SophiaThere was a time when I used to wait for the moment that my father would notice me... he would call even if it were to be punished. Because in that moment, I existed for him... But gradually, a realization settled in me that even though I was his daughter, I was nothing to him. I might exist, but for him, I was nothing more than a useless creature living in his pack.Yeah, a creature... not even a person, because the way I was treated, no person would have.But all those things seem like something from a different lifetime because now anything that was a part of my past doesn't matter to me, not even the person who is my father.Holding my hand, Mikhail gently pulls me back, and his eyes roam over my face as if he is searching for something."You don't have to come with me." His eyes settle on mine, his voice laced with a protectiveness that makes me smile, "I will go and see what he wants.""He doesn't affect me... honestly, he never did. If I do not come with you, it will m
Sophia"No, she is not! Because she is my daughter."My heart races while a shiver runs down my body, my head snaps in the direction of the voice, and my eyes connect with the familiar pair of eyes.I see these eyes every day... every day when I see myself in the mirror. I freeze at the spot when I see the woman standing before my eyes. Beside her, there is a man whose murderous glare is fixed on someone behind me.However, when his gaze momentarily flickers in my direction, I notice how subtly they soften before turning impassive again. There is a struggle behind his gaze... an emotional turmoil that somehow I can feel."She is my daughter." She growls again; this time louder than before.Somewhere, her voice sounds so familiar that it makes me frown. Her long hair cascaded down her back in waves, and her hands curled in tight fists, her body slightly trembling with fury.My eyes widen in recognition when I realize this is the same voice that I heard in my dream.The woman, who I b
SophiaThe darkness that held me begins to recede, bit by bit, though I’m not ready to face the world just yet. I’m caught between two realms: the overwhelming truth and the warm embrace of the woman who was supposed to be a ghost in my life.How do I know who's holding me? Her scent surrounds me, comforting yet unfamiliar, filling the hollow space in my chest.I never thought I’d feel this.I’m caught between two realms: the overwhelming truth and the warm embrace of the woman who was supposed to be a ghost in my life.Her soft whispers reach my ears, barely audible, yet laced with the weight of years of loss. She hums a melody—a lullaby maybe—one I don’t remember, but my heart seems to recognize.I want to hold onto this moment, but the pain of everything comes rushing back, suffocating me again. Gregor.The lies.The stolen years. Every single revelation crushes me, and I feel like I’m drowning all over again. I try to push it down, but it claws at my insides, demanding to be ackn
MikhailIt has not been even a few hours since she met Atlas and Artemis, but if you look at her you can't say that, because it seems like she has always know them.Sophia's laugh pulls my attention back to her. The sound is light, genuinely joyful like she's finally at peace. The faint shadow that's lingered in her eyes since we met, the one that always made me feel like she was holding a part of herself back, is finally gone. And it's all because of the family she's found, the one that should have been there for her all along.I can't ignore how Artemis glares at me when Sophia is not watching, and honestly, it is amusing. Because I can tell her wolf is still on edge because she thinks that I wanted to keep her daughter away from her. But does she realize that her daughter is my mate, and there is no way she can get rid of me?I meet her glare head-on, suppressing the urge to smirk. She can stare daggers all she wants; she'll have to get used to me being here.Just to ruffle her feat
SophiaSeeing the love in Mom's and Dad's eyes, it feels like a part of me I didn't even realize was hollow is finally full.The grief I've held onto for so long is still there, but it's quieter, softened by the love that only parents can give to their children.The love I feel for my pup is something that is beyond this world... words might not be enough to explain this kind of love. And now I realize there is someone who feels the same for me... my own parents. This thought begins to heal the scars that years of abandonment and the feeling of being unloved caused. There are so many unanswered questions, but at this moment, they all seem unimportant. I am just basking in this happiness of finally living something that I couldn't even dream of.Mom's eyes are a little red, and I can tell she's been trying to keep her emotions in check. But the softness in her gaze, the way she looks at Rose, tells me everything she doesn't say out loud. I know she's been hurt too. She's missed so muc
MikhailHolding back is never my strength.Especially when it comes to protecting my family.Atlas and Artemis are Sophia's parents, but there is nothing we know about them other than this.They weren't part of most of Jake's life, so there is so much about them that he is even unaware.As of now, they haven't done anything that might raise any doubts, but I am still responsible for the safety of my family and my pack. And I need to know what kind of trouble they might bring to us.Sophia's parents or not, my priority is my family and my pack.Artemis has put Rose down to sleep, and her eyes never leave her face, even for a moment. And there is no doubt that she doesn't love her. She holds our daughter in a way that’s filled with all the love she couldn’t give Sophia as a child. It's beautiful, and it's painful, but I need to know the truth: how did Sophia end up in Redwood pack? Why did Gregor keep her away from them? Even I want to know why they left Jake.All the answers to these q
