I walked back to my bedroom with everything just whirling in my brain. The she-wolves were staging a coup. My father was looking the other way to lure back my mother. Now there was a she-wolf that was doing something fishy. Knowing witchcraft is real, maybe there is something is going on with that.
I walked back into my room to see Cas in tears. “What happened?” I rushed over to the bed. “Nothing. I just don’t want you to leave.” I wiped her face and laughed. “Why are you already worried about the end of summer when I just got here?” I collapsed next to her on the bed and I listened to her sniffles. “I know, it’s stupid.” But I could scent the slight tinge of fear in the room, and I knew something was said. “Who came here while I was gone?” I watched her tense, but she relaxed. “No one.” She looked away and the fear disappeared. Like she got control of her emotions. “Talk to me. I can’t help unless I know.” I whispered to her as I wrapped my fingers through hers. “You can’t help, anyway. You will be gone soon and we will just be here again, alone.” Her hand tightened on mine. “Not alone. I will be speaking to the beta and gamma females and together we will get this pack in check before I leave.” This wasn’t going to continue if I could help it. “Really?” I could hear the tiny flair of hope in her voice. “Really. I already talked to my dad. This is all going to stop.” As an alpha, this power shift went against everything we stood for. The only ones with enough power to wield should be in the power structure. Everyone else was equal. That’s how the Moon Goddess intended it. That’s how it should be. “Now tell me what is going on with you.” “I can’t.” She whispered back to me and finally it all clicked. “Who said what to you?” “No one.” Fear leaked from her again, and she sat up. “Don’t push this Amy. Please.” I watched my best friend, my soul sister, beg me not to push. “Fine.” I relented. What else could I do? “Let’s get ready.” I pulled her up and over to the chair in front of my vanity. “No peaking.” Cas just shook her head and closed her eyes while I got to work. I started with her hair. I used my blow dryer to finish drying it, then I curled it. Once she was curled, I twisted her hair up and pinned it into a loose up do with curls falling out. Then I got to work with her makeup. Soft browns and golds accented her bright blue eyes. Her soft blonde hair was styled, and she looked stunning. I finished her with a soft pink lip and then I stood back. “You look gorgeous.” She went to turn, and I pulled her back to face me. “No peaking yet.” I poked her face, and she giggled. “Close your eyes again.” “C’mon.” She huffed, and I shook my head, like she could see me. “Nope. No looking.” I pulled her up and put her on the bed. “You can open your eyes while I get ready, if you promise not to look at the mirrors.” “Fine.” Cas huffed and opened her eyes and I laughed. “I want you to get the full effect, but I doubt you want to sit with your eyes close while I get ready.” I walk back over to the vanity and quickly dry and curl my own hair in soft beach waves. Then I did a dark, smokey eye and a red lip, then I was done. “You look gorgeous. The dark hair and makeup really suit you.” “I know.” I smiled back at her. “It’s time to close your eyes again.” I walk over to her and stand her up. I pulled her to my closet and rummage around for the new bra and under ware I picked out and had cleaned once we got home from the mall. “Put these on. Then close your and call for me when you’re ready.” I close the closet doors and waited while tapping my foot. I was about to just open the door when I heard a soft I’m ready. I walk in and Cas is standing in her under ware and she is holding herself around her middle. I pull out her dress and tell her to step into it, then I zipped her in to it. Then I changed into my own dress and pulled her out of my closet. “One last thing and we are done.” I slipped the necklace on myself and the matching bracelets and earrings. Then I slipped the second set on to Cassie and then I positioned us in front of my big mirrors. “There we are. Look.” Cass opened her eyes and her hands snapped to her face. “Amy I can’t.” “Sure you can, you are just borrowing it.” I winked as I gazed at the two of us. Her soft curves were held snugly in the golden dress, and the gold set with diamonds sparkled against her skin. My dark hair shone brightly against the maroon dress that hugged my curves. The onyx set in silver really brought the look together. We were stunning. There was a knock on my door. “Time to go, baby.” My dad’s word jolted us back to the here and now. This was going to be good.I shook my head. I had to think of what I would say next. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “When the goddess was giving me power, I felt something.”He cupped my cheek. “Tell me.” The trust and devotion in his eyes settled me. “My babe.” His breath caught.“You're pregnant with my pup?” I shook my head.“Shush. Just listen.” I grabbed his hands. “When the goddess was filling me with power, when it reached my stomach, I felt it. The flutter of life.” I struggled to find the words. “But it was familiar. One I had grown to know, one I had memorized.” His brow furrowed. “You aren’t making much sense. All babies move the same.” He tried to make sense of my jumbled words. I shook my head. “In my first life.” I think in that moment he started to understand, and his face turned a little sad. “What are you saying, Amy?” Toya’s voice was soft. But I could feel her behind me.I shook my head. “I’m just going to say it out loud, and then we can argue about the ridiculousness of it.” Ro
