Bonus Chapters

Bonus Chapter: Austin POV - The Found One Ch.36

Austin POV Tenebris Pack (1 week before)

He let out a long breath as he closed the door with a low click.

"Where is he?"

Austin shook his head, not replying right away. He should have known Olivia wouldn't have gone to bed. Not with Rowan in such a foul mood, and his mate crumbling to pieces only mere feet away – it was a cluster-fuck. Mate. It was still stunning to him, to all of them. There had always been rumors of the idea of second chance mates, of wolves finding others after they had found and lost their first fated mates, but they never spoke of it. Never risked uttering the words. Not with Rowan, and Hayden, even Olivia herself around.

Walking softly, he flicked on one of the small lamps on the side tables, kicking off his shoes before collapsing in the chair in the corner, suddenly bone crushingly tired. It had been a long, long, and very exhausting, day.

"With her." He spoke softly, answering Olivia's question. Rolling his eyes at her snort of disapproval.

"Where he always should have been." She snapped.

"Liv." He sighed, too tired to argue with her - again. And still a little tipsy from the whiskey Rowan had been downing when he had found him pacing and fuming in the woods, so agitated from the attack on Izzy and the fight that had shaken the Alpha's house, to even stand still. It had been nearly two hours before Austin could get him to even explain what had happened once the Prince had gotten his mate inside, and confronted the truth of his identity - at last. Only Rowan was surprised at how she had reacted. But then having grown up as a Royal, as a Prince, it was difficult for him to see how monumental it was. How unordinary, and how it might be a lot to take in. Bless the boy, but he honestly didn't think it mattered.

"Don't Liv me!" She snapped, sitting up on the bed now, eyes bright and awake.

She had been waiting to jump him, fuming and stewing in righteous anger. And now, not able to take it out on the real target she'd be happy to use him instead.

"He's trying." Austin said, eyes closing as he was reminded of how distraught and upset his nephew had been when he had followed him from the house.

Olivia took a breath readying herself for battle, before her eyes squinted and she stared at him. "You're exhausted."

"So are you." He argued back, not needing or wanting her sympathy.

"You should sleep." She said ignoring his words.

"You sleep." He argued back, grinning at her scowl.

They stared at each other for a minute, not in the way wolves did to assert dominance and establish rank, but more in the friendly challenge of will and stubbornness that had first established their relationship. He broke first, as they both knew he would. "I'll go to sleep when he does."

She considered his words for a moment before nodding in acceptance. They both knew no one in the house, or at least none of the Royal entourage would close their eyes until they were sure their prince and his mate were not only safe, but calm and sleeping peacefully. At that very moment Austin knew even the twins were ignoring direct orders and were still standing stoically outside Rowan and Madeline's door. Spots they hadn't shifted from since Maleco's grandson and his idiot friends had tried to kill Madeline in the gardens. Austin shuddered at the reminder of the incident. It was not something any of them would forget anytime soon, just the fallout of killing an Alpha's grandson, no matter the reason, was going to have rippling and long-lasting repercussions. It was a diplomatic disaster, Austin rubbed his temples, getting a migraine just thinking about the meetings and paperwork he'd have to wade through the next day and the ones following, and that wasn't even factoring in the 'trials' Rowan demanded be held for the others. Trials, he huffed to himself, more like public executions. Not that Austin could blame him. Hell, if Rowan hadn't showed up when he did, he would have killed the miserable little cowardly pups himself – all of them, on the spot.