Garrett's Home

Shelby Lynn

JK Publishing (2012)

Rating:

★★★☆☆

Garrett longed to get away from the abusive Pack he belonged to. The problem was he had nowhere to go. With his

Alpha getting crazier and crazier, he has no choice but to run when he is beaten within an inch of his life.
Haven is on his way to the Cedarhill Pack; his friend's sister has not contacted her family in weeks. His Beta asks him to
go and find his sister as a favor, since he was driving by in the first place. However, Haven finds a lot more than the
answers he is seeking. His badly beaten mate. Now with the help of a neighboring Pack they have to help the rest of the
wolves in the Cedarhill Pack, before they are all destroyed.

Warning M/M

Garrett’s Home

By

Shelby Lynn

Edited By: Kenya Mann

Artwork by:

MAKO SHAKOR

Published by JK Publishing LLC

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other

people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If
you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then, please return to
Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or

are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely
coincidental.

(c) Copyright 2012 JK Publishing.

All rights reserved.

Dedication Page

I would like to dedicate this book to my family; they stand by me every day and love you so much. Thank you for waiting that

extra five minutes to finish a line or two, or working straight th rough dinner and hubby runs after pizza.

Thank you, Hun. I love you.

To my Mom, I wish you were still here. I miss you every day, even though I know you are in a much better place , pain

free.

Last, but definitely not least , thank you to JK Publishing for taking a chance on m e. Kenya Man , my editor, who has helped

from the very beginning, you are amazing!

Thank You,

Shelby Lynn

Table of Contents

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Prologue:

6

Chapter 1

8

Chapter 2

13

Chapter 3

26

Chapter 4

33

Chapter 5

50

Chapter 6

56

Chapter 8

67

Chapter 9

74

Chapter 10

79

Chapter 11

89

Chapter 12

100

Chapter 13

114

Chapter 14

122

Chapter 15

130

Chapter 16

138

Chapter 17

146

Chapter 18

152

Chapter 19

159

Chapter 20

164

Chapter 21

174

Prologue:

“Garrett, you’re a cock loving bastard . I’m going to beat the depravity right out of you . No member of my Pack is

going to be a fag. This is your last warning; you ‘re going to mate with Jessica this next full moon. If you keep up with this
disgusting conviction that you are a cock lover, then I will have to show you just how bad it can get to have a cock stuck
up your ass . If that’s what it takes to break this sickening part of you , I’ll do it, “ the Alpha said and grinned evilly.

“I can’t change who I am. I t’s what destiny has chosen me to be , Jacob , ” a rgued Garrett, probably not the best

move to make at this point, but he was sick and tired of denying who he was.

The Alpha of his Pack narrowed his eyes and then turned to the Beta that was standing in the room. Garrett knew he

was in trouble when the Beta nearly rubbed his hands together with glee.

“Enforcer Jarrod, I expect no part of his body to not be broken in some way or form. It ‘s the only way to get rid of

this filthy habit. If he dies, then better for our Pack, I won’t have the son of bitch mocking me in this matter.”

“As you wish Alpha,” Jarrod said with an evil smile.

Chapter 1

Garrett was running for his life —the beating was far crueler this time around. If Shannon hadn’t snuck in and risked his

life to let him go, he had no doubt that he’d be dead right now. The sad part was that his Alpha could blust er about his
preferences all he wanted, but Garrett knew the real man. He saw the looks the Alpha gave him —he was more than willing
to ‘fuck’ anything out of him. The thought made him shiver even more. Garrett would rather die th a n to screw that beast.
Having dreamed of a mate man y times, who treated him better than a piece of meat, was what kept him going. Surely, the
spirits would not be so cruel, to give him a mate who treated him the same way his Alpha did. Was it too much to ask that
others accept him for the person the spirits made him to be?

There were so many things that Garrett hadn’t shared with his Alpha , s ince being orphaned at a young age , then

wandering into what is now known as the, “The Cedarhill Pack.” Garrett had been under the Alphas ‘protection’. Right,
like that shit really worked out for him .

Garrett learned early on the Pack is ruled with an iron fist. Since he had felt that fist more times than he could count

recently, Garrett felt like he was an expert. Anyone, even slightly different , is ostracized and sometimes even killed. Secrets
we re just a huge part of their Pack. Hell , Garrett could have ‘outed ‘ half of the men and the women in the Pack before he
ran, but he knew the abuse they could face. Garrett refused to bring that down on anyone.

When Enforcer Jarrod had overturned Garrett’s room for the fun of it, he found the stash of magazines he had hidden

for his pleasure. Garrett may have never actually taken his sexual preference to the Alpha like he was required to do, but he
knew he was gay since he was a young cub. Enforcer Jarrod laughed his cruel laugh after leafing through them for a few
minutes. Then he confiscated the magazines and headed straight for the Alpha’s house.

***

That night was the first of the beatings. Even with the shift afterwards , it took three days to heal from the beating. For

the next three weeks leading up to the full moon, they visited Garrett almost every day , trying to convince him to mate with
Jessica. It wasn’t that anythi ng was wrong with Jessica; she wa s a sweet little thing, but she did absolutely nothing for him.
No woman turned him on.

Garrett didn’t know how far he could run without passing out completely. He knew the Alpha would be hot on his

heels, just to make sure Ga rrett kept his mouth shut. It wa s much easier to scare and intimidate the smaller and weaker
Pack members. This time they worked him over g ood; his wolf wa s too weak to repair the damage they inflicted. Garrett
could feel the anger beneath the weakness , b ut there was nothing to be done until he could rest and heal. Then he would
bring hell to his Alpha —the man had no clue who he was dealing with.

Garrett may be smaller than most of the wolves in his Pack, but he made up for it in sass. It was probably why the Beta

hated him so much, Garrett refused to back down, even when he was being beaten. Probably singing the “YMCA “ song
didn’t help mat ters , but he refused to admit what he was on the inside was wrong. ‘Gay and proud of it’ was his motto,
one that he was gonna live to the fullest now that he escaped. If only he was sure he would make it out of here alive.

Garrett had no idea how far he had run or the dir ection only that his instincts were telling him that he wa s moving away

from Cedarhill Pack lands. If he were to fall down right this moment and never move another step, Alpha Cedarhill would
find him. That was not acceptable.

He refused to think about the friends he left behind; he hoped they knew that he was coming back. Alpha Cedarhill

forbids any closeness between the Pack, so Garrett had been unable to tell anyone what his plan was when they took him
this time. It was easy really, they always made sure to take him out of the compound to beat him, of course; they would
hate if anyone found out how Garrett actually got his bruises. How stupid, like the members of the Pack didn’t know? They
were just to o afraid to speak up. Many of them learned their lessons along the way . Garrett didn’t fault any of them for
not fighting back. No, he had to keep moving, because he was going to bring back help for the others. The blood was
starting to pool in his eyes, and his vision was blurring so much that Garrett didn’t see the truck bearing down on him.

Chapter 2

Haven was starting to get tired; it was a long drive from the Cascade Mountains of his Pack lands. He had been Alpha

of his Pack now for over ten years in the beautiful state of Washington. Haven drove straight through to save time. His
friend called, asking for help with a situation, and he responded. Tyler had been a member of his Pack since the beginning
and was his Beta —there was nothing he wouldn’t do for the man. When Tyler requested he come and try to find his sister
as a favor , Haven agreed without question.

When Tyler explained how his sister mated while in college to a member of the Cedarhill Pack, Haven had

congratulated him until he explained further what was disturbing him. The problem Tyler had was they had heard nothing
from his sister since, Tyler was becoming suspicious. Apparently, his mother had become frantic when Colleen had not
called her in weeks. Even during t he mating frenzy, the couples did come up for air and food, just barely , he laughed to
himself.

Haven knew most everyone around the wolf community, and they knew that Haven had this thing for fighting for the

underdog . Being a gay Alpha , he kinda had to roll with the punches.

Haven’s Pack was a little different; they were a gay community of wolves, those thrown out of their previous homes or

abusive situations. His Pack liked to call it, “Haven’s Home,” when in all reality, it belonged to his Pack, along with the four
thousand acres around him. Living in the Cas cade Mountains was a dream come true for Haven . When his dad kicked
him out of his bir th Pack, he paid Haven to never come back and that is exactly what he did. Haven took the money and
bought a chunk of what he called heaven. It wa s somewhat ironic that his mother named him Haven before she died,
because he lik ed to think that was what he had created for his Pack.

Haven’s first rescue was in a town not far from where he decided to build the Pack house. Haven was in town

checking out the local building supply store, when he heard a commotion in the back alleyway.

Haven had walked up on one hell of a fight, there were six wolves teasi ng and taunting the biggest man he had ever

seen. First thing he thought of was ‘are they stu pid’ and guessed they thought that with six of them, they could overpower
him.

“You fucking queer; we’re gonna kill all your kind.” They taunted as e ach came at him from all sides.

“You can try, you good-for-nothing cubs , ” h e said, k nowing that would piss them all off to no end being called

babies.

They were starting to gang up on him, so Haven decided it was time to step into the action. Haven wasn’t quite as big

as the other wolf , but he made up for that in his Alpha power. In a matter of minutes, he had the young ones subdued and
cringing under his power. It showe d just how dominant the man was to be able to stay on his feet under such a show of
power.

“Thank you for stepping in to help, they keep coming back with more cubs every time I beat them. I ‘m not sure I

could have this time, without a lot of damage.”

“You’re welcome. I was just checking out the town’s lumber yard next door w hen I heard the commotion coming

from the alley here and checked to see what was going on.”

That was how Haven met his Beta, Tyler, and they started their own Pack on the edge of the Cascade Mountains.

Since then m any wolves had come or Haven had gott en calls to save a few, it seemed the wolf grapevine runs as fast as
the human one. That brought about problems of its own, with cocky ass wolves thinking they can take over a ‘fags’ land.
After the death of the sixth dipshit it must have made its way around to some of the Packs, the challenges had tapered off.

Haven had made a lot of connections in the wolf community, but in this part of the country, he only knew of a few

wolves, one of them being his friend. While thinking about how he was going to explain to another Alpha why he was
coming onto his lands to talk to a Pack member, he only looked away from the road for a split second, and when he
looked back, someone was in his path; the quick reflexes of his wolf saved the man from his truck.

Slamming on his brakes, he felt his truck fishtail and slide to the side of the road, narrowly missing the man who stood in

obvious shock watching the grill of his truck. He didn’t waste a second jumping from his truck to make sure the man was
okay. He could feel his truck still rolling as he jumped from the front seat.

Haven knew he didn’t hit the man; however, from the looks of him, someone had already taken care of kicking the shit

out of him. The shock of almost being hit by a truck and his beating must have been too much for the young man, because
down he went like a ton of bricks. Haven just barely made it to catch him as he fe ll.

Even through all the blood covering the man, the Alpha could smell a sweet heavenly scent coming off him. Oh my god,

this is his mate, his badly beaten mate. Anger flowed through Haven, with the thoughts of the suffering his mat e had
endured. Who would dare to lay a hand on his little mate ? A s Ha ven cradled him within his arms, he felt rage build,
and knew when he found the ones responsible they would pay.

Haven had to get him help and soon; his wolf was pacing inside him. He was waiting very impatiently as the phone rang,

waiting to be picked up by his Beta and friend. Damn it , he should have called a few of the Packs along the way to make
contact. If he broke down or something as it was, he was sitting on a strange high way with his mate, not knowing where
the hell the closest Pack doctor was located .

The phone rang to his Beta; thank goodness he had a signal out here in the boonies. “Tyler, I need your help; I found

my mate, and he ‘s in bad shape. Someone has been beating him repeatedly from what I can see. He ‘s out cold, and I can
just barely feel his wolf. If we don’t get him help , he will die.”

He heard his Beta gasp, but then his second said briskly over the phone, covering up his shock quickly, “Haven, first

thin g you need to do is to bite him. I know you ‘re going to argue, but the enzymes from your wolf will help heal him since
you are his mate. How close are you to Cedarhill Pack?”

Shit, he should have thought of that, but in his panic, he hadn’t even though. His mate must have heard at least part of

the conversation, because when the word Cedarhill came up, he whined and started struggling in his arms.

“Don’t call the Cedarhill Pack. I think that ‘s where my mate came from , ” Haven said briskly. “Find out what the fuck

is going on in that Pack. First, we have your sister, then my mate shows up beaten and running for his life from the looks of
it. Someone will answer for this shit.”

“On it, Alpha, I will have a report to you by the time you get to safety and have your mate checked out , ” Tyler said in

a no-nonsense tone.

Haven knew that he would do what he said . I f anyone could find out what the hell was going on it was Tyler, the only

reason he hadn’t asked him sooner was because he needed a break. Haven wanted to drive to this Cedarhill Pack and
relax, looks like that was being put on hold. If he had his way, maybe this trip would turn into a honeymoon. Shit, he had to
stop thinking about that, his mate was hurt! Clearing his throat, he focused.

At the word mate, the man in his arms caught his breath and seemed to relax suddenly; Haven figured all the damage to

his face might have messed up his smell a little. All Haven could think of in that moment was getting his mate somewhere
safe with a Weir doctor to help him.

“Ok, Haven, the next closest Pack to your location is about twenty minutes away. I will get on the phone and alert the

Alpha that you ‘re coming in fast with a very hurt mate. That way, the doctor will be on hand as soon as you get there.”

“Thanks, buddy, I really owe you.”

“Nah, you would do the same for me. Now get you r mate in the truck and head on Hwy 160 South and take the

Riverview exit right, and you will run into Liberty. I will have the Alpha call you for the directions to the Pack house. Good
luck , my friend , I have a feeling you ‘re going to need it for what ‘s ahead.”

***

“Baby, I know this is going to hurt, but I have to get you in the truck and seat belted , ” Haven whispered to the slight

man in his arms. He wished he could see his face without all the marks —he would bet he was beautiful. No matter .
Whatever he looked like , he was his mate, no question about it. The way his blood was racing and heart pounding, it was
just like Haven’s mother described.

It was as if it was just too much for his mate, the movements and pain knocked him out again. Haven really would have

loved to see his eyes; betting they were beauties when not swollen shut. With him out, he parted his shirt, licked his neck,
and made his mating mark on him as quickly as he could. Oh man , his cock sure woke up at the feel of his mate next to

him. Damn , he needed to settle down; there wa s no way he w ould be up for anything for a couple of days.

He fit into Haven’s lap perfectly. His rage was building again from the pain his mate was feeling. However, he wa s so

thankful to have found him. Though his face was covered in bruises, he could st ill see the beauty; his hair was the color of
the first s now. From the looks of him, he was young, though it wa s hard to tell with their kind. There wa s an innocence
about him though that made Haven’s protective instincts kick into overdrove. Haven was much bigger than he was also,
since he stood around six foot, it was easy to tell that his mate was shorter, and thinner. Haven had the build of a n athlete;
his thighs were muscular and his waist smaller. Then his chest and shoulders bulged out again. His Pack mates like d to call
him the Enforcer, because most people were afraid of his build. His face was ruggedly handsome with a strong nose and
cheek bones, but his hair was what made people sit up and take notice of him. His black hair was long and thick. The kind
women were jealous of , according to a few of his female friends.

Haven began to think about his mate. Where was his family, why would they have allowed such a thing to happen to

anyone, let alone his mate? Someone was going to answer for every bruise on his body if it wa s the last thing he ever did.
With that thought, the phone rang.

“Hello,” h e barked into the phone as he snapped out of his thoughts. He needed to get moving. Strapping his mate into

the seat next to him, he pulled the seatbelt tight. After everything that happened , he didn’t want him to be injured more .
While listening to the man who called , he jogged around the truck and jumped in , peeling out from the side of the road he
was on.

“This is Alex Blackwood from the Blackwood Pack; your Beta called to let me know you ‘re coming in fast with your

mate. As soon as you turn onto the exit, go straight for ten miles then turn on Jasper Road . We ‘re about five miles out.
You should have no problem finding the Pack house. I already have Doc Taylor waiting to help out your mate.”

“Thank you, Alpha Blackwood, I owe you big time.”

“You can return the favor if needed, no problem.”

Haven drove faster while watching his mate to make sure he was okay. He was mentally clicking off the miles and

directions and soothing his mate by rubbing his fingers through his hair. It was intoxicating to do; he could feel his arousal
again just from touching him. He really needed to stop, or he was going to have to go right to the bathroom when he arrived
at the Pack house. The mating frenzy was already starting to run through his blood. Haven continued towards Liberty. I t
seemed an eternity, but really it was a short time . He hit the city limits and headed out toward the Pack lands.

As Haven turned off the beaten path, he had to slow the truck down a little to keep from jarring his mate too much.

Occasionally, he would whine or try to move closer, but the seatbelt was holding him tightly in place . I t was probably
uncomfortable, but there was no other choice. Without knowing the extent to his injuries , Haven needed to be careful.

In the distance, he could see a huge house, which must be the Pack house. In all the Packs he visite d, the Pack house

wa s always bigger than any other within the Weir communities. It was wh ere the Pack meetings were held, and the mating
ceremonies were celebrated. Usuall y the Alpha and the Pack Betas we re the only ones that live d there all the time. At
least, that was the way with his Pack.

Chapter 3

When Haven drove up, he used caution. A lthough the Alpha said that he would have the doctor ready, he was not

taking any chances with his mate. Too many times one of his Pack brothers was lured into a false situation. Haven was not
going to let that happen this time.

Stopping the car, he watched for a brief moment to make sure no other wolve s were going to come out. There were

two men on the front porch, he could easily tell the difference between the Alpha and the little doctor beside him. Haven
quickly went around the side of the truck and gently lifted his mate out of the seat. As he turned back to the men, he tilted
his head to the side in a sign of respect for the other Alpha, and he did the same.

The doctor hurried forward and glanced down at his mate and grimaced , “Quickly . He looks like he ‘s in bad shape,

bring him into the house. We don’t have time to take him to my clinic . I ‘m just glad I keep supplies here in case of
emergencies.”

Haven hurried behind the doctor as he led him into the Pack house and then through the maze of corridors. If he had

time, he would have loved to check out the place . A s he walked by , he could see a game room and a lounge area.
Something his Pack house w as lacking. “Lay him down on the bed please.”

“Would you please help me take his clothes off, Haven? I have to see just what we ‘re dealing with.”

“I will leave the room,” Alpha Blackwood said.

Haven was shocked as he started to unbutton his mate’s shirt and uncover ed months of beatings and neglect. Haven

knew it would be bad, but nothing prepared him for the torture his man had gone through. They gently removed his shirt
together as Haven held him as securely as he could. Haven reached for the button of his jeans, eased them down . Haven
bit his lip to keep from groaning —his mate was “commando” as many of them do for easier shifting.

The only area the bastards hadn’t touched on his body was his genitals; the rest of him was covered in bruises of

varying degrees. He t ried to hold his anger in check because the implications were not good. He would fi nd out if anyone
had touched his mate intimately, and then he would hunt.

Haven must have let out the low growl he heard echoing in the room. “Haven , I know it ‘s bad, and you just found

him, but I ‘m going to need your help.”

“What can I do?” Haven asked feeling helpless.

“I need to give him an adrenaline shot, to kick-start you’re mating bite enzymes, and it ‘s going to hurt even worse than

the bruises he carries. You ‘re going to have to hold him down, so he doesn’t hurt himself more.”

“Shit, okay, let’s do it,” t he tall Alpha said , rubbing a hand over his face before bracing himself and doing as the

doctor instructed. This was gonna suck , he thought , and placed his hands where he was supposed to.

It was the hardest thing Haven had ever had to do, grabbing his arms tight, knowing he was hurting his mate. As soon

as the doctor shot the needle of adrenaline in his vein, the groans turned into full-scale screaming and thrashing. He heard
his mate’s voice for the first time say, “Please stop hurting me.” Even though Haven knew in his heart t hat it wasn’t
directed at him, t hose words he would carry in his soul for all time.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Haven whispered in his mate ‘s ear trying to calm him. It seemed to go on forever, the screaming

and jerky movements. He held on tight , knowing if he let go , his mate would fall off the table.

Finally, his mate passed out and was free from the pain for a little while. Haven turned to look at the doctor, there were

tears freely running down the doctor’s face. As the small er man looked at Haven, he knew the little doctor had somehow
tried to take the pain into him.

“I’m sorry, there was just too much pain for me to take on, please forgive me , ” t he little wolf said, and Haven looked

at him with a confused expression.

“There’s nothing to forgive , doctor, you saved my mate. I am in your debt.” Haven felt the dawning recognition of

what the doctor had actually done. His mate had been in more pain than he realized and somehow, the doctor had taken
some of the pain into himself.

