Peyton’s office has filled once again. Paige is gripping my hand like her life depends on it. I know she doesn’t want me to worry about Ash, but I can’t help it. Her wolf is my mate, too.
Our mate. Dom huffs.
He’s worried too. He can’t feel Ash, and that scares him more than he’s letting on.
“Paige! You’re here!” My mom glides over to us and pulls Paige into a tight hug. Paige tries to hide it, but I know she’s hurting.
“Mom, be careful. She’s still healing.”
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize. Have you met James’ mate? She’s so sweet! They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
I tune out their conversation, my mind drifting to Ash again. I have heard of wolves leaving their humans, but only in extreme cases. The wolf som
“How long has Ash been gone?” Rita asks, gliding around her room to grab a crystal.“Just since the battle. She was there, but when I shifted back, she was gone.”“So, she was there for part of it?”“Yes.”“When you were hurt, did you change by choice or by force?”“Force.”“Okay, I’m going to put my hands on either side of your head. This will help me get inside your head. I’ll try to find her or figure out what’s going on. It may be painful, but I need you to keep still.”I glance at Colin. His smile is uneasy, but he nods to me. His hand reassures mine with a squeeze, but they still tremble. My stomach flips when I feel her plump fingers land on my temple. I close my eyes and wai
The room is covered in ideas and fabric by the time we finally nail all the plans down. It’s a good thing too; I thought Paige was going to explode on her mother a few times. I wave goodbye to the girls and run to my room to make phone calls. It takes me two hours and several thousands of dollars later before I have everything ordered. Pushing away from the desk, I rip the ponytail from my vanilla hair. It cascades down my aching shoulders, nibbling at the tops of my scars. The fleshy stripes that I should hate, the blemishes that should remind me of the man who tried to kill me. But all I see is raw proof that I’m strong, that I survived twenty years of torment. “You are gorgeous, Nic.” Nolan leans against the doorframe. I smile at him, so grateful that the Goddess gave me him. He wraps his arms around me, and his crystal blue eyes darken just a shade. If I didn’t know any better, I could swear a mate bond was forming between us. He smells sweeter to me with every day that passes. H
Hugh bristles as soon as Nicole leaves our room. He’s not a fan of letting her out of our sight, ever. For a woman who isn’t our fated mate, he’s really protective of her. Then again, the love we share is strong. It’s growing every day. Maybe we’ll be mates after all. I count the seconds until my southern region calms down. I’m already missing Nicole. I just want to get downstairs and hold her again. Scratch that. I need to get downstairs. Nicole needs me; I can feel it.A sweet honey scent hits me when I get to the stairs. Hugh immediately perks up, and I feel my heart fall. That scent isn’t Nicole, but it is my mate’s. My feet hit the bottom stair. I peek into the dining hall. Nicole’s back is to me. My gaze moves to the woman in front of her. The doe-eyed, stunning woman who Hugh says is our mate. Her brunette hair is pulled into a bun, making her look taller than she is. My body gravitates towards her, despe
The last four days have been insane. Every day there has been something happening to pull off this last-minute Luna ceremony. Right now, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the number of dresses the designer brought. Three racks pumped full of dresses stand before me, and I’m supposed to choose one. Ugh. Most of the dresses are black, some are green, some are white, and there are some gold ones stuffed in. I grab the first green dress I see; it looks like a sequin monster threw up on it. I shake my head in disgust. I’m not even trying that on. I keep combing through the racks until a dress catches my eye. I pull it from the hanger and try it on. It’s beautiful. The emerald green matches my eyes. I slip it over my body, and I know that it’s the one. The dress is tight in the right places and flows at the bottom for effortless movements. I walk out into the room where my mother, Cassie, and Claire are sitting. Their gasps tip my lips up into a bright smile.
