Chapter Text
The sun had long since dipped below the tree line when Aubrey Posen returned from the store, carrying the essentials the Bellas would need for the night ahead. She wasn’t running late, but she had allowed Stacie to distract her from leaving as planned. Two years into their relationship, and Stacie still found new ways to captivate her. This time, she was modeling a new bikini she managed to snag in an end-of-summer sale.
Tonight, with the full moon at its most powerful, the werewolves among the Bellas would inevitably transform. Aubrey and the other vampires, Jessica and Ashley, would manage most of the supportive tasks: ensuring the water bowls stayed filled, tossing meat to the wolves now and then, and giving them attention when they wanted some. Flo, the only human, would stay part of the night before heading back to get the sleep she needed.
“Got everything, or is there more in the car?” Chloe asked from the kitchen table when she saw Aubrey enter, carrying two large bags. A book lay open in front of her, turned to a chapter on werewolf musculoskeletal deformities for her werewolf healer program.
“I have everything,” Aubrey said, setting the bags down. “New water bowls, some fresh tennis balls, a couple of ropes, spray cheese to annoy your mate, which she will eventually turn over to you like she always does, a large chuck roast to cube, some flank steaks to turn into strips, and bones.” She listed each item as she unpacked it.
“You and Beca love to give each other hell,” Chloe said, marking her place in the book before tucking it back into her backpack.
“With affection,” Aubrey replied, grabbing a cutting board and large knife to prepare the meat. “Mostly,” she added with a small smirk.
“Who are you being affectionate with now?” Stacie asked as she walked in. She wrapped her arms around Aubrey’s waist and kissed her jaw.
“Beca,” Aubrey said as Stacie pressed closer behind her.
“You two are like cats. Hissing one minute and sharing a perch the next,” Stacie chuckled, resting her chin on Aubrey’s shoulder to watch her cut the meat.
After Stacie and Chloe, Beca was the person Aubrey trusted most. She was close to Jessica and Ashley too, but vampire relationships tended to have unspoken yet firm boundaries. In contrast, Stacie, Chloe, and Beca, all being werewolves, had no such boundaries. Stacie’s older sister, Sam, often joined their inner circle, though she spent more time focused on her own Posen vampire, Aubrey’s older sister, Alex.
Aubrey rolled her eyes at Stacie’s comment as she continued to cube the meat.
“I’m going to make sure everyone is ready in thirty,” Chloe said, standing up and swinging her bag over her shoulder. “It’s the first full moon of the semester, and our newest Bella gets to join the pack tonight.”
Frankie Harkness, the newest Bella, had grown up in a small New Jersey town. Like her parents, she was a witch, which was rare in the current magical community after a series of covert wars were fought between witch covens just before the Salem Witch Trials started.
Three years ago, right before her junior year of high school, her life changed. She had been out for a run when a werewolf attacked and turned her. She missed her entire junior year recovering and was now a nineteen-year-old freshman. She kept her magical abilities, but they had been a bit wonky lately. Though she had adapted to the physical side of being a werewolf, the cultural side was harder. Without a pack, she had no structure or guidance. Chloe hoped the Bellas would change that.
Since Aubrey and Stacie had the only bedroom on the first floor, Chloe headed upstairs to do rounds.
The first room off the landing belonged to Jessica and Ashley. She tapped the open door lightly.
“Come in!” Jessica called.
“We’re heading out in thirty,” Chloe said, poking her head inside.
“Got it,” Ashley replied from the bed.
“We’ve missed watching over all of you this summer,” Jessica added with a small smile.
“We’ve missed it too,” Chloe said before walking in to give a half-standing bear hug to the pair. They all broke into a fit of giggles before Chloe headed to the next room.
Across the hall, she stopped at the room shared by Flo and Emily. Emily perked up the moment she saw Chloe.
“Hey, Chloe! Is it time? Shifting with my parents was so boring,” Emily said excitedly.
Chloe giggled at her enthusiasm. “In about thirty.”
“We’ll be ready,” Flo said with a calm smile.
“Aca-awesome,” Chloe said, moving on.
Beca and Stacie had assigned Frankie to room with Sam, the oldest Bella, thinking her steady nature would help Frankie adjust. Chloe knocked gently.
“We’re heading out in thirty,” she said.
“Cool,” Frankie replied from her bed, pulling out her earbuds. Her chestnut hair was falling from its usual ponytail.