“Please call me Johnny, no formalities here. A ll I am asking is that you keep my secret. If others were to find out , I

would be in danger.”

“You have my word as an Alpha,” Haven said . He knew that some wolves were given special abilities when they were

young. Like being an Alpha or a healer, even the Beta had the strength other wolves didn ‘t possess.

“He’s out now. This would be the best time for you to use your power to get him to shift so he can start healing. Just be

prepared , Haven , he ‘s still in bad shape, and it will take days before he can shift by himself. What is his name?”

“I wish I knew. I found him like this when he ran out in front of my truck a few miles back.”

“At least you found him in time, and I have no doubt that you will take great care of your mate.”

“I take it that this Pack has no problems with us being gay then?”

“Absolutely not, Haven, our Alpha and several others in the Pack are either gay or bi -sexual in nature; we don’t judge

as many other Packs do.”

“Thank you, Johnny, for the heads up . I t’s good to know my mate is safe here until I can take him home.”

“What Pack do you think that your mate might have run away from?”

“I think it was the Cedarhill Pack. He panicked when I mentioned it earlier when he was barely awake.”

“I will go and tell Alpha Blackwood that you’re going to be staying for a few days. Most likely, it will take a couple of

weeks before he can travel a long distance . As soon as I leave the room you can bring on his change, I can feel the power
in you. You will be able to make him shift very quickly, and he shouldn’t even wake up.”

“Thank you again.”

As Haven watched the doctor quietly shut the door, he thanked the spirits for his gift and quick thinking that had saved

his mate. As Haven turned back to his mate, he called his power forward, and then commanded him t o shift. In the blink of
an eye, before him was the most beautiful silver wolf . He had never seen one with quite that color before. As Haven
stroked his fur, his mate slept on, not moving a muscle. Haven pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down to watch his
mate.

Chapter 4

About an hour later, the door opened and Alpha Bl ackwood slowly entered the room. A nother Alpha in the room

with an unmated pair could be dangerous, so he stayed by the door. Blackwood was waiting for Haven to invite him into
the sanctuary of the Alpha and his sick mate.

“Come in, Alpha,” Haven said and looked around to make sure he was the only one entering the room. Haven knew

the doct or told him they were safe, but he was still on edge until they figured out who hurt his mate —his wolf was pushing
him to protect.

“I think it would be easier to call me Alex. Too many Alphas being thrown around , it’s getting annoying. The doctor

tells me your mate is going to be alright with a little time and healing. I want you to know that you ‘re welcome to stay here
as long as needed. Haven , I heard nothing but good things about you and your refuge. In fact, we have a few issues with
the neighboring Pack that I would like to talk over with you before you leave , ” t he older Alpha said, and Haven looked at
him closely. He was about the same height as he was, but his build was different, more beefy. An Alpha always sized up a
potential threat, but he was getting the feeling the older wolf was trying to make him feel comfortable.

“Thank you, Alex, for your generosity, and I will help anyway that I can. I am in your debt . A ll you have to do is call

and we will be at your aid if needed. And call me Haven , sometimes the testosterone is too thick , ” Haven said and then
waited for the older man to get to the point. He had a feeling there was something more he wanted to talk about.

“Thank you. Now that the f ormalities are over, how about I have Susan b ring you two up something to eat? I know

that she has already started on the broth for your mate until he can take more food. You will like Susan; she is like our
honorary mom around here. We have had some reports around here of missing wolves.”

“Sounds good, I am starting to get hungry. And that is the reason I was coming close to here in the first place. A

member of the Cedarhill Pack contacted me about a missing female , ” Haven said and watched the expressions flit across
the older wolf’s face. Something was seriously wrong here.

Finally, Alex sighed and held up his hand and ran it down his face, sudde nly he seemed so much older than he

originally thought. “There have been more . Let me leave you with your mate for a while, nothing more can be done about
this right now. I will contact a few of the wolves fr o m neighboring Packs and see if they have a ny more information. Your
mate is really the first proof we have had that something was going on over there. With your permission, I will put out a few
feelers to see if anyone has reported him missing. That way, we can at least get a name if he stays out for longer than we
thought.”

Haven nodded and then said, “My Beta is doing the same . I will call him and have him send all the information he has

gathered, and together we can get this figured out. However, know this, if I find out the Alpha of the Pack hurt my mate, or
in any way had anything to do with his being hurt , he is a dead man. I will make sure of it with o r without your help , ”
Haven growled . He was serious, and the other wolf knew it. Although he didn’t want to start a Pack war , he would, no
wolf would be treated like this and get away with it while he was an Alpha.

“I will be in my office down the hall, last room on the right , if you need anything. We can meet in a few hours and

compare notes , ” Alex said and then walked to the door , but before he left the wolf turned around and said, “I don’t
blame you, and you will have the full support of the Pack.”

Haven nodded and turned back to his mate and watched him. Hopefully, he would wake up soon so they could figure

this whole mess out. Suddenly feeling very tired , he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He
would not fall asleep while his mate was unconscious and unable to protect himself, but the day’s events had worn him out.
He had phone calls to make, but he needed a moment to process what the fuck happened today.

***

Garrett could hear voices in his head like the buzzing of bees, but he could n’t make out the words. He hoped that his

friend Shannon wa s safe after releasing him. He would rather die than endanger a friend. Shit, those bastards worked him
over good this time, if he didn’t feel the pain, he would think he was finally dead. He hoped they hadn’t done anything to his

hair ; face, ok , it would heal ; body, eh, and it would heal, but his hair. Garret worked hard to keep the shine, since
watching a certain movie with a certain hot elf —he had become obsessed about his hair.

Garrett could feel the prickle of awareness for a moment coming from all over his body, shit , that kinda fucking hurt s ,

he thought , as the blood seemed to zing where he hurt the most. Well, this was kinda fucking cool , he could feel his
healing; Garrett had never before felt this after all the beatings, humph , weird, someone was in the room with him. As he
breathed in deeper, what was that fucking smell, he thought , as he d rifted into the blackness.

***

The food was superb and he had savored every bite, which was the only thing about a bunch of bachelors living

together. Not a one of them could cook worth a damn. He watched his mate sleep on in that deep healing sleep. He was
going on “empty” right before his mate practically landed in his lap.

Haven had made his phone calls while he waited. His Beta had found some information he was sure Alex would find

very interesting. Obviously, the Alpha of Cedarhill had be en pissing off Alpha s right and left. They would have no problem
if it came down to a Pack war. Haven was surprised at the support some of the Packs were giving him; maybe he had been
doing something right after all. Tyler had said that a few of them had gone as far as to offer their protection to him and his
mate while here. Of course, it was good information, but they would be fucking nuts to leave the Blackwood Pack just yet.
Haven was beginning to see that maybe he had been doing things a little wrong.

When the doctor came back earlier, he asked him if Haven wanted to sleep in the room next door. Haven couldn’t be

that far from his hurt mate, so he had a rollaway bed brought in for him. It was actually comfort able and made for a man of
his size and strength. He wasn’t sleeping anyway; he was thinking and watching over his mate.

***

There it was again, that d elicious smell Garrett had smelled earlier when he thought he was dreaming. As Garrett

looked around the room, he didn’t recognize anything. Garrett lifted up with a groan to get a better look around and caught
another whiff of that intoxicating smell.

Just a few feet away lay the most gorgeous specimen of man in this world. From the smell coming this way he was his

mate . How did he find him? Where are they? All these questions running through his mind as he gazed in wonder at his
mate. Holy crap, his hot, amazing mate . Garrett wanted to do the ‘happy dance’. Someone was watching out f or
him, because his mate was more than he could have hoped for. Garrett hoped his gentle face matched his personality. The
feeling of someone watching must have alerted his mate, his eyes flew open and the brightest sky-blue eyes rested on him.
His smile capturing all of his beauty was breathtaking in its intensity.

“You’re awake,” t he hunk said, and Garrett wanted to grin at his cuteness. As he jumped up from the bed, Garrett

couldn’t help taking in the fine body of his mate. His mate, wow , he could hardly wrap his mind around it. Only yesterday
Garrett almost died , beaten within an inch of his life, now here he was next to his handsome mate.

“Hold on, don’t move and I will help you shift back. You are still a little too weak to do it all on your own , ” Haven

said as he pulled his power from within him to help Garrett shift back to human.

As Garrett listened to his mate, he shut his eyes to focus , and within seconds, he was back to human. He opened his

eyes and said, “That kinda fucking hurt.”

“Baby, do you know who I am?” the sexy man said.

“Yes, you’re my mate. I have been beaten ; I don’t think I have brain damage.” Garrett said rolling his eyes, he

couldn’t help himself. His mate needed to know the true him.

“Oh honey, you’re going to be a handful,” he laughed. “My name is Haven Storm . I found you yesterday when you ran

out in front of my truck. I almost hit you. I nearly lost you anyway from your injuries that you suffered. I want to know
about all of that soon, but first I have to know my mate’s name.”

“My name is Garrett and I lived with the Cedarhill Pack, ” Garret said guardedly. He wasn’t sure where this was going

, but mate or not, he was not going back to his Pack.

“Garrett, what’s your last name?” Haven said firmly. Garrett knew he thought he was hiding something. This sucked .

He was going to have to tell his mate what a complete wimp he was. Garrett was pissed he had not been gifted with
muscles of steel like his man had. He would have kicked some ass then.

Garrett knew he stiffened when his mate asked him the question, and from the frown that came over his mate’s face,

Garrett could tell he knew something was up. He probably wondered just wh o he was stuck with. Garrett really didn’t
know how to answer him; he wondered if he was going to think he had a brain injury .

“I don’t have a last name, the people that raised me from a young cub said I wasn’t their real son and therefore,

couldn’t take their name. However, I really didn’t care because they were assholes, so I wouldn’t have wanted to associate
them with me anyway. But now that I ‘m free from them, I was thinking I would make up my own last name. Like Garrett
LeFlure or something exotic like that. What do you think? My signature color is a shade off of the normal teal color, so I
think maybe it has to be like Caribbean, huh; I really don’t have any real idea, just throwing things out to see what would
stick.”

Garrett really didn’t want to look up into his mate’s face and see the disappointment in having a messed up mate.

Nevertheless, something drew him to Haven’s eyes anyway . I t wasn’t disgust but anger in his eyes. Haven wasn’t angry
with his mate but to the people who dared harm his man.

“Garrett, they weren’t your family . I am your family, and from this moment on , you will be a Storm.”

Garrett got so choked-up he could not even get the smart-ass comment he was going to make past his l ips. That had

to have been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. Haven slowly moved towards him, and he carefully took his face
within his hands. He kissed his eyes, his nose , and then placed a kiss upon his mate’s lips and he knew in that moment he
was going to fall for his mate in a big way.

“All I want to do is take you away from this entire hurt and sadness, Garrett. Before we go home, when you are able to

travel, I ‘m going to kill the Son Of A Bitch that laid a hand on what is mine. Never again will you be hurt if I can stop it , ”
Haven growled and stepped back. “When I first caught your scent after you ran out in front of me , I was panicked and
elated at the same time. I could have lost you so easily , Garrett , and never even known you were in trouble. Destiny put
me in that spot at exactly the right time. I will always th ank the spirits for sending you to me.”

Haven knew they would have a lot to learn about each other in the days to come. He was looking forward to taking

care of his man, and he would show Garrett just how special he was to him. Haven planned to show him starting right now.

“Garrett, you need to rest . I have some things to talk to the Alpha here about. However, I need to know exactly what

happened to you. I hate like hell to put you through this, but I really need to know. It seems there is more going on around
here than m eets the eye. I will be honest and tell you I was on my way here to go to the Cedarhill Pack and talk to the
Alpha about a female wolf who has not responded to her family in weeks. She just joined the Pack, and her family is
worried. They called me because it ‘s my Beta’s sister . They thought since I was an Alpha, I may get more information out
of Cedarhill’s Alpha. With finding you, I feel like there is more than we imagined going on , ” Haven said and sat down on
the bed he had just helped him relax in. Garret lay back on the pillows and looked at him hesitantly before speaking.

***

There were so many secrets living within Garrett. He needed to entrust in his mate with those secrets before he even

tried to go against the evil. For the strongest wolf can’t hope to win against the purest of evil living within the Cedarhill
Pack. Depravity had become such a thrill to the leadership of the Cedarhill Pack that everyone walked on eggshells.

What if Haven doesn’t want him after he learns the truth of what he can do? Garrett didn’t even understand it himself.

Garrett had neve r told his guardians growing up for fear of what they would do or say. All of these things swam around in
his head, the feeling of not belonging , and always shying away from anyone bigger for the fear of mistreatment , started at a
young age lasting to this day.

Garrett hoped that his new home would be very differ ent. He felt for all the others still under the Cedarhill Pack

Leader’s thumb . Now that he no longer was the punching bag , i t wouldn’t take long for someone else to take his place.
From the Alpha’s last words to Garrett, he thought he was looking forward to brutalizing some poor soul sexually. Garrett
was still shudd ering from the sickness that ran through him.

“I do know who you’re talking about and her mate has kept her safe, but even he won’t buck the system now that he

has a mate to watch over. They have literally scared everyone to death; no one will stand against them within the Pack.”

“I must make contact soon to check out the situation, and then I will call the Weir Council of this area. They are

supposed to monitor this kind of thing from complaints and go at any length to stop it. I ‘m often asked to go in on their
behalf to bring home the abused after the cleanup has started.

“Most of those things I had guessed pretty much before going in, but any information you can give us would help

tremendously. I know that you have been through hell , Garrett, and I won’t push you to tell me anything. Just know that I
‘m here for you whenever you’re ready to talk about anything.”

“Thank you, I will talk to you. I promise. I just need to get things straight in this head of mine. I have not been able to

be myself for a long time , ” Garrett said truthfully.

“Let’s see if you can get down some of this brot h . I will feed you , but I have to si t you up just a bit. And you can be

however you want to be . I am your mate . I will always be on your side.”

As Haven gently grasped Garrett under the arms and raised him forward, he still gro aned from the movement. Finally,

in a sitting position , Haven handed him a bowl of broth that smelled heavenly. It wasn’t long before the bowl was empty
and Garrett couldn’t help the satisfied smile from touching his lips. He really was getting tired again as his eyes slowly
drifted shut .

Haven knew his mate was hiding something from him, something big from the feel of it. Garrett wasn’t the trusting sort

—abused for far too long. Have n hoped with a little time and patience Garrett would come to him, and they could work
through any iss ues. In the meantime, Haven would try to earn his trust one day at a time.

Haven thought he would wait until his mate began to fall asleep before he left him to go talk to the Alpha. When he

heard Garrett speak in a soft whisper , he had to lean in close to make out the words. As Haven listened, he grew madder
by the minute.

“There’s a lot running through my mind , Haven. I guess I ‘m worried about some of my friends still under Alpha

Jacob’s thumb and who he will hurt next. You don’t know what it has been like. The be atings and the fear. Since I’m not
there anymore, I’m sure he ‘s taking out his sick fucking thought s on someone. I would bet that it ‘s my friend , Shannon,
but I don’t know for sure , ” Garrett said drowsily.

Haven nodded and fought the urge to shift and go find the Alpha and kill him. However, his mate was actually talking to

him so he needed to listen.

After a few minutes had gone past without another word from Garrett, Haven realized he had finally fallen asleep. He

waited for a long while until he knew Garrett slept soundly before he headed out to speak with the Alpha.

Chapter 5

Haven made his way towards Alex‘s office at the end of the hallway. It was late and he had stayed with Garrett for a

long time, making sure his mate was finally resting soundly. He rapped on the door to the Alpha’s sanctuary, at least that ‘s
how he thought of his own at home. No one dared to enter it without permission —the one spot he could relax without any
disturbances.

“Come in,” h e heard the gruff Alpha say.

Haven swung the door open, and could tell the Alpha felt pretty much the same about his office too. He motioned for

him to come over and take a seat in one of the chairs around his massive desk.

“Your mate must be sleeping?” Alex asked politely.

“He’s finally resting somewhat comfortably; every little noise is not waking him up now. Shit, he scared me to death a

few times with the nightmares , ” Haven said and ran his hands through his hair.

“Good, Good… onto the business ahead then, the Cedarhill Pack Leaders need to be dealt with, and now that we

have proof of the violence going on there , we can actually do something. Before, whenever you saw a member of the Pack
in town, they would shy away from any stranger , scared out of their minds , ” Alex said and pushed a few papers around
his desk.

“I also have the complaint of a family member of my Pack. Tyler’s parents are worried sick for their daughter. They

haven’t spoken to her since she left with her new mate. He ‘s my Be t a and best friend . I said I would come to check it
out, hoping he would actually answer another Alpha.”

“Perfect. Maybe we can get the council to listen this time and send us out some help to deal with this before more

people get hurt. I think we should make a formal appointment with the Council and see what they have to say. The worst
they can do is deny us, and then we take care of it anyway, just a hell of a lot sneakier , ” Alex grinned.

“Garrett is very worried about a couple of friends that might be next on the punishment detail. It seems that Alpha

Jacob get s off on hurting those under his control. Garrett told me a little about living there . I think he ‘s scared to talk
about everything that has happened to him and others. That ‘s very common for people who have been abused for years to
hide it deep within themselves, and they often blame themselves with no cause behind it , ” Haven said and Alex looked at
him closely. Haven stood up a little straighter; he put his past behind him and become a stronger Alpha for it.

“I’m going to put another call into the council right now. We will deal with this bastard , ” Alex said with a forceful tone.

“You have my full support calling them. I will be right here when they need to talk to me. I have nothing to hide , ”

Haven said confidently.

Haven watched as Alex talked to the elders via video conference. Haven could tell the elders were glad there was

finally some evidence against the leadership of the Cedarhill Pack. Many questions were asked and answered, since going
against another Pack was illegal without proper cause and the vote unanimous in the council of elders. When Haven’s name
entered the conversation, h e stepped fo r ward to talk to Counsel Leader Jackson; he’d dealt mostly through him on his
rescue and recovery missions involving the counsel.

“Good Evening, Haven, I am really glad to hear that you have found your mate. I only wish it was under happier

circumstances , my friend.”

“Thank you, Counselor Jackson, for your support. I am blessed to have found Garrett, if only I could’ve found him

earlier. Counselor Jackson, I think there is a lot more going on there than even we know about, like Alex has told you.
Garrett said as much before he fell into a deep sleep a little while ago. He is scared for his friends that are still left there .
The Alpha is very much into cruelty and mastering through violence.”

“Damn, I knew in my gut there was some bad shit going on down there just from Alex ‘s reports. The laws are very

specific though on how we can deal with other Packs, as you know , ” t he Councilman said and then narrowed his eyes.
Haven had seen that look before. The older wolf was planning on making sure the vote came off in their favor. “We will
vote tonight and give you a verdict in the morning from the council . Can you both be present for another conference call at
nine a.m.?”

“We will,” Alex and Haven sa id together and then signed off.

“Well, that’s all we can do for tonight. We’ll have to wait for the verdict , ” said Alex .

“I will call it a night and then meet you back here in the morning. We do understand one another though, right ?” Haven

said and looked at the Alpha. “The Al pha of the Cedarhill’s Pack will die.”’

Alex nodded, and only then did Haven leave the room; he wanted to make sure the other Alpha knew his plans. Haven

would not let this go . His mate had been hurt, and Tyler’s sister was apparently too terrified to go against the Alpha.
Haven was going to take this bastard down, one way or another.

***

At least when Garrett woke, Haven would be able to tell him that some progress had been made in helping his Pack get

out from under its current dictator. He quietly slipped into their room and walked up to his beautiful mate. Garrett’s beloved
face was still covered in bruises , though starting to lighten over the last few hours. Wow, it had just been hours since he
had met his destiny , the other half of his soul, his one true soul mate and the center of his universe from this day forward.

Chapter 6

Morning would come soon enough, Haven thought , as he slipped naked under the covers as quietly as possible. Haven

was as hard as steel once again, all it took was the scent of his mate to drive him insane. Taking his cock into his hand, he
closed his eyes thinking of his mate and those luscious lips wrapping around his thick and lo ng erection, gently lapping the
head.

He cupped his balls, and slowly sliding a finger back to “rim ” his back entrance in an intoxicating rhythm. As Haven

started desperately fucking his mate ‘s mouth in his thoughts, his finger pressed forward , scissoring and sliding against that
sweet spot, until Haven was going crazy and emptied into his mouth.

