Filed to story: Cara Nelson The Guardian: Werewolf Book PDF Free
“When I met Eli, I didn’t want a mate. I didn’t want to suffer the way I watched my mother suffer for years. It felt like she was forced to endure a life that she no longer wanted.” I shrug, looking at her.
“But Eli is different. I don’t think it’s the bond that makes the difference, I think it’s the person. I know, in my heart, that Eli would never treat me the way my father treated my mother. He has too much respect for me, and I have that same respect for him. Somewhere along the way. I fell in love with him, not just because of the bond. I fell in love with the person he is. The things that he believes in are the things that I believe in. that I want in my life. His dreams of a better life are the same as mine. I think that’s what makes the difference. The bond draws us together, but it’s the person that makes the bond worthwhile.”
I stand, knowing she needs her rest. “I know you’re hurting, and you have a lot to work through. but don’t completely rule out the possibility of finding your second chance mate. Who knows, you may find your fated mate. But heal first, focus on your son, and maybe, like me, it will just happen. for you.
I reach down and gently hug her. “I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. And your son is being well taken care of. You just worry about getting healthy for him.”
When I leave the hospital. I head over to the packhouse kitchens.
“Cammy!”
“Luna.” She looks exhausted.
“I know we’ve added a bunch of people, what do you need?” I ask her.
“More hours in the day?” She says jokingly.
“If only! I think we could all use that.”
“It was a lot at first, but Beta Amber sent some folks out to get food. Gamma Noah had some money, so we were able to stock up and prepare food for everyone.”
“Excellent. It’ll be chaotic for a while, but…”
She shrugs. “We’re kind of used to that around here, right?”
I laugh. “Definitely. Eli and I will be talking to the new pack members tomorrow, so hopefully I’ have some additional help for you very quickly.”
“That would be great. And Luna, when things settle down a bit, I’d like to talk to you about something else.”
“I will make time whenever you are ready.” I tell her.
I head up to my room, ready for a shower then a good night’s sleep, in my own bed, with my ma curled up around me.
Poor Paisley!
After checking in with Carlos that everyone has been assigned a place to stay temporarily, I walk around the packhouse making sure that everyone is getting settled and has everything they need. Once I see that each room is full and they have bedding and clothing. I head out to walk around the pack.
I stop by all the houses that have volunteered to house the newcomers and check that the new pack members are settled and there aren’t any problems. Most everyone seems to be adjusting and settling in.
When I return to the packhouse. I find my mate already asleep in our bed. I shower off the grime from the last couple of days and join her, falling quickly to sleep.
The next morning over breakfast, I call a meeting for all the new pack members as well as the ranked members, excluding Sirona who is still taking care of those in the hospital.
“Good morning, everyone and welcome to Safe Haven Pack. I hope you slept well and have full bellies.” There is a lot of low rumbled agreement. I introduce the ranked members to the new pack.
“As you have seen, our pack is in the process of rebuilding. This means that you have the opportunity to build your own home.” I explain to them the payment and repayment requirements. of building their homes.
“In addition, you will be assigned to a work detail within the pack. If you have a skill set that you feel is marketable, you can let me or Beta Carlos know and we will get you on the list to have a storefront built on our new Main Street. Otherwise, we have plenty of work within the pack that needs to be done. Over the next couple of days while you are getting settled in and learning the boundaries of our pack lands, your ranked members will be meeting with you, assessing your skills and assigning you to your place in the pack. Any questions?”
I answer some questions about the work they used to do and if they will still be doing that. payment for their work and things like that. After all the questions are answered. I turn it over to Grace.
“We are happy to have all of you here, and you are welcome, as long as you follow the rules of this pack. You will respect your ranked members and we will respect you. You can ask anyone here if they are mistreated, and they will tell you that they are not. That goes for everyone in the pack. This pack is called Safe Haven for a reason. If you have a disagreement with someone, you either work it out with them, or if you can’t, you come to one of your ranked members. Violence is not allowed. Abuse of any kind, to anyone, is not allowed. If you are found being abusive to anyone within the pack, you will be punished and given a warning. If it happens again, you will be banished. If you do not think that you can live under these rules, you are free to leave. However, if you agree to this life, one that you and your pack will build together, then we will be holding a ceremony tomorrow night for you to swear your allegiance to Safe Haven and officially join our pack.”
