Fallon POVSix months after my rescue, I finally made a full recovery. Umbra is dead, and most of her witches are. Libby and Crane have worked hard to restore peace to the supernatural community. They are doing great and are making great reapers. Their teenagers have become permanent members of our pack. Alpha Mayhem gave them jobs and educational resources while their parents did what was necessary to keep us safe. After Umbra's death it was baffling to the pack doctor why I was healing so slow. No one could figure it out and I guess it did not matter. I had my mother's magic and Mother Agnes's life force, but my body was slow to heal. Now I am able to walk and do things on my own again. I know this was hard on Ryan, but he took care of me. I sit on the porch sipping a cup of tea alone for a moment, watching the sunrise. It is relaxing to me to just be alone. I see my father coming my way in his human form. I know he usually runs at night with Charis, but he is coming alone. "How
My dreams come in waves every night, but they are more vivid tonight. I can feel another place, another world, a place where I belong, where I am not an outsider. I open my eyes and see lightning dash across the sky; maybe that is why my dreams are so vivid tonight. The storm is loud. It sounds as if the wind and rain are angry. Maybe it is.I look at the clock. The small clock blinks 333. The power must've gone out from the storms. The house feels a little warm. I guess I slept through the power outage. I slide to the side of the bed. I want to look out the window. Why? I have no idea. It is as if something or someone is calling to me. I have felt this way my entire life, like something is out there for me.I slide into my pink fuzzy house shoes and walk sleepily across the hardwood floor of my upstairs bedroom. I slide the sheer white curtain back and look into the night. It is beautiful and angry at the same time. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the rain. The smell is swe
Fallon POVI left work a little after six. It was an early day for me. Dr. Braum usually keeps me until 7, but he let me go early tonight. Bruce offered to come by the house after he got off, but I brushed him off. Not tonight, Bruce. I have a date with a bubble bath, a book, and hot soup.I am looking forward to the stillness of the house. Nothing but quiet for me tonight. My family will only be gone for three days. I want to get as much peace as possible while they are gone. I prefer the quiet.Living with my parents and my brother is rowdy. I need moments of silence to listen to the world around me. The quiet isn't something my family appreciates. They like rowdiness and chattering. I prefer calm. I am so different from them. It is not only the hair color or my facial features. It is my personality and way of doing things. Sometimes I feel like my family life is a three ring circus.I park my car on the street. I usually sit here for a moment, but not tonight. Tonight I get out of
Fallon POVThe days go by quickly and slowly at the same time. I feel as if I am floating. Every day I move slowly, and time moves fast. I cannot stop thinking of them and why they are gone. Nothing in life seems fair right now. Everything is in a daze.The funeral, my extended family, and then time alone all seem to run together. My bitch aunt and her daughters try to bully me about every part of the funeral. Lucky for me, my father left detailed instructions about their last wishes. She had no say over anything I did for my family.Tad was the hard part for me. He was only and had15 no last wishes. So I followed my parent's wishes for him too. All three were given a small service and then cremated. My Aunt let it be known to everyone that she should have my mother's ashes. I am not separating my family. I want to keep their ashes together and with me."You are a selfish little bitch. I want my sister with me," My Aunt yells at me.My Aunt repeatedly caused a scene. She wanted everyo
Fallon POVShock doesn't even cover the way I feel. I am in shock, but somehow it all makes sense now. I never felt like I belonged here. Mom, Dad, and Tad have always loved me and treated me like I belonged, but I knew I was different. I guess I am different from them. Did Tad know? I wonder if this is what my mother wanted to talk to me about when she came home from her visit with my aunt."We should find them," Bruce says as I walk out of my dad's office. He is still my dad, no matter what the papers say. He raised me. I am a Presley, and nothing will change that.I stop and look at Bruce. "What do you mean?" I ask him. I know what he means, but I want to know why he thinks we should find them. What if they abandoned me and did not want to know me? I am sure there is a reason I was put up for adoption, and honestly, I don't think I can bear the reason right now.Bruce drops the papers he is holding on the desk and rushes to me. "We should find your parents, your family, and see wha
Fallon POVI walk down the stairs to Bruce. He is singing in my kitchen, and I believe he is cooking. I stop at the entrance to the kitchen and listen. I listen to the noise coming from the kitchen, the sounds of joy. Can I be joyful now? Is it wrong for me to be thinking about joy? I smile for the first time in days, and I feel guilty about it."Hey! I didn't mean to wake you. I am cooking. I guess that is obvious. I was planning to bring you breakfast when it was ready," Bruce stammers. He looks cute and sweet as he cooks breakfast for me."You didn't wake me," I respond. I go into the kitchen and sit at the family-sized table.A table for a family, but there is no family anymore. There might be a lost family. I want to find this other family, but I don't want to disrespect the family that raised me. There is a lot to think about today."I planned to bring breakfast for you, but since you are here, we can eat together," Bruce says. He suddenly realizes he has already said that. He i
