Laura's Legacy

by Lilli Carlisle

  He couldn’t help it. With Laura’s unruly blonde hair, deep chocolate brown eyes and her curvy as sin body, Dedric wanted to make this mating official, but it had only been five days and he swore to wait for seven. On the eighth, if Laura still wanted him, he would finally have his dream and be mated to the woman he loved.

  As he looked across his town, he was proud of how far they’d come in only five days. All the damaged and burnt lumber had been removed and the shells of new houses rose out of the ashes. Of course, they were living in a construction zone, but nobody seemed to mind as long as they got their lives back. Newton was a close-knit community, and until the ogre attack, they had never been forced from their town.

  He understood the pack’s need to restore the homes and town to what they once were; to regain some semblance of normalcy after months away. Dedric felt like he could breathe again now that he was home. He imagined it was the same for his packmates.

  His thoughts returned to Laura, and he smiled at her impatience. She’d told him she didn’t need to wait seven days to know she wanted to live out her life in Newton. But Dedric had to be sure; his home, as well as all the people of this pack, were at stake. If Laura had come to Newton and decided it wasn’t for her he would have been devastated, but the pack would still hold strong, regardless of his personal feelings. The pack always came first. If he’d mated Laura prior to bringing her to Newton, had her completely, body and soul, and she decided she didn’t want to live there, it would destroy him and his pack. He’d never survive the pain. It was a fear that became smaller with each day that Laura was in Newton, smiling and working among the pack.

  However, Dedric knew something wasn’t quite right. He didn’t exactly know what it was but Laura was holding something back. At times, it seemed like she actively tried to avoid him. That wasn’t going to work; there could be no secrets between them, and if she chose not to tell him before the seventh day, he’d have to demand an answer.

  Great way to start a mating.

  He scented the air, noting that Samson was twenty feet away and closing in. Dedric didn’t bother to move. His beta would easily find him among the lumber, which was proven moments later when Samson came into sight.

  “Good evening,” Dedric called as he jumped off the beam to join his Beta in the clearing between skids of cut and dried wood.

  “Hey, Dedric. Thought I’d find you out here.”

  “What’s up?”

  “The omegas wish to go for a run in the forest and wondered if you would like to come along,” Samson explained. “They say they got their second wind and want to have some fun.”

  “Can’t blame them for that—everybody’s been working hard and needs a break. Let’s go have some fun with them,” Dedric said as he started walking in the direction of Rayanne’s house with Samson at his side.

  When they got there, Laura and the other omegas and their guards had already shifted and were waiting for Samson and Dedric. His beautiful mate bounced around playing with Gabi. Laura was pure white like all omegas, and her jewel remained embedded on her forehead. However, his love had golden streaks running through her coat. Her brown eyes sparkled with happiness as she ran to him.

  Dedric got down onto his knees and took his mate into his arms. Her coat was thick ensuring her warmth and her jewel was flashing yellow with joy. She was his mate and his future.

  “Okay, let the two of us shift and we can be on our way,” Dedric stated before he began stripping out of his clothes. Nudity wasn’t a problem among a pack; as shifters, it was second nature to them. But as he stood there with Laura watching him, he felt nervous for the first time. Until now it hadn’t mattered to him what anyone thought of his body, but her opinion counted. He slid off his boxers, winked at Laura and shifted into his large, black wolf.

  As an alpha wolf, he was quite a bit larger than everyone else and almost twice the size of Laura. He had to be stronger and faster to protect his pack. Laura brushed her body up against his in greeting and did something he hadn’t expected. She nipped him on his thigh and took off into the forest followed by the other omegas. Oh, yeah, she wanted to play.

  Dedric’s heart lightened as he chased her through the trees, the general and his warriors spread out around them. Earlier, when Dedric had made the announcement that General Jensgar and Drune would lead the warriors, the edict had been met with cheers, confirming Dedric had made the right choice.

