Filed to story: Cara Nelson The Guardian: Werewolf Book PDF Free
“I have, but I’d like to run it by Grace first.” I say.
“We can get started on the rest of the application and put in the name when you decide.” Anders says, moving to Rik’s desk and motioning me over to begin completing the application that will make our pack official.
I decide very quickly that, not only are we sisters through our Guardian bond, but Cara, Angel and I would have been friends regardless of the bond. We are all very different, but very much alike in the ways that matter.
I tell them about our pack and how all of the pack members have come from packs where they were mistreated. They are shocked at our numbers and the separate number of packs where our members come from.
“How can an Alpha and Luna allow their pack members to be treated so poorly? It’s their job to care for their pack.” Cara says.
Angel is nodding. “I agree. I almost lost it when I thought Liam was allowing our omegas to be abused. He had to rein me in because my aura had pushed the pack to their knees and was causing them pain. It’s a partnership. As Alpha and Luna, we have to work together. There will be times when we lose our temper or become frustrated. That’s when the mate bond is so important, not just for each other, but for the health and safety of the pack. I’ll never understand those that don’t value the mate bond.”
“Honestly, I never understood it. Watching my mother suffer for so long, I hated the idea of the mate bond. It felt like chains forcing my mother to feel things that she no longer wanted to feel for a man that didn’t love her and willingly mistreated her. I never wanted it. But then I met Eli and I realized it’s not the bond that is the problem, it’s the person. If you both accept the bond and treat each other with love and respect, then it grows and develops into som beautiful.” I say, thinking about how much my belief in the mate bond has changed since meeting Eli.
Cara leans her head back, rubbing her hand over her baby bump in gentle circles. “I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than the mate bond. My father told me about it all my life.” She lifts her head up and looks at me. “Do you know, he never took another mate. Never even considered it.” She looks thoughtful. “Now, knowing what I have with Rik, I understand. You could never have this feeling with anyone else. There could never be anyone for me, but him.”
“I’m really glad to hear you say that, love.” Rik says, walking out and chuckling at his mate before picking her up and putting her in his lap. “How are my mate and my little Peanut doing?” He asks, kissing her nose..
“We’re just fine, daddy.” She says as Rik rubs his hand over her protruding stomach.
“When are you due?” I ask as Liam comes out and also picks Angel up, sitting her in his lap. I watch as she gives him an exasperated look but doesn’t complain. He just smirks at her before burying his nose in her hair. She has a lot of hair.
“I’m due in about 6 weeks.” She tells me and I turn to Angel. “I’m due about a month later, so I’m about halfway through my pregnancy.” Angel says, answering my unspoken question.
“And do you both know what you’re having?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Maia can smell the babies.
Cara rolls her eyes at Rik before answering. “We’re having a girl. Rik is so proud of himself for realizing it first. He could smell her, or so he says.” She swats his arm, playfully.
“We’re having a boy.” Liam says. “And Rik is right, I could smell him before the doctor confirmed it.”
I’m wondering where Eli is and why he didn’t follow Rik and Liam outside. “He’s putting in an application to make your pack official. My father is helping him. He’ll fill everything out except the name. He wants your input on that.” Rik tells me.
Another woman comes outside. She’s pregnant as well, but not as far along as Cara and Angel and not yet showing. “Oh, Lunas, Alphas. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She says, before turning to go.
“It’s no problem at all, Willow.” Cara tells her.
“So, you’re having twins. Is there something in the water here I should know about?” I ask jokingly.
The woman, Willow, turns to me as the other four all direct their attention to me as well. “What did you say, Luna?” Willow asks me.
“You’re having twins.” I say, but as I look around my confidence wanes. “You did know you were pregnant, right? I’m sorry if you didn’t.”
Willow looks at Rik and Cara before turning back to me. Rik eyes are laser focused on me. “I just found out that I was pregnant this morning. I haven’t told anyone. other than my mate.”
“Oh, I apologize. I didn’t realize you hadn’t told anyone. Please forgive me.”
“You said twins?” She says, her voice going up an octave.
I look back at the other four who are all watching me intently. I lift my nose in the air and sniff. Definitely twins.
“Yes, two boys.” I tell her. I watch as her eyes glisten with unshed tears and her hands go to her mouth. “I need to go tell my mate.” She says before running off.
“When is Ailduin scheduled to return?” Angel asks.
“A couple of weeks.” Cara says,
“You’ll have to come back when he’s here. He will want to chronicle this gift. I think it’s new.” Rik says. “You said you knew how many hunters there were and now this. He’ll definitely want to know about this.”
“I’ll have him bring the chronicles of Maia’s Guardian line as well. I know my father appreciated reading them.”
As soon as Cara says it, the memories flood into my head and I begin nodding. “I remember. Just now when you mentioned it, I remember the chronicles.”
At that moment, Eli comes out with another Alpha behind him. I stand to introduce myself, but before I can, Rik jumps in. “Grace, let me introduce my father, Alpha Anders. Dad this is Grace Gunnar, Eli’s mate.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I say, before turning to sit down. Before I can, Eli has pulled me into his lap.
“Eli!” I say, embarrassed as this public display.
He just shrugs. “It’s apparently the thing to do, pulling your mate into your lap.” He says, smiling and kissing the corner of my mouth.
“If he’s anything like these two, you’ll be lucky if your butt ever touches a seat. Angel laughs.
“Before we go to dinner, I have a question for you both.” Liam says. “Since your pack will be official, have you considered joining in the Tournament of the Moon Goddess this year?”
The Tournament of the Moon Goddess. I had forgotten all about it. It is the werewolf equivalent of the human Olympics. It occurs every four years and it’s where the strength of the packs are ranked and the populations of the packs are tracked. Each continent has their own since there are so many packs worldwide Even here, there are hundreds of packs that participate. I attended the year 1 turned 10 with my father, cheering on our pack. Obviously, I didn’t attend the one that occurred when I was 14 and now here it is again.
I look at Eli to judge his desire and willingness to participate. He looks at me. “We will consider it. When will it take place?”
“It will be in three months’ time. I can give you the information on it, but it would be beneficial to have your pack attend. It would validate your pack’s existence to the other packs.” Rik says.
“Grace and I have a lot to talk about. We’ll add that to the list.”
At dinner, we sat with Rik, Cara, Liam, Angel, Rik’s Beta Chase and his mate, Lacey, bis Gamma Jason, and his mate, Willow, the one pregnant with twins. I realized Rik’s entire team of ranked members is pregnant at the same time. In addition to them, Rik’s parents, Alpha Anders and Luna Calista joined us.
Rik introduced us to his pack and let everyone know that we were forming our own official pack. He explained how our pack came into being and I could tell by the looks some of them were passing back and forth, that they knew of others that may need to escape to our pack.
During dinner, we talked about getting together tomorrow and seeing what strengths the girls could use together. I can see Rik is hesitant to let Cara do much, but she likes the idea. “It’s not the Guardian gifts that tire me out, Rik. I’ll be fine.” And that was the end of that discussion. I couldn’t help but smile. At least I’m not the only one willing to do just about anything for my mate.
After dinner, we sat outside for a while, enjoying the evening air before retiring to our room.
“Rik said you had an idea for the pack’s name. What were you thinking?” Grace asks me as we settle into bed. I pull her against me, so her back is flush against my front, curling my arm around her waist before answering.
“I wanted to see what you thought. Most packs are named for the area they are in, or some significant landmark on their pack lands. But…..”