Resolution

JAMES

The next morning, I wake up feeling relaxed and as content as I’ve ever been. Beside me, mate is sleeping peacefully. My arms are wrapped around her, holding her close.

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. I don’t know what I would do if I lost her. In such a short space of time, she has become everything to me, and I don’t want to ever let her go.

Ryan’s claim that because I hadn’t marked her she wasn’t mine, and that he could still take her from me, had terrified me.

It had made my wolf so angry, so desperate to mark her that I had found it difficult to control him.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold him back for much longer. I needed to rectify the situation, and soon, but I could only do that with her consent.

She stirs in my arms, then opens her eyes and looks up at me.

“Hey,” she says, and kisses me gently on the lips.

I want to deepen the kiss and continue what we started last night, but I can’t. Not yet.

“Morning, beautiful. We need to talk.”

“Do we? We did a lot of talking last night. Can’t we skip the talking this morning and go straight to the fun bit, where you’re deep inside me?”

I sigh. It sounds so tempting. “Later, but first we have important things to discuss.”

“Okay.” She sits up.

“I think we should mark each other,” I begin. “I know you wanted to hold off until you were sure, and that the events of yesterday must have given you more doubts, but … You’ve accepted the bond.

“You’re taking the luna training seriously. Let’s make it official.”

She sighs and goes silent. Tension builds inside me. I couldn’t bear it if she said no.

“And you think right now, after the fight yesterday, that this is the right time?” she finally asks.

“Yes,” I reply firmly. “That could have broken us, but it didn’t. I’ve wanted to mark you for so long, but I knew that you weren’t ready and that you needed time to adjust.

“Now, though, I honestly think we are ready. There is nothing else to hold us back from making that final commitment to each other.”

“When do you want to do it?”

Hope surges within me. “Tonight. I thought we could spend the evening alone together. Have a romantic dinner, and then, well… Let nature take its course.”

“Okay,” she agrees. “I want this. I’m ready to be your mate and luna.”

My lips crash against hers. She has made me the happiest wolf alive.

I’m desperate to take her, and I can sense her own desire, her need for me, but I hold off. We agreed to be honest, and for me to stop keeping things from her.

“I have something else I need to tell you first.”

“Oh?”

“When I spoke to Ryan, he was adamant that you were not my mate. That you belonged to him.”

She snarls. “I’m not his.”

“I know. You’re mine. Only mine. But he believes that you not being marked by me is proof that you’re not my mate. As long as you’re unmarked, he will try to take you, to force his mark upon you.

“I don’t want to mark you just because you’re vulnerable to him without it. I’ve wanted to mark you for weeks, but once we do this, his claim against you will weaken.

“For that reason, I and my wolf are desperate to mark you as soon as possible.”

She strokes my cheek. “Thank you. This is exactly the sort of thing that I don’t want you to keep from me. The fact that you’re being honest makes me even more sure that I want you to mark me.

“He will never stand a chance with me, but he needs to know that I’m yours, that I’ll always be yours. I’ll be proud to wear your mark.”

I can’t hold back any longer. My lips seek out hers, and I press my body against her, pushing her down into the mattress. My need to take her again is overwhelming.

She’s like a drug to me. A drug that I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of.

ALLIE

It’s another two hours before we leave the bedroom. The need we feel for each other is insatiable.

If it hadn’t been for the urgent call from James’s beta informing him that there had been another rogue attack the night before, I think we would have stayed in bed all day.

Instead, we rush to get ready. I’m due to go into Linton today, but I tell James that I want to attend the meeting with his ranking wolves first.

After a quick breakfast, we head to his office where Chris, Lucy, Alexander, and David are waiting for us.

James gets straight to the point. “Update me.”

“Thirty wolves from the Savage Wolves Pack attacked our south border last night,” Lucy explains. “They were engaged by one of our patrols, but they managed to overwhelm them.

“They breached our pack borders. The warriors who were attacked were able to raise the alarm, and I sent reinforcements to repel the enemy.

“We stopped them from getting too far into pack territory, but it’s the closest they’ve come to getting through our defenses yet.”

“They’re getting braver, more reckless,” Alexander observes.

“Yes. I’m not sure if Ryan is getting more confident, or more desperate to get his hands on Allie,” James muses. “The failure of his ambush two days ago is probably influencing his judgment.

“He must know there won’t be many more opportunities left to take her from me, and that I’m going to strengthen our defenses further to keep her safe.”

“What should we do?” David asks.

“Increase the number of warriors in each of the border patrols,” Chris suggests. “Alex, are you any closer to finding out who Ryan’s informers are in Linton?”

“I’m meeting my informant tonight. He believes that he’s identified the main culprit. Once I know their identity, I’ll pass the information over to you.”

“What about the rest of the pack? Should we ask them to stay on pack territory and avoid traveling to Linton?” Chris asks.

“Not yet,” James decides. “But they need to be warned of the danger, and we need to make adequate arrangements to protect them when they go there.

“I also think that we need to notify the wolves attending the university. Our wolves need to leave and return to pack territory.

“Those from other packs need to be made aware of the danger as well. They might want to return to their packs until the threat recedes.”

“What about the loners?” I put in.

“Alexander, can you inform them of the increased danger?” James requests. “Offer those that you trust the chance to join us here. They will be safer on pack lands.”

I can’t believe he’s prepared to protect the loners. It’s such a massive change in attitude from when I first met him. “Thank you,” I say.

“Are you sure they can be trusted?” Chris asks.

“Don’t get me wrong, Allie. I’m not saying that they would all betray us, but if even one of them is a spy for Ryan, they could infiltrate and weaken the pack.”

“I understand your concerns, Chris. I wouldn’t want to bring any traitors on to pack lands, but there are a small number of wolves that I and Alexander can vouch for.

“The others probably need to be watched,” I admit. “They’ll understand why. Because Ryan has destroyed so many packs from the inside, they know it will be difficult for you to trust them.”

“There are a few who I know would be willing to fight with us,” Alexander offers. “They will strengthen our defenses.”

“Good, that’s settled,” James says. “We’ll bring loners we trust and want to join us onto pack lands. There’s an empty pack house that used to be occupied by the warriors, and we can move them there.”

“Call a pack meeting,” he goes on. “We can explain to everyone that the threat level has increased and the reasons why we are inviting some of the loners to join us.”

He nods, closing the meeting and dismissing the wolves, and they all leave the office.

When we’re alone, I say, “Thank you. I know how difficult it must be for you to trust loners, to offer them a place in your pack.”

“Getting to know you has made me realize how unfair I’ve been. I can see now that they’re not all rogues, and that many of them probably need my protection more than my own pack wolves.

“I’ll do anything I can to help the innocent,” he vows. “I won’t be able to trust them, not yet anyway, but I’ll do all that I can for them.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.” I put my arms around my mate and kiss him.