Zara’s POV The Luna Regent takes me by the elbow and leads me into the living room. I feel a popping sound in my ears and look back. There is a giant piece of glass blocking the door to the hallway. “What is that?” I stop in my tracks. I can see Keller and the guard on the other side. Keller is pushing on the wall and saying something, but I can’t hear him. “Think of it as a privacy screen. I will make it go away when we’re done.” The Luna Regent sits on the sofa and pats a space next to her. “Luna… I…” I look around, suddenly hyper aware that I am in a t-shirt and pajama shorts in front of my Luna Regent. Why didn’t I change my clothes? I realize the scar on my arm where Lavender wasn’t able to heal me is visible. I cross my arms across myself to hide it. “Zara, please sit.” She tilts her head slightly and gives me a soft smile. “I just want to talk.” I sit down and look her in the eye as much as I can. “Sorry, I get nervous.” “It’s okay, dar
Keller’s POV“If I hadn’t seen a glass wall appear in my living room an hour ago, I wouldn’t believe any of that.” I shake my head at the Beta and Gamma.“Dude, if we hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t believe it either.” Milo nods and raises his eyebrows, taking a drink of his water. A cell phone chimes, he pats his hands over his pockets, and pulls out his phone. “Ah. That’s my daughter. Excuse me.”“So, why exactly are you guys here? And by here, I mean, my condo.” I turn my attention to Reggie as Milo walks out of the room.“We have a sigma pup in our pack. Once the Luna found out what that could mean for her future, she immediately searched for a solution. Short story… she found Zara.” He looks down at the counter and picks at imaginary crumbs. “It’s not my place to go into my Luna’s upbringing, but it was bad. O
I’m just about to ask who’s daughter the pup is when the Alpha Regent comes out of my office by himself. “Wh-where’s Estelle?” I jump away from the counter and try to get past him. He puts his massive hand out and stops me. “Calm down. They’re just talking. Estelle agreed to go on one date with Tyree when he has a day off. They will take it from there. Give them a few minutes to work out the details and they will be right out.” He sounds tired as he rubs his face, then sets his hands heavily on the counter. “You wanna hear the kicker?” “There’s a kicker?” I stare at him wide eyed. “Heh. You’re funny, kid.” He slaps me on the back, making me stumble forward. “Your friend is Tyree’s second chance mate.” “S-second chance mate? What happened to his first mate?” Getting a second chance mate is really rare. I have only heard of a few other wolves having one. Usually something tragic happens with your first mate for a second one to be granted by the
“Estelle, a-are you okay?” Zara takes her hand and gives her a worried look. “You look a little… spacey.” “Is it my imagination or is Tyree the finest looking man on this planet? Like, we were just sitting here talking about chemical compounds, and a god unexpectedly walks in wanting to sweep me off my feet?” Her eyes dart from Zara to me as she fans herself with her hand. “Is it warm in here?” Zara giggles at Estelle, then clears her throat, trying to sound serious, but she’s too happy to manage that. “He’s good looking, but not a god, Estelle. That’s the pull of the mate bond. I thought from your initial reaction that you didn’t feel it, but then I saw you two talking before he left. So something must be happening to your heart. What does he smell like to you?” “You mean his cologne? It was like blackberries and vanilla but a little bit of amber too.” She closes her eyes, blows a deep breath out with a smile on her face, thinking about it. “Th
When I feel Zara’s body relax and she falls asleep, I let myself lean heavy against Estelle. “I’m so sorry, Keller. This is my fault. I didn’t know talking about Jensen would trigger her like that.” She runs her fingers through my hair and leans her head against mine. “I almost forgot she is a sigma. She doesn’t act like the girls you guys bring in.” “It’s okay, Estelle.” I let Zara’s scent calm me and Estelle’s arms support me. “It’s just another day in the life of Zara Zhade Wilson and her wolf spirit, Lavender.” “Is it always this bad?” She leans her cheek against the back of my head. “Well, I didn’t let her run and hide, so it was worse than usual.” I look up at the ceiling and blink away the tears. “We’ve only known each other for a few months. I just accepted her last week and I’m already so fucking tired… and being with her means tired isn’t a luxury I’m entitled to anymore. I don’t know how the Hell she can do it. Imagine what’s like for her e
In the morning, the sound of the shower running wakes me up. Zara’s scent and apricot shampoo fill my nose. I roll over and feel myself getting hard thinking about her naked in the shower. “Okay, so NOW can we mate?” Rocky eggs me on, trying to get me to go into the bathroom. “Only if she wants to, Rocky. Last night was a lot for her and we don’t know what her mind is like right now.” I turn and look at the clock. It’s only seven a.m. Her Wednesday classes don’t start until one p.m. I wonder why she’s up so early. I quiet my mind and try to feel her emotions, but nothing feels out of place. “Alright, but when Lavender and I get to hang out, she and I can mate now. Right?” My reservations don’t deter him. “Well, now that I’ve accepted Zara, I can’t stop you from mating with Lavender.” I will admit, he has been patient, so I don’t roll my eyes at him. “Do we need to have the talk again before this weekend?” “No. We don’t need to have the talk.”
“How do you feel, Zara? Are you okay?” I kiss her temple while she nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck. “Mmm. Relaxed and sleepy.” Zara yawns and snuggles her body closer to me. “Good.” I draw lazy circles on the small of her back with my fingertips. “Hey, last night, it seemed like you were having a dream. I heard you say ‘sister’.” She takes a little too long to reply. I look down at her and see her eyes fight to stay halfway open before they give up and stay closed. “The pup might be my sister, but I’m not allowed to know yet.” Shy finally answers me. Her voice is slow and emotionless. I’m not sure, but I think she might be talking in her sleep again. “The Luna lost her eye to find me. The Fates took it. Now my fate lives inside her eyepatch.” Okay, now I know she’s talking in her sleep, but at least it is peaceful. I lean back and cradle her against me. “If you say so, Pocket.” I stroke her damp hair and let the mate bond help me drift b
I clear my throat. “So, there’s more… a-and I need you guys to be understanding and not judgemental of my friends, okay? We can have that conversation some other time. I’m well aware that’s a whole… thing.” “What do you mean, there’s more?” Mom puts her hands on her hips. “Keller, since when did your life spiral into drama series?” “Mom, please hear me out.” I put my hands up. “It’s about Jensen.” “Don’t tell me Jensen was at your penthouse last night, too.” Dad’s eyes grow wide. “No, but he was there for the surprise birthday dinner Jasper and Sam threw for me.” I feel my face contorting into a snarl, but I control it. “Lisa, Skylar, and Carla were there, too. I don’t know if they knew about it beforehand, but they all saw it. So did my human friends.” I clear my throat. “Saw what? He didn’t shift in front of your human friends, did he?” Mom’s tone is annoyed and slightly angry. “No, Mom. He made some sort of fucked up agreement with