Ch. 261..270

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 261-If Angel touches the Fae King one more time, | may have to kill him. If he thinks he can take my mate from me, he'll be in for the fight of his life. | have no intention of losing my mate to him or anyone.

After Angel calms me down, | feel better, but | still don’t want her alone with this guy. | may trust her, but | don’t trust him. “Now that that's settled,” Rik says, “how about we convene in one of our conference rooms.

We all move into the room and | pull Angel into my lap. She gives me an exasperated look, but when | don’t budge, she settles back against me with a heavy sigh.

“Everyone, this is my son, Aolis.” A young man maybe 9-10 years old nods his head. “He is here to begin learning how we chronicle the Guardian history, so that he may take it over when he’s older.” | notice the kid made sure he sat next to Cara. Weird. These Fae men have a thing for our Guardians. I’m not taking any chances with my mate this weekend.

Ailduin turns his attention to Angel. “Alessia and Angel, I'd be interested to know where you have been for the last thirteen years. | got the impression from Cara that it is not a happy story.” | wrap my arms around my mate as she begins to tell Ailduin her story, from the time that she got her wolf to the time when she ran into my pack lands.

Ailduin is deep in thought. “Have you heard of this before Ailduin?” Clint asks him.

He looks back at Angel, long enough to have another growl rumbling in my chest. Angel’s hand begins running up and down my arm, calming me.

“There was a Guardian, who died under suspect circumstances. It was after Jinelle, so | was not chronicling the history at the time, but because it was Bellona’s line, | was keeping track as best as | could. There was a Guardian death that was never clearly outlined. It was during a time of unrest with the vampires.” He turns to Aolis. “Aolis, make a note to check the undocumented history of Gabriela. | believe | made note of the vampire unrest during that time.” He turns back to Angel. “And they called you Custos Regni?” “Yes. Cara said it means Guardian of the Realm.” Ailduin is deep in thought again. “It does, which implies something bigger than just being a werewolf Guardian.” After a moment he continues. “I noticed earlier that your Guardian aura is much stronger than it used to be. Did you by chance try to use it on this prince or any of the other vampires?” Angel shakes her head, no. “I was only 16 when they took me and after that, Alessia grew weaker and weaker until she was only with me when | was in dire need of healing.” “Father, should | make a note to research the auras of the Guardians?” Aolis asks Ailduin. He looks at Angel again, deep in thought before turning to Clint.

“Can you push your aura out?” He asks him.

Clint does and | feel it, but it is nothing compared to Alessia’s. “Interesting. And what about you Cara?” Cara’s is much stronger than her father’s, not as strong as Alessia’s, but very powerful.

He looks at Angel thoughtfully again. My arms tighten around her. I’ve never considered myself to be a possessive, jealous man, but I’m really struggling with this Fae King. Of course, I’ve never had so much to lose before either. Everyone before Angel was replaceable. No one could replace her for me.

“| think your aura is strongest because your Guardian spirit has reincarnated more often than Clint’s.” He says.

“Why would that matter?” Anders speaks up, asking the question in my mind. “Each time the Guardian spirit has reincarnated, it has become more powerful. The spirit maintains memories and gifts, gaining others. The Bellona line has reincarnated four times more than the Aloysius line, therefore, something like an aura would be more powerful. Have you noticed any other changes?” He asks Angel.

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 262-“She can direct her aura.” | say.

Angel turns and looks at me, before turning back to Ailduin. “It’s true. Is that new? | have the ability to direct my aura around some while pushing it out onto others.” Ailduin’s eyes go wide. “Show me.” Angel shrugs. “I already did. When | pushed my aura on you earlier, | wrapped it around Liam so he wouldn't feel it.” | frown. “When did you push your aura on him?” | ask.

“When he was ready to fight you. | pushed it at him to get him to back down.” So that’s what | felt. It was a strange, warm sensation. | had thought it was coming from Ailduin, even though it didn’t feel threatening. It felt, safe. And apparently, it was.

| look up at Ailduin. “Is that why you backed down?” He’s looking at Angel again. “I honestly don’t know. | know it forced me to refocus on her, but | don’t know if that’s because | felt the punch, and it was a punch, or if it was me being forced. We'll have to test that this weekend.” “What else?” He asks, looking at Angel again.

