Trista’s POVI called a neighbor and asked if she could look after the children while Hazel and I went out. We were determined to confront Lucian together – a united front. The neighbor was happy to oblige. She remembered Billy and Belle.She rushed over, her arms full of boardgames.“Thank you so much,” I told her as she plunked the games down on the table.“Oh my, look at you two,” she gushed. “You’ve grown so much!”Hazel and I collected our coats, but Belle stopped us at the door. She thrust out a small fish toy.“Give this back to Lucian,” she puffed. “I don’t want it anymore.”Billy and Belle had Lucian. He’d saved their lives, after all! But they knew that Aunty Hazel was upset. And that Lucian was the cause. So they were Team Hazel all the way.I took the fish toy from Belle and kissed her on the forehead. Then we left the building and clamored into a cab.We pulled up to Lucian’s building. It wasn’t too tall, but it was ornate. It had a vintage look and feel, opulenc
Trista’s POVAwkward wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the feeling in Lucian’s flat as the four of us sat, two on each couch, facing each other. Lucain pressed an ice pack to his jaw, right where Hazel had punched him.Liam had broken up the fight outside and Lucian has asked us all to follow him to his apartment. We’d all taken our seats on these couches, and now we sat, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact. Every so often, I caught Hazel’s eyes and tried to ask her with my expression what Liam was doing here?She just raised her eyebrows and shrugged.I’d been shocked to see Liam, of all people, emerge from the building. It was too much of a coincidence, I realized. Liam just happened to be in the same building that Lucian lived in? In Italy?No, there was something else going on here.Truth be told, though, Liam looked just as shocked to see us as we were to see him, though. He looked at us quizzically. After a few more minutes, I couldn’t take the silence anymore.“I assume
He chucked then. “Of course,” he said, shaking his head. “Well isn’t that convenient,” he said mockingly. “You go and get a position at an acclaimed company like HS without any prior accolades, a company that just HAPPENS to be owned by your ex-husband. Imagine that?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm now. He was clearly implying that the only reason I was given my own brand was because Liam was my ex-husband.“That had nothing to do with it,” Hazel snapped.“Right,” he said flatly. “I’m sure it didn’t. But then again, what would you know of it? A lucky woman like you? You know, Hazel, not everyone is as fortunate as you. Not everyone has everything handed to them on a silver platter. And just because you happen to know a very wealthy, powerful man, well, that doesn’t mean you should get everything so easily. Especially honor and fame.”“What are you saying?” Hazel gasped.I gasped too, completely taken aback by Lucian’s audacity.“If you have something to say, just come out and sa
Trista’s POVI inadvertently glanced at Liam. I was surprised! Really? Where did that come from? That slew of compliments? He actually thought I was talented? Who knew? Not me. At least, I’d never thought he believed I was.And as for my shares and position in the company? Deep down, I’d honestly believed that Liam had given those things to me because he wanted me back. But now? Had he really given me shares and my position based solely on my talent?It appeared so. Why else would he come all this way to see Lucian?He flashed me a smile and I couldn’t help but smile back. He was defending me. He had come here, to Italy, to find Lucian himself. So he could persuade Lucian to let me to enter the competition. Of course, he didn’t know that Hazel and I had already met Lucian on the cruise ship. We’d have to tell him, but now didn’t seem like the right time. Liam kept his gaze fixed on me.“Trista WILL be famous one day. I have no doubts about it.”I felt a flutter in my heart. It was re
Trista’s POVI chuckled, bemused by Liam’s confused expression.“I think you owe me an explanation,” Liam said. “Because CLEARLY they know each other.”Smash.Something else crashed against the wall. A lamp maybe?“Calm down!” Lucian’s voice yelled.“I’ll do NO such thing, you LYING ASSHOLE!” Hazel shrieked.“Okay, the ruse is up,” I smiled at Liam. “Lucian and Hazel…they sort of had a ‘thing’,” I confessed.Liam narrowed his eyes. “A thing?” he asked skeptically.“Yes,” I confirmed.“And this ‘thing’…did it happen on the cruise ship?” Liam prodded.We had filled Liam in on our initial meeting with Lucian. We’d left out most of the details though.“Yes?” I offered, feeling a bit sheepish.Hazel and Lucian continued to fight it out in the bedroom.“Is that why Hazel was attacking Lucian on the street? Because of this…thing?”Liam studied my face. I nodded.“Lucian was… he was different on the ship,” I said.“Different how?” Liam asked. I could tell he wasn’t too pleased about Hazel and
