“I…” Valerie started.
The pack closed in tighter around her and Callin held up his hand. The pack stopped moving, all eyes on him.
“You know what? I’m not even giving you a choice in this, Valerie. Because if we fight, you’re going to end up torn to shreds. And while I can’t help but think that’s a fate you deserve, I am not like you. I believe in showing mercy to the weak. Lucian, organize a small team and run Valerie out of the district. Valerie Steele, you are exiled from this district. If you are spotted here after tonight, then you will be executed. My mercy only extends so far. Is that clear?”
Valerie nodded, not meeting Callin’s eye.
“Good,” Callin said.
He nodded to Lucian, who pointed to six other people who moved toward Valerie and began to lead her away from the clearing. She made no move to resist them and Brianne almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
“Thank you,” Callin said. “You all believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and now that I do, I am going to lead you all to greatness, but in a very different way from how Valerie did things. Gone is the reign of fear. Gone are the threats and the mind games. Under my leadership, everyone in this pack is equal and everyone will have a voice.”
This got a cheer from the pack. Callin smiled and waited for it to die down and then he went on.
“I have a very special mission for a team of you,” he said. “This here is my mate, Brianne. And Riley Morgan very nearly sold her to a bear shifter. While part of me thinks he should die for that, he honored a deal with me and I was able to get Brianne back safely. The repayment for that is allowing him to keep his life. But he will no longer be allowed to carry on with his Matchmaker business in my district. I need volunteers to run him out of the district with the same instructions that Valerie received.”
Pretty much every hand in the pack went up, and Callin chose ten of the pack, people who he knew were strong and capable, but level-headed enough to get this done without injury to anyone.
“Cole, you’re in charge,” he said.
Cole thanked him and the small team set off. Callin smiled at the others.
“Why don’t the rest of you come and welcome Brianne to the pack?” he said.
Brianne instantly found herself engulfed in a happy crowd that hugged her, shook her hand, and patted her on the back. She was soon lost in a sea of called-out names, none of which she was likely to remember when so many were coming at her at once. She met Callin’s eye and smiled at him through the crowd. She felt like she had finally come home.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“That seemed to go down pretty well, right?” Callin said as he and Brianne made their way out of the movie theater.
“Pretty well?” Brianne laughed. “Everyone loved it. One of the critics even had tears running down her face when it ended.”
Tonight was the premiere of Callin’s movie. Recasting the leading lady had held production up for a while, but the movie ended up only being three days later than it had been anticipated and already, the buzz surrounding it was huge. In part, the buzz surrounding the movie was due to the stories of Valerie Steele, the original leading lady, who, the press reported, had walked away from the glitz and the glamour and moved to a small commune in Israel.
Callin had no idea if that was true or not, but she was no longer in his district and that was good enough for him.
He smiled at Brianne and rubbed his hand over her bump.
“Do you think our daughter will like the movie?” he asked.
“Maybe in like fourteen years’ time or something,” Brianne laughed. “And don’t forget we might have a son.”
“No way. She’s a girl, I just know it,” Callin said.
He pulled Brianne against him and kissed the top of her head. The idea of a tiny version of her running around filled him with delight, but in truth, he would be just as happy with a son. As long as he and Brianne were together, he didn’t think anything would ever stop him from being this happy again.
* * *
READ MORE ABOUT SANMERE SHIFTERS IN THIS NEW SERIES BY LOLA GABRIEL!
Shifting Fates: Sanmere Shifters 1
Fae Loyalty: Sanmere Shifters 2
Dragon’s Clutch: Sanmere Shifters 3
Shifting Truths: Sanmere Shifters 4
Other Books You Will Love
Rise of the Alphas: Paranormal Romance Collection
Alphas, bad boys, and soul mates! Set your heart aflame with this hot-as-sin paranormal romance collection.
Bears of the Wild: Shifter Romance Collection
If you love bear shifters, sexy alphas, and bad boys that leave you begging for more, then you will love Bears of the Wild!
Royal Dragon Curse: Dragon Shifter Romance Collection
If you love alpha romances, dragons, bad boys, and paranormal shifters who know how to take charge, then you will love Royal Dragon Curse!
Shifter Secrets: Shifter Romance Collection
Eight sexy beasts that will stop at nothing to claim their mates!
Thank You
Thank you for reading my book. Readers like you make an author’s world shine. If you’ve enjoyed this book, or any other books by Lola Gabriel or another author, please don’t hesitate to review them on Amazon or Goodreads.
Every single review makes an incredible difference. The reason for this is simple: other readers trust reviews more than professional endorsements. For this reason, indie authors rely on our readers to spread the good word.
Thank you very much! I am giving you a virtual high-five!
Lola Gabriel
About the Author
Lola Gabriel loves reading and writing paranormal romances. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she has fond memories of retreating to the woods for long hikes. The towering evergreens, natural waterfalls, and soothing rain often
