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
Trista’s POVThe bonfire blazed, the flames licking the sky. People dumped more wood onto it, even though it was almost out of control. The moon was high in the sky. A lot of people had let their wolves out, and they were running and rolling around. Some were even fighting – a playful sort of fight that males wolves tend to do.The serious part of the day was over. The vows had been said and the new Luna and Alpha had been crowned. It was time now for the werewolves to let loose.And letting loose they were.If you’ve never seen a werewolf bonfire, it can be a bit hard to explain. It’s sort of chaotic. We have a primal urge in us and when we let loose, well, it’s a bit of a raucous, rampant, wild mess.It’s all in good fun, though. And no one really gets hurt.Not usually.“This is madness!” Johnson said, his eyes wide as he took it all in.“This is a typical pack wedding,” I replied.It felt good. It felt good to be back with a pack. I felt…at home. Even though it wasn’t my pack. The
Trista’s POVCrap! Liam was right. It was a treasured wedding tradition, but I hadn’t even thought about it since I hadn’t been Luna in so long.“Come with me,” Liam said, motioning for me to follow. Johnson glanced at us from over his shoulder. I knew he didn’t want me talking alone to Liam. But werewolves really value their traditions, and this was important. So…I followed Liam over to a secluded corner of the lawn.The party was in full swing now. It was noisy and chaotic as wolves danced and rolled around on the sand. The bonfire was blazing high and the scent of cooked meat and burnt logs wafted through the air.Despite the massive fire, the night was cool. I wrapped my arms across my chest to keep myself warm.“Are you cold?” Liam asked. “Here, take my coat.”Before I could respond, he took it off and wrapped it around my shoulders. “Thank you,” I said. “But as for Hazel’s gift, I’m not sure what we can give her,” I told Liam. “When I left the pack, I didn’t really bring anyth
Trista’s POVI was speechless. I held the ruby ring in my hands and stared at it.It was my wedding ring. The ring I’d sold. “How?” was all I managed to say.I NEVER thought I’d ever see my precious wedding ring again. I didn’t understand. The other ring had been passed down in Liam’s family. But this ring? Where had Liam found it?“It was a coincidence,” Liam shrugged. “I was at a jewelry auction one day, and there it was! I recognized it immediately. You know, I was a little hurt when I saw it. You sold your wedding ring? That stung, Trista.”“I had no choice, Liam. I was broke. You and Lucy had just got me fired. I had no money.”“I assumed that was the case,” Liam said sympathetically. “I’m really sorry, Trista. I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for you.”I closed the lid to the ring. He’d apologized enough. It didn’t matter. ‘Sorry’ didn’t change anything. I didn’t want to have this discussion again. “You’re right. You can’t imagine,” I said dryly.Just then, a w
Trista’s POV“Monsieur Alpha Liam,” the man said, reaching for Liam’s hand. He took Liam’s hands in his and shook them. Then he leaned in and air kissed Liam on either cheek. “Tres wonderful! I am Alpha Lemone, of the Dove Song Pack in France. We are so honored to be here.”“Ahem,” the girl beside him said, batting her eyelashes at Liam.“Of course,” Alpha Lemone said. “Allow me to introduce Claudette. My daughter. Claudette, this is Alpha Liam of the Blue Moon Crescent Pack. And this is…” his voice trailed off as he turned to me. “I apologize, madame. I do not know your name.”“Eden,” I told him, feeling uncomfortable. I suddenly remembered the pen name I used for my jewelry design drafts, so I blurted out the name. These were clearly VERY high status people. The way they socialized with people was like wearing a gentleman's mask, which made them seem polite but hypocritical. So it didn't seem like there's anything wrong with me wearing my ‘mask’.Liam raised one eyebrow a
The party atmosphere here was even crazier than at the city nightclub after 1 a.m.There was no way Johnson would be there.“Hello gorgeous, can I tempt you with a hit?” I turned to see a young wolf with two she-wolves on his arm. He held out a light blue pill. It was a drug of some sort. He was already very high, as were the two girls on his arm.“No thank you,” I smiled politely. He simply shrugged and wandered away.I was getting a little worried now.A lot of wolves were high or drunk. I had to find Johnson to make sure he was okay. It was very dark by now, and since I was away from the bonfire, I was struggling to see. Plus, I’d had my contact lens in all day, so my eyes were very dry.The pack house was lit up from the inside. Through the windows, I could see tons of werewolves inside, milling about, talking and laughing. But I knew Johnson wouldn’t be there. It was one thing to bring an outsider to this wedding. They’d never let an outsider into the pack house, though. That wa
