Redemption of Lunar Falls: Lunar Falls, #3

By Lashell Collins

Carly Tipton's life has been turned upside down since she moved to Lunar Falls. She came looking to start a new life for herself, but nothing prepared her for the adventure that awaited her in the mysterious little town. A place where werewolves not only walk among the humans, hidden in plain sight, but where the roots of her own family tree are deeply entwined with the noble creatures. And when she and her mate, Gabe, are declared the answer to an ancient Moon Hunter prophecy, Carly finds herself wondering if the secrets and lies of Lunar Falls will ever end.

 

Gabe Masters is an Alpha on a mission – to re-educate his people in the ancient ways of the imprinting and abolish the purity movement, all while getting the five packs to accept his new human mate as one of their own. Easy, right? Until shifting alliances and a small faction of wolves join forces with the cat shifters in a last-ditch effort to overthrow Gabe's authority before his and Carly's wedding. A vicious battle ensues as Gabe leads his men (and women) against the rebellion. But can he defeat them in time to keep Carly safe?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lashell Collins
• Release date: Jun 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227081155

Book preview

PROLOGUE

How was it possible to feel so completely content and at peace with your little corner of the world and yet still acknowledge that there was an unrest in your soul?

An unanswered question that still gave you pause. Maybe even kept you awake nights.

Carly knew that Gabe had lost some sleep over it, and she knew it would be a lie to say that she hadn’t as well.

But how could they not worry?

It was an important issue. And not just to them, but to the entire Moon Hunter race.

As she pondered that question, she looked around the lush grounds that surrounded the beautiful log mansion and smiled.

She loved these times when their family gathered at the Wolf Lodge. Any occasion seemed like a good excuse — someone’s birthday, Christmas, the monthly hunt. She just loved it when they were all together.

But as she glanced around at all the bright faces, she knew without a doubt in her mind that there were a few unsettled hearts behind those happy smiles.

Jessica and Joe, for instance.

Or Seth and Sophie.

They were all in the same boat, and it had been great for the six of them to have each other to lean on for support as they waited for news. But the waiting was still hell.

Placing a hand on her back, she sighed and stretched upward a tiny bit. A half-hearted effort to work the tiny kink out of her back.

A futile exercise she knew, but she tried in vain anyway. Then she smiled as her hand went to her swollen tummy and gently caressed their unborn pup.

You’re giving mama a hard time today, baby, she said aloud, knowing that she loved every minute of it.

Well, okay… maybe not every minute of it.

But for the most part, she found that she didn’t mind being pregnant. Feeling their baby grow inside of her as she daydreamed about what he or she would look like and who they might grow up to be.

And the great part was that her Moon Hunter DNA didn’t really allow for things like morning sickness or swollen ankles to be much of an issue for any length of time.

The added weight of carrying the child sometimes taxed her back though.

Hence the annoying kink.

She looked around again and smiled as she spied Lobo sticking to Gabe’s side and watching his every movement, hoping to catch a fallen piece of meat as Gabe manned the grill and laughed with Deron and Becky.

She saw Henry and James and her Grandpa Tucker talking smack to each other as they played a lively game of Dominos.

Rose and Jessie were laughing at whatever Joe had just said to them.

Sophie was watching with a proud smile as Seth’s mom, June, cooed over the new baby.

Her sister, Hayley was flirting shamelessly with Craig, one of Gabe’s Enforcers. Even her parents appeared to be having a good time as they talked and laughed with Nancy and Purla.

Life was good.

But times like this, when she could look around and see their blessings, always made Carly remember how it almost didn’t happen, and how dangerously close they all came to losing everything…

1

The lace felt so delicate beneath her touch as she ran her hands slowly down the front of the dress and turned sideways, assessing the situation.

The disappointed sigh that followed caught her off guard, but she couldn’t help it.

This was supposed to be her final fitting, but with the tiny bump in her tummy seeming to get bigger by the moment, Carly suspected there would be a last-minute session right before the big day.

