~Lincoln~I hang up the phone, rubbing my temples. This is starting to be beyond stressful. “Was it her again?” I look at Landon and roll my eyes. He already knows the answer to that question. Lilacs and sandalwood hit my nose with a hint of orange, and the tension in my body starts to ease. I lift my head and see my mate walking toward me. She comes behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulders, kissing the back of my head. I will never get tired of the way she makes me feel. “Why so stressed?” I sigh, turning in my chair and pulling her onto my lap.“Another call……” Tia sighs and places her forehead on mine. “She’s been gone for months now, and she hasn’t stopped reaching out. Have you two thought about talking to her?” She has been asking this a lot lately, and it’s a tricky question to answer. She is my mother and the former Luna of the pack, but everything she’s done is enough never to acknowledge her again. “Honestly, love, I’m not interested, and I may never be.” “I’m not
~Nikki~I can’t believe how much fun I just had. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so thoroughly. I laughed and danced until I couldn’t anymore. I never actually considered what life could be like if I got away from Stuart. Now I don’t have to think about it, I can live it, and it’s good.A warm hand touches my knee, sending butterflies to my stomach. I really need to get laid if a simple touch is enough to get me going. “Are you okay?” I nod. “We’re here.” I look around and realized that we are, indeed, back home. I swear the trip from the airport was quicker than ever before.The car door opens for me, and a hand waits. I grab the hand, and the driver helps me out of the car. Paul follows behind me and walks me to the door. “I had so much fun this weekend. Thank you for making it a good time.” I look at Paul, his smile warming my heart.“No, thank you. You helped me remember what fun was.” Paul leans in and kisses me on my forehead.“I will see you later.” He turns and
~Nikki~I bounce in the bed, making me wonder if I’m back on the plane. The journey to the wedding was bumpy at best. “MOM!” I feel an arm around me, and the comfort is wonderful. I pop an eye open and look at my daughter. She’s so beautiful; love and happiness agree with her.I owe her so much in the way of an apology. I feel I could have done more to stand up for her, but I was scared. Stuart could always be a more than opposing figure and could be abusive if he deemed it necessary. I let my fear take over, and that caused me to not be there for my daughter like I should have been.I trail my eyes down my daughter’s body until I see the baby bump. My eyes start to mist while I reach out and touch her belly. My baby is having a baby, and I’m beyond excited. I can’t wait to be a grandmother. Tia moves my hand around her belly until I feel movement. I look up at Tia, and she has a massive smile on her face. “Baby missed its grandma.” I laugh and wipe my eyes.“No….no, not grandma. I do
~Nikki~I tossed and turned all night in anticipation. I feel like I did when I was in high school and had a crush on a guy. This is ridiculous because I’m a grown-ass woman, and I shouldn’t be crushing on my former Alpha, my daughter’s father-through-mate. I should be ashamed and disgusted at my actions, but I just can’t seem to get there.I swear you are acting like a hussy!Who, me? Yes, you! Why are you encouraging things?Look here, human, I have nothing to do with your desires! You make your own choices; I just so happen to agree with this choice. Aluma is right; of course, I just want someone to blame. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I think I really like Paul.I take extra care in getting dressed today. I want to make sure I look good. I put on a dark blue Wonder Woman scrub top and dark blue bottoms. I like having the fun scrub tops, and there were many times they appealed to my patients, making my day easier. I’ve let my hair grow out, so it’s now in a bob instead of
~Nikki~To say I was scared shitless is an understatement. I was so busy talking to myself that I didn’t realize Paul had walked up on me in the clinic. Suddenly my mouth goes dry as I stare at him. His jeans are tight enough that I can make out his muscles, and his v-neck is stretched across his body with his arms crossed. I move my tongue along my lips, watching his eyes watch that action. This can’t be real…..he can’t really be into me. I’ve let my mind create magnificent delusions. “I….I’m sure there are many other things you could be doing.” Paul drops his arms and saunters up to me, a smirk on his face. He stands behind me, and I feel his breath on my neck.“I’m a retired Alpha, so I have a lot of free time. That being said, who would pass up the chance to spend time with a beautiful woman? To add to that, you’re a doctor, so I get free medical instruction. It’s a win/win for me.” I swallow but immediately wish I hadn’t. That just made my mouth even drier. Paul brushes against m
I hate to pull myself away from Nikki; I swear I feel an actual pull to her, which is crazy. The only way I’d feel a pull to someone is if they were my fated mate, and Nikki isn’t that. I ignored my feelings and the pull to leave her. My son is waiting for me, and I can’t keep him waiting. I head into the packhouse, greeting pack members as I go. I always wanted to have a pack that respected me, and I was able to accomplish that. I love the fact that my pack members have always found it easy to talk to or come to me when they need to. I will never forgive myself for allowing the treatment that Tia went through, though. She always says it isn’t my fault, but I feel if I had been more diligent, I would have seen what was going on. I had a feeling things were off, but I allowed Stuart to push me off the path of realization, and there's no excuse for that. The office door is open, so I walk right in; Landon is sitting at his desk. He looks up from his paperwork, and a smile breaks on hi
