by Davis, Lia;
Even though she was happy for her sons, she had a longing to share her life with someone. After Royce, she swore she’d never love again. She made those promises in a fit of rage and pain.
In truth, she wanted a mate. It was time for her to start looking for one. Yet, none of the males in the den sparked her wolf’s interest. Or maybe she just wasn’t ready.
A knock sounded on her back door. Frowning she called to her wolf to surface and went to the door. She flipped in the porch light and opened, ready to give whoever it was a taste of her Alpha power.
When she saw him, her heart dropped to her feet and she gasped and backed up. No. It couldn’t be. If she hadn’t been the one to kill Royce herself, she’d sworn the rogue bastard rose from the dead.
Rafe Raines. Her brother-in-law and Royce’s twin brother stood at her back door.
She folded her arms and didn’t move to let him in. “What do you want?”
“Hello, to you too, Luna.” He lifted a brow, then racked his gaze over her, making her body heat up.
What the fuck? No way was Rafe her mate. Not fucking happening!
“Why are you here?” She’d ask how he got in, but she knew the answer. The same way Faelin did. His intent wasn’t to harm anyone. It still didn’t make him wanted.
“I’ve come to warn you.”
She laughed although there was no humor behind it. “You’re too late. Good bye.”
She went to slam the door, but he stuck his foot in the jam, block it. “I know you don’t want to see me. Hell, I can’t even look at myself in the mirror without seeing that bastard.”
Damn. She didn’t want to feel sorry for him. “You left. I thought I could count on you to have my back.”
He reached for her and she jumped back. Touching Rafe would be a mistake. The movement gave him room to step inside her house. She shook her head. “You need to go.”
“I left because Royce said he’d kill you and the boys if I stayed.”
She froze. “He what? Why would he say that? Besides he was crazy.”
Rafe locked gazes with her. One of the differences in him and Royce were their eyes. Royce had navy blue eyes while Rafe’s were ice blue. Rafe’s hair was pitch black. “Because he knew I loved you.”
What? She whirled around, giving him her back. He what? Okay, Luna, breath. This wasn’t happening. Every night for the last week, she’d had a reoccurring vision where a male would say those exact words. It told her she’d meet another mate soon, but she wasn’t sure who or when.
“Lu.” He stepped closer and she closed her eyes. Rafe and Keegan were the only ones to call her Lu. Keegan did it because they were long time friends. Even before they merged the Packs. “I came to warn you about Faelin.”
“He’s Royce’s son. I know.” She moved to her beanbag and picked up her wine and drained the contents.
Rafe followed her to the kitchen. “How do you know?”
“Sable Darwin is mated to our Pack Justice.” Luna turned to watch he reaction.
He wasn’t surprised by that little bit of news. “I know. Before you ask, I’ve been watching over you and the den. The move to merge with Ashwood was smart. It made sense because you and Keegan were friends.”
Leaning against the counter, she studied him. He looked like he aged since the last time she saw him. Shifters didn’t start to show signs of aging until they were well over a thousand. Hard living and stress can cause them to age as well.
“Where have you been?” She moved to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer and handed it to him.
He took it. “Thanks.” After opening it and taking a drink, he answered her question. “After I left, I went in search of the rebel groups. I knew they were out there and not all of them were against shifters.”
Jared had said he found Rafe in a rebel group, but Luna wasn’t sure she wanted to go search him out. She still wasn’t sure she wanted him in her house. He brought too many emotions to the forefront. Too much pain, she wasn’t ready to deal with.
“Jared said you were working with the rebels.”
Rafe sat at the kitchen nook and start picking at the label of his long neck. “We mostly kept the human rebel groups from discovering the truth about shifters and gave them false leads away from dens. I found out about Faelin about a year ago. Rumors were circulating through the groups that Felix had a son just as crazy as he was and that was a mutant that could shift.”
“Too crazy to not look into.” Luna frowned and sat across from him.
