by Ariel Marie
“Hey.”
“I saw Erica today, and she said that she ran into you at Tiny’s.” Hurt radiated from Jessa’s voice, and tugged at Dani’s heartstrings.
“I was trying to stay low-key,” she responded, trying to explain. Coming back to Wakefield was just a quick visit for Mrs. Foster, not to reopen old wounds.
“You can come home now,” Jessa rushed. “We missed you so much. No more running. It’s time for you to be with your family.”
“You know I had no other choice but to run,” she whispered, sitting down at the kitchen table. It practically tore her apart to leave her pack, her family and friends, who refused to stand up to their alpha as a unit. Everyone knew that Junior and his father were crazy, but everyone turned a blind eye on what probably would have happened had she mated with that monster.
Junior’s cronies didn’t do much to hide the fact that they were watching her. Every time she moved, they wouldn’t even try to make it a secret that they were following her.
“No one stood up to the Torres’ for me. As a pack, we are supposed to love and help one another. Stand up for one another—”
Her voice ended on a hitch. Bringing up her feelings from the past was like tearing the scab off a healing wound.
“I’m so sorry, Dani,” Jessa whispered. “We all are. Our pack was broken. This past year, we have begun the healing process, and Ace has helped us begin to put the pack back together. The whole atmosphere here has changed because of Ace.”
Dani couldn’t argue that. The Torres family had been like a chronic sickness that had plagued their pack. The pack had been one of the most respected packs in the Midwest, and under their control, it dwindled to just a shell of what it is used to be. Had Junior still been alive and in charge, he would have surely driven the pack straight into the ground.
“I have missed everyone,” she admitted, tapping her fingers on the table. Her parents may be gone, but she still had other relatives that she grew up with, and friends that she hadn’t seen since she left.
“Come to the cookout,” Jessa insisted. “You remember the shifting celebrations that we participated in as kids for new shifting teens? We would have a huge party to show off our wolves. Ace is bringing back that tradition, so why don’t you come to visit?”
Dani knew deep in her heart that she wanted to see the pack, but she was torn. She had a new life away from Wakefield, a home, and a respectable job as a social worker for displaced children. How could she give it up?
“I don’t know, Jessa…” she started, biting her lip. This was the same cookout that the alpha Ace had invited her to. Just thinking of seeing him again brought a shiver down her spine. She could feel her wolf perk up at the thought of him.
“It’s just a visit,” Jessa rushed. “We all want to see you.”
“You all don’t know what I went through,” she whispered into the phone.
“And I couldn’t even begin to imagine,” Jessa admitted. “Please, Dani.”
The pleading cracked open her heart.
“Ok.”
~Ace~
“The party should be underway soon,” Ace said to Brett. He had heard from one of the pack members, Jessa, that Dani said she would come to the party. “We need to secure the party. I want everyone to feel safe.”
“We’re on it,” Brett confirmed as they walked around the party area. Excitement filled the air as people scurried around, setting up the tents, chairs, and getting activities ready. It had been a long time since the pack had an event such as this. It had to be perfect.
Ace and Brett, as the alpha and beta, had decided to chip in to help with organizing the event, but everyone kept turning them down.
“Thanks, Alpha,” Linda Moon said as they sat the four large fifty-pound bags of charcoal down that she needed for grilling. “You guys didn’t have to carry those down here. I could have had one of the pups grab them.”
“It didn’t matter, Mrs. Moon. We were on our way down here to help anyway,” Ace said smiling.
“What else do you need for the party?” he asked, laughing as she shooed them away.
“Leo and the others will be securing the perimeter,” Brett confirmed as they walked around, waving and greeting everyone.
“As for the deer that were disposed of on our land, I didn’t recognize any of the scents, and I don’t like it,” Ace said, suddenly serious as they drew to the edge of the party, overlooking the dense woods. “Nothing is to interrupt this party. The pack needs to feel normal again. This is a tradition that should never have went away.”
“Consider it done,” Brett agreed, his eyes flashing his wolf’s amber. “Is she coming?”
Ace didn’t have to ask whom Brett was speaking of. His wolf was trying to dig its way out to go claim his mate. That was another reason why he needed the party to be perfect. He wanted her to feel welcomed back into the pack. This was her family, and she should feel as if she still belonged after being gone for so many years. “Yes. Her cousin has confirmed that she will come.”
The deer carcasses that had been dropped onto the pack’s property were a warning, and they would need to deal with it, now. Overtaking a pack had not been a walk in the park. He had made enemies of those that were considered allies of Junior Torres. Any dealings that had been made with the old alpha were now considered null and void since he was dead.
Pressure was mounting for him to secure the pack and protect them against other alphas that may want to try to come and challenge him. His enforcers were working around the clock, ensuring that didn’t happen.
Leo, his lead enforcer, was continuing to recruit new enforcers. Ace trusted Leo’s decision on the wolves that he brought in. They have had quite a few meetings over the past few months so that Leo could introduce Ace to his enforcer prospects. As the alpha, Ace’s decision on the prospects was final. So far, Leo had not let Ace down.
