EVE -Riding in Kha's truck to practice, I couldn't help but smirk while he panicked about his mom getting in the backseat. Good. Be embarrassed about it. You need to be. I knew I'd never get in that backseat again. We'd never got there in his truck, and he cemented that we would never now. Kha kissed my cheek all quick and light before showing both of us to the bench. He didn't linger. He just pointed out a spot and bolted for the locker room. Lori eased into the seat beside me and rested her hands in her lap. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you earlier, darling. I just know my son and his genes. He'd beat around the bush until everything literally exploded in his face, and he was forced into it. Either that or his Daddy will place so many restrictions on what he can say that it'll be jumbled if he tries anyway. You deserve better than that, honey." I nodded. I was listening to her, but my eyes were already locked on the field. Drake walked out dressed and ready. He scanned the crowd
EVE Walking onto the field felt like walking directly into trouble. I fully expected someone to shout me off immediately. No one tried to stop me, though. Not the other players. Not even the coach. I stopped right between Kha and Drake. Both of them stared at me silently. "Stop already." My own breath came out as rough as theirs. "This won't solve anything. It's getting us nowhere." Kha immediately stepped closer. He glanced at the coach and then the other players around us. "Eve, please get off the field." I didn't budge. Not until they both understood me. Not until they stopped this stupidity. "No," I hissed. "Not until you two agree to quit whatever you're doing. This isn't a game anymore." Everyone watched. Even from the sidelines, every player's attention fixated on the three of us, standing like idiots in the middle of the field. I didn't care. They needed to see how serious I was. If either ended up hurt because I stayed quiet, I'd never forgive myself. Both of them need
DRAKEI berated myself for losing control again. Something about Eve set everything off balance. My thoughts spiraled without direction. Emory, usually level and still, responded to her presence with constant agitation. The shift in him was jarring.When Eve tossed me the water bottle, I caught it without hesitation. Her scent clung to the plastic where she had held it. Emory picked up her scent instantly, clinging to the plastic where her fingers had been. The reaction from him was immediate and overwhelming, far more intense than anything I'd felt from him before. Kha didn’t react. Maybe having his mom nearby kept him from one of his usual outbursts.I held the bottle and took slow, deliberate sips, stealing short glances at Kha between each one. His discomfort was clear. Every time I lifted the bottle she gave me, the irritation on his face increased. It wasn’t a major win, but any advantage counted in something as volatile as this.I breathed out slowly and pushed aside the petty s
EVE -Standing between Kha and Drake, I struggled to keep my frustrations with them in check. Drake's accusations echoed repeatedly in my head. It hurt worse knowing he wasn't entirely wrong. I knew Kha's triggers, every subtle cue that warned he was on edge or spiraling toward a bad mood. I recognized each one and avoided them instinctively. The exact definition of walking on eggshells. The truth of that realization unsettled me deeply, especially knowing that others could see it just as clearly. Nevertheless, I had chosen this. I made my decision knowing who Kha was. His struggles weren't hidden from me. He never tried to pretend with me. That was part of why I loved him, and nothing Drake said would ever change that. The following day, we drove to the away game in Kha's truck instead of taking the team bus. Kha didn't handle tight spaces and crowds well. He also had no desire to be in a closed space with Drake. He wouldn't openly admit that, so we agreed not to discuss it further.