As Haven came back to reality, he realized that he had just gotten off with his hand on almost nothing more than the

dream of his mate’s touch. Haven looked over at his mate, and Garrett slept on with a Cheshire grin on his face. He must
be having an amazing dream in that moment too. Haven rapidly got up, walked into the bathroom and cleaned himself off .
Then he slid back into his spot and quickly drifted off to slee p thinking about his amazing mate .

***

Once again, an intoxicating smell woke Garrett up from his dreams, but instead of scanning the room for the first sign of

trouble like normal , Garrett’s gaze fastened on th e unbelievably sexy man lying beside him . He was feeling so much better
this morning that Garrett knew he could shift on his own. Slipping f ro m the bed silently, he walked into the bathroom
slowly. He still hurt in some places. He looked in the mirror and groaned. He looked like shit, and his mate had seen him
like this? Garrett knew f r om experience it would still be a few more days until he was one hundred percent. But he was at
least seventy five, maybe eighty on the lower half of his body , Garrett thought, and grinned into the mirror. Finding all the
things he needed to clean up, he set about making himself presentable to his mate.

Oh, brushing his teeth felt wonderful. After washing the remainder of the blood from his body and hair , he quickly

dried off and then brushed his hair until it was shi n ing . He wished that he had better clothes to change into. The hospital
gown was just not sexy. Sighing and looking around, he had no choice. Fuck, well he could at least try to have his sexy,
sassy walk in case his mate was awake .

Peeking out the bathroom door he frowned, damn it, so much for his hip twist. He would have to settle for crawling in

with his soft , silky hair and waking up his sexy mate the old-fashioned way. Climbing into the bed , he settled back down
next to his mate and star ted with running his hands through the black , curly , long hair.

“Hmm, that feels so good , Garrett; please don ‘t stop on my account. You can touch me every hour of the day if you

wish , ” Haven said and opened first one of his eyes and then the other. “You ‘re looking better . Do you feel up to get ting
some breakfast, honey?”

“I am hungry, Haven, but it isn’t for food . I think maybe a little lovin’ would help me out a lot more, make me yours ,

my big , Alpha Mate , ” Garrett demanded with a sassy tone.

“Uh, I’m not sure I have the doctor ‘s clearance for that , ” Haven sputtered at the smaller man ‘s attitude. He was

surprised at the sexy , demanding tone of his mate. Haven was an Alpha, and his wolf growled at the challenge the little man
seemed to have give n . He wished his mate was at a hundred percent —he would make sure he knew who the top dog
was . As it was, he was going to have to be careful. However, there was nothing wrong with reminding him a little.

“Damn it, Haven, get over here and fuck your mate already,” Garrett laughed.

Son of a bitch that was the hottest thing Haven had ever heard, his mate demanding him to fuck him. As Haven rolled

over him, he smiled and started trailing kisses down his neck. When he reached his shoulder, he nipped a little and growled.

Making sure Garrett knew who was in command; he held his hands to the side, not allowing him to touch him . Haven

re ached his nipples and grinned. They beaded just for him in anticipation. Garrett was already starting to squirm from the
excitement.

Bringing his hands above his head, Haven reached around and opened the drawer to the side table, hoping it had lube

in it. Grinning when he found a full bottle, he laid it on the bed next to him and then kissed his mate. Dueling with his tongue,
fighting for dominance , only excited Haven more. He let go of his hands and then reached in between them and fisted his
cock. It was already hard, and the Alpha grinned.

“You ready for this, baby?” Haven asked and kissed him again before he could answer.

When they finally came up for air, Garrett panted and said, “I have never done this before, you know.”

The Alpha growled and felt his cock harden even more; he would be his mate ‘s only lover, for the rest of their lives.

His wolf howled inside him, demanding that he claim their mate right now , l etting him know who he belonged to, b ut
Haven didn’t want to scare his mate.

“I will go slowly. You will only feel pleasure from me , ” Haven said and leaned back , eas ing his hand off Garrett’s

cock , not w anting him to come until Haven wa s fully in his ass.

Haven grinned and once again began to feel his mate’s thin but firm body. Making sure to take care and arouse him

until he was once again writhing beneath him and practically begging for his touch. Then Haven poured some of the lube on
his fingers, turned his mate to the side and kissed his back and slowly rubbed it around his mate ‘s ass, rimming him and
kissing his way down until he was right where he wanted to be. Haven looked up at his mate and sucked the head of his
cock into his mouth and swirled with his tongue around the head. Entering his back hole for the first time, Haven made sure
he was gentle. Haven added one finger, stretching , then two and three without hitting that sweet spot. Haven really wanted
that to be a surprise once his cock was slowly working its way in his ass.

Garrett was pleading to be fuck ed by him, when Haven decided he was finally ready to take his big cock. Pushing his

mate ‘s legs up , he positioned himself at his entrance and bent over and kissed him passionately.

Haven slowly worked past the first ring, looking into his mate’s eyes to make sure there was no discomfort. There was

only pleasure in Garrett’s eyes as he started to slide deeper within the body of his mate. Haven was a large man, and
wasn’t sure his mate could take all of him the first time, so he pushed slowly in and out, getting him used to his girth.

Haven knew the exact moment his cock hit Garrett’s prostate, because he howled into his mouth at that exact moment.

With each downward stroke, he got a little closer to heaven on earth. As Garrett moved his legs to encircle Haven’s wa ist,
he took him all in, which wa s a feat in itself.

All Haven could do was thrust repeatedly, as the pleasure blasted through him, and with the release of his seed in

Garrett’s channel, Haven once again bit into his mate’s shoulder. Within seconds, Garrett bit into Haven’s too, which
caused the release of Haven’s mating knot, as it attached to Garrett’s sweet spot, and the little man collapsed from the
extreme pleasure.

Haven held on to his adored mate for several minutes until the knot released and eased back up inside his body. Never

in his life had he ever felt anything remotely close to being with his mate. Haven cuddled his mate to his side, knowing they
would have to get up and hit the shower. They had a conference call to be at this morning; they were meeting with the
Council.

Haven knew there were two things that proved you were a true mate. It was the mating knot and the ability to

communicate with each other without speaking. Already knowing they were true mate s , he closed his eyes and thought,
“Baby, we have to get moving if we are gonna be on time.”

“Haven, that was freaking amazing, I always have heard about mates and the knots, but nothing could have prepared

me for the intense pleasure. Wait , your lips didn’t move , ” Garrett said confused.

“I know, baby; we’re very lucky. I have something that I need to talk over with you this morning before we

shower. We can talk like this as true mates, so when we’re in the meeting, if you want to talk with me, use this new
talent. You try , “ Haven thought. “Alex has called the Elder Council for this area. Since we now have proof of the
wrongdoing within your Pack and the complaint from Tyler on behalf of Colleen , t he council agreed to take a
vote and let us know this morning on a conference call at nine. So we’re going to have to hit the shower very
soon.”

“Will I have to testify against the Alpha and leadership Haven?” Garrett thought. Haven laughed at the serious ,

scrunched up way his mate concentrated to try to talk with just his thoughts.

“I don’t really know, Garrett. I guess we will have to wait on the Council’s decision this morning. Try to relax

your facial muscles, all you have to do is feel the connection and talk,” Haven thought. “I won’t lie to you . I do

think you’re speaking up would help tremendously, but that’s going to be your decision. You lost so much and
decisions were taken from you, never will I ever do that to you.”

“Thank you, Haven, you have no idea what that means to me , ” Garrett said out loud and kissed Haven softly. The

Alpha growled and kissed him back and then released his mouth reluctantly.

“Let’s head to the shower, and sorry , it will have to be a quick wash. I will make it up to you later , I promise you, but

if we don’t get up now, we never will , ” Haven said.

“This kinda sucks, I wanted to stay in bed and cuddle, but if I have to , “ Garrett said with a huge sigh.

They quickly washed each other down, but their lovin’ was nothing more than a passionate kiss. They dried each other

off before they dressed in the borrowed clothes lying in the chair by the door. Bless the Packs “Mom” figure; she was an
angel in disguise , Haven thought.

“Let’s get this over with,” Garrett said. He seriously was trying to be really tough against the fear Haven could see

through his eyes.

As they walked down the hall towards the office, hand-in-hand , Haven whispered through his mind , “It will be ok.”

“Thank you,” Garrett whispered back into his, with a gentle squeeze of his hand.

Chapter 8

The door was already open in the office, so Haven tucked Garrett behind him and entered slowly to the sound of Alex

‘s voice as he signed on to the conference call to the Elder Council. They were the first ones to sign on, so Haven took a
seat and pulled Garrett down to settle on his lap .

Within a couple of minutes, Councilman Jackson signed on, along with fourteen other shifters . Everyone seemed to

glance a round the room to see who was present in the call. Alex cleared his throat and began to talk.

“Thank you for meeting with us this morning , council , ” t he older Alpha said firmly.

“We are glad to be of assistance,” said Councilman Jackson. “We have reached a unanimous vote to go in and

investigate the Cedarhill Pack for the Leadership ‘s wrong doings. With the evidence already put forward and Haven’s m
ate here in person, we know how dire the situation is over there.” They would send out twenty enforcers from the council’s
Packs. The Councilman would make the calls personally today, and they should be able to have everyone there by the end
of the week.

“I would like to ask your mate a few questions, Haven , if you ‘re ok ay with that?” Councilman Jackson said.

“That decision is completely up to my mate,” Haven said.

Haven ignored the shocked looks across the counsel table, in the Weir community most Alpha wolves answered for the

ir mates in a discussion. That wa s especially true for an Omega mate, which his mate was . Haven had already talked to
Garrett and confirmed it. Omegas were known to be very shy and timid normally, his mate was the odd ball of course, with
his sas sy attitude. Haven wasn’t sure i f the Council was ready for him, but he grinned when his mate straightened in his
lap.

“As you wish, Haven,” Councilman Jackson looked upon Haven with even more respect. “Omega Garrett, is it ok ay

to ask you some questions about your former Alpha?”

“Yes, Councilman Jackson , ” Garrett replied primly and very distinctly.

“We have heard rumors for years that Alpha Cedarhill was mistreating his members, is this true?” t he Councilman

asked.

“The only members who have never been mistreated are the Cedarhill Pack Leadership. Violence is a way of life for

my old Pack. With little more than the clothes on our backs, and food on the table, you are required to give sixty percent of
your wages to the Cedarhill Pack Leadership. They are the definition of evil incarnate; they rape if it isn’t given freely to all
that they say. Many a mate has died over the years trying to stop this from happening , ” Garrett said and held up his head
and looked at each of the Councilmen in the eyes. He dared them to try to deny his claims.

The shock was evident on the many faces before them, Haven’s concluded, as Garrett told about the horrors that his

Pack lived through. It was no wonder every soul was scared out of their minds within the Cedarhill Pack. The atrocities
done against them would’ve likely killed a weaker Pack.

“Thank you for telling us, Omega Garrett, I know how hard that was for you to talk about. I can only imagine the

horrors you have faced daily . I can still see the br uises that riddle your skin from here. You are truly a strong man to have
survived through the horrors of that Pack leadership , ” Councilman Jackson said.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Haven whispered in his mind . He saw a tear fall down his pale cheek and didn’t want

to draw attention to it. Against his snow-white hair, it almost looked like a crystal in its releasing energy.

“With you holding me, I am safe,” Garrett said for all to hear.

“Alpha Blackwood, we need to set up a War Room within your Pack house, will that be acceptable with you? Will

there be enough lodging for all the enforcers heading your way?” One of the Councilmen said, obviously getting that the true
mating had taken place.

“We have plenty of room here to make it happen. Are you going to come and run the mission , Councilman?” Alex

said.

“I will have to sit this one out; my mate is about to deliver our cubs any day. I would like both you and Haven to take

the point on this mission. Omega Garrett will be a huge help too when it comes to planning. We want it to be a surprise, so

the innocent won’t be put within the line of fire , ” Jackson said.

More comfortable than Garrett can ever remember being, as he sat in a room with two large Alpha males, he cuddled

into his mate’s chest as they started a strategy discussion. From the sounds of their conversations, they had both planned
many such missions. Garrett knew they would eventually have to get information from him, but he was starting to get very
tired. It wasn’t long before he was drifting of f to sleep within the warm arms of his man.

Garrett was drifting in a meadow far away, a place that he had visited quite often in his dreams. This was his safe place,

where only one other ever came. In this place, he could fly away from his annoying friend whenever he wanted to be alone.
His massive wings flowing through the air to this place, he never could tell what he ultimately turned into as these dreams
weave d within his mind. Today though, was different, he was searching for his friend in hopes that he might come to his call
even though he was most likely awake. Garrett needed to know that Shannon wasn’t hurt for being so foolish to release
him then distracting the guard on duty.

Many times in the past, they had tried to keep each other safe, as well as the younger children whom they had in the

Pack. Most of the couples hadn’t had children in the last few years for fear of the child’s safety. In most of the homes, there
was barely enough for the adults to eat. Those homes with children were forced to take what the other members could give
up. Even as poor as they were, the Pack stil l tried to take care of its own as much as possible.

Many a night Garrett went without to make sure one of the children was fed first. There wa s never enough food for a

Pack of their size . Hunting and unsupervised runs were no longer allowed in the Cedarhill Pack.

Chapter 9

Damn, that little cock sucker managed to get away from his prison, he would personally kill the bastard who let that

happen. He really had been looking forward to having some fun with him . The excitement from the beatings was starting to
wear thin, and the cravings were becoming more and more unacceptable to him.

The more he watched Garrett, the more he wanted him. He was no ‘cock lover’. Shit, what was happening to him ?

His life was good with all the money he could want, given to him by this worthless Pack of weaklings. The pleasure he got
from pus hing around these weaker wolves was getting very boring. He needed more excitement.

Alpha Cedarhill’s Beta arrived to follow up with the investigation on Garrett’s disappearance. “Alpha, I have

questioned everyone who was around the prisoner’s cell that morning, and no one saw a thing out of the ordinary.”

“Well shit, that’s no help at all, how is the tracker coming on finding him?” t he Alpha demanded and slammed his beefy

hand down on the desk.

“I told Trent not to return until he had Garrett in his hands, or a dead body , Alpha, and he hasn’t returned , ” t he Beta

said evilly.

“Good, we should have some kind of an answer by nightfall then. I want this to be blasted from the roof tops . The

punishment for disobeying will be death next time , ” t he Alpha said and growled.

Alpha Cedarhill decided that setting an example would deter any of the other wolves from ever trying anything so foo

lish. He ruled with an iron fist , just as his father had beaten into him, never ever show weakness. He still had the many
scars from lessons to prove it. It had been years since he killed the Son of a Bitch, but damned if it wa sn’t pride in his
father’s eyes he saw right before he dealt that killing blow. The taste of final victory over a sadistic fool of a father he had
been born to was heady.

“Enforcer Jarrod, I will leave it to you to make sure the next guest that ‘s left within the cell stays there, if not, you will

pay for their mistakes personally , ” t he Alpha jeered at the man in front of him.

“Understood, Alpha Cedarhill, I will not let you down , ” Jarrod said briskly, hating the Alpha . He would make sure

when the bastard was killed , he would take his place. The asshole knew nothing of running a Pack, sure , the fear worked
for a while, but the true way to make sure the Pack obeyed was going to be a pleasure to show.

As Jarrod went out to find his next victim, he hated being dressed down by the Alpha. It made his blood boil to have to

stand there and take such insults. He should have been the true leader. Not an upsta rt who had to have a Witch turn him
into some kind of freak.

His plans were coming along nicely; he had to say, since he could no longer win in a fair fight against the Alpha . The

only thing he could do was wait until the Calvary arrived to help these worthless wolves. The only thing he really cared
about anymore was a certain you ng man —he would not be taken f r o m him.

He had watched as Shannon released Garrett that night, knowing that he would bring back help for the Pack. It really

was all that Jarrod could do to keep it all held inside a s he strutted around the Pack looking for Shannon, the man he was
obsessed with.

Many of the families took off into their homes when they saw Jarrod coming—it made him excited to know he was the

cause of their fear. Fear had always been an aphrodisiac to Jarrod, seeing it in their eyes.

Garrett’s beatings had been the finest of any that Jarrod had ever preformed. Beating Garrett until he couldn’t shift any

longer, then using the whip to make it even more painful. Garrett often didn’t make a sound, until he would pass out from
the pain. This always delighted Jarrod to no end.

The only thing better would’ve been Shannon tied up to the bed in the Alpha House, in Jarrod’s own special torture

room. How many times Jarrod had imagined Shannon under him , spread eagle on the “fucking” chair, as Jarrod liked to
call the contraption.

Those new sex toys were going to be so much more interesting, his own whips lined straight on the wall beside him, just

waiting to touch the skin of his vi ctim. Seeking only his pleasure as the whip would cut through the skin of his victim as they
cried out in pain instead of pleasure.

Very soon, these fantasies would become reality, played out before his Pack’s eyes. It wouldn’t be much longer until

the ball was once again in his court.

Then the man he wanted above all else would finally be his for the taking.

Chapter 10

The planning was in full swing when Garrett woke up from his peaceful nap in his mate’s arms. Alex was on the phone

securing sleeping arrangements for the incoming enforcers. Garrett heard very plainly in his mind, “Awake, baby?” He
couldn’t help the little chuckle that erupted at the thought. At twenty-three years old, he was far from a baby, even if that is
young for one of their kind.

“I love when you call me baby. I t makes me feel a little horny , but you need a pet name too . I think maybe I

will call you, ‘the most beautiful man in the world ‘, shit too long, hmmmmm, okay I will shorten it to BMW, yep,
that is your pet name,” Garrett whispered into Haven’s mind. He could really get used to this intimacy with his mate. He
grinned when he heard a growl in his head.

To Garrett, this was the closest he had ever had to someone loving him. Garrett was already falling for his handsome

mate. He just hoped that once Haven found out about the things Garrett could do, he would still want him. This was a
constant worry for Garrett.

***

Haven knew there was something bothering his mate, but forcing the issue would only scare him. Garrett needed to

come to a decision himself to trust in his mate . I t almost killed Haven to watch him struggle against the things that were
tearing his mate apart inside. Haven’s hope was that once the Cedarhill Pack leadership died , Garrett would feel more
secure with him.

“Garrett, we are going to need your help during the planning . You know the lay of the land better than anyone else , ”

Haven said , wanting to draw his mate out of his thoughts and focus, then they could leave faster. Maybe they would get a
chance to be alone before the shit hit the fan.

“Sure Haven, I will help anyway that I can. What is it you need to know exactly ?” Garrett said warily.

“If you could draw us a map of the outline of the Pack community, circling the Cedarhill leadership houses within the

community. Do they have a habit of doing the same things in a schedule of sorts? We need to be able to catch them with
their pants down , so to speak. Is morning usually a time that they meet at Alpha Jacob’s house?” Haven rattled off the
questions he knew they needed.

“Actually, they generally do meet around ten in the morning at the Alpha’s house, which is something they normally

don’t break from habit. It is the time most of the families let their children have a little fun. And isn’t that sad, the only time
for fun is in a few stolen moments every day?” Garrett said, and Haven could feel the flood of sadness coming through their
link.

“I promise that will change Garrett, we will get your fellow Pack mates and friends out of this hell that ha s become their

everyday life. No one should have to live in fear of just stepping outside of their homes , “ Haven said angrily . Garrett
stared back at him with open amazement . He was actually standing up for him and his other Pack mates . Sure, he
had said he would, but Garrett had heard that a lot and was happy his mate stuck to his word. They really needed
time to get to know one another . Garrett wanted that closeness without fearing his mate would leave him.

Garrett focused on making the map they wanted. He would have to worry about all this shit later. He also needed to

talk to someone about the clothes situation . Garrett may not have any money, but he hoped someone would lend him at
least a happy bright shirt, maybe in pink. “I am finished with the map” pull ing him self out of the daydream.

Garrett was holding the map up in his hand waving it around like a flag; Alex couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm.

He was doing the right thing having him help . This would help with the healing that was slowly taking place within this
smaller man. How anyone could get off by hurting the weaker was beyond him .

“Thank-you Garrett, this will help so much with the strategy on how we should take on the group , “ Alex said and then

looked at the couple. He wasn’t jealous of them, but of their obvious connection. He had always been able to see this as a
child, the invisible cords that seemed to tie mates together. He had known for almost as long his mate would be a male; he
had tried with women and came up limp in a vital part of his body. He was never one to take advantage of his fellow Pack
mates, so his pleasure was found in the occasional passerby or on out of town trips to bars. This had gotten old fast, and

now his hand did most of the work.

