LOGINThe next morning, I woke up before Elara. She was curled up next to me, softly snoring in her sleep. Not wanting to wake her up, I slowly got out of bed and quietly got dressed before checking my phone. I felt relieved when I saw an email from Jaxon saying the money transfer had gone through and the cash would be waiting for me at the bank. He had also included the bank address and account number. It was already a little after nine, so the bank would be open. I could quickly take care of everything and still have the rest of the day to spend with Elara.After writing a short note to Elara on the hotel paper, telling her I was handling the money and would return soon, I placed it on my pillow so she would see it if she woke up. After that, I quietly slipped out of the room and softly shut the door behind me.Everything ended up being easier than I expected. There was a lot of paperwork to fill out and I had to show my ID several times, and then the bank president personally came out to
In the distance, I heard the familiar clip-clop sound of horseshoes hitting the pavement. A moment later, a carriage stopped in front of us.Elara gasped. “I didn’t even know they had these in Atlanta.”I shrugged as I helped her into the carriage. “Crazy tourists will spend money on anything.”The driver started taking us around the city. Warm summer air flowed through the windows, and the bright lights from the tall buildings lit up the streets.Elara snuggled close against me while the carriage moved through the city.We mostly stayed quiet, enjoying the ride and spending time together. It was a beautiful night.After the ride ended, the carriage brought us back to the restaurant where the valet had my car ready. When we got back to the hotel, we saw our room had been prepared, and another surprise was waiting for us on the bed. There was a bucket of champagne and a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.“Orion Blackthorne,” Elara said, shaking her head with disbelief. “When did
We pulled into the Waldorf Astoria in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. A valet opened our doors when we parked.Elara turned and stared at me with wide eyes. “I thought we’d be staying somewhere like a Holiday Inn or something.”“Not for our first real date. I wanted to spoil you,” I said.The valet took our bags while we walked inside to check in.Elara pulled lightly on my sleeve. “Can you really afford this place? It looks really expensive.”That immediately brought back the frustrating thoughts about all the money I had spent to keep the pack going.“I’m not broke, Elara,” I said sharply.She frowned. “You don’t need to act like a jerk about it. I was only asking. I just don’t want you spending too much money to impress me or something. I’ve never cared about money, and that hasn’t changed. You should know that.”She looked hurt, and I let out a tired breath. That had been a rude response. What the hell was wrong with me?“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to sound like an ass. Money ha
Jaxon laughed. “I was a teenager close to my first shift once too. I already know what’s coming. We’ll be okay.”Orion and I got into the truck and waved at Jaxon and Kael as we drove away. I let out a sigh and leaned back into my seat, finally ready to relax for the first time in weeks.That feeling lasted for about three seconds.“Shit,” I whispered. “I need to call Stormy.”“Why? What happened?” Orion asked.“I was at her house for more than an hour today, and I never told her we were leaving town. She’ll panic. Hold on.”Stormy answered, and I could hear Lila crying loudly in the background.“This better be important. Miss Thing over here has decided she doesn’t like pureed peas anymore.”“Who would?” I said, making a face.“So, what’s going on?”“I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to Atlanta with Orion for a night or two.”“Oh, nice. For what?”I told her about Orion and Jaxon needing to sell one of their businesses to get money for the pack finances and pay off the loan sh
Almost immediately after I did that, the car behind me suddenly moved back into the fast lane, pressed hard on the gas, and sped past me, rushing down the road and leaving me behind. I let out a small breath of relief. It was probably just some stupid kids messing around.“Elara? Are you okay?” Orion’s voice came through my phone.I jumped in surprise. I had almost forgotten that I called him. The relief I felt after the car drove away had completely cleared my mind.“Huh? Uh... yeah, sorry. I think I accidentally called you,” I said.I did not want to scare Orion, especially over something that now seemed so small.“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice sounding tight with worry.“Yeah. Definitely. I was actually going to call you anyway,” I said, trying to sound relaxed and casual about everything. “I’m heading home from Stormy’s. I’m about three minutes away. I just wanted you to know.”He sighed, and I got ready for him to lecture me about not telling him or not waiting for someone t
Once we finished putting away the groceries, Orion took Kael to train with Jaxon. He had missed an entire day of training with both of them, and I thought spending time with them would be good for him.“You go ahead. I’ll be okay here,” I said.“Not by yourself,” Orion said. “Come with us and watch the men work.”Kael immediately became tense. I remembered being a teenager and knowing how it felt when your parents—or in my case, grandparent—stayed around while you were trying to do something. He would probably feel more comfortable if I was not there.“I’ll go to Stormy’s,” I said. “I haven’t seen her for a couple of days. That way I won’t be by myself. What do you think?”Orion looked unsure but finally agreed. He still insisted on driving behind me to Stormy’s house and waiting with Kael by the curb until I was safely inside. Stormy was already standing at the door and waving me inside as Orion drove away.“Looks like you’ve got yourself a nice bodyguard,” she said while locking the
I had never loved any other man the way I had loved Orion. Not even Travis. I was never completely in love with Travis like I had been with Orion. I was only twenty when Orion left, still just a kid, but we were soulmates. More than that, I was his fated mate. When Orion left, my heart had broken
"Hey, little bitty," Kael said as he got out of the car and ran over. He gave Aria a hug and took Lila from her, holding the baby. Lila grabbed some of his hair and pulled on it, which made Kael laugh. "Come on inside," Aria said. "I am making sandwiches. You can help me." Once inside, I star
She sighed and dropped into the chair facing me. “I didn’t question it. Honestly, I was still shocked about his death. I wasn’t thinking about anyone else. I’ve been gone for a long time. Long enough not to see how bad things had gotten. Orion, Dad was only fifty-seven when he died. That’s not old
Stacks of forms, spreadsheets, and bank papers were spread across the desk in front of me. All of them showed the same thing. The pack was in serious trouble. When they called and begged me to come back after my father died, part of me thought they just wanted an easy plan for a new alpha. No need







