Roberto woke in staggered waves of pain, his body protesting every tiny movement, every breath that strained through his battered ribs. He couldn't tell if it was the weight of the world that had crushed him or if he'd simply forgotten how to exist without agony. It felt as if a train had collided with him-or maybe two. Every inch of his skin felt bruised, raw, as though it had been scraped off. Breathing was a struggle; moving was an impossibility. His eyes cracked open, the dim light from an unfamiliar room seeping in, casting soft shadows on white walls, white furniture, white everything. A bed sat in the center-four-poster, canopy draped in gauzy, delicate fabric. A scene straight out of a fairy tale, though he was sure no one had ever told a story like this one. His head throbbed like a drumbeat in his skull, too loud, too insistent. And then he heard her voice."You're awake."Roberto winced as he turned his head. The world spun on its axis, a blur of white, but there she was-
He took her hand, his thumb grazing over her knuckles in a gesture of quiet reassurance. "I'll take care of myself. I promise."She didn't flinch, but the skepticism in her eyes was sharp. "Liar." A faint, wry smile tugged at her lips. "You're going to go rushing into danger at the first opportunity, and we both know it."Maybe. Probably. The thought didn't bother him as much as it should have. He brushed his thumb across her skin again, as though grounding himself in the connection between them. "What if I promise to be as careful as I can be?""It's better than nothing, I suppose." Her gaze dropped to their joined hands, fingers intertwined, as if seeking strength in the simple act. "I don't like the idea of losing you, Roberto."His chest tightened at the words, a raw surge of panic clawing at him. He could feel the weight of her worry in his bones. The thought of losing her-of anything happening to her-was a jagged knife twisting in his gut. But he knew better than to show her how
He met her dark eyes, so strikingly similar to his own, and felt the weight of every unspoken word between them. "I'll be okay. Promise." His voice was rough, but the sincerity was there, even if the words didn't fully match the storm brewing inside him."You can't promise that, and you know it." Sloan's voice was tight, the tension in her words hanging like smoke. She leaned back, her shoulders stiff with the weight of it all. Her eyes shimmered, that familiar look of quiet devastation he had seen countless times before. Her gaze shifted to the altar ahead, but her mind wasn't there-he could tell. He should have said something more. Should've tried harder to comfort her. But what could he say? His promises felt hollow in the air between them, and he knew it. He couldn't even promise himself that things would get better, let alone her.A bitter laugh tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he swallowed it down, unable to bring himself to express the overwhelming frustration swirling i
Four days later, Roberto trudged up the stairs to his room, his body dragging like a weight had been tethered to his feet. The exhaustion wasn't just physical-it was the kind of weariness that seeped into your bones after days of futile phone calls and failed plans. He felt as though he had been sprinting a marathon, and yet, he had nothing to show for it. James hadn't returned a single one of his calls. The men he'd sent to canvass the area around *Tit for Tat* had been chased off by Hayes's men-again. His father was incommunicado, and Liam? The same damn thing. No one was talking to him about the larger plans, the ones that really mattered. It felt like everything was slipping through his fingers.To top it all off, his younger sisters had taken it upon themselves to ensure he made a full recovery. Every time he turned around, Sloan was there, pushing him into the nearest chair with a soft, worried smile and draping a blanket over his shoulders. Keira was just as bad, practically s
"I will say, Kylie, I'm surprised by what you're proposing."Kylie felt the familiar weight of her father's gaze on her, but she refused to let it show. She'd been working toward this moment for days, weeks even, ever since Roberto's attack had thrown everything into chaos. She had pushed and prodded her father relentlessly, and only today had he finally relented. He promised to hear her out-though whether he truly believed in her plan or was just indulging her, she wasn't sure. His admiration now, that glint in his eyes, almost made the whole fight worthwhile.Almost.She swallowed her nerves and steeled herself. "They'll be expecting a full-frontal assault. But that's exactly what makes it a bad idea. They'll be prepared for it. They've already fortified their positions. Instead, we hit them where it hurts, without risking lives. Destroying one of their factories will cripple a major source of income for them. And we'll be able to do it with minimal casualties."The words felt like
Roberto wasn't ready for the effect Kylie would have on him. He swung open the door, and there she stood-softly flushed from the bite of the cold air, her hair tussled from the wind, her blue eyes locking onto his like they had all the time in the world, drinking him in just as much as he was drinking her in. The sight of her made the knot in his chest loosen, and he couldn't keep himself from speaking the words that had been building in him all day."I missed you."Her smile was like the warmth of the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm. It hit him with the force of something deeper than simple affection-like an anchor in the middle of a tumultuous sea. "I missed you, too."The words were barely out of her mouth before his lips were on hers, unable to wait another second. Her lips were soft and warm, and when they met his, everything else in the world faded. She melted against him, her arms sliding around his neck, pulling him in, just as much as he was pulling her. He nippe
