Page 34 of Embraced By the Alpha Pack

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Neither of us was expecting to find the other one. And I understand why you weren’t comfortable having me around for your first heat.” He presses his lips to my temple and holds onto me tightly.

“I still feel bad. You’re getting dragged into the drama of me being hunted constantly and all the danger.” Resting my head on his shoulder, I press my forehead to his throat and take a piece of bacon to eat.

“Grace, I loved you the instant I saw you. There’s a lot to learning to be a wolf. Between all the senses, pack protocols and well the Luna gifts you are doing very well with.” He rests his head against mine and offers me another piece of bacon.

Taking the bacon, I think about what he said and nod my head slightly. “It’s a lot to adjust to.”

“It is.” His tone softens as he gives me a hug. “You’re handling it quite well.” He nuzzles my cheek and I can’t help sighing. He’s saying all the things I’ve needed to hear all this time.

“I feel like I’m constantly failing. One minute I feel like I have it all together, then the next minute … Boom unchecked Luna power and I feel like a different person taking control of everything.” Gently, I pull away to look him in his eyes. “I feel almost bipolar with the way I go from feeling like I need protection to ready to destroy the world.” My wolf bristles at my assessment and he laughs.

“I see that. She knows what she can do, and it’s like your human side is along for the ride.” He kisses my lips softly and smiles. “I’ve had my entire life to get to know my wolf. You’ve had yours less than a year. With as calm as you are, it’s impressive considering how you were turned.” I can see the sadness in his eyes. He knows I almost died.

“It wasn’t ideal, but it was done out of love.” I lay my head back against Nic’s shoulder and yawn, getting tired.

“I think it’s someones nap time.” Nic scoops me up and heads towards the den. There in the middle of the floor my daughter and his are sleeping as their pups. My other mates are all in the room, watching over them while they sleep.

My skin becomes itchy and I know my wolf wants to sleep with the pups. I let her come forth and we shift effortlessly. My paws hit the floor, and I carefully curl up around the pups. We feel safest like this. I can hear so much more with the help of my wolf. Sleep takes us quickly and I finally rest, knowing we are safe.

Chapter 20

Griffin

-Outlaws and Outsiders- Cory Marks

Grace walks in with Nic and I see the minute her mothering instincts kick in. She shifts fluidly and lays down, curling up around the girls. Deep down, I know it’s because she feels like she failed the puppies, and that’s why they were abducted. I signal to my brothers to keep an eye on Grace and the babies and I touch Nicolai’s shoulder to get him to follow me.

We head out into Grace’s garden and have a seat on the porch overlooking the yard. “Sorry to pull you away, but there are things you need to know.” Barrett comes out shortly after we’re settled and hands me the file I needed and two cold beers for us. Barrett smiles at us, then heads inside back to watch over Grace.

Flipping through the file, I hand Nicolai several pieces of recon my team has done about the potential threats in the pack. I also slip a map over to him where the first attack on Grace happened, where she almost died and this most recent attack on the babies. The two sites are close to each other and I believe it holds some significance. I also give him the pictures of Roxy and her ex, Hunter, so he knows who we are watching out for. The last thing I had him is the photos of how much damage Hunter had done to Grace and what the crime scene looked like.

A deep growl escapes his lips, and I watch the fur race up and down his arms. “He did this to her? I’ll kill him myself.” He stares down at the image and then glances up at me.

The back door opens and Ethan steps out with a six-pack in one hand and an open beer in the other. “Better get in line, Nic. I’ve got first dibs on that motherfucker.” Ethan looks damn near feral as he looks between Nic and me before chugging down his beer.

Nic nods and then leans back, deciding against challenging Ethan. “How’s Grace?” I know she’s fine. I feel it through the bond.

“Resting peacefully. Conrad and now Barrett are curled around her and the babies. Conrad has decided he’s best for home defense and us as the war machine.” Ethan shrugs his shoulders as if what he said was gospel.

Reaching through the bond, I talk to Conrad and I’ll be damned. He believes he’s better at home with Grace and the babies than leading the charge with us. “Well, with that settled, we should consider our options.” I hand Ethan other pieces of the intel and I watch him peruse the information.

“Everything appears to be close to the old mine system to the north over here just outside of the Cruz territory in no-man's-land between the two packs.” Nic draws attention to the five-mile sliver between the Cruz and Spinelli pack lands.

“That’s been part of my suspicion for a while now. The tail end of that slice of land runs between our two packs, which explains how they have been moving undetected.” Ethan says then raises an eyebrow at Nic. “Technically there is no need for borders anymore between our packs, now that Grace claimed you.” Ethan arches a brow at Nic and he grins back.

“I believe you are right. We need to have a joint pack meeting at the edge of the territories and join the packs. Wolf Creek runs through the middle as a natural divider for the pack lands, so why not name the combined back Wolf Creek Pack? We would be larger than the Wolverton Pack at that point by at least three hundred members combined.” Nicolai proposes, and that gets Ethan’s attention.

“You know there will be wolves on both sides fighting the combining of the packs even it’s for the best.” Ethan cracks the top off of his beer and chugs half of it as he stares at me. I already know the high probability of fights breaking out.

“We have a Moon Wolf as their Luna. That will carry weight within the packs, especially if she shows up in her wolf form.” Nic makes a valid point.

“That might paint a target on her back as well. A Moon Wolf in existence? Think of the ramifications. It’s not as if she has a big enough target on her back. Let’s just walk her from our pack into yours.” Shaking my head, I pop open a new beer for myself.

“I could walk with her.” Ethan turns and looks at me and then over at Nic. “I’m feared in six packs no one in their right mind would try anything.” Ethan puffs up and his wolf blazes to life in his eyes.

My brother’s legendary temper and blood thirst could, in this instance, be a very good thing. “I believe it would carry more weight if you and Nic walked her through both packs,” I ponder my suggestion further. “I know I’m the alpha for our pack, but pound for pound, Ethan is more lethal. If we go by ancient law, the birth of a Moon Wolf means she rules the packs and has full dominion over them.” I reach under the table to the book I had left there earlier today when Grace had busted me reading it.

The book of traditions and laws clearly states that a Moon Wolf rules over all. It doesn’t matter if I have been an alpha for twenty years or twenty minutes. Her birthright outweighs mine. Turning the book over in my hand, I open it to where I have the satin sash marking the page. I place the open book between my brother and Nicolai so they can read.

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