Forget Me Not (Phased Moonlight Series Book 2) (3 page)

              He gave her a proud smile, then pulled her into a hug.

Sera embraced Mark tightly, soothed by his fatherly gesture. She then embraced Paula, his wife and mate.

Paula reminded Sera of her mother. She was sweet and motherly, and her warm brown eyes always made Sera feel safe. Her hair was natural silver, worn in a short pixie cut that suited her. She gave Sera a quick kiss on the cheek, then ushered her up the stairs, sensing her fatigue.

              Sera called out her goodnights from the stairs, then climbed until she stopped in front of John’s door. She laid her hand on the knob and took a shaky breath before walking in.

              She flicked on the light, then covered her mouth with her hand as tears fell from her eyes. The room was bathed in John’s scent, and Sera inhaled deeply, memorized by the woodsy aroma. She walked over to his desk and shook the mouse of his computer. She smiled sadly at the desktop photo, a picture of her and John at The Gathering in Ireland; he was smiling down at her, even though she was looking at the camera.

              She left the computer and moved to his bed. She sat down and ran her hands over the fabric of his covers. No longer able to stand the grief, she threw her head back and howled, pouring every single ounce of pain she felt into it. Her pack responded to her cry, paying tribute to John. She collapsed on the bed, and, sobbing, wrapped her arms around his pillow.

              She heard the door open, and Trisha’s scent wafted into her nose. She looked up through her blurry vision and saw her friend standing there, with her own tears in her eyes. Sera said nothing and just laid her head back down, burying her face in the pillow.              

Trisha walked over and lay behind her, wrapping her arms around her. “Sera,” she gently said, “call him. You need your mate.”

             
“Koda,”
Sera cried through the bond. She gasped as his presence filled her mind, and she sobbed as she felt his fingertips stroke her cheeks.

             
“I’m here, my love.”

              “I-I can’t do this. I’m so sorry I left. I thought I could do this on my own. I was wrong. I need you.”

              “Shh, mio amore (my love). I will be with you. You’re not alone.”

             
Sera closed her eyes and listened to her mate as he whispered words of love to her in his native language, calming both her and her wolf.

A short while later, she felt Trisha leave the room, and she opened her eyes. She gasped when she found John’s wolf staring at her. She jerked up, staring at the translucent figure. “John?” she whispered.

              The wolf whimpered and shifted toward her. When he was close enough, Sera jumped from the bed and latched her fingers in his fur. The tears came all over again, and she sobbed into his thick coat as he licked her shoulder. He pushed her back against the bed, and he lay down next to her. She didn’t speak, for fear that he might be startled and disappear. Instead, she just laid her head on his, allowing his breath to lull her to relax.

              “I love you, John,” she whispered before sleep overtook her.

* * *

              Sera’s nose roused her the next morning. She could smell the delicious scent of cooking meat, and her stomach growled with want. She stood, stretched her limbs, and waddled up to her old room. She changed into a pair of yoga pants, a neon green sports bra, and an old t-shirt with the sides ripped open, displaying her mating marks. She gave the markings a gentle stroke before climbing down the stairs into the kitchen, where her pack was already conversing. Faolan and Mark stood over the large stove, stirring multiple pans with various meats inside.

              “Morning, Alpha,” Trisha said to her with a smile. Trisha bared her throat to her, and Sera’s wolf grumbled with happiness at the sign of submission.

              Sera gave her a kiss on the cheek, then moved to give everyone else morning hugs. She stopped at Faolan, hugging him from behind so he could continue to cook breakfast. “Mornin’.”

              A phone vibrated, and Sera turned to find Trisha staring at her screen, with a broad smile on her face. “The gang will meet us at the ol’ diner in about an hour,” Trisha announced after she hung up.

              Sera nodded, and a grin graced her lips.

              “Who’s taking care of the mansion sale?” Paula asked.

              “Already handled,” said Preston, Mark’s son. He then quickly downed his cup of coffee. “The twins, Dad, and I have a meeting with a possible buyer. The couple is young so that they’ll have no problem tending the land. They wanna turn the forest into a conservation center.”

              Sera smiled and nodded. “That’s a good choice. Just make sure they’ll be able to care for my home.”

              Faolan reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “We will.”

              “Why am I so nervous to see them again?” Trisha asked as Faolan placed a plate in front of her.

              Sera shrugged, taking a large bite of steak. “Maybe it’s because we have to explain that we’re off the market and are technically married.”

              “Oh yeah,” she grumbled.

              “It’ll be fine. They’re our best friends, and they’ll understand.”

CHAPTER TWO

Tag, Anyone?

I can’t breathe. My heart is pounding in my chest, and for once, I am terrified to see my best friends. Questions of doubt haunt me and my wolf. What if they hate us? What if they hate our mates? Maybe even worse, what if they actually do accept the fact that we are taken and come back home with us? What if they see someone shift? That option is unthinkable. The penalty is death, and I’d rather have my life taken than let that happen to them.  ~
Trisha King

             
S
era winced as Ally squealed.

              “What do you mean you’re engaged!? How could you keep that from us?!”

