Liam’s POV“I understand,” Jules said. “Yes, of course. The auction shortlist is under tight wraps.” Jules and I were sitting in my hotel suite. I asked Jules if he could get some information about the auction and the entries they selected. Jules had been on the phone all morning. But he hadn’t been able to get anything out of anyone! The shortlist was highly, highly secretive. Everyone was really tight-lipped.Jules hung up the phone and shrugged at me.“Nothing?” I asked.“Nada,” he replied. “I can’t even find out who’s on the selection committee,” Jules sighed.We both sat down on the couch.Humans.They had a strange sense of business. It both puzzled and annoyed me. They were keeping the committee and the shortlist a secret, just to create suspense. They were toying with people’s emotions. As a werewolf, this was hard for me to comprehend. Werewolves are brave and sincere. We don’t play with people’s emotions like this. I was really struggling with all this anticipation. The wait
Liam’s POVNo. That was impossible. I didn’t smell any alpha heir scent on them.But still…I saw the little boy again. His devilish grin. His dark hair. His eyes. He had snuck out the door, that day at Trista’s apartment. But the moment she saw him, she rushed him back inside. Almost as if she was trying to hide him from me. And it seemed like Hazel was doing the same. But why? Was she really just that overprotective of her children? Or was it more than that?Was it because the boy was really MY child?The resemblance WAS uncanny.But would Trista do that? Would she really lie to me about my own children? That was a really big secret to keep. I know she was mad at me when she was exiled from our pack. But keeping my own children from me? That would be one hell of a grudge to hold.I shook my head.No. It was just a coincidence. That was all. The boy looked like me. So what? He didn’t have the alpha heir scent. So he couldn’t possibly be mine. Besides, Trista would never lie about
Trista’s POVThe day finally came, and Liam, Hazel and I pulled up to the auction. We were in a long line of ultra-luxury cars. It was clear before we even stepped out of our car that this was a next level event. Everywhere, cameras flashed and people dressed in the latest designer clothes paused to have their pictures taken by the paparazzi. “This is incredible,” Hazel sighed, clutching my elbow. “It’s something, all right,” I mused. Butterflies danced in my stomach; we were going to find out soon if I had made the auction shortlist. I was both nervous and excited. Lucian was waiting for us at the front door. But he frowned as we approached. “I thought you were going shopping,” he said, eyeing our dresses. “Why are you wearing last year’s designs? Doesn’t your boss care about how you look?”“Of course he does,” I said, but Lucian cut me off. “Well, he doesn’t look very generous to me.”I could feel the anger radiate from Liam beside me. He grit his teeth and clenched his
Trista’s POV “The main event is about to begin,” Alpha Lemone said. “I’ve come to escort you to your seats.” He linked arms with both Hazel and I. Strange, I thought. The previous times I’d seen Alpha Lemone, he hadn’t exactly been warm and fuzzy towards me. But he led us through the crowd, chatting animatedly the entire way. Why was he suddenly being so nice and friendly? “This way, ladies,” he smiled, weaving us through the throngs of people. Hazel and I were overwhelmed. There were so many people here, and every single one of them oozed wealth. From their jewelry to their dresses and tuxedos, to their designer purses and shoes. This room was FULL of money. We continued to weave our way through the gorgeous room. Turns out, our seats were up at the front. He pulled back our chairs for us and we sat, surprised that we’d secured such amazing seats at such a prestigious event. We noticed, however, that Liam was not at our table. He was a few tables down. With Alpha Lemone’s
Trista’s POV“What did he just say?” My jaw dropped at the same time as Hazel’s.“But there were supposed to be 12 entries!” Hazel whispered.My stomach sank. So I didn’t make it after all. Even though my name hadn’t been called yet, I was still holding onto hope. But with Lucian’s announcement, that was that.It was all over.Hazel grabbed my hand and squeezed it.“Screw ‘em,” she said. “What do they know anyway?” I smiled weakly at her. I appreciated her sentiment. But the truth was, they knew a LOT. The entries they chose were extraordinary. I guess my design wasn’t.I caught Lucian’s eye. He looked worried. Was he surprised, too? Had he really thought I’d be chosen?Just then, a staff member scurried onto the stage. He handed Lucian a piece of paper. Everyone was silent. Lucian scanned it, then his eyes lit up.“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lucian said into the microphone. “Looks like I spoke out of turn. The contest isn’t finished yet. I’ve just been given word that ther
Was that….was that what I thought it was?“Holy shit,” Hazel said under her breath. “Is that the Heart of the Ocean?”It wasn’t sure, but it certainly looked like it was. The Heart of the Ocean was a long lost jewel. It was rumored to have sunk into the sea when the ship the person who owned it took her own life by jumping off a boat while wearing it. Of course, the rumor had never been confirmed. Just as the jewel had never officially been found.Various descriptions of the Heart of the Ocean had surfaced over the years, and they were all similar. It was a very large, very blue sapphire. The picture up on the screen right now bore an uncanny resemblance to the rumored jewel.I cocked my head to the side. It was rather simple though, wasn’t it?People continued to speculate as to whether or not this was, in fact, the legendary jewel. But I couldn’t overlook the fact that it wasn’t really a design at all.It was just a jewel.“I heard,” a woman in the back said quite boldly, “that the
