Trista’s POV At that exact moment, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. ‘Speak of the devil,’ I muttered under my breath. It was Johnson. I had barely answered though when the twins swarmed me. “Is it Johnson? Is it?” They asked, hopping from foot to foot with excitement. I nodded and went to say hello, but Billy snatched the phone out of my hand! “Johnson!” he said. “We boughted a hammock! A real one!’ Then Belle grabbed the phone from Billy. “It’s ME! Belle!” she squealed into the phone. “Can you hear me cuz we flew all the way across the ocean!” Hazel raised her eyebrows. “Johnson, is it? Is that his name?” “Oh yes, he’s a friend. And my boss, actually…” “Well, judging by their excitement,” she pointed at the kids who were taking turns with the phone, “he sounds like a lot more than a friend.” “It’s not like that,” I denied. “Look at them!” Hazel
Trista’s POV “What do you mean?” I asked. What rumors? What awful, terrible rumors? “Just stuff,” she shrugged dismissively. “What sort of stuff?” I prodded. “Well, as you know, Lycans are an ancient race. They’ve always been a little…mysterious. You know, they keep to themselves and all that.” “Get to the rumors, Hazel,” I said flatly. “I’ve just heard things. Like – that they’re brutal. Powerful. Merciless. People, werewolves, are afraid of them. Just things like that.” I was silent. Brutal? Merciless? I had a hard time thinking about Johnson in any connection to THOSE words. He was the complete opposite. Kind. Loyal. Generous. Seeing my silence, Hazel continued. “Obviously Johnson’s not like that,” she said. “You told me he takes care of you. And the children. He sounds lovely, he really does.” Her words were coming out rushed. It was making me feel uneasy. “He’s clearly VERY differen
Trista’s POV We drove through the busy streets of Starhaven. I knew Starhaven was big, but I had no idea it was THIS massive.Traffic was bumper to bumper in the downtown core, since it was the middle of rush hour. Everywhere I looked, skyscrapers loomed overhead. Pedestrians scuttled across the streets, briefcases and coffees in hand. I’d been to some really large cities in Europe, so a large city was nothing new. I was just surprised that THIS is where Liam’s head office was.This was a far cry from the pack’s simple town in the forest. And a far cry from Summerset.Hazel slammed on the brakes, causing my body to lurch forward.“What are you doing?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Are you color blind! That’s a green light, you jerk!”I gave her the side-eye. Hazel was generally a pretty calm person, but something about driving in the city turned her into a swearing, angry, maniac. I checked my seatbelt to make sure it was secure. “Are you sure you can find the building?
Trista’s POVLiam’s assistant, Jules, was leading me down a long corridor. He was walking really fast and I struggled to keep up. Liam had passed me off to him. “So the launch party is first. Just a small affair. Only about 300 or so guests. Then it’s the photo shoot with Miss Sinclair,” Jules said. He glanced back at me while we walked. “Miss Sinclair is a real doll. You’ll love her. Really. This way.” He veered left into another long corridor. “Now, as I’m sure you know, our company, Dress Right, is the father company to all our other apparel companies. In fact, we’re now the largest group of apparel companies on the East Coast.”“Oh, I actually didn’t know that,” I said.Apparel? I didn’t know Liam had gone into the apparel business.“Yes, yes,” he nodded quickly. “This way.” We turned right this time and were met with yet another long corridor. “We have a wide range of business lines. Everything, really, from casual wear to popular designer brands. We cover luxury goods, too, of
Trista’s POV“Crisis! Total crisis mode here.” A female voice broke through my thoughts. The door swung open and there she was…Stevia Sinclair!She was even more beautiful in person. I stood to greet her. She eyed me.“It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” I gushed. “I’m…”She cut me off. Her voice was pleasant but curt. I was a bit taken aback.“May I ask… are you a celebrity?” she asked, her eyebrow raised.“Um. No.”“Is this your dressing room?” She walked towards the mirror. She put her hand on her hip and clicked her nails on the counter.“Well, no. It’s not mine.”“Are you all finished?”Was I? I supposed so. Basically, anyway. We’d been at it for hours. What was left? Just some accessories. Maybe some earrings? So yeah, I was pretty much done. “Almost,” I replied.“Good. Because my stylist totally flaked on me. Tell her,” she pointed at Brenna, “to do my makeup right away. I assume she’s the stylist?” Stevia was looking at me.“Um…yes…”“Perfect. I have an important meeting with
I rubbed my hands on my dress. My palms were sweaty. My heart was beating a mile a minute. We were waiting in a backstage area. But right beyond those doors, a ton of people were waiting in, what Liam was calling, ‘The Launch Room.’The staff eyed Liam and Stevia excitedly. The big boss and the big star! Next to them, I was a nobody. Don’t get me wrong. People were polite enough. It’s just that I didn’t hold the same allure as a CEO and a celebrity.And I knew it.Liam and Stevia giggled like old friends. I held my elbows and giggled too whenever they looked my way. You see, they were acting like I was part of the conversation, but I wasn’t. Not really.Especially since the conversation was about me.Stevia warmed up to me the moment Liam introduced me.“Well I had no idea the designer is your ex-wife!” she’d exclaimed. “Come. Come, Trista. Come sit,” she had said in the dressing room, standing up so I could take her seat. But Liam had said it was time to go to the launch party.What
