Chapter 1
One month later
Don’t show two lines … don’t show two lines …
Olivia clasped her hands together as she silently repeated those words like a prayer in front of the plastic stick perched at the edge of her bathroom sink. This was not how she envisioned her day would go, but when her smart watch alerted her that her period should have started today, well …
It wasn’t possible, she told herself. Lycans had a low fertility rate. Nobody knew why exactly, perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of controlling their species. Most Lycans, even those with human mates, rarely conceived. Unless …
Her head snapped up and she met her reflection’s eyes. Before the next thought could form in her head, her phone’s alarm rang out, signaling that three minutes had passed. Slowly, she bent her head to look at the stick.
Two lines.
Pregnant.
She had expected that dreaded sensation to creep into her, of her stomach dropping or even freezing terror. However, she couldn’t name the emotion running through her now, but whatever it was, it was the opposite of how she thought she would feel if the pregnancy test did turn out positive.
I’m pregnant.
Now that she was sure, the next thought in her head pivoted to a different question: what about her baby’s father?
It was that thought that brought that dread deep into the pit of her stomach.
And if her suspicions were correct, he was not just her baby’s father, but also her True Mate.
While it was true that Lycans rarely conceived there was one exception.
When True Mates had sex without physical barriers for the first time, they always conceived.
She could still be wrong, but there was one way to confirm that, and it involved a different kind of test. Opening the medicine cabinet door, she reached for the eyebrow razor on the top shelf and flicked the cap off.
Here goes nothing.
A drop of blood appeared where the tip of the blade pierced her skin. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she dragged the razor down. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her flesh knit back together, then met her reflection in the mirror once more.
Well, that confirmed it.
Not just pregnant, but pregnant with her True Mate’s baby. The instant healing was another way to confirm. Lycan fetuses protected their mothers with a special kind of magical barrier that made them invulnerable.
Her wolf, which had been very silent up to this point, finally let out a soft mewl.
You knew all this time.
The she-wolf crouched down and huffed.
Olivia buried her face in her hand.
What am I going to do?
The message alert on her phone jolted her out of her thoughts. Glancing at the screen, she saw her cousin Charley’s name pop up in the notifications.
See you at Lone Wolf? You’re coming right?
Biting her lip, she tapped out a reply.
Of course. Wouldn’t miss it.
Great! See you later!
Olivia put the phone down, then massaged her temple with her thumb and middle finger. When she woke up this morning and realized her period was late, she rushed to the bodega around the corner to grab a pregnancy test. The anxiety had made her forget about what today was.
Her other cousin, Jacob, was waiting to hear back on the Lycan High Council’s verdict on his case.
Jacob was guilty, technically, but his actions were warranted.
The council had put him and his True Mate, Sloane, under house arrest because they had entered the Boston clan’s territory without permission from their Alpha.
However, they had good reason to. The Alpha, Ronan Forte, had been a cruel leader, forcing the Lycans under his protection into committing crimes to enrich himself.
And when they disagreed or tried to leave, he punished them or simply got rid of them, including Sloane’s parents.
She and Jacob had gone to Boston to find evidence of Ronan’s crimes.
Olivia’s blood boiled with rage thinking about it. An Alpha was supposed to protect his Lycans, not take advantage of them.
I’m glad Jacob and Sloane finally put a stop to him.
Hopefully the council agreed with their actions.
The entire family was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure Jacob and Sloane were absolved of any crime.
Olivia’s dad and uncles were confident that the council would rule in their favor, and they called everyone to come into the office to support them, no matter what happened.
Even their relatives from the Shenandoah clan were coming.
Jacob and Sloane had no idea they were all there and the plan was to surprise them when they get the hopefully—fingers crossed—good news.
Olivia glanced back at her reflection in the mirror and let out a groan.
What rotten timing.
Still, there was nothing more important in this world than family, which was why she had to get herself together, no matter how she was feeling.
In any case, this might be her last normal day with them before they found out about her pregnancy.
