~Hannah’s Point of View! The light flashes next to the large male, and an equally large female appears, though she’s a good foot shorter than he is. I finally push to my feet, absolutely humiliated that I’m naked, I cover my breasts without thinking about it. “Mother! Please help me with him,” Luna shouts, as she seems to move so fast I can barely register it. Then her mother is bending to touch her head. Something passes between them though the female doesn’t speak out loud. I feel my mates at my sides, and I’m not sure what to think. I feel like I can’t look at the giant male, something is telling me not to. When the two females begin to approach me, I stand tall. Though still awkwardly trying to cover myself. “We will be able to grant your wish. But we understand many from your pack have been lost tonight. Had I been here sooner…” Luna trails off, and the guilt is obvious on her face. Her mother disappears into thin air and I gasp in shock at the suddenness of it. Luna step
~Rafe’s Point of View~ “You can’t think about it like that babe, that’s not at all what being a Luna is even if it might be what my mom made it into,” I whine, stroking my thumbs over the tops of Hannah’s hands. My sexy mate practically stares daggers at me. Her feistiness will literally always be something I treasure. Parker and I both need a female that’ll push back on us and everyone else too. She huffs and pulls her hands away, then stuffs them into her hair. “Nobody is any better than me. I don’t need some title,” she snaps, between moving her fingers in a way I couldn’t even imagine. I’d never really watched a female braid their hair before but it seems impossible. Yet she does it like it's as easy as breathing. I move to her back and kiss her bare shoulder. “Well… I’m biased,” I whisper, between kisses. I practically feel her skin warm with my touch and of course, I’m instantly hard. Not only is she just sitting in her bra and panties, but she’s just showered and smells
~Hannah’s Point of View~ There had been really no talk of me actually becoming Luna of Nightwind… I guess I’m just supposed to know there’s no question it is a fact. It is happening. Not that I’m sure what good a chat would do, my mind won’t wrap around it. I have zero clue what I’m supposed to say or do. If there are specific things expected of me. I want to say that surely the pack will cut me some slack. They know I have no idea what I’m doing, they know I’m not part of this world. But I know better. I haven’t forgotten the stares that made me walk taller, the whispers that made me hold my chin up. Still, as Scarlett holds my hand and walks me toward the front, with literally all eyes on me… I’m close to panicking. I don’t feel the same strength now. Running seems to be what my mind knows, it’s my fall back… My fail safe. Run, hide. Escape the threat. Which is at odds with my lycan half that only wants to run toward a threat because it feels that it’s the absolute best weapon
~Hannah’s Point of View~ “Loyalty amongst rogues. What a joke,” I whisper, shaking my head. “Well this guy was enough of a figurehead, a powerful force that all these people followed him. Or were that afraid of him,” Frederick says. A shriek behind the truck has us both jumping and I don’t even realize my body’s own ability to move with such ease but suddenly I’m standing back on the ground. One of the new females is on her knees, holding Oscar and Oliver like they’re… like they’re… “Ohh! My babies, he said he killed you!! He said you were gone,” she sobs, practically wailing into the night. Oscar pats her head like she’s a cat, unsure what to think. Oliver looks at me almost like he’s … asking for permission? Confirmation? While I am the only mother they’ve ever known, they’ve never called me that word. Of course I’d want them to know their real mother if in fact this female is that person. I fall to my knees next to the trio and draw a deep breath. The boys have never really
~Later That Month~ ~Hannah’s Point of View~ I make a face and stare at my hand, then shake it and throw it like I’m Spiderman trying to make a web. At long last, the full moon has arrived. And not that I haven’t wanted to believe the Goddess, I definitely have. I mean she’s already been huge with the mind-linking thing. It’s literally been invaluable, more than I could have ever imagined. “And you’re totally sure the shift won’t hurt the baby,” Parker asked Jake, for the fifth time. Getting annoyed, I fall into a camping chair. “I know it seems like it would hurt the baby, but shifting for she-wolves is perfectly safe for the first three months. The last two months it’s better to err on the side of caution and the wolf understands that,” Jake says. They keep talking but it fades out. A lull practically pings in the back of my mind like someone is trying to mind-link me. Someone who doesn’t normally. If it’s a signal my body is familiar with, it comes right through. I wait a mi
~Parker’s Point of View~ I grab Hannah and hold her, gently rubbing her back. I mind-link our sage to bring something to settle her belly, though I know it's the stench of death making her sick and not our baby. I watch in horror as the guys pull out jars with brains, hearts and who knows what. All parts of lycans. There are notebooks and charts. They were studying them. Not too surprising but, gross no less. A growl breaks out and Hannah’s head jerks up to see where the noise came from. We both see Frederick studying a large jar and then suddenly, he’s off and running with it. Hannah’s eyes meet mine. “I’ll mind-link mom to check on him. Maybe it was a scent he recognized. Goddess, his people have been gone for so long. Could they really have something that old,” she questions. I shake my head, unsure. “You have a wolf now, we personally saw the Goddess and her parents. Shit… anything is possible,” I say. I nearly also mention that I’ve cheated death many times in the last cou
~Six Months Later~ ~Rafe’s Point of View~ “That’s it baby, it’s almost time to push,” I say, reaching to brush some stray hairs off of Hannah’s sweaty face. She straight up growls at me, but I only offer a smile. The labor has lasted several hours, which Jane says isn’t uncommon for lycans. Everything is on their time, when they’re ready. Shifters usually pop babies out within an hour or so of their water breaking. But this is all new to me. While we know it’s only one baby, we don’t know the gender. We were tempted to visit another pack that has an ultrasound machine but decided it was better to be surprised. After raising two boys though, I know my mate wants a little girl to love on. *It’s a girl, I feel it,* Cruz boasts. When I see Parker come in with a video camera, I quickly motion to cut it. Now is hardly the time! But Parker does what he wants, and this won’t be any exception. As if it happens in slow motion I watch Jane palm the front of the camera and pitch it in a cor
~Frederick’s Point of View~ I sigh, looking down at the gas meter, it’s nearly at the end. When I see a service station up ahead with a diner, I decide to finally stop. My lycan can run for hours and refuel from eating, but driving is so different. It’s barely been five hours and I’m exhausted. *Yeah well, I like food,* my wolf, Xavier says, with a yawn. I can only smile, still having to get used to the other voice in my head though he’s been with me awhile now. Once I’m seated in the diner and looking at the menu, I nearly ask myself what the hell I’m doing. Is this really just a fool’s errand I’m on? An excuse to get away for a bit? Maybe both. *I don’t fully get it, but I haven’t seen anywhere outside of the pack so I say a little trip is a good thing,* my wolf replies. “What can I get you hun,” I hear, as I turn to look at the waitress. Even seated I’m still nearly as tall as she is standing. “Coffee, black and the special please. Very rare on the burger,” I say, putting th