The Awakening Series Book 2

After eating with Sierra, I stroll down the main sweeping staircase, feeling heavy with everything we discussed.

It’s almost noon, and the house is eerily quiet, but noises from the busy village filter in through the now-open windows, sailing on the light breeze.

It’s still raining, but it has the promise of a brighter day again, and the schoolhouse is getting its first proper use today now that it’s almost complete.

There will be no more children in the great hall from now on, and I squint that way as male wolves begin streaming out of the double doors at the far end of the hall as I reach the last step.

It’s where Colton has convened the sentinels from patrol—his best packs.

They have been discussing everything to do with maintaining our peaceful and safe existence, including supply runs and financials, as we still have to bear the weight of our pack, even with severance from the main Santo millions.

Luckily, Colton had his own inheritance and trust fund that Juan couldn’t touch, and with some of our adopted packs from the mountain, they also brought in funds to help keep us afloat for a very long time.

We have investments and shares in the human world, and we seem to be ticking over nicely despite the loss of Colton’s rightful wealth.

Wolves don’t need the things humans do to survive, but it’s easier to feed and clothe a pack than to hunt, forage, and live like wild animals.

I yawn and stretch as I pass the flood of departing lycans, receiving the lowered nods and mumbles of “Luna” in passing, showing their respect.

I smile and wait until the passage is clear enough for me to proceed. I will eventually get used to this change in how I’m treated, but it still sits funny in my stomach.

I’m getting better at accepting my role now, but I will always be that unworthy girl with her doubts circling in her belly forever. The awkwardness at the respect shown me is still strange.

I push into the now partially empty great hall, with its multitudes of military straight seats, facing the front podium where our sub-pack lounges around in various positions, on chairs and the floor.

Colton is sitting on the platform’s edge with his legs hanging free, looking like a teen boy hanging out at lunch break in high school.

They’re huddled close enough that I can tell they’re summarizing their meeting and discussing something further. I wander closer and pick up on their lowered tones easily.

“We limit supply runs to daylight hours, midday only. We must be more alert than before as we don’t know what they are capable of.” Colton carries on, glancing my way with a quick smile to acknowledge me.

It’s clear they are talking about the presence of the witch or witches in the woods.

“Does daylight help?” I ask with a smile as I hop up next to him on the ledge, and he instinctively slides his arm around my shoulders and kisses me on the temple.

“No, but it means they aren’t straying vamps, and we might hold our own against witches with a little more effect.” He smiles, shoulder nudging me with his cheeky, gorgeous smile, and I wrinkle my nose back at him.

I’m always melting at his briefest expressions and sigh at how lovestruck I still am for this boy.

“Good morning, hermana,” Meadow cuts in, pulling my attention to the only other wolf in the pack I love spending all my time equally with.

Her usual title of sister warms my heart, as does her loving smile, and I beam her way with obvious affection.

“Good morning. So, what was so important that you had to kidnap my breakfast partner this fine day?” I lean into Colton’s neck, nuzzling snugly under his chin as I watch the uneasy shift in my pack.

There is an instant change in tension and atmosphere as Cesar and Jesus glance at Colton with a subtle flicker of apprehension. My stomach plummets, my chest tightens, and my suspicion is instantly piqued.

What is it?

I link Colton immediately, feeling his rise in stress levels and knowing this is something I need to be told. He hesitates slightly. That raise in his heartbeat has me wide-eyed, and I sit stiffly to eyeball him from my lower position.

“We had new incoming before dawn. Runaways from the mountain. We put them in a room on the guest wing for now, but they brought some news about how things are over there, and we don’t quite know what to believe,” Colton says.

He stares over my head at Meadow, and I catch the communication glance. Something neither wants to say out loud, but they are both so obvious it’s painful.

“Is it bad? What is it?” I blurt out, instantly anxious, nerves rising into panic, and Colton tightens his arm around me, leaning in to nuzzle against my temple.

“It’s Carmen… She arrived here with her mom this morning, minus their father.” He pauses, waiting for my reaction, and I tense all over.