“Yeah. And be careful what you go searching for.” Rafe shook his head. “I knew when I saw him that he was not Felix’s son. Have you seen Faelin up close? Looked into his blood crazed eyes?”
Luna shook her head. “Faelin had shown up a month ago and kidnapped a group of kids to use in his mutant army. No one except Sable, Ana, and Jared had been close enough to the male. Then the bastard materializes inside the wards to confront Sable a few days ago. That was when she recognized who he really was.”
“He’s crazy. It goes beyond bloodlust and going rogue.” Rafe finished off his beer before continuing. “I have a few men on the inside at Onyx. Right now it’s not clear what Faelin wants except for revenge for Felix’s death. But if he knows the male was not his father, then there is no telling what his plan is now. I got a report this morning that Faelin is looking for a pendent. It’s a wolf carved from moonstone. I’m not sure why he’d be looking for it.”
That sounded odd. “Moonstones can harvest the power of the moon and can strengthen psychic abilities. But mostly it’s used for healing and protection.”
Rafe nodded. “I recalled that Royce had one. I found it in his desk and asked if it was for you. Royce went crazy and we fought. That was when he told me to leave.”
Luna frowned. She’d never seen the pendant. Knowing what she did and thinking back, she wondered if it belonged to Faelin’s mother. Or someone else. But since Faelin was looking for it, she was betting it was his mother. “Do you think it’s still with his things in MoonRiver?”
She left all of Royce’s belongings in the rubble of what was left of her old den. She had considered burning the place down. It was a good thing that she didn’t.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Luna met his gaze. They’d have to go search the ruins of MoonRiver. “We’ll assemble a team to go look. No one goes off alone anymore. My sons will insist on being there. And seeing you will not be easy on them. So I need to give them a heads up.”
“Yeah.” He frowned.
“And Tanner lives here, so be prepared to face him in the morning, if he comes home tonight.” Luna stood. “You can take one of the spare rooms up stairs. Tanner’s room is the last one on the left. I’m going to bed.”
She left Rafe sitting at the table and shut herself inside her bedroom. What the fuck was she going to tell her sons?
Chapter Nine
It was the first day Jasmine had taken off since her parents died. And it felt great. She slept in and was still in her PJs at 4:00 in the afternoon. She had gone out onto the balcony that overlooked the bar from her upstairs apartment to check on things.
Dane and her were up late the night before talking about everything and anything—their childhoods, his brothers and all the trouble they used to get into. Her feelings for Dane were growing. The more she was with him, the more she wanted to wake up with him every morning.
Like that morning. He had coffee made and was cooking breakfast by the time she got out of the shower. She was starting to see that being with him would outweigh her fear of losing him.
Life was about risks.
Jasmine exited her bedroom and crossed the living room just as the door to her apartment opened and Cole stormed in. He locked gazes with her and threw his backpack toward her. It missed her by a few inches and slammed against the wall behind her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Anger rose up inside her and it took all her control to not beat his ass. His anger was g
etting out of hand.
"You screw everything up!"
What did she do now? "How am I screwing up your life now?"
"I couldn't train today." He glared at her, his wolf in his eyes.
Yeah, she knew. But he caused it on himself.
"And how is that my fault? Dane and I told you that you had to stay out of trouble and keep your grades up. Then I get a call from Rhea this morning saying you were suspended for two days. Care to explain to me why?" Jasmine crossed her arms, letting her own wolf peak out of her eyes.
He threw his hands up in the air and stalked to her. She braced herself. He may only be nine, but his wolf was strong and he was starting to bulk up. Kids from the age of eight to sixteen go through so many changes. They grew the fastest during those years, slowing down when they reached about sixteen, then stopping altogether when they reach eighteen.
Cole snarled. ”You know why. It was a stupid joke. It's not my fault no one in that school has a sense of humor. And it happened last week, before we made our deal."
Was he serious? "It doesn't matter. You should have disclosed this joke when we talked about it yesterday. Lay out all your little dark secrets before they bite you in the ass. You will not train for a week. And don’t go to Dane about this because he has my back on it.”