              “C’mon, guys,” Sera said. “We came all the way back to tell y’all. You can’t be mad about that.”

              Richard cleared his throat. “Sera, you know me. I’m one of the most laidback people you’ll ever meet, but even I find this extremely...well, let’s just say it sends up a red flag for me.”

              “Cam?” Sera pleaded, looking at her friend who had avoided her gaze since they’d entered the room.

              “You’re on our own with this one, Sera,” Cameron said with an angry sneer. “I’m shocked beyond words, and I can honestly say I don’t approve of your decision to get married at seventeen.”

              “I’m eighteen.”

              He snorted at her. “Well excuse me. My bad. I don’t approve of your decision to get married at eighteen then.”

              “Lay off, Cameron,” Faith said, glaring at him. She reached for Sera’s hand. “Listen, honey, we’re just worried for you, that’s all. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

              Sera smiled, giving Faith’s hand a squeeze. “Koda will never hurt me.”

              “You don’t know that,” Richard countered. “For all you know, he could be a pimp. Maybe he’s out sleeping around while you’re gone.”

              The thought of Koda with another female irritated Sera’s wolf, and she bit her lip and squeezed her glowing eyes shut to hide them. 

              Trisha laid her hand on her lap, prompting her to meet her gaze. “You know he can’t and won’t do that,” Trisha whispered so only her tender ears could hear. “He’s yours and yours alone. Calm down.”

              Sera took a few deep breaths, reassuring herself that is wasn’t possible. Her wolf wasn’t having it, though, and she thrashed for control, demanding that they find her mate. Sera reached out to him, only to hit a wall. She whimpered when she realized Koda was blocking her yet again.

              “Sera? You all right?” Faith asked.

              She nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah. Sorry. I just…have a headache. I had a really weird dream and barely slept.”

              Trisha leaned closer as the others began to converse. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.

              “Koda. He’s blocking me again.” 

              “Homesick?”

              Sera nodded. “Yeah. I think I need to go.”

              “Wait!” Ally called, standing up. “Please don’t leave. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

              Sera smiled. “You didn’t. I’m just kinda stressed right now, and my headache is killing me. Y’all are welcome to come with us.”

              “You mean…to your house, that huge, creepy mansion you showed us a picture of? You’re actually going to let us in?” 

              Sera laughed. “Yep. My uncle isn’t around anymore, so its safe for you to hang out there.” 

              Faith and Ally stood, wearing giddy smiles on their faces.              “Finally! We’ve always wanted to visit your house!”

* * *

              Sera slapped her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter as she watched her friends’ eyes and mouths gape at her home.

              “You live here?” Damion asked, adjusting his beanie.

              “No. We stole the keys.” Trisha giggled.

              “This place is huge!” Allie exclaimed.

              “Just wait till y’all see the house in Hawaii.”

              Sera then motioned for them to follow her into the family room. She plopped onto the loveseat and smiled at Richard when he sat down next to her. She crossed her ankles across his lap and winked at him playfully when he flicked them. 

              “So,” Ally asked, “where’s John? Did he come with you guys, or will he meet us back in Hawaii?”

              Sera’s heart constricted, and she closed her eyes to stop herself from crying. “John? Well, he, uh… He…” she stuttered.

              “He passed away,” Trisha said softly.

              “Oh God!” Faith cried, covering her eyes as they filled with tears.

              “We can talk about it later. It’s still a really tender subject for Sera.”

              “Of course,” Richard said, affectionately rubbing her leg.

              They all sat in silence as they processed John’s death.

No one moved until Damion shot up and announced, “That’s it! Everyone outside.”

              Everyone stared at him as if he had two heads, and when he frowned at Sera, she quirked an eyebrow at him.

              “If every single one of you are not outside in that back yard in the next five seconds, I’m gonna fart and hotbox the place! One...two…”

              All of them jumped to their feet and raced through the sliding glass door and out into the yard, knowing full well that Damion would follow through with his gassy, smelly threat if they didn’t. 

              “Good. Now, wipe those sad expressions off your faces. John wouldn’t want us to be sad. He’d want us to be happy and thankful for the time we actually did have with him, no matter how short. No more gloomy Gusses!”

              Sera smiled at him and gave him a half-hug. “Thanks, kid,” she said.

              He winked at her, then started clapping his hands. “Now, to lighten the mood, who wants to play tag?”

              “Tag? Really, bro?” Richard said.

              “Why not?” Trisha defended. “It’ll give us all a chance to expel some energy and have some fun.”

              “I’m in!” Sera laughed, pretending to stretch her legs.

              “Hell, why not?” Richard said with a shrug of his shoulders.

              They all voted that the oldest would be It first, so they gathered in a circle around Cameron, and Sera spun him around fifteen times. On the fifteenth spin, she jumped out of his reach.

Cameron chuckled as she easily avoided his sloppy advance. He set his sights on Trisha next, but she easily maneuvered out of  the way of his flailing limbs. Cameron narrowed his eyes, trying to look intimidating, but he failed miserably; instead, he looked like he had to pass gas. He finally managed to tag Richard, who immediately lunged for Sera.