  He watched as his mate zipped in and out of the trees, her sleek body shining in the moonlight. Dedric easily caught up and began herding them back to a nearby clearing where they could get a cold drink out of the nearby stream. Having Laura run beside him was exhilarating, and someday their children would join them. He couldn’t feel any prouder if he tried.

  They’d barely entered the clearing when he heard the shot and the tree beside Laura’s head splintered. Dedric quickly shoved her to the ground and covered her with his body. No one would get to his mate. Two warriors gave chase while Jensgar, Samson and Dedric protected the omegas. This could be an attempt to steal them, or worse, a direct attack on Laura.

  The warriors returned without having found the culprit. Whoever it was had gotten away and Dedric was pissed. Slowly he let Laura up and she remained by his side. It seemed as though Samson had taken responsibility for Gabi and the general for Lily. The other two warriors took position around them as they quickly made their way back to the pack. By the time they got back, pack members were already out of their homes, clearly having heard the shot.

  The moment they were back in the town proper Dedric led them back to Rayanne’s house and shifted along with the general and Samson. Immediately, they dressed and opened the door for the women to go inside. Rayanne met them at the door, gloves on and a scrubber in her hands. That’s when the smell of bleach hit him.

  “What?” She looked at him like he was crazy. “I was taking the opportunity to scrub a little while you were gone.” Rayanne took a step back, looking a little flustered.

  “You didn’t hear the shot?”

  “Oh my, no. What happened?” she asked. “Who would fire a shot at anybody?”

  Laura walked into the kitchen fully dressed and sporting a small cut on her jaw. Dedric knew it would heal quickly but the sight of it almost sent him into a rage. The bark of the tree must have cut her when the bullet hit it. He crossed the room and took her into his arms. She trembled slightly and he held her tighter. He scented the air. Where he expected fear, there was only anger.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked, her face still buried against his chest.

  “I’m pissed,” she answered with a growl.

  Dedric released her and looked at his mate’s face, he was happy to see the cut was already healed. “You’re pissed.”

  “Damn straight. Other than nearly blowing my head off, whoever it was ruined our evening,” she snarled and her eyes had a fire burning in them. His beautiful mate was furious, not frightened.

  He couldn’t be happier—or more worried. Laura would be perfect to stand by his side and lead their pack, as he had believed, but someone was trying to either kill or kidnap her. Someone was on his land, or worse, someone in his pack was plotting against them. That last thought brought a lot of pain. He’d loved and taken care of his pack for such a long time, and now to have someone among them attempting to hurt his mate—it was unthinkable.

  “I need you to stay here, where it’s safe. There will be more warriors assigned around the house until we can get this figured out,” Dedric explained. Her omega stone flashed and he knew Laura didn’t want to be left behind.

  “I will not hide here like some weak damsel in distress, not a chance. I’m coming with you.” Before Dedric had a chance to argue she continued, “You can assign as many warriors to my protection as you wish, but I will not hide.”

  Laura stood there with her hands on her hips, her omega stone and eyes flashing with anger and determination. This was one battle he wasn’t going to win. “Fine, you ca
n come with me, but if you sense anything off from anybody you have to tell me.”

  “You think someone in the pack is responsible?” Laura asked, a little less bold than a moment before. The idea of such a thing hit her as hard as it had Dedric. “No one in the pack would want to hurt me. I’ve been living and working beside them for days. No one seemed the least bit hostile towards me.”

  “I don’t want to think so, but we can’t rule that out. Whoever it is, they’re obviously watching you and the other omegas. Therefore, the first course of action is protecting the three of you. Even if that means returning you to Black Ridge.”

  “Alpha, a crowd is gathering,” Jensgar called from his post at the kitchen window. Lily was standing not too far away.

  “Black Ridge? I’m not running away with my tail between my legs. This is my home and I’m not leaving,” Laura swore.

