between us, when I take the position, I will make sure that peace remains between our communities,” he vowed to Adeline’s father. “I would not allow my Luna to suffer because she cannot visit her kin freely.”

Alpha James smiled as he watched Corbin’s body relax a bit. He knew that his Beta’s greatest fear was to lose his only child now that her twin sister and mother were gone. To ease the remaining tension in the air, James decided to speak.

“And what of your kin, Hunter? Any siblings?” he queried. He knew you could tell a lot about a man’s character by the way he spoke of his family.

“I have a younger brother named Tristan and a sister, Penelope. We call her Penny. Ages 20 and 18 respectively,” he responded with a smile. “My mother’s name is Patricia, and she comes originally from a pack near central Canada.”

“And what is your age, son?” Corbin asked.

“22, though I will turn 23 in a month’s time,” Hunter stated.

“Have you not yet been to a Claiming ceremony? It is usually required when you don’t find your mate by 21 years of age,” the Alpha inquired of him.

“I was away at college until this past year’s Claiming. I took a few night courses in the summers between years and could not make it to The Claiming. This year, thankfully, it won’t be necessary to attend,” he said honestly. “Truth be told, I am quite glad I didn’t make it in years past or I may not have found my mate.”

“Destiny works most mysteriously, I should say,” Alpha James mused with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

There was a brief silence as they all thought of the ways they had met their mates. James had met his female, Corinne, while out celebrating one of his best friend’s birthdays in a small town near Redding, California. She was a server who happened to spill her entire platter of drinks on him when he reached out and touched her arm. To say she was quite startled would have been a gross understatement.

Corbin’s meeting with his deceased wife, Lucinda, was much less exciting. They had been best friends for years before turning 18, the normal age when one would find their mate. Since he was a year older than her, he was the first to feel the bond. He had hemmed and hawed for months, acting quite shifty around her before finally admitting to her that they were mates.

Lucinda, being a year younger, had suspected that Corbin had found his mate. When he had realized it was her, he had avoided her like the plague for months. She had thought he was spending time with his mate and was upset when she was convinced it wasn’t her. In truth, he was trying to avoid her until she came of age. They had mated completely on her 18th birthday, and Corbin thought it well worth the wait.

“You can stay here for the night, though I ask that you do not mark my daughter tonight or without her permission,” Corbin said with a sigh. “And if you hurt her in any way, you can say goodbye to any chances of giving me grandchildren, son.”

He added that last sentence with just the right amount of venom to scare the younger man, but not enough to make him think him too ruthless. He didn’t need the soon-to-be Alpha thinking he would harm his own daughter, even by proxy.

Hunter looked appalled at the very idea of forcing himself upon Adeline. “I would never force my mark upon another nor disrespect you or your rules in any way under your own roof.”

Corbin nodded at that. “I will have fresh clothing sent up to your room, though I have no doubt my daughter is just outside the door and will be doing that very thing presently. I suggest you shower and get to bed. It’s late. We will talk more in the morning.”

Hunter started to walk out of the room but halted when Corbin spoke again. “Addie will show you up to her room.”

Hunter smiled at that. Not only did he like Adeline’s nickname, but he had also gained the initial approval of her father. He would allow them to sleep in the same bed even though Adeline was well over the age of consent. Also, it would make it easier on him when he brought her back to his pack with her father’s blessing.

“Thank you, sir,” Hunter said quietly before leaving the room. He breathed in a long sigh of relief once outside the study door. As a future Alpha, he wasn’t used to being submissive, but while on another pack’s land—and for certain with his mate’s father—he would be.

After Hunter had closed the door quietly, he noticed Adeline standing there in the hallway leading to the stairs.

“I grabbed you some fresh clothing and towels. I heard my father,” she added with a lopsided grin. “He doesn’t generally speak much, but I can tell he approves of you.”

It was already well past midnight, and running in their wolf forms for several hours had tired them both out. Even if Adeline’s father had approved of marking and mating her that night, they would have been too exhausted to do so.

“You can shower in my en suite. I’ll use the bathroom in the hallway,” she told him, walking toward the steps.

Hunter followed her obligingly up to her room.

*~*~*

“So, what do you think of the boy?” Alpha James asked of his Beta.

“He seemed...respectful,” Corbin said lamely. James scoffed.

“And how about as mate to your daughter? I know you must somewhat approve of him or he would have been out the door with a footprint embedded in his ass,” James said.

“I approve of him so far. I would like for Addie to speak more with him before making such a binding decision as being marked and mated,” he admitted to his Alpha.

“That goes without saying. But you do know that eventually, even if he is an asshole, the bond would become overwhelmingly intense and their wolves would be forced to take over so that they could mark and mate each other. And he is a future Alpha, Corbin.”

It was a well-known fact in the Were world that a true mate’s bond was nearly unbreakable. The pull to be together would be too strong for them to fight it, and it was always best that the human halves of them bond before that could happen. Forced marks could lead to complications in a relationship, undoubtedly. It was even more intense when the male was of Alpha blood.

“He seems to be a good fit for her. I think they will do well together,” Corbin stated finally. “Though if he hurts my baby girl, I will make sure he’s limping around with one less appendage, and I’m not talking about those sturdy tree trunk legs of his.”

James chuckled lightly before it turned into a jaw-cracking yawn. “Those two lovebirds upstairs aren’t the only ones that need their rest, Corbin. Let’s both get our asses to bed before the sun comes up.” He patted his Beta on the shoulder before standing up from his chair. He didn’t want to mention it to Corbin, but he knew his wife didn’t sleep well when he was not by her side in their bed. It would have been too painful to state, for Corbin had been forced to sleep without his mate for many years.

“Alright, James. I’ll see you in the morning,” he told his old friend. “Then I will go full CSI on that boy with his intentions towards my daughter.”

*~*~*

Adeline stepped out of the hallway bathroom fully clothed. She had a pair of grey yoga pants and a pink tank top on. Her hair was still wet, and she had brushed out the long locks as much as she could, but with the amount of hair she had, it was near impossible for her to get it completely dry before heading to bed. She hated to use a blow dryer. It not only dried out her usually silky locks, but her scalp as well.

Feeling a bit silly, she knocked on her own bedroom door. She’d had the same bedroom since she was born, and this was honestly the first time she felt obliged to knock on it.

“Come in,” a muffled voice sounded out from the other side of the door.

She quietly shuffled into her room before taking in her mate’s figure.

He was a well-built man, broad in the shoulders with a tapering waist like an Olympic swimmer. He had a light smattering of blond chest hair, and the boxers he had on were hung low on his hips, showing the happy trail that ended at the waistband of the plaid material.

Fortunately for Adeline’s large mate, her bed was queen-sized and would fit both of them nicely. She would have been mortified if she’d had a small single or full-sized bed that his feet would hang off of.

Hunter was sitting at the edge of the bed, watching her as she came into the room.

