“You are not his mate! You are mine!” Isaac continued to scream loudly. Suddenly, he stopped and stood still, staring in horror when the realization hit him. “What have you done to me!?” He asked again hoarsely. “I can't change.” He exclaimed in an agonizing voice.
Clutching his chest, he sank to the ground on his knees and bent over when the pain overwhelmed him. His feeble body fought for air as William and Rueben helped him to his fee and led him away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Amber turned to Blake when he pulled her into a tight embrace; his throat was tight with emotions. “I thought I was going to lose you,” he told her when the pack members breathed a sigh of relief. Isaac Whiting was no longer a threat to any of them.
Adam, being who he is, took over, directing everyone in removing Stacy's body and severed head and began straightening up the yard.
Amber and Blake made their way over to where Gabrial and Winona stood with the newcomers. Winona wrapped Amber in a tearful hug while Gabrial patted her on the back.
The newcomers stepped forward and introduced themselves.
“It is a pleasure to once again meet the protected one,” the man said bowing.
Amber didn't know what to do, so she did a slight curtsy and took the hand he offered her. His hand was cold, his grip strong, but gentle when he bent over and kissed the back of her warm hand.
“I am Aleksander Domitrovich and this is my wife to be, Ms. Helen Eastly,” he said with just a slight hint of his lingering accent.
Amber wondered to herself if he really had an accent at all.
“Yes, I do.” He responded in a thicker accent, his eyes crinkled at the corners, but his mouth remained in a firm line. He stood straight and stared down into her eyes. His bright green ones captured hers.
Helen nudged him. “Oh, behave,” she told him laughingly and she stretched her hand out to Amber. “I am Helen Eastly, like Alek said, but I am not his wife to be,” she corrected while he grumbled good naturedly.
“It’s just a matter of time until you give in to the Master of Vampires.” He said more to himself than to her.
But Amber caught his words. “You are a master vampire?” she asked him in amazement.
He bowed slightly and inclined his head at her question.
“It was you two who protected me when I was a baby,” she said, mulling it over out loud. “The stone began vibrating when you arrived, that’s how I knew what to do.”
Amber took a few steps away when Blake smiled at her. Sometimes it took her a moment to figure things out. Gabrial shook Alek's hand while Winona hugged her lifelong friend Helen.
Amber turned back. “It was you who pushed into my thoughts and told me to use the stone.” She turned back to Alek and to everyone's surprise, and even her own, threw her arms around him.
“Thank you so much!” she said feeling his body cold and stiff in her arms and to Alek’s own surprise, his hand patted her on the back gingerly.
She stepped back a moment later. “Sorry, I don't know what got into me. I don't normally hug people like that,” she told him, shuffling her feet, a little embarrassed.
“It is okay, protected one, you are like family to us,” he told her while tucking Helen protectively under his arm. Helen smiled up at him and put her arms around him, her hand resting on his stomach. Helen looked adoringly into his eyes.
Amber wondered if her face looked that way when she looked at Blake. Just then Adam walked up to them. “Everything is back in order,” he informed them proudly.
“Thanks for your help Adam, Marcello,” Blake told them both when Marcello appeared behind Adam.
Amber watched the camaraderie between the men and was happy to be a part of the pack. She looked out over the other pack members that milled around the yard and realized that she did belong. Her hand went to her stomach. She had not been able to change and she thought she knew why. The thought hit her, Adam knew why. Her eyes met Adam’s over Blake's shoulder.
You know don’t you?
Adam nodded Yes I saw it when you were standing in the doorway.
Amber closed her eyes and turned away. Her lips in a grim line, she had to decide what to do next. But it didn’t take her long to make up her mind. She knew there would be obstacles along the way, but that was life. It was time she made herself happy for a change.
Amber opened her eyes and smiled. “Blake.” She called his name and waited for him to turn around.
“Are you going to marry me or what?” she asked him, knowing the pack would hear.
Blake’s mouth dropped in surprise and he ran to her, swinging her up in his arms, turning her in a circle several times before allowing her feet to slip to the ground, and then crushed his lips to hers.
“Yes, yes, yes,” he said over and over again with every kiss he planted on her lips.
She leaned back slightly in his arms and said softly, “you are absolutely sure?”
“Of course, I love you and you are my mate,” He told her with a puzzled frown.
Her smile grew even bigger. “Good, because I wouldn't want to think I was forcing you to marry me because of our baby.”
Blake was stunned. His eyes grew wide and his hand splayed across her belly. “But how do you know?”
“I just do.” She told him with a light sheen of happy tears in her eyes. She would let Adam tell him later when he had seen the vision.
After hugging her tight, Blake turned excitedly to the crowd “I'm getting married and having a baby!” He exclaimed loudly.
They had already heard, but still cheered at the news. The crowd surged around them to congratulate their pack leader and happy couple.
They broke only long enough for Blake to run back into the house to freshen up and pull on a new suit and for the women to fuss over getting Amber’s hair back to its perfect state.
The moon was still shining brightly when the pack threw their heads back and howled once again. Blake and Amber joined them along with the vampire and the witch.
When they turned to walk towards the altar, Amber stopped by the blood that stained the ground, where she had killed Stacy.
“Are you okay?” Blake asked her, worried.
