Holding Cole in my arms was like a balm to my aching heart. It was the first thing I did once we were in the pack. I went straight to sienna's knowing fully well that he would still be with her. Seeing him amidst the other children with a bright smile on his face as he played made me let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. His eyes lit up the second he spotted me, then he ran into my arms and I held him tightly to my chest, eyes shut tight. He smelled like baby powder and lilacs. He was perfect. Yes, he’s my home, not them. Not her. He won’t keep things from me just because he fears shame and he is the only one I know who will ever love me unconditionally. “Andrea, you guys are back early,” I heard Sienna say, sounding worried as she looked down at me. I didn’t say a word, I couldn’t. My throat felt raw despite not saying anything for the past four hours since we drove out of my old pack. Yet it felt like I had screamed my lungs out and nothing was left ins
Ben had called him to over look some filed just as we were about to leave the pack house, he promised to meet me there and the tenderness in his eyes was intoxicating. I walked back to the cabin with my head in the clouds. That was the only way I could describe what I was feeling in that moment. The thought of Aspen joining me soon had my nerves thrumming with anticipation and nervousness.As I pushed open the door to the cabin, I took in a breath, trying to calm the swarm of butterflies in my stomach. Get a grip, Andrea. I chided myself. This is just lunch with Aspen. Its not like we haven’t had a meal before. He's also had you as a meal. The niggling voice at the back of my mind said and I rolled my eyes. Just lunch. I tried to reassure myself knowing fully well it was foolish of me to disregard the feverish memories that bombarded my mind’s eye when I thought about being alone in the cabin with him. Repeating what happened just the day before. If anyone noticed the
I felt as though the world had tilted on its axis, scrambling my senses as wave after wave of dizzying emotion threatened to consume me. Somewhere in the rumblings of my mind, I realized Aspen was awaiting a response. His eyes never strayed from mine and my hands still held in his. “I…” I croaked, struggling to find my voice only to be stopped short by the shrill chirping of my phone across the room. Aspen must’ve read the panic on my face as I jolted back to reality. Releasing my hand, mercifully breaking that blazing point of contact, he offered me a small nod of understanding. “Go ahead, it could be important,” he said, his eyes filled with an emotion that I craved yet didn’t want to think about. With trembling limbs, I somehow managed to extract myself from the table and make my way to where my phone vibrated insistently against the counter. The number made my throat tighten. Seeing those familiar digits despite it not being saved up on my phone, I knew immediately it was my m
Maybe it was the wine or perhaps something else. That evening, Aspen decided to stay and I was constantly intoxicated by his presence. Enzo had called at the last minute, asking if he could bring Cole later than usual after bombarding me with questions about my mother and the call between us. I could tell he was eager to know what my next step would be but I told him I didn’t want to talk about it. Apparently he took Cole from sienna's and they both left to Lily's. Which also meant that if Aspen had decided to stay the night, we wouldn’t have any company for a while, it’ll be just us. It was definitely the wine. I could refute his offer when he asked to do the dishes, maybe I just enjoyed how the water splashed on his exposed forearms and how his muscles flexed from each action. We settled in the living room afterwards, he was silent, so was I. I couldn’t find the right words. After the call with my mother, my emotions were all over the place. Aspen tried to start up a
Flickering frowned lines appeared in his brow as he cupped my face, touch grounding yet smoldering. "Didn't you hear me? I want nothing more than to cherish and protect you and Cole," he stated with quiet intensity. “Who else will be the right woman if not you, the mother of my child and you being an alpha yourself?” He asked with a cocked up brow. A hint of playfulness crept into the stormy blue depths as he dropped his voice to a murmur. "Why else would I have let Cole pick a corner in the pack's library and name it ‘mama’?” He teased. “ What?” I laughed, it was unexpected. “ Trust me, there’s a corner in the library named after you,”Despite myself, I felt my lips tugging into a reluctant smile at the picture in my head. His expression sobered once more as he searched my eyes, all pretense falling away to leave only searing truth. "You are my mate, Andrea. The other half of my soul that was missing until I allowed myself to truly see you, and I know you feel it too. Perhaps t
After Aspen left to handle issues at the pack, an awkward silence fell over the kitchen. Enzo and Lily exchanged looks, probably wondering if they should grill me more about my new relationship with Aspen. As much as I dressed the questions that would come, I knew I wouldn’t hesitate telling them how I truly felt about Aspen’s proposal, yet, there was something else that was weighing down on my and that, has to come first. Before they could start asking questions, I quickly spoke up. “Lily, could I ask you for a huge favor?” Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. “That depends. What kind of favor are you asking for?” she asked with a raised brow. Cole squealed from beside her and it confused me momentarily. I took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be easy, that much I knew. Lily was extremely protective of me and always skeptical when I made impulsive decisions. But I had to try asking her. “I need you to watch over Cole for a little while,” I said carefully. “There’s something
