He leaned forward, finally looking me in the eyes, his expression unreadable. “Sophia, I’m not firing her. You need to let this go. It’s between you and our…son.” My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “You’re really not going to do anything?” I asked, my voice a dangerous whisper. “You’re just
Owen's POV One gala, right into another. This one felt less like an event and more like a loud, glittering outdoor carnival masquerading as high society. The kind of place where you had to squint—not just from the blinding sunlight reflecting off sequins, but from the overwhelming brightness of
Her hand landed on my shoulder, and I stiffened. The room fell silent, and I could feel every single eye on me, their gazes like lasers boring into my skin. “He’s the light of our lives,” Sophia said, her voice full of practiced affection. I resisted the urge to laugh—or maybe cry. Light of thei
Lauren's POV The news was on in the background, the chatter of the anchors blending with the occasional giggle from Abigail as she colored on the living room floor. I had half an ear on the TV, more focused on sorting through the mountain of laundry I’d been ignoring for days. But then a familiar
“Sophia,” he said, his voice shaking. “She… she’s awful. A horrible mom. She—she threatened me.” “What?” I leaned forward, my heart pounding. “She said if I didn’t do what she wanted, she’d…” His voice cracked, and he buried his face in his little hands. “Take your time,” I said softly, trying
Alexander's POV I stared at the phone in my hand, Lauren’s name still glowing on the screen. Her voice echoed in my mind, steady but brimming with restrained fury. “Owen needs to stay here for a while. He’s shaken, Alexander. And frankly, so am I.” Her tone had been calm on the surface, but I
Lauren's POV I could barely breathe. The sound of the newscaster’s voice buzzed in my ears as I stood frozen in the middle of the living room, eyes glued to the TV again. Just when I thought the night couldn’t get more hectic, the screen flashed with the image of Alexander, standing at a podium
I could control the narrative. “Yeah,” I muttered, a smile tugging at my lips. “Yeah, that could work.” Daphne nodded, her expression one of approval. “Exactly. You don’t have to play by anyone’s rules but your own.” I felt a surge of determination rush through me. This was the answer. I could
His expression faltered for just a second, but he quickly masked it, folding his arms across his chest. I could see the struggle in his eyes—he wanted to help me. He did.“You think this is easy for me?” he muttered, his tone a little more clipped now. “Of course I want to help you find him, but I a
LaurenThe argument had been raging for what felt like hours. The air in the clearing was thick, heavy with tension as I glared across the crowd at the Betas and the elders. Their words were all the same: “He’s dangerous. He’s a liability. He’s an outsider. Why risk more manpower looking for someone
He hesitated, giving me that unreadable stare for a beat, but eventually, he nodded. I smirked, feeling victorious as I led him to the porch. I pulled a pair of scissors from a drawer inside the cabin, because, you know, a girl has her tools.Gesturing for him to sit on the steps, I strutted behind
SophiaThe sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the clearing as I stood before the sorry excuse for a garden that had become my latest torment. The once-neat rows were now a tangled mess of overgrown weeds and wilting plants, mocking my every attempt at cultivation. I huffed, wiping a
He didn’t respond, which was starting to piss me off. The nerve. The audacity.I narrowed my eyes, slapping the mud from my eyes. “I don’t care why you’re running! You do not just appear out of nowhere and make me fall into the mud! Do you understand me?”Nothing. Not a damn word.I clenched my fist
SophiaThe cabin was far too quiet. The silence gnawed at my nerves, making the flickering candlelight cast shadows that seemed to mock me.I wrapped my hands tighter around my teacup, the porcelain delicate against my fingers, but even the warmth of it couldn't soothe the simmering rage boiling in
He had that smirk, that look of superiority that made my blood boil, much taller then us, looming with the other smirking teens. His eyes locked on Owen.“I don’t care if you're the Alpha’s kids,” he sneered. “You’re not one of us.”I stood up straight, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles cracked
AbigailThe air smelled different tonight—sharper, like the kind of cold that only comes with a storm, or maybe just my terrible sense of smell. I don’t know, maybe I was just nervous.Okay, definitely nervous.Everything felt way too big tonight, like the forest clearing and the pack were all audit
I stopped, knowing Mark had it so much worse with a sigh.Mark just shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling, a simple gesture that said everything and nothing at once. He didn’t understand it either. He’d never get it. I’d never get it. No one did.I leaned back a little, staring up at the moon a