JaneAs my lashes flutter open, I struggle to place my surroundings. I’m lying on the cold, hard ground but my body is cushioned on all sides by warm, soft fur. Ethan’s scent envelopes me like a security blanket; familiar, irresistible and only too cozy.He purrs as I stir, his powerful muscles constricting around me as if trying to hold me closer. My mind grapples for memories of last night, trying to figure out how we ended up here. After a moment everything comes rushing back to me, and I’m instantly glad I’m in wolf form or I would be blushing scarlet.I can’t believe I let Ethan get the better of me that way. I can’t believe how shamelessly I flirted with him – my Goddess, I practically did a strip tease. What on earth was I thinking? My wolf is practically glowing with happiness to be wrapped up in his proverbial arms, but all this incident has shown me is how weak my will is, even after all this time. There is no way I can possibly move in with him – if I lose this much control
Jane Jane couldn’t believe this was happening.If it were anything else, she would simply grit her teeth and bear the inconvenience, but rats are magnets for disease and there were so many visible that she couldn’t even imagine how many were hiding out of sight. So much for the fancy new apartment. She thought, already planning some very choice words for her leasing agent.Ethan’s voice hardened on the other end of the line, “Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?”“Down boy.” Jane answered simply, “there’s no danger, unless you count the danger of me puking in disgust. We appear to have a rat infestation – and a big one at that.” Peeking into the apartment, she shuddered when she saw a handful of long, hairless tails slipping away beneath her expensive furnishings.Jane could almost feel Ethan relax through the phone, and she was certain she heard the start of a smile in his voice. “The babysitter is still here, I’ll be over in a sec to help you.”“Ethan,” She stopped him, feeling
JaneWhen I left the house, I hadn’t been too confident that it would still be standing when I got home, but to my relief the apartment building looks intact when the kids and I return from lunch. Unfortunately that was where the good news ended. When the pups and I reached the top floor and the elevator doors dinged open, I instantly heard the sounds of snarls and smashing glass.“Kids, stay here.” I caution, herding them out into the hallway. “Promise me, okay?”“We pwomise.” Four little voices chime in unison.Rushing to the front door, I barely step out of the way in time before two huge, furry bodies crash through the wooden panel. I yelp and jump back, struggling to make sense of what I’m seeing. The two wolves are a blur of movement almost too fast to make out, but I can see that Eric is injured. Blood seeps through his gray fur as Ethan’s jaws lock around his neck.“Ethan don’t!” I shout, surprising both men. They look up as one, but while Ethan seemed to sober when he realize
Ethan I could kill Eric.Sitting next to Jane’s hospital bed while she sleeps, the only thing I can do is imagine all the different ways I could hide his body once I’m done tearing him to shreds. The bastard knew Jane and the pups had come home and still he kept coming at me, forcing me to defend myself. Then he actually bit my mate and landed her here.The doctor’s assured us she just lost a little too much blood and would be right as rain in a couple of days, but I can’t stand seeing her like this. If I wasn’t already ashamed of terrifying the pups and setting a horrible example for them, I might go through with my macabre plans for the other man. I’ll never forget the sound of Jane’s head hitting the floor, or the cries of the petrified children. I’ll never forget the sight of my beautiful mate collapsing in front of us, the helplessness I felt as I rushed her here. More than anything else, I won’t ever be able to rid my mind of the scent of Jane’s blood or the guilt of knowing m
3rd Person“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked nervously, afraid of hearing one more word of bad news in this horrendous week.“We don’t have enough on Eve to get a warrant for her arrest. The only evidence we can find is circumstantial.” The investigator sighed.“I thought you said she was growing the flowers used for the poison?” Ethan growled, his head reeling. “And after the car accident, and that recording? She’s the only one who has motive!”“The flowers are a common garden plant, half the residents in the city have them.” The investigator answered. “And yes, the brakes were cut on her car, but we can’t prove she did it. At best we can make a case for criminal negligence and child endangerment between having Paisley in the front seat and encouraging her to run away.”“Then arrest her for that!” Ethan insisted.“She would be out on bail within the hour.” The detective replied, “if we want to convince a judge that she’s too dangerous to be out among the public, we need to get her on attem
3rd Person“I really am sorry Jane.” Eric professed, reaching for her hand across the dinner table.“I know.” Jane smiled softly, giving his palm a squeeze. After a week of chaos, Eric had convinced her to come out with him for an apology dinner, and she’d been only too happy to oblige, since every night she had plans was one more night she could tell Ethan she wasn’t available for a date. At the same time, she also hadn’t told the Alpha about their evening out, though she wasn’t sure why. A woman had every right to go out with her fiance after all.She supposed she was worried about creating more tension between the men when things were already so stressful, but she also felt a bit guilty lying about having a business dinner with Ethan’s replacement on the perfume launch. He didn’t seem to mind – so thrilled to spend time with the kids he’d agreed to take them to see a new movie that was bound to be a drag for any adult.Studying Eric in the low candlelight, she realized that it was
EthanHow pathetic is it that I’ve only been away from Jane a few hours, but I already miss her? It didn’t help that the entire way through the kids’ movie, I had nothing but time to think about my lovely mate. Strange as it seems, I just didn’t find a bunch of animated woodland animals frolicking through a silly adventure as compelling as Jane. Still the kids enjoyed it, and my heart swelled in my chest the moment that Ryder crawled into my lap for no other reason than that he wanted to be close to me while we watched.Now, as we return to the penthouse, I can’t wait to watch them act out the story for their mother. They’re currently debating the best part of the film, but the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end the closer we draw to the apartment building. As we round the corner, I see a blinding array of flashing lights, and police cars flooding the street in front of the entrance.My first thought is of Jane, and before I can think twice, I scoop two pups up in each arm
JaneExplaining death to four years olds is almost as difficult as watching Ethan muddle through the next few days in a complete fog, appearing more like a zombie than the man I know so well. Every time I tell the pups that Petra is gone and won’t be coming back, the message only seems to sink in for a few hours. Soon enough they’re asking me when they’re going to see Petra again, and I have to try to explain the concept of permanence to four precious beings who simply cannot understand it.Still, watching Ethan is harder. We got through all the planning and preparations for a massive state funeral with great exhaustion and stress, but little emotion on his part. I keep waiting for him to break, to come out of shock and grieve the way he needs to so desperately. It hasn’t happened yet, and I merely pray that he will find the spark he needs before the funeral is over this afternoon.Most of the day is a series of overly formal ceremonies and traditions, and I’m simply proud that the pu
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