The more Chloe looked at her, the more she was reminded of Beca at that age. The tattoos, the piercings, the flannels, the chip on her shoulder. It was all familiar. Frankie was more outgoing than Beca had been, but she was just as music-obsessed and just as uneasy in her own skin.
“We’ll be ready,” Sam said from her bed. “Alex won’t be joining us. She’s stuck at some vampire thing in Philly as the Blanchet representative. She’s been texting me about how bored she is for over an hour.”
Bellatrix Blanchet, nearly a thousand years old, had a history steeped in cruelty. She had mellowed somewhat in the last few decades, especially after meeting Alexander Posen, but her reputation remained. Alex worked directly for the clan, whereas Aubrey, so far, did not.
“Tell her we’ll miss her, but we’ll be extra entertaining next time,” Chloe said.
Sam laughed. “We’re always entertaining.”
Chloe smiled and moved on.
The last room on the second floor belonged to Lilly and Cynthia-Rose. Chloe leaned in through the door.
“We’re leaving in thirty.”
Cynthia-Rose looked up from her book. “We’ll be ready.”
Lilly, busy sharpening a knife at her desk, gave a nod.
Chloe headed up to the attic she shared with Beca.
Their attic bedroom had a cozy, studio apartment–like feel. Their bed sat at the far end, with a sitting area near the stairs. Beca’s desk and recording gear lined the opposite wall. They had fashioned a closet with iron pipes and placed dressers in the alcove. It wasn’t their own place, but it was close enough.
“Aubrey back with the supplies?” Beca asked from the center of their oversized bed.
“Yes,” Chloe said as she kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed.
Beca lifted her arm, letting Chloe curl into her. She pressed a kiss to Chloe’s head as she settled in.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” Chloe whispered.
“Yeah. One more year of the pack together before it’s turned over to Emily, Sam, and Frankie.”
Chloe closed her eyes. She and Aubrey had dragged out finishing their degrees in law and healing, but they couldn’t put off graduation forever. Soon they’d most likely be somewhere else, far from the family they had built, to follow Beca’s musical dreams.
“I’ll miss seeing Stacie and Aubrey every day,” she admitted softly.
“I know,” Beca said. “Don’t tell Aubrey, but I’m going to miss her too.”
Chloe chuckled. “I won’t say a word.”
Beca kissed her head again. The weight of what was coming settled over them both.
“Where do you think we’ll end up?” Chloe asked, slipping her hand under Beca’s shirt.
“LA, New York, maybe Atlanta. Chicago’s on the list. Nashville has jobs, but it’s not really my sound.”
“They’re all good cities,” Chloe murmured, fingers tracing gentle patterns along Beca’s ribs.
Her program would let her work anywhere. Normally, she would have focused on pack healing, but with the Bellas scattering, she’d need a new plan. As far as she knew, Beca and Stacie had no desire to break up the pack they’d created with the Bellas. They could add members, but Chloe knew that would take time.
“Has Aubrey said anything about what she wants after graduation?” Beca asked.
“Nothing solid. I know her mom offered her a role in the clan’s legal affairs, but I don’t think that’s her first choice.”
“Working for a parent sounds terrible, and that’s before you factor in who Aubrey’s mom is.”
Chloe lifted her head to meet Beca’s eyes. “Promise me we’ll be okay.”
“I promise. You and me? We’ll make it.”
Chloe nodded, though doubt lingered. “This is the first real home I’ve had. I’m scared of letting that go.”
“You’re my mate,” Beca whispered. “I’ll take care of you. That’s what an Alpha does.”
“You’re a good Alpha.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“I like stroking all of you,” Chloe giggled.
While Chloe and Beca were upstairs, downstairs in the kitchen, Stacie helped Aubrey pack the cooler and lock up the supplies they’d need in the transformation area.
“How are you feeling about bringing another werewolf into your pack?” Aubrey asked as she dried her hands.
“Glad to have Frankie, but I wish she was joining under better circumstances,” Stacie said. She handed Aubrey the towel to do the same.
“Indeed,” Aubrey nodded.
It was rare these days for any human to be bitten and turned against their will. Even vampires, with all their access to willing donors and blood banks, didn’t turn people often. Having a Bella join after such a violent experience made each of them think more carefully about their own nature.
“Do you want to feed before we go?” Stacie asked. “You didn’t this morning, and I know you’ve got to be hungry.”
