“Hell no,” he says. “I refuse.”
“Come on, baby.” I coax. “Do it for me? I bet you look really cute in those pajamas. ” I walk up to him, putting my arms around his neck and kissing the place where I marked him. He shivers and steps back. “Besides, I made a deal with Marcus that you can just bring them with you and change when we get to the house. That way, everyone won’t see you.”
“Fine,” he says. “You’re lucky I love you because I wouldn’t do this for anyone else.” He stomps over to his room in a huff, which has me laughing in amusement.
“Make sure to grab an extra pair for Harry!” Marcus yells across the hall.”
“Shut up!” Ryan yells back. At that point, he’s acting like such a child that Marcus and I are rolling on the bed laughing. I’m laughing so hard that my sides hurt. When Ry comes back to the room with the pajamas in his hands, his face looks so sad that we burst into laughter again. Once we’re able to gather our composure, we pile in the car and head to Amelia’s house.
We pull up to Amelia’s house and walk in. Carrie comes out to greet us, looking at the guys in disappointment.
“Jade, you look so cute. Why didn’t you tell me you already had a pair of pajamas?” THen she turns to the guys and frowns. “Where’s yours?” she asks.
“I would’ve told you if you didn’t hang up on me before I had a chance to answer, and I agreed to let them bring the pajamas along and change here,” I admit.
She sighs in relief. “Thank god, I’m surprised they still have them if I’m being honest.”
“And risk you busting down our door and rummaging through our clothes looking for them. No thank you. We keep them tucked in the back of the closet just in case you ask about them,” Marcus admits. They complain about the pajamas but kept every pair she gave them so they wouldn’t hurt Carrie’s feelings. If I didn’t already love them, I would love them now. Yes, I love both of them. Ry said something first so I answered him. If Marcus doesn’t say anything, I plan to tell him right before the challenge. Hopefully, it’ll give him some motivation.
We all change into our onesie pajamas, put a video in the VCR, relax, and have fun. I use this moment to look around at the new family that I’ve acquired. Each one of these people in this room, as well as Amelia, has found a special place in my heart and I would do anything to protect them.
Marcus and Ryan are already starting to slowly get stronger, and by tomorrow, their clothes will barely fit around their muscles. It gives me confidence that Marcus will win the challenge in a few days, but I can’t help but have this strange feeling that this will be the last happy moment I have with all us together. I shake the feeling off and continue watching the movie, praying that my feeling is wrong.
Chapter 8
Jade’s Diary
My new mate is definitely not who I expected him to be, and I see no way of this mating working out. What am I supposed to do? Why would the Moon Goddess do something like this to me? I just need to remember what mámá said yesterday about things eventually working out and coming to a good balance. Right now, that’s the only hope I have.
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We fell asleep watching a movie, all in a big pile like a pack of wild wolves. The next morning is somber. Even though we know Amelia still lives, it’s a stark reminder of what’s to come with her disease. Carrie gives me a black dress to wear while Ry and Mark get dressed in suits. Last night, Harry convinced us to let him come to the funeral. We argued about it for hours, but he finally broke us down by making some pretty valid points. The windows of the limo will be tinted so no one will be able to see him, and he’ll be able to recognize the scout his dad sent. The limo pulls up and the driver gets out.
“James!” I yell. I run over to my former bodyguard and he lifts me up in a huge hug laughing. “What are you doing here?”
“Your parents thought you could use some extra backup, pup,” he says with a chuckle. He then turns his head to Ry and Mark. “You may not need it, though, by the looks of these two. You’ve put on a few pounds since I last saw you, boys.”
“No shit,” snorts Ry. “My suit barely fits.”
“I told them what would happen,” I tell James. “but I don’t think they took me seriously.”
“I believed you, baby,” announces Marcus with a kiss on my temple. “Now, let’s do this.”
