SILASPain was the first thing I registered when my eyes fluttered open. My body jerked instinctively, muscles straining against the weight of something cold and tight. Chains.I groaned, dragging in ragged breaths, my hair falling into my face as I struggled to see where I was. The room was dim, the faint glow of a single bulb barely illuminating the rough concrete walls around me.I tugged at the restraints binding my wrists and ankles, teeth gritted as the metal cut into my skin. Useless. They weren’t budging.Swallowing hard, I slumped back against the wall, the rough stone biting into my shoulders. My heart thundered as memories flooded my mind.Him.The man I had been running from for nearly twenty years. The one who had ripped my family apart, who had marked me and made me his prey. After all this time, I’d walked straight into him.I closed my eyes, willing the panic clawing at my chest to subside. Riley’s face surfaced behind my lids, a calming tether. His warm smile from thi
RILEYSix hours ago...Three weeks and four days. That’s how long it took me to find him. Silas. I’d combed through every inch of this town and the next, chasing whispers and scents that barely lingered. And finally, they led me here. To a house buried so deep in the woods, it was practically a myth. But myths didn’t stop me. The moment I caught his scent, my heart thundered. Relief was short-lived, replaced by the ice-cold reality of what I’d have to do next. I bolted back to the car, paws digging into the snow as I shifted mid-stride. The icy air burned my lungs as I straightened, pulling my clothes on with shaking hands. My breaths formed clouds around me, but it wasn’t the cold making me tremble. It was adrenaline. I reached into the car and grabbed the bag—the one filled with everything I might need to kill someone like me. Blade soaked in wolfbane, silver-tipped bullets, enough to turn this place into a bloodbath if I had to. But that wasn’t the plan. Not yet. I slun
SILAS“Silas, meet your brother, Ronan.” I stared at Desmond with a flat expression. I raised a brow, unimpressed, and a quiet, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “I don’t have a brother,” I said, my tone flat, leaving no room for debate.Desmond’s brows lifted in mock surprise, his lips curling into that sick grin I’d come to hate. He rose to his feet, yanking the chain attached to the man he called Ronan. With a brutal shove, he forced Ronan forward, his face now inches from mine. “Look at him,” Desmond snarled, his voice thick with venom. “Tell me he doesn’t look like that bastard of a father you once had.” My gaze flicked to the man—no, the boy—that Desmond claimed was my blood. Every instinct in me screamed not to look, not to let this game crawl under my skin. But I did. Against my better judgment, I looked. And that was my first mistake. Ronan’s face was gaunt, his cheekbones hollow, his eyes sunken. But there was something hauntingly familiar in the sharp line of his ja
RILEYThe room felt like it was closing in on me, the walls pressing closer with every second. My chest burned, my ribs squeezing tight as though trying to crush the anger clawing at my insides. Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. They were all mixed together, each of them trying to find their way out.He lied.Silas fucking lied.I could still see his face, his eyes meeting mine with a kind of seriousness I’d mistaken for honesty. The memory of it twisted in my gut now, sour and bitter. He had lied to me—straight to my face, without so much as a crack in his voice.“Riley,” Silas said again, his voice soft, almost pleading.I refused to look at him. I couldn’t. Not without wanting to tear him apart.My throat burned as I swallowed back the scream I wanted to let loose, the words I wanted to fling in his face. But I couldn’t say them. Not yet. The anger wasn’t just in my chest—it was in my hands, my legs, my lungs. I felt like I might explode if I so much as turned my head.“Oh… oh no.” Desmond’s
SILASPain shot through my skull as I slammed back against the wall, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp gasp. My hands came up on instinct, palms clammy, trembling—greenish veins spidered across them like something out of a nightmare. My chest heaved as my gaze darted around.Ronan was curled in the corner, unrecognizable. A wolf. His massive frame was tucked tightly against the wall, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping—or pretending to.I turned my head, slowly, to find Riley sitted there. Silent. Still. His jaw set so tight I thought it might snap.“Riley,” I rasped, the sound barely audible. He didn’t move at first, didn’t even blink. Then, agonizingly slow, he turned his head, his gaze locking on mine.I flinched at the cold emptiness in his eyes.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words brittle as they left my throat.He laughed. A sharp, bitter sound that cut through the room.“You’re sorry?” His voice rose, his chest rising and falling with a fury I couldn’t meet. “You’re sorry,
RILEY Faster. Move. Come on. My breaths were ragged, every inhale and exhale tearing through me as I barreled through the woods. Branches snagged at my fur, cutting deep, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when I could hear them right behind me—the snarls, the barks—closing in. Hunting me down like some damned animal. Hell, who was I kidding? That’s exactly what I was to them now. A mutt to put down. An inconvenience. A betrayal. I felt the snap of jaws too close, teeth grazing my tail as I dodged right, pushing every ounce of strength I had left. A single glance over my shoulder was my mistake. My paws slipped on the slick ground, sending me skidding over jagged rocks until I slammed down hard, side-first. Pain shot through me, raw and jagged, as I collided with a sharp rock that bit deep into my skin. Howls. Sneers. They were so damn close. Get up. Get up, Riley. I forced myself to stand, paws trembling. My legs screamed to give out, but I pushed forward. I had to. The
