“Fine!” he said. “I want you to go find as many kids as you can and get them down to those trucks. Okay?”
“Okay.” she said.
Joe pulled her into another brief kiss.
“I love you. Be safe.”
Joe ran off to rejoin the fray. Sierra darted for the stairwell, scooping up an abandoned rifle as she went.
The door to the stairwell was locked. Sierra fired the gun at the door handle, splintering the wood around it until the door would open. She bounded up the stairs as fast as she could. She headed straight for the twelfth floor, where she knew the older girls were.
Naked, covered in blood, and armed to the teeth, she burst into the hallway, where most of the girls were huddled together, wondering what was happening. They stared at her in surprise.
“Who wants to go home?” she asked them.
They were silent for a moment, before one of them finally spoke up.
“We’re getting out?” she asked.
“We’re getting out.” Sierra confirmed. “But I need your help. Where are the older boys?” she asked.
“Eleventh floor.”
“Okay.” Sierra said. “You, go down there. Tell them to start gathering up the younger boys. Go floor by floor. The rest of you, start gathering up the girls. I want you to meet me in the stairwell on the first floor. Do not go into the lobby until I get there!”
“What about the babies?” one girl asked.
“Shit!” Sierra said. “Do you know how many babies there are?”
“At least a dozen.” she replied. “They’re in a converted banquet room on the
second floor.”
“Okay.” Sierra said, thinking wildly. “You, come with me! The rest of you, go!”
Sierra ran back to the stairwell, the girls hot on her heels.
“I’m Beth.”
“Sierra,” she replied.
They ran down the stairs.
“We can’t carry them all!” Sierra yelled, thinking aloud. “We need.,. wagons or…”
“Housekeeping carts!” Beth exclaimed.
Sierra smiled.
“Beth, you’re a genius,” she said as they ran out onto the second floor.
One of the guards stepped into the hallway just as they rounded a corner. Without hesitating, Sierra pointed the gun and shot him in the head. His body fell backwards to the ground. They ran past it.
“Wait!” Sierra yelled, and doubled back. She unclipped the guard’s security badge.
“We’ll need it for the elevator.”
In the banquet room were thirteen cribs laid out in rows, in each one a baby with a pink or blue blanket like a hospital nursery. The babies cried as they grabbed them and laid them down on the plastic carts. Each cart had two shelves, and they could fit three babies on each shelf. Sierra slung the gun over her shoulder by the strap and grabbed the thirteenth baby in her arms.
As fast as they dared, they pushed the carts back down the hall and into the elevator. Sierra flashed the badge and they took the elevator down to the lobby.
Mercifully, when the doors opened, the area immediately in front of them was clear. Sierra told Beth to wait there with the carts, thrusting the baby into her arms.
She ran to the shot up stairwell door. Behind it, she found at least fifty cowering children.
She took the first group down the elevator herself, making sure the hanger was clear. Six trucks were waiting at the other end of the hanger. She told them to run for the trucks and went back for the next group.
Only about a dozen kids could cram in the elevator at a time. She escorted each group across the lobby and into the elevator, sending them down before heading back to the stairs for the next group.
Finally, there was only one group left. They ran to the elevator, Sierra carrying one of the smaller boys. She loaded them in and sent them down, breathing a sigh of relief as the doors shut.
Her relief was cut short as she was suddenly thrown to the ground, sending the rifle spinning out of reach. A leopard had appeared out of nowhere, tearing its teeth into her calf. She screamed, and looked up at the leopard pinning her down.
It was Dorrian.
She tried to shift, but the pain and fear blocked out every thought in her head.
Dorrian shifted and held her down. He dug one hand into the wound on her leg, causing her to scream again.
“You have ruined everything for me!” he screamed at her. “You filthy little meddling bitch! You’re destroyed everything I’ve worked for!”
He wrapped his long fingers around her throat.
“I am going to take so much pleasure in killing you.”
She was losing air fast, clawing desperately at his clenched hands. Her vision was staring to gray around the edges as he smiled triumphantly down at her.
Then Joe ripped him off her. In one movement, he tossed Dorrian into the air and then snapped his powerful jaws around Dorrian’s torso, ripping him in half with a shake of his massive head.
Sierra drew in a ragged breath and coughed as Joe shifted back to human form and approached her.
“Joe…” she said weakly.
“Shhhh…” he told her. “Don’t try to talk. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
Joe scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her into the elevator. She was so dizzy from the oxygen deprivation.
The elevator doors opened into the hanger. The trucks were gone.
“The kids…” she said.
“Shhhh…” he told her again. “I told you not to talk, beautiful. The kids are okay.
They got out.”
He carried her across the hanger and over to Dorrian’s fleet of cars. Gently, he laid her down in the passenger seat of the Ferrari Spider and buckled her in. Joe climbed into the driver’s seat and started the powerful engine with a roar.
“Let’s go home.” he said.
*
It was a slow trip home, with many, many stops along the way.
They were bringing the kids back home.