“| can taste deceit. Cara and Clint don’t have that ability.” “You still have it.” He says quietly and his eyes go glassy.

| can feel Angel's confusion through the bond. “Still have what?” She asks.

“Aolis, document this. | gave Jinelle the gift of being able to taste deceit. Her Alpha was lying to her and using their mate bond to manipulate her. | didn’t know that it would last for more than the one generation, but your wolf spirit has assimilated it into your being.” He chuckles softly. “You are so amazing.” | feel myself getting tense again, before Angel's hand starts it’s trek up and down my arm. The calming motion does not go unnoticed by Ailduin and he looks at 1.me.

“| can appreciate and value Angel as a Guardian without wanting to take her as my mate. The Fae are not gifted mates as often as werewolves, so we revere the bond, treasure it. | would never take that from someone.” Inod, but I’m thankful that Angel doesn’t stop her calming touch. SONOO SI “Have you noticed anything else.” It's Rik that speaks up this time. “Yes. Based on our conversation last year, the Guardian’s power is not transferred to the Alpha when the mate bond is completed.” “That is correct.” Ailduin says.

“Yet, both Liam and | have enhanced abilities and both of us felt a power surge when we completed the bond.” Ailduin’s eyes go wide. “You experience the gifts of the Guardians?” He asks.

“Yes, but not to their extent, or at least, | don’t think so.” Rik says.

“Besides being stronger and faster, | can also taste deceit now.” | tell him.

He stares at all of us for a good couple of minutes. “I would like to test this while | am here as well. This is definitely the first time that anything like this has been documented. | wonder if it’s because of the frequency of the reincarnation or…” “We think it’s because the bond was created willingly.” Angel says.

Cara nods.

Ailduin turns to Aolis. “You have given us much to consider and document. | would like to take the rest of today to ponder what has been said here. Would it be agreeable to everyone if we were to reconvene tomorrow morning? I'll have a list of tests I'd like to try.

Everyone agreed and we broke away. | needed to have a moment with my mate. My emotions are in turmoil and | need to get them under control.

We were shown to our rooms and | pulled my mate into our room, needing some time alone with her. Cooper Author Gottinn mara information al

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 263-Telling my story again was difficult. Knowing it would be chronicled for eternity made it even harder. While | wasn’t pleased that Liam needed me in his lap, | was glad to be there, wrapped in his arms while | told my story.

I'm not sure why Ailduin is having the effect on Liam that he is. He has never shown any jealousy with Clint. But, with Ailduin, he’s acting like I’m going to leave him, to choose Ailduin over him.

When he pulls me into our room, | know he needs to reconnect. | don’t want him to ever feel like anyone can take his place in my heart, my soul or my life. There is no one else but him. Those words we say to each other, ‘you and me’, those words are everything.

As soon as he closes the door, | pull him into my arms. His buries his head in my neck. “Liam.” “| can’t lose you. Maybe you don’t feel it, but he feels something, and | can’t lose you.” | pull back, taking his face in my hands. “You won't, not ever. Don’t you feel it?” He won't look me in the eye. I’ve never seen my mate look so vulnerable as he does right now. “Feel what?” | decide to try something. If | can push my aura out, maybe | can push this feeling of complete and total love out to my mate. If he’s so caught up in his own head that he can’t feel it through the bond, then maybe | can push it on him. | take a moment, collecting myself, letting myself feel my love for Liam, my trust, my admiration for this man and then | push it at him. | wrap it around him, enveloping him in a bubble of my love.

His quick intake of breath tells me that it's working. “That’s what | feel for you Liam. No one else. No one can ever take your place. You are the other half of my soul. You brought me back from a place where | never thought I’d be happy again.” He buries his face into my neck again, lifting me up and moving us to the sitting area in the room. | keep the emotions wrapped around us as | continue. “I know that we’ve both had so much loss in our lives. | know that the people that should have been there to love you weren't. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to leave you Liam.” He pulls back, looking at me with tears in his eyes. “I can’t lose you.” “And you never will. You are mine and | am yours. I’m not going anywhere.” His kiss starts soft, tender, but quickly turns into something needy, a desire to reconnect and reaffirm our connection and love. He moves us to the bed, stripping our clothes off and burying himself inside me. | can only hold on to him and his chants of ‘mine get louder and stronger as he pushes me over the crest again and again, until finally, as I’m on the verge of yet another orgasm, he growls it loudly and sinks his canines into my mating mark. My body’s response is instantaneous, my orgasm so strong, | see stars and feel the blackness closing in on me, pulling me under.

