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.
Trista’s POVThe next few days passed by in a blur. We tried everything on the ship: rock wall climbing, ziplines, go karts, mini golf, and of course, plenty of time at the water park. We spent our mornings and afternoons with Billy and Belle. Their own private nanny followed us everywhere, and the children didn’t want for anything.At night, we took them to the kids’ camp and gorged on exquisite 5-star dining. Italian, French, East Indian, Japanese – there was a restaurant specializing in every cuisine under the sun! After dinner, we took in shows, or went dancing.We were having the time of our lives, soaking up every single minute.Lucian reached out to us a few times, inviting us to dinner, or drinks, or another show. We politely declined. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to see him. It’s just that we wanted to focus on ourselves. Hazel was reluctant to be with Lucian, knowing he was her human mate. She wanted this trip to be about US – about girltime. Not about relationships.“MAMA!
Trista’s POVMy breath hitched in my throat as I stepped out into the courtyard. Was this really happening? Was I finally going to see Johnson with my own two eyes, after all this time?It was a dark night, with only a sliver of the moon in the sky. But even in the darkness, I could see his form, standing there, facing me, his shoulders slumped forward.It was him. It was really him!My heart swelled with an intense feeling and I couldn’t hold back by emotions.“Johnson,” I said, rushing into his arms. He held me so tightly, one arm wrapped around my back, the other hand cradling my head. I took in his scent, the familiar, comforting scent as I pressed into him. Tears streamed down my face, and I let him hold me for a long while. We both trembled at the relief of seeing each other again.Eventually, he broke the embrace, holding me back and studying my face.“Look at you,” he sighed. “As beautiful as ever.” He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. The touch of his thumb on my ch
Trista’s POVAs soon as the children and Jules got back, I sat them all down. I tried to keep the fear out of my voice as I told them we were going on a ‘special trip’. I wanted them to be excited, not frightened.“Another trip, Mamma?” Billy asked, his eyes wide. “On a big boat again?”“No,” I shook my head. “This time, we’re going to a very special place. It’s deep in the primeval forest.”“Primeval forest? That sounds scary,” Belle said, recoiling on the couch.I rushed to her. “Oh sweetheart,” I said. “It’s not scary at all. I promise. There are lots of people there. And they will all be excited to see you. I would never take you anywhere scary, I promise.”“I don’t know,” Jules said, biting his fingernails. “I agree with Belle. A primeval forest sounds…frightening.”Seriously? I whipped my head and shot a glance at Jules. It was bad enough that I had to convince my children to pick up and trek through the forest. But Jules was an adult! Couldn’t he see that the children were scar
Trista’s POVWas that…Was that Johnson?I sat, frozen to the spot. Could it really be him? After all this time?“Trista?” the voice said again, and I knew in my heart of hearts that it was unmistakably Johnson.It was the first time I’d ever heard his voice on a mindlink. Did this mean he was in the United States?His voice sounded a bit garbled, with an edge of confusion. I surmised that it was likely because he wasn’t used to using a mindlink yet. I also noticed a bit of surprise in his voice, as though he were a bit shocked that he could speak to me this way. I didn’t blame him. Connecting through mindlink wasn’t something he was used to. He’d lived as a human his entire life, and speaking this way took a little getting used to. “It’s me, Johnson. Yes, I’m here,” I answered rapidly while tears of relief brimmed in my eyes. He was alive. He was okay. I’d been so afraid that I’d never speak to him again. How many times had I wished to hear his voice? How many times had I tried to
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