Chapter 123


    One Year Later I nced down at the old article I had saved, snickering at my name in such a bold


    font. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it, having every werewolf in the world know my name.


    A photo of the twins and I sat below the headline, my odd-colored eyes bright and vibrant. I was


    glowing with happiness as I stood between the twins like a light had been switched on deep within.


    Kade stood behind me, his arms wound around my waist as I grinned and stared into Alec’s eyes.


    None of us were expecting a hidden reporter to snap the photograph. Even after an entire year, my


    love for my mates hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it had grown stronger. It was my favorite picture of the


    three of us. The reporters had a field day when the twin’s and I were finally married. The ceremony was


    mostly for show, an excuse to throw an extravagant party that would lighten spirits and spread some


    happiness. The public were invited, along with various Alpha’s and Luna’s from around the country. The


    legality of it all was questionable considering I couldn’t technically marry two men, but many mates


    chose not to marry at all. Even though it had been a calcted move, I didn’t have to fake my joy that


    day.


    Carrie had nned the wedding for months, but it was Zayne who provided a venue. This wasn’t a


    private event meant for friends and family, but something we wanted to include the world in. The field


    was barren when we arrived, covered in potholes and patchy grass. It was used as a concert venue,


    where stages and booths would be erected. Trash littered the field, ranging from harmless beer cans to


    used condoms and cigarette packs. The grass was used to being trampled by excited feet, but it wasn’t


    aesthetically pleasing for a wedding. Carrie, with full ess to our funds, transformed the venue in a


    matter of a month. I had asked countless times how she managed to get everythingpleted so


    quickly, but her response was always the same.


    A cheeky grin and the mention of a few people owing her some favors. Tori imed the position of


    Maid of Honor before I had the chance to speak and was rather passionate about the wedding


    nning. It put her in the presence of Zayne, who had retreated to his own pack shortly after my Luna


    ceremony, but Tori still enjoyed putting him in his ce. I was sure she also enjoyed the way his eyes


    trailed her every move when her back was turned, but I kept my mouth shut while they bickered with


    one another. I hadn’t asked what was happening between the two of them. I felt like my constant


    intrusion on her emotions was information enough. Their bond was growing stronger, but the two


    continued to butt heads.


    Zayne was dealing with the loss of his father, a man he both hated and wanted to please. There were


    demons in his eyes that wanted to d***n him, but Tori refused to let him sink. The wedding had taken


    my breath away, along with the crowd that had showed up. The parking lot waspletely packed, a


    sea of vehicles that all looked identical in the darkness. In between those cars were guests, donned in


    delicate dresses and suits, walking towards the gates that would lead them to the guard station.


    It was a precaution that the guests and their bags were searched before the wedding. Light posts


    covered in ivy lined the way, like a trail of starlight and nature. As you reached the entrance to the


    party, a domedttice formed overhead with small fairy lights interwoven through the wooden beams.


    Vines with dainty white flowers trickled down, bringing the gentle scent of something sweet. After the


    ceremony had finished and the party truly began, I spent the rest of the night with the twins by my side.


    Their individual scents made me dizzier than the wine I had consumed, making my heart light and


    cheeks ache from smiling so much. I managed to steal Tori away from a couple of lusty guys vying for


    her attention and tugged her onto the dance floor. “What was that about?” She chuckled, grabbing my


    hand as she twirled onto the dance floor. “All three of them were wanting in that dress of yours.” I


    snickered, rxing as the thundering beat of the music flooded my ears. Tori’s distaste was instant, but


    I hadn’t yet finished. I nced across the room, meeting with a pair of silver eyes that held barely


    contained rage.


    “And a certain Alpha seems a bit enraged by the entire thing. Maybe you should talk with him.”


    Brandon Fox and his mate made an appearance, and the few reporters invited chattered excitedly as


    they snapped photographs of the cocky Alpha. He hadn’t stopped grinning since meeting Alicia, not


    once. I had spoken to her while Brandon and the twin’s talked about crossing future training courses,


    and found she was incredibly kind and a tad shy. Jaspar had arrived separate from his son, with Delh


    and his mate in tow. His mate was a soft-spoken woman, petite in stature even though she rivaledContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jaspar with a single look.


    After leaping into my arms and stating I looked like a princess, she vanished into the crowd with some


    of the other children present. The twin’s and I mingled with the other guests, Alec doing much better


    than his brother. I could tell Kade was trying, but the bluntness to his words often chased people off.


    After an hour of chatting with various guests and families, my attention started straying. We ventured


    through the crowd, searching for Kady and Ava.


