Shadows of the Moon (Black Wolf Agency Book 2) Read online

  When she stepped up in front of Marcus, Selene looked into his eyes and they both smiled. He grabbed both of her hands and held them as the minister spoke.

  “We are gathered here today to witness the sacred union between Marcus Anderson and Selene Beckett, two people deeply in love. From this day forward, you will live your lives as one. May happiness follow you wherever you go, and no matter how near or far, may you always be as close as you are in this moment. Marcus, you may recite your vows.”

  Marcus’ face glowed with happiness as he looked at her. “Selene, that night when I first saw you, I knew you were special. Then, when I got to know you, I knew you were the one for me. The bond we share is so beautiful and precious. You are not only my lover and my soul mate; you are my best friend. I promise I will always be there for you. I promise to love, honor, and protect you always. I am yours for eternity. I love you, Selene Beckett.”

  Marcus’ beautiful words were her undoing. As he slipped the wedding band on her finger, she couldn’t hold back the tears any more. She took a slow, deep breath, fighting back any more tears that tried to escape. Then, when she was ready, she began, “Marcus, falling in love with you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Not only are you devoted and protective of me, but you show your love for me in ways I didn’t even know were possible. Being with you gives my life meaning. Being with you makes me feel truly alive. Words can’t express how happy and grateful I am to have you for my own. In this lifelong journey we will share together, I promise to love, honor, and cherish you forever. With every beat of my heart, I love you, Marcus Anderson.”

  Selene slipped his wedding band on his finger and looked up at him again, never wanting to look away. They grabbed each other’s hands and held them tight as the minister spoke once more.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  With bright smiles on their faces, they leaned in for their first kiss as a married couple, kissing passionately as the crowd cheered loudly.

  When their lips parted, they looked into each other’s eyes again, both of them thinking, ‘What a wonderful beginning to a long, happy marriage.’

  Joshua Gates watched Selene and Marcus from afar. ‘The happy newlywed couple.’ He cringed at the thought. His plan hadn’t worked out the way he wanted, and he wasn’t happy about that. He always got what he wanted in the end; no matter how hard he had to work to get it or how many people had to suffer along the way.

  He walked away, letting the happy couple have this day to themselves. He couldn’t promise them any more than that, though.

  When Marcus and Selene arrived at their wedding reception being held in one of their favorite restaurants nearby, everyone started to cheer as soon as they walked in the door. First, the newlywed couple shared their first dance together, a song that had played in the background at their first dinner date.

  “You remembered?” asked Selene, smiling. She was astonished. How could she have been so lucky as to find a man so perfect in every way?

  “How couldn’t I? I remember every little detail about our first dinner together.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. “I love you, beautiful.”

  “I love you, too, handsome.”

  When their dance was over, Selene noticed how hungry she was. Holding on tight to Marcus’ hand, they went over to serve themselves a couple plates of food. Selene thought to herself what a wonderful job the restaurant had done with catering and how well Kate had planned it.

  They sat down at the table where James and Kate sat. Kate was apparently hungry also; she had a large plate of food in front of her.

  “Congratulations, you guys!” said Kate.

  “Yes, congratulations, newlyweds! So, where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?” asked James.

  “Um,” Selene began, glancing at Marcus and then back at Kate and James.

  “Actually, we’re going camping in the Adirondacks, and while we’re in the area, we’re scoping out a location for the upstate agency.”

  “Hey, no working on your honeymoon, you two!” said Kate, slapping Selene’s arm playfully.

  “Oh, I’ll make sure she doesn’t work,” said Marcus, kissing Selene’s cheek.

  Just then, their conversation was interrupted when Marcus’ parents, Charlie and Mary came over and hugged them.

  “Congratulations! We’re so proud of you, son,” said Charlie.

  “Thanks, Mom and Dad.”

  “You sure found yourself a gem,” said Mary.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Anderson,” said Selene, blushing.

  “Thank you, Selene. You have made our son truly happy. I have never seen him this happy,” Mary added.

  “Well, he has made me truly happy, too.” Selene smiled at Marcus, grabbing his hand.

  “We’re looking forward to meeting our granddaughter, too,” said Mary.

  “Or grandson,” Charlie corrected.

  “Charlie, you know I have been spot on all these years with predicting this.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, I suppose. I can always hope you’re wrong.”

  “Really? You think I’m having a girl?” asked Selene.

  “I don’t think. I know. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a little bit psychic.” Mary wasn’t about to send her son and new daughter-in-law into shock on their wedding day by telling them all the things she had seen over the years. She decided she would keep all the details to herself for now.

  “What am I having?” asked Kate. As far as she knew, Mary didn’t know she was having twins. This was going to throw her for a loop.