“How was the talk with my father?” she asked him as she set about putting all her dirty laundry in the basket near the en suite.

“It went fine, though we will talk further in the morning,” Hunter told her as he watched her move about the room easily.

“I didn’t have a chance to change the sheets before going back downstairs to fetch you. I hope you don’t mind,” she said timidly. She would have liked to have fresh sheets the first time she snuggled with her mate.

“They smell like you,” he said softly.

“And what do I smell of?” she asked, curious.

“Honeysuckle, with a touch of vanilla,” he said. “It’s heavenly.”

Addie blushed at his admission. To take the focus off herself, she spoke. “And you smell like cedar and pine. It was how I knew someone different was in the area.” She added, “There aren’t a lot of cedar trees in the woods here.”

“Is that a pleasant smell for you?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s a wonderful smell,” she said fervently. “Natural, yet masculine,” she added before blushing an even deeper shade of red.

Hunter stood up, pulling back the sheets of the neatly made bed. He gestured to it as if he was pulling out a chair for his date at a fancy restaurant.

“After you, my little mate,” he said quietly. Adeline climbed between the cool sheets and patted the place next to her to make her mate feel welcome in her bed.

After climbing under the covers, they couldn’t help but stare at each other quietly.

“Do you prefer to be called Adeline or Addie?” Hunter asked out of the blue. She smiled at the question, but if it startled her, she hid it well.

“I prefer to be called whatever you are comfortable with,” she said honestly. “Most people call me Addie, but either one is fine. It’s not the name itself that would bother me, but the tone of voice behind it.”

“What is your middle name?”

“Graciela,” she answered, smiling at the surprised look on his face. “I know. Along with my first and last names, it’s a mouthful. What’s yours?”

“Preston,” he said. “It was my grandfather’s first name.”

“I like it,” she admitted quietly. Another long silence ensued as they struggled to come up with something else to say.

“I—” Hunter looked stricken with the deafening silence. “May I kiss you goodnight, Adeline?”

He watched as her face flushed a pretty shade of pink.

“Of course,” she told him.

He dropped a sweet kiss on her mouth. His lips felt soft and warm against hers, and she felt a gentle flutter in her stomach as his mouth moved slowly against hers. Hunter ended the kiss far too soon for her taste, but she understood. No doubt her own father had read him the riot act about not hurting his only child and would probably not want her to be marked and mated the first day. 

“Thank you, Adeline,” he said, his forehead pressed against hers and breathing a little heavier. He gently placed one of his arms around her waist, pulling her snug up against his hard chest. The other he snaked under Addie’s pillow and around her back. He pulled her in close to him and breathed in her honeysuckle scent.

“Goodnight, Hunter,” she said, her voice muffled against his hard chest.

“Goodnight, my future Luna,” Hunter whispered into her fragrant hair as they both closed their eyes to let sleep pull them under.

Chapter 2 

Bright sunlight streamed in through the slits of the vertical blinds in Adeline’s room. Popping open a single eyelid, Hunter watched as his mate continued to sleep, oblivious to the bright light peeking in through the windows.

Gently cupping one of her cheeks with his hand, he felt her lean into it subconsciously, and he smiled at her reaction to his touch. She snuggled further into his chest, effectively severing the connection with his hand. Pressing a light kiss to her forehead, he pulled her body firm against his once more.

He groaned as one of her legs became entangled in his, causing her thigh to brush up against the throbbing erection he had woken up with. He would need a cold shower if she kept moving in her sleep this way.

Looking over at the alarm clock that was placed on her bedside table, he saw that it was just after 9:00 AM. He decided to wake up his little mate with several sweet kisses to her lips.

Normally, Adeline was an early riser, but she had been out late the previous night, and the suddenness of finding her mate while patrolling the borders had her mind reeling.

As she lay in that strange state between wakefulness and sleep, she shifted her leg and heard a low groan. Moments later, light kisses were being peppered on her lips. Her eyes fluttered open, and a soft smile lit up her face.

“Good morning,” she said lazily to her mate, who was looking down on her in utter adoration.

“Morning, love.” He dropped another kiss to her lips.

“If I could wake up this way every day, I would take hundreds of naps a year,” she remarked as she stretched her arms a bit. Miraculously, she hadn’t shifted much in the night, though her legs had somehow become entwined between his. Moving her leg out from between them, her thigh brushed once again against his erection, and he fought with stifling his groan.

As she felt him stiffen even further, she spoke out loud. “Do you need some help with that?” she asked boldly. Hunter blinked several times, not understanding her at first.

“Uh—what?” He could not quite believe what he was hearing.

She palmed his d**k gently through his boxers, the tip of it poking out the top band like a phallic jack in the box.

“This.” She gripped him through the thin material that he was threatening to rip through with his turgid shaft. Her hand crept through the open flap of the boxers, and she traced a single finger down his velvety length.

She was impressed. If she had to guess, he was at least 9 and a half inches long with a girth of about three inches wide. She said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t split her in two when they finally mated.

“Oh, f**k,” Hunter hissed out as she teased his entire length with one soft finger. “Baby, if you keep doing that, I don’t think the coldest shower in the world will help me get it down.”

Adeline surprised even herself when she dipped her whole hand into the waistband of his boxers and curled her fingers around him. She couldn’t get them all the way—not by a long shot—but she twisted his shaft as she stroked him slowly, working up and down his full length as he groaned softly in her ear.

“Baby, God damn that feels good,” he grumbled out at her, and she felt herself moisten between her legs.

Adeline could feel the warm drop of precum as it beaded at his tip, and she placed her thumb to it, swirling it over the bulbous head as his hips started to move of their own accord.

He jerked his pelvis, increasing the heavenly friction against his ever-hardening shaft, making him come closer to spilling onto her hand. Cursing quietly, Hunter felt as Adeline started to stroke him faster, and he could feel his testicles becoming tighter against the base of his c**k as she pumped up and down his length with more conviction.

“Fuck... That’s it, baby. s**t, you’re gonna make me come.” His breath came out in short, panting gasps.

Moving her hands even faster over him, Addie watched as Hunter came apart at the seams, his hips jerking as he painted his stomach with his own fluids.

Leaning down over him, she placed a quick, chaste kiss on his lips before quickly hopping out of bed.

“Adeline?” he asked, surprised at her hasty retreat as he turned over to look at her.

She twisted her body to meet his eyes with a mischievous grin. “I couldn’t have you going to meet with my father with an erection now, could I?” She didn’t wait for a response and simply sauntered her way into the bathroom to start her morning rituals.

“s**t,” Hunter muttered under his breath as his head dropped back onto the pillow and his eyes closed.

*~*~*

Corbin was watching the pack warriors train when he felt a large presence come up behind him.

“Sir?”

He turned and saw, not to his surprise, that it was his daughter’s mate. He was dressed in some of the Alpha’s old clothes. They were a fair fit, and just a bit snug in the chest.

