Page 28

*Adira*

R ushing into what is now our bedroom, I can feel my own and Blue’s excitement. My second chance mate the Goddess gave me is tall, muscular, sexy, and sweet. Nothing like my fated mate, and I am very thankful for that.

Being grabbed from behind, I am gently thrown onto the bed, and landing on top of me with elbows on either side of my shoulders, Barrik leans down and kisses me first gently, with such sweetness. But it soon progresses to being sensual and needy.

Running my hands up over his shoulders, down his impressive pec muscles, and to his sides, I grip as I sigh into his mouth. Right before I capture his tongue, and we fight for dominance of each other's mouth.

My hands lift his shirt and at my urgency Barrik climbs off me and bed and strips quickly, and I mean quickly by shifting to Rawlin and right back again. It’s the amusing, but sensual look he has on his face that has me jumping off the bed and stripping my clothes quickly.

Now, it’s good to be able to keep my clothes on, but I want them off fast at this moment in time. Shifters with royal blood are lucky to have the ability to shift with clothes, but it can be detrimental at a time like this, too.

Barrik slowly walks around the bed, takes me by the waist, and lifts me against his body. I wrap my arms around his neck and legs around his waist, feeling the tip of his massive erection against my most sensitive place.

Low and sultry, Barrik speaks, “I love you already, Adira. I promise to love you until I leave this world, and in the next.”

A tear forms and runs down my cheek as I respond. “I love you already, and I will love you until I leave this world, and in the next.”

Laying me down gently, Barrik makes love to me softly and sweetly. Kissing every piece of my body, which I return in kind. We don’t rush about it; we savor every moment, every touch, and every kiss.

The outside of the bedroom doesn’t exist to us at this time. Not hearing anyone walking past the bedroom, laughing in the kitchen or outside the bedroom window. We only see and hear each other.

Barrik’s hips are pumping faster as he chases his release. I am on the brink, and as I feel myself exploding I bite his neck, fangs deep, making sure everyone will know he is mine. Blue is humming with delight that we have marked him.

The bite in return is painful, but the explosion along with it takes the hurt away.

Both Barrik and I are now linked. I can feel him sitting in my soul.

“I love you, Adira.” I hear in my mind. Pleasing me we can now so easily mind link.

“I love you, Barrik.” I reply, and I can feel the love he has for me, and he can feel mine.

We kiss gently for a moment while we can our breath.

Barrik rolls off me but holds me to his chest. What we both didn’t expect at that moment was Blue and Rawlin to take over and jump from the bed while flirting.

Blue has her tail to one side, encouraging Rawlin to take what he wants, and of course, he is a male, so that is exactly what he does.

Climbing on Blue’s back, Rawlin quickly penetrates while grabbing hold of her scruff. Making doubly sure she cannot move and show his alpha dominance.

I and Barrik move to the back of our minds, leaving our animals to enjoy their time together. Why not? They were more than patient waiting for us to mate and mark.

Two days later, we appear in the kitchen, starving for food. Robbie looks at us, rolls his eyes and makes us a tremendous feast. Leo gives Barrik a slap on the back, as males do! Mavis keeps smirking, and giving me side-eyed looks.

“Okay, cut it out, you lot. We have marked and mated. We also decided that Barrik will be co-alpha, as we have two territories to protect. Doing it that way if one of us is in one territory, we can always cover the other.” I pick up my fork and attack the pancake with berries and cream piled on the top.

“That is sensible. You need to get all your ranked wolves here and inform them, Alpha Adira. Then together we can inform the pack.” Leo waits for my response, which I quickly give.

“Yes, I agree. Call everyone into the office and we’ll do that now. No time like the present.” I give Barrik a smile before quickly finishing my breakfast and clearing my dishes away.

In the office thirty minutes later, I look from Leo, to Rom, Thorn, Talon, Mavis and Robbie. Of course, three already know why we are here. We will inform Stella when she makes contact.

“Okay, Barrik is my mate, as you know. We have marked each other, so it’s as official as it gets.

” I smile when I get congratulations spoken to both myself and Barrik.

“Barrik is an alpha in his own right, but has been acting as Beta for his brother, Alpha James. As I have claimed my birthright of the Strongbow lands, Barrik and I decided we would be co-alphas. As I explained to Robbie, Leo and Mavis it will be far easier to protect two pack lands with two alphas. But my question, and I don’t want your answer today, is—Do we combine the packs?

Or leave them as individual packs? I don’t think two packs will work, but I would like you to think about it, and then we’ll re-meet for further discussion. ”

After a brief discussion, most everyone leaves to get on with their day. I sit with Barrik, Mavis and Leo, who are bringing us up to date on happenings while we were in seclusion.

Leo quickly informs me that the O’Conner family has a house off Main Street.