We pile in the limo and drive to the church for the funeral service. The church is filled to capacity because the whole pack is there. We made sure to make the event pack only because we knew that only the pack would understand why we would need to fake Amelia’s death. The funeral service goes along without a hitch, and it really is beautiful. The pastor has the best things to say about Amelia, and I get choked up thinking that this is actually a very real possibility in the future with Amelia’s cancer.
As the funeral wraps up, we stand outside and accept people’s condolences while Carrie tells everyone where the funeral reception will be. We decided that only family would be allowed at the lowering of the casket, so we get in the limo and head to the cemetery. We walk up to the plot and watch as an empty casket is lowered into the ground. Carrie and I are both crying while the guys look on the verge of tears. This may be fake, but it’s a haunting reminder of what’s to come. Once the casket lowers, we walk back to the limo and pile inside. Carrie immediately goes to Harry’s open arms while I cuddle between Ry and Mark.
“That seemed so real,” Carrie whispers.
“Yea, it did,” replies Mark. We sit there in silence for a while until Harry decides to break the silence.
“I know who my dad sent,” Harry states. We all look at him expecting him to give us a name. “He sent my brother, Richard, to scout the funeral. He was standing off in the distance so he wouldn’t be seen, but I saw him and so did James.”
We turn and look at James who confirms what Harry says. We’re all still contemplating the news bomb that Harry just dropped on us as we pull up to Gino’s restaurant. The four of us walk inside, while James takes Harry back to the house. We walk into Gino’s and everyone is waiting with their good wishes and condolences. Normally, at the funeral of the previous alpha, the pack would show their respect to her successor. However, with the challenge two days away, no one wants to jinx it.
We walk around and mingle, and I’m able to meet more of the Fox Forest pack. I meet so many fox and wolf shifters that it’s hard to keep all their names and faces straight. It takes a minute for me to realize I’m the one they’re approaching the most, and I send a questioning look over to Ry.
“If you haven’t figured out by now, love, Gino has a big mouth. As soon as Mark brought you here, he was bragging to everyone about how the wolf princess ate at his restaurant and loves his food. Everyone wants to meet you, love. Your presence is also giving a lot of pack members hope about the upcoming challenge. I think they’re beginning to notice that we’ve gotten bigger damn near overnight. They think you’re magical, baby,” he tells me.
Almost as if on cue, a child runs up to me with her chubby little arms out. I pick her up while her parents rush forward in a panic looking for her. “We’re so sorry, princess. She just got excited when she heard there was a real princess here,” they say apologetically. They also bow and bare their necks as a form of submission.
“You don’t have to bow before me. I don’t plan to be that type of ruler,” I tell them.
“Well, then what kind do you plan to be? Only weak rulers don’t make their subjects bow before them, but I expect nothing less from a woman,” sneers a voice behind me. We turn around and see a new group of wolves at the door.
“You need to leave, Alder,” says Gino.
“This is a neutral space, isn’t it Gino? You made that much clear when you refused to join either pack,” the old wolf says sarcastically.
“This is a neutral space, Alder; however, this is a private event that you are not welcome at. Please leave, the restaurant will be ope
n to the public at 3 pm and you can come back then,” Gino responds. The old wolf, Alder, turns around to leave but I stop him.
“You never let me answer your question,” I say regally. His attitude pisses me off, especially the way he just barged in and disrespected my mate’s pack. “I plan to be a compassionate yet stern ruler. I plan to be compassionate enough to understand the needs of my people yet stern enough to punish those who fight my rule. Unlike my predecessor, I don’t plan on letting some weak-minded wolf obsessed with power overthrow me. I’ll make sure to kill him or her before that happens.”
He stares at me and I stare back, and I can tell that my eyes have shifted because the color of the room changed. I don’t plan on breaking eye contact with him anytime soon and my eyes must show it, so he scoffs and turns away to leave. The younger wolf to his right turns back to look at me, and I see a flash of something in his eyes that I can’t quite put my finger on. Once they’ve gotten in their truck and left, the whole room sighs in relief.