Luke took a step back, eyes widened as he looked at me with a shocked and confused expression. Just as easily as I let my wolf's scent loose, I suppressed it in the next second, leaving the men looking confused like they’d only just imagined it. “This has nothing to do with Aspen,” I bit out, reining in my temper with difficulty. I had to control myself. “I’m here about my biological father – your Alpha. Now either escort me to him or get out of my fucking way,” I snarled, unable to hold back the venom in my tone. Luke’s mocking laughter grated like nails on a chalkboard. “Listen to the tiny bitch trying to bare her fangs. You really think the Alpha would waste his time on a disgraced Omega like you?” he gestured with a scoff. “Saying shit like that won’t get you past these gates,” Luke added, but even then I could see the hints of doubt in his gaze. He was contemplating my words, wondering why I would confidently make such claims. “He’ll want to hear what I have to say,” I
The Alpha’s intense eyes bored into mine as the weight of my revelation hung heavily between us. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my ears. Had I just made a terrible mistake by exposing this shattering truth so bluntly?Theo’s chiseled features remained inscrutable for a moment. Just when I thought the deafening silence might crush me, he spoke in a tone that commanded respect.“Your mother’s identity?”I jumped slightly at the abrupt question, mouth suddenly dry as cotton. Here went nothing. “Donna. The omega you…knew…over two decades ago.”A muscle ticked In the Alpha’s lean jaw as he processed this. Finally, he shifted his penetrating stare to Luke, who had been watching the exchange with undisguised relish. “Leave us. This is a private matter,” Alpha Theo commanded in a low, authoritative voice. Luke’s brows cocked up in surprise, but he knew better than to say no to a direct order from his Alpha. Throwing me one last disdainful sneer, he turned around and retreated down t
ANDREA I woke up with a start. I jerked violently on the bed as I tried to gather my bearings. For a few moments, it reeked of that room, where Luke had kept me, it reeked of him and I could almost see his sinister blue eyes looking down at me, getting excited over the pain he inflicted. In a few seconds though, the haze cleared and I relaxed, realizing I was in my bedroom in the cabin. Safe. Right next to me was Cole. He was on the bed with me, his small fingers holding on to mine as he slept peacefully. I heaved a sigh of relief and my lips curled up as I watched my son sleep. Home. I gently pulled my fingers out if his grasp and caressed his hair gently as I watched his little chest rise and fall. We were safe. We were home. I looked around the room, feeling a it disappointed when I saw we were both alone. Aspen must be busy. I inhaled deeply once more, checking the state of my body. I seemed to be healing at a rather rapid pace but not fast enough, it stil
ASPENI gently brushed the messy strands of hair from Andrea’s face, my insides burning with anger as I took in the fading bruises and marks covering her delicate skin. My beautiful, strong mate, so tough yet almost broken by the horrible cruelty we had barely rescued her from.From my spoiled nephew who my mother had raised to be greedy and raised to hate everything that I am. The memory alone of finding her in that hellish basement cell, battered and almost dead…it made my blood boil with rage. If Enzo hadn’t held me back and reminded me she was more important, I might have torn the twitching remains of Luke limb from limb with my bare hands. Luke. Just thinking his name ignited a fresh wave of hatred and disgust towards the misguided kid who was once family. To think he had also dared lay his twisted hands on my mate…the idea was unforgivable. And he will pay for it. For every scratch, every bruise. Andrea’s breathing became slow and even as my fingertips stroked her brow soo
Countless emotions rushed through me as my eyes took in the sight that was in front of me. The cozy cabin’s living room came into view. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee mingling with the scent of breakfast, it made my stomach churn as I had no appetite for anything. There, in the middle where the coffee table was, sat Enzo and Lily, both watching with indulged grins as Cole enthusiastically showed off his prowess at a children’s board game, sweeping aside the pieces with gleeful abandon. Not a single hair was out of place on my beautiful son’s curls, not a mark or blemish on his beaming little face beyond the rosy flush of his excitement. He was safe. Whole. The relief I felt was so great my knees almost gave way. “My baby,” I breathed out in a shaky whisper. At the sound of my voice, three pairs of eyes swiveled in the direction of the staircase, taking in the sight of Aspen holding my admittedly worse-for-wear form. Enzo was the first to rise, hands held out in a placating mann