What was wrong with me? Where had that come from? Why was I so emotional? Liam’s words had really gotten under my skin. I was extremely agitated, but I didn’t know why. I’d gone straight back into the past, blaming him for all the things I THOUGHT I’d let go of.Why did I do that? This fight wasn’t about the past. It wasn’t about my relationship with Liam. It was about Hazel. So why had I bought up all this shit…AGAIN?I faltered then. I looked away, embarrassed at my outlash.“I…I’m sorry, Trista,” Liam stammered. He stepped towards me but I recoiled. “You’re right. I did the same thing I’m accusing Hazel of doing. I…”Knock knock knock.Someone was at the door.“Who’s that?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.“I’ll get it,” Lucian said, emerging from the bedroom. “It’s my boss.”Hazel came out too and nodded at me to show she was okay.Lucian opened the door and a man waltzed in. I recognized him, but it took me a moment to place him.“Mr. Liam Stonewood, Trista, Hazel, I’d lik
Trista’s POV“Fabulous,” Lemone said, smacking his knee with his hand. “I’ll add you both to the list for the competition. Best of luck.” He beamed at Liam, but neglected to look my way. “Now, perhaps you could go and fetch us all a latte, Lucian? All this business talk has me craving some caffeine.”Lucian looked severely unimpressed, but he couldn’t refuse his boss. So he sulked out of the apartment, leaving us alone with Liam.The moment the door was shut, Lemone turned to Liam, a twinkle in his eye. “I hope you don’t mind, but there’s something personal I wanted to discuss with you. It’s about my daughter…”Clearly, Lemone had asked Lucian to fetch coffee as a ruse to get Liam alone. As a human, it would hardly be appropriate to discuss werewolf matters in front of him.Liam, however, wasn’t interested in discussing what ‘plans’ Lemone had up his sleeve for Liam and his daughter.“I’ll just stop you right there,” Liam interrupted. “I honestly don’t want to sound rude, so please do
“I don’t think that’s entirely true,” Liam said.Hey, this fool what's he up to! Is he going to stand up for Lucian in front of me and hazel?I shot him a look that said ‘shut up’! Hazel was in a pretty fragile state right now. I didn’t want Liam to cajole her.“Is that so?” Hazel asked slyly. “Go on then. Tell me your opinion.”“You were using him,” Liam said matter of factly. “To get ahead in the competition. And even if you WERE friends, he’s under no obligation to help you.”“I did no such thing,” Hazel said haughtily. “I only asked him about the competition FORMAT. I wasn’t using him at all, despite what HE thinks.” “Well, in any case, you don’t need him.” Liam glanced at me. “Trista can win this all on her own. She doesn’t need any one’s help to succeed. So you, my dear,” he glanced at Hazel in the rear view mirror, “were barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.”Hazel shot Liam a dirty look, which made Liam chuckle.Seeing them together like this, I realized how close Li
I was so shocked that I couldn't speak, let alone know how to comfort him.“That’s… awful,” I told him. I didn't know what other words to use. Poor Darren. It was one thing to be threatened by the Alpha, but it was another thing to be stabbed in the back by your mate. Mate is our closest family member. Because of the bond of the mate bond, we instinctively trust and support our mate and would never betray them for the sake of simple gain. From what I know, this is also why wolf families usually have a stronger bond than humans.Betrayal from our mate is enough to shatter a wolf's faith. I've felt it once. Darren's experience was even worse than mine. “What happened after the accusations?”“Everyone believed her, including Alpha Jeremy. So I was permanently exiled from the pack.”“I know how that feels,” I said sympathetically.“It gets worse though,” Darren said. “Alpha Jeremy issued a wolf hunting order against me. I was a good doctor, but no pack dared to accept me. Not with an or
Trista’s POVIt was awhile before we could all breathe again. I kept looking in the rear view mirror, convinced I’d see a slew of black cars tailing us. I couldn’t believe it. We’d somehow narrowly escaped a really dangerous situation.But we weren’t out of the woods yet. At least, I didn’t think so. We drove on, fast, down the Italian roads, leaving Milan behind us. Eventually, I realized that no one was following us.“I think we’re safe,” I said. “Liam, you can sit up again.”Liam emerged from under the blanket.“What the hell was all that?” he asked, his eyes flooded with worry.“I have no idea,” I told him.“I don’t know either,” Darren said. “That man was definitely Jake, but I have no idea why he was there.”Was that other man Johnson? I wasn’t sure, although I had a sinking feeling it was. I couldn’t think about it right now though. I had to focus on the task at hand – getting Liam safely to Dagny in France. I really hoped that once we were there, she’d have some answers for m
Trista’s POVI could tell by the looks on their faces that they weren’t going to let us go without searching us themselves. It reminded me of scenes I’d seen in movies, where underground organizations usurped government officials and conducted searches of their own.Is that what these men? Were they part of some underground mafia? They looked an awful lot like the men from the VIP room. Their clothing was similar. My eyes flashed to their waists. It looked like they had guns underneath their coats, even though they were standing right behind the police.The police were frozen in place. They seemed to fear these men. Or at the very least, it didn’t look like the police were going to do anything to stop them.They approached our car. My mind raced. They men looked menacing and dangerous. We had a disabled wolf, an injured wolf, and an elderly medical wolf. How would we get out of this situation? Our odds weren’t looking so good.“Get out of the car,” one of them ordered. My heart sank.
