Chapter 83 – A Door Without a KeyI went home. Or what used to be home.The apartment was cold, quiet. The kind of quiet that settles in after something dies. I moved through the rooms like a ghost, brushing my fingers over memories tucked into the corners—frayed books, forgotten mugs, a photograph half-tucked under the fridge magnet.Packing didn’t take long. I didn’t have much left to hold onto. Just a few clothes, the old paperback I couldn’t bring myself to leave with Ethan, and the jacket that still smelled like him—faintly, barely, like smoke after a fire.I zipped the duffel shut. That was it.It was really happening.The hallway outside was just as dim as I remembered. Paint peeling at the corners, lights flickering overhead like the universe couldn’t decide if it wanted me to see clearly or not. I descended the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last, until I reached the landlord’s door.Old Mr. Harvey opened it after a couple knocks, his face as grizzled and skeptical
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Chapter 84 – Fangs and Fire Riley Speedy was unusually quiet on the ride. Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent. You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful. “I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.” But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered. I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.” The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret. Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late. I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan. The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets. I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us.
EthanI didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.“What’s wrong?” s
Chapter One: The InvitationEthan's POVI didn’t expect much when I opened the mail that morning. Bills, maybe a flyer for a local pizza joint, or yet another notice from my landlord about “building improvements” that never actually happened. But when I saw HIS name on the envelope, my breath caught. Liam Carter. My ex-boyfriend. With shaky hands, I ripped it open, and there it was—a wedding invitation, embossed in gold foil and scented with some absurdly expensive cologne he used to wear. My eyes skimmed the elegant calligraphy, but the words blurred as my mind raced. Liam Carter and Owen Taylor request the pleasure of your company at their wedding.Three months. Three measly months since we broke up after a three-year relationship, and he was already tying the knot? My stomach churned, bile rising at the thought. My first reaction was disbelief. Then rage. How long had he been planning this? How long had Owen been in the picture? Was it even possible to fall in love and plan
Chapter 76 Riley Speedy had never been quiet before. My wolf had always been restless—always pushing, always growling, always demanding to be heard. But ever since Ethan’s accident, he’d been worse. A constant storm in my chest, pacing, snarling, berating me for what I’d done. You hurt him, Speedy spat, every second of every day. You pushed him away. You let him get hurt. This is your fault. It was never-ending. No matter how much I tried to bury myself in work, no matter how hard I trained or how many distractions I shoved in my face, he was always there. Pounding against my skull. Reminding me. And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong. Ethan was in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even gone to see him. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face the reality of what I’d done. Because I knew the second I saw him lying there—pale, motionless, barely breathing—I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. But ignoring it didn’t change the truth. It only made it
Chapter One: The InvitationEthan's POVI didn’t expect much when I opened the mail that morning. Bills, maybe a flyer for a local pizza joint, or yet another notice from my landlord about “building improvements” that never actually happened. But when I saw HIS name on the envelope, my breath caught. Liam Carter. My ex-boyfriend. With shaky hands, I ripped it open, and there it was—a wedding invitation, embossed in gold foil and scented with some absurdly expensive cologne he used to wear. My eyes skimmed the elegant calligraphy, but the words blurred as my mind raced. Liam Carter and Owen Taylor request the pleasure of your company at their wedding.Three months. Three measly months since we broke up after a three-year relationship, and he was already tying the knot? My stomach churned, bile rising at the thought. My first reaction was disbelief. Then rage. How long had he been planning this? How long had Owen been in the picture? Was it even possible to fall in love and plan
Chapter 76 Riley Speedy had never been quiet before. My wolf had always been restless—always pushing, always growling, always demanding to be heard. But ever since Ethan’s accident, he’d been worse. A constant storm in my chest, pacing, snarling, berating me for what I’d done. You hurt him, Speedy spat, every second of every day. You pushed him away. You let him get hurt. This is your fault. It was never-ending. No matter how much I tried to bury myself in work, no matter how hard I trained or how many distractions I shoved in my face, he was always there. Pounding against my skull. Reminding me. And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong. Ethan was in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even gone to see him. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face the reality of what I’d done. Because I knew the second I saw him lying there—pale, motionless, barely breathing—I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. But ignoring it didn’t change the truth. It only made it
Chapter One: The InvitationEthan's POVI didn’t expect much when I opened the mail that morning. Bills, maybe a flyer for a local pizza joint, or yet another notice from my landlord about “building improvements” that never actually happened. But when I saw HIS name on the envelope, my breath caught. Liam Carter. My ex-boyfriend. With shaky hands, I ripped it open, and there it was—a wedding invitation, embossed in gold foil and scented with some absurdly expensive cologne he used to wear. My eyes skimmed the elegant calligraphy, but the words blurred as my mind raced. Liam Carter and Owen Taylor request the pleasure of your company at their wedding.Three months. Three measly months since we broke up after a three-year relationship, and he was already tying the knot? My stomach churned, bile rising at the thought. My first reaction was disbelief. Then rage. How long had he been planning this? How long had Owen been in the picture? Was it even possible to fall in love and plan
EthanI didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.“What’s wrong?” s
Chapter 84 – Fangs and Fire Riley Speedy was unusually quiet on the ride. Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent. You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful. “I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.” But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered. I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.” The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret. Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late. I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan. The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets. I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us.
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Chapter 83 – A Door Without a KeyI went home. Or what used to be home.The apartment was cold, quiet. The kind of quiet that settles in after something dies. I moved through the rooms like a ghost, brushing my fingers over memories tucked into the corners—frayed books, forgotten mugs, a photograph half-tucked under the fridge magnet.Packing didn’t take long. I didn’t have much left to hold onto. Just a few clothes, the old paperback I couldn’t bring myself to leave with Ethan, and the jacket that still smelled like him—faintly, barely, like smoke after a fire.I zipped the duffel shut. That was it.It was really happening.The hallway outside was just as dim as I remembered. Paint peeling at the corners, lights flickering overhead like the universe couldn’t decide if it wanted me to see clearly or not. I descended the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last, until I reached the landlord’s door.Old Mr. Harvey opened it after a couple knocks, his face as grizzled and skeptical
82 EthanDarkness enveloped me, a heavy, impenetrable shroud that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Gradually, the blackness began to thin, peeling away in delicate layers. Sensations seeped in, subtle at first. A weight pressed down on me, as if invisible bricks had been stacked upon my chest, arms, and legs. An ache throbbed deep within my skull, a relentless pulsing against bone. I attempted to move, to lift my limbs, but they remained unresponsive, leaden and foreign. My mouth was parched, and each swallow felt like dragging sandpaper down my throat.Then came the sounds. A rhythmic beeping echoed nearby, accompanied by the soft whir of machines. Beyond these mechanical murmurs, faint voices ebbed and flowed, their words indistinct, as though carried from a great distance.Light followed. Blinding and harsh. I squinted against its intensity, a groan escaping my lips as a sharp sting ignited behind my eyes. Slowly, the sterile white ceiling above me came into focus, lined with recta
EthanI didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.“What’s wrong?” s