Jane “Come on munchkins, we’re going on an adventure!” I announce, “get your coats.” The pups look at me suspiciously. “What kinda venture?” Riley asks. Their first therapy session had helped more than I expected. I don’t know everything they talked about with the doctor, but I expect having another adult reassuring them that they were loved and safe helped set them at ease. They still aren’t really talking to me, but they’re not fighting me as hard as they were before either. The hardest part is still when they wake in the middle of the night crying out in fear, then asking for Ethan when I go to comfort them. It’s the worst with Paisley. She’s never lived without her father before, and I’m trying to keep a special eye on her. She asks for him more than any of the others, and it seems most difficult for her to believe we can’t simply call him and ask for a visit. The more time that passes the angrier I become with Ethan for leaving our babies. It’s one thing to hurt me, but anoth
3rd Person Jane was kicking herself. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t foreseen this possibility. Of course the pups would ask Santa to reunite them with Ethan – Santa was supposed to be able to provide any gift you wanted, even ones parents didn’t approve. She watched with bated breath as the tree farm Santa processed the children’s gift request, praying he wouldn’t make a promise she couldn’t keep. The last thing she needed was for this to be the year the pups found out the truth about Santa Claus. That would only add fuel to the fire. She could already see it playing out in her mind’s eye, tearful accusations of lies and tricks on top of everything else. The Santa glanced at her for guidance, and she shook her head firmly. The pups were still gazing up at him in awe, waiting to see if he would make their dreams come true. “Ho now, that’s an awfully difficult thing for my elves to make in the workshop.” The man bluffed, “Isn’t there something else you’d like? Some nice toys?” “No.
3rd Person “Okay, so how’re we gonna do this?” Paisley asked, sitting around a large piece of construction paper with her siblings. Ryder – who had the best handwriting of all four – had written “Opration Santa” at the top of the page. Other than its title however, the page was entirely blank. “Well, we know the North Pole’s at the top of the world, right?” Riley asked, waiting until the others nodded in agreement before continuing. “So if we just keep walking north then eventually we’ll have to get there!” “Yeah but that could take ages!” Parker cautioned. “The Dark Moon pack is north, but there’s at least two other packs between us and the pole.” “Tha’s a good point.” Ryder agreed, “So maybe if we travel to one of the other packs and start there?” “Yeah! But we can’t take too long, we have to make sure we can get there and back afore Christmas.” Paisley warned. “Maybe we can get a ride back with Santa!” Riley suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Wow, that would be
Jane I can’t believe this! I can’t believe this is happening! I take off into the snow, following my pups’ scent and leaving my negligent babysitter behind. What was I thinking? I knew better than to take my eyes off of them, to trust anyone else with their precious lives! Did I not learn my lesson in the Southern Isles! What is wrong with me! Their scent is leading me towards the horse stables, and suddenly I realize what they must be planning, they must be thinking they can drive one of the sleighs all the way to Santa Claus. I don’t have the faintest idea why they’ve chosen to go to the North Pole when there’s a Santa Claus here in the grotto – unless of course they figured this one isn’t the real Santa Claus. As soon as I think it, I know this must be the case. Oh Goddess, why is this happening? I’m cursing Ethan as I run. This is his fault. They want him, that’s why they’re so determined to get to Santa. I have half a mind to go back to the NightFang territory and give him a
Jane “Daddy!” The sound of my pups’ frightened voices send me jerking upright in bed, suddenly and completely awake. I rush to their bedroom, flipping on the light and finding all four children piled on one bed, tears running down their cheeks. “Oh my loves, did you have nightmares?” I croon, immediately moving forward to comfort them They nod, but instead of running into my arms, they tighten their ranks. “Yes, but we don’t want you, we want Daddy!” Paisley cries. Pain slices through me, so powerfully it steals the breath from my lungs. I feel as though I’ve been punched in the stomach. No matter how bad things are between us, I’ve always been the one my pups turn to when they’re frightened or upset. “Well Daddy isn’t here.” I say shakily. “So you can have me, or nothing.” “T-then we ch-choose nothing.” Riley informs me through her sobs. I close my eyes so they can’t see me cry, nodding as my insides harden to stone. “Please don’t be that way. You know I love you, I don’t want