The weight of Kylie's words hung in the air, thick with the grief she hadn't fully expressed. "That's how I felt about Ronan," she said, her voice soft but firm, as though saying it aloud might force the emotions she kept buried inside to the surface. "He was always in my corner, even when we were growing up, fighting like cats and dogs." A deep, painful shadow flickered across her face, and Roberto could see the grief she'd held in check for so long breaking through the cracks. "I miss him," she added quietly, her voice thick with unshed tears."I'm sorry, angel," Roberto murmured, instantly regretting his choice of words, as if simply mentioning her loss would bring it rushing back in full force. He pulled her into his arms, not sure what else to say, but knowing he had to say something. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."She pulled back slightly, her gaze steady but heavy. "No, it's okay," she replied with a shaky breath. "He's gone, no matter if we talk about it or not. An
Kylie never thought it could be like this. The heat of Roberto's hands on her hips grounded her, tethered her to the moment as his cock filled her completely, making her lose all sense of where she ended and he began. The shadows of his room wrapped around them like a cocoon, intimate and all-consuming. Their jagged breaths mingled in the quiet, each exhale fueling the fire between them. When his thumb found her clit, stroking it with deliberate precision, the sensation sent a jolt through her entire body, igniting her nerves.Her cry was half-moan, half-plea. "Oh God."Roberto didn't stop. He did it again, his rhythm devastatingly perfect, matching the roll of her hips as she slid down onto him. She tried to hold onto the fragile thread of control, but it was slipping away, unraveling with every brush of his thumb and thrust of his hips. Her eyes fluttered shut, surrendering to the pleasure building in her core like a crescendo she couldn't resist."I can't-" she gasped, her voice tr
The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting an ethereal glow across the desolate landscape. The once-dark forest now seemed less foreboding, bathed in a tranquil light that felt almost like a promise. Gabriel and Sophia had been walking for hours, their steps deliberate but filled with a sense of urgency. The journey had been long, filled with peril, but they had finally come to the heart of the Silent Order's stronghold. The stone walls of the ancient fortress loomed ahead, standing tall and unyielding. This was it the final battle. All the secrets of the Order, all the lies and manipulations, had led them to this very moment. But in the air between them, there was something else: hope.Sophia took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air fill her lungs. It had been a long time since she had felt truly free, but tonight, it seemed possible. The weight of the past was heavy on her shoulders, but for the first time in a long time, she was beginning to believe that they could c
The forest stretched before them like an endless sea of trees, their thick canopies casting deep shadows over the ground. Gabriel and Sophia moved with purpose, but the weight of the discovery they had just made hung heavy in the air. The Silent Order wasn't just trying to control the bloodlines they were guarding something much darker.The night had fallen quickly, and the air grew colder, a sharp bite that tugged at the skin. They had chosen to rest by a clearing, where the moonlight filtered through the branches, giving the scene an ethereal glow. The fire crackled softly in front of them, the only warmth in an otherwise cold and silent world.Sophia stared into the flames, her mind racing. What were they really after? What was the Order hiding, and why had they gone to such lengths to keep it secret? Her thoughts were interrupted when Gabriel sat down beside her, his expression unreadable. The familiar warmth of his presence offered her some comfort, but she could still feel the w
The days that followed were filled with an urgency none of them had experienced before. Sophia could feel the weight of the task ahead pressing down on her chest with every step she took. She moved quickly through the pack's stronghold, her thoughts focused on the journey they were about to undertake. The stone Lira had given them was tucked safely away, but it was a constant presence in her mind, its power ever palpable.Gabriel, Zane, and Kaela had been busy making the necessary arrangements. Supplies were being packed food, weapons, maps, anything that could help them survive whatever lay ahead. They knew that the Silent Order would not take kindly to their attempts to disrupt their carefully woven web of secrecy. The Order had eyes everywhere, and the last thing they wanted was to become targets of a shadowy organization that had existed for centuries."Are you ready for this?" Gabriel asked one night as they stood together in a quiet corner of the pack's hall. He was watching her