My heart lurches into my stomach, and my heartbeat thumps through my brain as my throat runs dry.

It’s not like I have anything to worry about regarding Carmen. It’s just I hate her, and our history isn’t great. She’s his ex-lover, ex-almost mate, and I almost lost him to her, thinking he marked her months ago.

I know I shouldn’t feel anything, but it isn’t easy with our history, and my green-eyed side shows its face.

Jealousy consumes me in a nanosecond as my body is engulfed in heat and anger. Carmen is a prize bitch and not a person I will ever like.

“Send her to go find somewhere else to hide. She chose to stay, and so what? We’re conveniently here when it goes to shit!” I attempt to pull away, hackles rising, but Colton holds me tight and doesn’t relent.

He keeps me lassoed in his embrace and persists with his hug so I can’t get away from him. He knows how to handle me when my temper flares, and he doesn’t let go or shift in any way to give me any chance of dodging his grip.

He knows I may self-combust if let loose to pace and rant.

“I did think about it. Trust me, I did. She’s not the main issue; I can’t throw her mom out. She never did anything wrong… Lorey, it’s not about her. My dad has the mountain in chaos. The people are suffering…”

Colton tries to soothe me, but I butt in angrily. “What about her dad? Isn’t he Juan’s second in command? Won’t he come looking for her and put our people in danger!” I huff impatiently, grinding out words from behind clenched teeth.

I know I am being stupid over this, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting to walk into. She just killed the rest of my mood in one fell swoop.

“She said that’s the reason they left. The wolves have somehow gained access to our memory shares and are passing them through the mountain. All of them…what he did to your family, my mom, everything.

“They are starting to see him for what he really is, and Tawna can’t stay by the side of a mate who betrayed the people and supported an alpha who murders his own. They are here for our protection, not our judgment.”

Colton’s stern tone is just a step away from his alpha gift, and I glare at him, daring him to ever use that on me.

He frowns at me and seems to recoil his commanding vibe a little, knowing only full well I will erupt if he tries to control me.

“Juan is losing control; the mountain is frail, weakening the rest of our people. He’s so focused on keeping the ones left that he’s ignoring the threat of the vamps.

“Their attacks are as frequent as ours, and they’ve lost many from his carelessness,” Meadow pipes in sorrowfully, pulling my heated rage toward her genuine angst-ridden expression, which completely sobers my mood.

Her care for those people mirrors my own instinct as luna to want to help them. The thought of the wolves trusting him to keep them safe yet dying at his hands tugs at my stomach and heart and immediately cools my jealous pang.

As luna of my people, my goal in life is their care and protection, and it pains me to think of the vulnerable left behind who are afraid every second. I know what living as a possession under Juan’s rule is like.

“She said he’s locking them down like it’s a prison camp, and any who get caught trying to leave are punished severely. We’re talking beatdowns in the isolation tank, torture… He’s unhinged and forcing them to stay with him,” says Radar.

He adds fuel to the fire with his snarly tone, rage obvious in his words, and I shake my head in disbelief.

“We always knew he would use any means to retain power.” I nod sadly and try not to picture how many children and femmes we left there to be controlled and abused by them.

“More are coming this way; we gain new ones every couple of weeks, and we won’t have the space to keep them all if it continues.” Matteo is the one to bring this detail to light.

“Now, we’re limited to the rune boundary; we can’t expand further unless Rema Santo knows how to apply protection beyond the boundaries. The village is full; the house is filling again as newcomers pour in faster than we can build.

“He will be sitting with an empty mountain while we’re crammed in here, unable to breathe.” Matteo stands, moves closer, and grips the back of Domi’s seat.

Colton sighs heavily. “We can’t turn them away. Fractured pack or not, those are our people. By rights, I’m their alpha. It’s my job to care for them even if circumstances made them stay behind. We must find a way to accommodate them and hope more come out before it’s too late.”

