Loraine’s POV After the court, we arrived at a quaint little ice cream parlor just outside of town. The building was painted in cheerful pastel colors, with string lights glowing warmly in the windows. It was the kind of place I’d never thought I’d find myself in with four powerful, intimidating Alphas like mine. Yet here we were, stepping inside like a normal group out for a treat. Kris held the door open for me, grinning. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve something sweet.” “I’d say she deserves everything sweet for being a sweetheart,” Preston chimed in, his voice teasing as he placed a hand on the small of my back to guide me inside. I laughed softly, feeling the tension from the day slowly melting away. “Ice cream is a good start, though.” Hunter leaned over the counter, scanning the long list of flavors. “All right, what’ll it be, Loraine? Name your poison.” The sheer variety was overwhelming. “Uh, maybe vanilla?” Kris groaned dramatically. “Vanilla? Really? Come on
Loraine’s POV The smell of the morning air wafted through the slightly cracked window as sunlight peeked into the room. I woke up feeling warm, safe, and entirely surrounded by love. Fuck! This was the life I was supposed to live. Thank the goddess for giving me this. The boys were still fast asleep, their steady breaths filling the room. Killian’s arm was draped lazily over my waist, and Preston was nestled close, his hand barely brushing mine. Kris and Hunter sprawled out on either side, peaceful and unguarded. They were perfect and all mine. I smiled, my heart swelling with gratitude. After everything yesterday, they had gone out of their way to make me feel cherished. The least I could do was return the favor. Quietly, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake them, and tiptoed out of the room. The kitchen was my destination, but halfway there, I nearly ran into someone. Mabel. Ah shit! Guess the world won’t be all roses and sunshine today. She was standing in the hall
Mabel’s POV The chill of the night bit at my skin as I slipped out of my borrowed room in the brothers’ sprawling manor. The house was silent, save for the soft creaks of the old floors under my feet. Wrapping my coat tighter around myself, I stepped into the waiting car, its sleek black interior swallowing me whole. “Where to, Miss Mabel?” the driver asked, his voice even, unbothered by the lateness of the hour. “Elder Arnold’s estate,” I said sharply, avoiding his gaze. “He said grandmother needed to see me this night.” I lied unnecessarily. This was the fucking driver who could never dare to hurt or even expose me, but something in me just enjoyed telling these lies to make everyone pity me. I didn’t even have a grandmother! She died before I met her, but I didn’t care; I just enjoyed my stories. The car rolled into motion, and I leaned back against the seat, trying to steady my thoughts. My uncle’s summons had been brief and cryptic, but I knew what it was about. It was al
Kris’s POV The house was still quiet when I walked into the kitchen, the faint scent of breakfast lingering in the air from earlier. The other guys were scattered throughout the manor—Hunter poring over reports in his office, Killian likely plotting strategies, and Preston… probably trying to charm Loraine into sneaking off somewhere for a private moment. And Loraine? My Luna? Well, she was upstairs, reading. Her soft laughter had floated down earlier when Preston said something ridiculous. I leaned against the counter, pouring myself a cup of coffee, and let myself enjoy the moment. We were finally finding balance. I never thought it would work, sharing her after how Mabel played us against each other in the past. We had decided that it’s not in a wolf’s nature to share his mate, so we vowed not to… but somehow, it worked for us again. The bond we all had with her was not at all like the corrupted bond we had with Mabel before; this one felt right—natural, even. We could have h
Killian’s POV The morning was chaotic, as usual, in our kitchen. Loraine had been up early to make breakfast for everyone—a sweet thank-you for all the support we’d been giving her lately. But between Preston stealing food off everyone’s plates and Hunter barking orders about the day’s plans, the kitchen was less of a peaceful sanctuary and more of a battlefield. I leaned against the counter, sipping coffee, and watched the madness unfold. “Preston, I swear if you touch my bacon again—” Hunter growled, but Preston just grinned and popped the strip into his mouth. Loraine laughed from her spot by the stove, shaking her head at them. “You’re all worse than children.” In the middle of it all, Kris sat at the far end of the table, quietly eating his eggs like the chaos didn’t even touch him. He looked calm, almost serene, but I knew better. I’d watched him long enough to know that Kris’s calm exterior was a mask. He was always the most composed of us—our resident peacemaker—but when
Loraine’s POV The day after, Prince Gideon updated us on everything. The house was quiet—too quiet. That usually meant trouble, especially when all four of my mates were involved. I wandered through the halls, half-expecting to stumble upon chaos, but instead, I found myself piecing together just how hard they had been working behind the scenes to protect me. Kris had left early that morning, his usual calm demeanor masking the tension I knew he felt. Hunter had spent the night pacing the halls, muttering something about rogue sightings, while Preston and Killian had been in and out of the office, trying to keep the rest of the pack on high alert. I sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter as I prepared breakfast for them. The sight of the empty table tugged at my heart. They’d been stretched thin lately, all because of me. I never meant for my life to bring so much drama into theirs. “They deserve better,” I whispered to myself. But even as the thought crossed my mind, ano
