by ZL Morris
TALLULAH RISING
COVEY PUBLISHING, LLC
Published by Covey Publishing, LLC
PO Box 550219, Gastonia, NC 28055-0219
Copyright © 2019 by ZL Morris
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design Copyright © 2019 Covey Publishing, LLC
Book Design by Covey Publishing, LLC, www.coveypublishing.com
Copy Editing by Covey Publishing, LLC
Printed in the United States of America.
First Printing, 2019
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
About the Author
Also by ZL Morris
Note From The Publisher
MORE COVEY BOOKS
Chapter One
Eyes blurry, I stare down at the paper while my pen methodically scratches out the conversation I just finished with a fellow pack member. Rosalina gave me the easier tasks to tackle as the new Luna while she continues to teach me the more challenging duties in my free time during the evenings.
Rosalina used to do her work from the Alpha’s office, which had three desks set up. Kenji and Quimby argued over having to share their father’s old desk, so I quickly decided I needed a room of my own and took over a spare sitting room in the main house.
With the walls painted a warm cream, I added mismatched pillows and brightly coloured curtains to provide pops of colour. Dad tried to give me his desk knowing how much I hate it, so I opted for one of the pack to make me a simple one with two drawers. Plants sit on the deep windowsill to the left of the desk, but not a cactus is in sight in case the little ones get in here and become curious.
Less than two weeks ago, Rosalina was the Luna to Argent pack with her husband Henrique as Alpha and husband Leverette as Beta, but since I performed the bonding ceremony with their sons, Theo, Kenji, and Quimby, we’ve taken on the roles of Argent packs Luna, Alpha, and Betas.
When the three decided they wanted to hand the reins to my mates, I was nervous, but I knew they were more than capable of filling their fathers’s roles. Saying mates, even now, feels weird. As a half-mutt, I never expected to find a mate of my own, and now, I have three. I have faith my mates will fill their fathers’s shoes. However, I don’t have that same confidence in myself to take over for Luna Rosalina.
She’s a force to be reckoned with, but she also has a knack for perfectly balancing her mates and her responsibilities and still be a positive figure to look up to.
Once I finish recording my last meeting, I turn to a fresh page and call out, “Next, please.”
“Hey, Luna.” A shy girl around the age of twelve pokes her head around the door but hesitates to open it any wider.
“Come in. Take a seat.” I smile, hoping to coax her in.
She enters—eyes downcast— and takes a chair opposite my desk.
The young girl fidgets in her seat, and I recognise her immediately as Culgan and Linota’s daughter, Dezra. With her brown hair down and framing her face, she looks so much like her mother.
Kenji tagged along with the patrollers to check the edge of our terrority for any traps and caught Dezra with two boys getting into mischief outside of our territory. Any other time, it wouldn’t have been so bad and they’d have only received a warning.
But right now, we’re preparing for a war against a rival pack.
The Blood Moon pack have been determined to find me since I was five when they became privy to me being the next Luna. Even I wasn’t aware of that information until recently because my mates decided it was best to hide me away for my own safety. If the Blood Moon hunt for me wasn’t bad enough, they attacked my father’s house while I was there with two pups, then turned Lana, a member of our pack, against us by giving her false promises.
For too long, they’ve pushed their dominance too far.
We received word from the vampire’s that Blood Moon took their warning, but when we found the disfigured body of Lana dumped at the edge of our territory a few days ago, we knew the threat of war fell on deaf ears. While I wasn’t a massive fan of her, especially when she fought me and tried to lay claim to my mates, the pack still considered her, very loosely, as one of our own. We held a small funeral the next day and placed her body next to where her parents were buried. They were finally reunited.
Blood Moon are also known for snatching females, and the last thing we want is Dezra being taken because she had a point to prove. Kenji scared the kids half to death and ordered the three of them to see me. The other two, Decker and Goro, have already been and gone this morning, leaving me with a headache.
Dezra wasn’t like the two boys, though. I’ve never heard a bad word said against her. She’s always on her best behaviour, so to have her sitting in my office for doing something she knows she shouldn’t have is a bit of a surprise.
Ignoring the pen and paper for now, I lay my hands flat on the desk and get right to it. “Are you going to be the one to tell me why you were outside our territory with the boys?”
Her fingers twist in the material of her blue dress as nervous energy rolls off her. “I had a point to prove.”
Thankfully, she keeps her head down, so she doesn’t see the surprise on my face that she answered without giving me the run around like the two boys did. “And what point was that?”
Her shoulders curl inward, as if cocooning herself from my prying questions. “That I’m capable of hunting, running, and not being a helpless pup that the rest of the pack has to carry.”
Her voice comes out small, and I struggle to hear the words, but the anger and frustration is easy to pick up.
I give her a moment to collect herself, before asking, “Why would you think that?”