“What are you doing?” Colin asks.“He helped us, Colin. We have to help him.”Nolan barely looks up at us when he opens the door. I don’t like what I see when he does finally returns my gaze. Nolan’s eyes are cold and empty, something I’ve never seen from him. Even when Nicole was in the hospital, his eyes held so much emotion.“Nolan, how are you?” I ask.“I’m wonderful.”“I can tell. The broken desk looks like it’s had a ball with you.”He flops on the bed with nothing but a sigh. He seems to be sober, despite the room smelling like a hurricane of bourbon hit. Guess it wasn’t strong enough for his werewolf genes.“Nolan, do you remember what you said to me? You told me that Colin couldn
“Welcome to our home,” Margot says.“Thank you for having me. My name is Kai Fury, but just call me Kai.”He shakes everyone’s hand but lingers on Paige’s a little more than I like. I have to turn my head as he lightly kisses the back of her hand to avoid a fight.He’s an unmated male touching our unmarked mate. Kill him. Dom growls.He’s an Elder; violence won’t get us far. Margot leads everyone into the sparkling packhouse. She introduces my family to Kai, and I catch a glint of jealousy in James’ eye. So, it’s not just me, good to know. Once the tour is finished, we head to dinner. We’re eating in the private Alpha’s dining room tonight. Paige and Margot thought it best because it’s much more formal and elegant. But if we were in the dining
“Nicole! You came!” I try to get up and hug my mother-in-law, but the hairstylist pushes me back down.“Of course! I wouldn’t miss this.” Nicole stands in front of my mirror and wraps her arms around my neck. “You look beautiful.”Mom says, “Wait until you see her dress!”She hugs Nicole and then drags her off to only Goddess knows where. I down my fifth glass of champagne, trying to keep my enormous bundle of nerves at bay. I wish Ash were here with me. She would be so happy to become Luna. Goddess knows she was always in support of it, even when I wasn’t. I call for another glass of champagne. I give a mental toast to Ash wherever she is. After hours of sitting in the awful plastic chair, the stylist is done. My fiery hair is twisted and braided into a bun that sits on the top of my head. A few stray hairs have been curled around my fa
“My name is Elder Kai Fury, and I’m here to oversee the Luna ceremony tonight, but first, Alpha John has an announcement to make.”My hands tremble. It’s time to break the news about the merger. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I’m not sure it’s good.“Good evening. Thank you for all being here to celebrate my daughter and her mate. Before we continue with the ceremony, I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how proud I’ve been to be your Alpha. Truly, it’s been an honor to lead you, just as it was for my father before me and his before him. That said, there comes a time when every Alpha must retire.” John pauses. “Traditionally, the title would be taken by my son Peyton. However, he’s chosen to go down a different path. He’s on his way to fatherhood. His mother and I couldn’t be prouder of him. I mean it, Peyton. You’re going to be a wonderful father, and I respect
I follow him through the woods, letting him guide me to whatever he has planned now. Colin walks us to a small clearing between the trees. It’s decorated with a tent and roses. Twinkling lights highlight my smile.“What is all this?”“The date I owe you.”“It’s beautiful.”“Not more so than you. But I’m glad you like it. Alex and I worked on it all afternoon.”“I’ll have to remember to thank him.”“Nah, he only helped a little, but you know if you want to thank me. I wouldn’t be mad.”“In that case, let me show you thankful I am.”He yanks the tent open. It’s filled with blankets and pillows. I crawl in and plant myself on the soft pile. Colin falls n
“My name is Elder Kai Fury, and I’m here to oversee the Luna ceremony tonight, but first, Alpha John has an announcement to make.”My hands tremble. It’s time to break the news about the merger. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I’m not sure it’s good.“Good evening. Thank you for all being here to celebrate my daughter and her mate. Before we continue with the ceremony, I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how proud I’ve been to be your Alpha. Truly, it’s been an honor to lead you, just as it was for my father before me and his before him. That said, there comes a time when every Alpha must retire.” John pauses. “Traditionally, the title would be taken by my son Peyton. However, he’s chosen to go down a different path. He’s on his way to fatherhood. His mother and I couldn’t be prouder of him. I mean it, Peyton. You’re going to be a wonderful father, and I respect
“Nicole! You came!” I try to get up and hug my mother-in-law, but the hairstylist pushes me back down.“Of course! I wouldn’t miss this.” Nicole stands in front of my mirror and wraps her arms around my neck. “You look beautiful.”Mom says, “Wait until you see her dress!”She hugs Nicole and then drags her off to only Goddess knows where. I down my fifth glass of champagne, trying to keep my enormous bundle of nerves at bay. I wish Ash were here with me. She would be so happy to become Luna. Goddess knows she was always in support of it, even when I wasn’t. I call for another glass of champagne. I give a mental toast to Ash wherever she is. After hours of sitting in the awful plastic chair, the stylist is done. My fiery hair is twisted and braided into a bun that sits on the top of my head. A few stray hairs have been curled around my fa
