No one knew why for sure, but Lycans had difficulty conceiving. Most couples had one pup, if at all, and human–Lycan pairings always produced a fully human child. The one exception was True Mate pairing. True Mates, whether Lycan–Lycan or Lycan–human, always produced Lycan offspring during their first consummation.
Though they’d never said it, she’d always thought her parents had been disappointed she didn’t wait for her True Mate. After all, Alynna and Alex Westbrooke had been the first True Mate couple of their generation, and before then, her mother was the product of True Mates as well. But what was there to wait for? Joe had been here, and he was perfect, and they were in love. Why would she wait for someone that might never come, when she had the one she wanted right in front of her?
Of course, she never thought she would lose him so soon. A drunk driver had plowed into their car on the highway as they were coming back from Long Island after a family get-together. While she had healed before the injuries became fatal, Joe died on impact. He had felt no pain, the doctors said. A small comfort at least.
If only they had waited another five minutes before leaving or left five minutes earlier. If only she had been the one driving. So many ifs and buts. It used to drive her crazy. But she accepted he was gone. The only if that wouldn’t leave her mind was what if they at least had a baby, so she would have someone to love, a little piece of Joe left with her. The hardest part of losing him was the fact that in the three years they’d been married, they’d been trying for a baby with no success.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, her relatives and friends had started pairing off, finding their own True Mates and having pups. All her cousins, even Isabelle, the youngest one of them, were popping out babies left and right. It wasn’t that she was resentful of their luck, not at all. But it was like her biological clock began ticking desperately and wasn’t giving up. If only—
Someone quietly clearing their throat behind her made her sit up quickly and turn her head. “Daric?”
The tall Viking-like man’s sudden appearance didn’t surprise her, after all, traveling long distances in the blink of an eye was one of the warlock’s powers.
“I’m sorry to disturb you”—he glanced at Joe’s headstone—“and today of all days. But we have to go now.”
She shot to her feet. “What the hell is going on?”
“He had a vision.” The warlock’s words made her skin prickle. Before she could ask what the vision was, he reached out and grabbed her arm. “They’re going to take the pups.”
Chapter Three
A cold sensation wrapped around Mika as the cemetery shimmered away, and the ground underneath her disappeared. Three heartbeats later, her feet landed on solid ground, and a cacophony of noise assaulted her ears.
Her gaze cut through the chaos around them, her mind quickly assessing the situation. They were on the street just outside a pair of restaurants owned by the Alpha’s extended family. By the entrance of Muccino’s was New York’s human Lupa, Sofia Anderson, her gun drawn as three men closed in on her, her other hand clutching a small, dark-haired infant close to her chest. Meanwhile, a few feet away was a humungous silver wolf with cobalt blue eyes growling, snapping at six armed figures dressed in black. Behind the wolf, loud cries came from the pup inside the car seat lying on its side on the ground.
“Fuck!” Adrenaline began to pump into her veins, ready to spring into action.
“More are coming,” Daric said cryptically. “More than just you and I can handle.”
“Get help.” She was already hurtling forward. Darius—the silver wolf—would be able to hold off his attackers, but Sofia was human, and a single gunshot could end her and her son, who had yet to develop accelerated healing. In the blink of an eye, she took down the three men, the element of surprise and Lycan speed on her side as she snapped each of their necks with practiced efficiency.
Sofia’s hand shook as she lowered her gun, her arm clutching tighter around the infant slung to her chest. “Th-thanks, Mika. Darius—”
She didn’t even wait for the Lupa to finish as she leapt toward the silver wolf, not that he needed her to fight his battles. Darius Corvinus had been a cold-blooded killer before he became consort to her cousin Adrianna Anderson, New Jersey Alpha, but now that he was protecting his pup, his viciousness would know no end. In the short time since Mika arrived, three of the men had already fallen, while he fought the rest simultaneously, his Lycan speed making quick work of the rest. So instead, Mika dove for the carrier, pulling it upright and unstrapping the wailing child.
“There, there, Diana,” she cooed as she pressed the pup against her chest. The distinct scent of babies—talcum powder, sweetness, and fresh linen—made her insides warm, but also intensified the yearning to hold her own child. “Aunty Mika’s here. Shh.” Diana Corvinus’s cries quieted, turning into soft hiccups.
The silver wolf stalked toward them nonchalantly as if he hadn’t left a pile of bloody bodies in his wake. Slowly, it transformed back to human form, its limbs shortening, and fur and snout receding. Darius’s face was a mask of quiet rage, and the waves of fury emanating from him made Mika’s wolf back away cautiously.
“She’s fine.” She handed the child to Darius. “What happened?”
Sofia came up to them as she holstered her weapon. “We were all supposed to meet for dinner, but Lucas and Adrianna both got held up at Fenrir, so they said we should go ahead. We were just about to enter the restaurant when those guys showed up. They said to hand Alessandro and Diana
