Page 17 of Once You Go Pack
Mila’s breath caught. “You knew my mother?”
Gerri’s smile held secrets. “Not directly. But women like you, like her—you carry something special.”
The power plant loomed ahead, all stark concrete and humming electrical lines. Gerri parked near a side entrance, producing a keycard from her purse as if she owned the place.
“City romance at its finest,” Gerri quipped, leading Mila through corridors that smelled of ozone and machinery until they came to an elevator.
Once inside, they descended far longer than seemed possible, Mila’s ears popping from the depth. When the doors finally opened, they emerged into a chamber that defied physics—carved from natural stone despite being hundreds of feet underground, with symbols etched into the walls that seemed to shimmer with their own light.
“Wormhole transportation,” Gerri explained, producing a small metal egg from her purse. “Much faster than space travel, though considerably more exclusive.”
She whispered something into the device, words Mila had never heard but somehow felt familiar. The egg began to glow with brilliant blue light, expanding until it formed a perfect circle against the stone wall.
Beyond the glowing portal, Mila glimpsed towering snow-capped yellow mountains and auroras dancing across an alien sky.
“Last chance to change your mind,” Gerri said, though her tone suggested she already knew Mila’s answer.
This is so foolish. This is the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done. This might change everything.
But as Mila stared into that otherworldly landscape and saw the twin moons, she felt the lunar pull intensify, as if it were urging her forward.
Her mother’s voice echoed in her memory:One day you’ll understand.
“Let’s go,” Mila said, stepping into the circle.
Energy whirled around her, weightless and exhilarating. The sensation was like flying, like dissolving into pure light, like being remade at the molecular level. When the light faded, they stood on a cliff overlooking the most breathtaking landscape Mila had ever seen. Twin moons hung in the star-scattered sky, their combined glow illuminating forests of deep purple and amethyst. In the distance, a pink ocean reflected the dancing auroras, while crystalline snow blanketed yellow peaks that sparkled like diamonds.
The air itself felt different—cleaner, charged with energy that made her skin tingle and her senses sharpen. She could smell pine and snow and something wild and earthy that called to instincts she hadn’t known she possessed.
This is Nova Aurora.
SIX
CADE
Cade prowled through the guest suite where Mila would be staying and inspected every detail for the third time in an hour. The dark jeans and white henley he’d changed into felt more comfortable than his formal suit jacket and slacks, but nothing could ease the restless energy coursing through him.
She’d actually said yes to coming to Nova Aurora.
The thought sent another wave of anticipation through his chest, followed immediately by a spike of anxiety. What exactly did “test it out” mean? The phrase had been circling his mind since they left Earth, and he still couldn’t decipher whether it was promising or ominous.
“Her new wardrobe arrived an hour ago,” Martin, Ice Moon’s Beta, called from the doorway, his arms crossed as he watched Cade adjust the already-perfect arrangement of fresh flowers on the nightstand. “Three of each piece of clothing she could ever want, just like you requested.”
“Good.” Cade moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows, checking that the view showcased the best angle of the aurora-lit mountains. “Did you get her shoe size from Gerri?”
“Size seven, and yes, the boots, heels, and casual shoes are all in the closet.” Martin’s tone carried that familiar note of gentle exasperation.
Cade’s jaw tightened. “I just want her to feel welcome.”
“By drowning her in designer Nova Aurora fashion?” Martin stepped into the room, his sandy brown hair catching the moonlight streaming through the windows. “Cade, you’ve never done this for anyone.”
Because no one has ever mattered like this.
His wolf paced restlessly, remembering the electricity in Mila’s touch, and the way her blue eyes had darkened when they’d first met. That sweet scent of her still lingered in his memory, making his chest tighten with want.
“She’s different,” Cade said simply, but the words carried the weight of absolute certainty.
Martin’s expression grew serious. “Different enough to upend everything? Because that’s what bringing a human mate here means, and you know it.”
