(Jason POV)I went home on Tuesday a very happy man. Even my parents’ request that we sit down and talk about the visuals that Jake has been sending me did little to ruin my mood.On Wednesday, I decided to send Candy a bouquet of flowers. I did not know her address, so I sent them to her at work. Jake and I agreed that we wanted to avoid doing things the same way that we had done them with Cassie, so instead of sending a bouquet of traditional roses, we opted for a bouquet of pink and white rose lilies. I was surprised and a little disappointed when Candy did not text or call me after they were delivered, but I did not dwell on it. I just assumed that she was either really busy or her work schedule had changed.On Thursday, I knew Candy was planning to get off work at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Based on that, I had originally planned to meet her at a restaurant nearby the boutique. However, she texted me Thursday morning to let me know that she was getting off of work a littl

(Candy POV)I very much appreciated how kind and gentle Jason was with me after I accidentally ate the shrimp at the restaurant. The walls around my heart cracked just a little seeing how concerned he was about me, and how protective he was when taking me to the hospital.I also appreciated that he had Alpha Aaron, Cassie, and Granny Apple meet us there. It was nice to see Jason try to anticipate what I would want and what would make me comfortable. It was a side of him that Cassie had never described, and it made me think there was an increasingly large possibility that maybe things could work out between us.Unfortunately, the small hope in my heart was dampened as soon as I saw Granny Apple's expression.You can always tell when Granny Apple is angry, because she becomes super serious, super polite, and she acts her age. Once you get to know her, seeing serious Granny Apple can be scary and unsettling to the core. Most people would much prefer her embarrassing intrusive questio

(Candy POV)What is worse than walking in on your parents doing… adult things? Having to listen to your beloved grandmother doing such things for almost an hour.I know I should have left much sooner than I did. We all should have. But it was like a traffic accident: you don’t want to look, but you do....Plus, I kept thinking that it would be over soon. Granny Apple is 79; Albert has to be at least that old if not a few years older. Do they really have the stamina to keep going like that, over and over? I know that they are werewolves, but good Goddess. Plus, don’t they hate each other? That was hardly the most romantic introduction. Maybe I could see going multiple rounds in your 80s with someone you desperately love… but someone that you seem to hate?Sigh. What do I know. I’ve only done all of the “adult things” with one person, on one night over a year ago. At least Granny Apple gives me some hope for my future. If Granny Apple can still enjoy “adult things” at her

(Jason POV)After we left Candy’s apartment, I headed directly to Alpha Ryan’s pack. Candy realized right away that we were not heading towards Blue Moon, and she seemed to panic.“Where are we going?” she asked.“To River Bend, Alpha Ryan’s pack.”“Why?”“Because Alpha Ryan is one of the most powerful wolves on the werewolf council, and he maintains the highest level of security possible. Getting in there is like breaking in to Fort Knox. If someone is following you… following us… they will have a very hard time getting in there. It isn’t very far away from here, and it will be a good place for us to talk things out.”“If the pack is so secure, how are we going to get in?”It was a fair question. After the spectacle I made of myself at Cassie’s sister’s wedding, I could hardly count Alpha Ryan as a friend. If anything, Alpha Ryan probably hated me because of what happened and because Aaron hated me; the two of them had become decent pals in the months I had been away.“I asked

***Trigger Warning: This chapter will contain a few more passing references to sexual assault, plus a little bit of a steamy scene.**** (Cassie POV) The run with Aaron, Megan, Mike, and Luke was fun. It was nice to be able to run and play in our wolf forms. We do not get to do that often enough. Missy especially enjoyed getting some extra time to play and bond with Xavier (Aaron’s wolf). When we got back to the suite, Granny Apple and Albert were in the living room, having finally come up for air. I noticed that Granny Apple had a worried look on her face, and I was about to ask her about it when Aaron’s phone rang. Aaron showed me that it was Jason, and he then stepped into another room to take the call. These days, Jason and Aaron rarely talk, so Jason calling Aaron made both of us think that something was wrong. About 10 minutes later, Aaron stepped out with a worried look on his face that matched the one that Granny Apple was wearing. “Everything ok?” I asked. Inste