SILAS“Come on, Scout!” I called to my dog, shutting the barn door after feeding the goats. I wiped my hands down my pants, then used the back of my hand to swipe the sweat from my brow.I glanced toward the house. Time to check on that damn dog—if it was still alive, that is.I thought about how close I’d come to running the poor thing over last night. Rain had been coming down in sheets, and I’d barely been able to see the road, just getting back from town with some supplies.As I pushed the door open, Scout bolted in ahead of me. But he stopped abruptly, tail tucked, a low growl rumbling from his chest. My senses went on high alert.Following his gaze, my eyes landed on the smears of blood. But there weren’t paw prints—no, these were human bloodprints.My hand found the bat by the wall, and I gripped it tight, creeping forward, following the trail. The marks led straight to the bathroom. With a quick breath and my hands wrapped tightly around the bat, I lifted my foot and slammed t
RILEYFuck, my head’s pounding. All I could focus on was the hammering pain in the back of my skull as I forced my eyes open, barely able to make out the dim room around me.“You’re finally awake.”The gruff voice yanked me up, and I regretted it instantly, hissing at the pain that ripped through my stomach and neck. My hand went to my throat, fingers grazing cold metal. A goddamn chain. I glared up at the guy sprawled out on the couch, legs spread like he was watching his favorite show.“You chained me.” The words came out low, almost a growl, and I jerked my neck forward, the chain biting into my skin. “You fucking chained me.”He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Well, seeing as you broke into my house and damn near choked me to death… figured it was in my best interest to keep you like that. Just in case you decided to go… wild again.”I stared him down for a second, maybe two, before slumping back onto the tiny bed. My gaze drifted to the bandage on my abdomen, the wound neatly wr
SILASPain shot through my skull as I slammed back against the wall, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp gasp. My hands came up on instinct, palms clammy, trembling—greenish veins spidered across them like something out of a nightmare. My chest heaved as my gaze darted around.Ronan was curled in the corner, unrecognizable. A wolf. His massive frame was tucked tightly against the wall, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping—or pretending to.I turned my head, slowly, to find Riley sitted there. Silent. Still. His jaw set so tight I thought it might snap.“Riley,” I rasped, the sound barely audible. He didn’t move at first, didn’t even blink. Then, agonizingly slow, he turned his head, his gaze locking on mine.I flinched at the cold emptiness in his eyes.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words brittle as they left my throat.He laughed. A sharp, bitter sound that cut through the room.“You’re sorry?” His voice rose, his chest rising and falling with a fury I couldn’t meet. “You’re sorry,
RILEYThe room felt like it was closing in on me, the walls pressing closer with every second. My chest burned, my ribs squeezing tight as though trying to crush the anger clawing at my insides. Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. They were all mixed together, each of them trying to find their way out.He lied.Silas fucking lied.I could still see his face, his eyes meeting mine with a kind of seriousness I’d mistaken for honesty. The memory of it twisted in my gut now, sour and bitter. He had lied to me—straight to my face, without so much as a crack in his voice.“Riley,” Silas said again, his voice soft, almost pleading.I refused to look at him. I couldn’t. Not without wanting to tear him apart.My throat burned as I swallowed back the scream I wanted to let loose, the words I wanted to fling in his face. But I couldn’t say them. Not yet. The anger wasn’t just in my chest—it was in my hands, my legs, my lungs. I felt like I might explode if I so much as turned my head.“Oh… oh no.” Desmond’s
SILAS“Silas, meet your brother, Ronan.” I stared at Desmond with a flat expression. I raised a brow, unimpressed, and a quiet, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “I don’t have a brother,” I said, my tone flat, leaving no room for debate.Desmond’s brows lifted in mock surprise, his lips curling into that sick grin I’d come to hate. He rose to his feet, yanking the chain attached to the man he called Ronan. With a brutal shove, he forced Ronan forward, his face now inches from mine. “Look at him,” Desmond snarled, his voice thick with venom. “Tell me he doesn’t look like that bastard of a father you once had.” My gaze flicked to the man—no, the boy—that Desmond claimed was my blood. Every instinct in me screamed not to look, not to let this game crawl under my skin. But I did. Against my better judgment, I looked. And that was my first mistake. Ronan’s face was gaunt, his cheekbones hollow, his eyes sunken. But there was something hauntingly familiar in the sharp line of his ja
