After Isaac leaves, both Nash and I are pretty shaken up. We talk to Greyson about the potential additional threat, and Amanda draws a sketch of the mercenary based on our descriptions. Greyson decides to increase the guards around the edges of our territory, and starts working with Layla to find magical ways to set up more security.Nash and I try to focus on caring for our pack, especially its newest member. Stella, though, seems a bit different after the incident. Samuel’s extreme emotion triggered something in her, and her Crescent Child characteristics appear more and more frequently.One morning when she’s about six months old, Nash and I take her out on the beach to splash around in the waves. She sits at the water’s edge, grabbing fistfuls of sand and kicking her chubby little feet in the water. Nash notices a pod of dolphins swimming around a few meters from shore, and points them out to our little girl.She looks up, following her daddy’s finger, then sees the dolphi

Nash and I wake up the next morning very excited to see what happens when we take Stella to the beach. We slather her fair skin in sunscreen and pag a bag full of snacks and toys, then head down to the water.Juliana and Samuel are already there, stretched out on a towel with a big striped umbrella shading them. We set up a spot nearby and Samuel starts clapping and waving at his best friend.Although we’re both nearly holding our breath, waiting for Stella’s unique nature as a Crescent Child to reveal itself, the entire day passes without any interesting incident. Nash takes Stella out into the water, wading through the surf with her on his hip, and afterwards we all take a nap, cuddled up together as a family, feeling safe and sun sleepy.Amanda and Greyson are off exploring a village market, and Layla and Arnold arrive on the beach later in the afternoon, both looking well rested and rosy cheeked. Layla comes bearing ice cold popsicles and a spread of cheese, crackers, and

Beside me, all the other living shifters on the beach seem to be having a similar experience. I hear them murmuring in conversation with the souls who have come to speak with them, then one by one, the glowing spirits depart, leaving us standing on the beach, facing the ocean, our hearts full.Nash walks over to me, silently taking my hand. “I got to talk to my dad,” he says quietly. “He says he’s so proud of Stella. And of me. Congratulated me on finding such a wonderful mate.”“My dad said the same thing.” I lean against Nash, feeling soothed by the sturdy warmth of his body. It was wonderful to see Caleb again, but he was right - I belong with Nash now, and it feels right and good to be physically beside him. Slowly, the rest of the shifters who joined us on this trip drift over to us. Most are sniffling with bittersweet tears. All of them look grateful if a little bit shaken. “I think some questions have been answered tonight,” Arnold says, “but perhaps even more

There’s a knock at the cottage door. I bolt up in bed, worried it might be Carlos and his crew coming back to try and get to Stella.Layla just sniffs the air and waves her hand gracefully. “Relax, Sarah. It’s just Arnold.”Sure enough, when Nash opens the cottage doore, it’s Arnold standing there. I couldn’t sense him that far away, through the door. Layla’s senses are incredibly acute. I wonder what other skills she has that we don’t know about. “I have two pieces of information to share,” Arnold asks, “but first, I’d like to inquire about the condition of our beloved Luna.”“She’s just fine,” Layla says, patting my blanket covered knee. “A bit shaken, and understandably curious, but otherwise perfectly healthy. When we get back to San Diego, she’ll need to start working on ways to unleash her powers without overwhelming her body.”“Our return to San Diego is one of the things I wished to speak with you about,” Arnold says. “I believe that should happen as quickly as

We take Ansel back to Layla’s place, where we explain the problem to the older woman. She gets a sparkle in her eye, saying she has just the solution. The next time we come by the spa and clinic to see Isaac, Layla meets us with a wide grin.As soon as she opens the door, it’s clear what has her so entertained. Ansel’s skin has been dyed a sickly pale green, and his hair has been shaved off. He looks absolutely ridiculous, and the expression on his face indicates that he’s aware of it and very displeased with his situation.“I whipped up a little elixir that will scrub the scent right off him,” Layla declares proudly. “He only has to apply it daily for three more weeks, and then he’ll be perfectly safe to be around the baby.”“I still don’t know why all this was necessary,” Ansel grumbles.Layla just shrugs. “I can not control the ways of shifter magic - only channel them.” Then she winks at me and Nash.We’re both pretty sure that she could have come up with a way to so