He dreamed of his mate, of the day he would find him . Something told him his mate was close, but he couldn’t “scent”

him anywhere in the close vicinity. Sometimes in his dreams, he could almost hear him calling, that he was in trouble of
some kind. This caused him to wake up in a cold sweat just aching to tear something apart for even daring to touch his
mate . Snapping out of his daydream he said , “Garrett that is wonderful . You have an amazing talent for drawing. Such
detail , we couldn’t have asked for a better map from a professional.”

“Thank-you. I have actually had online classes on structural design. I really wanted to be an architect growing up , but

that only went so far since I couldn’t l eave the ‘compound’, ” Garrett said and used his finger to make the quotes and then
rolled his eyes.

“Garrett, you can be anything and do anything you want. When we are at home, you can go back to school if that is

your wish , “ Haven said quietly and then teased , “As long as you don’t forget about your mate, we are fine.”

Garrett laughed and said, “How would I forget my BMW? He is unforgettable.” How had he gotten to be so lucky, to

have found such an astonishing mate in Haven? The spirits blessed him so much with this amazing man.

Going back to school was nothing more than a pipe dream to Garrett. He wanted to pinch himself just to make sure he

wasn’t in his dream world again , or just passed out from the pain of one of Alpha Jacob’s ordered beatings. Shit,
wouldn’t that just be his luck that he was dreaming .

Garrett knew the topic had gotten way off subject for Alex , so he glanced over to give him a silent sorry. When he

realized that he could read his thoughts as well when he concentrated very hard , Garrett quickly threw up an imaginary
block around his mind shutting out the thoughts. If his other Weirdness wasn’t enough , now he had this to add to it, he
really hoped Haven’s mind and heart was big enough for the craziness that is him.

“Honey, is everything ok ay ? You are staring at that bookcase like it might disappear at any given moment,” Haven

teased.

“I was admiring the excellent craftsmanship of Alpha Blackwood’s home,” Garrett responded to Haven’s teasing. It is

superior in design, and the detail is so fine.

“My brother will be very pleased to hear that Garrett, I imagine you guys would get along famously. Jason is away

visiting our parents right now . They moved to the Foothills with a couple of their friend s this last spring when my father
turned over the Pack to my oldest brother , Justin. They are having the time of their lives , from what I hear from my little
brother.”

“I would be pleased to meet Jason someday; it would be nice to know someone who has carried out his dreams of

creating such beauty , ” Garrett said looking around longingly.

Haven caught the look and wondered if it really was because he envied the Pack home. He would explain about their

home, as soon as he had a chance . Maybe when Garrett understood he was mated to the Alpha of a successful Pack , he
would understand he would have his own Pack house. Haven didn’t think the little wolf understood quite yet what he had
gotten into by mating with him. He would learn; he was now the Alpha Mate, and he would have a lot of responsibilities.
Number one was taking care of the Pack and the Pack house.

“Alex, if it is ok ay with you , I am going to ask my second to come down and help out to during the siege of the

Cedarhill Pack. Tyler would be a huge help as well to the operation since Counselor Jackson won’t be able to join us. He
can fly down from home and be here by tomorrow at the latest , “ Haven said , thinking maybe he needed to have his Beta
here to help , and he would get to see his sister first hand.

“That is no problem Haven; I was just going to let you know my Beta is out patrolling right now, but Ryan will be back

in a couple of hours. Ryan will also be in on the mission if that is acceptable to you?” Alex said and grinned, “He loves a
good fight.”

“That sounds good Alex. Now Garrett and I are going back to our room for another rest while we wait for your Beta

to get here to finish up the prelimina ry plans . I will be back soon , Alex , ” Haven said and thought maybe now would be a
good time to have that talk. The mating heat was still riding him and his wolf; he would not go into a fight with the mating
heat riding him. Haven had seen what a wolf could do when not in control. Haven was always in control.

“Take your time guys” Alex said and watched the couple, a little wistfully , as they walked out of the room.

Haven liked the Alpha and the people he had met so far and he wondered if there was a way to help the wolf find his

mate. Shit, he sounded like a fucking matchmaker; all this mating stuff has thrown him off balance. Haven was not one to
act all mushy and gushy, but that is what his mate reduced him too. He needed to be focused and strong for the battle . He
planned on kicking the Alpha from Garrett’s Pack’s ass, and he may just throw in the Beta for good measure. Although, he
knew for a fact he was probably going to have to fight Tyler for that particular honor.

Chapter 11

Haven walked with Garrett out into the hallway and headed up to their borrowed room. Obviously, they were going a

little too slow because his BMW stopped, growled, and picked him up and began to take the steps two at a time. “I am
getting use to this being carried around Haven,” said Garrett with a laugh . He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive pose ; a t
least Garrett hoped he was carrying off the suggestive look that he was trying to portray.

It must have worked because Haven tightened his hold and stopped suddenly to press him against the wall and kiss the

breath right out of Garrett. Their tongues swirling for domination as their bodies melted together.

“Wow, that was so hot,” Haven thought, and growled again .

Garrett couldn’t help himself from answering back, “Only for you , my mate.” Haven growled his approval as he

thrust his cock against Garrett’s and the friction of the jeans was a major turn-on for both.

“Let’s take this to our room baby. No one else is going to see my mate with all his beauty flushed with desire for me. I

never knew I was territorial of another person until I met you Garrett. I need you so bad right now,” he whispered into
Garrett’s ear as he carried him the rest of the way to their room.

As Haven gently let Garrett slide to the floor, his fingers made quick work of the buttons of his shirt , then he threw the

shirt over the back of the chair. Haven kissed his way down Garrett ‘s six—p ack abs . The skin w as smooth since the
bruises had disappeared. When he made it to the button of his jeans, and he looked up into his mates incredible slate grey
eyes that were shimmering with desire , h e said, “Have you thought of ever mounting another man , Garrett?” Garrett’s
eyes were huge in his face as he could do nothing but nod. It was Garrett ‘s ultimate fantasy , being the smaller one , that he
would take control and fuck his mate into the mattress .

Haven wasted no more time as he quickly undressed and went over to the bed and lay on his back on the mattress.

With the crook of a finger, he called Garrett over to the bed. “I have never done this before either, so please don’t be
scared. I want this for you and for me.”

Garrett quickly slipped off his jeans and reached inside the drawer for the lube. His cock was already leaking pre-cum

from just the thought of being deep within his Alpha Mate’s ass. He had learned the ways of pleasuring from the books he
had snuc k into his room from the Internet.

Garrett had to touch Haven’s skin though before he lost all thought. He eased up Haven’s body until he was lying on

top of him and started kissing his way down to the curls that lined his chest. Taking time to lick and tease his nipples until
they were both standing to attention. With each downward kiss, his mate’s growls were becoming more intense . When
Garrett took his mate’s engorged cock into his mouth , Haven’s back bowed off the mattress.

With his hands free, he loosed the lid on the lube a nd generously squirted it into his hand. He continued l icking and

sucking his mate , as he slid his finger around the quivering entrance of his back hole.

Haven thought he was going to vault right off the bed at the first touch of Garrett’s finger rimming his ass. It was an

amazingly erotic feeling as it loosened under the touch, and the first finger slid into his passageway. It was a little
uncomfortable at first until Garrett hit that slightly raised spot that sent a howl straight to the ceiling. With each finger
inserted , Garrett scissor his fingers to open him up , each time caressing that spot until he was almost out of his mind.

Maybe a bit of reading did pay off for his mate. Haven really enjoyed the preparation for Garrett’s cock to slide

deep within his mate. Finally, sure that he would not hurt his mate , Garrett lubed—up his throbbing cock and placed it next
to his mates quivering hole. As Garrett looked into his mate’s eyes, Haven’s thoughts were clear , “Please baby, I need
you .” A s Garrett opened his mind to his mate in that moment, they bonded more as Garrett slowly slid his cock deeper ,
inch by inch , feeling his mate ‘s pleasure as it unfolded. This was amazing . He could see what his mate wanted, and he
gave it with great pleasure. Both of them coming down from the ecstasy as Garrett’s mating knot released and attached
right on Haven’s pleasure spot.

“Garrett, that was unbelievable, how long have you been able to do that with your mind?” Haven asked , knowing this

had been the secret his mate had been keeping from him.

“Until a few moments ago, I didn’t even know that it was possible. Earlier in Alex ‘s office , I accidentally read his mind

for a moment then I somehow shut him out , “ Garrett said slowly, wanting to tell him the whole truth finally.

“These are some of your natural abilities starting to come forward with our mating, I would guess. I knew you were

special baby the moment I laid eyes on you. I hope now that you are starting to believe it too , “ Haven said firmly , and
then made his mate look at him in the eyes. “I am serious . You are special, and I am gonna do my best to show you. But
you have started healing from the bad, and believe this yourself.”

“Damn it, do you know how hard it is to be different. First, there is the whole gay thing , and then this freaking ass

power ? I have a hard time believing you won’t just throw me back when you see how defective I am , “ Garrett said
sarcastically and pulled back.

“Don’t put words into my mouth, I am your Alpha. You don’t actually think I would walk away from you , do you?”

Haven gritted out. “Because if you think for one second I am letting you go , you have another thing coming . You are my
mate. PERIOD. Never be afraid to tell me what’s on your mind. I don’t expect you to agree with everything I say . You
were meant to be my partner in life , and fuck if we aren’t gonna start out that way .”

As his anger spiked, Garrett knew he l oved his mate, fucking scary, but true. Garret knew he and his mate would have

a fiery relationship, but his mate would never hurt him. He c ould tell him his secrets —he deserved to know. Refusing to
back down though because Garrett still needed something from his mate.

“Fine, let’s see if you can handle this , ” Garrett said grumpily. “I have always been different than the average Omega

wolf. From the time I was big enough to remember , I have been able to Dream Walk in other people’s dreams. At first, I
really thought it was only my own crazy dreams , but then my best friend Shannon, who is another Omega orphan like me ,
came into my dreams. We became best friends before we could even become friends in real life. Shannon is the one that
helped save me, and he has been my best friend for years , even though in the day light, we tend to stay away from each
other so our friendship wo uld n’t be taken advantage of by the leaders.”

“I am glad that you could have a friend, no matter what the circumstances were that brought you together. I stand in

awe of your many amazing gifts. What the hell?” Haven said as he looked at the astonished look on his mate’s face.

“Unfortunately I’m not done; in these Dream Walks , I become something different Haven. I’m no longer a man ,

nor am I a wolf. In those dreams, I have never been able to tell what I become . A ll I know is that I can fly over everything
that I am watching in the dreams , “ Garrett said smartly , and then waited for the hammer to drop.

He was too afraid to look at Haven in the eyes after telling him his awful secret —he was some kind of monster. Who

would want a freak of a monster for a mate? Garrett felt Haven’s fingers circle both sides of his face , gently easing his eyes
up to meet Haven’s eyes…” I love you, every part of you. It doesn’t matter if you transform into the Jolly Green Giant ;
whatever it is Garrett , I am will stick to you like glue .”

It was all Garrett could do not to start blubbering like a little baby at those amazing words. So instead, he wrapped his

arms around his beloved mate and whispered , “Thank you Haven, and I love you with all my heart , ” a s he hugged his
mate and lay kisses all over his face and neck. The weight that lived inside of him lifted , and for the first time , it felt so
wonderful to be him.

They both lay in the bed just enjoying holding each other until Garrett fell into a deep healing sleep. Haven decided this

would be the best time to call Tyler back and have him p ack a bag.

Haven pulled out his phone and hit speed dial to call his Beta, waiting patiently while it rang on the other end. After just

a couple of rings, Tyler answered on the other side , “Hello Haven, I am glad to hear from you. How is your mate doing?”
Damn , Haven should have called him earlier with the news that Garrett was doing much better.

“I am sorry man. I should have called right away , my friend. Garrett is doing much better, and we did get the

information we need to take down the Pack that Colleen moved to. Can you book yourself a flight and p ack light? I need
you out here by tomorrow for the first of the planning stages for the rescue operation. It is even worse than you can
imagine, the way they are treated. My mate is still dealing with a lot of shit that they have done to him over the years. Years
Tyler , this fucker has hurt them for years!”

“I will be there on the first plane out of this place.”

“Thank you my friend.”

With the information that Haven had given him, Tyler would have no trouble getting here in the morning. Haven made

his way back down to the office ready for the next round of planning. As he knocked on the door to enter , the sense of
unease suddenly overwhelmed him.

“Alex, are you in there, “ asked Haven “Sorry, I was on the phone with a concerned member of the Pack. What is

going on?”

“Not quite sure, but my instincts are telling me something is going on.”

“Never one to go against instincts of a wolf, you check on your mate, and I will check through the house.”

As Haven rushed back to his room, the feeling intensified triple fold, he wasn’t sure if it was coming from him or

Garrett. As he slowly approached the door, Haven heard no commotion on the other side. Sliding the door open , not
making a lot of noise , Haven glanced toward the bed. It was empty except for a pool of bright-red blood, next to where
Garrett’s head had lain .

Chapter 12

Garrett came awake slowly realizing there was a familiar smell in the room. Before he could call to Haven inside his

head , or call out for help, one of Alpha Jacob’s errand boys knocked him out.

Trent threw the limp body of Garrett over his shoulder and made his way out the window. That is what the idiots g e t

for putting him on the ground floor. Especially w ith a window that could easily be broken. Trent didn’t agree with all that
went on within the Pack , but as one of the strongest ones of the original Pack, it was the only way to keep his mom and
little sister safe from the sadist Alpha and Betas of the Pack.

Trent knew the time was coming which he would have to pay for the hardships that he’d helped bring within his group

of people. In his own ways, he’d helped as much as he could to right the wrongs that he helped create. It killed him inside a
little more every day that he was under their thumb. His body may not show the bruises like the little one he carried over his
shoulder to his waiting car , but he had them .

Disgusted with himself at accomplishing this assignment so easily, Trent really hoped that he would have come back

empty-handed. Jarrod warned him of the failure of his mission —death was not a n option for him. Honestly, he wouldn’t
mind dying if it weren’t for his Ma and little sister , Trinity. Trinity is such a gentle soul . She would never survive the things
the Betas would do to her. Trent saw their lustful thoughts as their gazes followed her around the Pack house. Trent hoped
Garrett could forgive him for his weakness , the love for his family.

***

Garrett came awake slowly with a hell of a headache. Garrett almost gasped at the thoughts going through Trent’s mind

at that moment. Although never physically hurting any others in the Pack, Trent was their errand boy , pretty much.

Now Garrett knew the reason why. I t was all for the safety and love of his family. As he gently pried farther into his

memories, he knew that this mission would end in his death if he didn’t bring Garrett back.

Garrett reached out with his mind until he felt his mate. He was in an udder panic along with Alex .

“Haven, can you hear me?” Garrett pressed upon his mind, waiting on an answer back from his pissed-off mate.

Garrett really wanted to smile when Haven answered, “Where the hell are you Garrett,” as he went to tell Alex that he had
reached him.

“I am in a car headed for the Cedarhill Pack, but the man taking me really doesn’t want to; they are

threatening his family. That is how they are controlling Trent, to get his help with the Pack .” Haven yelled , “Can
you talk him into bring you back, if we help get his family out tomorrow?”

“I will try. He is ready to die Haven, and he doesn’t think he is a worthy wolf for doing what he has done for

his families’ survival , “ Garrett thought.

“We are on our way; try to convince him into giving you up , “ Haven ordered.

As Trent must have sensed that Garrett was awake, he pulled over to the side of the road.

“Garrett, I don’t want to knock you out again . I f you only stay quiet, we will be home before you know it , ” t he wolf

said to him.

Garrett reached into Trent’s mind so he could see his reaction as he said , “Trent, I know you really didn’t want to do

this; you are just protecting your family.” From the shocked look on Trent’s face, Garrett knew he had his attention.

“Trent, I have found my mate, and he is willing to help you. He will make sure your family gets out of there safely. You

just need to give me back to Haven, and he will help you , “ Garrett tried to bargain.

“How do you know so much about me?” Trent said warily.

“We are Pack mates Trent. Haven is a man of his word. He will get your family out of there; it is y our best chance at a

new life , Trent. Please make the right decision, I have a feeling there are going to be great things for your future if you only
do the right thing , “ Garrett said softly, trying to bide his time.

Trent was tired of his life; he knew things had to change. There was no one to turn to outside of the Cedarhill Pack, and

he hated himself so much for his involvement. It was now or never; Trent knew that he was truly at a ‘fork in the road ‘, so
to speak.

“What do I need to do Garrett?” Trent asked Garrett as he felt his life go in the right direction for the first time, in a long

time.

“My mate is on the way and he should be here any moment. I will tell him what has happened, and hopefully we can

hold off Alpha Cedarhill until we can come up with a plan of action , “ Garrett said , the relief obvious in his voice.

“I will put trust in your Alpha Mate ‘s words then; if he says he will get my family out, and he does , I will forever be in

both of your debt , “ Trent finally said , making up his mind.

Garrett sent his mind out searching for his mate’s mind; it was much closer this time . “Ha ven , he has agreed to help us

if we can get his family out.”

Haven answered back immediately that they would be there shortly, and he was so thankful that Garrett was safe p

romising that he wouldn’t kill Trent , but making no promises he wouldn’t get a good hit or two in there for hurting his mate.

Alex‘s truck was flying up the road, skidding to a stop behind Trent’s car . Haven was out of the door before it even

stopped . He threw open the back door to grab up Garrett in his arms with h is mouth slammed into Garrett’s in a stunning
kiss of domination and ownership. As Trent turned in the seat to address Haven, he dipped his head in submission to the
Alpha.

Haven watched the younger man submit to him and waited for him to lift his head. Before addressing the man, he swung

his fist back and hit him right in the jaw , sending him sprawling into the steering w he el area. As Trent picked himself back
up, he heard a growl coming from the side of his car and thought just great , another one here to deck me .

“Trent, that was for laying a hand on my mate . I don’t agree with the things you have done today. Though I do

understand you were doing anything to keep your family safe from harm, which is the only reason that you are walking
away from this unscathed. Know this though , if you ever lay a hand on him in anything other than a polite handshake, you
won’t get another chance , “ Haven said slowly and with force. Garret could feel the Alpha mojo coming off him , nearly t a
k ing him to his knees; the only thing that saved him was his mate holding him up. Trent wasn ‘t so lucky.

“Haven, we have a situation here, can you come over to the truck for a minute ,” Alex said. Haven made his way to the

truck still carrying his mate . A fter setting him down in the front seat and telling him to stay put, he made his way to the
front of the truck. Garrett wanted to roll his eyes —his mate was going all business-like Alpha on him. Garrett could hear
everything the men were saying, duh, wolf hearing , he thought .

***

Making his way to the front of the truck where Alex was standing , Haven was still feeling pissed that his mate was

taken by the wolf who was now sitting in the car again waiting for them to finish.

“Haven, this is kinda fucked up, but that is my mate in the car; my wolf is having a fit with you hitting him and

threatening him. I know he deserves everything you said and did , but my wolf is not agreeing. I just wanted you to know
what was going on with me , “ Alex said and then winced when Haven snarled.

“Sorry Alex, I am still trying to control my wolf; he is still pissed. Shit, your mate is the one who kidnapped mine? Well,

my mate will not let me hurt him, so don’t worry about that . I am not really wanting to go into the dog house the first week
after I mate , ” Haven said and then frowned when he heard Garrett laughing in the cab of the truck. His mate was pushing
it a little. “But, from what Garrett has told me , his Pack mate is eaten up with the guilt of doing these things to protect his
mom and sister. He was willing to die if we saved his family.”

“If you don’t mind, I will ride back to the Pack house with my new mate and try to figure out how to make this all work

, and hopefully no one will get hurt , “ Alex said , then glanced to where his mate was in the car. Haven laughed and hit him
on the shoulder then went to the driver side of the truck and slid in and waited.

Garrett looked at the Alpha, who was pausing outside of the truck trying to calm himself down. “So, Blackwell and

Trent, huh?”

Neither of them could take their eyes off the scene in front of them. “Do you suppose we had that same expression

when we saw each other. Cause I gotta tell you , I felt like maybe mine was sexier , ” Garrett commented, and Haven

laughed. “Seriously, they both look like they are in pain. I always thought when you found your mate you would have this
completely content look on your face. I am kinda afraid to ask what mine looked like.”

Haven was laughing loudly and holding a hand over his mouth, because he knew the Alpha and Trent could probably

both hear them . “Nah, remember; your face was swollen, so if you tried to look sexy , it was like the The Elephant Man
posing for a nude picture. It didn’t really give you the best option for working.”