He was pleased with all the wolves that Leo presented. All of the prospects were lone wolves wanting to find a pack that would accept them.
“Then we will make sure that the party is perfect,” Brett said, breaking through Ace’s thoughts.
Chapter Six
Dani
“Are you going to be okay?” Hope asked as they walked towards Dani’s car. “You sure you don’t want me to come?”
“I’ll be fine,” Dani assured her as she hugged her best friend. “This is something I have to do on my own.”
“If it gets overwhelming, call me and I’ll be there in an instant,” Hope promised, her eyes filled with concern. “I know how much it hurt you when you left, and I’ll be damned if you’re hurt again.”
Dani laughed at the fierceness of her human friend. She had no doubt that Hope would show up, ready to take on a whole entire wolf pack in order to defend her.
“Slow down, Superwoman,” she giggled. “It’s just a party with my pack who I have not seen in years. You have been the only person I kept in contact with from Wakefield since I left. This will be good for me now that Junior’s gone.”
“God, is it wrong that I’m happy that the son of a bitch is dead?” Hope let out a short laugh. “I know what will make you feel better,” she exclaimed, grabbing Dani’s arm. “Let’s go dance around on his grave.”
“Hope!” she exclaimed before bursting out into laughter with her friend.
She wiped away the tears that blurred her eyes. There was no way in hell that she would have done something so irrational as that. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him when he was alive, much less visit his burial site.
“I’m just playing!” Hope declares through her laughter. “My mother would have both our hides for doing something like that.”
“Let’s just say I’m glad I’m on your good side,” Dani laughed. “I’ll be back later,” she said, hugging Hope again and getting in the car.
Her heart fluttered and she didn’t know if it was because she was about to visit with her pack, or because she was going to be seeing him again.
> The drive to the Blood Moon pack property flew by. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned down the road that led to the center of the pack’s property. She brought her car to a stop at the large security fence that blocked the way. She blinked, staring at the intercom.
“Ok, this is new,” she grumbled as she reached through her window and pressed the button for the intercom.
“How may I help you?” an older male’s voice crackled through the speaker.
“Um…hello? My name is Daniella Harper, and I’m—”
“Dani?” the voice cut her off. “Well I’ll be damned! It’s your Uncle Jasper. Girl, you come right on in, darling!”
She smiled, now recognizing her father’s older brother’s voice. She slowly inched her way forward as the gate opened. She drove down the long winding road through a thick wooded area, which opened into a small community of homes. Emotions welled up thick in her chest as she passed her old neighborhood, where she spent all of her time as a child.
She still remembered her way around the secluded neighborhood and drove to the park where all the pack’s cookouts used to be held. She knew that she was on the correct street when she saw the street lined with parked cars. She found a spot a little ways away from the park, and figured that it wouldn’t hurt for her to walk the rest of the way.
It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and the sun was beaming down on her shoulders. It was warm and comforting as she made her way down the street. She had decided to wear a cream maxi dress with thin straps that hugged her curves and flowed out around her sandal encased feet. The cream colored material against her caramel complexion made the dress pop, and she felt downright cute.
She tried to tell herself that she wasn’t trying to impress anyone, but she would be lying to herself. For some strange reason, she needed to see the approval in his eyes. She wanted to know deep within herself that the sight of her pleased him. She rolled her eyes. If her wolf were out right now, she would be strutting.
She hoped this celebration was like the ones the pack would throw when she was younger. At night, everyone would shift and go for a run together. A few adults would stay back with the children and the elderly. Her wolf itched to get out and stretch her legs.
Loud music filled the air and guided her towards the party. At the entrance of the park, she paused and took a deep breath while she looked around. The park was filled with shifters laughing and having a good time. She smiled at the children running around, laughing and screaming. Teenagers gathered along the edge of the party, away from the adults. She spotted wolves walking around with wide grins on their animal faces.
Her smile grew even wider as she watched the proud wolves. Those must be the teens that just went through their first shift. She remembered the feeling. It was a proud moment, and she had showed off her wolf to anyone who wanted to look.
“Dani!” a voice called out from behind her.
“Hi, Auntie Carol,” Dani exclaimed as she was swept up into her mother’s older sister’s arms.
“We had heard you were back!” Carol smiled. “Come on, honey. Let’s tell everyone you’re here.” Her aunt proceeded to drag her around the whole party, introducing her to the pack.
Before she knew it, Dani had been introduced to almost everyone. Between her aunt and her Cousin Jessa, Dani was sure that she had been introduced to every new pack member, and re-introduced to members she already knew.
It actually felt good to be home around her pack. They had welcomed her home and made her feel nothing but love. Dusk was approaching as the sun disappeared from the sky. Someone had just lit the bonfire, and she watched as the flames reached high into the sky, almost looking as if they were touching the stars.
