VIOLETS POV King helped me bring the load of bags down to the car. Iâd recovered very well, considering the surprise birth of our daughter. Iâd chosen not to bring tradition, and named her after a flower. Weâd chosen Drew and Carson for our boys, and Camellia for our girl. She truly was a blessing, an unasked for gift.
Drew, our first born, was a quiet baby, except when he was hungry. He had Jaspers brown locks, and his silver eyes. I had a feeling he would take after his Dad a lot. Carson, on the other hand, had rick, deep blue eyes with just a tiny hint of the silver. His little tuft of black hair came from me, and probably his attitude as well. He was our grumpy baby, insisting on being held almost all the time, unless he was snuggled in his crib with his siblings. Tracy was always more than willing to carry him around with her while she tried to do her work, but mostly she was keeping him entertained with lots of peek-a-boo and tickling.
Camellia, she was stunning. I knew she was going to be a true heartbreaker when she got older. Two weeks ago, weâd all gotten the shock of our lives when sheâd finally opened her eyes for the first time. They were a bright green, like emeralds. But sheâd also inherited the silver. It made them pop, exponentially so, with a shine that was almost otherworldly. They were brighter than her brothers. Even brighter than her Dad! She had a little hair too, soft brunette curls that I loved to run my fingers through. She was such a sweet girl, and super cuddly.
I fear I might have been neglecting Jasper lately, but I loved them all so much. Just yesterday, Jasper had woken up and came to find me sleeping on the plush carpet in their room, surrounded by our babies. Carson had been hungry, and afterwards, I just didnât want to leave them.
Today was difficult for him, I knew. It was time to put my plan into action, and that meant leaving Silver Moon. My nerves were on edge as we packed up Kings SUV.
âIs that everything?â He asked.
âI think so. Are the kids ready?â
âTracy was just bringing Carson downstairs, I think.â
As if heâd manifested her, Tracy appeared at the door, waving and smiling sadly.
âBaby number one, right here!â She called. Setting it down, she adjusted the cover.
âTechnically, heâs baby number two.â I laughed, taking the carseat from her.
Jasper stepped out of the door, holding one carseat in each hand, each with a different colored cover, and frowning deeply. Without a word, he strode to the vehicle, beginning to buckle them in.
âIs Grandpa ready to go?â I asked Tracy while watching my mate.
âMr. Gideon said he would be down shortly.â She nodded.
âGood. Thank you Tracy.â
âWhat for?â
I turned my head, meeting her eyes. âIn general, for everything.â
She blushed a little but waved me off. Jasper walked back to us, taking my arm.
âCan I have a minute with Vie?â
âYou donât need to ask Alpha! Sheâs your mate after all.â She giggled, walking back inside the house.
Before I could say or do anything, Jaspers lips were on mine, his hand gripping my waist. I could feel every emotion in his k**s, every ounce of fear, tension, anxiety. It did little to calm my own nerves.
âYou,â He breathed against my lips, âPromise me you will all be safe.â His tone left no room for argument or naysayers.
âI promise.â I gasped. He kissed me again, pulling me against his chest. I lost track of where I was for a moment, until someone cleared their throat loudly beside us.
âWe should get going Violet.â Grandpa stood, smirking at the two of us. I pulled away, but not before another quick k**s. He walked me to to the car, saying good-bye to the kids.
âWeâll be back before you know it.â I said as I hopped in the passenger side. King started the engine.
âCall me when you get to B***d Moon.â
âI will. Promise.â
âI love you.â
âI love you too.â
He reached for my hand through the window. When King started to drive, I let go, blowing him a k**s. The absolute fear in his eyes made my stomach roll, but he was soon left behind. I turned my attention to my Grandpa, seated behind the kids.
âThank you, for coming with us.â I said.
âAnything for these little angels.â He smiled towards the carseats. âBesides, they are much too young to be teleported yet.â
I rolled my eyes, turning my attention to the road.
âHe will be fine.â King said softly. âThe Alpha is just worried about your safety.â
âI know.â I sighed.
