GINGER
Secrets. Everyone has at least one, right?
Mine was that I lost my wolf. It happened a long time ago—it was an accident. It was one of those moments in life that changed everything. You know what I mean. One day, everything was normal, great even, and the next thing you know, your life is destroyed over one bad decision.
Yep, all it took was one stupid decision and my wolf was gone. I kept crossing my fingers that there was a chance she might come back—that she was still somewhere deep within me, stagnant, in a coma, just needing a little shove to wake up. That's why I went to see a witch on a regular basis.
That was my other secret.
My parents were suspicious of witches—us werewolves and witches didn't exactly have the best relationship. Lots of old wives' tales, I think—that whole 'be careful what you wish for' thing. Apparently, when a witch granted you your wish, it never quite worked out like expected. But I was desperate. It was the only hope I had to ever be a werewolf again.
My family told me they still loved me, told me that I didn't need a wolf to be happy. I mean, sure, there were tons of humans populating the planet, and they seemed to be doing okay without wolves. But I didn't want to be a human! I wanted to be a werewolf, like everyone else I grew up with. Most of all, I wanted to be able to meet my mate. Every werewolf had a mate out there they could innately sense after turning eighteen. Well, except me, probably. I mean, I still thought I had a mate, but I just wasn't sure if we’d be able to recognize each other. How do you recognize your mate without a wolf?
That was why, in early May, at the tail end of my freshman year of college, I found myself taking the commuter rail train to Salem, Massachusetts to meet with my witch doctor. During the school year, that's what I did—made a monthly trip from my college campus in Boston to the suburbs of Massachusetts with what little money I was able to earn working part-time at the school cafeteria.
Luckily, the train station in Salem wasn’t far from the downtown area. I was easily able to make my way to the small shop by foot, and it was actually quite a pleasure to do so that day, with the most gorgeous spring weather. As soon as I stepped off the train, I pulled off my hoody, allowing the sun to warm my shoulders, and wrapped the sweatshirt around my waist.
Unsurprisingly, the downtown area was very lively that day—not quite as lively as it was in October, but still very busy, with tons of people crowding the brick roads, ducking in and out of shops, and eating outdoors. Nice weather was not easy to come by in New England, so we all loved taking advantage when it did.
I quickly made my way to the familiar fortune-telling shop, a front for what it really was. But I was sure they made coin off that business as well, especially judging by the tourists sitting in the waiting area of the small shop that day—or at least I assumed they were tourists. Not having a wolf, I couldn't distinguish between our kind and humans as I also lacked all the other benefits, such as a heightened sense of smell, night vision, and an extraordinary immune system.
"Sit, please," a woman who looked to be in her late twenties with curly, black hair and whom I'd come to know as Helena, said to me, gesturing at a chair. She'd never been particularly friendly, even after knowing her for nine months now. I took a seat, leaving a chair empty next to a couple that was really into PDA, turning away from them.
Since the shop usually wasn't too busy, I hadn't been expecting to wait. I pulled out my phone to mindlessly scroll through I*******m when the chime of the door distracted me. Not that I cared much who entered, but I still looked up on impulse. And, damn, the guy that entered was F-I-N-E with a capital F! Holy fuck—I didn't think I'd ever seen such a drop-dead gorgeous man in my life.
He brushed his huge, tanned hand through his dark hair in a je ne sais quoi fashion as he entered the small shop. If I were at a party right then, I would have totally crossed the room to chat him up, and I definitely, definitely would not have left without taking him home.
It probably would have been a disappointment, to be honest—most hot guys sucked in bed, and they were usually dicks, especially to girls like me. Not that there was anything wrong with my body per se—there wasn't, but I also wasn't svelte like the women they seemed to prefer, kind of like my twin sister. But still, I wouldn't have minded taking a look at what he had going on under that clothing. Based on how his huge arms strained against the sleeves of his t-shirt, and how his shirt fell against his pecs, he clearly had a nice body. Even if I were a shame-fuck to him.
"What are you looking at?" he snapped at me, catching me off guard. I hadn't even realized I'd been staring. Of course, just as I thought—he was a dick. A ridiculously good-looking one though.
"That huge zit on your face," I snapped back.
He narrowed his eyes at me. "That's not even possible." Damn, so he must have been a werewolf. Although I, personally, couldn't distinguish between our kind, they could recognize I was one of them—I apparently still smelled like one even without my wolf.
"Guess you must be growing weak then," I came back quickly. "Too weak to fight off acne now! Before you know it, your hair will recede, and you'll get scrawny. Then you'll be just as ugly as your personality!"