Trista’s POVHazel was still cursing under her breath when Lucian took back the microphone.“She’s a cheater. Why are they letting her get away with this? She didn’t design a goddamn thing!”“Shhhh,” I cautioned Hazel. I appreciated her support, but she was making a bit of a scene. People were looking at us. I didn’t want people to think I was a poor sport and an ungracious loser.She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and slunk back into her chair. “Well, that was…” Lucian searched for the right word… “unexpected,” he said bluntly. I suppressed a smile. Clearly he wasn’t too impressed either with what had just gone down. But he had to maintain his decorum. He was the emcee, after all.He glanced down at his sheet and announced the next name.“Truly Masterson,” he said, and her name and picture flashed onto the screen beside her design.She stood up from her table and gasped, her hand over her chest. The people at her table congratulated her and she made her way thro
Trista’s POV“Holy shit,” Hazel gasped.“Holy shit is right,” Liam agreed, but his tone wasn’t the same as Hazel’s. He had a serious look on his face, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.Meanwhile I sat, stunned. My name and picture flashed up on the screen.Me?It was actually me?I was one of the extra three contestants, one of the pieces that had caused controversy amongst the selection committee? I was speechless.“What are you doing?” Hazel hissed, side-eyeing me. “Go on. Go up there!”I was suddenly painfully aware that everyone in the room was looking at me.“Trista?” Lucian called.Right. I had to get up on stage to explain my piece.I awkwardly rose from my chair and made my way to the stage. My legs were shaky. And it didn’t help that I heard people whispering all around me.“What IS that material?”“I don’t see very many diamonds.”“It’s strange. I don’t understand what it’s made of?”I lifted my head and tried to ignore all the whispers. I had expected this. I knew that
Trista’s POVI woke up groggy on the plane just as it was about to land. My head was still resting on Liam’s chest, and when I lifted it, I noticed I had left a small drool stain on his shirt.“Oh my god,” I said, mortified by the stain. “I’m so sorry.”Liam chuckled. “You should apologize to the other passengers, too. You were snoring so loud, it literally rattled the windows.”“What?” I asked, horrified. I was snoring? “Why didn’t you stop me?”“You were so cute, all fast asleep, snoring like a train and drooling like a toddler,” Liam teased, “Kidding.”I elbowed him hard in the ribs.“Did you get any sleep?” I asked, concerned.“A little,” he winked. “In between your snores.”“Ha ha,” I mocked, rolling my eyes. The seat belt fasten sign came on and we prepared for landing. Now that we were back in the United States, I was anxious to see Billy and Belle. Hazel, too. I’d missed them all a lot.I whipped out my phone as we de-boarded the plane. I called my house but no one answered. I
“It was,” I admitted. “Especially at first. I had no job and I was terrified that me and the babies would be forced to live out on the streets. But as soon as I moved to Milan, I met Johnson.” I stopped and smiled faintly. It was impossible to tell Liam about my struggles with Billy and Belle without mentioning Johnson. I worried for a moment that Liam would take offense to me talking about Johnson. Liam had, after all, made it pretty clear how he felt about Johnson. But to my surprise, he squeezed my hand and urged me to continue.“Johnson was a god sent,” I told Liam. “He gave me a job and took me under his wing. We became…really good friends. And with time, we became more, even though I don’t really know what that is yet. Johnson was always there for us, all three of us, and Billy and Belle adore him. They love him, they really do. And I’ve come to rely on him. I know you and Johnson don’t exactly see eye-to-eye, Liam. But he’s a good man. A loyal man. A kind, loving man. He’s my…”
Trista’s POV“What?” I blurted out, but I was immediately hushed by a man behind us.“For the love of God, just go to sleep,” the man said. Liam and eyed each other, then we both brought our heads closer together so we could keep talking, but more quietly.“They’re mine, aren’t they?” he repeated, without even the slightest hint of anger in his voice. “Billy and Belle?”I’d feared this conversation for so long. I’d been carrying this secret with me from the day they were born. I’d spent years swearing to myself that Liam could never know the truth about his children, that it was a secret I’d keep from until my grave. But from the moment Liam had come back into my life, I’d questioned whether lying to Liam was the right thing to do.Hazel and I had talked about it many times. She gently asked me if raising my kids without a pack was really what I wanted. As far as they knew, they were human. The human world was all Billy and Belle had ever known, but I knew I couldn’t keep their true i
