JASMINE I was upstairs in my private office when a loud banging sounded on my door. I got up to open it, and Lucy's scent drifted into my nostrils. I swung the door open to her in a raggedy t-shirt and leggings, her normally glossy hair tangled and unbrushed, and her face red and blotchy as if she'd been crying for hours. "Please, Jasmine," she choked out. "Please, help me." "What happened?" I asked, looking her up and down. She walked past me and took a seat on the comfortable chair I'd set up next to my bookshelf. After sniffing a few times, she finally blurted out, "Luke's kicking me out of the packhouse." "What?" I stared at her wide-eyed, not knowing what to say. "Jasmine, I love him. He's the only reason I get up in the morning. Without him, I'm nothing. I don't know what to do." She began sobbing. "But why?" I asked. "What happened?" "I don’t know. I don't know where it all went wrong. After we had Libby and got married, everything seemed so perfect. It was everything we
GINGER "Ommm," Tyce said in an exaggerated way as he sat next to me in a lotus position. "Tyce, you're not even trying!" I pushed on his arm. "How do you know?" "Because it's obvious!" He snickered. "Tyce! You're killing me! I'm doing this for you." "I did something for you too." He gave me a huge smile. "What did you do?" I asked. "And it better not be anything sexual." He moved closer and took my hands in his. "I know this meditation thing is really important to you, so I've actually been working really hard at it, outside of when you and I meet up at night, because, let's be honest, I'd rather be doing something else with you." "I don't believe you." I pulled my hands out of his and crossed my arms. "I'm being honest. I have. I don't want to be out of control of my wolf. I'm taking my job as alpha really seriously now. That's why I've been doing everything I've been doing with helping Blake with his pack, getting injected with the wolfsbane, and now meditating every day,
GINGER "How are things going?" Tyler asked after I'd been doing my job for a couple days. "Really good, actually!" I replied cheerfully. "So you don't mind all the tedious data entry?" "No, not at all, actually! The stuff I'm learning is so interesting. Like, I always thought werewolves were immune to almost anything, but there are all these crazy things that can happen to them. Like one doctor observed a werewolf that stopped being able to heal quickly, except when there was a full moon. The doctor decided the guy had bad blood, and they actually ended up chopping off his balls so he couldn't reproduce and pass on the defect." "Yikes!" Tyler cringed. "Glad there are more humane sterilization techniques these days." "And then even though most wolves can only heal their mates, there was one wolf that could heal anyone, mate or not. But that wolf never ended up meeting her fated mate, so it was both a gift and a curse." "Huh. Interesting." "I honestly wish I could stay and conti
GINGER I woke up the morning of the full moon, my stomach already wheezy. I thought last time it was now or never, but this time it was really now or never. Trying to keep my mind off it, I crawled over to the cage sitting on the floor of my room. "Good morning, Splinter," I said to the brown rat, opening and pulling him out of the cage. I let him climb onto my shoulder as I added pellets into his food bowl. I'd gotten him over the weekend and had already fallen in love. He was just so darn cute and fun to watch. Recalling how Tyce had destroyed the chipmunk in the woods, I began to hesitate about the idea of introducing him to Splinter. Tyce was lethal as a wolf, and I wasn't ready to watch him pulverize my new friend. I put Splinter back into his cage, and then changed out his water bottle. This was now quickly becoming my morning routine. My parents weren't thrilled about the new addition to the family. Paige tried to meet him, but it was as if he could sense the predator insid
GINGER "I'm not done," he replied. "Okay, continue." He cleared his throat and gave me a big smile. "Gigi, you drive me absolutely fucking crazy. You are so prickly, infuriating, and short-tempered." I was about to say something but he put his hand up, not letting me. "And if my choice is to spend the rest of my life with you busting my balls, hopefully in the good way, but probably in the bad way, I choose that. Because, Gigi, you are perfect. You are everything I ever wished for in a mate and more. You are sexy, beautiful, witty, and so damn spicy. And, most of all, you are a fighter. "I believe in my heart you'll get your wolf back tonight. But if you don't, I don't care. Because I love you." He paused, and my heart froze and my breathing stalled. "I love you with or without a wolf, and I want you to be my mate, my luna. I don't care if we are or aren't fated to each other. I choose you, Gigi. And I hope to Artemis you choose me too. Because if you don't, I might have to cut a