“Good morning, Hunter. How was your sleep?” He kept the curiosity in his voice to a minimum. He knew that his daughter and he had slept in the same bed, but was anxious to gauge his reaction. It would be telling if they had done anything he’d asked them not to.

“It was fine, sir. Honestly the best sleep I’ve had in ages,” he replied with a genuine smile. Corbin watched him and nodded after a moment. If he and his daughter had done anything, it wasn’t much. Or he sincerely hoped it wasn’t.

“Did you have breakfast yet?” he asked the man.

“Not yet,” Hunter admitted. “I was wondering if we could speak first.”

Corbin looked back at the boy. Though he was no boy at all but a man, any wolf nearly half Corbin’s age would always be considered a youngster in his mind.

“Sure. Let’s head to the Alpha’s office,” he suggested. “It’s unoccupied at the moment as the Alpha had to run into town. His daughter-in-mating is expecting and she had a craving for ice cream for breakfast.”

“My apologies if I speak out of turn, but shouldn’t that be the son’s responsibility, sir? I know if my mate was expecting, I would be the one heading to Baskin Robbins or Dairy Queen for her.”

“Yes, well his son is in charge of pack warrior training today, so the Alpha decided he would go in his stead.” Though Corbin was happy to hear that his daughter’s mate would take responsibility for her weird cravings if she were to become pregnant with his pup, it put him off a bit that they were talking about children so soon. It would be just one more thing to add to his long list of questions to ask him when they got back to the office.

“I see,” Hunter said with a thoughtful expression on his face. “That was kind of him.”

“Come on, my boy.” Corbin spoke. “Let’s have our chat and then eat breakfast before the rest of these miscreants demolish the kitchen. Pack of savages.”

Hunter followed his soon-to-be father-in-law into the house and had to duck his head to make sure not to brush the top of it against the low-hanging ceiling fan placed in the middle of the room. He followed him as he walked through to the study near the rear of the house.

Sitting behind the Alpha’s desk, Corbin rested his elbows on it, steepling his fingers together. “How many children would you like, Hunter?” Corbett was never one to mince words.

“As many as my Luna would grant me,” Hunter immediately responded.

“A very noble answer, son, but not what I asked.” He gave the younger man a small, reassuring smile.

“Sir?” Hunter looked confounded.

“If it were up to you, how many children would you have?” Corbin asked in a slightly different way to make the question more than obvious.

Hunter settled back in the chair across from Adeline’s father. “I supposed I would have to discuss that with my mate, but if it were solely up to me, I would like 3 or 4 pups,” he said honestly. “I have 2 siblings and a large, extended family. I would love to build on that.”

“Are any of your siblings mated?” Corbin asked.

“Not yet, sir.” Hunter wondered when he would get to speak, but wasn’t rude enough to stop the flow of the conversation. “Tristan is in college right now, heading back to Vassar soon, and Penny is in her first year at FSU. They’re both on summer vacation right now.”

“Florida? Too hot for my tastes. Makes a wolf with a thick, shaggy coat like mine uncomfortable,” Corbin stated. He had gone to Florida once on vacation many years ago and hated nearly every moment. It felt like he was swimming in the humidity, and his wolf became restless from misuse.

“Penny often complains of that, sir,” Hunter admitted with a lopsided grin.

“Where did you attend college?”

“I stayed in-state. UCLA to be precise, though I was living in Oregon most of the time I was a student,” Hunter explained.

Corbin thought for a minute. He didn’t know how to broach many subjects with the boy. Adeline had never really dated, preferring to wait for her mate. He had no experience with boyfriends. In fact, the only man Adeline paid much attention to was her best friend in the pack, a gay man by the name of Clark Brogan.

Corbin thought he’d had it easy up to this point. For the past 21 years of his life, he’d never had to have “the talk” with his daughter about being safe with boys. Now he would have to make up for a lifetime of ease with a particularly difficult set of questions. Or, at least, difficult for him. He was never one for much conversation.

“I suppose that you want to take my daughter back with you to your pack.” It was a statement, not a question, though Hunter treated it like one.

“Yes, sir. I would need my Luna to be by my side,” he told him honestly. “I know she is your daughter, but my wolf and I would not be able to function well in our duties as Alpha if she was absent.”

“I understand, son,” he told the young man. “I was the same way when I met Addie’s mother. Even worse when the twins were born.”

“Twins?” Hunter looked confused. Addie had never mentioned having a sister.

“Addie was a twin. Identical in fact,” Corbin explained. “I know you haven’t known her for more than a few hours, so she probably has not had time to mention it. Her twin died shortly after their 17th birthday. Her name was Braelynn. They were quite close.”

“I can imagine, sir,” Hunter commented, a bit stunned. “Addie hasn’t mentioned her as of yet to me, so I will not broach the subject until she feels comfortable enough to open up.”

Corbin watched Hunter carefully in all his answers. He seemed to be perfectly honest in them, and he felt satisfied with the boy’s sincerity.

“I like you, son.” Corbin’s voice was stern, though his words were not. “I give you my blessing and hope you can make her as happy as her mother made me in the few short years we had together as mates. But if I so much as hear a whisper of anything untoward from you against her, I will make sure you suffer tenfold for the hurt you caused her.”

“I would never hurt your daughter, sir,” Hunter vowed with a solemn expression. “I would rather cut out my tongue than say a harsh word against her or tear my arm from its socket before I would dare lay a hand on her in anything but a loving manner.”

“That’s good to hear, Hunter.” Corbin’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Though I could have done without the visuals you just gave me.”

Hunter smiled at him and felt that they had come to an understanding of sorts.

After a few more rounds of questions on Corbin’s part, they left the study. It was an hour later when they made their way to the kitchen, both of their stomachs protesting loudly at the empty voids in them.

They found Adeline talking to another young gentleman. She was chatting with him animatedly in between bites of a sausage, egg, and biscuit sandwich.

Corbin smirked a little as a growl emitted from low in Hunter’s throat. He knew the boy wouldn’t take kindly to another unmated male so close to his female. If the man only knew what Corbin did, he probably would have blushed crimson.

The conversation stopped as soon as the possessive growl slipped past Hunter’s lips. Adeline looked up in surprise, her face mirrored by the young man sitting next to her.

“Hunter, this is Clark—my best friend,” she said, walking quickly up to her mate. He was standing rigid, staring at the other man with a scowl on his face. Adeline lowered her voice. “He’s also gay, so unless you want him to get the wrong idea, I would quit staring at him like that.”

Hunter’s eyebrows shot up, and Corbin stifled a laugh at the situation. At least he knew his daughter would be protected by this possessive Alpha-to-be.

“Pleased to meetcha,” Clark greeted amiably as he stood up from his chair. “Addie told me all about you being her mate and as she doesn’t have the proper equipment to catch my eye, you can rest assured I won’t be taking her from you at any point in the near future. You, however, are delish and can warm my bed any time.”

