Trista’s POV
“He’ll reconsider, I know he will,” Hazel said.
Hazel and her dad, Beta Jack, walked with me to meet Liam at the elders on Monday morning.
“You’ve been a good Luna, Trista,” Jack assured me. “There’s no reason for him to divorce you.”
We got to the elders but Liam wasn’t there yet. I hadn’t seen him since he told me he wanted the divorce.
The elders instructed us to take a seat and wait.
“Do you know where he’s been staying?” I asked Jack. Jack shook his head.
“But it looks like you can ask him yourself, because here he is,” Jack said.
Sure enough, Liam had entered the room…with another woman on his arm!!!
I blinked in disbelief. Another woman? But who?
“Trista,” he said snidely. “Meet the NEW Luna, Lucy.”
New Luna? But we weren’t even divorced yet! I squinted, trying to make out the woman’s face. But I couldn’t see her clearly. They took their seats across from us. The elders stood. The woman looked at me smugly. Was she…was she the reason he wanted a divorce?
“We are ready to hear your case,” the elders told Liam. Liam wasted no time with formalities.
“I have come here today to initiate a rejection.”
“Have you asked for a divorce?” one of the elders asked.
“Yes, but Trista will not sign the divorce papers. This is the only way now.” Liam’s tone was blunt.
Hazel squeezed my hand. His words stung. He was making it sound like this was my fault! All I wanted to do was stay married! Was that so wrong?
“I have come on Trista’s behalf,” Jack said, stepping forward.
“You may speak on Trista’s behalf, Beta Jack,” the elders said. Liam shot Jack a nasty look. Jack ignored it. “I feel that Liam is making a mistake,” Jack said. “Trista has done nothing wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?” the woman, Lucy, blurted out. She stood up. “Her wolf is blind! And she’s pretty much blind too. She hasn’t provided Liam with any heirs. He tried to be kind and offer her a divorce. But she wouldn’t accept it!”
“And who are you?” the elders asked.
“I am Omega Lucy, of Red Moon Pack,” she said boldly.
Omega? So it was true! Liam was leaving me for an omega? This just kept getting worse. “Liam and I are in love,” she continued. “We have been for years.”
For years? I felt like I couldn’t take any more. This was too much…
“If not for his marriage to Trista, we would have been together years ago. I am here on Liam’s behalf. He doesn’t love her. He loves me. He wants me to be the new Luna.”
I could hear the hate in her voice. She despised me. But why? I didn’t even know her.
“I see,” the elders sighed. “Alpha Liam, is this true?”
“Yes,” Liam said. “The Alpha of the Red Moon pack has been abusing her. She isn’t safe there anymore. I love her and I want her to be my Luna. She will be a strong Luna for this pack.”“Even so,” Jack said, glaring at Lucy, “I urge Liam to reconsider. Our pack already has a strong Luna. Trista.”
The elders were silent for a moment. I held my breath. Then one of them spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“We agree,” he said. “Trista has been a strong Luna for this pack. We too urge you to reconsider.”
“I have given this a lot of thought,” Liam said. “I do not love Trista. I am adamant. If she won’t sign the divorce papers, then I will initiate the vow of rejection alone.”
Clearly, he wasn’t going to change his mind. Lucy flashed me a smile of victory. I hung my head. She had won. It was over. He was going to reject me.
Liam opened his mouth to begin the rejection, but I cut him off.
“There’s no need to initiate a rejection,” I said calmly. “You clearly want to be with this other woman, and you’re not going to change your mind. Your wolf will be weakened if you do this and I don’t want to put the pack at risk. I will protect our pack as my last act as Luna. I accept your divorce.”
Hazel gasped beside me. She pulled me aside.
“Are you nuts?” she asked. “What are you doing? You’ll be a rejected Luna! You’ll have to leave our pack! You’ll be exiled as a rogue, Trista.”
I appreciated her concern, but the past few days had been mental torture. I was exhausted. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted it to be over and I told her that.
