Jane’s POV6 years laterMy hands brushed tentatively over our belongings. Even though I had made the choice to move to Moonrise City with my two boys, I couldn’t help but hesitate yet again while packing my things.And it was his fault. Hunter Burns, the father of my children, was often there. It was one of his main bases. Though I had not seen him, my mate, for six years, he had not become a stranger to me. I still heard about him.He ran his two packs well. His R pack was doing exceptionally, and he was using his substantial wealth and influence to help others. He, his Luna, Amy, and their daughter Ava frequently attended charity dinners to raise money for children with Aphasia. He’d even set up foundations for them. It seemed as though Hunter had settled into his life with his pretend mate – and, though I’d tried to leave him firmly in my past, my ears always perked up when someone mentioned Hunter Burns.I’d even caught a glimpse of their little daughter, Ava. She was about the s
Jane’s POVI tried to run, but my body was frozen to the spot. I couldn’t move.My mate, Hunter Burns, looked straight at me. My heart thundered in my chest; my mouth went dry. Then he started walking in my direction.I tried to wet my dry lips as he neared me. He was as handsome as I remembered – no, even more so. He was perfect. Still rigid with fear and excitement and terror and shame, all balled up into one, my heart leapt up into my throat.Then I heard my two boys’ voices.“Mommy! Mommy!” They grabbed my hands and shook them.No. I couldn’t let him know about my darling snow angels. My sweet baby boys. They looked exactly as Hunter had when he was younger, with their dark hair and wide blue eyes. I couldn’t let him see them. I had to stop him.Squatting down, I took them both into my arms. “You have to run,” I whispered. “Run, boys, run! Do you remember what I told you? There are bad people here, bad people that want to take you away from Mommy. You have Aunty Rose’s phone numbe
Jane’s POVI leapt out of the car. The little girl was huddled on the ground, clutching the rabbit doll she held with a white-knuckled grip, her face dusty and her huge, blue eyes brimming with tears. She wailed silently into the bunny, biting her lip to hold back her cries.I didn’t know why I recognised her as Hunter’s daughter at first sight. It was like instinct. Maybe it was because she had a tiny mole under her left eye, just like mine. Every time I saw that on the television my heart panged, aching for the little girl I had lost six years ago.As always, thinking of her made my heart tear a bit more.I lifted my chin. No matter what had happened between her father and I, the child was innocent. I checked over her body as best a I could, murmuring soothing nonsense to her as she sobbed. My two boys hopped out of the car and gathered around her, their big blue eyes wide with curiosity. They were both unusually quiet as they watched me run my hands down her arms.“Are you all righ
Jane’s POVHis cold hand rubbed my neck. He held his hand there, tightening it slowly. “Your boys,” he murmured firmly, his brown eyes locked on mine. Those eyes spoke a thousand words – and a thousand threats.I swallowed hard. What choice did I have? After a pause, I nodded slightly at him. Instantly he released the pressure on the back of my neck. It hadn’t been hard enough to hurt, but its meaning had been unmistakable.“Carl?” Hunter’s cold voice cut through the tension crackling in the air. I glanced over at him. His eyes were boring into us both, fierce enough that I could’ve sworn I saw the flickering of flames burning there. A muscle ticked in his jaw.“Hi, Alpha.” Carl grinned at him easily. His lips left mine, but his arm tightened around my waist possessively. Helpless to resist him, I let him touch me as he wished. “I found Ava. She’s right here.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the children.All three of their little mouths dropped open. Staring up at us in surpri
Jane’s POVMy sweet boy blinked up at the giant in front of him. Tears swelled in Owen’s wide blue eyes; he looked as if he were caught in a dream, one that was rapidly becoming a nightmare. In a daze, he lifted his small hand in an attempt to grasp Hunter’s sleeve.Ares raced over and grabbed his brother’s hand before he could touch his dad.Hunter ignored them both. He reached behind Owen and lifted up Ava instead. She cowered against him, tucking herself up as small as she could and hiding her face in his chest. He squeezed her gently and murmured, “Are you going to hide from Daddy forever? Daddy will be very, very sad if you do.” He coaxed the little girl in his arms until she looked up at him, her eyes so like Owen’s that a jolt shot through me.Goddess! I realised then that the gentle patience Hunter showed Amy was just a drop in the ocean compared to that which he gave his daughter. I had never seen such a soft side to Hunter. This child was the apple of his eye.I knew that fe
Carl and I ran frantically to my children, I have never hated Nina so much, why didn't she ever show up again?Even though I was carrying all kinds bottles of poisons, I still couldn't protect my children.This was the street of a human city, werewolves were not allowed to shift in such places. But Carl was also a lot faster than me.Then when I reached the location of their accident, only Rose fell aside to ice cream stall, three children had disappeared, and there were a few drops of blood on the ground.My heart had stopped."Rose!" I ran to Rose's side and quickly checked and found that she was just knocked out.I pulled out my cell phone to call "911" and Carl grabbed it out of my hand, "Don't, the human police won't help us."I was freaking out, "WHY?""Don't worry, Gamma will bring someone to take Rose to the hospital. ""But what about my babies? We need the Cops." I tried to take my phone back."Last year Hunter did not go through the law process, directly killed those who ki
Carl’s POVNothing had ever hurt as much as being rejected by my mate.Although the Moon Goddess had chosen me to be her mate, everyone knew I wasn’t worthy of her. Whenever I looked into her green eyes, so full of power and desire, even I knew I could never measure up to Amy.I’d loved her long before I’d met Hunter. She’d saved me back when I was a rogue with nothing. I was her only real friend; before I met Hunter, she was mine, too.I could still remember every word she’d said to me that fateful day.“Amy! You’re my mate!” I started to rush towards her, my heart pounding. But, as I met her calm gaze, I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart sank.“You know,” she said, eyeing me with some emotion I couldn’t read lurking in the depths of her gaze, “you’re always smiling. Always. Well – except for the first time I met you. But you were being beaten to death, so.” She smiled and shook her head. “I envy you sometimes. It’s not often that I’m happy, Carl, especially not happy enough to gr
Carl’s POVAmy loved Hunter and the power he afforded her.And Hunter loved not having to love anyone. For him, Amy was a strategic choice – a good woman of good breeding, the second daughter of a powerful Alpha, and, most importantly, she wasn’t his mate. He marked her as his own, and I’d never seen my Ames so happy. It had felt like a win.My buddy and my mate were both happy with what they’d got.Hunter didn’t love her. He’d just needed a woman to take the place of his Luna.It didn’t bother Amy to begin with. If he didn’t want his mate, then she could take her place. She got to be his Luna, the mother of his heirs, and those things mattered to her above all else.Then she found out that Hunter was so against losing control that he drugged himself. It wasn’t just the mate bond he hated – it was all of it. He hated love, sex, and anything that could soften him.“I won’t make the same mistakes as my father,” was all he ever said by way of explanation. Amy asked me to push him, to get