“We’re going to have a security detail on both of you for a while, but if they’re doing their jobs right, you’ll never see them unless there’s an emergency.” Beta Milo walks us around the penthouse, showing us the new security equipment and how to use it. “There are three panic buttons. One in the bedroom next to the lightswitch, one in the kitchen under the cabinet closest to the refrigerator, and one in Zara’s office on the underside of her desk. Press any of the buttons and someone will be at your door in less than two minutes.” “Do you really think someone would try to get into our home?” Zara looks around and holds Dillon a little closer. “Zara, I promise you, if they even think about trying to get up here or get into Jasper and the twins’ condo, we’ll know right away and you’ll never know about it.” Milo leans on the counter. “These buttons and the camera at the door are an extra precaution, just in case.” Zara looks back at him and nods nervously. “O-okay. I trust you.” “Z
When we realize Katie doesn’t have documentation to confirm her identity, it makes getting her officially on payroll a little complicated. Dad contacts Marco to explain it is something that we overlooked and Katie would be the first of many girls that would have the same problem. The Goddess Foundation assigns someone to assist with the process and flies them out to meet with Katie the next day.To make sure she isn’t upset by having to go to the processing facility, Mike lets us set up in the conference room in his office. It takes some convincing to get her out of the car. When we get inside, she asks to use the bathroom. After twenty minutes, we ask the receptionist to check on her, only to find she is hiding under the sink. Jasper goes in and, after another twenty minutes, convinces her to come out. We each take one of her hands and lead her to the conference room where a tall blonde woman with a Greek accent introduces herself as Evangeline. Her eyes are an odd hue of yellow, al
“Gods and goddesses are real. It’s true, Jasper.” Zara shakes her head at him. “I can prove it to you.”Jasper looks at Zara as if she has grown a second nose. “Zara, you’re going to school to be a scientist. You really believe that crap?”“Of course.” Zara tilts her head sideways, assessing him while she thinks of what to say next. I settle in to see what is going to happen. Debates between Zara and Jasper are always fascinating. He is quick-witted and challenges her to think more than most people are able. He almost always provides a counterpoint to their conversations that makes her have to dig deeper to prove her point without going over his head with technical information. “Alright, I have a question for you. What do you feel when Katie or Kara touch you or when you touch them?”Jasper thinks about it for a moment, then squeezes Katie a little tighter. “I guess it’s like… butterfly wings just under the surface of my skin.”“And what does it feel like when you touch me?” Zara pull
In the elevator, Zara scrunches her face for a moment and looks frustrated before she relaxes again. She says nothing, but I can sense something from her that seems like worry. As soon as we get back to the penthouse, I move Dillon to one arm and stop Zara to make her look at me. “You keep getting a look on your face that is making me worried, Pocket. Are you feeling okay? We can ask Estelle to check on you.”“No, that’s unnecessary. I will just keep my appointment for next week.” She puts my hand on her growing belly. “The baby is just moving around a lot more lately. You would think I would get used to the way it feels, but it’s just weird to think about. You know?”“Zara, how could I possibly-” Sure enough, the baby kicks hard on my hand, making Zara grimace again. “Oh wow. Um, okay. I get it.”“I mean, I still have six weeks left until she’s born and there’s not a whole lot of room left in there.” Zara frowns and puts her hand over mine on her belly.“You know I never want to tel
We fall into a comfortable rhythm with Katie taking responsibility for Dillon during the days. Some days Kara joins her, but most days she doesn’t come upstairs unless we are having dinner together. Katie says her sister is trying to figure out what kind of job she wants. According to Jasper, Kara likes things to be tidy and in order. She cleans up around the condo, then spends most of her time curled up on the sofa watching cartoons. When he doesn’t have class, he makes it a point to take Kara out while Katie is working to make up for the time she had to be at the rehab facility alone. Watching their relationship blossom differently than his relationship with Katie was refreshing to see. Where Katie is excitable with tons of energy and can overtake a conversation when she’s around people she knows, Kara has a tendency to fade into the background. Jasper adjusts his demeanor to accommodate both girls. Happy and excited with Katie and more soft-spoken and doting with Kara. The twins b
“Well, Baby Girl, I think it’s time for bed rest.” Estelle sits on the stool in the exam room and writes notes into Zara’s file. “You have about a month left, but this little girl is getting to be not so little. You need to stay off your feet.” “Estelle, I can’t go on bed rest yet. I have one more final tomorrow. There are ten solutions that need to be compounded for the sigma cure, we need more blood work from Keller, Jasper, and Sam, so I can evaluate the differences in their metabolisms, Kara training begins tomorrow, Dillon has a checkup next week, Doctor Khe is coming for an in-person visit, and the full moon is next week. I mean, I know I’m not allowed to shift, but we’re going to the mountains since the weather is nice. Oh, and I need to finish furnishing the nursery. After that, bed rests twenty-four, seven. I promise.” Zara speaks quickly, trying to name off the exhausting list of things she needs to accomplish. She tries to sit up to plead her case to Estelle, but I have to
