Prologue
Rion sat next to his woman. He stroked the hair off her forehead tenderly. Makis sat at her other side on the bed and held her hand. The pack leader brought the slender, pale fingers to his lips to kiss the tips of each finger with so much emotion the sight made Sol ache in his soul and his heart. He thought he might howl with grief, but restrained himself because he didn’t want to upset the beloved female. Jewel had given the pack twin cubs, a boy named Torr and a girl she called Kelila. The woman and her offspring were ill. All three precious lives could be lost. Jewel and her pups needed real medicine, but the doctor insisted on payment up front. The smallest pup made a whimpering noise. Isser picked the child up and brought her over to Jewel. She brought the child to her ample, creamy breast without a moment of hesitation.
“I’ve never seen anything so perfect.” Makis’s thought resounded with such intensity the entire group heard him. He reached out and gently caressed the downy head nestled at his woman’s breast. The extrasensory echo of the alpha’s loving feelings hit everyone in the room at the same time. Sol envied the two males who shared this beautiful woman. Jewel had made them all a real pack again.
Sol turned to Isser. “We need to go looking for money. Jewel and the children need care. Tell them.” He spoke to his brother’s mind privately.
“The pup and I are going out on a hunt. I have a decent lead on some easy money,” Isser said.
The two eldest males and their woman all looked up at him at the same time. Jewel frowned. Makis growled. Rion glared.
“I don’t want you two to go alone,” Jewel replied. Her words muffled slightly as she yawned. Sol’s stomach clenched when he noticed the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. He loved her like a sister. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain.
She gave him a tight, understanding smile. He knew she’d caught an echo of his emotions. “It’ll be okay. I’m tougher than I look.” Jewel said the words, but there was a lack of conviction behind the statement. Her thoughts couldn’t lie. She was losing the battle.
She had to survive, or the family would crumble. She was the cornerstone on which they’d built a new life. After escaping the evil clan leader who’d destroyed their childhood pack, she’d given them a sense of family they’d never enjoyed as adults. The past two years had been the best ones of Sol’s adult life. Without Jewel, this new warm home wouldn’t have been possible. He felt the love flowing from her. Her expression told him she’d heard his thoughts and she was hurting too.
He cleared his throat and stood straighter, physically pulling himself up out of the darkness. “Do not fear for us. All this cute baby stuff wears on a man. We need a little adventure,” Sol proclaimed in a loud, teasing voice. He almost sighed when he saw her brighten a little. Her eyes cleared. She sent him a wave of love and affection. He basked in her tenderness. “We’ll leave the old wolves behind. Young pups like us need a challenge.” Jewel gave him a small smile, but it didn’t reach her big blue eyes. Her long brown hair lay braided over her shoulder, and she had the countenance of an angel. Her pristine white nightgown added perfectly to the image. Sol tried to ignore the sorrow she couldn’t fully hide, but he could sense her growing struggle with grief. He’d been watching her body fail, as had the others, and it hurt. A non-shifter birth of full-shifter pups was extremely rare and dangerous. She’d just given her men twins. Each of her mates impregnated her with a pup on the same night. The children were a miracle, and fraternal twins were considered an omen of good luck in a pack. She’d survived the birth of Rion’s first child a year earlier without a single complication, but Boon was biologically more human than shifter.
“What scheme have you come up with?” Makis asked
Rion sat next to his woman. He stroked the hair off her forehead tenderly. Makis sat at her other side on the bed and held her hand. The pack leader brought the slender, pale fingers to his lips to kiss the tips of each finger with so much emotion the sight made Sol ache in his soul and his heart. He thought he might howl with grief, but restrained himself because he didn’t want to upset the beloved female. Jewel had given the pack twin cubs, a boy named Torr and a girl she called Kelila. The woman and her offspring were ill. All three precious lives could be lost. Jewel and her pups needed real medicine, but the doctor insisted on payment up front. The smallest pup made a whimpering noise. Isser picked the child up and brought her over to Jewel. She brought the child to her ample, creamy breast without a moment of hesitation.
“I’ve never seen anything so perfect.” Makis’s thought resounded with such intensity the entire group heard him. He reached out and gently caressed the downy head nestled at his woman’s breast. The extrasensory echo of the alpha’s loving feelings hit everyone in the room at the same time. Sol envied the two males who shared this beautiful woman. Jewel had made them all a real pack again.
Sol turned to Isser. “We need to go looking for money. Jewel and the children need care. Tell them.” He spoke to his brother’s mind privately.
“The pup and I are going out on a hunt. I have a decent lead on some easy money,” Isser said.
The two eldest males and their woman all looked up at him at the same time. Jewel frowned. Makis growled. Rion glared.
“I don’t want you two to go alone,” Jewel replied. Her words muffled slightly as she yawned. Sol’s stomach clenched when he noticed the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. He loved her like a sister. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain.
She gave him a tight, understanding smile. He knew she’d caught an echo of his emotions. “It’ll be okay. I’m tougher than I look.” Jewel said the words, but there was a lack of conviction behind the statement. Her thoughts couldn’t lie. She was losing the battle.
She had to survive, or the family would crumble. She was the cornerstone on which they’d built a new life. After escaping the evil clan leader who’d destroyed their childhood pack, she’d given them a sense of family they’d never enjoyed as adults. The past two years had been the best ones of Sol’s adult life. Without Jewel, this new warm home wouldn’t have been possible. He felt the love flowing from her. Her expression told him she’d heard his thoughts and she was hurting too.
He cleared his throat and stood straighter, physically pulling himself up out of the darkness. “Do not fear for us. All this cute baby stuff wears on a man. We need a little adventure,” Sol proclaimed in a loud, teasing voice. He almost sighed when he saw her brighten a little. Her eyes cleared. She sent him a wave of love and affection. He basked in her tenderness. “We’ll leave the old wolves behind. Young pups like us need a challenge.” Jewel gave him a small smile, but it didn’t reach her big blue eyes. Her long brown hair lay braided over her shoulder, and she had the countenance of an angel. Her pristine white nightgown added perfectly to the image. Sol tried to ignore the sorrow she couldn’t fully hide, but he could sense her growing struggle with grief. He’d been watching her body fail, as had the others, and it hurt. A non-shifter birth of full-shifter pups was extremely rare and dangerous. She’d just given her men twins. Each of her mates impregnated her with a pup on the same night. The children were a miracle, and fraternal twins were considered an omen of good luck in a pack. She’d survived the birth of Rion’s first child a year earlier without a single complication, but Boon was biologically more human than shifter.
“What scheme have you come up with?” Makis asked
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