(Mis)fortune
: Epilogue

I sat on the couch folding last minute laundry the day before Thanksgiving. Both the boys sat at the kitchen island egging Emmitt on as he flipped pancakes high into the air, just barely missing the ceiling.

“After breakfast, can we go down by Nana?” Aden asked.

Liam and Aden loved being homeschooled by Nana Wini. They usually spent the morning with her and the afternoon at Aunt Mary and Uncle Gregory’s to play with Paul and Henry. But I knew he wasn’t asking to go down for his lessons. He wanted to replace Jim.

“I don’t think so, buddy. We need to finish packing so we can see Grandma Char,” Emmitt said.

Aden’s face fell.

Jim’s continued absence from breakfast disappointed the boys. And it wasn’t packing that kept the boys from Jim. Earlier in the month, Jim had made a trip to the Compound with Emmitt’s bike. While there, it had disappeared. The boys didn’t know that Jim stayed away out of guilt for losing Emmitt’s motorcycle, even though Emmitt didn’t blame him. Well, not much. Jim had borrowed the bike without asking. Again.

‘Maybe Uncle Grey can help you pack,” I said. My brothers grinned.

The boys now knew all about the other members of our house. Shortly after we’d returned, Grey had taken it upon himself to introduce them to the secret world of furry fun by shifting in front of them and offering werewolf rides. Neither boy had even flinched. Instead, Aden had called for Jim and insisted he turn into a dog so they could race. Jim willingly obliged and lost to Grey by a lap. Liam had been elated.

Having so many people around to help with the boys freed up my time for wedding planning since Emmitt and I had set the date for just before Christmas. I’d finally managed to book the venue. It was a big place with plenty of room for Emmitt’s very extended family—the whole pack.

The phone rang, and I turned away from Emmitt’s show to answer. Since it was so early, I thought it might be Emmitt’s mom with some final details. We planned to leave later in the day to head up to the Compound. Charlene was organizing a huge Thanksgiving feast, and I couldn’t wait to start cooking. Feeding a hungry werewolf was gratifying.

“Hello?” I said, answering.

“Michelle, something’s going on with Gabby,” Sam said. “We need you to come early. How soon can you be on the road?”

“We’re almost finished packing. What’s going on, Sam?”

Emmitt glanced at me from across the room, and I shook my head at him. Nothing for him to worry about…yet.

“She’s asking questions about having more than one Mate and if there’s another werewolf species. I think she’s figured out more but isn’t saying anything.”

I hesitated, recalling my time with Frank. He’d talked about Urbat as if it’d been some other kind of werewolf. Could it be possible? Was there another species out there that Emmitt and his kind were not aware of? If so, how did Gabby play into it?

“Have you asked her about it?”

The line was quiet for several moments. “She’s mad at me. I could ask her, but I don’t think she’ll answer.”

I knew why he wanted me, then. It was time to meet the elusive Gabby. From what Emmitt had told me, she sounded like an interesting and determined person.

“We’ll be there before dinner.”

I hung up the phone and nibbled at my nail. I’d thought our lives were settling down. What did it mean that Gabby was starting to ask these questions now?

“Everything okay, hun?” Emmitt asked.

“Da,” Aden interrupted, “Can you cut my pancakes?”

“Everything’s just fine, Da,” I said, stressing his newly acquired title.

It was as if Richard had never been. It saddened me a little that my brothers wouldn’t have any happy memories of either parent, but I would make sure they knew how much our mom and Richard had loved them.

“Just a minute, bud,” Emmitt said to Aden. Liam reached over to help Aden with his pancake as Emmitt walked over to where I stood, still by the phone. He wrapped me in a huge hug.

A girl—a young woman, really—stood inside an office by the door, head bowed, waiting. Her bleached hair obscured most of her pale face. Still, I felt I knew her.

Her head snapped up, tilted, listening, her gaze unfocused. While her coloring screamed albino, her eyes said something else. The dark irises almost matched her pupils.

“Is he angry?” she whispered.

I looked around the room. We were alone. I tried speaking but couldn’t make any noise. Surely, she couldn’t see me.

“No, you can go,” she said to the room as she smoothed back her hair and walked to the desk, her steps measured. I watched her move and knew she was blind.

The door flew open as she smiled and said, “Welcome home, Papa. Did you replace them?”

Blake scowled at the girl but walked up to her and kissed her lightly on the forehead, his actions contradicting his expression.

“Yes. But, your sisters are not as reasonable as you are.”

I gasped, pulling myself from the vision.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Emmitt said, drawing back from me.

“Maybe not.”

I laid my head on his shoulder, and he held me close. His hand soothed my back.

Though I no longer received premonitions about the stock market, the visions of the other women like me hadn’t stopped. They happened fairly often now, always when I touched Emmitt.

I’d learned a little more about the women, my sisters, but not much. So far, five of us starred in the visions. Some visions were just little snapshots of day-to-day things, like washing dishes or walking somewhere, while a few detailed events that I didn’t understand. I shared those with Grey and Nana, hoping they could explain.

This woman was new. A sixth.

“He’s got another girl, like me,” I said softly so the boys wouldn’t hear. “Funny that I get this premonition right after Sam calls to say we need to head to your parent’s early.” I lifted my head and met his eyes. “I told Sam we’d be there before dinner, but I think we should leave now.”

He nodded, gave me a quick kiss, and went to the door. “We’re leaving in ten minutes,” he called into the hallway. He didn’t raise his voice or use a serious tone, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. The others would be ready.

Both boys looked up from their plates, and he smiled at them.

“Race time,” he said. “You two finish eating. Who do you want to finish packing for you?”

“Grey!” they both called.

I laughed, shook my head, and tried really hard not to feel the gnawing worry in the pit of my stomach.