Thanks so much for the love and support! I've noticed some readers asking about updates in the comments. The book is now currently on-going and I'll try to keep updating 7-10 chapters a week. The book isn't going to end in such a hurry, I'll make sure the story is complete and the end is satisfying ;) There are very many interesting and surprising plots to come. I promise it will be a special story. Please feel free to leave your comments telling me what you think! Again, thank you all. [love]
Trista’s POVI glanced at the wall. Nine o’clock. Where was Johnson? I was trying to stay calm, but this was really unusual for him. Johnson hardly ever came home late. He’s always home at night to help with Billy and Belle.In fact, when I started to think about it, Johnson didn’t really have any sort of social life. He never met up with people after work for dinner or drinks. I realized I’d come to take him a bit for granted. I just assumed he’d be home every night. It had become so natural. We had a routine.Which is why I was all the more concerned.I checked my texts and messages again. Just in case I’d missed something. But nope. Nothing from Johnson. So I decided to call him.It rang and then went to voicemail.Okay, so this was getting REALLY weird. Johnson had NEVER stayed out this late without phoning me. I started pacing the room. Even in Milan when we weren’t living together, he always checked in with me.And he always, ALWAYS answered his phone when I called.Alpha Jeremy
Trista’s POVI frantically reached for my phone. Maybe it was Johnson. Maybe he was texting me to let me know he’d changed his mind. That he was coming home after all!But no.It was a text from Hazel.I stared in awe at the screen shot. 4 tickets! Aboard Oceanic Dreams!Whaaaaat?I know Hazel had said we were going on a luxury vacation, but Oceanic Dreams? That was the most luxurious cruise ship in the world.I couldn’t believe it! It had everything! Fine dining galore. The best entertainment and broadway shows. An entire water park. Zip lines. A botanical garden. I looked more closely.She’d booked us a VIP suite? With our own dedicated butler and 24 hour nanny.Holy crap!Then I saw the location.Dubai.Dubai!?I squealed despite myself. I’d always dreamed of going to Dubai. Images of the white sand desert and azure water flashed through my mind.We could ride a camel! I thought excitedly. And for a moment, I was so unentrenched with thoughts of Dubai and this glorious cruise ships
Trista’s POVMate? What? Johnson. Needless to say, this took me by surprise.“Serena, are you sure?” I asked her.She shook her head. “No, not at all. I mean, I can feel something. It’s similar to a mate’s feelings. Sort of. But it’s also different in a way. It’s there, but it’s not quite the same. I can’t explain it.”I thought about this for a moment. What had changed? I’d known Johnson for five years. I’d spent a ton of time with him. Serena hadn’t noticed anything mate-like about him. Neither had I.So why now?Was it…was it because his true wolf nature was finally coming out? He had shifted, after all. Into a full blown Lycan. Could that be why she was sensing a change in his smell.“It could be,” she responded pensively.That would mean…Johnson is my second chance mate? But a second chance mate is extremely rare. It’s a blessing bestowed by the Moon Goddess on only the most deserving of wolves. It can be very unstable, though, the matebond in a second chance mating. Maybe that’
Trista’s POVI tried to sleep, but sleep eluded me. I tossed and turned all night. Serena’s words kept replaying in my mind, like a recording on loop. My mate? A Lycan? The man I’d known (and thought was human) for five years?Eventually, the sun rose. I checked my phone. Nothing from Johnson. Well, at least I could tell the kids about the vacation.In fact, I had a BUSY day ahead, I realized as I threw back the covers. We were going on vacation TOMORROW! I had a hundred things to do to get ready….starting with the kids!“What if I told you there was a giant boat,” I teased them as I scrambled their eggs. “And on the boat were more sweets than you could ever eat. Soda pop, too.”They raised their eyebrows. “That sounds like a fairy tale boat,” Billy said skeptically.“It does,” I agreed. “But there’s more. It has waterslides. And playgrounds. And swimming pools. Would you like to go? On a boat like that?”They both nodded emphatically.“Good! Because Aunty Hazel bought us all
Trista’s POVThe ship Oceanic Dreams loomed above us.“Holy shit,” Hazel said, her mouth gaping wide open.“Language,” I elbowed her. “The children.” But I knew how she felt. I couldn’t believe this was our cruise ship! I’d seen pictures, drooled over them actually. But seeing it here, in real life! No pictures could do this cruise ship justice. We were greeted immediately by a woman in a suit.“Welcome aboard Oceanic Dreams,” she smiled at us. “I’m Krista, and I’ll be your personal hostess during your time aboard. We have some wonderful port trips planned for you, as well as some pre-purchased tickets.”She motioned for us to follow her onto the ship. “Your luggage will be taken care of. I assume you’d like us to unpack it for you?”Unpack it? Holy crap. This was the lap of luxury. I’d never, in my whole life, had someone else unpack for me.“Yes, of course,” Hazel said, as though this treatment was perfectly normal for her. Then she winked at me when our hostess wasn’t looking.“Gr
Trista’s POV “The High Seine is an annual event,” Lucian explained. “It attracts the richest, most elite people in high society from all over the world. It’s invite only, which might be why you’ve never heard of it. It’s not publicized. Not for ordinary people, anyway.”“Sounds intriguing,” Hazel said.I raised my eyebrow. Ordinary people? That was a snobby thing to say. But he didn’t seem to notice. It was normal for him. The world was separated into two factions: high society and ‘normal people’ – aka: the rich and the rest.“Intriguing,” he repeated. He clucked his tongue. “Yes. I guess that’s one word for it,” Lucian smiled. He had an easy way about him. His eyes were a frosty blue, almost translucent and then sparkled when he talked. He told us all about the auction, about some of the jewelry pieces that had been sold there. Apparently, people dished out big money to buy one of a kind pieces. There was no other auction in the world like it.I listened intently. It sounded fabul
Trista’s POVDinner was resplendent. Lucian told us more about the High Seine auction. But whenever I tried to bring up the competition, he was either vague, or he changed the subject. I realized I would have to figure this out on my own. Other than that, he was warm, friendly, and very charismatic. After dinner, we made our way over to the theater for the Broadway Review. Kirsta had snagged us some pretty amazing seats – we were in a box. We had an unobstructed view of the entire stage.“The rich really have it made,” I said to Hazel as the curtains went up.“Agreed,” she replied. We even had our own private butler for the box. He made sure our champagne glasses were always full and brought us caviar and fancy cheeses (although I couldn't possibly eat another bite after the dinner we’d just had.)During the show, I couldn’t help but side-eye Hazel and Lucian. He was decked out in an Italian silk suit, dark and elegant. Hazel was wearing a sleek cocktail dress, her hair pulled back in
Trista’s POVI felt a little sad when I heard Hazel say that. I still remember when we were teenagers, she mentioned that we might both have a mate, and her eyes were like stars. “Hazel, you can do both. You can have a relationship AND be a great Beta for Blue Moon Crescent.”She nodded pensively. Then she turned to me with a half smile. “I know you believe that. But it’s different for me, Tris. You’ve already had such an exciting life! I mean, come on! You got a degree and lived in New York City! Then you moved to Milan. You have an amazing career. You’ve traveled. You’ve seen things. You’ve experiences I could only dream about.” Her voiced was tinged with sadness. “And what have I done? Nothing. My parents both spent their whole lives in the pack. And so far, I have too. But I don’t want to be like them. I envy you, Trista. I want to be like you. You understand the human world. You’re a part of it. You integrated so well.”“I integrated because my wolf is disabled,” I interrupted.