    I found them both with Veronica, who gave me a sour look before turning to Kady. Instead of rolling my


    eyes at the adoration on Veronica’s face as she looked at her daughter, I was happy for Kady. The day


    they met, and Tori chewed Veronica out, it changed something in her. It wasn’t an easy road, but


    Veronica was making a conscious effort to put what Kady wanted first. When Kady was epted into


    the Art Institute a few hours away, her mom had been her biggest supporter. The happiness on Kady’s


    face as she danced with Ava, her golden curls swishing down her pastel gown, it was the purest


    emotion I had felt. I wanted that same happiness for my best-friend, whose all-consuming emotions


    grew stronger the more she resisted the bonds pull. As she continued to pull Zayne from the clutches


    of his demons, I only hoped that she wouldn’t d***n herself. Their emotions were like the rapids, tearing


    me back and forth before dousing me in icy water.


    I had no choice but to listen, to feel every st of sizzling rage or pulse of repressed desire. She was


    the only one to get any sort of reaction out of Zayne, who still held those shadows from that horrible


    night. Sometimes I swore they would vanishpletely when he and Tori were truly at each other’s


    throats.


    Shortly after the ceremony, I had lost sight of Tori. When I finally spotted her fiery hair through the


    crowd, my jaw threatened to tter to the floor. They were towards the edge of the property, where the


    lights were dimmer, but I could never mistake the hunger in their emotions. Even with the other guests


    surrounding them, they only had eyes for one another. Her curves melted into the te grey suit he


    wore, her emerald dress matching the color of Zayne’s tie. Tori’s manicured fingers were on his neck,


    grazing the pulse point of his throat as a coy smile formed on her face. The look was dripping with


    smugness and even from where I stood, I could feel the hitch in his pulse and the sudden explosion in


    his emotions. They were having a private conversation out of ear shot, and I refused to venture any


    further. His desire to attend the wedding plummeted, just as his desire to steal her away increased. The


    night of my wedding, things changed between Zayne and Tori. Two weekster, she asked permission


    to move into Zayne’s pack.


    I’ll never be able to wipe the image of her teary eyes from my mind, the way they resembled fresh


    moss and glittering jewels. The depth of her emotions hit me, sparking tears in my own. She felt guilty


    for leaving, for missing him as desperately as she did. I would miss her more than words could


    express, but this wasn’t the time for mourning. Through trial and tribtion, my best-friend had found


    her happiness. I looked at her through my own tears, both joyful and devastated. I could already feel


    the loss of her in my chest, even though we would always stay in contact. With a smile on my face, I


    embraced my best-friend. “You’ve always been a Luna, Tori. You’ve never needed my permission to


    find your happiness.” “You’ll visit, you got that? I’ll tell you everything that happened—how it all


    changed.”


    She sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “And I’m going toe back as often as


    possible. I’m still your Beta, even if I can’t physically be there. Promise me, Aurora.” “You were there for


    me when no one else was, even if I refused to believe it at the time. I’ll always be there for you, no


    matter what.” A piece of my heart followed Tori when she left, just as a piece of hers stayed behind, but


    we both followed through on our promise to each other. We made time to video chat every weekend,


    no matter how hectic our schedules became. When my birthday rolled around that spring, I woke the


    entire house with my shouts as Tori and Zayne pulled up in a tinted SUV. I had barely managed to


    throw on one of Kade’s t-shirts and a stray pair of boxers before I stumbled out the front door and down


    the porch steps. Tori cackled with glee as we collided in a mess of tangled limbs, the dew from the


    grass seeping into our clothes. Her fiery hair was longer and tamer, but her eyes shimmered with the


    same happiness I often saw in my own.


    Zayne smirked down at the two of us, his chestnut hair shorter and eyes not as haunted. His emotions


    were clearer, and I was startled at the fierce protectiveness hidden beneath his casual facade. I nearly


    lost it when he extended a hand to Tori and me. He helped me to my feet and tugged her into his arms,


    giving me a wry smile. “Happy Birthday, Aurora.” This birthday was the first I had spent with the twin’s


    and was much different than what I was used to. Melissa had rarely acknowledged my birthday, and


    eventually it became another monotonous day. Frank’s attention seemed to fall on me more, which


    didn’t exactly boost my excitement. I had nearly forgotten it was my birthday altogether, until the twin’s


    hauled me into one of the cars and took off. “Where are we going?” I asked Alec, who was currently


    driving. The overconfident smirk he shed me through the rearview was of no help, so I turned to


    Kade. Any time we would drive, one of the twin’s would sit in the back with me. It was a way to remain


    close to them, even if they did bicker over who would sit with me. “I told you two not to get me anything.