“Beside,” I smiled weakly. “Rogue life isn’t so hard anymore. I can return to human society. I lived with humans all through college. I have experience. It’s not so bad.”
“No Trista,” she said, her eyes wide. I could see tears forming. “I’ll be okay,” I assured her. “I have no family here anyway.” It was true. My mother died when I was young and my father left two years ago because of the illness. “If I lose Liam, my husband, there’s nothing left for me here. What’s the point in staying?”
“Luna Trista?” the elders asked. “Is that your final decision?” I nodded at Hazel and walked back to the table.
“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin and blinking back the tears. I felt the moisture on the lenses of my glasses. No way I was going to let them see me cry. “I, Trista Moonlar, accept Alpha Liam Stonewood’s rejection.”
Trista’s POV“And sign the divorce paper as well,” Liam snidely slid the files across the table. I breathed deeply. This was for the best. I would leave the pack and reintegrate into human society. I could start over. I had my degrees and experience in the human world. It wouldn’t be that bad.“Here, I have a pen,” Lucy scoffed. I locked eyes with hers. If this was the woman he loved, an omega from a different pack, then so be it. I was done. I was so over this. I grabbed the pen and quickly slapped my name onto the papers. Then I slid it towards the elders. They read the papers recognizing our divorce.And just like that, it was over.I was no longer Luna.“Trista is entitled to half the pack’s wealth,” Hazel said.What was she doing? I shot her a look that said, ‘stop it, no,’ but she continued. “The pack is only rich now because of Trista. All the wealth we have, Trista earned it. When humans divorce, they share their wealth. It’s the law. Trista should receive compensation. How e
Trista’s POVMy paper gown crinkled as I laid down on the bed for an ultrasound. I wouldn’t normally go to a human hospital but what choice did I have? I was exiled. So I’d found a small but cheap hospital one town over from Summerset. Because the hospital was small and cheap, I knew their equipment wouldn’t be very accurate. They wouldn’t pick up on any of the ‘wolf’ in me.The doctor was nice. I described my symptoms and he suggested an ultra sound. He smeared the cold jelly on my stomach.“Ah,” he said, smiling. “I thought that might be the case. See here?” He pointed at the screen and I looked over. “That small ball, right there. That’s your baby. Congratulations! You’re pregnant!”Preg…nant?What?He smiled kindly at me. “I assume from the look on your face that you weren’t planning this?” I shook my head in disbelief. I’d been trying to conceive for three years! To give Liam the heirs he so desperately wanted! How was it possible that I was finally pregnant…now…right after he di
Trista’s POV“Stop your foolish tricks! I haven’t even touched you for months! It can’t be my baby!” Liam spat out, his voice seething. “Who’s bastard seed is in your fucking womb, Trista. Who were you screwing around with?”I gasped, shocked by his words. We’ve been together for three years, he should have known what kind of a person I am. “Liam, I never cheated on you. The baby is yours.” He must have forgotten the night he came home drunk from the pack social night. We had sex that night. It was about a month ago before we divorced.Lucy looked nervous. She bit her lip. But then he started yelling at me and she relaxed. “Are you stupid?” he scoffed at me. “Do you think I want a blind heir? Blind like you and your useless wolf?”“I…no…I,” I stuttered.“It’s not mine,” he stated. “I can’t feel my heir. If it was really mine in that disgusting womb of yours, I’d be able to feel it.”No, you wouldn’t, I said to myself. You already rejected me. Plus, the baby was still so tiny. Only six
Trista’s POV*Five years later*“Billy! Belle! Lunch!” I called. My two precious twins came running in through the door. They just turned five and they’re one heck of a handful, but they’re the most wonderful children in the world. The sun streamed in through my oversized, floor to ceiling window. We sat at the table and I sighed with contentment.I had thought I would have one lovely child, but didn't realize they turned out to be two. So I have both an adorable angelic girl and a smart and handsome boy. They made me the luckiest mom ever.Just then, the phone rang. It was Jonhson, the CEO of JL Jewelry and my boss. He had also become a good friend. When I packed up five years ago and made the risky decision to move here, to Milan, he hired me on the spot. He said he saw ‘real potential’ in my designs. I was a little worried, because I was pregnant. Could I do this all on my own? But when the babies came, he gave me a generous bonus so I could afford the best daycare in Milan.“Trist