When | wake, I’m laying on his chest. He has one hand in my hair, rubbing my scalp, the other wrapped tightly around me. | can see from the window that it’s now dark out. | look up at him. “What time is it?” “It's late. Are you okay?” | take a quick inventory. | feel great. “Yes, | feel wonderful.” | sit up on my elbow. “But what about you, Liam? How are you feeling?” He leans up and kisses my nose. “I’m better. I’m sorry about that. | think maybe my emotions were in such turmoil that | knocked you out.” | smirk up at him. “TKO by orgasm is my kind of defeat. But seriously, are you okay? Are we okay?” He takes his hand, running it across my cheek. “We're perfect. As long as you’re with me, | can do and face anything.” “Good, because I’m starving. Go face whoever you need to and get us something to eat while | shower.” His chest rumbling and body shaking with his laughter is music to my ears. “Yes, my little angel, let me feed you.” As | go to get off the bed, he smacks my ass, hard enough to leave a handprint. | turn around and give him a soft growl. | watch as his eyes darken before | head to the shower. | take my time, knowing he'll be rushing to figure out food and getting back to me to finish what he started.

I'm not disappointed.

The next morning, we all meet at breakfast. Ailduin has a plan for the day and has several tests that he wants to complete. Most of them center around me and Cara, but some include Clint as well to judge which grigts are strengthening because of the reincarnation and which may just be gifts that she and | have developed over time or with her being the first ever Guardian born.

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 264-We start with the auras. Ailduin is very interested in how this works and what it might mean. He starts with me, giving me instructions. Rik brings in some of his warriors to use as test subjects. One seems excited but the other looks worried.

“Okay Angel. Let’s try this with two. Can you put your aura around one and push your aura onto the other one?” | look at them, not wanting to hurt either one. | know Liam said | hurt the pack when | did it before.men didn’t do anything to me and | don’t want to cause them pain. | look at Liam, silently asking for help.

“Rik, do you have anyone in your cells?” He asks Rik, not taking his eyes off me. | flick my gaze to Rik who looks thoughtful for a moment.

“Yeah, | have two. One young man who took his parents‘ car for a joyride and crashed into a business and one that drank too much and decided to use his mate as a punching bag.” “That one.” Liam tells him.

A few minutes later, | see a man bring pulled over to where we are. Rik walks over to him. “We decided to add to your punishment. We need a test dummy and since. you acted stupid, you've been selected.” He turns to Angel as he steps away. “Whenever you're…” | hear Alessia growl a moment before | hear the man yelp, his knees hitting the ground, his neck in full submission. Trevor, the warrior next to him just stands looking awestruck. “Whoa.” “Excellent Angel. That's truly amazing. Trevor, you feel nothing?” Ailduin asks Trevor.

“Nothing really, maybe a bit of warmth, not even heat, almost like a comfortable blanket wrapped around me.” “Okay, let's see what Cara can do.” Alessia is seething in my mind, angry that this man abused his mate bond like he did. He begins whimpering as my aura pushes at him. | feel Liam’s arms go around me. “Let him go Alessia. This is a training sequence, not a punishment. He’s not part of our pack. Rik is responsible for doling out his punishment. Let him go.” | take a deep breath and pull Alessia back, releasing the aura. The man drops to 1/3 the ground, panting heavily.

| turn in Liam’s armis, letting him calm me. “Deep breaths Angel.” He runs his fingers through my hair until | calm down.

When | turn back, Cara is ready. “Okay Cara, same thing. Try to protect Trevor while pushing your aura over this one.” He points to the other man, not even bothering to learn his name.

| know when Cara pushes out her aura, that she’s not directing it. | can feel it, and when | feel Liam tense, | know he can feel it too. The man drops again, hist neck bared in submission. | see Trevor expose his neck but he fights to stay on his feet.

“Is that as strong as you can go Cara?” Ailduin asks her.

| feel the push as she puts more strength behind it and | hear Liam and Rik grunt, Trevor dropping to his knees. Her aura doesn’t impact me and it doesn’t appear to impact Clint.