“Arak came across it and found nothing in dire need of repair. He spoke to me, and we, meaning Mavis and I, gave Alan an offer on the place. He quickly contacted the owner, and they accepted. So that’s a done deal.

Good thing is Blaze O’Conner had enough money to buy the place, so it’s taken nothing from the pack finances. ”

“Good, I’m happy that is settled. They seem to be a nice family.”

I look at Mavis as she has leaned forward to speak. “Rania is a heck of an excellent seamstress. I saw some of her repair work when I popped to their house to see if they were settled in okay. She is going to be a tremendous asset to the pack, Alpha Adira.”

Leo quickly adds to Mavis' comment. “Blaze is a fierce warrior. He has great ideas on strategy and he’ll work alongside Talon and Thorn. They are a wonderful family. It’s a shame they are human because he would have made a fantastic shifter no matter what species.”

Barrik chuckles. “We have a human in my brother's pack like that. He is worth his weight in gold. If this Blaze is as good, then we will have an outstanding warrior in him.”

“We have Blaze training all the humans, and he’s looking at our defenses. He’s found some weak spots in the boundary, so we’ve been working on those. Closing up places that could have left us vulnerable.” Leo looks at Barrik for any comment.

“Grant has the cottage livable and we’ve moved Warden’s possessions to there. He doesn’t have much. In fact, neither of them do, and do you know that shitty Alpha Benedict gave them hardly any salary for what they did. It is disgusting…” Mavis states with a heavy touch of disgust in her tone.

“Okay,” I cut her off before she rages. “Anything else?”

Leo chuckles, then turns that into a laugh as he attempts to tell me what is so amusing to him. “Tar-tar-tarlo Pawfoot has claimed Great and her son as his mate.”

“No!” I state quickly, shocked. “He didn’t force her, did he?” I can’t help but ask. I don’t think Tarlo is that kind of wolf, but I need to know for sure.

My comment has Barrik bristling, and I can feel Rawlin rising. I place my hand on his thigh and he looks at me, a little shocked, but my touch calms him.

“Oh, no, he wouldn’t do that. He’s been courting her for a while.

You know she’s human, with that half-shifter child.

It will be a good mating, I’m sure of that.

Tarlo is strutting around like you have never seen, Alpha Adira.

” Again, Leo laughs, and Mavis is smiling broadly as she has obviously seen something.

“Is the child showing any shifter traits, and what species are we speaking about?” Barrik asks.

“The boy is half wolf. His father was killed while on border patrol by a group of rogues. He and his patrol partner were both killed. From what I hear, the rogues were tracked down and killed. They were feral and would have gone on a frenzied killing spree given time,” Leo states, and from how he has spoken he wasn’t in the town at that time.

“How are Yarik and Zorak settling into the pack?” I ask.

“Oh, they are doing well. They have settled into training quickly. They are happy living with Joyce, funnily enough. They don’t want to move out as they have seen Joyce as a mother figure, and it’s put them into a protective mode.

It’s rather amusing to see two lion shifters hovering over a human woman, and treating her like she’s made of glass.

Which, I have to tell you, has Joyce at her wit's end, and has clobbered them both with her rolling pin and skillet.” Leo laughs again, and I can imagine Joyce doing that so allow a giggle to escape at that image in my mind.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all these characters you speak of. It’s strange being in a pack that I’m supposed to help guide, yet I know not a soul as yet,” Barrik states, and we all sober as we think that it has to be strange, and have you feeling left out of these kinds of conversations.

“Leo, call the pack. We are having a meeting. We’ll hold it at the Town Hall, as that is the most central. I need to announce Barrik, and get him mingling with everyone.”

Standing on the platform outside the Town Hall, I look around at all the faces, checking if anyone is missing. Not including the patrol, of course. We cannot afford for them to leave their posts.

“Thank you all for coming so quickly. I have an important announcement to make. First, I want you all to know I found my second chance mate while away from the pack. He is Barrik Cornerstone, formally appointed Beta for Alpha James, of the Dark Water Pack.” I don’t say another word as the pack members burst into applause, and the sense of welcome, joy, and acceptance hits.

“Okay, I have something else to tell you.” I wait for everyone to quieten, then continue.

“I am the heir to the Strongbow Pack, and I have visited the territory. It can be rebuilt, and that’s what I intend to do, eventually.

But with two lands not joined, it will be difficult, so with Barrik being a born Alpha, we have agreed to be co-alphas for the pack, or packs.

We have to decide going forward, but for now I would like you all to get to know Alpha Barrik. ”

The pack is quiet for a few moments until someone claps and shouts congratulations and welcome alpha. That is the catalyst that has all the pack joining in, and surging to Barrik, who is surrounded in no time by pack members.

Blue snickers, ‘Well, he wanted to know the pack, now he must do it all in one session.’

“Yes, you are right. He must meet them all now. But he’ll survive it. I know he will.”