Chapter 240
Sarah POV
After the onsite security personnel and police had come, taken Ella’s body along with our statements, and then left, it was early morning. I worried about the girls, but they were as keyed up as I, and finally we all just piled on Zane’s bed, which was now my bed as well. Zane had his arms around me as we leaned back against the padded headboard, and the girls lay against our legs. Selene had flopped over all of us and was dozing in contentment.
I lay against my mate, feeling his breath in my hair and well aware his right hand was near my breast. Later, without the children in the room, we would start that celebratory loving I kept thinking about, but for now, everything was perfect.
“Will there be any fallout from Ella?” I asked.
“No,” Zane rumbled. “She was trespassing and obviously the aggressor. You were defending your family and your home.”
“My family,” I repeated dreamily, reaching over to pat Chloe’s cheek. I couldn’t reach Grace as easily, so Chloe patted her cheek for me. I laughed.
“And you?” Zane asked. “You feel OK about everything?”
I realized with surprise that he was worried I felt disturbed about killing Ella.
“The wolf inside me knew she had to die, and so did the human. The string of bodies she’s left behind her is obscene.” I didn’t want to say Olivia’s name aloud in front of the girls, but I knew Zane was thinking of her too.
“Marshal Kim,” Zane said.
“Scott,” I said.
“Mavis.”
I sighed. “She was a lovely person and didn’t deserve to be done away with like that, like she didn’t matter. But that was Ella: nothing mattered but her and what she wanted.”
“She was cruel to me,” Grace said softly. She looked at me. “I was so happy when you came here and made her go away.”
“I’m so sorry, Gracie,” Zane said, soothing a hand over her hair. “I didn’t see it.”
“She made sure you didn’t. She was always so nice when you were around.” She seemed to want to say something more, but instead she looked urgently at Chloe.
His sister interpreted her look exactly. “Ella made herself into a wolf who needed to be removed from the pack. Getting rid of her was a mercy.”
“Spoken like a true alpha,” Zane said with approval, though he sighed afterward. “I do wish you’d had time to get older before you knew to say it.”
Chloe looked at him, her eyes serious and kind. “It’s OK, Daddy. We have Sarah to be mommy now. We’ll be good.”
“You have me, all right,” I said, and for a time we all just lay there listening to Selene snore.
“You’ll be taking the Luna Temple in hand, I suppose?” Zane asked quietly.
“Yes, but not just me. I know other Moon Wolves will be emerging soon, and we’ll be doing our work together.” I thought about it and nodded to myself.
“What?”
“Melissa will help.”
“Melissa will be a Moon Wolf?” Zane said in surprise.
“No, she’s an alpha. Alphas, betas, gammas, and omegas will stay what they are. Moon Wolves have fashioned themselves to work with humans. That’s what’s meant in saying human and wolf spirits are intertwined.”
“Don’t forget about our lieutenants. We’re going to need them.”
“We certainly will. I was thinking that Melissa can help me with contacting other Moon Wolves out there. Many of them will be confused, and I want to be sure they know to come to me before revealing themselves to others who won’t understand.”
“We can confirm our bond official at the Luna Temple,” Zane said. “That’ll get some press, and you can tell people what’s going on then.”
“Some wolves won’t like it,” I said, “and some humans will like it even less.”
“Wolves and humans need to remember they have to work together for the good of the pack.” His arms held me a little tighter. “It will be a lot of work, but I will be here, always, to help.”
“Yes,” I said, closing my eyes in happiness. All the work would be there to be done, but I confessed to myself at that moment I was more concerned with making my life with my mate and my family.
“Thank the goddess for you.”
I was falling asleep when I heard those words, uncertain who among us had said them. But it didn’t matter. We all felt those words the same.
