Mia's POV The warm sun shines down on my face, waking me from a peaceful sleep. Stretching my arms to the side, I feel the soft blades of grass under my skin. A huge yawn escapes my lips as I open my eyes and sit up. The last thing I remember is dragging myself out of Donovan's truck right before it exploded. But looking around now, I don't appear to be in those woods any longer. I have no idea where I am, but the scenery is beautiful. I am in a meadow, sitting beside a small stream under a massive weeping willow tree. Wherever I am, it must be spring. Small, beautiful, yellow flowers are budding on the willow above me, and the lush, green grass is sprinkled with wildflowers of every color. I inhale deeply, and the air is crisp and clear. I could stay here forever. Perhaps, I am meant to stay here forever. Maybe I didn't survive the explosion, and this is my heaven. Getting to my feet, I wipe the dirt from my pants and make my way to the stream. I dip my toes into the wate
Mia's POV I cling to my mother. I can feel that our time is coming to an end. "Don't leave," I say. "I have to. You have to continue to be strong," My mother calms me. "I don't understand. I don't know what I am supposed to do with this information," I say. "You will in due time. Just trust yourself and trust Thomas," My mother says. Her voice is now just a faint whisper, and she begins to feel as if she is dissolving within my hands. Before I can respond, my eyes flutter open, and I see that I am lying in a bed. I can not help but feel the grief consume me as I think about my mother. I stare at the ceiling for what seems like an eternity thinking about what I saw. But was it real or just a figment of my imagination? When I think back to the meadow and my mother, I can still feel her arms around me and the cool breeze that blew through the massive weeping willow. It felt real. All of it felt real except for the part about me being a lycan. A shadow is cast over me
Richard's POV I have lost track of how many days or weeks I have been rotting in this cell, waiting for the challenge Alpha Thomas laid down. No one bothers to visit me except for the guard bringing me my food daily. Each day I ask how many more days until the challenge, but I am told each time Alpha Thomas is traveling, and it will be just a little longer. I know if I am going to escape from this damp hell that I am in, now is the time. With Alpha Thomas on the move and his new Beta trying to run things, it is the perfect time for me to slip out unnoticed. With a small rock, I have begun to etch the guards' schedules into the wall, to the best of my knowledge. I am all the way in the back of the cells, and the guards rarely make their rounds down this way. I have noticed that they keep the younger prisoners at the front of the dungeon and patrol there much more often. The older prisoners are held in the back. The ones that are deemed less of a threat. I may not be a spring chi
Thomas's POV Carefully I walk Mia up the front steps of the Paxton Pack pack house. I force her to take one step at a time, even though she is healed perfectly. On the other hand, I am not as young as I used to be, and it is taking longer to bounce back. My shoulder hasn't been the same since I rammed myself into the truck to wreck it, but I will never admit it. I have been hiding it well so far. As we walk up the stairs, the door flies open, and a little carbon copy of Ethan stands in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing here?" The little boy asks with a little growl in the back of his voice. "Hello, Ezra," I say, trying to be as polite as one can be to a five-year-old. "Don't you remember your Uncle Tommy?" "I remember you," he pouts. "Can we come inside?" I ask begrudgingly. "She can," Ezra says crankily. "You have to wait outside." "Why not me?" I ask, trying to hold back my laughter. "I like her," Ezra says, puffing out
Richard's POV I show up on the front steps of the Moonshadow pack house in tattered clothes, with cuts and bruises all over my body. I have been in wolf form for days trying to get as far away from the Red Moon Pack as quickly as possible. I have been living off of rabbits and other small prey, and their blood and dirt are splattered over what is left of my clothes. Raising my hand, I weakly knock on the door. Alpha Aiden opens the door and takes one look at me before trying to slam the door in my face. Holding my hand out, I force the door open and make my way inside. Alpha Aiden looks at the trail of mud that I drug into the house with me and wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Do you have any idea how dirty you are?" Alpha Aiden says with an air of arrogance. "Do you have any idea what I have been through?" I snap at him. Alpha Aiden looks over me with disgust, "You are still alive." His voice is cold and heartless. "No thanks to you," I growl at him. "You promised
Mia’s POV My heart swells when Thomas calls me his mate, but I am also nervous. See that Alpha Richard is covered in blood. He must have fought his way into the Paxton Pack. The decrepit old man who needed a cane to get around is no longer standing before me. Alpha Richard is standing tall, restraining Cora easily. He has been putting on an act all of these years. "Emma," Ethan's voice sounds desperate as he turns to his mate. "Get the kids out of here," he commands her. Emma runs to his side and kisses Ethan deeply before she runs to the other room to guard her children. "I have no quarrel with you, Ethan," Richard smirks. "I am just here for what is mine." "You brought this battle onto my pack lands," Ethan snarls. "You are making it my business." "Have it your way," Richard shrugs his shoulders. Thomas's chest is rumbling with anger beside me, and I know he is waiting for the right moment to attack. "Let Cora go," Thomas growls, and let's settle this like Alphas.
