CASSY The Omega kids huddled around Morna as she guided them through the new phonics system I'd purchased. Their little faces were intent, their eyes moving in rhythm with the sounds she mouthed, their lips barely keeping up. I stood at the door, taking in the scene, its innocence, the small triumphs and struggles etched in their faces as they navigated the world of words. But something was off. Marilee wasn't among them. I couldn't help the eye roll. Marilee had been so eager to learn, so full of energy and curiosity. Where was she?I had a pretty good guess where she'd be. With Phin likely standing over her somewhere. That man was a force of nature, barreling through fatherhood like a runaway train, desperate to protect his little girl from every imaginable and unimaginable threat. I loved him, but damn it, sometimes he overdid it. Marilee needed to be nine. She needed to be with kids her age, learning and growing. Not locked up in a room, sheltered from the world because Ph
TEDDY The door rattled in its frame as Cassy stormed out, leaving me standing there, feeling like the floor had dropped out from under me. I couldn't calm down. How could I? This was Cassy. My Alpha, my mate, and she was the one standing in the way of something that felt as essential as breathing. I paced the room, my mind spinning with the same thought repeatedly. How could she not want this? She was supposed to be the one leading us forward, pushing for the future. Instead, all she seemed interested in was the physical part of being together, not the life that was supposed to come from it. I felt like my chest was being squeezed, tighter and tighter, until I could barely draw a breath. The need for a child, for our child, clawed at me so strongly that I could barely think straight. Why wasn't she feeling it? What was wrong with us? The walls of the house felt like they were closing in on me. I had to get out. I had to move. I opened the door and stepped outside, letting
VIVIANAI never thought I'd find a mate. That kind of luck wasn't meant for someone like me. I was just Viv, a wet nurse in a pack who treated me like I was invisible unless they needed something. The best I ever hoped for was the small freedom I'd found when Prissy, the new Luna, decided I would be her personal wet nurse. The food got better, and I had more space to move around, but that was it. I still didn't know why she chose me nine years ago. There were plenty of other women she could've picked: stronger, healthier, and more willing. Women who already had babies and were lactating. I was just a 25-year-old kitchen maid at the time. But she'd pointed at me and told Alpha Greg she wouldn't have any kids until I could be the wet nurse for her. So, I became a prisoner in a nicer cage. But only after I was bred relentlessly for months so I would get pregnant. That couple of months still haunted my dreams. Then came the ball the Hervoux threw, desperate to mate off the Alph
CASSYEight hours. That's how long it had been since Teddy left, shutting me out completely. Panic twisted inside me, making breathing hard, but Phin wouldn't let me go after him. He kept telling me to stay put, to trust that Teddy would return when he was ready, but the silence in my mind was unbearable. Every time I tried to reach out to him, there was nothing. Just an empty void where his presence should have been. Phin finally got Marilee settled with me before heading out to search. He knelt down in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. "Aunt Cassy will watch you, okay? But I need to go find Uncle Teddy." Marilee's eyes widened, fear clouding her small face. "Did Uncle Teddy run away?" "No, sweetheart," Phin said, shaking his head. "He's just upset and trying to work through it. I'll bring him back, I promise." Marilee nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes, the way she clung to Phin's hand for a moment longer than usual before letting go. As soon as Phin left,
CASSY We arrived in the abandoned town in the dark, shadows stretching across the crumbling streets like black veins. Phin's hunch was accurate. A faint scent lingered, traceable but fragile. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving nothing but empty air. My chest tightened as dread crept in, but I refused to let it stop us. Teddy was out here somewhere, and I wouldn't leave without him.As we moved cautiously through the overgrown weeds and cracked pavement, the town felt eerily quiet, like a place forgotten by the world. The silence stirred memories I had tried to bury deep. I couldn't help but think back to that time with Kael, the time we almost lost him. The parallels were too close, too unnerving.I had promised myself I wouldn't let anyone else get that close to the edge. But here we were again, chasing after Teddy, and the fear was like an old wound that refused to heal.The memory of Teddy's pale face, barely clinging to life, flashed in my mind, and I h
TEDDY When I came to, the world was dark and cold, the kind of oppressive cold that sinks into your bones and refuses to let go. The air was thick with dampness, and as I shifted, I realized I was lying on a hard, uneven floor. My head pounded, and I struggled to open my eyes.Where the hell was I? This wasn't right. Louisiana didn't have basements, not like this. The thought bit at me, the impossibility of it cutting through the haze. My body ached, and when I finally forced my eyes open, I saw a flash of blonde hair. My heart jumped. Cassy?But it wasn't her. The realization hit me like a cold slap. The hair wasn't right. It was too short, too ragged. I blinked, trying to focus. I struggled to piece together where I was and how I'd gotten here. But before I could gather my thoughts, pain exploded through my side. A hard boot to the ribs knocked the breath from my lungs, and I curled in on myself as I gasped for air."Look who's awake." Another voice kick followed, and I bit bac
TEDDY I strained to hear Cassy and Phin moving through the house above, their footsteps faint, muffled by the dark magic trapping me. I tried to call out, but the sound died in my throat. They were so close, yet so unreachable. Phin's voice broke through the barrier. But when he threw the talisman out the window, it wasn't enough. The magic in the house lifted, revealing signs of life, but I remained trapped, buried in the shadows.Panic set in as I thought they might leave without realizing I was there. I knew I had to find a way to leave a sign, something they couldn't miss. Ignoring the pain that shot through me, I forced myself to move. My shirt hung in shreds from the beatings. I ripped off a piece. It's a bloody piece, and I hope it will tell the story I couldn't.I crawled closer to the front, where a small hole led to the floor above. They couldn't leave without finding something, without knowing I was here. I pushed the fabric as hard as possible through the hole. The til
CASSY I knelt beside Teddy, hands shaking as I wiped the blood from his face. Relief that he was alive clashed with the horror of what I'd just done. Rod's lifeless body lay a few feet away. Teddy's wounds, which had seemed so severe moments ago, were already healing under my touch. I kissed him repeatedly, each a desperate attempt to convince myself that he was still with me, still mine. Still alive.As his flesh mended, the reality of what I'd done began to sink in. I'd killed someone. My chest tightened, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps as the enormity of it crashed down on me. I lay down beside Teddy, unable to tear my eyes away from Rod's body. The adrenaline that had carried me through the fight dwindled, leaving me cold and shaking. Teddy pulled me into his arms, but his warmth couldn't chase away the chill that had settled deep.I tried to focus on him, on the fact that he was safe, that I'd saved him. But the image of Rod's twisted, lifeless face kept pulling me b