It had only been three weeks since that wonderful, horrible, eventful day.

The day that had drastically changed everything.

So much had gone down that day that it was sometimes difficult to believe it had all actually happened.

The war council and the Oracles’ ruling on her strange transformation.

Being kidnapped by Silas and his subsequent death at Gabe’s hands.

James’ return from the dead, and his new half-Katjie mate.

All of that, plus the news of her pregnancy and Gabe’s proposal. It had been the craziest of days, to be sure. And in the weeks that followed, things had only gotten a lot more complicated for all of them.

In the wake of Silas’ death, the news that he had been in league with the cat shifters and had conspired with them to murder his own brother had spread like wildfire across all five packs.

His immediate family wasn’t coping with the scandal very well.

Seth especially seemed to be extremely troubled and angry, and he had been keeping his distance from Gabe as much as he could and still perform his duties as Lead Enforcer.

Carly knew that Gabe was worried that Seth might resign and take up his father’s fight against him, but she wasn’t so sure. Silas’ traitorous acts had brought great shame and dishonor to his mate and their three children.

His funeral had been an interesting lesson in Moon Hunter beliefs and tradition for Carly as she watched June sincerely apologizing to Gabe for the crimes committed against him and his authority by her husband.

Gabe had taken the woman’s hands in his own and looked into her eyes as he said, This will always be your family, Aunt June. Then he’d hugged her tightly and told her that he was sorry for her loss.

Not that he was sorry for killing the man she loved, or for taking her children’s father away. But sorry for her loss.

He’d had a similar exchange with Seth and Jason and Sarah, telling each of them that this was still their family, and that he was sorry they were grieving.

But he never once apologized for his actions.

Her grandpa, Tucker, explained that it was the normal order of things in the Moon Hunter world. In their society Gabe had been completely justified in what he’d done to protect not only his mate, but also his position as GrandAlpha.

It was difficult for Carly to wrap her head around, but a couple of days later she had witnessed it all over again when Frank Winslow’s mate showed up at their farmhouse with their teenaged son. She had sought Gabe out because she wanted to apologize to him as well.

Carly supposed it was the women’s way of ensuring that they and their children remained in their Pack Master’s good graces despite whatever crimes their husbands had committed against him.

It was all very fascinating to her, but she suspected that it was weighing on Gabe. And that wasn’t the only thing.

There was also the fallout over the fact that James Masters had shown up on their doorstep that fateful night, very much alive. And while Gabe and Jessica were elated to have their father back, there were some very real consequences they all had to deal with now.

Not the least of which was the fact that James had arrived with a new mate by his side.

A Mixed Blood of a most unusual sort. Half Moon Hunter, half Katjie.

If the people thought they had a purity problem before, they had no clue what to do with the likes of Purla.

At first glance, she was gorgeous. Warm olive skin, green eyes and long brown hair that flowed to the middle of her back. A quiet smile and a sweet disposition completed the picture.

It wasn’t until a Moon Hunter got a whiff of her that they realized there was something very cat-like about her scent. Their distrust of her was immediate and seemingly unanimous.

Some in the community had been quite outspoken about their disappointment that their beloved former Pack Master had taken up with such a woman.

Some had even gone so far as to suggest that she was a spy for the cat shifters and that James was being used.

Then of course there was Rose.

The public humiliation had been a huge blow for her, and she lashed out at James violently when she finally saw him.

To his credit, James never raised a hand to retaliate or defend himself.

Gabe had to step in and physically pull his mother off of his father.

James had been a bloody mess at the end of it, but his rapid healing kicked in, concealing all traces of the lashing he had willingly taken at Rose’s hands.

It had been a strained reunion to say the least.

But then Rose had pulled herself together and left the Wolf Lodge without a word. She had been keeping a low profile ever since and not even Gabe or Jessica had seen much of her in the past three weeks.

Carly knew that Gabe was really beginning to worry about her though.

But the main thing occupying Gabe’s mind was all the pack politics going on.

