(Aaron POV) Three days later after Jason’s failed shopping trip, I found myself outside an apartment complex in a human town. I wasn’t quite sure why a wolf –much less a female wolf—would choose to live in a human town, but to each their own. I knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments –and what sounded like a woman stubbing her toe and cursing, which brought a tiny smirk to my face—a woman opened the door. Holy Goddess. I was starting to see why Jason was being so weird. This woman had the face and body of an angel; she was easily the most beautiful she-wolf I had ever seen. She had the kind of beauty that would intimidate any male wolf, even wolves with tons of game like Jason. More importantly, she had this unique energy about her. Many she-wolves have a quiet, submissive energy about them –especially when around high ranked male wolves. This she-wolf had energy that was anything but submissive. Her energy felt energized, independent,
(Jason POV) I woke up to loud, angry pounding on my door. I looked over at the alarm clock and it read 6:15 a.m.. Whoever was knocking on my door at this hour had better have a damn good reason. “Who is it?” I heard the distinct and angry growl of my best friend. “Get the f--- up, Jason.” “Aaron?” I called through the door. “What on earth? Is there an emergency?” “Open this door now, Jason, or I’m going to break it down.” “Dude, chill. I’ve got a girl in here.” I mind-linked him. “You have three seconds.” Aaron shouted back. He wasn’t using the mind-link. He only doesn’t use the mind-link when his emotions are too high to control it. Whatever he is mad about, I knew it was going to be bad. “3….2….” I scrambled out of bed and opened the door. I was immediately greeted by a punch to my face that knocked me straight to the ground. “Dude, what the ---” I exclaimed
(Jason POV) I walked into Alpha Blake’s office expecting to see Aaron. As I walked in, I was surprised to find not one, but seven pairs of angry eyes staring at me. One pair obviously belonged to Aaron. Another belonged to Josephine, who was sitting on Alpha Blake’s lap. Both of my parents were also there, as was the current Gamma (Henry) and the Gamma-heir, Ben. I walked in, and quickly made a joke to break the tension. “I didn’t rob a bank, so you all should probably look for another suspect. Perhaps the cat did it.” I laughed, but quickly realized I was the only one who did. “Sit down, Son,” my father told me. There was only one open chair, and it was right in the middle of the room with the other chairs turned to face it. I sat down. “What’s this about?” The room was silent for a moment. I could feel the tension, and I could also see the eyes of everyone glaze over as they appeared to be mi
Jason’s POV After the intense meeting with pack leadership, including my own parents, I headed to my room to continue to think about what had happened and how I would go about fixing everything. I was happy that Cassie wasn’t engaged, but I was confused as to why she was trying on wedding dresses the day that I met her. I was also confused as to why I felt the betrayal pains. Did I misunderstand what I was feeling? I have never had a mate before so maybe I don’t know what betrayal feels like. It definitely didn’t feel like I was going to die. Maybe she wasn’t with another wolf? Or maybe she was but thought better of it? Also, why was Aaron so angry? Granted, I should have told him that Cassie was my mate before he went to meet with her. But his anger this morning was another level. He didn’t tell me the second he met Allison, and it took him weeks to tell me everything that happened between them. Surely, if anyone would under
(Aaron POV) The meeting with Jason and pack leadership was tough. I never thought that I would be in that kind of heated meeting with my best friend and future Beta, but it had to be done. I had been with Cassie when she felt the first round of betrayal pains. It had been horrible to watch, and there was nothing that I could do to comfort her or make it better. I was grateful that it had been fairly quick, but I couldn’t leave her alone after that. I had to wait around with her until she fell asleep and I could confirm that she was OK. She had done OK for a while, and I had been prepared to go ahead and leave, but then the pains started up again. And again, and again, and again, and again. I called our pack doctor to come to our location stat, and he thankfully was able to get to her apartment in 90 minutes instead of the two hours that it normally took to get from our pack to this location. He confirmed that she was showing signs of betrayal
Jason’s POV: Despite the rocky start to our lunch, the tension between Aaron and I eventually settled down and we were able to have a productive conversation about how I would go about fixing things with Cassie. That’s not to say either of us were fully past our issues with the other. I had obviously f---ed up, and Aaron was there to hold the pieces together. Meanwhile, my wolf was beside himself that my best friend had touched my mate, even if he didn’t know she was my mate when he did so. I probably would have been just as upset as my wolf, but for the fact that I was still a little taken aback – Cassie was the first she-wolf I am aware of that Aaron has kissed in seven years. Yes, seven years. Allison really did a number on him. I’m surprised he doesn’t have cobwebs growing out of his crotch by now. Either which way, we eventually agreed that Aaron should accompany me to my first visit with Cassie. Of course, the main reason was