The party was still going strong with kids running around the fire, laughing and throwing tree branches, and anything else they could find into it. Dani found a spot on a log not too far away from the festivities. Her cousin needed to go help someone and promised to come back and find her, but for now, she was content to just watch the pack celebrate.
A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and found Ace headed towards her. Her breath caught in her throat as he got closer to her.
She knew that as the alpha, Ace would be busy with the festivities, but she didn’t think that she would spend the first few hours of the party only catching a few glimpses of him.
But right now, his attention was solely on her. Her heart fluttered as his hunter’s gaze locked onto hers. Goosebumps appeared on her arms as she realized she was the prey being hunted by the big bad wolf. She wondered if she bolted and ran off into the woods, would he take off after her? The corners of her mouth lifted as she visualized him chasing after her.
That might not be so bad, she thought to herself with a small laugh.
“Hello, Dani,” his deep voice greeted her as he reached her. His smile mesmerized her and sent a tingling feeling straight to her core. Oh my. If one look from him could make her pussy tingle and ache, she was in a world of trouble. Her wolf perked up and instantly began trying to claw her way out.
“Hello, Ace,” she greeted him, trying her best to keep her voice steady. She pushed her wolf back and prayed that he wouldn’t be able to sense how he affected her. His nostrils flared and she knew that her prayer went unanswered. He knew.
Her body immediately reacted to him. She just couldn’t understand how one smoldering look from him had her wanting to strip naked, present herself to him, and beg him to take her. She wanted him…no, needed him. She licked her lips and his amber eyes followed the trail of her tongue.
“Go for a walk with me,” his voice was husky as he held out his hand for her.
She didn’t hesitate to take it as he helped her up from the log, his large hand engulfing her smaller one. He held on to her tight, as if he expected her to change her mind and bolt away. They strolled away from the party in silence. She could feel eyes on her back, watching them, but she didn’t care to turn around to look.
The sounds of the music faded as they continued to walk deep into the forest. Her body positively hummed as the scent of him reached her nostrils and drew her closer to him. She held onto his arm with her free hand, needing to touch more than his hand.
“Where are we going?” she asked with a nervous laugh.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said gently. He looked down at her and squeezed her hand for added comfort. Of course he would be able to tell that she was nervous. “I just wanted to speak to you privately.”
“Really?” she squeaked.
“Yes,” he replied, just as they reached a clearing by a small lake.
The gentle sounds of the water brushing against the shore were soothing as he led her to a large oak tree that faced the water. Once he turned to face her, she could see it was he who was nervous.
“Well, we certainly have privacy,” she teased, looking around at the beautiful landscape. He motioned for her to have a seat at the base of the tree and followed, sitting next to her. He stared off at the lake and she patiently waited next to him to see what he wanted to speak to her about in private.
“I’ve been waiting years for this moment,” he began, brushing something invisible off his jeans.
“Years?” She was shocked. Years? What had he waited years for? To become alpha? She was really confused by what he meant.
“Just let me finish,” he ordered as he turned his beautiful smoky gray eyes towards her. Unable to speak, she nodded her head. His handsome features in the fading light captivated her as the sun finally disappeared. “I grew up here with my parents as members of the Blood Moon pack. The summer I turned eighteen, there was the shifting celebration. I attended it with my family, like all of the rest of the pack did. There was so much going on that night, but my eye was caught by the most beautiful cream colored wolf that my eyes had ever seen.”
She frowned, doing the calculation in her head. She knew that he was older than her, but she vaguely remembered him and his family. Ev
en though he was five years older than her, they never would have hung out. The summer he was speaking of was that of her thirteenth birthday, and her shifting celebration. Her eyes widened as she realized that he had described her wolf.
Her wolf whined, pushing to come to the forefront. Her wolf identified that he wanted her, but her human brain couldn’t think straight as he stared into her eyes. He wanted her? The new alpha, who was totally opposite of Junior, had thought about her all these years? And he just happened to be hotter than hell. From what she had heard today, he had a heart of gold. She swallowed hard as she sat frozen, and waited to see what he said next.
“But I knew three things,” he continued as he grabbed her hand and laid a gentle kiss on the back. “One, she was not of age, so I could not pursue her. The second thing was that she was promised to someone else.” He paused to place a kiss on her inner wrist. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to finish.
“What was the other thing?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited to hear what else he had to say. She now knew for sure that he was speaking of her. Her wolf almost seemed to purr on the inside as Ace continued to leave his tortuous trail of kisses on her arm.
Her body swayed closer, unable to breathe. Her wolf was howling because she already knew what he was about to say, but Dani needed to hear him say the words out loud.
“I knew then that you were my fated mate.”
Chapter Seven
Ace
Dani’s golden eyes widened at his declaration. He tugged her towards him, gently, and her body crashed into his. He gripped her chin, crushing his mouth to hers. Her gasp allowed him to explore her and discover the sweet taste of her.
He kept the kiss deep and sensual, not wanting to scare her away. He needed his mate. He could no longer wait to claim her. His wolf had had enough, and tonight was going to be the night that he would lay his cards on the table.