At every stop, with every pack, they were greeted with celebration, and tears of joy as parents reunited with their children. Babies were returned to their mothers. Some had been gone only a matter of months. Others had gone through most of their life without seeing their parents. Those lost children greeted their families almost shyly, not really knowing them anymore. The parents were thrilled enough to make up for their children’s hesitation, throwing their arms around them with abandon and holding them close.
Each Alpha insisted they stay and celebrate. They were treated to champagne and good food and dancing.
When they reached Atlanta, Pearl was simply beside herself with joy at being reunited with her grandchildren.
She had hugged and kissed Sierra and Joe and couldn’t thank them enough. She said she was going to make them a pie, and wound up sending them on their way with six peach pies, two loaves of banana bread, and a basket of pumpkin muffins. Apparently, baked good were how you say thank you in the south.
The real hero of the story was Gina.
Instead of flying home to Arkansas, she had gotten as far away as necessary and then found a payphone. After many attempts and hung up phones, she had gotten someone to put her through to Joe.
Because the trouble wasn’t just that Dorrian held everyone’s children hostage. The trouble was that no one knew where the children were being kept.
Armed with that crucial piece of information. Joe carefully reached out to some of the Alphas again. Not only could they get their own children back, he reasoned with them, but if they managed to free all the hostages, the other packs would have no reason to support Dorrian anymore or come to his aid. They could crumble his empire, if only they could free the kids.
Within just ten hours, a rescue operation had been staged. All of the able-bodied people of Sleuth had joined in, as well as Pearl’s pack and half a dozen other packs.
Gina, having lived there almost her whole life, had given them all the information they needed. Wh
ere the hotel was located. What the layout was. What security systems and locks were in place. The number of guards present.
With her help, they had been able to successfully plan and stage their attack. Though there had been many casualties on their side, all of the children had made it out.
So, when they arrived in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Gina received nothing short of a hero’s welcome. That was a party not quite like anything Sierra had experienced before. Most of their flock had houseboats or pontoon boats that they roped together. They hopped from one boat to the next, drinking beer and eating barbeque all day long. Gina’s family’s boat was right at the center of everything, and everyone wanted to personally thank her for saving their children, and freeing them all from Dorrian’s control.
But none of the celebrations they were a part of as they made their way home were anything compared to the one in Sleuth. It went on for four days and four nights. They celebrated their freedom and the return of their children. They mourned their dead. They staged fights, launched fireworks, and danced around bonfires. They all drank entirely too much moonshine and smoked entirely too much weed. They feasted. They laughed. They cried. And the children were the happiest they’d ever seen them, running between the bonfires, laughing and playing and waiving sparklers.
Sierra sat back at the edge of the party, smiling as she watched them all. Joe brought her a piece of cake and sat down next to her.
“What are you thinking?” he asked her.
“I’m thinking it’s good to be home.” Sierra replied with a smile.
Joe stood and offered her his hand.
“Come on,” he said. “I have something to show you.”
Joe took her by the hand and led her through the crowd. Their progress was slowed many times by people stopping to thank her and Joe again. Eventually they made it to Joe’s cabin. Joe held the door open for her as she stepped inside.
There was a string quartet waiting inside the cabin that began to play as soon as she walked in the door. By the light of the moon streaming through the windows, she saw the red roses filling the cabin. There must have been at least eight dozen of them, covering every available surface. That is, except for the nightstand next to the bed, on which instead was an ice bucket chilling a bottle of champagne with two elegant glasses.
Sierra took it all in and then turned back to face Joe. Joe took both her hands in his.
“I told you.” he said, “I told you there would be music and moonlight and champagne and roses.”
He knelt down in front of her and reached into his jacket pocket. The ring he pulled out was beautiful. It had an ornate platinum setting and a giant princess cut diamond.
“I’ve lived for hundreds of years, and the time I’ve spent with you has been the best time of my life. I think marriage means more for us, because we can live forever. I know I want to spend forever with you. Sierra Christie, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Just in that moment everything Sierra had been though, all the pain, and the terror, and the struggle to survive, was all worth it. Because all of that had led her to this man, and this moment right here. She couldn’t have been happier.
“Just one question.” she said.
“Anything.” Joe answered.
“Would you prefer to have the wedding before or after I have our baby?”
Joe’s jaw dropped in surprise. Then joy followed the shock, and suddenly both the politician and the reporter were lost for words. Instead they kissed, and they held each by the light of the moon, knowing that they were going to hold on to each other, and their child, for all eternity.
THE END
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BOOK NINE
THE BEAR'S
PRINCESS
ELLIE VALENTINA
Copyright ©2015 by Ellie Valentina
All rights reserved.
About This Book
After faking her own kidnapping in order to avoid having to marry the despicable Prince Olric, Princess Aurelia finds herself hiding in the forest with no idea what to do next.
Then when she is approached by 2 friendly looking strangers, everything begins to change. Afonso and Nico are werebears and protectors of the forest that she is currently residing in.
They insist that the forest is not safe for a princess and she must return home but Aurelia knows that anything is better then having to marry Prince Olric.
With Prince Olric already searching the forest for her, the bears have no choice. They will take her in and protect her, something that Aurelia is very happy to be a part of.
After all, who needs a prince when you can have a BEAR?
