Twenty Six year old Blake Hunter is the Alpha of the largest pack in the region. Finding his mate is the last thing on his mind.
But, in the midst of dealing with uninvited relations, aspiring future Lunas and increasing rogue attacks on his easter...
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Less than thirty miles from Elmwood’s borders, the Blackridge wolves had worked well into the night to prepare for their assault. Blake and his lieutenants made sure every detail was planned to within an inch of its life. Using the knowledge they'd gleaned from their diplomatic visit and the input from Kaden, they'd mapped out the best routes, the strongest defences and the locations of each and every safe house.
It would take longer to reach the border if they approached from the east, but the rising sun at their backs would provide them with a much needed advantage against the patrols. With any luck, Blake knew the disorientation might give Kaden cover to slip silently around the patrols in search of warriors he trusted. From there, he could attempt to end the attack before there were too many casualties.
With the final preparations in place, Blake retreated alone to the far side of the clearing. As they had every night since she'd appeared like a siren from between the trees and fallen into his arms, his thoughts inevitability turned towards Hannah.
“I miss her,” he spoke aloud to the sky. “I thought the worst pain was watching her leave.” He sighed heavily. “I was wrong.” Blake’s gaze slid across the empty air, seeking a break in the clouds that hung like a veil in front of the moon.
Rothan echoed his agreement with a small whine.
“Living without her, not knowing where she is and what's happening to her? There's no torture like it,” he admitted morosely. “I can't fight it. I can't escape it. I can't accept it.”
He'd been right to send her away, he reminded his wolf. She hadn't been safe in the pack.
His skin began to itch as Rothan's fur bristled with indignation, but Blake remained firm. Since the first moment of her arrival she'd faced danger after danger. In the end, she'd nearly died... because of him. He'd failed to protect her.
"They never should have been able to take her. She should never have been left exposed." The fault was his and his alone, he refused to deny it.
The guilt consumed him.
The look on her face just before he fell from the cliff edge still haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. Framed by a vivid autumnal landscape, she'd refused to flee, standing her ground against the horror that fought tooth and claw to tear her apart. He remembered every detail. The wild tangle of red hair caught in the wind, her skin pale as the frost decorating the leaves, emerald eyes wide with terror and his name torn from her lips as he felt his paws leave the security of the ground...
The moon chose that moment to obligingly peek out between two rolling clouds, the light drifting down towards the earth, creating a cold and ethereal halo around the clearing.
"You gave me the gift of patience,” Blake continued, his voice low, muttering a jumbled prayer to his Goddess. “The ability to lead my people. But, without her I have lost – " His fists clenched, the skin cracking in the cold. “I cannot – ”
