NATHAN'S POVWaking up the next morning, I sat up, the conversations of the early mornings playing in my head. Determination coursed through me as I balled my fists. I'm going to do whatever it takes to find her.Heading to the kitchen, I saw that Elara was already there, her back to me. Without turning to face me, she said, “You're leaving.”I stopped in my tracks. “How did you–”“Lola. She spoke to me briefly before leaving. She said she was going to be back soon. It's hard to tell with her.”“Soon? She said it was going to be today.”“Lola has always been something of a free spirit. That's why she's never been around much. It got worse with her mate's death, but if only it was that simple.”Something about the hint of the story pulled me in, making me want to know more. “What happened?”She sighed deeply, her attention still on the skies outside. “Her mate wasn't always the best. And I blamed myself for not seeing it until it was too late. The signs were there, but I missed it.”El
NATHAN'S POVIt took me a little time to get my affairs in order that morning. I was about to enter the kitchen when I caught a bit of their conversation, the words hinting at something. Then it dawned on me. It was about me.“Do you think he is ready, Mother?” I heard Lola ask Elara.Elara stayed silent for a long time before she answered. “I believe that there's more than meets the eye with Alpha Nathan and that he can rise to the challenge no matter the occasion.”“What a way to answer the question,” Lola said, and I caught her shaking her head as I finally entered the room, putting an end to their conversation.“We're good to go.”Lola nodded and left the kitchen.“I suppose this is the end of our journey. Thank you for everything. You've taught me a lot more than I knew about coming here.”She just came up to me, her hands resting on my shoulders. “It doesn't have to be the end of your journey, Nathan. The Whispering Willows is always open to those in need of it, no matter the ca
NATHAN'S POVThe morning came too quickly. The city’s noise seeped through the thin apartment walls, a constant reminder that I wasn’t in Whispering Willows anymore. I sat up, staring at the pale light creeping through the blinds. Today would be different. I would adapt, as Lola had said. The city’s rhythm was foreign, but if I wanted to find Sophia, I had to learn its tempo.After a quick shower, I met Lola at the café. She looked as composed as ever, a sharp contrast to the fatigue weighing on me.“Rough night?” she asked, handing me a cup of coffee.“You could say that.”“Good,” she said, a smirk tugging at her lips. “You’re going to need that edge. Hey, Ronnie, I'm gonna need another cup to go.”The server brought it over. “Here you go, boss.”I turned to look at Lola in askance. “Boss?”She just lifted her cup to her lips, a small smile on them. “I suppose I do own the place. One of a few.”Now that she said it, I played out the few interactions I had seen with the people here, a
NATHAN'S POVThe third morning in Brooklyn dawned cold and crisp, the city alive with its usual hustle. I met Lola at the café, already feeling the weight of another day in this labyrinth of steel and stone.“Alright,” Lola said, handing me a steaming cup of coffee. Her tone was different, lighter, but laced with intent. “Today, you’re flying solo.”I raised an eyebrow. “What’s the catch?”“No catch,” she said, leaning against the counter. “You’ve been sticking to me like turtles to their shells, and it’s time to break out of that comfort zone. The city has its own lessons to teach, Nathan, and you won’t learn them with me holding your hand.”I sipped the sweet brew, her words settling in. “And what if I crash and burn?”Her smirk was sharp and confident. “Then you get up and try again. That’s what being an Alpha is about, isn’t it? Adapt, learn, lead.”I nodded, knowing she was right. “Fine. Where do I start?”“Anywhere,” she shrugged, throwing on her coat. “The city’s your map today
NATHAN'S POVTIME FRAME: A few days earlier to present time.SURVIVE. ADAPT. LEAD.These words had been drilled into me since I could walk, yet now they carried a new weight. Finding Sophia wasn’t just about earning her forgiveness; it was about proving to myself that I could be the Alpha she needed.Brooklyn was unforgiving. Its pulse, its chaos, its unrelenting pace – it was a beast, unlike anything I’d ever faced. I’d grown up leading a pack, commanding respect and wielding strength. But here? Strength meant nothing unless it came with wealth. The city spoke a language I didn’t yet fully understand, but I was determined to learn.It all felt like a puzzle that was finally coming together.Sophia was out there, lost to me in this urban maze, and I needed more than instinct to find her. I needed resources, influence, and power in a form that this human city respected.The thought came to me one restless night, standing by the window and staring at the endless sea of lights. My mind w
NATHAN'S POVThe suit felt tight against my skin as I walked through the museum’s grand entrance. There was something about the way it fit now – tailored, sharp, perfect – that made me feel like I belonged here. Not just in this high-end part of Brooklyn, but in this world of culture and influence, where appearances meant everything and nothing at all.But today, I wasn’t here for business. I was here to see the city’s pulse, to observe the people who filled its streets and made it what it was.I had a few hours to kill, and the museum seemed like the perfect place to lose myself. Art, history, culture – it was a sanctuary from the chaos outside, a place where I could think without being bombarded by the world.As I wandered through the exhibits, I let my mind drift, thinking of Sophia, the emerald business, and the city’s endless noise.There had to be a way to make it right.Then, as I rounded a corner, I spotted something familiar. Or rather, someone.A young boy, no older than six
NATHAN'S POVMy steps echoed hollowly through the museum’s stone halls as my mind spun in every direction. I couldn’t shake the image of Alex and Alexia – their faces, their eyes, their energy. Something about them had stirred a primal part of me that I hadn’t felt in years.Could they really be... mine?The idea was absurd. I hadn’t been with anyone since Sophia, and when I had, I had never let it get to that stage. And I knew for certain she hadn’t been pregnant when she left. Those days had burned themselves into my memory like a brand. Sophia’s tear-streaked face, the pain in her eyes as I let her go – it haunted me still.So how could I have children?I stopped in front of a marble statue, its blank gaze offering no answers. My chest tightened, the weight of the possibility pressing down on me. If they weren’t mine, then why did I feel such a strong pull toward them? Why did my wolf, who had been silent and dormant for so long, suddenly roar to life in their presence?Could fate
NATHAN'S POVThe boardroom was cold, the AC blasting, the space filled with the faint hum of fluorescent lights. A long, polished glass table stretched before me, flanked by men and women in designer suits. Their eyes flicked to me as I entered, a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. I wasn’t surprised. This was their world, not mine, and they were waiting to see if I had what it took to play their game.The tailored black suit I wore, paired with the subtle emerald stitching along the cuffs, felt like armor. It was a small nod to my roots, but more importantly, it was a statement. I wasn’t here to beg or grovel for investment; I was here to command respect and forge alliances. Emerald Horizon Ventures wasn’t just a company – it was the future. My future.“Good morning, everyone,” I greeted, my voice steady, and deliberate. I made no attempt to hide the commanding tone that had served me well as Alpha. It wasn’t arrogance; it was confidence born of survival and hard choices.They nodd
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