Let the fun begin!
It had felt like telling Aurelia took a weight off my shoulders. For so many years, I had kept this huge secret from her. I had been too afraid to tell Aurelia the truth. I had feared she would want to push me to pursue Holly when I wasn’t ready. I had worried my best friend wouldn’t think I was worthy of Holly and would encourage me to give up. None of my fears were founded. Aurelia supported me no matter what the outcome was. She hadn’t told me it was pointless to seize that opportunity to pursue Holly. She had even helped orchestrate a way for me to get time alone with Holly. Most of the kids were present when I arrived at Christian Ranch. William and Mikali had kept the nine kids already there together and entertained with horse trivia. Aurelia had been pacing just a few feet from the group on her phone. I hadn’t dared to guess what was happening on her phone. She was a freaking Luna of a werewolf pack; there could have been a million answers to that question. As Tristan’s boots
It had been surreal to see all the kids. When I left Bloodmoon, only Gabriel, Xavier, and Royce had been alive. I had known of the other children but had never met them before. I was glad that the kids welcomed Samuel. As worried as I had been about Samuel being without me, I was even more concerned about being alone with Alex. I had never officially rejected anyone. I had turned down guys in the past because they weren’t my mate, but this situation felt different. ‘Don’t do this, Holly,’ Kira implored, her voice thick with concern as Alex guided me gently down the winding trail surrounded by towering trees. ‘If you reject Alex, you’re going to lose me too. You might think I’m still here because of Samuel, but that reasoning doesn’t hold up. We didn’t even know you were pregnant then. Besides, the reality is that when one mate survives the death of the other, it’s typically because their wolf has sacrificed itself, allowing the human to raise the young. Think about what happened with
From the beginning, a sense of foreboding sat like a brick in my stomach. I had anticipated this moment, feeling it pulse just beneath the surface of our interactions. Deep down, I understood that Holly would likely want to push me away. That had always held me back, driving my hesitation to pursue her in the past. I had been acutely aware that any advance I made had to come only when she felt truly ready. When she returned, I dared to believe it was a sign from the Goddess, a divine nudge suggesting that the time had finally come. I thought that Holly, in her own way, would be ready for what I longed to offer. Despite my certainty that winning her acceptance would be a formidable challenge, I clung to the hope that she would at least allow me the opportunity to prove myself. I had been wrong. Holly hadn’t been ready to accept me or anyone. She had even fought her wolf about this. I hadn’t wanted to be the cause of conflict between Holly and her wolf. I had learned a lot in the last
I blamed Kira. It was her fault I was in that mess. I hadn’t wanted to know what would’ve been worth the risk if that peck on my lips hadn’t been. Yet, my wolf wouldn’t let it go. She wanted to push the mate bond to break me. Alex needed to understand that I wasn’t the right woman for him. He said all the right things, acknowledging my love for Nigel and that he couldn’t replace him. He wanted a chance to earn my trust and love, but it felt like asking for the moon to me. I wanted to explain why I was not suitable for him. I could never give him children, which might matter to him eventually. Nigel had been exceptional, standing by me through my fertility issues and always insisting that his life was complete with me. I wasn’t sure if Alex would feel the same. He needed to know all the facts. I didn’t get a chance to tell him before I was pulled tight against him, and his lips found mine. Yesterday’s kiss barely counted by anyone’s standards, but this kiss was a kiss. Alex hadn’t t
Oh, look, my mantra has returned. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID! I felt the heat of frustration rising within me. How could I be so incredibly foolish? Just moments ago, everything had unfolded perfectly. Holly was cradled in my arms, her warmth radiating against me. I could still feel the thrill of our lips meeting in a passionate first kiss, a moment that felt electric and full of promise. Then, in an instant, my stupid mouth fucked it all up, revealing my secret in a careless slip. Now, I found myself sprawled on the ground; the breath knocked from my lungs, the impact of her unexpected reaction still echoing in my chest. I watched, helpless, as Holly stormed out, her expression a mixture of hurt and anger etched on her face. It pained me to see her retreat for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. I couldn’t help but wonder—was that a record for such swift heartbreak? I knew she’d be upset that I’d known all along, unlike her. I had wanted to tell her the truth. However, I
Kira had howled her displeasure the further we got from the ranch or, more importantly, from Alex. She was a wolf. Kira didn’t get it. She couldn’t seem to understand how I felt. The selfish bitch had only thought about herself and how she wanted a new mate. I know ‘pot calling the kettle black.’ I was also selfish because I had refused to think about what having a second chance mate could mean to anyone beyond myself. It would have offered Kira comfort and renewed strength, which had diminished when Nigel and Leo died. Then there’s Samuel and Tristan to think of. Both boys have been raised missing a parent, and if I were to accept Alex, we’d be giving the boys the parent they are missing. Even if Alex says he doesn’t want to replace Nigel, I’m terrified of him replacing Nigel with Samuel. Samuel only knows Nigel through stories. It broke my heart to think of a future where Samuel would forget Nigel was his father and refer to Alex as his dad, which brings me back to being a selfish
