SOPHIA’S POVMy foot is on the accelerator as I drive as fast as I can to the school without breaking the speed limit. The situation is not the most ideal one, and it's starting to get to me. How do I deal with this? It kills me to lie to my children or hide anything from them, but it's dangerous for them to know the truth.I tap my finger nervously against the wheel, my grip tightening. I don't even notice Lucas move until he's faced me, placing his hand on mine and gently easing the grip I have on the wheel. He starts rubbing small circles on my knuckles, and my tension flows out of my body. I slow down and start to drive at a normal pace.I had no idea how soothing just his presence and that simple action would be.“Want to talk about it?” he said, his voice calm and velvety as he spoke.I don't know what it was about him, but he seemed to always be there at the right time, whenever I needed him.I tried to think about how best to convey my thoughts, and my anxiety about the situat
SOPHIA'S POV“What do you mean, Mrs. Jones?”I think my tone unsettles her a bit, so I make a conscious effort to soften it. When she hesitates to respond, I ask again, “Mrs. Jones, I said, what do you mean by ‘that might be problematic?’” My voice carries a hint of desperation, though I try to keep it respectful.She lets out a nervous laugh and adjusts her glasses. “Well, you see, the nurse insists she's not crazy and locked them in a room. She refuses to tell us which one. We’ve searched everywhere.”I must not have heard her right. “She did what?”“Miss Lancaster, you need to calm down. The police are on their way right now, and we'll find them before you know it.”I was not hearing any of that. “Where is she?”“Ma'am, you just need to wait for—” The principal tries to calm me down, but I cut her off. I stand up, letting her know I mean business.“Where is the nurse?”“I—she's also locked, but in her office. She refuses to come out after what she did.”I don't know where I'm going
SOPHIA'S POVWe enter the car, and after making sure they're all buckled in and not in any way injured, I turn on the engine and lay my head on the steering wheel. I just had to take a moment to process everything that happened.Today could have gone so bad, in so many ways, and I couldn't even begin to think about that. I thought about the nurse who had insisted that she had seen Alex get healed. I'm just thanking my lucky stars that no one believed her.On the one hand, I felt bad that everyone thought she was crazy, but if anyone decided to investigate further, it would have brought even more attention to them than they already had. I had worked so hard to get them to this point in their lives. I refuse to lose everything.And there's also the matter of my children….I turn back to look at them. “You're all good, baby? She didn't do anything to you guys?”“We're fine, mommy.” They answer, their voices low. I search their faces, but it's not revealing much. That alone scares me more
SOPHIA'S POVMrs. Jackson exclaims and pulls him over for a hug. With the fence in between them, I don't know how she did it, but she managed to squeeze Lucas in her arms.“Oh, I never thought I'd see you in person. You look so handsome. Are you two dating?”“No ma'am, we're not,” Lucas answers for me, chuckling.I decided it was time for that conversation to end. “Well, Mrs. Jackson, we'll see you later. Sure you won't get someone to help you out with your gardening every now and then?”“Oh no, no, my youngest, he's getting his PhD soon, and he'll be back to keep me company. He has three degrees now. He's also quite the handsome fellow. Around your age too.”If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Mrs. Jackson was advertising her son to me. I laugh at her antics. “I'm sure he's quite the person. I look forward to meeting him.”“Alright, dear. You take care of her, you hear me? She's a good one.” She pats Lucas's arm as she releases him.We wave her goodbye and head in, remo
SOPHIA'S POV Feeling his hands on my waist, I shivered at the warmth of his touch and my body froze up.“It's not a date.” I offered up resistance and Lucas just grinned and leaned closer.“Does that mean you don't want to go?”“You... I will…” My words trailed off as I felt his hands creep up and they rested on the small of my back and pulled me closer to him.“Then it's a date,” Lucas said once again and I didn't have any words left to deny him and nodded.But his hands still did not leave and his touch became scalding as I became aware of the nature of our contact.“Lucas…” Not exactly sure what I was threatening him with, I growled…. or at least, attempted to but for some reason, it came out weak.Lucas did not reply and just gazed into my eyes and I averted my gaze.“Look at me.” He said softly and his grip weakened as he raised his hand to my head and I felt like I could break free at any moment.But I couldn't. Or perhaps, I didn't want to. Perhaps something somewhere within m
NATHAN'S POVSuspicious. That was what my mind had been telling me ever since that day.Victoria had been by my side for years. There was no way she could have betrayed me.I tried to reason with my suspicions when my wolf, which usually stayed dormant, came up.“What if she did?” It left me with that, and it stayed in my mind.I did not want to pursue that line of thought because it would only mean one thing: a man who was foolish enough to believe the words of his childhood friend over the words of his destined one.“I told you it wasn't me!” A yell broke me free of my thoughts, and I looked over to find a group of children glaring at one child.That one child had tears in her eyes, but she still stood her ground as she looked at the kids surrounding her.“Then who did? Claire said it was you, and we found you next to it.” I narrowed my gaze to another girl, who was sobbing as a few boys comforted her.“I told you it was Claire! She broke it and ran away. I was just trying to fix it