The war council had made some big decisions after the Oracles’ proclamation that Carly’s strange and sudden transformation made her the long-awaited answer to an obscure and puzzling Moon Hunter prophecy. Decisions that were proving to be both welcomed and feared by many in the community.

Gabe had been worried that the issue might polarize the people instead of bring them together. Carly had watched him agonize over the decisions he and the council were making, and she knew that he was determined to make things right for his people again.

He was working so hard and she was proud of him, even as she worried that he was pushing himself to the brink. It had caused her to wonder a million times in the last few weeks if they were crazy to even think about attempting a bonding ceremony and a wedding in the midst of such chaos.

And then there were the dead bodies.

In the last three weeks there had been two more bodies found along Wolf Creek, both mutilated and partially eaten just like the others.

Carly knew that Gabe was anxious to get his hands on the Katjie responsible. Especially now that he knew those same cat shifters had been responsible for keeping his father captive and torturing him for two years.

She shook her head now as she thought about it all.

Then she gathered her shoulder-length black hair and gingerly piled it on top of her head, studying herself in the mirror.

The gown just didn’t feel right today, and she let go of her hair and shook it out.

She had loved the dress when she first picked it out, but her body had been different then.

No baby bump.

Not that it was huge now, because it wasn’t. Truth be told it was barely noticeable, and easily hidden under the right clothing.

But in a wedding gown?

Not so much.

Oh, Carly!

The soft exclamation took her by surprise, and Carly snapped out of her own muddled thoughts to focus on the reflections of the two women standing behind her. She smiled at them in mirror.

Wow, Purla whispered.

You look so beautiful, Jessica gushed. My brother is not going to know what hit him when he sees you in that dress.

Carly smirked at her. I’m sure he’ll be much more impressed with my outfit for the bonding ceremony, she said with a sarcastic glint in her pretty hazel eyes.

Very funny, Jessica replied.

Are you guys sure this looks okay? I feel like it’s way too tight around my middle, she said. Maybe it’s a mistake to wear such a form-fitting gown. I’ll look like a white roll of sausage walking down the aisle in this by the time the wedding gets here!

It’s not like it’s painted-on tight, Carly, Jess protested. Besides, you’ve only got a week to go. Your tummy isn’t going to be that huge by then.

I feel like it is, she complained, pulling at the seams of the dress as she looked herself over in the mirror.

You’re just stressed right now and not seeing things clearly, Jessie said. That dress is a dream.

She knew that Jessica was right.

The dress was still just as beautiful today as it had been the day she’d chosen it. A scalloped lace neckline over a sweetheart bodice, with a figure-hugging fit that flared at the bottom.

The allover lace tulle gave it an air of romance while the hand-beaded trim at the shoulders and waist and the chapel-length train gave it a hint of elegance. It was stunning, and Carly knew that it wasn’t the dress that didn’t feel right today.

It was her.

Between all the wedding plans and learning about the bonding ceremony and dealing with her parents’ misgivings about Gabe and their sudden rush to the altar… to say that she was stressed out would be the understatement of the decade.

Are your parents still giving you a hard time? Jess asked, picking up on Carly’s stray telepathic thoughts as she straightened out the back of the dress.

My mother is being sort of passive aggressive about the whole thing, Carly replied. She keeps dropping little seemingly innocent statements like ‘November weather is so unpredictable, honey,’ or ‘With more time you could’ve had a proper guest list and invited more extended family.’ She’s driving me nuts.

Jessica and Purla smiled at her in the mirror.

You said they were nice to Gabe when you two went back to your hometown for a visit a couple of weeks ago, Purla said.

Carly and Purla had hit it off almost immediately.

There was something about the woman that Carly found endearing. She was so genuine and unpretentious. So unconcerned with status and power. All Purla wanted was to belong and to feel loved, and Carly got the impression that she had never had either of those things in her life before.

Not until James anyway.

Yes, they were very nice to him, she replied. And having my Grandpa Tucker there helped a lot because he, of course, is crazy about Gabe. And the fact that he could tell my parents that he’s known Gabe since he was a teenager went over really well.

