No bAds /b

    bChapter /bb266 /b

    bChapter /b266

    bCyra /b

    Warrior training was fun. Besides being in the best shape of my life because of the Academy, I also know a lot of the skills that vario, te teaching g our warriors. However, it was nice to also see Warren’s more pure form of fighting, the parts that, ording to Virick, he’s mind un with Quirin’s style of fighting.

    The warriors felt the difference immediately. Having Piper, Zach, Landon, and Chase here made a difference as well. My father, bwhile /balways ensuring that the pack’s warriors were trained, wasn’t as intelligent a fighter as Warren and Yorick are. When the warriors bbegant /bbgrumbling /bbat /bthe intense pace the two men were keeping, they quickly showed them why their fighting knowledge was inadequate by defeating bthem /bbin /bone–to–onebat. Since I defeated my father yesterday in front of the pack, I wasn’t tested as much as Warren and Yorick, but bafter /bbwarrior /btraining, I felt the pack settle even more. The pack not only feels the strengthing from myself, Yorick, and Warren, they’ve witnessed it and personally felt it on the sparring field.

    As we begin walking back to the packhouse, I hear Warren growl before taking off at a fast jog.

    I look at Yorick who looks ahead of us, smiling, as the other warriors pause ito /isee what Warren’s growling at. A momentter, Luna bYara /bsteps outside the back of the packhouse and is immediately wrapped in her mate’s embrace, his mouth devouring hers like he needs her air bto /bbreathe.

    “After talking to Dad this morning, I told the gate patrols to let them in when they arrived,” Yorick says, taking my hand.

    “Is that what you’re going to be like when you have a job and are away from me for any length of time?” I ask him.

    “I’ll probably be worse at first. Dad’s had years to get used to being away from Mom while they go back and forth between the packs.”

    “I don’t think he’s adjusted during that time,” I say, hearing Luna Yara’s wolf purring loudly as we pass. Neither of them seem to care that they’re in the middle of an unfamiliar pack. Arric, Alpha Warren’s wolf, continues to growl possessively as Warren dominates his mate’s

    mouth.

    Yorick pulls me to a stop, turning me to look at him.

    “The men in this family love their mates with everything in them,” he saysb, /bstroking his fingers over my cheeks. “I will hate every moment that I’m away from you and I will make sure that you know just how happy I am when we’re back together again.”

    He nces back at his father who has now lifted Luna Yara up and is walking toward the stairs. “Which is what I’d guess my father is nning

    to do.”

    I hear Luna Yara giggle. “Warren!”

    “What?” he growls, but instead iof /istopping or letting her answer, he takes her mouth again and begins climbing up the stairs to his bedroom.

    “I guess we’re meeting alone this morningi,/ii” /iQuirin/says, smirking at Warren and Luna Yara.

    “Kennedy!” Yorick says, pulling his sister into a hug.

    “Hello, Alpha Quirin. Wee to our pack,” I say to him.

    “Just Quirin, Cyra. We’re family now. I haven’t always known what that means, but I do now.”

    A hush falls over the pack, and I realize they just heard who our visitors are. Quirin, the Alpha who brutally killed Alpha bChrister /bband /bbhis /bbmate/b, the reason for the brutality.

    “Everyone,” I say loudly, getting their attention. “We have visitors this morning.”

    bChapter /bb266 /b

    b1 /bbwrap /bbmy /bbarm /bbaround /bbLuna /bbKennedy/b, hugging her bsince /bI bhaven’t /bhad ba /bbchance /byet. “Thiele bkuns /bKennedy, Vaderas oft bAlpha /bbQuirin /b

    All eyes turn bto /bAlpha Quirin. He doesn’t seem particrly perturbed by their uneasy nces. If banything/b, he looks pleased that weet al he is and what he did has spread.

    “I know everyone has heard by now that Alpha Quirin defeated Alpha Christer in a battle yesterday and has taken over that pack I’m sure you all also heard that Alpha Quirin was particrly vicious in his defeat of Alpha Christer because he made the mistake of bthreatening /bfik mese met Alpha Quirin previously, and while yes, he is powerful and can be vicious, he is also kind and generous? I say, seeing bQuinn /bbturn /bto look

    at me with a raised eyebrow.

    Kennedy pulls away from me to wrap her arms around her mate’s waist, smiling up at him. Instantly the look on his face softens as he wraps his arms around her.

    “I imagine that we will be seeing more of Alpha Quirin, Luna Kennedy, and their pups in the future as they are now part of our family, say, turning to look at Quirin. “I do hope that being a part of family means that we can create an alliance together, Quirin.”

    “It’s one of the things that I want to speak with the two of you about today. I’m guessing Connor and Henry will be doing the same soonb, /bbhe /bsays and I nod, turning back to the pack.

    “This pack has nothing to fear from Alpha Quirin. We are family, we will be allies. Anyone who goes against Yorick and I, goes against bAlpha /bQuirin and his pack. Anyone who goes against Alpha Quirin, goes against us. Things are going to change in this pack. They’ve needed to bfor /bba /bwhile. Yorick and I have spoken to many of you about this already. I know change can be difficult and ufortable, but I know you bcan /balready feel the difference. You feel the calm that our leadership is providing, the strength that my father wascking. That strength bwill /bonly increase as we solidify our alliances with other strong packs. Please take some time today to at least introduce yourselves to Alpha Quirin and Luna Kennedy,” I tell them.