Trista’s POVWe boarded the red eye to New York. From there, a driver would take us up the coast to Summerset where we would stay at the Four Seasons Resort.“Nervous about flying?” Jonhson asked me. I was wringing my hands on my lap. “Or is it Billy and Belle? Don’t worry, they’re in good hands.”They were. They were staying with Johnson’s parents. The twins loved his parents. Once Johnson took the kids to his parents on a vacation for a nice summer day in order for me to focus on creating the drawings for my new products. I am truly grateful to Johnson's parents for providing me with very just the right amount of help every time. I think I'll find some time to visit them and tell them my thanks in person.Johnson thought I was anxious about the flight or my kids. I was anxious, yes, but not about the flight or the kids. I was anxious about running into Liam. I didn’t want to tell him that, though, so I just nodded. “I know. You’re right. Billy and Belle will be just fine.
Trista’s POVAs soon as I removed my contact lens - instant relief. I rubbed them and squinted into the mirror. I’ve had my eyes checked several times by optometrists. I even went to see a renowned specialist in Italy. He said it was strange because there was nothing wrong with my optic nerves or my actual eyes. But for some reason, my vision is still really poor. I got contacts when I moved to Italy so I didn’t have to wear my ugly, clunky glasses anymore.My face was blurry in the mirror now because my contacts were gone.“Sorry,” my wolf, Salina, whispered. I don’t hear from her very often. Because of her disability, she’s really quiet and shy, much quieter than other wolves. I could feel her pacing around, though. She’d been a little restless since we landed, and even more so since we got to the restaurant. She can sense the familiarity of this place, and the unease that comes with it.“It’s okay,” I whispered back to her. “It’s not your fault.”For a moment, my nerves got the bet
Trista’s POV“Let’s go check out the JL store,” Liam said, as he took a final swig of his drink. “I’d like you to take a look around. You know, so you can get a sense for the branding.”The mention of the store sent my stomach lurching. My mind flashed back to Lucy. Her mocking laugh. My manager firing me. The embarrassment of being forced out of the store by a security guard.“I…I don’t know,” I stammered. “Is that..is that necessary?” I REALLY didn’t want to go back to that store.“I think it might be a good idea,” Jonhson said. “I personally have never seen a JL store in this area, and I wouldn’t mind checking it out.” He looked to me. My hands were wrapped around my drink and my head was down. “I mean, if that’s okay with you, Trista?” His voice was kind and gentle. He knew something was off. I lifted my head and gave him a confident nod. I was here on business, and part of that meant checking out the store.“Sure, sounds good to me,” I lied through my teeth.“Great. Let me just c
Trista’s POVI quelled Salina. She was upset. She didn’t want to be here. And quite frankly, neither did I. Liam called the manager over. I recognized him immediately. He was the same manager that had thrown me out five years ago! I pushed down the nervous feeling in my stomach.“Mr. Stonewood,” the manager said in a humble tone. “Will you be needing my assistance today?”I squinted at him, but he didn’t recognize me. Fair enough. I was older now, and much prettier. Plus, I didn’t have those awful thick-rimmed glasses anymore.“As a matter of fact, you can,” Liam said. Was it just me or did he look nervous? “I brought a ‘special’ guest to the store.” He emphasized the word ‘special’. Liam pushed me forward. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize her!”The manager studied my face for a moment, and then realization washed over him.“Of course,” he said, clasping my hands and smiling.“I brought her here to see the…the gift?” Liam was acting strange. He was definitely nervous. He kept wiping