Trista’s POVHow was this possible? How could they be ripping off designs I’d sold in Milan? And they were calling them ‘custom designs?’ My mind reeled as I stared at the picture of Moon Mates. I’d been SO proud of that design. I’d worked myself to the bone in Milan to create it! With Lucian’s help, I’d procured just the right material that had worked perfectly for the design. It had been risky, using Moon Mates for the competition since every other design had featured glittering jewels and high-end gems. But I’d taken a chance and it had paid off. My mind flashed back to the competition and the rush of pride I’d felt when the crowd had gasped, in awe, at my special design.And now it was being sold in some crappy brochure? Under someone else’s name? A new level of fury bubbled inside of me.This was unbelievable!“I can buy this?” I asked, pointing at Moon Mates. “I can order it? Right now?”She nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes,” she said, a wide smile plastered on her face.“How mu
Trista’s POVI was furious.My designs had clearly been leaked, but how did this? The only people that had seen my designs were the board of directors at HS. I’d given a presentation and showed them some of my concept drawings. I’d told them about what I wanted my store to look like, and my dreams for my jewelry line. My ideas had been well-received but after the presentation, whether it was a press conference or during the production of the product samples, everything had been strictly confidential.I’d made sure of it, since I’d been worried that someone would steal my designs. So to ensure that no one could, different product series and different parts of the production were assigned to various processors, but not a single one of them had my complete design drawings.And yet, this store was full of exact replicas. I didn’t understand! Clearly, my designs had been leaked to someone. But how? Hazel had been in charge of everything. She’d overseen the process herself and there was NO
Trista’s POVI swiped the tears from my cheeks. There was no use just sitting there, crying. It wouldn’t solve anything. Until I heard from either Johnson or Dagny, there was literally nothing I could do to help either of them, even though I wanted to so badly. I’d come to work to distract myself, so that was what I had to do. If I let myself dwell on this, I’d become a nervous, emotional wreck. I couldn’t let myself get so sentimental. I had to stay strong and calm.I decided to take a moment to collect myself before I dove back into work. I pushed back my chair and went to the window to get some air. I propped it open to allow a fresh breeze waft through my dusty, stuffy office. But as I glanced down at the busy street below, my eyes fell on the jewelry store across the street.I was stunned to see that it had already opened for business. That was quick! When I’d left two months ago, the store had still been under construction. I assumed it would be several months before the store o
Trista’s POVThe first thing I noticed was a thin layer of dust on my desk. It made sense, since we’d been gone for almost two months at that point. Everything else was exactly as I’d left it, and it felt really good to be back in my little office.I dusted my desk and then sat down. I organized my draft designs while I booted up my computer. When I logged onto my email, I was surprised to see an email from Johnson. At first, a swell of hope gripped my heart. Was he reaching out to me? I quickly opened the email, hoping that maybe the email would let me know where he was and how he was doing. But then I realized that the email had been sent two months ago.I scanned the email. In it, he told me that he’d found a shop for me in New York. He’s also included some pics of the shop. The tone of the email was excited, optimistic. I slunk back in my chair.He’d sent it right before Hazel and I had decided to go on our European adventure. I’d been so busy right before we left that I hadn’t ch
