Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
I noticed her mark was starting to fade, and I pointed it out to her. She walked over to the mirror to see for herself, and I heard her gasp. “It’s happening really quick,” she said. I smiled at her and said, “It sure is, and that’s a good thing. Once it’s fully gone, you will start to feel much better. I promise.”
*Asteria POV*
2 WEEKS LATER
Maddix was right, things did start to feel better and get better once Simon’s mark had faded away. The nightmares stopped, and I barely thought of him anymore.
Adelina had approached me about being her Beta at Northern Sun. I had to decline. I wasn’t sure when I would be able to return there, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to live there again. She was disappointed, but she also understood. She didn’t want me to do anything that would make me unhappy. She at least got Ginger to be her Gamma, only after Elder Declan of the council approved it.
Addie, herself, knew that she couldn’t return to the pack house the way it was, so she had decided to have some remodeling done. The bedroom her and Miles shared was now a meeting room, and she converted the top floor into an apartment for her and the babies. The renovations will be done next week, and she will be going back there to live.
I had a long talk with Phoenix, and we agreed that I should seek counseling. I am meeting with Peter on Wednesday, and I’m fairly excited about it. Phoenix said if it weren’t a conflict of interest, he would counsel me himself. Even though my brother is easy to talk to, and a great listener, I don’t think that I could be fully transparent with him. Plus, he is leaving next week with Addie.
Phoenix has agreed to be the next Beta of Northern Sun under the condition that he can still help out at the pack hospital. He doesn’t want to fully give up his career as a doctor and psychologist. He says it’s important to have someone with the kind of knowledge he holds. We all just kind of laugh when he says that, but all of us also know how valuable of an asset he is.
Maddix went with Adelina last week to check on the status of the renovation, and ended up meeting some warriors who wanted to come to Blood Moon to train. After some careful thought, he agreed and they would be arriving any day. From what I was told, there will also be new warriors from Jason and Damian’s packs joining them.
So much is changing, but I guess that is life. It changes all the time. It’s how we adapt that makes the difference. That was something Grandma Gretchen had said to me when I was younger, and it stuck with me. Now, it makes more sense than it did back then.
I am on my way to Coffee & Thyme to have lunch with my mom. We were so thankful that Hazel rebuilt after the fire, and opened back up. She still makes the best coffee in town, and my mom’s favorite flatbread pizza sounds so good.
Mom and my dads are also leaving with Addie. They want to be there to help her adjust and for when the babies arrive. Anything to lessen her stress load is a good thing.
Mom was already there when I arrived, and I hoped she hadn’t ordered yet. “Hey mom, how long have you been waiting?” I asked. She said she hadn’t been there long and was getting ready to order. She asked me if the veggie flatbread was good and, of course, I said yes. It’s what I had hoped she wanted. She placed our order, and stared at me for a moment.
“Mom? You’re freaking me out. Why are you staring?” I asked with a nervous laugh. She just smiled and asked, “Is it a crime to admire my beautiful daughter?” I shook my head and told her no, but still it was weird.
“Honey, can I ask you something very personal?” she asked. There it was, she wanted a heart-to-heart. I told her she could ask me anything, and she proceeded to ask. “I have spoken to Alette, and with Adelina, and I wanted to ask you asa well. Ruby has been very nervous lately. She said that one of my girls is about to receive their full magical abilities. She also said that it won’t be gradual but all together, and it could be dangerous for whichever one of you it is. My concern is, if history proves correctly, whichever of you girls receives it, and your wolf will be even more powerful than Ruby and me. It will be a lot to handle. Have you felt…different lately?” she asked.
“Different how?” I asked. She shook her head and said, “I’m not sure, honestly. I know when we started to receive ours, I felt a vibration and warmness with each power that came to us. My body would literally hum with energy until I had fully received and used whichever power it was. Now, I only vibrate when I use them. Especially the foresight and deception detector. With healing and instant death, my body gets extremely warm, and it feels like electrical currents filling my body,” she explained.
I shook my head and told her I hadn’t had any of those feelings, but I have been having more moments of overwhelming calm. Especially when I was overwhelmed. It’s as if my body and mind wouldn’t allow me to overstimulate. She asked me to hold out my hands and laid hers flat on mine.
She jerked her hands away, and gasped. “Asteria, are you sure you haven’t been having any weird sensations other than calm?” she asked with worry in her voice.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.