Mikhail The distrust in her eyes cuts deep, a painful reminder of the damage I’ve done.But I deserve it; after how I have broken her heart, I deserve worse than this. I’ve hurt her in ways I can’t even begin to make up for.But there’s a small glimmer of hope buried beneath all the pain. She didn’t completely shut me out. She let me in, just a little, and that’s more than I could have asked for. I can see the cracks in the walls she’s built around herself, and I’m determined to keep chipping away at them, no matter how long it takes.I know I’m responsible for the pain we’re both going through. I made choices that tore us apart, broke her trust, and shattered her heart. I was selfish, blind to the consequences of my actions. But standing here now, watching her, I realize that I’m not the only one suffering. Sophia is hurting too, and it’s because of me.I run a hand through my hair, frustration and regret warring inside me. I wish I could take it all back and erase the mistakes I’ve
MikhailThis was not a good idea.Getting something out of her is nearly impossible.Because she is the Alpha, while I? Well, I am her Beta.And this Alpha is cruel."Throw prison!" Scrunching her eyebrows together, Rose glares at the plastic wolf with the missing tail, "Bad Wolf.""You want me to throw the rogue into the prison?" Raising my eyebrows, I look at her, confirming if that she wants."Hmm." She nods her head curtly, "Throw in prison.""Okay, Alpha." Picking up the plastic wolf, I throw it into the small hole she dug as a prison.Being Beta is not easy, and suddenly, after playing Beta to my little Alpha, I have a newfound appreciation for my Beta. I watch Rose as she plays with the little plastic wolves, completely engrossed in her world.Her tiny hands clutch them as if they are real, and she treats them like her pack. She's only two, but there's already something commanding about her, and it shouldn't be surprising because, after all, she is my daughter.She again starts
MikhailA golden glow is spread over the grass as the sun begins to set.Rose is still sitting in my lap, her little body resting against my chest, but she is quieter now.Glancing down, I press my nose against the top of her head and inhale her sweet smell. My mind is filled with different thoughts, but still, somewhere, my heart is at peace.Making things right with Sophia isn't just about her. It's about giving Rose the family she deserves— the family where she is loved and protected. I don't know anything about being a good father, but for Rose, I will be the best dad. I will do everything that I need to be the dad that she deserves.My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Sophia steps out onto the porch, her gaze immediately finding us. There's a flash of something in her eyes—maybe sadness, maybe regret—but it's gone before I can be sure. She's gotten good at hiding her emotions from me, and I can't blame her. After everything I've put her through, sh
MikhailIn the guest house kitchen, I baked a small cake for Rose; since I didn't know what flavor she would like, I made a chocolate cake. Because I recalled how much she likes chocolate cookies, so I am just guessing that my daughter loves chocolates.The warm scent of chocolate fills the small guest house kitchen as I carefully pull the cake from the oven. It's the first time I've baked anything in my life, but for Rose, I'm willing to try anything—even if it means watching endless tutorial videos and figuring things out on the go.It would have been easy if I had bought a cake from the bakery, but I could not feed my pup anything whose ingredients I don't know.People might think I am being overly possessive, but I don't care. My wolf and I are not ready to trust anyone with her. Alphas are known to be possessive over their families, and since she is my firstborn from whom I had been separated, my wolf is insatiable. I am trying to be there for her, but this can't make up for the
SophiaI don’t regret it—not for a second, I regret killing those rogues. The moment those rogues set their sights on Rose, my instincts took over, and there was no going back. I had to protect her. She’s just two, far too young to understand why her mother had to become a monster to keep her safe. But still, seeing the fear in her wide eyes, directed at me, cuts deeper than any wound I’ve ever known.My hands are still trembling as if they are still stained with the remnants of the rogue’s blood. To Rose, I’m no longer just her mother. I’m someone capable of violence, of taking a life right in front of her innocent eyes.I swallow hard, pushing down the rising ache in my chest. She’s afraid of me. The thought lingers like poison in my mind. She had always come to me for comfort, to feel safe. But now, she seeks comfort in Mikhail’s arms.I know it’s normal. She’s too young to grasp the reality of what just happened, to understand that I was protecting her. But that doesn’t make the s
SophiaHe keeps holding me while I continue to sob... it hurts...it hurts so much.It feels like my heart will explode.The low rumble of his voice comforts me as he whispers comforting words while swaying me slightly.The sudden burst of anger consumes me as I push him away and glare at him. "All my life, I was made to feel unwanted and unloved, but nothing could have broken me. Because I knew it was all temporary, there was someone whom Moon Goddess had made for me... just like I was born for him." I step closer to him, my hands trembling as I clutch the front of his shirt again, feeling the rough fabric under my fingers. My voice cracks as I speak, but I don’t care. The raw pain in my heart is too much, too overwhelming, "I was tortured, I was humiliated, I was forced to feel worthless, but still, I had hope.""I had hope that one day... one day... my mate would come and put an end to all my suffering." I harshly push him away, "And then my mate came."The words have been buried i
Mikhail Hearing Rose's cries was one of the most painful things that I could have ever experienced... and trust me, I have experienced hell. I felt so helpless and angry because there was nothing I could do. Her grip on me not once loosened as if she was still scared that someone might hurt her, and it broke my heart. The face on which I have always seen a bright, mischievous smile was coated with fear.So I can't even imagine how Sophia might be feeling when Rose feared her as well, it must have devastated her. The moment I step into the living room with Rose cradled in my arms, I feel the weight of Sophia’s eyes on me. Her presence is like gravity—impossible to ignore, even from across the room. But now all I can think about is Sophia. I lower myself onto the couch as gently as I can, careful not to wake Rose. She shifts slightly in her sleep, her little head resting against me, completely unaware of the chaos that almost consumed us both. I feel the low rumble of my wolf,
SophiaI still feel the heat of his touch, the way his lips melded against mine, desperate and raw, yet it only deepened the ache inside me. Could I trust him? Could I trust a man who shattered me?What is the guarantee that he will not once again break my heart? The weight of Mikhail's kiss lingers on my lips, a confusing mix of comfort and pain. But somewhere, my heart knows that there is no turning back because the sincerity that I have felt through his actions has managed to crack the walls that I had built around my heart.I turn my gaze away from Mikhail before he can catch me staring at him as he stands near the window and looks outside.Rose shifts in her sleep, her small body curled up on the couch. The innocence on her face, untouched by the horrors we’ve faced, soothes a part of me. But my heart clenches painfully when I remember how she recoiled from me earlier—how her eyes filled with fear, the same fear I saw in the eyes of the enemies I've defeated. My own daughter was
AnastasiaThe second Jake’s lips touch mine, something shifts inside me. It is not just a kiss—it is a pull, a force wrapping around my heart and tugging me toward him like I have no choice but to give in. It is overwhelming, like gravity itself has changed, and he is the center of it. The longer he kisses me, the stronger it gets, until I don’t know if I should fight it or let it take me wherever it wants.I have heard and read about kisses before. How they can be full of passion, need, grief, hunger, love. How they can demand or offer, hurt or heal. But nothing could have prepared me for this. This feeling has no name. It is raw, deep, and consuming, wrapping around me like fire and drowning me all at once.I don’t know what to do with it.His lips move against mine, and every part of me feels awake, alive in a way I have never known. It is too much and not enough at the same time. My fingers curl into his shirt, holding onto him without thinking, like I am afraid letting go will br
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