Jane “Okay, you can do this. You can do this. You can do this.” I repeat to myself, staring at the phone in my hands with utter trepidation. The pups are sleeping soundly in their bedroom, and I’m getting ready to sacrifice my dignity in their honor. I’m not sure how Ethan will respond to my phone call, if he’ll even answer when he sees my number on the screen. I’m half tempted to go find a pay phone and call from a number he won’t recognize, but I decide to try this first. Taking one last deep breath, I dial and hit the send button, raising the device to my ear. It seems to ring for an utter eternity, but eventually the line clicks, and Ethan’s deep voice sounds in my ear. “Jane?” The familiar sound sends a shiver down my spine. “Hello Ethan.” “I thought I told you not to contact me.” Ouch, I know I expected failure, but that seems harsh, even for Ethan. “Actually you just told me to leave, you didn’t say I couldn’t ever reach out.” I correct him hoarsely. It’s only been four w
Jane If I thought I was angry before, it’s nothing compared to what I feel now. I’ve known maternal rage plenty of times since bringing the pups into the world, not the least of which was when Anita stole them from us and Aimon threatened their lives. Still, this mistreatment feels worse – because it’s not coming from some dark foe, but from the person who is supposed to love and protect them most – second only to me. The more I think about it, the more I believe that the betrayal of a parent is the worst transgression a pup can suffer, and I hate Ethan for abandoning our children. I want to storm back to the NightFang territory and beat him bloody – and the idea is so tempting I have to remind myself I have responsibilities here. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things at work, and I’m terribly behind on my La Louve duties. Not to mention that I’m devoting the weekends to trying to win over my heartbroken pups. They’ve barely spoken to me since I stopped them from goi
Ethan At first I thought I was hallucinating. It wasn’t possible that Jane and the pups were here. I assumed I was dreaming, that my imagination was putting their scents in my head – that I’d lost my mind faster than any of us could have expected. However the closer I draw to the door I know it’s real, my wolf is racing around in circles in my mind’s eye. Overjoyed to see his mate and our pups – happy for the first time since I injured my spine. No, no, no. I think, even as he dances and howls like a puppy. They can’t be here – what are they doing here? Surely they didn’t figure it out – surely my beta or Linda didn’t betray my confidence. I brace myself for the overwhelming emotions of seeing my family, as well as the confrontation I know is inevitable now. After rejecting Jane in the hospital I thought I wouldn’t have the strength to survive doing so twice, but now it’s obvious I don’t have a choice. I can’t very well hide in my apartment while they bang on the door, and th
JaneFour Months LaterEthan ushers the pups into my hospital room with a finger pressed to his lips. “Quietly now, Mommy’s very tired.”I’d gone into labor in the early hours of the morning, and the experience couldn’t have been more different than it had been with the quadruplets. Instead of suffering through the first contractions alone and afraid, I’d had my mate by my side, rubbing my back and crooning sympathetically as I gritted my teeth against the pain. After a few hours of pacing and fruitlessly trying to find a comfortable position, my water broke and we left for the hospital, leaving the pups with a sitter.I made it through fifteen hours of labor before caving and asking for an epidural, taking Ethan’s encouragement to save my strength for pushing when the time came. He never left my side the entire time, only stepping out of the room a couple of times to check in on the pups at my request. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthing partner – he lavished me with praise a
JaneWhen Ethan and I arrive back at the penthouse we find Devon and Nina sitting on the sofa while the pups zoom around the living room in front of them. Devon has an arm slung over Nina’s shoulder, which surprises me, but I can’t focus on them because the moment we walk through the door four little bodies come hurtling at our legs. “Mommy! Daddy!” The pups cry excitedly.Parker is the tallest and fastest, so he reaches us first, leaping up into Ethan’s waiting arms while I intercept Riley, whose small size lets her bound weightlessly across the room. “Hello my love puddles.” I greet them happily, kneeling so I can also hug Ryder, while Ethan effortlessly scoops up Paisley, even though his arms are already full with her brother. “What have you been up to? Were you good for Devon and Nina?” I ask, marveling at Ethan’s strength despite his recent recovery.“We were sooo good.” Riley confirms. “Nina was sad so we cuddled her.”“And then Devon told us we could get ice cream if we promi
