Future

RORY

Martha’s only a few yards away from me. My heart is pounding. I search the crowd. Mama’s farther back, near the gazebo, so she and the babies are out of easy reach, at least.

Everett is at my side immediately, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “You weren’t invited,” he says, glaring daggers at Martha.

Martha takes two steps forward and goes down to one knee, dipping her head to bare the back of her neck. There are more gasps from the crowd. Even I know what this means among wolves.

“I come in peace. I no longer run with the Red Moon.” She keeps her head down, and I see her clench her fist at her side. This is hard for her. “I would have you for my alpha.”

Everett crosses his arms over his chest, his posture solidly unsympathetic. “You have sought to harm my pack, my mate, my children. You have insulted me. Why should I accept you?”

“May I lift my head?” Martha says, her voice tight. I’m appreciating the rigidity of wolf rules right now. I can’t trust her, and I can’t feel bad about her needing to bow and scrape.

“You may,” Everett says after a long, tense pause. “But remain on your knees.”

She looks up—at me. “I want to apologize for my actions. Both the recent and the long ago. I caused you so much pain while you were growing up, Aurora, and I regret it.”

I'm shocked that she's addressing me. I am the one she hurt most, but I would never have thought she'd acknowledge it. “Why did you do it, then?” I ask, surprised to find I genuinely want to know.

“I've never had any children of my own. I took my grief over it out on you. I felt, somehow, that you had stolen their place.” Her face creases, lines of sadness standing out around her eyes and mouth.

I shake my head. “You hated that I was human. You made me miserable. You made your sister miserable!” I look at Mama. She's whispering with Lucius, watching Martha closely.

Martha's mouth crumples, and she dips her head again. “There is no excuse. I took my own hurt out on you; I see that now.” I can't tell if she's angry or upset.

“If you regret what you did, why did you try to take my children?” Everett puts his hand on my back, and I realize I’m shaking—but not with fear. With anger.

She meets my gaze again. “To me, the children were a sort of... do-over. An opportunity to care for a child and make amends.” Her words are frank and straightforward.

It’s a familiar way for her to speak to me. She always said that I was worthless, a waste of resources, know-nothing human filth in that same factual way. Like it was inevitably true.

“Why not make your amends to me?” I ask. Looking down at her makes her seem so small. I’m not the child she could bully mercilessly anymore. I’m loved, supported, and strong.

“I thought there was no chance of you forgiving me after how I treated you.” She glances at Everett, lip curling slightly. “You preferred a man who had stolen you away.”

“I didn’t steal her, whatever your pack laws say,” Everett snarls. There are growls from the rest of the crowd too, ready to back up and defend their alpha.

She ducks her head again. Her fist is so tight her knuckles are white. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean—you’re clearly an honorable man, a good alpha and mate. I don’t think you would have violated the law deliberately.”

“Everett’s a wonderful mate. I love him very much.” I lean into his side and look up at him. His blue eyes are soft as he looks at me, his hands gentle like they always are.

“The breaking of the law is understandable in this case. I shouldn’t have tried to enforce it,” Martha says quietly, eyes on the ground.

“You have no idea how badly I suffered. Your alpha tried to kill me. It wasn’t just you. It was the whole Red Moon.” I’m shouting, trembling, remembering how terrible my first eighteen years were.

I feel a hand on my other shoulder and startle. Mama’s come over to stand with me against her sister, leaving the babies with Lucius.

Her smile is sad as it was back in the Red Moon. She looks so much older than Martha, even though there’s only a few years between them. The awful treatment we were given by the pack took a lot out of her.

Martha carefully lifts her head to look at us both, frowning deeply. “That is why I wish to leave. I wish them the best as they rebuild, but I am choosing family over pack.”

“You ignored me for years, Martha,” Mama says, her soft voice heavy with disappointment. “Isolated me and my child. I don’t know if I can still call you family.”

“I understand. I just ask for a chance.” Martha presses her head to the ground, bowing deeply. “Joanna, Aurora, I would be grateful for a chance to make things up to you. To know my niece and nephew. Please.”

I’m not sure that I believe her, but she’s putting on a good show of her shame. And she’s actually given Everett the proper respect. “I’m willing to let her try,” I say quietly.

“If Rory wants to give you a chance, I will too,” Mama says, squeezing my arm tight. “But we have a lot to talk about.”

Everett searches my face and accepts my resolve with a nod. He turns back to Martha. “Since my luna agrees, I will accept you into the Shadow Blood Pack, Martha. You may stand.”

She does. No one moves to help her. She keeps her head bowed even as she stands, accepting the mistrustful stares and mutters of the crowd without any sign of anger.

“You will have to earn our trust,” I say to her, trepidation and hope mingling strangely in my chest. “You won’t be babysitting, even in a group any time soon.”

“I understand,” she says, putting her hand over her heart and bowing at the waist to us. “Thank you, truly, thank you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“I’m afraid I must ask you to leave,” Everett says, not looking sorry at all. “You still were not invited to this mating ceremony, and I don’t want you distressing my mate tonight.”

Something flickers across her face, but she smooths it away and just says, “Yes, of course.”

As Martha leaves, I’m able to relax a little more. Her willingness to do what we ask makes me feel better about giving her a chance. I’d love it if Mama could have a sister again.

The music starts up again, and slowly, the festive mood returns. Ace and Freya cut the cake to great cheering, and Mama relieves Lucius of his Lucy and Jay duties.

As I look around at the party, at Mama with my babies, at Ace and Freya laughing as she kisses frosting off his nose, I feel an enormous sense of peace and happiness.

We may still have troubles ahead, and life will always have its challenges, but for now, everything’s the way that it should be.

I look up at Everett and smile. His blue eyes crinkle with joy as he tips my chin up to kiss me, deep and long. I can feel him smiling, too.

As long as we're together, we can do anything.

The End