SOPHIA'S POVThe restaurant had long since emptied, save for a few lingering patrons finishing their meals, and the soft hum of closing-time preparations filled the air. The scent of freshly baked bread and simmering sauces wafted through the kitchens to me, a reminder of the long day I'd had. I wiped a damp cloth across the counter, my movements slower than usual, my thoughts far too tangled to focus.Nathan.The name alone sent a fresh wave of frustration through me. I had spent years locking him out of my mind, reminding myself that he was simply an ugly reminder of my past and now, with a few careless words and a look that made my heart lurch in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge, he was back in my head, unraveling the careful balance I had built.I sighed, pressing my fingers against my temples. Enough.“You look like you're trying to kill that counter.” Lucas’s voice broke through my haze, warm and laced with amusement.I glanced up, meeting his steady gaze as he leaned against t
THEON’S POVI exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples as the raised voices of pack members clashed in the air like a venti storm brewing. The clearing outside the packhouse was thick with tension, wolves standing in scattered groups, their expressions ranging from angry to impatient to bored.At the center of it all, as always, was Beta Lewis.“This is unacceptable,” Lewis growled, his stance rigid, eyes burning with barely concealed fury. “My daughter deserves better than to be treated like some – some commoner among the pack. She has the blood of a Beta in her veins. That should mean something!”I bit back the urge to sigh. I’d heard this argument before – several times, in fact. Ever since Nathan had left to establish his company in the human world, Lewis had been pushing harder, demanding recognition, stirring unrest with talk of traditions and bloodlines. He used to be calmer when Nathan was around but after months of the Alpha's absence, I could tell Lewis was getting used to the pow
NATHAN'S POVThe grounds were packed, every inch of space filled with wolves. Some stood rigid, their arms crossed, their gazes hard. Others murmured amongst themselves, their voices a low hum of tension. The weight of their judgment pressed against my skin, but I stood tall, my expression unreadable.Leaving the city and coming back here was one of the hardest decisions I'd ever had to make. Necessary, yes, but it certainly did not take away from the difficulty.I brushed a hard across my face as I stood at the border of the territory. I remembered my conversation with Elara before I came here. It was only fitting I'd seen her before making such a decision. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? It would mean you walking away from what you've always known.”“I have to. I would never know otherwise.” She looked at me like she was trying to decipher a code. I didn't give two shits. It was an honest answer. And it was perhaps, the only answer I knew.Then she nodded like she had fo
SOPHIA'S POVWhat the hell?The world around me blurred.One moment, I was standing in my kitchen, rolling out fresh pasta dough for dinner. The next– Nathan’s voice was in my head.“Watch. Please.”The words weren’t a plea. It wasn’t a demand. It was something worse. A tether.I didn’t even have a chance to resist before the connection swallowed me whole.And suddenly, I was there.I wasn’t in my kitchen anymore. I was standing in the heart of the pack’s gathering, surrounded by wolves I once called family, in a place I had once called my home. My breath caught as I saw them – the tension, the division. Theon at Nathan’s side, his face unreadable. Beta Lewis, his usual arrogance burning hot but still the man I had once considered a father. Wolves murmured, some nodding in agreement, others scowling.And then, him.Nathan.Standing tall, unshaken, but not untouched.“I have led this pack for years,” H said, his voice carrying across the gathering. “I have fought for you. I have bled
NATHAN'S POVThe moment Sophia severed the connection, it felt like a door slamming shut inside my mind. The lingering warmth of her presence vanished, replaced by a cold emptiness that settled deep in my chest. My wolf growled in frustration, prowling restlessly beneath my skin, wanting – needing – to chase after her, to restore the link.But I didn’t move.I had said what I needed to say. I had made sure she saw it. Felt it. What she did with that now – that was her choice.The murmurs in the crowd rose, confusion and unrest rippling like a wave through my pack like a storm on the horizon. I could feel the weight of their gazes, the tension thick enough to choke on. Some wolves exchanged uneasy glances. Some looked at me with uncertainty, while others – like Lewis – glared outright.Beta Lewis stepped forward, his face twisted in fury. “This is madness.” He spat. “You stand before us, proclaiming your failures like some martyr, and you expect us to just accept it?”I turned my head