“I’m always hungry,” Aubrey said, brushing off the concern. “But it’s a full moon night. I don’t want to take from you when I know you’ll be recovering for a few days.”
“Bree,” Stacie sighed as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Aubrey’s waist. “I am your walking, talking, super-hot blood bag,” she teased, hoping to coax a smile. “Let’s go to our room for a minute. You can take a gulp or two, okay? Just enough to get through tonight. We don’t want you getting hangry, do we?”
Aubrey was never good at saying no to Stacie, especially when she didn’t want to. She leaned in and kissed the twin marks on Stacie’s neck. She smiled when she felt Stacie shiver and kissed them again.
“You make a compelling argument,” Aubrey said softly. “A hangry vampire is a dangerous vampire.”
Stacie chuckled. “I can’t believe I got you to say hangry.” She laced their fingers together and pulled Aubrey toward their room.
The first-floor bedroom had traditionally belonged to the Bellas’ captain. It had been Aubrey’s once, and now she shared it with Stacie. Beca and Chloe had taken the attic bedroom, which was larger but didn’t have its own bathroom.
Stacie shut the door and locked it before glancing at her watch. “Ten minutes. Perfect snack window.” Her shirt hit the floor just before she climbed onto their bed.
“You didn’t have to take your shirt off,” Aubrey said, even as she admired the red lace beneath.
“You like looking at my tits, and I like showing them,” Stacie said, opening her arms. “And I like looking at yours, for the record.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Aubrey unbuttoned her shirt and dropped it on a chair before crawling onto the bed. Her navy bra was more modest than Stacie’s bright red lace, but it was one of her favorites.
Stacie hummed in approval at the contact. Werewolves loved touch, just as much as vampires tended to avoid it. They had learned early in their relationship how to bridge that divide. Stacie liked to say that vampires were basically large cats. They only wanted to be touched when it was their idea. So, she learned how to make touch feel like Aubrey’s idea.
“I like feeling as much of you as possible before you feed,” Stacie whispered. Her hands glided over Aubrey’s back, enjoying the coolness of her skin.
“Is that why you always ask me to feed in the morning when we’re still naked?” Aubrey asked. Her fangs had emerged now, and she nuzzled and kissed the sport on her neck where her pulse beat strongest.
“A girl can’t enjoy both morning sex and a snack before class?” Stacie teased. She rested her hand on the back of Aubrey’s head when she felt the fangs graze her neck. “I thought you liked how willing I am.”
“I do,” Aubrey murmured, then bit into her neck and drank deeply. After a second, smaller pull, she licked the wounds closed. “I will never get enough of your taste. Ever.”
“Thankfully,” Stacie panted, breath catching at the rush. “You don’t have to stop.”
Aubrey licked away a smear of blood, her hand skimming across Stacie’s stomach. “Pity we only have six minutes. I could do such wonderful things to you.”
Stacie let out a bark of laughter. “You are a wicked woman who knows exactly how to push my buttons.”
“I’ve been called worse,” Aubrey replied, rising to her feet. She bent to pick up their shirts and handed Stacie hers.
“You walked out of the shower naked yesterday while I was trying to get to class,” she added as she buttoned up.
“I forgot my towel,” Stacie said, all innocence.
“We keep the towels in the bathroom.”
“Oh,” Stacie said, eyes bright. “Do we?”
There was a loud knock at the door. Only a few people would knock like that, and Stacie had a pretty good guess who it was.
“Yes, Samantha?” she asked as she opened it.
“Come on, baby sister,” Sam said with a smile. “It’s time, and Frankie has something for you.”
“For me?” Stacie turned to Aubrey. “Did you know about this?”
“I did not,” Aubrey said, shaking her head.
The two werewolves and their vampire mate joined the rest of the Bellas in the kitchen. On the table sat a tray of small potted plants. Frankie stood beside it, nervously shifting from foot to foot, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.
“Um,” she began, then cleared her throat. “Hi. I, uh… so, when you join a coven, it’s traditional to bring a gift for each member on the night of your initiation.” Her voice trembled slightly, and she gave a quick, nervous glance at Beca and Stacie before continuing. “I know this isn’t a coven, but… I thought maybe… it would still be a nice idea?”
She rubbed the back of her neck, then gestured toward the tray.
“My mom’s a green witch - well, one of them - and she taught me how to grow stuff. So I, um, I grew these.”
