DEREKI was twelve the first time I thought I might die.The rogues had come out of nowhere—snarling, vicious, too fast to outrun. I didn’t know then that most of them were older wolves who’d lost their pack bonds. All I knew was that I couldn’t shift, and that my cousins had dared me into the woods
She looked up when I entered, surprised but not unpleasantly so. “Hey.”I nodded. “Can we talk?”She closed the book. “Of course.”I walked closer, rubbed the back of my neck, then sat in the chair across from her. “I’ve been… distant. I know that. And I know it’s not fair. Especially with everythin
DEREKAiden had barely stopped talking the entire visit.He’d rambled about his favorite Moonstone warrior stories, asked if I could teach him how to throw a proper punch once his shoulder finished healing, and told me—very seriously—that he planned to make his own battle armor.Out of cardboard and
I looked between her and Cassandra. “Then what if I pay you privately to come by? You could do sessions just for us. I’ll cover whatever it costs.”Amy’s eyes darted to Cassandra.“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” she said quickly, then began wiping off the probe and shutting everything down.She packed
ELENAAiden asked me with those big pleading eyes, the kind that made saying no feel like I was stomping on a puppy.“Can Dad come for lunch?”He was up and walking now—slowly, with a slight limp when he got tired, but up nonetheless. And somehow, even on minimal sleep and a house still reeling from
My mother’s expression softened. Just a little.And I felt my stomach sink.Because I knew that look.My mother was starting to thaw.Great. Just what I needed—another person quietly voting Team Derek.She caught me staring and arched a brow. “He’s good with him,” she murmured quietly.I pressed my
MAGGIESeven Years AgoThe wind had that sharp, early-autumn bite to it—the kind that whispered of coming frost and longer nights. I moved through the trees in silence, the familiar rustle of leaves beneath my boots soothing in its predictability. Carly and Erin were back at the cabin, patching up t
I let the silence hang for a moment, then nodded. “Set it up. I’ll go.”***They chose a neutral site. An old roadside motel two towns over—the kind of place where the front desk clerk didn’t ask questions, and the walls were thin enough to hear secrets bleed through.The stucco exterior was cracked
What the hell?A rustle of silk signaled my mother’s approach. She held a flute of sparkling wine and wore an amused expression.“He’s taken to Aiden, hasn’t he?” my mother asked, her tone deceptively casual as she sipped from her glass. She nodded discreetly toward Derek.We stood slightly apart fr
DEREKThe phone buzzed on the desk beside me, cutting through the quiet of my office. I reached for it absently, expecting Joe or maybe Brock with an update. But the name on the screen made me sit up straighter.Aiden.I answered immediately. “Hey, bud.”“Hi!” His voice was bright, bubbling with ene
My parents had pulled out all the stops. White-gloved servers, silver candelabras, a string quartet in the corner playing soft music. It was the kind of dinner that only happened when my mother was trying to impress—or intimidate.I spotted the way Erin's eyes flicked over the crystal glasses, the w
ELENAThe soft hum of Dr. Voss’s voice was like a current running under my skin—steady, focused, grounding. I let myself sink into it, the earthy scent of burning herbs drifting from the brass bowl on the table beside me. My hands were clenched in my lap, but my breathing had evened out, and my mind
For the first time, I didn’t follow her.Didn’t chase.Didn’t apologize.But I didn’t forget, either.And some part of me always carried that moment—like a shard of glass pressed into the soft part of my palm.***I found Cassandra in the solarium, stretched out on the chaise in a pale silk robe tha
DEREKI remember the exact moment my father died.Not when I found out—when it happened. I didn’t know then, of course, but looking back, there was a sudden weight that settled in the air that day, like the wind itself knew something had shifted.Something in the bond between us snapped.We were out
Still, watching Aiden throw his head back in joy as he sped around the rose bushes, hair flying behind him and helmet finally strapped tight—I couldn’t deny the truth of what I’d said.Derek had done something for him today that I never could have.And it mattered.Derek stayed quiet, the gravity of
ELENAI hadn’t expected it to hit me like that.Watching Derek teach Aiden to ride his bike… I don’t know. It gutted me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Not because it hurt, but because it was right. The way Aiden beamed up at him.The way Derek knelt beside him, patient and calm, catching him every
Still nothing.“A good friend of mine was hurt. She saved my life a long time ago, and I thought she needed me.”I paused.“But even if that’s true… I didn’t handle it right. And I want you to know—I get it. I let you down.”Aiden was quiet for a long time.Then, softly: “I think the meatballs weren