    I wait until the pack goes back to getting breakfast then I turn to Quirin and Kennedy.

    “You’re just in time for breakfast. Have you eaten?”

    “No, and I worked up quite an appetitest nighti,/ii” /iQuirin growls softly, looking at his mate. I guess being with your mate takes a lot more energy than defeating an Alpha.

    ‘You tell me. Were you more tired after defeating your father or after I’d had my way with youst night,‘ Yorick asks in the mind link.

    ‘That’s different. We were finishing our marking and mating, I say.

    ‘Did you not see that Kennedy’s mate mark has a fresh bite mark in it?‘ he says.

    I turn, looking at her as we make our way to the breakfast buffet. He’s right, she does.

    ‘Okay, point taken,‘ I say.

    “So, Alpha Quirin, I’m Alpha Zach. I go to the Academy with Yorick. I was wondering bif/b, while you’re here, I might be able to test my skill against yours.”

    “You want to spar with me?” Quirin asks him.

    “We all do,i” /iPiper says. “I’m Alpha Piperi./i”

    “Alpha Chase.”

    “I’m just Landon,” Landon says, making Quirin–smile.

    “Just Landon still managed to get into the Academy. Don’t think I’ll underestimate you,” Quirin says, making Landon smile. “I’m not bsure /bbho /b

    wed, 13 bAug /b

    long we’ll be here today, but I’m happy to spend some time testing your skills. I was hoping to see what Yorick is learning anyway” he says.

    “Maybe you can spar with them while Cyra and I speak to Mom,” Yorick says as we find a table. I notice that Quirin settles his mate first before sitting beside her, then pulling her closer before digging into his food.

    “Is everything okay?” Kennedy asks. I realize that without conscious effort, Yorick is doing the exact same thing that Quirin did for Kennedy He’s getting me settled before sitting beside me. I send a wave of love through the bond,

    His head snaps to me. “What?” he asks softly.

    “I love you.”

    He growls softly before kissing me then turning to his sister.

    Before he answers, he looks back at me. “Do you mind if I tell her? She’s been studying to be a doctor for years. She’s still in school but she’s amazing, just like Mom.”

    “She’s beyond amazing. She’s the most brilliant woman I’ve ever met,” Quirin coos at her.

    “I wouldn’t go that far,” she says, blushing slightly. “Mom is pretty amazing.”

    “Equally brilliant, then,” he says, kissing her nose before turning back to our friends and talking about the Academy.

    I look at Kennedy. “It’s just, Sten told us that he reced my birth control with a cebo. We thought, since we haven’t been careful, that I might be pregnant. I took the test this morning and it was negative,” I tell her.

    She nods. “Pee test?“.

    “Yes.”

    “They’re not the most reliable. False negatives happen. What kind of birth control were you on?”

    “Hormone imnts,” I say and her ieyes /inarrow.

    “When did you have them reced?”

    “Right before I left for the Academy. It was a little early, but I wanted to make sure I was covered.”

    She nods thoughtfully as she chews her food.

    “Hormone imnts are a slow release that work over time. How long did you have the imnt before you reced it?”

    “About a year,” I say.

    “Werewolf metabolisms do burn through them faster than the human metabolism but I’m guessing the hormones in the imnt hadn’tpletely absorbed. It’s possible that there were some still in your body and since it’s a slow, long–term process, it doesn’t just stop right away. You could have had hormones in your body even after the cebo was injected. It’s a simple blood test. If Mom isn’t avable, I can do it for you. We’ll test your hormone levels, and we can test for a pregnancy at the same time.”

    She looks up and points to my neck. “When did you mark and mate? That looks very freshi,/i” she asks.

    “Two nights ago we were interrupted with the whole Sten shitshow,” Yorick tells her. “So wepleted what we startedst night.”

    She narrows her eyes again. “Marking and mating nights are intense. If you’re going to get pregnant, even if you are on some sort of birth control, that would be the time. The blood test will confirm it, but even if you are negative, I’d say and I’m guessing Mom will agree, that you need to test again in a week and possibly a week after that. She won’t put you on birth control until she’s positive you’re inot /ipregnant, so you

    will have to be careful unless you’re actively trying for a pup.”

    1 look at Yorick. He shrugs. “Let’s see what the bloodwork says.”

    “What I would ask,” Kennedy says, leaning forward, “is how did Sten rece your imnts with cebos? Because if he was able to get to your doctor, you need to know. That sort of underhanded behavior can’t be allowed. It’s against the code for doctors and if he was involved, Mom can have his medical license taken away.”

    I look at Yorick. “I didn’t even think about how Sten got to the imnts. We do need to speak with Dr. Walker. Your sister is right. If he undermined me, he can’t be allowed to stay in the pack.”

    “Agreed. Since I’m guessing Mom and Dad will be gone for a while, let’s meet with Quirin and Kennedy first and when Mom re–emerges, we can all go to the pack hospital together and have a little chat with Dr. Walker,” Yorick says.