IZZY POVWe had scrubbed on the dress until our hands were raw and we risked damaging the dress more. Lucy was almost in tears.“It’s okay, Izzy,” she tried to console me. “We can all go back to the Alpha House and have our own celebration. You can’t go out there in a ruined dress. Everyone will understand.”I hated that idea. It would let Katie win this round and I wasn’t going to do that. I squared my shoulders, determined. “Get me a pair of scissors,” I told Sami. She nodded and disappeared out into the Packhouse. Destiny looked at me, curiously. “What are you going to do?” she asked. I smiled.“Cut out the stain,” I said. Honestly, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do but I was pretty good at thrifting clothes into cute outfits. Sami came back with a pair of scissors and a small box. “Emily told me to bring you this,” she said. I opened it to see a clothing repair kit with needle and thread and other items. “Emily?” Lucy asked, curiously. “She’s Katie’s fri
Chapter Twenty-OneIZZY POVThe night was everything I had hoped it would be. I danced with so many people, including the triplets. They claimed me a few times, reluctant to let me out of their sight. I have never had this much fun before.They had done something with the lights, causing them to sparkle and twinkle, creating a magical effect. The decorations were subtle and classy, done in a cream and champagne color. There were cream-colored roses everywhere, scenting the air, and champagne colored ribbons woven throughout the arches and trellises that had been put up to create a magical feel.The band was also amazing, playing request after request. The music never stopped, just transitioned smoothly into one song after another. My feet were sore from all of the dancing. It seemed that I was passed from one hand to another; all of the triplets’ friends had taken their turns. I was tired a
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOIZZY POVCaleb led me out of the Packhouse. I felt some comfort, knowing he wasn’t mad at me. He took his coat off and put it over my shoulders, warding off the frigid night.“Thanks,” I murmured.“The boys will explain to mom,” he said, trying to comfort me. I shook my head, not convinced. I was worried Aunt Luna would think the boys were being naive and that I lied to them to get out of trouble. I understood that. I had plenty of time to make up a plausible story and she saw what she saw in the room.With that thought, tears began running down my face. Caleb tried to comfort me.“Mom’s reasonable,” he said. “Once she hears your side of it, she’ll be fine. She’s never mad for long.”I shook my head, miserable. “She didn’t want to hear my side,” I said, my
CHAPTER 23IZZY POVI woke up to a sunny day. The snow had fallen in the night, but the sun was out, turning the fresh powder into diamonds. I took a deep breath and stretched. It was a gorgeous day for my birthday!Yes, it is. The voice of my wolf startled me.Heka? I asked. I somehow knew that the wolf from my dreams was her.Yes. It’s good to finally meet you. Her voice was soft and wispy, but I knew that she was a strong wolf. I felt her strength.So, how does this work? I asked. I heard her chuckle.We are partners now. You and me. We make each other stronger and better.That wasn’t much of an answer, but I’ve been learning patience these past few weeks. Will we know for sure that the triplets are our mates? I wondered. She chuckled again.I have known
CHAPTER 24CALEB REESE AND ETHAN POVThe triplets followed Izzy down the hall, admiring their mate. She looked stunning today, her hair left loose in wild ringlets and her blue eyes blazing in her face. She had dressed simply, a black skirt with tights and a bright blue sweater that matched her eyes exactly. She was the vision of a Luna, one that the triplets were proud of.The party was fun. Izzy’s friends were in attendance. Luna Jenna managed to put together an amazing party in short notice. Caleb thought he recognized some décor from past parties, and he smiled with amusement. His mother could turn something into nothing with no notice.“Join us,” Reese said, taking Izzy by the elbow and leading her over to another group of friends. The triplets had an unspoken agreement for today. She was not going to be out of their sight until her shift. They wanted no more misunde
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVEIZZY POVShifting into Heka wasn’t as painful as Destiny had warned, nor was it as hard as Sami had said it would be. I took my mom’s advice and just did what Heka told me to and suddenly, she was there. She was me and we just were.I jumped around a little, exercising my limbs and playing in the snow. Then Athena came to me.Are you ready, sweetheart? She asked.Yes! And Heka was. She wanted to stretch her legs and use her speed. She was graceful, so much more than I was. And she was quick. We passed Athena without any effort.We ran hard, following the border of the pack and the neutral territory. With Heka in charge, finding the border wasn’t hard. I could literally smell it. I lifted my head and gave a long howl that was answered by all my friends back at the Alpha House.You are spectacul
IZZY POVI could feel the triplet’s eyes on me while I finished my cake. They watched me eat it, bite by bite, eyeing me hungrily. I was both excited and scared for the promise of what was to come later tonight.I think Aunt Luna knew that the boys were barely controlling themselves because she hurried up the festivities. I saw Vanessa try to corner her once, but Aunt Luna signaled to Silvo. He gathered his wife and daughter and left, much to the amusement of my mother. Several more guests made their excuses and either winked at me or fist bumped the triplets. Werewolves were so open about mating. It was going to take some getting used to.Caleb finally reached down and took my hand. “Are you ready, little one?” he asked, his voice so low it was almost a growl. I swallowed hard and nodded, not taking my eyes off of him. Reese took my other hand and, together, they lifted me to my feet.
