“He’ll skin me alive!”He started thrashing again. Harder this time.And then—His jaw clamped down with a sharp, audible crack.I surged forward. “What—"Foam bubbled at his lips. He convulsed, silver-tinged saliva spilling down his chin. His eyes went wide. Terror. Regret.And then—nothing.Brock
DEREKThe table in front of me was covered in ash-streaked plastic sleeves, each one holding a piece of what was pulled from the oil drum.Burned edges. Charred ink. Some were just scraps. Others still had enough legible text to make your blood run cold.Brock stood beside me, flipping slowly throug
ELENAThe door creaked open, and I nearly choked on the fear that rose in my throat.I didn’t move from where I stood next to the cot, Aiden was just next to me, his body limp and convincingly still. The metal vent above us swung open just a hair—barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.Pie
AIDENThe metal was colder than he expected.Aiden crawled forward on his elbows and knees, trying not to let the duct rattle too much beneath him. The air inside smelled like dust and old hotel rooms—mixed with the chlorine still clinging to his skin from the pool.That was probably good. He didn’t
CASSANDRABy the time my father called, I already had my answer.“I told you,” I said, reclining on the silk chaise in my apartment, phone pressed to my ear. “You need to stop worrying. Derek will be mine.”A pause. Then, his voice—cool, clipped, expectant. “You sound confident.”“I am confident.” I
“So you want to be a part of the chaos, huh?” I asked, stepping closer to him.“I want to belong,” he said fiercely.Goddess, didn’t we all.He pulled something from his belt. A silver dagger. Ornate, old. Too delicate for someone like him.“Found this in the woods a while back,” he said. “Figured i
ELENAI stared at the vent.The tiny square opening near the ceiling still hung slightly ajar, just like it had when Aiden disappeared inside. I hadn’t moved since.Every muscle in my body ached from sitting so still, but I didn’t dare shift. If I moved, if I looked up too long, if I gave any sign t
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
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