Adeline laughed as Clark wiggled his eyebrows and Hunter’s anger-reddened skin darkened even further at the come-on.

Hunter was a bit flustered at the turn of events. He apologized, and Addie sat him down in the seat next to her before going to grab the food she had prepared for her father and mate.

They were making small talk and had almost finished their meal when Corbin locked into place. A hazy look passed over his eyes and his face became slack. Addie looked over at him immediately in alarm. The look on her father’s face went from one of curiosity to anger.

“Hunter! Clark!” Corbin barked the orders. “Get Addie upstairs. Patrol has captured a rogue, and I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter.”

After all, his other daughter had died at the hands of a rogue. He would be damned if his remaining child would lose her life to one as well.

*~*~*

Addie had been hidden away in her bedroom with Clark and Hunter for a couple of hours before she heard any word from her father.

Hunter was hyperalert as he kept watch. He went from the door to her windows with a panicked frequency. Since he wasn’t part of the pack, he felt out of the loop since he had no mindlink with the others. In all honesty, he didn’t believe Addie at first when she said it was okay to leave the confines of her room.

Sweetheart, it’s safe to come out now, her father mindlinked with her.

Hunter had come over once he saw the glazed look in her eyes. Breathing out a long, cathartic breath when he saw she was relaxed, he asked her about it.

“Who was it? What did they say?” Hunter asked urgently.

“It was my father. He said it was safe to come out now,” she told him. She watched as his face went from mistrustful to complacent when he saw no tells of a lie on her face. “I wouldn’t lie, you know. I have no reason to.”

“I know,” he told her, walking toward the door. He looked out into the hallway as if to see if any looters or armed men were around and then opened it fully. With a sigh, Addie followed her mate out of the room and down the stairs. It was nearing lunchtime, and her stomach was begging to be fed.

Taking out some of the leftovers from dinner the previous night, she placed a good portion of the spaghetti onto a plate and popped it into the microwave. Without thinking, she heated it up and placed the plate—along with grated cheese, a fork, and a spoon—in front of Hunter. She repeated the same thing for Clark and set about making herself a plate as well. Adeline was nothing if not hospitable.

Forking the noodles onto the spoon, she twirled it before placing the bite in her mouth. Her tummy grumbled appreciatively, and the three ate in relative silence before hearing the back door open and then shut in the quiet of the house.

“Addie?” It was her father’s voice. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how worried she had been for him. With her mother taken down by hunters and her twin sister killed by rogues, she was always terrified of losing her father as well.

“Daddy?” she called out. There was something in the tone of his voice that set her nerves on edge. She quickly moved from the kitchen to the back porch where her father was standing still, knees bent slightly and his face a puzzle.

“What’s wrong? Did the rogue get away? Is everyone alright?” Adeline walked up to her father and shook his arm to gain his attention.

“What? No, everything is fine. Just...complications,” he muttered to her dismissively. He seemed to have completely unravelled mentally, and his face looked chaotic. She hadn’t seen him in such a state since her sister’s life had been taken.

“What sort of complications? Where is the rogue?” Addie looked worried, and there was a faint growling noise emanating from the kitchen. No doubt Hunter could detect her words with his superior hearing, and she was sure he could sense the tension in her voice.

“He’s in the cells. The complications—well, the wolf says he can sense his mate in our pack,” he told her.

“But he’s a rogue!” Adeline was shocked. Most rogues had either lost their mate or were kicked out of their pack for crimes that would get most humans sent to prison. Only a few would willingly leave their pack.

“The man doesn’t smell like a rogue. His story is interesting, if it can be believed at all,” Corbin told her.

“I would very much like to meet this rogue who apparently isn’t a rogue and find out why he thinks his mate might be here,” Addie bit out. She had a wicked sense of being able to tell when a person was lying to her. She could pick up on their tells almost faster than the lie slipped out of their mouth.

“No. He is being interrogated at the moment by the Alpha,” her father told her.

Addie looked down at what she was wearing. It was nothing special, but certainly good enough to interrogate a prisoner. “Is he in silver?”

“Well, yes.” Her father was understandably hesitant.

“Then I will be fine,” she replied stoutly. Looking at her father, whose eyes seemed panicked, she added, “Hunter can come with me to see the man if you are concerned for my safety.” She smiled a bit. “Think of it as a test.”

Hunter was already behind her, crowding her space as if the rogue was already right in front of them instead of in the cells. Her father begrudgingly nodded before piercing Hunter with a look, though it was more of a threat to keep his daughter safe.

Adeline walked out of the back door, allowing Hunter to follow close behind her. He kept his pace next to her as her smaller legs walked swiftly towards the underground bunker that the pack called The Cells.

Pulling up the metal doors that were fit snugly into the ground, she walked down a steep flight of steps and into a dank and dim hallway with her mate looming close behind her.

At least the place used to smell dank and almost moldy. There was a faint smell of sandalwood and mint present, and she wondered if the place had recently been cleaned or maybe someone had burnt incense to take away the unpleasant stench of damp soil.

As Addie walked down the hallway, the smells became more pronounced, and she wondered if they were burning incense right at this moment. Whatever it was, the scent was heavenly, and she had the absurd urge to ask the guards for her own supply of the fragrance, though she was not normally one to burn any incense of any kind at all.

The long hallway eventually opened up to a long room filled with jail cells. Though the bars were made of iron, most of them came equipped with silver chains attached to silver cuffs to keep the prisoners subdued.

She heard sounds coming from the back of the corridor and saw that Alpha James was standing in front of a cell watching the one prisoner she had come to visit. She felt her wolf become restless again, but ignored her and cut the link between them. She couldn’t afford to be distracted at a time like this.

Walking up to the Alpha, she ignored the prisoner and, like a good subordinate, greeted James with a bow of the head.

“Alpha.” Adeline spoke with reverence to the man who was like a second father to her. “I have come to help interrogate the prisoner. With my father’s permission, of course,” she added at the end.

James nodded at her, trusting her instincts implicitly. He knew of her special skill and trusted her as much as his own children and Beta.

Adeline looked towards the darkened cell. She could see the outline of a well-defined body clad only in dark athletic shorts. She focused her eyes so she could see him more clearly, and was astonished at the sudden howl she heard in her head.

Shaking her head to clear it, she spoke. “What is your name, rogue?”

“Cameron Jones,” he spoke, looking up at her with a soft glint in his eye. “My little mate.”

*~*~*

Before she could utter another word, Addie blinked rapidly at the man in the cell before turning on her heel and heading down the hall. She hurriedly rushed back out into the fresh air and didn’t even hear when Hunter called her name. Her wolf fought every step she took away from the two men who claimed her as their mate.

She didn’t know how she made it as far as she did, but she came upon a small cottage near the tree line, and before she could hesitate, knocked on the wooden door to the small home.

The door opened after thirty seconds, and a kindly-looking elderly woman ushered the Beta’s daughter into her small parlor at the front of the cottage. It was the room where this woman did most of her work in.

