Page 36 of Alpha's Arranged Mate

Macie stroked her stomach, drawing Lottie's attention down. She seemed to have swelled greatly in the last few days, and Lottie was sure her time had to be near. She would have liked to have stayed for the birth, but she knew deep down that her duties lay elsewhere now.

"Send word as soon as you get the first pains, and I promise I will come running," she insisted, placing her hand upon her sister's stomach in a final farewell to her nephew. Then she looked to Braxton for confirmation that it was possible, knowing he was her alpha now. Whether they were mates or not, his word was final.

"I am sure all the demon wolves in hell could not stop you," Braxton pointed out, and Lottie laughed. He was right. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. Though their hands were no longer bound—her grandmother had come the morning after the wedding in order to release them—Lottie found she liked to be close to him, liked to hold his hand as much as possible.

This time did not last long, however, as Diane slipped her hands between theirs and took hold of one each. "Is it time to go now?"

"Almost," Lottie promised her, squeezing her hand comfortingly. She inclined her head toward the rows of demon wolves who had lined up on the far side of the square. "There is just one thing left."

At that, Dash raised his voice for all to hear. "It is time!"

It was then that Malia and Emily stepped up, just out of reach of the opening gates, and Lottie watched as the first demon wolves stepped forwards to have their cuffs removed. Her heart swelled as she saw them rubbing their bare wrists, one by one taking their first free steps outside of Silverdale since the final battle had left them on the losing side and down in the dungeons.

"We did it," she whispered to Braxton, looking at him over Diane, who still held onto both of their hands. Duncan came bounding up from his grandmother's side where she awaited her cuff removal and grabbed hold of his father's hand.

"Can I walk with you?" he asked.

"Of course," Braxton responded.

"I think perhaps I might have a better idea," Lottie suggested, looking down at the two children.

"What?" they asked in unison, and Lottie's heart swelled further. It had taken Duncan a few days, but he was finally seeming to warm to her.

"Well, this marks the first day of our new lives together," Lottie said, smiling at them both. She glanced at Braxton with a cheeky wink and said, "We ought to do it properly."

With that, Lottie began to shift. Her pale blonde wolf sprung forth, all too happy to be free. The she-wolf had been ecstatic since joining with her mate, and every time Lottie transformed, she felt a fresh wave of love and affection.

Aiming it at the two children, she slipped her muzzle under one after the other, guiding them onto her strong wolf back.

"Hold on tight," Braxton warned them both, and Lottie felt the two children burying their fingers into her pelt.

"Diane, hold your brother!" Braxton instructed her, and the moment the little girl assured him all would be fine, Braxton turned to Dash and dipped his head. "I thank you, Dash Silverdale, for all you have done for my pack."

Lottie was sure she saw a slight blush to her cousin's cheeks. No doubt he was ashamed of all it had taken to get to where they were now, but if he was, he did not say.

"Thank you for all you have done for ours," Dash responded, holding out his hand. Lottie watched with pride as the two shook hands. Unable to contain herself, she turned her muzzle toward the darkening sky and let out a proud and celebratory howl.

The demon wolves whose cuffs had been removed and their wolves already released joined her, while those still awaiting applauded and wolf-whistled to the heavens. Lottie's chest felt like it might burst with happiness when the Silverdale wolves and residents who had arrived to bid them farewell began to join the chorus.

Just the knowledge that she and Braxton had brought this about brought a tear to her eye, and she had to shake herself to remove it as Braxton shifted into his giant fiery wolf form. Majestically, he dipped his head to Dash before he turned to Lottie and nipped playfully at her heels.

Knowing that was her sign to go, she shook herself slightly to be sure the children were holding on, and then she was off.

Determined not to look back, fearful that it would only make her heart ache, she only looked forwards. And all around her the flaming demon wolves danced, racing in and out of the trees ahead, lighting her path all the way to the compound that would now be her home.

And though she had always imagined that she would spend her life inside the safety of the Silverdale walls, she realized that she had been thinking far too small. How would she ever have been an alpha's mate then?

No, Lottie had always been born to power as a Silverdale, and now she had it. Alongside her mate, she would rule an entire pack. But all that truly mattered to her now were the two small pups clinging to her back and the demon wolf running at her side.

Astonishingly, she realized that though he was in full flame, and even in the full force fiery of his demon wolf form, he did not burn her. Nor did he burn his children. Yet the ground where he walked was scorched, leaving paw prints behind him. And it was in that moment she knew, no matter what happened, she would always be safe with Braxton at her side.

Howling her happiness to the rising moon, she let all the pent-up emotion from the last several weeks escape her. And when Braxton's voice joined hers, she knew that he was doing the same.

Again, the pack followed suit, their voices joining until there was a cacophony of voices raised in loud appreciation for their newfound freedom.

And for the first time since the night she had helped Braxton escape, Lottie felt relieved. Peace reigned, and in the process, she had found her happy place. It didn't matter where that was so long as she was beside Braxton.

Throwing her head in his direction, she met his flaming amber eyes and howled anew. When he responded in kind, she knew exactly what he was saying. Deep in her heart she heard the words, and she knew that he was saying, "I love you to hell and back again."

And if that was what it took to be happy, to make all her pack happy, then that was what she would do, too. She would go to hell and back for Braxton and the pups—even for her new pack.

And so she howled again, assuring them all that she was theirs and they were hers. Their raised voices spoke of acceptance and welcome, and Lottie knew no matter what happened, she would never be considered a traitor again.

*****

THE END