Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Daughters of the Moon Goddess – Prologue Kas’s POV

“Are you sure about this?” my wolf Elexis asks when the timer on the oven goes off.

“Absolutely,” I say confidently, “I refuse to be a prisoner in our own home, Lex.”

I pull the cupcakes out of the oven. Carrot cake caramel – I’ve been experimenting to perfect the recipe for my bakery for weeks so we can add it to the fall menu. The little browned mounds of cake finally look perfect and smell like heaven. I set them on the cooling rack and make a few notes in my notebook before I go get a shower.

I choose my outfit carefully, a loose, casual dress I can quickly remove with slip-on shoes. Once I’m changed, I check myself in the mirror. I don’t look out of place. People won’t notice anything strange. Satisfied with what I see, I go back to the kitchen and put a thick layer of cinnamon cream cheese icing on the cupcakes. I add orange and gold sprinkles for effect.

Sunday is usually my lazy day. It’s the day my mate Bronx and I stay in the apartment. We do that so my guards can have the day off and so he and I get to spend time together, but since m y birthday a little over a month ago, Bronx has decided he has more important things to do than spend time with me. 2

What important things, you ask? Who knows? He won’t tell me. He just says he needs time

alone with the guys. Which guys, you ask? Who knows? He won’t tell me that either. For the past five weeks, he leaves on Sunday morning and doesn’t come back until after dinner as if it were no big deal. 1

Sorry, I’m being rude. I should introduce myself before I complain too much about my life. My name is Kas Mason. I have been the Luna Regent of the Blood River werewolf pack in Montana for a little over a year now.

Bronx hasn’t really been treating me like a Luna lately though, more like an afterthought and I am getting pretty sick of it. I tried to talk to him about it. I really did, but he brushed me off. H e just rolled his eyes at me and walked away, muttering something about always nagging at him.

Not only has he been leaving me alone on the one day of the week we get to spend together, he has also put a substitute guard on duty outside the apartment door. And on top of all that, the guard has orders: I’m not allowed to leave the apartment unsupervised. If I leave, the guard needs to tell Bronx where I am headed.

It’s such bullshit. It’s not like I’m a child. I don’t even need a guard anymore. I mean, I used t o, but I’m much stronger now than when the guards were first assigned to protect me.

What does Bronx really think is going to happen while I’m in our apartment inside the packhouse, anyway? It’s not that I don’t like Tyree. He is a great guard and a fearsome warrior,

but it’s just stupid that he needs to be out there when Bronx should be in here with me

I smooth my clothes and open the apartment door.

“Is everything alright, Luna?” Tyree asks with a concerned look on his face.

“Oh yeah, no problem, Tyree,” I smile innocently at him, “I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to try another cupcake? Be my taste tester since the Alpha isn’t here? I think I have perfected the recipe this time.”

“Of course, Luna,” his dark eyes brighten at the offer of food as he smiles back.

“Great! You always give the best critiques of my baking.” I hand him a plate with three cupcakes on it, “Dig in! I just want to grab my notebook so I can write down your feedback.”

“I’m happy I can help. Thank you so much, Luna,” he nods, raising the cupcake toward me like a beer mug

I open the apartment door just as he takes a big bite of the little cake. I let energy build in my hand, making a slight violet aura form around it, and curl my fingers into a fist. Everything around me becomes deathly still. I look back to see Tyree frozen in time, mid-bite.

Perfect. I have half an hour before the effect wears off.

have supernatural powers. One of them is being able to stop time. If it’s just one person, like poor unsuspecting Tyree, for example, it can last for more than half a n hour. If it’s a large group of people, I can only hold it for about five minutes before my

down the hall, down the stairs, and out of the packhouse before anyone can see me. As I race to the wood line,

inky black fur and

to do if you find him?” Lex asks

That’s between me and Bronx,” I

riiiight,” she replies in a sing-song tone, “Oh! I

with his buddies. He is laughing, smoking, and drinking beer like he doesn’t

with him lately, but sneaking out to drink and smoke, that’s just wrong,” she snarls, “I

“Shift, Lex.”

any clothes. Those other guys will

to talk to him, so

says with a worried tone in her voice before she

storm out of the woods, naked as the day I was born, and make

to face me with a shocked expression

is at the surface when he sees I have no clothes on. He stands up and strides toward me. His surprise

clothes o n is a different story. Wolves have a tendency to get protective when their mates naked, so covering yourself up as soon as possible

the fuck, Kas?” Saint’s deep raspy voice growls from Bronx’s mouth as he grabs me by the upper arm and pulls me roughly toward the

You’re hurting me!”I growl dangerously at him, yanking my arm away. I can feel the purple aura starting to glow all over my body now, “Let me talk

he crosses his arms and

the Hell are you doing? Let me talk

what I’m doing. Why isn’t Tyree

at him, and snarl back sarcastically, “He’s taste

green as Bronx takes control back from his wolf. “Kas, you need t

letting Saint control him and treat

here smoking and drinking! You know you shouldn’t be out here, otherwise you would be at the packhouse doing it. Not out where no one will look for

he roars in his Alpha

out of here. Please. It’s not worth arguing with him when he’s clearly

take his shirt off and

up the shoes, putting them on as I run back up to

The cinnamon in the frosting really makes it perfect.” Tyree nods as he finishes the

happy you like it!” I smile brightly. “Well, you can keep

responds, “I’ll be

they won’t sense it. They already know how unhappy I’ve been with Bronx lately. They always tell me to come to them if I have a problem, but I don’t want to burden them with my personal

I hear them respond almost

wanted to let you know I figured out a new strategy. I need your help to refine it,”

Bronx’s POV

Saint growls in my mind as we watch Lex run off into

emotions influencing me, making me annoyed

Our friends?! She’s gonna pay for that!” Saint’s anger grows, making me feel extremely irritable, “I just want time to blow off steam.