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ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE READY?” CYNTHIA ASKED.
Her dragon hummed as Cal emerged from the shower in a cloud of steam, wrapped in a towel. God, the man was chiseled. Tall. Handsome in that weary warrior way. And who could blame him? The past decade had been hell on them both, and the last six days had been a roller coaster of their own.
Was it really over? Was he really all right?
“I’m fine,” he assured her for the twentieth time.
He scrubbed a second towel over his chest, and she couldn’t help watching. Every muscle — and every scar — on his body told the story of his unwavering devotion. Would she ever be able to repay him for what he’d done?
“Yes, you can,” he said, handing her the towel.
She blinked a little, then jolted. Oops. She’d have to be more careful to guard her thoughts from her mate.
“Can you dry my back? I’m still a little too stiff to reach there.” “As if that makes up for everything.”
He kissed her knuckles. “Only the present and future count now. The past is the past.”
He turned before she could answer, and she rubbed the skin gently, marveling over every inch of her mate. She’d nearly lost him for the second time, and she couldn’t quite shake the fear that fate might come along and—
Cal turned and pinned her with a stern look. “Now, repeat after me. Life is one big maybe…”
She made a face. “That’s supposed to be comforting?”
He went on without a pause. “…But if you have faith, it will all turn out okay.”
She hugged him. Probably too tightly, but Cal didn’t seem to mind. A minute later, he eased gently away.
“Believe me, I’d be happy to keep that up, but we have a meeting to get over with.”
She took a deep breath. Right, the meeting. The whole reason Cal had dragged himself out of bed.
“It could wait a day, you know.”
“I’m ready. Well, ready enough. But I wouldn’t mind if you helped me with these clothes.”
She helped him into the shirt and pants, then smoothed her hands over her white dress and checked herself in the full-length mirror. Cal hugged her from behind.
“Wow. Look at you,” he breathed in her ear.
She smiled so broadly, her cheeks ached. “Look at us.”
She refrained from saying Look at you because that might make him self- conscious. But, wow. The man looked amazing in that crisp white shirt and black slacks. In truth, he smelled amazing too, what with the lingering aroma of aftershave mixing with his natural sandalwood scent.
He pursed his lips. “Not sure I can get used to looking so…respectable.” She laughed. “Maybe just from time to time. The bike’s still in the barn,
you know, and your jeans are over there.” There was no reason to change anything about her mate. She loved him exactly the way he was.
He grinned. “Just wait. When the meeting is over, I might just take you for a ride.”
It was ridiculous, how the thought thrilled her. Like she was twenty all over again and a handsome, enigmatic stranger was asking her out for the
first time.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” His deep, steady rumble hinted at promises that went far, far beyond one ride.
I promise everything, his wolf whispered. A lifetime.
She tilted her head against his, then turned to the door and took a deep breath. “Ready?”
Cal nodded firmly. “Ready.”
He looked it — fierce, determined, and confident. Still, his tight grip hinted at the resolve that took. After all, he was about to face her entire pack
— a group filled with hugely protective alpha males. It would be like meeting a prospective father-in-law — times five.
She fingered her pearl necklace and led him down the stairs.
“Wait a minute.” She pulled up short on the porch. Why wasn’t the table set? Where was everyone?
A pot lid clanged in the kitchen where Dell was cooking up a storm, while Chase and Joey bustled around, collecting plates and bowls.
“Hi, Mommy!” Joey called. “Hi, Cal.” Cynthia smiled. “Hi, sweetie.”
Cal tousled her son’s hair. “Heya, Joey.”
“Oh, there you are. Finally.” Dell made a show of rolling his eyes. “Grab those, will you?”
Cynthia took the platter he indicated. “Where is everyone?” “Waiting.”
She glanced around.
Dell gave an exaggerated sigh. “Just follow Joey. You’ll see.”
“You know how many places I set?” Joey said as he led her and Cal down the stairs, across the lawn, and toward the barn.
Cynthia glanced at Cal, then at the barn. Why on earth was Joey headed there?
“How many, sweetie?”
He turned the corner of the barn and called out cheerily. “Twenty-four places. A new record.”
The moment Cynthia saw what he meant, her jaw dropped, and she pulled up. Cal nearly bumped into her, but Chase dodged them both and went through the wide-open barn doors as if nothing special was going on.