NATHAN'S POVThe scent of smoke hit me first.Not the kind from a fire pit or a distant hearth. This was different – thicker, off-putting, full of destruction. Wrong.✧✦✧✦✧✧A few hours earlier….Theon hadn’t moved since the crowd started to scatter. He stood beside me, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Some wolves lingered, throwing glances our way, murmuring about everything that had just unfolded. Others stormed off, obviously displeased but not bold enough to challenge me directly.Beta Lewis was one of the last to leave, his eyes burning with contempt as he pulled his daughter, Victoria, along with him. She didn’t seem as bitter as her father – more calculating, as if she were already planning her next move. But I paid her no mind. I couldn't even spare her a glance as she tried to get my attention, her presence the last thing on my mind. I exhaled through my nose, rolling my shoulders, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. I had done it. I had named Theon as my Bet
SOPHIA'S POVThe scent of warm spices and fresh herbs filled Il Cuore di Sofia, wrapping around me like a familiar embrace. Like home. The restaurant hummed with quiet efficiency – chefs moving in rhythm, servers weaving between tables as seamlessly as finely blended and brewed tea, the soft clink of glasses punctuated by murmured conversation. Everything was running smoothly, exactly as it should.And yet, I felt restless.I had thrown myself into work since the gala. Buried myself in it, really. There was comfort in the controlled chaos of the kitchen, in the precision of plating, in the meticulousness of balancing flavors. It was safe here – predictable. Work didn’t demand things from me that I wasn’t ready to give. That I wasn't going to give.Unlike him.I shook the thought away, focusing on the dish in front of me. “A little more saffron. Just a little bit more.” I murmured, tasting the broth. “And lower the heat. Let it simmer.”“Yes, Chef ma'am.” Came the quick reply from Ma
NATHAN'S POV It all happened in a series of events. From the smell of smoke still clinging to my skin to the smell buried so deep in my senses that I doubted it would ever fade. From the first action that set it in motion to my final actions. When I had given the order to arrest them, they had fled, Victoria and her father. But I had simply let them leave, a cold, cold smile on my face. “Should we go after them, Alpha?” A guard had asked me. “No. Let them leave.” And it shocked everyone there into silence. I had entered the killer mode, and nothing could bring me out of it. Not when the ruins of my home stood before me – charred wood, broken stone, and the memories within where I once called my home reduced to nothing but ash. I stood in the burnt wreckage, my fingers tightening around the burnt remains of the box. The last thing I had of my parents. Destroyed. Theon and a few others were handling the aftermath, but their voices faded into the background. My wolf was restless,
THEON'S POVThe council room was a pressure cooker. It was almost as though the collective heat emanating from the council members could cook a hard, battle-seasoned wolf.Heat radiated from more than just the fire crackling in the hearth. It steamed from the anger in the room – wolves packed wall to wall, voices rising, tempers flaring. And no matter how tall I stood or how hard I glared, it wasn’t enough to keep the unrest at bay anymore.“He left,” Brannon, one of the newer council members, arms folded across his massive chest. “Our Alpha abandoned us.”“He didn’t abandon us,” I snapped, my voice ringing out like a whip. I imbued a bit of authority so as to make lesser wolves obey due to the chain of command. “He made a choice. One he told us about. One he took full responsibility for.”“He left,” someone else echoed. “When the fire hit. When the house burned. When Victoria and her father tried to kill him – he walked away. What kind of Alpha does that?”One of the younger wolves,
SOPHIA’S POVAlexia’s eyes glowed with a strange, pulsing light – unnatural and far too old for her six-year-old face. They didn’t blink as she stared straight ahead, her small hand still raised, fingers curled like she was holding something I couldn’t see.“Alpha Nathan, leader of the Moonstone Pack… you are in grave danger.”My heart slowed down, stuttering in its steady walk. The air itself seemed to still, the warmth sucked from the room. I started to step forward on instinct – my baby – but Elara caught my wrist, holding me firm. Her grip was steady, but her gaze never left Alexia. Her silence screamed, don’t.Then Alexia’s head turned. Slowly. Mechanically, like her bones had turned to gears with knobs for muscles. Until her glowing gaze landed on me.“And you… Sophia of the broken bond…”I stopped breathing.The voice was still hers, still soft and small – but it was laced with something heavy and ancient. Something that didn’t belong inside or anywhere near my daughter’s body.
NATHAN'S POVElara didn’t wait for us to react. She was already halfway down the hallway by the time I caught up.“Is it Alex?” I asked, heart slamming against my ribs.“Yes,” she said sharply. “But not in the way you think. Come on.”I didn’t look at Sophia – we were moving too fast – but I felt her presence behind me. Her heartbeat was quick, light footsteps trailing mine as we reached the twins’ room.When Elara threw the door open, everything in me froze.Alex lay in bed, his body drenched in sweat. But it wasn’t a fever. His skin glowed faintly, like moonlight was trying to escape through his veins. His fingers twitched, his back arched once, and his lips moved silently, like he was trying to speak in a dream.Alexia sat beside him, hands pressed to his chest, brows furrowed in fierce concentration.“Elara–” Sophia’s voice broke. “What’s happening to him?”Before she could answer, Alexia turned to us. “Shhh.”She didn’t shout, didn’t cry. Just raised her tiny finger to her lips.
