Chapter 2

Samantha’s POV

“Okay! Meeting adjourned, everyone!” Mom announced, her voice carrying the finality of a war drum. “You kids—prep for your assignments.”

Her gaze flicked between Kai, Ty, and me, then landed solely on me. Uh oh.

“Samantha, darling,” Mom said, her tone suddenly turning soft. “You’ll leave for the Blue Moon Pack tonight. This mission is yours alone. I won’t be sending any of your fathers with you.”

Wait, what?

Before I could react, she pulled me into a rare, bone-crushing hug.

“I’m sorry for earlier. I was just worried. That’s all,” she murmured, surprising the hell out of me.

And boom—my eyes betrayed me again. Waterfalls. Freaking emotional sabotage.

NOT in front of everyone!

I’m an assassin, damn it! I have a reputation to uphold!

But still… Mom forgave me.

Awww.

“It’s okay, Mom. I deserved it. Lesson learned,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She smiled back and ruffled my hair affectionately.

“You’ve got a dangerous job to do,” she said. “And if your naughty ass isn’t back before dawn on the seventh day… the Blue Moon Pack better prepare for war—and my fury.”

She winked and turned on her heel, exiting with the rest of the sentinels.

Yep. Classic Alpha Zoe Stone.

Later that night…

All-black gear: check.

Boots, knives, darts, hairpin explosives: check, check, check, and double check.

I was fully loaded and ready to infiltrate. As I strapped my final weapon to my thigh in the artillery room, I sensed someone behind me.

“Aunt Nyssa,” I greeted, not needing to turn around.

The eccentric, badass Royal Seer of our pack—and my mom’s best friend—stood there with a knowing smirk.

“Came to wish me luck or deliver cryptic warnings again?” I asked, amused.

“A little of both,” she said. “If you ever face a hard choice, trust in what the Moon Goddess wants for you. Fate doesn’t fight fair—but it never misfires.”

I squinted. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

She didn’t deny it. “I saw it 19 years ago. Everything. I’m just here to remind you—don’t resist what’s meant to be.”

I sighed. “Aunt Nyssa, it’s a recon mission. I’m just keeping tabs on the Blue Moon Pack for a week and reporting back.”

She only smiled, mysterious as always.

Gods help me—I had no idea what I was walking into.

Spoiler: it wasn’t just intel I’d be collecting. It was emotional chaos. Mission mayhem. Mate madness.

“You don’t know that yet,” Aunt Nyssa chuckled and walked off with a wink.

She was right. I didn’t know anything yet.

But I was about to find out.

Meanwhile, in chaos central…

“WHOEVER PUT A HOLE IN MY COFFEE MUG—YOU’RE GETTING ADOPTED OUT!” Dad Lucan’s voice thundered through the pack house like a volcano eruption.

“That’s nothing!” Dad Corwin groaned. “You ever wake up to a snake dancing in your laundry basket? My piss and his hiss sounded like a horror movie duet!”

“You’re a wolf, dumbass. Scare it off!” Dad Lucan replied.

“I panicked… and pooped,” Dad Corwin deadpanned.

“Gross,” Dad Lucan winced. “TMI, bro.”

“You asked.”

And then—cue the chaos crescendo—Dad Valen’s voice roared through the hall.

“SAMANTHA STONE! I LOVE YOU, BUT MY WOLF IS COMING FOR YOUR PRANKSTER HEAD!”

Uh-oh. The cake closet.

“THE DAMN CAKE EXPLODED IN MY FACE! I STILL ATE IT, BUT OH DEAR GOD, IT DIDN’T STOP THERE!”

Oops.

Dad Valen tried to get some physical and emotional support against Dad Lucan but he recoiled, disgusted.

“AND YOU SMELL LIKE COFFEE SHIT, LUCAN!” he added, gagging at Dad Lucan, who just sipped calmly.

“I swear,” Dad Corwin grumbled, “she’s the naughtiest one of you all.”

“Could you please come to my office, Princess?” Dad Zarek mindlinked me.

“Already on my way!” I zipped there in my vampiric speed.

“Dad!” I grinned, bursting into his office.

“Princess!” he pulled me into a big bear hug. “I heard the screams. Please tell me there’s nothing waiting in my closet.”

“Of course not,” I said sweetly. Innocently. With a totally convincing smile.

“Uh-huh. You did glue my slippers, you know. And switch my shampoo with pink dye. And dig a trap pit for my wolf form.”

Whoops.

But hey—he looked adorable when he fake-glared at me!

“I’ll make it up to you, Daddy,” I giggled.

He chuckled. “Anyway—here’s the map of Blue Moon Pack’s territory.”

I scanned it, burned the layout into my eidetic memory, and then—whoosh—torched it into the bin.

“All comms are open. Report in when needed. My warriors will be on standby if things go south.”

“Thanks, Dad. But I’ve got this.”

He gave me a proud look. “Watching you work—it’s terrifying, brutal, and honestly? Kind of beautiful. You’re an artist, Sam.”

“Trained by the best,” I winked. He winked back.

Between my Vampire Invisibility, Moon-suppressing Seer-grade pills, and world-class stealth skills, I was practically air.

Assassin air.

I even ran a secret hitman agency on the side. Eleven-figure bank balance and growing.

But this mission? It was going to be personal.

Blue Moon Pack had no idea who was coming.

Time to raise some hell—with style.