The next morning.
Today was a cheat day as Shawn had announced the day before.
So, it was a holiday from all that torture that Shawn bestowed upon Helena day after day in their training sessions.
And this time, Stephen wanted to take up Damien's bet that Helena would be even more passionate in bed.
Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Stephen kissed his girlfriend twice on the neck but she was not even aroused. Her thoughts were somewhere else. And unbeknownst to Stephen, on someone else.
Stephen stopped. "You must be tired after all those sessions."
Helena sat up a bit on the bed. "No, please keep on going."
He cupped her hand in his. "With all that's going on, I don't blame you."
"Huh?"
"I meant with your Mom back and all."
Helena gulped. She wasn't thinking about her mother at all when Stephen was kissing her. "You're right."
Meanwhile, Nicole was in the room adjacent to the kitchen while Damien hummed, paced, and sipped his morning coffee in the kitchen.
Nicole was also lost in thoughts, her fingers tracing absent circles on the wooden tabletop as her coffee grew cold beside her, steam no longer rising from the mug that bore a chipped rim—a tiny imperfection she'd memorized during countless mornings like this one, when her mind wandered down shadowed corridors of memory and possibility.
Damien stopped pacing. "What's on your mind, Nicole?"
"Well, I still have to explain to Helena how I'm still alive." She answered.
"You can confide in me."
"I think it's better we go to your pack's leader."
**
Stephen's fingers traced the curve of Helena's hip, his touch feather-light against her skin as he leaned in, his breath warm against her neck.
Helena closed her eyes and tilted her head back, trying to lose herself in the sensation as his lips found the sensitive spot below her ear, but the wolf inside her remained stubbornly unmoved, her mind still drifting to forbidden thoughts of another.
With mechanical motions that betrayed her distraction, she straddled him, her body going through the motions while her mind remained elsewhere.
She finally orgasmed.
Meanwhile, near the kitchen.
"Wow, those training sessions must be paying off." Damien said sipping his coffee."
"She's faking it." Nicole said sipping hers.
Damien almost choked to death on his coffee after hearing that comment.
**
That afternoon.
The brothers, Helena, Nicole, and the Moonwalker pack's leader Marcus were gathered in his makeshift office; the tent which he shared with his wife.
"Where's Shawn?" Damien asked.
"On a mission." Marcus replied not even looking at Damien as his attention was on someone else.
"And your wife?" Nicole asked.
Marcus didn't need to shift his gaze towards Helena's mother. He was already eyeing her and his wolf was hungry.
"Priya is studying in another country." Marcus said. "Sadly."
That last part seemed forced to Nicole.
Stephen cleared his throat. "Please let's focus on the matter at hand."
Helena was in the center of them with her arms crossed.
She had been anticipating an explanation from her mother since a week now.
"I am the Phoenix." Nicole announced.
Everybody else in the room gasped and some even took a step back.
"But wait." Marcus said. "Jenna is-"
"She was my successor." Nicole explained.
"Was?" Damien asked.
"Yes, she lost her power after your first war." Nicole declared. "This is why I came back. Was forced back actually by the ancestors. If there is always a Phoenix present, then things won't turn out so badly."
Everybody seemed in agreement but Helena had a tear in her eye, and she scrambled out of the room.
Nicole noticed then followed her daughter outside.
"Helena?"
"How could you lie to me all those years?"
"Let me explain I-"
"There is nothing to explain." Helena was sobbing now. "I don't want to speak to you ever again."
**
That night.
Marcus had instructed his two guards that no one should disturb him for at least an hour.
Although, what he planned to do would take minutes.
"Yes, yes!" He yelled in pleasure.
He was rubbing one out.
It didn't seem to end in a happy ending. "Come on, come on."
"I can help with that." A sultry female voice said from behind him.
He whipped around to find Nicole standing there, her lithe figure adorned in the ceremonial attire of a female werewolf—tawny fur gleaming in the dim light, accentuating every dangerous curve.
And he was buck naked.
He tried to hide his dick but Nicole bent down on her knees beside him. "Now, now, don't be embarrassed."
"Sorry, it's cold, so-"
"Hush, baby." Nicole purred. "If it's limp now I'm excited to see when it's rock hard."
She grabbed ahold of his cock and started stroking it gently. Marcus emitted sounds he didn't know he could make.
The night ended in a happy ending after all.