The sun wakes me up, flooding my room with light even with the curtains drawn. I roll over and check the time on my phone: 8:04 a.m. I sit up and stretch before sliding out of my bed.
I’ve made it two steps to the door before I realize that I can see.
My sight has returned completely. Everything is clear and focused.
Overcome with excitement, I yank the bedroom door open and sprint down the corridor to my parents’ room. I knock on the door repeatedly until I hear my mother shout, “Come in.”
I burst inside to see her emerging from the bathroom, wrapped in a large towel.
“Mum! I can see!” I exclaim happily, and a smile breaks out on her face.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s amazing,” she gushes and pulls me into her arms. We hold each other for a moment and then she pulls back to look at my eyes.
“They look perfectly healed, that’s brilliant. Why don’t you go down and tell your father?” she suggests.
I rush down the stairs and open the door to his office without knocking. I briefly consider that the Alphas might be in with him, but I don’t care.
My father is with my brother. He is behind his desk with Akamai leaning against the wall. I tell them about my sight and they both embrace me.
I text Damon with the good news and go back upstairs to get dressed for the day. Feeling happier, I put on a light dress and sandals.
I brush my hair, and for the first time in what seems like ages, (but in reality has only been a couple of days), I apply a bit of makeup.
I go downstairs for breakfast and I’m disappointed to find that the Alphas have already eaten and are out on a run. I wanted to see what they look like.
After eating and cleaning my teeth, I return to the library. I can finally read my books! I sit at the window seat and finish another book that only had a few chapters left unread.
An hour passes and I sigh happily when I put down the completed novel. Akamai enters the library and sits down on the window seat next to me.
“I thought you might want an update on the plan of attack,” he offers, and I eagerly nod.
I like to be kept in the loop of things happening with the pack, but seeing as Akamai is Beta, I don’t tend to get too involved.
“We’ve tracked their location, a cabin up in the mountains. We’re going to leave tonight and attack them at first light, when they’re not expecting it,” Akamai explains.
“Sounds like a good plan. Be safe please,” I tell my brother, and he laughs at me.
“You should be praying for those hunters, not us, sister,” he chuckles darkly. “We’ll diffuse their bombs, and, without their weapons, we’ll kill them in their beds.”
I shiver at his grotesque words, grateful that it’s not me expected to kill them.
Don’t get me wrong, if one of them came onto our territory or attacked me or my family, I would fight them. But I don’t particularly enjoy attacks, I prefer defense to offense.
Akamai returns to my father, and I get up and begin browsing the bookshelves, looking for my next read.
I lift myself up on my tiptoes, using a shoulder-height shelf as leverage to read the titles of books on the highest shelf.
I freeze when I feel eyes on me, and I realize I am not alone. Two scents fill my nose. One of cedarwood and musk, one of bergamot and forest.
“It appears our little mouse got her sight back,” Alpha Jarren muses to Alpha Dane.
His voice sounds pleased, but goosebumps raise on my arms, and I don’t dare look around. I feel awfully like prey that has been backed into a corner.
“It appears she has, brother. Although, she should have seen how short that dress is and known it was not appropriate to wear around so many unmated wolves,” Alpha Dane retorts, and I frown at his words.
“My thoughts exactly. What would her mates think?” Alpha Jarren comments, and my heart begins thumping rapidly in my chest.
“Ah, you’ve given the game away, brother. Listen to her heart pound, she knows about us now,” Alpha Dane chuckles, and I inhale sharply.
They both stand tall, around six and half feet tall, and Damon was accurate in his observation that Jarren is slightly taller than Dane. But Dane is ever so slightly wider.
They both have huge shoulders, thick arms, and muscular chests complemented by the tight T-shirts they’re wearing.
Their faces are identical, with plump lips, high cheekbones, and square jaws. Jarren has black hair, cropped short all over and bright corn-yellow eyes.
Dane has brown hair cropped short on the sides, but it is longer on top and a shocking silver. His eyes are more orange than yellow, tiger-orange.
They both stay silent as I take them in, drinking in features that I have only imagined the past few days. My mates.
Along with fear and irritation, I feel a strong sense of female pride that these gorgeous specimens are my mates.
“Like what you see, little mouse?” Alpha Jarren takes another step toward me, an amused smile playing on his full lips.
I ignore his question, too shocked to entertain their teasing. “How long have you known I’m your mate?” I ask, looking back and forth between the two of them.
They glance at each other before answering. “When we first saw you,” Alpha Dane answers, and I frown.
“And you didn’t tell me because…”
“Because we wanted you to see us for yourselves, little mouse,” Alpha Dane replies.
“And now that you have, we can destroy those hunters and take you back to our territory,” Alpha Jarren adds. I look at him in surprise.
