Devon’s POVThe house was too quiet without Mom. The kind of quiet that made my stomach feel funny, like when I ate too much candy and got caught. Diana was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her “thinking face,” the one where her nose scrunched up like she smelled something bad.“I can’t sleep,” I whispered, even though I did not have to.“I know,” Diana said, rolling over to look at me. “Me neither. It is because Mommy’s not here. She always kisses our foreheads before we sleep. It’s magic or something.”I nodded, hugging Mr. Snuffles, my stuffed wolf, closer. “Maybe she is fighting bad guys again.”“Or maybe she’s with him,” Diana said, her voice all huffy, likely jealous of the attention.I knew who she meant. Killian. The big, funny Alpha who kept looking at Mom like she was chocolate cake. I like him so much, he was like a Daddy to us.“Let’s go find her,” I said suddenly, sitting up in bed.Diana blinked at me. “How?”“We will drive,” I said, puffing up my chest. “I
Samantha’s POVHis hand trailed at my exposed knees, brushing softly, and gently at my skin, treating me like a fragile glass that might break if he gripped me too hard. “Dominic, what the hell do you think you are doing?” I uttered as I shifted on the bed ignoring the whimpers of my wolf that was so much willing to surrender in his touch, relishing in his close presence at my side. I would not deny that his touches felt so warm and comforting, like what I would honestly need especially in my situation right now. But I can’t give in again.His lips curled into a half smile that might have been charming if I was not already irritated and tired. Right now, I just wanted to rest. “I just wanted to see you, so I came back, Samantha.”“You are seeing me. Now leave,” I dismissed but apparently, my wolf stirred in disapproval at my action and clearly unimpressed with my tone towards him. She was far too interested in his presence. I could feel her warmth spread through me despite the cold w
Devon’s POVThe car was weird. It smelled like old leather and something spicy that made my nose twitch. Diana sat beside me, her legs too short to touch the floor, swinging them back and forth as she stared out the window. I could tell she did not trust these guys any more than I did.The driver kept glancing at us through the mirror. He had dark hair and a beard that made him look kind of like one of the bad guys from the cartoons we were not supposed to watch. His friend, sitting in the passenger seat, was older, with white hair and a face that scrunched up like he was always thinking too hard.“So,” Beard Guy started, his voice a little too cheerful, as if trying to be less suspicious, acting so likeable to a children. “What are your names, kids?”Diana and I exchanged a look. Mom always said not to talk to strangers. Diana gave him her best unimpressed face and said, “We are not supposed to tell strangers our names.”I nodded, crossing my arms. “Yeah. And we do not know you.”Bea
Samantha’s POVI immediately connected my charger as I settled on a chair in my hotel room after I was transferred here. Annie’s name glowed on the screen, followed by a string of messages that I was not able to access earlier since my phone immediately died.The first one brought a smile to my lips: “The twins wanted to stay up late, but don’t worry, I tucked them in on time. Devon tried to convince me otherwise, though!”Scrolling through the others, I could almost hear Annie’s cheerful voice narrating their antics: ‘Diana refusing to eat her carrots, Devon pretending to be a superhero, both of them begging for bedtime stories about wolves.’But it was her last message that made my heart clench: “They’ve been asking for you all day, Samantha. Devon said he missed your hugs, and Diana said she did not like how long you are gone.”I stared at the words, blinking hard. For a moment, the chaotic events from the day melted away, leaving only the ache in my chest, to see my twins again. T
Dominic’s POV“They are gone,” Mr. Bennett said with frustration clearly visible on his face as he stood in front of me.“What the hell do you mean, gone?” I asked making both him and Ethan turn to me. They had been talking about two kids they had picked up on the road and brought here to the hotel for the Summit.“We found them near the western border,” Ethan interjected with a defensive tone. “Two kids, twins. They looked scared and hungry, so we brought them back here to figure out who they belonged to.”“And?” I prompted, already feeling my patience thinning.“They slipped away,” Mr. Bennett admitted, his jaw tightening. “Smart little ones, too. Gave us the slip before we could get any answers.” I folded my arms, my irritation simmering just below the surface because they had brought their kids which means they were our responsibility, and these were my men, members of my pack. I would not want any rumors about our pack members picking kids from the road and having them disappear
Dominic’s POV“You’d better not move an inch, Dominic. I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Killian snapped through the mind link. How ungrateful, I found the kids yet he did not even sound grateful for it. If I would have the choice, I could take these twins on my own and not return them to him.I bit back the urge to argue, my jaw tightening as I paced in place and ended the call. My eyes flicked toward the twins again and saw the boy whispered something to his sister, his tone too soft and quiet for me to catch. The girl smirked, her ocean blue eyes darting toward me, and muttered something back that made the boy chuckle.They did not seem wary anymore. If anything, they were oddly calm, like they knew they were untouchable. Or maybe it was because Killian was coming, and they trusted him. The thought sent a sharp pang of jealousy through my chest, which was odd. I should not feel anything about these kids, and yet…My wolf stirred uneasily. They look like her, he murmured, a growl und
