I reached out, running a hand over Owen’s hair before brushing my fingers along Abigail’s cheek. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Tonight, let’s just… breathe, okay?”Abigail hesitated, then nodded, reaching for Owen’s sleeve to tug him toward the stairs. “Come on, we’ll tell Mark about the time you g
Mark and the kids had gone to bed hours ago, their soft, even breathing a gentle reminder of the peace we’d fought so hard to carve out. But here, in the heavy silence of the night, that peace felt temporary. Like a thin sheet draped over something untamed, something waiting.I stood in front of the
His expression darkened, something unreadable flickering across his face. “You’re meant to be mine, and I yours, Lauren.”I laughed, shaking my head. “Not just yours, Alexander. What if I’m supposed to be more?”His jaw flexed, a muscle ticking there. “What are you saying?”I tilted my head, teasing
LaurenThe morning light pierced through the curtains, casting long shadows across the wooden floors. I hadn’t slept much the night before, my thoughts spinning in a web of frustration, anger, and a sense of looming dread.After everything that had happened—after the fight, the tension between the p
Mark didn’t answer, but after a long, silent moment, he bent down and picked a flower from the garden box on the open window. He offered it to Gingi, his large fingers holding it out with all the earnestness of a child giving a gift.Gingi blinked in surprise. She hesitated for a moment, clearly uns
LaurenThe next day, Alexander was off to see where the battle between our pack and the Rouges took place.He told me not to come, but this wasn’t just his problem anymore.On the outskirts of the city in a warehouse, style-park and field—The battlefield smelled of blood and damp earth, the air stil
I giggled but sobered. “What about you? What’s going on with the Rogues?”Theo hesitated, then leaned in, lowering his voice. “They’re getting organized. Too organized. My dad’s losing it—ranting about being the rightful king, the true bloodline, blah, blah, blah. The guy’s a nightmare.”I frowned.
LaurenThe sun cast long streaks of light across the worn wooden floors, painting golden lines through the dust that hung in the air. It should have felt warm, welcoming even, but the sunlight only seemed to highlight the tension stretching between me and Gingi like a taut wire, ready to snap.It ha
Owen’s face darkened, and I could see the conflict brewing in his chest, muttering. “Redhead…”It was like a boiling pot on the verge of overflowing.“Shut up, Theo,” he spat, his voice cracking with frustration. “You’re full of it. You think I’m going to let you anywhere near Abigail again? I’ll—”
TheoThe woods crackled around me as I sprinted through, paws slipping on mud and rotting leaves, the air thick with pine and damp earth. My legs burned, muscles aching, but I couldn’t slow down. Couldn’t afford to.I knew I was being hunted. Heard the howls—Alexander’s guard wolves, technically—clo
“Crap…” I muttered under my breath. “What a pain…”The situation had just gone from bad to worse.Mark didn’t look happy to be here. His eyes darted around, still wide with confusion, his lips parted slightly as though he was trying to piece together where exactly he had ended up. But it wasn’t just
TheoThe cell door creaked open, its rusty hinges groaning like the bones of an old man.My body screamed in protest as I pushed myself to my feet, every muscle aching, every bruise a reminder of the last few days. The cold air hit my face as the guards dragged me out, their laughter ringing in my e
The room went completely still. Mom’s voice barely heard as she whispered, “Abigail…”My heart stopped. My blood ran cold. I could feel my face going pale, my breath catching in my throat. He hadn’t just said that. He couldn’t have.I pushed back from the table, fury flooding my chest. “Yeah, I’ve b
AbigailDinner was a war zone of silence.The only sounds were the clinking of cutlery against plates, the occasional scrape of a chair being pushed back. And with every passing second, the tension in the room grew, like a pressure cooker about to blow its lid.Owen and I sat at opposite ends of the
He pick up a tea pot, examining it, completely unbothered. “I could give you everything back. Everything you lost. The status, the power, the wealth. I’m sure you miss it. I can offer you everything you lost. Status. Power. The world that should’ve been yours.”I straightened before letitng out a sc
SophiaIt was one of those night, the ones where everything felt like it was still. The cabin was quiet, save for the gentle crackling of the fire. I had a mug of tea in hand, the warmth seeping into my fingers as I stared out at the barren trees.My cheeks were still cool from my tears, but I had c
I didn’t even try to hide it. Why bother? He was by the pond, chopping wood like it was a hobby, not a chore. Sunlight danced on the water, turning everything a little less ugly—or maybe I was just getting used to it. The cabin. The earthy smell. The life I was forced to engage with.For a moment, I