“Oh, hi, Cynthia!” Anjali called and lifted her baby daughter’s arm to wave. “Say hi, Quinn.”
“Hi,” Cynthia whispered, staring.
“Is it Christmas or something?” Cal murmured in her ear.
Cynthia could have sworn December was still months away, but it sure looked festive. The interior of the barn was strung with party lights, and the long row of tables set up was covered with steaming dishes — so many, she could barely see the colorful Hawaiian print of the tablecloths underneath.
Anjali laughed. “Not Christmas. But it is a special occasion.” Her eyes danced as she looked them both over.
“It is indeed,” Silas said, coming up with a champagne glass in his hand. He kissed Cynthia on both cheeks, then shook Cal’s hand. “Good to see you.”
“Good to see you,” Cynthia managed, still stunned.
Everyone was there — literally, everyone. The whole gang from Koakea Plantation was there, plus their neighbors from Koa Point — the dragon, wolf, tiger, lion, and bear shifters who were her closest friends, and everyone was grinning like a fool.
She gripped Cal’s hand. Those friends weren’t just smiling at her. They were smiling for her, celebrating the happy ending she never thought she would have.
“Come on, Cynth.” Dell came up from behind with a basket of steaming coconut milk bread rolls. “Don’t just stand there.”
“What should I do, Mr. O’Roarke?”
He put the rolls down and turned back to her with a grin. “You should let me congratulate you, for starters. Both of you.”
Cynthia looked on, speechless, as Dell shook Cal’s hand, then reached for hers to do the same. Then he muttered, “What the hell,” and hugged her instead. A brief, brotherly, Hey, you did it hug that caught her totally off guard. Then he stepped back and winked. “Also, you should sit down so we can finally eat.”
“All right, everyone.” Connor motioned to the table.
It took everything Cynthia had to squeeze away the tears welling up in her eyes. Joey led her over to the chair at the head of the long table, and everyone stepped up to their places.
Tim was hiding a limp, she saw, and Jenna was sporting a burn scar on her arm. Silas’s right shoulder looked stiff, and Anjali held Quinn closer than ever. Cynthia could have wept. For the past week, she’d only thought about Cal. But the others had been nursing their own wounds. She didn’t want to imagine what the fighting had looked like on the ground. In addition to the marauding dragons, Moira had sent over twenty other mercenaries to attack the plantation. The grounds were scarred by several, long charred lines where dragon fire had scorched the earth, and countless patches of dirt had been torn up in the throes of a heated shifter battle.
But everyone was all right, thank goodness. Tired, but happy. They were hopeful, too. Like Tessa, who showed off her growing baby bump for the first time, and Kai, her mate, who wouldn’t stop fussing over her. Keiki, the cat from next door, wound between Silas’s legs and purred loudly. Almost as
if promising that Tessa’s baby was just one of all the wonders the future held in store.
Cynthia sat slowly, taking it all in. Cal sat to her left, and Joey on the right. Beyond them sat Dell, Anjali, Silas… Well, everyone. The table seemed to go on and on, and the scent of jasmine and lemongrass rose from the feast laid out on the table. The doors at each end of the barn had been left wide open, framing the majestic Maui landscape. The party lights strung from the barn rafters complemented the fiery sunset building in the sky outside.
“This is beautiful,” she said, struggling to put her emotions into words. “It is,” Dell agreed, grinning at the meal he’d prepared.
“Perfect,” Hailey said, looking at the candles she and the other women had set up — or at least, that was Cynthia’s guess.
“Gorgeous,” Cal murmured, looking right at Cynthia.
She bit her lip. For all the times when life seemed hopeless or depressing, there were other times when pure beauty was all around. Right now, she could find dozens — no, hundreds — of things to celebrate.
Connor looked at Cynthia. “Eat first, talk later?”
She nodded. Considering she could barely put two words together, that seemed best.
Dell started passing platters, and before long, the barn was alive with chatter, laughter, and the quiet chime of silverware. The pineapple-glazed ham was so delicious, Cynthia found herself licking her fork clean. The warm rolls slathered in macadamia nut butter were sinfully good, as was the kula green salad, the garlic shrimp, and all the other dishes. Dell had pulled out all the stops, and Tessa had brought over her best recipes from Koa Point. As good as it all tasted, though, Cynthia spent most of the meal looking around. Not too long ago, most of those men and women had been perfect strangers. Now, they were close friends.