Fallon POVI lay in bed, thinking about tomorrow. I am going to New Orleans to visit my uncles. I wonder if they missed me or if I matter at all. Does it really matter? I have a family. No, I had a family. None of the extended family ever wanted me. Now, I know why. They knew I was adopted. My being adopted is probably why Aunt Tricia and the evil spawns hated me so much. Who really cares what they think? NOT ME!Bruce helped me accomplish everything today. I dropped all the paperwork off at the lawyer's office and the bank. The bank gave me a new card for the family bank account. There is so much to do when someone dies. You have to erase their existence. At least, that is what it felt like to me. I felt like I was taking their names off their belongings and adding mine. It hurt me to the core.I wasn't expecting everything to be taken care of so easily, but Dave, my dad's lawyer, made it easy. I have a few weeks before I turn 18, but thanks to Dave everything is going into my name w
Fallon POVAt seven in the morning, Bruce and I are loading the car with two small bags. I should be worried or anxious, but I am neither. I honestly want to get this over with and find a light at the end of all this. Is there a light? I have to think that when this is over that, I will have a better understanding of my life and my family, both of them. I get into Bruce's fire engine red mustang. "This car says a lot about you," I say, joking with him. I know he loves this car, and I love to pick on him about it being a chick magnet."It says I am single, and no one wants me," Bruce snaps back.I touch his shoulder, and he smiles. I remind myself that we work together and he is only a friend. I don't see him any other way. Besides, he is my only friend, and I don't want to be alone in this world. Bruce is all I have left. I can't screw that up."Some day, Bruce. Some day you will find the woman of your dreams. I only hope she likes me and lets us remain friends," I say. In a way, tho
Fallon POVSix months after my rescue, I finally made a full recovery. Umbra is dead, and most of her witches are. Libby and Crane have worked hard to restore peace to the supernatural community. They are doing great and are making great reapers. Their teenagers have become permanent members of our pack. Alpha Mayhem gave them jobs and educational resources while their parents did what was necessary to keep us safe. After Umbra's death it was baffling to the pack doctor why I was healing so slow. No one could figure it out and I guess it did not matter. I had my mother's magic and Mother Agnes's life force, but my body was slow to heal. Now I am able to walk and do things on my own again. I know this was hard on Ryan, but he took care of me. I sit on the porch sipping a cup of tea alone for a moment, watching the sunrise. It is relaxing to me to just be alone. I see my father coming my way in his human form. I know he usually runs at night with Charis, but he is coming alone. "How
Fallon POVGrace and a strange-looking bald man took me from my home. I hope Ryan is okay. I know Grace put a spell on him and me. I am supposed to be so powerful, but I cannot protect myself or my home. What good am I as a reaper?"You still haven't tapped into all of your power. That is why you are weak," a voice growls at me. I hear drops of water hitting metal. I look, hoping the ancestors are coming to rescue me, but it is water pouring in from above me. I am underground. That is why it is so cold. "Who are you?" I ask the woman. She steps into the light so I can see her better. She is thin with long red hair. It is the girl from the gas station. "I knew who you were the first time I saw you. You are here to screw up the life we have. You want to reap the ones who step out of line and kill Umbra. That is why you must die. I told mother you would never come over to our side," she says. "I am sorry. Who are you?" I ask her. She leans in close to me, smiling. "I am Jenny, daugh
Ryan POVI open my eyes slowly. There is blood on the floor. I touch my face, and it is sticky. "Fallon!" I call out for my wife, but there is no answer. "Fallon!" I call out for her again. Libby is running through the house. She is screaming for Fallon. Alpha Mayhem comes in behind Mother Agnes. The commotion does nothing for my headache. "What happened? Ryan, open your eyes. What happened?" Alpha Mayhem asks me. His words echo. I shake my head and try to get to my feet. "They used a blocking spell on him. It will take a while for him to pull himself together. He is drunk on the magic they used," Libby says. Alpha Mayhem shakes me. "Stop, that will not help, Alpha," Mother Agnes says. "Help me to my feet, please," I ask Alpha Mayhem. I am so weak. I cannot stand it. Alpha Mayhem pulls me to my feet, but my knees buckle. Alpha Mayhem leads me over to a chair in the kitchen. "Sit," he commands. Libby brings me a glass of water. My head aches, and everything echoes as the three o