"Do you know who you're talking to?" he growled at me, his very distinct amber eyes taking on an evil appearance. And then I realized his eyes looked familiar somehow. I'd definitely seen them before.
"To be quite frank, I don't give a shit who you are. You're a huge dick, clearly to overcompensate for the small one in your pants." Everyone in the small shop was staring at us now. "It's probably so small you need a magnifying glass to see it. You probably fuck chipmunks, you're so small. Your pickup line to them is 'wanna nut?' and they go for it, not knowing they’re being lured in by a predator." I didn't know what came over me but I was on a roll now, just spitting out anything that came to my mind. "Does that make you feel powerful? Taking advantage of small, weak animals, you perverted chipmunk fucker!"
His mouth was agape, eyes wide, staring at me. Okay, I literally had no idea what came over me. I had not only body-shamed this dude, something I was adamantly against, but also made a rape joke so casually as if I were telling a knock-knock joke. He blinked a few times and then finally said, "Who the fuck are you?"
His eyes were even more intense now. He had the look of someone ready to pounce on his prey. I'm pretty sure the only thing preventing him from shifting into his wolf to claw me to death was that we were in the presence of humans.
"Someone that wishes they never wasted their breath on you, you useless tool!" I replied, knowing an apology was probably in order. My overreaction was completely unwarranted. And I should have probably been more scared, knowing he had a predator inside him, and I'd be completely defenseless if he snapped. But something about him put me on edge. Don't get me wrong, I was excellent at comebacks and insults in the worst and best of circumstances—bully-victim survival—but he really, truly had brought out my worst.
"What?" he responded.
"You heard me! Get on the other side of that door and stop using up all my oxygen. You think you're so great but you're not."
"Rich coming from someone like you. Typical chubby girl with a chip on her shoulder."
"You fucking douchebag!"
"You're the one that went low first."
"You're the one that came in here ready to bite my head off."
"That's enough!" Helena came over to us. "No more arguing. You're ruining the energy of our sanctuary. Our mediums cannot concentrate in such an environment."
"My apologies." The douchey dude's whole demeanor changed, as he gave Helena an award-winning smile. "We didn't mean to interrupt your activities. But I do hope one of your mediums has time for me. I have some very important business to take care of." I didn't fail to notice how he brought his arm forward, lightly touching Helena's arm. Goddamn manipulator.
"Oh, of course, sir." Was she blushing? "We can fit you right in. Actually, I think our best medium is almost done with her clients. Why don't you go in right after they come out?" She winked at him. What? You have to be kidding me! My eyes burned into his back.
"Great, perfect," he smiled even more widely. "I was going to say I'm in a bit of a rush, but looks like you already sensed that." He winked at her. "Clearly this place is legit."
"Best in the business," she smiled back at him. Gross! I couldn't believe that not only had she allowed him to cut everyone in line, but he also agreed to do it. This guy was a total prick. I took back that I owed him an apology. I owed him nothing—fucking ridiculously good-looking douche. Why were all the pretty ones always the ones with the worst personalities?
I seethed in my seat as his infuriatingly nice ass made itself comfortable in the one next to me, which was, unfortunately, the only open chair left in the place. Ugh. The day had started out so well!
"I see I'm not your type," the jerk spoke.
"What?" I turned to glare at him. Why was he still speaking to me? He gestured toward my phone where I glanced back and found that I had absentmindedly scrolled onto a lingerie ad.
"Man-hating bitch."
"Dude, just shut up," I snapped at him quietly so I wouldn't get kicked out. Helena made it clear who was getting voted off this island if we started arguing again.
"Nobody tells me what to do. Least of all some bitch with a stick up her ass," he said in a quiet, menacing tone. At that moment, a couple of girls walked out into the main shop area, giggling. They stopped and looked at him on their way out, their eyes lingering on him. Goddess, I fucking hated him.
"Okay, mister, come right this way!" Helena called out to him. He strolled over to her without a second glance back at me. And I hoped to Artemis that that was the last time I'd ever see him again. As nice as his ass was, it had clearly become a part of his personality. Ew.
It felt like I was sitting there for an hour before it was finally my turn to go, as I watched person after person, group after group exiting. He was still back there by the time I was called. I wondered what was taking so long, but also relieved I didn't have to see his smug face again as he exited.