âYour parents will protect the little ones.â Grandpa chimed in. âLily is over the moon about the kids. You know she always wanted grandchildren.â
âI know.â I repeated. âAnd I know B***d Moon is the safest place for them right now. I just wish Jasper could come with us.â
âLike you said, weâll be back before you know it.â
âAnd the warriors?â I looked at King.
âBehind us. They took two separate trucks.â
Glancing in the mirror, I recognized Ashwell behind the wheel of a giant truck. We lapsed into silence, scanning the road and the trees that surrounded us. Usually, it was a short drive from our pack to my old one, but weâd decided to take a longer route. The detour would take us through the woods, bringing us closer to Uncle Killians pack. Right on cue, King took the turn, and our ride instantly got bumpier. The âroadâ here wasnât was basically dirt and rock. I glanced anxiously at the carseats, worried they would be jostled too much.
âs**t!â
I jumped as King shouted, grabbing the armrest of my seat as the car swerved violently. My heart jumped into my throat as I turned, grabbing for my kids.
âGrandpa! Do something!â I yelled.
Before he could raise a single finger though, we came to a jerking, painful halt. My body was thrown forward,my back banging against the dashboard. At the same time, the airbags went off, barely cushioning the assault and also propelling me back into the seat. My ears were ringing, and it took a few seconds for me to register the cuts and b***d on my arm. Glass lay everywhere, the windshield completely smashed in, giving a full view of the oak tree weâd hit.
âGrandpa?â I pushed against the airbag, trying to see him. âGrandpa! The babies!â
âT-theyâre fine. Weâre all fine.â He said from the back.
âKing? Are you okay?â He was holding his head, slowly shaking it from side to side. A line of b***d ran from his temple to his chin.
âThink so.â
âWhat the Hell was that?!â I demanded.
He looked through the hole where the windshield had been. âThere.â He raised his other hand, pointing.
Standing a few feet away was a cloaked figure. The build was enough to tell me it was a woman. Blonde hair was falling from the shadow where her face was. The hood covered her face completely, but I knew who she was. Anger and panic gripped me as I stared at her.
âJennine.â I whispered.
A deafening crunch had me wincing, covering my ears. I watched in shock as the doors of our vehicle peeled themselves off, falling to the forest floor. My seatbelt clicked, sliding back up into itâs holder. My head whipped to the side as I heard her voice. It grated against my eardrums.
âCome on out Violet. We need to talk.â
âDonât.â King grabbed my arm. âLuna, donât.â
âI donât have a choice King.â Wrenching my arm away, I slid out of the SUV, landing on the door. Jennine raised her hand, crooking her finger for me to come closer. Giving her my best glare, I picked my way around the damage, coming to a stop on the edge of the road. We stood facing each other silently. I chose to break the tension.
âYou could have killed us.â I spat.
She laughed lightly. âI may not be a wolf anymore, but I do remember it takes more than that to kill one.â
âMy babies are in the car, you b***h!â I shouted at her.
âOh, I know.â Her tone held a smirk, and my hand twitched, ready to just kill her already.
âYouâre an i***t Jennine. The warriors-â
âTook a drive the other way.â She interrupted. âIt seems your Gamma forgot something at the pack, and had to turn around.â
My stomach dropped. Sheâd sent Ashwell and the warriors back to Silver Moon. We were literally alone with the sociopath and no backup.
âWhy are you here?â I asked.
âFor you.â
I took a step back. âWhatever youâre thinking of doing with me, forget it. Iâll kill you first!â
She laughed again, louder this time. âYou can try! Really, Iâd rather do this the easy way- Itâll save a lot of time.â
âf**k you.â I spat.
âStill a coward, I see.â Grandpas voice came from behind me. âWhat kind of a coward canât even show her face?â
âGrandpa! Go back and protect the babies!â I yelled.
