Laura's Legacy Read online

  A GIFT BOUND BY LOVE

  While Laura was attending the annual omega celebration, a ruthless ogre attack destroyed her village and wiped out her family. Heartbroken, lonely, and adrift, she was forced to rely on the kindness of the Black Ridge wolf pack alpha for a home. And so were many others, including members of the small Newton pack, and their handsome, strong alpha, Dedric. One brief interlude was all it took for Laura to know she would choose him as her mate.

  Alpha Dedric Newton couldn’t believe his good fortune. Beautiful and powerful, Laura was the omega of his dreams. Worried he had so little to offer, he insists she spend time with his small pack as they rebuild their village and homes. Laura and Dedric’s time in Newton strengthens their bond while evil works to undo all of Laura’s gifts, especially her legacy. After finding the greatest love an alpha could dream of, Dedric will do anything and everything to keep Laura safe from harm.

  ALSO BY LILLI CARLISLE

  The Black Ridge Wolf Pack

  Omega’s Choice

  “A charming fairy tale for grown-ups, ‘Omega’s Choice’s is not your usual werewolf fantasy. Lilli Carlisle’s werewolf world includes warriors, palaces, princesses, kings, queens, witches, ogres, unicorns, and a really, really nasty bad guy. Its setting, while ostensibly modern-day, is more like that of a fairy tale world, with castles and secret passages and danger lurking outside the palace gates.”

  “Paranormal at its best by Lilli Carlisle. I’ve fallen in love with a whole new pack, and I can’t wait for more in this series. This is book 1 in The Black Ridge Wolf Pack and what a brilliant beginning to what is sure to be a gripping new shifter romance series.”

  Ceva’s Chance

  “Ceva’s choice was a great second story in this wonderful series! I genuinely enjoyed this story and am very much looking forward to the next story dedicated to Karli, a strong Omega in love with two warriors, and her power hungry manipulative parents. Thank you, Lilli Carlisle for an engaging series”

  “I enjoyed this book. Ceva’s story was great, it kept me captivated. The story is sweet, has action, magic and more.”

  Karli’s Resolve

  “Well written. Very, very, very good.”

  “Great read.”

  Fated Mates

  Tigress

  “A favorite story of mine that I whole heartedly recommend!”

  “I loved this book! You are immediately taken in by Raz’s bravery & selflessness from the first. Her quirky sense of humor & compelling backstory make this a great read. Her two sexy wolves were not just excellent imaginary eye-candy, but their compassion with a woman who was, in many ways, beginning her life from scratch was endearing.”

  “I haven’t read any of Ms. Carlisle’s novels before this one, but I’m looking forward to reading more!”

  LAURA’S LEGACY

  The Black Ridge Wolf Pack – Book Four

  Lilli Carlisle

  www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

  LAURA’S LEGACY

  Copyright © 2018 Lilli Carlisle

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

  ISBN 978-1-948029-26-1

  E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar

  www.gopublished.com

  This has been possible with the love and support of my family.

  Love you Craig, Samantha, Katie and Jason.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  LAURA’S LEGACY

  Chapter One

  The tall grass sprouted around Laura, and the Huxum flowers reached for her with their long, purple blossoms. Green blades cushioned her head as she lay watching the clouds float by. Their soft, cotton-candy look changed, and they reshaped themselves from white blobs to a howling wolf. Cute little giggles erupted around her. The next one was bigger; this time Laura molded the winds blowing in from the north and turned them east, then west. Soon the image began to take shape as her hands performed an intricate dance above her head. Then she took water particles out of the clouds and mixed them with the sunlight to make a rainbow. When she was satisfied, she released the winds and let her creation float away: six pups playing in a rainbow.

  The six real children began cheering and jumping around her. Laura could see their joy floating through the air and she was happy.

  “What do you say to Omega Laura, boys and girls?” their teacher asked.

  A chorus of eight-year-old voices rose up and made Laura smile. “Thank you, Laura.”

  “You’re welcome, sweethearts,” she responded as she pushed herself up off the ground, and that’s when Laura saw him.

  His dark eyes shone in the sunlight while his gorgeous body made her think of things she shouldn’t while in the company of children.

  Gabrielle, her chaperone and friend, walked up beside her. “Your suitor seems to want to talk to you.” She laughed. “The man can’t take his eyes off you. I’m damn well jealous.”

  “We’ll find someone for you, don’t worry,” Laura assured while trying to pull her out-of-control hair back into a ponytail.

  “Not going to happen.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Laura replied, never taking her eyes off of the dark-haired god striding her way. She loved Alpha Dedric, even though he still wasn’t a hundred percent sure of her yet. Normally a woman would be offended to learn the man she loved wasn’t sure, but this case was a little different. They’d met when they had come to Black Ridge after the kingdom had suffered a series of ogre attacks. Laura had lost her family and Dedric had lost pack members and half of his town to those nasty creatures.