"Gigi, darling, welcome back," an older version of Helena welcomed me into a small room, done up with rich purple and gold drapes, with a crystal ball at the center of a small table and decks upon decks of tarot cards behind her. "Has it been helping? Tell me. Tell Sybil everything." I took a deep breath, inhaling the subtle smell of incense, gripping the faux leather and wood of the chair I was seated in.
"I think so," I squeaked. "I sometimes feel something within me stirring." Okay, maybe it was how nauseous the herbs made me, my stomach shuddering with the need to reject them as soon as they were swallowed, but still!
"Give me your hand." I placed my small hand into Sybil's larger one. She closed her eyes and began humming. I scooched forward in anticipation. Suddenly, her eyes shot open. "Yes, it's definitely working. I sense it more today than I ever have previously. You must have been more diligent than usual."
I tried to think back. I was always very diligent. I couldn’t recall being any more so this last time. But maybe I had been. The weather had been better, which always put me in a better mood, so perhaps my enthusiasm had translated into the spells as I chanted them.
"Yes, she wants to come alive. Something has called to her. Something is pulling her from the abyss. Her spirit wants to return and reclaim her body."
"Really?" I asked, my heart racing and warmth radiating throughout my body.
"Yes, I recommend a double batch this month. You're getting close."
"Yes, please, I'll do anything!" My eyes brimmed with tears. I almost never cried, but my emotions were now going into overdrive. My wolf wanted to come back. She wanted to return. This was actually happening!
"Next full moon, do the spell twice." I nodded my head vigorously. "Since you're buying a double batch this time, we'll even give you a ten percent discount." She smiled, her eyes glistening. I didn't care what it cost. I was willing to go into severe credit card debt over this. There was nothing more that mattered to me than getting my wolf back.
"What about three times?"
"Not yet. Better to ease into it. We'll check you over again after the next full moon and see if you're ready." I enthusiastically followed her to the front, where she placed a jar with the herbs by the register and gestured to her daughter. As I turned to go check out, I was dismayed to find that the douchebag was back.
"So, how long are you in town for?" Helena looked up at him with doe-like eyes.
"Not long. I have business up north. But I'll be back again soon," he grinned at her.
"If you need someone to show you around when you come back, I'd be happy to give you my number. Lived in Salem my whole life. And I know the whole underground scene. I'm sure someone like you would be interested."
"Someone like me isn't usually welcome in the types of places someone like you frequents."
"I'm sure we could get you in. I'm well connected around these parts."
"Sure, why don't I take your number. Next time. Today I've got somewhere to be."
"Great!" She pulled the receipt out of the printer and scribbled some numbers on it. As she did that, he sniffed the air and then turned to come face to face with me, his eyes piercing into mine.
"What do you want?" I snapped at him, not much differently than he had when we first met.
"Nothing from you, clearly," he said, turning back around to take the receipt from Helena. He then rushed out of the tiny little shop. And something inside me did stir at that moment. It was working!
"Four hundred and thirty-two dollars," Helena said unenthusiastically. I pulled out my credit card. When I first learned the price, I’d almost had a heart attack. As a college student who was perpetually racking up student loans and living expenses, coming up with the money wasn't exactly easy. They claimed these herbs were difficult to get. They had to import them illegally from somewhere in Australia, where they had found the perfect climate and soil for growing them.
But I didn't even care that I had met the douchiest guy ever and spent almost everything in my checking account at that moment. Nothing could ruin my good mood.
I stepped back outside into the warm afternoon and made my way back to the train, checking my phone to see when the next one would be coming. Another few days and I'd be done with school, moving back to my pack for the summer. And then next weekend was the next full moon. One moon phase closer to my wolf coming back.