Garret glared at his mate and then turned to the window again. “You know I should kick your ass for that.”

Haven laughed and said, “Baby, you could try, and then I would be able to spank that ass red and tie you to the bed

for a week.”

“Oh really,” Garrett practically purred.

Haven shook his head and then waited and watched.

***

Trent sniffed the wind as it blew from their direction. “Oh my god , that is my mate.” He almost sank to his knees at the

irony of the situation. There was no way in hell that beautiful man would want a loser like him for a mate.

His life was screwed up, and he didn’t know what in hell he was going to do next. How was he going to support his

family? Trent decided right then he’d do whatever it took to become a better man. Maybe someday he would even deserve
to have such a mate.

Alex made his way over to his would-be mate, taking in the stiffing of his body the closer he came. His mate was still

much smaller than he was, at 6 feet 8 inches, Alex considered himself well above average. His mate was just shy of 6 feet,
with a very wel l—muscled body for a man of his size. As Alpha , Alex was trying to decide how to start, but Trent spoke
up , “I can understand if you want nothing to do with me , Alpha.”

Alex frowned as if he was confused. “You were put in a no-win situation with that corrupted Alpha; you did what was

ordered to save your family. You won’t be on anyone ‘s fan list for a while, but it is a forgivable offense, mate. You will just
have to give your Pack time as they come to terms with what has happened and why.”

“You would forgive that easily, my mate?” Trent didn’t know what to say at that point, he was so overwhelmed with so

many emotions —one of them was gratitude for not being killed.

“Trent, there is no need for forgiveness between us . You have never wronged me in anyway. I look to the future. We

will save our family , that I promise you . The plans are already in the works. You can’t return though, the Alpha will
assume you are still searching. Will your family wonder where you are , Trent?” Alex said.

“No, my family should be fine for a couple of more days without raising any alarms . They will just think that Garrett has

traveled farther if they don’t hear from me. There is a chance the Alpha will call , “ Trent said honestly. “He was pissed off
the last time he called. He is expecting results soon.”

“Is that your personal cell phone, or did the Alpha give it to you? The reason I am asking is Alpha Cedarhill could’ve

placed a tracking device in the phone. It really isn’t that uncommon for the phone to have it these days , “ Alex asked
before they left for the Pack house . They didn’t want anyone knowing where Trent was actually at.

“It is my phone, but you are welcome to check it , Alpha , “ Trent said, and handed the phone to him . He was

wondering if his mate maybe didn’t trust him all that much too, he wouldn’t. If there was a tracking device in the phone, he
had not put it there . I t would have been the Alpha or Beta.

“Mate, there will be no ‘Alpha ‘ between us . You will call me Alex or mate. You are my partner in this life , Trent .

We will work through all this mess , I promise you , “ Alex said.

As Garrett watched Alex and Trent trying to work things out, he looked at his mate . “What are you thinking about,

mate ?” Haven asked . Haven wanted t o grab Garrett and take him away from here as fast he could possibly go. His first
instinct was to protect his mate, so yeah, Haven did understand Trent’s situation to a point.

As Garrett answered his mate‘s question, he looked into his eyes. “I was thinking about the good that comes out of bad

situations. Like the time I almost died , but woke up in the room with my am azing mate; I’m blessed , Haven. Are we

ready to go back to the Alpha’s Pack House?”

Haven could smell the arousal in the car. His mate was thinking more than he let on. Haven let it go, since they were

within hearing distance of a few wolfs he knew that were standing watch over them.

Finally, Alex motioned to them, and they headed back to the Blackwood Pack g rounds , each one knowing there was

still a lot of planning. Trent was abnormally silent for himself . He usually was the one that kept the conversation going in his
peaceful family. There were so many unanswered questions . How would they make this work? Technically, he was the
enemy to every other member of the Cedarhill Pack. Could he live with the terrible things that he’d done in the past?

Chapter 13

Garrett leaned up against Haven, just breathing in his scent as they sped down the road back to the Blackwood Pack.

“Garrett, lay your head on my shoulder and rest until we get back to the house. You’ve been through a lot . I want you safe
at home . Just wait until you see the Cascade Mountains of our home. I just know you are going to love it there; it has to be
one of the most beautiful places on this earth.”

“I’ve never been to Washington; I can’t wait to see it. Can you tell me a little about the Pack there while I close my

eyes?” Garrett said and then leaned over. He was excited to hear about his new home ; hopefully they would be able to put
all this shit behind them. Garrett wished he was completely healed . I t sucked to feel so tired after just a little excitement,
and his head kinda hurt, but he wasn’t telling Haven that.

“Several years ago, my father paid me to leave his Pack because of my sexual orientation. It was one of the lowest

times in my life, losing my family that way. My father wrote me a check , and said he never wanted to see me again and that
I was dead to him. As I left , my younger sister cried since she couldn’t go against our father , the Alpha of the Pack , “
Haven said with a steel tone. Garrett should have kept his mouth shut . He thought he was gonna tell him about the view,
well shit .

“I found a place in the Cascade Mountains soon after, it was the most peaceful place imaginable. Soon after , my best

friend and Beta , Tyler, were the first of the men who came to live within “Haven’s Home” as they like to call it . Over the
last five years, many more have come and gone . Right now, we have twelve members of the Pack living in the Pack
House; it makes for lively meal times around the place , “ Haven said , thinking that was probably enough . He hated talking
about his father.

“Don’t worry; everyone is going to love you . You are amazing Garrett. They are all going to think I am the luckiest

person around. They are all just waiting until the day they are lucky enough to find their mate.”

In no time, they were once again pulling into the Blackwood Pack House; this time, there were visible guards strolling

around the outside of the compound on high alert. Haven was glad to see the extra protection after the disappearance of his
mate. If he could keep Garrett by his side for the rest of his life, he would. Alex and his mate pulled in right beside them as
he pulled Garrett out of the truck , h is hand held securely in his , as they waited for Alex to get out of the car.

“We are home Trent. I promise to show you around after the meeting with Haven and Garrett. It is important that we

have the plans finalized by the time the reinforcements arrive to help. I can see the worry in your eyes already Trent . We
will get them out; I promise you , “ t hey heard Alex say.

“I know you will. It’s just hard Alex , “ Trent responded , and looked over at Garret and Haven.

Alex smiled. This was the first time his mate had addressed him in an informal way , and it felt great. Alex knew he

would have to take things slow with his mate until he could have a talk with him . He really was looking forward to some
alone time to spend with his handsome mate.

“Everyone, let’s take this to the office and get a few things hashed out , “ Alex said reluctantly.

“Sounds good, Alex, “ said Haven .

***

As they made their way to the Pack house, Trent had to admire the beauty of the place; it was in no way extravagant

like the expensive , meaningless things that Alpha Cedarhill bought with the Pack’s funds. Trent was glad to see that from
the looks of things , this Pack actually ran as a standard Pack should. Then again, how should he really know what usual
was, he had lived that way for too many years to count .

Everyone followed Alex into his office . Once again , Haven took the chair in front of the desk and pulled Garrett down

onto his lap w hile Alex pulled a chair close to his and indicated for Trent to have a seat beside him. Alex gave Trent the
honor of sitting as an equal to the men sitting opposite of him. Trent just sat there quietly , without saying a word , as he
listened to the two A lphas talk about Cedarhill Pack. Glancing at the desk , Trent saw the detailed drawing of the Cedarhill
Compound; it was amazing in detail.

“May I ask who drew this amazing drawing?” Trent said quietly.

“I did,” answered Garrett as a s hy blush trailed down his face.

“You did a remarkable job Garrett. I had no idea you could do anything like that , “ Trent said , and then regretted his

decision to speak about the past, it would just remind Garrett of the Alpha who terrorized him.

“Thank you for the complement Trent,” Garrett said , and tried to be encouraging.

It was all Haven could do to hold in the praise for his mate—he wanted to shout it from the rooftops about his talent.

He promised himself he would get his mate the tools to finish off his degree . From the looks of it , Garrett’s talent alone put
him far above the rest , in his opinion of course .

Trent gave information that even Garrett was not privy too , on the Leaderships habits and likes and dislikes. The plan

they had put together , attacking while they were in their morning meeting , was the best shot of success. It was already
starting to get late by the time they wrapped up, so everyone agreed to meet in the dining hall for supper.

It was nothing like Trent or Garrett had ever seen before. I t was a smorgasbord of foods so mouthwatering that they

wondered if their tongues were hanging out. As they looked across at each other, the looks were much the same. The only
tables back at the Cedarhill Pack that was set in a finer display were in the Alpha house.

“Haven, I’ve never seen so much food in my life . There is enough here to feed half of the Cedarhill Pack. I feel guilty

even attempting to eat and be a part of this wonderful spread , “ Garrett said.

“It’s fine to feel for your old Pack mates . Please understand Garrett that this is a usual night in the Pack house with the

number that we have h ere at present,” s aid Alex .

“I feel the same way Garrett. I t does seem shameful to have so much food. Hopefully, that is something we can change

together, and we can make sure no one goes without again , “ Trent said and looked at his mate.

“I hope so Trent, I hope so,” Alex said , and then led him to the line of tables.

Haven watched Garrett fill his plate, a small amount of several different things, but no way enough to help replenish his

wolf body. Going slow was probably for the best though, with his body unused to large amounts of food . The Weir within
them needed to be strong and alert. He would see that his mate ate a little more every day , until he was finally back to
good health. Haven couldn’t wait to show off his man to his family back home. His “family”, that ‘s what Haven considered
all the people that lived within the Pack house walls. Each one coming from situations that no one should have to live
through. They were all a remarkable bunch of guys . He would trust his life to any of them , and ultimately, his mate’s as
well.

It was soon time to call it a night with the sound of all the satisfied stomachs around the table . Haven couldn’t help

laughing when his own mate let out a loud belch. Poor Garrett looked so embarrassed to have done that in public, he
wanted to slide under the table , you could tell. Haven just smiled and gave him a kiss on the head and said, “Are you ready
to call it a night , baby?”

“More than ready, my BMW,” Garrett grinned.

Haven almost grabbed Garrett and slung him over his shoulder at the seductiveness of his words. He couldn’t help the

little growl that left h is throat . His wolf was turned on by the invitation that was in his mate’s eyes. All he wanted at that
moment was to be deep in his mate and stay there for a lifetime.

“Garrett, you are in so much trouble,” Haven teased his beautiful mate.

Chapter 14

The hunger was growing once again inside of him, hunger for the violence that he craved. He would never change what

he did to get stronger, and more powerful , even if it meant owing a dark witch for his changes. No one other than his inner
circle of wolves knew what Jacob had sacrificed to become a demon wolf. The pain was unbearable , as he was filled with
strength beyond his imagination. Th e hunger for the smell of blood and violence tripled in intensity s i n c e that night.

“Demon, I summon you from the depths of hell, where you were conjured from. Come forth to answer my questions. I

command you , “ t he Alpha said and waited.

The air swirled around Jacob as the form took shape in front of him. “Why do you summon me, wolf man?” The

demon’s beady eyes were taking in all things around him and waiting for Jacob to answer.

“Why do I crave blood? The smell is intoxicating to me . The more violent the cause the better, what have you done to

me?” Jacob said standing and glaring at the thing that appeared.

“I have done nothing to you, wolf man . You chose to take over the demon power , to d ominate over all those around

you. This is just part of the demon transfer who lusts for the simple things, like blood . Take what you seek, you will only
grow stronger , “ t he creature said.

“Be gone from my sight demon,” Jacob ordered . He wasn ‘t in the mood for a creature to tell him what to do.

The demon took another moment, never one to listen to the command of something so inferior. The stupid creature

didn’t even know a good thing when he’d given it to him. Without the intake of blood, the demon powers would soon start
to fade. This was something the dark witch knew . She must have “forgotten” to tell the wolf man after being paid a fortune
to conjure up fury from the depths of hell.

Alpha Jacob‘s mouth was salivating for the taste of blood, even his front teeth had taken on a sharper point to make it

easier to feed. As he walked through his Pack home searching for someone to ease this hunger , t here was an older
woman out a few feet ahead . Just then , the woman turned to see Alpha Jacob bearing down on her. There was fear
evident in her eyes, knowing the worse was to come. Alpha grabbed her harshly by the arms and smiled at her squeal of
discomfort . Before lowering his head to her neck , fangs sprang forth seconds before he devoured every drop of her
blood. The woman’s screams only added to the excitement of the kill , and the delicious taste of the blood as it slid down
his throat.

Alpha Cedarhill threw her body into the ditch as if she was yesterday’s trash. His eyes had taken on a reddish t i nt as

he drew her life ‘s blood into his body. His head thrown back in abandon as he stroked himself through his jeans. Quickly,
he released his hard member , and jerk off with the feeling of lightning traveling through his veins. Never had he felt t his
instant lust for anyone other than Garrett during his beatings. In spite of the thought, it sickened him , and excited him even
more.

He was pissed with the damn demon for not quite answering the questions that Alpha Jacob was wanting answered.

The taste of blood forever engrained upon Alpha Cedarhill’s mind and body; he would never give up that pleasure again.
As he made his way to the Pack house for their daily meeting, his desire for Garrett kicked into gear once again .

***

Last night’s dream had been much like the one that Tyler had been having for the last month. The feeling of danger was

so strong during the dreams and the panic of the person as they took flight to get away from the evil that was pursuing them.
Tyler couldn’t quite make out the person , or the thing the dream was about; it was almost as if there was a film covering
the image, and it was very frustrating. All that Tyler knew for sure was the voice calling for help in the dreams moved Tyler
in a way no one had before.

Waking up in a cold sweat every morning didn’t go over well with Tyler, and the sense of urgency he was feeling from

this dream was intense. His Alpha was counting on him to be in California first thing this afternoon. Tyler could book a
flight, leaving in two hours. Thankfully, all he had to do was jump into the shower and head out the door.

As Tyler stepped into the shower, he imagined the voice from the dreams in a much different way. Calling out his name

, i n abandon , as whoever it was rimmed his ass. The sweet sound of his pleasure was all it took to set off an incredible

feeling of ecstasy as Tyler’s cock exploded with seed on the shower floor. Tyler was panting so hard by the time he came
down from his orgasm , he almost felt crazy for imaging a dream “man” to get him off.

If only his ‘dream man’ was real , and his mate , then his life would have turned full circle. Haven didn’t know it, but he

had truly saved him that day , and not just from the bullies who considered it ok ay to pick on someone who loved within
his own gender. The spirits made him this way, didn’t all those idiots out there know the choice was not their own. Destiny
brought two people or mates together to love one another.

Those were Tyler’s thoughts as he rushed out the door to another adventure of kicking some idiot’s asses for hurting

their people. However, this time it was for family, his sister needed to be found. Something told Tyler though things were
just beginning to change in their little Pack. He was so happy for his Alpha and friend for finding his mate. Things are crazy
for them right now , but Tyler knew that as long as they had one another, they would prevail.

If Tyler has to kick some ass in the process, all the better . No one hurt the innocent while he was on watch and could

do something about it. In no time, Tyler was aboard the plane and heading towards the Cedarhill’s of California .

***

Haven and Garrett lay cuddled in each other’s arms, after some mind-blowing sex. They both fell into a deep sleep . A

s Garrett entered that sacred garden , once again , his safe spot , t his time he wasn’t alone . His mate was right beside him
in his little piece of paradise.

“Where are we Garrett?” Haven said frowning. He grabbed Garrett to try to keep him safe while they figured out

where the fuck they were.

“This is my secret place, in my mind that I dream about, but I am so glad that I can share it with you, my BMW. The

only other person that can come into my dreams is my friend Shannon. I am worried about him Haven; he hasn’t visited me
here in a few days. That is not like him, he usually makes a pest of himself on purpose , “ Garrett said and pulled away.

“Baby, it is absolutely breathtaking here. You know I wish I had the answers you are searching for, right. Garrett , I

promise we will find out what has happened to him , “ Haven said , and let his mate lead him around. He still watched for
something to attack them.

“I am going to try to transform into my wolf,” Garrett said firmly.

Haven watched as his mate shimmered into the most beautiful wolf imaginable . Garrett was no longer sick ly looking,

and his hair gleamed with health and happiness. His coat was a n unusual shade of silver that seemed to shimmer as if it
couldn’t quite hold a shape . In the next moment, Garrett shimmered once again and the light was so brilliant that he
couldn’t see what he was.

Chapter 15

That is how they both woke up out of our combined dream. He was in awe of his amazing mate. The dream was so

real, every aspect of it in fine detail as he remembered the way Garrett had flawlessly transformed into his wolf form. Then
to transform into something the spirits were not quite ready for them to see just yet.

“Thank you for understanding, my mate,” Garrett said . He could feel the peace of acceptance rolling off him as Haven

took him into his arms.

Haven wrapped his mate within his comforting arms, pulling him in for a morning kiss. It soon became very heated as

their tongues dueled for supremacy , neither wanting to give in. It was only the need for air which brought them back to the
present. Haven trailed kisses down his mate’s neck until he came to the mating mark.

With the swipe of his tongue, over and over , Haven licked at the sensitive area until Garrett was quivering in his arms

and begging for more. “Please Haven; I need you inside of me.” Not one to deny his mate’s desires , Haven quickly
grabbed the lube from the drawer as he bent Garrett over , face down on the bed.

“Set up on your knee’s baby, I want you open to me,” Haven demanded.

Quickly, Garrett obliged. Haven rapidly moved behind him trailing kisses down his back until he came to the small star

just begging for his attention. With his wolf’s tongue, he began to r im Garrett repeatedly. Haven loosened the hole with
each internal thrust of his tongue into the small passage. He held his mate’s perfect ass within the palms of his hands as
Garrett thrust back against every entry —it was the hottest sight imaginable.

“Haven, I need you, “ Garrett panted.

“What do you need, baby?” Haven whispered , wanting his mate to tell him exactly what he wanted.

“I need your cock so far up my ass I can’t sit for a week , “ h is mate demand ed , making Haven laugh.

“That I can do,” Haven said.

Haven quickly opened the lube and generously squirted some on his fingers as he worked one finger into his mate’s still

tight passage , then another . With each movement of Haven’s fingers, Garrett thought he would go insane. Before he finally
got what he really wanted from Haven, he wasn’t above begging his mate for pleasure.

“Are you ready baby?”

“DUH,” Garrett said which earned him a slap on his ass cheek. He grinned over his shoulder and winked at his mate.

It was pure heaven the moment Haven slid his cock into Garrett’s passage. A feeling of completeness filled Garrett.

With each thrust, he slammed back onto his mate’s cock in total abandon. Just before Garrett thought he’d pass out from
the intensity , a shimmer came from inside Garrett, formed around them both, and suddenly slammed into both of their
bodies causing them both to erupt on the spot. All they could do was hold on as Haven’s mating knot extended and
fastened to Garrett’s sweet spot ca u sing him to howl at the ceiling and pass out from the explosion of feeling.

All Haven could think at that moment was “WOW.” What just happened to them both ? He felt energized like never

before. This had to be a part of his mate’s special powers . He was more amazed everyday with his mate. He never
thought he could love another person so much, from the top of his snow-white hair to his delicate toes. Garrett would
probably kill him for calling his feet delicate. He was crazy about every inch of this man; damn, if he didn’t watch , any
moment now he could see himself quoting poetry to his man. Shit .

First chance Haven got, he wanted to get his mate something special. He need ed pampering in the most ridiculous

fashion imaginable. He was going to have to think of the perfect gift for his mate. Held gently within his arms , Garrett was
finally starting to come around after the explosion of sexual energy.

“Wow baby, you pack quite a punch, ” teased Haven.

“That was pretty incredible, any idea what just happened to us?” Garrett said dreamily.

“Not a damn clue, but I bet when the time is right , the spirits will damn sure let us know , “ Haven said , and kissed his

mate one last time before pushing himself up.

They needed to be showered and dressed soon, as much he hated to leave the comfort of their bed. Tyler would be

showing up any time, and he wanted to be around to update his Beta on the situation going on around them. Tyler always
seemed to have an instinct about going into these situations; he was a great Beta and friend to have guarding his back.

“Shower time beautiful and we don’t have time to enjoy it either, but in the very near future, I will take you up on all

these silent invitations I see in those beautiful grey eyes of yours baby , “ Haven said and then stood.

Was he too old to pout? Garrett thought to himself . Hell no, he was the one missing some shower loving , and since

his mate had guided him into the world of outstanding sex , there should certainly be some kind of law against not having
sex in the shower. Hell yeah, he wanted it all.