More than friends, her dragon decided. Family.
Her mother would have scoffed, because Silas was the only one who came from noble dragon stock. Most came from ordinary or even disadvantaged circumstances. A few weren’t even pure shifters, “just” humans turned shifter by their mates. Plus, they represented so many shifter species — bears, wolves, lions, dragons, and tigers. She could scarcely imagine a more ragtag group. But there they were, dining and laughing together. Living as one community, looking out for one another.
For a moment, she wished for a camera, then dismissed the idea. There was no lens that could capture that moment, let alone her emotions.
“Dessert, anyone?” Dell called.
A dozen hands shot up, but Connor shook his head and glanced at Cynthia. “How about we save that for a little later?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. The platters had been picked clean and most of the glasses drunk dry. It was as good a time as any to discuss the unavoidable.
“So,” Connor started slowly, then trailed off, glancing between Cynthia and Cal.
She cleared her throat and followed his cue. “There are some things we should discuss.”
Everyone looked on silently, giving her time to find the right words. “There are a few things I’ve been meaning to tell you,” she said at last.
“Starting with my name, I suppose.”
“I knew it,” Dell cried out. “Your real name is Esmeralda!” Everyone laughed except for Anjali, who play-smacked his arm.
Cynthia laughed too. Leave it to Dell to loosen things up. “No, I mean the
Brown part. My real family name is Baird. Cynthia Baird.”
Officially, it was Cynthia Berwyn Elizabeth Victoria Rhydderick Baird Brenner, but no one needed to hear that mouthful.
Everyone looked stunned — except Dell, Cal, and Silas, who already knew.
“Baird, as in, the Bairds?” Connor asked.
She nodded slowly. “Yes, those Bairds.” Then she took a deep breath. “As long as I can remember, my family taught me we were special because of our bloodline. Our wealth. Our traditions. Not for our accomplishments, our bravery, or our loyalty.” She looked at Connor, then around the table. “But you have taught me how wrong they were. Pride should stem from your own accomplishments, not the deeds of your forefathers. You’ve taught me that it doesn’t matter where or how a hero is born. What matters is the heart. The effort. The sacrifice.” She looked at Cal until she was close to tears. Then she turned to Joey and attempted a joke. “We’re going to have to redesign some of our homeschooling lessons, sweetie.”
“No more spelling?” Joey’s voice rose in hope.
Everyone laughed, and she touched his beautiful red hair. “I mean history.”
“But I like history. It has ballistas and other cool stuff.”
More chuckles sounded, though Boone, the wolf shifter from Koa Point and father of twins, looked thoughtful as he patted the infant sleeping on his shoulder. “Never would have thought of fighting a dragon in human form, I have to admit.”
Chase, one of the other wolves, nodded.
Cal stuck up his hands. “I can’t take credit for the idea.” Connor snorted. “No, just for the execution. No pun intended.” Cynthia swallowed the lump in her throat, thinking of Barnaby.
“Indeed, heroes can come from anywhere,” Silas announced, raising his glass toward Joey. “They come in all sizes. And from all species.” He nodded at Cal. “And even, occasionally, from the old bloodlines.” He swung his glass toward Cynthia, and then motioned all around the table, indicating everyone. “To our heroes, no matter what families they come from.”
Everyone clinked glasses, and Cynthia couldn’t stop gazing at the people gathered there. Each of her shifter friends had defeated ruthless enemies in the past. But now, they’d worked together to conquer the greatest enemy of all.
“Hey, it’s shining again.” Cal motioned to her necklace.
His voice was just a whisper, but everyone quieted down, staring at her pearl.
Chapter Twenty-One
CYNTHIA COULDN’T SEE HER PEARLS, BUT SHE COULD FEEL THEM — OR
rather, the one in the middle. In one practiced movement, she swept her hair aside, undid the clasp, and held the necklace in her hands.
“Mine is shining back,” Anjali whispered, holding out the single pearl strung from the necklace she wore.
“So is mine,” Jenna added.
Sophie and Hailey followed suit, each revealing a pearl of a different color.
“All right, Cynth.” Dell threw up his hands in mock exasperation. “What other surprises do you have for us?”
“Believe me, this was a surprise to me too.” “One of the pearls of desire?” Silas asked quietly.
