Fate of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle (32 page)

A
insley awoke some hours later
, as the sunlight from the window faded to pink.

Wistfully, she thought of her dream. Oh god, it had seemed so real.

With all her heart she wished it had just been a dream, but she had been visited by ghosts before.

She stretched, and rolled over.

Erik lay in the bed next to her. His eyes were closed, eyelashes brushing his cheeks in sleep.

Ainsley froze wondering if she were still asleep.

She didn’t feel asleep.

She sat up and looked around.

The room looked completely normal. There were no fuzzy edges at the corners. The temperature felt normal.

She felt awake.

Movement caught the corner of her eye. Erik rolled over to reach for the place where she had been sleeping.

He uttered a soft, sad sound as his hand touched her empty pillow. The noise seemed to wake him, and he looked up, blinking.

When he saw her, his eyes crinkled in a big smile.

“Say something,” Ainsley breathed.

“Good morning to you, too,” he said, one eyebrow raised.

A lightning bolt of joy electrified Ainsley and she fell on him, covering him with kisses.

“Gently,” he teased.

“I thought you were a ghost!” she accused him, pulling back to look into his laughing eyes, before pressing her mouth to his cheek again.

“What?” he asked.

“Never mind,” she muttered into his neck. “I missed you so much!”

“I can see that,” he said, smiling that heart-melting smile. “Sounds like you had some fun while I was away.”

A stormy look furrowed Ainsley’s brow.

“Ophelia said if I was an alpha in the wild, I would mate with as many wolves as I wanted,” she told him. “But I just wanted you.”

“You know actual wolves mate for life, right?” he asked.

“What?” Ainsley studied his eyes. Was he joking?

“Have you ever read a book about real wolves?” he asked her. “Or, like, looked them up online somewhere?”

“Shut up!” she said, and covered his mouth with her own.

He kissed her back, with a passion that belied his laid back demeanor.

“Ainsley,” he said, pulling back to look into her eyes again.

“I choose you,” she said. “For life. Whether you are a wolf or not. The Federation can go fuck themselves if they have a problem with that.”

“About that...” he began, but didn’t finish.

“What?” she asked.

She searched his eyes for answers. A flash of lupine amber made her heat skip a beat.

His wolf!

“No... But, how did you—?”

“It’s a long story,” he said, running a hand through his too-long hair. “And there are some people you need to meet.”

“Well, you can tell me all about it.
If
you can catch me,” Ainsley laughed.

She closed her eyes and called to her flame colored wolf.

Instantly, she melted into the silken animal, and splayed her front paws, tail in the air, taunting him.

Erik dropped into a shining black wolf so enormous he seemed to dwarf the room, and leapt after her.

Ainsley managed to sail over the bed just in time. She thundered sideways down the narrow stair case, skittered on the hardwood landing, and bolted out onto the back porch.

She heard him land in the grass behind her as she flew over the white picket fence and crashed into the woods.

If she made it to their place in the woods before he caught her, she would return to her human, and make love with him again in the pine needles under the gaze of their sycamore.

A
insley sat
, basking in the quiet contentment.

Considering how much of her life was currently in turmoil, she knew she had no business doing so, but somehow, on this night, she was at peace.

Maybe it was the warm mug of peppermint tea snuggled in her right hand, or Erik gently gripping her left and rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. Or maybe it was the fact that her parents’ house seemed filled with life, for the first time since she came back to Tarker’s Hollow.

“Cah-MILLL-ahhhhh!” Rachel practically squealed, pigtails waiving with each syllable.

The Miller twins, and Zeke, thundered through her living room, chasing Camilla Parker Bowles. A few seconds later, they stormed through again, the small dog chasing them this time. Camilla’s owner, Sadie Epstein-Walker, had left the dog in Ainsley’s care while she visited her daughter in Boston for the holidays.

“Be gentle with her, kids!” LeeAnn called.

The children slowed down, and Camilla Parker Bowles launched herself in the air to land in LeeAnn’s lap.

LeeAnn Miller was curled up in Ainsley’s father’s chair, looking about as relaxed as Ainsley had ever seen her. Those tired gray eyes sparkled, and Ainsley knew LeeAnn too well now to think that it had anything to do with the glass of red wine on the table beside her.

“Zeke, get the thing out of Mama’s purse,” LeeAnn said to her son as she stroked the little dog.

