interacted with them.
It was that unconditional love more than anything that made me turn to look at him again and again. His heart glowed, warm as sunshine, when Hades and Persephone were near, and I was drawn to bask in it as well. I wanted that light, that warmth, to shine on me so badly it was a hollow, gnawing ache in my gut.
I’d experienced unconditional love before. My father loved me deeply and with that same fiercely protective zeal. My father would burn the earth for me, he had done just that, and I was grateful. He was my dad. He was so good at it; he was all I needed in the dad department.
There was nothing paternal about what I wanted from Stone Wilder.
Stone respected his dogs. He saw them as what? I don’t know, equals, maybe? Equal, but different? As members of a team? A pack? He seemed to see them as mature adults of their species, who required leadership and protection. He didn’t own them. He wasn’t afraid of them.
There was so much to unpack…
I yawned widely and rubbed my eyes.
It had been a long day. I’d wanted to look into the world of the wolfdog to see what was common knowledge and what myths, or lies, people were spreading about them. I’d wanted to spend a little more time looking into New World Wolf Sanctuary, especially if I’d have a chance to visit there, but I was bone tired and drained of emotion after shooting. I had decision fatigue, which might or might not have been the reason I’d blurted all about my dinner invitation to Stone Wilder to Molly.
Opening the small windows on either side of the bed, I let the sound of the surf soothe me. After a while, sleep claimed me. At some point in the night, two distinct howling voices woke me. I had a mental image: Hades and Persephone and Stone, awake and singing to the night sky.
I smiled, rolled over, and listened, struggling to fit a pop song over their collective moonstruck wails but unable to find one that worked.
What song did a man like Stone Wilder carry in his heart?
Were Hades and Persephone calling to their evolutionary brethren in some attempt to reconnect?
I was full of fanciful nonsense. How could I not be while filming a paranormal teen show about vampires and werewolves in the woods?
I made a mental note to work harder and think less.
A while later, I drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter Five
Stone
I got the news late Thursday that Ariel went into labor. Since it was her first baby, nobody expected it to be born before the following day. Of course, she made us all fools and gave birth to baby Artemis before midnight. I got the message from my deliriously happy brother, Taggart, at two in the morning while I was getting Hades and Persephone ready for a night scene with several of the teen werewolf actors. I called him back. He answered right away.
“Tag, congratulations, man. You named her Artemis? Are you happy?”
“God, yeah! Christ, I wanted a girl so bad. She’s amazing. Both my girls are amazing.”
“Don’t let Ariel hear you call her a girl.”
“No chance. I’d be taking my life in my hands.”
“Best life, brother. I wish you and your family all good things.”
“Yeah.” Tag’s voice broke. “I know you do. I just wish you and Serena—”
“The past isn’t allowed to interfere tonight.”
“It’s only the past if you let it be.”
“You know why I left, Tag. I scared them.”
“That was four years ago. The kids are older. Everyone is wiser. You could reconnect with a single phone call.”
“You don’t understand how awful things got between me and Serena. Now that she has Jason—”
“Things are different now, I understand. But you share three great kids. Just call her. I promise you it will be okay.”
I didn’t have an answer for that, so I searched for a way to shift the focus from what he’d said. “Your life will be so filled with joy.”
“It already is, Stone. Just looking at my girls…” His voice broke. “It’s just that I want it for you too.”
“It is what it is, bro. Welcome to the world, little Artemis,” I murmured. To me a happy, healthy baby for my brother and Ariel was joy compounded on the joy of knowing they’d each found their soulmate. I took a deep breath and said, “I need pics. Are you sending me pics?”
“I tried to get some good shots of the