NATHAN'S POVTheon scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the workbench. "You're telling me you dragged me out here to help you make gifts for six-year-olds?"I ignored the sarcasm. “Not just any gifts. They need to mean something.”I had been sitting in my office, my mind not really focused on anything. Not even thoughts of work could get them out of my mind.My twins.My children.I was– no, am, a father.All this time. I had children and they had to grow up thinking they had a father who didn't care about them. Or worse, was dead. My jaw ticked at the thought and I could feel my wolf growl within. He was not happy with that thought.And even though we had no one to blame but ourselves, it doesn't mean I couldn't do anything about it. Purpose fueling each step, I strode out of my office, calling out to Priya, “Cancel all my meetings for the day. I have something important to attend to.”“Thank the Lord. Does that mean we can go home too?” She called out to me.Without tur
NATHAN'S POV Inside, the house smelled warm. Lived in. It wasn’t just a place where Sophia and the twins stayed – it was a home. That realization hit harder than I expected. The warmth of Sophia’s home wrapped around me the moment I stepped inside. It was lived in – filled with soft laughter, scattered toys, and the faintest lingering scent of her. Alex wasted no time, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the living room. “Come see what we made.” He said excitedly. Alexia followed at a more measured pace, watching with careful eyes. She was wary, but she didn’t shy away. That was progress. Mrs. Jackson closed the door behind us with a slight huff. “Well, don’t just stand there like a statue, Nathan. Shoes off before you track dirt in here.” I blinked at the scolding but complied, taking off my boots. It had been a long time since someone had spoken to me like that. Alex pulled me toward a small table covered in papers, crayons, and what looked like… sticks? No, not sticks.
SOPHIA'S POVThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was warmth.Not just the warmth of the sheets or the soft morning sunlight streaming through the window, but the solid, steady warmth of a body next to mine. A body that, if I shifted even slightly, I would be pressed up against.And I did. Shift, that is.Not on purpose. At least, that’s what I told myself.But the second my leg brushed against his, I froze.Lucas.Memories of last night came rushing back. The slow, deliberate way he had kissed me, the way his hands had traced my skin like he was memorizing me. The way I had let go, completely, without hesitation.No past. No future. Just us.And now… morning had arrived.I let out a slow breath, staring up at the ceiling. This was the part no one ever talked about – the after. The part where reality set in and I had to figure out what the hell this meant.Before I could think too much, Lucas stirred beside me.I could tell the exact moment he woke up. His breathing shifted, and t
SOPHIA'S POVBy the time we made it to the airport, Lucas had already received three more calls from his mother. Each one sharper than the last.“You’re late.”“Do you even remember what I look like?”“Oh, look at that, your sisters are placing bets on whether you’ll actually make it today.”Lucas had groaned at that last one, shooting me a look that said, “See what I deal with?” But the truth was, I kind of liked it. There was something comforting about how effortlessly his family could tease him, how easily they pulled him into their world, even from miles away.Now, as we stepped off the plane and made our way to the rental car, Lucas let out a dramatic sigh. “Alright, sweetheart. Last chance to run before you’re dragged into full-blown Sinclair family madness.”I gave him a dry look as I slid into the passenger seat. “You forget, I deal with hungry customers every single day. Your family doesn’t scare me.”Lucas chuckled as he started the car. “Oh, just wait.”And that was how th
LUCAS' POVI should’ve known better.The moment my mother announced game night, I should’ve grabbed Sophia and run straight for the door. But no, I let my guard down, got comfortable, and now – now I was sitting in the middle of the Sinclair family war zone, aka the living room, with Sophia at my side and absolutely no way out.“We’re playing Secrets and Lies.” Maddie declared, practically bouncing on the couch. “House rules.”I groaned. Of course, we were playing Secrets and Lies.It was a Sinclair family original, designed to break spirits and expose weaknesses. Obviously coined from Two Truths and a Lie, we put our own little spin on it and made it our own thing. The rules were simple. One person made a statement about themselves, and the rest of us had to decide if it was the truth or a lie. If we guessed wrong, the liar got to dare someone to do something ridiculous. If we guessed right, the liars had to do the dare themselves.And with my sisters? These dares were never harmless
