“It’s going to be a beautiful day for your ceremony,” Gabi said as she brought in another plate of various cheeses. Lunch was really more of a nibbling buffet that the three of them were sharing.
There was a soft knock on the front door and Lily stood to answer it. Laura took another piece of Havarti and had to admit that Lily had been right—she did feel better now that she had eaten something. She heard people walking down the hall on their way toward them. Lily was the first to pop into the kitchen, followed by Ceva and two elderly pack members. Along with them was Jennifer, a young woman who had taken over keeping of the pack history, a job that had belonged to her mother.
“Hello,” Laura greeted as she stood. “Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”
“Oh, sweet child, I never thought I’d see the day,” one of the elderly pack members declared as she clasped her hands against her chest. Laura was desperately trying to come up with all the pack members’ names, which was no easy task since she’d met most of them only once at her welcome celebration.
Thankfully, Jennifer stepped in. “Omega Laura, have you met Rachel and her sister, Willow?”
“Yes, of course, at my welcoming. How are you both?” Laura asked.
“We are amazed at our great fortune, Omega Laura,” Willow said as she stepped forward into Laura’s personal space. She wasn’t fazed; as omega it would be natural for her pack members to seek comfort from being near her. This wouldn’t be the last time pack members would show up at their door needing to be near their alpha and omega. That was why they would spend lots of time out with their pack. It kept the bond between them strong and helped subdue fears and anxieties.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What great fortune?” Laura asked.
Instead of answering, Willow asked, “May I?” while pointing at Laura’s tattoo.
Laura took a deep breath; she needed to get comfortable with this kind of attention. “Yes, you may.”
Slowly Willow lifted her hand and ran her fingers across the markings. “I remember that beautiful blue light.”
“How?” Laura asked, surprised.
“Your grandmother saved my daughter’s life,” Willow said in a hushed voice. “Through that twenty-hour ordeal I concentrated on that stunning blue light and knew she would save us both.”
Laura wrapped her arms around Willow, and for the first time she viewed her tattoo in a new light. She ushered the women to sit on the comfortable couch as Jennifer opened her book and mumbled something about adding all this to the pack’s history. The rest of their time was spent reliving the evening Laura’s grandmother helped Willow, and Laura learned more about her grandmother and the gift of her legacy.
Everything looked perfect. Dedric glanced around the hall and gardens and beamed with pride at what his pack had done for him and his mate. He’d spent his morning in a meeting with the king who had decided that he must assist in rebuilding Newton so that expectant mothers could come to seek help as soon as possible. He, along with Dedric, realized word of the glowing tattoo and all that it meant would get out quickly to the other packs.
They’d mapped out an area to construct the new houses, and Dedric had asked the king if his people could help rebuild the entire town. The king had agreed and made the necessary calls; more workers and lumber would be on their way.
Throughout the day, pack members had been stopping by bringing gifts for Laura until the living room was full. Dedric imagined how surprised his mate was going to be when she saw the pile. He’d stopped what he was doing more times than he could count wishing he could visit his love, but he wasn’t going to break from tradition. He wouldn’t see Laura again until the ceremony.
There was still a small part of Dedric that couldn’t believe he would have a mate. Years and years spent attending the Omega Celebration, always returning home without a mate. Oh, he’d had lots of interest from omegas based on physical desire, but once it became known that his pack wasn’t as big and rich as some, the interest vanished. It had been maddening.
Then to have an amazing omega choose him after half of what he called his own had been burned down, it had all been more than he’d ever imagined. Dedric had heard other alphas moaning at the Celebration about having to accept an omega mate even if they didn’t care for them. Nothing could be further from the truth for him.
Dedric loved Laura with every fiber of his being and he desperately wanted to bind their lives together. Although, after this latest revelation he felt sort of unworthy to be the alpha to receive such a precious gift. But he was not a fool; he’d never give her up. Laura was his destined mate. She would help rule their pack and he would help her with her legacy.
