Great, another thing to fight over.“I wanted to ask,” he interrupted my thoughts, his voice low, almost like a dare. “Later this week, I have some free time. Would you want to join me for dinner?”My brow furrowed. “Us? Alone?”A smirk tugged at his lips, his gaze never leaving mine as he gestured
Lauren The first full day in Alexander’s house felt like a strange kind of limbo, like I was living in a version of reality that didn’t quite belong to me, or a memory being painted over.Abigail and I had moved in yesterday, but it wasn’t until this morning that the weight of it hit me. We were he
Alexander walked beside me, hands in his pockets, eyes on the kids. “I didn’t think she’d be this excited over… a muddy playground.”I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “She’s a kid. They get excited about the simplest things.”He nodded, then his gaze snapped to the forest’s edge. I followed
Lauren Daphne had offered to babysit Abigail and Owen, leaving us alone for the first time in what felt like forever. And suddenly everything felt more... complicated.When I woke up, I had expected a day like any other—an ordinary day with the kids, trying to adjust to our new normal. But Alexande
“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “How are you feeling about everything? The move, the kids...”I hesitated, swirling the wine in my glass, trying to find the right words. How was I supposed to feel? I didn’t know anymore. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s a lot. But... it’s good, too. I mean, we
Lauren The smell of pine and fresh earth greeted me as I opened the window in my new room. Still, it was hard to think this view was mine again.The manner felt cold when we arrived—and yet, here I was, folding my favorite throw blanket over the edge of the bed and placing Abigail’s stuffed rabbit
One day, we were in the living room building a fort with all the cushions. Owen was in charge of the roof, and I was the “architect,” which meant I got to boss him around. We were laughing so hard that we didn’t hear Dad come in. His footsteps were always silent despite his size.“What are we defend
LaurenI knew Alexander was lying when he left.His gaze was the same but there was that hitch in his tone. The same one when he used to sneak off to see Sophia.Only this time, I couldn’t help but trail him.The winds that rustled through the towering pines seemed heavier than usual, carrying whisp
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
LaurenThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was warmth.The kind that sinks deep into your bones, the kind that lingers in the air, making it thick and heavy. My body ached in a way that left no room for confusion, and when I shifted slightly, the soreness between my legs confirmed what my hazy
Then Theo nudged me, near out of breath. “Hey, if things go south, you’re our distraction.”I turned slowly. “Excuse me?”He shrugged. “You’d make the best bait. You’re the slowest!”“I am not!” I hissed.Owen rolled his eyes, shoving us both forward. “Focus on you’re feet you two!”“You’re so right