“First and foremost, thank you all for being here today. I’m going to keep my portion short.” Jasper stands at the podium, now tenured in speaking in front of crowds, looking comfortable to address the room. He pulls out a notecard from his jacket pocket and glances down at it. “There is someone very special I would like to introduce you to. She’s not only the lead scientist for the Sigma Project, she is the mastermind behind the medication that has made this whole thing possible.” Jasper looks into the wings and gives Zara a thumbs up. I feel her take a deep breath under my hands. “This talented woman completed her undergraduate degree and masters in biochemistry, and she’s almost finished with her doctorate all in just over six years. On top of that, she is now the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate ever. In chemistry and in medicine. Friends, she’s the hardest worker in the room, by far the smartest person you will ever meet, an incredible mother, and one of my closest friends. Oh and
“Zara, first, I want you to know that your parents loved you. They had no choice when they left you and they never stopped trying to find you and get you back.” Tyree’s tone differs from what I’ve heard from him before. It’s more apologetic and compassionate, like a father trying to make his child understand another point of view. “Tyree, how could I possibly believe that?” Zara holds her hand up to stop him. “They left me on the steps of the pack house. I wasn’t even a week old. They didn’t want me.” “It’s not true, Zara. I promise you it’s not true. Your father’s name is Scott Eklund. Your mother is Sondi. They came here because the Alpha from Emerald Mountain banished them. They were seeking asylum, and it was granted.” Tyree sits back and sighs. “From what I understand, your father attacked the pack’s Beta, trying to defend Sondi. Your mother said she never had a problem with the Beta and barely knew him. Your father had issues with mental illness. He was paranoid and refused to
Zara’s POV “Mom doesn’t get home for another two hours and Dad won’t be back until tomorrow.” I giggle into the phone at my boyfriend Liam’s excitement. “What’s the surprise?” “If I tell you, it’s not a surprise, Z. I’ll be over in ten minutes.” He hangs up before I can press him further. I look at the phone for a second. My boyfriend will be here in nine minutes. I sprint upstairs, change my shirt, and pull my hair out of a ponytail, fluffing it out. I hastily apply my shiny lip gloss, then stand back and look at myself in the mirror. The doorbell chimes, making me smile. Why does he bother? He knows I don’t lock it. “Zara, it’s me!” Liam’s voice is like honey on a biscuit. I can never get enough. After the Mating Gathering tomorrow night, I’ll hear it as often as I want. “Coming!” I check the mirror one last time before I run downstairs, but he’s already halfway up. He’s two stairs below me, so we are the same
When my best friend Sylvie turned eighteen, I took her to an amusement park with the tallest roller coaster in Oregon. She had a blast. I lost my voice, screaming in terror, but I did it for her. I made her promise to keep things low key for my birthday. She won’t tell me what she planned, but insists we need to do it the day before my birthday and promises I will love it. I try to stay as still as possible when I hear the door to my room creak open because I know what’s next. It’s the same every year. Three…… twwwoooo…... one…… “UMPH!” All my air gets pushed out when Sylvie pounces on my mountain of bedding. She laughs maniacally while she tries to tickle me through the blankets. “ZeeZee! I know you’re in there somewhere!” She squeals from outside my fortress. “We have so much to do today! GET UP!!” “Sylvie! Come on, you promised low key,” I groan from the bottom of the pile at her weight on top of me. The covers pull away and I’m uncomfortably close to Sylvie’s megawatt smile,
“What do you think your wolf will look like, Zara?” Sylvie turns around and asks, her brown eyes sparkling in the evening light. “Oh, I hadn’t even thought about it.” I put my finger to my lip, contemplating the idea. Mom’s wolf is dark russet brown and Dad’s wolf is a dark gray, “I guess she will be a dark color, but I’m not worried about that. I just want her to be nice.” “Don’t worry, Z. The Moon Goddess chooses the wolf that’s right for each of us.” Liam takes my hand and kisses it reassuringly. “Whatever she looks like, I’m sure she’ll be as beautiful as you.” My concerns about yesterday and this morning fade away as we get closer to Emerald Mountain pack territory. I can’t believe after six years of dating, we are finally on our way to our pack’s Mating Gathering to find out if we’re destined mates. There’s no way we’re not. I can’t imagine being with anyone other than Liam. “Z, in less than three hours, you’re gonna be eighteen. How does it fee
I look around, confused. Panic is building in my chest. People around us are finding their mates, smiling and laughing, but something seems off. The guys close to us put their noses in the air, then look toward Liam and I. There is an odd look on everyone’s faces as they hone in on me. “Mate,” Mark says from next to me. I turn and look at him, confused. He is looking at me with a mix of desire, anger, and confusion at his confession. “Mark, what are you talking about, babe? You’re my mate. Not Zara’s,” Sylvie tries to get his attention off of me, but he is staring me down, making me feel very self-conscious. I try to hide myself behind Liam. Next to Mark, several other guys look at us the same way. “Mate,” they murmur when they see me. All of them. The meadow grows quiet except for the sound of the male werewolves calling me their mate. I look beyond Liam and see that even Alpha Williams is calling me his mate. I shake my head, “No. What’s wrong with all of you?” Sylvie is tryin
Keller’s POV “Hey, Jensen. Ping my phone and send a car to my location. I think I got one with some potential.” I pull my car over and park. When I double check the rearview mirror, I can see the girl still sitting on the curb. “You sure?” Jensen asks with a sarcastic tone in his voice, making me roll my eyes. “Have I ever been wrong before?” I snarl into the phone at my oldest brother. “Hey, don’t get an attitude with me, you little shit." He snarls back. “I’m not sending out a car unless you’re sure.” “Send a car, asshole." I say, and hang up on him. I take a deep breath and frown internally. Now it’s time for the part I hate the most. It feels more slimy and disgusting every time. Secretly, I want to get out of the family business. I don’t know how I could even approach Dad with the subject. I step out of the Range Rover and smooth my clothes down before I approach the shabby-looking girl sitting on the curb. “Uh, hi. This is kinda a rough part of town. A-are you okay?” I sq
I pick up my phone and dial Dad. “Ah, Keller, my baby boy. Jensen said you hooked one already.” I can hear the pride in his voice when he picks up. “Two actually. They’re twins.” I correct him, feeling good about the acquisition. “Keep them together if you can. I sort of promised them.” “Twins!” He exclaims. “Haha! They’re way more valuable together than separate. Definitely keeping them together. Good job, son.” “Thanks, Dad.” I can’t help but smile at the rare compliment from my old man, even if I feel like a slimeball. “I’m putting a little extra in your account as we speak, and I want you to take the rest of the day off." He starts off happy, but his tone quickly changes. "But first, I have other things to discuss with you.” “What’s up, Dad?” There’s always a catch with my dad. “Mom and I have been talking. We decided it’s a good time for me to think about retirement.” He sounds serious now. “That means I’m most likely going to be handing the business over to Jensen if he ca