IZZY POV I lay on my back, panting, my body tingling. I could feel the triplets moving around me and I opened my eyes to see the three of them looking at me, intently. “That was very nice,” I murmured. That was most definitely an understatement. “Izzy, we would like to have our first mating with you,” Caleb said, quietly stroking my arm. I was almost purring, it felt so good. I nodded. “I’m ready,” I whispered. “Who would you like as your first?” Caleb whispered. My eyes widened. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “It’s your choice,” Caleb murmured. “We will all mate with you, but we want you to be able to choose your first.” I nodded, touched at their consideration. But then I got worried. “Will I hurt your feelings if I don’t choose you?” I asked the group. Reese shook his head with a smile. “No, baby girl. This is about you tonight.” He l
EPILOGUE TALIA POV “Coming!” I answered my mom, looking in the mirror and tucking my hair behind my ear. Today was my eighteenth birthday and I was officially going to introduce my wolf to the Pack. I had technically been able to shift since I was a baby, but we had managed to keep that a secret from almost everyone, though it had been a close call a few times. My brothers were coming back from Mongolia with their mate, Zaria, and their friend, Leo, to help celebrate my birthday. They were on some sort of a mission for the Council, but they got permission to come home for this event. They were twelve years older than me and I liked to tease them about being old. They didn’t think I was as funny as I knew I was. They were cool, though, and all my friends loved my brothers. Their mate was also pretty awesome. She was the daughter of our Beta and one heck of a warrior. She went to the same camp my grandmama was accepted to. Only the best warriors are allowed to go. I ran
IZZY POV I rubbed my swollen belly and sat down behind my desk with a sigh. Baby girl was seriously a week overdue, and I was over being pregnant. I wanted to meet my Talia and that moment couldn’t come soon enough. A lot had happened in the three months since the Summer Solstice Celebration. Elder Voltaire had officially asked permission to join our pack and he put in his retirement notice to the Vampire Council. Apparently, serving as head Council Member for three hundred years was enough for him. We gave the Blood Moon Pack to Griz and Destiny. We talked a long time about it and had first asked Leo if he was interested in taking over for his father. He had vehemently turned down our offer, insisting that he never wanted to see the Blood Moon Pack again. When we had gone to visit, I could see why. The pack needed a lot of work and there was a general sense of discourse. Griz and Destiny agreed to take on the Pack with Griz being named the first non-wolf Alpha of a Pack.