***

Tyler’s plane touched down at the airport closest to the Blackwood Pack, and as he left the plane, he couldn’t help

loving California’s beauty. If only he was here for a much different reason, he could take in the richness of it majestic
beauty. As he pulled out his directions to the Pack house, all thoughts about the beauty around him faded in the
background.

Tyler quickly found the rental-car place and was on the road within a half an hour. He wondered if he would be the first

to arrive at the Pack house . From what Haven had told him yesterday , there were over twenty enforcers coming from the
counsel Packs to help bring down the corrupted leaders.

Tyler felt for the people that were under their leadership because being rejected by his Pack had been hard enough.

What it was like to live in sec lusion and terror for the majority of some of their lives? If there was anything he could help do
to restore some normalcy , Tyler was all for it.

It wasn’t long before Tyler was pulling up to the sprawling Pack house of the Blackwood Pack. After grabbing his bag,

Tyler got himself out of the rental car he was driving just as Haven and a drop dead beautiful man stepped out onto the
porch. Tyler smiled warmly at his Alpha and bowed his head in submission to his superior. As he turned to the Alpha Mate,
Tyler w as surprised he felt the need to do the same with the younger man. Tyler went with his feelings as they never lead
him wrong in the past.

As he bowed his head to the Alpha Mate, Tyler said, “It is an honor to meet you Alpha Mate. Welcome to our Pack

and our family , Alpha Mate.” Tyler said honestly.

“Thank you Beta, I appreciate your kind welcome and thank you for coming to help free my friends and fellow Pack

mates , “ Garrett said , hoping he was doing this right.

Alex and his new mate, Trent , walked out onto the porch , r eady to welcome Haven ‘s Beta into his Pack. As Alex

walked down the stairs taking in the measure of the man in front of him, he decided he would do.

“Welcome Beta Tyler to the Blackwood Pack,” Alex said.

Tyler bowed his head to Alex, just as he had his Alphas , showing them the respect that was due to them. Tyler waited

for the welcome into the Alpha’s private home and sanctuary , w ishing someday to have one of his very own, that he might
be able to share with his mate.

“Please come inside Beta Tyler, we need to go over the plans before the enforcers get here tomorrow.”

Chapter 16

Shannon now knew what it felt like to be in Garrett’s shoes, and under the constant eye of that psycho of an Alpha that

ran their Pack. Only this time the psycho was Jarrod , the second in command, and he loved every minute of the pain that
he inflected on his victims. Thinking back, Lately, when Jarrod was watching Shannon for any sign of wrong doing, there
was something else there in his eyes. The looks were only increasing over the last few weeks as Garrett, beaten within
an inch of his life, had escaped. To help , a ll Shannon could do was sneak him a little water and food. The last
beating had been far worse than any of the others before. Shannon knew that if he didn’t get him out of there , he
would die from this one. Garrett couldn’t transform into his wolf to start the healing process.

Shannon waited until the guards took the usual bathroom break . The guards went off with whatever magazine

was handy. That left Shannon at least ten minutes to get Garrett out of cell that night. Shannon really hoped that
Garrett had made it to somewhere safe. It was a good sign that Trent had not returned with him. Shannon was
afraid of sleeping too deeply and reaching out to Garrett in their dreams and not hearing the danger approach.

One thing was for sure though in Shannon’s mind, his mate was approaching the area. Last night , the dreams that he

tried to send his mate had almost broken through into Shannon’s dreams.

Shannon hoped the closer he traveled to him, the easier it would be to reach him. Would his mate even believe him , if

he managed to break through into his dreams? He was going to need his mate, which Shannon knew without a doubt.

Shit was about to hit the fan, with the Alpha going off the deep end and summoning that demon for power. Shannon

saw the very horrible thing in one of his visions. Including the death of the Elder Millie, as Alpha Cedarhill took his demon
wolf on completely. Alpha Cedarhill needed stopped at any cost —no matter what it cost himself.

Shannon’s only hope was that his mate would make it in time; his vision was not a pretty one. Many people were going

to die if Alpha Cedarhill’s hunger increased as it had in the vision. Spirits help them all . No one was going to be safe. All he
had to do was make it back to his little house and settle in for the night. Reaching his mate was a top priori ty, their lives
depended on it.

***

Tyler listened to the plan that was set to go in two days; it was a strong yet sensible plan as long as their meeting took

place at the designated time. The others would start arriving first thing in the morning and throughout the day tomorrow.
Everyone was on high alert since the initial attempt made to take Garrett . I f the situation wasn’t so dire , Tyler could’ve
laughed at the way Alex had found his mate.

Finding your mate is the ultimate fantasy of any adult Weir, that person who completes you. It is not just about the

fantastic sex, though Tyler heard that was out of this world with the mating knot involved. It was if a part of your soul was
missing , and with your mate, the completeness is surreal. Tyler couldn’t wait to find his mate; he could imagine it in detail.

It was somewhat lonely being in a room full of newly mated pairs; the love was very evident between his Alpha mates,

and often they would touch and watch one another with such love in their eyes. It was nice to watch Haven so taken with
his man. There was something different about his A lpha; Tyler could n’t quite put his finger on what it was. The Blackwood
mates were a little different, just newly mated the day before, and they hadn’t quite reached that familiarity with each other
yet. The mating hunger was definitely there for all to see. The thoughts were evident that they wanted to tear their clothes
off and fuck each other.

The initial mating heat couples loved, though the couples never lose the desire to continue to mate. Mated couples at no

time desire another after they make love for the first time.

Tyler never was one for many one-night stands; there was instant gratification, but it was hollow in itself. He refused to

use his fellow Pack mates for something so fleeting when they’re the best of friends. Not that any had offered, but he
wasn’t blind to the looks tossed his way from time to time.

Mostly, it was the dreams that he has had lately that keep his mind occupied during the nights until Tyler fell asleep. If

only he could see the face of his ‘ dream man ‘, then at least his fantasies would be complete. Oh, what fantasies he
conjured up in his mind. Tyler especially loved the shower scene with hi m down upon his knees, rimming his ‘dream man’s

‘ ass with only his tongue, which always left his cock wanting to burst. As he continued to explore every detail of the man’s
perfect body, the things he could do with his tongue were wicked.

Shit, Tyler had to stop these daydreams . With the wolf senses , his fellow wolves had to know he was throwing off

pheromones like crazy. His only redeeming excuse, so were the couples in the room so they would think his reactions were
from them. It was time to take matters into his own hands and relieve some of the tension that was strumming through his
body.

Here it wasn’t even lunchtime, and he had a hard on as if he was a desperate young wolf, it was almost embarrassing.

Tyler excused himself, with the smirks and laughter trailing after him as he left the room.

He knew it was all in good humor; one thing about the Weir’s sex, it wasn’t a thing hidden away with only the bedroom

lights off. The Weir reveled in sex and celebrated the high sex drives that they found as a normal part of their lives, made
better by finding their mates.

Tyler reached the bathroom just off the bedroom inside the room he would be stay ing in while visiting the Blackwood

Pack. It was not hard to imagine hi s mate as he stared at the mirror while quickly undressing. As he took his cock into his
hands and closed his eyes, his ‘dream man ‘ fell upon his knees before Tyler. With a teasing look, he slowly licked the
end of Tyler’s hard cock that was jerking in reaction. ‘His tongue ‘ massaging the crease at the end as he took
Tyler deep into his throat. The feeling of his throat muscles contracting around his cock w as almost too much to
handle.

Tyler’s fingers grasped the edge of the sink as if he was holding his mate’s head instead. With quick thrusts that took

his cock to the very back of his throat, Tyler screamed out his release. Pumping stream upon stream into the sink as he
came back to reality and lost touch with his ‘dream man ‘. It was with a sigh of disappointment as Tyler turned on the water
to clean him off. Was it normal to miss a man who did not even exist? Maybe he really was starting to lose his grip on
reality.

Tyler made his way back to the office to find the couples were enjoying each other in abandon. Alex had his mate slung

over the desk and was pounding with quick strong thrusts into his mate’s passage. Trent was howling in joy with every
thrust and stroking backwards onto his mate’s solid cock. As he watched the other couple on the chair, Garrett was on his
knees comfortably relaxed against the cushions while Haven was circling his back star repeatedly with his tongue, and his
fingers were pleasuring Garrett’s balls and hard cock as he stroked him in abandon.

Garrett was begging Haven to fuck him, as he desperately fucked his cock against Haven’s hand trying to find release.

It was beautiful to watch such a loving between the mates, though they would never touch another in pleasure, they gave
just by allowing others to watch their reactions to each other —i t was enough to have Tyler hard once again.

Chapter 17

This time Tyler sat down in the chair in the corner across the room and just unzipped his pants and his cock sprung

forward. Going commando was normal for the Weirs as they disposed of their clothes quickly in the change. Tyler once
again closed his eyes and thought of his ‘dream man ‘. The idea of him with another man caused such an anger to rise in
Tyler. In that moment , Tyler had no doubts he was thinking of his own mate, he had to be to get that reaction. How that
was happening ? He had no idea, but it didn’t matter as he thought only of his mate.

The picture was once again bleary, and he couldn’t see him, but the feelings were very real. His thoughts seemed to

blast into Tyler’s mind in that moment. “My mate, I have finally reached you ,” said the sexiest voice Tyler could ever
imagine. “I’ve tried to reach you many times , my mate , in the last few months. I can feel that you are closer to me
now, much more than ever before. May I ask your name my mate ?” t he smaller man said.

Tyler then heard laughter in his mind at his previous thoughts and felt somewhat better. “I am real my mate , I promise

you that . My name is Shannon. I am a Dream Weaver from the Cedarhill Pack .”

Tyler was overjoyed, then scared in the next minute —his mate was over with those psycho wolves. “Are you ok ay

sweetheart? My name is Tyler, and I am close . I am on the Blackwood Pack Lands with my Alpha and his new
mate. His mate was gravely injured when he found him two days ago.”

“Oh my God, you are talking about Garrett , aren’t you? He is one of my good friends. Is he ok ay now, I

hope?” his mate said to him .

As Tyler glanced over at his Alpha’s mate, he could honestly say he was doing better than great, he thought as he

smiled to his mate. Wow , his mate , he was in awe at the miracle that was his man . How his mate could talk in his
mind was the question? For that matter, how could he answer ? Tyler jumped back to his thoughts as they almost blasted
into Shannon’s mind .

“My name is Shannon and it is my Dream Weaver powers that are allowing us to communicate like this. Tyler

we are in a lot of trouble over here . The situation has gone from grave at best to deadly , “ Shannon said.

“We are planning an attack in two days my mate. We are just waiting for the reinforcements to arrive.” Tyler

tried to re-assure him.

“Tyler, I don’t know if we can wait two days, there has been a development with our Alpha that will put all the

Pack in jeopardy , “ h is mate said urgently.

“Is it okay if I tell the other mated couples with me that you have found me? Then I will relay the information if

you want me too. As of this moment, you are my top-priority Shannon.” Tyler said firmly.

“You can tell them. I f Garrett is there , he will understand. He is a Dream Walker, the same as I.” Shannon

replied.

As he looked back at the couples, they were staring at him in concern; he must have looked funny with his cock

hanging out , having a conversation with him self. He hadn’t even thought of answering in his mind. Garrett was the only one
that didn’t l ook at him like he had lost his marbles.

“So Tyler, Shannon is your mate then?” asked Garrett.

Tyler nodded a confirmation to his statement, trying to decide how to proceed while re-clothing him quickly. “For the

last few weeks, I have felt another presence in my dreams at night. I thought I was going crazy there for a while . Now I
know that it was my mate Shannon, who was trying to reach me. He finally reached me a few moments ago. We have
barely just started to talk, though he did say they were in critical danger. Something else is going on with the Alpha
Cedarhill since you left Garrett. Shannon was very happy to hear that you made it out safely and found your mate. Give me
a moment . I am just getting use to this talking in my head with thoughts. We can go over everything that Shannon is telling
me , ” Tyler said and was fully dressed feeling much more in control.

“Baby, I am bac k. They are all ready to listen if you can let me know what to say , “ Tyler thought and then he

heard Shannon say.

Shannon giggled into his mind. It was so intimate. “Okay my mate , back to business, the Alpha Cedarhill has made

a bargain with a dark witch. In doing so, she conjured a demon from the depths of hell and transferred the powers
of the demon into Alpha Cedarhill. He is now the first “demon wolf,” and he has to take blood to keep the demon
satisfied. He has already killed one elder this morning. His hunger will only grow, I can tell from my visions.”

“Well Shit,” that is all Tyler could think of saying at that moment. “Sorry , that last part was me.”

As Tyler turned toward the others around the room, he must have said that aloud again . They wore smirks on their

faces. He knew as soon as he got started, they would soon lose those smirks, and it would change to anger for the people
of the Cedarhill Pack.

“Things are even more fucked up than we originally thought. Somehow, the Cedarhill Alpha could get a dark witch to

work with him. She conjured a demon from the depths of hell and transferred their powers together. Ma king him the first
“demon wolf “. From what I could see , he is extremely powerful, and he has already killed an elder drinking her blood to
strengthen his powers. Shannon could see all of this in his visions , ” Tyler continued. “Shannon said that you would
understand Garrett.”

“Yes I do, but Shannon is the only one able to have visions , “ Garrett responded.

“The whole Pack is in danger now from Alpha Cedarhill for even more reasons. I am worried for my mate being stuck

in there with those psycho wolves. I have already told Shannon that we are coming for him in two days, and Shannon didn’t
know if they had two days. If Alpha Cedarhill starts a feeding frenzy like in his vision, we will lose many of the Pack
members…”

Chapter 18

“We need to put in an emergency call to the Counselors and let them know the situation has escalated and now in

volves mates on the inside. This is a very tedious situation, and we need to handle it right for all in volved. Give me a
moment and I will see if we can get a video feed from the counselors.” While Alex tried to reach the Counselors of this
region, Tyler tried to reach out for his mate. “Shannon , can you hear me?” As Tyler waited, he worried that something
had happened to his mate . He paced the back of the office.

“I am here, sorry, there was just another body found, this time it was a young boy . I t looks like anyone in his

path isn’t going to be safe here. I will try to get the word out, but it may be hard to let everyone know to stay inside
if possible , “ Shannon sniffed.

“Please be careful, we are trying to get a hold of some help today. We really need to push up the plans as

quickly as possible. You already mean the world to me Shannon, and I haven’t even met you. Keep clear of the
others, if at all possible . Alex is calling us all over to talk to the Counselors , “ Tyler thought.

“I will try my best Tyler, but I won’t sacrifice another for myself; it is just not in me to do such a thing. Please

understand Tyler, we will meet . I can promise you that.” Shannon grinned.

Wow, Tyler thought, Shannon was trying to tell him something but didn’t kno w him well enough yet to judge what.

“Alex, what can I do for you today ?” said Councilman Jackson. “Is the plan going well from your end?”

“Actually that is why we are calling. We have received more disturbing information. Haven ‘s second -in -command

just arrived this morning, and his mate could mind link with him from the Cedarhill Pack. There is trouble unlike we have
ever known . The Cedarhill Alpha contacted a dark witch and convinced her to call up a demon. Then the demon and
Alpha Cedarhill combined their powers, and he became the first “demon wolf.” He has been killing the Pack by drinking
their blood , “ Alex said briskly.

“My God, what the fuck will happen next,” t he Councilman said an d Alex grimaced.

“I know, but it does get worse. Tyler’s m ate , Shannon , is a Dream Weaver with the ability to have visions. His last

vision was of Alpha Cedarhill during a feeding frenzy, and he killed many in the Pack. So they need help now!” Alex said.

“Dream Weaver Wolves, they were thought to be extinct. There hasn’t been one for over five hundred years , “ t he

Councilman said incredulously.

“Actually there are two, Councilman,” said Haven. “My mate is also a Dream Weaver.”

“Wow, this must have a larger meaning behind it, are they br others by chance?” t he Councilman asked.

This time Garrett answered that question himself. “No Council man , we are both orphans in the Cedarhill Pack. We

weren’t even told our last names or given new ones by the families who took us into their homes.” Garrett never knew that
he was a part of a lost legacy . He really would like to know more about that in the future.

“Let me make a few calls to see where everyone is on the journey to your lands, Alex . I will call you back as soon as I

know something,” Jackson said.

“Thank you Councilman,” said Tyle r.

It looked like they were all playing the waiting game, and it was already driving Tyler crazy , as it would until he had

Shannon safely within his arms. His sister also needed to get out of this Pack and go home with her mate. His parents
would take care of them.

As Tyler looked around at the other men, knowing what his fellow wolves had been through , comforted him. Each one

had known hardship of some kind and survived in many situations that a weaker man would’ve fallen from . The Haven
Pack was a testament to just that , and Haven himself had rescued every one of them. He was one hell of a leader, and they
all would follow him to the ends of the earth.

From the little he had seen of the Blackwood Pack, everyone seemed to be happy and content. No one judged another

for having a man for a mate, accepting what destiny had dealt with the others instead of blaming and having violence that led
to a lot of heartache to the people involved.

No more than ten minutes later, the Councilman was back on the video conference, and he had patched through to ten

of the wolves who were on the way. Each one was less than two hours away ; t herefore, it would be up to them to put
together a feasible plan in the next two hours for a full-fledged rescue mission.

They sat down around the dining room table to throw out possible plans that would cause the least casualties to the

Pack. Each one coming up with what they considered good ideas, but none of them was a great one. Everyone sat there
trying to decide which would be the safest plan. The plans consisted of going in at suppertime, to catch them off guard
when they were sleeping, even with converging on the leadership’s homes and taking them there.

Tyler’s mate appeared once again in his mind. “Tyler , I am sorry , but none of those plans are going to work . I

am afraid the Alpha has called for the Pack to meet on the edge of the woods like we use d to do when we had
Pack runs. Every man, woman , and child are required to come with no exceptions. It is the place in my vision
Tyler; it is going to happen tonight…”

“Shit, let me tell everyone it is going down in less than two hours , “ Tyler thought.

“We have a huge problem. Shannon just told me that Alpha Cedarhill told everyone to meet on the edge of the forest.

That is the exact place from the vision Shannon had that showed the blood bath that killed so many of the Pack. It was
going to happen before our help gets t here. I have no choice; I can’t let my mate face that alone , ” Tyler said with a growl.

“Alex, my family is there too . I can’t stay here while they are in danger ,” said Trent.

“I will leave a message with the Pack house ‘Mom’ and send in the reinforcements as they start to arrive. Our best bet

will be to come in from the woods where they are meeting . We will drive until we are one mile from the Cedarhill Pack and
then transform and try to take out the Leaders, “ said Alex.

As Alex and his mate went to get all the able body wolves together, Haven turned to his mate. “Baby , you’re not up to

a fight tonight; you ‘r e just barely healed . I want you to stay here and wait for the reinforcements to come, please , my
mate.”

“Only because I would be more of hindrance right now in wolf form trying to keep up with you . I f I feel that you are in

dan ger, I can’t hold to my promise , “ Garrett said.

Chapter 19

Alpha Cedarhill craved blood; he’d already killed twice today, and he was starving for the taste of blood again . He

was changing inside with each drop of blood that entered into his body —this was the most amazing feeling . He was a
god among these wolves; every person should bow before him and let him take his fill. Tonight would be the ultimate rush,
he could have anyone he wanted and the wolves had to come at his summons.

The one that he needed was nowhere, and his blood would be an aphrodisiac to his already dream -filled mind. Garrett

was an obsession to him in every way imaginable, and he’d imagined his cock shoved so far up Garrett that he would
scream as he drove into him. No preparation, he wanted the pain with every fiber of his being and the Garrett of his dreams
loved every minute of it.

Son of a bitch, he needed blood now; the next person in his path was his. He was desperate for it now. As he made his

way off the porch of the Alpha house, he spotted his next victim trying to get some kid to follow him to the meeting place.
Jacob grabbed up the man and broke his neck in a rage, trying to get to his neck for the best veins. He flung him away
never once noticing the beauty of the dark redheaded man who had died trying to save his fellow Pack child. The child still
cried at the feet of the beast who was no longer a wolf as before.

Tyler felt something tear apart inside of him as the Alpha carelessly broke the neck of his mate, a rage unlike anything

that Tyler had ever felt rose within him. Before the eyes of the others around the room, Tyler transformed and took off as if
hell was on his heels. He no longer cared if he died, his reason for living just died in the arms of that maniac. Alpha
Cedarhill was his —he would die for doing such a thing to his mate. He would t ear him limb from limb , or die trying.

The rest of the fighters jumped into trucks and took off after the fleeing wolf. He could ruin the whole the mission

before it ever started. They soon overtook the wolf and drove on to the meeting spot to change. Tyler caught up to them
right as everyone was transforming and heading out into the woods.