He nodded and scampered off. A moment later, he returned with a small package wrapped in butcher paper and tied with a pink ribbon.

“This is for you, Ainsley,” LeeAnn said with a smile.

“Oh, LeeAnn,” Ainsley scolded. “You didn’t have to bring me anything.”

“After the Thanksgiving dinner you threw for us,” LeeAnn said. “And the way you’ve taken the pack in, found us homes, helped us get back on our feet...”

Ainsley reached out and placed her hand on LeeAnn’s.

“You’ve been through so much.” Ainsley didn’t say Jake’s name, though it rang through her pause. “Our allegiance with your pack may be the only thing keeping the Tarker’s Hollow wolves in Pennsylvania. I know the Federation doesn’t support it , and I know you lost a lot of good wolves from Copper Creek. But I thank you and yours for joining us, LeeAnn.”

“MacGregor says this has never been done before,” Erik said musingly, in a way that reminded Ainsley of her father’s warm contemplative tone. “Mixing two different packs, with two different alphas.”

Erik didn’t remember much about when his alpha had been drawn. By all accounts, he had been in pretty bad shape. But LeeAnn had told Ainsley the whole story. Ainsley had been overcome with gratitude at the impossible truth that her mate was alive and home, and wonder at the unconventional way his alpha had been drawn.

Though it might be viewed with suspicion by the Federation, no one could see the unique bond between Erik and Mary and believe it had been anything other than what it was: a sort of immaculate conception of choosing. A drawing born of necessity.

Mary’s love for Erik was unquestionable, even though it was certainly not the type of love usually associated with the drawing of an alpha. The surprising news had everyone buzzing, and had caused plenty of folks to rethink their ideas of how an alpha came to be.

Ainsley would never know whether the strength of Mary’s drawing gave Erik back his wolf, of if it had more to do with the death of Garrett Sanderson, the man who took it in the first place. She was more than happy to omit that little piece of information in her official reports to the Federation. Only a handful of people ever knew about Erik losing his wolf. As far as Ainsley was concerned that was just fine.

“Well, with all that’s happened, I think combining forces is the least of our worries,” LeeAnn said firmly.

“I finished!” Mary said, clutching a book to her chest and making a beeline down the stairs to Ainsley.

“What did you think?” Ainsley asked.

Mary had been reading
The Once and Future King.

“I like the first part better than the second part,” Mary said.

“Honey,” LeeAnn said. “I need to talk with Ainsley for a few minutes. Can you have your book talk later?”

“Sure,” Mary nodded at her mom, then turned to Ainsley. “Can I read this one? It’s got lots of writing and underlines in it.”

Ainsley could tell by the worn brown cover that Mary held her father’s favorite copy of
The Brothers Karamazov.

“Yes, just take it slow and put it away for later if it’s too hard. The beginning is supposed to be funny, okay? So don’t be surprised.”

The girl nodded and fell onto the carpet at Ainsley’s feet, her nose already deep in the book.

Ainsley reached down to twirl Mary’s messy blonde ponytail around one of her fingers and the girl leaned back companionably against Ainsley’s shin.

LeeAnn reached over her daughter’s head to hand Ainsley the little package.

“I made it myself,” she said proudly.

Ainsley smiled and pulled the ribbon. Nestled in the brown paper was something small and pink. Ainsley couldn’t see anymore, as her eyes filled with tears.

Erik saved her, pulling the tiny dress from her hands.

“LeeAnn, it’s beautiful. But how did you know?” he asked.

“I just knew,” she said simply, as if that was all the explanation required. “And I’m just sure it’s going to be a little girl.”

Ainsley’s hands went to her middle, and the new life growing there. Besides Erik, only Grace and Cressida knew.

“Are you really going to have a baby?” Mary asked.

Ainsley smiled and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

“Can I babysit?” Mary asked in delight.

“I’m sure she can’t wait to meet her Aunt Mary,” Ainsley said.

“If she gets to be Aunt Mary, then I want to be Uncle Zeke!” Zeke exploded off the ground where he and the twins had been putting together a puzzle. Rachel and Ruth followed him.

“Can I be Uncle Rachel?”

“And I want to be Princess Esmeralda!” Ruth declared.

