“Okay, this is so much fun!” Destiny said excitedly.
Lyric had been smiling constantly for the last hour and a half with the girls of the Rogue Pack. They’d finished up at the first stop on the wine tour and were on the shuttle to the next stop. The boys had decided to sit this one out because they were all working, so it was a girl’s trip, and whooo, Lyric had not realized how fun these could be.
“Okay, lean in everyone!” Nory said, aiming the camera at them for a selfie.
Lyric leaned in and smiled even bigger. She caught a glimpse of herself in that picture, and it warmed her to her soul. The last two weeks since Vic had Changed back had been the happiest of her life. She’d also been learning so much about herself as a woman, as a person, as a friend, and as a werewolf outside of the constraint of the Elder’s strict rules for her.
Oh, the Rogue Pack wasn’t perfect. The boys fought like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, all of them had the same goal, and that was to build this Pack, and to bond it.
She’d seen Eden in town one time, and she’d done as Lyric had asked. She’d met her eyes and then left the store. Time would heal her feelings about her old life. Time had a way of doing that.
Nory was showing them the pictures she’d taken today, and Lyric couldn’t remember being this happy at any other time in her life, other than that memory of being held by her mother.
She felt lucky for stumbling into this life. Lucky for meeting Vic, and lucky that he reveled in giving her such security.
She pulled her phone from her purse and texted him.I miss you, Hot Vicious. Send.
His response took just a few seconds.You won’t have to miss me long, Pretty Lyric.
Her cheeks heated. They’d furnished his home…theirhome…and now they slept comfortably in a king-sized bed at nights. She’d never felt safer in her life than she did now.
Last night, he’d needed a Change, and she’d been scared in the lead-up, because she was afraid the wolf would keep his skin for a long time again. But he didn’t. She and Vic Changed together, stayed wolf for a couple of hours, and then Changed back. Vic had taken her right into the house and reminded her body that she belonged to him, and that he belonged to her.
She loved her mate. She adored Destiny, Nory, and Delta, and appreciated the boys. She felt fulfilled in her job. She couldn’t name anything that could make her life better right now, and that was a first.
The shuttle stopped in front of a stone building that looked like a miniature castle.
“I have a feeling this one will be our favorite stop,” Destiny said, excitement filling every word. She was looking at Lyric with bright, bi-colored eyes.
Nory and Delta looked mushy.
“What’s going on?” Lyric asked suspiciously.
“We’re about to taste three new wines,” Nory rushed out. “That’s all that’s going on. Let’s go, ladies!”
She led them off the bus. Lyric adjusted the hem of her sundress as she followed the girls around the side of the building and across a stone patio with outdoor lights strewn above it. Destiny held the heavy wooden door open for her, and her eyes were rimmed with moisture.
Lyric frowned. “What’s happening?” she asked, suspicious. “What’s wrong?”
Destiny didn’t answer. Instead, she just gestured to the cavernous room. It was dim in here, and the floor was madeof polished stones that matched the walls. There were wooden shelves all around the room with potted plants on them, and in the corners were huge plants. The greenery gave a nice ambiance in the rustic looking space. A bar with wine bottles and wine glasses lined up was located on the left, and on the right were round tables with iron chairs. She’d expected this place to be full of wine tasters, like the last winery, but when she followed where Destiny pointed, all she saw were her people.
Vic stood leaning against the end of the bar, his gold eyes bright as if his wolf was close to the surface. All of the boys were here with him. Every member of the Rogue Pack was in here right now.
“What the heck?” she asked. “I thought all of you were working.”
“We decided to call out and join you ladies,” Liam said.
There was something in the air. Some emotion that the Rogue Pack was running that was different from their normal energy.
She smiled and waved at Vic, and began to approach, but stopped when she laid eyes on the woman who stepped out from behind him.
Chills rippled up Lyric’s spine. The woman was older, with gray hair and wrinkles around her tear-filled eyes. Lyric knew those eyes. They were the soft brown of her memory.
“No,” she said, denying what she was seeing. “This isn’t real.”
Vic stood to his full height. “Lyric,” he said softly.
“No, it’s not her,” she choked out, not daring to hope. “She’s dead.”
