Ethan
The moment I saw Devon, I was struck with a terrible idea. The most wonderful, terrible idea. Jane might not be up to date in pack politics, but I know the Alpha of the Dark Moon pack just retired his Beta before the holidays, and if the word on the street is correct, Devon will be his replacement.
I’ve been counting on Matthew to keep an eye on me and help train my successor – once I find one – but I still haven’t come across a solution for giving Jane and my pups a worthy father figure. However if Devon is going to be in the Dark Moon pack, then he could be the answer to those my problems. I wouldn’t have to worry about them so much if I knew Devon was there, and even if he isn’t still in love with Jane, it will only be a matter of time before he falls again – only an idiot wouldn’t love Jane.
My wolf is growling furiously at this idea, jealousy bubbling up inside us like a toxic tidal wave of green-eyed fu
JaneOne moment the pavement is careening up towards my face, and the next strong arms catch me around the waist. “Woah there.” Devon’s familiar voice sounds in my ear as his scent washes over me.“I’m sorry,” I slur, “The baby…”Devon’s arms tense, then my legs are lifted out from under me and I can feel us moving. Only later do I realize that my vision had blacked out, but I feel mildly comforted by the rocking sensation of being carried. A few moments later I’m being set into a chair, and I hear Devon asking a waitress for some water. Almost immediately a cool glass is pressed to my lips, and I manage to take a few sips. Slowly my disorientation eases, and I blink the spots out of my eyes.When my vision returns, I see Devon kneeling in front of me, a concerned expression on his face. “There you are.” He praises, brushing the hair from my eyes, “Just take your time, Ja
JaneAs I consider Devon’s question, I’m inundated with memories of Eric. Unlike Devon, I’d always known Eric wanted to be more than just friends, and I’d considered dating him more than once. I thought he would be a safe partner because he’d never be able to hurt me the way Ethan did, and though I later learned the basis of our friendship was I lie, ultimately I’d been right. I was angry about his betrayal and angry at myself for trusting him, but it didn’t break my heart.I don’t want to give Ethan the power to influence my decisions for the rest of my life, but it’s hard not feel wary of romance after everything I’ve been through with him. “I hate to say it Devon, but I don’t think I see romance in my future at all. With anyone.” I finally reply, feeling ashamed of my own cowardice, yet also completely trapped by it.“Oh Jane, don’t say that.” Devon replies, sounding truly pained by the idea. Though I don’t think his pain is for his own dashed hopes, but to hear me speaking so cyni
EthanThe morning after we run into Devon, I’ve only been in my office at the pack headquarters for about an hour before he comes barging in, his silver eyes blazing with barely contained fury.“Who the hell are you and what have you done with my best friend?” He snarls, slamming his hands down on my desk and glaring at me.“I wondered how long it would take you.” I drawl, leaning back in my chair. “I see you’re still head over heels for Jane, then? If you’re this upset about her being upset.” My wolf is grumbling mutinously in my head, but this is exactly what I hoped for. I thought long and hard about whether I should let Devon in on my secret, but I think it’s best he knows. I can trust him every bit as much as I can trust Matthew, and it can’t hurt to have another wolf on the lookout for dangerous behavior.“It has nothing to do with my feelings for Jane.” Devon thunders, &l
3rd PersonPaisley huddled behind Riley, Ryder and Parker, a deep frown tugging on her young features.When the pups woke from their nap, they initially jumped out of bed to rush out and see their parents, but the sounds of tense voices stopped them short. Indulging their Goddess-given talents for eavesdropping, the pups listened as Ethan insulted Jane and confirmed he didn’t want to be a father. Of course, Paisley knew the truth behind these lies. She knew her father was pushing away Jane and his children for their own good, but her siblings did not.“I don’t unders’and.” Parker whispered, looking thunderstruck. “Mommy said it was her ‘cision to leave Daddy.”“Why is he being so mean?” Riley whimpered in reply.Paisley kept her mouth tightly shut. She might know her father’s motivations, but she didn’t find it any easier to hear him speak that way than her brothers and sister
Jane“I still can’t believe it!” I exclaim, telling Devon how happy I am about the pups getting into the Dark Moon Academy for the fifth time. The pups were less than thrilled when I told them, clearly not understanding what’s so great about the institution, but Devon understands. He almost seems as excited as I am.After Ethan’s dismissive attitude and the pups’ underwhelmed response, it felt amazing to have someone share my glee. We’re already at the New Years fair, and though I told myself I was going to wait to announce the good news until Devon asked me about my day, I ended up blurting it out as soon as I saw him. He was still walking across the parking lot when I practically yelled it at him, but he didn’t even miss a beat.Devon’s handsome face split into an ecstatic grin, and he scooped me up into a tight hug, pulling my feet right off the ground. “Janey that’s fantastic, congratulations!
3rd PersonPaisley blinked her tired eyes open, stretching and yawning as she looked around her darkened room. The other pups were cuddled around and beneath her. As the smallest of her siblings, Paisley always got to be on the top of the puppy pile – but Riley, Parker and Ryder hadn’t stirred, remaining sound asleep even as she slid out of bed.She couldn’t be sure how late it was, but the sky outside her window was still pitch black. She planned on sneaking into her Daddy’s room and crawling into his bed – just like she had done every night since returning to the Nightfang pack. However this night was more important than all the others, because it was their last night before returning to the Dark Moon pack. In the morning Jane was going to pile the children into the car and return home at long last – she’d even invited Devon along since they were traveling in the same direction.Paisley wasn’t ready to say goodby
3rd PersonIt had been only too easy.Paisley had known that getting herself put in time out would give her the space she needed to escape, though she couldn’t deny how good it had felt to shout her rage at that stupid Devon. She didn’t care how nice or funny he was, he wasn’t her Daddy, and she didn’t want anything to do with him. She did feel badly for upsetting her Mommy and the other pups, but Ethan had taught her that sometimes you have to make very hard decisions in order to do the right thing. Sometimes you even have to hurt the people you love to protect them.Paisley had been watching the cars driving in and out of the rest area, and when Jane turned her back, the clever pup swiftly ran to one of the vehicles traveling back south. She climbed into the back seat of a car belonging to an elderly couple, covering her small body with a blanket. She prayed and prayed that they would leave quickly, and
JaneMy pups are gone. The blood is rushing in my ears, pounding through my skull in a relentless flood that blocks out all other sound. I can hear nothing above the whirr of white noise, and my head is dizzy with thick, black fog. I blink repeatedly, trying to orient myself amidst these strange sensations. My entire body feels strangely heavy, as If I’m fighting gravity just to stay upright. I’m too warm, and yet I’m shivering too, trembling so violently I have to wrap my arms around myself just to keep my limbs still. I’m in a dark alleyway, the scent of my pups mingling with the sour tang of strangers – rogue wolves who wouldn’t hesitate to sell them to the highest bidder. We came so close! We were on their trail but it’s gone cold now. They’ve disappeared without a trace. My babies might have outsmarted Eve, but no young children could survive this part of the city unscathed. My wolf howls inconsolably, and tears pour from my eyes. “My pups.” I sob. “We have to find them!”A ma
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