KHA - The game had already been intense, but it shifted the second one of the other team's players muttered something about "my little girlfriend in the stands." The second those words hit my ears, everything inside me tightened.I tried to redirect it and forced myself to pour the anger into how I played instead. I looked for openings. Legal ones, where I could make contact without drawing attention. But that never lasted long. The penalties started piling up. After the second flag, I knew I needed to step back. I reminded myself that Eve would appreciate me showing some restraint, even when every instinct urged me to break someone's ribs.By the time the game ended, I looked toward the stands, already ready to call Eve down to meet me. She had that look she always sported when she was proud of me, and it made me so happy Vance did a backflip. But that satisfaction evaporated the second I spotted the same player standing directly in front of her at the bottom of the steps.Something
EVEAs Drake pulled into campus, Kha hesitated to reveal our rental location, so we decided to get dropped off at my dorm instead. The door had been fixed since the last incident, but Kha still lingered near the entrance, clearly wary about sneaking in.I waved him toward the door and motioned for him to follow. Confident we could get in without trouble, I led the way. To our relief, we slipped into the dorm undetected.Rissa sat on the bed, lifting her brows with amused surprise."Really... I haven't seen you for a week, and when you finally return, you bring him?"I nudged her arm as I passed. "Thanks for the heads-up, Peppy."She turned her focus to Kha with mock seriousness. "Well, I’m not allowed to tell you anything... I guess that rule doesn’t extend to the alphas on campus."Her eyes locked on my hand. She grabbed it, stared at the ring, then threw a light punch at Kha. He stepped back, smirking."Good job, alpha."I plugged in my phone while Kha typed out a quick update to Lor
EVE - He drove back to campus the next day, and everyone acted like nothing had happened at the game the night before. I guess Drake really did have the pull he said he did. I was in my second class when I noticed something peculiar. There were always blonde-haired, blue-eyed people around me now. Always watching. Always walking by. Constantly... monitoring what I was doing. At first, I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just my imagination. But as the day went on, it became impossible to dismiss. Their presence was too consistent, too deliberate. I was going to wait to tell Kha until we got back to the rental, but when one almost ran into me and then sniffed the air subtly, I had enough. The intrusion was too blatant to overlook any longer. I spotted Kha in the hallway shortly after and hurried over to him. "I think Drake has people following me around." Kha's eyes shifted, glowing bright red. He scanned the hallway, his breathing heavier. He didn't say anything. He turned shar
EVE - They moved Drake to a private room to monitor him overnight. I helped get him settled, ordering essentials he might need. We discovered a shared love of sushi, so we ended up having a late dinner together in his hospital room, eating quietly together despite the awkwardness. Drake paused between bites and set his chopsticks aside. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm pretty sure Dad only showed up so quickly because Lori was with him." Curiosity pulled at me too hard to ignore. I leaned forward slightly. "So, what's the deal with your dad and Lori?" He sighed and shifted deeper into the pillows. "They were involved on and off. He never tried to hide it from me. Honestly, it got so complicated sometimes I started thinking Lori might even be my mom." My mouth went dry. I nearly choked on my sushi. "So, you don't even know who your mom is?" His eyes dropped to the tray of food in front of him. "Nope. My dad flat-out refuses to tell me." The question slipped out before I could sec
DRAKE The stadium roared with energy, the stands packed with students, parents, and alumni, ready for the season's first game. Eve and I sat near the middle. I glanced at her, her bright blue eyes fixed on the field, her lips tight as she scanned the players."Kha's still safety, right?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual, her nerves showing."Yeah, and Con's the quarterback this year," I confirmed. "Con played well last season, so he'll probably dominate. I was watching his highlight reels, and I'm impressed."Eve bit her lip, her hands gripping the edge of the seat. Her anxiety was obvious. Every time Con or Kha got the ball, her whole body stiffened like she was bracing for impact herself."Are they always this intense?" she asked, her eyes following Kha as he positioned himself for the next play."Yeah," I shrugged, glancing at her. "You'll get used to it. Con especially. He lives for this stuff."Just as I spoke, Con took the snap, dropping back to pass. Kha darted across t
EVE He pulled the towel off of my body as he positioned me on the bed. He got up to lock the door, and I couldn't help but watch him, appreciating how much care he took in everything he did these days. He may have been rubbing off on Drake, but Drake was doing the same in return. When he closed his eyes briefly, I spoke up, "Rissa won't come back anytime soon. She's in class." He looked back at me with a small smile. "I just wanted to make sure," he replied before returning to the bed. As he climbed back onto the bed, the playfulness in his eyes was unmistakable. It reminded me of the first time we were together, how he both treated me with gentleness and teased me throughout. He started tracing my breast, circling my nipple before lightly tugging on the ring. The sensation made me arch my back slightly, pressing into his touch. He smiled at me, and then he leaned down, kissing my nipple before looping his tongue through the ring. I couldn't hold back the loud moan, my hips i