TYSON Fuck, I was panicking! Gigi flailed against me, bruising every part of my body as she smashed against it. Her screams may as well have been swords with how deeply they pierced and agonized me. I used every bit of strength I had to hold her and keep her with me, not allowing her to drop to the ground. I didn't know what to do. Was she transforming or was she dying? I had first shifted not long before I turned twelve. The first time was always painful. My bones ached and it felt like another being had possessed me as my body went through the process, forcing me to change from human to wolf, my bones popping into new positions, my teeth and nails growing into weapons, and fur sprouting from every pore of my skin. But it wasn't anything like this—her pain was clearly on another level. I groaned, doing my best not to let her go, tensing and using every muscle in my body. I didn't know how much more strength I'd have to keep holding her. She finally went limp in my arms, and I cr
TYSON "Let's go for a midnight swim," I said, pulling her into the water, feeling like a little kid again, before my father and grandfather had fucked me up—back when life stretched ahead of me in a landscape of color. She laughed joyfully as I pulled her in. When we were deep enough, she wrapped her legs around me and I put my mouth on hers—and I swear, just knowing she was my fated mate made her taste that much sweeter. We swam and splashed each other, completely losing track of time. I thought I loved her before, but now it was as if I would die if she no longer existed—as if anything without her was completely meaningless. She tried to splash away, and I caught her, pulling her back against me, nibbling on her ear. I couldn't get enough of her and her beautiful body. Her skin felt so much better, softer, smoother against mine now, and I was desperate to have her again. I rubbed my palm up her thigh, and against her thick, beautiful ass. "Goddess, I want you so badly," I groane
GINGER I closed my eyes and transformed, my bones unsnapping and snapping back into place, fur tingling as it sprouted from my skin. I hesitated. Did I want to see myself? The description of demon wolf scared me. Was my wolf really that terrifying? I finally opened my eyes. I couldn't help but whimper at what I saw. While my face seemed okay, and I could see alright, my eyes had an eerie, clouded over appearance to them. I turned to get a look at my torso and whimpered at the sight of the bones of my ribcage sticking out from my skin, hollowed out, my organs able to be seen through my bones. Bile rose to my throat and I began to gag at how horrifying it was to see my innards revealed like that. My skin was broken in patches throughout my body like this, including on two of my legs. I whimpered. I got my wolf back, but she was exactly as Tyce said—a wolf that had risen from the dead, as if I were in a horror movie. I couldn't go out in public like this. I looked over at Splinter w
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
*Almost three weeks later*JASMINE"Gigi!" Paige and Heidi screamed as their sister made her way out into the airport arrivals area. They both rushed over, wrapping their arms tightly around her. Her parents followed, doing the same.Blake grabbed her luggage from her, and then I gave Gigi my own hug. "Welcome home, well, sort of," I said."Thanks," Gigi hugged me back. "And how are the miracle pups?" She asked, looking into my double stroller. "Wow, they're so big compared to the last time I saw them!""Do you want to hold one of them?" I offered. They were staring up at her with their big blue eyes."I'd love that," she replied, with a big smile on her face. I pulled Aria out of the stroller and handed her to Gigi. "You're so much cuter in person than over Zoom, Aria," Gigi swooned, cradling her in her arms."Welcome, Tyce," I said, pulling my cousin in for a hug next."Congrats, again, Jaz," he replied, hugging me back. "We've been looking forward to this run since you left to go h
TYSON "Okay, so what's the story?" I asked Sara as she navigated the boat back to the Spruce Winter Pack. "There's not much to it. I swam back like I said I would. I found a storage closet, that I was easily able to break into and steal some clothes. Then I walked the dock and picked the boat that looked the least fucked up and hotwired it. And here I am." "Damn!" "She's amazing," Trav remarked. "Best mate." Sara glanced his way and gave him a smile. "You did really good, Blondie Baby Badass," Trav swooned. I choked, trying so hard not to laugh. I couldn't believe that was actually the nickname he'd come up for her and she was okay with it. But, I supposed, that was the mate bond. "Tyce, they're waking!" Blake called for me. I walked past Gigi and Jasmine, who were snuggled up together with the pups. We'd found a spare blanket in the boat that we'd wrapped around them to keep them warm. I entered the inner part of the boat, closing the door behind me, and made my way to the v