I suppose it makes sense, if your mate is an Alpha, you’re expected to move to their pack.
“Could you give me some time? This is a bit of a shock to me. I only got my sight back this morning and I really wasn’t expecting this,” I ask, hoping I don’t offend them.
Their eyes soften and I feel relieved that they don’t look hurt.
“Of course, mouse. We’ll give you some space,” Alpha Dane says. I smile at him, a genuine smile that has him grinning back at me.
“We head out tonight and will be back tomorrow. Why don’t we all talk when we get back?” Alpha Jarren suggests, and I nod.
“Good. We’ll see you tomorrow, little mate,” Alpha Dane leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead.
My body floods with warmth at the simple touch and his close proximity.
He steps back and Alpha Jarren pulls me into his arms, he buries his face in my neck and breathes in deeply.
One second his warmth and scent is enveloping me, the next he’s gone and the two of them are walking to the door.
“Be safe!” I call out after them.
I know they have everything planned, but I’d be stupid if I didn’t worry. They both turn back and smile at me.
“We’ll be fine, Leilani,” Alpha Jarren replies, and Alpha Dane chuckles.
They leave me and I numbly make my way back to the window seat to mull over everything that just happened.
I find it difficult to sleep that night. The house feels empty; only myself and one of my parents’ warriors are here. Everyone else has gone to fight.
I offered to go too, although it isn’t something I would have enjoyed, but I wanted to help. Despite healing from my wounds, both my parents and my mates refused to allow me to join them.
I glance over at the curtains and see that the sun is just starting to rise. They will be attacking soon, if not now.
Nerves flood my stomach and I force the worried thoughts from my mind and try to focus on getting back to sleep.
I’m not conscious of falling asleep, but strong sunlight floods the room and makes me realize that I must have fallen asleep in order to wake up now.
I check the time and see it is a little after 9 a.m. I take a shower and get myself ready for the day, choosing a dress and putting on a bit of makeup.
I have my breakfast alone and then take to the window seat in the library, impatiently waiting for everyone to return.
Movement near the tree line catches my attention and I snap my head up from the book it is buried in.
Akamai is striding across the grass with two warriors. Blood covers his clothes, but he doesn’t appear to be hurt.
I bolt up from the seat and rush through the house. I burst out of the back door over to him.
I throw my arms around him, grateful that the dried blood on his clothes is definitely not his, it doesn’t smell of him.
“Are you okay? Is everyone alright?” I ask hurriedly and look around his shoulder.
My heart floods with relief when I see my parents emerging from the trees, looking bruised but still standing.
I don’t hear Akamai’s answer, if he even does respond, because I rush over to my parents and hug them both.
“Where are the Alphas?” I ask, and my heart sinks as my dad’s eyes soften.
“They’re okay, but they were hurt, sweetie,” Mum answers, and I desperately try to see over their shoulders.
My eyes land on Alpha Dane. He is being supported by two warriors who are helping him limp toward us.
A large bandage is wrapped around his left knee. Pain and worry fills me as I run over to him.
His eyes light up as he sees me and smiles. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he states, and I frown at him, looking down at the bloodied bandage. “Stupid hunter shot me in the knee.”
I briefly check the rest of him over, and other than bruises and scrapes it appears to be the only bad wound.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” I blurt, and he smirks at me.
“Me too,” he replies, and the warriors direct him over to the clinic.
“Jarren!” I call out his name and rush over to him.
He looks up from the stretcher and manages a smile. “Hey, little mouse,” he greets me.
I walk next to the stretcher as they carry him into the clinic. “What happened?” I ask worriedly.
There are bandages wrapped across his chest, stomach, and thigh.
“This idiot decided to use his body as a shield against the gunfire,” one of the warriors snaps disapprovingly and then cautiously looks at Jarren. “My apologies, Alpha.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” he grunts and then hisses in pain as they lift him onto the hospital bed.
“We’re going to take him into surgery to remove the bullets, but he’s lucky they didn’t nick any major arteries. You’re going to be alright, Alpha,” the doctor announces.
I slide my hand into his, our skin touching for the first time. Jarren’s eyes immediately glance down to look at our entwined hands.
Warmth flows through my body from his touch and I know he is experiencing the same.
“Leilani? We need to take him into surgery now,” the doctor’s voice reaches my ears, and I look worriedly at Jarren to find him smirking at me.
“I’ll be fine, little mouse,” he assures me.
“You better be,” I mutter.
Before I can chicken out, I lean forward and peck his lips. I pull back and he frowns at me.
“What kind of a kiss was that?” he demands, and the nurses begin wheeling him out of the room.
“Next time, kiss me properly, little mate!” he shouts as he disappears around the corner. I can’t help but laugh at his complaint.