She gulped, touching the middle pearl. “I never suspected. But yes, I believe it is.”
“It has to be. Look,” Jenna said, motioning around.
Every pearl shone as if lit from within, and faint beams of light crisscrossed the table, connecting the pearls.
“A pearl of what?” Cal stared.
“One of the pearls of desire,” Anjali explained. “I can’t believe you’ve had the last one all along.”
“I can’t believe it either,” Cynthia assured her. “It’s never done this before.”
“I’ve felt mine lots of times, but it’s never given me as much power as it did this time,” Jenna murmured, touching her pearl. “Like it knew everything was on the line.”
Hailey nodded somberly, as did the other women. Cynthia took a deep breath, thinking how close it had all been. She never would have been able to hold off Moira’s guards as long as she had without the power of the pearl. She held it higher, fascinated by the crisscrossing bands of light that connected her pearl to the others’. Never had she felt more like a sister to the other women, nor so grateful to be part of such a special pack.
“It’s like the legend says,” Anjali added in a hush. “Nanalani, daughter of the shark shifter king, called forth the spirit of the sea to put a spell on her pearls so she could experience love.”
“Desire, baby. The word is desire,” Dell joked. “Love,” Anjali insisted.
“Passion,” Tim said, smiling at Hailey.
“Yearning,” Chase whispered, pulling Sophie into a hug.
“True love.” Cynthia looked at Cal, feeling like her heart might burst from joy. Then she looked around at the others, and a new thought struck her. Maybe it wasn’t just Cal she’d been wishing for, but a feeling of belonging. The desire for friends and family that came without strings attached.
Got all that — and more, her dragon whispered. A nice, safe home. A pack to belong to, not just to rule.
It was amazing, how so many treasures could rain down on a woman at one time.
“True love,” Anjali agreed, giving Dell a stern look. “Eventually, Nanalani threw her pearls back into the sea where they would wait to be reawakened and inspire great acts of love again.” She laced her fingers through Dell’s, tilted her head against the baby’s, and sighed. “Just like the legend says.”
“The question is, what stirred it now?” Silas mused.
Anjali chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? After all, it is a pearl of desire…”
She stressed the last word, and the women flashed knowing smiles. Most of the men, on the other hand, looked stumped.
Cynthia blushed crimson and glanced at Cal, who appeared totally blank. “I don’t get it,” Dell said.
Anjali rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t it make sense that a pearl of desire would awaken when its bearer felt…well, desire?” She shot Cynthia a sorry-not- sorry look. “I mean, when she gets a second chance at true love?”
Cynthia’s mouth hung open. “How did you know?”
She glanced at each woman in turn. How did any of them know? She thought back, sure she’d never allowed herself to mention Cal.
Anjali flashed a smile. “Call it intuition.”
Dell rubbed his hands together. “Well, well, Cynth. I can see us getting a lot of mileage out of this.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said dryly. “Mileage out of what?” Joey asked.
“Um…um…” Dell hemmed and hawed, a moment Cynthia might have enjoyed immensely if she hadn’t been worried about what he might say.
“Mr. O’Roarke is teasing me for being in love,” she explained before Dell gave away anything else.
Being in love, not falling in love, she said into Cal’s mind.
Falling in love all over again, he replied.
“Oh.” Joey looked at her, then at Cal. Cynthia held her breath. What would he say? A moment later, Joey shrugged and turned to Dell. “Are we having dessert soon?”
Cynthia stared. Could it really be that easy for her son to accept a new man in her life?
Dell stood with a huge grin. “Good plan. Come and help me bring it over from the kitchen, will you?”
Joey stood, as did Sophie. “I’ll get the coffee.”
Anjali smiled as they left, then motioned to Cynthia’s pearls. “Where did you get that necklace in the first place?”
“This was a gift from my mother.” Cynthia touched the warm, smooth surface of the central pearl, wondering if her mother had known what that really was. She doubted it, though.
“And where did she get it?” Anjali asked. “Was your mother ever in Hawaii, where the pearls got their power?”
Cynthia pursed her lips, thinking of the legend of Nanalani, who had imbued the pearls with her magic.
“No, she was never here. My mother got them from her mother. But where my grandmother got these pearls, I don’t know.” She thought back, picturing the ivory jewelry box her grandmother had kept in her bedroom. “My granddad would pick something out from his treasure hoard once in a while as a special gift for her.” Then she winced, realizing how that must sound.
