by Bella Colt
Then there’s the trivial stuff that couldn’t be less important like banning vibrant hair dye, Because one mom feels like the pups shouldn’t be allowed to have neon pink, bright blue, or purple in their hair! I mean come on, let the pups express themselves. We live in a closed community, and there’s not a whole lot to do around here. They need to be individuals still, especially in a society like ours.
Declan has changed some rules about curfews for minors. Everyone has to sign in or out at the gate when leaving and returning, and pups can only go with parents or written parent permission. Anyone caught attempting to forge one gets clean up duty for a month minimum. He is almost anal about the record-keeping since these changes, he is doing anything he can think of to ensure the safety of our pack.
A light tap against the doorframe brings me out my thoughts. Before I can turn around, muscular arms are enclosing around my waist as I’m brought against a hard-delicious smelling body. Closing my eyes, I just sink back against him and enjoy this feeling for a moment.
“You’re home early?”
“I decided to skip out; I miss you and the pups. My Dad and John can handle things for the day.” Declan whispers against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. God, I miss this man! Even though I see him every day, it feels like it’s been forever since we have had any time just for us. “Grab the monitor, my mom is waiting for it downstairs," he says.
“The monitor... your mom? What for?”
“We’re taking some US time! Like I said, I’ve missed you, and the twins will be fine with my mom for a few hours. She did raise three kids.” Smirking, he grabs my arms spinning me around and pulls me towards the door as I grab the monitor from the dresser on the way out.
“Are you sure? Yes, she had three, but only one baby at a time... they can be a handful!” I say, feeling guilty for wanting to say yes and spend some alone time with him.
“Yes, in fact, she’s super excited and would be highly offended if you deprived her of time with her grandkids. She has Brianna on standby if she needs help with anything. Plus, they will most likely sleep most of the time, anyways. Trust me, they’ll be fine.” He pleads.
“I trust you!” Leaning up on my tiptoes, I give him a chaste kiss on his lips before walking past him in the hall.
◆◆◆
“Keep them closed!” Declan demands. He had me close my eyes the second we entered the forest, holding my hand to guide me. Even though I haven’t been able to attempt to shift, my wolf senses have kicked in. I can hear footfalls on the other side of the house and can smell a dirty diaper from three rooms over. Also, my night vision is perfect. I no longer need a flashlight for anything. Declan says that all my senses will get stronger the more I use them over time, not that my vision helps me with my eyes closed.
The sound of rushing water is all I can hear now, and I smell... chicken? Now I’m a little confused, I’m pretty sure I know where he is taking me.
“Okay, you can open them now!” He says excitedly. I open them, and the first thing I see is the look of expectancy on his face. Chuckling, I look around, he brought me to the waterfall. About fifteen feet from the base of it is a large oak tree, where there is a large blanket strewn across the soft grass underneath it at its core. On top of it sits a wooden picnic basket, ahh that must contain the chicken that I smell. A metal bucket, filled with ice and a bottle of champagne, is sitting next to two glasses. Smiling, I grab his hand and bring it to my lips, kissing it softly.
“It’s beautiful, thank you so much!”
“Anything for you... are you hungry?” Nodding yes, I follow as he clasps his hand in mine and we walk towards the blanket and have a seat. Closing my eyes, I enjoy listening to the birds chirping high up in the nearby trees. At the same time, the water rushes over the rocks downstream. This is the first real moment of peace I’ve had in months! Sighing, I open my eyes to find Declan staring at me.
“What?”
“Nothing, just curious what you’re thinking?”
“Just that this is the first moment we’ve had to ourselves in months!”
“Yeah... you’re right.” Noticing the truth of my statement, he looks lost in his own thoughts now.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking a lot about things...” The look of horror that replaces his easy-going features makes me stop talking for a second. “I’m not leaving if that’s what that look is for! Well, not leaving without you anyways.”
“What do you mean?” His tight expression starts to relax gradually, and I can see his shoulders are still tense and waiting for the bad news.
“I’d like us to take a break.” Instantly his shoulders square and the grim look is back again. “Umm, maybe I used the wrong words there. I want us to go on vacation from the pack. I want to try and find my family and learn about the other half of my abilities.” I explain quickly. Taking deep breaths for a moment as he seems to consider what I’m saying.
“A vacation?” He says, thinking for a few more moments. “I think that can be arranged, are you sure this is what you want to do. I mean, the pups are still really young?”
“Yes, I’m sure! I feel like I don’t really know who I am, I need to know, and I want our pups to know who they are. I know now where that information is, I just have to go find it. But this isn’t something I can do without you, Declan.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to my Dad and John when we get home and see what we can do! Now come here, I’m hungry...” He growls.
“The basket is over there!” I say, pointing to his left.
“Not what I’m hungry for!”
“Oh...” Is all I can manage to get out laughing as he pounces on top of me, using his elbows to brace his weight, so he isn’t crushing me. Leaning down, he brings his lips to mine lightly, teasing me with soft, barely perceivable kisses. Not happy with this; I grab his face and pull him down until I’m pressing my lips against his, licking his lower lip. Teasing him until he takes control. Our tongues start dueling for dominance, pushing against each other, mimicking the intimate act. I know he loves this, groaning he pulls his mouth from mine and starts trailing kisses along my jaw and down to my neck.
“I love you!” I tell him, letting my happiness and love seep into him.
Lifting his head slightly as he places another kiss right on my mark, he responds, “And I love you!”
Epilogue
Declan
“Okay, the pups are strapped in their car seats and sleeping. How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Nervous....” Amara says.