“Nice Cara, but you don’t seem to be able to direct your aura. | feel it and based on the response of the others around you, it seems like they feel it as well. Is that an accurate statement?” Everyone nods.

“Now, you are Trevor’s Luna, so it is possible that his response to you is based more on that relationship, not your actual aura, so this time, I’d like to Angel try to push Trevor to his knees.” He turns and looks to Trevor. “What is your role in this pack.” “Lead warrior.” Trevor replies getting to his feet.

Ailduin turns to Rik. “And that makes him fairly high up in your hierarchy?” “He’s the lowest of the ranked wolves, which still puts him in the highest one percent of our pack.” “Perfect. Angel, if you would, let’s see if you can bring both of them down.” “We already know she can do that Ailduin. She had 20 of my wolves down at once, including my top warriors.” “Rik, how many warriors for this test?” Ailduin asks.

“Would fifty work?” “Yes,” all We us Rik calls his warriors over and at first, Ailduin has Cara and | see if we can make all 50 drop. We can. Then he has me start directing my aura. He starts easy, with half in and half out of my aura. Then he starts mixing it up, adding three here, two there, one off by themselves. Each time I’m able to push my aura. However, the longer | practice, the more tired | get. | don’t say anything, but | realize Liam must be able to feel my fatigue.

“That’s enough for today Ailduin. Angel is exhausting herself.” He comes to me, lifting me up bridal style.

“Let's break for lunch, and if Angel needs to rest, we can change the direction of our tests this afternoon.” Ailduin says.

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 265-| carry my sweet Angel into the dining room. | can tell she wants to put me down, but it’s a testament to how tired she is, that she doesn't fight me. I’m constantly amazed at how awesome my mate is. Her show of strength with her aura and the ways in which she can direct and redirect it are incredible. Even Cara can’t do what she’s doing. | used to think that Cara was the strongest she-wolf there is, but now | know, my little mate is..

When we get inside, | sit her in my lap and order two plates. | want to make sure that she eats. I’m hoping it will perk her up some and | won't have to put her to bed. | want her to be a part of whatever it is that Ailduin has in store for us. It’s good for her to see what she and her fellow Guardians are capable of.

| catch Ailduin watching Angel again. After reconnecting with my mate last night, | don’t feel jealous, but | really wish he’d stop. “| think the aura is like a muscle.” He looks at me as he says it. “I think practice will make her stronger and it won’t wear her out. “You know she’s here and can hear you, right?” My mate tells him and | smirk.

“My apologies Angel. | wasn’t sure if you were paying attention.” After we finish eating, | can see my girl perking up. “You ready to continue, or do you need to lay down?” “| still want you sitting out at first. Just watch, okay?” She doesn’t answer, just reaches up and kisses me.

When we head back outside, apparently it’s my turn.

“So, Liam, how about we start with you and see if you have the same immunities that Angel and Alessia have.” Ailduin says. “Such as?” He pulls out a vial. “This is wolfsbane. You should be able to ingest this and feel mild or possibly no effects.” | can’t help the growl that comes. “Wolfsbane? You want me to ingest wolfsbane? Planning to take me out?” | say, getting in his personal space. He may be taller than | am, but | know I’m stronger.

| feel Angel come up beside me. “What is this about, Ailduin?” She asks him. He turns and looks Angel. “You are immune to wolfsbane, correct?” | watch as Angel thinks about it for a moment. “Yes.

I turn to her. “You're immune to wolfsbane?” | ask her.

“Yes, and mostly to silver as well, or at least a resistance to its effect.” “| have an immunity to wolfsbane as well.” Cara states. “Dad thought he was building the immunity in me but it turns out | got it from mom.” | look from Cara to Angel before turning to Ailduin and extending my hand. He drops the vial into my hand. | look at it for a moment, then pop the cork and down it in one swallow. I'm ready for the burning fire, the weakness, but it doesn’t come.

