IZZY POV
I lay on the bed, catching my breath, my arms flung above my head and my eyes closed. I could feel someone watching me so I opened my eyes to see my three mates, looking down at me. Caleb had a look of mild concern; Reese had a smile and Ethan looked hungry for me again. I giggled.
“You wore me out,” I complained, sitting up. Ethan shook his head, impatiently.
“There’s plenty of time to sleep. We’re in paradise. We have an entire island to explore and an ocean to swim in.” He took my hand and pulled me up off the bed. “What do you want to do first?”
“Umm, the beach,” I decided, heading over to one of my bags that was stacked in the corner. Ethan pulled me back.
“What are you doing?” he asked, a naughty grin on his face.
“Getting my swimsuit?” I said, confused.
Caleb threw back his head and
IZZY POVI was tackled and I fell heavily against the wall of the shower. The beast put four paws on top of me and began to lick my face.My shrieks turned to giggles as I fought to get up. The beast was holding me down and licking me vigorously as a mama cat licks her kitten. I was helpless with laughter.The door to the bathroom crashed open, the heavy wooden door torn off its hinges and landing on the floor with a crash. The huge gold cat, skittish, jumped off from me, out of the shower and out the open window of the bathroom.“What is it?” Reese asked, wild, looking around for whatever made me scream.I sighed. I knew I was going to sound like a fool and that the boys probably wouldn’t believe me. “There was a big cat in the shower with me,” I said, weakly, knowing how it sounded.Caleb was next through the door, skidding to a stop. “What is it?” he asked
REESE POVWe had truly idyllic days on the island. True to my prediction, Izzy spent most of the day wearing nothing at all, frolicking around on the beach. We swam together, laid out on the sand and mated every chance we got.“What about dinner in town tonight?” I suggested to my brothers. “We’ve kept her on this island for two weeks. We can take her to one of the resorts, have dinner and then watch some of the shows.”Ethan nodded. “I like that idea. You think it’s safe?”“There’s three of us watching her,” Caleb said. I could tell he liked the idea. He had been the last of the three of us to be marked by her but his bond with her was probably the strongest. He could feel her emotions before the rest of us could. I saw the pride in his face. He wanted to take her off the island and show her off his beautiful mate.
IZZY POVI woke up slowly, every muscle in my body aching and screaming. My eyelids seemed too heavy for my face and I couldn’t lift them to open my eyes. I drifted in and out of consciousness.“She’s no use to us dead!” The voice cut through my brain, and I struggled to focus. “How much of this stuff did you give to her?”“A syringe. It barely took down the guy that was with her. We figured they told us wrong, and she needed more.”“It’s wolfsbane, idiot. The guy that was with her is her mate. He’s bigger and stronger and a future alpha. Of course it would take more to incapacitate him.” The first person sounded mad.“You should have warned us. The only reason we were able to take down the guy is that we surprised him and got the syringe in him before he knew what was happening. She’s a fighter
IZZY POVMy body ached and my mind felt fuzzy. I rolled over to my side and vomited.Someone was expecting that. My face was caught and guided to a basin and my hair was held back. The hands were cool and gentle and not what I was expecting.I warily opened my eyes and looked up. An older woman smiled at me.“That’s normal. Your body is trying to get rid of all the wolfsbane that you were given.” Her voice was soft, and she seemed unconcerned as she took away the basin and wiped my mouth for me. I flopped back on to the pillows and tried to make the room stop spinning. After a moment, it slowed down.I felt vibrating coming from the left side of my bed, and I cautiously moved my head to see what was causing that. Stella was laying next to me, purring. I looked at the woman who gave me a slight smile.“She wouldn’t leave your side.”&l
ETHAN POVWe were heading to the airport. Izzy had a little temper tantrum with us, telling us that we needed to treat her like an adult who was capable of making her own decisions. My brothers and I apologized and agreed to keep her informed, but then she went ahead with the plan that my brothers, dad and I had originally come up with. I am not sure I understand women.She was still angry with us, though. I could tell by the way she stiffened up when I touched her. My wolf was angry with me for making her mad and I knew that my brothers’ wolves were equally pissed at them. It made us all unhappy and a little cranky with each other.The only one on this flight that was in a good mood was the damn cat. Stella was coming home with us. I wasn’t happy about it, but it really wasn’t up to me. She saved our mate, as Reese pointed out. We owed it to her to give her the best home we coul
IZZY POVTime stood still for a moment. No one moved and the phone was quiet. Silvo was smart enough to let the triplets process the information before continuing.“You are the new Alphas. Your mother is waiting for you to come home. As are we all.” His voice finally broke. I realized for as big of an ass that Silvo could be, he genuinely loved his Alpha.“How is mother?” Caleb asked. His voice sounded stiff. I went over to him and took his hand in mind, leaning in and letting my bond soothe him.“Not well,” Silvo said. “Alessia is with her. She’s not eating or drinking.”Ethan walked through the cabin and went to the cockpit door. He went inside and spoke to the pilot, and then stepped back.“I let the pilot know that it’s imperative that we arrive as quickly as possible,” he told Silvo.
IZZY POVThe Funeral Rites were scheduled for that night. In the werewolf culture, it was custom to do the Rite immediately after death, however Jenna had insisted that her sons be home for their father’s Rite. And now we were going to do both of their parents together.Mom helped me pick out an outfit. I wore a long black dress with a white fur lined cape over the top. I put on leggings and snow boots; the ceremony takes place outdoors and on a lake.The bodies of the Alpha and Luna were gently washed and dressed by my mother and the triplets. I sat on my bed hugging Stella while that was taking place. I could feel the sorrow pulsating through the mate bond, and I was at a loss as to help my mates. I felt like their sorrow was crushing me.The bodies were put into long boats and then carried through the woods to a lake that was tucked back into the Packlands. I had seen it on my run with Heka and made
IZZY POV“We need you,” Reese growled into my ear. “We need to mate with you. All of us.”I nodded. I had known that reaffirming the mate bond would be important for the triplets tonight. Their grief was palatable, and they had just taken on the huge responsibility of the pack.I let Reese pick me up and begin to carry me back to the Alpha House. The rest of the pack followed us out of the woods, before heading to their own homes to try to get a few hours rest before starting their day.My mother gave me a quick glance and then turned away. I felt for her, knowing that she was dealing with her own grief, but my mates needed me now. I would find her later in the day and be with her then.Reese was swift and Caleb and Ethan kept up. He bounded up the stairs, not letting my feet touch the ground before he deposited me into our bedroom.“Get undressed,&rdqu