~Nikki~I swear I couldn’t concentrate for the rest of the day. I kept thinking back to Paul being at the clinic with me, and then my mind went to dinner tonight. Why did I agree to have dinner with him? It’s probably one of the dumbest choices I’ve ever made. I sigh and get out of the shower. I wipe a part of the mirror clear so I can see myself. I look haggard, feeling like an old woman. I have no idea what I’m doing right now. Am I trying to….to date?! I must be going crazy if I think I’m going to date with three grown daughters. Not just date, but date the former Alpha! I’m officially off my rocker, for sure. Oh, stop, Nikki. You still look as good as the day we finished puberty. As good as we did before the pups. You need to go and show Paul the woman you are and let him show you that he’s a man. Wear something slutty. I roll my eyes but say nothing. Aluma and I have been back and forth about this since I stupidly accepted his dinner invite. She sees nothing wrong with this, ye
~Paul~I stand in the dining room and turn slowly, trying to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I have two candles on the table, lit. I have wine ready to pour, and the meal is complete. I made my specialty: Mississippi pot roast, roasted asparagus, potatoes au gratin, and white rice. I didn’t bother with dessert because I hope this evening turns out well. If not, well, I’m sure I can find some ice cream somewhere. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach, which only increases when the doorbell rings. She’s here, and I’m not sure that I’m ready. I take a deep breath and walk to the door. I place my hand on the handle, take one last deep breath, and open the door. I swear my jaw hit the floor. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I really can’t breathe. If I had thought Nikki was beautiful before, nothing could prepare me for what I’m looking at now. She is absolutely stunning. She’s wearing a black halter dress. It fits her body like a glove and stops mid-thigh. The window from the h
~Tia~I watch Aida’s red eyes get redder, if you can believe that. It’s almost as if they start to glow. She stands up and walks over to me. She reaches out to grab me just to fall forward. I turn to watch her try to get her balance. I’d laugh if this weren’t a pressing matter. “How are you here right now?”“Does it matter? I need you to focus right now.”“Since you aren’t actually here, I don’t have to do shit.” I tsk and shake my head.“I don’t have time for your teenage rebellion. I came to deliver a message.”“A message?! Unless you plan to tell me that you’re going to leave your lifeless body at my doorstep, there’s no message you have for me.” I shake my head.“Goddess, you are so pathetic.” Aida throws her head back and laughs.“Goddess?! As in Moon Goddess?! She’s no goddess of mine. How the hell could I follow someone who would ruin me like she did?! All I wanted was Lincoln. I prayed to her every night to make him my fated mate. When I realized he wasn’t my fated, I still pr
~Aida~That bitch has been prancing around here for days since she regained her magic. She’s constantly ogling my mate, and I don’t like it. I trust Ivan and have no doubt that I’m the only woman for him, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to pluck her eyes out of her head.I really can’t wait to get this entire situation over with. Ivan and I can move on with our lives, and she can go away forever. I’d tell Ivan to get rid of the bitch now, but I already know he won’t agree.The more I think about her, the more frustrated I get. I hate that she even showed up here. “You look like you’re thinking hard. I hope you aren’t thinking about how inferior you are to me.” I swallow thickly but don’t respond. I’m in one of the many sitting rooms, sitting in a huge armchair. She appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. “Cat got your tongue?” I sigh.“What do you want, Imogene?” She steps into the room and walks toward me. She sits on the coffee table in front
~Tia~“Mom’s recovering from everything, but we need to finalize our plan. We need to do as Mark suggested and go on the offense. I’m sick of them popping up whenever they feel like it and causing massive damage.”“I’m down with whatever the plan is. The witches here have us locked in so I can focus on the plan.” Mark is on the line, meeting over the phone. He doesn’t want to leave his pack, and we agree that it isn’t the best idea. Landon clears his throat.“Mark, we are going to have you stay right where you are. Your pack is covered with the witches and the royal warriors. We will engage them, but they may come your way in retaliation. You just be on guard and keep your pack safe.”“So, if we are going on the offensive, what’s the plan? We already agreed that bait isn’t the smartest,” Lynn elbows Devonte, causing him to grunt. I can’t be mad at him since he’s right, but I love how my bestie protects me. “Uh, I mean, bait isn’t the best way to go, so how are we going to get to them?