âNo, heâs right.â Jennine trilled. âAnd I am no coward.â
She pulled the hood back, revealing herself. I kind of knew what she looked like from Mom and Dad, but to see her in person was still unexpected. For some reason, Iâd been imagining a slender, young, and attractive blonde girl. The person in front of me was, yes, thin, but she definitely wasnât a girl. This was a woman, her face tight and narrow. Her eyes were flat, cold, but held a distant emotion I couldnât quite decipher. Insanity, maybe. I could see where she might have been attractive once, but the aura she gave off now repelled, sending all sorts of red flags up in my head. Even if I didnât know who she was, I would know by instinct; This woman was dangerous, a threat.
âThis is the b***h thatâs causing all the trouble?â King hobbled up to my left. âI donât see anything special about her.â
Jennine hissed unimpressively at him.
âGrandpa weâve got this. Go.â I said.
âReally? Youâre bodyguard seems to have a twisted ankle.â Jennine sneered.
âLike thatâs going to stop me from tearing your head off.â King replied with a snarl.
âMale wolves are always so dramatic.â She rolled her eyes. âFine. I tried to do this the easy way. But clearly, youâre all gunning for a fight. Soâ¦â
She snapped her fingers, grinning. A scream built in my chest as I saw the three carseats float over our heads, landing at her feet. Carsons green cover rippled in the breeze.
âI never was a fan of babies.â She wrinkled her nose at the seats. âToo loud. And messy.â
âStop!â I forced the pressure in my chest out. âPlease, give them back!â
âIf you cooperate with me, I will leave them unharmed.â
âFine! What do you want?â I gasped.
âI told you. You.â
I gulped, not taking my eyes off my children. âSo you can f**k with my head too? Just like you did to my brother?â
âNo, we have something else in mind for you.â She examined her nails casually. âI will admit though, watching Garrett break that girls heart was marvelous.â
My hands trembled with rage. I was very close to shifting.
âCome now Violet. Unless you want me to kill your babies?â She raised an eyebrow mockingly.
I stepped away from King, stopping a few feet from her.
âKing.â I ground out. âCome get them.â
I heard him take three steps before Jennine held up her hand.
âActually,â I was suddenly pulled to her side, her hand reaching out to catch my arm. I winced as her grasp clamped down on my wounds. â,Iâve decided Lily doesnât get this either.â
My knees buckled as the carseats went up in flames.
Tears sprang to my eyes and Hala jumped forward, merging with me while I tapped into our magic. A guttural, ear-splitting growl left my mouth, my hand whipping out to catch Jennine by the throat. All I wanted was to rip her throat out, and be done with it. Sadly, I knew I couldnât do that.
âGrandpa!â
He appeared on Jennines other side, grabbing her shoulders. As soon as he started the spell, I jumped back, landing unsteadily in Kings arms. Jennine shrieked, throwing Grandpa off. He stumbled back, but the smirk on his face told me heâd been successful. Jennine raised her hand, winking at me.
âThis isnât the last time youâll see me.â She snapped, disappearing momentarily- Only to pop back exactly where she was before. She tried again, with the same result. The horror and confusion on her face was almost worth the emotional turmoil I was feeling right now. âWhat the f**k?! What is this?!â
âA loophole.â Grandpa said. âYou can try to teleport anywhere in the world Jennine, but youâll end up right back here.â
âYouâre lying!â
âGo ahead and try.â
She did, several times, in fact. With a piercing shriek, she threw her fists down, flames erupting around her. Her heated glare fell on me.
âYou stupid b***h! You sacrificed your own children for this?!â Her laugh was hysterical. âWas it worth it?!â
âYeah, about that.â Walking to one of the charred seats, I bent down, removing the last of the cover. Grabbing the doll inside, now almost completely melted, I held it up. âTurns out Mom was right Jennine. You are kind of predictable. And stupid, if you seriously thought I would ever even entertain the idea of putting my babies at risk. But thank you, for walking right into our trap. It made our jobs a lot easier.â
I dropped the unsalvageable toy, walking away from her, pulling out my cell to call my mate.