MikhailSophia's head dips, her jaw tight. I reach over, running my thumb over her knuckles, trying to comfort her as her grip on my arm loosens.Her eyes lift to meet mine, and in that one look, I know her pain is just as raw as it was when she first found out she had been kept from her parents, forced to endure a life built on lies.Rubbing her eyes and face, Artemis lifts her face toward the sky as if she is still pleading for some miracle that heals her pain."I didn't get to hold her properly; my heart was craving to feel her heartbeat against me... but my pup was gone. She took away my baby from me. The person whom I trusted my daughter with me took her away from me. I was protecting that place with my life, there was no chance that I would have let anyone near that place. But she stole my pup from me." Her voice is nothing more than a whisper, but her pain echoes loudly in her words, "My mate didn't even get a chance to see his daughter's face... the same daughter for whom he wa
Mikhail"Motherfucker!" I whistle through my teeth as my eyebrows slightly raise while something clicks in my mind.Gregor, even if he’s one of the people I’d most enjoy tearing apart slowly, yet I have to give to him for the way his mind works.For years, his command over Sophia’s life was ruthless, controlling, abusive… but it had a dark, twisted logic to it.I understand now why he never let her shift, though it doesn’t make me hate him any less; if anything, my hate for him increased.As I put the pieces together, I feel a low growl rumbling in my chest. Gregor knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that if Sophia shifted, she wouldn’t be able to stay hidden. Atlas and Artemis would sense her because they must be trying to reach out to her. So, he kept her caged in her human form, never allowing her to embrace the wolf inside her.It’s clever.Cruel but clever."What happened?" Sophia places her hand on my arm lightly and tries to get my attention.Blinking, I look at her. Sudde
AnastasiaSophia has let me borrow some of her clothes since we wear the same size. I’m relieved when I go through them and realize her style is pretty close to mine. She picks comfort over everything else, just like I do. No flashy stuff, no weirdly tight outfits that make it hard to breathe... just simple, easy clothes that feel like me.Hurriedly, I tug on the jeans and my hands move fast, my pulse a little too quick, but I ignore it. This isn’t a big deal. I’m just... curious. That’s all.Jake shifting into his wolf shouldn’t be interesting. I’ve seen it before. Plenty of times. And every single time, it meant a fight, blood, and making sure I walked away instead of them. But now? The thought of seeing him shift makes something stir inside me.I tell myself it’s just because I want to see if he’s different. That’s it. Nothing else.Taking a steady breath, I pull open the door and step out, only to freeze when I find him already there, leaning against the opposite wall like he’s be
AnastasiaSteam curls around me, thick and hazy, clinging to my skin like a second layer. The water rushes over my shoulders, hot enough to sting, but I barely notice. My mind is somewhere else.I drag my fingers over my ribs, tracing the faint lines where deep wounds should be. Almost like a day before, they were raw, torn open, pulsing with pain. Now? Nothing but thin, almost invisible marks. If I hadn’t seen the blood, felt the sharp bite of the injury, I’d think I imagined the whole thing.This isn’t normal. No one heals this fast.I press my palm flat against my side, half-expecting some kind of pain to remind me it’s real, that I didn’t just dream it. But there’s nothing. Just smooth skin and a lingering unease curling in my stomach.It is not just physical healing... something inside me also feels different. There’s a strange lightness inside me, like some invisible weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It’s not something I can explain, just this… feeling. Like I had been ca
AnastasiaJake rests his head against mine, his breath warm and steady. For a moment, neither of us move. I tell myself I should push him away, that I should put space between us, but my body betrays me. Instead, I find myself leaning into him, just slightly, just enough to feel the weight of him against me.I don’t know what’s happening, but something about the way he exhales, like he’s carrying something too heavy, tugs at something deep inside me. The distress in him does something to me, something I don’t want to name.Yeah, real good, Anastasia. A few minutes ago, I was ready to kill him, and now I want to comfort him? What the hell is wrong with me?Damn him for making me this confused, emotional mess. I don’t even know if confused-emotioned-person is a real word, but it sure as hell describes exactly what I feel right now.Is he sniffing me?I freeze, my whole body going still as I feel his breath near my neck. My heart stumbles in my chest, unsure whether to speed up or stop co