Her eyes lift to mine for the first time since she stepped into the room, and my heart breaks. Tears slip down her cheeks and land on her hands which still clutch her dress. “My wolf, she’s tiny. She struggles with some of the tasks the bigger wolves can do. She’s too timid and cowers when confronted.”
Not sure if it’s protocol, and not really bothered if it isn’t, I stand and rush around the desk to kneel at her side. Sobs shake her small frame, and I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my body. A strawberry scent comes off her hair as she settles against me and takes comfort. Seeing her this upset opens up my own wounds on how I can’t shift at all.
I keep silent, allowing her to get her frustrations and hurt out while I think of ways to help her. I have no idea how to approach this conversation, but I can at least draw on my own pain from growing up different from the rest of the pack. Hopefully, it will guide her in the right direction.
Pushing my own pain down, I loosen my hold on her to better see her face. Tears still roll down her cheeks, and her chest hitches with every breath. Clumsily, she wipes at her nose and face with her sleeve but gives up when a fresh wave of tears fall.
“Just because your wolf is smaller than the others doesn’t mean she’s less able. Because
she’s small, you’ll be able to do a lot more than you realise. You’ll fit into tighter spaces, be harder to catch because you’ll be able to duck and dive while the other wolf will struggle.” Making sure I have her full attention, my fingers gently grasp her chin to lift her face. “I can set something up for you to practice on, if you’d like.”
“W-what do you mean? L-like what?”
“While I was growing up, my father made me an obstacle course. I’d also spar with some of the wolves who stayed with us to better my skills. I can’t shift to fight, so I needed to make the best of the situation I was given. We can do something similar for you.”
“You’d do that…for me?”
“I’ll admit, I don’t understand what it’s like to have a wolf inside you, but from what I understand, you both have to work together to be one. If giving you this helps you gain the confidence you need with your wolf, then of course.”
A watery smile spreads across her face, and she launches herself at me. “You’re the best Luna ever!”
“Just promise me you won’t go disappearing to try and prove a point, especially not to Decker and Goro. And don’t let them pressure you into anything. You don’t have to prove yourself to them.”
“Oh no, they weren’t. It was my idea. I asked them to come with me.” A blush stains her cheeks, but I don’t comment on it. Instead, I file the information away for later and vouch to keep an eye on the three of them.
The boys are only a couple of years older, but are already magnets with the girls. If Dezra’s having trouble with her wolf and some of the girls get jealous of the attention she receives from the two boys, the girls might decide to use the information to their advantage.
Now that Dezra is happier, I move back to my desk. Not long after, she promises no more stupid stunts and leaves the room with a skip in her step.
Rubbing tiredly at my eyes, I open the notepad and quickly make a list of the things we’ll need to help Dezra gain her confidence. Once there’s nothing else I can think of, I turn to a fresh page, ready for the next person to come in.
“Next, please.” I wait a few moments, but no one enters. Looks like I went through my audiences quicker than I thought I might.
I never knew how tiring and frustrating Rosalina’s job was while she was Luna of Argent pack. But I’m beginning to understand why she was ecstatic to take a step back from the role. If every day was like this, it would become boring, fast.
Returning to the pen and paper, I go through the different lists for the day. Most consist of issues within the pack or personal matters that need to be reviewed with my mates so we can come to a suitable decision.
After scanning those, I turn to the list of pre-written questions some of the younger ones like to send before they come in. It helps them to get down what they truly want to ask without the pressure of trying to be open about it once they’re here.
A groan slips free when I notice more than one specific question about their wolves. Pain settles in my chest, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It still stings to know I won’t ever be able to shift, but it’s lessened considerably with the help of my mates, Theo, Kenji, and Quimby.
A glance up at the clock shows it’s only eleven in the morning and a sigh ruffles the papers in my lap. The queue of people wanting to speak to me has been steady from the moment I stepped through my office door at nine a.m., so I’ve not seen the guys since this morning.
Only a couple of hours apart, and already I miss them.
Rosalina explained the first few weeks are the hardest to be separated, and usually, they wouldn’t expect newly mated—bonded—couples to be away from each other for long periods of time. Normally, freshy bonded couples typically take at least a month off from their responsibilities to let their bond settle. It also helps to make the bond stronger so no issues arise with the mated pair mixing with the opposite sex. It could cause a mountain of problems and fights to break out if jealousy became involved.
At first, my new mother-in-law wasn’t happy when she discovered we weren’t going to take the time to allow our bond to settle more before we took on the pack, but the four of us pointed out that it wouldn’t go in our favour to have the pack handed over to us only to immediately shirk our responsibilities. The only way we were going to get the pack on board and go to war with us was by showing them how determined we are to make it work.
