We spent more than an hour at the little ice cream shop, and by the time we were done talking we’d been joined by Cean and Viktor. It was comfortable, all of us together, because they’d spent the last couple of days entertaining me while I was stuck in bed. Though, having a child of the stars on either side of me while surrounded by the new world my senses had opened up to me was a little overwhelming.

They were laughing about the ice cream Viktor had managed to get on his nose when my restlessness overwhelmed me again. As much as I had enjoyed learning about the Cereus pack, I needed to move. I needed to shift, but with the full moon still so far away, I could at least walk around.

“Whoa, where are you going?” Viktor’s tone was light as he stood up, but I could sense the worry in his voice. His touch was light as he reached out to stop me; it was request more than demand, and that was the only reason I stopped.

I sighed and turned to face him, looking him over. My wolf stirred sluggishly as I took in his familiar features. He was normally so put together, but he seemed to relax when he was with his pack; his long hair was tied to drape over one shoulder, but fell over his dark eyes where it brushed his forehead, and I’d watched him blow it out of his face with an irritated expression several times while we were talking. As if that weren’t enough to make him sinfully attractive, his rough jeans were nearly skintight, and torn in places to show muscle and dark skin.

“I… didn’t want to sit still anymore,” I murmured, trying and mostly failing to keep my gaze on his face. It should be a crime for a nerdy college student to be so well muscled, and I couldn’t help wondering what he looked like under his plain white tee.

Viktor looked puzzled by my wandering gaze, before he smirked at me. “If you’re restless again, I can think of all kinds of physical activities to entertain you.”

“Dork,” I snorted, shaking my head but unable to help my grin. The longer I spent with the Cereus pack, the more shameless his flirting became. It was… cute. “I want to walk some more. I know the forest is that way,” I gestured in the vague direction of Alyx’s house, “But is there anywhere else pretty and peaceful.”

Viktor glanced back at Alyx and Cean for a moment before he answered. “Well, there is a garden a few blocks from here-”

“Viktor.” Alyx spoke softly, with a clear warning in his quiet growling tone.

He bristled immediately, giving his alpha a defiant expression. “What? It’s going to happen eventually. Did you think you can stop it forever?”

“Well, no,” Alyx muttered, clearly uncomfortable as he fidgeted under my narrow eyed stare. “I just thought we might keep that until after he’s decided whether to stay with us. I didn’t want it affecting his judgment.”

“Withholding that kind of information isn’t really fair, Alyx.” Viktor was scolding him, and the alpha’s sheepish expression showed his guilt.

“Hey, maybe-”

“Maybe, but do I really have a choice? Ian’s here, too, so it’s a risk letting it happen at all. I don’t need any more blood shed,” Alyx argued, riding over my attempt to interject myself into the conversation.

I was frowning, irritated, but opening my mouth ended with Viktor talking over me just as the elder alpha had. “It’ll happen eventually if Tsuki does decide to stay! Who are you to decide-”

“Who are any of you to decide anything for me?” My voice was loud, and seemed to startle both of them; they stared at me, eyes wide, before they both flushed with shame. I crossed my arms and looked away from them for a moment. “I want to go, but I’m not going with either of you. Cean, will you take me?”

Alyx and Viktor sputtered, obviously offended, but Cean slid out of his seat with smug little grin. “Glad to, little wolf. My big bad wolf can stay here and think about what he’s done.”

“Cean,” Alyx whined his name, but his mate sniffed and offered his arm to me without a word. There was an amusing satisfaction to be found in taking Cean’s offer, wrapping my hand around his arm to pretend to steady myself because they all wanted to worry about me. They deserved to gape and mutter, after they’d argued over what was better for me like I wasn’t there.

“Don’t mind them,” Cean said, his voice low- though I knew both wolves would be able to hear it with their keen senses, and he probably did too. “It’s in the nature of a child of the stars to be a total jackass when it comes to people they care about.”

I snickered at Alyx’s offended scoff, letting Cean guide me down the street. “I’ve noticed. I have no idea how you stand it.”