I had been thrown from horses plenty of times throughout my life—an occupational hazard that came with working on a ranch. However, this time, it wasn’t me who was in danger; it was Samuel. In a split second of instinct and determination, I leaped off Cyrus to shield Samuel from the impending fall. Although Samuel was a werewolf, I knew he was just as vulnerable as any human child until he reached the age to awaken his wolf. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders, especially considering my already precarious relationship with Holly. If her son had sustained serious injuries while I was supposed to be keeping him safe, I knew my chances of ever winning her trust—or her heart—would vanish in an instant. I wouldn’t have blamed her for being furious. After all, Samuel was her number one priority, just as Tristan was mine. Any parent in her position would have felt justified in being outraged with someone who allowed their child to get hurt. That said, Holly wasn’t
I had always worried about my son Samuel’s health and safety. He was my miracle baby, a bright light after the darkness of loss and grief in my past. With every breath, I feared losing him, haunted by memories of my previous pregnancies that ended too soon. Though Samuel had been healthy since birth, that didn’t ease my fear of something happening to him. Given my history, you can imagine the whirlwind of panic that erupted within me when David said Samuel had been hurt. My mind flickered to Alex, but I quickly pushed those thoughts aside; delving into that worry felt too much. Instead, I fixated on the dread of my child suffering, my heart racing with every thought. Rationally, I knew he would be okay. Mikali was there. Even if he hadn’t been a healer by gift, he was a doctor. If I had proved anything in the last twenty-four hours, it was that I was an emotional train wreck. Rational thought hadn’t gotten through. I tried reaching out to Samuel through our family link, but I wasn’t
To all my incredible readers, Thank you for being part of this journey. From the moment Alpha Logan was written to the final chapters of Her Second Chance Mate, it has been an unforgettable ride. This 12-novel, 9-short-story series has taken us across the world, showing that love and family come in many forms. No matter race, gender, or sexuality, everyone deserves love, a place to belong, and the freedom to define what family means to them. Writing the Bloodmoon and Incubi series has been a labor of love over the past four years. Somehow, it feels both longer and shorter since I first started. These characters, their struggles, their victories, and their love stories have become a part of me—and I hope they’ve become a part of you too. While this generation of stories has reached its conclusion, my writing journey is far from over. A next generation lingers in the back of my mind, waiting for the right time to take shape. But for now, I’m stepping away from the supernatural a
I took a deep breath and tried to remebrr whag i had written down. “Holly… if you’d told me years ago that every twist, every wrong turn, every moment I thought was leading me nowhere was leading me straight to you—I don’t think I would’ve believed it.” A soft smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “But standing here now, looking at you, I know that every detour, every heartbreak, and struggle brought me here. To you. To us. And I wouldn’t change a single step of that journey because every single one led me home.” I swallowed hard, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “I love you not just in the big, obvious ways but in all the small ones. In the way, you stand strong even when you’re exhausted. In the way, you let the boys win just enough times to keep their confidence up but still remind them who the boss is. In the way you look at me like I’m worth something more than I ever believed I could be.” My voice wavered slightly, but I kept going. “I promise to walk beside you wherever
I woke before dawn, the soft glow of morning stretching across the horizon outside my window. The air smelled of fresh-cut grass and damp earth, grounding me as I sat up, rubbing a hand over my face. Today was the day. Today, my last boyhood fantasy about Holly was coming true. ‘You nervous?’ Leo’s voice slipped into my mind, steady as ever. Three years later I was still getting used to him. Having a wolf spirit tethered to me when I wasn’t born a werewolf was an adjustment, to say the least. Gifted to me by Nigel the night Holly and I marked each other, Leo wasn’t just some supernatural extension of myself—he was a reminder of everything that had come before—a reminder of the man Holly had loved first and the one she had chosen now. ‘I'm not nervous,’ I answered silently. ‘I'm just… letting it all sink in.’ Leo let out a low huff. ‘You’re lying to yourself. You want this more than you’ll admit.’ I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. Leo wasn’t wrong. To the supernatural world