“Welcome to our home,” Margot says.“Thank you for having me. My name is Kai Fury, but just call me Kai.”He shakes everyone’s hand but lingers on Paige’s a little more than I like. I have to turn my head as he lightly kisses the back of her hand to avoid a fight.He’s an unmated male touching our unmarked mate. Kill him. Dom growls.He’s an Elder; violence won’t get us far. Margot leads everyone into the sparkling packhouse. She introduces my family to Kai, and I catch a glint of jealousy in James’ eye. So, it’s not just me, good to know. Once the tour is finished, we head to dinner. We’re eating in the private Alpha’s dining room tonight. Paige and Margot thought it best because it’s much more formal and elegant. But if we were in the dining
“What are you doing?” Colin asks.“He helped us, Colin. We have to help him.”Nolan barely looks up at us when he opens the door. I don’t like what I see when he does finally returns my gaze. Nolan’s eyes are cold and empty, something I’ve never seen from him. Even when Nicole was in the hospital, his eyes held so much emotion.“Nolan, how are you?” I ask.“I’m wonderful.”“I can tell. The broken desk looks like it’s had a ball with you.”He flops on the bed with nothing but a sigh. He seems to be sober, despite the room smelling like a hurricane of bourbon hit. Guess it wasn’t strong enough for his werewolf genes.“Nolan, do you remember what you said to me? You told me that Colin couldn
The last four days have been insane. Every day there has been something happening to pull off this last-minute Luna ceremony. Right now, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the number of dresses the designer brought. Three racks pumped full of dresses stand before me, and I’m supposed to choose one. Ugh. Most of the dresses are black, some are green, some are white, and there are some gold ones stuffed in. I grab the first green dress I see; it looks like a sequin monster threw up on it. I shake my head in disgust. I’m not even trying that on. I keep combing through the racks until a dress catches my eye. I pull it from the hanger and try it on. It’s beautiful. The emerald green matches my eyes. I slip it over my body, and I know that it’s the one. The dress is tight in the right places and flows at the bottom for effortless movements. I walk out into the room where my mother, Cassie, and Claire are sitting. Their gasps tip my lips up into a bright smile.
Hugh bristles as soon as Nicole leaves our room. He’s not a fan of letting her out of our sight, ever. For a woman who isn’t our fated mate, he’s really protective of her. Then again, the love we share is strong. It’s growing every day. Maybe we’ll be mates after all. I count the seconds until my southern region calms down. I’m already missing Nicole. I just want to get downstairs and hold her again. Scratch that. I need to get downstairs. Nicole needs me; I can feel it.A sweet honey scent hits me when I get to the stairs. Hugh immediately perks up, and I feel my heart fall. That scent isn’t Nicole, but it is my mate’s. My feet hit the bottom stair. I peek into the dining hall. Nicole’s back is to me. My gaze moves to the woman in front of her. The doe-eyed, stunning woman who Hugh says is our mate. Her brunette hair is pulled into a bun, making her look taller than she is. My body gravitates towards her, despe
The room is covered in ideas and fabric by the time we finally nail all the plans down. It’s a good thing too; I thought Paige was going to explode on her mother a few times. I wave goodbye to the girls and run to my room to make phone calls. It takes me two hours and several thousands of dollars later before I have everything ordered. Pushing away from the desk, I rip the ponytail from my vanilla hair. It cascades down my aching shoulders, nibbling at the tops of my scars. The fleshy stripes that I should hate, the blemishes that should remind me of the man who tried to kill me. But all I see is raw proof that I’m strong, that I survived twenty years of torment. “You are gorgeous, Nic.” Nolan leans against the doorframe. I smile at him, so grateful that the Goddess gave me him. He wraps his arms around me, and his crystal blue eyes darken just a shade. If I didn’t know any better, I could swear a mate bond was forming between us. He smells sweeter to me with every day that passes. H
“How long has Ash been gone?” Rita asks, gliding around her room to grab a crystal.“Just since the battle. She was there, but when I shifted back, she was gone.”“So, she was there for part of it?”“Yes.”“When you were hurt, did you change by choice or by force?”“Force.”“Okay, I’m going to put my hands on either side of your head. This will help me get inside your head. I’ll try to find her or figure out what’s going on. It may be painful, but I need you to keep still.”I glance at Colin. His smile is uneasy, but he nods to me. His hand reassures mine with a squeeze, but they still tremble. My stomach flips when I feel her plump fingers land on my temple. I close my eyes and wai