I stand there, waiting, but it never comes. Rik, Anders and Clint are all staring at me. “Well?” 1 look at Angel and smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” | pull her to me and kiss her fiercely. “Thank you Angel.” She laughs. “I didn’t do anything.” “You shared your gifts with me, intentionally or unintentionally, so yes, you did. | was happy with the gift of having you as my mate, but you just keep giving to me Angel.” She smiles at me, then | see the twinkle in her eye. “Want to try the silver?” | shake my head at her smiling, because yes, actually, | do. | want to know if | have a resistance to silver now too. | turn to Ailduin. “Do you have silver?” He pulls some out of a bag at his feet, holding it out to me. “Give it a try.” | make a fist, knowing this is going to hurt, but then, the wolfsbane should have too. | reach out and gingerly touch the silver. There is a zing, causing Cyran to growl in my head. ‘Stay with me buddy, let’s see if this works.” | grab hold of the silver shackles, holding them in both hands. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s not burning my skin like it should be. ‘Cyran?*

‘lm here. | can feel it pulling on my strength. It's weakening me, but not incapacitating me.*

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 266-| look at everyone around me. “I can still talk to Cyran. He’s weaker, but he’s not gone.” | drop the shackles and feel Cyran breathe a sign of relief. “And | also seem to have that amazing healing ability of my mate. Cyran is already back to normal.” “Okay, Rik. You're next.’ Ailduin tests Rik in the same areas. His resistance to wolfsbane and silver are not as strong as mine. Ailduin feels it is because Cara received those gifts through genetics, rather than being gifted from the Moon Goddess like Angel's line has been.

However, when they start talking about mind linking, Rik and Cara are able to mind link each other from huge distances. | remember that when Cara was kidnapped by Eli Gunnar, she was able to mind link Clint from much longer distances than normal. Rik and Cara told Ailduin that they were able to mind link from those same distances.

After Rik, Ailduin tested Clint. His Guardian line had gifts of distance with mind linking and strength. Both of those things were still true, even if Clint was restricted to a wheelchair.

When he was done, he looked at Angel. “Are you ready to try more tests? Or would you rather wait until tomorrow?” “I'm good.” She says. “Can you mind link someone in your pack?” Angel's eyes go unfocused as she reaches out with her mind link. When she refocuses, | already know the answer. | can hear the pack, but | can’t narrow down on one particular person.

“No.” “Cara, can you come here please.” Cara walks over to us and Ailduin tells her what he wants her to do. He asks her to hold hands with Angel and focus her strength on her mind link. They do and once Cara is ready, Ailduin asks Angel to try her mind link again.

It takes a moment, then Angel gasps. She looks at me. “I can talk to Dustin.” We continue testing Cara’s ability to enhance mine and Rik’s abilities, but she can only enhance Angel's and Clint’s.

After a while, we call it a day, and head inside for a quiet dinner and bed.

The next morning, Ailduin has one more test he wants to run with Angel and Cara. But before he does, he asks me to take a walk with him.

| agree and we head over to the forest line, away from the packhouse.

“| wanted to explain my feelings toward your mate. In the past, there has been at lot of bad blood between the werewolf alphas and the fae, causing the rift that Alpha Anders and Alpha Rik are trying to bridge. | don’t want there to be any bad. feelings between you and | that will impact that bridge being built.” I nod and he continues. “Imagine if the worst happened, and you lost Angel and Alessia.” | snarl, turning toward him. If he thinks this is going to build bridges, he has another thing coming.

He puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Please, just bear with me and it will make sense.” | look at him for another moment, and nod for him to continue.

“If you were to lose them, you know that their line will be reincarnated. That a small part of Alessia will live on. Whoever gets that Guardian spirit will not be Angel and it will not be Alessia. Neither you, nor they, will have the same feelings. that you have for Angel now. But you will feel protective of her. You will want to make sure that she is safe and cared for. That is how | feel about Angel and Alessia. My feelings, while created because of my previous mate bond, are not the same feelings that | had for Jinelle and her wolf, Emlyn.” He turns and looks at me. “Does that make sense? Does that help you feel more comfortable with my feelings toward your mate?” “It does. Thank you for the explanation. You are absolutely correct. If | were to lose Angel, and if, by some miracle | survived her death, | would protect the person with her Guardian spirit with my life.” “Yes, exactly. So, now you know. | would lay down my life for Angel, but not because my feelings for her are the same as yours.” He turns, heading back. “Now, let's go see what other interesting things your mate can do.”

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 267-Chapter 0267 When Liam and Ailduin came back from their walk, | was happy to see Liam smiling. “is everything okay?” | asked him.

He wraps his arms around me. “Perfect! Ailduin has another test for you, so let's go see what other strengths my little mate is hiding.” | laugh as we head toward the others. Clint, Cara, Rik, Anders, Ailduin and Aolis are already there.

