Trust in my plan, Carson. Trust yourself.

"Carson, you okay?"

I snapped out of my thoughts to stare into the eyes of my soon-to-be wife, her chocolate-colored orbs filled with concern. "Yeah," I replied, rubbing a bit of invisible sleep out of my face. "I just had a bad night, that's all.

Gia sighed. "Let me guess: Regan's still haunting your mind, right?"

I nodded.

She smiled softly, kissing me on the cheek. "That bastard doesn't know what he's missing," she said. "Thank the Goddess that you had the good sense to get out of there and performed the Soul Conversion. I don't want to imagine if you had died while that disgusting pig continued to sleep around with his bevy of sluts."

I motioned for her to keep it down. "Your son is in his booster seat taking a nap," I replied lowly. "And if he hears you cussing, your momma would have your hide."

We shared a soft laugh as she drove through the streets of Boulder. I thank the Goddess that she let me have this new beginning. Two years ago, after the Soul Conversion was completed, I was suddenly hit by a passing car that led me to Gia Napier and her mother Marianne, both of them witches from the Dark Dahlia witch coven. And they were the ones to take me to a nearby hospital and patched me up. Soon after that, I was immediately taken under the wings of the matronly Marianne and her two daughters Gia (a single mom who lost her first husband to rogues yet protective of her now two-year-old son Lucas) and Fianna (the next matriarch to lead the coven and a close friend of- get this: Ciara). Since then, I had gotten my GED and started taking classes at a community college.

And I had somehow fallen in love with Gia, though we decided to keep it platonic without the sexual feelings involved. I decided to be a proper father figure to little Lucas and help her out when she was working shifts at a 24-hour diner. And six months ago, I decided to be a real man for her and proposed to her. And now, we were on the way to a simple and intimate wedding ceremony that would seal my bond with her and Lucas. Gia also mentioned that two surprises were waiting for me.

"How did I get so lucky to find a girl like you?" I couldn't help but ask as we stopped at a red light, two minutes from the church.

"Because Mama and I already know that you needed a new chance to find happiness," Gia commented, smiling faintly at her little son who was holding onto his teddy bear. "And Lucas was lucky to have a real daddy come after he lost his original father."

"Thank you," I said, caressing her hand that held the emerald-cut engagement ring. Zales. "You and your family saved me from dying and I'm going to be a part of your family as the researcher AND your husband."

"And you gave me and my son hope," she replied. "I guess you can say that-"

"GIA, LOOK OUT!"

Those words would be the last thing I would say before the inevitable happened: the sounds of tires squealing out of control, the impending crashing sounds of broken metal and glass, and the car flipping over.

And just like that, my life would change dramatically... again.

Why, Goddess, why?

And before I would slip into an oblivious slumber, I heard a female's voice so melodious and yet so powerful. Rest, my child. And know that my plans are better and bigger than yours.

But what about Gia? And Lucas? And the Dark Dahlia coven?

Trust in my plan, the same voice replied firmly. Know that there is more to your fate than what you see. Rest now, my son. My beautiful baby boy. Trust in my plan. Trust yourself.

That was the last thing I would hear before the darkness swallowed me whole.

The last thing.

**************

Fianna's POV

"Mama, where's Gia and Carson?" I asked worriedly, setting the large bouquet of roses down before catching up with my momma in the entryway of the church. "They should be here by now and I don't want."

I stopped mid-sentence when I saw my mother collapsing onto the marbled floor just as two policemen came to her and a female officer came to me. "What's going on?" I said, my stomach dropping. "Is my momma-"

"Mrs. Turner," the female officer said, a stray tear falling down my face. "Are you the sister of Gia Napier-Zeller?"

I nodded.

"Ma'am, we just saw your sister's car being totaled by another driver who was texting and driving," she sobbed. "Your future brother-in-law Carson Hadley is en-route to the hospital."

"What about Gia and my nephew?"

The female officer just sobbed. And that was when I knew that I lost my sister and little Lucas.

And poor Carson! "I- I need to see him," was all I said, immediately pulling out my phone and dialing a familiar number. "Hello, Ciara?"

"This is Miles, her mate," I hear a man's voice say. "Is this Fianna?"

"Yes, and I need to talk to your wife and Alpha right now," I said, keeping my voice steady. "It's about Carson."

"Let me go get her," was all he said.

A minute later, "Fianna, are you okay?" I heard my sister's best friend say in a concerned tone. "What's going on?"

And that was when the dam broke as I told her all that had happened- the loss of my sister and baby nephew and how Carson was fighting for his life.

And I joined her and Momma in the growing sadness as the news began to spread like wildfire.