“Go get yourself settled, Pocket.” I lead her toward her office after she gives Dillon a kiss. “I’ll bring you a snack.” “Is Zara okay?” Katie looks between us while she hitches Dillon up in her arms. “Estelle says she needs to stay off her feet. It’s called bed rest.” I observe Zara walking toward the office. “Just to make sure the baby is safe. Don’t worry, Zara will be fine, so will her pup. We just need to be careful.” “Oh, thank the Goddess for that.” Katie still looks worried, but a timer goes off for Dillon’s bottle, so she hurries away. I change my clothes and take Dillon from Katie, letting her know she can go home for the rest of the day. I juggle Dillon and his bottle while I make Zara a protein shake. During my food prep multitasking, I have a heart-to-heart with my son. “Dillon, I’m not gonna lie. I’m worried about Mommy. She pushes herself too hard and forgets to take care of herself. You know how smart she is, right? I think she’s probably as smart as Einstein, but
“Jas, keep Dillon and call my parents. They have a car seat for him.” I shove the phone in my pocket. “Zara’s in labor. Meet us at Crystal Lake. I gotta go.” “Oh, shit!” His eyes grow wide. “Doesn’t she have another month?” “Yeah. Don’t swear in front of the baby! Zara doesn’t like it.” I point at him as I sprint to the door. The ten-minute drive to the health center takes forever. I rush inside to the reception desk, skidding to a halt. “Hi, someone called me about Zara Wilson. I’m her boyfriend, Keller Marshall.” “Oh, Mister Marshall. The Nurse Practitioner went to the classroom building. She said Miss Wilson shouldn’t move.” The woman stands and points toward Zara’s classroom building. I suppress Rocky’s frustrated growl as I rush out of the building back to my Range Rover and drive as carefully as I can through the busy campus. “Why didn’t the professor let her just call me?” I grip the steering wheel, anxiously waiting for foot traffic to clear the road. I try to call Zara’
“Zara, first, I want you to know that your parents loved you. They had no choice when they left you and they never stopped trying to find you and get you back.” Tyree’s tone differs from what I’ve heard from him before. It’s more apologetic and compassionate, like a father trying to make his child understand another point of view. “Tyree, how could I possibly believe that?” Zara holds her hand up to stop him. “They left me on the steps of the pack house. I wasn’t even a week old. They didn’t want me.” “It’s not true, Zara. I promise you it’s not true. Your father’s name is Scott Eklund. Your mother is Sondi. They came here because the Alpha from Emerald Mountain banished them. They were seeking asylum, and it was granted.” Tyree sits back and sighs. “From what I understand, your father attacked the pack’s Beta, trying to defend Sondi. Your mother said she never had a problem with the Beta and barely knew him. Your father had issues with mental illness. He was paranoid and refused to
“First and foremost, thank you all for being here today. I’m going to keep my portion short.” Jasper stands at the podium, now tenured in speaking in front of crowds, looking comfortable to address the room. He pulls out a notecard from his jacket pocket and glances down at it. “There is someone very special I would like to introduce you to. She’s not only the lead scientist for the Sigma Project, she is the mastermind behind the medication that has made this whole thing possible.” Jasper looks into the wings and gives Zara a thumbs up. I feel her take a deep breath under my hands. “This talented woman completed her undergraduate degree and masters in biochemistry, and she’s almost finished with her doctorate all in just over six years. On top of that, she is now the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate ever. In chemistry and in medicine. Friends, she’s the hardest worker in the room, by far the smartest person you will ever meet, an incredible mother, and one of my closest friends. Oh and
“Hey guys, your flight was okay?” Tyree meets us at the doors of the Blood River pack house and ushers us inside. “I know the ride from the airport can be a killer.” “It was great. Thanks, Tyree.” Jasper shakes his hand. “We are all looking forward to this afternoon.” “Uncle Tyree!” Orli runs up to her favorite person and hops to be picked up. “Dillon and I went to kindergarten! I got to show the teacher that I know my alphabet.” “I heard! Did you listen to your teacher?” He holds Orli in his massive arms and gives her a kiss on the cheek. She nods with a shy smile and leans back. “Look at my dress! Daddy says today is special, so I wanted to look pretty. And tomorrow I get to wear my flower girl dress. So I got two pretty dresses to wear.” “Oh, my Goddess.” He smooths down the front of her dusty blue dress. “You are always pretty, baby girl, but this dress makes your eyes look EXTRA blue.” Orli giggles and leans her head on his shoulder, perfectly content to stay with him as lon
