Juniper
Levi’s face bore the traces of hurt and agony as he stared after me.
The heartbreak I saw in his eyes tore at my soul.
This wasn’t how I’d wanted this to go. I never wanted him to watch me leave with another man.
Part of me wanted to rush back, to give him one last kiss, an embrace—anything.
Even after all we’d been through, he deserved that, but deep down, I knew this was the best way.
There could never be anything between Levi and me as long as the shadow of Naphele stood like an impenetrable wall between us.
If Anders had noticed, he gave no sign. He rushed onward, back toward Idlewild and away from the clearing.
Levi took a shaky, hesitant step forward, his brows furrowing in confusion.
Ashamed, I turned away, not giving him a chance to say a single word.
I bolted into the forest, moving as fast as my paws could carry me.
As I ran, I kept trying to listen, terrified that Levi might chase us down to demand an answer.
My heart shuddered at the thought, and I put on even more speed, quickly catching up to Anders.
Trees flashed past as I ran alongside him.
Casting a single worried glance over my shoulder, I found the forest behind us empty.
No Levi, just trees, shrubs, and broken dreams.
Ahead lay my home, my family, my friends, and a new mate.
Anders’s paws pounded the ground as we ran through the forest, and I couldn’t help but think about what life would be like with him.
How strange it would be to stand in Idlewild as the alpha’s mate.
The problem was, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that.
Did I care about Anders? No—not yet, anyway. But at least I knew what I was getting with him. With Levi, I would always be secondary, even if he couldn’t see it himself.
Anders acted as though he’d turned over a new leaf.
Perhaps he would even treat me with the kindness and respect a mate deserved.
It was all I could hope for. Either way, I would be his mate, and he would have to treat me like the only person who was.
I wouldn’t have to play second fiddle to a dead woman.
“Whoa there, you two,” a voice called out.
Anders slid to a stop, and I nearly plowed into him. A lanky man stepped out from behind a tree. His red hair was tied in a ponytail beneath his sweat-stained ball cap. He gave us both a simpering grin, but the smile never reached his eyes.
“Who the fuck are you?” Anders growled, having shifted back to his human form.
The man held his hands up and smiled wider. “Just an emissary, shall we say.”
I nearly choked as realization dawned on me. I knew which pack this man was part of.
“The Red Maw pack,” I whispered.
Anders glanced at me. “The who?”
The stranger nodded once. “That is the name we go by. Name’s Carlton Briggs, beta of the Red Maw. Just wanted to introduce myself to the alpha of Idlewild.”
“Okay,” Anders said, balling his hands into fists. “You’ve introduced yourself. Now get the fuck out of my territory.”
He took a step toward Briggs, and the redhead stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. “No problem, big dog. I getcha. I’ll see myself out. I guess we won’t be friendly then. Is that what I’m hearing?”
“You heard right,” Anders said. “Now get the fuck out of here.”
Briggs tipped his hat to me, shooting me a surreptitious wink. “I’ll be on my way then.”
“I said go,” Anders said, growling low in his throat.
Briggs nodded once more, then shifted into a broad-shouldered red wolf and bounded off into the forest.
“What the fuck was that about?” Anders asked.
“They’re a pack. All men. They’ve been trouble for Lev—uh, for the Hidden Grove village for years.”
Snorting in derision, Anders took my hand. “Not surprising that guy couldn’t keep his place safe. Pathetic. Come on. Let’s get home. I’ll tell my guys about this. Make sure they keep a look out for any of those fuckers if they want to try something.”
“Okay.”
We shifted again. As we ran the last mile, I wondered if we really had anything to worry about. Surely the Red Maw wouldn’t try to invade the territory of a pack or town the size of Idlewild. That would be suicide.
My thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of voices.
I couldn’t tell if it was simply my newly acquired shifter senses, or if there really were that many people.
Even with the noise of us running, the sound of conversation was overwhelming.
I pulled up to stop, and Anders stopped as well, shifting back to his human form.