Dropping my pen on the paper, my eyes close as I rest my head against the back of the office chair. Fingers hurting, I stretch them out before giving my hand a shake to try and get rid of the cramp.
A knock sounds at the door, causing me to groan with annoyance at yet another pack member having an issue I need to fix.
“Hey, babe. You ready to catch an early lunch?”
With a smile, I open my eyes, and they instantly lock with Quimby’s sparkling blue ones. His usually sandy blond hair has grown three inches and has began curl at the ends. “Absolutely.”
I place the paperwork on the desk to one side and roll the computer chair back far enough to stand. An agonised groan passes my lips when the blood rushes from my head, and I begin to sway.
Arms wrap around me, and I settle my head against his chest while I wait for the light-headedness to subside. “Careful.”
Without conscious thought, I rub my face against the soft material of his black t-shirt while I soak in his warmth and the familiar herbal scent from the teas he’s recently taken up drinking. He’s also bulked up since the mating bond from all the training he’s been doing with the pack.
All too soon, my stomach growls, breaking the moment. “I’m good.”
Quimby loosens his hold but doesn’t let go. His face draws tight, his voice serious. “Will you go to the doctor? You’ve been having these dizzy spells for a couple of days now, and I’m worried.”
The dizzy spells have put me on edge, but I keep my tone light so I don’t worry him. “It’s likely lack of food or because we’ve been working constantly. Our sleep has been weird lately, also, so that likely doesn’t help. A good meal and a solid eight-hour sleep should be enough to fix it.”
The frown doesn’t disappear completely from his face, but it does soften a little. “You’ll go to the doctor if it doesn’t, though, right?”
On tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck, press a kiss to his lips, but pull away before he can deepen it. “Of course.”
Quimby presses another kiss to my lips then cheek before pulling away. “Come on, Theo is about to blow his shit if he has to sit with the phone against his ear for too much longer.”
Now, it’s my turn to frown. “Not going to plan?”
Theo, Kenji, and Quimby have been holed up in their office desperately trying to send messages out to other packs in hopes to gain numbers for the coming war.
Taking my hand, we make our way down the glass hallway and head towards their father’s old—Theo’s new—office. “We have a good number on board, although they were reluctant until Theo pointed out the amount of times Argent pack has had to dig them out of holes or disagreements with other packs. When he mentioned cutting off some of our supplies they receive, they quickly agreed.”
Pulling him to a stop, I glance around to make sure we’re alone. Seeing no one, I keep my voice low in case anyone is within hearing distance. “Is that wise to piss them off and force them to go with us?”
Quimby pulls me into his arms and presses his cheek against the side of my face so he can keep his volume to a minimum. “Think of it more as gentle persuasion. Really, if they didn’t want to do it, then no amount of threats from Theo would have them jumping through hoops. If it was Dad calling them, they’d leap at the chance to stand with us. It’s just going to take a little extra time because they’re trying to work out what type of Alpha Theo will be and how he’ll set his boundaries with them.”
“Makes sense. You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do, right? I feel useless writing everyone’s problems down while you three are doing
all the grunt work.”
Quimby pulls back. I miss the scratch of his stubble against my cheek, but he cups the side of my face with his hand instead. “Don’t sell yourself short, Tally. We might be busy with other pack business, but you’re keeping our pack members happy. If you weren’t allowing them to have a voice about their problems, then things could go really bad within the pack. You’re keeping this place together.”
Hit with an abundance of illogical emotions, my eyes fill with tears. I quickly shut them to hold the tears at bay while I lean into his palm. “I love you.”
“Not half as much as I love you.”
Chapter Two
Theo’s voice booms through the office door, and concern sweeps through the tender moment I share with Quimby. “Has he been like that all morning?”
“Pretty much.” Quimby wiggles his eyebrows as his blue eyes much like his twin’s sparkle with mischief. “Want to work your magic?”
With a snort, I elbow him, but he dodges out of the way before it can connect with his ribs. “He’ll be asleep for the rest of the afternoon if I work my magic, Quib.”
“We could all do with you working your magic, sugar.”
My hand reaches for the handle, but he stops me from opening it. “Please, don’t take it to heart if Theo is snippy.”
Able to pick up on the unspoken, I pull Quimby into a hug. “I won’t let Theo get to me if he’s an asshole.” At the look of disbelief on his face, I add, “I promise.”
Before I found out the guys were my mates, Theo kept me at arm’s length by being an asshole. While his seesaw attitude drove me nuts over the years, I understand now why he did it. Even if, at the time, it was a tough realisation to swallow.
Now, though, I’m immune to Theo’s assholery. Quimby still worries Theo’s attitude, not necessarily towards me, will cause me to ditch the bond and leave the pack. I couldn’t break the bond even if I wanted to; it’s not physically possible. But it doesn’t stop his irrational fear of losing me.