Everything hurt despite me being at peace. I’d honestly thought I wouldn’t feel anything once I was dead. Why did I still feel? A feeling of grogginess overshadowed my thoughts and I became painfully aware of my whole body as I stirred and clawed my way out of unconsciousness. My whole body felt heavy and my chest felt constricted yet, I could tell I was somewhere safe. I was laying in a deliciously soft bed, the kind of plush comfort I’d missed dearly. The crisp scent of freshly washed linens intermingled with the woodsy, piney aroma that could only belong to one place, my cozy little cabin back at Aspen’s pack. Confusion flooded my senses. Wait…how did I end up here? My brain felt foggy until the memories came crashing back like a violent wave. Luke’s sadistic torment, the crushing certainty that I would never see my precious Cole or family again, the terrifying descent into blackness. But then, cutting through it all…Aspen’s intoxicating scent had washed over me. That earthy
Luke paused mid-swing, chest heaving with the exertion of his hits as his nostrils flared. "Your bastard? Don't fret, my most capable wolves are out watching him. But once he's been...properly raised under my guidance, you needn't concern yourself with the affairs of children any longer," Like said, sounding proud like he was doing me a favor. The images his words stirred in my mind caused me to cry out, a deep, anguish filled cry at the thought of my precious boy suffering at the hands of such a sadistic bastard. The sight of my tears seemed to invite him even more, his expression turned into one of animalistic excitement as he continued his assault, cursing repeatedly as he made each hit. My throat became clogged up with blood, my eyes almost swollen shut, my lungs burned and I couldn’t see anything I could not thinks or feel, all that remained was pain. Blood, my blood, painted the walls in thick runnels with each strike that landed. Still I remained stubbornly defiant in my
A throbbing pain pounded incessantly behind my eyes as consciousness grudgingly slipped through, my mind clearing and my body becoming aware of its state. My head lolled listlessly to the side, cheek grinding against the rough, unforgiving concrete beneath me, I could barely hold up my head. As my fuzzy vision gradually cleared, a new kind of pain blossomed in my chest, the sickening realization that I was chained and spread in what appeared to be some dank, long-forgotten basement cell. "Awake at last, are we my little alpha?" A deep, sneering voice like poisoned honey reached my ears.Luke's hulking form stepped into my rapidly clearing field of view, his lips twisted into a smug sneer of victory. Revulsion and hatred churned in the pit of my roiling stomach at the sight of the vicious gashes I'd managed to inflict on his cheek now scabbed over. An injury from an alpha would never close up, it gave me even greater satisfaction to see how easily he looked like what he was on the i
The heavy silence hung in the air like a suffocating blanket after Theo's passing. Tears streamed down Maria's face as she clutched her dead mate's limp hand, her body shaking with sobs. Viktor looked shell-shocked, staring blankly ahead, his usual stoic expression cracked by raw grief. I pulled Cole tighter against my chest, his small frame trembling from fear and the effort of his earlier wails. My own tears flowed freely as the devastating loss hit me in waves. Despite barely knowing him, Theo's dying words echoed through my mind, his belief in me, A profound sense of both peace responsibility settled on my shoulders.The doctor and Viktor lifted Theo's now cold body from the ground and lay him down on the bed and then the doctor covered Theo's body with a white sheet, his head bowed in somber silence. Just then, heavy foot steps sounded above us. We all tensed, braced for another attack in our fragile state.The door burst open and a large figure strode in, it was Luke, Theo's
The dining table soon turned rather chaotic as Theo's hacking only worsened by the second, his face turned blue and purple his lips became drained of colors they were as white as snow and everything was a symptom of poisoning. Damien held his father close while he shouted orders put to the maids to go get the pack doctors. I could hear just how fast my heart was beating, how the blood fished in my ears and made them ring. Through it all, Theo’s eyes somehow remained locked onto mine even as they started to glass over with sheer, anguished struggle. An eerie sense of acceptance seemed to emanate from their glassy depths, as if he knew…No. I shook my head. Before that unthinkable notion could fully take shape, a series of thunderous booms shook the foundations beneath our feet. Dishes clattered from the table as the heavy wooden chairs skittered across the stone floor, creating more chaos and confusion.I lost my balance and almost fell face first on the floor. “What the fuc
“Maria,” Theo’s low rumble brooked no argument from the corner where he loomed beside Damien and Viktor the two stony-faced brothers pointedly disincluding themselves from the impromptu family scene.I didn’t blame them, I tried my best to push their chilly attitudes to the back of my mind. If I can handle Aspen, I can definitely handle them. Laughing lightly, Maria rose and dusted off her apron with familiar fondness. “Yes, yes, you’re quite right. We’d best get dinner underway before someone’s stomach starts growling us all into submission,” she teased with an amused glint in her eyes. Beckoning me forward, she looped an arm through the crook of mine as if we were lifelong friend. “Come along, dear, and we’ll get you and the little one settled at the table. I want to hear all about your journey here,” she said, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. I wish I could say I was used to things not happening as I expected them to but quite frankly, I was taken aback by how easi