IZZY POV“So what do you do, Elias?” Reese asked. I could see his nostrils flaring a little to see if he was a wolf. I didn’t sense a wolf in him, but I wasn’t going to ask. It was kind of like asking someone’s religion or income. If they offer the information, we could talk about it. But only if they offer it.“I’m a bounty hunter,” he said. Kat was clinging to his arm.“A supernatural bounty hunter,” she corrected. “He works for the Council, believe it or not.”Elias smiled. “Kind of. They hire me on occasion. I work for myself,” he corrected her gently.“Sorry,” she said, smiling. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. I grinned. I was so happy for my friend.“Tell us about one of your captures,” Destiny asked. She was next to Griz,
IZZY POV“How are you doing?” I asked Destiny. We were busy hanging decorations around the backyard, and it was the first time I had a moment alone with her in a week. I knew she was feeling really guilty about Kat leaving.She shrugged. “I’m okay. I just feel awful every time I look at Griz. I never intended for her to leave. I just wanted her to be more careful.”I dropped the streamer I was holding and put my arm around her. “I know. And so does everyone else, including Kat. She just needed a change. She spent so much time and effort making sure every part of Cornelius was destroyed that she doesn’t know what to do now. She’s just trying to find her place.”Destiny sighed. “Tell Griz that. He is worried about her.”“She’s moving around pretty quickly,” I offered. “I think sh
IZZY POVThey say a Luna’s work is never done. They’re right.I got back and had my bath and some alone time with my mates, but the pack business didn’t slow down. I was involved in the planning of the half-way house we were building as well as another youth center. I approved budgets and began working on the nursery upstairs, a room we hadn’t used in eight years. And then I began to plan the summer solstice celebration, a tradition that we had upheld since we first started it thirteen years ago.“Black and white this year?” Destiny asked. “I hate black and white,” Lucy said. “It makes everything look so formal and this should be fun.”“Okay. Black and gold?” Destiny was relentless. Lucy threw a wadded up napkin at her.“You only want black because you love it,” Lucy accused her.Destiny shrugged.&
IZZY POVThe gavel dropped and the room exploded. I turned and Kat flew into my arms, hugging me. She wasn’t normally demonstrative, and I was pleased. I needed someone to hug right now, and Kat was perfect.She was also a great bodyguard. She pulled me through the reporters at the door and only got tripped up by one of the fae reporters who used projection to try to block us. Kat pushed him over and got me out of there and into a taxi without further incident.“Keystone Airport,” she told the taxi driver, naming a private airport. I was guessing that my mates had communicated with her.“I can’t wait to get back to the pack,” I said, leaning against the back seat. “I’m exhausted. I just want a bath and an uninterrupted night of sleep.”“I’m not going back with you,” Kat said suddenly. I sat up.“Why?
IZZY POVThe twenty-four members of the Councils filed out, leaving me standing at my table, still in the handcuffs. Thanks to Johan, the handcuffs were the normal ones that they used in the human world which meant I could break them if I needed to, but I wasn’t going to. I wanted the shifter world to see what was going on.After the council members left, Kat walked over to me bringing a couple of chairs. She plopped them down and I gratefully sat. “Did you have a vision earlier?” she asked.I nodded, rubbing my forehead. “Was it obvious?”“To me,” she answered. “I know you. I was about ready to create a diversion.”I chuckled. “You’re a good friend,” I said. A look crossed her face for a second but then disappeared. I had said something that bothered her. Curious.Her phone chirped and she looked at it.&n
REESE POVThere was an outburst from the spectators in the viewing area. The main werewolf and main vampire council members were banging their gavel, telling people to be quiet. We all exchanged grins.“We are not the ones on trial here, Luna,” the main vampire council member said fiercely.“No. You’re not. I am. And I am telling you why I had to do what I did,” Izzy said. She turned to the werewolf council again.“Who among you believed that the prophecy from Nehum thirteen years ago was about me?” She kept eye contact until all twelve members had their hands raised. “And who among you thought that the prophecy was also about my sons?” The same twelve hands were raised.“And the same on the vampire side?” she asked, turning. Reluctantly, some of their heads nodded. The others resolutely ignored her, keeping thei
REESE POV“This session will now come to order.” We were watching the trial on television. The Council, in their infinite wisdom, had decided at the last minute to broadcast the trial on a special encrypted channel that Packs would have access to. We had turned it on first thing this morning when we woke up, looking at an empty room somewhere in Salt Lake. We were watching when the members from both Councils filed in, twenty-four in total. Johan was part of the werewolf council. Alessia had gasped when she saw him take his seat.They had brought Izzy in with handcuffs on. I had roared, losing control of my wolf, but Alessia had wrestled me down. “It’s for show,” she had soothed me. “They’re not silver. Just look. She’s fine. She can break them in a second.” Vin was not convinced but at least he gave me control back.“Isadora Killian, Luna of the Moonstone Pack, you were called before the Council today to answer to an entire list of charges. But you were not the only one