“So, what do you think, Alpha?” Rayanne asked as she joined him in the hall.
“You’ve all outdone yourselves. I’m proud of each and every one of you.”
Rayanne seemed to glow under the praise, but her face quickly fell before she looked directly at Dedric. “Alpha, may I speak frankly with you?”
Dedric looked around the hall. There were only a few people working and none seemed to be paying them any attention. “Go ahead.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Excuse me?” That was the last thing he expected to hear from her.
“We know it’s a blessing to have an omega, but now with her abilities our town will be flooded with strangers. Our way of life could be threatened. I mean no offense, but the pack’s been talking. I thought you should know.” Rayanne bowed before turning and walking away, leaving Dedric devastated in the middle of the decorated hall on the day of his mating ceremony.
His pack had been so accepting and welcoming to Laura he hadn’t seen this coming. He knew that Rayanne typically had a good sense of how the pack was feeling. She couldn’t be wrong. His pack may not want the woman he loved to become their omega.
His heart was torn between the pack he loved and the woman he loved. What the hell was he going to do?
“Alpha…Alpha.” A soft voice called from the far side of the hall.
He turned to see Jennifer standing inside the door, the book of their history in her arms. How fitting. “Yes, Jennifer.”
She walked quickly across the hall and stood directly in front of him. “Alpha, I couldn’t help but overhear Rayanne.”
“Yes, I understand everyone is concerned about possible changes.” Dedric didn’t need to be beaten over the head with this revelation.
“No, that’s just it. No one is talking, no one is upset.” Jennifer whispered as if she were afraid Rayanne would hear her. “I don’t know why she would say that. Everyone is happy and views this as a blessing for our town and our future.”
“Then why would Rayanne say such a thing to me?”
“I don’t know, Alpha, but she was heading toward her home.”
“Home…Laura. If she tells her these lies… Find Samson and Ceva, tell them to meet me at Rayanne’s house,” Dedric ordered as he ran from the hall.
Laura closed the door behind her as she followed Rayanne into her bedroom. Rayanne had wanted to speak to Laura in private, which was easy considering how many rooms were in this house. They sat in the chairs close to the bay window looking out into the forest.
“Is everything okay?” Laura asked as she reached for Rayanne’s hand. The older woman pulled back as if Laura’s touch would burn her. “Rayanne?”
The venomous look she gave Laura was her first hint something wasn’t right, but Laura refused to believe this kind woman was dangerous.
“I’m sorry to have to be the one to inform you of this,” Rayanne hissed. “But the pack doesn’t want you here. You’re changing everything and now strangers will take over our town because of this so-called legacy you’ve been given.”
“What? I don’t understand. The pack had welcomed me.” Laura ears began ringing. “Everyone’s been so kind to me.”
“That wasn’t for you; that was for our alpha’s benefit,” Rayanne explained with a gleam in he
r eye before standing and pacing the room.
Laura could feel her heart breaking. She’d become attached to the pack and had wished to spend the rest of her life among them. What would Dedric do if he found out? He would be forced to choose between his pack and her, and that wasn’t fair to him. She loved him. As she sat staring out the window trying to think things through, she hadn’t noticed that Rayanne had positioned herself behind her chair until she spoke.
“We tried to scare you off but apparently a bullet wasn’t enough.”
Rayanne’s words began to sink in just as Laura saw the glint of metal in the reflection of the window. She launched herself out of the chair, the blade barely missing her. It sank into the cushion she had been sitting on. Before she had a chance to register what was happening the door burst open and Dedric rushed in. Rayanne lunged at Laura and she did the only thing she could do under the circumstances—she left.
The world swirled around her as she teleported as far away as she could remember. Landing in a sea of wildflowers and looking up at lavender skies. Pharis. This was the land of the unicorns Ceva had taken her to, with its lush green forests.
Laura felt the ground shake before hearing the rumble. Now what have I gotten myself into?