The front door burst open, cutting off the chatter, and a rush of cold air filled the room. Grace and Cressida bustled in together, arguing good-naturedly.

“I’m telling you, they’re supposed to be funny,” Cressida insisted. “There is no way anyone would ever be afraid of a guy in a hockey mask with claws for fingers.”

“First of all,” Grace said, squatting to pat Camilla Parker Bowles, who had launched herself off LeeAnn’s lap to flop down at Grace’s feet. “Those are two different guys, and the claws are on a glove. And secondly, not everyone can turn into a giant wolf whenever they want.”

Cressida smirked and walked past the hall closet to fling her jacket on the newel post.

Once again, Ainsley was pleasantly surprised at the unlikely friendship that had formed between the two women. She figured it must have been the result of the crazy night they’d battled the moroi together. They were like old war buddies.

“Hi, Grace,” Ainsley said, moving to greet them.

Grace wrapped her small arms around Ainsley and squeezed her a little too tightly.

“Everything okay?” Ainsley whispered.

“Yeah,” Grace replied. “I think it really is.”

Her voice sounded good, more relaxed than it had in the last month.

Ainsley had worried. A lot. She knew from her best friend’s prominent cheekbones that she’d been missing meals, and maybe not sleeping either.

But tonight Grace seemed at peace. Maybe it was something in the air.

“Tea?” Ainsley asked.

“Not tonight,” Grace told her. “Let’s go sit, bring everyone in.”

Ainsley was mystified, but gestured to Erik and LeeAnn to join her in the dining room.

When they were all gathered around the table, Grace cleared her throat, then leaned in and addressed them.

“I’ve been grieving long enough. Now it’s time for action. We’re leaving, Cress and I, to hunt down the moroi and finish what we started.”

They sat in stunned silence for a moment. Ainsley had so many questions. She couldn’t decide which one to ask first. She went with the most obvious one.

“You and Cressida?”

Grace looked to Cressida, who flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.

“You don’t really need me here.” She shrugged, glancing at the tiny pink dress Ainsley still held. “And I think this is my destiny, or whatever.”

“What do you mean?” Ainsley asked.

“Grace says it’s because of my dad,” Cressida explained with a studied nonchalance. “He was one millionth Cherokee or something, my grandpa always told me. That’s why the moroi was afraid of me. The Native Americans were the first guards.”

“Wow,” LeeAnn said. “You’re Cherokee, huh?”

Cressida smiled and nodded once.

“I think that’s awesome, Cress,” Erik said.

Ainsley tried not to notice how Cressida looked down in a pleased and submissive way at his words. It was hard to get used to Erik being an alpha, too. It sometimes seemed as though every woman in both packs was overwhelmed at his masculinity.

As if he had read her mind, she felt his warm hand spread possessively across her back. She smiled. He really was a nice guy.

“I’ve been over Julian’s old books and journals,” Grace said, her dark eyes flashing. “And if he’s right, this thing is going to be trying to free more of its kind. Someone has to stop it. And I owe it one.”

“And someone has to keep her out of trouble,” Cressida added.

They all laughed, cutting through any trace of tension in the air.

Ainsley understood. Grace still stung over Julian, she wanted revenge. Ainsley would never try to dissuade her. Though she hoped her best friend would keep a level head.

Of course keeping a level head was what Grace always did best. And Cressida was naturally interested in following the action. They would be good out there together. They needed to do this.

Part of her envied them. The moroi was far less terrifying than the prospect of being a mother. And Grace wasn’t the only one with a score to settle with it.

But Ainsley had her hands full in Tarker’s Hollow. She and Erik needed to strengthen the bond between their two packs.

And she’d done the math. The baby had been conceived when Erik didn’t have his wolf.

Ainsley had no idea what that would mean for the baby. And no idea how they would actually make a blended pack work. Or what the Federation had planned for them.

She sensed her mate looking at her and she turned to face him.

Erik smiled at her, his amber eyes crinkling at the corners. His gaze made her feel strong and weak all at the same time.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, as a family.

***

T
hank
you so much for reading Fate of the Alpha. I can’t believe it’s over!

3
00 Moons
is
a series of steamy standalones. The main characters all grew up right outside of Tarker’s Hollow, so you know you’ll see some familiar faces!

C
heck it out
, and be sure to let me know what you think!

Thanks again!

xox

-Tasha