“Who the fuck was that?” I say loudly. Then, I realize that I’m still holding the child in my arms and I quickly cover my mouth in embarrassment. The tension in the room immediately breaks and people start laughing. The child’s mother walks up to me, grabbing the little girl and reassuring me that she’s heard worse language from her father. Mark walks up and puts his arms around me while Ry comes up on my other side and does the same.
“I always knew those boys shared everything, I should’ve known they’d share a mate, too,” says a voice from the crowd. I begin to laugh while Gino plays some of Amelia’s favorite songs on the jukebox to lighten the mood.
“That,” begins Mark. “is the Alpha of the neighboring pack, and the younger wolf next to him is his oldest son, Richard.”
“Harry’s brother?” I ask.
“Half-brother,” corrects Mark. “and the guy I’m supposed to be fighting in two days. Did you mean what you said about the type of ruler you want to be?”
“Yes,” I respond. “I’ve read the history books and seen how other alphas run their packs, and I decided a long time ago to take the best parts of those alphas without having the trusting nature of some of the past rulers. It’s the best way to keep as many people as possible alive. I won’t rule based on bloodshed, but I also won’t rule with a bleeding heart.”
They both look at me the same way, with a little bit of fear and awe, and I worry because I don’t want them to change their opinion of me. Then, Ryan smiles and kisses me on the forehead.
“Now, I can get behind a ruler like that,” he says.
“Me too,” Marks says.
At that moment, I realize that I’m ready to rule the packs. I’ve never felt that way before now, but with these two men at my side, I have the confidence that I lacked before. Since meeting me, these men have had to come to terms with the fact that they have to share me as well as come to terms with the fact that they’ll have to go back to Cooper’s Rock with me permanently and they’ve taken it in stride. I couldn’t have asked for better men in my life. I just hope my mystery man is as supportive as these two have been.
Chapter 9
Jade’s Diary
The mate fight was nerve-wracking as hell for me, but it ended the way that it needed to. There’s still work to be done, and we’ll stay a couple of weeks until it’s over, but I’m ready to go home and hug my mámá and my pápás. We’ve already talked and once we’re done here, we’re taking the reins in Cooper’s Pack. That’s right. When we return, I’ll be the next Alpha Queen .
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Today is the day of the challenge. Mark and Ry have bulked up considerably since our mating, and I have the utmost confidence that Mark will be successful. The only thing that makes me nervous is the fact that, unlike Ry and I, he doesn’t have the heart to kill. Ry and I have tried talking sense into him but he refuses to budge on fighting to kill.
It’s gotten so frustrating that he’s refused to speak to us the past day. James decided to stay in town this week to help Mark train for the challenge since he’s refusing to speak with Ry. Harry has been helping out too. Since he knows Richard’s fighting style, he’s been helping Mark train as well. I wish Pápá Charles was here. He could show Mark what it was like to face a worthy opponent, someone who could easily match him in terms of strength and skill. Mark decides to leave for the challenge before us so he won’t get distracted. I’m a little hurt about it, but I understand why he did it. Once James drops him off, he comes back to get us. James doesn’t get out of the limo, but the door opens and it’s a man that a recognize instantly.
“ Pápá Charles!” I yell jumping into the arms of my biological father. “What are you doing here?”
“Your mother sent for Diego and Bastian to come back and protect her so I could come here to train your mate. I’ve been working with him the past day or so, but he wanted to keep it secret,” he says. “It seems that he’s being badgered about his unwillingness to deal the killing blow.”
His gaze is making me feel uncomfortable like it always does. “We just want him to stay alive, pápá . If his opponent is willing to kill him, he needs to be willing to do the same and show no mercy. His safety is more important than his moral code at this point,” I state plainly.
“I 100% agree, pet, and I stated as much to him while we were training. Once I explained it that way, instead of that overly emotional way you and your mother tend to do, he took my suggestion into consideration. Now, introduce me to this other chap that you mated,” he says. I introduce Pápá Charles to Ry and they seem to get along great. Ry is super laid back so Pápá Charles surly nature doesn’t bother him.
