Lucy POVLucy stretched after writing a chapter of the new mystery book she has been working on. She felt she had much more time for her hobbies after her recent career change. Perhaps there was a silver lining to what had happened in Colorado; she not only moved to her favorite place, but she met Gabriel too.Everything was falling into place. She stood and smiled at Frank who had been at her feet while she typed away. That morning Aunt Gertrude asked Lucy if she wouldn't mind staying in that evening. Aunt Gertrude had said she wanted to spend quality time with her niece and talk.Lucy wondered what her aunt could possibly want to talk about. Perhaps she had news about a new development in her relationship with Samson. Or maybe she was going to drop another big truth bomb about her history with Fennick? Lucy was still feeling blindsided by the fact that Gabriel's Uncle Fennick and her Aunt Gertrude had been mates.Aunt Gertrude was making lasagna and salad for their dinner and t
Lucy POVLucy reverently accepted the Eudora family heirloom. The pages were well-kept for something that seemed ancient. They were yellowed, but filled with pictures, drawings, and written words in beautiful calligraphy that must have taken some time to write. Lucy wondered if she was actually in a fairytale. Wolf shifters and now… she herself was part nymph? Things that hadn't made sense to her when she was younger were starting to. She brushed the cover of the book reading the last name Eudora. How long had this been passed down in the family? "Read it at your own discretion. It's ancestors who found out about their own blood lineage and wrote their stories. It's filled with ways to better control your powers, or one can just discover more about the nymph folklore and beliefs," Aunt Gertrude said quietly."So your father was the one to tell you about the family history?" Lucy asked her aunt. She barely remembered her grandfather. He passed away when she was young."Yes. He st
Gabriel POVGabriel woke early, sipping on coffee in his kitchen and watching the sun rise over the red rocks in the distance. Where his section on the compound was, he could see nature for miles. He was pondering about the research notes he had taken for Lucy on nymph lore. Supposedly nymphs were fairies in a sense; a nature deity that had different personifications of different habitats. Mermaids could even be associated with nymphs. They were usually beautiful, enticing maidens who could seduce men. Perhaps that's another reason why he was so attracted to Lucy. He stretched as he thought about it more. He wondered about her recent discovery and had been thinking of her all night long. From what he gathered in helping his beloved with her research, nymphs were often viewed as sexually attractive women, nature guardians, and kindly disposed toward men. Nymphs could also be male but there were differences for them as well. Gabriel wondered if Lucy had been able to sleep, or if
Gabriel POVGabriel stood with Samson and Vance at the front of the stage in their main building. He was still soaking up the great feeling of accomplishment after the first official meeting of the strays. They were going to make a wonderful pack; he just knew it!Vance was laughing as he slapped Gabriel's back. "You sir, had the room's attention. You were like a king!" "An Alpha," Samson corrected Vance with a stern look."Yeah yeah yeah, an Alpha! You are ready! You were born to do this Gabriel. As your friend, I am here to tell you how amazing you did and how amazing you will be as the leader of the strays," Vance said with a huge smile.Sara was walking up the middle of the aisle slowly smiling at them. "Vance?" she asked with a questioning tone. "I'm going to make us some lunch care to join me in a few?" She winked at Vance."You bet I do hun, see you soon," Vance planted a deep kiss on her lips. Samson and Gabriel crossed their arms and raised their eyebrows as Sara walk
Lucy POVLucy walked back towards home along the familiar road with Frank beside her. The sun was starting to peak over the red rocks in the distance and the sunrise brought a feeling of hope, warming Lucy's body. As she was taking in the environment around her, she had a few thoughts soaring through her mind like an eagle riding the wind currents.She was focused lately on work and researching her latest revealed secret of the Eudora family. She discovered her family had moved to the area in the 1800s from Greece. They made the house with their own bare hands and had made a quiet life for themselves as artisans. Early ancestors had been carpenters, poets, and painters. This wasn't very different from herself as a writer, or her aunt who was a painter. The previous evening Lucy had been reading a detailed account written by an ancestor about the possibility of nymphs being infertile. This ancestor had just succeeded in becoming pregnant after many failed attempts. Lucy knew endomet
Lucy POVLucy sat on the floor of her room packing her duffle bag with camping essentials. She tried to pack light and had hidden her lingerie under all of the clothes. She froze as she wondered if there would be a chance to wear it or not. Could this trip possibly be where she gives her virginity to Gabriel? "Lucy!" Gertrude called from downstairs. "He's here!"After hearing Gertrude's announcement, Lucy quickly hastened, zipping her duffle bag so fast that she zippered part of her skin. "Ouch!" she hissed in pain. She sucked on the bleeding gap between her thumb and index finger on her right hand. She didn't have much time so she ignored the bleeding as she slung the duffle bag over her shoulder.She charged down the stairs and out the front door. Once outside, she noticed Gertrude smiling and talking with another man who must have come with Gabriel. Gabriel's back was bent as he stood in the bed of his truck fixing a bungee cord so as to ensure nothing would fall out as the
Lucy POVLucy looked over at Gabriel who had made it clear he wasn't going to pressure her into sex that evening. She never would have thought he'd act that way. He was the perfect gentleman. She propped herself up on her elbow and smiled over at him. "I like that we took the pressure off tonight. I have never felt like you are pressuring me about any physical intimacy in our relationship Gabriel. Actually, what are we really? We never really said… I think we just continued seeing each other. Do shifters become boyfriend and girlfriend?"Gabriel chuckled. "Usually shifters are more like Sara and Vance. They skip everything and start living together, marriage, kids… life. But everyone is different, for us we should be boyfriend and girlfriend. I guess we just never labeled it did we?"Lucy ran a hand down Gabriel's arm as she answered, "No. I don't think we ever did. I think we just assumed. We never really did talk about it until now.""Lucy," Gabriel leaned in close and whispe
Gabriel POVGabriel froze as he processed what Lucy was saying. She looked completely torn up and worried as she let a few tears out. It made complete sense why she was so worried to tell him. The societal pressure of having children can be stressful, but even in shifter culture having pups was important. Especially for the Luna to help the Alpha's lineage endure. "I found out that nymphs struggle with pregnancy and infertility. It's a classic nymph trait. What if someday we want kids? And I can't do that for you? I couldn't live with myself," Lucy choked and more of her tears started to fall.Gabriel growled low, feeling protective toward his mate. "Lucy, I can't live without you. If we can't have kids, then so what? I'm not going to put that pressure on us, okay? Stop that… don't cry, Freckles." Gabriel hated that Lucy was obviously in turmoil with this new piece of research she discovered about her ancestors.Gabriel continued, "Besides, not all hope is lost. If we want, we can