“If the mountain is weaker, and Juan has lost control, then why don’t we just take it back? We are strong. Our warriors are many. He lost the majority of the sub-packs when we left, and they’re no match.” Meadow stands, displaying that stubborn jut of her chin and eyes alight with the fire to fight.

These past months, the frequent attacks have brought out a ruthlessness in our fighters and a fearless need to take action.

Meadow has been a huge asset to the fight against the invaders, and for many months, we have all tried to ignore the urge to go home and take back what is ours.

“He won’t give it up unless we kill him; we all know that’s never in the cards. His loyalty will never turn, and I’m not risking a single wolf’s life to fight a hopeless battle. We’ve had enough bloodshed and upheaval.

“We would also leave the homestead unprotected if we marched against the mountain. We don’t have enough wolves to do both at once.

“Our priority is and has always been to protect this village and its people. To keep the vamps out and maintain a stable life for the pups to grow and feel secure.” Colton is in protector mode; his words make sense, but it’s eating me deep inside.

I’m so torn between two halves of our pack and their day-to-day existence. All of them deserve the relative safety and peace we have built here, and my heart wants to chase them down and bring them all home.

“There are children on the mountain who have no choice but to stay. Do they feel safe…are they safe? Or are they just pawns that Juan clings onto to feel he retains some control? Would he throw them to the vamps in a heartbeat to instill fear in those left?” I expressed my frustration, fully knowing that Juan never cared for his people.

Colton exhales heavily, letting me go as he stretches his arms out behind his head and scrubs his scalp in frustration, and it’s not hard to tell he’s finding this stressful to talk out.

Despite everything that has happened, Colton’s heart still sees his father inside the monster, leaving him conflicted anytime we talk about him.

“Tell me what to do. I honestly have no fucking idea. We have a split pack. We have two vulnerable communities. Our priority should be here, but I get what you’re saying…they need us too. It’s just…” He drops his arms and grabs my hand, shrugging as his words tail off.

I pick up on that familiar distress as his emotions war with themselves.

“Maybe we could recon the mountain, see what’s going on,” Remi says, frustrated with this talk. “Figure out weakness, get a lay of the land, and see if it’s as bad as Carmen said.”

He stands and stretches out before pacing to the edge of the room where the water coolers are and getting himself a drink.

The whole sub-pack is uneasy and on tenterhooks. Their emotions are filling my space like a dark, heavy invasion. Sometimes, I curse this ability to feel people’s emotions, especially now while drowning in overwhelm.

“You know we’re the fastest in the pack. We could scope it out and return in under two hours before dawn,” Domi says, agreeing with his twin, a brightening glance between the two.

Colton frowns as though thinking about this. His whole posture loosens slightly.

“You know, that’s not a bad idea.” Cesar leans in, and I know without looking at Colton that he’ll agree.

He listens to his pack, especially Cesar, the wise and influential brother he never had, and now, with the others nodding, I can sense his caving.

His sub-pack has always held this power over him and, with some gentle coaxing, can influence him for good, no matter the topic.

“Okay, but only to scope it out and keep your distance. Watch, report via the link, and when we have enough of an idea of what’s going down, I want you back here. Fast. Watch your back, be home before dark, and remember that the vamps have witches out there now. Be extra aware,” he commands.

“We won’t make decisions until we know how things are at the mountain, right?” Meadow confirms what I’m thinking.

Colton nods, sighing again as though this whole thing has made him weary and listless. Sometimes, it feels like a bad dream we cannot wake from.

“Right. We’ll see what’s up. Then, we’ll figure out our next move. I need to patrol the village and see if we can make more space in the building construction for those we’ve settled in the house today.

“We need to keep them moving out to accommodate the incoming for now. There are still three times as many wolves on the mountain as here…

“We need to think about this. We’re almost at capacity, and from what you said, Carmen thinks more will run soon.” Colton stands and makes it clear he’s dismissing the sub-pack, ending this conversation for the time being.

They get up to move as though they’ve somehow agreed to leave this as is. I linger, waiting for Colton as they nod their respect and leave in almost single file until only Meadow trails behind.

