The thought hit Roberto like a punch to the gut: Did he know about Finch?No, impossible. Roberto shook his head and dismissed it just as quickly as it had come. No one knew. Devlin least of all. But the flicker of unease twisted in his chest, stubbornly refusing to dissipate."I want to keep her safe," Roberto said, his voice lower, more resolute. "I can't do that if I don't know where the threat's coming from."Devlin, leaning casually against the car, tilted his head with a knowing look. "If she's not telling you, there's a reason.""She doesn't trust me." The words left his mouth bitterly, and their weight felt heavier than he expected. Sure, he'd known it deep down, but saying it out loud made it real. Kylie didn't trust him. He dragged a hand over his face, trying to will the frustration away.Devlin's smile was faint, tinged with something between sympathy and exasperation. "And what have you done to earn that trust?"Roberto faltered, his jaw tightening as the truth hit home.
When Kylie agreed to spend the day with Roberto's sisters, she'd envisioned a spa outing, complete with massages and mimosas-a much-needed reprieve from her chaos-filled life. Instead, she found herself standing outside a dimly lit warehouse near Fenway Park, her unease growing as Sophia, Roberto's older sister, confidently led the way inside.The loud bass reverberated through her chest the moment they stepped through the door. A sea of bodies writhed in sync with the music, the club's pulsating lights illuminating the scene in flashes of red, blue, and gold. Kylie's gaze darted to Keira and Sloan, the younger sisters accompanying them, but neither seemed fazed by their surroundings. If anything, Keira looked thrilled, her wide grin suggesting she was ready to dive headfirst into the chaos.Sophia maneuvered through the crowd with practiced ease, her commanding presence parting the sea of dancers. The younger women trailed behind her, and Kylie had no choice but to follow. They climb
Sophia slipped into the pulsing crowd, feeling a jolt of exhilaration as the music thrummed through her body. The heavy bass obliterated any chance of conversation, cocooning her in a blissful, anonymous haze. Here, amidst strangers, there were no labels, no expectations, and no whispered judgments about her family name. The weight of being an Connolly melted away, leaving her wonderfully untethered-if only for a while.Dragging Kylie through the crush of bodies, Sophia scanned the sea of writhing figures. From the balcony above, she'd glimpsed Sloan and Keira in the thick of it, and she knew her youngest sister was to blame for dragging Sloan out there. Keira thrived in chaos; Sloan, on the other hand, preferred a quiet corner where she could observe unnoticed. Too bad. Tonight, Sloan wasn't a spectator-Sophia was determined to make sure of that.Bodies pressed in on all sides, sticky with sweat and vibrating with energy, and Sophia relished it. The crush of people, the electricity
Sophia felt the weight of his words settle between them like an unspoken challenge. The small room, barely lit by the neon glow filtering through the cracked door, seemed to shrink around them. His gaze didn't waver, those ice-blue eyes holding hers, daring her to respond. She could still feel the phantom sting of his earlier comment, but she refused to let it show. She wasn't here to explain herself-or to be judged."And yet," she murmured, tilting her head with a sly smile, "it's benefiting you, so maybe you shouldn't ask too many questions."His chuckle was low, a rumble that echoed in the confined space. "You're right. I need this tonight."His tone shifted with that admission, and Sophia barely had time to process it before he closed the distance between them. His hands, rough and commanding, seized her waist, pulling her flush against him. His mouth descended on hers with an intensity that left no room for hesitation. This wasn't some careless, fumbling kiss from a drunken stra
The sting of Sophia's slap echoed between them, but it didn't seem to faze him. She glared at his shadowed face, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the weight of the moment pressed against her. "Let me down," she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and panic. Everything about him-his strength, his control, the possessive way he'd claimed her-was too much. She hadn't invited this kind of intensity into her life.This was supposed to be a release, a fleeting escape from her reality. Not this-whatever this was.He tilted his head, studying her with those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see far too much. "Tell me your name first."Her lips parted in disbelief. "No." She wriggled in his grasp, but her position-trapped between his unyielding body and the cold concrete wall-rendered her efforts useless. He didn't budge, his strength unrelenting.Heat flushed through her traitorous body, and she cursed the part of her that didn't entirely want him to let her go. The
Sweat trickled down Kylie's back, her body buzzing with exhaustion as the pounding bass reverberated through the packed dance floor. Her muscles trembled from the constant movement, and her skin glistened under the dim, flashing lights of the club. It had been hours of letting loose, of trying to escape the ever-present weight of her reality. But now her energy was waning.She glanced at Sloan and Keira, both of whom looked as wilted as she felt, their hair clinging to their damp foreheads, though smiles still tugged at their lips. Kylie reached out, touching their arms to catch their attention, and jerked her chin toward the bar. They nodded in agreement, their breaths coming in shallow gasps, mirroring her own relief.The trio wove their way through the throng of gyrating bodies, the air thick with the scent of sweat and alcohol. The music pulsed around them like a living entity, making her feel like she was still moving even as she came to a stop at the bar. Kylie leaned against t
Roberto hung up the phone, the faint buzzing still reverberating in his ears as he turned to find Cillian smirking at him, a mocking glint in his eyes. His brother froze for a moment, before a slow, teasing grin spread across his face. "Man, you are so pussy whipped, it's almost cute.""Fuck off." Roberto dropped back into his seat, his eyes scanning the bar in front of him, then landing on the shots that had been delivered in his absence. He took one in his hand without thinking, suddenly aware of the emptiness creeping into his chest."More shots?" Cillian taunted."Shots are what real men take when they're not calling their girlfriend every five minutes to check in," Cillian teased, his tone dripping with sarcasm.Liam, who'd been silent until now, leaned over and gave Cillian a sharp slap to the back of the head. "Now's a good time to stop talking."The three of them raised their shots, their faces lit up with that same foolish grin they used to wear when they were younger. It fel
Roberto leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he peered into Liam's beer, the liquid swaying in the glass. The dim lighting of the pub played tricks on him, blurring the edges of the bottle before it snapped back into focus. "You sure you haven't had enough?" he muttered, a sarcastic edge creeping into his voice. "Are you sober?"Liam barely glanced up from his drink, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. "Someone has to be sober around here, make sure you lot don't end up lost in some alleyway, passed out with your pants around your ankles."Roberto snorted, shaking his head. He turned to Devlin, who was staring at his own beer with the intense concentration only a drunk person could manage. "You hear that? He's not even drunk."The truth stung a little more than it should have. He hadn't planned on drinking this much tonight, but when the weight of nostalgia hit him-being surrounded by his brothers, the old, familiar chaos-it had been hard to stop. His lips twisted into a grimace. "Wha
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