"That's not fair! I hate you!" He stormed off to his room and slammed the door.
Jasmine closed her eyes and took deep breaths. May the gods, keep her calm.
When she opened her eyes, she noticed Luna standing in the doorway. Jasmine offered her a weak smile before it turned into a frown. How long had she been there? "Hi, Momma Wolf."
She came in and shut the door behind her. Then she crossed the room to her, drawing her into a hug. ”He’s not angry at you."
"Yeah I keep telling myself that too." Jasmine hugged Luna back, loving the feel of a motherly embrace.
Pulling back, Jasmine studied her. Luna looked...lost. Which was weird because she was the strongest person Jasmine knew. "Are you okay?"
She shrugged and sat on the sofa. Pulling one of the square pillows into her lap, Luna stared at the backpack Cole threw. "Boys bottle up their emotions. The training will help him, once he's off restriction."
Jasmine sighed joined Luna on the couch. "Yeah, I think so too. I wasn't sure at first. But Dane can be pretty persuasive."
"That's my son." Luna fell quiet again and Jasmine knew something was bothering her. Before she could ask her again what as wrong, Luna said, "Rafe is back."
Jasmine stared at Luna with her mouth open. "As in your brother-in-law?"
"The one and only." Luna frowned. "I'm not sure how I feel about it.”
Why was Luna talking to her about that? Then it dawned on her. Luna didn’t have many female friends. She worked 24/7, protecting the Pack and being an Alpha. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she could fall apart like the rest of them.
Luna and Jasmine’s mom were best friends. Jasmine had grown up around Luna. Even though she tried not to notice, Jasmine saw what Royce put Luna through. That was another reason Jasmine hesitated when it came to mating Dane. But Dane was nothing like his psycho father.
“Why is he back? Is he staying?”
Luna met her gaze. “He says he came to warn me about Faelin. But we already knew that. Did Dane tell you?”
“That he has a new half brother? Yeah.” Jasmine watched her Alpha.
“I’m sorry to unload on you. I didn’t know where else to go.” Luna started to get up but Jasmine grabbed her hands, stopping her.
“I feel honored and blessed that you came to me. After all you and Mom were best friends and I’ll be your daughter-in-law soon.” Jasmine smiled at her.
Luna’s features softened. “So you are finally giving in?”
Jasmine laughed. “I think Dane has suffered enough. Although I’m not sure he knows what he’s getting himself into. Those boys, especially Cole, are a handful.”
“It’s Karma. Hayden and Dane were hellions.”
“Yeah, he told me about all the trouble they got into.” She glanced at Cole’s backpack, still not believing he threw it at her. But she knew he missed on purpose. Shaking her head, she met Luna’s stare. “Some of the females are going out to the old cabin Dani lived in before meeting Nevan for an all-girl slumber party. Come with me.”
Lunas features brightened. “Are you sure?”
“Hell yeah. It’ll be fun. We’ll drink, eat, and talk about boys.” Jasmine grinned, hoping that Luna would say yes. She never did anything with the females and this would allow her to connect with them more. “Unless you want to sit at home with Rafe.”
Luna crinkled her nose. “Count me in.”
“Great!” Jasmine jumped up. “I’ll grab my bag and then we’ll go to your place and get your things.”
Jasmine rushed to her room. She’d packed her overnight bag earlier that afternoon since she took the day off and needed something to do. The apartment was spotless. When she passed by Cole’s room, she knocked on it. “I’m heading out. I’ll be at the Pack cabin. Dane will be here soon to stay with you.”
The door opened. He wasn’t as angry as he was when he came in. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Tough. Dane is staying anyway.” When she turned to walk away, he touched her arm.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be scheduling some time for you to talk to Nevan. I’m not going to be the object of your anger. Nor will I tolerate you yelling at me and throwing things at me. You’re growing up and it’s time you deal with everything.” Jasmine was done. She loved her brothers and wanted to protect them and keep them safe. But she couldn’t do that if they didn’t help themselves.