When he turned, there was a big smile on his face.
I shifted back as well—the sensation was still a bit strange—and frowned at him.
“What’s that sound?” I asked.
He pointed in the direction of town. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“What was?” I eyed him warily. Old habits died hard. Did he, perhaps, have some mean-spirited trick waiting for me?
He reached out to me. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
A warm smile spread across his face as his hand extended toward me, but there was a hardness in his eyes as well. A demand for me to take his hand. We had to show unity. I couldn’t hesitate here, not now. Not when this was all I had left.
Even then, knowing what was at stake, I only looked at his hand, debating whether I should believe him. I’d spent over a decade worrying about what joke, slight, or trick Anders would pull. Despite my reservations, I put my hand in his.
We were only a hundred yards from Idlewild. The closer we got, the more voices I could hear.
“Are you going to tell me what that is?” I said.
Anders sighed, then let out a low chuckle. “Well, I’d wanted to bring you home to a warm welcome. I made sure to spread the news that you were alive and safe, and that you would be coming back as my mate. The whole town will be there. Most of them anyway.”
I stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. “You were that sure I’d say yes?”
His eyes slid away from mine, and he looked at the ground.
“Well, honestly, the town doesn’t know what’s going to happen.
They’re ready to see me come back with you at my side, or for me to officially announce that you are no longer a member of our pack.
” When he looked at me again, his face was that of a shy boy instead of a powerful alpha. “I had high hopes, though.”
“Huh.” It was all I could say. Everything felt surreal. Part of me truly thought I might wake up any second and find myself back in bed with Levi. Shrugging, I allowed Anders to lead me on toward a new future.
When we finally exited the forest, I was greeted with a roar of approval that had me physically flinching back in surprise.
Hidden Grove was less than a quarter of the size of Idlewild, and I’d been there long enough that I’d gotten used to the quaintness and the calming quiet of being tucked into the forest. Seeing the paved streets, buildings, and people—so many people—was a bit shocking.
The joy of seeing my grandparents again dwarfed my surprise. They rushed forward, shoving people aside on their way to me. Tears blurred my vision as I opened my arms and embraced them.
“My girl,” Gran said, pressing her face into my shoulder. “Oh, my darling girl, we were so worried about you.” She shook with sobs as she crushed me to her.
Grandpa wrapped us both in his embrace, resting his chin on my head. “I knew you’d come back to us. I always had faith,” he said, whispering the words so only we could hear.
“Long time no see, asshole.”
Looking up, I found Beatrice walking toward me, her eyes red and puffy.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said.
Extracting myself from my grandparents’ embrace, I hugged her. “I’ve got a hell of a story to tell you.”
Beatrice punched my shoulder playfully. “Damn right you do.”
“All right everyone,” Anders said, raising his voice.
The crowd went quiet. He hadn’t been lying. It looked like all of Idlewild was here. It was hard to deny a request from an alpha, especially one as headstrong and moody as Anders.
“I promised you a big day,” Anders went on, a huge smile on his face. “And I have delivered. I’ve returned from the Shadow Forest and brought Juniper Hollis back to us. Rescued her from the Demon Wolf and returned her to her rightful place in Idlewild.”
As the crowd roared, I shot him a sidelong glance.
He hadn’t rescued me from Levi. I hadn’t needed rescuing.
Though, it probably made him appear more impressive to the pack.
Plus, most people here believed a lot of the old stories and legends about Leviathan Cross.
I kept my mouth shut and decided to let him have his story.
I wouldn’t correct him unless it grew more outlandish.
Anders took my hand and led me closer to the crowd. The crowd was still applauding and cheering as Anders pulled a jewelry box out of his jeans pocket.
“Long ago, my family used to pass down a set of very special items. Alpha to mate, and so on for generations. I would like to do the same here and now.” He opened the box, and I let out a little gasp of surprise.
