LOGIN“I thought it would not happen until the full moon,” he muttered after some time.“I really believed that was when it would happen. Not tonight. I never would have left if I knew that.” He looked at me. “I promised I would be there for him. I promised I would help him through it.”“I’m sure everything is okay. You’re there in spirit,” I said weakly. “And you’ll still be there afterward to help him. That’s if it even happens tonight. Remember your own experience? It took almost a whole day before you finally shift. Maybe Kael will be the same way. Maybe we still have until lunchtime before it happens.”“Every shifter is different, Elara,” he said, his voice becoming tighter. “Some people take hours or even days, while others go through it in a few minutes or an hour. There’s no pattern or reason for it. It’s not because of family or genetics. It’s completely random. For all I know, he may have already shift.”“And if he did, everything will be okay. You need to calm down, Orion.”“This
I noticed that Orion’s mood changed a little after I pointed out his behavior. I understood he was carrying a huge amount of stress, but I hoped it would not ruin the rest of our trip together. I wanted us to enjoy ourselves, and that could only happen if he was happy too.After we ordered room service for an early lunch, I suggested going shopping.“I want to get Kael a few more things. That kid is really hard on clothes, and the things we bought the other day won’t last long.”“Sure,” Orion said. “We can go back to the mall.”“Great, let’s do that,” I said as I quickly stood up.“Hey?”“Yeah?” I turned toward Orion.“You know you can buy something for yourself too, right? I know you love Kael, but it’s okay to spoil yourself once in a while.”I smiled. “You know what? You’re right. If I find something I really like, I’ll buy it.”The mall was not crowded because it was still early in the day, and that made it easier to look around the stores. Orion spent most of his time walking thr
The next morning, I woke up before Elara. She was curled up next to me, softly snoring in her sleep. Not wanting to wake her up, I slowly got out of bed and quietly got dressed before checking my phone. I felt relieved when I saw an email from Jaxon saying the money transfer had gone through and the cash would be waiting for me at the bank. He had also included the bank address and account number. It was already a little after nine, so the bank would be open. I could quickly take care of everything and still have the rest of the day to spend with Elara.After writing a short note to Elara on the hotel paper, telling her I was handling the money and would return soon, I placed it on my pillow so she would see it if she woke up. After that, I quietly slipped out of the room and softly shut the door behind me.Everything ended up being easier than I expected. There was a lot of paperwork to fill out and I had to show my ID several times, and then the bank president personally came out to
In the distance, I heard the familiar clip-clop sound of horseshoes hitting the pavement. A moment later, a carriage stopped in front of us.Elara gasped. “I didn’t even know they had these in Atlanta.”I shrugged as I helped her into the carriage. “Crazy tourists will spend money on anything.”The driver started taking us around the city. Warm summer air flowed through the windows, and the bright lights from the tall buildings lit up the streets.Elara snuggled close against me while the carriage moved through the city.We mostly stayed quiet, enjoying the ride and spending time together. It was a beautiful night.After the ride ended, the carriage brought us back to the restaurant where the valet had my car ready. When we got back to the hotel, we saw our room had been prepared, and another surprise was waiting for us on the bed. There was a bucket of champagne and a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.“Orion Blackthorne,” Elara said, shaking her head with disbelief. “When did
We pulled into the Waldorf Astoria in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. A valet opened our doors when we parked.Elara turned and stared at me with wide eyes. “I thought we’d be staying somewhere like a Holiday Inn or something.”“Not for our first real date. I wanted to spoil you,” I said.The valet took our bags while we walked inside to check in.Elara pulled lightly on my sleeve. “Can you really afford this place? It looks really expensive.”That immediately brought back the frustrating thoughts about all the money I had spent to keep the pack going.“I’m not broke, Elara,” I said sharply.She frowned. “You don’t need to act like a jerk about it. I was only asking. I just don’t want you spending too much money to impress me or something. I’ve never cared about money, and that hasn’t changed. You should know that.”She looked hurt, and I let out a tired breath. That had been a rude response. What the hell was wrong with me?“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to sound like an ass. Money ha
Jaxon laughed. “I was a teenager close to my first shift once too. I already know what’s coming. We’ll be okay.”Orion and I got into the truck and waved at Jaxon and Kael as we drove away. I let out a sigh and leaned back into my seat, finally ready to relax for the first time in weeks.That feeling lasted for about three seconds.“Shit,” I whispered. “I need to call Stormy.”“Why? What happened?” Orion asked.“I was at her house for more than an hour today, and I never told her we were leaving town. She’ll panic. Hold on.”Stormy answered, and I could hear Lila crying loudly in the background.“This better be important. Miss Thing over here has decided she doesn’t like pureed peas anymore.”“Who would?” I said, making a face.“So, what’s going on?”“I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to Atlanta with Orion for a night or two.”“Oh, nice. For what?”I told her about Orion and Jaxon needing to sell one of their businesses to get money for the pack finances and pay off the loan sh
“You can tell me to fuck off right now, and I’ll still protect him,” I said. “No matter what happens. I’ll remain in his life or stay away, whatever you decide, but I’ll do everything I can to keep him safe from harm.”What I didn’t say was that because she had never been officially claimed, she wa
The only sound inside the truck was the steady noise of the tires rolling along the road.A huge weight had finally been lifted from my chest, but it was quickly replaced by a suffocating feeling of dread.Elara pulled her hand away from mine, and my stomach immediately dropped.“You fucking asshol
I did not like the sadness I saw in his eyes.“Whenever there’s something I want, she does her best to make it happen. Most of the time, I think really hard before I ask for anything. I don’t want to make her stressed, you know?”I did understand.But he was much too young to be carrying thoughts l
I grunted. “From what I know? People become loan sharks for a reason. The moment they smell weakness, they strike.” “Should we call Jaxon?” Selene asked. “Probably,” I replied as I pulled out my phone. Jaxon had handled a lot of unofficial operations during his time in the military. If there was







