Good vibrations were flowing through all of the twenty-three rooms of Blanchard House. Artemis was in the kitchen whipping up a breakfast to end all breakfasts. They had been through a lot the night before…a lot didn’t even begin to describe it. But a new day had risen to wash away the horrors of the night before. No one had been certain they would have survived it, but they did.

  There was some concern in Artemis’ mind about where things stood this morning. It was supposed to be Seth and Yasmine’s wedding day, but she now had her doubts as to whether that would remain the case. Yasmine had suffered greatly last night. Would she be recovered enough to go on with the plan? Then again, it was Halloween. The most special and precious day of the year for their family. Perhaps it would heal the hurts from the day before.

  “Happy Halloween!” Demitra called coming down the stairs in her nightgown and bathrobe.

  “Same to you. Did you sleep at all?”

  “Not much,” Demitra confided.

  A ring sounded from Demitra’s robe pocket. She withdrew her phone and made a face at her sister. Charlie Bennet was calling.

  “Hi, Charlie,” Demitra answered.

  “Have you turned on the news this morning?” Charlie chided loudly on the other end. “Everyone is trying to understand how a tornado hit Tuscaloosa last night and only damaged one building and one other shop window. And of course, why there was such a collection of dead wolves, dogs, cats, and birds strewn around.”

  “I just got out of bed,” Demitra told him. “I haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “I suppose you know nothing about it?”

  “Let’s just say your case is closed now,” Demitra assured him. “The killer has been neutralized.”

  “Do I need to know any details or can I trust there’ll be no repercussions from whatever went on?”

  “Everything is fine now Charlie. Daihmler is safe.”

  She ended the call and shook her head at her sister.

  “Poor Charlie,” Artemis said. “He always gets the job of covering up the mess.”

  “I’m not too worried about Charlie Bennet, right now,” Demitra confided. “I’m more concerned about Yasmine. I wonder if we’ll have a wedding today after all.”

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  Upstairs, Yasmine sat on the edge of the bed staring down to the floor. Seth sat beside her, his arm lovingly around her shoulder. She had spent the morning crying, but now the tears were dry and she sat reflecting on what to do. The birds outside were chirping and the sun was rising. It was a new day, but it did little to dispel the events of the night before.

  “I still can’t believe Patric was my brother all along,” she said. “And there was a moment last night when he had me in that loft…Seth, he was so gentle. For a moment, for just a moment, I loved him. He was my brother again. Then, then he just turned.”

  Seth took her hand in his own, “Yaz, it’s okay if you love him somewhere inside. The brother you knew did exist somewhere in that guy we had to kill last night. It wasn’t his fault he became what he became. I think both things are true. We killed a monster last night, and you lost your brother all over again. It’s okay to mourn that.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. It was a lot to think about. Too much to process at one time. It would take her months to make heads or tails of everything she’d learned in the last twenty-four hours. Too much to worry about now. This was her wedding day.

  Seeming to read her mind, Seth said, “We don’t have to do this today. We can get married later. Maybe Thanksgiving?”

  “Trying to back out?” she said with a brow raise.

  “Never,” Seth declared. “I already knew I loved you, but last night just proved beyond any doubt that I cannot live without you.”

  “I could tell by the way you electrocuted me,” she laughed.

  “Hey! I was desperate. I had to get him off you before he bit you.”

  “I know,” she replied. “You saved me.”

  Seth kissed her softly. “So…wanna marry your brave hero today?”

  Fable sat alone in her room, still shaken by the night before. She felt such sympathy for Yasmine. To discover that the killer stalking Daihmler was actually her own long-lost brother. It was devastating. Fable understood a little of what she must be feeling. It hadn’t been a happy surprise to discover her boyfriend was that very same killer. Of course, now Fable realized she had never meant anything to Patric, not really. She was just a pawn in his advance towards capturing the Queen, and Daihmler had been the chess board. So many lives lost, so much damage done.

  Fable put her hands to her stomach. And I still have this thing. A piece of Patric still lives. She knew she should say something to the family. It was irresponsible not to. Yet something inside Fable could not do it. She couldn’t betray her child like that. The family would insist she abort. After all no one could have any reasonable idea what kind of monster this baby might turn out to be. But what if it wasn’t a monster? Fable was human. Patric had been human once. Did anyone really know if werewolves could be born? What if a werewolf could only be made from the bite of another wolf? Her child might be human despite his paternity. There was too much to consider, and Fable needed time to consider everything. Patric was gone, and he had not loved her. She wasn’t even sure if she’d even loved him. But this baby was a different story. This baby was a part of her, too. Perhaps the only chance she would ever have to be a mother. She did not know what she was going to do, but she did know now was not the time to let anyone else in on her secret.