Alex’s hand found mine as the noise of greetings faded into the background. His warm, calloused fingers provided reassurance amid the chaos. I turned to him, noticing his softened expression contrasting with the bustle. Rather than being overwhelmed, he radiated a quiet contentment that comforted me. At that moment, it felt just like the two of us, surrounded by the noise yet wrapped in our own calm. “Come with me,” he murmured, voice low enough that only I could hear. I didn’t question it, feeling a mix of anticipation and reassurance. With a final glance at our boys—Samuel expertly engaging with his Folsom cousins while Tristan animatedly introduced the D’Amore quadruplets—I could sense that new friendships were about to blossom. The excitement in the air was palpable, and I did not doubt that their spirited energy would lead to endless plotting on how to push their limits tonight. With a quiet sigh, I allowed Alex to lead me away from the bustling crowd, trusting that our boys wer
Two years. It didn’t seem possible that so much time had passed, yet here I was, standing beneath the glow of the arena lights, watching as Alex’s dream unfolded before me. Whitland Rodeo was no longer just a hope, a distant goal we whispered about late at night when exhaustion threatened to steal our resolve. It was real—alive, bustling with excited voices, the scent of fresh hay and leather thick in the air, and the rhythmic hum of country music blending with the distant sound of hooves against packed dirt. I squeezed Alex’s hand, feeling the rough callouses that had formed from endless days of labor. “You did it.” My voice was quiet, meant for only him, but the way his fingers tightened around mine told me he heard every ounce of emotion in those three simple words. He let out a long breath, which I knew had been held for too long. “We did it, Wildflower.” His eyes swept over the scene before us—the grandstands filled with people, the livestock pens lined neatly, the banners pro
I… I have a wolf. I, Alexander Michael Whitland, the HUMAN among werewolves, have a WOLF! My mind was blown at the thought of being anyone’s mate, let alone Holly’s second chance, and now this. Everything about last night still feels surreal, from the marking, seeing Nigel, to him giving me Leo because the Goddess lost a BET, and shifting for the first time. My brain is still overloaded. ‘You’re the excitable sort still, I see.’ Leo commented as Holly and I returned to the farm after packing camp. ‘Oh, come on, dude. You barely knew me before you died. I’ve totally grown up since then. You’re in my head; you have access to my memories. You should know I’m not the same boy that had a crush on your mate,’ I huffed. ‘Uh-huh. I don’t know how much has changed from what I’ve absorbed from your memories. You dipped your dick in crazy and lucked out to get a good kid out of the deal.' He snorted. 'I’ll give you credit, though. You’ve put in the work to train hard and to raise your boy. Yo
I gasped as reality slammed back into me. The weight of my body pressed into the earth, and Alex on top of me, his skin damp with sweat against mine. His breath was hot and ragged against my throat, his chest rising and falling in uneven shudders. We were back. The air was thick with the scent of earth, pine, and sex. The cool night breeze contrasted with the burning intensity inside me, but I barely noticed. I could still feel the bond between us—woven into our very beings, humming beneath our skin, connecting us in an ancient, irrevocable way. I sensed the swirl of emotions stirring in Alex’s mind through our bond. Alex groaned, his forehead pressing against mine as he exhaled a shaky breath. “Holy shit.” His voice was hoarse, rough from what we’d just done. I swallowed hard, my arms still wrapped around him, clinging to him as if letting go would break the spell. Our mating had been anything but ordinary. What we’d just done wasn’t ordinary, even with Alex being human. It wa
Holly’s lips were fire against mine, burning away every hesitation, every lingering doubt. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t fragile. Not here, not with her. None of the chaos that’s happened recently mattered. Tonight wasn’t about any of that. Tonight was about us coming together and making this official. Or at least official in the eyes of the supernatural community Her body pressed against mine, soft curves molding against me, igniting something primal, something I’d kept buried for too long. The kiss deepened, tongues tangling, teeth grazing, breathy little sounds escaping her lips between each hungry meeting of our mouths. I wanted to hear more of those sounds. I shifted, rolling her beneath me, the thin sleeping bag doing little to shield us from the cool bite of the earth beneath it. The rough texture of dirt and grass pressed against my forearms, grounding me in this moment, this night, this woman. Holly’s hands slid beneath my shirt, her nails dragging lightly along my stomach, se
The evening air carried a whisper of cool and crisp autumn against my skin as I fastened the leather straps on my saddle. The scent of pine and earth wrapped around me, mingling with summer’s faint, lingering musk. As the sun dipped lower toward the horizon, the sky stretched wide, painted in gold, orange, and deep purple streaks. We had enough time to reach our campsite before nightfall, where we’d picnic under the new moon. Tonight, everything would change. ‘Stop overthinking,’ Kira’s voice purred through my mind, firm but affectionate. ‘It’s happening. It’s always been meant to happen.’ I exhaled slowly, steadying my hands against the saddle horn. Had it? It had only been a little over two weeks since the fight—two weeks since Benton was finally dead. Since the war he had waged against me, my pack and my family had come to a brutal, bloody end. But the fight wasn’t over. Brendán O’Brion was still out there. And we were no closer to knowing who had sent Benton after me. I cle