“I know you don’t want to fight our people again. Or him. I know how much it hurts to have to do that… But sometimes, hermano, you must do horrible things for the greater good,” Meadow says.

She pats him on the shoulder, rubbing his clavicle with her thumb for a second before kissing me on the cheek, feather-soft, and departing with a sad smile.

We watch her go before Colton turns his attention to me fully. “She’s right. I don’t want to fight my people again. It was hell to do it once, and I can’t even get my head around doing it again.”

Colton breathes out when we are alone, and his despair washes over me, tainting the air I inhale. His pack, even those not technically ours, is always at the heart of his decisions.

My heart bleeds for him, a tight, heavy pain that constricts my ribs because I understand. I don’t want to hurt our people any more than he does. Most of them never did anything to deserve this.

“You heard what they said,” I say. “The people are turning. The memory is being shared. I don’t think Juan has the command to make them fight as he did. Only his loyal ones would take up arms, which is a lost cause.

“When you take down the king, you must take down his circle of trust or leave betrayal as an opportunity. Didn’t you learn anything from the history teachers?”

I lightly nudge his shoulder with mine, and he relaxes a little, that cute-boy half smile appearing as my words amuse him.

“How did I get so lucky in finding a mate who’s beautiful and smart? You make every day easier, you know that?” Colton leans in and brushes a kiss across my lips.

It’s warm and soft and ignites butterflies. He lingers a moment to rub his nose against mine, and my insides melt and combust simultaneously.

It never ceases to amaze me how responsive I am to his touch, and I hope it never stops being this way. Six months on, and he still ignites fireworks in me.

“The fates knew you needed someone to keep you in hand!” I giggle, running my fingers over that squared, clean-shaven jawline, and melt a little when he smiles, all full-on, dreamy.

“Really? Keep me in hand… I think that’s a little backward. I most definitely run a dampener on your temper sometimes, baby. My feisty, headstrong luna.”

He kisses me again, and I can’t say I can argue with that, losing myself in his pressing lips as he lingers longer than the last one.

Colton draws back without pushing it further and fixes a serious look on me. “Are you really not okay with Carmen being here?”

There’s an uneasiness in his eye, and I exhale breathily, making a show of sighing dramatically and shrugging.

An inner war is cascading around, and green-eyed jealousy shows its face as I try to rationalize my feelings.

“I don’t know. I know she can’t come between us; you don’t have feelings for her… It’s just… It was a time that sucked, and she was a major part of it. Maybe I need to get used to her being here.

“I know I have nothing to worry about at all, that she can’t do anything to hurt us, to separate us. She won’t be half the bitch now that I’m luna, and she knows her place and the consequences for disrespecting me.”

I growl lightly with the last six words, venom infused with the real threat I put out there, and Colton chuckles at my show of fierceness.

“Baby, that temper, ouch.” He touches me and makes a mock sizzle noise before blowing his fingers dramatically. It does nothing to damper my fury.

“Well, she better take note because I will tear her a new one if she annoys me.” I smirk, simmering, and Colton holds up his palms in mock defense.

His eyes light up with sudden laughter, seeing as his everyday hobby is teasing and taunting me, and it always brings back his sunnier side.

“Scary! You’re cute when you’re a little feral. Wanna make out?” Colton disarms me with his humor and playfulness.

He winks and grabs at me, bursting the mood completely and getting me giggling. He pins me down on the podium, flipping me onto my back so he can lie on top of me.

Then he starts nibbling on my neck and jawline, heading for my face as I squeal and fight him with futility.

It’s hopeless as he’s stronger, faster, and completely relentless when he wants to be, plus he weighs twice what I do. I was never a match in human form for this heavy, solid Latino lover.

“Do you ever manage just one hour without needing to molest me?” I bat his face away as he goes in for a kiss, then give up completely and kiss him with a chaste peck to cool his jets.

I smile as our lips collide, and he grins back despite being joined at the mouth. Then he chuckles. “Hour? I can’t manage ten minutes, baby.”