GINGER "Is it possible for her to go into active labor so quickly?" Tyce asked. "I don't know," I replied. "They're alpha pups," Blake added. "I think things progress much faster with alpha pu—" He didn't finish his sentence as he let out another moan. "Fuck!" "Blake, I think I might be going into active labor," Jasmine cried out. "Try walking," I said. "I think walking is supposed to help." She nodded, and Blake helped her back up. She began walking in circles as we stood around and watched. Every few minutes, another contraction would roll over her, and she and Blake would flinch in pain. "Okay, we need to make a plan," Blake said. "It's very fucking possible she's going to give birth here on an island, in the middle of the ocean, in the woods." He winced, clenching his hands into fists, his arms shaking. "Goddess, what are the fucking chances? And I thought giving birth on an airplane would be bad." "Gigi, I think you're going to have to help deliver the baby, because you kn
GINGER "Admit it, this is just as much of a farce as your shit framing job," Sara aggressively yelled. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Alpha Vic turned to glare at her. Before Sara could answer, a loud explosion rang out far ahead, as if a bomb had gone off. We all covered our ears in reaction to the loud boom, the smell of explosives thick in the air. "Oh, shit! What was that?" Alpha Vic shouted. Suddenly, a large group of mice sprinted under our feet, likely running from whatever that explosion had been. I tensed and looked toward Tyce. And I couldn't believe it, but he hadn't shifted. He stood there, still as a stone, his hands clenched, and it took everything in me not to celebrate right then and there. "The windmills!" Alpha Vic's father yelled, snapping my attention back to reality. Before anyone had time to react, Alpha Vic and his father began running in the direction of where the boom had sounded. "Gigi, stay here with Jasmine," Tyce shouted to me, and then took
GINGER "Mmm," Tyce moaned into my ear as the alarm went off, waking us early on Monday morning. I was still getting used to waking up before the sun rose. But this seemed to be Tyce's schedule, and I couldn’t believe that he'd functioned all summer like this considering how late we'd stayed up on many nights. "Do we have to get up?" I moaned, snuggling closer to him. He chuckled. "Time for my morning injection. Then breakfast and morning run before temple." "Goddess, your schedule is so intense." "I thought you wanted to be a warrior," he teased, nibbling on my nose. "But if you wanted a quickie, I could be persuaded to stay in bed a little longer." "When I see proof you have complete control of your wolf, that'll be on the table again." I gave him a playful shove. "Hopefully on the table, the counter, the wall, the floor, the chair…" his voice trailed. He chuckled again, "and in the backdoor." "Okay, Tyce." I grinned to myself. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll let you put it i
TYSON Before the end of the day, the packhouse had filled up with Blake, Jasmine, and her parents. Terri made the trek back from school. And then we got word that my uncle, whom we hadn't seen in years, had arrived for the funeral with his family. I supposed death was the one thing that really brought everyone out. I barely had the chance to introduce Terri to Gigi or even process everyone that was making an appearance when it was time to leave for the service. Gigi and I rode over with my mom, dad, and grandma. I got shafted to the middle seat with Gigi and my grandma on either side of me. My dad was uncharacteristically quiet during the drive. I got the idea that he was taking this a lot harder than he let on. My grandma, on the other hand, didn't hide her feelings at all as she sobbed quietly the entire ride. Blake pulled up in my car next to us as we parked. I'd given it to him to borrow for the duration of their trip. As my dad held my grandma's arm and pulled her along toward
TYSON On Saturday, I spent the morning training and running patrol stations. It was nice getting out and doing something active to get my mind off things. After an early lunch, I trained Gigi for another two hours. "I'd like to start training you in your wolf form," I said. "But in order to do that, you're going to have to join my pack so I can communicate with you." "Okay," she replied, but I could sense hesitation and maybe even sadness. "Do you not want to join my pack?" I asked, coming closer, taking her hands in mine. Her skin was like ice. Even though we'd kept warm by staying active, her hands were still cold, and I didn't want to let them go, trying to warm them for her. "I do…" her voice trailed. "But?" She sighed. "Please tell me, Gigi. I won't be upset. I just want to know what's wrong." "It'll just be so final. I'll lose the last bit of attachment I have to my pack and family." She put her head on my chest and I pulled her closer to me. "I want you to feel at home