She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up into his eyes. “There is nothing, not people like her, or the Council that can take what we have away from us. I have no regrets and, most of all, no remorse for what happened here tonight. Blake, I love you, and look forward to spending my life with you forever and always.”
EPILOUGE
Isaac stood before the Council. His wrinkled and weathered face showed every bit of his three hundred years. They had found him guilty of misusing and abusing his powers and sentenced him to spend the rest of his life in their werewolf prison, and further ruled against his petition to allow him to remove the stone that would be forever lodged in his heart.
The stone that protected Amber through the years was now the only thing keeping the old man alive, as well as preventing him from using his powers or changing into his werewolf form.
He hung his head in disgrace as he stood, shaking in agony because his legs weren’t able to support his weight. The only thing keeping him standing was his devoted council members, William and Rueben.
The new Council leader pounded his gavel and the ruling was final. William and Rueben turned to walk the old man out with a sigh of relief. They had barely escaped prosecution and glanced at each other with sly grins as they turned their backs to the Council. They would dump Isaac at the prison and disappear for a couple years, letting things settle down. The two Bloodsworth boys were still out there and willing to help them. So it was just a matter of time.
“In the trial of William Lee and Rueben Bosworth,” Gabrial Hamilton, the new Council leader continued in a booming voice. The two men stopped dead in their tracks.
“For your involvements in aiding Isaac Whiting, and knowingly deceiving the Council, you are hereby ordered to serve a lifetime sentence for
your misdeeds. You will serve as caregivers to Isaac Whiting for as long as he shall live. Your membership on the Council is hereby revoked and you are stripped of all your given powers.”
The men stared up at the Council members they had served with, and the new ones that had been newly elected. They watched in horror as Marcello and Adam began walking towards them. Screaming, they dropped Isaac’s leathery arms, allowing him to fall to the ground in a painful heap. They turned to run but found the High Chambers Pack Council had gathered and now stood behind them, blocking their exit.
William and Reuben were forced to turn around and accept the silver collars that were locked around their necks with a resounding clank when the lock was turned, forever condemning them to a life without their wolves and playing nursemaid for the next three hundred years or more.
Blake and Amber looked at each other and smiled. The sun kissed their bare skin as they relaxed on the secluded, sandy beach in the Bahamas. Blake’s hand rubbed lightly across the small swell of her belly. “Serves them right, don’t you think?” He asked, nuzzling the sensitive spot on her neck.
“Mmmm” Amber responded, moving her head slightly, allowing him further access. “I agree, that’ll teach them to mess with the man I love. Now tell everyone to go away, I want you all to myself for our honeymoon.” She insisted, quickly turning and straddling Blake’s lap, they both closed the connection to the pack.
“You know, I was thinking more of them learning not to mess with the woman I love.” Blake loved the sound of her laughter.
“Yeah, that too.” She agreed absentmindedly and moaned when his teeth gently nipped at her neck.
It was their second day on the beach and Amber was totally relaxed. Marcello had insisted that he could handle everything because they deserved to take some time away, so Blake wasn’t worried, in fact, the pack was the last thing on his mind. Staring into the swirling chocolate brown eyes of his wife and mate, Blake’s heart skipped a beat. Leaning up, he softly kissed her lips then quickly rolled her over so he was on top, holding his weight on his legs and arms to keep from crushing her or her precious cargo. “I am going to hold you to that forever and always Mrs. Edwards.”
“Then what are you waiting for Mr. Edwards?” Amber laughed, threw her arms around his neck and brought his mouth down to hers.
Heart of a Wolf: Book Two
Softest Touch
For the past two years, werewolf, Marcus Brogelli has been a Chicago Detective investigating a married couple for drug trafficking. Transferring to Texas to follow them, the couple is killed and their six-year-old son is the only witness. By no choice of his own, the department calls in Candice Monroe to get the boy, Jimmie, to speak and give Marcus the answers he needs.
What not many know is that child psychologist, Candice, has special abilities. The softest touch allows her to see a person's past while knowing what they are thinking at that moment. Keeping her telepathic family blocked is the least of her problems, when she's forced to hide Jimmie in the woods before becoming kidnapped and held hostage.
When Candice is taken, Marcus has no choice but to call on a pack he isn't familiar with, Clan Geroux. With no answers from Jimmie the Detective has little options open and has to put his trust in the Geroux werewolves and pray Candice will still be alive by the time he gets there.
Please visit www.marylynnbast.com for upcoming novels and to learn more about the characters of No Remorse by reading their short stories.
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Great people to check out next:
Author:
Elizabeth J. Kolodziej
of the:
Last Witch Series
Praise for Vampyre Kisses:
“The storyline was full of action and excitement, clearly described, and I would be interested in reading more about Faith and Trent’s continuing journey.”
- Mary, BittenByBooks.com
Praise for Werewolf Descent:
“Werewolf Descent was a fascinating and action-packed read. Elizabeth did a fantastic job mixing old myths and legends with her own imagination, creating something entirely her own.”
- Moonlight, Vampires.com
Other books by Elizabeth J Kolodziej:
I Believe in Werewolves:
An Anthology of Wolfen Terror
Sexiest Time of the Year:
Erotic Encounters of the Yuel Season
www.vampyrekisses.com
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