As the Cedarhill Pack gathered on the edge of the woods, everyone waited, all clinging together in fear as they waited

for the worst to happen. The adults had the children all protected in the center of the circle. The children’s cries could be
heard by all around them as they huddled upon the ground in fear.

One little boy was inconsolable as he cried for the man he had caused to die right before his eyes. Shannon had always

looked out for the little ones, making sure that they had food. He would never forgive himself for being a brat.

Alpha Cedarhill came to stand before the Pack; his evilness seemed to surround him. When they looked at his eyes,

they were blood red, and it scared all as they looked upon them. His face chiseled into a smirk as he eyed the group as a
predator would have, before they stalked their prey. Alpha Cedarhill crooked his finger at the woman in the front row,
expecting her to lay down her life.

When out of the woods were the sounds of the oncoming wolves as they reached the edge of the woods. The large

wolf in the front zeroed in on his prey right before he took off in pursuit. Quickly, the Cedarhill Pack leaders transformed
and ran to meet the oncoming wolves . Meeting in the middle of the clearing with a clash of teeth, they fought for their lives.
It was so violent the parents turned their children’s heads away from the carnage in front of them.

The Blackwood Pack was outnumbered, as more than one wolf took them on. They were losing fast , Garrett could

see from his mind. Haven was fighting the three that had attacked and was losing ground. Garrett felt something inside of
him snap and come alive at the situation of his beloved mate being in danger. As he stepped off the porch of the Pack
house, he seemed to shimmer and disappear into mist.

One moment Garrett was standing on the ground and the next, he was flying through the air in pursuit of his mate. In a

matter of moments, he’d covered a large amount of miles. Garrett saw the trucks parked and headed straight for the
Cedarhill Pack. Still focus ed on saving his mate, he failed to look at what he had become.

“Haven, I am on my way,” Garrett cried.

“Stay away, “ he heard in hi s mind, his mate in great pain.

“I am coming in fast from above, “ Garrett said with determination.

Tyler was fighting with two of the enforcers, when one of them suddenly took off in the opposite direction. That

confused Tyler , but he was determined to get through this wolf to the Alpha that was feeding on an innocent Pack member.

As Tyler took down the wolf in front of him, he heard a roar from the sky above him. When he glanced up , there was
nothing there until he suddenly saw the big fucking dragon for the first time in his life. It was furious as it tore wolves apart
and away from the wolf below them.

Chapter 20

As the dragon cautiously placed the wounded wolf within its claws and took to the air , Garrett was desperate to get

Haven to a safe spot . A s he carefully placed Haven on the ground , he shimmered again and held his hurt mate to his
chest. As the tears flowed from Garrett’s eyes and landed on Haven’s chee k , the air around the two men shimmered.

“My mate, you saved me . You are so beautiful in your second form. You shine in the most beautiful colors like the

rainbow. You amaze me , Garrett , in everything that you do , “ Haven whispered.

“Well, I really hope that you like the form too, because when we shimmered and became one , you became a dragon

too . You are going to have brilliant shades of ir i descent blue for the color of your eyes.” Garrett laughed.

“Just wait until they see us fly in order to help the Blackwood Pack; we are going to kick some serious ass baby , “

Haven said and stood up.

***

As Tyler headed for the Alpha, he was determined to kill the son of a bitch and then find his fallen mate. He would hold

him in his arms at least once , he promised himself. He rushed the Alpha as he threw away the body of the poor woman .
He quickly attacked him. With no more than a toss of the arm, Alpha Jacob threw Tyler across the meadow and knocked
the wind out of him.

From high above, Tyler once again heard the roar of a dragon , but this time, there were two roars as the pair came

into view. They were breathtaking in their beauty as they circled the fight in g looking for the Alpha. He already took up
another person, one of his enforcers by the look of him , and was s ucking his lifeblood right out of him.

Tyler watched, as the dragons seemed to communicate to each other and headed toward the direction of the Cedarhill

Alpha, both screaming in fury as the Alpha transformed into some kind of huge devilish looking werewolf, something
straight out of the horror movies the humans loved so much. The Alpha was getting in some good swipes with his razor-
sharp claws.

As he watched the dragons fight on in deadly precision, Tyler headed toward the direction of the houses in search of his

fallen mate. It didn’t take him long to find his beautiful mate. Tyler smoothed back his long dark-red hair and kissed his
checks as he drew him up into his arms rocking him back and forth. Why would something like this happen when they had
just found each other?

“Why spirits, why would you take him away from me ?” cried Tyler to the heavens.

There was no answer to his anguished plea. Tyler held Shannon tightly to him as the tears ran down his face. Tyler sat

and cradled Shannon to his chest looking down into his face. The fall of Tyler’s tears touched on Shannon’s che e k, and
the air around them began to shimmer. Tyler held onto Shannon not knowing what to do. Tyler was scared of what he was
losing , even with this moment , to hold his mate close to his side.

As the shimmering around them stopped in almost like a cloud of smoke, Tyler looked mystified by the display. As he

looked down at his mate, Tyler gasped in surprise as his mate looked up at him and smiled. In that moment, Tyler almost
dropped his mate.

“Oh my god, you are okay baby. What the hell just happened, you were dead I know you were dead !” Tyler yelled.

“I don’t know my mate, but I’m very much alive Tyler, “ Shannon said softly.

Tyler hugged Shannon close to his chest. He looked at the heavens and thanked the spirits for giving them another

chance to be together.

“My mate, I promise you will be protected. I will protect you with my life , “ Tyler growled.

“We will protect each other, that I promise you, my mate.” Shannon laughed a t his mate’s fierce expression.

The reinforcements arrived just as the fight was winding down; they stood on the edge of the forest watching in

amazement at the dragons fighting in unison with the creature out of most children’s worst nightmares. They soon helped

take over the other wolves and the rebels of the Pack, quickly killed as the Cedarhill Pack cheered from the background.

There was a victory cheer as the Alpha fell, and the dragons tore him limb from limb. The people cheered on the

dragons as they took to the air with their massive wings. They roared in victory as they flew back towards the Blackwood
Pack House. What a remarkable sight and one that they would tell for many years to come.

As the dragons touched down a mile from the Pack house, they didn’t want to scare the Blackwood Pack in their

dragon forms. They shimmered into their human form once again, remarkably still wearing their clothes. The men embraced
and held each other tight.

“I love you baby,” Haven said with a laugh.

“My mate, I love you so much, you are the home I have always wished for , “ Garrett replied.

With the threat to Garrett’s life is gone, they could return home and start living their lives to the fullest. Haven wondered

if Garrett had thought of having children.

“I would love to have children running underfoot someday. The idea of another lost soul out there growing up like I did

, I want to adopt them all , “ Garrett announced.

“Garrett, you will want for nothing as long as I am alive, this, I promise you baby , “ Haven guaranteed. “We had better

go see about Tyler, Garrett . He is going to need us like never before.”

“Actually, Tyler is going to be just fine; Shannon is still alive. Something healed him as Tyler held him in his arms.

Shannon sent me the impression, so Tyler ‘s Alphas wouldn’t be worried , “ Garrett said smugly.

In the woods, one single wolf watched the couple embracing in disgust. How that wolf had managed to stay alive after

the Alpha attacked him was beyond Jarrod. He knew when to make a speedy retreat , and save his ass in the process. This
was far from over though , as he watched the couples embrace once more. The time would come —he would get his
heart’s desire.

***

The people looked on at Trent with caution in their eyes as he and the Blackwood Alpha held hands. The Pack was

wandering around aimlessly not quite knowing what to do. When Tyler came up carrying a very much alive Shannon in his
arms, out of the crowd ran a little boy who threw his arms around their legs.

“Shannon, you are all right, thank -you, thank -you spirits ,” he chanted.

“I am fine Timmy. I promise , “ Shannon said and held out his hand.

“Where are your parents little man?” Tyler asked.

“They were both killed by the Alpha,” said the little boy sadly.

“Well, you have a home with us ,” said Tyler, already able to read Shannon’s thoughts plainly on his face.

“Really Shannon, I can come and live with you. The people that were taking care of me didn’t like me much. Will you

like me Shannon?” Timmy said curiously.

“You’ll always be loved, and wanted, “ Shannon said.

As the people of the Cedarhill Pack watched the exchange between the grown men and the little boy, something

changed at that moment. They seemed to know their lives were changing for the better. They just didn’t know what to do
next , after so many years of abuse. This Pack was going to need a firm , but kind Alpha pair to guide them into the future.

Alex looked over at the pair cuddling the little boy close, and an idea hit him. This would be the perfect Alpha pair to

help repair all the hurt that occurred over the years. It would take a lot of patience and loving care for these people to start
opening up to others.

“Beta Tyler, I have a proposition I would like to run by you and your mate. As the highest-ranking wolf from this

region, it is up to me to see the Cedarhill Pack get the help it desperately needs to he a l. I think you and your mate are
exactly what this place needs for an Alpha Pair. Shannon is already familiar with the place and the people, and you would
make a fine Alpha for this Pack , “ Alex said.

Tyler looked over at his newly found mate for his opinion on what the Blackwood Alpha was asking. Quickly, Shannon

entered Tyler’s mind . “You are just what this place needs Tyler, and I’ll help you any way I can. Plus, I think you
are going to have more help than you can deal with, look behind you. That wouldn’t be your sister, would it?”

Tyler looked over his should to find his sister Colleen smiling at him. She looked to be alright. He smiled back at her

and held up his finger to signal he would be with her in a minute. It would be good to talk with her, and he knew his parents
would be thrilled that he had found her.

Tyler went back to his thoughts, so he could answer Shannon. “Yes, that is my sister. I will introduce you as my

mate in a moment, honey. I’m just glad she is okay and looks no worse for wear. I will have more help here. It’s
amazing.”

“I will help you too, new Alpha Daddies,” little Timmy said to them in their thoughts.

Both of his new parents looked at him in amazement; it seemed their new son was a Dream Weaver t oo, what were

the odds of that?

“We would love your help,” Tyler told his new son. “I have a feeling that you are going to be a hand full young man.”

Timmy just laughed and laughed like never before. He was finally where he belonged; he felt that deep in his stomach.

He had always been able to do some amazing things; he didn’t always understand things, but now he h ad two dads who
would help him.

Chapter 21

Haven carried his mate into the Pack house, just nodding at the others as he made his way to their room. He needed to

make Garrett his once again , to ease both the forms that lived within him now. You would think it would feel funny
having two different animals within him, a wolf and a dragon . Not with these two forms, they seemed very
comfortable with each other , like old friends newly reunited.

Haven placed Garrett on the bed as he slowly kissed his face with gentle touches, as he undressed his mate, uncovering

his beautiful body for him to see. As he looked into his mate’s eyes, the love that shone there for him was very humbling.
This loving was going to go slow , no matter how much it killed him . He planned to make love to his mate tonight.

Garrett could tell just how hard it was for his mate to hold back on the hard and fast loving his body was demanding.

Honestly, he needed the connection of his uncontrollable self , tonight. He reached into his mate ‘s mind , and showed him
exactly what he wanted Haven to do to him.

“God baby, you are trying to kill me. I wanted this to be perfect honey , “ Haven growled.

“I am with you my Haven, how can it be anything but perfect, “ Garrett said.

Haven quickly grabbed the lube and squeezing just enough to ease Garrett’s star open , as he inserted the first finger

sliding it across that perfect spot. Haven caused his mate to howl with pleasure when he inserted another finger, scissoring
them the whole time while playing with the sweet spot repeatedly. Haven quickly replaced his fingers with his hard and
throbbing cock. With each thrust, Garrett felt the welcoming of his passageway until he bottomed out.

“I want to ride your cock Haven; I have dreamed of riding you, “ Garrett cried.

“Fuck baby that is so hot!” Haven groaned and moved to where his mate needed him.

Garrett quickly took up the electrifying rhythm of fucking his cock with his ass. It was driving him insane as he tightened

the muscles in his ass with each downward stoke.

“You are incredible baby, ride my cock. Yes, that ‘s it, harder . I am about to come. Oh shit , yes !” Haven yelled out.

That had to be the most erotic thing that Garrett had ever heard, as Haven’s mating knot attached to his sweet spot. He

shot out stream after stream of c ome onto Haven’s chest. It just seemed to get better every time they were together; he
couldn’t wait for the next hundred years.

“I can’t wait for the next hundred years either my mate , “ Haven said panting still.

“We are going to lose your Beta to the Cedarhill Pack; he has accepted the Alpha spot from Alex , “ Garrett said.

“I will miss my best friend, but he needed this so bad. A place to call his, Tyler needed that. I am so proud of him, and

everything that he has accomplished. We will only be a phone call away if he needs us .” Haven shrugged.

“I will miss Shannon, the annoying friend who got under my skin. They were very lucky this time . No one knows what

happened to Shannon, they are just happy that he is healthy and finally happy. Looks like we may be inheriting a nephew,
by the way, too, from th e visions Shannon just sent me , ” Garrett said.

“I couldn’t be happier for my friend,” Haven said wrapping his arms tightly around his mate.

“I feel the same, my Haven,” Garrett said.

“Now it is time to start thinking of the trip home, baby , did you want to fly? That way, you don’t have to ride in a

bouncy truck the whole way home?” Haven asked thinking that way would get them home sooner.

“As long as you are always by my side, I am home, my Haven…”

The end

For more of the Haven’s wolves series, look for the next book in the series. It’s called

Tyler’s Dreams; it will knock your socks off, with the excitement and danger the new Pack
Alphas must deal with to keep their new family and Pack safe once again.

Chosen’s War Book One

Cat’s Choice

By Jana Leigh

Prologue

Lightning crashed and thunder boomed as the wind pelted large spears of rain against her already sensitive

and broken skin , but she couldn’t stop running if she wanted to stay alive. Day was quickly turning to night, and
she knew he would be after her soon.

Her tears were washed away by the harsh rain and her sobs could barely be heard over the loud thunder. She

thought this would at least be one blessing because the storm would make it harder for him to hear her and to
catch her scent. Perhaps there was a god after all.

But she quickly pushed that thought away when images of her parents and her little sister flashed before her

eyes. Their horrific screams as he tortured them and broke their bones. Then the ill silence as they lay lifeless in a
pool of their own blood, while he stood over them with their blood dripping from his mouth. His eyes had a bright-
red glow to them and, oh god, those teeth, no, they weren’t teeth, they were fangs! The man was a vampire.

No, she couldn’t let the images stall her, she could not break down and give up; she had to keep running.

There, a cave that she could possibly hide in until the next day, she knew he wouldn’t be able to chase her in the
day so it would be her only saving grace.

She ducked into the cave and ran as far into its darkness as she could. Something large and hard caught her

feet, and she tumbled over it , face first, on to the dirt floor. Just as she started to push herself up, she heard it; at
first soft, then ever growing rumbling of a growl. She turned her head and saw the large , yellow eyes looking back
at her. Oh no, that wasn’t a rock she stumbled over , but a large animal, possibly a bear.

It came closer to her as she lay still, watching it as best she could in the darkness. She felt its muzzle on her,

sniffing her. Then she didn’t feel anything at all; she couldn’t even see its eyes. Did it leave? Then suddenly a man’s
face was in front of hers. Thankfully not the face of her captor, but his eyes glowed yellow, and he looked just as
evil.

“Chi la sono?” Who are you? Is all she heard of his snarly voice before her world went black.

***

Caterina sat up in her bed abruptly. Sweat poured from her brow and her lungs burned as she gasped for air. She

looked around at her surroundings, not remembering where she was at the moment. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the
darkness, and when they did, she saw that she was in her room, safe and sound.

A thud against the window made her jump, but when she looked over, she saw it was just a tree branch hitting the glass

because of the strong wind brought on by the storm. Her body shivered as the word storm entered her consciousness.
Caterina hated storms; they always brought the memories back. She hated to remember, she always tried to push the
thoughts away. It was better for her that way. But when it stormed, especially at night, her dreams would force her to relive
everything all over again.

Caterina pushed the blankets off her and swung her legs over the edge of the bed to stand. She walked into her small

en-suite bathroom and went to the sink to splash her face. As the cool water hit her skin, the images in her head began to

fade. Finally, after the shaking stopped, and she felt she had washed away all the sweat and tears on her face, she stood
straight and took a look at herself in the mirror. She did this to remind herself that she was not that same girl five years ago.
She was not a scared child running for her life from some horrific monster. She was safe and she was strong, thanks to the
help of her best and dearest friend. She knew if she had not met him that night, she would be dead by now, or worse, a
slave to that horrible man. No, not a man, but a vampire. If she had not run into his cave, she would have never been saved
from the vampire’s clutches. Adolfo was the very best thing that had happened to her.

Without Adolfo, Caterina would not have lived; she would not have escaped. He kept her hidden, deeper in th e cave,

until the following day. Then he ran with her, to the nearest train station and acted as her body guard as they got as far from
Italy as they could. They had taken a plane to America, thanks to Adolfo having money to do so. He had explained to her
that he didn’t live in that cave but in a house not too far away from it. That cave was on his property, and he sometimes
liked to go there just to rest as his wolf. He said he had been running in the woods when the storm started and it was closer
than his house, so he went into the cave to wait it out. Apparently Adolfo was well enough off, because when they got to
America, he supported them as they moved from state to state.

Caterina hated the moving, but they had to, because wherever they stopped just for a while, it seemed a vampire would

turn up wanting Caterina. One time she had actually gotten an explanation from one of them before they tried to drain her
and ultimately died when Adolfo ripped them to shreds. It had something to do with her blood; there was something special
about it that called to them. Caterina often wished she could remove that ‘special’ part of her blood so the vampires would
leave her alone and she could live in peace. But that wasn’t possible.

Caterina left the bathroom and crawled back into her bed. She sat there staring at the window, wondering when it

would be that she and Adolfo would have to move again. She wondered why Adolfo would put up with her and go through
this mess with her for so long. The vampires weren’t after him; he could just walk away and never have to deal with them
again. She knew it wasn’t because he was in love with her. They had tried being a couple once when things were a bit more
peaceful for a time. But they soon found that they were not meant to be more than friends.

She would ask Adolfo many times why he stayed with her for so long when it would have been better for him to let her

go. He would always answer, “Because you are special , Caterina. I look at you, and I see something that I have never
seen before. I feel that because of you that one day life will be better for all of us, shifters and humans alike. I look at you,
and I see hope.”

HeVan Sent (Book 1 of the Nephilim)

By Lucy Kelly

Chapter 1

Addie Perez stumbled over some rocks and nearly wound up on her butt in an abandoned gull ‘s nest. When she

started on this adventure, she hadn’t taken in the necessity of maneuvering around so much bird crap . Even with the bird
crap , she was happy to be here. Like many other places around the world, she’d been drawn to this place. It figures the
closest location to where she lived would be the last one she found before finishing her dissertation. If she had to have an
obsession, at least she was getting a degree out of it.

This particular obsession began back when she was in grade school. She’d been on a sixth -grade field trip to a big

museum in downtown Chicago. When she wandered past an exhibit on ancient India, it weirded her out when a symbol that
had been carved on a building thousands of years ago, looked exactly like her odd birthmark. That’s when she became
more interested in ancient civilizations than her current obsession with growing boobs and kissing boys.

Now here she was in graduate school and ABD for her doctorate in Archaeology. She remained a geek at heart; now,

she was also a smart ass who could take care of herself. Though there were women in archaeology, it was mostly a male-
dominated field. Professors adored using their students as free slave labor on their digs. Days in grueling conditions in out of
the way places; no amenities, just meager pay and course credit. She’d grown a thick skin with all the pompous jerks

treating her as if she didn’t have two brain cells in her head. She’d begun taking lessons in Aikido after another student got
the idea that she was just around to keep the men happy. She chuckled at that memory—he’d been crossing his hands
over his crotch for days.

She happily put up with all their shit, because as she went further in her studies, she came across additional clues here

and there to her own personal puzzle. She found small things that tied together with other things. Each time she felt drawn to
an artifact or carving; something had pulled her there, and she made connections, added puzzle pieces.

She’d tried talking to her sister Grace about it, then stopped when she told her she was nuts. Then she went back to

reading the latest true-crime book or watching reality cop shows on cable. For Grace, that paid off when she’d gone
straight into the police academy from high school. She’d quickly risen up the ranks and got her detective’s shield a year
ago. So her sister’s life was well on its way, and she was still in school at twenty-five. Oomph… damn slippery bird crap !

