If I were to do a spinoff of this book, what would you want to see? Vera and Sean, or Orion's backstory? Or both?

Three years later...

Orion could hardly contain himself that day. He couldn't stop touching up his hair and looking in every single reflective surface he passed on the way to his car.

Max quickly hustled behind him, briefing him on the happenings around the pack and security details before they left. He couldn't just leave and not substantially increase his security measures.

"So, in summary, all is taken care of. Anything else?"

Orion shook his head a little bit too eagerly. "No. That's fine, thanks."

Max sighed, grabbing her alpha's arm. "Hey, I know you're excited about today but you're so jumpy. What's wrong?"

Orion wasn't one to keep his feelings in and hide them away, especially from his longtime friend.

He stopped his brisk walking and sighed, shutting his eyes.

"I know I'm a little bit unstable right now, but I'm just so nervous. Usually I would have my father here to hype me up, but..." He trailed off and hung his head slightly, not really surprising Max.

Ever since Ares passed, Orion hadn't really been his old self. Which is okay, she thought, because people are changed by traumatic life events, such as losing a parent, but it's not always terrible.

He'd dealt with his father's passing healthily, but he still was going to miss him, and that wasn't a bad thing.

Maxine smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, it was nice to have your father to hype you up when you need it, but I'm sure he's cheering you on from a better place right now. You have to trust yourself, Orion."

Orion shook his head. "I'm not the same as when she left. There have been so many things that have happened to me after she left and I know I'm not the same person she fell in love with. What if she doesn't love me anymore?"

Max shook her head and playfully rolled her eyes. "I've read some of the letters you wrote. There's no way she could resist that. I'm sure she fell in love with you over and over again after reading your letters. Look, I'm sure she has been through some things that have changed her as well. But you're mates. You're perfect for each other."

Orion nodded, still unconvinced, but a little more hopeful. He started walking to the car, Max still behind him, and when he opened the door, he turned back to hug Max tightly.

"Thank you. I should be back in about a week's time."

Max grinned and nodded. "If anything changes, let me know." Orion nodded and got into the car, shutting the door.

He mouthed a thank you through the window and Max waved before his driver took off. He looked into the seat beside him and smiled.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Just had some last minute things that had to be tied up."

Vera grinned and shook her head, her two year old son sleeping in her arms. "It's fine, Orion. We weren't waiting long."

"How's the little one doing?" He reached over and gently smoothed the child's blond hair.

Vera smiled. "He's been feeling a lot better lately. I can't wait for him to meet Lorena and everyone back home."

Orion smiled. "I'm sure she'll be excited too."



Lorena could hardly sleep, eat or think. She was finally going to see Orion again.

When Orion sent her back home, she thought that the relationship they had built together was going to be destroyed. She was surprised to see that it actually strengthened it. Lorena's pack had always had horrible telephone service and so she and Orion decided they would send letters back and forth.

Lorena was okay with words, but she discovered that Orion was amazing with words. Every letter he wrote to her made her fall even deeper into love with him than before. They would always send meaningless notes to each other describing what they looked like at the moment, what they were wearing, and how their week had gone. A lot of notes she had to keep secret and hidden away for...explicit content. But for the most part, she enjoyed sharing her letters with anyone who asked how she and Orion were doing. Usually the older women in her pack swooned over Orion along with her, although Lorena knew it was harmless.

One of the last letters Orion sent to her came about a week ago, and the last line sent her heart racing every time she thought of it.

I will be able to hold you soon enough, my love. Be ready for me in a few day's time...

Lorena had no idea of the exact date and time Orion would show up, but ever since she read those words, she wasn't able to relax. She bustled around her small town and around her parent's house, trying to get everything together. She knew everything had to be perfect, even if she didn't know the day he would arrive.

For the most part, her parents watched her panic and run around for two days, buying things that she thought would make Orion feel at home.

Then one afternoon, Lorena was in the kitchen, cleaning everything for the third time that day.

"Enough, Lorena!"

Lorena jumped and dropped the cloth she was using to wipe down the counters, turning to face her mother, who had a scolding but playful look on her face. The Luna felt her cheeks get hot and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can never do enough cleaning, Mother."

The older she-wolf shook her head and approached her daughter, grabbing her hands, holding them up so Lorena could see them.

"Your hands say otherwise."

Lorena rolled her eyes, but then looked at her hands in horror. They were super dry and it was super obvious.

"Oh my gosh!" She snatched her hands away from her mother's grasp.

"Now, the house has been cleaned forty times over in the past few days. This obsessive cleaning needs to stop."

Lorena looked into her mother's kind, brown eyes that were so much like her own and sighed. "I can't help it. I feel like everything has to be absolutely perfect when Orion arrives."

Her mother gestured for her to sit down at the table, and sat down in front of her. She took a small piece of the aloe vera plant she kept on the table and pulled it open, collecting the gelatin like substance inside.

Lorena watched as her mother gently massaged the aloe onto her hands. She huffed and her leg started bouncing. She couldn't stop thinking about how she needed to keep cleaning.

"I was just like this when your father and I started seeing each other."

Lorena looked up at her mother and smiled. "Really?"

The older woman nodded. "Every time he was around, I would start cleaning obsessively. It's an instinct for female wolves, but I promise you, once you spend enough time around someone, it goes away. Mainly because you stop caring about what they think," she laughed. "You just miss him so much, is all."

Lorena sighed and nodded. She was so grateful to have her mother. Even after all of the years of the two of them fighting and being at each other's throats, it was nice to be able to talk to her and make up for that lost time. She wanted to have a good relationship with her mother since she was a little girl, and now she had that.

"Thank you, Mama." She sighed wistfully. "I do miss him."

"Just remember he's coming, okay?"

Her mother stood and kissed her on the forehead, leaving her in the kitchen alone. Lorena sat there for a few minutes, just trying to gather her thoughts.

When she finally stood and went to go shower after all of her excessive cleaning, the doorbell rang. She froze for a second and slowly walked towards the door, looking through the peephole.

She squealed and opened it.

"Vera!"

Here go yalls chapter, damn...yall bullied me until I posted it lmaoo