CHAPTER ONE
Her hair had forcefully come undone from her ever so pristine braids. It was the coldest time of year in Berchtesgaden, but she was thick in sweat and filled with adrenaline. Aurelia had never run so fast or far in all the times she could recall in her life. Covered in peasant garments so that no one would recognize her, and now deep into the forest at the foot of Mt. Watzmaun, she was sure no one would find her. The soles of her shoes were beginning to wear off, slowly inviting tiny cuts and scrapes, but she would not stop. If she would have had more time to prepare, she would have found more suitable footwear for such a venture, but time was scarce and her window of escape had come before she expected.
Prince Olric and Princess Aurelia were meant to wed by this time today. In a perfect world, they would be celebrating with close friends and family and planning for the future of Bavaria. The wedding was not meant to be held until the start of the New Year, but Prince Olric’s mother had recently fallen ill and wanted to see her son assume the role he was always meant to take on before the inevitable.
Aurelia never cared for Lady Gertrud. She never felt that there was real love involved in their relationship, but rather, that she should feel honored to even breathe the same air as Prince Olric. Lady Gertrud never understood why Olric was so deeply in love with Aurelia. How could he love someone so strong willed and outspoken while there were plenty of other beautiful, well mannered, submissive royals throughout the land, who would dream of being at the hand of Olric? Most women at this time found identity and self-purpose only once they were assigned to the man to whom they would love and care for. Aurelia was not one of these women. She was a social butterfly, the life of the party, every girl’s best friend and every man’s desired mate. Everyone shared the same intoxicating love for Aurelia except for Lady Gertrud, who was never impressed with her frivolousness.
She would often see Aurelia go for long walks in the fields alone, and she found this rather odd. She began concocting the idea that Aurelia was being unfaithful to Olric, and so decided to follow her on numerous occasions. She never did catch Aurelia with another man. Instead, she would always end up at the same place: a large sycamore tree at the foot of the lake. Aurelia loved this tree. Sometimes she would run towards it and once it was close enough she would immediately start climbing the tree and swinging from the branches in a fit of laughter, much the same way that a child would. Other times, she would sit on the stumps or lean against the trunk and just talk to the tree in a way that she would a close friend; telling it about her day, sharing funny stories and sometimes having a good cry. So odd Aurelia was, Lady Gertrud would think every time she witnessed this. She began losing interest in the idea that Aurelia was unfaithful to Olric and her hope that she could expose Aurelia’s true nature to her son, and so she finally stopped secretly joining in on the walks. A short time later, Lady Gertrud began to fall very ill and started acting even more evil toward Aurelia, accusing her of jewelry gone missing and even vocali
zing her suspicion that Aurelia was trying to poison her so that she could be the only woman in Olric’s life. Aurelia would just joke that Lady Gertrud was indeed poisoned, not by her, but by the venom flowing from within the Lady’s own system.
With Lady’s sudden illness came the sudden need to push the wedding up from the original date of early January to the new date of November eleventh, which was three days away. Aurelia had accepted the idea that she would be marrying Olric, but she never quite felt comfortable with the notion that she was accepting her fate as his wife. She actually quite liked the idea of being a queen, not as a king’s wife, but as Queen of the Land. She had visions for the kingdom. Up to this point, there were never any formal queens in Bavarian history. Wives of kings would take on the prefix “queen”, but these women never had any true governing power nor did any of them really desire it. Most were completely content being nothing more than a royal housewife. Aurelia had always had issues with words like acceptance and content. She was full of passion, and believed in risk for the greater good, two things which she and Orlic did not see eye to eye . Some would say that their differences brought them together and made them one of the greatest couples to take the throne, but Aurelia was never completely convinced of this.
Prince Olric lived a very comfortable life (another word that made Aurelia cringe). He was an only child and very much a mama’s boy. His father, King Roland, was a man of integrity and virtue. He only spoke when needed and remained mostly to himself. Lady Gertrud, on the other hand, was very outspoken and opinionated, though her opinions were mostly those of ignorance and entitlement.
King Roland’s marriage to Lady Gertrud was not one of love, but of business. Her father owned a great deal of land in Munich and had ties with many neighboring states. In the early years of Roland’s reign, Bavaria was in constant conflict with Austria and needed mending fast. The most suitable thing for Roland to do was marry Gertrud in exchange for her father’s land and an accordance of peace among Austria and other countries. Prince Olric took on his father’s sensible state of mind. He was very logical and calm and avoided confrontation at all costs. He was also quite a striking man, very easy on the eyes, which was the first thing that Aurelia noticed about him. He had dark brown hair, icy blue eyes and a very developed upper body. He spent most of his free time horseback riding, fencing and trying to go on walks with Aurelia, though she preferred to go alone. Aurelia truly believed she loved Orlic at some point, maybe at the beginning of the relationship because he was so very handsome and she thought he would make a great father some day. But as time went on, the flame began to dwindle. She began to feel very bored in her life with Olric. He started trying to control her more and more every day, and would get insanely jealous when she spoke to other men, especially with his mother always in his ear about her suspicions. She was never untrue to him, but he would constantly wonder.
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