“| have one more test I’d like to try before Aolis and | head home and begin adding to your chronicles. What I'd like to do, is see if Angel can use her ability to direct her aura on Cara’s aura.” Ailduin turns to Rik. “Can we get a couple of your warriors again?” Rik calls over a few of his warriors, Trevor running over in his excitement to assist again. Apparently, he enjoys seeing how strong we, as Guardians, are compared to himself.

There were five warriors this time. “Okay, Angel, stand behind Cara and put your hands on her arms.” | do as | he asks, but rather than putting my hands on her arms, Cara reaches. back and we hold hands. She squeezes them, then smiles at me over her shoulder.

“Now, Cara, | want you to slowly push your aura out. While she does that Angel, | want you to guide it, so that these two warriors,” he points to Trevor and another warrior, “are not protected and these three are protected.” Trevor gives me a cocky grin. “Let's see what you’ve got Lunas!” His friend smacks him on the arm. “Shut up Trevor.” | focus on Cara, reaching out and feeling her aura.

“Ready?” She asks me.

“Ready.” She begins pushing her aura out and | fight it, forcing it to mold to my will. Her aura is strong, but mine is stronger. It takes a lot of effort and strength, but I’m. able to push her aura around the three that Ailduin said to protect.

Trevor is gritting his teeth, but he’s watching to see that the other three are not 1/3 impacted. “Damn.” “Cara, are you using your full strength?” “No, just a normal aura.” “Angel, do you think you can hold it if she pushes harder?” “Not sure.” | grit out. I’m struggling as it is.

“Cara, slowly start increasing the pressure of your aura.” Ailduin tells her.

And she does. | hold on as long as | can, and it’s obvious when | lose control as the other three warriors, getting hit hard with her aura, drop to their knees.

She releases her aura and | let go, breathing heavily. Liam is right there, holding on to me, lending me his strength.

“| know that you have a big battle coming. | would suggest that the Guardians all train together. Begin to engage your powers with each other. It’s possible that it was always meant to be this way, but the Alphas kept the Guardians separated until now. Or, it's possible that Cara is the key, the core that brings the powers of the Guardians together. Either way, | think that with practice, you will all be stronger and will make a powerful force against the vampires.” After training, we all have lunch together, before we say our goodbyes. Ailduin and Aolis head back to Araphyra, their home, while Liam and | head back to Shadow Falls.

“Do you realize how amazing you are my sweet little mate?” Liam says to me, holding my hand in his lap and periodically bringing it to his lips for a kiss. “It's really Alessia that is amazing, I’m just the lucky human that gets her for a wolf.” | tell him.

“| don’t think that’s true. | think the human has to be worthy of the Guardian spirit just as much as the wolf. And by that reasoning, you are amazing. And we already know that Alessia is amazing.” The rest of the drive goes easily, listening to the playlist that Liam made for me, which I’m loving more and more.

When we get back to the packhouse, Liam turns to me. “I need to check in with Dustin and Jackson. Are you good on your own?” | laugh. “Liam, what kind of Luna would | be if | weren’t good walking around our pack without you?” He kisses me on the top of my head and jogs off to find Dustin. | turn to the 23 kitchens, eager to see what Olivia has done in my absence. I’m amazed at the progress she’s made in the couple of days that I've been gone. Everything in the kitchen is organized and she has it set up so that all ingredients are together in order of the meals that they will be used in..

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 268- “Olivia, all of this looks great. Is there anything you need from me?” | ask looking around. “Everything looks in order.” “Luna, can | have a moment in private?” “Of course.” | find a place for us to speak privately and Olivia tells me her concerns about the young children working in the kitchen and cleaning the packhouse. | ask her to give me a list and the hours, who their parents are, etc. She let's me know that she will have it for me tomorrow.

When we're done, | start to head to the bunker to see the status of the cleaning and stocking. On my way, I’m stopped by another pack member, and this sets up the rest of my afternoon. One after another, the pack members come up to me, asking to speak with me about issues that they are having or concerns within the pack.

I'm finishing another conversation when Liam finds me. “Angel, is everything okay?” He asks, looking at the she—wolf that I’m talking to.

