That night, under the full moon, we gather on the beach to inaugurate Nash as the new Alpha of the San Diego pack.It’s nothing like the short, solemn ceremony we had in Flagstaff when Malcolm became the Alpha after Caleb’s death. Instead, it’s more like a party. We light a huge bonfire on the beach, and some of the older shifters make a barbecue dinner while the rest of us congratulate Nash on his new position.Nearly everyone in the pack comes up to apologize to Nash, to welcome him back, to thank him for his unwavering loyalty to their pack, and to celebrate his ascension to the position of Alpha.Amanda gives us a lot of space, but I figure she must be having a hard time. After all, she just lost her brother after finding out that he tried to kill her, and her mate declined to be nominated as the new Alpha which means she lost out on becoming Luna.Instead, I’m the new Luna. Everyone seems friendly and welcoming, but there’s a chilliness underneath that. The San Diego p

When I get home, Nash is deep in conversation with Greyson and some of the other guys, so I decide not to distract him. I want his full attention when I tell him about the baby.I get up early the next morning so I can sneak down to the beach and spell out the message. I start looking around for pebbles I can use to form the letters, but before I can even fill my pocket, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn and see a girl about my age, tall, with freckles dusted across her nose and long brown hair. “So you must be the new Luna,” she says, looking me up and down with raised eyebrows.“Hi,” I say. “I’m Sarah. Are you part of the San Diego pack?”“Yeah,” the girl says, “but I don’t live here.” She tosses her head, gesturing toward the pack house with a disgusted expression. “I’m Regan. I go to school at San Diego Mesa College, so I live there, in the dorms, with my friends.”“That’s cool,” I say, not sure how else to respond. She seems annoyed with me, but I don’t know w

I can smell breakfast cooking downstairs, but I don’t want to be around anyone right now. At least, anyone but Nash. And I think I should give him some space right now.I climb back into bed, burrowing myself in the blankets. I wish I could just go back to sleep and start the day all over again. I would stay in bed with Nash, and never run into Regan, and never decide to confront Nash about her nasty rumors.I can’t fall back to sleep, though, because raised voices outside catch my attention. The big picture windows in the master bedroom overlook the porch and the beach below, and I can sometimes hear it when people are talking loudly on the deck.I creep toward the window, curious. It sounds like Nash and another voice. I focus, using my shifter senses and finely attuned hearing. Nash is arguing with Regan. He must have run into her on his way out for a beach walk. “What did you tell her?” Nash demands. I peek out the window so I can see them, but they can’t tell that

I wander around the pack house for a while, looking for something to do, but my thoughts are consumed with Nash. I sense his return a little before lunch. Out the window, I can see him, walking back toward the pack house. Thrilled, I grab some sandwiches and sodas from the fridge in the kitchen and run down to meet up with him.“Hi, Nash,” I say, giving him a gentle hug. He looks exhausted, so I hand him a sandwich and a soda. “I was hoping we could talk about everything that just happened.”“Yeah, that would probably be smart,” Nash mumbles. He opens his soda with a loud fizzing noise, and we sit down on the sand, looking out over the ocean. “I’m really sorry, first off, for taking Regan seriously enough that I would bring that stuff to you first thing in the morning,” I say.“Not my favorite way to wake up and start the day,” Nash says. “I know, and I should have waited, calmed down, thought things through, and started a conversation in a nicer way,” I agree.

The day of the wedding, it’s sunny and warm. Juliana and Amanda help me set up a canopy out on the beach, and everything looks perfect. In wolf shifter culture, weddings aren’t always a big deal - mating and claiming marks are more important - but for the younger generations, especially those of us who grew up around humans, weddings have become a fun way to celebrate a couple’s connection.Inside the pack house, Amanda and Juliana help me get laced into my wedding dress. Layla helped us tailor it to accommodate my pregnancy, which is just beginning to show. As we’re finishing up with my hair and makeup, Greyson pokes his head into the room. “Hey, the guys and I just set up all the chairs outside, but it’s only enough for the San Diego pack. Should we be expecting anyone else?”I shake my head. “No, no guests coming from my side.”Greyson makes a sympathetic noise and shares a glance with Amanda before leaving. I sigh, trying to think about what a happy day it is.