Trista’s POVThe children were overjoyed. They bounced around happily in the backseat, clapping their hands. Johnson, too, beamed with pride.The decision to call Johnson ‘daddy’ was a big decision.And I felt like I’d been left out of it.Seraphina whined softly as we drove home. That was odd, since she didn’t usually voice any concerns. She didn’t seem too pleased about this decision, and I didn’t know why. I tried to console her.As far as I know, she only showed this expression when she was scared. The last time she gave me this uneasy feeling was when I was a young adult and first went to a human school. I was in the library until 2 a.m. to study for an exam, and when I came out of the library, I had left my glasses behind.Usually, wolves have better eyesight at night, but that doesn't help us blind wolves.That night we encountered an unknown creature. At first we thought it was a burglar who might be taking advantage of the darkness to rob us. An ordinary human adult is not st
I sighed. I think I'm really not good at relationships.I had been driven out by the wolves. I had adapted to human society.Human love is sometimes a philosophy. They think more about their sense of responsibility to their family and whether the two of them are "a good match."I don't know if it's a choice from the heart, or if it's a choice to break free from the shackles of the mate bond.But at the same time, it seems to me that it is more like a gamble and a risk.And Johnson’s strange behaviour today didn’t help matters. I remembered his blood red eyes. The way his face had contorted and twisted. The feel of his hand crushing mine.What had that been about?Was it his Lycan bloodline?And he had basically accosted Liam. He’d been belligerent and ornery. Then he’d been outright rude to Stevia.I felt uneasy.I knew Johnson very well. Or at least, I thought I did. But this side of him? It had my mind spiraling.I decided to confront him. I had questions, and I needed to know the a
Trista’s POV The next morning at my office, Hazel and I were hashing out the details of the seating plan for her reception dinner.“And…” Hazel said with a flourish, “you and Johnson will sit here.” She put a sticky note on a table at the front.She paused, staring at the seating plan. “You know, I’m a bit surprised you’re taking Johnson,” she said. “Has he ever been to a pack? I mean, like a real werewolf pack?”I shook my head. “No. But there’s a first time for everything,” I said with a smile.“Hm.”I sensed that she had more to say, so I prompted her.“You think it’s a bad idea? Taking Johnson with me?”“Not at all,” she smiled. “Please don’t get me wrong. I support you no matter what. It’s just that, well, I guess I hoped that maybe you and Liam…”I cut her off. “Me and Liam? Are you serious, Hazel? You know what he put me through! You were there!” I couldn’t believe it. Was Hazel secretly holding onto hope that Liam and I would get back together.”“I know,” she sighed. “But pe
Trista’s POV“Can we PLEASE take the Ferrari?” I begged Johnson.We were standing in the driveway, dressed up and ready for the big wedding. The morning had not gone well. I tried to make breakfast for the kids, but I burnt the pancakes. Then Billy tripped on his way to the bathroom and scraped his knee. Gladice was late because she’d had some sort of personal problem to deal with. So I’d barely had enough time to get ready!And now, Johnson and I were arguing over which car to take. He wanted to drive to the wedding in my crappy old beater. I wanted to arrive in style, in my Ferrari. It was my best friend’s wedding, after all!He was firm though, so my shitty car it was!I was agitated at first, but the day was beautiful with clear blue skies and sunshine. It was a bit of a drive to Red Moon, up the coast to the south side of New Jersey. Red Moon Crescent pack was near the ocean, and I rolled down the windows to let the salty ocean air fill the car. Because the journey was quite lon
Johnson glared back at Liam.“He was invited,” I told Liam. “By Hazel as my guest.”Liam shook his head and scoffed. “He’s an outsider,” Liam said. “These are OUR people. Are you sure you really want to bring an outsider into our community?”“No, he’s also…” I started to say. But then I stopped. I didn’t want to tell Liam that Johnson was a Lycan.“He’s what?” Liam asked, raising his eyebrows. But something about his expression told me he knew something about Johnson. Did he already know the truth?“He’s also…excited to be here,” I finished vaguely. Good one, Trista, I chastised myself. I’d never really been a good liar.“I bet he is!” Liam snapped. Then he fixed his eyes on Johnson. “I know ALL about you,” he said, his voice low. “You’re a liar. Pretending to be all clean and innocent. Fooling Trista with your dirty tricks.”“Liam,” I gasped. This was hardly the place or time! This was a wedding and I wasn’t about to let Liam make a scene. “Stop it.”Liam glared at Johnson. He cli
Trista’s POVThe party at the grassy area was only one part of the afternoon party.Apparently,half the guests were down at the beach.The Red Moon pack was a little famous on the east coast in the werewolf world for having their very own beachfront.Most of the packs on the east coast were in the forest or the mountains.Red Moon Pack was unique because the pack was right beside the ocean.I pulled on Johnson’s hand.“Can we go down the beach?”I asked him,excited.“Of course,”he smiled.He followed me down the trail that led to the waterfront.I gasped as we crested a small hill.The sight was breathtaking.The beach stretched on in both directions for miles.The azure water lapped gently at the white,sandy shores.There was a big bonfire,with flames blazing,surrounded by tables and tables of food.Everyone was barefoot,happily taking in the sun and the peaceful seaside vibes.As we approached,a couple puppies ran in front of us.They squealed with laughter as they chased one another across th
Trista’s POVThe elder glared at us.The elders sitting on their perched chairs glared at us.The front row turned around and glared at us.I blushed….deeply.Hazel didn’t make eye contact with me.She pressed her lips together and stared at the ground.Was she upset?I couldn’t tell.But everyone else she the hell was.“Do you have something you’d like to say?”the elder holding the dagger asked.Johnson’s face was also beet red.He stammered and wrung his hands.“I…um…well…no…Sorry.”“Shsh,”I snapped at him.“I apologize,”I said,addressing the elder.“My friend,here,has never bore witness to a wedding ceremony before.He was just…a little…surprised by some of our customs.It WON’T happen again.”The elder stared at me for a moment.I didn’t think it was possible to get any redder in the cheeks,but then he said:“Perhaps you and your FRIEND should leave.”I was mortified!Was I being kicked out of a wedding?My best friend’s wedding?In front of all these people?There were few things so shameful.T
I couldn’t accept our pack being a laughing stock.I wanted our pack to be respected.So I used all my savings to start a business for our pack.I was smart and I rallied.I was determined to make our pack rich,so that all our little pups could have a better life.Liam also had an affinity for business affairs.He had a talent for it,so I handed over the business I had built to him.That way,I could focus on being a good wife and Luna for him and the pack.And he thrived.He really did.He excelled.But he became very,very busy.And the busier he got with the business,the worst things got between us.Everything just sort of…changed.He withdrew from me.In fact,come to think of it,I don’t know if I ever heard him say‘I love you’.I craved his love.I wanted him to love me.But I don’t know if he ever did.And then…He broke our mate bond and divorced me...“Is it over?”Johnson asked,as people clapped happily, which made me suddenly wake up from my memories.“No,”I said,his voice snapping me back
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