  Mary stepped closer to Kate and concentrated for a moment. “Well, this is strange. I picture you having a boy and a girl. You aren’t having twins by any chance, are you?”

  Kate was shocked. “Yes, I am.”

  “See, Charlie? Right on every time! I can also see these kids playing together a lot as they grow up.” said Mary. “I should have started some kind of psychic organization. No, perhaps it should be an underground location where all the people with the same gift as me can all meet and mingle.”

  “You have the strangest ideas, Mary.” Charlie chuckled, and as they walked away, he looked back at Marcus and winked at him. Marcus laughed and winked back.

  “Why do you think he kept it from her all these years?” asked James.

  “He didn’t want to complicate her life. He knows she is happy and doesn’t want to change that,” explained Marcus, watching them walk away with a smile on his face. “They’re blissfully happy just the way they are.”

  Smiling as she looked up into Marcus’ eyes, Selene held his hand tight, happy with the life they had ended up with, too.

  ~ Epilogue ~

  During their honeymoon, Marcus and Selene fell in love with the Adirondacks. Marcus looked up real estate listings and found a nice, 1,000 acre piece of property to build the upstate agency location. The property came with a beautiful, old, colonial farm house. It was a beautiful location on the outskirts of Indian Lake, plenty far away from civilization and close enough to enjoy the benefits of the vast mountain ranges. The view of the lake and the mountains from the property was breathtaking.

  As soon as they closed on the property, Marcus and Selene moved into the farm house and oversaw the entire building project. In addition to the new agency location, there were also several houses being built on the property for all of the employees making the move from the city.

  Within seven months, the agency and houses were finished being built. First, Kate and James moved up with their newborn babies, Zack and Rosalie and decided to stay with Selene and Marcus in the large colonial house until after their baby was born. Yvonne and Lucius came with them to help with the move, and after seeing how beautiful the area was, they looked forward to moving up as soon as possible. It would still be at least a couple weeks before they were able to complete their transition to the new agency location. Yvonne decided being one of the bosses sometimes had its downsides.

  It onl
y took a week to set up the new agency location. By that time, Selene was due any day. She anxiously awaited the birth of their baby. Not only was she looking forward to meeting her; she couldn’t wait for her body to be back to normal. Luckily for her, Kate filled her in on what to expect after the baby was born. She had healed and felt back to normal within a day. Selene was happy to hear that she wouldn’t have the long recovery time humans had.

  Expecting a baby girl, Marcus had painted the nursery pink and had it all ready for the arrival of their baby. He had built a crib and bought a changing table and diapers. He also took Selene to a nearby department store and they picked out some baby clothes. She could tell he was looking forward to having a baby as much as she was.

  “You’re going to be a great dad,” said Selene, holding her hand on her large baby belly. It was late-afternoon and she had decided to lie down for a little while. Marcus lay right beside her.

  “Thanks, honey. You’re going to be a great mother.” He smiled, holding his hand on top of hers. Just then, they felt the baby kick and smiled. Marcus leaned down and said to the baby, “When are you coming out, little one? We really want to meet you.”

  “Aww, that’s sweet, Marcus,” said Selene, giggling.

  “You know what will make her come out?” asked Marcus, grinning.

  “Aww, honey, we just tried that last night. It didn’t work.”

  “Let’s try it again,” he said, leaning over her to kiss her, running his hand through her hair, down her neck, and to one of her breasts, cupping it gently.

  Selene felt a rush of excitement, anxious for this to go further. Then, suddenly, the pressure in her belly lessened and she felt a warm liquid leak from between her legs. “Well, that did it,” she said.

  “Your water broke?” he asked, his eyes widening with a slight panicked look on his face.

  “Yes.” Selene was panicking also. She didn’t know what to do next, but she knew who to ask. “Can you please get Kate and bring her in here?”

  “Sure, baby,” he said, propping up some pillows behind her head and helping her sit up and lay back against them.

  A minute later, Marcus returned with Kate and pulled up a chair next to the bed so she could sit beside her. Marcus sat next to her on the bed.

  “Calm down, Selene,” said Kate. She noticed the panicked look on Selene’s face and held her hand, comforting her. “We’re here for you, sweetie.”

  “Every step of the way,” added Marcus.

  Selene smiled, glancing at Kate and then Marcus. “Thanks, you guys. I’m sorry to take you away from your babies and James for this.”

  “Oh, honey, don’t be sorry. I need to be here with you. You’re my friend and you need me. Besides, I just nursed the babies and laid them down for their naps. They should be asleep for at least an hour.”

  “Is that how long my labor is going to take?”

  “Mine was only thirty minutes.”

  “That must be yet another benefit about being a werewolf.” Selene smiled.

  “Must be.” Kate smiled back.

  As Selene looked away, her eyes went wide and then closed tight as she felt a contraction; it was the strongest pain she had ever felt in her life. She cried out in pain.

