Cole’s POV Cole paced the bedroom whilst Annette and his mother helped Cassia shower. Sam sat on one of the couches, bouncing his knee and fiddling with a pen. Cole chuckled and walked over to sit in the big leather chair beside Sam. “So - what does the Gamma Luna bond feel like. I mean, obviously we’ve all talked about it, and I know it’s similar to a mate bond, but what does it actually feel like?” “Well,” Sam replied, stretching his legs out on the plush couch and lacing his fingers behind his head. “From what I understand, having not been mated yet, it’s a lot weaker than the mate bond. I didn’t recognise her by scent even when I could smell it, but my wolf recognised that she was important. I feel antsy when I’m not with her unless she’s with you and Garrett. And a little antsy if she’s only with one of you. Right now, it’s like… a subconscious instinct or itch. If I have to go very far from her, at least if she’s not with both of you, it’s like a mosquito bite that won
Cassia’s POV “There now, I know that feels so much better,” Cynthia, the twins’ mom, crooned as she wrapped a fluffy pink towel around Cassia, sitting her down gently on a cushioned seat with no back. Cassia was in awe of the older woman. She was a bit taller than Cassia, pleasantly plump but quite agile. There was a strength in her features that had softened but still made itself known. Cassia smiled shyly as Annette turned the water off, and Cynthia once again began brushing her hair. Wet as it was, it could almost pass for straight, and it fell nearly down to her tailbone.Cynthia and Annette had taken turns detangling it in the shower. It was a nightmare. But now the brush ran smoothly through Cassia’s mane, and Cassia breathed a sigh of relief. “I - I think that was, maybe the second or third shower I’ve ever had in my life. Although the other ones didn’t have those chairs in them.” Annette and Cynthia exchanged a look she couldn’t quite place. “Well we got the chair becaus
Cole’s POV His beta’s voice rang in his mind, “Restless Moon Pack, we are on high alert. I need all available nurses, doctors, and medics to the hospital or to the SouthWest border. Warriors to your stations for Code Red. Everyone else is to stay in their homes with doors barred until further notice.” “Stay here,” Cole ordered Sam harshly, his jaw clicking as he ran out of the room, shedding his clothes on the way. Why the fuck was Luka the one who gave those orders. His mind worked quickly. He’d feel it if Garrett was dead, so that couldn’t be it. “Luka what the fuck is going on,” he mindlinked whilst leaving the building, immediately shifting into his golden wolf. He didn’t wait for an answer as he raced into the trees, and he growled as Luka didn’t respond immediately. Finally, “we were ambushed, Cole. On our way back. They got Garrett with some damn wolfsbane in a needle before we even knew they were there. We have a prisoner, and the rest we killed, but we’ve got wounded.”
Cassia’s POV Cassia sat on the bed with Cynthia’s arms wrapped tightly around her. Why had everyone reacted like they did? Why did Cole leave like that? Was something wrong with Garrett? Had she gotten him killed? She was too scared to ask, and Sam and Cynthia had only said there was an emergency but that everything would be just fine. She wondered if they didn’t trust her or if they were trying to protect her. After all of her outbursts since she’d come to them and the way she’d come to them, either reason would make sense. Surely if either of the twins were in danger, something would betray it… even if she couldn’t feel it. But the only sign that anything was wrong was the way Cynthia held her just a little too tightly, and Sam pacing back and forth in front of them, occasionally jerking his head to look at them or at the door. “Samuel,” Cynthia snapped. “Stop pacing. You’re making us all more nervous.” Sam stopped, his back rigid, facing the door. “Luna-vetus
Cole’s POV Several long hours later, Cole trudged his way into Cassia’s room. He’d fought the urge to run to her sooner, but his mother had informed him she was sleeping, so he’d taken his time showering. When he reached the room, he knocked lightly on the door, whispering “it’s Cole,” before quietly entering. Sam and Samuel both stood, tense, as he entered, and immediately relaxed as the dim light from the floor lamp by the door illuminated his haggard face. Cynthia stood and rushed to him, flinging her arms around him. He embraced her eagerly, and for a moment, he felt like a child again, even though he was now so much larger than her. He felt her tears hit his skin and held her tighter. She’d probably put on a brave face until then. “Shh,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Garrett?” “He’s fine, Momma. Dad’s just come off a watch shift. Go to bed, and you can see Garrett in the morning. He has a nasty cut on his neck, and he needs to sleep off the wolfsbane concoction, but
Cassia’s POVCassia woke slowly, feeling far too comfortable to open her eyes. She could feel the early morning sun on her skin, and she sighed snuggling into the soft bed. A smile touched her lips as she felt Cole’s body around her. She wasn’t sure where her fear had gone, but she thought it had something to do with how worried she had been and how sick she felt whilst he was gone. She wriggled luxuriously, enjoying the feel of the pillow under her head and the soft fabrics against her skin - and the warm body behind her. “I think I could get used to this,” she thought. She froze as she felt Cole nuzzle his face into her neck and plant a delicate kiss just above her bandages. “Morning, beautiful,” he growled, his voice thick with sleep, sending a pleasant tingle down her spine. “Careful with all that wriggling. You’ll make it hard not to kiss you.” Cassia fought with herself for a moment, her fear surfacing just slightly. When Albius and his men had kissed her, it had been rou
Cole’s POVCassia may have been steadier on her feet, but Cole made sure she was holding onto him at least, as they made their way down to the pack house kitchen. Sam sat at the kitchen table, smirking into his coffee mug and shooting knowing glances at the pair. “Knock it off,” Cole mindlinked him. Sam had snuck out of the room when he heard the two whispering, and Cole was fairly certain Cassia had missed it. “Did you have a pleasant morning?” Sam mindlinked back, his lips twitching. Cole growled. “Oh don’t worry, I wouldn’t embarrass her. You, on the other hand…” Cole ignored him and helped Cassia into a seat at the table before checking in with the kitchen staff on what she was allowed to have for breakfast. Forty-five minutes later, the three of them piled into Cole’s jeep and made their way to the pack hospital, Cole buckling Cassia into the passenger seat, and Sam ignoring his seatbelt and firmly planting himself in the back middle, leaning his elbows on the console and
Cassia’s POV Cassia had never been a person to cry very often - not that she’d ever really had need to. But she still couldn’t get a handle on how it felt to cry so very often, even if, perhaps, it made sense that she would. Did everyone do this? Or was it just her? How could she tell if she was handling this well or being too emotional without her mother there to tell her? She sniffed harshly, biting her lip. If she went down that path, she’d be sobbing all over again, and she was very, very sick of tears this morning. The hospital was busy, crawling with doctors and nurses and pack members. Many people turned as the three of them walked down the hall, to stare and nod their heads with little murmurs of “Luna, Alpha.” She expected to see some hostility; after all, she was why so many were wounded, why Ethan was dead - and yet, she saw none. Some awe, some fear, even, but mostly reverence at her presence… as though, as Annette had said, they had, indeed, all been waiting for h