GINGER "Paige, I've been speaking to the priest, getting some dates he has open for your wedding," my mom announced at dinner. "I also called Dylan's mom, and she's right on the same page." "You called Dylan's mom?" Paige replied much more aggressively than I was expecting. "Well, of course! We need to make sure everyone's in agreement. Since she only has sons, and this is the first of hers to find his mate, she's dying to be included. But don't worry, I let her know you're very agreeable and will be more than happy to involve her. How do you feel about her coming with us to look at wedding dresses?" Paige blinked rapidly, her mouth agape. "You know, she actually has great taste. She helped decorate for the winter solstice celebration at the temple a few years back, and she had some wonderful ideas. Maybe we should include her in picking out the flowers too." I glanced over at Paige again, and her whole face was red—her hands balled into fists. Shit, maybe Paige and I were more a
GINGER Sunday evening came far too fast and I was a mess. In just days, my life had completely changed. Now, instead of preparing to head back to school in Boston in a few short weeks, I was withdrawing, researching schools in Alaska, and pulling together a list to apply to so I could start up again in the spring. Between that, work, and not getting enough sleep because Tyce and I were still meeting up most evenings, I was stressed to the max. And now I was super nervous about Tyce meeting everyone. My mom fluctuated between being ecstatic and randomly crying. My dad had to live with the fact that he wasn't going to be able to have his "man-to-man" talk with Tyce about relocating to our pack. I guess my dad hadn't considered the possibility of my potential mate being an alpha—literally the one job that couldn't relocate. And also the one person my dad would never try to convince of anything. I went back and forth on what to wear several times. "Goddess, I wish Hunter were here!" I
BLAKE We were encroaching on late August, and Jasmine was very pregnant now. She was starting to look as if she could pop any moment. "Goddess, I'm so tired," she said when she came home from training for the day. "Jasmine, I think you should cut back on your training hours and focus more on paperwork instead," I said gently. She yawned, plopping down on the couch, and rubbing her big belly. "I really don't want to, but I don't know if I can keep going at this rate." "There's no reason to push yourself. You can always get back to it after the pups are here." I took a seat next to her. "I'm ready for them to be here already. I don't know if I can take another month of this. I've been feeling so much pressure on my pelvis lately." "Maybe you can ask my mom about it tonight when we go see her. Unless you're too tired?" "No, I'll be fine. Just let me shower." "Okay." I leaned in and gave her a kiss. "By the way, I'm definitely going to take you up on that booty calling offer ton
GINGER It was nearing the end of August, and I was stressed beyond stressed, trying to decide what to bring with me to Alaska. On a rare day when no one would be home, I invited Tyce to come by and help me pack. I went downstairs to greet him when the doorbell chimed. As soon as I opened it, my heart skipped a beat. How did he do that? Every time I saw him, it was like the first time. He instantly greeted me with a big kiss, and I didn't want to let go, wishing I could just stay wrapped in his arms forever. I finally pulled away. "Okay, so before I take you upstairs, should I move Splinter into another room?" He rolled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest. "No, I can do it. I'm ready." "Are you sure?" "Well, okay, maybe I'll take my clothes off just in case. There's no one home, right?" I laughed. "No." "Okay, because that would be pretty awkward if your dad popped out while I was buck naked. I mean, on the field it's okay. But very awkward when visiting his daughter at
GINGER I felt really emotional that evening as I put in more effort into the potluck than I had for the past few years. I went all out and deep-fried extra spicy buffalo wings and cut up carrots and celery to go along with them, adding a milder option as well. Paige, the overachiever, made beef empanadas. Our mom gave us a ride to Heidi's house, where we were greeted by both Heidi and Kelli. They both gave us big hugs and we made our way upstairs to the kitchen where we lay out our spread. "I can't eat as spicy as you guys, so I made a mild potato salad," Kelli said. "That's okay. I made a few milder empanadas. You can have those ones," Paige offered. "I made some mild honey barbecue wings," I added. "Just stay away from the buffalo ones." "I went mild this time too," Heidi said. "My acid reflux has been acting up a bit, so I made Mexican street corn. But there's hot sauce if anyone wants to make it spicier." "Acid reflux?" I asked. "It's one of the symptoms," Heidi said coyly
GINGER My alarm woke me at two-thirty that morning, and I groaned, forcing myself to roll out of bed. I had put together three suitcases of stuff to bring—three suitcases to transport my entire life across the country. I quickly dressed in the outfit I'd laid out for myself the night before. I had decided on a simple jersey dress since it'd be comfortable for several hours of travel but would still look cute for when I arrived to meet his family. I moved Splinter into his special travel carrier and added some fresh fruit to hopefully help him stay fed and hydrated throughout the journey. Then I looked around my bedroom and sighed to myself. At around three, Tyce texted me to let me know he'd be there in a half hour. I dragged everything downstairs. My parents came down just as I was placing Splinter's travel cage by the door. My mom pulled me in for a hug and began sobbing for the millionth time since she found out I was leaving. "Make sure you eat all your veggies and always wear
TYSON So, things may have started out a bit awkward. It's not exactly the best timing for your mate to go into heat while you're stuck in a moving vehicle in the middle of the sky that you can't exactly get off. Well, we did get off, more than once—just in a different meaning of the word. And, holy shit, sex in heat is like sex on steroids. I mean, everything just feels that much better and that much more intense. That was the first time I ever raw dogged (what, I can't exactly risk bastard children)—and holy fuck, that only made it that much better—the way I could really feel her body, the way the bare head of my cock brushed against her inner walls, all the sensations. Damn. I'm officially done with condoms. And considering I've met my mate, I see no more purpose for them. After we got off that plane, we high-tailed it to the closest hotel where I proceeded to fuck the living daylights out of Gigi in every position known to man on every surface of that room. Suffice to say, it wo
TYSON My dad and grandpa came home a few hours later with Trav and his mate trailing behind. I brought Gigi downstairs to introduce her to everyone. "Looks like we get to meet two mates in one day," my grandpa spoke. "One rogue." He scrunched his nose in disgust. "And one, well, I shouldn't be surprised by Tyson's mate." "What's that supposed to mean?" I glared at him. Trav gave me a look that I tried to interpret but failed. "Dad, it's been a long day." My father shook his head. He then stepped toward Gigi. "Hi, Alpha Lance, and you must be Gigi?" "Yes, nice to meet you, Alpha." She shook his hand. "Pleasure is all mine," he replied politely. At least my dad wasn't going full dick right off the bat. "This is my father, Alpha Bruce." "Nice to meet you as well, Alpha," Gigi responded and shook his hand as well. "Hi, I'm Trav." My brother pushed forward. "So nice to finally meet the woman that's tamed this guy over here." He elbowed me and then shook her hand. "And this is my mat
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