Her voice caught briefly, but she forced herself to keep going.
“I grew Wolf’s Awakening for the werewolves. If you chew the leaves, it’s kind of like caffeine, but without the jittery crash. And for the vampires, I grew Vampire’s Delight. It’s supposed to warm your skin to mortal levels for, like, twelve hours if you make it into tea. And, um, for Flo, I grew a pothos plant because her window faces north, and those don’t mind the shade.”
Her hands twisted together in front of her as she braced for rejection. “I… I hope that’s okay. I wasn’t sure if it was too weird.”
There was a beat of silence before Chloe stepped forward.
“This is incredible,” she said warmly. “Seriously, Frankie, thank you.”
Relief flickered in Frankie’s eyes.
“This is going to make all those late-night study sessions way easier,” Stacie added with a grin.
“This is a really cool thing,” Beca said.
One by one, the Bellas came forward to pick up their plants. Frankie tensed with each step, half-expecting someone to brush past her without acknowledgment. But then Stacie gave her a hug. A real, solid hug that grounded her. The others followed, one after another.
Jessica and Ashley offered soft smiles after they hugged her, and Aubrey gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Frankie looked stunned but grateful.
Vampire’s Delight wasn’t easy to grow. But now that she had managed it, she hoped it would last, just like she hoped this pack would.
The Bellas headed out from the house toward the field where they would spend the night. All across campus, different groups were doing the same. The faint sound of howling could be heard coming from several directions.
“Who are they?” Frankie asked Emily when she saw another group of all men.
“The Treblemakers,” Emily said. “My boyfriend, a human, is one of them, but he’s got a cold tonight, so he’s getting some extra sleep. He comes to the field most of the time to be with me.”
“He’s pretty cool for a Treblemaker,” Cynthia-Rose laughed as she patted Emily on the back.
The full moon was already peeking through the trees as the Bellas arrived at the field where they would spend their full moon nights for the semester. The vampires and Flo moved to a covered platform and began unpacking the supplies. Flo spaced out the chairs, Ashley brought down the large metal bowls, Jessica poured water from jugs, and Aubrey double-checked the contents of the cooler before latching it shut.
“All set?” Stacie called from the middle of the field.
“We are,” Aubrey replied.
Stacie turned to the others and gestured for them to gather. This was the first time since Sam joined that they were formally welcoming a new member. She and Beca stood in front of Frankie, while the others formed a loose circle around them. Even the vampires and Flo stood in the field among the wolves.
“We don’t really have a big initiation for the pack,” Beca said. “Just three questions, okay?”
Frankie nodded quickly. Her arms hung stiff at her sides, fingers flexing. She looked like she was trying not to shake.
“Do you offer your voice to our howl, never to sing alone when the pack calls?” Stacie asked first.
“I do,” Frankie said, her voice quiet but certain.
“Will you hold the line between human and beast, and never let the wolf consume you?” Beca asked.
Frankie closed her eyes. The moon was already tugging at her, making it harder to speak. She remembered the words from a book her mother had given her. A vow of control. A line she hadn’t always been able to hold.
“I will,” she said, breathless but firm.
Stacie’s golden eyes glinted in the moonlight. “And do you accept this bond, not as a chain, but as a vow freely chosen and fiercely held?”
Frankie nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Welcome,” Beca said, holding out her hand. Her palm had a small cut across it.
“Thank you,” Frankie whispered. She used her claw to make a shallow cut on her own hand, then shook Beca’s, sealing the bond in blood.
“Now that that’s out of the way,” Stacie said, smiling again, “let’s get naked and transform. I’m ready to run.”
Everyone spread out, undressing quickly. Shifting with clothes on was a good way to ruin them.
“Whoa,” Cynthia-Rose said, eyes widening as she caught sight of the scars along Frankie’s ribs.
“It’s where I was bitten,” Frankie said, pulling off her shirt. “He got me while I was out on a run. Totally blindsided me.”
“I have a tincture back at the house that might help with the pain,” Aubrey said gently.
“Thanks,” Frankie said with a nod. “I’ve tried a lot, but under the moonlight, it feels like a sunburn.”
“When we get back, I’ll mix a cream version. You can apply it before full moons,” Aubrey offered.
“If you ever need anything grown for your tinctures, or anything else,” Frankie added, “let me know?”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aubrey said with a small smile.
