JaneMy head hurts before I even open my eyes. There’s a dull throbbing in my temples, and my stomach feels completely sour. The combination makes me afraid to move, but as terrible as I feel on the inside, I feel incredible on the outside. My body is sore in all the right places, and my bare skin is cushioned on all sides by warm muscles. Ethan is wrapped around me like a big blanket and his deep, steady breaths have a hint of a purr rumbling in his chest.I wish I could lie here forever. If it weren’t for the sun blazing through the windows and searing my poor eyes, I’d even consider it. Groaning softly, I try to remember just how much I had to drink yesterday. When Ethan and I made love in the storage room I was still just tipsy, but high on the endorphins of amazing sex, we went back to the tasting room afterwards and continued drinking. Eventually we got a couple bottles of wine and booked a room at a nearby hotel, taking our two person party up to a suite with a stunning mountai
EthanThe truth is that I am acting a little bit. I was telling the truth when I said that I would wait until Jane is ready, and I’m more certain than ever that she will get there one day in the not so distant future. Still, it does sting to have her turn away from me after everything we shared last night.I went to sleep thinking that we made a huge leap forward. My heart was so full as I drifted off, but maybe my optimism was just the wine talking. By the time Jane woke this morning I realized things would not be resolved so easily, and I don’t know why I’m surprised. Nothing is ever easy with my girl, nor would I want it to be – but only a crazy man wouldn’t be disappointed to have to wait for such an incredible mate.After breakfast I pack Jane into the car and drive back to the city, keeping one eye on her to make sure she isn’t about to be sick again. We pull up to the apartment building just before noon, and I’m mildly pleased to see the mob of reporters who have been camping o
JaneEve’s words slam into me like a falling anvil. All my fury from a moment ago is instantly smushed beneath the weight of her announcement, and my threats become lodged in my throat. My mind whirls as I try to make sense of this new development, but try as I might, I can’t find any logic in it whatsoever.“That’s impossible.” Ethan growls, his body absolutely rigid. “We’ve never even been together.”Eve reels back as if she’s been slapped, “I know it didn’t mean anything to you, Ethan. But you can’t erase the past simply because it’s inconvenient.”“She’s probably lying.” I suggest, a new realization clicking in my overwrought brain. “pregnant women can’t be imprisoned in this territory, and she knows it.”“Test me.” Eve counters, notching her chin up in challenge. “I assure you I’m speaking the truth.”“Get a doctor,” Ethan orders one of the officers, before looking back to Eve. “You’re not leaving here until we figure this out. For your sake you better be telling the truth, other
3rd Person“We need to find ev-dence to help mommy.” Riley mused, looking around at her brothers and sister. Though the pups had been distracted by the news that Jane was planning on taking them back to the Dark Moon pack, as well as devastated by their failure to change her mind, her arrest had certainly reminded them of how dire her situation truly was.“Maybe if she’s safe, she won’t be so ‘fraid to stay here.” Parker added, sensing the direction of his sister’s thoughts.“Xactly.” Riley agreed, “I don’ think she was telling the truth when she said we’re going just because her bizness is there. I think she’s scared.”“That p’lice man was really mean.” Paisley added with a little shiver, “he scared me too.”“Your Mommy isn’t afraid of the police.” Eric’s deep voice sounded behind them, and all three kids turned around to look at him. He was babysitting again. Jane and Ethan hadn’t felt comfortable sending them to pre-school with all the press lurking around every corner, so Eric off
Ethan“It’s all taken care of?” I ask, staring down the desk sergeant at the police headquarters.She nods, averting her eyes from my dominant gaze. “Yes Alpha, Ms. Mechant will be held at the sanitorium until her trial.”“Good.” I answer briskly. “I want to be notified the moment a date is set, or if any new developments arise.”“Yes sir.” She replies obediently. I’m about to walk away when the detective on my Mother’s case catches my attention.“Excuse me, Alpha, do you have a moment to talk?” He asks, looking far too pleased with himself.“Assuming you have something of consequence to share.” I grumble, closing the distance between us.“Of course, sir.” The man agrees, leading me towards his desk, “I would never waste your time.”I follow him at a distance, muttering under my breath and trying to guess what fresh hell he might be preparing to thrust me into. Taking the guest chair as he settles in front of his computer, I mentally count to ten, urging myself to have patience.“Well
How did it come to this? I think morosely. How did everything go so wrong so quickly? I’d like to think I’ve been shielding the pups from the truth about what happened between Jane and I all those years ago for their own safety and peace of mind, but if I’m honest, I think I’ve been protecting myself. I know how horribly I messed up with Jane, and as badly as it hurt to see my former mate looking at me with that expression of utter betrayal, seeing it on the faces of my innocent pups is worse. When I left the house this morning I was their hero, now I’m their villain.“Why don’t you come sit down.” I suggest to the pups, hoping they’ll agree. How am I ever going to explain this to them? They’re too young to even understand a fraction of it.Despite my tormented thoughts, they obey. One by one they toddle into the living room, settling on the sofa while I take a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of them. I search their young faces for any hint of openness, but they all see
EthanIt takes almost an hour to get Paisley down for a nap, she’s so distraught by the idea of losing one of her parents. I feel like an absolute monster: as if it wasn’t bad enough that the other pups now think I’m a villain, my daughter’s obvious pain is ripping me to pieces.When I finally get Paisley down, I join Jane in the kitchen. She’s standing over the stove stirring vegetables in a pan, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. “Hey,” I murmur, reaching for her arm, “what is it?”Jane jumps three feet in the air, turning towards me in surprise and hastily swiping at her tears. “Hi,” she hiccups, “I’m sorry, I’m fine.”“You don’t have to apologize for crying.” I tell her softly. “And you’re clearly not fine.”“I am.” She insists stubbornly, sliding out of my reach, “this is just harder than I thought it would be. That’s all.” She admits.“I know.” I sigh, scrubbing my hand over my face. “This really isn’t how I thought this evening would go.”“I just want one day, one day that i
Jane“I swear he’s losing it.” The man in question is back home with our pups, while I try to wrap my head around what just happened with the help of Linda and Eric. I’m seated on my friend’s plush sofa, with Eric beside me and Linda looking on from the kitchen while she brews a pot of tea. “He threatened to blackmail me tonight.”“I warned you he wasn’t really going to let the pups go.” Eric frowns, “what on earth did he try to blackmail you with?”My face flushes with color as I stare at my lap, fidgeting nervously. “Well…” I begin, trying to find the courage to speak the words aloud.“Oh I know that look!” Linda chimes in, a note of humor in her voice. “What did you do, you bad girl?”“I sort of slept with him.” I confess, burying my face in my hands rather than face their scrutiny. “So he threatened to tell Eric so he’d call of our wedding.”“I knew it!” Linda exclaims, “How did it happen, when did it happen – I want details!”“You slept with him?!” Eric adds, sounding appalled.“
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