“Where’s Stevia?” I asked as I returned to the waiting room.“Oh, she’s already gone in,” Liam replied. “You know what it’s like with the media. They wanted her ahead of time.”No. I didn’t know what it was like with the media. This was all new to me.I heard a lot of noise, then, from outside the room. Applause, the click of cameras, people shouting: “Stevia! This way! Look over here!”And I realized…This was no small launch.Liam had glossed over it, claiming it was ‘simple and intimate’. But I should have known better.The HS Group had a lot of financial power, so there were likely a ton of business bigwigs out there. Then add in Stevia Sinclair, who’s a real media draw. And of course, the elusive Liam Stonewood, president of HS. Apparently Liam rarely appeared in public, at least, that’s what I’d been told.Mix them all together and voila! You have a conference room packed with over a thousand people.“Over a thousand?” I blinked, frozen in spot. Liam had just told me the head co
Trista’s POV Everyone waited with baited breath. A big announcement? What could that be? Liam flashed a smile at me then he addressed the crowd. “You’re all in for a real treat,” he said with a sincere smile. “Trista is an extremely talented jewelry designer, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board with HS.” I smiled back at him. Those were kind words. “But I have something very important to share with you all. Trista is my ex-wife.” He paused. The crowd gasped. My mind spun. Why was he telling everyone this? This was SO embarrassing! This was our personal life! How dare he! But before I could finish my thoughts, he continued. “In fact, Trista was my first wife. As such, I am transferring 20% of the shares of HS to her.” Again, he paused. Cameras flashed, blinding me. I felt like everything was moving in slow motion. He looked at me as he said the next part. “I am appointed Trista as the Senior Art Director of HS, eff
Trista’s POV Belle let out a horrified scream. It reverberated through the forest.“Pele, no!” I cried out again.But Pele was in full wolf form by now. His wolf was magnificent, with broad, muscular shoulders and deep, brown fur with matching eyes. He bent down onto his hind legs and put his head onto his front paws. It was a playful position, and was welcoming the kids to come and touch his fur.Of course, the kids didn’t know that though.Neither Billy nor Belle had actually seen a werewolf before, and Pele’s wolf was massive. The wolf shook his head playfully, his brown fur rippling in the world. “What in the world?” Jules asked, aghast at the sight before him. I realized that Jules had never seen a wolf before either. And I had to admit, watching a man transform into a wolf could be a bit jarring, to say the least. I knew what Pele was trying to do.In the wolf pack, it’s normal for someone to shift when children are upset. In fact, one of the
Trista’s POV I felt a flush of relief wash over me. Jules and I couldn’t get through, but knowing that the children would be safe was a huge weight of my shoulders. Plus, I knew that as soon as Liam saw Billy and Belle, he’d know that we were close by and would come for us. He’d find a way to get us into the pack. He was the Alpha, after all. He could take down the pack border to let us through. It wasn’t ideal, separating from Billy and Belle. But we were out of other options. “Thank you,” I told Pele sincerely. I’d have to find a place for Jules and I to stay in the meantime, but I’d crossed that bridge once I came to it. Jules and I could find somewhere nearby, in the forest, and just wait for Liam. First thing was first – we had to get the children across the border and safely into the pack. “Come,” Pele said, holding out his hand to the children. But Belle clutched at my legs and began to cry. “No, Mam
Trista’s POV I needed Pele to understand that this wasn’t a normal situation. It was urgent that he let us into the pack. Plus, we’d come a long way and we were all feeling really tired. I decided to just be honest with Pele and tell him the truth. “This is Jules,” I told Pele, motioning at Jules. “He’s Liam’s assistant and he’s very important to Liam. But he’s currently being hunted by some members in the human world. They’re very dangerous men. They belong to an underground mafia and they’ll stop at nothing to find Jules. It’s very important that you let us through. Liam promised us all the protection of the Blue Moon Crescent Pack.” Pele narrowed his eyes, his lips pressed together. He appeared to be thinking about what I was saying. Honestly, though, I wasn’t sure if he’d care either way. Pele didn’t live in the human world. He probably didn’t care about dangerous mafia men. He turned his head to Billy and Belle. “And who ar
