God, everything inside her hurt. She’d known traveling back and forth between dimensions could mess up her physiology, but for some reason she’d never thought about that being so painful. Fatal, yes, but not painful.

She’d been wrong. When Naomi wanted to blame Groban or the Mirror for her impending death, she just couldn’t find it in herself to do it. Sure, working with them had most likely cut her life short, but it had allowed her to do something with her life… to make it mean something. And it had introduced her to Gage, her best friend in the entire multiverse.

Naomi’s own world had become so corrupt and polluted that it barely supported life. Gaming had taken over and those who could afford to existed in virtual reality pods—all of their bodily functions being handled by machines. They spent the entirety of their lives living a dream and never having to experience the harsh reality of the world they’d left behind.

She had not been one of the fortunate. Her life had been lived in an expanse that could barely support life. And what life existed outside of the pods was rife with war, famine, and plague.

When the Mirror and Groban had come calling, so to speak, Naomi had jumped at the chance to become their eyes and ears in other realms. She’d felt virtuous and as though not only had she been given a purpose in life, but a way off her world. They had believed that her dimension’s unique environment had corrupted her DNA to a point that repeated travel between other realms would leave her relatively unharmed.

They’d been wrong.

At first it had been mild headaches and muscle pains. By the time they’d discovered that her continual movement between realms trying to help them both atone for their sins was wreaking havoc on her body, it had been too late to save her.

Naomi had known that her trip to Earth Prime would be her last. She’d fully expected to die there, but instead, she found a life. For the first time, she’d found a friend… the very woman she’d been sent to find.

But Gage hadn’t been what they expected. Both the Mirror and Groban were arrogant and believed they knew everything; they didn’t. They had thought to locate the fated mate to the Alpha of the Hurricane Ridge Pack from the Shadow Realm. He was “destined for greatness” they’d said. Maybe so, but if he was expecting some prim and proper she-wolf to do his bidding, he and they were going to be disappointed.

She wasn’t sure what Groban, the Mirror or the alpha of the Hurricane Ridge Pack were expecting, but Naomi was sure Gage wasn’t it. She was strong, smart, determined and had zero use for being told what to do. The longer and better she knew Gage, the more Naomi had worried that fated mate or not, the life as mistress to a wolf-shifter pack would not be one in which she would be happy.

“Is she prepared yet?” asked the Mirror as soon as she entered the room.

“Hello to you too,” she responded, heading for her kitchen to get a bottle of water as well as the prescription pain pills to stave off the hangover she was likely to have. Her doctor had warned her not to mix the pain pills with booze, but sometimes it was the only way she could find any relief from the relentless agony of her ever-shifting DNA.

“What’s taking so long?” it asked impatiently.

“Well for one thing,” she said tossing back the pills with a large gulp of water, “I’m not convinced Gage will be happy in the Shadow Realm.”

“Your being convinced is not necessary.”

“Want to bet? You sent me here to do your bidding. We both know I don’t have much longer to live and will most likely die on Earth Prime. I’m kind of okay with that as this is the place I’ve been the happiest.”

Naomi knew she’d had too much to drink but didn’t really care. There wasn’t much Groban or the Mirror could do to her. She was dying and had come to believe the best way to do so would be in saving her friend.

The Mirror must have sensed it was starting to lose its control over her… and it was right.

“Perhaps you just need to present things to her in a different way. Time is running short, and this subliminal process is taking too long. Gage needs to enter the Shadow Realm as quickly as possible.”

“And perhaps you and Groban just need to fuck off.”

Naomi realized she’d really had way too much to drink. From the time she first met Gage, she’d known trying to prepare Gage for what they told her was Gage’s destiny wasn’t going to be easy. Those on Earth Prime knew nothing about the multiverse and Gage was far too strong-willed just to bend to their plans for her.

Grinning, Naomi realized that had it not been for Gage’s absolute insistence on taking care of her and seeing her back to health when Naomi had first come through the portal, Naomi would have missed the best part of her life. She owed her loyalty to Gage, not to the Mirror or Groban.

“You cannot speak to me that way,” growled the Mirror.

“Again, want to bet?” Naomi had said as she picked up her trusted Louisville slugger and smashed the mirror over her mantle.

She knew it would only find another reflective surface, but at least she’d shut it up for a while and it had felt good to take some action that felt right to her.

She leaned against the tree to steady herself as she caught her breath. In the end Gage and Chance had not only found each other but defied the odds. Her friend was happier than Naomi had ever seen her. She had only returned to Earth Prime to retrieve her source code. If it found its way into the wrong hands, it could have been devastating to Earth Prime.

They’d barely escaped with their lives and were now in the Shadow Realm, where she knew she would spend the rest of her life. Chance had offered her a chance at life. He was convinced, as was Gage, that if she were to be turned, to become a she-wolf, her DNA would right itself and she might live a life. He might have convinced Gage he’d set her free, but Naomi was pretty sure the pressure to remain with the Hurricane Ridge Pack would be intense.

Given how happy and at peace Gage seemed to be, she wasn’t sure that was necessarily the worst thing. Besides, according to Chance, she’d be happy and healthy and would be with her best friend.

“Are you all right?” asked Groban.

“I will be. Chance?”

“Do you need me to carry you?” he asked.

“Trust me Naomi, he can do that, although I don’t know that he’s ever asked me before doing it,” quipped Gage.

Chance grinned at her. The man was gorgeous, but when he smiled at Gage his entire demeanor softened and you could almost see him glow. Clearly the alpha of the Hurricane Ridge Pack was deeply enamored with his mate.

“No. I’ll be all right,” said Naomi. “I just need to catch my breath. But Chance, I think I’m going to take you up on your offer. The idea of living and not doing so in considerable pain has a lot of appeal.”

“We’ll do everything we can to make your transition easy. We won’t have time to try and build your strength,” he said gently.

“Why not?” asked Gage concerned.

“Because she’s dying. I imagine she’s been using a variety of means to keep that from all of you,” said Groban.

“I’ll be fine, Gage. This will be the first time I’ve ever really had a home or family.”

Gage hugged her and they continued on their journey down the mountain. They were surprised as they reached the floor of the valley that several of Chance’s warriors were waiting for them.

“Is there trouble?” asked Gage.

“No Mistress. You were spotted coming down the mountain and looked to have elderly or injured with you. Here, let me help you,” said an incredibly handsome wolf with an open and friendly smile, as he extended his hand. “I’m Elias, by the way.”

Naomi recognized the name. “The omega to the pack.”

She took his hand and felt an almost electrical charge flash through her system. Goosebumps raised along her skin, her blood surged through her veins and her pussy throbbed with life and pleasure in a way it hadn’t in so long.

Her people did not believe in fated mates. She wasn’t even sure those that lived in the virtual reality pods experienced anything like this. No wonder Gage had succumbed to her alpha mate’s charms.

“See?” he said to Chance. “I always knew I was famous.”

Chance shook his head ruefully as he took the lead with Gage at his side. Holding Naomi’s hand in one of his, Elias wrapped his other arm around her waist so she could lean on him. The sun was rising as Naomi headed into her new life, leaving behind the pain and loneliness of the one that had gone before and embracing all that the coming one had to offer.