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After her mother’s death, Autumn had refused to go live with her father, his pregnant new wife, and their daughter. She’d never been that close to him, but she hadn’t realized just how big of a selfish, egotistical asshole he was until he’d left. She’d made a vow never to forgive him for what he’d done to destroy her mother and their family, not that he’d cared much. Graham had just seemed relieved when she had refused to leave Mystic and move to where he lived with his new family.
Autumn had stayed in the apartment her parents had been renting, but she’d known she would have to figure something else out when the money her mom had left her ran out. She had only been on her own for a few days when her friend, Huxley Bazin, had figured out her situation. The wolf shifter had insisted on dragging her back to his family’s farm, where Paul and Rachel had welcomed her into their family without hesitation. Huxley and his three younger brothers had become her siblings, and the farm had become her new home.
Unlike other shifter groups who lived in communal housing, the members of the Bazin pack lived in different houses spread out over the property. It was a prime piece of land, with a fast-flowing river acting as a natural border on one side and a vast forest that they shared with a neighboring pack on the other. The rest of the property abutted a national park with miles of hiking trails that led to a scenic lake and a large set of majestic mountains.
Rather than live in the main house with the Bazins, Autumn had moved into a pretty little cottage with Jordan. She and the fairy had become best friends, so it had been a natural decision to go into business together once Autumn graduated. They currently lived in the same condo complex close to their bakery, but their fairy cottage was still there for them to visit on the weekends or whenever they needed to get away.
Although most of the pack lived elsewhere, the Bazin’s home was still their headquarters. The exterior might have looked like a simple, decent-sized cabin, but the inside was pure luxury and space. The camouflaging charm placed on the building allowed them to conceal what they didn’t want outsiders to see, which was that their home was a massive fortress that could easily fit the entire pack inside of it in case of emergencies.
Instead of teleporting to their cottage, Autumn imagined taking them directly to the large living room inside the Bazin’s home. She was relieved and excited when her teleporting skills worked without a hitch. In fact, it had barely taken more than a thought to teleport them both using her new powers.
As they appeared, Huxley Bazin was standing in the open kitchen, biting into a glossy red apple with a sharp snap. He had on a white shirt and gray sweatpants that meant he had either just gotten up or was heading to bed soon. He was a big male, with the broad shoulders and muscular body of a powerful shifter, but his physique had been enhanced by the countless hours of brutal training and strenuous work he did as a Firefighter and EMT Critical Care Paramedic.
Huxley’s black hair had been shorn close to his head, and his bright purple eyes gave away his partial fae heritage. Those eyes widened as he glanced over at them, but he took his time to finish chewing before he finally spoke.
“Well, this is…unexpected.”
“Clearly,” Jordan retorted dryly. She shoved Autumn onto one of the stools by the kitchen counter before she pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Stay here. I’ll text Cami to ask her to close for us and contact the rest of the family for an emergency meeting.”
“The twins are still in school, so they probably won’t answer. And Aidan is at the hospital, so he might be in surgery,” Huxley called out.
Jordan waved a hand in the air to signal she’d heard him as she walked away. Leaning against the kitchen counter in a casual pose, Huxley took another bite of his apple. He kept his tone bland as he spoke around the mouthful of fruit. “I’m guessing you didn’t fall into a vat of toxic waste or get bitten in the ass by a radioactive spider.”
“Nothing as sane as that, I’m afraid.” Desperate for a few more minutes of normal conversation, Autumn asked, “Were you off today?”
He nodded. “I’m off for three, so I came back to help with the harvest. Not that they needed me. The pixies went to work early and were pretty much finished in the orchard before I’d even left the firehouse, so I just went to bed when I got here.” He gestured toward the large bowl of apples on the counter. “Dad left a note saying he was bringing a few bushels to the bakery for you before he picks Mom up from the hospital, but I guess you don’t need them right now.”
She laughed weakly. “Cami and the others can put the apples to good use.”
“So, you going to tell me what the fuck happened to you?”
Giving up, Autumn sighed as she lowered her head to press her cheek against the cool marble countertop. “I’m a god now. The new Goddess of Revenge, to be exact.”
There was a long pause as Huxley finished his apple, then he tossed the core into the compost bin and pushed away from the counter. “I think I’m going to need a shit-ton of whiskey for the rest of this conversation. You want?”
“Wine. Bring me a glass as big as my head.”
“Coming right up.”
Chapter Three
Autumn sat upagain and watched as Huxley crossed the room and headed over to the full bar that was located in the corner. The pack members loved a good party and gathered together as often as they could.
Since the Bazin’s doors were always open to members, the first floor and lower level had been set up to entertain large groups of people. They also had a massive gym, a large game room, and a magically reinforced hall where formal pack meetings and dinners were held. Only the family members were allowed upstairs, and the rest of the pack respected their privacy.
The sound of a door opening reached her a few seconds before a loud voice boomed out. “We’re home! We just got a text from Jordan as we were pulling into the driveway,” Paul Bazin said. “Are my girls here yet?”
“Jordan and I just got here,” Autumn called out. She tried to think of a proper way to warn Paul before he walked out of the mudroom that was connected to the kitchen but couldn’t think of anything remotely useful to say in time.
Paul Bazin was grinning as he walked into the kitchen. Well-trained by his mate, he had removed his boots before stepping onto the pristine kitchen floor. Like his son, Paul was a big male with the muscular build of an alpha wolf shifter. Even at his advanced age, his face was smooth with barely a few wrinkles, and his hair only had a few gray streaks interspersed through the thick black strands.
Despite his intimidating size, Paul was one of the sweetest, most kind individuals Autumn had ever met. He was a good alpha, compassionate to his members and dependable to his allies. His warm smile could light up a room, but it always made her heart ache whenever she saw the empty space where his left arm should be.
Shortly before he had left the Army, Paul had been on patrol with his squad when they had chanced upon a battle between a reaper and a group of Celestials. It was extremely rare to see such powerful beings in the Human Realm, and it had been shocking to see the destruction they were causing as they attacked each other with a combination of magic and weapons.
Thankfully, the area had been pretty barren, or else the casualties could have been catastrophic. They could have leveled cities and killed legions. Most of Paul’s fellow soldiers had been human, so witnessing the magical battle had completely freaked them out. Paul and a demon hybrid had tried to pull them to safety, but a few of the humans had ignored their warnings and had fled in panic, which had ultimately gotten them killed.
When Paul realized that the gods had ambushed the reaper, trying to exterminate him for simply existing, he had shifted and joined the battle. There was a faction of Celestials who believed they were better than everyone else, and they were willing to kill to prove it. And there were others who thought hybrids shouldn’t exist, even if they came from fated mates. In contrast, those from the Realm of Souls, or what was more commonly known as the Hell Realm, accepted everyone equally.