  It did something to Dedric to hear her speak so passionately about Newton. He pulled her into a tight embrace and murmured, “I should, but I won’t make you leave, my love.”

  “You’d have a hard time making me do anything,” she teased.

  “Of that I have no doubt,” he agreed, knowing that with her omega gifts, she could mop the floor with him. At least until they were fully mated. Then she would share a version of her gifts with him. “I want everyone else to stay inside the house for the time being until I get this under control. Laura and I will be back shortly.”

  Dedric took Laura’s hand in his and led her from the house. The pack gathered around, waiting for their alpha to speak. This wasn’t an announcement he wanted to make but he had to tell them the truth. For their own protection.

  He wrapped his arm around Laura before speaking.

  “My pack, serious events have taken place this evening. While my mate and I were out on a run, she was nearly shot.”

  The group erupted into shouts of anger and retribution, as was right—after all, Laura nearly was the pack’s omega. The women of the pack were working their way closer to Laura seeking comfort and reassurance she wasn’t hurt. The pack had accepted Laura into their hearts. She was their omega. A rush went through his body as he watched his mate interact with the pack he’d being taking care of for hundreds of years.

  “I’m doubling the warriors assigned to watch over the three omegas, but the rest of you need to be aware of your surroundings. If you see or feel anything that isn’t right or simply feels wrong I need you to report it to me immediately.” Dedric knew that one order would bring up questions he wished he could have avoided.

  “Do you think it’s someone from the pack?” Charles, a farmer, asked.

  Noise of the crowd grew louder with the revelation but Dedric didn’t want there to be a witch hunt. “My pack, please calm down. I don’t want friends turning on friends or family turning on family. Remember these people are your family, your pack. All I want is for everyone to keep an eye out. This can be outside the pack as easily as in.”

  Murmurs went through the crowd and questions began to be directed to Laura.

  “Were you hurt?”

  “Is the mating going to be called off?”

  “Will you be leaving us?”

  Dedric could feel the rising tension in the air and was about to step in when a wave of calm flowed peacefully over them all. Laura. When he looked down at his mate, she had a calm expression on her face and the move allowed the pack to calm down and take a breath. She was forever amazing him with her compassion and care for the people.

  “My pack, I suffered only a scratch. The mating will be happening as planned, and I don’t intend to go anywhere—this is my home. Nothing this person can do will stop me from becoming the Omega to this pack.” The ‘short of killing me’ part of that sentence went unsaid. “I want all of you to return to your homes and finish your evening with your family and friends. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Laura announced before leaning into Dedric’s side. She may be showing a brave face, but in truth, this had to be difficult for her.

  He held Laura close and led her back to Rayanne’s home as soon as the gathering began clearing up. Tomorrow would be another day spent rebuilding the town, and now, keeping his beautiful mate alive. Dedric couldn’t help but wonder if the great god Fenrir found it entertaining to screw him over. First, no one wanted him, and then he found his omega only to have someone try to kill her.

  Yeah, he was somebody’s cosmic joke.

  Chapter Four

  Laura would be damned if she sat around waiting for whoever it was after her to take another shot. Surrounded by warriors, she stepped out of her temporary house for another day of restoring the small town to its former glory. She waved at pack members as she walked by on her way to the hall for breakfast. Until they had everyone’s home up and running, the pack had decided to have communal meals, which Laura enjoyed.

  As soon as she entered the hall, what felt like the entire pack turned to look at her and then one another. It had begun. If somebody wanted to find a way to damage the cohesiveness of the pack, they’d found it. Laura made sure to keep her smile carefree and genuine. The pack would take their cues from the way she and Dedric acted. If she didn’t look worried, then the pack wouldn’t be worried.

  She gathered her plate of food from the buffet and went to join Dedric at the head table. He stood as she approached and once she set her plate down he hugged and kissed her.

  “How are you this morning, my love?” Dedric asked as he pulled out her chair.

  “Much better, thank you,” she replied. “Even managed to get a little sleep.”