Inside was a pair of earrings and a ring, all an exact match for the infinity necklace Levi had given me.
I still had the necklace in my pocket. Anders had returned it to me, and I’d yet to have it fixed.
There was no doubt that these items were part of a matching set.
How had Levi given the necklace to Naphele if it had belonged to Anders’s family?
“Juniper Hollis,” Anders said, facing me. “I accept you as my mate, if you will accept me as yours. What do you say?”
As I glanced around, I was struck by how strange all this was. I’d always been a bit of an outcast here, and now every person looked like they were hanging on my every word. Weird.
“Uhm.” This was what I’d always wanted. The entire reason I’d gone into the forest to search out Levi to begin with. Why was I hesitating?
I cleared my throat. “I do accept.”
Anders grabbed my hips and pulled me close, kissing me. An actual, honest-to-God kiss. From Anders.
Shocked and utterly surprised, I stood frozen and rigid for several seconds, before finally letting go and allowing it. The kiss wasn’t as gentle as Levi’s, more urgent and forceful, much like Anders himself. I would grow used to it, I was sure. Each person was different.
Another roar of approval slammed into me, like a concussive blast. I pulled away from the kiss, laughing in surprise at the sheer volume. Anders fastened the earrings at my ears, then slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.
Anders held up his hand for quiet. “I think June here has another surprise for everyone.” He winked at me. “Wanna show them?”
It took a moment for me to realize what he was talking about. Then it struck me. I could shift now. The whole town knew I couldn’t shift. It was one of the main reasons Anders had initially rejected me before his change of heart. How would they react when they saw what I could do?
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and glanced at my grandparents. They looked intrigued and confused. I couldn’t suppress the grin that came to my face when I thought about what they were about to see. I hoped they’d be proud.
Reaching out, I touched the spirit of my wolf, our minds connecting, snapping together like a magnet clicking onto steel.
An instant later, I stood on all fours, the cold breeze fluttering my fur.
The entire crowd was dead silent, and my grandparents were staring at me, open-mouthed.
Beatrice had her hands on her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
A wave of sound washed over me as the town cheered.
This was what I’d always wanted. Acceptance. To be part of the town I loved so much. To live with my grandparents and take care of them as they aged. This was home. But, if I was getting everything I’d hoped for, why was I feeling so melancholy?
Shifting back, I waved at everyone, unsure what else to do. My body was exhausted from poor sleep the night before, from all that happened with Levi, and the fear of what awaited me.
Anders put his arm around my shoulders and called out to everyone. “Let’s celebrate! Danny, Shelly, open up your restaurant, meals are on the alpha. Chris, same for your bar. Everyone gets a round on me. This is a big day for Idlewild, let’s give it all we’ve got.”
The townsfolk hurried off to begin making food and slinging drinks. The restaurant and bar were both at the intersection of Main Street and Idle Way, the exact center of town. It sounded like Anders was planning an impromptu block party for the occasion.
“I think I need a nap,” I said.
“No way,” Anders said, and squeezed my shoulder. “We’ve got to party! This is all for you. Come on. We have to celebrate.”
He was right. I was an alpha’s mate now.
I had obligations, especially when this whole thing was supposed to be in celebration of me, but I was so exhausted—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
All I wanted was some quiet time away from everyone to process everything that had happened.
I’d need to push through, though. There would be time to rest after all this celebratory stuff was over.
“Okay. Sure. Why not,” I said, allowing Anders to lead me on. Gran hurried over and took my free arm, with Grandpa and Beatrice behind us.
My mind drifted back to Levi and our last time together.
I could still feel his hands on my body, taste him on my tongue, and hear the sounds of our lovemaking.
Even now, arm in arm with my new mate, that other man still held sway in my mind.
How long would it take for that to fade?
How long would it take for Levi to forgive me? Would he ever?
I glanced over my shoulder at the forest behind us. I thought for sure I’d see Levi standing there, watching us as he had at the clearing. Instead, there was nothing but trees.