Thomas's POV Stroking the back of Mia's hand with my thumb, I lay my head on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to wake up. It has been hours since she killed Richard, and she is still asleep. The doctor said the stress of an early shift plus the shock of killing Richard is why she is sleeping. Her brain is trying to recover from the excitement of it all. I just hope that she wakes soon. I am tired of sitting beside this woman in a hospital, waiting for her to wake up. Mia is too headstrong for her own good. If she would have let me fight Richard on my own, none of this would have happened. But as stubborn and hardheaded as she is, I still love her and plan to tell her as soon as she wakes up. I have gone long enough keeping her in the dark. Once I profess my love for her, I will let her go just like I did Emma. Having already found my fated mate, I know how special that bond can be. I would never deny Mia the chance to have that with who the Moon Goddess made just for her.
Thomas's POV About an hour after Dylan left, I felt his tether to the pack break once again. This time it was more painful than the last time. The last time he left, I knew he would be back. This time I am not so sure I will see him ever again. Going rogue can be risky. Dylan runs the chance of losing himself to his wolf. He could become more wolf than man. He can become a danger to himself and others. Mia stirs a little in her sleep, and my eyes dart in her direction. "Mia, Mia, baby, are you awake?" She mumbles something in her sleep, and I watch her eyes move rapidly beneath her eyelids. She must be dreaming. "Mia?" I call her name again, trying to wake her from her slumber. "Mia, can you hear me?" "I can hear you," she mumbles grumpily. "Five more minutes." I cannot help but chuckle as she stretches her arms to the side and yawns. "Mia, my love," I say as I grab her hand. "You have been asleep since the battle." Suddenly, her eyes fly open, and she gasps. "It w
Mia's POV Five Years Later I am an elephant or a hippo. Whichever you would like to compare a pregnant woman to. My ankles are swollen, and the doctor tells me I could be any day now. I am supposed to be resting to prepare myself for labor, but I really want to scrub this pack house from top to bottom. Nothing feels clean enough. Sitting by the window, I rest my bowl of Fruity Pebbles on my stomach and prop my feet up on the coffee table. Through the window, I can hear loud giggles coming from outside. Painfully I try to sit upright to see what is happening. And what I see gives me both scares me and puts a smile on my face. Thomas is in his wolf form with our son, Jacob, on his back. Our Beta Mark is in wolf form as well. Thomas and Mark's wolves are lined up, pawing at the ground like they are getting ready to race. That's when I hear Jacob's little voice ring out. "On your mark... get set... GO!" Jacob screams loudly, and I watch in terror as my mate takes off, running a
Mia's POV The doctor shuffles some of the papers on her desk as she smiles at me. What is it with everyone smiling at me? "Luna," she says, grinning brightly. "I have good news. You don't have a stomach virus." "Then why am I so sick? There must be a reason why I am so sick," I moan. "Luna, you are pregnant," the doctor tells me. "I'm sorry," I laugh uncomfortably. "I thought you just said that I am pregnant." "That's because I did," the doctor chuckles. My throat begins to feel thick, and I feel like I am going to vomit. "How far along?" I ask. "Without an ultrasound, I can't determine just how far along you are," the doctor says with a smile. "But I can check right now if you would like." "No!" I shout at her. "I want Thomas to be here." As if on cue, Thomas comes bursting in through the office door. His clothes are a mess and covered in teeth marks. He must have run here in his wolf form. He is breathing heavily and resting his hands on his knees, trying to cat
Mia's POV It has been two months since we arrived back at the Red Moon Pack. I have settled into my role as Luna. Without any formal training, it has been a struggle. Luna Renee has been by my side the whole time, teaching me what I need to know. Slowly, I am finding my place within this pack. This morning I am sitting in front of a mound of paperwork I have been putting off for a week. My second Luna ceremony is coming up, and it is up to me to plan this time. Luna Renee is sitting across from me, tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk, waiting for me to make a decision on colors for the upcoming ceremony. "Well," she says, watching me flip through the color swatches. "I already told you," I moan. "I want Red and Silver." "Those are very bold colors for a Luna Ceremony," she reminds me for the thousandth time. "I don't care," I groan. "I want those colors. Red is the official color of the Red Moon Pack, and silver matches my mark." I cross my arms over my chest
Thomas's POV I watch in awe as Mia transforms into her massive lycan form. Her lycan is lean but muscular, with shimmering silver fur that covers her body. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my whole life. As soon as she takes her new form, something changes within me. Mia's lycan stands on two legs, and she holds her hands up in front of her, trying to catch a glimpse of what she looks like. Without warning, her lycan takes off, running in the direction of the nearby stream. My wolf begins acting erratically in my mind, demanding that I chase after her. Stripping my clothes off, I leap into the air, shifting into my massive black wolf. I land on all fours, shaking out my fur. Lifting my nose into the air, I follow the strong scent of cinnamon. I race through the trees until I come upon Mia's lycan staring at herself in the stream. She twists her body from side to side, and I cannot help but think she is more beautiful than any werewolf I have ever seen. Suddenly sh
Mia's POV It is nighttime when I am released from the hospital, and my body is beginning to feel weird. My skin feels itchy, like it is trying to stretch over my body too tightly. As we walk to the car, I scratch at the skin on my arms, trying to alleviate the sensation. "Your body is getting ready to shift," Thomas tells me kindly. "The feeling will pass after you shift for the first time." We get into the car, and Thomas drives us to a secluded location in the Paxton Pack. Ethan and Emma told us this is where the young werewolves come to shift for the first time. Exiting the car, I notice a nip in the cool summer air. Goosebumps rise along my skin, and I feel slightly panicked. What if I am not a lycan? What if I am unable to shift? "You will be able to shift," Thomas says as he places his hand on the small of my back. "Stop reading my mind," I chuckle jokingly. Slowly I walk up the hill to the spot within the trees where the moon's light shines through the canopy.