  She noticed Dedric looked a little haggard as if he hadn’t been as lucky. “I don’t want you to worry about any of this. We will find out who it is and they will be punished for what they’ve done.”

  Gabi and Lily walked in with their own guards. Laura had refused to allow them to walk with her; she didn’t want them shot by accident. Her warriors would play chaperone until the mating.

  Obviously, Dedric was on the same page because he said, “The king is on his way to perform our mating ceremony. It will only have to be one more day that we’ll have to be apart. That is if you haven’t had second thoughts.” Dedric smiled at her as if he’d been teasing but Laura could see a touch of doubt in his eyes. She would spend the rest of her life reassuring her mate that he was wanted until he began to see the truth himself.

  “I could never have second thoughts. You’re the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with, no matter what gets in our way. I never want you to doubt that,” Laura assured him, hoping he understood that she meant every word.

  Dedric smiled and dug in to his scrambled eggs. She guessed that was the end of that conversation. Laura knew he would still have concerns right up until they were mated, but she was a patient wolf.

  “The women have approached me to help with preparations for the ceremony. I thought I’d spend the day with them and see what we can come up with,” Laura explained. “We’ll be at Rayanne’s.”

  “It makes me happy to see you and the pack working together,” Dedric said. “They do care about you, you know. Even with all this carrying on around us, you managed to capture their hearts, my love.” Dedric sounded so proud she hated to ruin it for him.

  “It wasn’t all me, my mate. The pack has been amazing. I wish I knew who was trying to either scare me away or kill me,” Laura huffed. “I haven’t decided which one it is yet.”

  “Nothing will happen to you. I won’t allow it,” Dedric stated as the big alpha lifted her and placed her even closer to him. “I swear it would be the end of me if something happened to you.”

  “Then it’s good nothing’s going to happen.” Laura grinned before she looked out at the pack and noticed the many smiles. “Um, you think you can let me go? I’m not a child.”

  “No, I like you where you are. Safe in my arms,” he half growled. Okaaay. She wasn’t going to fight about that. Instead, she laid her head against his shoulder and watched as everyone finished e
ating.

  Dedric tried to get her to eat more but she wasn’t sure her stomach could take it. She may be exuding calm on the outside but inside she was in the middle of controlled chaos. Not only was she getting mated and having sex for the first time, she was also helping to rebuild a town and trying to avoid dying in the process. And she was doing all of this while having no family of her own here. No problem.

  Dedric must have felt the change in her and stood with Laura in his arms before heading out the side doors and into the gardens. Drune and Jensgar followed them to the far side of the garden and away from everyone’s view. She tried as hard as she could but the tears began to fall. She was overwhelmed and needed a minute or two to let it all out.

  Dedric sat with her on a curved bench and held her close, hiding her away from prying eyes, giving her exactly what she needed. A moment of peace and a cleansing cry. There had been many times since her family had been killed that Laura wished she had them at her side, but the feeling was never as all-encompassing as it was right now.

  A small package of tissues was placed in her hands, and she dried her eyes and nose before looking up into Dedric’s concerned dark eyes. “Thank you.”

  Her mate ran his thumb over her cheek and asked, “Feel better, love?”

  Do I? True, she had a mess lying at her feet, but she still had Dedric by her side. “Promise me we’re going to be mated. That nothing will stop us and no one will separate us.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, I promise. These past couple of days haven’t been what I expected. I wanted you to get to know the pack and the place you would live before you made your final decision. Now we have so much more to worry about. I’m sorry, Laura. This isn’t the way I pictured this going. I can’t imagine how disappointed you must be.”

  “Disappointed?” Laura huffed. There was no way she’d allow him to second-guess himself or his pack. “How can I be disappointed? You’ve shown me a beautiful town filled with amazing residents willing to mobilize to protect me at a moment’s notice. The attack has shown me how much I want to be a part of this pack. I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”