JASMINE On Saturday morning, I headed to the gym early, before work. I was surprised to see Blake again once I got there, especially with it being so early in the morning. “Why do I keep bumping into you at this gym?” “I told you, the women are hotter at this one than mine.” He smirked. “Actually, I got here early because I have to meet with some of the trainers in an hour to discuss training plans for all of the pack members. Most members come in on Saturdays for their training appointments, since they work during the week, so we thought it would be a good idea to meet ahead of their day. I figured I might as well get my own workout in beforehand. And, since you’re here, you can be my benching partner now.” He winked at me. “I feel like I don’t have a choice.” “Come on, you know you want to watch me work these guns. I’ll even take my shirt off and give you a whole show.” I smiled and playfully pushed him on his arm, shaking my head at how arrogant he was. He led me to the benches
LUCY I was still in shock. I couldn’t believe that I had lost both my boyfriend and best friend in a matter of weeks. Even more shocking was that the Moon Goddess had both shoved a dagger into my heart and then turned it until she could draw every last bit of pain out of me. It’s one thing to lose the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, taking with him your whole future, but the fact that he’s now with your best friend? I wanted to vomit every time I thought about it. It was so heartbreaking that I didn’t think I could ever be friends with Jasmine again. When I told my mom, she held me while I cried. But everyone knew there was nothing I could do except move on, if such a thing was even possible. Both my parents kept reassuring me that I’d eventually find my mate, and then I’d forget this ever happened. But I didn’t believe that either. Luke had been my life—he was the reason I got out of bed in the morning. The fact that he didn’t fight for the two of us still hurt me.
LUKE After Lucy texted me, I agreed to meet with her during her lunch break from work the next day. She asked me to meet her at the central park. When I arrived, I was surprised to see her already sitting on a bench. Punctuality was not something I often saw from Lucy. I felt uneasy about this, like something must be really serious. My heart skipped a beat as I approached. As much as I tried to push Lucy from my mind, I still felt a fondness for her. Seeing her made all my feelings for her rush back to me. I quietly sat down next to her and smiled. “Hi, Lucy.” “Hi, Luke.” She frowned back at me. “What did you want to talk about?” I asked, looking into her blue eyes. I could see how sad they were. Lucy was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve. “I’m pregnant.” I stared at her, wondering if I had heard what she said correctly. I could feel my heart sinking and a sick feeling coming over me. “You’re pregnant?” I asked, trying to confirm if what I had heard was correct. “Yes.” “
LUCY On Tuesday morning, Luke met me in front of the clinic. We walked in together and Luke sat with me while we waited for my name to be called. He went into the examination room with me while the nurse took my vitals, had me produce another urine sample, and took several vials of blood. Luke held my hand while the nurse drew my blood. The former luna came in after and asked me a bunch of questions about my health and eating habits. She then had me sit down on the examination table and gave me a full physical exam. After she was done, she asked Luke if he wanted to see the baby. He nodded and came over. She pulled out the ultrasound machine. After she was able to get the image up on the monitor, she turned it so it was facing Luke and me. Luke held my hand and said, "Wow, that's amazing." I watched as his eyes sparkled, engrossed in the image he was seeing on the monitor. "I calculated the due date for March 24th," the former luna
JASMINE I got home around ten that night after Blake ran home with me. I found where I had tossed my clothes in the backyard and threw them on. My parents stood up from the living room couch as soon as I walked in. “Jasmine, where in Artemis’s name were you?” my dad shouted. “Do you have any idea how worried we were? Your car and phone were at home, and you were missing for several hours without a note or text about where you went.” I looked at him, not wanting to answer. Finally, I said, “I’m an adult.” “You may be an adult, but you still live under our roof! We called your mate, and he also had no idea where you were. He inquired with the patrol on duty and thank Goddess they were doing their job and knew you had crossed the border in your wolf form.” My mom chimed in, “Jasmine, it’s like we don’t even know you anymore. Ever since your birthday you’ve not been acting normal. What has gotten into you?” I shook my head, not wanting to respond. “Well, where were you?” My dad pres
JASMINE I led him into the living room where he sat down on the couch, pulling me down to sit next to him. He rubbed the top of my thighs, making me feel calmed and aroused by the feeling emitted from his hands. I was almost ready to forgive him. Finally, he spoke, "I'm sure Lucy must have told you most of what I came here to say. I'm sorry you had to hear about it from her first. I didn't know she'd tell you before I had the chance to." I moved away from his touch and anger bubbled within me. I began to see a pattern. Luke was putting off every important decision and conversation, just burying his head in the sand. I nodded, deeply frustrated. This was not the first time it had slipped his mind to tell me something that affected my life! "Jasmine, I'm so sorry," he closed his eyes. I could sense that he was remorseful. Then he opened his eyes again, looking at me for a response. I couldn't find the words to say anything, seething within. Aft
JASMINE A few minutes before 6, I pulled up next to Luke's 4Runner in the pack parking lot. I then made my way to the front door and rang the doorbell. Luke opened the door, stepping aside so I could walk in. As soon as he shut the door, he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "Thank you for coming, Jasmine. You look and smell so good." He then helped me slip out of my jacket, hanging it in the entry way closet. He took my hand and led me into the dining room where he had laid out dinner with two place settings. "I wish I could take the credit, but Connie's a much better cook than I am," he smiled, pulling out my chair for me. I sat down and he pushed me into the table. I looked at the food in front of us to see there was crisp salad, warm dinner rolls, and a savory beef roast surrounded by fingerling potatoes. When Luke carved into the roast, the juices dripped from the perfectly cooked beef. "This all looks and smells delicious!" I commented.
LUKE During my lunch break on Thursday, after I had spent the morning leading training classes at the pack elementary school, I made my weekly FaceTime call to my parents. Both of them were seated in front of my dad’s iPad staring back at me. “How are you doing, Luke?” my mom asked, leaning forward. “I’m good,” I replied, knowing I’d have to break the big news to them during this call, but I couldn’t help but stall, knowing it would be a huge shock. “How’s the situation with the security breaches? Did you catch the latest offenders yet?” my dad asked. “Not yet.” “How’s Jasmine? Any discussion of a wedding yet?” My mom winked and smiled at me. I cringed internally, knowing I’d have to tell them. “Jasmine’s fine. Actually, I have some news.” “Already?” My mom’s eyes widened. “It sounds like the two of you didn’t waste any time. How long have you been mates now again?” “Erm, well, actually, the news isn’t about Jasmine.” “Oh, what is it then, honey?” “It’s actually about Lucy.”