Thomas's POV About an hour after Dylan left, I felt his tether to the pack break once again. This time it was more painful than the last time. The last time he left, I knew he would be back. This time I am not so sure I will see him ever again. Going rogue can be risky. Dylan runs the chance of losing himself to his wolf. He could become more wolf than man. He can become a danger to himself and others. Mia stirs a little in her sleep, and my eyes dart in her direction. "Mia, Mia, baby, are you awake?" She mumbles something in her sleep, and I watch her eyes move rapidly beneath her eyelids. She must be dreaming. "Mia?" I call her name again, trying to wake her from her slumber. "Mia, can you hear me?" "I can hear you," she mumbles grumpily. "Five more minutes." I cannot help but chuckle as she stretches her arms to the side and yawns. "Mia, my love," I say as I grab her hand. "You have been asleep since the battle." Suddenly, her eyes fly open, and she gasps. "It w
Thomas's POV Stroking the back of Mia's hand with my thumb, I lay my head on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to wake up. It has been hours since she killed Richard, and she is still asleep. The doctor said the stress of an early shift plus the shock of killing Richard is why she is sleeping. Her brain is trying to recover from the excitement of it all. I just hope that she wakes soon. I am tired of sitting beside this woman in a hospital, waiting for her to wake up. Mia is too headstrong for her own good. If she would have let me fight Richard on my own, none of this would have happened. But as stubborn and hardheaded as she is, I still love her and plan to tell her as soon as she wakes up. I have gone long enough keeping her in the dark. Once I profess my love for her, I will let her go just like I did Emma. Having already found my fated mate, I know how special that bond can be. I would never deny Mia the chance to have that with who the Moon Goddess made just for her.
Mia’s POV My heart swells when Thomas calls me his mate, but I am also nervous. See that Alpha Richard is covered in blood. He must have fought his way into the Paxton Pack. The decrepit old man who needed a cane to get around is no longer standing before me. Alpha Richard is standing tall, restraining Cora easily. He has been putting on an act all of these years. "Emma," Ethan's voice sounds desperate as he turns to his mate. "Get the kids out of here," he commands her. Emma runs to his side and kisses Ethan deeply before she runs to the other room to guard her children. "I have no quarrel with you, Ethan," Richard smirks. "I am just here for what is mine." "You brought this battle onto my pack lands," Ethan snarls. "You are making it my business." "Have it your way," Richard shrugs his shoulders. Thomas's chest is rumbling with anger beside me, and I know he is waiting for the right moment to attack. "Let Cora go," Thomas growls, and let's settle this like Alphas.
Richard's POV I show up on the front steps of the Moonshadow pack house in tattered clothes, with cuts and bruises all over my body. I have been in wolf form for days trying to get as far away from the Red Moon Pack as quickly as possible. I have been living off of rabbits and other small prey, and their blood and dirt are splattered over what is left of my clothes. Raising my hand, I weakly knock on the door. Alpha Aiden opens the door and takes one look at me before trying to slam the door in my face. Holding my hand out, I force the door open and make my way inside. Alpha Aiden looks at the trail of mud that I drug into the house with me and wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Do you have any idea how dirty you are?" Alpha Aiden says with an air of arrogance. "Do you have any idea what I have been through?" I snap at him. Alpha Aiden looks over me with disgust, "You are still alive." His voice is cold and heartless. "No thanks to you," I growl at him. "You promised