CHARLOTTE Reigh’s words shocked me into silence. Noticing my reaction, Taide brought his face closer to mine and asked, “Do you want to?” I took a moment to consider that question, at the same time, I considered everything I knew about shifting, including its requirements, all of which I seem
For a moment, she just stared blankly, then her eyes seemed to widen to take in the odd scene playing out in front of her. She looked between me, standing between Taide and Reigh, my body still wrapped in the bedsheet, and the sleep slowly cleared from her eyes. Madeline reached for me and dragged
He turned from her and took a step closer, “It’s okay, Charlotte, keep going.” I opened my mouth to say something, but my words got caught in my throat in a pained gasp. My claws came out and my body began to overheat, my heart pounding and blood rushing in my ears. I felt like I needed to crawl
CHARLOTTE I stared at my paws in awe, digging them into the dirt and extending my claws, then retracting them. I looked around and saw Reigh and Madeline watching me with fascination. My vision was much brighter and sharper. Details that I’d missed before suddenly became glaringly obvious to me—
CHARLOTTE She was done for the day. After long hours of running around and overexerting herself—and me—my wolf was finally ready to relinquish control. I never had any intention of rushing her. After all the years she’d spent bottled up inside me, I wouldn’t have been surprised or bothered
CHARLOTTE I stood frozen, my eyes glued to the paper in my hands. My name was there, written in elegant script, as clear as day. I couldn’t understand it. Why was my name on this invite? My throat felt tight as I glanced between Caeson and Reigh, hoping for some kind of explanation. But thei
CHARLOTTE A loud, booming “No!” echoed through the house, shaking the air and making my heart jump.The sound of Caeson’s voice was unmistakable, filled with anger that could probably make the walls tremble if it got any louder. I glanced at Madeline, who was standing as still as a statue beside
CHARLOTTE The silence didn’t dissipate for a long while after Caeson left. I used those moments of quiet to try to piece together what I had heard from their conversation into something that made sense. Taking a few seconds of thought, I looked up and my eyes darted between Reigh and Taide. Th
CHARLOTTEI had no intention of sharing visiting hours with the boys.There was no reason to put myself through that kind of torment.The moment I found out Madeline was awake, I demanded that Caeson drop me off at the care home where I had left Da’ana. I wasn’t ready to deal with my father’s case,
TAIDEThe steady beeping of Madeline’s heart monitor was the only sound in the hospital room.The rhythmic pulse filled the silence, a reminder that she was still here, still breathing, still alive.But it didn’t feel like enough. Not when she lay there motionless, her skin pale against the crisp wh
The foundation still looked solid though.I stepped onto the creaky porch, staring at the front door.This was where Charlotte grew up.I felt something tighten in my throat. She probably had good memories here, but I knew the ones she remembered most were the bad ones.I couldn’t imagine what it wa
CAESONI killed the engine of the car and leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly.It didn’t do anything to relieve the pressure in my chest. The air in the car was thick with silence, the kind that had weight, like it could smother you if you let it.Charlotte hadn’t moved yet. She sat in the back
Like we didn’t matter.My nails dug into my palms as memories slammed into me. I could still see it—the nights he reeked of alcohol, his head lolling to the side, completely oblivious to the fact that he had two daughters who needed him to pick himself up and be… more than the person he was choosing
CHARLOTTEThe car ride was too quiet.Too damn suffocating.The weight of everything that had happened in the span of a few hours pressed down on me—Madeline, the triplets, my father. My hands trembled against my lap, and I clenched them into fists for the umpteenth time, trying to force myself to f
It was only after the shock of silence that followed that I realized I’d spoken those words out loud. Dot gasped, reaching for me instantly, pulling me into an embrace. I didn’t expect it to be as comforting as it was. And so I didn’t fight her. She guided me to the steps outside the hospital, sitt
CHARLOTTE It felt like a slap to the face. The doctor’s words hit me so hard that I lost my footing. My knees wobbled, and before I could steady myself, the plastic cup in my hand slipped through my fingers and crashed onto the tiled floor. Water splashed across my shoes, soaking into the hem of m
CHARLOTTE The reality of the situation hit me with frightening clarity. Madeline was dying. I moved before I could think, panic exploding through my chest as I ran forward and fell to my knees beside her. My hands hovered uselessly, trembling as I tried to find something, anything, to hold o