LOGINAvery’s POVThe sun was just starting to rise by the time Claire and I pulled into the driveway at Evergreen.I killed the engine and sat there for a second, gripping the steering wheel. My hands were shaking. I hadn’t slept. I hadn’t eaten. I’d spent the entire drive back replaying what Tegan had t
Bjorn was mine.My son.And Avery had kept him from me.The anger came fast and hot, flooding through my chest. My hands curled into fists at my sides.Sebastian noticed my expression, and his lips curled just a little. “It makes you angry, doesn’t it?” he asked. “Almost makes you want to take him a
Gideon’s POVThe call came through just after midnight.I was sitting in my office, going over pack reports that I’d been neglecting for the past few days, when my phone lit up with Tegan’s name.I answered immediately. “Did you get the results?”“No.” His voice sounded rough, hoarse, like he had be
Avery’s POVI was up and running out the door before my mother even had a chance to ask what was wrong.The address for the testing center was easy enough to find, what with the giant, glaring sign that was hanging right over the door in the picture. Telling Claire to make sure Tegan didn’t leave be
Avery’s POVComing home should have felt like a relief after all this time.I arrived a little before ten o’clock, exhausted and shaking from everything that had happened. The drive from the hotel had taken only fifteen minutes or so, so I hadn’t made a decision yet.For a few moments, I stood in th
I sat, and the waiter appeared almost immediately, asking if I wanted anything. I ordered water. The shareholders already had drinks in front of them, half-finished glasses of whiskey and scotch. All on my bill, of course.“So,” the first man said, leaning back in his chair. “Let’s cut to the chase.
Avery’s POVDim light was filtering past the window curtains when I groggily pulled myself from sleep. Something had awoken me, but for a moment I wasn’t sure what. My mind was full of hazy memories, and it took me a long moment to remember where I was. Ah, right. The Council palace. I had… been
Gideon’s POVI sipped my coffee in the pack hall late that night and waited for Tegan’s report on my missing Luna. Even this late, there were always wolves coming and going on pack business. I was surrounded by bustle and yet it couldn’t match the turmoil I felt inside.Avery and Dierdra both had de
“If Dierdra was just trying to be helpful, then you should find ways for her to take some tasks off your plate. She’s trying to find her place, the same way you once did. I would think you could have sympathy for that!” Dierdra simpered and reached out to grasp the arm of Gideon’s chair, “It’s been
Avery’s POVWe had entered a period of rain. Every day the pack house windows rattled in their casements as thunder rumbled all around us. Wolves darted in and out, swathed in raincoats and parkas and smelling of wet dog. I watched the rain pouring in thick channels down the glass and traced its pa







