I stepped closer, closing the distance between us, my voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. “And what about me? You drop all this on me—that Abigail is mine, that Owen is ours—after years of believing you were dead. And now you expect me to just… let you all go?”My gaze locked onto hers, unflinch
Lauren's POVTwo lines. Positive.My head dropped between my shoulders, a heavy breath leaving my lips like a caress down my chest. Leaning over the porcelain sink, the stick in my hand trembled, nearly slipping to the floor.The cool tile beneath my bare feet no longer felt sharp and biting—instead,
Lauren's POVThe crinkling hospital paper beneath me rustled as I shified, unable to sit still. Cold sweat dampened my skin, my nerves trembling with every breath.The doctor before me, an older man with a crisp white coat and a handlebar mustache, studied the papers in his weathered hands. His cool
Lauren's POVI don’t think anyone really expects to attend their own funeral. But if you ever find yourself in that awkward position, let me give you a heads-up: faking your death is messy business.People cry—but not as many as you’d hope. Most are just there for the drama. And if your death is as
Alexander's POVMy gaze was as cold as the marble floor beneath us, fixed on Owen as the Beta dragged him into the kitchen.His grip was firm on the boy’s shoulder, but Owen didn’t flinch. He never did. Behind them, the guards hovered, drenched in sweat and utterly humiliated.It wasn’t the first ti
Lauren's POVI adjusted the strap of my messenger bag, my fingers brushing against the edge of the neatly packed files inside.Everything was in its place, but a flicker of unease stirred in me.As I stepped into the hospital lobby, the sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air—familiar, yet
Lauren's POVThe room froze, the air thick with stunned silence, as if the world itself had hit pause. Owen’s small, clear voice lingered.“Mommy?”—a single word that rippled through the stillness, shattering logic and piecing it back together in a way that didn’t quite make sense.My chest tightene
Sophia didn’t speak, her presence a silent weight passing to leave beside me out the doors. But I didn’t need her words to know what she was thinking—the flicker of recognition in her eyes said it all.The elevator hummed to life, its soft whir filling the silence. I kept my gaze fixed ahead, my gri
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us, my voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. “And what about me? You drop all this on me—that Abigail is mine, that Owen is ours—after years of believing you were dead. And now you expect me to just… let you all go?”My gaze locked onto hers, unflinch
Alexander I leaned back in my office chair, arms crossed, my gaze fixed on Lauren. She stood in the center of the room, her posture rigid, her defiance radiating off her in waves. Her eyes, sharp and unyielding, seemed determined to cut through what little composure I had left.Even now, with her f
“You’re done, Sophia.” His tone was final, each word a death knell. “You’re no longer part of this pack. You’re no longer part of my life. From this moment on, you are nothing. You’re a rogue.” The word slammed into me, a sentence more brutal than any blow. Rogue. Cast out. Forsaken. Stripped of ev
Sophia I was pacing in Owen’s room, my nerves fraying with every tick of the clock. The faint hum of the home me did little to mask the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. Where was Alexander? What was taking him so long? He’d left so quick…for Lauren. The door creaked open, and there
More silence. The air was thick with it, pressing in on us from every side. The seconds stretched into eternity. Finally, he spoke. His voice was strained, barely audible, as if the words were tearing themselves from him. “Lauren…” His breath hitched. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice
Lauren I stared at the medical chart, my eyes scanning the numbers again, hoping they would somehow make sense. It couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t. I had my suspicions, sure. The kids, we all seemed to feel this... offness. But this? This was impossible. I ran my fingers over the chart, my
“Come on,” she pulled with a smile. We took off, Owen’s weight was heavier than it should’ve been, his steps sluggish and uncoordinated as we half-carried him to the car. He must have been hurting more then he let on. I could feel the bile rising in my throat as I glanced at him, buckling him int
Lauren I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I gripped Abigail’s hand tighter, both of us running through the airport crowd, scanning the rows of bustling people, hoping to find Owen. This feeling was familiar, yet it never felt more wrong. Not after what almost happened to Abig
“I’m sure,” the Beta replied. “We’ve checked everywhere. It’s like he vanished into thin air.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m on my way back. I’ll—” “No,” the Beta interrupted. “Don’t come back. It’s too dangerous. Stay where you are, he was going to the airport so keep an