Diana’s fervor for violence died down before long, and I saw the defeat in her eyes. I pitied her for all she had lost, but I couldn’t have her near my family anymore.
“You’ve taken everything from me,” she said quietly. “Just kill me and get it over with.”
“You won’t die today, Diana. Not by my hands,” I told her.
She looked up at me quickly, suspicion written on her face.
“I know you don’t believe me, but I cared for your daughter very much,” I explained. “Because of that, I won’t kill her mother. For Jana’s sake, you will live.”
“What do you want us to do with her?” Alpha Lex asked.
I stared down at the woman, hoping I would never see her again.
“Diana Pinedale, you are hereby stripped of the Pinedale name and banished from the pack for your crimes against my family. If you ever return, the penalty will be death,” I told her.
Directing my attention to Lex and Jasper, I gave instructions for where to leave her.
“I need to get Penny and Violet back home,” I explained. “Can you handle that for me?”
“It would be my pleasure,” Jasper replied.
I had a feeling Jasper wouldn’t be gentle when he transported Diana to her new home far away from here, but I couldn’t say that I was upset about it.
***
It had been the longest day the three of us had ever had. By the time we got home, it was early in the afternoon, but it felt like nighttime. None of us had gotten any sleep the night before, and we were all ready to give in to our exhaustion. But first, we needed to take care of Penny.
I had carried her back home, but Violet took over when we reached the front door. She picked her up lovingly, Penny resting her head on Violet’s shoulder while she was carried upstairs to her room.
She had never been seriously hurt before and wasn’t old enough for her first werewolf transformation, so I didn’t know how quickly she would heal from the injuries given to her by Diana. Her arm had been covered in scratches and purple bruises when we had left the forest, so Violet and I were both surprised that she was completely unscathed by the time we got home.
“Let’s get you into bed, sweetie,” Violet said.
She put Penny into her bed and pulled the covers up. While we were gone, someone—most likely April—had come over to clean up the mess from Diana’s home invasion. The smell of fabric softener filled the bedroom, showing that even the sheets and blankets had been washed and dried in our absence.
Violet and I sat on the bed next to Penny as she closed her eyes.
“I can stay with her while you get some rest,” I whispered to Violet.
I was hesitant to leave her alone in case she was nervous about Diana coming back to kidnap her again.
“You don’t need to stay, Daddy,” Penny murmured without opening her eyes.
“Are you sure, baby?” Violet asked. “We can both stay with you as long as you need us.”
“I’m sure. I know you and Daddy will always take care of me, Mom,” she said.
Violet smiled tearfully at Penny’s confidence in our love of her.
“Always,” she promised.
Epilogue - Violet
Eight months later
“I can’t believe we’re out of the house without either of the kids,” I said to my husband. “When was the last time this happened?”
“Probably when there was only one kid,” Nile laughed.