Trista’s POV“Get in the car,” Darren urged me.“Hurry,” Serena said. Her fur was bristled and she was standing on all fours in her defensive position.“What is it?” I asked Serena. She sniffed the air.“I’m not sure,” she said. “I don’t smell anything. But I can sense danger in the air.”“Go,” I said to Hazel. She nodded curtly and took Billy and Belle. They climbed into the cab. Jules was already in the front seat.“Wait,” I called to them. I ran to the cab.“I love you very much,” I said to the kids.“We love you too, Mama,” they both said. “Don’t worry. Aunty Hazel is a good babysitter.”I chuckled. Then I blew them each a kiss and shut the door.Darren was getting into the driver’s seat when I got back to the car. I checked Liam one more time. He had put on a brave face but I could tell he was in pain. Werewolves heal faster than humans, but we feel pain pretty much the same way. The wound in Liam’s stomach was deep and even though it was stitched, I could tell it was bothering h
Trista’s POVJules had parked Liam’s car out front. It was a luxury business car. I was grateful it wasn’t a flashy sports car like the one Johnson had. Fortunately, Liam wasn’t as childish as Johnson when it came to things like that; Liam had nothing to prove. Liam’s car was spacious and it would be far more comfortable for all of us during this long trip to France.We helped Liam into the back seat and set him up with some pillows and a blanket. Darren handed him a thermos.“It’s my wife’s special herbal remedy. It might help you heal, but at the very least, it will make you drowsy so you can get some rest.’“Thank you,” Liam smiled at Darren.I glanced at my phone. I hoped that maybe Johnson had sent me a text, but I knew deep down that he hadn’t.I missed him. Where was he, I wondered. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he with all those dangerous men?I tried texting him but I knew he wouldn’t receive it. I’d tried calling him a couple time but his phone number had been disconnected.
Trista’s POVI wished I could watch Liam and Billy talk more. It warmed my heart to see Liam being so gentle and fatherly with Billy. But time was of the essence.We had to hustle.“Billy, love,” I said, coming into the living room. “I have an important job for you.” I knew it was going to be hard to pry Billy away from Liam. The way Billy looked at Liam told me he was enamored with this brave, injured man on the couch who had save his precious mama.“But I’m talking man talk,” Billy said.“Listen to you Mama,” Liam intervened. “If she says she has an important job for you, then you must accept it.”I flashed Liam a ‘thank you’ smile.“Okay, Mama,” Billy said, standing up.“I need you to go all the way upstairs and get Belle. Can you do that? Do you remember the way?” I asked.Billy’s eyes grew wide. The thought of being entrusted to fetch his sister was very appealing to him.“Yes, Mama,” he said, his voice serious. “I will get Belle. I won’t let nothing happen to her.”“Anything,” I
Trista’s POVI decided to let Belle keep sleeping. I needed to go back to my apartment and pack some things. I brought Billy with me.“Where are you going, Mama?” Billy asked on the elevator ride down.“I have to help my friend,” I smiled sweetly at him. “But don’t worry, love. I’ll come back to our home in Summerset soon.”My mind turned to thoughts of Johnson. What was wrong with him? What was causing him to act so strangely? Johnson was not an aggressive man by nature. Could he be helped? Cured even of this odd affliction?“Trista?” Hazel asked worriedly as we opened the door to my apartment. Liam was awake and sitting up on the couch. He had another fresh, white bandage wrapped around his stomach. My eyes darted to the sink where there was a blood-soaked bandage.His wound was still bleeding. He really needed help.“Billy!” Hazel said, extending her arms to him. Billy rushed towards her and Hazel hugged him tightly. Billy side-eyed Liam on the couch.“Billy, this is Liam,” I said.
Trista’s POVI held Billy tight and inhaled the sweet scent of his hair. I’d been so distracted with everything: preparing my entry for the auction, the auction itself, Liam’s injury – I hadn’t been able to spend much time with Billy and Belle.I didn’t realize how much I missed them.After everything I’d been through, holding my son in my arms was heavenly.“Did we wake you up?” I asked him as he pulled away.“Shhh,” he said, putting his finger to his lips. “You’ll wake up Belle. She’s very tired. We have to whisper.”“Oh, okay,” I said, and we all nodded.“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Darla asked. “I think I still have some coconut cookies left?”“Yes, please,” Billy said, but his voice wasn’t as enthusiastic as it usually was at the mention of cookies.He sat silently on my lap for a bit, picking at the fluff of his cotton pajama pants. I could tell something was wrong.“Billy?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”He shook his head sadly from side to side. Then he looked up at me.“I kn
“I’m from the Red Moon Pack.”“What?”This surprised me. The Red Moon Pack had a terrible Alpha, Jeremy. My mind flashed back to Hazel’s wedding, when I’d found the alpha’s son in a tent having sex with his sister. There was incest in that pack.I frowned.“I know what you’re thinking,” Darren said. “I’ve heard the rumors. But I haven’t been a member of the Red Moon Pack for a long time. And back when I was, the pack was different.”I nodded.“Then how did you know my parents?” I asked.“The Blue Moon Crescent Pack and the Red Moon Pack were friendly back then. I was young, and I was the doctor of the Red Moon Pack. But I often helped with medical concerns in Blue Moon Crescent Pack, too, since I was very skilled and knowledgeable. In fact, I gave your mother all of her pregnancy examinations.” “You did?” I asked, shocked. Then he really HAD known my parents. He’d been their doctor!“Yes,” he confirmed. “Both your parents were in excellent health. All through her pregnanc