              Richard was the fastest male in their little group, and he always challenged Sera because she was the closest to his speed, even when she wasn’t trying. He tried to catch her for a while, then went after Faith, who’d been running the entire time and was panting with the exertion.

No longer considering Richard a threat, Sera slowed to a gentle trot and let out a laugh. While she was observing her friends, Richard lunged for her, wrapped his arms around her slim waist, then swung her around in circles. She laughed as the world around her blurred by. When Richard stopped spinning, he began tickling her ribcage. She tried to fight him off, but he pinned her to the ground with his knees. She called out to her friends in merriment, but every male already had another female.

It was an all-out tickle ambush, except for Ally, who was rolling on the ground and laughing at all of them. Tears sprang to her eyes as she screamed out. She closed her eyes as she fought the urge to scream again.

              Suddenly, Richard’s body was ripped from Sera’s, and another crouched over her. Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped as she saw Koda’s shaking form above her, peering suspiciously at Richard. She slowly crawled out from under Koda and moved in front of him, blocking his view of her friend. Koda tried to look around her, but she brought his head down to hold her glowing gaze. Her wolf was close to the surface now that her mate was near, and Sera had to struggle to contain her.

              “Get away from her, you bastard!” Richard said, running toward them.

              Koda snarled and pushed Sera protectively behind him. “Mine!”

              “Like hell she is. She’s ours!”

              Koda started to lunge, but Sera’s hand on his back made him freeze.
“I am yours always,”
she said into his mind.

              He turned abruptly and crushed his lips against hers. She moaned into his mouth, snaking her arms around his neck.

Trisha spoke up, causing them to pull away. “Uh, guys, these are our fiancés, Jackson and Koda. Can y’all go in the house and give us a minute?”

              Sera felt everyone leave the yard. Once they were gone, she let her wolf shine through her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.

              “Are you hurt?” Koda growled, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb.

              Pressing her face into his chest, she shook her head.

              “Then why are you crying?”

             
“I have been alone. The whole time I have been on this blasted land, I have wanted nothing more than to be in your arms. I missed you, my mate.”

             
She slipped her hand under his shirt and pressed her palm on his chest. The skin-on-skin contact calmed her. He placed his hands on her stomach, making her wolf howl in relief. Both Sera and her wolf craved his touch, and to receive it was like being stranded in the desert and finally being blessed with a tall, cool, crisp glass of water.

Koda snarled and crushed his lips to hers again. 

              She returned his kiss, pushing every emotion she had been feeling into him.

With every stroke of his tongue and every swirl of his fingertips over her heated skin, he showed her just how much he needed her.

She smiled as she gently pushed him back, looking into his glowing green eyes. “I love you so much.”

              “I love you more,” he said, offering a small smile.

              “I love you most.”

              He shook his head and grabbed for her hand. “Not possible.”

              Sera rolled her eyes and turned to say hello to Jackson but didn’t bother when she saw him locked in a passionate embrace with his mate. She turned and walked toward the house with Koda trailing behind, keeping a protective hand on her hip. As they entered, the scent of fear and hostility caused her nose to crinkle. Her friends were all frowning, and she wanted nothing more than to settle their anxiety.

              “Everyone, this is my fiancé, Koda Stephano.”

              Faith was the first to move, standing with a cautious smile creeping across her small lips. She held out her hand wearily. “Hey there. I’m Faith Sharp. Nice to meet you.”

              “Likewise. I apologize for my behavior. I’m just…a jealous fiancé,” he said with a smile, shaking her hand gently and pressing a small kiss to her knuckles.

Sera wanted to growl but bit her lip, knowing Faith wasn’t into Koda at all.

              “It’s no big deal, darlin’,” Ally said as she stood, completely comfortable with him. She flashed her white teeth and twirled a piece of her curly auburn hair. “I’m Ally Baker.”

              “Very nice to meet you,” Koda said, flashing her a brilliant smile as he kissed her knuckles.

              Ally’s breath hitched a bit, and Sera could smell her friend’s desire for her mate; to her, it was like the stench of a rotting piece of meat. She loved Ally like a sister, but her flirting wasn’t going to fly anymore. She clenched her jaw, and stifled a growl when Ally winked at Koda. She relaxed when he immediately dropped her hand and held Sera tighter against him, sending a clear message that he wasn’t interested in anyone but  her.

             
“Jealous much?”
Koda spoke into her mind with a snicker. 

             
“Zip it, White Fang. How about I have another tickle fight with Richard, huh? Then we’ll see who’s really jealous.” 

             
Koda’s eyes flashed with anger, and she smirked at him.
“Touché.”

             
Jackson and Trisha finally came inside, and Sera instantly noticed that all her male friends became rigid. She laughed when she realized just how intimidated Cameron, Richard, and Damion were.

              “C’mon, Rich. Where are your big boy panties?” Sera mocked. 

              “Ha-ha, Sera. Very funny.”

              Koda stepped closer to Richard, making them all tense. He held out his hand, and his body was loose, but Sera was keenly aware of how difficult it was for him to be near Richard, who was covered with her scent. “I am sorry I threw you, friend. No hard feelings, I hope.”