“Who are you?” I asked the second voice in my head. Silver’s voice was gone. I didn’t understand. Where was this second voice coming from? It was so different than Silver’s. It was soft and gentle. Silver’s voice tore through my head like a whip. This voice rippled and floated. I was instantly drawn to it.“Quill,” the second voice said. “I’m your other wolf.”Other wolf? But how could that be? Did he mean that…Silver was my wolf? My heart dropped. If Silver was my wolf, then that meant – my wolf was a blood-thirsty, evil beast bent on killing everyone and anything in his path?Oh God.But wait. He’d just said ‘other wolf’. So that meant…“I have two wolves?” I asked, confused.“Yes. We’re twins,” the gentle voice confirmed.Twin…..wolves?“We’re nothing alike, Johnson,” the second voice, Quill, continued. “In fact, we’re polar opposites. We argue all the time.”“Why haven’t I heard your voice before?” I asked.“Silver often overpowers me,” Quill explained. “But I’ve found a way to br
Johnson’s POV“Impressive,” Jake smirked, looking at the shattered window. I hoped he bought it. If he knew that I was trying to protect both Liam and Trista, and that I let them go on purpose, it would only pique his interest in both of them, especially Trista. He’d want to find her and have a ‘good time with the bitch.’ I couldn’t let them happen. I had to persuade him that I hated both Liam and Trista. “Yeah well, he deserved it,” I snapped back, lacing my voice with as much venom as I could. “He was a pompous ass.”Jake nodded appreciatively. “And the bitch?” he asked, meaning Trista.“She’s nothing,” I snipped, waving my hand in the air dismissively. “I was nice to her at one point. I mean, come on, she’s a hot piece of ass, after all. I wanted a taste of her. But she chose that scumbag ex of hers over me. So I naturally got pissed and snapped. I wanted some revenge on the woman who hurt me. But she got away before I could.” I chose my words carefully, hoping I could fool Jake.
Johnson’s POVJake began to chuckle, a low, guttural laugh. I thought for sure he’d raise his strange gun again and shoot Liam right in the head. But he didn’t. Instead, he turned the gun over in his hands. I could tell by Liam’s reaction that it wasn’t an ordinary gun. Clearly, Jake and his men had come to the auction prepared. They must have known they might encounter a werewolf. I could only assume, but something told me that the strange gun had some sort of power over werewolves.Jake proudly showed his men his weapon. They nodded appreciatively. I stared at the gun, my eyes falling to a peculiar emblem. It looked like some sort of S. I had no idea where that gun came from, but there was something about it that I really didn’t like.“Looks like it finally came in handy,” Jake chuckled. “I knew it was.” Then he turned to Liam. “That was for my father, you mother fucker.” Jake motioned at Liam and his gun wound. “He always hated you fucking wolves.”The wolf was gone from Liam’s f
Johnson’s POVI glanced around the room. Any minute now, these men would fire off another shot with their strange weapons. They’d already shot Liam in the stomach, but they wanted to kill him. Their next shot would be through his head.An uncontrollable fury ripped through me. I tried to push it down. I had to save Liam. But Silver smelled blood. He gnashed his teeth! I was so mad at Liam. What was he thinking? Why had he come in here? Didn’t he know these men were dangerous? Why had he just barged into the VIP room unannounced?He was an alpha but he was no match for these men. Not when they were armed with guns.Liam looked at me, confused. He was holding his stomach, blood oozing out through his gunshot wound. Then his confusion gave way to anger. He narrowed his eyes. He thought I was one of them, one of these men. And I had to keep acting like I was. But I couldn’t let them kill Liam! Jake lifted his strange gun again, his lips curled into an evil smile.NO!I reached out and gra
Trista’s POVDagny eyed me with a quizzical look. “Are you certain?”I completely understood her trepidation. It was like a miracle. I was shocked myself. But I was sure. Jules was the person we needed. “Yes,” I said emphatically. “There’s only one personal assistant named Jules at HS. It has to be him.” I grinned from ear to ear. I felt like finally, we’d caught a break. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Jules was supposed to be working for Johnson, but he was Liam’s personal assistant. So he was basically working for Johnson’s rival. It was all so surreal. “You think he knows where the key is?” I asked.“If he doesn’t know firsthand, then he’ll know how to find out,” Dagny said.I nodded. “Then I should go back to the United States immediately,” I told her. Of course, I had some ulterior selfish reasons for wanting to go back.I missed Billy and Belle terribly, as well as Hazel. Relief flooded through me. Finding Jules would be easy. I knew exactly where to look! Plus, I could hold my