Today she was clambering over rocks covered in excrement in the middle of Lake Michigan because she couldn’t let

go of her obsession, maybe her sister was right, and she was nuts. She could have been spending two weeks slaving at a
dig in Arizona for a meager stipend and academic glory, only she preferred to spend this last summer before finishing and
defending her Doctoral Thesis on her personal theories. I’m re-thinking that decision right now since I’m covered in
this blech!…well, if I find what I’m looking for, it’ll be well worth it.

She finally reached the top of the rocky incline from where she’d beached and tied off her pontoon boat. This particular

island was quite small, so she didn’t expect to find anything; she felt though that she had to be scientific and thorough and
leaving no stone unturned. Addie let out a chuckle at the bad pun. It’s highly unlikely I’ll be turning over any of these
rocks, she thought to herself—these granite puppies had been piled up here since the last glacier moved through.

Addie walked over to a mostly clear area of wild grass to have a rest. She pulled out her water and some antiseptic

wipes. She’d done a song and dance to get permission from the Michigan National Wildlife Refuge and the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources in order to go over these islands for eight weeks this summer. Too bad the ranger, while
signing off on her forms, didn’t warn her about wading through all this shit.

She was used to dealing with bad conditions; only on a regular dig there would be cleanup facilities, as well as the

cooking, the cleaning, and other chores that were shared around.

With so many islands, Addie needed to be mobile. She was breaking camp and setting up a new one almost daily. And

that ate into her time. Soon she was going to need to stop by Beaver for a hot shower and a fresh supply of wet wipes—
she went through them fast enough.

She’d already been to Squaw’s Island; as the only privately owned island in the Beaver Island Archipelago, she

shamelessly used her credentials to be allowed access for three days. Luckily, the island was small. Hopefully, the paper
she promised to write about it, okay , she thought, maybe bribed the owners with was a better term , would be equally
small. She’d started with the smallest island, Pismire, and was working her way up. She really hoped she’d find something
before she got to Beaver Island. As the only inhabited island, it would be difficult to search without trespassing on private
property, or getting shot at by a hunter after deer or wild turkey. Perhaps she could talk herself into believing the added
danger made it exciting, nope, not really seeing the excitement there . If she were shot at, she’d have to make do with
lording it over her sister. And then watch her flip out, which was sooo much fun!

Grace thought she had the risky job, hah! Poisonous snakes, restless natives, even more restless governments, you try

getting a dig permit in Iraq, she wanted to say. She couldn’t even talk about that one because the dig had been way under
the government radar, twelve weeks in native clothes and dying her red hair black, Ugh! Grace never saw her as a
competent grown-up. When they were growing up, Grace was the one who proclaimed herself Addie’s protector, she was
the one who took care of the bullies that tried to give her a hard time. It must be because I’m still in school. When I get
that PhD, maybe then she’ll change…not! She’ll still be running background checks on anyone that smiles at me
when I’m fifty!

Grace was her best friend, and all teasing aside, her biggest fan; although, in the last few years she became more

hardened and serious. It was because of the job; as a cop, she was always faced with the worst kinds of people. You had
to be tough or people walked all over you. The problem was Grace took her job home with her. Sometimes when she
called, it felt more like an interrogation than a conversation.

As she walked back and forth across the island, pushing her way through the thick brush, reminiscing about her family

and how she got here, made the time go by more swiftly. She remembered when she lost her parents. Mom was surprised

with a late-in-life pregnancy in her mid-forties. I was starting high school, and Gracie was starting her senior year.
Mom had gone into labor in the middle of the night so dad was rushing her to the hospital. Some asshole closed
down the bars and then decided to drive home, shit-faced, forgot to turn on his headlights, and hit them head-on .
It still upset her when she thought about it. She stopped walking for a minute to take a drink of water from the
canteen.

It was so great of Granny and Grandpa Mac to come back to the farm to take care of them. Neither she nor Grace

had wanted to farm and Grandpa…she could still hear him saying he was done with all that. So they’d sold most of the
farmland to the neighbors and kept the homestead. Now Grandpa Mac was dead and Granny Mac was living in the local
retirement community. Addie smiled thinking of her Granny Mac. I should have brought her with me; she’s in better
shape than me, doing her Wii every morning.

Her parent’s final gift, if you could call it that, was the fact that their life insurance paid off the farm, so they’d always

have a home. They’d taken the settlement from the asshole’s insurance and put it away for education. Between the life
insurance, the settlement, and the sale of the land, she and Grace didn’t need to worry about money for some time to come.
Gracie had used her share to buy a condo on the lake, so she wouldn’t have to live in a crappy apartment in the city. And
here I am burning some of my share on what may be a fruitless endeavor.

She was on Whiskey Island wishing she had a shot of the good stuff and wondering why she’d spent so much of her life

trying to prove the existence of an ancient people that only she believed in. Somehow , she didn’t think she’d find what she
was looking for on this island either. Every time she set foot on an island, it was like she could feel if she was supposed to
be there or not, and this place was not calling to her, but somewhere close was—she could feel it.

With her vacation half over, she was going to have to decide about where she was going to go, because tromping these

empty islands was starting to frustrate her. She could practically hear her fellow students telling what they had done over the
break. ‘‘Oh’, I found this cool piece, and ‘Ah’, look at the find I’m getting credit for.’ And then there was Addie. She
could say, ‘Oh, look at my pants and the shoes I ruined with all the bird shit, but it was ancient bird shit, I’m sure.’

The remaining islands were larger; in four weeks, her permits were going to expire. It was time to pull out the big guns,

or she was going to go down in history as the girl who found twenty tons of shit. I’m spending way too much of my life
thinking about bird crap, she thought with a chuckle.

Addie had a gift, one that she never told anyone about for fear they would laugh at her. Growing up, she had enough

tormenting, she didn’t need to put a bulls-eye on her back and cry, ‘look at me, I can do some really freaky stuff.’ No one
would have believed her anyway, except for her family, and they were all that mattered to her.

When Addie was a child, she found out that if she concentrated, she could find things. And she also discovered that she

always knew when she spoke to people or found things if it was the truth, or correct, or real. She remembered being upset
when she found out it wouldn’t work for finding missing kids—she cried off and on for days; until Gracie finally pried what
was wrong out of her and set her straight about that not being her destiny. It still bothered her that she couldn’t use her gift
that way. And she was still trying to work out all that she could do with it.

She had given her gift a name; it was a girl thing, she supposed—girls named almost everything. Guys just named their

cars and their penises, she thought, and laughed at the memory of her first serious boyfriend in college and his ‘Mr.
Happy’. So she called her gift her truth-seek, simple, yet elegant, she smiled to herself. Her sister wanted to call it a
Wonder Power , like on the old cartoon—she had stood firm.

Addie decided to try her truth-seek again; it got her to Lake Michigan and then to this group of islands. So far, though,

it hadn’t allowed her to narrow her search, it was as though her skill was a separate part of herself, and it decided when she
received knowledge and when she didn’t. Times like this it really pissed her off.

She sat down on the ground to meditate, wishing she’d brought some sage or incense to burn. This was the method her

Granny Mac had taught her. When she used the sage or incense, she could connect to her power faster and with greater
depth.

She’d been pulled to this grouping of islands—screw methodical—she needed a solid direction now! Slowly, she felt

her body slipping out of her awareness. She allowed her mind to float using the shape of her birthmark as a focal point. Of
course, the strange mark everyone teased her about when she was younger had to tie into her powers. Life could not be
simple , she thought, though it was the birthmark that had started her off on this adventure, so it made a strange
kind of sense . She concentrated on the colored swoops and lines she saw every morning in her mirror, and she

allowed herself to float away.

After about fifteen minutes, she slowly pulled out a map of the area, opened it, and put rocks down to keep it from

blowing away. Then she pulled her worry stone from around her neck—another little gift from her grandmother. The once
flat stone that had a concave indentation with a small hole at the center, where the women in her family had rubbed it,
passed down from mother to daughter, until her grandmother had passed it to her. She said that she never felt that her
daughter had need of it, and so she kept it for her. It had belonged to so many generations that its origin wasn’t
remembered.

Now she swung the stone from its leather string in a circular fashion. She kept her eyes closed and concentrated on the

symbol, feeling for tugs and pulls from the stone. Finally, when she felt the tug, she let go. It landed on the whiptail of Hog
Island, the hole in the stone resting near a small bay on the leeward side. She had a destination.

She was going to have to hustle to get there before dark; it would be too dangerous to make her way around these

islands then. If she had to, she’d put up for the night on Garden Island, as she’d have to go around it to get to Hog Island
from where she was. Part of her wondered why the truth-seek didn’t narrow her search earlier? Oh well, time to ponder
that later ; she needed to get going now. Within twenty minutes, she’d loaded her boat, topped off the gas tank in
the outboard motor, and taken off.

Black Wolf Agency:

To Live and To Love

Prologue

“I can’t believe what I just saw,” said James, still in shock and overwhelmed. Granted, he was sitting in his apartment

by himself talking to himself, and could possibly be dreaming, he hadn’t figure d that out yet. He kept replaying the memory
of what had just happened…

***

Just thirty minutes earlier, he was walking home from his accounting job; boring, yes, but still lucrative. He left work

around sunset that day, thinking the whole time he needed to find some excitement in his life, something besides numbers.
He was anxious to get home and have something to eat, so he took a short cut he normally avoided when he was walking
that took him through a few small, less-used alleys that were run-down and smelled of garbage.

James was not a small man, at least for a geek, he tried to keep himself in shape, so he felt comfortable walking though

the alleys. He could take care of himself; he, of course, had taken a class in Tae Kwan Do, James was sure if he ever had
to use it, he could kick some ass. His hair was brown and short, kinda messy, but he liked it, it gave him an edge. His eyes
were brown, they matched his hair. But the thing he liked the most was his height and build, he was built like a linebacker
and tall. Well, when he kept in shape, these days he looked like a third string football player who ate too much take out.
But he could kick ass.

He was about a block away from his apartment when he entered a dark alley. The alley gave him the creeps, but he

knew crossing through it would save a lot of time, so he ignored his inner voice and kept going. It was the one time he
should have listened, and he still wondered what would have happened had he not taken this path.

As he passed by some dumpsters, he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a pair of eyes

as a creature lunged at him. His expensive training did not, however, kick -in, instead he stood frozen in place wondering if
he was going to be lunch.

‘What the hell?’ he thought, as his mind fought to think of something to do other than stand there. Then he heard a

gunshot and watched it fall to the ground. James thought afterward that maybe he should have had some of those ninja

reflexes working, because he never moved an inch, which was pretty stupid considering there was a freaking gunshot.

Frantically looking around him, he spotted his Aunt Yvonne at the other end of the alley, holding up a gun. He had to be

hallucinating, oh my god, he had been bit by the crazy animal and was in shock and seeing shit. James pinched his arm and
then winced and thought, well, shit, this is real .

Wait, his aunt was a lawyer, not a cop. Why would she be carrying around a gun? And what was she doing here in an

alley? It was the last place he would have thought he would see his well-put together aunt. James suppressed his hysterical
laughter that threatened to erupt he was going crazy.

He looked down at the creature again, and this time he was able to study it. It greatly resembled a thin, hairless dog

with glassy bulged eyes, long protruding fangs and sharp claws. He stared at it in amazement for a moment. Then Yvonne
ran over and began to shove it in a large knapsack.

“What the hell!” he repeated, this time out loud. Brilliant, James would think to himself later. Everything he could have

said and that was what came out of his mouth.

“I’ll explain everything to you in a little while, but first we need to get out of here before someone comes. Follow me.”

She hurried back to the entrance of the alley, throwing the bag into the trunk of her BMW. She jumped into the driver’s
seat and waited.

It took a few seconds for James to make his body understand that his mind was telling him, ‘GET OUT OF HERE!’

He finally followed his aunt and got into her car.

She drove to his apartment and followed him in; he was still stunned by what he saw. He felt like a heavy weight was

sitting on top of him. He paced around his living room thinking , ‘My aunt shot a fast-moving creature with pinpoint
accuracy. What dimension am I living in?’

***

“I know it’s hard to take all this in,” said Yvonne, her voice snapping James back to reality. “I know you feel like your

world has been turned upside down. However, the truth is, I deal with this every day.”

James sat down with a ‘thunk’ and looked at his aunt sitting calmly and regally in the chair across from him; he

wondered if he screamed would she actually jump?

Finally finding his voice, he asked, “What was that thing?”

“A Chupacabra.”

“A what?!” Hey, I saw that show on Discovery Channel, people chased to find what the hell they looked like,

they were fictional creatures like Bigfoot. His aunt had to be mistaken , James thought .

“It’s basically the canine version of a vampire. It somehow wandered from the countryside into the city. My job is to

protect people from creatures like that.”

“I thought you were a lawyer,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “And that thing is not a whatever you called it, no,

I know, I saw it on TV, it’s an animal from Mexico.”

“That’s what I have to make everyone believe. And the television show was a plant.”

“Right?” he asked, looking up at her, he was pretty sure he was going to be calling the nut farm, but he heard the words

coming out anyway. “Please, you know you can trust me. I’m your nephew, and I’m freaking out a little right now. So if
you don’t want me ending up in the loony bin, you will start answering truthfully.”

“Don’t you think I’ve wanted to tell you about this years ago?” She sat down in the chair across from him and leaned

forward, making eye contact with him again. “When I was in my twenties, I discovered I had magical powers. Though they
weren’t as pronounced then, I knew I was different from the others in my family. Your father, even though he was my
brother, he never knew I was a witch. I was afraid to tell him… frightened it would change his opinion of me. Your mother
never knew either, and to be honest, when she moved to Florida, it made everything a lot easier.”

Looking at him to make sure that he was not freaking out too much, she continued. “A year after I discovered my

abilities, I came across a man who was only a few years older than me, doing magic tricks in the park. I watched him for a
while, noticing they weren’t just any old, normal magic tricks. I waited until his show was over and confronted him. His
name was Charlie, and he was a wizard. Finally, I had met someone like me.”

James nodded absently, thinking the story she was telling him sounded more like a fairy tale than real life. He tried to

wrap his head around what she was saying.

“Charlie told me how he wished to start a group of witches and wizards to fight the evil creatures lurking in the city. He

said he would even fund the whole project. Thrilled by the concept, I stuck with him every step of the way; buying a
building, installing all the security equipment, and creating an entire facility underground for us to work in, as well as store
cages for dangerous creatures that we catch.”

Right, so his demure aunt, who he always thought was straight-laced and rigid, was a witch, and now she was telling

him she ran a supernatural agency? This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

“Over the years, we’ve picked up a few recruits. Most of them are witches and wizards, some of whom we rarely see

at the facility. They’re our street team, the ones who do most of the really dangerous work. Tyrone was the first we hired,
then Lana, our tough little Hispanic chica. They were the only ones on the team for a couple of years until we hired Rocco
and Angelina, an Italian brother and sister. Then we have Lin, who primarily works by herself, for the time being. She’s
looking for a new partner right now.”

There was silence for a moment while James took in everything his aunt had told him. Really, who the hell could actually

understand what the hell she told him? Really? This is ridiculous, James had no idea if he should run from the room
screaming, or sit and talk with her. His mind was having a hard time processing all of this. James finally decided he really
couldn’t actually get up and stand, because his legs would not hold him. He was going to be forced to sit and listen, maybe
he could just nod and make it look like he was paying attention and then he could make run for it. He needed to ask a
question. One that was intelligent.

“So, what you’re telling me is that you and this Charlie guy run a secret underground organization to manage

paranormal activity in the city?” There, he said it out loud. James paused, wanting to say more, but afraid of what was going
to come out of his mouth.

Yes,” she said shortly and gave him time to grasp everything that she said. The silence in the room was deafening; if it

were not for the whirl of the refrigerator, he would believe he was hallucinating.

“Wow,” he said, shaking his head. “And why did you tell me all this? Why didn’t you just lie to me and say that was a

rabid dog with mange, or something like that?”

“Because we need you. You’re brilliant, James; far too good for a simple accounting job.”

“That’s very flattering, but I don’t think I’d be cut out for work like that.” He wanted to say that his income would

allow him to hire the best psychologist on the planet to help her, but instead, he heard those words coming out of his mouth.
What the hell was wrong with him, his brain was not communicating with his mouth.

“You’re exactly what the agency needs,” she insisted and leaned in closer.

James had to fight not to back away from his own aunt; he had no clue how to deal with this. Accounting was easy;

add column A to column B and get column C, right? This was just too weird, but he could not stop himself from asking,
“What would you need me to do?”

“Well, we need someone to manage the magical artifact department, as well as be Lin’s new partner. You’d be perfect

to fill both positions.”

“And what would the salary be?” he asked, playing along. Soon he would wake up, and then he would be able to eat

his nice, boring dinner, just like usual. James convinced himself that, somewhere along the way home, he fell and knocked
himself out. He probably had a concussion and wandered home in a state of confusion.

“You’d be making at least twice what you are now at your accounting job, and believe me, this job will be a lot more

exciting. Don’t worry, if you don’t feel you can’t handle the job, you can leave at any time.” She looked so sincere and sure
of herself.

He stood and walked around the room thinking the past few hours over in his mind. Left work, check. Walked home,

check. Attacked by a freaky ass animal, check. Aunt shot a gun, check. Aunt’s a witch, check. Aunt works for a super-

secret agency for paranormal protection, check. Aunt offered him a job making way more than he does right now, check.
What would be the harm in seeing if he would wake up, if he agreed, and it turned out to be a fantasy? Subsequently, he
could laugh it off. If he actually was awake and accepted this job, then he would be freaking cool and be suddenly making
a lot more money. ‘Where was the down side?’ he wondered.

“Alright, sure, sign me up,” he said, smiling at Yvonne. “However, if we end up in the mental hospital, you have to pay

for the room upgrade. I’m on limited income until you pay me.”

He had no idea what he was getting himself into, and he didn’t know at the time the decision to work at Black Wolf

Agency would be one of the best choices he would make in his life, and his job would be what brought him to find true
love.

***

As James sat in his living room, the memories of the last two years replayed in his mind. He couldn’t believe how

quickly the time had gone by. What he regretted most during that time was letting his true love go. He would never forget
that night she left him, but since Black Wolf Agency was responsible for bringing her into his life, he was determined to use
it to get her back.

He always thought maybe he could have done something more, something that would have made a difference. There

was probably a little resentment still there, about the Agency, but James could not fault them too much. If he knew then
what he knew now, things would have been so much different. The year that had passed since that night had changed him
so much, he was stronger now, an agent, not a paper pusher.

The Tarlaoch Realm: Faye and Jessie

By: Marquaylla Lorette

Prologue

Fiyah tucked in a ten-year-old Faye. She knew she didn’t have much time to tell her daughter the Relics history

in order for her to understand her future. However, she still had to tell her quickly before all hell broke loose in
their lives.

“Ceann Beag (Little One), instead of a bedtime story tonight, I am going to explain to you the Relic history and

why you were born. In a few years, you will understand why I had to tell you this now.

“The Relics are the spirits of our ancestors who survived over a long period of time, with two spirits from each

realm. They came together after many centuries and combined their forces together for the greater good of all the
magical realms. One day, hundreds of years ago, there came about a problem that caused a rift between the Relics.
The spirits from each realm took opposing sides because of this problem. The more sinister Relics disagreed and
split from the others, earning themselves the name, Naves, in the process. To this day, no one knows what the
exact problem was that caused the split.

“One of the Relics had a premonition of war with the Naves. That Relic also saw the Naves were recruiting

followers and begin to train them, so they could overturn the Relics and take over every magical realm.

“When the rest of the Relics learned of the premonition, they figured out the only way for them to win the

battle was for the Chosen Ones, their warriors, to finally be born, and they would engage in the battle for the
greater good. They would have to have both wolf and faery blood in them, for the combination would produce a
magical being far more powerful than anyone in all the magical realms combined. It was then the Relics decided to

mate the Fae and Wolves together, producing the Tarlaoch, the Warriors. And the Alpha King and Queen of the
Tarlaoch Warriors would have to be descendants from the royal blood.

“You are going to be the Alpha Queen of the Tarlaoch. When you find your true-mate, he will then tell you

everything that I couldn’t tonight. No matter what goes on in the next couple of years, always remember I love
you, Ceann Beag.”

Faye’s innocent golden-brown eyes looked up into her mother’s equally golden-brown eyes and whispered,

“Okay. I love you too, mama.”

Faye had no clue that this would be the last time she saw her mother as she was now. Fiyah looked to her

daughter with sad eyes, telling herself she was doing the right thing for her daughter, and she would see her soon,
as she closed the door behind her.