Sure enough, Cal snorted. “Treasure hoard, huh? My grandfather had a junkyard.”
Tim laughed. “Never know where you might find a real treasure, you know.” He looked in Hailey’s direction, and his eyes shone with love. “I found mine in a mall.”
“On a plane,” Connor murmured, looking at Jenna.
“At a smoothie truck,” Chase whispered, looking as giddy as he’d been the day he’d met Sophie.
Cynthia couldn’t help getting a little dreamy-eyed herself, and she murmured, “On the side of the road at night.”
Cal rubbed his thumb over her hand, and for a moment, the world faded away until it was just the two of them gazing into each other’s eyes exactly as
they had so long ago on a quiet Adirondack country road. She could almost hear the leaves rustle and feel the crisp autumn air.
But then someone cried out in glee, yanking her out of her reverie.
“No way. You picked this guy up on the side of the road?” Dell laughed, prancing up behind her with a stack of dessert plates. “Did that bike of his break down? Do tell, Cynth.”
She grinned. “I was the one with the broken-down car. Cal was the one who picked me up.”
Picked you up… Laid you down… Made you mine, Cal whispered into her mind, making her go all warm and achy again.
Luckily, Dell made a second run to the house, and Hailey leaned forward, pointing to Cynthia’s pearl. “Funny, I always thought it was white, but it’s tinted with blue now.”
Cynthia nodded. “That started happening a little while ago.” “When Cal got here?” Anjali asked.
“No, a few weeks before.” She looked at Cal, who was studying the pearl. “About the time I left the East Coast to find you,” he mused.
She stared at him, then at the pearl, which seemed to wink as if to say,
Yes, I already knew.
“What does blue in a pearl symbolize?” Jenna asked.
Cynthia opened her mouth, about to explain. But then the meaning struck her — really struck her, and the words stalled out on the tip of her tongue. When Cal squeezed her hand, checking if she was okay, she got herself back together again.
“My mother told me blue means you will find love,” she whispered, looking at her mate.
Cal’s lips curled up. “Found that a long time ago.”
Briefly, the sorrow of the past years threatened to well up again, so it was a good thing Dell, Joey, and Sophie came back.
“Coffee, anyone?” Sophie asked.
The rich aroma wafted around the room, and everyone shot a hand up. “Plus, we’ve got a mango tiramisu and a pineapple upside-down cake,”
Dell said.
“I helped make them,” Joey announced.
Everyone oohed and aahed, but Dell just waved away the praise and pointed outside the wide-open doors. “More importantly, check that out.”
Everyone turned, but no one noticed a thing. No one but Cynthia, whose eyes caught on Cal’s motorcycle, parked over in one corner. Her pink scarf was still tied to the handlebars in a gritty reminder of the past. God, she’d been so young when she’d given it to him. But even if she’d known about the struggles to come, she wouldn’t have changed a thing. Not now that all her pain and sorrow had led to enduring joy.
But she doubted Dell meant that, so she searched beyond the Triumph for some clue.
“What?” Connor demanded. Dell shushed him. “Listen.”
Everyone strained for a moment, but there was nothing — nothing out of the ordinary, at least.
Dell cracked into a grin. “Yep — nothing. Isn’t it beautiful? No enemies swooping out of the sky. No sounds of intruders. Just peace. Real peace.”
Everyone listened in a whole new way, and Tim nodded gravely. “Wow. You’re right. Peace like never before.”
“And the best part is, it’s here to stay,” Dell added.
“Well, we still have to keep an eye out for trouble,” Connor said, but even he sounded a little dreamy.
Cynthia looked around, fully prepared for a shiver of foreboding to run down her spine. But Dell was right. The world seemed at peace in a way she’d never sensed before.
“You can never really be sure,” Cal murmured, rubbing a hand absently over his ribs. “But with Moira out of the picture…”
Silas made a face. “And Kravik.” He shook his head. “All this time, we were focused on Moira. I never thought Kravik would join her to launch an all-out attack.”
“Who exactly was this Kravik guy?” Connor asked.
