Abigail’s voice broke through my thoughts, as she chatted with Owen. “No, seriously, this is the best birthday I’ve ever had!” She grinning, her excitement genuine, her eyes sparkling with something I hadn’t expected. I raised an eyebrow, “It’s your birthday today?” She blinked, clearly taken ab
Lauren I had just gotten Abigail into the car when the weight of what she’d said hit me. The moment I saw Alexander’s face, something inside me snapped. I knew I’d have to answer questions, navigate the tension, and shield my daughter from the chaos unraveling around us. I mumbled a lame excuse
Owen’s small, trembling voice broke the silence. “I’m sorry. Don’t blame Abigail.” His words left like the small hand on my sleeve. This tiny boy, already trying to shoulder blame he didn’t deserve, carried a weight no child should bear. My heart ached for him. Taking a steadying breath, I leane
Lauren The lights flickered, then went out, plunging the elevator into darkness. The sudden silence felt suffocating, broken only by the groan of the stalled elevator. I gasped, my hands instinctively reaching for balance as the space seemed to shrink around me. “Are you okay?” Alexander’s voice
His steady gaze sent irritation—and something else—creeping up my neck. “I’m just Owen’s doctor,” I reminded him coldly. “You don’t need to waste your time on me.” Instead, he leaned back, infuriatingly casual, one arm draped over the chair. His lips curved—not quite a smile, but something sharper
Lauren I was back on my feet soon after being discharged, the hospital buzzing as always with hurried footsteps and beeping machines. But today, the air felt heavier, thick with tension I couldn’t shake. Every glance, every whisper seemed aimed at me, and the weight of their judgment pressed hard
A chill ran down my spine. Then, the unmistakable click of the door behind me slamming shut, followed by the cold, metallic scrape of the lock falling into place, rang through the room. The sound was so final, so deliberate, it made my blood run cold. I spun around, my heart racing, my hands sha
Alexander's POV Seeing Lauren crumpled on the cold floor, pale and trembling, hit me harder than I could have imagined. My knees buckled as I dropped down beside her, my hands finding their way into her soft hair, cradling her head as if that alone could hold her together. Her chest rose and fel
“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