HeatherI swiveled in my chair as I flipped through my patient's chart one final time. Two weeks ago, Susan's heart faltered on the table. I thought we’d lost her, but her vital signs surged back to life, and she made a remarkable recovery. Now, as I looked at her, she seemed to be a completely different person. The color had returned to her cheeks, and her brown eyes sparkled with vibrancy."I can't thank you enough. If it hadn't been for you, my grandmother wouldn't be here today, Dr. Everest," the teenage girl said with tears welling up in her eyes. She actually looked like her grandmother, only younger. "You truly saved her life and gave our family a second chance. We are forever grateful.""It was a team effort, sweetie. We all worked together to ensure the best possible outcome for your grandmother," I replied, meeting her sincere gaze. "But your grandmother is a fighter. She had as much of a hand in her recovery as any of us."The elderly patient, who was nestling in her wheelc
Heather"Look, Mommy! Isn't this dress beautiful?" Avery exclaimed, pointing to a mannequin. The joy in her voice was infectious, and I found myself swept up at the moment. These moments we were constructing together, brick by brick, laugh by laugh, were the building blocks of a cherished bond. Avery, Luka, Theo. and Dunstan were my pack now."Absolutely stunning, just like you," I replied, seeing her beam brighter than the twinkle in her eye.Luka, ever the adventurer, had already dashed off to the next store. I enjoyed watching his light brown hair make a mess of halo around his head as he called out, "Mom, Dunstan, come see this!" He stood before a display of sports jackets. "These are cool, right?""Very cool," Dunstan affirmed, ruffling Luka's hair in a fatherly gesture that made something inside me ache softly. The bond they were forming was undeniable, and it warmed my heart to see Luka finding a father figure in Dunstan at last. Along with Theo, when I first introduced Dunstan
Alpha IvikI watched as the sun started to disappear beyond the Los Angeles skyline. In Wyoming, the view was strikingly different from the summit of the hill while in my wolf form. However, the sunset in the city was strange and unfamiliar to me."Careful with that desk," Dawin said, gesturing to a solid piece of mahogany being maneuvered into place. He was in charge of overseeing the development of the new office space."How's everything?" I asked as I walked over to join Dawin.He looked up from his task and replied, "Everything is going smoothly so far. We're just putting the finishing touches on the office layout.""That's how things should be."I surveyed the room. Omega workers moved fast like bees on a busy day. They worked hard to transform the room into a rustic luxury. Rich oak desks were being assembled, and exquisite modern and wild paintings covered the walls. The space was painted deep browns and greens with gold accents. Though manly, it had a grace that complimented m
Heather"God, no. No!" I continued to pace back and forth in my office. My nerves were shot, and my hands were trembling uncontrollably. Despite my attempt to distance myself from him, I couldn't understand why Ivik had to be here. "The hell, why?"I paused and took a peek at the blinds covering the window. From my office here in the hospital, my apartment was quite visible. Although I wanted to escape and hide myself from his presence, I couldn't go home. My kids were there, and since he could only find me by my scent, he could possibly follow me to my apartment and learn about the triplets.I wasn't meant to be here at all since it was my day off. But my colleague, Olga, was facing a family emergency of her own and had to trade shifts with me. I knew it was wrong, and if the director found out that she had left her post without proper authorization, she could face serious consequences.Now I realized I was facing a bigger mess, trapped in this hospital, unable to go home. My job mig
HeatherIf you asked me what the stupidest thing I've ever done was, I would say letting Ivik touch me. Again. Even though I managed to avoid falling for his charm the first time, I'm giving in to it again. I was not only stupid, but I was also putting everything I had worked so hard to build at risk. This temptation could be my downfall, but at that moment, my logic and reasoning seemed to fade away as I was consumed by the pull of our bond.“I always thought of kissing you, pumpkin,” he murmured, caressing my cheek with his thumb. And before I could protest or push him away, his lips were on mine again. His tongue swept into my mouth and left me breathless. His kiss was possessive, taking what he wanted without hesitation. Regardless, I couldn’t deny that it felt good. It was so good that I welcomed it with parted lips and an arched neck. My hands found their way up his chest, fisting into the fabric of his shirt as I gave in.As his hand slowly moved up my thigh, waves of heat went
"Heather?"Dunstan's voice echoed again from the other side of the stockroom, making me flinch. By the sound of his steps, he seemed to be roaming around. "Are you here, love? Why's your office open?"My thighs tightened involuntarily around Ivik, not wanting to let him go, yet terrified of being discovered. I could feel the shame and guilt bubbling up inside of me, threatening to suffocate me."Please," I begged Ivik. "I can't do this if there's even a chance that he might find us.""Shh," Ivik soothed, kissing my forehead gently. "He's not going to see us. I'm not gonna allow that to happen." His hands started to roam again over my body. My mind begged me to stop responding and consider what I was doing, but the bond was overpowering it. Why was I allowing this bond to consume me? Was it because, deep down, I wanted to be with Ivik more than anything else?My breath caught in my throat as the outside doorknob was turned, echoing through the stockroom. I shut my eyes tightly and held
Heather"Hey, mister." Luka stationed himself beside Ivik who had a mug of coffee in his hands. "What's your name?"Ivik set aside his coffee mug. "You can call me Ivik.""Ivik," Avery piped up. "Why won't you play with us?"Ivik's gaze shifted from Luka to Avery. The way he tousled her chestnut locks tenderly made my chest ache. "Of course, baby. But let me finish my coffee first.""So, you said you can't sleep?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe, trying to sound casual despite the fluttering in my stomach.Avery nodded. "We need our bedtime story," she said in a sad voice, and that simple statement broke my heart. Reading them a bedtime story was an important part of our nighttime routine. But I missed it tonight.I looked at the wall clock briefly, and it was 12:30 a.m., despite the fact that I had assumed it was already near dawn all along. My face heated up to the thought of our crazy moment in the stockroom and how close we were to being caught. Being with Ivik made me feel
HeatherI have to feel better, right? He finally chose to let me go and set me free after putting in a lot of work to keep Ivik away. It was now over for good. But why do I still have pain? I thought I would feel free and lighthearted once he was gone because he would no longer be in my heart. Instead, he left a gap when he walked away from my door that night, making me feel empty right away. I felt like a piece of myself had been taken away, leaving me with a void I couldn't get rid of."Are you even listening, Heather?"I gasped when Olga tapped her hands on the table, snapping me out of my thoughts. She put the tray of food down in front of me and raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Hey, are you okay?"I shook my head to clear my mind and focused on Olga. "Sorry, what did you say again?"She chuckled and sat down across from me. Her hands found the steaming mug of coffee and pushed it towards me. "I was just asking if Esspresso is fine for you since black coffee is still unavailable fo