But? Jessica asked.

Well, it’s just that things were going great when they thought they were simply meeting my new boyfriend, you know? I could tell that my dad especially was really impressed with Gabe. But the minute I announced that we were engaged and that we were planning to be married so soon, all the pleasant conversation came to a screeching halt.

Carly sighed, remembering the awkwardness of the moment. And, of course the first thing out of Mom’s mouth was ‘are you pregnant?’ You should have seen the look on their faces when I told them yes.

Gabe said he tried to assure your parents that the baby had nothing to do with the quick nuptials, but he wasn’t sure they believed him, Jessica said.

Yeah, they don’t, Carly confirmed. "And honestly, I guess my parents have me wondering why we’re racing to the altar too. I mean, at first it just made so much sense to get it all out of the way at once, you know? The bonding ceremony, the wedding. Just get the whole shebang over and done with."

Carly turned back to the mirror and looked at the wedding dress again.

But now I’m starting to think that waiting, or staggering the two wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Might help my parents calm down some. And from the way I understand things, Gabe and I are already considered man and wife according to Moon Hunter law, right?

Jessica nodded. Technically, yes. In our society, the bonding ceremony comes after the actual bonding has taken place. The idea is for the couple to come together beneath the goddess, Moon, to ask her to bless their bond. It’s more like a public acknowledgement that a bonding has taken place, followed by a big celebration.

Carly nodded. So maybe it was silly of us to try and fit everything into such a short time frame, she said. We’re already bonded. Maybe we should postpone the wedding for a couple of months. Or maybe even until after the baby comes.

Have you talked to Gabe about it? Jess asked, and Carly sighed and shook her head.

I heard Gabe telling James that he wanted to do things right, Purla spoke up, looking from one woman to the other. James asked him why the rush, and he said that he wanted to do things in order, because he wanted to gain your father’s favor.

What do you mean, do things in order? Jess asked. Like be married before the baby comes?

Uh huh, Purla answered with a nod of her head. He said he wanted to have a wedding so that your union would be legal in the human world as well as the Moon Hunter one. And so that your human family would be satisfied. But he said it had to be done in order, before the pup comes, because anything else would be disrespectful to your father. James told him that the only thing he had to do to earn his future father-in-law’s favor was to always treat you with love and respect.

Carly didn’t know what to say.

It was all so incredibly sweet. Both Gabe’s reasons for wanting to get the wedding over with quickly, and his father’s response. She suddenly couldn’t stop the slow smile that crossed her lips, and she shook her head.

I love that man, she thought to them.

Aww, Jessica smiled.

And you’re right, Jess. I am incredibly stressed out. I just really want everything to go smoothly when my parents and sister are here next week, Carly said. I’m trying not to freak out about it, but I’m so worried, you guys. I mean, with everything going on how could I not be?

Jessie didn’t say anything, but her sad smile spoke volumes. She understood perfectly that Carly had good reason to be worried. She reached out and ran a hand over her friend’s arm.

I’ll go find Mrs. George so she can look you over and we can get out of here. Maybe some lunch will help take your mind off things for a bit, she said.

Once her session with the seamstress was over and Carly had gotten out of the gown and back into her denim leggings and boots, she pulled her favorite green sweater over her head and combed her hands through her hair.

They left the dress shop and walked around the corner to Mother’s Diner. The small eatery was clearly in the middle of their lunch rush and the ladies had to stand for a few moments as they waited for a table to clear.

I really thought the guys would be here by now, Jessie said as she looked around the place.

Yeah, me too, Carly echoed, glancing at the watch at her wrist.

As she looked up, she noticed a few curious glances shooting their way from some of the patrons, and she wished they would stop.

It was so unkind.

Her gaze drifted briefly to Purla, and her heart went out to her when she saw the woman seeming to study the small checkered pattern of the floor tile, refusing to look any of her would-be accusers in the eye.