Not all packs were so lucky as to have a true-blue shaman as part of their fleet, but Willow Pack was fortunate to have had the wherewithal to procure her services on a permanent basis.

“What can I do for you, my child?” the woman asked her with a toothy grin. Her age could have been anything from 60 to 100, and her leathery skin had a sheen to it that made Adeline think of the skin of a ripe, red apple.

“Shaman Riki,” she spoke, her voice wobbly from fear and confusion. “I have a...a situation I need your advice with.”

“If it is about your mates, I already know,” she told the girl.

“You—how?” she asked.

“I foresaw it,” she advised. There was a brief pause while Adeline tried to come up with words.

“Why—”

“—didn’t I tell you?” Riki guessed accurately. “It would have been remiss of me to mention it. First, you probably wouldn’t have believed me, and second, it is not for us to tempt fate. If you were to have known about this ahead of time, you may have done things differently, and I personally know what a mistake that would have been to allow that to happen. The things you have done and have seen in the last twenty-four hours were meant to be—without my helping it along.”

“But no one has two mates, Shaman,” she told the old woman. “I have never heard of the like. How can this be? Two halves cannot be split into three. I cannot divide my heart.”

“I suggest you ask that second mate of yours,” was Riki’s reply. “His past may show you why you have received the gift of having two mates.”

Addie bristled a bit at the word gift. It would be a hard enough task to be attentive enough to her Alpha male, but the rogue one? It would be unthinkably difficult to split herself between the two.

“What do I do?” she asked, more to herself than to the Shaman.

“The only way to break a mate bond is to sever it completely,” Riki told her sternly.

“But how?” she asked.

“Death, of course, my child.”

Addie immediately shook her head. She couldn’t do that. To kill her mate would be akin to killing a bit of herself, a bit of her heart, and she would never allow that to happen.

“Is there no other way?” she asked timidly.

“Speak to the boy—that’s all I ask. His story, I fear, is a sad one, and once you are aware of it you may feel you understand why this has happened.”

Adeline wondered how she would tell Hunter, her other mate, about this. Faintly, she thought she heard his voice.

“Addie! Adeline!” It was indeed Hunter’s voice that she had heard. It was coming from outside, but Adeline felt she couldn’t bear to speak with him about what Riki had told her just yet. She resolved to speak with her father and the other man first. She didn’t need Hunter going all overprotective Alpha on her about the other male. She didn’t know Hunter well enough to know that he wouldn’t harm Cameron out of sheer jealousy. Wolves—particularly Alphas—were known to protect their loved ones to the very death.

Adeline slipped out the back door of the cottage with Riki’s help. She walked along the edge of the trees before making her way towards the cells where Cameron was shackled in silver manacles.

Walking slowly down the corridor towards the cells, she looked down at her feet. She smelled that the Alpha was still there, along with her father.

“Adeline?” her father called to her softly and she brought her face up to his. He was looking at her with trepidation, as if the next words would sting. “This rogue claims to be your mate. Only you can tell us the truth. Is he speaking falsehoods, or were you given two mates?”

Addie looked at her father, unsure of what to say. Instead of answering, she made a request. “Unshackle him,” she ordered the guard. The man immediately stilled at the odd request and looked to his Alpha.

“But—” her father started.

“He will not harm me. And yes, he speaks the truth,” she said with a slight quaver to her voice. God, this was awkward.

Out of her periphery, Adeline saw the Alpha give a slight nod to the guard. He opened the door to the cell and walked to the dim corner where Cameron was strung up. As soon as the shackles came loose, his hands went to his wrists, which were red and raw.

Adeline, upon seeing the state of the skin immediately walked into the cell and up to her mate, looking down at them and cupping the back of his hands with hers.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, looking up into his face. She watched his eyes lock onto hers as she took in his appearance. He had shaggy, dark brown hair and piercing green eyes the color of clover. The fragrance of sandalwood with a touch of mint nearly made her knees weak. The scent was muskier than Hunter’s, and she realized with dread that another person had come into the room.

“Adeline?” Hunter’s voice was soft and inquisitive as he took in the scene before him. His mate was so close to the man who said she was his, and he immediately held back a snarl.

“It’s okay, Hunter. He is not a rogue and will not harm me lest in the end he harms himself.” She was as sure of this as she was sure of anything. Not a bit of malice was written on his face, and she knew for certain then that she was his, though she knew she was Hunter’s as well.

“I’m fine, dearest,” she heard Cameron murmur. “If that was the worst pain that I would have to endure before meeting you, I would gladly go through it again and again.”

A faint growl was heard as Hunter couldn’t keep his beast at bay any longer.

“Enough!” Alpha James boomed in his dominating Alpha tone. “It is obvious that there is some explanation to be had here, and I would like it if we could do that elsewhere. This place stinks.”

“If you don’t mind, Alpha, I would like to have a word with my mates in private first,” Adeline requested of him politely. “I have a feeling there is more to this story than an error on the part of mother nature or the Moon Goddess—whichever you prefer.”

“It is your choice, Adeline,” he expressed in a softer tone. “I will leave you to speak alone with your mates in my study. I will head back to the training grounds to observe.”

The Alpha looked over at his Beta with a stern look. “Come, Corbin. We should let them talk this out. Perhaps there was an error in this situation, but it is no business of ours to interfere with it. If your daughter says he is safe, then he is.”

Grabbing hold of Cameron’s hand, she walked towards Hunter with a somewhat mystified look on her face. She had no idea of even where to begin the discussion, but heading towards the study seemed the only rational thing to do at the moment.

“Come on, Hunter. We need to talk about whatever...whatever this is,” she stated as she grabbed his hand as well.

They vacated the damp confines of the underground chamber, leaving the place silent except for the occasional drip of moisture onto the ground.

*~*~*

Adeline sat behind the Alpha’s desk where she could look at her two mates. Hunter was looking disgruntled and a bit hostile towards Cameron. It was apparent that he didn’t believe that he would have to share his Luna with anyone, much less another man. Or perhaps he did believe it and the thought angered him.

Cameron was looking docile though, if not a bit confused. He also was unsure of the entire state of affairs as he had not been wholly sure he had understood the situation.

“Cameron, I met Hunter here last night in the woods on the northern border of this pack’s land. I knew at once that he was my mate.” Cameron looked at her with befuddlement and hurt, and Addie fought back a tear at her mate’s sudden, pained expression.

“But—you are my mate, dear one,” he responded. It was clear that he was wondering if he was being rejected.

“I know,” she told him. “That’s why this is a baffling situation. I’ve never heard of someone having two mates before. I am as bewildered as the both of you, I swear it.” She was sincere, and both of the men knew it. They could see it in her eyes, and the feeling rolled steadily through the weak bond they shared with her.

“I will not share my Luna with another,” Hunter nearly growled out. There was a moment of silence at his statement before anyone spoke.