“Yes, except, | need an office, or someplace where | can meet with pack members so I’m not trying to find a private place to talk all the time. Is that possible?” We say goodbye to the pack member | was walking to and he guides me to the dining room, to a table with Sarah, Dustin and Jackson. | say hello to everyone as Liam goes to get food for us. | sit down, putting my head in my hands.

“Angel, what's wrong?” Sarah asks me.

| blow some hair out of my face. “Everyone wants to talk to me and | don’t really have a good place to talk to them and | couldn't even talk to everyone today that wanted to talk to me. | need to figure out how and where to meet with the pack members that want to talk to me. And now | need to follow up on the things that | talked about today and I’m not even sure where to begin to make sure t not missing anything or assisting someone that asked for my help.” that I'm Liam comes back, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. “I'll help you baby, you don’t have to do this on your own.” “But Liam, and please don’t take this the wrong way, some folks wanted to talk to me because it was about things they didn’t feel comfortable talking to you about. | just need to figure out how to make this work.” “| can help.” Sarah says. “What do you mean?” | ask her.

“Well,” she looks at Liam, “I was hired as a secretary for Liam. | know he hasn’t had a chance to get me set up here to work, but a secretary is a secretary. | can set up a schedule for you and make follow up appointments or | can follow up on things that you just need responses on. I’m good at it and it would give me something to do.” She turns to look at Dustin. “Dustin, maybe Angel can use your office? Maybe you and Liam can work together in his office?” “Actually,” Liam interrupts her, “there is a Luna office, but it needs to be cleaned out.” “We can do that!” Sarah looks at me. “And I'll find some kind of desk to set up outside your office to schedule your appointments.” She says excitedly.

From the corner of my eye, | see Dustin smiling at Liam. It’s the job of the Beta female to support the Luna, just as it is the job of the Beta male to support the Alpha. Sarah wanting to help me on her own, means she’s inadvertently taking her place as the Beta female and Dustin’s mate.

“Alpha, doesn’t the Luna’s office already have a space for an assistant?” Dustin says. | can tell he’s barely able to contain his excitement.

“It does. | think we can find some pack members to help you clean it up.” “Oh! Luna, how about we ask those girls, Amelia and Charlotte. They adore you and those women that helped us clean the bunker, Amy and Chloe. They were a lot of fun and | bet they would enjoy helping out. | can reach out first thing in the morning and get it set up and help them while you are meeting with the pack members.” “Sarah, that sounds amazing. But you have to call me Angel. We're friends and we’re about to be spending a lot of time together!” I finish dinner feeling a hundred percent better than | did when | sat down. Maybe | can figure this Luna thing out.

15

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 269-I'm not sure if | should be excited or offended that some of my pack members would rather talk to Angel than me. In truth, I've never really seen a pack run with a Luna, except from afar, like with Rik and Cara’s pack. Before now, everything had to come through me. On one hand, it’s a relief, but on the other hand, | never realized that some of my pack members weren't comfortable talking to me. | guess it does make sense that some things are meant to be discussed with the pack’s Luna. While it's a transition for me, I’m thrilled that the pack is already comfortable enough with Angel to seek her advice and assistance.

I'm kicking myself for not thinking about the Luna’s office. It's been so long, that | hadn’t considered that she might need her own office. Dustin is giddy in his excitement that Sarah wants to help. It’s exactly what her role will be if she accepts Dustin as her mate.

He’s told me he’s talked to her about it and she’s thinking about it. Being human, it’s a lot to take in and she has to come to terms with how the mate bond works. Werewolves don’t have to go through the long process of falling in love like humans. When we meet our mate, it’s immediate, the pull so strong that it’s nearly impossible to resist. Not that there aren't werewolves out there that don’t treasure the mate bond, thinking they are above it, but the Moon Goddess pairs. you with the person that completes your soul. Who am I, or anyone else, to argue against that? And based on my mate, I'd say the Moon Goddess knows exactly what she’s doing. Angel is perfect for me.

The next day, | check in with Angel and Sarah to make sure they are set and then | have Dustin join me in my office so Angel can use his. We continue to make plans. for the war, and | go over the updates that Anders made to our borders. We also talk about the training that will need to take place with the Guardians and the warriors.

