SKYLARA satisfied smile played on my lips as I pinned the last sketch onto the mood board. The summer collection was finally taking shape, a vibrant tapestry of colors and textures that mirrored the newfound lightness in my own heart.Angela's voice crackled through the intercom, startling me from my reverie. "Skylar, you have a visitor. Lucas?"My breath hitched. Lucas. We hadn't spoken since that stolen moment on the couch, the memory sending a jolt through me even now. The phone call, the thwarted kiss, the raw tension that hung heavy in the air – it all came flooding back."Lucas?" I repeated, a touch of surprise lacing my voice. "Yes, please buzz him in."My stomach churned with a nervous flutter. Why was he here? What did he want to talk about?The seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow, before the door whooshed open. Lucas stood there, his face etched with a seriousness that contrasted his usual easy smile. He looked…different. There was a vulnerability in his eyes, a hint of som
LUCASFidgeting with the white tablecloth, I watched the entrance of the restaurant with an intensity that would make a hawk jealous. Dinner. With Skylar. The very thought sent a jolt of nervous excitement through me.This wasn't just any dinner, of course. It was a carefully orchestrated attempt to steal a few precious hours with the woman who'd turned my world upside down. The entire restaurant, bathed in a warm glow and soft music, had been rented out for the evening – a small indulgence for a woman who deserved the moon and stars.The door swung open, and a wave of relief washed over me as Skylar walked in. She looked stunning, even more so than in the studio, her smile radiating a warmth that chased away the last vestiges of my anxiety."Hey," I greeted her, a grin splitting my face. "You look amazing."A blush crept up her cheeks as she met my gaze. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice laced with a shyness that only amplified her charm. "You don't look so bad yourself."We settl
SkylarSunlight across the unfamiliar white sheets. Disoriented for a moment, I blinked, memories of the previous night flooding back. The stolen moments in his car, the raw passion that had erupted between us, the way his touch had sent shivers down my spine.A warmth blossomed in my chest, a mixture of contentment and a hint of apprehension. Where was Lucas? Sitting up, I scanned the room. Empty.Then I saw it – a small white note tucked beneath the pillow beside me. Unfolding it, I recognized Lucas's strong, familiar handwriting."Come to the kitchen," it read, followed by a hastily scrawled smiley face.My heart skipped a beat. The kitchen. Breakfast. The thought sent a smile curling my lips. Climbing out of bed, I stretched, the events of last night replaying in my mind like a thrilling movie montage.The kitchen was bathed in the warm glow of morning light, the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the enticing aroma of something savory cooking. Lucas, clad in nothing b
CHAPTER 36FREYAMy parents' words echoed in my head, a harsh reminder of the real reason I needed Lucas back. "Freya," my mother had hissed, her usually sharp features contorted with worry, "you need to fix this. The pack is in financial straits, and that marriage with Lucas was supposed to secure our future."Love? Compatibility? Those were mere footnotes in the grand scheme of things. My heart, if it existed at all, belonged to power and privilege, not some lovesick fool like Lucas. And that pathetic one-night stand with Jackson? A momentary lapse in judgment, a desperate attempt to fill the void left by Lucas's absence.Pulling into Lucas's driveway, Skylar's car, a sleek silver number, sat prominently parked in front. What was she doing here? Jealousy, a serpent coiled tight in my gut, reared its ugly head.Ignoring the unwelcome tremor in my hands, I marched towards the door, each step fueled by a righteous anger. Lucas would see the error of his ways. He'd realize that a fli
LoganThe scent hit me the moment I stepped into Skylar's office. Faint, but unmistakable – Lucas' cologne, a cologne I knew all too well. My stomach clenched, a familiar knot of irritation tightening in my gut.Angela, Skylar's ever-efficient assistant, offered a bright smile and buzzed me in. "Mr. Logan, Ms. Skylar will see you now."Skylar looked up from her computer, a smile lighting up her face as she saw me. But the smile faltered slightly, replaced by a flicker of something… apprehension?"Logan!" she greeted, her voice slightly higher than usual. "What a surprise."I pulled her into a hug, the familiar scent of her vanilla perfume momentarily masking the unwelcome reminder of Lucas.As I stepped back, though, the faint trace of his cologne lingered in the air."You smell amazing," I lied, forcing a smile.Skylar blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. You too."We settled into the plush armchairs across from her desk, and I couldn't help but notice the way sh
LoganI couldn’t leave her like this. But what option did I have?Excuse me," she said, her voice polite but firm. "That's a client. We can continue this conversation later, alright?"We both walked out and she stopped at the conference room, I looked up, surprised to see Angela standing in the doorway of the conference room. I had been so engrossed in our conversation that I hadn't even noticed her arrive. I quickly stood up, feeling a bit sheepish. "Sure," I mumbled, defeated.Skylar smiled and walked over to me, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but I really do need to attend to that client. We can continue this later, okay?"I nodded, still feeling a bit flustered. "Of course. No problem."Skylar left the conference room, and I walked in, I sat back down in my chair, trying to collect myself. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. I had been looking forward to our conversation all day, and now it was being cut short by a client.