“Statistically flying is much safer than driving. There’s a 1 in 11 million chance that you’ll die by the plane crash!” I offer, hoping to give her some comfort.
“Oh, jeez! I don’t want to think about it crashing at all!”
“Okay, okay, stay seated I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” She looks at me with her wide eyes and pale face, hands grabbing the armrests like she’s trying to choke them as I smile at her.
“To look for something that will help you sleep for the flight. I’ll be right back.” I promise her as I pat her arm.
“O-okay.”
After searching through my carry on for a few minutes, I find the Unisom I brought with us just for this instance. Catching a flight attendant’s attention, I ask for a bottle of water and a pillow on my way back to Amara.
“You find what you need?” She asks, hopefully.
“Yes, ma’am! Here take two, and you should be out within thirty minutes.”
“I need a drin..” She stops mid-word as the flight attendant shows up, handing her a glass of water and the requested pillow. Smiling, she takes the offered items and quickly tosses back the two pills. “You sure you can handle the twins if they wake up while I’m asleep?”
“They won’t be a problem, you do it by yourself all the time. I’m sure I can manage.”
◆◆◆
Amara
Okay, buddy! Good luck with that, I think to myself
. The twins are very much a handful. Never coordinated when they’re happy or unhappy; even when I’m not alone, I’m easily overwhelmed by them regularly. Oh well, he asked for it, and I don’t think I can manage this flight without a mental breakdown if I stay awake. Stifling a yawn, I lower the window shade while avoiding looking out of it. I place the pillow under my head and lean against the window as my eyelids start to feel heavy. I don’t want to fight it, so I close my eyes and let sleep overtake me.
Everything is dark, completely pitch-black. A flickering light ahead of me catches my attention, and I walk towards it. Usually, even in my dreams, I avoid the light, but something is calling me to it. Telling me to go forward. Reaching the bright light, I’m blinded for a moment before my eyes adjust to the scene before me. I’m in a dark concrete room. No windows, the only light is a single fluorescent bulb hanging from the ceiling. There’s a metal bench attached to the wall and a metal toilet and sink a foot away from it. Is this a prison? A soft cry catches my attention and has me turning around to the opposite corner of the room.
There are two people huddled together in the corner. The male is whispering words of comfort to the female who’s sobbing. They’re young, teenagers, I think. The boy raises his head and looks at the door as footsteps can be heard coming closer with each second. I gasp in shock; this boy seems very similar to Declan. He has the same light hair and facial features, but his eyes are different... they’re a dark blue eerily like mine. Looking at the girl hugging him she has dark brown hair and is very beautiful, she looks a lot like the boy, but her features are much softer more feminine. I can’t see her eyes because they’re closed as she wills herself through the tears. The boy stands in front of her in a protective stance while the lock in the door is engaged.
“Stay behind me, Kassidy, no matter what!” He commands her. Oh, my God! Kaiden? Kassidy? What in the hell is this? The door swings open, and I hear Kaiden growl loud, baring his teeth at the person standing in the dark doorway.
Stepping into the light, I’m staring at an older version of Declan. Wait! That’s not Declan, but he looks a lot like him. He has dark blond hair and the same green eyes that I love so much. But his jaw is hard, and cheeks are high and sharp, giving this man an angular look to his face.
“It’s time...” Is all I hear as I’m being pulled away.
Gasping as I wake up with tears in my eyes, fighting to control my erratic breathing, I don’t understand what just happened. Instantly Declan is there, kneeling in front of me.
“Are you okay, was it a nightmare?”
“I think so... it was so real, though!” I say it as much to convince myself as I do him. Not entirely sure what that was, I decided to keep it to myself until I can figure it out.
“Well, we’ve just landed; you slept the whole flight.” He says, rubbing my arms then helping me to stand up.
"Let’s take the pups and go find your family.”
* * *
Acknowledgement
I would like to start by expressing my undying gratitude to my editor/promoter Dr. Rheanna Reed. Whom again is genuinely one of my biggest supporters and a real friend, I love you for everything that you do for me! You are one of the hardest workers I know and a real inspiration to me. I am beyond grateful to Casandra Davis and Adrianne Levno. Their friendship and support mean more to me than any words could ever express! You offer me help when and wherever I need it, whether it be book related or real life. You both are truly amazing women, and I am forever thankful to have you both in my life. Last but not least, my husband Bryn and our three children. Brooke, K.C., and Brayden you guys are my reason for everything, and I am so lucky and grateful to have you as my family. You guys drive me nuts and make me laugh in equal measure, and I would not trade it for anything else in the world.
A very special thank you to the people who provided feedback: Destiny Fausett, Kelli Clark, and Heather Marsh.
About The Author
Bella Colt
Bella Colt is a romance author with one book published and many more in the works! Currently, she spends her spare time reading and writing romance books, crafting, and loving all things Doctor Who. She is a homemaker in Arizona who is raising her three children with her amazing husband of fifteen years.
Praise For Author
Great Author! I really enjoyed the book and read it in a day! I can’t wait for the next one to come out!!
- Amazon Customer Review: Book 1
Books By This Author
Birthright: Book 1: Know Thyself
Amara, an orphan about to age out of the system, is anxious to begin her own life. She is biding her time until then. Her plans seem to be on track until she meets Declan. After meeting him, her life changes radically, and she comes to see that the world around her is more complicated and mysterious than she thought. Along with this realization comes the truth about who and what she is…Is it worth it?