(Cassie POV) I wasn’t sure what to say when Jason walked into my apartment. After last night, giving him a chance was not something that I wanted to do. Aaron was persuasive yes, and it is always hard to turn down a hot, powerful man who is pleading with you to do something, but I knew I would have but for my wolf. My wolf was adamant that I talk to Jason, hear his side of things, and find out if we could make a lasting connection. Last night’s events hurt her even more than they hurt me. I knew she took as much of the pain from me as she could, in an effort to spare me. Given how much what I felt hurt, I couldn’t begin to imagine what the pains felt like from her perspective. My wolf had always been loyal and kind. She had always tried to support me and boost my self-esteem when my parents would disparage me. She was my constant friend and ally. Jason hurting her was all the more reason for me to reject him and never turn back. At the same
(Jason POV)The more time I spend with Cassie, the more intrigued I am by her. I appreciate her fire and her spirit. She isn’t like other girls that I have dated, but that’s OK. The Moon Goddess knows what she is doing.Tonight is finally Friday, the day that I will get to take my beautiful Cassie out on our first date. I have been eagerly waiting for today all week. I admit that the first time we met was rocky, and our second meeting with the 20 questions game could have gone better, but I am determined that tonight will go well. Third time’s the charm, they say.Despite doing fairly well with the ladies, I haven’t really ever dated any. I have a general idea of what makes a good date, but there is too much at stake here for me to risk getting any of the details wrong. I decide to do what any self-respecting man in my position would do…. I ask Josephine for dating advice.Josephine is much younger than my mother, so she is likely to have a better idea of what a woman Cassie’s
And that is a wrap! I hope you all have enjoyed the journey. I will definitely miss these characters. They definitely took on personalities of their own as we went along. I cannot tell you how many times I sat down planning to write one thing, only to find the characters demanding we go a different direction. Thankfully, we will still get glimpses of the key characters in Book 2, which will focus on the Moon Goddess's decision to pair Maggie and Alpha Paul. That book will also pick up where this book left off, in terms of Bobby and the Moonlight Six. I plan to start Book 2 in a few weeks, after I take some time off for a couple of family vacations. Thank you all for reading!!! If you have enjoyed the journey, please leave a gem and/or positive review!
(2 ½ months later)(Jason POV)The last few months have been an absolute whirlwind, but I can honestly say that I have never been happier.After our big fight the night of Duncan and Moira’s cake-tasting, Paige and I stayed up for hours talking… and fighting… and making up again. We realized that we both like to be challenged, and once we both agreed to take rejection completely off the table, we found that we are really good at being one another’s “safe place” to have heated or difficult conversations.Instead of Theo flying out to Texas, Paige decided that we should go back to Blue Moon together. She arranged for other wedding planners to handle all of her Texas weddings except for Moira and Duncan’s. She understandably wanted to keep their wedding, but everything left to do could be done remotely until the weekend of the wedding itself. Once we are a bit more settled, she plans to open a part-time wedding planning business just outside Blue Moon territory.... at which she wil
(Paige POV) Neither Jason nor I said anything to each other on the way home from the bakery. It was just as well. Thankfully, Moira did not seem angry about Duncan and Jason leaving… and we were able to successfully pick flavors for their wedding cake… but the whole thing was still embarrassing and unprofessional. The moment we walked into my apartment, Jason headed to the kitchen. He peeked inside the refrigerator and calmly asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner. “Really? That is the first thing that you are going to say to me? Not ‘I’m sorry for embarrassing you,’ or ‘I’m sorry for having my head up my a— since you got back’ or ‘How did the rest of your tasting go? I hope I didn’t cost you a couple of clients.’ Hell, at this point, I’d even take ‘Hey, Baby, I’m craving tacos, does that sound good to you?’” “Why do I feel like you are itching for a fight, Paige?” “Maybe because I am, Jason! I cannot live this way anymore!!!” Jason turned around and glared at me. “Liv
(Paige POV)So it turns out that Jason not only upgraded my flight to first-class… he booked himself a ticket as well. Jason explained that he had decided that he was going to go where I went for the rest of my life… or until I rejected him for the third and final time. He also told me that his plan was for Theo to stay with Jason’s parents for the first couple of weeks, and then —if I had not kicked him out yet— Theo would come and join us.But for everything else, I probably would have found Jason’s decision to come to Texas with me to be a really sweet gesture.However, over the next week, Jason’s behavior continued to be bizarre. Worse, his constant presence began to feel suffocating and overwhelming. Even Carly, who loved having her mate nearby, was becoming concerned.Among other weird things, Jason:—continued to insist on making me breakfast in bed every. single. day. I could not even grab a piece of toast or a granola bar without Jason freaking out. —refused to disagree