    I have everything I could ever want.” Kade’s response was a deep chuckle, and a thick blindfold in his


    hands. I swatted them away, my breath hitching when he grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them in


    between his thighs. The moment my hands were free, I reached for the blindfold obscuring my vision.


    “Sweetheart, as much as I’d love to see you restrained, the car isn’t the ce I had in mind.” Kade’s


    warm breath fanned across my cheek, making my heart jump. His handnded on myp, just below


    the skirt I wore, the rough pads of his fingers syed out on my t***h. “Now behave and let us have our


    fun.”


    I knew we had arrived when Alec stopped the vehicle and shifted it into park. Kade held both of my


    wrists within his hand. For safety measures, he had imed. The two of them kept me from falling on


    my face as I struggled to find my bnce I could hear the gentle rush of wind as it passed my ears,


    along with the sound of passing cars. The muffled chatter of people far away sounded, growing nearer


    with every passing second. Kade led me forwards with his hands on my hips. A dull click sounded,


    followed by the soft jingle of a bell. The first thing I noticed was the immediate scent of nts, with an


    underlying tone of something sweet. I felt Kade’s fingers at the back of my head, pulling the blindfold


    from my eyes. “It’s a bakery.”


    The words sounded t and full of disbelief as I turned on my heel and gawked at the fully furnished


    store. The walls were white brick, but artwork covered most of the wall space. The smooth marble


    counters glittered under the gentle, golden lights. Arge disy area sat empty, followed by another


    below the counter. Twinkling lights hung on the back wall, where arge chalkboard menu sat. Circr


    tables were in clusters with pale blue chairs and soft throw pillows. A couple of love seats sat against


    the far wall, with the same pastel color scheme as the rest of the store. Potted nts hung from the


    ceiling in front of therge windows, soaking up the sunlight as it poured through. “It’s your bakery.”


    Alec smirked, sharing a smug look with Kade that made my face heat. “You can’t get me a bakery.” I


    stammered, not looking at either one of them. I was too busy gawking at the shiny new kitchen, with the


    large freezer and steel stovetop. I gave them both an exasperated look when one chuckled, “I got you


    two shirts for your birthdayst year. Shirts.” “They were nice shirts.” Alec nodded appreciatively, a


    smile twitching at his lips. “Besides, you took us on that pic for our birthday.” Heat flooded my face


    as I struggled for an answer. The pic Alec mentioned wasn’t a pic at all. A week before their


    birthday we decided to shift and go on a run, which quickly turned into the three of us taking a break in


    this sprawling meadow of golden grass. The only thing they had eaten during this pic had been


    myself.


    “That was not a part of your birthday-“ A scream ripped through my throat as I inched too close to the


    marble countertop and saw someone jump out from beneath. “Surprise!!” Beth cackled, her sand-


    colored ponytail swishing back and forth as she jumped in ce. It took me several seconds to reign in


    my shock and embarrassment. Her warm eyes flickered between me and the twin’s, sparkling


    deviously. “Your husbands here tracked me down. I’ll forgive theck of wedding invite if you exin to


    me how it is you managed to snag the two of them, and if you can point me towards a set of my own.”


    “I’m not sure I can help find you a set of twins, but I can tell you all about how we met.”


    I teased, “How’s Jake doing? Has he burned the bakery down yet?” “Jake ditched the bakery for a


    corporate advertising internship.” Beth scoffed in mock offense but shrugged. “It’s not a total loss. He’s


    officially the bakery’s one-man advertising team. Now let’s get in this kitchen, I want to see how much


    you remember.” ‘Go on, enjoy your bakery.’ Alec grinned, his thoughts merging with my own. ‘You know


    I love you both, right?’ I sighed, disgruntled with the guilt that sat in my chest at epting such a huge


    gift. The emotion pricked at the backs of my eyes until Kade took a few strides forward and swept me


    into his arms. Beth’s wistful sigh sounded in the background. ‘You deserve everything, sweetheart.’


    His voice was gruff, and his plush lips soft as they brushed ever so softly against my own. The twins


    were insistent that I explore the bakery, knowing the more I touched and marveled, the more I fell in


    love with the quaint shop. It was easy to keep up with Beth’s enthusiasm as she chittered and cooed


    over the giant cooler and the stacked ovens. The industrial mixer nearly sent her into a meltdown,


    especially considering it was a pale shade of pink. “How long are you going to be in town for?” I asked,


    but she read my mind. “I’ll be in town for the month. I’ll help you hire employee’s, order ingredients and


    supplies, and have everything ready to open up.” She grinned wildly, “Thankfully your husbands had


    the ce decorated, that saves us some time. Even though I do think they could’ve used a tad more


    pink.”