DEREKThe Masquerade Ball was a different kind of spectacle than the Alpha Ball. Where last night had been about power and alliances displayed openly beneath the amphitheater’s vast sky, tonight was meant to be a night of mystery, of fresh starts, of the Moon Goddess weaving her golden thread betwee
ELENAThe ride home from the Masquerade Ball felt longer than it should have. I asked my driver to put the partition between us up and I changed clothes in the back seat of the limousine, opting for a comfy pair of sweats; I needed something less constricting and light.The weight of the evening pre
I exhaled, guilt tightening in my chest. “I know it’s been hard. But give it time.”Maggie held my gaze for a long moment, something unreadable in her expression. Then she nodded. “Time.”But something in her voice told me she didn’t believe me.***The next morning, I barely had time to open my eye
DEREKElena had denied cheating on me with Logan. But she hadn’t denied that Aiden was his.The realization had settled into my ribs like a slow, festering wound, burning through every rational thought I had left.She could have corrected me. Could have told me I was wrong.But she hadn’t.That was
***"She’s a rogue," Caroline was saying, her voice clipped with annoyance, as if the very topic exhausted her."She’s Moonstone," I corrected, sipping my whiskey. "Try again."Cassandra leaned against my desk, arms crossed, her gaze careful and assessing. "She wasn’t always."“Actually, she was,” I
ELENAThe engagement party planning had taken on a life of its own.At first, I had thought it would be something small—something my family would allow to quietly fade as Logan and I continued to do what we had always done: exist in the strange limbo of our friendship, tied together by the momentum
DEREKThe report sat on my desk, its edges curling slightly from how many times I’d already flipped through it.I had been expecting something damning—evidence that Logan had schemed, that he had manipulated his way into Elena’s life while I had been drowning in grief. Or even that she’d been with h
That irritated me more than I wanted to admit. It was short-sighted. It was stupid. It was also exactly the kind of power play I had expected from Elena’s father.The Alliance Summit wasn’t just a formality—it was a negotiation. One that would set the course for every pack in the region. It would ha
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
DEREKI’d never felt more nervous about knocking on a door in my life.And that included negotiating with rival Alphas and walking into rogue territory with a barely-functioning truce.This was worse.Because this was Aiden.Because I’d let him down.Elena opened the front door of the Moonstone esta
“Mason is blinded by love,” he muttered. “He’s not going to see sense or reason. Even if I backed it up with evidence.”I blinked. “Evidence?”He hesitated. Sighed. “Alpha Derek found documents while investigating Pierce. Moonstone correspondence. Reports. Internal logistics. It was part of what led