Katrina."Are you okay?" Archer’s voice cut through the tension, his eyes locked on mine. He didn’t even glance at Daphne, who was still shaking from her scream, staring at Lupus like she’d seen a ghost."Katrina, you need to tell me what the hell is going on! Who is that? Why does he look like—" Daphne’s voice cracked, her eyes darting between me and Lupus, "like a skeleton?""Daphne, relax. Lupus is... he’s a friend. He’s not going to hurt you. I swear," I said, my words stumbling out in a rush.Her eyes widened even more. "That thing is your friend? How can there be something so—so ugly in our pack?""Hey!" Lupus growled, stepping forward. "I’m not ugly!"Daphne crossed her arms, her lip curled. "You sure about that? You’re a monster."Lupus let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Same old Daphne. I was actually glad when you and Katrina stopped talking. You don’t even care enough to ask who I am before running your mouth.""Lupus, please," I whispered, stepping between them. My
Archer.I couldn’t stop grinning at my reflection, smoothing down my shirt for the hundredth time. “Looking good, Archer,” I muttered to myself, trying not to look too excited. Tonight’s date with Katrina was all I could think about.As I glanced over my shoulder, I spotted Mom in the doorway, holding baby Emily. “Wow, what’s with the fancy clothes?” she teased, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.I chuckled, running a hand through my hair. “Katrina and I have a date tonight,” I admitted, unable to hide the excitement bubbling up inside me.“Oh, a date!” Mom raised her brows, clearly amused. “I’m surprised you even have time for dating with all that Beta stuff you do.” She kissed Emily’s head before placing her in my arms.I kissed Emily’s soft cheek, her little giggle making my heart swell. “I manage,” I said, shifting Emily to my hip. “Speaking of which, you and Emily should take a cab to the grocery store tonight. Here—” I pulled out my wallet and handed her a few bills, tucking the
Katrina. I couldn’t stop smiling as I slipped into the sundress, the soft fabric swirling around my legs. This night felt special—different. I could feel it in my bones. Archer and I will have a date, and the thought of seeing him again, of finally having some time together, made my heart race.I’d even picked out a little gift for him. A black leather jacket. I knew this gift would make him smile. I tucked it into my bag, excitement bubbling in my chest as I headed to our spot.But now… now I’d been sitting here for four hours. Four. The excitement that had buzzed through me earlier was starting to dissolve into worry, my eyes flicking to my wristwatch every few minutes. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, and there was still no sign of Archer.I pulled my jacket tighter around me as the first rumble of thunder echoed through the sky. The storm was moving in fast, and raindrops began to fall, lightly at first, then harder, until they poured down in thick sheets. Wit
It had been a week since Archer ditched our date night. For the first three days, I was furious—angry even. But as the days passed, and still no texts or calls from him, my anger shifted into something else—worry.My thoughts were preoccupied with what happened with Damien, too. Every channel, every article—it was all about Damien. His name plastered on the screen, tied to an illegal street car race. My heart dropped when I read about the crash. An innocent woman and her child... gone. I was angry at him, furious for putting himself in that situation. For making that choice.The case was still ongoing. Alpha Steven hadn’t held a press conference yet, and everything just felt... off.I was sitting in the living room, my eyes glued to the TV as the reporter droned on about the details. My mother, clearly tired of it, grabbed the remote and turned the screen off with a click.“If anyone asks if you’re involved with Damien, tell them you’ve cut him off,” she said sharply, not looking at m
Archer.I woke up to the taste of iron in my mouth, blinking against the glare of a single bare bulb hanging overhead. My wrists were tied tight behind me, cutting into my skin as the chair creaked beneath my weight. I was abducted. It has been seven days already after our supposed date with Katrina. These men only gave me food and water. I didn’t know what they want. Escaping wasn’t the best option either because I want to know who’s their fucking leader.“Well, well, look who decided to join us.” It didn’t take long for me to recognize one of the voices in the background. The leader stepped into the light. He yanked off his ski mask, revealing a face I’d punched more times than I cared to count. The same guy from the convenience store—one of the drunk idiots who thought they could hurt Katrina. He smiled like he was on top of the world.“You think you’re a fucking Alpha now, huh?” He leaned in, his breath hot and rancid. “You couldn’t beat us then, and you sure as hell can’t now.
To hear that I am Alpha Steven’s biological son is insane.I don’t fucking believe him. Damien is my brother? No way. He’s a murderer. He insisted on joining a fucking illegal street race, and it killed an innocent woman. She had a baby in her cart. I didn’t know who they were, but I felt sorry for her family.And now I’m the one paying for his crime.I had no choice. I had to act like Damien in prison. It was the only way to keep the pack from falling apart, but it felt like I was the one falling to pieces. He held me captive, threw me into this secluded room with nothing but white walls. They’d already forced me into an orange jumpsuit, marking me as a prisoner. And slowly, I was losing it.“This is fucking crazy. Come on, Arch. Think about something!” I muttered, pacing back and forth. The room felt like it was closing in, my footsteps echoing off the walls like a taunt.Then the door creaked open, and there he stood. Damien.My pulse spiked. All the anger, the frustration, the g
Katrina.“We’re officially bad blood with the Smiths family,” my father’s voice boomed through the room, the words chilling me to my core. “Anyone caught dealing with them... will be punished by me.”I stood at the back, arms crossed, trying to ignore the heavy tension swirling around the mansion. My father’s fury was palpable, his eyes still dark with rage from the attack. The memory of him lying there, blood pooling on the ground after being struck in the head, was still too fresh. And for what? For helping Archer.The Smiths wouldn’t get away with this. Not anymore.I gripped my phone tighter, pacing the length of my room, my mind racing. Damien and Daphne. They had to be behind this. My gut screamed at me that Archer was with them—whether he wanted to be or not.I pressed the call button again, my hands shaking with a mix of fear and frustration. Ring. Ring. Straight to voicemail. Again.“Come on, Daphne. Pick up.” My voice cracked, and I cursed under my breath.I needed answers.
“This is insane! How are you not in prison?!” My voice trembled, but I shoved down the fear, stepping forward, eyes narrowing. “I know Alpha Steven can pull strings, but I saw you on the TV. There’s no way you walked out of that. What did you do, hire a doppelganger?!”Damien’s smirk was infuriating. He leaned in closer, too close, his breath hot against my face. His eyes gleamed, wild and untethered, like a man unraveling at the seams. “You were right,” he said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.My heart pounded, and my fists clenched at my sides. His presence felt suffocating, but I held my ground. The air between us crackled with tension. He knew exactly how to push me, how to make me question everything. But I wasn’t going to let him win.“Fuck you!” I spat, voice rising. “You don’t feel any shame? No guilt for what you did?”"You think I haven’t felt guilt?" His voice cracked, an edge of hysteria creeping in. "Since I’ve been hiding in the U.S., I haven't slept right! Ev