RILEYSix hours ago...Three weeks and four days. That’s how long it took me to find him. Silas. I’d combed through every inch of this town and the next, chasing whispers and scents that barely lingered. And finally, they led me here. To a house buried so deep in the woods, it was practically a myth. But myths didn’t stop me. The moment I caught his scent, my heart thundered. Relief was short-lived, replaced by the ice-cold reality of what I’d have to do next. I bolted back to the car, paws digging into the snow as I shifted mid-stride. The icy air burned my lungs as I straightened, pulling my clothes on with shaking hands. My breaths formed clouds around me, but it wasn’t the cold making me tremble. It was adrenaline. I reached into the car and grabbed the bag—the one filled with everything I might need to kill someone like me. Blade soaked in wolfbane, silver-tipped bullets, enough to turn this place into a bloodbath if I had to. But that wasn’t the plan. Not yet. I slun
SILASPain was the first thing I registered when my eyes fluttered open. My body jerked instinctively, muscles straining against the weight of something cold and tight. Chains.I groaned, dragging in ragged breaths, my hair falling into my face as I struggled to see where I was. The room was dim, the faint glow of a single bulb barely illuminating the rough concrete walls around me.I tugged at the restraints binding my wrists and ankles, teeth gritted as the metal cut into my skin. Useless. They weren’t budging.Swallowing hard, I slumped back against the wall, the rough stone biting into my shoulders. My heart thundered as memories flooded my mind.Him.The man I had been running from for nearly twenty years. The one who had ripped my family apart, who had marked me and made me his prey. After all this time, I’d walked straight into him.I closed my eyes, willing the panic clawing at my chest to subside. Riley’s face surfaced behind my lids, a calming tether. His warm smile from thi
RILEYWhen I woke again, the house was quiet—too quiet. For a moment, I stretched, my body pleasantly sore and my head still wrapped in the lingering haze of sleep. But then the quiet became deeper. I glanced at the clock. Past two in the afternoon. Silas should’ve been back by now. The thought tugged at the back of my mind until it became hard to ignore. I pushed off the bed, grabbing a sweater as I moved toward the living room. The fire in the hearth had long since died, leaving the air cold and chilly. I crossed into the kitchen. The cabinets were still empty. My chest tightened, and a flicker of fear sparked low in my gut. I shoved it down. *He’s fine. Silas is fine.* I turned, moving back to the recliner in the corner of the room. My legs bounced restlessly as I sat, my gaze locked on the door. The minutes dragged, and the silence felt to fucking much. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.I stood, my body tense with a ting of fear. I didn't have a car. Hell, no one ca
SILASThe first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was Riley, sprawled beside me, his chest rising and falling in an easy rhythm. His face, soft and relaxed in sleep, made me stay for a moment longer than I should have. I slid out of bed carefully, unwilling to disturb him, and grabbed a sweatshirt from the floor. It smelled faintly of him, like cinnamon and last night’s sex, and I pulled it on before making my way to the kitchen. The cabinets were nearly empty—save for a lonely box of cereal, and even that felt like it had been here too long. The overhead light flickered and groaned, the batteries still struggling to hold their charge. I rubbed a hand over my face, exhaustion pressing down on me, then turned and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When I came back, Riley was awake, leaning lazily against the counter. His hair was a wild mess, his hazel eyes impossibly bright, and just like that, my world snapped and all I could focus on was him. The grin that spread across m
RILEYThe last three weeks had been... peaceful. The kind of peace that still felt strange, like wearing a borrowed coat. No one chasing us. No shadows waiting to pounce. Just us. And even if I was still trying to learn how to trust it, life was good.“Riley,” Silas mumbled against my shoulder, his hand slipping over my waist, pulling me into his chest. The way he said my name made me smile—a sound half growl, half sigh that never failed to wake me better than any alarm.I covered his hand with mine, locking us together as I pressed back against him. “Morning.”His lips grazed my neck, and I felt his grin before I heard his reply. “Morning.”The kiss that followed was slow, lazy, and far too effective at making me forget what we were supposed to be doing today. When he dragged his mouth to the line of my jaw, I laughed, pushing weakly at his chest.“Silas,” I said, still smiling as I looked up into those blue eyes of his. “I’m sore, remember?”His fingers slid through my hair, taking
SILASI felt better. Not great—my ribs still twinged every time I moved the wrong way—but good enough to drive. Riley was next to me, a bag of chips crinkling in his lap as he ate like it was the only thing keeping him occupied. “You haven’t told me where exactly we’re going,” he said, turning his head just enough that I could feel his attention shift to me. I glanced at him briefly before focusing back on the road. “The cabin,” I said simply. “And where is the cabin?” he asked, dragging out the words like they were foreign. “Off the grid.” Riley sat up straighter, brushing the crumbs off his hands. “Okay, that’s not an actual answer, Silas.” “It’s in the mountains,” I said, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “We’ll get there.” “You sound confident for someone who just admitted they’re not sure where it is.” “I didn’t say I wasn’t sure. I said I’ve only been there once.” Riley groaned, dropping his head back against the seat. “Fantastic. Nothing inspires t