~Landon~I’m surprised, yet not surprised, by Tia’s thoughts. I should have seen that she would be worried about the pack’s reaction to her being Luna. Her concerns are valid, but Lincoln and I agree. If the pack can’t support the fact that Tia is our mate, then they can leave. Neither of us will tolerate our mate being treated poorly or with disrespect. Besides, if they do treat her poorly, it won’t be because she is a horrible person. It will be due to the gossip that would fly around the pack about her, gossip that would be false. We spend the rest of the meal trying to get to know each other. It’s something that we didn’t do growing up. Even though my brother and I have always had eyes on Tia, we never took the time to really see who she is. She is incredible, and I feel more blessed with each passing minute. We head back to Tia’s place after a filling meal. It was hard to keep my hands to myself while we were out. I tried to remain respectful since we are in a human town. They
~Landon~I can’t be surprised that Tia asks that question; I guess I just hoped it wouldn’t come. She has every right to wonder if we have slept with her sisters. It is honestly something we should have discussed before we went this far, but how much longer was I expected to keep away from my mate?I clear my throat, and Tia looks at me. “I’m sure you know how Adela is: very practical and prudent. We discussed things and decided that it would be better if we waited.” I sigh. “Truth be told, I was still hoping to meet my fated mate, so I had no trouble deciding to leave things at just kissing.” Tia nods in response, and I let out a breath I was silently holding in. I was scared that she would be upset or not believe me. This entire situation is not the norm, and it will take a lot of sensitivity to navigate it. Lincoln is still silent, and I wonder what’s going through his head. I’m not aware that anything had happened between him and Aida, but I’m not with him 24/7. “And you?” Tia do
The drive to the hotel was quiet; everyone seemed to be in their thoughts. The hotel was a bit outside of the human town, and I had only heard of it before. It is really tall and looks super expensive to stay in. Landon helps me out of the car, and I can’t help but gawk at what’s in front of me.Walking inside didn’t dampen my shock. Everything inside is so elegant and expensive looking. It’s hard to take everything in because there is so much to see. I don’t know how, but when I finally come to terms with what I’m seeing, we are already in the elevator. A glass elevator at that, so I can see everything as we ride up. “What do you think?” Landon’s question catches me off guard while I’m examining the floors below, watching everything get smaller the higher the elevator goes.“I think that I'm worried I will break something. If that were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to be the Luna…..I would spend all my time working here to pay off my debts.” Lincoln and Landon laugh at this, and I b
~Tia~The three of us get settled in the room, ordering some room service. This penthouse is pretty ridiculous, but then again, it isn’t like I’d have anything to compare it to. There are three bedrooms in the penthouse, but the master is crazy. It has a bigger-than-usual king-sized bed along with a huge screen television on the wall. The bathroom has a jacuzzi tub big enough to fit five people, and the shower isn’t too different. It is equipped with two rain showerheads on each end and smaller spouts around the walls.k“Imagining how it will be to shower with us?” Lincoln’s hot breath is against my neck, and I can feel my body responding. I step away from him, trying to calm myself and my libido. Of course, Landon walks up to us at the same time, making it almost impossible to get space. “Uh, we should talk.” Landon and Lincoln have their eyes on me with a look of interest and concern. I take a deep breath. I’m not sure how this will go over, but I made a decision, and I’m sticking
~Adela~“Did you call? Are they on their way? Good, you know what to do.” I hang up and start the car. The plan has been put into motion, and now I just have to do my part. Aida and I are on our way to our dear sister’s apartment. We have to go a back way to make sure we don’t run across the twins on their way back to the pack. “Do you think this is a good idea?” I swear this is the 100th time that Aida has asked me this question. I get it; we usually just stay away from Portia. We tend to just ignore her existence and continue with our lives. This is different; this is important. She needs to understand what will happen if she doesn’t back off and leave what is ours alone. “You’re right. Let’s go back home. We can leave Portia alone, and she will mate and be marked by Landon and Lincoln. She will be the Luna of our pack, and eventually, she will have their heirs. We can just find chosen mates somewhere and forget this ever happened.” I glance at Aida while driving and see that my w
~Landon~Lincoln and I rush back to pack lands after the phone call we received. The call itself was vague, but it seems there was something serious going on at home, and we are needed. It made us even more nervous when we factored in how it wasn’t our parents who called. They must be really busy or unable to reach out. We head through the gate, and everything looks quiet. Lincoln and I decide to do a perimeter check before going to the house. We may not be able to see any issues from here, but that doesn’t mean all is well. I hastily park the car, and we both jump out. Lincoln and I shift into our wolves, and we take off in opposite directions, having agreed to meet back at the car.I’m not sure how much time has passed, maybe an hour or more, when we finally meet back at the car. Lincoln throws me a pair of shorts, and I get behind the wheel. “I didn’t see anything wrong, L. I spoke to warriors that were on duty, and they had nothing to report.”“Exactly the same for me. There was
~Lincoln~The ride to Tia was silent and took way too long. I tried my hardest to drive as fast as possible without getting pulled over by human police. I hate that we have been away for as long as we have, and I hate that we were away for the reason we were. That was an ambush, pure and simple! The question is, who was behind it? I would bet it was Mom because she clearly stated that Tia is not who she wants our mate to be. A part of me is wondering if it was the twins and not mom, though. I have no idea who it was, but I want to find out so they can be taught never to try me like that again, even if it was my mom.We finally pull into the apartment complex, and I park next to Tia’s car. I wonder what happened that it won’t start. Then again, it is an old car, so it’s no surprise. I will have to talk to Landon and see about getting her something new and more reliable. Just as I’m about to get out of the car, a shiver goes up my back, and I’m instantly on alert. Something doesn’t fee
~Landon~I’m not sure that I’ve ever driven as fast before. Lincoln stayed in the backseat with Tia, and I focused on getting us to the Moonlight Pack as quickly as possible. Someone hurt our mate, and I was seething. It was taking everything in me to keep Goliath at bay and keep myself level-headed. I want to freak out……I want to scream and cry. I want to find those responsible and rip their hearts out. Instead…..instead I stay focused and logical. Instead, I take control and make sure we can get to the pack in one piece so Tia can be helped.We are allowed right through the gates, and we make our way straight to the clinic. There are nurses waiting out front with a gurney. As soon as I park the car, the nurses approach the back door to get Tia out of the car. They load her up, and Lincoln and I follow her inside. We part ways with her when the doctor joins the procession into the operating room. Lincoln and I are tempted to go in and make sure our mate is taken care of, but we know
~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