“I’m not sure if we have a choice in the matter at this point,” Addie sighed. “When I left the cells, I went to our pack shaman, and she told me that the only way to completely sever the bond would be by death. I won’t let that happen, no matter how much you may hate me for it. Losing either of you would be like losing a part of myself.”

“What else did this shaman say?” Cameron queried after a moment, genuinely curious. He had never met one, but knew that they made potions and some could even see the future in the stars and moon.

“She said that your past may have been what caused this strange situation we find ourselves in,” Addie told him. Her eyes flickered to Hunter’s, and she recognized the caution there.

“She also mentioned it was one of hardship. Can you explain it to us? We may be able to understand then why this has happened. The shaman implied as much.”

Cameron sat back in his chair and took a deep, steadying breath. He wondered where to begin. It was true what the shaman said, and he wondered mildly if he could meet the woman. She seemed gifted.

“My full name is Cameron Emilio Jones and I’m 23 years old. I will be 24 in a few months’ time. I lived and grew up in Canada and have been away at school trying to get a medical degree since I was 18. I had decided that if I hit my 23rd birthday and hadn’t found my mate, that I would mark another. You know the Canadian wolves don’t always abide by the North American elders’ laws and attend The Claiming. The person I chose—both she and I—had dated briefly when we were younger and she too had not found her mate. She was already 24. Her name was Sharla, and she was the Beta’s daughter. We discussed our decision with her father, and he was okay with it.”

“Did…did you mark her?” Addie asked. Hunter gave her a quick look, but her face was impassive. She had tried quite hard to make it that way.

“No—I never had a chance to,” Cameron told her. “Her brother was against the coupling, and he tried to kill me. He succeeded, actually. I flatlined for five minutes before the doctor was able to bring me back.”

“How did he succeed in almost killing you?” Hunter asked quietly. Even though he was not fond of this arrangement, he was truly intrigued in regard to the man’s story. It was difficult to kill a sentient wolf.

“I make healthy smoothies every evening for the next day. Sharla’s brother had taken it from the packhouse fridge and put hemlock root in it. Ground it up so fine that I wouldn’t be able to tell. Not that I could anyway—the smoothies don’t taste all that great,” he explained with a sour face. “I suffered from a rapid heartbeat, convulsions, a burning sensation in my digestive tract, and other unsavory conditions. If I hadn’t been a Were, I would have most definitely died from it. At one point, I went into a coma and suffered from renal failure. The doc was able to save me, though, and I was kept in the hospital for weeks after the attempt. Once I got well enough, I left the pack in the dead of night. I didn’t know if he would try to kill me again. I didn’t feel safe with the likes of him around.”

“What happened after you left?” Addie asked.

Cameron hunched forward in his seat. He wasn’t comfortable talking about all the things that occurred between the time he left Bounty Pack and when he had come to his mate’s land. He felt that she may reject him if she knew. But he also knew, in turn, that she may reject him as well if he lied and she found out later that he had kept silent. A lie by omission. Honesty was truly the best policy in this instance, as it was for many.

“I headed south, away from my home,” he told them both. “I slipped past the Canadian border in Washington and ran into a group of rogues being led by a sadistic individual by the name of Gabriel. He had some sort of twisted vendetta against the Alpha family of a pack situated there. And he wanted their Luna. You may have heard the story. It’s practically a legend even though only a short time has passed.”

“I heard of such a war with an Alpha in order to claim the Alpha’s mate,” Hunter spoke in a gruff voice. “There was an alliance and the invading pack was taken down.”

“That is true,” Cameron agreed, nodding slowly. “I was there. Forced to be there, actually. Gabriel threatened the lives of all the women of the pack that he was pursuing if I didn’t help him. I believed him. I knew he only wanted the Luna and wouldn’t care if the other women were killed, though he’d promised the rogues their pick of she-wolves and a place in his pack if they allied with him.”

Addie blinked and sat back in her chair. She had been slowly creeping toward the edge of her seat while listening. It seemed like a story she would have read in a book, not something that could actually happen less than a thousand miles away from her.

Hunter looked outraged. He couldn’t believe that anyone would ally themselves with a group of wolves and a sadistic pack of blood-lusty wolves. Cameron noticed the stark disdain in the man’s eyes, and his own shone with a glassiness that he had been fighting to hold back. He was not proud of himself, though he did very little in the actual fight. He had surrendered almost immediately once Gabriel’s back was turned.

“When the fighting began, I immediately yielded to the Beta of the pack we were fighting, knowing that I could never harm the wolves there. They had done nothing wrong. They were fighting for their livelihood and their Luna. I couldn’t go against them. Plus, I knew that Gabriel would have to take down their Alpha and would be away from the majority of the fighting so that he could try and kill the man.

“The Beta put me in silver and took me to their cells until they could speak with their Alpha. Eventually, Gabriel died, though he did kill the original Alpha of the pack. Diamond…something, I think the pack was called. A new Alpha, who had been the Luna’s true mate, was given the position before the old one passed. I spoke with the new Beta and Alpha, and they let me go free after I helped a bit around their pack clinic. Since I was training to be a pack doctor before I left Bounty, I had some skills in helping with the wounded. Their new Alpha—he is a good man.”

There was a long pause in his speech while Cameron wondered if there was anything else he needed to add. Hunter was curious as well if the man was leaving anything out, but Addie had the most mystifying question of all.

“How did you know where to find me?” She looked so innocent when she asked that, it made Cameron’s heart twinge in his chest.

“I—I don’t really know,” he said. “In all honesty, once my wolf and I were well enough to leave the hospital after the murder attempt, I just knew I had to head south. My wolf insisted on that direction, and I let him lead me until I was blindsided by that rogue Alpha and his crew of savages.”

They all sat back and thought of what it all could mean. Poisoning in an attempt to kill a man because of a chosen mate. His flatlining followed by his wolf knowing instinctively where to find his mate. It was a puzzle. One that maybe a shaman could help with?

“I would like to meet this shaman of yours,” Cameron said, almost latching onto their trains of thought. “Maybe she could shed some light as to what this all means.”

“Okay,” Adeline agreed. “But first, I think we should talk about what this means for the three of us. Hunter? How do you honestly feel about all of this?”

He sat back and stared at the woman who already owned him, body and soul. He cared deeply for her already but didn’t know what to think about this turn of events. He wanted to be honest, but he didn’t want to hurt her either.

“I’m shocked and appalled, honestly,” Hunter drawled out slowly. “I don’t want to share my mate and Luna with anyone else. No Alpha or wolf in general would want to. On the other hand, I know how much it would hurt you if you were to reject him, or he, you. If I knew more about this, it’s possible that I might feel better. But I just don’t know. I’m...conflicted.”

“I can understand your feelings, Hunter.” Cameron was nodding as he spoke. “I would not want to share my mate as well, but knowing that after everything I went through to find the other half of my soul, her rejection... I think it may kill me if I was to bear that burden as well.”