“Some kind of miracle, I think.” Though Cean’s tone was thoughtful, he was grinning; we were both putting on a show with our backs to the alphas behind us, and it was worth it. Though Cean was human, there wasn’t the awkwardness I had expected; we were acting like children together, and I was enjoying myself too much yet again.

I shook my head for the benefit of the two watching us. “No kidding. I couldn’t imagine being stuck with a child of the stars for the rest of my life. You poor thing.” I patted his arm sympathetically, and was proud to hear Alyx choke behind me, followed by Viktor’s laughter.

There was a glimmer of appreciation in Cean’s eyes, though he kept his laughter silent until we rounded the corner and he was sure we were out of their range of hearing. Then he cracked, and his laughter was infectious, bright and carefree. “Wow, little wolf. You can keep up with me- that’s impressive. I’m never letting you leave; we can make their life hell, and it’d be so much fun. We’ll be partners in crime.”

I was stunned into silence for a moment, emotion welling in response to his words. They all accepted me so easily that I sometimes felt it was a lie, a game, a huge ploy meant to trick me so that I would join their pack and receive even worse treatment. But I couldn’t believe that- not when I could see the earnest happiness in Cean’s copper eyes.

“Yeah, sure, Cean. You’d take any opportunity to torture Alyx, wouldn’t you? Some mate you are,” I teased to cover up the emotional moment.

I had a feeling Cean caught it anyway, from the way he smiled at me, but he thankfully didn’t say anything about it. “I’ve got to get him one way or another. I may be human, and his mate, but he’s still the alpha of my pack- there’s a lot I have to give in to because of that. Technically, I’m below him. So I have to take advantage when I can- whether it’s teasing him, or completely dominating him when I’m alone.

“Whoops, that was probably more information than you wanted, huh? Sorry, kid.” He ruffled my hair, making me grimace and bat his hand away.

“I’m twenty-two, I’m not a kid. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be helping me stand upright?” I asked, holding out the hand which had been on his arm before he shook me off to demean me.

Cean snorted, rolling his eyes at me. “You and I both know you can stand just fine on your own.” He laughed when I gaped at him, surprised that he’d noticed. “I mean, good on you pretending to be weak for their benefit. It’s in the instincts of a child of the stars to coddle and worry, and I’m sure it’s only worse since you’re an omega. But I’m plain old human, and I can see the strength in your steps just fine. You won’t get any better if I baby you, will you?”

I contemplated it for a moment before I shrugged. “Maybe I was just hoping to milk the helpless act for a little longer.”

“Ah, sarcasm- I like it.” Amusement danced in his eyes as he lengthened his stride. “Keep up, kid. Burn that restlessness while you have the chance.”

I did as he said, and was relieved to find that the brisk walk did help calm my agitated wolf; it wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. And I got to talk to Cean while we walked, filling in gaps in Alyx’s story. I learned a little more about the Moon Guard, and the horrifying woman who had abused Cean while he was with them. Apparently Cean had been an unwilling member of the Moon Guard, recruited to save his life after he had killed a wolf- in self defense, but wolves didn’t really care when it came to humans.

I learned the reason for his affectionate way of calling Alyx the ‘big bad wolf’ as well. Cean was eager to tell me about how they’d met, the way Alyx had jumped out of the underbrush and terrified the human who just wanted to talk; Cean had shot him on a reflex, though the second shot had been intended because Alyx had been trying to kill him then. It had led into the fight I heard about from Alyx, but Cean gave a detail Alyx had missed out, the reason the wolf had been able to spot him so easily in the forest; Cean had been wearing a blood red cloak as he walked the forest in late fall, and had called himself ‘riding hood’.

It had made me laugh until I couldn’t breathe, which Cean had tolerated with slightly exasperated patience. The big bad wolf and his little red riding hood- that almost killed me. It was adorable, and it suited the loving couple all too well. But it was also completely ridiculous and almost killed me. God only knows what joke I would have made for it if we hadn’t arrived at the garden right after the end of the tale, and I was distracted by the metallic ring of the gate opening.