GINGER"Gigi!" my sister Paige wrapped her arms tightly around me as soon as I entered the house. I hugged her back, so appreciative to be reunited with her again, returning to my pack in Vermont after finishing up the school year. Being twins, we had a special connection. It had been much stronger when we were younger, a lot of my own resentment toward her pulling us apart over the years. It wasn't her fault, but I couldn't help but feel envious that she was able to accomplish all my dreams. An unsettling feeling that someone else was living my life constantly choked me, salt rubbed into the wound.The thing is, becoming a warrior was always my dream. Our dad was a warrior, and I was always way more into it than Paige. I'd love to go with Mom to watch him spar on nice days out. I loved when he spent time training me to fight and defend myself in the backyard. Yes, I was a daddy's girl through and through. And the way I hung onto my dad was the way Paige hung onto me. Even though she
TYSONIf I were being completely honest, it was nice being away from my pack for once. That place could be so suffocating most of the time. I mean, my grandfather was a complete dick, and my dad wasn't much better. It's like they say, alphas always have to be in charge, and more than one alpha is volatile—an explosion just waiting to go off. In the case of my pack, there were three of us, which made the whole thing pretty combustible. I'm actually surprised we hadn't battled it to the death yet.Granted, things weren’t exactly smooth sailing coming to Alpha Blake's pack either. We were still two alphas with competing personalities, but it was better than dealing with my father and grandfather. Blake was pretty reasonable and wasn't hell-bent on making my life miserable. Although, I'm pretty sure Blake wanted nothing to do with me coming to his pack to "check things out". But he was desperate to make his mate's family happy, so he agreed to the arrangement for the summer. That worked o
GINGEROh Goddess, fucking Artemis. My head hurt, my stomach burned, my chest wheezed. The sun was so bright. I kept trying to open my eyes, but the light streaming in through the window made it very difficult. I moaned, in terrible pain, my whole body sore. This was worse than my worst hangovers. Even when I blacked out it was never this bad. I really did need to go to the pack clinic. I'd cry out for Paige to carry me there. She was a full-time warrior—her muscles were definitely strong enough by now.I finally forced my eyes open and was instantly confused by my surroundings. This wasn't my bedroom. I'd never been in this room before at all. Had I hooked up with someone the prior night? I tried to think back. What had happened?The full moon! It all hit me at once. I had taken the double batch of the potion and then everything got blurry. And, oh my Goddess, was that a dream, or had that douchebag from the fortune-telling shop really appeared? It had to have been a dream, right? Bu
TYSON"Good night?" Blake smirked at me, as he caught me entering the packhouse after I'd gone for a run, his eyes crinkled in an amused expression."What?" I asked, confused."I saw that girl you had here last night doing the walk of shame this morning. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He chuckled. "I see you're enjoying everything my pack has to offer.""You saw her?" I asked."Yeah, her family was worried about her so we put out a search. Like the pack security? Make sure you report that back to your family.""Do you know who she was?""You dog!" Blake pushed on my shoulder with an amused smile. "You didn't even get her name? I always at least got the name.""Well, what's her name?" I kept my expression neutral, not sure whether it was better for Blake to think I'd banged her or not. I still needed to find out what she was hiding from her parents. As much as she infuriated me, I didn't want to blow whatever cover she had for whatever the fuck she was doing—which I also wan
BLAKE I woke to the most amazing feeling. Sparks danced up and down the shaft of my cock as it had found itself in a warm, wet enclosure. Damn, it felt so good. My eyes shot open to, similarly, the most amazing sight—my mate, completely naked, bobbing her head up and down the length of it. A guttural groan escaped from the depths of my chest, completely in awe of what was happening. My sweet, shy luna was waking me by swallowing my cock like a champ. I didn't even want to question why she was doing something so out of character for her. Then she moaned, the feeling vibrating against the skin of my rock-hard cock. I must have died and gone to heaven. Her eyes glanced up at me locking with mine, a mischievous look on her face as she slowed her pace. "I've been waiting for you to wake up. I'm so horny," she moaned. "I want your cock so bad." What! Now she was talking dirty to me? She was using the word 'cock?' "Where is Jasmine and what did you do to her?" I demanded, a huge smile on m
BLAKEI ran into the clinic, immediately running to the back, not bothering to check in up front. Hey, I was alpha and my mom was a doctor, so no one ever questioned me. I immediately ran to my mom's office, but she wasn't there. I quickly found an empty room and deposited Jasmine onto the bed, then ran to find someone else to help her.I finally caught a nurse. "Have you seen my mom anywhere?""It's her day off, Alpha," she replied."Oh.""Would you like me to find you Dr. Davis?""Yes, but I'll still call my mom." Okay, I was being a brat, but I trusted my mom more than anyone else. Not that the other doctor wasn’t competent. I just knew my mom would do a thorough job, especially with my mate.The nurse walked away briefly, and then came back to take Jasmine's vitals. "Low blood pressure," she said."What does that mean?" I asked."That's probably why she fainted.""Will she be okay?" I asked."She should be. But the doctor will know for sure." I nodded, holding Jasmine's hand and w