Trista’s POV“Because I still had feelings for you?” I asked.“Yes,” he said, his eyes fixed on his hands. “Because I still had feelings for you so I thought maybe you did too.”“I didn’t,” I said gently. I was surprised that Liam was confessing this all to me, but at the same time, it didn’t really matter to me. If he had been struggling with regret and lingering feelings for me during his marriage to Lucy, well, that was his own damn fault. I was tired of conversations like these. I needed him to understand that whatever feelings he might still be harboring for me were not reciprocal on my part. “Well, thanks for clearing that up,” he said flatly. Then he turned away from me, back to the window. The easy, casual feeling between us was gone. The air was tense now and I didn’t like it. The plane ride had been enjoyable up until that point, and I wanted it to be that way again. I decided to change the subject. I didn’t want to talk about ‘us’ and our past anymore. I wanted to focus
Trista’s POV“A confession?” I asked, momentarily stunned by the seriousness of his voice and expression. What could he possibly have to confess, I wondered. But a moment later, he continued.“It wasn’t just after Lucy betrayed me that I wanted to win you back,” he said, his voice steady.“What? What do you mean?” I asked. Where was he going with this? What was he insinuating?“This is hard for me to admit, Trista. But I wanted you back long before that.”“Liam,” I started. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this, but he cut me off.“You’re right. Lucy and I travelled a lot. We went to tons of beautiful places. Tropical beaches with white sand. Stunning European cities with ancient architecture. We even did a safari in Africa.” He paused.“Sounds nice,” I said dryly. What was his point? I already knew all this. I’d seen pictures of him and Lucy at various galas all over the world. Her in a long silk dress, him in a tuxedo, both smiling, hand in hand. I’d also seen the pictures of them on
Trista’s POVLiam and I arrived in Paris with plenty of time. We had dinner at the airport and waited for our flight to board. They called us for boarding and we both took our seats in first class. Liam offered me the window seat but I insisted that he have it. His wound was bothering him – I could tell – and if he sat by the window, he could sleep more easily with his head against the wall. As we settled in, a strange feeling washed over me. I realized that Liam and I had never travelled together. In all our years of marriage, we never strayed far from our pack, at least not as a couple. I glanced over at him. He was fastening his seatbelt.‘How odd,’ I thought to myself. ‘Here we are, together on a plane. I never, in a million years, could have imagined our first trip together would be like this!’“Champagne?” the stewardess asked, her eyes bright. Champagne was one of the perksof flying first class. Liam wasn’t much of a champagne drinker, though, so I went to shake my head and
Trista’s POVBack upstairs in the small cottage, Dagny rummaged through her cup boards. She produced a small, crystal jar.“This ointment will make Liam well enough to travel back to the United States,” she told us. Darren eyed the small jar and I looked at him for confirmation. He nodded, indicating that the ointment was fine.Dagny walked over to Liam, lifted his shirt, and removed his bandage. I gasped when I saw his wound. It was red and angry-looking, with small black veins spread out over his stomach and chest like a spider web. Dagny scooped up some of the ointment with her fingers and roughly rubbed it on Liam’s stomach. Liam inhaled a sharp breath and winced.“That hurts,” Liam said as Dagny continued to apply the ointment in a belligerent way. I had to admit, she could have been a lot gentler. Dagny didn’t reply to Liam’s comment so Liam put his hand over hers to stop her.“Dagny, do you have some sort of problem with me?” Liam asked. “You’ve been very polite to Trista and D
Johnson’s POV“My father wanted to hand over the family business to me,” I told Jake. “But I wanted to go to New York.”“Because of that bitch?” Jake asked smugly. I nodded.When Trista left to go to the US, I felt a void in my life. I realized how much she meant to me. My feelings for her were complicated since we were such good friends. But I missed her so much it hurt. And the twins too. So I’d asked my dad if I could follow her to New York and set up business there. My father had been very reluctant at first. He wanted me to stay in Italy for the family business. He was preparing me to take over, but he said there were a few loose ends he needed to tie up first. I argued with him. I was a grown man and if I wanted to go to New York, then I could. He disagreed. He said my responsibility was to the family first.But then, one day, he just changed his mind one day.“My father allowed me to go to New York because there was someone he wanted me to find.”My father’s instructions had be
Johnson’s POVThe bullet ripped through my shoulder. A bolt of pain ripped through my shoulder, so intense it made me dizzy. Jake chuckled at my reaction.I expected to die. I expected to bleed out from the bullet wound. So did Jake and his men. But as they held me, something unusual happened. The bullet wound spurted blood at first, thick and warm. Within seconds though, the blood stopped. The pain still radiated through my body, but I could feel it healing, as though my muscle fibers were somehow weaving themselves back together with extraordinary speed.Jack frowned, his eyes narrowing. He could see what I felt, that my wound was healing with remarkable speed. He didn’t like this. Flummoxed, he marched right up to me and grabbed my collar. He tore open my shirt to see the wound for himself. Sure enough, the hole from the bullet was already growing over with fresh skin.“I thought that was a special gun,” one of his men said.“Shut up,” he seethed at the man. Then he turned to me. “