“Not mates.” He shrugged and sighed. “Maybe after I die, the pack will be ready for a change anyway. We Líder’s have been hogging the title for a couple of centuries too long I think.”

Caia looked away from him, not wanting him to see how upset she was. After what happened to Sebastian, she was beginning to realize she had made a mistake. Yeah, the idea of being his mate, his wife, still terrified the Hades out of her little eighteen year old ass, but they wouldn’t have had to have kids right away and... Lucien could have held her every night as she tried to compress her connection to the Midnights into something manageable.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

“I’ll help you,” Lucien suddenly said, dragging her gaze back to him. “I owe you for Jaeden and me... I want to help. Whatever I can do.”

She nodded. “I’ll probably be co-coordinating with the Coven to prevent any future attacks I see coming. I could use some help with that.”

He smiled softly, looking a little younger than he had been these last few days. “No problem. You don’t have to do this business by yourself.”

She laughed hoarsely and flopped down onto the bed. “So you’ll be like my business partner?”

He snorted and jammed his hands into his pockets looking like a little boy. “After what I saw you do... more like your lackey.”

Caia chuckled. “I wish I could have seen it, but I can’t remember.”

“It was amazing,” Lucien whispered reverently.

“It was revolting.”

He grinned and nodded. “That too.”

A howl ripped through the air.

Caia gazed out of her window. “Ella?”

“She’s taking it pretty hard.”

“There’s more to come.” Caia turned back to him and caught his gaze. “Are you ready?”

Epilogue - Jaeden

Jaeden’s heart beat normally as soon as the bus pulled away from the stop. She held onto her backpack like a life jacket as the Woodrush Point gradually fell away into the distance and she could close her eyes for a moment’s peace.

How had it come to this? That she, Jaeden Rodriguez, who had lived for nothing more than her pack, could only breathe again now that they were safely behind her.

Sebastian’s funeral had been her final goodbye to a friend who had risked everything to get her to safety. To her it was a risk he took and lost. Because the pack hadn’t rescued Jaeden Rodriguez. They had rescued Jaeden, broken and hollow, who could suddenly move things with her mind whenever she wanted to.

Two days ago when she had returned from her first run as a lykan in weeks, her emotions had been so on the surface, that before she knew what was happening, items in her room were flying all over the place. She touched her lip absently. It was split but healing. Courtesy of a book that had flown off her bookshelf.

So now she was not only broken and hollow Jaeden who didn’t know how to be around the pack anymore, she was weird, tortured Jaeden who had come home less of a lykan because she had some terrible psychic abilities.

So this was better.

Some clothes, stolen money, and her Kindle were tucked into her backpack.

Leaving the pack was the right thing to do. One more agonizingly disappointed look from her father when she didn’t react to one of his jokes like his pre-torture Jaeden would have, was going to send her over the edge.

Jaeden was jolted awake when the bus stopped. She yawned, looking out the windows at the city. She must have been asleep a good few hours. More passengers climbed on board and she kept her gaze locked in the opposite direction, praying someone wouldn’t ask-

“Can I sit here?”

She tried not to groan, jerking her head up reluctantly. Her eyes immediately widened at the sight of the tall, pale young man that smiled down at her. His eyes were beautiful, almost black, his smile full of wickedness. He had a strong, athletic build and carried himself with a confidence beyond his years. She noted he let her see his elongated incisors. He must smell what she was.

“Sure,” she said softly and the vampyre slid gracefully in beside her.

“I’m Reuben.” He held out his right hand and Jaeden noted the silver thumb ring. She looked up at him as they shook, his cool skin pressed against her warmth. “What’s your name lone wolf?”

Jae cracked her first real smile in a long time. “You can call me, Jae.”

He nodded and looked her over like she was meal. He bit his lip ring and then sighed. “So where are you headed, Jae?”

She shrugged. “Somewhere with action.”

He perked up. “Yeah? What kind of action?”

She smiled. “I don’t know. Maybe you know of something.” Was she flirting with the vampyre?

Reuben chuckled appreciatively. “Well, you look like someone who could use a good punch bag. I know a whole bunch of those where I’m going.”

“Punch bags?”

His expression grew serious. “Predators that need to be stopped.”

Jaeden’s heart began to pound. This was it. This was exactly what she needed.

“You action?” His dark eyes drank her in.

She didn’t need to be asked twice. “I’m action.”

The End