Dedric yanked the knife out of Rayanne’s hand and tossed it onto the floor behind him. Samson and Lothar stormed through the door, confusion written all over their faces. Samson immediately took hold of the older woman and scanned the room.
“Where’s Laura?” he asked.
“She teleported away a moment before Rayanne had the chance to plunge that knife into Laura’s chest.”
“Where is Laura?” Ceva stormed in looking like vengeful god.
“She’ll never come back. I made sure of it. She doesn’t belong here and now she knows. No one wants her; they all depended on me before she arrived. We don’t need a fancy omega. This is my pack.”
Dedric was horrified. How had he not known? “Take her to the cells. I will deal with her later. We need to find Laura.” He looked at Ceva for help; she and Lothar were the only ones who could teleport. “Ceva, please help me.”
By now, they’d drawn a crowd into the room and around the house. His pack sensed something was wrong with their omega and had come out in force. How could he have ever doubted his pack? Rayanne would have her trial and justice would be served.
Ceva looked around the room and at the pack members they could see through the windows before turning and walking out. Dedric was quick to follow. The crowd parted as she made her way back to the Mallory house followed by Dedric, Lothar, Gabi, Lily and their guards. The pack’s members were eerily silent. Dedric’s heart was racing. He had to find his mate. She could be anywhere, and she could be hurt.
Inside the house they convened in the solarium where Ceva took a well-deserved seat. She was due any day. King Leonidas came in and demanded to know what had happened. Once he was filled in on the events of the last twenty minutes, storm clouds moved in.
“Ceva, please. Do you know where she is?” Dedric wasn’t above begging for his mate even if he was an alpha.
“Your pack is unsettled, Alpha Dedric, and a threat has been made on one of the most needed omegas of our time. How could I trust if I brought her back here there wouldn’t be another threat to her life?” Ceva asked. Her look was no longer friendly; instead the immortal warrior white witch sat before him. With the king at her back, the most powerful wolf in their world, Dedric knew it would take a miracle to get them to trust him again.
“Your Majesty, Ceva, she was told lies by a wolf we no longer consider pack. Laura cast herself away because she thinks she’s unwanted when it couldn’t be further from the truth. I love her and it’s killing me not knowing if she’s safe.” Dedric could feel his wolf surfacing but he held hard to his human side. An enraged wolf wouldn’t help in this moment.
Ceva’s eyes softened. “Laura is safe. But you need to deal with your pack to ensure her continued safety before I bring her back here.”
“A blood oath. Aldric had his pack swear a blood oath to Helena. I will have my pack do the same.” Dedric knew that was a big step and a lot to ask of a pack, but he would do it for his mate.
“And what if some in your pack refuse?”
“Then they would be free to leave and never return,” Dedric stated with absolute certainty. He was willing to walk out there right at that moment and demand they take the oath if it kept Laura safe. “Laura is what matters. She deserves to have a loving pack around her, protecting her so she will never know fear. This I promise you.”
“Are you so certain your pack would swear this oath?” Ceva asked.
“Come with me please,” Dedric beckoned as he turned toward the door hoping that they followed. When he heard their footsteps coming down the hall he breathed a bit easier. He walked out onto the front porch and stood before his pack. News had gotten out and it looked like they were all here for answers.
“Alpha, is Laura safe?” Jennifer asked from the head of the group.
Dedric smiled down at his pack, his family, and smiled. “My pack, there has been an attempt on my mate’s life by one of our own pack members.” That got the group talking. “Please, quiet down. Rayanne will be dealt with, but what is important at this moment is keeping Laura safe. Anyone who wishes to remain here as part of the Newton pack will be required to take a blood oath of loyalty to your omega. If you chose not to you may leave at dawn.”