SOPHIA'S POV The house had finally quieted down. After an evening filled with laughter, teasing, and fierce competition over board games, the Sinclair family had retreated for the night. Emily had taken the baby to bed, Maddie had declared herself the undefeated champion of trivia – despite Lucas arguing otherwise – and their mother had given me a knowing wink before disappearing down the hall. Now, I stood outside on the back porch, letting the night air cool my flushed skin. The sky stretched endlessly above me, dark and speckled with stars. It was peaceful – the perfect contrast – to the whirlwind of an evening. A soft squeak of the door behind me signaled Lucas’s arrival before I even turned. “Stealing another moment?” He teased, stepping up beside me. His voice was quieter now, more thoughtful. I smiled, glancing at him. “Guess I am. Your family is… A lot.” Lucas let out a short laugh. “You can say it – they’re overwhelming.” “They are,” I admitted, but then I nudged him p
SOPHIA'S POVThe morning air was thick with the scent of coffee and maple syrup. The wisps of aroma weaved through the Sinclair household like a gentle nudge from the arms of slumber, stirring me awake even before I fully opened my eyes. For a moment, I simply lay beneath the covers, savoring the unfamiliar yet strangely comforting feeling of waking up somewhere that wasn’t my own home.The previous night had been filled with warmth – laughter, teasing, the kind of easy chaos that only close-knit families could create. It had been nice, more than nice, and I wasn’t quite ready to step away from it just yet.Still, reality had a way of creeping in. I knew I couldn’t avoid my thoughts forever. Nathan’s unexpected reappearance in my children’s lives, Lucas’s unwavering presence, the weight of everything left unsaid – it all loomed in the back of my mind. But here, at this moment, with the sound of voices filtering through the walls, I let myself breathe.I climbed out of bed and stretche
NATHAN'S POVAlex had no shortage of energy.After fixing the sink and surviving Mrs. Jackson’s sharp tongue, I expected a moment of quiet. But Alex had other plans. He wanted to show me everything – his drawings, his books, even his attempt at a handstand that ended with him toppling over and laughing like it was the best thing in the world.But I knew I wouldn't trade this moment with him for anything in the world. It reminded me just how much of his life I'd been missing and I could have been a part of. Even my wolf lay content as he watched everything unfold. It reminded me why we were doing this. To be a family again. With our mate. To make up for lost time To prove we were worthy. Alexia, on the other hand, sat curled on the couch, her locket resting against her chest, watching me with sharp, knowing eyes. She was thinking. Analyzing. I just knew that a great deal was going on behind her young, bambi-doe eyes, the blue of them that always seemed to look into your soul when they
VICTORIA'S POVThe air reeked of stale beer, sweat, and desperation. Ew.But, it was exactly the kind of place I’d expect to find a disgraced Alpha drowning in his own failure. Go figure.The bar was tucked into the corner of a forgotten alley, away from prying eyes by broken neon signs and shattered dreams. How do the humans say it again? Ahh, yes. What a boulevard of broken dreams.I stood outside for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dim glow bleeding through the fogged windows. The faint thundering boom of music sounded from within – some cheap EDM beat vibrating through shitty speakers – and over all of that, somehow louder than it all, the rough voices of men exchanging bets, boasts, and laughter that reeked of low intelligence.I pushed the door open.The warmth inside hit me like a wall, thick with body heat and alcohol fumes. It was a human dive, alright. Ugh.Cheap wood paneling, flickering lights, a couple of dart boards with knives sticking out of them. A fight was b
NATHAN'S POVThe rain had finally stopped.I watched the last beads slide down the windowpane of my office, the world outside slick and silver under the afternoon light. It had been a quiet day—restless, but quiet. The kind of quiet that gets under your skin, makes your wolf lift its head and sniff the wind.Still, I tried not to read too much into it. I had things to do—real things.I turned my attention back to the table in front of me. A spread of papers, drawings, and a carefully wrapped pair of gifts sat in the center. One for Alex. One for Alexia.I had put them together after our last talk—gifts that I hoped the ancestors would be proud of, sure, but also from me. I’d carved their names into the wooden boxes myself. Inside were tokens of our world—hand-polished stones charged with protective runes, small journals bound in soft leather, and a pendant each, etched with our crest. It was slightly different from the other pendants I had gotten them—this one had the Bennett family c
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