TYSON"Heya, Beta!" I plopped down on a chair in the office of the packhouse, crossing my ankle over my knee as Luke typed at his computer."Hi, Alpha. How's it going?" he replied, not taking his eyes off his screen."Not bad, not bad." I paused, and then, after a beat, I continued, "So, I noticed you have civilians sparring with the warriors. What's that all about?"Luke looked up at me. "Blake wants everyone to be ready just in case we ever have to fight a battle on our land. He figured that if civilians sparred with warriors, they'd get better training. We still try to pair everyone based on experience and ability.""I see, I see.""Any other questions?"I tried to act as casually as possible. "Any chance I could see the sparring schedules for the next couple weeks?""Sure. Any particular reason why?""Just want to look if that's okay.""Sure, I'll forward them over to you right now.""Great, thanks," I replied. "So, is everyone required to spar?""Everyone from the age of eighteen
GINGER"It's so nice having you back!" Paige remarked. The weather was beautiful on Paige's day off from warrior duty, so she brought me along with her and Jasmine to ride the Newport to Beebe bike path, which was about an hour from the pack. They were both a lot more fit than me, but they didn't ride too fast so I could keep up with them.On our way back, we stopped at a market to buy sandwiches and snacks, and then hiked down to Jay Branch Gorge. Everything was crowded that day due to the nice weather, and both Paige and Jasmine complained about there being too many humans around. I had noticed over the years that most werewolves didn't really like being around humans, almost having an allergic reaction to them."Yeah, you're funny!" Jasmine agreed with Paige."She's hilarious. You should see when someone pisses her off. Some of the insults she comes up with are crazy." Paige laughed. I was suddenly reminded of Tyce and everything I'd verbally vomited all over him. Luckily, I had av
THERESA The excitement in the air was palpable. The whole pack had gathered on the airplane runway. This was the one part of the pack that was consistently plowed so that we’d continue to receive food and supplies throughout the harsh winters after we gave up on plowing everything else, especially the roads that lead to the main highway. It was how I was able to get back and forth from school during the holidays. Full moon runs were a long-time tradition of our pack’s and one of my favorite celebrations during the long, cold, sunless winters. Even when seasonal depression tried to sink its way into my bones and pull my spirit away, these runs tended to give me the adrenaline I needed to keep going. There was something magical about an entire community coming together to expel all their energy in the wilderness, and then subsequently feast together on the kill we’d contributed to the celebration. My heart was full of gratitude in knowing that no matter how tough things got, this pac
TYSON‘Twas several nights after the winter solstice (and one night after Christmas) when all through the packhouse, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And thank the Goddess for that, because we weren’t really big fans of mice around here. At least I wasn’t. Although, I had come to warm up to rats… well, some very specific pet rats. Other than that, still wasn’t a big fan.But you know what I was a fan of? T&A, especially when that T&A was attached to my perfect, voluptuous, thick AF fiancée and mate. My mate that was very conspicuously missing from my bed. I had gotten used to having her warm body next to mine every night, and every inch of my skin was practically tingling with the loss of her. Because her family was very religious, it had been decided that we would stay in separate housing situations during the duration of our trip to her old pack. She at her parents’ home, and I at the packhouse of my ally, the Midnight Maple Pack.I knew she planned to go back to school
GINGER“Okay, I really thought the people out tonight wouldn’t be so… old,” Lucy said.I sighed but figured I should just make the best of it. Maybe once I got back to Alaska I could meet some friends that knew how to party for real. Not that there were many places to go out in the middle of nowhere where I lived. And it was so strictly conservative too. More so than the pack I’d grown up in, which was saying something.“Here, take these!” Lucy handed Paige and me fake IDs that, as usual, looked nothing like us. She then draped about a pound of penis necklaces on everyone.We all marched in, and everyone’s eyes instantly went to us. Lucy made a beeline for the bar and started ordering us drinks before anyone could protest. I followed her, excited to get my drink on. The bar was playing my favorite Mariah Carey Christmas song, and I was ready to start dancing.After we all had our drinks in hand, an older man with a grey beard asked, “What is this all about? A birthday?”I blinked a few