Blunt and to the point, he had no time for gentle coaxing. He wanted his mate back, and he wanted her back now. It was time his pack made their choice, and if he knew them as he believed he did, this shouldn’t take long. One by one, the pack went to their knees, readying to make their oath to Laura. Ceva stepped forward as more than one hundred people waited on their knees to swear an oath that if they ever broke would be the cause of their own deaths. The children would be exempt from the oath until they reached maturity and then made their oath.
Ceva looked at him with respect. “Perhaps your pack isn’t as unsettled as I first thought.”
Dedric stood proud but the need for his mate was driving him out of his mind. The separation could cause an alpha to turn feral, and the fact that they hadn’t had the ceremony meant nothing; he and his wolf had chosen their mate.
King Leonidas joined them and placed his hand on Dedric’s shoulder. “This is a cohesive pack. You deserve to be proud.”
“Laura would be safe here. I swear it to you on my life.” Dedric didn’t know what else he could do to convince them. He would have to leave his pack, or risk hurting someone as he slowly lost himself to his wolf.
There would be no other than Laura.
Chapter Seven
Laura sat on the large log looking out onto the valley below her. She heard that familiar rumble and sure enough, a herd of unicorns came galloping over the rise in the distance. She had thought the sun would have set by now, but the lavender sky remained aglow with its fluffy white clouds. The first time she felt the rumbling earth she’d been frightened. The only time she’d heard that sound before, ogres had been attacking near the palace. But now she knew the noise simply foretold the coming of a colorful parade of majestic animals.
Even in all this beauty, Laura couldn’t lift her spirits; she was broken. Her despair covered her like a heavy cloak to the point of suffocation. She wasn’t wanted. The pack had gone as far as sending someone to kill her. How had she not felt the animosity? Given her abilities, it was odd she didn’t sense their mood and emotions. Nonetheless, she was in a no-win situation.
She loved Dedric but he loved his pack, and the pack didn’t want her. If he chose her and they left the pack, Dedric would never be the same. Part of his heart would remain with the pack. If he chose the pack, she would have to leave or risk another attack. And how could they bring expectant mothers to a place when Laura couldn’t even guarantee her own safety? An impossible situation made worse by a breaking heart.
To her left a gust of wind
swirled violently before Ceva appeared in the midst of it. Laura had known the mighty, determined Ceva would find her eventually.
“Hey, Ceva,” Laura called, her voice echoing the weight of her sorrow.
Ceva’s eyes held sympathy and concern. Exactly what Laura would face the rest of her life after being rejected by her pack, so she might as well get used to it.
“Oh, sweet girl,” Ceva crooned as she took a seat beside Laura and gathered her into strong arms. “Everything is going to be fine, I promise you.”
Laura simply shook her head. Nothing would ever be fine again; she’d lost her mate, let alone not being able to fulfill her legacy.
“Are you hurt?” Ceva asked after she released her hold on Laura.
“No, I was able to get away before Rayanne could finish the job.”
“Are you hungry?” Ceva asked as she placed a parcel in front of her.
Laura hadn’t realized it until now but she was starving. As bad as she felt, she couldn’t ignore her rumbling stomach. She wondered how long she’d been here. “I imagine I’ve missed my own mating ceremony. Guess it’s just as well.” Laura opened the bag and pulled out what smelled like a roast beef sandwich and dug in. Mmmm, so good.
“To be honest you’ve missed more than that. Time moves slowly here,” Ceva explained.
“Slowly?”
“Yes. On your plane of existence four days have already passed.”
“Four days? Oh my stars, how is Dedric? His pack must have talked to him by now.” Surely, he would know how much she wasn’t wanted and would have understood why she hadn’t returned. Gods, she missed him. The thought of losing him brought tears to her eyes.
“Well, about that.”
Laura’s heart skipped a beat. “Is Dedric okay?”
“Physically, yes. But time away from you has taken its toll on him.”
“He has to understand. His pack doesn’t want me. If I were to return, Dedric would be forced to decide between his pack and me. I can’t do that to him.”
“Laura, none of that is true. The pack has sworn a blood oath to you.”
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