Trista’s POVI woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through my window. It was just Billy, Belle, Jules and I in the house now with Liam and Hazel gone. We asked Jules to stay under the ruse that we needed his help looking after the kids. The truth was, Jules had to stay with me for the time being so I could protect him, just in case. Liam and both felt Jules needed to be with me.Jules took his job as a pseudo nanny very seriously. He was already in the kitchen making the twins breakfast when I wandered in. He had one of my old aprons on and he was flipping pancakes like nobody’s business.“Uncle Jules is taking us to school,” Belle said happily.“After pancakes,” Billy added.“If that’s okay with you?” Jules asked. “I want to see their school and I thought you might like to rest.”That was really sweet. I didn’t have the heart to tell Jules that I wanted my car today while the kids were at kindergarten so I could go and check in on my office.“That’s great,” I told him. “I
Trista’s POV “What?” Liam asked. “Red Moon Pack? Are you sure?”“Of course I’m sure,” Hazel said. “I was surprised too. I thought our cooperation with Red Moon Pack only started in the past three years or so. But these contracts said otherwise. They were much, much older than that. I don’t understand though. I thought Blue Moon Crescent and Red Moon pack had a poor relationship until recently. So why do they have contracts from years and years ago? I assumed you probably didn’t know about this since you never mentioned it. I guess your parents must have signed those contracts and not told you about them. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with those contracts, Liam. The whole thing just seems fishy to me. So, I came over here to tell you myself. Luckily, I came just in time for dinner.”Hazel winked at me while Liam sat in stunned silence. Apparently, Hazel had been right – Liam didn’t know about those old contracts with Red Moon Pack.“I don’t know what to s
Trista’s POV“Your parents are back,” Hazel blurted out, a cookie poised in her hand. My pot of vegetables began boiling over so I rushed to the stove.“What?” Liam asked coming into the kitchen fully. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked Hazel.“I am telling you. Now,” Hazel chuckled. “Besides, you’ve been a little busy.” She glanced down at the bandage around his stomach under his shirt. “I didn’t think it was pressing.”“You didn’t think it was pressing,” Liam sighed, repeating her words in an exasperated tone. “When did they get back? What do they want?”If I didn’t know better, I’d say there was an edge to Liam’s voice. I thought he’d have been a little more excited to hear that his parents were back. But his tone said otherwise.“A few days ago,” Hazel shrugged.“What have they been doing?” Liam asked, pulling up a chair while I drained the vegetables. We heard Jules explode into a fit of laughter from the living room, followed by Billy and Belle. “Other than following me around
Trista’s POVWe walked back into the house. I was really glad I’d had that talk with Liam, but now that all those things were out of the way, my mind went back to the problems at hand. The children were in the living room, crawling all over poor Jules.“Let’s play pony, Uncle Jules,” Belle exclaimed, clapping her hands.“Yes! I want to ride Uncle Jules!” Billy laughed.I was anxious, but I tried not to let Jules or the children see.“Oh, all right,” Jules sighed, rolling his eyes playfully. Then he got off the couch and went down on his hands and knees. “Pony Jules at your service,” he said. Then he lowered his front half down to the floor and Belle climbed on. He paraded around the room with Belle on his back. She cheered and laughed with delight.It warmed my heart, seeing the children having so much fun. And honestly, it looked like Jules was having a great time as well, which made me happy since the poor man had been through a lot in the past few hours.“Perhaps he missed his call
I hope he can read my mind.In fact, I also need his support.I know that the current situation may not be optimistic, and I can't just leave them alone and pretend nothing is happening; On the other hand, I can't put the children in danger if I’m helping Johnson and his family.If there is someone else here I can trust and who will protect my children at any cost, then that person must be Liam, their real father.“Liam, not just Johnson, but the whole family are wonderful and decent people. They helped not only me, but you too! Liam is the one who saved you by throwing you out of the VIP room window and told me to leave. And Johnson is the reason we were able to escape and come back here, to the United States. He distracted the black-clad men. If he hadn’t done that, who knows what would have happened? And Dagny, she healed your wounds. I know you feel she is unfriendly. But if you knew their family history you would not say that. They are Lycans. For many years they have been hunted