Trista’s POV“I know what you’re thinking,” Dagny said. “I have no idea what’s in the vault, I don’t know where the key is and I can’t tell you where Storm and Mercury are so how are you possibly supposed to find them, right?”Yup. She pretty much nailed it right on the head. That’s exactly what I was thinking. But then she flashed me a mischievous smile.“Well, I might not know where Mercury and Storm are, but I know where their son is.” I balked. Their son? I’d assumed that Mercury and Storm were both men. But apparently my assumptions were way off base.“Mercury and Storm fell in love. They got married and had a child, a boy. He’s just a little younger than Jonathan. Maybe four years or so? Anyway, Storm and Mercury wanted their son to return to the land of their ancestors. So they left Europe and brought him to the United States. He was raised there from a young age and they integrated him into human society. He went to school, graduated, and got a good job at a good company.”
Trista’s POVI appreciated Dagny’s support. I wasn’t sure yet what I was going to do. The Erasthai bond came with a lot of inherent risks and I needed time to carefully sort through it all. But in the meantime, we needed to come up with a game plan for our current situation.“What should we do now?” I asked Dagny. “Do you know where Stewart it?”“Yes. He must be hiding somewhere,” Dagny told me. “He changed the color of the curtains in the window in the attic to warn me. So I think he’s around here somewhere. I can stay here, hidden in the cottage and look for him.”I nodded. That made sense. If Steward had been in the estate to change the curtains, then he was probably nearby.“What about Johnson?” I asked. I was really worried about him, even more so now with all the things Dagny had told me.“Well, based on the information you gave me about Milan, I think he’s safe for the time being. It sounds like Felix’s younger son is running the show now. He’s likely taken control of all the m
Trista’s POVI turned the words over in my head.The Lycan Erasthai?“No, I don’t think I have,” I told Dagny. The words were unfamiliar to me.She nodded. “Well, the Erasthai is a special bond that Lycans experience. Werewolves have matebonds appointed by the Moon Goddess. But Erasthai is an emotional bond that comes from the heart.”“It’s like a matebond for Lycans? This Erasthai?” I asked.“Yes, sort of. But it’s much stronger. Much more serious,” she told me.I found it hard to believe that anything could be stronger than a werewolf’s matebond, but I had no point of reference since I wasn’t a Lycan. So I had to take Dagny’s word on that.“I’ve sensed Johnson’s feelings for you. I sensed them when he came to visit us at our estate. I think you might be Johnson’s Erasthai.”I also knew Johnson had feelings for me, but I thought they were just human feelings, since I thought Johnson was human. But now Dagny was telling me that his feelings might be something much deeper. If Erasthai
Trista’s POVI was speechless.Me? Had I just heard her right?She looked at me intensely.“Like I said, Trista, I can’t be entirely sure. It’s only a guess. But something has changed. Something has instigated his wolves and I know how he feels about you. I think you might be his mate. And his wolves are reacting to that.”She stated it so matter-of-factly. But her words sent my thoughts whirling. I was relieved we were downstairs in this secret room. I was grateful for the privacy as I grappled through the enormity of the things Dagny was telling me.I was the reason his wolves had awakened? Me? I didn’t like that thought. It was bad enough that Liam was upstairs right now, injured by a mystical Silvery because of me. If what Dagny was saying were true, then I’d activated Johnson’s dormant wolves? But how? And why? I considered Johnson to be family, but up until a little while ago, I’d thought he was human. I’d known him for five years and there hadn’t been a single day I thought he