“What about Kyle?”
“He’s already talking with Nevan.”
Cole jerked back in surprise. “He didn’t tell me.”
Jasmine sighed. “He doesn’t have to tell you everything.”
“I guess.” Cole glanced down the hallway toward the living room. “I’ll go apologize to Luna.”
“Thank you.” Jasmine pulled him into a hug. “I miss them too. Every damn day. I’m not perfect but I try to be. You don’t make it easy for me.”
“I’m trying.” He kept his tone soft and she heard the crack in his voice. “I’ll meet with Nevan.”
Pulling back she framed his face. “Training will help too, after you are done with restriction. Or maybe you can offer to do community service around the den. Talk to Dane about it tonight. But I mean it. No more trouble. Pranks and jokes are fun, but you push it into another level.”
He smiled then. “I’ll talk to Dane. I really want to be an Enforcer like Dad was.”
“He would be so proud.” She kissed his forehead and motioned to the living room. “Go talk to Luna.”
He nodded and rushed down the hall. Jasmine shook her head. She wouldn’t relive her adolescent years for all the money in the world. It’s a confusing and emotional time.
She took her time grabbing her bag to give him and Luna a few minutes to talk. While she waited, she texted Dane.
Heading to the cabin. Your mom is going.
Dane: That will be great for her. Thanks for including her.
Jasmine: No problem. I love Momma Wolf.
He typed something then stopped. Then started typing again.
Dane: Have fun. There will be sentries in the area.
She smiled. That was Dane talk for he cared. Her heart fluttered and her fingers hovered over the keys. She typed, “Love you,” then stared at the words. When the hell had that happened? The words were effortless and without a thought of what she’d say.
However, she wasn’t sure it was the right time to tell him that so she deleted it and instead typed, See you tomorrow night.
* * *
Smoke rolled out of the chimney of the cabin when Jasmine and Luna arrived. Good someone was there already. Jasmine was usually early for everything and she hoped she wouldn’t be the first one to arrive at the
cabin.
“Looks like we’re not first.” Jasmine smiled wide at Luna. “Is it bad that I’m way too happy to be away from the boys?”
Laughing Luna shook her head. “No, that’s part of being a mom. You love them and will do anything for them, but when you are away from them, you're free.”
The door flew open and Shay’s smiling face greeted them. She looked at Luna and squealed. “Momma’s here!” She pulled Luna into a hug. “You come to join in on our mischief?”
“Yep. It’s been a while since I stirred up trouble.” Luna entered the cabin and Jasmine followed, giving Shay a hug after she closed the door.
“It’s supposed to snow again tonight.” Shay disappeared into the kitchen. When she came back, she had a large bowl of chips and some small bowls with dips and salsa in them. “I’m glad I came early to get the fire started. I turned the heat on upstairs.”
Shay was a white tiger. Cats typically got colder than wolves did, even neither of the species felt the cold like humans did. But a fire and warmth was always a good thing in the middle of January in the mountains.
“What’s on the agenda for tonight?” Jasmine took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack near the door.
“Well, the only way to get Cam to come was to promise to set up the nanny cam.” Shay laughed. “That will be entertaining to watch Graham and Blaine take care of the triplets.”
“For sure,” Luna said just as her phone rang. Frowning she pulled it out of her back pocket and stared at it. “What?” She paused and met Jasmine’s gaze then rolled her eyes. “Girls night. I’ll be back tomorrow… that’s not up to you.” She worked her jaw and her wolf entered her eyes. “Look, we’ll talk about it tomorrow…My sons know where I’m at…I’m hanging up now.”
She hung up and and Shay glanced from Luna to Jasmine. “Should I ask?”
Luna typed on her phone as she answered. “Rafe is back.” When she was done with her text, she added, “He’s my problem and I’ll deal with him when I’m ready.”
She turned off her phone and tossed it on the kitchen counter.