Carrie comes out of the house and gets in the car. I don’t know where Harry is, but now that I know Pápá Charles is here, I know he helped the guys come up with a plan so Harry must not be here for a reason. The car stops and we pull up in front of Gino’s restaurant.
“Why are we here?” I ask.
“Gino bought the land the restaurant sits on, as well as the surrounding twenty acres. He allows the shifters from both packs to run on his land, even though we each keep to the side closest to our territory. We decided it would be the best place to have the challenge without rising too much suspicion. Gino’s is closed until dinner tonight, too. He’s really doing us a solid one by allowing us to do this on his land,” Carrie says.
James passes by the restaurant and turns down a side road about a quarter of a mile down the street. I would’ve never noticed this access road if it wasn’t for this challenge. We drive a few miles before coming up on a bunch of parked cars. James parks the car, we get out, and head to the area that was cleared specifically for the challenge.
As soon as we walk up, the members of the Fox Forest pack part, creating a path straight for Marcus. He stands there with his shirt off, eyes full of focus. He walks up to give Ry a hug, and then stops in front of me. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist.
“Protect yourself for us, please and come back to us whole,” I whisper in his ear.
“I will,” he responds setting me down. “Pinkie promise.”
He holds out his pinkie and I do the same with mine. We interlock our pinkies and then kiss our fists. Nothing is more sacred than a pinkie promise, and in that moment, the only people around seeem to be me and him.
Across the circle is Alder and his son, Richard. Richard is focused, too, until we arrive. His gaze swings over to our side of the circle and he has a look of longing tinged with jealousy in his eyes. Before I can comprehend what that look means, Gino walks to the middle of the circle and starts speaking.
“We’re here to honor the alpha challenge made by the Fox Forest pack to the Monongahela pack. Fighting for the Fox Forest pack is one of the top enforcers, Marcus, son of the recently deceased alpha,” he bellows. Everyone is Fox Forest cheers for Mark, while the Monongahela pack boos. “Standing in for the Monongahela pack alpha is his son, Richard.” They
all cheer, while Fox Forest claps lightly, refusing to stoop down to the level of their opponents. “Gentlemen, shake hands.”
Both men enter the circle facing off and circling one another, and I can’t help but admire the way Marcus’s body has changed. He’s bigger and just pure muscle...it’s beautiful. Everybody waits for someone to make the first move, and then Richard runs at Marcus screaming. Marcus steps to the side and chops down on Richard’s back, sending him to the ground and then kicks him in the butt. After getting kicked in the ass, Richard screams. Wow, I guess Harry was right about the embarrassment thing. Richard starts turning red and runs straight for Marcus. Marcus sidesteps him again, holding his foot out so Richard trips on it. At this point, members of both packs are chuckling a little.
“Shut up!” Richard shouts. He’s clearly losing his cool. Marcus takes this opportunity to come up behind Richard and put him in a headlock.
“Yield,” he says.
“Never!” Richard cries. Marcus tightens his grip.
“Yield!” he yells while his grip slowly tightens. Richard won’t give up and, eventually, his eyes roll to the back of his head and he passes out.
“The challenge is settled,” Gino bellows. “The Fox Forest pack wins, and their alpha is now alpha of the Monongahela pack as well.”
“What?!” Alder yells. “That wasn’t the deal.”
“Actually,” I say walking forward. “Pack law, even your twisted version of it, dictates that whoever issues the challenge is fighting for the right to rule the other pack, but not at the detriment of their own. By issuing an official challenge before you could, Marcus fought for the right to take over your pack, instead of having to fight to protect his own. Even before you tried to send someone to kill Amelia, we had the upper hand.”
“Tried?!” Alder bellows. “What do you mean tried?”
Almost as if on cue, Amelia and Harry walk through the crowd. Every shifter gasps when they see she’s not dead. At this point, Richard is just coming to and is trying to catch up on what’s happening.
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