“Welcome to our little paradise,” Cean said, gesturing me through the gate to let me go first.

The Cereus pack was full of surprises, and the Japanese styled garden he’d led me to was no different. Spiralling paths of pale pastel rocks spiralled through flowers of all shapes and colors, and I was smart enough to figure out that the winding streams came from each cardinal direction to the central pond. I scurried forward, finding myself on my knees next to the water, watching the koi fish swim in elegant circles in the crystal clear water.

“Gorgeous,” I whispered, reaching out to trail my fingers through the water, and making a shocked sound when one of the fish brushed my hand.

“Isn’t it?” An unfamiliar voice interrupted the quiet, making me look up. “All of the wolves who come here say the same thing.”

I was shocked not just by the way her voice seemed to strike a chord in me, settling my wolf into obedient silence for once, but by her face. She was pretty, the sort of delicate Asian beauty the anime club in high school would have lost their minds over, with black hair like silk. The light olive color of her skin was just as gorgeous over her fine features, but it was marred by nasty scarring. Obvious claw marks stretched from her right ear to her left temple, crossing her eyes and sealing them closed. Strangely enough, it didn’t take away from her appeal; if anything, it added to it, because she might have seemed too perfect without it.

Which was most likely due to the fact that she had the overly sweet, almost cloying scent of an omega.

The woman gave me a sweet smile as she made her way unerringly along the stone path. “I don’t recognize your scent, wolf, you must be new to the pack. Are you another of the lost ones Alyx is so fond of taking in? And you’re with… Cean?” she sounded surprised, her face turning toward the human, no doubt guided by his scent.

“Ah… hello…” Cean sounded guarded, his gaze flicking between the where the woman stood and where I knelt by the pond.

The woman cocked her head slightly, looking confused. “What on earth is that tone? And why are you here without Alyx? You two are always attached at the hip- wait. Does that mean he’s awake? Is Tsuki finally awake?” She sounded breathless, almost tripping on the stones beneath her feet as she threw herself at Cean, hands tight in his shirt. “Is he okay? Is there anything wrong with him? Oh, my baby, I was so worried!”

Cean stood stock still, his eyes shut and a curse falling from his lips. “That hurt, Haruka. Tsuki is fine, I promise. He’s… well, he’s…” He turned his head, eyes opening so I could see sharp worry.

I likely didn’t help that any, my jaw dropped and confusion raging in me as I stared at the woman before me. Why was she so worried about me? What the hell was she talking about, calling me ‘her baby’? And why did her name seem so familiar?

It all clicked when she leaned back from Cean, murmuring an apology. “I’m sorry, I was just worried about my son.”

I choked, taking a step back and wobbling when my foot hit one of the large stones which circled the koi pond. “Tsuki!” Cean yelped my name as he lunged forward, his arm hooking around my waist to draw me forward and spin me away from the water. I barely caught my balance before I could hit the stones, my mind a boiling mess of emotion.

“Tsuki?” My eyes went wide, disbelief the only thing clear in my mind as the woman who had spoken my name stepped forward to touch my arm. “Is that really you? Are you really okay?”

“I-I… I don’t understand.” The words fell from my mouth in a whimper, and I couldn’t move as her hand slid up my arm.

She stepped closer, a blinding smile on her face as her hand cupped the side of my face. “I’m sorry, it must be so confusing. I can’t imagine what your father told you about me.” Her tone was harsh and bitter, before she shook her head slightly and wiped the anger from her face. “That doesn’t matter. You’re awake, and you’re okay, that’s what’s important. Oh, I’ve waited so long to see you again, my little dove. I’m so glad you’re okay, son.”

The beautiful omega beamed at me, the pieces falling into place. The wolf in front of me was Haruka Takagi- my mother, a woman I had been told was dead for as long as I could remember. And she was here in Alyx’s pack, smiling up at me with her horribly scarred face and telling me my father had lied to me.

It’s amazing how easy it is to break somebody- because that was all it took for my world to fall to pieces around me.