Fallon POV"What do you want?" I scream at Grace. Libby pushes me behind her. Ryan has left to run off some steam, and it is only us here. I wish Ryan were here. "We don't need him. We are okay," Libby says, reading my body language and anxiety. "She is right, you know. We do not need your husband, Ryan. Now the three girls can have a little chat about the reaping and who and how this will happen," Grace says. Grace moves faster now than earlier. I have no idea why she appears so mechanical or wicked, but something is different with her. I do not like it, and neither does Libby. "What do you want?" I ask Grace again. Libby and I keep backing further into the house. Grace follows us. Why are all these people so damn crazy here. Maybe Ryan and I should get away from here, no, I want my family, and I am going to have it. "I want Libby to take up the reaping finally, but first, you have to die to secure her place," Grace says. Libby begins to scream as Grace charges toward me. "Sh
Fallon POVI am snuggled in the arms of the man I love when our front door comes open. Wind and rain blew inside the house. It has to be the ancestors. I guess they are coming to warn me not to give up the reaping or to be happy that Libby is taking my place. I get up and walk toward the door with Ryan behind me. For some reason, Ryan grabs me and pulls me behind him. "What are you doing?" I ask him. The ancestors would never hurt me, and he knows this. I can see the worry on his face, and then I see why. An older woman with long white hair walks through our door. The elements seem to follow her as she comes into her house. "Who are you, and what do you want?" I ask her, but she does not get the chance to answer or explain herself. "Back off, Talone," another witch screams. Ryan and I back up. There is about to be a fight, and I do not think I want any part of it. "Get out of here," Ryan begs me. I grab Ryan's hand. There is no way I will leave him in this mess. I can hear voice
Libby POVCrane gets the girls and tries to calm them as I pack a small pack for each of them. I know they are old enough to do it, but we have to move fast. Talone will be back soon, and I have to get my family safe. Crane and I rush into the garage with the girls behind us. We get into the car, each with a small bag to live out of until this is over. I smile at Crane, who I can tell is worried. Crane trained his entire life as a hunter. He is damn good at it, a natural-born killer, but he gave that life so I could have a normal life and a family. It is the exact same thing Fallon is doing to be with Ryan. She is giving up the reaping to be a wife and mother. I smile at that thought because I know how much joy my family has given me. "STOP!" an old voice call. The garage door begins to vibrate. She is back, and she will kill us. I close my eyes to start another protective shield. The one around us must not be strong enough to keep Talone out. The car door opens, and a woman gets
Libby POVI return home, leaving Fallon to spend time with her husband and build a relationship with him. Fallon deserves some peace and happiness. I hope she finds it. I honestly think Ryan and Fallon will be happy. Fallon will be an amazing mother, and Luna. Ryan will be a wonderful father and Alpha. The two of them have a bright future together. I can hear you. We need to talk. A voice is calling out to me. I step outside and listen to the wind. At first, I thought it had to be the ancestors calling out to me, but that was no Onya, Sonya, or Anna's voice. I listen again. Nothing! I return inside my house. My children are upstairs doing their thing, and my husband is in the backyard cooking dinner. I have to talk with him about the reaping. My husband was born a hunter, but he changed his name and chose me all those years ago. He turned away from everything he was born to do. Why? For a family and a life with me. Now, as the children are almost grown, I can give him all that back
Fallon POVOver the next few weeks, Ryan and I were together to improve my reaping skills, Libby helped with my magic, and Alpha Mayhem helped with my wolf training. By the end of the month, I am ready to take on my role as the reaper of the supernatural community, and the most important thing I need to do is kill Umbra. It is all I can think about it. Killing Umbra consumes my mind and my body and infects every part of my life. "You have to let the hate go. If you do not, you will end up like your mother, BITTER!" Libby fusses at me. She is correct, but I cannot stop thinking about it. I want Umbra dead for what she did to my family. She needs to die. I sit down in the grass, and Libby joins me. We have spent most of the day working on spells, but my mind is elsewhere. Consuming my mind is nothing but these thoughts every day. I want this to stop. "Your mind should be on your husband and your new life, not on death. You have to move past this. Your life and your magic will suffer,
Fallon POVRyan sets me down and pushes me behind him to protect me. "You think you are strong enough to defeat me," Chaos howls at Ryan. "Run, Fallon," Ryan screams at me. "I will not leave you," I say. I stand beside Ryan, ready to fight. Surely, my father's pack will hear the howling and come to help. We do not need help, and you can take him down quickly. Use your magic. Ryan is in my head. He doesn't want me to run, but he wants Chaos to think I am running away. I run in the opposite direction until I am deep in the woods. I can hear Ryan and Chaos fighting. I wait until Chaos is not thinking of me. I want all of his attention on Ryan. I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I look behind me to see Alpha Mayhem and several wolves. "We are going in, and you stay here, Fallon," Alpha Mayhem instructs me. I protest. This upsets me. Why does everyone still treat me like a child? "I can take Chaos down. I am not a child!" I argue. "Rush Chaos!" Alpha Mayhem instructs his wolves. "I k