Loraine’s POV Gordon’s words haunted me. “I know where your real parents are.” That fucking asshole! I had spent the entire night replaying that moment over and over in my head, convincing myself it was a lie. Gordon was a manipulator, someone who thrived on creating chaos and pain. Surely, this was just another attempt to mess with me. But then there was that small, traitorous part of me—the part that whispered, What if he’s telling the truth? The thought made my stomach twist. I tried to push it away, but it kept creeping back. My parents—the ones who raised me—were loving and kind. They had given me everything, taught me everything, made me who I am today. They’re my parents, I told myself firmly. They have to be. Still, doubt ate at me. The day started as any other—me waking up to the sounds of my mates already busy in the kitchen. I forced a smile, determined to focus on them instead of Gordon. My mates needed me, and I needed to shake off these dark thoughts. Walking i
Mabel’s POV My uncle’s voice echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. “You’re not doing enough, Mabel.” It wasn’t just a criticism—it was an accusation, a reminder that failure wasn’t an option. My fists clenched as I paced my room. I had done everything he’d asked. What more could he want? “I’ve been working tirelessly,” I muttered under my breath, trying to push his biting words aside. But his response had been just as infuriating. “If you were doing enough, we wouldn’t still be having this problem, would we?” My uncle and I had been working together for a long time now. And I thought he would understand where I was coming from by now. The nerve. The absolute fucking nerve. Did he think sabotaging Loraine and breaking down those overly possessive alphas was freaking easy? Since I came, I had done my best to make sure Loraine was away from the boys, but nothing I did allowed them near me. They always stayed away from me no matter what I did, no matter how many stunts I pull
Loraine’s POV When I opened my eyes the next morning, the first thing I saw was Killian sitting by my bedside. His thick arms were crossed, and his head was tilted slightly back as if he’d dozed off. The sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the sharp lines of his face, softening them. I shifted slightly, and his eyes snapped open immediately. “You’re awake,” he said, relief washing over his face as he leaned forward. “I wasn’t dying, you know,” I teased, though my voice was still hoarse from the previous day. “That’s not funny,” he replied, his tone serious despite the small smile tugging at his lips. “We were really worried about you.How in the goddess's name did you fall?” Before I could say anything else, the door opened, and Preston, Kris, and Hunter filed in, each carrying something in their hands. Preston had coffee, Kris had a tray of food, and Hunter was carrying a blanket that looked far too big for the hospital bed. “We thought you’d be hungry,” Kris said
Mabel’s POV My uncle’s voice echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. “You’re not doing enough, Mabel.” It wasn’t just a criticism—it was an accusation, a reminder that failure wasn’t an option. My fists clenched as I paced my room. I had done everything he’d asked. What more could he want? “I’ve been working tirelessly,” I muttered under my breath, trying to push his biting words aside. But his response had been just as infuriating. “If you were doing enough, we wouldn’t still be having this problem, would we?” My uncle and I had been working together for a long time now. And I thought he would understand where I was coming from by now. The nerve. The absolute fucking nerve. Did he think sabotaging Loraine and breaking down those overly possessive alphas was freaking easy? Since I came, I had done my best to make sure Loraine was away from the boys, but nothing I did allowed them near me. They always stayed away from me no matter what I did, no matter how many stunts I pull
Loraine’s POV Gordon’s words haunted me. “I know where your real parents are.” That fucking asshole! I had spent the entire night replaying that moment over and over in my head, convincing myself it was a lie. Gordon was a manipulator, someone who thrived on creating chaos and pain. Surely, this was just another attempt to mess with me. But then there was that small, traitorous part of me—the part that whispered, What if he’s telling the truth? The thought made my stomach twist. I tried to push it away, but it kept creeping back. My parents—the ones who raised me—were loving and kind. They had given me everything, taught me everything, made me who I am today. They’re my parents, I told myself firmly. They have to be. Still, doubt ate at me. The day started as any other—me waking up to the sounds of my mates already busy in the kitchen. I forced a smile, determined to focus on them instead of Gordon. My mates needed me, and I needed to shake off these dark thoughts. Walking i
