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
Ari’s POVOne year after the Fire“Welcome back!” I smile and hug Tina. “Let me see him.”Carter turns the carseat carrier and I see my grandson. I said it, grandson!I pick up the little boy and hold him.“Romeo?” I ask with a smile.“Yeah,” Carter looks a little embarrassed.“He never wanted anyone to know how much he misses his Dad. But the second that little guy popped out, Carter looked at me and begged me to name him Romeo,” Tina snuggles into Carter with a smirk.“It’s perfect,” I tell him.“Mama,” Monty pulls at my leg.I squat. “Monty, this is your nephew, Romeo.”“RoRo,” Monty stubbles in his little one year old gibberish.“You got big,” Carter squats down to see Monty.“It’s been, what, 8 months since you have seen him?” I tease.“Sorry, we have double the size of the pack. Anderson and I work really hard. He sent a gift for Monty. He will come back for Zoe’s first in a few months,” Carter tells me as he stands up.“You two need a Beta,” I tell them.“Agreed, but we don’t t
Anderson’s POVBear- Why are you putting on cologne?Me- I need to get laid. I don’t want to use the pack any more, so I am heading to town and hitting a bar.Bear- A human?Me- At this point, I don’t care if it’s male or female.Bear- I would prefer female.Me- I will keep that in mind.Bear- Please do.“Wow, where are you going, Manbun?” Tina asks with a giggle.“To the bar,” I tell her.“Need a wingman?” Carter calls from the couch.“I would prefer one who is not married,” I tell him.“I wasn’t offering me, I was saying to take that Jason guy,” Carter stands up. “He is a good warrior, and he is new to the pack.”“I don’t want to get too cozy with the Warriors,” I tell him.“I was thinking him as Beta. But you are so busy in the office you aren’t able to see what I see. So, let the dude be your wingman and see what you think,” Carter tells me.“So going to a bar and picking up human chicks is going to let me know if he is a good Beta?” I ask with raised eyebrows.“Just give him a ch
Anderson’s POVBear- We are almost there.Me- I know, I’m driving, what is wrong with you?Bear- I missed the smells around Conrad.Me- Like what?Bear- Just get there, will ya?Me- Okay, Buddy.I push the gas a little harder. I had planned to bring a girl home to meet Finley, but Bear snarled. My phone rings and I answer it through the car.“FIN!” I yell happily.“ANDERSON!” Finley yells back. “You owe me a couple of rounds in the ring!”“Deal. I have been putting a lot of effort into training, so you better be ready!” I warn.“I am a girl dad. I have a special strength,” Finley jokes. “I called for a serious reason though.”“What you got?” I ask and take a sip of my drink.“Ari has started dating someone,” I hear my brother’s words, but they are hurting my ears a little. “What did you say?” I ask, praying it’s not true.“Yeah, his name is Dan, we like him. I’m calling you because I want you to know. Grandma and Grandpa are here and they like him too. He is good to her, to Mont