SOPHIA'S POV“No way in fucking hell.”The words cut through the room like a whip cracking. Sharp and final.But the second they’re out, my chest constricts. Fucking hell. I see it in his eyes – the flicker of hurt – but I don’t care. I can’t care. Not now. Not when my entire world’s been turned on its head again, and he’s the one holding the match.Nathan doesn’t say anything. He just stands there in the kitchen’s low light, like he expected this. Like he knew it would go this way and still came anyway.Good.He should’ve known better.“You think you can just walk back into our lives,” I start, pacing because I can’t be still, my hands doing their part in the conversation too, “say a few heartfelt things, drop some ancient-wolf-magic prophecy on me – and I’m supposed to just what, uproot everything and go back to Moonstone?”“I didn’t say it would be easy,” he said, voice calm but low.I whirl around on him. “Don’t do that. Don’t use that calm, measured tone with me. You left. You ba
NATHAN'S POV Her voice breaks the quiet. “We need to talk.” Fucking hell. I knew what it was going to be about. I nod, even though I already know this won’t be easy. I follow her to the kitchen, where the light is low and everything feels too still. It smells like honey tea and something faintly herbal, probably whatever she brewed to ease Alex’s symptoms. I take the seat across from her, my shoulders tight, heart steady but heavy. She doesn’t waste time. “I saw things tonight,” she says, arms crossed, voice tight. “Things I don’t understand. You touched Alex and… the way your aura shifted, your eyes… even the air changed. I felt it, Nathan. Through the bond.” I hold her gaze. “I know.” Her brows lift slightly. “You’ve changed.” I don’t argue. “I have.” She waits, like she knows I have more. Then she spelled it out for me. “What the fuck aren't you telling me, Nathan?” She’s right. It was time to finally, fully come clean. “I didn’t always know what I was,” I say quietly
SOPHIA'S POVBut that was clearly a problem for another day, as Nathan didn't give two shits about any other thing.“Where is he? Where is he, Sophia?”Nathan’s voice crashes through the house like thunderous waves in a storm. The walls seem to echo with it. My breath hitches. The room spins for half a second before my feet find the ground again.I turn sharply, hand gripping the counter for balance. He’s standing there in the doorway, shoulders tense, chest rising fast, eyes wild and glowing faintly gold. His wolf was really struggling to come to the surface and from what I could tell, it looked like only the gods themselves were holding him at bay. I’ve never seen that look on his face before.Not even when we fought. Not even when everything between us broke.“Nathan.” I breathe, but he’s already moving. Storming past me.“Elara!” He shouts. “Where is he?”Her voice comes from the hallway, calm but urgent. “Upstairs. Second door on the left.”“Nathan, wait!” I go after him, but he’
NATHAN'S POVThe morning passed in a rare kind of peace.For once, the air in the office wasn’t heavy with tension or crisis. The team was in high spirits, and business was running smoothly. Priya had been grinning since she walked in, flipping through reports with a satisfied nod before updating me on the latest developments.“We finalized the contract with Veridan Enterprises. They signed off on everything this morning.” She said, placing a crisp folder on my desk. “And the partnership with HavenTech is set to launch next quarter. At this rate, we should probably think of hiring more people and expanding. We could open more branches and get into new ventures!”Camille poked her head in. “Okay, slow your roll Minnie. Your enthusiasm is starting to affect even Jacob. He looks like he's coming off a crazy hangover. You good there Jacob?” She directed the last bit at the man, as he looked a little worse for wear and not like the usually meticulously put together man we all knew. And wo
SOPHIA'S POVThis cannot keep happening. I moved quickly, my mind a blur of frantic thoughts as I carried Alex down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. His small body felt so fragile in my arms, limp and feverish. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a burning temperature that made my stomach churn. It shouldn't feel possible, and yet, it was.I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt like the world had slowed down. Every second felt like an eternity as I pushed through the house, my pulse racing. I had to get him help, now.I reached the kitchen, feeling like I was suffocating in the stillness of the house. I set Alex down on the counter, quickly dialing the number I knew all too well, that I had memorised out of necessity but never thinking I would need it again. The phone rang, and I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling.“Come on, come on.” I whispered under my breath, willing the phone to connect.The line clicked, and her voice, calm yet urgent, answered o
SOPHIA'S POVI was still smirking when I set my phone down. Leave it to Maria and Grace to turn a casual morning chat into a remake of a freshly produced detective show about my love life.I shook my head, stretching my arms over my head as I stood from the couch. It had been a good call – lighthearted, full of laughter. The kind that made you forget, just for a little while, about everything else.Maybe that was why I had let my guard down.I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling as I headed toward the kitchen to rinse out my coffee cup. I had been up for a while now, yet the house remained silent. The twins usually slept in on weekends, but even then, I should have heard some noise by now – kids moving under blankets, quiet giggles, footsteps running down the hall.Instead, there was only stillness.I frowned but shook off the unease creeping in. Maybe they were just extra tired. Last night had been a long one, and after all the excitement, I wouldn’t blame them for sleeping in.Just