Trista’s POV Lola’s screams pierced the air. I continued to walk away. She was being banished. Her screams were high-pitched. I could hear the pain in her voice. Right now, they were dragging her to the pack border.Just like they’d dragged me five years ago.I had a brief flash of sympathy for her.Five years ago, I’d suffered a horrific double torture. First, the breaking of my mate-bond. Then, being banished.Banishment.It had changed a bit over the course of history because now we could go and live in human society. That hadn’t always been the case. There was a time when a banished wolf had very few options. They were destined to be rogues, forever without a pack. It was dangerous. Many of them died.But now? A lot of rogues chose to integrate into the human world. That’s what I’d done. It wasn’t easy, though. A wolf’s pack is the root of all things. It’s the anchor that holds us. Our security. Our culture. Our ancestral past. Our packs are a primitive bond that holds us
Trista’s POVI couldn’t help but notice Johnson’s naked body as he stood. His clothes had long since been torn to shreds and my tiny cardigan did little cover his muscular frame as we walked away from the water and down the beach. His chest was glistening from the water. Normally, I would have taken a moment to appreciate and admire his perfectly sculpted chest. But time was of the essence. We had to get out of here. So I tried to avert my eyes. Luckily, we had found his torn pants. They must have stuck to his fur or something.I noticed the gash marks on his thighs as we walked along. They looked deep. He also had some across his chest, as well as a bite mark on his neck. The wounds were already healing, but I had to admit, they were pretty bad. This made the situation even more urgent. We had to get somewhere safe so he could heal.We avoided everyone as we walked back to the car. We could see the bonfire flames in the distance and heard loud laughter and howls. Luckily, we managed
Trista’s POVJohnson sat down beside me, beer in hand.“Well, to my first werewolf wedding,” he sighed, clinking his beer bottle with mine.I smiled weakly. “Was it everything you thought it would be?” I asked sarcastically. “And then some,” he confessed.We sat in silence for a moment, both of us uncertain of what to say.“You know, it really was beautiful, though,” he sighed. “I was a bit shocked at first, by the blood and knives. But once I got past that, there was something very meaningful about the rituals. Almost…transcendent.”I nodded. This was a very different Johsnon than the one who had fired off questions like a child during the wedding. This was the Johnson I knew – the mature, retrospective, intelligent Johnson.“Werewolves love their rituals,” I responded. “Some of our rituals date back centuries. We take them very seriously.”He took my hand then and squeezed it. “Were you afraid?”There was no sense beating around the bush. We needed to talk about what happened. I
Johnson‘s POVTrista clinked her bottle with mine and settled back into her chair. Her smile unfurled as she took my hand.I sighed with relief.Everything was okay. She wasn’t afraid of me. I hadn’t hurt her.Thank God. Or the Moon Goddess, as the werewolves say.The pain in my neck was almost completely gone. My mind flashed back to the pain I’d felt when I turned back into a human.I wasn’t being completely honest with Trista. I’d glossed over how much the shift had actually hurt. And I told her I couldn’t remember anything.That wasn’t exactly the truth.The truth was…well…it was almost too horrific to think about.I remember seeing her in the tent. Carlos and his sister had her pinned down. I saw that her dress was torn open. Carlos appeared to be sexual assaulting Trista while she was struggling helplessly. Anger rose in me, and I reshed toward the tent. Then I saw a beast, a big wolf pounce on them. I didn't know what was going on. All I knew was that Trista was in danger. And
Trista‘s POVKnock. Knock. Knock. It sounded like thunder in my head. I opened my eyes and realized it was just Hazel knocking on my door. Sunlight flooded through the window.It was morning. I squinted in the light. I had a headache. I must have drank a bit too much beer with Johnson last night. He must have brought me to bed and tucked me in, too. Because my memory was a bit groggy and I didn’t remember going to bed“Trista?” Hazel called from the living room. “I let myself in. I hope that’s okay?”“I’m coming,” I called from the bedroom. Of course it was okay. I’d given Hazel a key. She was welcome in my home any time.I quickly wrapped myself in a housecoat and went out to meet her in the kitchen. She was already putting on a pot of coffee. I yawned and scratched my head.“I need some serious caffeine, stat,” I told her. Then I glanced at the clock.Oh my! It was past nine!I didn’t hear my kids. Their shoes were by the front door were gone. Johnson must have brought them to schoo
“Well,” she started. “Carlos’ position at the company has been suspended indefinitely.”“Serves him right,” I said. “What about Lola?”“Apparently she threw quite the fit last night after she was evicted. Like, full on temper tantrum. She made a complete ass of herself. But…I guess she just disappeared sometime in the middle of the night.”“She probably went to beg other packs to take her in. Or to find a place here in town, in human society.”“Maybe,” Hazel shrugged, sipping her coffee. “At the end of the day, they got punished. Both of them. They’re evil and their actions have consequences. Carlos can’t have kids and Lola is evicted now. It really doesn’t affect me. I’m Beta of Blue Moon Crescent. That’s all I ever wanted. All I have to lose over all of this is an unloving, jerk of a husband. So yeah. I’m good.” She flashed me a smile.“What did you think of Liam?” she asked.“What about Liam?” I chewed thoughtfully on the pancakes.“I mean, about his decision to NOT accept Lola as
Trista’s POVI met her concerned eyes. She knew. She was partly asking me, partly telling me that she knew. She knew that Johnson was the white beast.There were no secrets between me and Hazel. We were best friends – sisters. So I nodded.“Yes,” I confirmed.“Oh Trista,” she said, clamping her hand over mine. We were both very worried, and it felt good to share this worry and burden with someone else.“He doesn’t know,” I told her. “Not really. I mean, he knows that he turned into some sort of beast. But he can’t…he can’t remember everything. He doesn’t know how strong and powerful he really was.”Hazel pressed her lips together, paused in thought.“Well, I heard he was frantic. Almost completely out of control. He just sort of came out of nowhere and started causing havoc. A dozen of our strongest warriors couldn’t even stop him.”“Oh,” I said, as my heart dropped. I hadn’t heard that side of the story. All I had known was that he appeared in the tent, fought the wolves, and then le
I thought about that for a moment. I've seen it all in the five years we've been together and how well he takes care of the kids. Although we haven't officially confronted our relationship, the kids love him and he's their Johnson Daddy. on that level, he's become my actual family. Yes, I guess if I were to describe the relationship between Johnson and I, we are more like family than friends.I nodded.“Yes. I know he’s not technically family. But he’s an integral part of my life. So I guess I’m factoring him in, you know? And if he gets into trouble here, then I’ll leave with him.”“That would be very sad for Liam,” Hazel said. “If you left.”I wasn’t surprised that Hazel sympathized with Liam. He had, after all, just shown his loyalty to her at the pack hospital when Alpha Jeremy was being a total asshole. And if I was being honest with myself, Liam was really good to Hazel. So I understood her return loyalty to him.I, however, was NOT factoring Liam into my life choices. Whether
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