MIASix Years LaterThe evening was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and earth. I stepped out onto the balcony, watching my son Aiden chase after Logan with wild laughter.Aiden was only five, but even at his young age, his Alpha blood was unmistakable. He was strong, fast, and fiercely protective
I swallowed, my fingers curling into my palm. Six years of avoiding the spotlight, of staying out of politics and power struggles. Six years of staying far, far away from Derek.“Will he be there?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.“He notified us in advance about his absence.” Mason hesita
MIAThe look on Derek’s face was one of complete shock. I had never in my life seen an Alpha so utterly discombobulated.“But…Mia…” he said, the name I’d left behind coming out of his mouth on a breathy hitch.Despite the hammering of my heart and the vaguely nauseous feeling roiling in my gut, I lo
“Perhaps Silverclaw would be honored to take on the responsibility,” Mason said smoothly, though his tone carried the faintest challenge.Derek smirked, leaned back in his chair. “Moonstone has always been known for hosting grand events. It would be a shame to deny them the opportunity.”The words w
DEREKI’d spent the last six years working myself to the bone. From the moment I woke up in the morning until the moment I fell into bed late at night, I worked.It was a constant stream of meetings and phone calls. And when I wasn’t pouring over the pack’s financial reports or meeting with foreign
My eyes flicked to her, desperately searching for some sign of recognition, of the connection we once had. But she stood there, unreadable, as if she didn’t remember who I was. As if the months we spent together, the bond we shared, meant nothing.Had she deliberately made me think she was dead just
ELENAMason studied me carefully, his gaze searching for something I wasn’t ready to give. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “Seeing Derek again…It must have stirred up a lot.”I sighed and stepped off the elevator. Mason and I were in nearby rooms on one of the higher floors of the venue. As we
As we dined, I scanned the entrance for Cassandra, eager to see her, and for her to see me.She and Derek entered about midway through the breakfast rush, sitting several tables over. Exactly where I wanted them.I sipped my coffee, pretending not to have seen. Cassandra watched me closely, probably
DEREKIt all happened too fast.Flashes.A shout behind us—rough and unexpected. Another rogue, charging out of the jungle like a spark dropped in a dry forest.Aiden jerked.The rogue holding him shouted something I didn’t hear—Then Elena screamed.And there was blood.Aiden slipped free, tumbling
DEREKI’ve heard Elena scared before.Once when she woke up from a nightmare, gasping like she was still trapped underwater. Another time, because a mouse had darted across her foot when she was in the Silverclaw stables.But I had never heard her like this.Not like now.The sound in her voice was
And there—down the shore, maybe twenty yards away—Aiden.He was being dragged.His heels left thick, broken trails through the sand, carving desperate lines that told me he’d tried to fight. His arms were wrenched behind his back, his small fists clenched.His hoodie—his favorite one, the one he sa
ELENA“Where’s Aiden?!”The question ripped from my throat, wild and raw. It wasn’t a question, really. It was a scream. A plea. A command wrapped in terror.My voice echoed across the wreckage of the room—the overturned furniture, the broken glass, through the blood that still hovered in a haze ove
I caught Pierce’s next punch, twisted his arm behind his back, and slammed him to the floor with enough force to rattle the bones in both our bodies.“You leading the rogue factions now?” I shouted, my voice like gravel and fire. “You attacking peaceful packs? Families?”He laughed.Actually laughed
ELENAMy knuckles still stung.The taste of blood hung in the air—his, not mine—and the man I’d clocked in the mouth earlier had stalked off in a fit of pique. Probably to get backup.If I wanted to make my move, now was the time.The other one, the taller rogue with the cold eyes, was still watchin
AIDENThe kitchen was too clean.Shiny black counters. A spotless chrome sink. Not a crumb on the floor or a single dish in the drying rack.It didn’t feel like a kitchen anyone actually used. More like something from a magazine.Aiden sat stiffly on one of the bar stools, feet not quite touching th
They didn’t ask me to stand beside him.They didn’t put me in the frame.My chest tightened.This was about him.Only him.What did that mean for me?Before I could think too hard about it, I heard the familiar, measured footsteps echoing down the hall.Pierce.He strolled toward us like he was arri
ELENAThere were voices outside the door.Not the usual lazy pacing of a bored guard. These were deeper. Sharper. Intent.My heart dropped into my stomach.They were coming.I pressed myself to the wall beneath the vent, arms locked around my knees. The blanket I’d balled up to make it look like Aid