Lauren's POVThe world seemed to tilt slightly on its axis when Daphne rushed toward me, her face pale and her voice trembling with urgency.“Hey, girl! Something’s wrong!” she said, clutching my arm. “I just took Abigail out of the bathroom, and I saw Alexander coming into the mall with a group of
I felt the familiar weight settle on my chest, heavier now that the words had been spoken aloud. I nodded stiffly, my throat too tight to speak.Daphne’s face contorted like she’d bitten into a lemon—equal parts disbelief and pity.“Wait, you’re telling me you’re taking care of his kid? For this cas
Lauren's POVThe office was suffocating, the air thick with unspoken words and tension I couldn’t bring myself to confront. I wanted to leave, to vanish from the shadow of his penetrating gaze, but time had other plans. The director excused himself without a second thought, leaving me alone with Ale
How…dare he.I yanked myself away, my palm connecting with his cheek in a slap that echoed in the silence. His head snapped to the side, his breathing ragged, but the look in his eyes was anything but defeated.“Don’t you ever—” My voice shook, my chest heaving with the effort to steady myself. “Don
Abigail's POVMommy wasn’t smiling. That’s how I knew something was wrong. Mommy always smiled, even when she was tired or when I accidentally spilled juice on her papers. But today, her lips were all flat, and her eyes looked sad, like when I broke my favorite doll and she couldn’t fix it.I sat on
Owen blinked at me, his brow furrowing. “Huh?”“I hate your parents,” I added, just to make sure he knew. “My mommy says your daddy is a bad man, so I hate you too!”For a second, he didn’t say anything. I thought maybe he was mad or scared. Then he looked at me with big, dark eyes like a rabbit and
Lauren's POV The airport was a whirlwind of movement, families reuniting, announcements echoing through the halls, and Abigail’s laughter cutting through the noise like a warm breeze. As soon as Liam stepped through the arrival gate, her tiny frame shot forward, a bundle of excitement and curls.
The soft strains of a live orchestra mingled with the hum of voices and the clink of champagne glasses. Servers in crisp black-and-white uniforms moved through the crowd, their trays gleaming with liquid jewels. It was all… excessive. I couldn’t help but feel how excessive this was, even for Alexa
“Wait, what?” I blinked, not entirely understanding. “What do you mean, not one of us?”Theo’s smirk grew. “Not one of your family’s pack, Abigail. There are some bloodlines stronger than others. Some are... legendary.”Owen and I shot eachother a wary glance. The moutain visit. Our blood.Owen’s fa
AbigailI was so ready to figure this mystery out.We were in our usual hideout—a massive fort constructed in our room, the pillows and cushions build tall and hide—filled to the brim with toys and light up by a small portable lap. It was my favorite place to vent about absolutely everything, and to
Worst of all, he was right.A sickening wave of guilt crashed over me. It wasn’t about him. It was me—my own weakness. The way I’d let everything spiral out of control, let myself be influenced and now…I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of every unspoken word lodged in my throat. My lips parted,
Lauren Liam left with all the dramatics of a man who knew exactly how to piss off Alexander. A slow, taunting exit, the ghost of a smirk on his face like he had won something. He even had the audacity to wink.The second the door clicked shut, I felt it—the air shifting. Heavy. Charged.My head was
“Well, don’t you two look cozy,” Liam mused, his eyes flicking between us before landing squarely on me. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to wake up.”“Liam,” Alexander growled, already swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Get out.”“Sorry, can’t,” Liam said smoothly. “Business.”
LaurenPain.That was the first thing I registered. A dull, aching soreness that settled deep in my muscles like I had run a marathon, fought a war, and then been hit by a truck for good measure. My body felt...off. Like I wasn’t quite put together right, like my bones didn’t fit inside my skin prop
But she didn’t.Her teeth sank even deeper, and the pain spiked, blinding me for a moment. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, my body thrashing beneath her, trying to free myself without breaking her apart in the process.But it wasn’t enough.Her jaw deepened it’s hold on me, and I knew in a
AlexanderThe moment we hit the tree line, I shifted, my body snapping, twisting, reshaping in a way that should be painful but wasn’t. A familiar rush of heat, the pull of instinct taking over, and suddenly I was running on all fours—massive, powerful, my black fur blending into the night.Beside m
AlexanderThe moment I stepped into the clearing, I knew something was wrong.Lauren’s scent was thick in the air, but beneath it—beneath the sweat, the earth, the raw, electric energy—there was pain.And then I heard her scream.The sound gutted me.“What the hell is going on?” My voice boomed as I