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Chapter 7
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A Time for Strength Chapter 8
Mom helps me into my room and lays me on my bed. I don’t think I could manage to do anything else, even if they ordered me to.I hear the howls of the pack saluting the warriors as they leave. I try to howl with them, but I can’t stop crying. I clutch my aching heart and whisper a prayer to the Moon Goddess to forgive me and to send my mate back safely.Ashley appears in front of my face. She’s even more of a mess than she was earlier.I lift the covers and she joins me, back in the faux safety of my duvet fortress. Justice and Zinnia sulk along with us. We stop pretending like we’re going to be okay and cry ourselves to sleep. Everyone leaves us alone. Someone knocks on the door around dinnertime. They slide a tray of food into the room, but don’t come inside. Ashley crawls out of bed and takes a few bites, then abandons it. She comes back to bed so we can console each other until we cry ourselves back to sleep.Justice wakes me up when Dad comes in the middle of the night. He kisses
A Time for Strength Chapter 9
“Lenora, this brownie is delicious. Are you sure you don’t want a bite?” Ashley mumbles with her mouth still full.“Bitch, you’re worried about a brownie right now?” I push open the garage access door. “I’m wondering how we’re going to figure out where Milo’s car is?”I have no clue where to begin because the pack garage is massive. Three levels are the entire footprint of the packhouse.“You mean YOUR car? He gave it to you as a gift.” She slows down and looks up and down the aisles. “What would he have bought you for your birthday if you weren’t mates?”“He wouldn’t have got me anything. I don’t think he even knows when my birthday is.” I shrug. “Before today, I’m sure I was just Bronx’s little sister. I’ve only ever thought of him as Bronx’s obnoxious friend.”“Let’s seeeee…” Ashley turns in a circle while she walks. “His parents are Betas, so it makes sense for it to be on the first floor? The second floor only has pack fleet cars. Then again, he was away for six months and he’s al
A Time for Strength Chapter 10
“ASHLEY! Hold on!” I grip the wheel tighter and swerve into the wrong lane to avoid the collision. There’s too much traffic. A minivan is going to hit us head on. I jerk back too soon. The front corner of the third police car hits Ashley’s door. Her window shatters into a million pieces. She screams and puts her arms up to protect her head. We bounce off the front of the cruiser and hit the side of the minivan. “Don’t stop, Lenora!” Justice commands. “Keep going!” I press my back into the seat and turn the wheel until I’m able to straighten out the car. When I have control again, I look in the rearview mirror. The two police cars that were chasing us are still close behind me. “Shit shit shit!” I look forward, focusing on not hitting any more cars. “Ashley, are you okay?” “I think so?” She looks up with blood trickling down her face. “Lenora? What happened? Are you okay?” Dad asks. “Dad, another police car just hit us! And I-I hit a car. I don’t know if they’re okay. What shou
A Time for Strength Chapter 11
Milo’s POV“Hey Sanchez, got a minute?”“Yes, Beta?”“Nah, bro. I don’t want it to be like that for the next nine months. We’re all the same here. No pack ranks or any of that bullshit.”“Alright. Qué pasa, Milo?”“I-I wanted to say I hope there are no hard feelings over Leni.” Why is this difficult? I was sure of what to say five minutes ago. “Obviously, no one planned it to be like this.”“No hard feelin’s.” Marco tries to smile. He can’t hide his disappointment, though. “Just make me a promise?”“Okay?”“Make her feel special, like every day, all the time.” He looks at Bronx, receiving orders, and motions with his chin. “Everyone gets worked up over what he’s got goin’ on. They forget her. She says it’s fine and it don’t bother her. It’s bullshit. She don’t like opening up to people. She’ll tell ya it’s cause she likes privacy. That’s bullshit too. Trusting people ain’t her thing. She thinks people use her to get to Bronx. She’d rather be alone than used.”“Bro, yeah. Of course I c
A Time for Strength Chapter 12
“No, Milo.” Bronx returns my mindlink. “What the fuck?” “We see how much time you spend together. She’s kinda cute, you're both single, and you two get along well.” “It’s not like that.” “So what’s it like?” “I don’t know.” He sniffs the air. “Saint says I should take care of her. I agree with him. It’s like… I-I don’t know. It just feels right. Like it’s my job or something to protect her.” “Your job?” I furrow my brow. “Bro, your job is to find Sin and fuck him up so we can go home. That’s your job. If you’re saying she’s your job, you have a thing for her. Which means she’s a distraction. Fortier needs to reassign her.” “She stays with us.” He pulls something out of his pocket. “Have you ever heard of tiger nuts?” “What the fuck is a tiger nut?” I look at the few shriveled looking bits in his palm. “Other than her knives and her handgun, this is all she brought. No photos of family or paper to write home. Nothing.” He looks at his hand. “Try one. They’re honey roasted.” I
A Time for Strength Chapter 13
Lenora’s POV“There has to be more to it.” I close the binder and fold my arms over myself. “We just let the Finance department do their thing?”“Well, ranked members provide oversight. Gammas build out the budget with input from all departments. They determine all personnel needs… raises, promotions, additional staffing, finding positions for omegas. Alpha and Luna approve the budget. Then Finance ‘does their thing’.” Mom uses air quotes. “Purchase orders are for everything from greenhouse supplies to fleet vehicles. That’s how we ensure we don’t go over budget. Even the kitchens and housekeeping have budgets to follow.”“I can explain it to you more, Lenora.” Ashley pats my hand to ease the tension. “I’ve been learning a lot about it from Gamma Carol.”“Okay.” I shake my head and sigh. “I have to get going. I only have half an hour to eat and change, so Becca, Ron, and I can go to the northern border for a guard house inspection. And I have trigonometry, history, and chemistry homew
A Time for Strength Chapter 14
Dad cuts a crescent moon shape into his palm and places it on my forehead. “Lenora Jane Mason, do you and the wolf spirit, Justice, accept the honor and privilege by your hereditary right, the title and responsibility of Luna Regent Scion of the Blood River pack? Your acceptance will remain valid until the Moon Goddess provides our Alpha Scion with his fated mate. When that time presents itself, you agree to step down from the Luna Regent position to fulfill the role of Female Beta Regent of the Blood River pack?” “With the blessings of the Moon Goddess, I do, and I will.” The spot where his hand lays is warm and tingly. Blood drips down the sides of my face. “Then as Alpha Regent of the Blood River pack, I, Michael Andres Mason and my wolf spirit, Mace, bestow these titles and responsibilities upon you.” He looks at me with pride. The blood on my face pulls itself back up, disappearing into Dad’s palm and my forehead. His hand heats up and I feel pressure as blood absorbs into my
A Time for Strength Chapter 15
I hold Mom’s hand until we get into the dining room, pushing the feelings of doubt and hesitation to the deepest depths of my soul. They try to fight their way back to the surface, but Justice pushes them back for me. When we get to the double doors, I take a deep breath. Mom squeezes my hand and opens the door for me. As we pass through the room, pack members whisper and point at us. I stop at the table where Elder Randall, the Alpha and Luna of Silver Moon, and the delegation from Ruby Hills are sitting. I bow low to them and murmur a thank you for joining us for the ceremony. When we get to the head table, I gather the bottom of my dress in my hand. Mom takes my other hand and supports me while I step on a chair, then up onto the table. “Lenora, what are you doing?” Dad tries to pull me down with a hoarse whisper. I swat his hand away and clear my throat. “May I have your attention, please? Everyone!” My voice booms in a tone I’ve never heard before. It reverberates off the wa
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