(Paige POV) As I get on the airplane, my heart feels heavy. I know that I need to get back to Texas, but even after spending the morning talking to Jason and most of the afternoon de-briefing with everyone else, things still just feel… unsettled. I had hoped that talking to Jason would give me some better insight on our relationship… but more than anything, this morning felt…. awkward. In addition to bizarrely shaving his head and insisting on serving me breakfast in bed, Jason spent almost the entirety of our conversation either apologizing or agreeing with everything that I said. It sort-of felt like I was talking to a wall; the normal, opinionated Jason was not there. As much as the normal, opinionated Jason irritates me at times, I could not help but wonder where he was. I definitely like the normal Jason better than the shell of a wolf that he was this morning. Oh, well. At least if I am going to have a heavy heart on my flight back, I will be comfortable. (Somehow, my
(Cassie POV) I wake up to Josephine’s voice in my head. “Cassie, Sweetheart?” I moan. “I am sleeping. What is up, Josephine?” “It is one o’clock the afternoon.” “One in the morning?” I respond back groggily. “No, Sweetheart. It’s the middle of the afternoon.” “That’s not possible,” I groan. “We did not get home until five o’clock.” “Five o’clock yesterday, Baby.” Realization hits me. I must have been more tired than I realized. The last thing I remember was having a hot shower with Aaron, eating more food than I want to admit to eating, having a second round with Aaron in our bed, and then asking Aaron if we could talk after a took a quick nap. Apparently that nap was the longest nap ever. I try to stretch my arms, but one arm hits something hard. I blink open my eyes and see Aaron laying on his side, with one arm supporting his head as he stares at me. He smiles as soon as our eyes meet. “Good morning, Sweetheart,” he says. “Good morning, Aaron,” I smile back at
(Paige POV) When we finally made it back to Blue Moon, my emotions were a muddled mess: —I was relieved to be back. —I was happy to be alive and unharmed. —I felt both sad and betrayed about everything involving my sister. —I was horrified about having watched my sister be murdered in front of me. —I was scared and nervous to see Jason again, after having rejected him for the second time less than a week ago. —I was still upset with Jason for having knocked up my best friend. —I was still in shock that Granny Apple played a role in Sarah getting pregnant. Complicating my mess of emotions even more was the reality that I was hungry, dehydrated, and exhausted. When I saw Aaron race from the packhouse to greet Cassie, my heart felt happy for the two of them… and a little jealous too. I could not help but wonder if Jason and I would ever get to that point, or if my happiness —like that of Aaron and Cassie— would be found in the arms of a second chance mate. Carly growled in
(Aaron POV) As soon as I heard that Cassie was at the border, I took off running. I shifted into my wolf in order to run faster, not caring that I was shredding my clothes in the process. I did not bother to mind-link anyone; I knew my father would do so. All I cared about was getting to Cassie. I reached Cassie within just a few minutes. I was vaguely aware that Paige, a baby, and a few of our border guards were standing nearby, but no one else mattered to me in that moment. I quickly shifted back to my human form and wrapped Cassie up in my arms. I am not ashamed to admit that —as I clung to her as though my life depended on it— I buried my head in her neck and cried. They were happy tears, but tears all the same. For her part, Cassie clung to me just as much if not more than I clung to her. I could feel her tears on my bare shoulder, so I knew she was crying just like I was. After a couple of minutes, I finally —although reluctantly— pulled away from her just a little bi
(24 hours earlier)(Cassie POV)“I… I have so many questions,” I tell Bobby after listening to his story.“I do, too,” Paige whispers. I glance at her and can tell that she is in shock. So much of what she has thought and believed for the past several years has been turned upside down in the matter of a single 10-minute conversation. “I’ll answer what I can until Shelly gets here.”“After all Shelly and the Moonlight Six did to you… why are you dating Shelly?”“Keep your friends close; your enemies closer,” Bobby responds as though it is nothing.“Don’t you feel like you are… cheating on your mate?” Paige asks.If my handcuffs would allow it, I would reach over and slap Paige upside the head. Seriously, that was the first question she asked Bobby? I remind myself that she is in shock and going through a lot, but I also chuckle a little bit as I realize Jason would likely have asked the same question.Instead of answering Paige, Bobby growls angrily. Paige seems to realize her