  She’d been chaperone to her friend and fellow Omega Karli when Laura first laid eyes on Alpha Dedric Newton. In that instant, she had decided he was an alpha she wanted to get to know, even if he did have a small pack and half his town was in ruin. After they’d been introduced, she realized how amazing Dedric was and she’d made up her mind. Dedric would be her mate.

  “Where are your warriors?” Dedric asked as he reached Laura and took her hand. “They’re supposed to be protecting you at all times.”

  “And how many times have I told you that I’m safe here in Black Ridge,” she answered before standing on her tiptoes and kissing him—and poof! His growly face was gone. Worked for her, considering she ditched her warriors about an hour ago.

  “Sweetheart, you’re going to be the death of me if you keep vanishing like that. Logica
lly I believe you are safe, but my heart hasn’t come up to speed with that. So for my sake, please don’t be without them again,” Dedric requested. Laura could see the fear in his dark brown eyes. She’d put that there, and she suddenly felt horrible.

  “I’m sorry. It’s selfish to make you worry.”

  “You mean so much to me. I can’t lose you,” Dedric admitted before pulling her into his arms. “I love you.”

  “And I love you. Let’s get this mating ceremony on the road.”

  “You know I can’t allow that in all good conscience, not until you’ve spent time in Newton and confirm you wish to live in a small pack.” Alpha Dedric’s pack had only a little more than one hundred members, and their town hadn’t been large even before ogres destroyed half of it in the most recent attacks.

  “Okay, I won’t bring it up again, but if after visiting for one week I decide to stay in Newton, then we mate,” Laura said, bargaining.

  “Deal, my love,” he agreed quickly. “If after seven days you decide of your own free will to stay then you won’t be able to keep me away.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Laura growled. “So do you have time for lunch or a short break?”

  “No. I’m sorry sweetheart, but I’m going to be busy for the rest of the day loading the trucks. We have fifteen of the twenty filled, but we need to get those last five loaded with supplies and building material before tomorrow when we leave to return to Newton.”

  “Have you heard from the warriors?” Laura asked, knowing that Dedric had sent a regiment of warriors back to the town to make sure the ogres were truly gone.

  “Yes, water and electricity are back up, and the town is safe. We’re on schedule to leave on time. I must go, but promise me you’ll stay with your warriors.”

  “Fine. I already promised; now go back to work or we’ll never get home,” Laura urged with a big smile on her face. At the word “home” Dedric held her tight and kissed her neck.

  “Easy there,” Gabrielle chided. “I’m still chaperoning the two of you, so leave it at the PG version.” She looked around for busybodies.

  Laura wanted to get away from so many prying eyes. They meant well, but she preferred the quiet of less populated areas. The further she was from a crowd, the better she could commune with nature.

  “Yes, Gabi, we’ll behave,” Laura replied before stepping back from Dedric.

  “I’m sorry for trying your patience, Gabi.” Dedric nodded.

  “Thank you. Now kiss and get back to loading trucks,” Gabi huffed before turning away.

  “Are you sure you want to bring Gabi with you?” Dedric asked playfully as he pulled a twig from Laura’s hair.

  “Positive. Now kiss me,” Laura ordered. Dedric closed the distance between them and took her lips in a soft kiss, ever respectful of rules surrounding courting an Omega wolf. The alpha was chosen by the omega, not the other way around. Omegas held powerful magic and they were to be treasured, but that didn’t stop the nefarious among them from trying to steal an omega to harness their power.

  “I’ll be by tonight, and I was hoping you’d attend our pack meeting with me,” Dedric said, a touch of uncertainty in his eyes. An omega stood side by side with their alpha equal in all things. By attending the meeting, it would show her final decision to go with them back to the Newton pack lands.

  “I would love to come with you. What time should I be ready?” Laura could feel her omega jewel in the center of her forehead beaming with happiness.

  He smiled. “I’ll collect you at seven.” He kissed Laura’s hand and walked back to the barns. The warriors Dedric had assigned to her looked at her skeptically.

  “Okay, okay, I promise I won’t try to sneak away again,” Laura stated sincerely.

  “I hope not, Omega Laura. It’s dangerous whether you believe so or not. You and Gabi are omegas, and I don’t doubt others would gladly attack to kidnap one of you,” General Jensgar warned.

  The general had come to the Black Ridge wolf pack with Helena. He had been a General of Princess Helena’s personal bodyguards, and now he had chosen to swear loyalty to Dedric and move to Newton.

  “I’m sorry, General. I imagine it’s pretty lame duty protecting me. I’ll be good,” she swore, hoping for the best.

  “Lame? Oh no, Laura, this is the most respected of all positions. Protecting Alpha Dedric’s intended mate is an honor. Only the best are allowed to do so,” the general explained, waving one hand through the air as he tended to do when he felt something was important.

