Page 1 of Little Howl of Moon

BARISTA

All partnerships hadtheir ups and downs.

Currently, I was at the bottom of the deepest trench in the world, emotionally speaking. My beautiful mate was furious with me, and she had every right to be.

I was ready to be in our bedroom where I could get on my knees and beg Trixie for forgiveness. I was thinking of all the ways I’d make it up to her. Really, I needed to make things right to both her and Lucy, since I’d dragged him into this mess too. We didn’t like keeping secrets from each other. I’d fucked up.

But instead of being in the bedroom, I was seated next to Lucy, and we faced our furious mate together. Surrounded byallof our children, including Bell—who’d happened to roll back in town just in time for chaos to unfold. He’d always been the most restless of our children, and from the moment he’d turned eighteen, he spent most of his time traveling wherever he could. The only reason I didn’t worry about him more was that I knew Lucy or I could be there in a blink if he needed help.

Steel, the bulky werewolf who looked almost exactly like my friend Al, was also here at our house. Like Al, he rarely took his human disguise form. Hell, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen that side of him. He was always a wolfy monster. I considered himmy nephew, since his parents—Al, Luna, and Quinn—were my closest friends.

Someof this wouldn’t have happened if he’d have asked me to help him find a mate. Instead, he went to Layla, and all hell broke loose.

Once our meeting finished, I’d talk to him and help him—even though I’d planned to connect him with his mate in another year or so.

IfI survived this meeting.

“This is quite the homecoming,” Bell said with a smug smile. His hair had grown out some, long enough that he was wearing it in a bun.

Trixie pointed at him. “We will celebrate you being back properly once we discuss this. First of all, Layla and Luca.Whatis happening with both of you? I want answers.”

“Oooh,” Tana chimed. “You’re in trouble.”

“Tana,” Trixie scolded. “Don’t even start with me right now.”

Oh, my mate.Our children didn’t hear the meaning behind her words, but she was so painfully worried about them that I could feel it echoing down our bond. Lucy started to get up to go to her, but the look she gave him was cold enough to freeze him in his tracks.

We’re in trouble,he said through our bond.

We certainly were. In more ways than one.

Layla stood up and put her hands behind her back, facing all of us. “I’m starting to become a Grim Reaper. I think. But I keep having random stuff happen and it’s bad. You already know I’ve been showing signs. What happened with Steel was was not?—”

“I don’t know what happened,” Luca interjected. “I actually have no idea what you mean by what’s going withme.”

Lucy, Trixie, and I all gave him a flat look.

“I know what happened. Layla went allevilreaper on our cousin,” Tana chimed.

Jace, our third son, shot his younger sister a dirty look. “Shush.”

“What? I know that’s what happened. I saw it.”

“What do you mean, yousawit?” Bell asked. “You weren’t even there.”

“And how would you know? You haven’t been home,” Tana shot back.

And that started the first round of bickering between all five of our lovely supernatural offspring.

I jumped up from the couch and rushed to Trixie’s side amidst the chaos. “Baby gi?—”

Her glower cut my words in half and I closed my eyes for a moment, massaging my temples. I had to somehow get control of the chaos, but I wasn’t sure how.We need to be a united front right now, Trixie. I am sorry I didn’t tell you about Layla.

I’m pissed because you didn’t tell me about Luca either,she answered through our bond.Lucy did. Youliedto me. I asked you the other day about him because I knew something was wrong, and you never mentioned Hell. And now something else has awakened.

I swallowed hard, tuning out the arguing that Lucy had somehow launched himself into the middle of. I was pretty sure all five of our children were actively bullying him now, but he’d survive for another few moments.

I am sorry. I shouldn’t have kept things from you, but I don’t know what to make of any of this.