Adeline sat and watched as the two men confessed their feelings about the situation. This was beyond the pale. She realized as soon as her vision turned blurry that she was silently weeping. Tears trailed down her face silently before Adeline let out a quavering sigh that made her breathing catch in her chest.

Both her mates whipped their heads around to her when they heard the soft, choked sound. Standing up, they went around their respective sides of the desk to comfort her. A short look passed between the two. They both didn’t like the other all that much and didn’t want to share their mate with the other man, but they also understood something else. Their feelings at this point didn’t matter to them. Comforting their mate had to come first right now.

“Hush, love.” Hunter cupped the right side of her face as Cameron nuzzled her neck with his nose, taking in her scent while comforting her with his touch.

“We will figure this out in time,” Cameron assured her as he pressed against her skin.

The three sat there like that for a few moments, letting their scents comfort each other and their wolves. The two men then decided that they should speak with the shaman, and Adeline agreed but wanted to first talk with her father to tell him the facts of the situation. Maybe he had an idea of what this all portended. Plus, she wanted to keep him abreast of the situation in general.

As awkward as it was, she found her father outside with the Alpha, watching the enforcers train under the eye of the Alpha’s son, Edward. Once she had reached the two of them, she decided it would be best to speak to them both, and they all wandered off to a secluded part of the grounds that only held a few herb gardens.

“When I left the cells the first time, I went to see Shaman Riki,” she told them. They didn’t look at all surprised. It was what either one of them would have done in that situation had they thought of it at the time. She told me that she already knew about my dual mates and that the truth probably lay within Cameron’s past. He told us of his travels and how he came to be here. It was fascinating, to be honest.”

James and Corbin were intrigued. Keeping silent, they let Adeline have her say. After she was done reiterating what Cameron had told her in the study, they stood there silently, thinking.

“Was he telling the truth?” Alpha James asked. “You would know better than anyone, Addie.”

“He’s telling the truth, of that I am certain.” Adeline looked convinced. She wouldn’t let her feelings for her mates cloud her judgment. She couldn’t afford to at this stage in their relationship and before anything went further.

“Are you going to speak with Riki now?” Corbin asked his daughter.

“I think it would be wise if the three of us went to her cottage and spoke with her, so—yes,” she told her father.

“I think once she hears the specifics of his past, she will have some notion as to how this whole situation came to be.” Alpha James had spoken, and both Corbin and his daughter bowed their heads to his will, though they would probably have gone anyway even if the Alpha hadn’t given the suggestion so forcefully. And if he was being honest with himself, James wanted to know what Riki had to say about this whole thing as well.

Chapter 3 

Shaman Riki’s house had never been so crowded. The old woman smiled at Adeline as she came in. The girl was a pure soul, and it lightened Riki’s heart to know that she would be so well protected by not one, but two strong males.

The two men followed Adeline into the little cottage followed by the Alpha and Beta. Riki showed them into the parlor and gestured for them all to take a seat.

Addie sat between her mates on an overstuffed sofa. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, and both large men seemed to crowd her space. Not that she minded. She loved being close to both of them, a feeling that alternately made her slightly hesitant to touch either one. It would be awkward to show affection for both men while her father was there. It felt taboo.

And the guilt. She felt guilty somehow. She couldn’t reconcile the strange emotion. There honestly was no real reason for it, and yet she was thrown off-kilter by the tightness that caused her chest to ache because of it.

The Alpha stood in the corner of the room to observe, whereas Corbin felt an overwhelming need to pace back and forth in the small room. James watched him for a while before cutting him with a look. His nervous energy was irritating the Alpha, and Corbin decided to sit at the edge of the sofa nearest to Hunter.

Riki quietly sat in the other overstuffed chair, grunting quietly as she sat back in the seat. No one had spoken a word as of yet.

“Shaman Riki, we are here to see if you can help us get some answers in regards to this unusual turn of events,” Alpha James stated. She nodded respectfully to the Alpha and turned towards the younger wolves.

“Tell me your story, dear boy.” Riki spoke to Cameron. “I will try and help you if I can.”

Cameron repeated his tale. The room remained quiet with only the occasional slight movement. They all treated it as if it was the first telling of the story.

Corbin in particular seemed to be mesmerized by the man’s words. The boy didn’t seem to have a sadistic or mean bone in his body, yet someone had tried to kill him. He could only imagine what the other man was like—the one that coerced him into playing a part in his would-be hostile takeover. He had to admit that he was glad that he was able to get away, though he was not thrilled with hearing about his time as a rogue under Gabriel’s command. He had heard of the Blood Moon pack, and they were a savage, ruthless group of wolves.

Or had been, to hear him tell his story.

Riki hummed in response as she listened to Cam speak. When he was done repeating it, Adeline placed a gentle hand on his knee in support, and Cameron wound his fingers through hers. Hunter, not to be outdone, placed a meaty arm around Addie’s shoulders, but didn’t pull her away from Cam. He wasn’t all that petty, though he felt like being a downright child having his toy taken away at the moment.

“What do you think, Shaman?” Addie asked, her eyes alight with the hope that the woman would have a definitive answer for her.

Riki thought it over before speaking. She was usually a woman of few words, much like Corbin, so when she spoke, it garnered the utmost respect. The woman didn’t mince words, just like her father.

“I think, Cameron, that when you flatlined, as you say, the Moon Goddess gave Adeline a second chance mate in the Alpha here,” Riki said.

The room stilled. What she said actually made sense. The higher the rank, the more likely the possibility for a second chance mate to come along for that wolf. It gave them the opportunity to breed a stronger wolf when true mates of higher rank mated and bore pups.

“When your soul was brought back into your body, your wolf came with it as well. That is obvious, of course. You maintained the same bond with Adeline from before your near-death because of that. Had you lost your wolf after flatlining, you most assuredly would have died eventually, but since you were brought back to the land of the living, you and Hunter both share a bond with Adeline now. A bond that can only truly be broken by death.”

“So, Cameron was in fact my first mate and Hunter my second chance?” Adeline asked. She could feel the restlessness in Hunter at the fact that he was not originally supposed to be paired with Addie. It meant that he’d had a mate he hadn’t previously met—one that was most likely dead or claimed.

“You could think of it that way,” Riki said. “You could also think of it as what the Moon Goddess had intended from the very first. Nothing is by accident or chance, truly. Everything happens as it is meant to be.”

“There is no other way to break the bond?” Corbin asked quietly. Both Cameron and Hunter growled low in their throats at the question. It was a knee-jerk response on their parts, and Corbin looked at them both with a stern gaze.

“She could reject one or the other, though it might kill her—or yourselves—to do so,” Riki said. Rejection wasn’t something Adeline had thought about. It hadn’t crossed her mind honestly. Wolves waited for their mate until found, and then mated for life. Most wouldn’t think of rejection unless there was a serious flaw in their mate that they could not get over. Eventually, the heartbroken, rejected mate was just a shell of his or her former self. Would wither away and die in some cases. Some committed suicide due to the pain of the rejection.

