T H O M A SShe’s even more stunning than I recall. Her curves are more pronounced, her figure more enticing, and all I can think about is holding onto her as she takes control.“Wow, these donuts are absolutely amazing. I can't believe it,” Gelo exclaims from the driver's seat. “And the woman who owns this place is the same girl I met at the club years ago, I think. And you know what else I discovered?”“What?” I asked, my gaze fixed on her. I could feel my wolf trying to control me, but that won’t happen.“She's Hera Smith. The daughter of—”“Alpha Marco Smith.” A strategy starts to take shape in my head. One that will alter the course of the encounter.“Exactly.” Gelo puts the SUV in reverse, and I steal one final look at the woman who has completely captivated me.I observe her until I can no longer until we are too distant for me to discern any details about her, and then I turn around. The distance between me and my ultimate objective is diminishing.Finally, we arrive at an iro
H E R AIt's a struggle to get up today. My life has taken a sharp turn in the past week. I haven't experienced this level of change since my father kicked me out.He passed away six days ago, and I'm completely devastated. I never expected to feel this way. I had grown so accustomed to living without him that it almost felt like he was already gone. But reality hits differently.My father is gone, and we didn't part on good terms. He did have the chance to meet his grandchildren, though. It's the one thing I did for him, which was more than he ever did for me in the last five years.Even though I was hesitant about letting him meet Aiden and Addison, I knew I had to rise above the anger he caused me.Seeing my kids with him and witnessing his smile despite his illness was bittersweet. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears.There was so much resentment between us over the years, but now, I recall the moments when he expressed his love for me. The times
T H O M A SFinally, she has acknowledged my presence. And it feels great.I want her to be aware that I'm here, and there's no way for her to evade me now. I've already taken control of every aspect of her life, and she remains oblivious.I didn't realize she had pups. Not an issue. I adore kids, and hers are delightful. I'll need to ensure the child's father isn't in the picture. They have me now. They won't need him.Our gazes have been locked on each other. I can't help but admire how stunning she appears. Even in the rain, I can tell she's been weeping. Her eyes are puffy, and she's not wearing any makeup.Why bother when the tears won't cease?It pains me to see her in distress, and I wish I could embrace her and assure her that everything will be fine, but that would be a falsehood. Life isn't always fine; at times, it's harsh and challenging, pushing you to your limits.That's why she must have someone like me. I'd ensure the harshness doesn't touch her and the challenges don'
H E R AThe doorbell chimes as a customer walks in."Be right there!" I call out from the back, grabbing some supplies. It's been a week since my father passed away, and surprisingly, I've been adjusting well to this new chapter in my life.I should be more of a mess emotionally, but I think I've already grieved the loss of my father a long time ago, which makes it a bit easier to move forward.I've already mourned the relationship we had. There's no more sadness left in me.I bring out the treats to the front and settle behind the counter. The oven is humming, baking another batch of marshmallow cookies. Customers who stay in the store while enjoying their treats can watch me prepare everything, emphasizing transparency. They can see exactly what goes into the cookies, donuts, bread, or any other baked goods I whip up.I take pride in my little bakery. I'm grateful for the chance my father gave me. It's only been a few weeks since I opened, and business has been booming. I've already
H E R AI snap out of my reverie with him and back to reality. "Oh no, the cookies!" I exclaim, rushing to the oven and finding smoke billowing from the baking sheet. "Oh no, no, no." I slammed the pan on the counter, and the cookies were ruined from being forgotten for too long. "I have to start over now. I have an order to fulfill." My eyes start to sting, blaming the smoke for the tears."It's alright," he soothes, coming around the counter and standing behind it. He takes off his coat, rolls up his sleeves, then gently lifts my chin to meet his gaze.He wipes away a tear and furrows his brow. "You don't have to do everything alone, Hera. You're not on your own anymore. I'm happy to help, especially since I distracted you from the cookies. It's the least I can do. What can I do for you?""I need you," I choke out. "I need you to not make me fall for you. Your presence here is making that incredibly hard for me. I need you to go."“What if I wanted you to love me? What if that was m
T H O M A SFor the past few days, I've been closely monitoring Hera. She must be out of her mind if she thinks I would ever leave her alone. If I'm not keeping an eye on her, there's always someone else I trust who is.But you know who I don't trust? Dale. He's Hera's so-called friend who runs the bookstore across the street. Even though his background check came up clean, something doesn't sit right with me. I don't appreciate how he spoke to me.It's like he knows too much, and someone with that kind of knowledge has surely done some questionable things in their life.It's around nine in the evening, and here I am, parked across the street in my car, gazing up at the balcony above Hera's bakery. She's standing outside, leaning against the railing, her hands clasped together. From this distance, I can see her shoulders trembling as tears stream down her face.My grip on the steering wheel tightens, my knuckles turning white. It pains me to see her so down, so broken. There are count
T H O M A SI almost decide to bail on the mission and run across the street, but then I see not one, but two people crawling into bed with Hera. Her pups. She welcomes them with open arms, one on each side of her.I close the app, put my phone away, and wonder what I could have done differently to deserve to be in Hera's home.I bet it's warm and cozy there, unlike my place, which is minimal and cold. I'm hardly ever there anyway. I'm always at the club, running most of the business.The device in my hand beeps, reminding me of the task at hand. I unplug it, and the door unlocks automatically. I can destroy this in just a snap but that will cause much trouble. At this moment, human devices were useful.High grade for someone like you, Dale. What are you hiding in here?I won't let whatever he's planning to do touch Hera.As I step into the bookstore, I adjusted my vision. I don’t need to use a flashlight just to see what’s inside under the dark. It’s my advantage as a supernatural be
H E R AAddison looks up at me with those big green eyes, just like her father's. She drops her colored pencil and asks, "Mommy, can I have a muffin?"I finish wiping down the counter and shake my head. "Sorry, sweetie. You already had one.""Please," she pouts, trying to win me over.I stand my ground. "No, darling. Finish your dinner first, then you can have another muffin."She slumps in her chair, crossing her arms and pouting even more."Pouting won't work, Addie," I tell her.She turns her back to me, giving me the silent treatment. As she grows older, her sassiness only seems to increase, and I wonder where she gets it from.The bell rings, and my smile fades when I see who's at the door.His smile still has the power that weakened my knees. It's hard to resist him, even after all these years. I remember meeting him at the club, and his scent and elegance drew me in.Although he never said it, the money he sent me that night helped me through a tough time. I kept it untouched f