JaneWhen I open my eyes, Ethan and I are still in the thermal pool. I can feel the water lapping and bubbling around me, but he’s no longer inside me, and when I look up it’s to find his dark gaze watching me intently. Gradually I realize he’s moved to the shallow end of the spring so he can sit on the submerged ledge and hold me in his lap. He rests one hand on my round belly, and our baby flutters inside me as if the tiny bean knows its father is near.“How long was I out?” I inquire softly, stretching and reveling in the delicious ache of my muscles. I’m filled with the lazy contentment of a well-loved mate, utterly drugged with pleasure that is only deepened by the sting of my claiming mark. I can feel the evidence of Ethan’s dominance in the swollen flesh between my legs, the bite marks on my breasts and faint bruises on my back and thighs. And right now I can’t imagine anything better than this… exc
3rd PersonNina’s heart sunk as she watched Ethan and Jane race out the door as their wolves, and she stepped forward to close the door out of mere reflex. When the panel clicked shut she found herself staring blankly at the dark wood, momentarily frozen in time. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t feel, she could only stand there and exist as this latest slight reverberated through her body.Only the sound of a small voice saying her name woke her from her miserable reverie, “Nina?”Slowly, as if in a trance, she turned. Blinking, her expression detached, she saw the pups watching her. Tiny feet padded over the floor in a miniature stampede, and then the four children were gathered around her, looking up at her with wrinkled brows. “Hmm?” She finally responded, unsure if they’d asked her a question or simply stopped at her name.“Are you okay?” Paisley inquired softly, genuine concern in h
Jane“Not want you?” Ethan snarls furiously, seeming angrier about that suggestion than my words about Devon. “Not want you? That has never been the problem!”His hands are so fierce on my body, and I can see a wild sort of desperation in his handsome features. His eyes are glowing and his fangs extended – I know his wolf is right on the edge.“Then show me.” I demand. Sliding my hand down between our flush bodies. “Let me feel your desire, Ethan.”“Why are you doing this?” He groans, burying his head in my neck.“Because you’re punishing yourself for something that isn’t your fault.” I murmur in reply, my lips brushing against his ear as I speak. “And it’s gone on long enough.”“But it is my fault, Janey. Everything I do backfires, every time I try to do the right thing for you, I fuck up.” He confesses, sounding so vulnerable I ache.“Then maybe you should stop trying to figure out the answer for me, and start working with me. Ask me what I want and give it to me, don’t try to do it
JaneEthan and I run through the quiet streets of the city as our wolves, not minding one bit that we’re on pavement and not in the forest. We bound around shopkeepers and early morning commuters without a care in the world, oblivious to the curious looks we’re drawing.I’ve always preferred running at night, but I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to convince Ethan to stop being so stubborn. When I saw him in his wolf form with our pups climbing all over him this morning, pure joy washed over me. I might not have known how Ethan has been
Ethan“You’re letting them stay?” Nina demands, glaring at me as she wears a hole in the floor, pacing back and forth with the indignant energy of a she-wolf scorned. Unsurprisingly, she was less than amused to learn I decided to allow Jane and the pups to stay with us – though in truth it hadn’t been much of a choice. My mischievous mate forced me between a rock and a hard place, and I wasn’t about to drag her out of the penthouse kicking and screaming.“I can’t just throw them out.&
JaneMy plan to sneak-move into the penthouse is working better than I imagined. Granted, I keep catching my pups practicing their maniacal laughs in the mirror, but in the grand scheme of things, encouraging their talents for mastermining dastardly plots isn’t the worst idea. After all, I want to encourage their ambition in whatever they do… even if it is taking over the world.Regardless of the burgeoning tricksters under my roof, everything else has gone fairly smoothly. I was able to hire last minute movers to pack up and bring everything from our apartment in the Dark Moon territory and transport it here. The only real challenge was maki
JaneEthan winces, then kisses me again, long and deep. When he pulls away, I feel tears in my eyes. I already know he hasn’t been swayed by my pleading. “I know it hurts right now, Jane.” He acknowledges, looking truly aggrieved. “It hurts me too. But one day you’ll see that I’m right.” His thumb brushes a stray tear from my cheek. “You were so much better off without me. You built a fragrance empire and raised three amazing pups all by yourself. But a few months with me and you were on my floor, begging to be a slave again.”“That wasn’t because I was with you, it was because I wasn&rsquo