Silas’s face darkened. “The head of a dragon clan I’ve heard rumors about for quite some time. Old blood, but bad blood, if you know what I mean. They left Europe — or were driven out — about a year ago, looking to establish a new shifter empire.” Silas’s eyes locked on Cal’s. “Mr. Zydler, we owe you more than we can ever repay.”
Cynthia watched Cal meet Silas’s gaze. His face gave nothing away, but she could see pride shine in her mate’s eyes.
“The prophecy,” she whispered without thinking. “What prophecy?” Hailey asked.
Cal winced, and Cynthia did too. She hadn’t meant to share his secret, even if he’d always refused to believe in it.
But Silas spoke before either of them could. “A prophecy of a warrior who would come out of nowhere and accomplish great things.” His eyes never left Cal. “A warrior who would extinguish overwhelming evil and herald in a new era of peace in the shifter world.”
Cal shrugged. “Oh, you know. Old wives’ tales.”
“I think not, Mr. Zydler,” Silas insisted. “I think not.”
For a moment, no one said anything, and Cynthia’s heart swelled. Cal had always been an outsider, but at heart, he was a powerful alpha. The type of
man born to live a life among highly accomplished shifters, not to roam on his own. She looked around, squeezing his hand. Yes, Cal would fit in perfectly here. Then she searched his eyes. Would he agree to that?
Cal cleared his throat and looked around. “The thing is, I was getting a little tired of the dragon-slayer gig.”
Silas crooked an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Cal nodded. “Yeah. Honestly, I was thinking of settling down.” He glanced around, and though his voice was all casual, his hand tightened around Cynthia’s. “And I got to thinking that Maui might suit me. For a while, at least.”
Silas turned to the others. “Any objections?”
Everyone broke into wide grins, and Connor spoke for them all. “No. Not as long as you stay on our side, man.”
Cal laughed and jerked a thumb at Cynthia. “No problem. Not as long as you stay on her good side.”
“I don’t know.” Tim rubbed a hand over his beard. “It’s kind of handy, having a dragon slayer around.” The nod he shot at Cal was one of pure respect. “What about the rest of Kravik’s clan?”
Silas shook his head firmly. “My contacts on the mainland report that his associates are beating a quick retreat back to Europe.”
“Good,” Connor grunted. “Let them stay there. I just hope there are enough reliable shifters over there to keep them under control.”
A secret smile played over Silas’s lips. “From what I hear…” He broke off, leaving that mystery for another time. “But we digress.” He reached for his glass, raised it in Cynthia’s direction, and grinned. “I have a proposal, Ms. Baird.”
She glanced up, having ducked her head to loop her necklace around her neck again.
“Yes, Mr. Llewellyn?”
“Seeing as we’ve had several new members join our group lately…” Silas waved his glass toward Cal then to Sophie and the others. “I feel it’s time to reorganize how we run things here.”
Cynthia sat perfectly still, dreading the worst.
“There’s the matter of a certain property I own on Maui,” Silas went on. “A plantation I’m quite fond of. But my uncle left me so many properties…”
Jenna’s eyes went wide. “No way, Silas. You can’t sell this place.”
His smile grew, though everyone else looked shocked. “Of course, I can. Though I would only sell to someone who would take better care of it than I can. Ms. Baird, what do you think?”
Cynthia stared. Was he proposing she buy Koakea from him? But how?
The place was worth millions, and she didn’t have a cent.
Then her inner dragon puzzled it out. With Moira eliminated, Joey is safe.
You don’t have to hide your identity any more.
She smacked a hand over her mouth. “My inheritance.” She could step forth and claim her full inheritance—
Silas grinned. “And Barnaby’s. And Moira’s. After all, you’re the last of both family lines.”
Everyone stared. Dell smacked her on the back. “Holy crap, Cynth. Are you rich?
She blinked a few times. “I suppose you could say that.”
A hubbub broke out as everyone reacted to the news, but Cynthia could barely move. Eventually, she pulled Joey into her lap, hugging him and Cal at the same time.
“An inheritance is all well and good,” she whispered. “But truthfully, I have all the riches I need.”
Cal wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the head. “That’s what I love about you. Well, one of many things.”
Cynthia closed her eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart while her fingers played over the soft strands of Joey’s hair. She was lucky. So, so lucky, and a huge inheritance was the least of that. Still, the thought was thrilling, because it meant she could stay on Koakea forever. Not only that, but she could take care of her new pack the way she’d always wanted to.