EVE I saw Kha lingering outside the locker room and pulled him aside. His posture was tense, and his usual confidence was absent. I didn't want him to go back in there, not after everything that had happened."Kha, let's just go," I urged. "I don't want to wait for you to change."He looked down at me, the stress in his shoulders easing slightly. "Sure," he agreed, though I sensed some hesitation. "What about Drake? I drove here with him in his truck."I frowned, realizing this could complicate things. Drake and I already had our moment. It was Kha's turn now. I needed some time alone with Kha, away from all the tension building up. "Let him know we're leaving. I'll call for an Uber."Kha nodded and jogged over to Drake, who was sitting nearby. I watched as they exchanged a few words, with Kha gesturing in my direction. Drake looked concerned but didn't argue. He just nodded, and Kha headed back to me.While waiting for the car, I decided to text Con. I didn't want him worrying or wo
EVE The day with Conrad was easy, almost too easy. After the morning's chaos, it was strange how simple everything felt when just the two of us were in his room. We didn't do much. We just hung out, letting the hours slip away without worrying about what was happening outside those walls. He was easy to be around, and the stress that usually came with Kha and Drake was nowhere to be found. It was a relief, even if I felt guilty for enjoying it.As the afternoon crept closer to practice time, I realized I needed to change clothes. My usual routine of heading to my room was out of the question. I couldn't bear the thought of running into Kha or Drake or them getting updates from pack members after everything that had happened. They were probably still fuming, and I wasn't ready to face that just yet."I need to change," I said, glancing at the time. "But I don't want to go to my room."Con nodded, understanding immediately. He got up from where he was sitting and rummaged through a d
DRAKE Kha and I sat in silence, both of us trying to calm down after the near fight that had driven Eve away. My chest still burned with frustration, and I could see the strain in Kha's every movement. We'd almost come to blows, and the close we'd come to tearing each other apart made me sick. We both knew better. But knowing better hadn't stopped us. "She's not in her room," Kha muttered. "How do you know?" I asked. After everything that just happened, the thought of her being alone right now was agonizing. I was about to chase her down if we didn't figure out where she was. Command be damned. "Rissa just told me," he replied through gritted teeth. "She checked. Eve didn't go back to her room." It hit me. I knew where she had gone. There was only one place she would feel safe after what had happened. "She's with Ford." Kha didn't say anything at first, but I could see the fear in his eyes. "Of course she is," he finally said. "Why wouldn't she go to him? He's perfect fo
CONI couldn't believe she was here, lounging on my bed like it was the most natural thing in the world. After breakfast, I thought she'd stick with Kha and Drake, but she came to my room instead. She didn't hesitate, didn't second-guess it. Once I got her to calm down, she just walked in and made herself comfortable. Now, she was stretched across my bed, propped up on her elbows, watching me work on her bracelet. I wasn't even trying, yet she seemed drawn to me, like some invisible force kept pulling us together. She looked so calm and at ease in my room, and I wondered how she fit here so perfectly.I focused on weaving together a couple of leather bands with orange glittery strings. I laid the materials on the desk.She tilted her head. "Where do you keep orange glitter clothing?" she teased.I smiled. "They're from my old jersey from my last college. It became my good luck charm after a while, and I thought it might also bring you some luck."She narrowed her eyes slightly, not
EVE We headed to Kha's room after breakfast, and I knew why. Because Drake's room was directly beneath Con's.As soon as we entered the room, I sighed heavily, knowing what was coming."Just get it out," I said, bracing myself.Kha and Drake exchanged a look, biting back their words. I could see the storm brewing in their eyes, but they were holding back. I wasn't going to let them stew in their frustrations all day, not when I could feel their emotions swirling around us, threatening to suffocate me."No," I insisted. "You're not stewing in this all day. Get it out. Now."That was all it took. The dam broke, and it all came pouring out. Drake started. "We're upset, Eve. This whole thing with Ford... it's driving us crazy. We're jealous, okay? We don't like the way he looks at you, the way he's always there, always perfect. It's like he's this perfect guy for you, and we're scared. We're scared you'll want him more than us."Kha jumped in, his emotions even more raw than expected. "
EVE I woke up feeling queasy, but I pushed through it, determined to start the day on a good note. Kha, Drake, and I headed to the dining hall for breakfast. The usual smells hit me like a freight train, and I had to swallow hard to keep the nausea at bay. I tried to focus on the conversation with Kha and Drake, but ignoring the churning in my stomach was hard.I was picking at my food when I saw Conrad walk in. My stomach clenched harder, but it wasn't just the nausea this time. Something compelled me to move, to go to him. I stood up, ignoring the questioning looks from Kha and Drake, and walked over to Conrad.Before I could even speak, Conrad's hand found my arm, his touch steadying me almost instantaneously. The nausea vanished, and I felt clear-headed for the first time that morning. Without thinking, I invited him to join us once he got his food. But it wasn't just an invitation. It was a command. I realized what I'd done the moment the words left my mouth, but it was too
CONRAD I didn't plan on kissing her. Hell, I wasn't even sure how we ended up so close that it happened. But when it did, everything changed. The moment our lips touched, it was like something inside me shifted. I finally understood why those two guys were so damn obsessed with her. The connection between us was intense and something I couldn't shake even after it ended.I would do anything to kiss her again. The spark, the way it made me feel...I couldn't even put it into words. It was more than just a physical connection. It was like a piece of her had lodged itself inside me, and I didn't want to let it go.The fact that she was pregnant, something that had always made me hesitant, suddenly didn't matter. The baby was a part of her, and that was enough for me. Realizing that what had kept me from taking things further with her was now irrelevant should have been unsettling. But it wasn't.Instead, it felt like everything was falling into place, like this was where I was supposed