I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this out! I wanted to publish it with chapter 17 but I'm struggling with 17 so here you go.
Johnathan's POV I stood at the altar next to Cade, proud smile on my face. I didn't have many friends, but out of the ones I did have Cade was my best friend and the first to find his mate and get married. I was nothing but honored to be standing next to him on his special day. The seats were filled with Rachel's close family and friends. Her mom sat front and center with an overly excited grin on her face. Mrs. Carter sat next to her with a polite smile on her face, but her eyes glared daggers at me. Music began to softly play from the speakers and my attention was drawn to the cutest little boy in a tux walking down the aisle. I smiled, big and proud of my boy as he brought the pillow with the rings on it down to the altar. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mrs. Carter scrutinizing me as I watched James. 'Great. If she didn't know before, now she's going to figure it out on her own.' 'And that's a problem? Now she will know that she cannot just take our son without our pe
Airen's POV It wasn't hard to avoid Johnathan. I was the Maid of Honor, after all, I had plenty to do. Mom was watching James so I had one less thing to worry about during the reception. Even so, I constantly found myself looking for him in the crowd. Anytime it took more than 0.5 seconds to find him, I began to panic. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but that phone call with Nolan had shaken me up. I also found myself looking for Johnathan in the crowd quite often as well. Every time I saw him he was already looking at me. It was as though he was keeping steady track of me with his eyes. Every time I looked quickly away, my cheeks heating furiously in embarrassment. So far the reception was going well. Cade and Rachel had already cut the cake, we had eaten dinner, they had their first dance, and in a move that surprised everyone, Cade danced his mother-and-son dance with Carlotta while Rachel did her father-daughter dance with Jonathan. I watched the dances with a smile. It was nic
Johnathan's POV I smelled them before I saw them. Vampires. Before I could do anything, Airen tensed in my arms. She was looking at something over my shoulder and I could see the fear in her eyes. She reached out and pushed James behind her, never taking her eyes off of what I could only assume to be the vampires I was smelling. I looked around and saw that everyone else was watching something behind me. I also noted that the music had stopped and Cade had pushed Rachel behind him. I scanned the crowd for Brenna and found her frozen and as white as a sheet. I made eye contact with her and motioned with my head for her to come to get James. That seemed to shake her out of her frozen state. She nodded in acknowledgment and began to make her way toward us. I then focused on Airen. Her hand had slipped down to my chest at some point and she was now gripping my shirt with white knuckles. She was shaking, though I doubt she noticed, and had pressed herself up against me, whether subcon
Airen's POV After Tobias and Dayton crashed the reception, the party mood had been effectively killed. Everyone went home, almost imeadieadtly, giving Rachel and Cade murmured congratulations on their way out, all the while casting, me, Cade, and Johnathan nervous looks. Cade because of the new information that he was a werewolf and now lived among them. Johnathan because he was still fuming with barely contained rage and me because I was the obvious cause and target of Johnathan's rage. Mom offered to take James for me so Johnathan and I could "talk", the whole time casting uneasy glances at Johnathan who was watching me like a hawk. I shook my head. "I appreciate it, Mom, really, but after everything I want to keep James here with us." Mom looked at me, concerned. "Honey, I don't know how I feel about you staying here eith
Johnathan's Pov I did not sleep well. Between being restless over the separation from my mate and Morte being restless over vampires being within 100 miles of our mate and son, it was a long and uncomfortable night. At some point, I must have dozed off because one minute I was stressing out over what to do about my mate and her lack of communication and the next I was waking up to the bedroom door being opened. I had fallen asleep sitting up against the door, so when it opened I fell into the room, backward. I lay there, looking up at a very displeased Airen. She was wearing another white t-shirt, denim capri pants, and Converse. Her hair was down around her shoulders and damp as though she had just gotten out of the shower. There was a pair of sunglasses perched on her head and she was carrying a duffle bag, a book bag, and a purse. I wondered what she needed that required that many bags for just a few days before I remembered that she was supposed to be here for two whole weeks
We all heard the stories. Not only did werewolves and vampires exist, but so did soulmates. Not that many humans witnessed these things and lived to tell the tale. It was an unspoken understanding in the world. They existed and in return for our blind eye and silence, they let us live. They say that when werewolves find their soulmates they know right away. That once they have seen their mates they would burn the world for them. To protect them. They say that it's even worse with Alphas. That Alphas are extremely possessive and protective of their mates. For me, a human, thankfully I would never find out. At least, that was what I thought. "Airen come on, let's go!" Melissa shouted to me from downstairs. I sighed as I once again looked at myself in the mirror. Melissa was one of my best friends in the world, but I would kill her for forcing me to wear such a provocative dress. Melissa had selected a strapless dress that was cut low enough to show off my breasts and not in a class
Four Years Later..... Airen's POV I slammed the truck door closed with a sigh. I turned and leaned up against the truck crossing my arms and closing my eyes taking advantage of the rare moment of peace. Life hadn't been easy these past four years (as if it had ever been). After getting the phone call about my father I rushed out of that hotel room. I was impressed that I hadn't managed to wake up the man who had claimed to be my mate. At first, I had considered looking into the whole human mate of a werewolf thing. More specifically how I, the human, was supposed to know if he was really my mate. But once I had gotten home that changed. I had given a brief and somewhat explanation of why I needed to leave to Melissa that morning, but not about the night before, not that she didn't try to get details. I had gotten home just over a day later to find my father practically comatose. He had had a massive heart attack due to stress. Work and life in general had finally caught up with
Airen's POVWe arrived at Rachel's ranch and saw several people milling around. They were carrying things around getting ready for the wedding tomorrow.I put the truck in park and turned off the engine just in time for James to shout."Mommy look! The horses are out!"James loved horses. With the way he shouted and squealed every time he saw them you would think he'd never seen one before."James wait!" I said, but it was too late.When he was two James had learned how to buckle and un-buckle himself into and out of his car seat. That combined with the lack of child locks on my dad's truck meant that he was already out of the truck and halfway to the horses."I've got him. You have work to do." Mom said nodding to the house before us.I looked up and saw Rachel standing on the large wrap-around porch of her home. She was waving at me with a glowing smile on her face.I smiled and got out of the truck. I watched Mom and made sure she caught up with my runaway of a son before I turned