There was no way she could hide it from them.
While they would be supportive, there would just be so many questions about the identity of her True Mate.
Straightening her shoulders, she blew out a breath. Her family needed her today and she would show up for them.
After a quick shower, she put on a minimal amount of makeup, spritzed on some perfume, then put on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and her favorite Louboutin heels, then headed downstairs and hopped into a cab.
Though most of her family and friends lived in Manhattan, Olivia opted to buy a condo in Forest Hills in Queens.
She was always flying in and out of New York anyway, so she wanted a place that was halfway between LaGuardia and JFK.
Miraculously, the ride into the city didn’t take too long and soon the cabbie dropped her off at her destination.
It was one of the many non-descript buildings in Midtown Manhattan, undistinguishable from the others on the block.
After checking with the security desk, she made her way to the elevator, where she was automatically whisked up to the top floor.
There were no signs proclaiming what this place was as the people who came here were a select few, and for good reason.
Lone Wolf Security and Investigations was an all-Lycan and hybrid team of agents who used their special abilities to run operations around the world.
There were no other offices on this floor of the building and the narrow hallway led to a set of unmarked opaque glass doors at the end.
She waved at one of the cameras watching the doors 24/7, then waited.
Moments later, the doors slid open, revealing an older, red-haired woman.
“Olivia, you’re just in time,” Aunt Selena, Jacob’s mother, greeted. “Jacob, Sloane, and her siblings are settled into the conference room, waiting for the verdict. Everyone’s in the room next door where we also have a feed.”
“Oh good, I thought I might have been late.” She trailed after Aunt Selena, quietly creeping into the conference room.
Aunt Selena wasn’t kidding when she said everyone was here.
Her cousins, her uncles, their mates, a few family friends huddled together, focused on the large TV screen at the front of the room which broadcasted the hearing from the Lycan High Council’s headquarters in Switzerland.
Scanning the room, she first spotted her brother Arch, and his fiancé Renée Rose—yes, the pop superstar—in the far corner.
Her mother and father, on the other hand, were closer so she silently sidled up to them and waved to catch their attention.
Her dad’s face lit up and gave her a nod while her mom smiled back and slid an arm around her.
Her she-wolf let out a contented sigh, recognizing their mother’s embrace and a flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
Olivia and her mother Luna had always been close, and considering what she discovered this morning, she couldn’t help but wonder how Luna would react to the news. Would she be disappointed? Upset?
“Did I miss anything?” she managed to whisper despite the thickness building up in her throat.
“Nothing important yet,” her mother said. “But you’ll be happy to hear that Forte’s been found guilty.”
“Good. And good riddance.” Olivia focused on the TV, where the head of the council, Chioma Ngozi, was speaking.
“Now, as for the matter of Jacob Martin of New York and the Lone Wolf Sloane.”
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed, growing thicker. Her mother’s grip tightened around her.
“Although they willingly broke Lycan law by entering another territory, considering the circumstances and the great risk they undertook to bring to light Ronan Forte’s crimes and the overwhelming support of the Boston Clan, we consider their one-month detention as time served and order they be released at once. ”
The tension in the room broke, though they all refrained from making too much noise, so as not to spoil the surprise.
“When are we going to tell them we’re here?” Olivia asked her mother.
Her father nodded to the connecting door that led to the other conference room, where Jacob and Sloane and her siblings were watching. “Now, pretty much.”
The people who were nearest to the door burst out into the other room, carrying balloons, trays of food, and champagne.
Everyone wanted to give their good wishes and cheers to the couple, so it took a while before Olivia could go and greet them.
Although Sloane had only been in their lives a short time, they’d already met previously.
That night at Blood Moon.
Her stomach flipped, reminding her of her predicament. But this wasn’t the time for that. This was Jacob and Sloane’s moment, and it was such a relief to know they weren’t going to end up in the Lycan prison in Siberia for their crimes.
“I’m gonna go help with the food setup,” her mother said, kissing her cheek.