As we work, | can tell there is something on Dustin’s mind. When he doesn’t come out and ask, | finally bring it up. “What's on your mind, Dustin?” He hesitates before responding. “I haven’t been able to get Sarah to agree to seeing the doctor. It won’t change my mind about having her as my mate, but | would like to know if pups are in my future.” “Have you suggested that she talk with Angel? Maybe even have Angel go with her? If not, maybe you could talk to Angel. They have a bond forged from their mutual traum and support of each other, so I’d guess that it’s as strong as the bond between you and I, maybe more so.” “I'll suggest that she speak to Angel. | think she’s worried not only about my desire to have pups, but also about having sex in general. She was a teenager when they caught her, a virgin, so her only sexual experience was with that monster. | know that must terrify her, but | don’t care about that part of our relationship.” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, yes, | do care about that part of our relationship. But, I’m willing to give her whatever amount of time she needs to be okay with being together. | just want her to accept me as her mate. | want to know that she wants to be with me, that even if we can’t complete the mating process, that | can at least mark her. | want everyone to know she’s mine.” “And have you told her that?” “Yes, but it’s different. She doesn’t fully understand, being human. | do think you were right about her feeling the mate bond. She doesn't care if it’s me or Leon that stays the night with her now, just as long as one of us is there. She sleeps better when she’s curled up with me and I sleep better when she’s by my side.”

The Broken Warriors Daughter Chapter 270-can’t help but smirk, remembering my mornings with Angel when she first arrived. “And how’s that working out for your balls?” He gives me a knowing look. “Fucking sucks! I’ve never taken so many cold showers in my life.” “Yeah, | remember. And | didn’t have to wait terribly long. Angel, at least, felt the mate bond once Alessia was strong enough. You won't have that with Sarah.” | look at him for a moment, weighing my words. “Are you sure you want to put yourself through this? And before you snarl at me for asking, yes, | absolutely believe that the mate bond is worth it and will overcome everything that she has gone through and the differences in her being human and you being a werewolf. But you have to know that you are potentially taking on years of not completing the mate bond. While she may be here, it won’t be complete and Leon will struggle with not marking her.” “He already does, but he also knows that if he pushes her too hard, we may lose her, so he lets me rein him in when he gets too close. It also helps that she is agreeable to letting us sleep in her bed at night. At least then we feel closer to her.” “Talk to her, see if you can get her to talk to Angel. She’s her Luna now too, and they are friends.” After getting through the never-ending piles of work, we are ready for training. ” What are you doing with Sarah while you train?” lask him.

“Actually, | was going to ask if you mind if | bring her from now on. I'd like for her to learn how to wield a weapon. | think it will make her feel more confident when we are attacked. It would also be good for our Beta female to have some knowledge of battle tactics.’ 13 “Sure, go ahead and bring her.” | say, before heading out to find my mate.

| find her door blocked by Sarah. “Alpha, our Luna is busy at the moment. Is it important or can it wait?” She looks at her watch. “Their meeting will be done in about five minutes. | am aware that she has warrior training and have scheduled her appointments around that.” “I'll wait. And apparently, she’s not the only one with warrior training today.” | tell her as Dustin comes up behind me. He passes me and walks over to Sarah. | can tell by the way she looks at him that she feels something for him. It may not be what we feel with the mate bond, but I’m sure it’s hard to resist. Dustin would do or be anything for Sarah, and he’d have no problems telling her and showing her that.

“What's going on Dustin?” She asks him as he pulls her to his chest, kissing the top of her head.

“| want you to feel confident in your ability to protect yourself when I’m not around. So, | talked to Liam and he agreed that you could begin training with us, except with weapons rather than hand to hand combat.” Her eyes light up. “Really?” | understand the smile on his face all too well. It’s the smile of a man who just made his mate happy. | love the feeling | get when Angel smiles at me like | made her day. It makes me feel like the king of the world, and that’s the look Dustin has right now.

“Really. You ready to go?” “Oh.” She looks down at herself.

“Go put on comfortable clothes and then Leon will give you a ride.” He says. before hugging her and letting her go. “Thank you! Thank you both.” She says looking between us.

“No need to thank me. I’m all for my pack members being able to defend themselves and others in the pack.” | tell her before she rushes off.

| turn to Dustin as the door to his office opens. “Oh, Alpha. Beta.” It’s Olivia, the woman that Dustin got to cover for the kitchens after everything went south with Henry and she has a big smile on her face.