SKYLARA pleasant ache throbbed between my legs. I squeezed my eyes shut, the memory of his touch sending a jolt through me. A soft rapping on the door startled me back to reality."Come in!" I called, scrambling to shove the rumpled sheets into some semblance of order.The door creaked open, revealing Angela's mischievous grin. "Wow, Skylar," she said, her nose wrinkling playfully. "This office smells like…well, let's just say it's a good day to be your accountant."I let out a flustered laugh, heat flooding my cheeks. "Angela!"She burst out laughing, the sound rich and infectious. "Alright, alright," she conceded, wiping a tear from her eye. "Spill.How was it?""It was…" I trailed off, searching for the right words. Intense. Passionate. Confusing. "It was good.""Good?" she echoed, her eyebrows raised. "Girl, good doesn't even begin to describe the look on your face right now."I swatted at her playfully. "Okay, okay. It was amazing." There, I admitted it. Even to myself.Angela be
LUCASA jolt of nervous excitement shot through me as I spotted Skylar standing outside her office building, a vision in a fiery orange sundress that seemed to capture the afternoon sun. I pulled into a parking spot, my heart hammering a happy rhythm against my ribs. Today was the day – the day I finally got to take her out in public. Not on some clandestine late-night rendezvous, but on a real, honest-to-goodness date.I hopped out of the car, a goofy grin plastered on my face. "Skylar! What a lovely surprise to see you here." My voice held a touch of playful teasing, hoping to mask the nerves bubbling in my stomach.She turned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Surprise?" she raised an eyebrow. "Actually, Lucas, I was just leaving for lunch. Kind of in a bit of a rush."My smile faltered slightly. "Oh. Right. Lunch." My mind raced for a plan. Giving up wasn't an option. Not today. "Well,that's convenient," I said, my voice smooth as butter. "Because I happen to have some free time
LucasIt was taking longer to get home, and I began to worry about what had happened to Skylar. I urged Logan to drive much faster. "The children are in the car. We should be more cautious about how we accelerate." Logan told me."Skylar is home and in danger. We should be more cautious about how we handle the situation." I answered, and he let out a deep sigh before accelerating the car. I was considering urging him to slow down the car, but I had previously challenged him once. Something ruptured the tires just as we were about to drive down the next street, causing the control to veer unevenly.My eyes widened as I clutched the children closer to me. I closed my eyes, and Logan struggled to handle the car until we collided with a tree and came to a stop. Logan's head rested on the driving wheel, and I could feel myself fading away gradually. After what felt like a lifetime, I awoke from my daydream, and it appeared like Logan was also waking up. We clambered out of the car as ou
Skylar I dropped the call, and turned to face Freya, pretending I hadn't heard that she orchestrated the plot. I took a few long breaths and proceeded to sit right next to her, but the look on her face was unsettling. "Have the kids been found?" Freya inquired, but I simply giggled in an attempt to disregard the question. "I know the kids have been found." She spoke shortly after. "Then why did you have to ask me?" I responded, attempting to draw away from her, but she pushed closer, her eyes glistening with horror. "I could even sense that from your demeanor.""But why are you doing that? Freya, how dare you? I challenged her, knowing she was aware of my knowledge of her role in the kidnapping plot, but she reacted with a gruff giggle."I don't need a reason," she continued, her voice as calm and gloomy as possible. "I despise you with all my soul and would like you to experience pain.""You are not at my standard at all, so how do you hope to have great things?" I questioned her
LoganI expected Lucas to talk about notifying Skylar about this, but as I picked up my phone to call her, Lucas stopped me and showed me. He turned up the volume on the speaker, and we could all hear it perfectly. "Hello, Skylar. Are you fine?" I asked, trying to keep my comments as quiet as possible so she wouldn't suspect anything yet. "I am fine. I feel great. How is the situation now?" She inquired, her tone full of desire. "Skylar, guess what?" I questioned, about to tell what was on her mind, but I sensed she was either thinking we'd seen the kids and rescued them, or that we'd arrived and discovered they were dead."Skylar!! We found the kids!" Logan yelled, and she could hear the two boys behind her speaking quietly. She screamed with pleasure over the phone, and the sound deafened me as I pondered how she would have raised her voice from where she was. I pulled the phone back to my ears, taking it from the loud speaker as I spoke sincerely with her, glancing at Lucas the