“If you have any further questions, feel free to join us up here and we’ll be happy to answer your questions. Otherwise, enjoy the day, please feel free to walk around the pack, see what we are building here and talk to the other pack members.” I tell them before dismissing them.
We had about 150 come back with us. I don’t know that all of them will stay, but many have pups and would be safer in a pack than on their own. Several pack members come up, wanting to start working right away. They appreciate the ability to build their own homes and make money for the work they do, and they want to get started as soon as possible. For those that can work in construction, I send them out with Noah to have Perry find work for them. Several are carpenters, and I call Jeremy over to assess their skills and see if they can work for him.
While we have taken in many omegas, they are still recovering and will need another day or two before they can begin working. However, their desire to work and make sure that they show their worth in the pack is strong so Grace and Amber set them up to meet with Cammy and Summer to see what they can do. Grace called Anna over as well, so I’m assuming we have some seamstresses in the new group.
After the first day in the pack, we lost another 30 wolves, most of those were unmated males, but we lost some older couples that didn’t seem too keen on building a life from scratch.
On the second night, we had a pack ceremony, and 105 wolves of age swore their allegiance t to our pack. The other 14 had not yet gotten their wolves and would have to wait until they are older. We had a big celebration with lots of food and music to celebrate the new pack members joining our group.
At the end of the night, I reminded everyone that we would be having a mate gathering this weekend and that several packs would be joining us as well as the sprites that are looking for mates.
The new pack members were as fascinated with the sprites as everyone else when they first saw them, as it was impossible to miss Leilani and Lolana walking around with Alexander, or Tula perched on Thomas’s shoulder.
I asked Alexander about his mate mark. I noticed that while he had marked the twins, he didn’t have a mark on his neck. He told me that the sprites mark differently. Because their mate is so important to them, they mark them over their heart. He had pulled off his shirt and shown me the two interlocking circles on his chest, above his heart, one for each mate. They glow with the same light that seems to shine from the sprites. Alexander said they shared their light and now they can feel his emotions just as he can feel theirs. He told me the circle represents their undying love. since it has no end, no boundaries. I’m not a huge fan of the sprites, but even I have to admit that their love for their mate is admirable.
As the day and the festivities wind down, I pull my mate into my lap and just take a moment to enjoy the peace of the evening, the happiness of the pack and the love I have for my own mate.
Safe Haven continues to grow!
By the end of the week, everyone seemed to have settled into their new roles. All of the omegas were medically cleared and positions within the pack were found for them. I met with Cammy after the Lead Omega in the kitchen at my father’s pack asked if she could split shifts with her.
“Cammy, I wanted to talk to you about Melinda’s request to split shifts. I don’t want you to feel like I’m undermining you or your role, but I was thinking that it would be good for you to have more time in your day.” I say when we meet in my office.
“Actually Luna, I had wanted to talk with you about something else and this is the perfect time. I know that many people in the pack are getting the opportunity to open a business and I wanted to talk to you about the possibility of me doing that as well.”
“What kind of business are you thinking of starting, Cammy?
“Well, Luna, I’ve always wanted to open my own diner. I’m good at managing the kitchens and I know how to schedule staff. I’ve been playing around with some new menu ideas, but I would need someone to help me manage the business side of things.”
“Cammy. I think that’s a great idea! Everyone loves the food you make now, and I just know you would do well with a diner.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely! What do you need to get started? Do you have someone that can help you run the business?”
“Well, no. I wasn’t sure you would agree to me opening the diner, but now I’ll have to find someone to help me. Unless you have any ideas?”
I look at her a moment, thinking. It’s been months. In the beginning. I kept in touch with Benny at least weekly, but things had gotten so hectic, that I hadn’t spoken to him in way too long. When I last spoke to him, he was thinking of selling his diner and retiring. So, he might be willing to come out of retirement and move to the pack lands. I’d have to talk to Eli about it. It would mean we’d have to tell him about us, but Benny is an older, single man. He has no family and he doesn’t have anything to lose by moving here. He’s never been one to gossip or tell someone’s secrets, so it shouldn’t be a problem.