Hunter had subconsciously gripped Adeline’s shoulders, and Cameron’s hand clung to hers as if she would disappear without the connection between them.

“What do we do?” Hunter asked, speaking for the first time since arriving. His grip was hurting Adeline’s shoulders slightly, but she said nothing.

“That is up to you, young ones.” Riki stood from her chair. “Though if it were me, I would consider myself fortunate to have two strong wolves to protect me. Some do not get any and have to attend The Claiming. Be thankful for what you have, for you know not when what is in the palm of your hand could be stripped from you without a moment’s notice.”

“Thank you, Riki,” Alpha James told her with a courteous nod. He may have been an Alpha, but he would honor the woman both as an elder of the pack and their shaman.

They all said their goodbyes, Adeline last. She surprised the older woman with a tight hug. Adeline thought she smelled of dried tea leaves and cinnamon, a not altogether unpleasant combination.

While Addie and her two mates walked back towards the house in contemplative silence, both James and Corbin decided to go back towards the field where training was still taking place. Adeline watched as the two men seemed to be in deep conversation. She could only imagine what they were talking about. Her, most likely, and what she would do with two possessive males. Addie internally groaned. She felt she was truly in for it.

Although she had plenty of sleep, she felt she needed a nap after consuming so much new information. She yawned a bit as she walked back toward the house that she shared with the Alpha family and her father. There were now two more people instead of just her, and she wondered if she could fit both of her large males in her bed. It would be a tight fit.

She walked towards the back door and saw that Edward, the Alpha’s son, was walking toward her. She’d had a tiny crush on him when she was younger, but now only saw him as a big brother—or younger one since he was a few months her junior. He was 20 years old as well, and his mate Gina was expecting their first pup. He had found his true mate in Gina when he had turned 19.

When Edward wasn’t training the enforcers, he was tending to his pregnant mate’s every whim. She had some seriously strange cravings, and this was only the first trimester. Along with ice cream for breakfast, she was fond of sandwiches made of ranch potato chips, capers, and banana. It was revolting to watch, and Adeline steered clear of the kitchen when she was feasting on her latest craze.

“Is it true that you have two mates?” Edward asked her, his coppery locks blowing gently in the breeze.

“I suppose word’s gotten around to everyone already, hasn’t it?” she asked him with a sigh. She could just see the looks on people’s faces. While having a second chance mate was uncommon enough, having two mates at the same time was truly something of an abnormality. It made Adeline feel like a walking sideshow.

“Damn straight they’ve heard,” Edward blurted out, shaking his head. “It’s unheard of. I mean, I’ve heard rumors of things like this happening before, but it’s like old wives’ tales. Just a pinch of truth to the stories.”

Addie looked back at her two mates, both of them looking furious that she was speaking with another male. She may as well introduce them so they could find their chill already.

“Edward, this is my mate Hunter Douglass, soon-to-be Alpha of the Lassen Pack north of here. My other mate is Cameron Jones, previously of a pack in Canada,” she explained to him. “Cam, Hunter—this is Edward Lasseter, the Alpha’s son. He also instructs the enforcers. You can meet Gina, his mate, later on today, hopefully.”

There were nods all around and soft mutterings between the men while Addie watched. It was particularly interesting to observe the two Alphas-to-be as they sized each other up. Her lip twitching, she held in a snicker.

Cameron seemed more at ease with Edward, but then again, he was also used to being around strange wolves.

Adeline had been trying to hold back her yawns as the men spoke, but one finally slipped out. The men all looked at her, and she turned towards the door.

“I’m going to take a nap,” she told no one in particular. “Edward, could you please show the men around a bit. I’m utterly wiped out.”

With that, she walked into the house and made quick work of the steps up to her bedroom. Stripping off her shorts, she snuggled under her covers. She was about to fall asleep when she heard the door open quietly.

Looking up from her pillow, she saw Cameron and Hunter come into the room, and she wondered what had happened to their tour of the grounds.

Slipping off their shoes, Adeline watched as they both took off their shirts and shorts and slipped under the covers with her, clad only in boxers.

“I thought—” she began.

“Hush, mate.” Hunter put his finger to her lips as Cameron climbed in on the other side of the bed. “We would rather have you show us around later after you’ve rested. We want to know all your favorite places, as well as the ones that everyone else knows.”

Before she could reply, two hard chests were pressed firmly up against her body from both sides. It was both strange and comforting to lie like that. She felt safe, guarded almost—as if she were a treasure that needed to be kept hidden away from the outside world.

Smiling gently to herself, she closed her eyes. Hunter pressed his forehead against hers, and Cam nuzzled his head into her hair, inhaling her scent. She felt both of their bodies relax against hers as the men snuggled into her. Hunter’s left hand pulled her right leg between his thighs and held it there. Cameron snaked an arm around her waist and planted a soft kiss on the back of her shoulder. Hunter planted a sweet kiss on her lips, and Cameron placed one on her neck.

Again, they seemed to be in competition with each other. Cameron licked a line up the back of Adeline’s neck, and she gasped suddenly, causing Hunter to nibble on her lip.

Those actions drew a soft moan from her lips, and it seemed to please the two men. Cameron’s lips attached to her neck and sucked hungrily at it, a deep growl vibrating in his chest. Hunter, in turn, thrust his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with hers as she let out a keening whimper at the dual sensations.

Feeling her n*****s harden, she arched her back, causing her chest to rub against Hunter’s own and her ass to push into Cameron’s hardening c**k. Both men groaned, and their hands started to move.

Hunter’s hand came up to her breast and gave it a firm squeeze while Cameron slid a rough, calloused palm lower on her abdomen just above her panty line, drawing slow circles on the skin there with his thumb.

The hand on her breast started to pinch a taut bud before rolling it between its fingers, and Addie’s mind became a soggy puddle of mush. Sliding his hand lower, Cameron cupped her s*x and started to grind his palm against the moist material.

The sound of a door slamming downstairs brought Adeline out of her lustful state long enough to remember that she was in bed with not one, but two men. Her face flushed crimson and she disconnected from the lips that were assaulting her own.

“I…I’m not ready to go any further right now,” she told them both softly.

Their hands stopped, and they took their former positions, though she could feel their heavy breaths against her skin and almost wanted to say f**k it to any doubts she had.

“Go to sleep then if you can.” It was Cameron that spoke, and his whisper-soft, warm breath caressed her skin, making it tingle.

“We’ll go at your pace, love,” Hunter told her. “Though you probably should wear something a little less provoking next time. Seeing you in only panties and a tank top has me wanting to mark and mate you.”

“I concur,” Cameron said in a husky voice.

Slowly, their breathing patterns took on a slower tempo, and Addie let the sound of their soft breathing lull her into a deep sleep.

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