~Nikki~The silence is heavy, and it’s starting to feel awkward. I know this is a lot; hell, it’s a lot for me as well. I definitely didn’t wake up this morning expecting to be presented with an opportunity to wield magic and help save my family and pack. It’s a major undertaking, and I have to admit that I didn’t know much about magic in the first place.Lynn is the first to break the silence in the room. “I wonder if we should take an hour to think about things before coming back with a decision.”“I don’t know, beautiful. We really need to get a plan in place since we have no idea when they will be trying to attack.” Paul scoffs.“I don’t know what we’re thinking about. This isn’t going to happen.” I look at Paul, and for the first time, I’m disappointed in him. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where he’s coming from. He is my fated mate, and there’s a pull to take care of each other and keep each other safe. Right now, he’s acting like Stuart did in the past. He’s trying to dictat
~Nikki~I jolt upright, sweat dripping down my face. I look around, and I’m surrounded by darkness. I look to my right, and I see the lump in the bed. His breathing is heavy, and he is snoring lightly. I slowly lay back down, wondering what it was that woke me so forcefully. “That would be me.” I jolt forward again, looking around.At the end of the bed, a few feet away, I see her. My heart rate increases, and I can feel my breathing become erratic. What the hell is she doing here? I lean to the right with the thought of waking my mate until her voice stops me. “I wouldn’t do that. If you wake him, I may have to take more….preventative measures. You and I need to talk, and I don’t want interruptions.” I lean away from Paul, not wanting him hurt.I throw my blankets back and turn to the side of the bed. She cackles, and I can’t stand it. “What, exactly, do you plan to do? I’m not even really here. Me talking to you is a form of astral projection if you will. If Paul wakes, he can’t do
~Landon~Lincoln and I stand in the gym's doorway. Tia is on the ground, sweaty and delicious-looking. We both step toward her at the same time. Lynn kisses her on the cheek before standing up to leave. She pats our shoulders as she walks past us, leaving us alone with our mate.There’s an awkward silence in the room, but I don’t think any of us know how to begin this conversation. To be honest, I’m torn. I understand where Tia’s coming from, and I’d probably have the same mindset. I just don’t think it’s wise to risk herself like this when we can come up with another way.Tia takes her time getting to her feet, and she stretches once she does. I swear she could have me on my knees literally, and she wouldn’t have to do much. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s everything I ever wanted in a mate. I’m so grateful she was called home for our ceremony; otherwise, we would have missed out. Lincoln was the first to speak.“Tia, I think we should talk about everything. I think tempers were
~Tia~I hit the punching bag again with a left uppercut, cross combo. I do it again and again before throwing some kicks in. My anger is off the charts, and this is the only thing I can think to do to calm down.How dare they act like I can’t help with this. We need to draw them out, so it makes sense to use something that they want badly…..someone…..me. I’m the Luna of this pack, and it’s my job to help them protect everyone. I’m fully capable of protecting myself and would have no trouble doing the job.I continue to hit and kick at the bag, letting my anger permeate through the room. They are the reason that my father is dead. One day, I’m going to have to explain to my child why his grandpa disappeared. They were so close, and Dad couldn’t wait until he was old enough to start to train. He told me all about how he was going to teach him everything he knew so he could be a powerful Alpha one day.My falling tears are making it hard for me to see what I’m doing. I’m starting to miss
~Landon~We are all in our office, ready to have yet another meeting. I don’t know that I’ve ever participated in so many meetings, but I guess there’s no reason to complain. I could have easily succumbed to the injuries from the battle, and I wouldn’t be a part of another meeting ever again.In defending our pack and trying to protect our mate and child, Lincoln and I got bitten by the vampires a few times. The bad part is that vampire bites are poisonous to werewolves. The good thing is that we have the necessary anti-venoms to help if we get bitten. Lincoln and I had to stay in the clinic for a while to get the venom out of our systems.We hated that we couldn’t be by our mate’s side as she dealt with the loss of her father. I may have hated the bastard before, but he’s grown on me lately. He became the father he always should have been to my mate and an amazing grandfather to our child. I hate that he lost his life the way he did and by his own child. I hate that Tia’s in so much
~Mark~I stretch and readjust in my chair. I swear I’ve been sitting here for days; at least, that’s what it feels like. I’m just happy to be alive so that I won’t complain too much. I’ve been stuck in the office trying to get some things together. We are tying up the loose ends from the battle and waiting to hear from the witches who are here to help keep us safe.My phone rings, and I answer, putting it on speaker. “Yes, my annoying sister?” Lynn clicks her tongue.“Don’t start with me, Mark. You’re lucky I don’t come out there and kick your ass for almost dying. Do that shit again, and I’ll bring your ass back just to kill you all over again.” I chuckle and roll my eyes.“But I didn’t die, though. Almost doesn’t count.”“I fucking swear, Mark!”“I love you too, my wonderful sister. How’s Tia?” Lynn sighs.“She’s better since the twins have gotten out of the clinic, but she’s hurting. She and Stuart had gotten so close lately.” I hate this for her. When I was there last, I saw how t