  She noticed the cut almost immediately. “General, your hand is hurt.”

  The general raised his hand as if he hadn’t even noticed. “I didn’t realize.”

  Laura reached for it. The general didn’t pull away, probably already realizing what she intended to do. She covered his wound with one hand, and her skin began heating up as the injury disappeared from the general and the pain transferred to Laura’s hand. It felt for a moment like it was torn in two, before becoming a dull throb.

  Quickly, she pulled her hand away. She didn’t want anyone to know that every time she healed somebody she took that wound inside of herself. The pain would last only minutes or so before her body absorbed and then relieved the pain. However, for those minutes she felt the pain that came with every wound, and her body needed time to recover.

  “I’m ready to go back to the pack house. I’m a bit tired,” Laura told the general before heading in that direction. She had to rest and calm her body. She couldn’t leave an injury unhealed; it was in her omega heritage to have powers to help others so she had to be in top form all the time.

  They began walking to the pack house and Gabi handed her a tissue without saying a word. Laura wiped the tear that had escaped. That was one of the nuances to her many powers; she wouldn’t get the full wound transferred enough for her to be debilitated, but her body needed to express the pain somehow.

  Laura had never explained the process she went through when healing others to anyone. She worried they would stop her from doing it. She had the ability to calm people and had power over the elements. Sort of a grab bag of gifts she’d been born with as an omega. And, try as she may, she couldn’t heal terminal illness.

  Once they reached the house, Laura left for her room and her en suite bathroom. She ran her hand under cold water, the pain was almost gone, nothing left but a few twinges.

  “So when were you going to tell me?” Gabi asked from behind her. Laura hadn’t even heard the door open.

  “What are you doing in my room?” Laura tried to steer the conversation away from her hand.

  “No, we aren’t turning this around. I saw the pain written all over your face and you cradled your hand. The exact same hand that you’d healed for the general. You suffer the pain of the wounds you take in.”

  It wasn’t a question but a statement, and Laura knew her secret was out. She walked out of the bathroom and joined Gabi in her bedroom.

  “It’s not as bad as all that,” Laura deflected and lifted her hand for Gabi to see. The pain was almost completely gone. “I don’t get the full impact of the injury, only a touch, and it heals quickly.”

  “But you’re still hurt, right?” Gabi asked as she ran her finger over the now pink skin. Laura knew that her friend was asking because she was worried.

  “Honestly, it’s not as bad as you think,” Laura assured. “And I need you to swear an oath to me that you’ll never tell a soul.”

  “I can’t do that. You could be severely hurt someday.” Laura looked completely horrified at Gabi’s response.

  “I can’t heal life-ending injuries so there’s no chance I’d be killed. I can’t let people suffer trying to heal themselves when I can do it for them. You have to swear it to me, Gabi.”

  “But—”

  “No Gabi, no buts. Swear it to me. You know Dedric would make me stop and I can’t do that. Please.” Laura wasn’t too proud to beg when it came to caring for others.

  Gabi thou
ght about it for a minute then nodded her head. “Okay, I swear. Only because I know how much this means to you.”

  “Thank you so much my friend,” Laura whispered as she hugged Gabi tight. “Now I need to find something to wear to the pack meeting, and so do you. Come on, I have a few things we can look through.” Laura pulled Gabi into her closet. Laura had met some of the Newton pack members walking around Black Ridge, but tonight she would meet them all. At the same time. Although nervous, she was looking forward to spending time with the wolves, and she hoped they would accept her into their pack and their hearts.

  “Alpha, the pack will be assembling soon,” Dedric’s beta, Samson, announced as he entered the temporary office Dedric had been given when they’d come to Black Ridge with his pack. Again, thanks to Aldric’s graciousness.

  Dedric lowered the latest architectural drawings for the rebuild of half their town and houses. “Time to go get Laura.” He couldn’t help but smile. The sight of her lying in the tall grass with a bunch of pups, making them laugh at her cloud designs, had wrapped her tighter around his heart, if that was even possible.

  He felt bad for not going ahead with the mating even though they both wanted to, but he couldn’t risk it. He needed her to see what she was up against and what was left of his small pack. Then she could make her choice with everything laid out on the table.

  “You’re worried, Dedric. I can sense your unease,” Samson said. “Is it regarding the meeting or your intended mate?”

  “How can I take her to a place that’s supposed to be her new home when half of it isn’t even salvageable? She’ll never stay.” Dedric had feared this all along.

  “Dedric, she chose you knowing that our pack is small and has suffered damage. Have a little faith. Laura does not seem concerned with any of that,” Samson stated. “You should be overjoyed that we have an omega interested in you and our pack. She will bring our pack closer together and be a great gift to them.”