Killian’s POVI kept my hand resting lightly on Diana’s shoulder as we walked through the corridor, ensuring she stayed close. She was a handful, that much was clear, but there was something charming about her boldness and quick wit. Beside her, Devon trailed behind quietly, his gaze darting around as if committing every detail to memory. He had always been so keen and attentive.I glanced at them, then shook my head to clear my thoughts. I could not stop replaying the scene back in the restaurant. Dominic had acted so… at ease around them. It grated on me, how natural he seemed with the twins, like he belonged there, and as if the twins belonged to him. A flicker of doubt gnawed at me. What if Dominic…?No. Samantha would have told me if—But would she?She had always been secretive about the twins’ father, and I respected her decision to keep it from everyone else. But not that Dominic was coming into the picture and how she did not want him to find out about them, I can’t help but
Dominic’s POVThey couldn’t be mine. Could they?I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling as if the answer might suddenly materialize there. The math wasn’t complicated, six years ago, Samantha left. The twins were about five. The timeline fits too well. Too damn well that got me thinking if they were my kids.But then again, Samantha couldn’t have hidden something like this, not without slipping up. I knew her. If they were mine, wouldn’t she have stayed? The Samantha I knew would have never let that kind of opportunity slip through her fingers. She was always so desperate to prove herself, to claw her way into my life, to have my love and attention. She wanted to matter to me, to the pack, and she would have done anything to get there. She would have used the kids to get to me.I scoffed, shaking my head as bitterness crept in. If they were my kids, she wouldn’t have run. She would have used them — paraded them in front of me, dangled them like a prize, something to make me
[ALPHA DOMINIC’s Point of View]“You don’t understand the situation here, Alpha Dominic! I am helping you!”I snarl ripped in my throat as I pushed him away, dropping his body on the dusty, marble floor of the old library. I started walking in circles around him like a predator ready for the kill and was aiming to slit his throat if he ever made a wrong move.
[DEVON’s Point of View]“Devon, we have to go!”“Shhh!”“Madison must be already in the room!” Diana grabbed me by the arm and forced me to return to the playroom. ‘I
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]I had to know what was really going on.Why was my mother involved with those people? What was her part in what was going on at Silver Crescent? All I knew was that Lena was my mother's best friend. They’ve always been together, discussing the issues in the pack, and Lena trusted Mom—her judgment and Mom’s advice were always appreciated by Mothe
[ALPHA Dominic’s Point of View]I was on my way to the pack house.My eyes were focused on the road while my mind was on Samantha and my kids. Feathers appeared on the muscles of my jaw as I ground my teeth. I couldn’t leave them when things like this happened in the pack. Liam was right. It was worse than we imagined, and the first thing I had to ensure was my family's safety.
[DEVON’s Point of View]I sensed something wasn’t right, and I knew Diana felt it.I caught her looking at me the second Madison and Cynthia left the room. I was anxious and confused, but Diana's stare made me confirm that these feelings were not just uneasiness but an instinct that she and I had been feeling since Mom suddenly disappeared days ago.“I’m scared, Devon,” Diana whispered as she pulled her blanket halfway over her face. “Can you feel it too?”I was scared, too, but I couldn’t show it to my sister. “Yes, something is wrong. Mom and Dominic have been acting strangely since they came back. Liam said they are just dealing with something to help the people of the pack.”“I can sense Mommy always being anxious,” Diana murmured, teary-eyed. “How long are we going to stay here? I miss home. I miss Annie.” she pouted her lips, almost crying.“It’s okay, Diana. I believe Mom is doing her best to solve whatever is happening.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Things will be better.”
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]After I read that horrifying letter, I thought of searching for any suspicious things around the manor, especially the twins’ room. How could those people perpetrate the inside of the pack manor?! Did they have spies here? Should I tell Dominic? Or will it only bring chaos to the pack, knowing there are enemies inside my husband's turf?The panic made my stomach tighten, and I decided to solve this alone. Dominic was already dealing with the incident at the eastern gates, and I couldn't distract him when he already had so many problems to attend to with his Beta. This would only divert my husband's focus to the real problem of the pack.“Miss Samantha, is there a problem?” Madison noticed my distress after I had slipped the letter into my jacket pocket. She looked at my pocket with a puzzled look and then at my face.“N-Nothing, Madison. Nothing's wrong. How are the kids? Are they asleep?”“Yes. Diana insisted she would rather not sleep yet, but Master Devon
[ALPHA DOMINIC’s Point of View]My brain kept convincing me that I had to stay and solve this.But my heart and feet wanted to go to where my car was parked, drive back to the Pack Manor, and stay with my mate and the twins.
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]“I’m sorry if we have to head back so soon. I know you still have so many questions you want to ask Ethan, but Madison already texted me that the kids are looking for me.”“You shouldn’t feel bad about it, love. I know you want to focus on this matter as well. But the kids are important too. And after you were gone for days, Diana and Devon became too worr
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]“What’s happening here?”Dominic's face was filled with confusion and fury as he repeated his question, "Wolf? What do you mean about it, Samantha?”Ethan an