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
ELENAMy heart was in my throat as I held my phone in my hands. Aiden had run out of pack territory. Alone.My breath caught as I shoved my phone back into my pocket, spinning on my heel to leave. Derek’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist before I could take another step.“What’s wrong?” His voice wa
Logan looked at the other women in the room, their clothes threadbare and grubby. His eyes lingered on Maggie for a long moment before turning back to me.“Maybe the people who came after them are the same ones who attacked you all those years ago.” He turned to look at Carly. “You said these people
DEREKThe child barely came up to my waist, his wild curls bouncing as he tilted his head up at me. His amber eyes sparkled with mischief as he studied me. He didn’t look afraid—if anything, he was curious.“I’ve never seen you before,” he said, matter-of-factly.I smirked. “Maybe because I haven’t
“We should move on to the meeting,” she said evenly.The meeting itself was tense, the room crackling with friction. Mason and Elena sat across from me and my men, both projecting confidence and authority. This was a far cry from the rogue I had found living wild, the girl I had once—I shut down t
ELENAThe tension, even outside, was suffocating. My fingers curled into my palm as Derek’s grip tightened around my wrist, his touch burning into my skin like an unspoken demand. His golden eyes, once familiar and warm, were now dark with something unreadable—anger, frustration, something else lurk
Not wanting to be late meeting Derek, I made my way to the hotel that would host the guests, stepping into the grand hall. It was impressive—high ceilings adorned with intricate chandeliers and polished marble floors. The scent of fresh-cut roses and crisp linen filled the air, a sign that preparati
DEREKI stared at the file in front of me, flipping through the neatly arranged pages with growing astonishment. Elena had compiled an incredibly detailed plan for the Alpha Ball—everything from the venue layout to the sequence of events was accounted for. The seating arrangements were particularly
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