Everyone spun from the grave to see Alannah bent over in pain. Her hands were clutching her heavy belly as she stared down at the barely filled grave. “No…it’s too soon. They aren’t ready.” She turned to look at me, and I could see the panic there.My mother grabbed for her side. “I don’t think they agree with you, Momma.” She wrapped her arm around her back, and Wendy stepped up to my side, taking my place. “Baby?” My mother looked at me over her shoulder as she spun the groaning Alannah back towards the cabin. “Yeah?” I felt my stomach clench as I watched as my friend was herded away. “Finish here. Then come upstairs.” She turned away as Rowan stepped up next to me. “I don’t think we have the time to stay for the birth.” His voice was soft, but Toya came back to our side. She closed her eyes for a second and she shook her head. “All the mindlinks from my pack were severed.” Her voice was soft but filled with worry. “I’ve been trying to reach my father since the battle.”I reache
I leaned against the side of the cabin, and Rowan settled next to me. “That was…” His voice was soft, and hesitant. “A lot.” I finished. He laughed. “It’s gone.” He looked back at the grave.“What’s gone?” I turned to look at him.H waved his hand at me. “Your mark. You are back to normal.” He smiled. “Which is great because I missed your normal eyes.” He leaned over and kissed me. “You are so beautiful.”I snorted. “I’m covered in dirt, blood, and I don’t want to think about what else.” He cupped my cheek and stared down into my eyes. “That changes nothing. You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He kissed me again as the door slammed open.“Get a room, you two.” Rick limped out, a bruise healing on his face. “You look rough.” I grabbed for him as he stumbled over the hose. “Yeah…I’m still weak from Vince. So healing is taking a little longer.” He winced as he licked the corner of my mouth. “Can’t worry about it too much.” He settled next to us as he nodded ove
Rowan stared at me for another long second before he traced my forehead with a finger. “Your Goddess Blessed.” He sounded breathless and surprised. I nodded, staring into his eyes. “Yes…” I furrowed my brow. “I thought you knew.” A soft light rippled on his face, and I looked up to the sky, trying to see if the moon was trying to shine down on us through the clouds.“I did.” He tilted his head, still staring at me. “But hearing it and seeing it are two very different things. This,” he waved his hand. “Is different.”“What do you mean?” I looked from him to Alannah and then landed on my mother. “Mom?”“Your mark…your eyes…they changed.” She pointed to her own forehead. “It was a normal Goddess Blessed mark, the crescent moon. But now it’s more…” She trailed as she leaned closer. “I don’t know why.”“More?” I looked back at Rowan. “, More how?”He pulled his phone from his pocket and aimed it at my face. I heard the click of his camera as he took the photo. He turned the screen towards
I wiped my tears and stood. I turned to see my mother peeking around the corner, but I waved her off. Rowan furrowed his brow. “Why did you wave her off?”I grabbed one of the shovels in his hands and then started digging. “I didn’t want her to come back over with Alannah until the evidence was gone.” I waved my hands over my face. “Why?” Rowan smiled, but it was a little hesitant, like he didn’t know why I wouldn’t want Alannah to see me cry over her mate.I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play dumb.” I pointed at him. “You know exactly why.” I looked up, and I realized he didn’t. His eyebrows were pinched, and he was staring at me. “I'm an Alpha, and until she settles at my dad’s pack, she is mine.”“So?”I stopped digging. “An alpha needs to be strong for their pack; we can’t show our weakness.”“That’s bullshit. I watched you with Toya and Wendy.”“That’s different.” I shook my head.“How?” He started digging again, and the hole started to get wider. “When I’m just me, just Amy, then I d
Once the pair disappeared around the cabin, Rowan handed me my shovel, but I held up a finger. I moved over to Ternen. “Hey friend.” I wiped his hair out of his face. “I know you are worried about her.” Rowan came up behind me. I could feel his strength trying to seep into me, but I pushed it away. I didn’t deserve the peace he was offering. “You probably don’t believe me when I say I’ll watch over her. I was supposed to watch over you too, and now look at us.” My voice caught. “I’m so fucking sorry.”“Amy.” Rowan reached for me but I shook my head. “This isn’t your fault.”I couldn’t stop the chuckle that left my lips, but it quickly turned into a sob. I slapped a hand over my mouth trying to push it all away. I didn’t have time to break down. “It is.” I looked back down at Ternen and I cupped his cold cheek. “He was alive, and warm less than an hour ago. I should have been faster.” I shook my head again. “He’s dead because of me.”Rowan dropped next to me. “He’s dead because Garith