Stacie glanced away from Frankie’s scars. The idea of someone biting a human like that made her sick. Her own wolf could be difficult at times, but never that out of control.
“Do you need help transforming?” Chloe asked softly.
“Um… yeah,” Frankie admitted as she removed her jeans. “Sometimes I get stuck. If one of the Alphas could howl, it might help.”
Beca shifted first. Her golden eyes gleamed as she scanned the clearing, checking on each of them as they followed suit.
Frankie braced herself. Her jaw clenched. Beca lifted her head and let out a deep, resonant howl that rang through the trees. It was a call no wolf could ignore.
Frankie dropped to all fours. A cry of pain tore from her throat as the transformation took hold. Her limbs bent unnaturally, her muscles stretching, bones popping into new shapes. She dug her claws into the earth, as if trying to hold on, before finally launching into a run. She circled the clearing, her pace uneven at first, then steadier.
Aubrey watched from the edge, her hand resting gently in Stacie’s thick fur. “Take care of her tonight,” she whispered, before returning to the platform.
Stacie turned to the rest of the pack and let out a sharp bark. She nudged Beca with her head. A clear message: tag, you’re it.
Beca huffed in reply and took off after her. The others scattered with laughter, dodging and weaving, the clearing erupting into organized chaos as the full moon rose higher.
It was almost two hours until dawn when Chloe lay in the grass, her fur damp with dew. She watched a rabbit dart through the underbrush at the edge of the woods.
Something primal stirred. It wasn’t her Beta instinct, not exactly, but something deeper. Her wolf urged her forward.
She crept low, slow, and quiet, eyes locked on her target.
Then she pounced.
Her teeth found the rabbit on the first try. Its struggle was brief. She took a few bites, enough not to waste it, then trotted back to the blanket where she and Beca had been lying. There was pride in her posture, in the flick of her tail.
Soon, a dull ache began in her stomach. Her vision blurred. Her throat burned with sudden, sharp pain. She tried to whine, to call out, but nothing came.
Then the headache hit. Sharp and blinding. Her limbs began to go numb.
No one noticed. Not yet. Even the bond with Beca couldn’t broadcast the danger. That was part of the poison’s effect.
Chloe lay there in silence, the poison working through her system. The rabbit had eaten Dogbane berries. Rare in Georgia. Deadly to werewolves.
Stacie was the first to shift back.
Then came Lilly, Emily, and Cynthia-Rose.
Sam and Frankie followed next.
Finally, Beca.
But Chloe didn’t shift.
The early light of dawn spilled across the clearing, softening the edges of the world. Beca, freshly dressed, stretched and looked over at her mate.
“Chloe, come on,” she called gently. “I know the sun feels good, but we have breakfast back at the house.”
Chloe didn’t move.
Beca’s brow furrowed. She took a step forward. “Chlo?” Her voice rose.
Still no response.
A hush fell over the field. One by one, the others turned toward the change in Beca’s tone.
Then Beca’s face went pale.
“I can’t feel her,” she whispered. “I can’t feel her through the bond.”
“Aubrey!” she shouted. “Come here now!”
Aubrey was already running. In a blur, she crossed the clearing and dropped to her knees at Chloe’s side. Chloe shifted back to her human form as Aubrey reached her, but she was still unresponsive. Her breathing was shallow, her skin clammy and pale.
Aubrey bent low, inhaling around Chloe’s neck and mouth. Her senses searched for anything unnatural, anything wrong.
“Dogbane,” Frankie said suddenly, her voice tight. She crouched beside a rabbit’s remains near the edge of the clearing and pointed to the berries nearby. “The rabbit she caught must have eaten Dogbane.”
Beca shook her head, clutching Chloe tighter. “No. No, Aubrey, no.”
Dogbane was fatal within seventy-two hours if untreated. But the antidote had to be administered within the first hour.
Chloe had been lying there far too long.
“Let’s get her back to the house,” Aubrey said softly. She pressed her hand to Chloe’s cheek. Her skin was already too cold. “We can try an antidote, and I have some herbs that might help fight it off. We’ll figure out a way to save her.”
“We have to,” Beca whispered, her voice hollow. The color had drained from her face. She lifted Chloe into her arms.
“How good are you at brewing potions?” Aubrey asked Frankie as she watched Beca carry Chloe.
“I guess we’re about to find out,” Frankie whispered before they started back.