NATHAN’S POV“The person from five years ago was now the head of the Silverfang pack.”The words just kept ringing in my head from what he said. Why? Why now? Why were the pieces of the puzzle just coming together now?“Are you sure?” I ask him, just to leave no room for doubt.“Yes, Alpha, I am.”“Thank you, Theon. You may leave now.”He bows and leaves the grounds. I take my time walking to my home. There’s, after all, no need to rush. No mate waiting for me at home, for her husband to come home.Although I had spent all this time trying to take my mind off Sophia and move on, there was something about that day that had just kept nagging me. But I did not think it through. I banished her immediately.As soon as I found out that she had left, I had called a council meeting to discuss what happened. They had been very confused, as not everyone had knowledge of what happened.I decided to inform them.“So, as most of you know, I banished my mate, and she is no longer welcome in the pac
NATHAN'S POVWe burst into the food storage building, our eyes scanning the dimly lit space for any sign of the intruders. The raiders, caught off guard, were quickly overpowered by our superior strength and numbers, closing in on themselves.One of the werewolves, a tall and lean figure with yellow eyes, obviously the leader of this little raid group, growled, leaving the little circle they had formed.I watched his movements. I could tell the warriors were tensed up for his attack, but I communicated to them in my head. “Hold. I'll handle this.”“Are you sure, Alpha?” One of them asked. He was obviously one of the newer warriors and has never seen me fight.“Take notes, would you?”Just as I had finished this thought, I watched as he tensed up, then ran at full speed, lunging at me. I waited until he was close to me and could not change directions, before side-stepping him, using a burst of strength to push his body into the wall. He crashed into the structure and howled in pain.Bu
LUCAS' POVThe office felt colder than usual.Or maybe that was just me.I’d been back since morning, but it was already past noon and I hadn’t done much besides flip through reports and sip on lukewarm coffee that had long since lost its appeal. Numbers blurred together on the screen. Charts and forecasts passed without registering. My team had kept their distance, offering polite nods and updates without pushing for conversation.I couldn't blame them. I wasn’t in the mood for it either.Every time I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, all I saw was her face. Sophia. That soft, stunned expression she wore when I got down on one knee. The kind eyes that didn’t sparkle with joy, only guilt. The gentle way she let me down. There was no cruelty in it – she never had that in her – but it still hit like a punch to the gut.I thought I had prepared myself. I thought… maybe I’d stand a chance. But there was no mistaking it now. Her heart belonged to someone else.The knock on my door b
LUCAS' POVThe silence hung between us long after she’d spoken.“I wanted to give you the answer you deserve.” She had said, voice soft but steady. “But if I said yes, it wouldn’t be fair.”Not fair.The words rang in my head like a bell I couldn’t unhear.I didn’t say anything then. Just nodded. I don’t even remember standing up or placing the ring box back in my pocket. It all felt mechanical, like watching myself from outside my own body.Now I was outside, on the cabin porch, the cold air biting through the warmth of the fire still burning inside. I kept my hands shoved deep in my coat pockets as I stared into the dark woods. The lake glimmered faintly beyond the trees, silver and glassy beneath the full moon.She hadn’t come after me.I didn’t blame her.What could she possibly say?The thing was… I’d known. Somewhere deep down, I’d known her heart wasn’t mine. I’d seen it in the way her smile never quite reached her eyes when I brought her flowers. In how she always hesitated be
SOPHIA'S POVIt started with a note on the counter.Just one line. “Don’t make plans tonight. Dress warm. Trust me.”Lucas.The handwriting was unmistakably his – clean, a little slanted, written with the same kind of confidence he carried into boardrooms and kitchens alike. I stared at it for a moment, a faint smile pulling at my lips. He knew how much I hated surprises. And he was doing it anyway.By the time I dropped the twins off at Mrs. Jackson’s for their overnight stay, the sky had deepened into a dusky pink. Lucas was waiting for me in his car, door already open, wearing that charcoal coat I secretly loved. He stood up straighter when he saw me – like he was nervous, but trying not to show it.“You look beautiful.” He said, eyes lingering just long enough to warm my skin.“You don’t look too bad yourself.” I slid into the passenger seat. “What are we doing?”“You’ll see.”I gave him a look.“Okay, fine. I’ll give you a hint.” He glanced at me with a grin. “You’ve been there b
LUCAS' POV The drive to my mother’s house from the airport was shorter than I remembered. Maybe it was the lack of traffic or the way the late afternoon sunlight stretched across the road, golden and slow. Or maybe I just hadn’t realized how long it had been since I made this trip. I used to visit once a month. Then once every two. Now… Well, I hadn’t been home since I came with Sophia. Pulling into the driveway, I killed the engine and sat there for a moment, staring at the modest house. White siding, blue shutters, flowerbeds brimming with tulips and wild lavender. Everything was exactly how I remembered it, like time hadn’t touched it – even though it clearly had. I grabbed the wine I’d picked up on the way and headed for the front door. Before I could knock, it swung open. “There’s my boy!” My mother stood there, arms wide, her smile brighter than the sun behind her. She didn’t wait for me to answer – just pulled me in and squeezed me like she hadn’t seen me in years.