  “Breathe, Selene,” Kate instructed, and she listened, taking shallow, quick breaths in and out. “Good job.”

  The contraction lasted a minute or so. The next one came after ten minutes. Then they grew closer together very quickly after that. Within about twenty-five minutes of her second contraction, she was ready to deliver.

  “Okay, Selene, you’re ready,” said Kate calmly, positioned between her legs, ready to receive the baby.

  Selene looked up at Marcus with a pained smile on her face. His eyes met hers and he smiled back, saying to her, “It’ll be okay. I’m here.”

  Selene pushed, closing her eyes tight as she tried to hold back her screams, but couldn’t. She squeezed Marcus’ hand tight as she screamed, pushing as hard as she could.

  Then it was over and the new mother was rewarded by the sound of her baby’s cry. She smiled, trying to get a look at the crying baby as Kate announced, “It’s a girl, just like Mary predicted.”

  Marcus hugged Selene, whispering to her, “Good job, honey.”

  “Thanks, babe. I couldn’t have done it without you, literally.” She chuckled, even though it hurt a little to laugh.

  When Kate finished cleaning off the newborn baby, she wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Selene. As soon as the baby was in her mother’s arms, she stopped crying. “She’s beautiful, Selene.”

  “Yes, she is,” she agreed. She never thought she could be as happy as she was at that moment. She was holding her baby; the baby she and Marcus had conceived together. And he sat by her side now, filling the role a true father would. He had stayed with her through this, just like he had with everything else she had been through since the moment they met. He never wavered; never backed down. He stayed strong for her. He was her rock, her strength.

  “You’ve got to be tired, Selene. I’ll leave you two alone now so you can get some rest,” Kate kindly said, smiling as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

  “Look at this little miracle you made,” said Marcus, holding the baby’s tiny hand in his palm.

  “You’re half responsible, you know.” She grinned at him.

  “You did all the work.” He laughed.

  “Well, you’ve got a point there.” She laughed along.

  “What do you want to name her?” he asked. They had made a list of names, but were undecided on which one.

  “I think she looks like a Sarah,” she said, smiling up at Marcus. “I think she should be named after your cousin, don’t you?”

  “That’s a wonderful idea, honey. It’s a great way to honor her.” He smiled at her and kissed her on the top of her head.

  Selene looked down at the baby as she started getting fussy. Knowing what she wanted, Selene unbuttoned her shirt and held the baby up to her breast. With a little help from Selene, her daughter began to suckle on her nipple for the first time. Content, she leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder, closing her eyes as she said, “I’m so tired, Marcus.”

  “I know. Rest now, sweetheart.”

  Selene drifted off to sleep with her head on Marcus’ shoulder while nursing their baby, thinking how happy she was with the way her life turned out.

  Things couldn’t have turned out better for Marcus and Selene.

  Joshua Gates sat in his office at the PAIA headquarters. It was late. Normally, this time of night, he would be at home, having a glass of wine and enjoying a nice dinner by himself. But tonight, he was coming up with a new plan. His first plan hadn’t worked out the way he had hoped, but he knew this plan would.

  He looked at Jeff, who was sitting in the chair across his desk from him. They grinned at each other; a grin of satisfaction.

  “It’s a shame the plan with Sam hadn’t worked out like I originally intended it to,” said Joshua. “But I know you’ll be able to carry this one out for me. The way you looked at Selene when she told us she was a werewolf; that was priceless. She thinks you fear her, and that’s exactly what I want her to think. So, when she comes to you for help, I know she’ll let you get close.”

  “It’s a shame we have to leave, though. I kind of like working here. I like the city, too.”

  “That’s too bad, but I assure you; you’ll like it a lot better where we’re going. You’ll have much more freedom there. You’re still new to this, so you don’t understand what it’s like to go from having all the freedom in the world, to being trapped in this hole of an office for years.”

  “I’m sure you know what’s best,” said Jeff respectively.

  “I do.”

  “So, what’s your big plan once we get out of here?”

  “I’ll fill you in on it later. But I’ll assure you, it will work. And the best part is Selene has no idea what you are, and she won’t find
out until it’s too late. One by one, we will take out everyone from PAIA, as well as Black Wolf Agency, and our kind will rise to power as a new and dominant species.”

  They grinned evilly at each other again. Then they turned out the lights and vacated the building. When they were a safe distance across the street, Joshua pulled a small remote out of his pocket and pressed the red button. A loud boom rang through the air; the windows in PAIA headquarters shattered, forced out by a cloud of flames that engulfed the entire inside of the building.

  Joshua and Jeff walked off into the darkness, leaving their old lives behind and determined to accomplish their mission at hand. They would stop at nothing to complete it this time, and would take down anyone who got in their way.