GINGERMy twin sister Paige finished twisting the last bit of my hair around her curling wand and sprayed it down with hairspray. "I miss this." She let out a deep sigh, sitting back on her heels, her body collapsing a bit. We had gathered on the floor of her bedroom while getting ready for the evening—the bedroom that wouldn’t be hers much longer. She would be the last to flee the coop, leaving our parents to an empty nest—something our mother couldn’t stop being melodramatic about. Her wedding was in a matter of days, which was the reason I had flown back to Vermont with my mate Tyce."It's not that much different from when I was in school," I replied, my stomach squeezing a bit, but needing to put a positive spin on our situation."Yeah, but you were at least home for the entire summer then. Now I'll probably only see you a week a year or something like that."Nonchalantly, I blurted, "Maybe the family can move to Alaska." At first, I meant it as an offhand remark that I knew wasn’t
NIKOLAI"Za zdarovye," Sasha and I toasted each other, and I took a gulp of the vodka. After piling our kill in a shed the pack had for exactly that, he invited me over to the beta wing of the packhouse to throw back a few."Not bad, eh?" he asked."Not bad," I replied.He gave my shoulder a shake. "Hey, Volkov, loosen up. Life's getting better. We're free now."I grunted.Sasha was my good friend going back to when we were pups. People had always remarked we could pass for brothers. They clearly lacked keen eyes. Sure, we both sported thick blond hair and tall frames—although I had at least a good ten centimeters on him—our facial shapes were much different. His was more rotund, and his cheeks constantly reddened with emotion.My features were far sharper, and hardened, and had become even more so in the past year. At times, I looked in the mirror, and I saw my late father staring back at me. His ghost haunted me from the beyond, shaping my features to mimic the forehead furrows, life
NIKOLAIForty. That's how many pack members were left in Severnaya Zvezda Pack, including me. A nice, even forty. Our pack had never been particularly large. As opposed to some packs in Russia and other post-Soviet states, where numbers could climb to ten thousand, ours had always maintained a balance of around a thousand. Now only scraps remained of what we had been.After months of coordinating with my late beta’s aunt, Julia Tikaani (née Yulia Vovchenko), we had finally arrived at her pack. When we first fled our war-torn home, we traveled in our wolf forms, carrying only what we could carry as we crossed into Moldova. From there, it took nearly three days by air to reach Alaska.We had left just about everything behind, and a sliver of hope remained.As generous as Luna Yulia’s invitation was, we couldn’t depend on her hospitality forever. Our pack needed stability—a place to truly call home. With my newly elected beta, Sasha, at my side—a man as ruthless in battle as I was—I set o
Author's Note: Several characters in this book are native Russian speakers. To avoid repetitive clarifications throughout the text, assume the following:If a conversation takes place between characters who are native Russian speakers, they are speaking in Russian unless otherwise stated.If a conversation includes one or more native English speakers, it is in English unless otherwise indicated.This approach allows for a more seamless reading experience while maintaining linguistic authenticity.***THERESAHalf-full. Between the two options, that’s the perspective I preferred. It’s not that bad things never happened—I was only mortal after all. But attitude was everything. And a good attitude was particularly important at that very moment as the crushing weight of a sandbag dug into my shoulders, snow crunched under my winter hiking boots, and wind cut at the exposed sliver of skin between my gaiter and hat. I climbed, each step more precarious than the last on the icy slope."Faster
TRIGGER WARNING: This final scene contains torture and is not recommended to the squeamish. It is not necessary to the plot of the book and was only added to give readers some satisfaction with tying up some loose ends. --- TYSON I picked up my ringing phone. "Sara caught the culprits," Trav said, not even bothering to say hello. "Damn," I replied. "She's already tortured them, but offered to let you finish them off. You know, for pack alliance reasons." "I have a feeling that allowing someone else to do the final deed is a gift of generosity in her eyes." I chuckled to myself. Trav's mate was something else. But I'd be damned if I didn't want to watch the motherfuckers that killed my grandfather take their final breaths. Before I hung up, I asked, "Can I bring Dad?" "Obviously that's still a bit of a touchy subject but…" his voice trailed. "But you know that Dad, more than anyone, would want to be the one that does it." I finished his sentence for him. Trav let out a breath.
*Three weeks later* GINGER "Goddess, it's been such a long week!" I flopped onto the bed after showering and throwing on some sweats on a Saturday night in late October. "Your alpha schedule is no joke," I griped to Tyce. "I'm ready to go to bed now." "Do you think you could stay awake for a little bit longer?" He came over and sat on the bed. "Because I have a surprise that just came today." "A surprise? Have I been so busy that I didn't even realize it's my birthday already?" I joked. "It's a 'just because' kind of surprise." "Goddess, stop, Tyce. I can't do all this sweetness. I need a dentist! I think I'm getting cavities." "Okay, the surprise isn't really for you. It's for Splinter anyway. Are you ready for me to bring it in?" "Well, if it's not for me, you should ask Splinter," I teased. "Splinter already said he's ready." "Okay, rat whisperer." Tyce gave me a cute little smile that made my stomach flip-flop. Fuck, why did he affect me so much? Even though we'd now bee