Finley’s POVBanjo- Did she have to throw the head toward the parents?Me- It’s Ariella, you expected less?Banjo- Fair point. She has a petty side.Me- Petty? More like vengeful bitch.Banjo- I was trying to be respectful.Me- Whatever, dude.Banjo- Mate is uncomfortable.“Baby, do you want to go lay down?” I ask, checking on Everly. She smiles softly and nods. “Let me carry you.”I scoop her up and walk away from the killing field. Yesterday, it was just a challenge field, usually to tap out or first blood. But Ariella Conrad knows only one way to win a challenge, bloody death.“Why did you let Anderson kill Kale?” Everly asks me as I walk. She is leaning into my chest.“I couldn’t. He was evil and traitrus. But I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t do the same things he did if you asked,” I tell her as I kiss her head. “He was a man overtaken by the Mate Bond.”“You would fuck and kill my sister for me?" Everly laughs.I must make a disgusted face because Everly looks offended.“So
Anderson’s POVBear- Why did killing that asshole feel so good?Me- Because he caused us so much pain. He had what was ours and he tried to hurt our girl.Bear- She is not ours anymore, buddy.Me- Yeah, I know. She is married to Dad. They are having a baby.Bear- We have a pack. So, we will figure out a Luna for us.Me- Let’s just let Tina be Luna.Bear- So, we get no mate because we can’t have the mate YOU rejected?Me- When you say it like that.I just get in the shower and wash away the day.I feel Cater mark Tina as the hot water covers me.I get out and dry off before laying naked on my bed. I could jack off or I could take nap.I touch myself but it’s like a noodle, depression can do that I’m told.I give up and attempt to sleep, only to hear the snap of Kale’s neck every time I close my eyes. He just wanted his mate. He never would have hurt Ariella again; he never would done anything. But she, Alicia, was like a bad penny. She never would have stopped. Nothing would have stopp
Ari’s POVJuliet- Caleb’s got this.Me- What about Rex?Juliet- Don’t worry, Father’s wolf is weak. From all the cheating.When a Werewolf is unfaithful it weakens their wolf and causes their mate a great deal of pain. There are no free lunches in our world. Every action has a consequence. And Father’s is a weak wolf and death by his own son.Finch wraps me in a hug from behind.“You are good man and a good father,” I tell him as Caleb and Lewis have a private moment.“Thank you,” Finch tells me and kisses my shoulder.“I can’t believe my children get to be raised by you,” I tell him.“Don’t make an Alpha blush in front of his King,” Finch whispers.I snuggle into him and watch my family prepare to tear each other to shreds.Third Person Memory**Flashback 15 years ago, before Ari lost her voice**“Father,” Ari’s toddler voice rings throughout the hallways. “Where are you?”She peaks around corners, tip toeing around the palace hall.“I got you,” Joshua scoops his youngest child up in
Ari’s POVThe sun is starting to set. Mother is pleading with Father to yield.“I can’t lose you today!” Mother screams. “If you ever loved me, you will yield now. Please stop.”Father’s wolf snarls at her.He turns quickly and pounces on her.Her screams fill the air as Father’s Wolf rips her limb from limb.Her arm with her wedding ring lands in from of me.Duke and Rex jump on Father’s Wolf.“Mother,” I fall to my knees and stroke her hand. All I can do is whisper. “Goodbye.”Duke flies back and stumbles but doesn’t lay down. Rex is thrown but recovers too.“You, okay?” Anderson asks as we watch the field.“No,” I shake and struggle to hold back my tears.Lewis holds me and I hold him back. Our mates, the loves of our lives are fighting with my father’s wolf, who is unpredictable.Father snarls as he swipes Rex’s muzzle. He turns on Duke for one on one.Juliet- NO!Juliet forces her way forward and starts running toward Duke.Duke defends but Father is too strong. Father gets a hol
Ari’s POVMe- Juliet……..She hasn’t contacted me since the field. Since the last time I saw Finch.They have his body ready. I’m supposed to be ready but I’m not. My heart is not ready.“Luna,” Romana comes in to check on me.I’m sitting on our bed, wrapped in a towel with a second on my head. Monty is sleeping completely unaware of how different his life is about to become.“It seems you always have to get me ready,” I tell her.“It’s okay,” She helps me up and sits me at the vanity Finch bought for me last week.Romana does my hair in a tight bun and soft make up. She pulls out the dress I wore to the funerals a few days ago and helps me get dressed.Everly comes and puts Monty in the pram before taking him to the hall.“We are with you Luna, you are not alone,” Romana reminds me.I open the bedroom door, and everyone is here. My brother, Lewis, Carter, Tina, Finley, Everly, Anderson, Turk, Dove, and Ren.I walk past them all, Romana behind me. I start to push the pram until we get
Ari’s POVJuliet- I’m back. Let’s save her!Me- Are you sure?Juliet- We are not that big of petty bitches!Me- I think we are.Juliet- Don’t make me take over.Me- Fine. I will go save the bitch who hates me just because the moon goddess made me Luna.I roll my eyes, not believing what I am about to do. I feel someone trying to hold me back, but I break their hold and run into the packhouse.The flames are surprisingly on the outside of the building. The sprinklers are soaking the interior pretty well. There is a lot of smoke, but I can see well enough to get to the stairs.When I get to the Alpha floor, the walls are engulfed but the hallway is soaked. I see her standing in the middle of hallway. “Dove,” I cough as she stands under a sprinkler head.“I thought it would be Ren to come,” She snarls.“I’m sure he is going to come, too. What are you doing?” I ask.“I can’t let you be Luna here,” Dove says in a calm voice. As if the house isn’t burning all around us. “I am Luna. Me, thi
Anderson’s POVBear- I like Juliet. She would have been the perfect mate. I hate you for ruining that!Me- Yeah, thanks.“What took you so long?” Carter asks me, giving a shirt to Ari.“I wanted to stay,” Ari admits. “I miss him.”I forcibly hold myself back from embracing her. What kind of love makes you want to die to be with them again?“Ari, what about Monty? What about the pack?” Carter asks her, kneeling in front of her. He softy moves her hair from her face. “You can’t make us complete orphans.”Ari starts to cry and Carter backs away to let Tina hold Ari.Bear- Me too. I want to hold her too.Me- She is my father’s widow.Bear- She was our mate first. And she is our age. Just saying, it's not like you have a mother/son bond with her in any way.Me- Still feels wrong to feel this way.Bear- Okay.“The former Luna used gas on the walls, the plaster is actually feeding the fire, destroying the structure. But the sprinklers are keeping most everything safe,” Peter reports. “We wer
Ari’s POV“She is so beautiful,” I say, holding Zoe for the first time.“Yeah, almost as beautiful as her mother,” Finley beams with pride. “I’m a father!”I smile and laugh at him being so excited.Turk and Romana welcomed Lexington only four days after the boys left to claim Jessup. Now the new nursery was going to be almost full.“Your father would be so happy today,” I say, holding little Zoe. My eyes fill up with tears thinking about Finch, again. “Sorry.”“No, don’t ever be sorry for missing him,” Everly tells me. “He would have been so happy today.”“He would have given me one of those amazing hugs,” Finley looks off in space for moment. “I can’t wait to give Zoe one of those hugs. So that one day, she misses me the way I miss my Dad right now.”I smile and nod.“Zoe, your Poppa was a good man, who was so excited to meet you. He never got to hear your name this side of the goddess, but I know he is singing it today. He is probably standing with your grandmother and the two of t