The longer Zara takes the sigma serum, the more I notice differences. She isn’t taller or stronger, but some days it seems like it. She handles stress better and doesn’t shy away when she has to speak with people she’s not familiar with like she would have in the past. She almost never has a flight or fight response anymore. It’s refreshing to see her handle life with more confidence and less anxiety and fear. Katie is also doing much better with the new version of the serum than the first one. Instead of putting her on medications, they increase her therapy to once a week. Besides learning how to read with ease, Katie also observes things she never had before. Traffic patterns, the way birds fly together in the sky, the layout of the grocery store, things most people take for granted. She seems to see for the first time. As with all things, with the good comes the bad. Zara starts to have more bad days. A lot more bad days. Mom and Dad take shifts to monitor her while Estelle and
“You’re sure you feel okay?” Zara is already sitting on my lap, but I take her face in my hands and look her in the eye. I look her over and give her a quick peck on the cheek. “You don’t feel warm or anything?” “I feel fine, Keller. I just took the serum fifteen minutes ago.” She covers my hands with hers. “It takes a couple hours for it to get into my system. Right now I’m just exhausted. We intentionally added a light sedative to this version, and it was a later night than I was expecting. If I had known you planned to stay at a hotel instead of going home, I would have packed a bag.” “I’ll know better for next time.” I nuzzle her cheek and settle into the recliner. “You tell me if you feel weird at all. Even a little bit.” “I will, sweetheart.” She leans her head against my shoulder and places her hand on my chest. I slide my hand over hers and interlock our fingers. It makes me smile to feel the ring on her finger. I look at Jasper, who has Katie in his lap as well. He has
“Keller, it’s safe now. It’s taken a few months, but it’s perfect. Estelle and I are sure of it.” Zara hands Orli a piece of banana while she tries to convince me it’s time for her to take what she now calls the sigma serum one point one six. “Zara, I don’t know how many times I can tell you. I’m not okay with it.” I adjust the position of Dillon’s little fork and help him scoop macaroni and cheese onto it. I look up at Zara to see if she’s paying attention. She takes a sip from her glass of juice and sets it down, then places her hands on the counter and drums her fingers impatiently. “Keller-” “Zara.” I feel my mood darken as I glare at her. “Keller, I feel like a broken record. I would be a hypocrite if I said it’s fine for other sigmas, but too dangerous for me.” She wipes Orli’s mouth with a bib and hands her a sippy cup. “We know the women who have met their mates have different body chemistry now. We’ve made adjustments to the sigma serum accordingly. It’s just another leve
I thought it was going to be difficult to get Zara to pull out of the study, but it wasn’t. She was more worried about what could have happened to Orli and Dillon and everyone else she loves and cares about. Two days after the incident, she goes to the lab to speak to the other volunteers to let them know why she has pulled out, but promises them they will still get to see her all the time because she is going to be working directly with Estelle. Katie, on the other hand, won’t be deterred. Even after we explain that she and Zara could have died, she insists she wants to keep going. Jasper is miserable, but puts on a brave face for her. He spends lunch with her every day and comes home to mope. Zara and I try to cheer him up and even help him take care of Mister Happy and Midnight. Mom takes over nanny duty while Katie is away. “Zara, it’s only been a month. Are you sure taking all nine girls all the way to Cozy Up is a good idea?” Jasper stops her from leaving the lab to let the gi
My body feels heavy and Zara’s weight gets pulled off of me, forcing me awake. “What happened? Is she okay?” Someone drained the water out of the tub. Mom has Zara wrapped in a towel, holding her like a baby in her arms. Estelle is next to her, checking Zara’s temperature. “It’s fine, Honey. Her temperature has been normal for an hour. We’re going to put her in bed. I brought you a change of clothes. Come out when you’re dressed.” “Ace is on his way to check on our baby girl.” Estelle lets Mom take Zara out of the room and sits on the edge of the tub. She unfolds a towel and hands it to me. “Are you okay?” “I will be once I know she is.” I wipe my face and chest. “Before she passed out, she said more carrots and less love. Lavender was relaying the message.” Estelle purses her lips and nods. “Yeah. We had talked about that before the study but went with the more potent formulation. I’m going to get a batch of the other one started as soon as I get back to the lab.” “If she’s okay
“Keller will grab Zara. I’ll grab Katie’s top half, just grab her legs. Stop her from kicking if you can.” Les motions how Jasper should try to hold on to Katie. “We’ll take her to the nursery bathroom.” “How do we know who will come out first?” Jasper looks at me and back at Les. Les gives Jasper a sweet smile. “Oh, darling, so innocent. Wolf mentality.” “Wolf mentality?” He looks at me for help. “Wait, how do we know they didn’t turn into wolves? Shift. How do we know they haven’t shifted?” “Their wolves have an advantage to use their senses but stay in human form right now.” Les tugs at her braided ponytail. “They can open doors, push elevator buttons, call for help, things like that.” “Zara is freaking out because her pup is gone. Katie is going to protect Zara to give her a chance to find her baby.” I put my ear to the door. “Katie will make sure danger is out of the way.” “Katie sees Zara as more dominant than she is in the pecking order of your family dynamic. So yes, she