Loraine’s POV The day after, Prince Gideon updated us on everything. The house was quiet—too quiet. That usually meant trouble, especially when all four of my mates were involved. I wandered through the halls, half-expecting to stumble upon chaos, but instead, I found myself piecing together just how hard they had been working behind the scenes to protect me. Kris had left early that morning, his usual calm demeanor masking the tension I knew he felt. Hunter had spent the night pacing the halls, muttering something about rogue sightings, while Preston and Killian had been in and out of the office, trying to keep the rest of the pack on high alert. I sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter as I prepared breakfast for them. The sight of the empty table tugged at my heart. They’d been stretched thin lately, all because of me. I never meant for my life to bring so much drama into theirs. “They deserve better,” I whispered to myself. But even as the thought crossed my mind, ano
Killian’s POV The morning was chaotic, as usual, in our kitchen. Loraine had been up early to make breakfast for everyone—a sweet thank-you for all the support we’d been giving her lately. But between Preston stealing food off everyone’s plates and Hunter barking orders about the day’s plans, the kitchen was less of a peaceful sanctuary and more of a battlefield. I leaned against the counter, sipping coffee, and watched the madness unfold. “Preston, I swear if you touch my bacon again—” Hunter growled, but Preston just grinned and popped the strip into his mouth. Loraine laughed from her spot by the stove, shaking her head at them. “You’re all worse than children.” In the middle of it all, Kris sat at the far end of the table, quietly eating his eggs like the chaos didn’t even touch him. He looked calm, almost serene, but I knew better. I’d watched him long enough to know that Kris’s calm exterior was a mask. He was always the most composed of us—our resident peacemaker—but when
Kris’s POV The house was still quiet when I walked into the kitchen, the faint scent of breakfast lingering in the air from earlier. The other guys were scattered throughout the manor—Hunter poring over reports in his office, Killian likely plotting strategies, and Preston… probably trying to charm Loraine into sneaking off somewhere for a private moment. And Loraine? My Luna? Well, she was upstairs, reading. Her soft laughter had floated down earlier when Preston said something ridiculous. I leaned against the counter, pouring myself a cup of coffee, and let myself enjoy the moment. We were finally finding balance. I never thought it would work, sharing her after how Mabel played us against each other in the past. We had decided that it’s not in a wolf’s nature to share his mate, so we vowed not to… but somehow, it worked for us again. The bond we all had with her was not at all like the corrupted bond we had with Mabel before; this one felt right—natural, even. We could have h
Mabel’s POV The chill of the night bit at my skin as I slipped out of my borrowed room in the brothers’ sprawling manor. The house was silent, save for the soft creaks of the old floors under my feet. Wrapping my coat tighter around myself, I stepped into the waiting car, its sleek black interior swallowing me whole. “Where to, Miss Mabel?” the driver asked, his voice even, unbothered by the lateness of the hour. “Elder Arnold’s estate,” I said sharply, avoiding his gaze. “He said grandmother needed to see me this night.” I lied unnecessarily. This was the fucking driver who could never dare to hurt or even expose me, but something in me just enjoyed telling these lies to make everyone pity me. I didn’t even have a grandmother! She died before I met her, but I didn’t care; I just enjoyed my stories. The car rolled into motion, and I leaned back against the seat, trying to steady my thoughts. My uncle’s summons had been brief and cryptic, but I knew what it was about. It was al
Loraine’s POV The smell of the morning air wafted through the slightly cracked window as sunlight peeked into the room. I woke up feeling warm, safe, and entirely surrounded by love. Fuck! This was the life I was supposed to live. Thank the goddess for giving me this. The boys were still fast asleep, their steady breaths filling the room. Killian’s arm was draped lazily over my waist, and Preston was nestled close, his hand barely brushing mine. Kris and Hunter sprawled out on either side, peaceful and unguarded. They were perfect and all mine. I smiled, my heart swelling with gratitude. After everything yesterday, they had gone out of their way to make me feel cherished. The least I could do was return the favor. Quietly, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake them, and tiptoed out of the room. The kitchen was my destination, but halfway there, I nearly ran into someone. Mabel. Ah shit! Guess the world won’t be all roses and sunshine today. She was standing in the hall
Loraine’s POV After the court, we arrived at a quaint little ice cream parlor just outside of town. The building was painted in cheerful pastel colors, with string lights glowing warmly in the windows. It was the kind of place I’d never thought I’d find myself in with four powerful, intimidating Alphas like mine. Yet here we were, stepping inside like a normal group out for a treat. Kris held the door open for me, grinning. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve something sweet.” “I’d say she deserves everything sweet for being a sweetheart,” Preston chimed in, his voice teasing as he placed a hand on the small of my back to guide me inside. I laughed softly, feeling the tension from the day slowly melting away. “Ice cream is a good start, though.” Hunter leaned over the counter, scanning the long list of flavors. “All right, what’ll it be, Loraine? Name your poison.” The sheer variety was overwhelming. “Uh, maybe vanilla?” Kris groaned dramatically. “Vanilla? Really? Come on