RIEKA Warm air hit my face as the door silently swung open, and it was a welcome relief from the cold. I saw a hearth that was lit and a worn but cozy sofa against a rock wall. I wanted to curl up under the blanket thrown over the couch and just rest. Unfortunately, that only lasted a second before my eyes turned to scan the rest of the space and landed on my husband standing in front of a woman who was completely naked. It was like a terrible wreck. I didn’t want to see it, but I couldn’t look away. Her white hair made it obvious that this was Jacinda, and her body was perfect! Everything that mine was not. Every part of my body that made me insecure, was like a perfect piece of art on her. Soft smooth skin, free of stretch marks, a flat toned stomach, perfectly round ass without a hint of cellulite, and perky breasts with hardened peaks pointing right at my husband. His pants were unable to hide his arousal and only confirmed my fear that he appreciated her perfect shape.

RIEKAIt was the strangest sensation I’d ever experienced. My head felt clear, but I only have vague memories of being in a cottage with Jacinda. I wasn’t even sure if they were real memories or if I had dreamed the whole thing. If it was memories, how did we get back here?My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps rushing down the hallway. Aleksandr and I both turned to see Asher and Sebastian rushing towards us.“Alpha, Luna! Thank the goddess you’ve returned!”They both looked so worried, but I couldn’t understand why.“We need to talk to Alpha Leon and Luna Imogen right away,” I informed them, “Jacinda is coming tomorrow.”They both looked at me in shock and I was a bit confused myself. How did I know this, and how was I so certain? My memories of where we’d been and what had happened were pretty fuzzy, but everything else in my mind was very clear, and somehow, I knew exactly what we needed to do.Aleksandr nodded his agreement and we turned towards the

ALEKSANDRThe morning seemed to drag on, and not only did I have no idea what I was going to tell Rieka about my memories, but I still felt thoroughly exhausted. Something was definitely wrong with me, but I didn’t want to worry her, so I kept it to myself.After briefly considering asking for help from a pack healer, I dismissed the idea because I didn’t want to show any sign of weakness to another pack. I resolved to get a moment away where I could call my mom and ask for her insight, but I need to make sure Rieka won’t overhear.But there was no time for that now. I only had a few hours and then Jacinda would be here. I needed to talk to Rieka about my own memories before Jacinda arrived.“Love, would you come with me to the library?”Rieka’s surprised expression was adorable. “Did you have an idea about where to find some new information that might be helpful?”I smiled but didn’t respond, just took her hand and began leading her down the hall towards the alpha’s private libra

ALEKSANDR The fear in Rieka’s eyes broke me, but I dreaded the pain that would replace it if I told her everything that had previously taken place. A hatred for Jacinda was building up within me, and it was taking most of my self-control not to turn on her. Was she angry that I’d rejected her? Was this her way of exacting revenge? Maybe we were better off to figure this out without her help if she was going to continue causing problems. As if she knew my thoughts, Jacinda spoke up. “Do not blame me because you underestimate your mate and keep things from her.” I snapped my head around to silence her, but she kept going. “You’ve been feeling fatigued for the last 24 hours, haven’t you?” The color in my face drained and my mouth hung open in shock for a few seconds. How did she know that? Rieka looked at me and I could see the shock on her own face as well. “Your strength is connected to your bond,” Jacinda explains. “When you don’t trust your mate’s strength and you keep t

ALEKSANDRAfter talking for several hours Rieka was finally able to relax a bit, but she didn’t want to leave our room. Since we planned to leave as soon as possible, she spent the afternoon packing everything up and preparing us for our departure in 2 days. I was just thankful when she was able to fall asleep in my arms later that night.The next morning, I woke with a mix of emotions. First, I was hit with a rush of peace and happiness at having my mate here in my arms, still sound asleep, but then frustration crept in as I remembered the events of the last few days.Tomorrow we could finally leave for the Night Stalkers pack and return to the kids, but Jacinda would be going with us, and not only did I have no idea how Alpha Cornelis would feel about this, but I knew that my mate was not happy about her tagging along. Besides, we still had to get through today.I wondered what would happen if we just left today, without Jacinda, but I would never make the decision without discu