Trista’s POV I hadn’t expected to be stopped at the Blue Moon Crescent border. Pele was not much older than me, but he possessed the composure and maturity of someone much older than himself. I understood that he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me, since I’d been exiled from the pack. But I was sure that if I explained the situation, he’d let us pass through.“Leave, Trista,” he said coldly, He fixed his eyes on me, his face stern. “We’re here to see Alpha Liam,” I told him, a little taken aback by his unwelcoming and abrupt manner. “I don’t know what business you would have with Alpha Liam,” he stated, his tone dry. “Since you are no longer a member of our pack.”“If you would please just mindlink Alpha Liam, he’ll explain that…” “I’ll do no such thing. You cannot just show up here, Trista, with strangers in tow and demand to cross our border.” “I’m Jules,” Jules suddenly said, extending his hand. Pele did not accept his hand, leaving Jules
Trista’s POV The children felt the tension in the air. I bent down and scooped up Belle, hoisting her onto my hip. She buried her head in my neck. “Who is it, Trista?” Jules asked, his voice barely above a whisper. I shook my head, telling him that I didn’t know. Serena stayed in high alert, her fur standing on end as the man approached us.He had his eyes locked on me as he sauntered towards us. He was tall, with a powerful presence. We all stayed frozen to the spot. I squinted, trying to make out his face with my poor eye sight. But it wasn’t until he was only a few feet away that I recognized him.It was Pele.I was stunned at first. Pele was the man who had succeeded my father as Gamma after my father’s death. I hadn’t known Pele very well during my time at the pack, but his face was unmistakable. He also had the air of a gamma, which only solidified the fact that it was him.I remembered when Pele had been chosen as Gamma. I’d resented him on prin
Trista’s POVJules looked very concerned by the fact that there was no road. But I chuckled.“This is the right place,” I assured him.“How can that be?” Jules asked. I understood his confusion. He was used to living in the human world and humans took roads while travelling. But the Blue Moon Crescent Pack was protected by natural barriers, which is why werewolves have been able to hide from humans. The barriers are strong and only allow supernatural creatures to pass through them.I explained this all to Jules.“So I’m just supposed to keep driving? Through the forest without a road?”Billy and Belle giggled in the back seat. Jules slamming on the breaks had woken them up.“We’re going to drive through the forest?” Belle asked, wide-eyed.“Yup,” I replied. I unrolled the window to let the thick scent of the forest breeze through the car. The scent brought back so many memories and I couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic. I’d been away from the pack for so long. I hadn’t expected
Trista’s POVHe drove along the coast line, the salty scent of the sea thick in the air. I was a worried wreck, though. I tried several times to get in contact with both Liam and Johnson, but I wasn’t having any luck. Serena tried too, but she wasn’t able to connect with them.I was worried about Johnson. Was he okay? Where was he now? Was he in immediate danger? Were we? What if they’d followed him and found us? At one point, I thought a car was following us. It was a red car and it was behind us for quite a while. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want Jules to worry. I glanced back at the car through the rearview mirror, momentarily convinced that it was one of Jake’s people and that they’d tracked us down.But the car eventually turned off the highway.‘You’re just being paranoid,’ I told myself. ‘No one’s following you.’I was impressed to see that Jules was a good driver. He didn’t speed and he kept his eyes locked on the road. He was calm and collected, and that helped
Trista’s POVI tried to sleep, but I tossed and turned all night. Thoughts of Johnson flooded my mind. I kept thinking about him and trying to come up with ways to help him. The look on his face in the forest – he had seemed so…tortured. There had to be something I could do. But what?He was going through something, something profound. And no matter how much I wanted to understand, no matter how sympathetic I was, I couldn’t truly feel what he felt. He had twin wolves warring within him. His family was in danger. He was worried about me and the children. All of these things were things that only HE could experience.I sighed, turning over and drawing the blanket up to my chin. The house was dead quiet, with only the gentle sound of Jules snoring softly in the next room. I’d known Johnson so well at one point in my life. Better than anyone, I’d believed. But now, he was somewhat of a stranger to me. We’d been apart for so long and he’d gone through all these events…without me. The dist
Trista’s POVThe pain in Johnson’s eyes was palpable. It broke my heart, seeing him hurt like that. I leaned to kiss him, in an effort to comfort him. But he turned his cheek and shook his head.“We need to have a serious conversation,” he told me, his brows furrowed.“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” I told him, taking his hands in mine. He inhaled a sharp breath. He was clearly grappling with something, searching for the right words.“I can’t involve you or the children, Trista, in anything that’s happening with my family. I’ve already involved you way too much. It needs to stop. It’s just too…dangerous.”“I’m well aware of the dangers,” I told him. “The children will be safe at Blue Moon Crescent Pack with Liam. I’m here for you. I want to help.”Whether or not he liked it, I was already involved. I couldn’t just turn my back on him, not now, not when he needed me the most.“That’s the problem,” he said with sadness in his eyes. “I know you want to help. You’re so brave and strong