The firelight from Lira's hut still danced in their minds as Gabriel and Sophia made their way back through the dense forest. The stone Lira had given them was cool in Sophia's hand, its intricate carvings catching the faint glow of the moon. Neither of them spoke for several moments, the silence between them filled with the gravity of what they had just learned."Do you believe her?" Gabriel finally asked, his voice low and cautious, breaking the quiet between them.Sophia's gaze was fixed on the path ahead, her mind swirling with everything Lira had revealed. "I do," she said quietly. "Everything she said... it feels right. But the weight of it all, Gabriel...""I know," Gabriel replied. "I know what it feels like to carry something this heavy. But she gave us the key. That stone it's not just a symbol. It's something more."Sophia nodded, her fingers tightening around the stone. She could feel the power emanating from it, even though it was still. It was as if it was waiting for th
The night was quiet, but the tension in the air was palpable. Gabriel and Sophia stood outside the council chamber, the weight of their newfound responsibility heavy on their shoulders. The council's agreement was a small victory, but they both knew that agreeing to support the search for the bloodlines was only the beginning. They still had no idea where to start, or what dangers lay ahead. "We can't waste any more time," Gabriel said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, his thoughts clearly preoccupied. Sophia nodded, her mind racing. "We need to find someone who can point us in the right direction. But who?"They both turned toward the woods, where the moonlight filtered through the trees in pale beams, casting long shadows on the ground. The vast wilderness that surrounded their pack's territory held secrets secrets that had been buried for generations. It was there, in the heart of the forest, that they had to begin their search. "There's an old shaman," Sophia said sudde
The journey back to the pack's territory was silent, the weight of the figure's words heavy on their shoulders. Gabriel and Sophia moved in sync, each step more determined than the last. The figure had given them a lead, but it was barely enough to build a plan around. They had to find the bloodlines, seek the truth, and expose the Silent Order but how? Sophia's thoughts raced, but she didn't speak. Every time she opened her mouth, the question of how to start seemed too daunting. The Silent Order had been around for centuries, manipulating everything in the shadows. Could they truly unearth something so hidden? She had to believe they could. For the pack, for Gabriel, and for herself."We need to talk to the council," Gabriel finally broke the silence, his voice low but steady. Sophia nodded in agreement, though the thought of confronting the pack's leaders filled her with unease. The council had always been cautious about change, resistant to anything that threatened the stability
The silence in the forest felt oppressive after the figure's revelation. Sophia's mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything they had just learned. The rogue packs, once thought to be the main threat to the werewolf clans, were merely pawns in a much larger, far more dangerous game. The real enemy was the Silent Order, an ancient group whose influence had shaped the very foundation of their world. And now, it was up to Sophia and Gabriel to expose them.But how? How could they fight an enemy they couldn't see, a force so entrenched in the fabric of their society that it was practically invisible? The more she thought about it, the more daunting the task seemed. The Silent Order had controlled everything for centuries. What chance did they stand against them?Gabriel broke the silence, his voice low but determined. "We need to get back to the pack, warn them. We can't just sit on this information and wait."Sophia nodded, though doubt still lingered in her mind. The pack was t
The wind began to pick up, rustling the leaves around them as Sophia and Gabriel followed the mysterious figure through the dense forest. It felt as though the trees themselves were closing in on them, pressing them forward into the unknown. Each step was heavier than the last, the burden of what they had just learned weighing down on their shoulders.Gabriel's eyes never left the figure ahead of them. The stranger had not given them much information yet, but the little they had been told was enough to shake the foundations of everything they had believed. Forces older than the packs? A new world order? It didn't make sense, but deep down, both of them knew they couldn't ignore it.Sophia, on the other hand, was consumed with questions. What was this legacy the figure had spoken of? What did it mean for the future of the werewolves? And most importantly how was she supposed to play her part in all of this? Her role had always been clear: fight to protect her pack, honor her loyalty, a
The air around them seemed to thicken as they followed the mysterious figure through the dense woods. The rogue leader, still on the ground, glared at their retreating backs, but his words had faded into the background of Sophia's mind. Everything that had brought her to this point the battles, the broken alliances, the heartache seemed trivial in comparison to what lay ahead.The figure moved with purpose, their silhouette barely visible through the thickening shadows. Every step they took seemed calculated, as if they knew exactly where they were going, and more importantly, why. Sophia's heart raced. What was this person's role in everything? They had to be important, or they wouldn't have intervened when they did. Gabriel stayed close to her, his posture tense. The atmosphere had shifted he could feel it too. "Do you trust them?" he asked in a low voice, barely above a whisper. His eyes were trained on the figure ahead.Sophia took a deep breath, her mind grappling with the quest