AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nobody is asking you to give up your mates,protested the elder, whose name I probably should but would not ask.
I like my life.
Janis,he asked,will you keep your throne with our support at your sister’s request? Those who treated you as their puppet are gone.As in dead, I felt confident. The one Dean killed might have suffered less than the others.
Sister, are you sure?Janis fixed a gaze on me that made me remember so much more. The good stuff this time, when we were together as little girls.
As long as you are willing.
We stayed a week, once the situation was established because I couldn’t bear to leave my sister. I would see her again, but my home was in Crystal Canyon. They’d protected me all my life, even if they didn’t know they were doing it, most of them. And even if they weren’t necessarily always nice. My sister was every inch a queen, and she used a type of sign to communicate, but since I didn’t know it, we wrote to one another. As we would do when we were apart. Her inability to hear spoken word was made easier for her as a ruler because as queen, she could communicate with at least some of her subjects in wolf form. And they were devoted to her.
Janis was intrigued by my mates who treated her immediately as family. As it should be.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jillian
I had looked out the rear window one last time, bidding everything about my past goodbye. I didn’t need it, and I certainly didn’t want it. All I wanted in this entire world, for my future was all balled up right here in the cab of this beat-up truck of Dean’s.
They never once asked me if I wanted to stay or if I wanted to rethink the whole queen thing. I wastheirqueen and that status was beyond my dreams.
This woman never wanted to be royalty, and I was glad for the circumstances that took me from that life.
We were welcomed back to the pack by everyone. They no longer were told to not speak to me or to look the other way when I came around. The knowledge of who I was or who the council wanted me to be was out there.
No more secrets. No more lies. No more hiding.
“Jillian, we are certainly glad you are back.” The alpha was the first to approach us after we stopped the truck and got out.
He actually hugged me. “Guess this means you’re here to stay.”
All I could do was nod.
“Well, in that case, the pack has something for you. Dean, Shane, Creek, why don’t you escort your mate to the place where you will be living from now on? Dean, I’m sure you know the way.”
Dean’s face lit up, but then his brow drew down in confusion. “Alpha?”
The older man who seemed to have aged even more since we had been gone clapped Dean on the back. “Just go. Take your mate home.”
Dean took my hand and we were followed by Shane and Creek. We walked toward where Dean used to cut wood, back in those days before my other mates joined my life.
“It’s just up here. It’s not built yet but…” Dean’s words faded away.
“Look what they did.” Shane was in awe, and so was Creek.
I, on the other hand, was still confused as hell.
I tugged on Dean’s shirt and gave him a ‘what the hell’ look, or at least I hoped that’s what it was.
He chuckled. “Brothers, our mate has no idea what this house is.”
All three of them turned to me. I shrugged, but the frustration was bubbling in my torso.
“Dean has been cutting wood for this house for months, even before he was gone. We took over some of the work but apparently the pack did the rest and so much more.”
I inhaled sharply. Still wasn’t making sense as to why we were here. And my cabin was practically calling me from within the woods.
Dean brushed a kiss across my cheek. “Mate, this is our home. I designed it. I made the blueprints. I cut most of the wood, but as you can see, Fate made the rest happen. This is your home, Jillian. We built it for you—for our queen.”