Chapter 111Lucas's POVLogan did not ask me what I did to Jackson, but the look on his face indicated I had possibly killed him. We understood ourselves well, but we didn't relate. I'm sure he knows I killed my Beta to defuse the situation. Sparing someone that horrible would only wreak disaster. What tempted him to do that shit with Freya?The children trembled in the car, and their lips shook violently. They were exhausted from the bindings around their necks, and their lips appeared lame."Can you speak, Andrew? If you can't, don't say anything just yet. We genuinely care about you and do not want anything terrible to happen to you." Logan spoke from the driver's seat. "Yes, I can," Andrew exclaimed. I was ready to hear him out now. Logan turned his attention back to see the kids' expressions as they explained what they had in mind "It happened when Mum gave us to someone who would drive us to our destination as usual. And then we recognized the man driving us wasn't Lucas, but
SkylarMy stomach churned as I gripped the walls. I'd been feeling weak for quite some time, especially since Logan and Lucas had gone ahead to find the kids. I was also silently praying that nothing bad happened to them. I prayed they wouldn't get lost while trying to save those who had gotten lost. If there was one thing I was truly afraid of, it was my children being killed, harmed, or even lost in the hands of someone I did not know. The more I blamed myself for putting the children's lives in danger by failing to check who was driving, the weaker I felt. Dana met my gaze, and I nodded briefly. She rushed to meet me, dropping her head."I did not call you. I was just staring at you. Anyway, what are you up to?" I asked, sighing heavily. "Actually, Angela is about to leave, and I'd like to accompany her and make something for lunch. You haven't eaten in days, and it's definitely affecting you. Just be patient while we go and come back. We won't take too long," she replied, and m
FreyaWhen I realized how far I'd gotten with my dark arrangements, a big grin spread across my lips. The morons around me believe the deception, but just now, I was overjoyed that my plan had been fulfilled. I had no idea when mom entered the living room and stood in front of me, wondering if I had gone insane. "Why are you zoning out?" She questioned suspiciously. "Oh, mum, you're here," I murmured, rising to my feet before settling back into the chair. I was literally hyper, and I knew why. "I had an absolutely fantastic day. "Isn't it worth smiling at?" I inquired, a huge smile forming on my chin. She shrugged her shoulders and took a step nearer, focusing her eyes at me as if she suspected something else. "I love you so much and truly mean it. If there's anything I can do to assist you deal with the bitch, please let me know. I'll definitely help you," she murmured, but I stroked her back while she stroked mine."Huh?" She inquired again, possibly assuming I didn't recogniz
LucasWe argued for several minutes about who was to blame for our relationship's issues, but he never agreed. He had made some claims that were all lies!We ultimately arrived at where we would park our cars. I took a big breath as we both exited the car. Suddenly, we were working together again. Our current motivations had shifted. "Please keep your composure as we enter. Logan told me, "This is the main reason we came here." I nodded. We both pushed a smile to our faces to indicate that we were no longer annoyed with one other, at least for the time being.Then we crept into the place. The location that the signal sent us to. My sight shifted to the figures at a close range. The boys were truly tied up and crying."Oh my goodness!" Logan muttered, pressing his fists to his chest as he went to untie the children. I looked around to check if anyone was around, but I couldn't see anyone. I rushed into this haven, ensuring that my pistol was still in my pocket, in search of Jackson.
LoganI'd been on the road for a few minutes, and Lucas's question was nagging me. I wanted to offer him the most accurate answer, but do I even know what it is? "I'm actually surprised that you're asking me this," I remarked to him, reducing the car's acceleration now that we were so near to our destination. "I do not hate you, and I never have. When it comes to leaving you behind for an extended period of time, I believe you should also discuss yourself. You're too busy to join me for lunch or dinner. Wait, why would we even do that?""That is exactly my issue. You don't care about it, and you've did not make an effort to make this work between us.""Do not state this as if it were a girl-boy relationship. We should be close to one another. Of course. However, I believe that efforts to achieve this should come from both sides, not just myself. Don't you understand what I am saying?" I spoke back to him. "Of course. Skylar has always been busy, but taking her to lunch was somethin
LucasI walked home when I couldn't find the signal, as we had previously agreed. I took several calm breaths and returned home, where I listened to the toys transmitting radio waves. Skyler was there alongside me, but she didn't know how these things worked. "Did you find anything yet?" She inquired, her tone filled with concern and dread."Please be patient. Logan is also investigating, and we'll get to the bottom of this soon." I said, took a big breath, and ultimately received the signal. When she noticed my eyes widening, she realized I'd spotted something which had captured my attention.Logan entered as well, and that was the very first thing I mentioned."I found the signal!" I said, and a huge grin formed on his lips just as he was going to lean back on the sofa and take a break from a lot of hard work "We need to get going now. We don't have the time to waste." He spoke to me, and Skyler moved closer to us. I clutched her waist and planted a fast kiss on her chin. She smi