LUCAS' POVI never liked small talk. I didn’t have the patience for it. Business was business, and I preferred things to stay efficient, direct, no fluff. But then she came into the office.Victoria.She’d been introduced as a new consultant for the company’s expansion project, and from the moment I saw her, I could tell she was different. She had this way about her – so composed, so polished. She moved through the office like she owned it, like she was in control, and it wasn’t long before I found myself paying attention to her more than I cared to admit.At first, it was just little things. She’d smile at me across the room, but it wasn’t one of those “polite office smiles”. No. It was more like she was sizing me up. I wasn’t used to being looked at like that, especially not in a room full of busy people, but there it was.I didn’t think much of it at first. That is, until she knocked on my office door one Wednesday morning.“Good morning, Luca.” She greeted me, stepping inside, a c
SOPHIA'S POVI sat in the living room, fingers tightly curled into fists in my lap, my eyes fixed on the coffee table in front of me. The weight of everything that had happened today pressed down on me. The note, the disappearance, the fear that had gripped my chest when I found the twins’ beds empty – everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.Daniel sat across from me, leaning forward, his face creased in concern. He had tried to get me to talk about it since he arrived, but I kept finding ways to sidestep the darker details. It felt too heavy to say aloud, too impossible to believe, but I had no choice.“I don't get it, Sophia.” He said, his voice calm but laced with disbelief. “How did they just... disappear like that? You said you left them in bed.”I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck as if that would ease the tension building there. “Yeah, I did. I left them sleeping. Nothing unusual. But then... I found the note. It said, 'I'm here for you, Sophia. Miss me?'” I swa
MALACHI’S POV The night was thick with shadows, but I was no stranger to darkness. I was, in fact, its most loyal companion. It embraced me, welcomed me, as it had since the day I was driven from the pack, from everything I once had. And now, from my place just outside Sophia’s house, I could feel the tension tightening around me, wrapping like a knot. I stayed hidden, cloaked in the deep darkness of the alleyway, the dim glow of the porch lights casting long, skeletal shadows across the yard. The sound of the wind moved through the trees, but my attention never moved from the house. The world beyond was irrelevant. Unimportant. All that mattered now was her. Sophia. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, even if every part of me screamed that I should’ve been closer, taking what was rightfully mine. Sophia, with her delicate beauty, the curve of her neck, the soft flicker of light catching the strands of her dark hair. She was standing in the doorway, her expression a mixt
SOPHIA'S POVI stepped inside, the familiar scent of home greeting me, but something was... wrong. The door clicked softly behind me, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. I hadn’t expected the house to feel so still, so quiet. But it was more than that. It felt empty in a way that twisted something deep inside me.I hesitated, standing in the entryway. The house was usually alive with noise – Alex and Alexia’s laughter, their endless chatter, the thumping of their footsteps as they ran through the halls. But now… nothing.I swallowed hard, the unease crawling up my spine as my fingers curled around my bag. I’d seen the note at the door, my heart already racing before I even touched it.“I'm here for you Sophia. Miss me?” The words had burned into my mind, and now, with the house so eerily silent, my stomach twisted painfully.“Alex? Alexia?” I called, my voice too small in the empty air. It felt like I was shouting into a void. No answer. Just that thick, pressing sil
SOPHIA'S POVLola was quiet for a moment, her hand loosely wrapped around her mug. Then, with a glance that was far too knowing for my liking, she said gently, “So… how do you really feel about him?”Her words settled like mist in the cozy room, quiet and unassuming, but thick enough that I couldn’t ignore them.I stared into my tea like it might offer a better answer than I could. It didn’t. “I don’t know.” I said, which was technically true, if you just didn't count all the parts of me screaming otherwise.Lola’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, please. That’s the most suspicious ‘I don’t know’ I’ve heard all week – and I’ve had three customer complaints and a guy who claimed his espresso was ‘emotionally cold.’”I laughed despite myself. “Emotionally cold?”“He said it lacked soul. I gave him a biscotti and told him to take it up with his therapist.”I nearly spit my tea. “God, I’ve missed this.”“What, sarcasm and caffeine-fueled delusions?”“Exactly that.” I smiled, then let it slip. “And…