Hi there, Dr. Tipton! Three of you for lunch? the waitress asked with a smile.

Actually, there will be six of us, Mavis, Carly answered.

I’ll get the large round booth cleared away in a jiffy for you, Mavis said.

Thank you, she said as the woman walked away. Then she frowned when she suddenly heard the stray telepathic chatter of a few people near the back of the restaurant.

I just lost my appetite! What is that woman doing in here? One of the men said.

Well, it’s been a few days since the last dead human, hasn’t it? And least, if she’s in here there won’t be any new deaths out there, the woman sitting with them replied.

It’s bad enough that James Masters has been taken in by that Katjie Mata Hari, but now the GrandAlpha’s new mate is hanging around with her too? the other man chimed in.

Carly couldn’t believe how rude they were being. Their thoughts were out in the open for anyone with telepathy to hear, and she suspected that was the point. For Purla to hear every word.

The trio got up from the table where they were seated and headed for the register to pay for their meal. Now just twenty feet or so away from where the girls stood waiting to be seated, the group of disapproving Moon Hunters glared at Purla.

Can I help you with something, Melanie? Jessica blurted out, fixing the female of the trio with a pointed stare.

What? Um⁠—

Did you lose something over here? ‘Cause you and your boys are staring awfully hard, Jessica continued.

No, Jess, the girl said, nervously.

We didn’t mean any disrespect, Ms. Masters, the ring leader of the bunch said.

Carly got the impression that he didn’t want to tick off the GrandAlpha’s little sister. Whether that was because he didn’t want to bring down the wrath of Gabe Masters or because he simply didn’t want to go toe-to-toe with the feisty she-wolf, Carly wasn’t certain.

It’s Koontz, actually, Jessica proudly corrected.

Carly smiled at the notion that she was finally using her mate’s last name.

Oh, Koontz now is it? the other man said with a sarcastic snicker.

Can it, Tony, the first guy warned. Then he turned back to Jessica. My apologies, Ms. Koontz. Dr. Tipton, he said, nodding at Carly. Then he looked at Purla and said, Ma’am.

He ushered the other two out of the restaurant just as Gabe, Joe and James came through the door.

Carly watched as the man’s face lit up when he saw James.

Pack Master! It is so good to see you, he said.

James shot an awkward glance Gabe’s way before he greeted the man and shook his hand. As they talked briefly, Gabe made his way to Carly’s side.

Hi, baby, he thought as he kissed her.

Hey. That’s still happening, huh? she asked, motioning toward James.

Yeah, he smiled. By now, everyone’s heard that he’s back, but when they see him the reaction is always shocked excitement. Can’t say I blame them.

They were all led to a large circular booth in the corner of the diner, and none of the men were able to ignore the weird vibes coming from their mates.

What’s wrong? James asked, looking around at them. He draped his arm around Purla and centered in on her emotions. Did something happen?

Purla shook her head, reluctant to say anything.

But Carly couldn’t let it slide.

Actually, yes. Something did, Carly said.

What’s going on? Gabe asked.

That man. The one who just gushed all over you when you came through the door, James? He and his dining companions had a few unkind things to say about Purla before you got here, she explained.

James looked disgusted. What did they say?

What they said isn’t important, Purla replied.

It was just more of the same, Carly said after a slight pause, and Gabe shook his head.

It’s the body count, Joe said. The public frenzy over the so-called killer cat in the woods. The humans are freaking out while the Moon Hunters are getting thirsty for Katjie blood. It’s not surprising they’re mistakenly drawing a connection between the deaths and Purla’s arrival here in Lunar Falls. You all know how a group of scared uninformed individuals can get.

That doesn’t excuse their rudeness or make it right, Carly said.

Well, no. It doesn’t, Joe agreed. I’m just trying to explain it. And, Purla… I know this is easier said than done, but I hope you’re not letting it get to you.

She didn’t say anything in response. She just shrugged her shoulders, and James hugged her tighter.

They all ordered lunch then, and as they ate they talked about the wedding and