A New Day

Anthony

“ANTHONY!”

“ANTHONY!”

“ANTHONY!”

The moment had arrived.

Every part of my plan had clicked into place.

My enemies were out of the picture.

Shadow Moon’s administration was filled with my supporters.

The pack members chanted my name as I confidently walked among them, transforming into my wolf form for the first time.

I glanced at Beta Raphael, who was striding down the aisle with me, through the center of the cheering crowd. We communicated through the mindlink.

~They’ve never been this excited. They never cheered for Jax like they’re cheering for you, my Alpha.~

~Today marks the start of a new era, Beta. An era where all werewolves will answer to one Alpha. The only Alpha in our history who has united two packs. Soon, that number will increase.~

After moving past the chanting crowd, we reached the infantry.

Their snouts were raised high in respectful attention.

They were a sight to behold.

I’d never seen a more ruthless group.

They would surely strike fear into the hearts of the cowardly members of Vulpes—or anyone else who dared to cross us.

I quickly inspected the transformed soldiers as I took my place at the front of the group.

A hush fell over the crowd as they waited for my command.

I had done it.

I had gained total control.

Once I started my march, I wouldn’t stop until every werewolf in this region knew who their rightful Alpha was.

~Not bad for a lowly fucking swamp-dweller.~

“ARRROOOOOOOOO!”

I howled the command to march forward, and my soldiers and I moved into the forest.

The crowd cheered as their brave protectors set off in pursuit of Vulpes.

I squinted as we marched into the rising sun. Its blood-red rays signaled the start of a new day.

~My~ day.

Quinn

~KNOCK KNOCK! ~

“Quinn! Quinn, open up!”

I sniffled as I walked to my bedroom door.

I opened it to find my Aunt Jodie standing there, looking worried.

“Goodness, child. What’s wrong? We missed you at breakfast this morning.”

“I did it, Aunt Jodie,” I said, trying to hold back my tears.

“Did what, Quinn?” my Aunt asked, puzzled.

“I called him from the spirit realm.”

Her jaw nearly hit the floor.

“You mean…your father?”

I nodded.

She let out a joyful shriek and hugged me tightly.

“Oh my, Quinn! I’m so proud of you! You mean you talked to him and everything? Just like you planned?”

Again, I nodded, trying to hide how upset I was.

But it was no use. Aunt Jodie could read me like an open book.

“What’s wrong, child?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“He confirmed it. Everything you said about how he died was true.”

She gently lifted my chin and looked into my teary eyes, “Of course, it was. You don’t think I would lie to you about something like that, do you?”

I shook my head.

“No… No, I didn’t. I guess I just hoped that there was some misunderstanding. Something you didn’t see. Some missing piece that might make all this conflict I’ve been feeling go away.”

“You didn’t find what you were looking for?” she asked, sadly.

“No,” I sighed. “But I did find out something very important.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Where I belong. And that’s here. With you. As a member of Vulpes.”

Aunt Jodie covered her mouth, shocked.

Tears of joy started to fall from her eyes.

She clearly couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Oh…Quinn. You’ve made me the happiest werewolf alive.”

She held me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

“You will be a part of this pack. And not just any part. You will reign over Vulpes as Co-Alpha of this pack!”

“Co-Alpha?” I asked, “is that really a thing?”

Aunt Jodie laughed. “That’s the beauty of being in a pack of rogues, you don’t have to follow the rules. With both of us leading this pack, we’ll usher in a new era.”

The idea excited me. But I thought about how hard it had been just getting used to being Luna. I never dreamed I could handle the responsibilities of an Alpha!

“I’m truly flattered,” I smiled, “but I’m not sure I’m worthy of that honor.”

Aunt Jodie smiled at me, “Quinn, you’re just starting to realize how powerful you are. In less than twenty-four hours, you’ve mastered an ability that takes many in our bloodline years to learn. Your strength is unmatched. It will serve Matheius well.”

“Matheius?” I asked, confused.

“Come with me, Quinn,” Aunt Jodie took my hand, “we have a lot to do.”

Jaxon

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!”

The sun was already high in the sky.

We’d missed our chance to escape easily.

Now we’d have to find another way out of here.

That is if I could gather everyone to leave.

There was still no sign of Harper or Sky anywhere.

I had searched Fort Vulpes from top to bottom and found no trace of them.

I feared the worst.

We had overstayed our welcome in this fortress.

The true nature of this utopian society of acceptance was finally showing.

I rushed through the corridors of Fort Vulpes, my heart pounding.

My mind was filled with a thousand thoughts.

~Do I keep searching for my missing pack members, or do I rush back to Shadow Moon, clinging to the slim hope that it’s not too late to save it?~

~Do I make another attempt to reach out to Quinn, or is it a hopeless endeavor?~

~Do I even bother trying to reclaim my pack from Anthony, or do I let him have it?~

~If I did try, would my pack members even choose to stand by me?~

Right now, every choice felt like the wrong one.

I was still struggling to comprehend how I’d let everything that mattered to me be undermined while I’d been holed up in this stone fortress for a week and a half.

My frantic pace and even more frantic thoughts were interrupted by a feminine voice calling my name.

“Jax.”

There was an almost otherworldly quality to the tone.

I looked around, trying to locate the source.

It was coming from an open bedroom door.

My bedroom door.

I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even realized where in Fort Vulpes I was.

“Jax,” the voice called again.

I hurried to the door.

The sight that greeted me left me breathless.

My mouth hung open in shock.

There, sprawled on my bed, was Katherine.

Completely naked. Legs spread wide.

A knot formed in my stomach.

“Thought you’d never get back here,” she said, her voice light with amusement. She winked at me suggestively.

~Holy shit.~

Harper

~Damn Sky.~

I was in disbelief.

One night with a rogue and she was already convinced she’d found her mate.

I knew she was naive, but this was a new level of foolishness, even for her.

~PLOP!~

I kicked a rock into the forest underbrush, my anger getting the better of me.

The whole situation had me so worked up that I needed some time alone.

Somehow, this revelation had managed to push everything else to the back of my mind.

Quinn, Alpha Anthony, all of it.

Thoughts of Sky consumed me as I stared at a secluded creek deep in the forest.

Why was I reacting this way?

I’d seen Sky go through her fair share of fleeting romances…

Teased her about every crush she’d ever had.

Why was this one different?

Was it because he was her mate?

That couldn’t be it… Was I jealous?