AnastasiaThe silence stretches, thick and heavy. I stand perfectly still, barely breathing, listening. The feeling of being watched presses against my skin, raising every hair on my arms. My pulse thuds in my ears, but I don’t let it distract me.Whoever... or whatever is out there, they’re good. No obvious movement, no careless sounds. But I know better than to trust the quiet.I let my body relax just enough to lull them into thinking I don’t sense them. My hand stays loose around the knife in my pocket, my feet shifting slightly like I might just turn around and head back inside.A trick. A test.And then—there.A flicker of something just beyond the trees, barely more than a shadow against the darker night. My eyes snap to it, and my instincts scream.I don’t hesitate.I move fast, charging toward the presence with steady, even steps. The crunch of leaves under my feet is the only sound as I close the distance, heart pounding, mind sharp.The air changes. A shift, like the forest
AnastasiaEver since I woke up here, one thought won’t leave me alone.Why hasn’t anyone come looking for me?Thankfully, I lied to Mom and Dad before I left. Told them I was heading to a music festival in the next town and wouldn’t be home for a week or so. They won’t be looking for me. Won’t be worried. Because I couldn’t tell them the truth.I couldn’t tell them I was going on a mission with the other hunters.If I had, Dad might have actually forgiven me for once, but Mom? She would have put two bullets in me before I even got out the door.Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. But still. Mom would have almost killed me.I know if they knew, they would have found me by now. Hell, they wouldn’t have even let me go missing in the first place.But they don’t know.The people who do know, the ones who should have been looking, the ones who swore to have my back... where the hell are they?This place is the closest set of houses near the woods where we were. If my team realized I was missing,
JakeThe steady rhythm of the axe hitting the log fills the shed, the sound sharp and familiar. I lift the axe again, bringing it down with force, splitting the wood clean in half. The motion is automatic, something I have done a thousand times before, but my mind is nowhere near the task at hand.It is on her.Anastasia.I don’t know when it started, this thing where she takes up space in my head even when I am not trying to think about her. It is frustrating. Distracting. But no matter how many times I tell myself to stop, she is still there. In every damn thought.And my wolf constant nagging to go 'mate' isn't helping me either.I grab another log and place it on the block. My grip tightens around the axe, and I swing again, letting out a slow breath as the wood splits apart. It should be enough to clear my mind, but it isn't.My head is a mess.So many questions, so many pieces that don’t fit. I go over everything again and again, trying to make sense of it, but nothing adds up.
AnastasiaSurreal. That’s the only word that comes close to describing how I feel right now.Maria holds her newborn daughter, her eyes still teary but shining with something soft and overwhelming. Her fingers brush gently over the baby’s tiny cheek, and she looks up at me with so much gratitude that it steals my breath for a second."Thank you," she whispers. "I don’t know what I would’ve done without you."I blink, caught off guard. People around us nod in agreement, offering smiles and murmurs of appreciation. Someone claps me on the shoulder, another woman touches my arm, her grip warm and full of thanks.It’s strange. Not bad—just different.Back home, I’m not unappreciated, not exactly. But when I step up to help, it’s because I’m expected to. There’s no moment like this, no heartfelt thanks, because it’s just what I’m supposed to do. My responsibility. Nothing special. Nothing to be grateful for.But here? Here, they look at me like I did something that matters. Like I made a di
AnastasiaAfter finishing lunch, I decide to step outside the room. Sitting around isn’t going to give me answers. If I’m going to be stuck here, I need to know more about these people.Sophia mentioned the kitchen earlier, saying I could grab something if I needed it. That seems like a good place to start. As I make my way there, I stop in my tracks, my instincts flaring up.A huge man is sneaking up behind Sophia.She doesn’t notice him at all, completely oblivious to the fact that someone is moving toward her with silent, measured steps.Oh, hell no. Not on my watch.Before I even think about it, my body moves. I grab a knife from the sink, keeping my steps light as I approach. But before I can get close enough, he suddenly turns around. His reflexes are fast, but not fast enough to stop me.I drive my foot into his gut, making him stumble back. The moment his balance shifts, I push forward, forcing him to his knees and pressing the knife against his throat."Who are you?" My voice
JakeAnastasia.The woman I have been trying to stay away from is now staying in my sister’s house.Great. Just great.I drag a hand down my face, trying to push back the frustration clawing at me. Of all the damn places, why here? Why in Mikhail's pack’s territory, under my family’s roof?What was she even doing this far out? Dave’s land isn’t anywhere near here. She should not have been close to his pack's borders, not unless she had a reason. But what kind of reason would bring her all the way out here?And more than that, how the hell did she end up so badly hurt?The memory of her broken state slams into me. Blood. Bruises. The way she barely clung to consciousness. My wolf stirs, letting out a low growl inside me, restless and pissed.Who did that to her?She must have run into rogues. Stupid girl, wandering alone when she knows how dangerous the forest can be. She should have been more careful.But the thing is that something in me tells me that she isn't careless. And the rogue