The darkness of the room seemed heavier as the echo of Lucas's voice faded from Lila's mind. She jolted awake, gasping for breath as though she had been pulled from the depths of a raging sea. Her body trembled, drenched in cold sweat, the dream's intensity lingering like a brand seared onto her skin. "What is wrong with me?" she muttered, running a shaky hand through her tangled hair. The emotions coursing through her were raw—fear, longing, guilt—and something deeper, something primal. Her wolf stirred restlessly, clawing at the edges of her consciousness. The connection she had tried so desperately to sever refused to break, tethering her to Lucas with an unyielding force. The memory of his touch in that dream, his voice, haunted her, igniting a heat that burned through her resolve. She pressed a hand to her chest, her heartbeat erratic. The ache was more than emotional; it was physical, a deep yearning that left her hollow and wanting. ---The frustration grew unbearable,
“Lila,” a deep, velvety voice cut through the stillness, catching her off guard. Her fingers froze midair, hovering above her laptop’s keys. “Who is this?” she demanded, her tone sharp, though a faint tremor betrayed her unease. The man on the other end chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers cascading down her spine. “You don’t recognize me? I’m hurt. After all, we’ve been circling each other for weeks, haven’t we?” She gritted her teeth, frustration and wariness flaring. “Stop playing games. Who are you, and what do you want?” There was a pause, long enough for her wolf to stir, its restlessness mirroring her own. Then, with maddening calm, he said, “Let’s just say I’m someone who knows you better than you think.” Her blood ran cold. She glanced at her laptop screen, her instincts screaming at her to move, to act, but curiosity pinned her in place. ---Her fingers resumed their movement, rapidly pulling up the caller ID tracker embedded in her system. Whoever this man
“You’re telling me you found her?” Lucas’s voice was a mix of disbelief and hope, cutting through the quiet hum of the car engine.I nodded, keeping my eyes fixed on the road. “The cyber team tracked her last call. It wasn’t easy, but they managed to bypass her blockers for a brief moment before she disappeared again.”Lucas leaned forward, his hands gripping the dashboard. “Where?”I hesitated, knowing how much was riding on this information. “A small cabin on the outskirts of the city. But it’s not just about the location—it’s the fact that she slipped. She’s usually more careful than this.”“That means she’s distracted,” Loren chimed in from the backseat. Her tone was analytical, her fingers flying across her laptop. “It could be the bond messing with her focus. If she’s anything like Lucas was after he left, she’s barely holding it together.”Lucas shot her a sharp look but didn’t argue. “What’s the plan when we get there?”My grip on the wheel tightened. “We observe first. We don
Lucas reached for the next door , his knuckles rapping against it for the third time, the sound echoing in the stillness of the cabin. Jake watched from his position across the room, his eyes darting between the door and the window, scanning for any movement. The tension had been building for what felt like hours, a slow burn that threatened to consume them. Every inch of the house seemed to hold its breath, like a predator waiting to strike.“Nothing,” Lucas muttered, stepping back from the door with a frustrated sigh. “She’s not in there.”Jake’s gaze flicked over to Loren, who had been systematically checking the other rooms. She gave him a quick shake of the head, signaling that nothing had changed. The cabin remained eerily silent, the thick scent of dust and abandonment lingering in the air. It was as if time had stopped here, frozen in some moment long past.“Should we check the basement?” Loren asked, her voice calm but taut with the same underlying anxiety that Jake was feeli
Lila POV Lila (Flashback Perspective)The moment the call disconnected, I knew I had to move—fast. Time was against me, and I had a sinking feeling that it was already too late. I quickly shoved a few essentials into a bag—clothes, cash, ID—but I didn’t dare look at anything that might tie me to this place any longer. It wasn’t safe. Not anymore. They were coming. I could feel it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my heart raced as I looked around the room. The place that had been mine—where I thought I was safe—now felt like a trap. “Think, Lila. Think,” I muttered to myself, trying to push the panic back down. I grabbed my backup drive, checking it one last time to make sure my data was secured. “Okay, that’s done. Now get out.”I could feel the weight of the world pressing down on me. Every second mattered. But the thought of leaving this place behind, of leaving everything behind, stung. I didn’t want to go, but I had no choice. I had to keep moving. I couldn’t le
Lila POV (The Flashback)I could feel the pull of my wolf inside me, thrashing against the cage of my control, as if it could sense the gravity of what was happening. I clenched my fists, trying to silence the guilt gnawing at my insides. If the bomb detonated now, Lucas would be injured. Maybe worse.The thought of him in pain—the kind of pain I knew I could prevent—sent a sharp pang through my chest. I hated it. I hated the weakness, the way my wolf’s instincts made me feel so vulnerable, so exposed. I cursed under my breath and fought to push the emotions aside. I couldn’t let myself be distracted by them. Not now.I glanced back toward the house, my mind racing. The plan had been to destroy everything—everything that could link me to the brothers, everything that could expose me. The bomb was my last resort. If it went off, it would wipe everything clean.But there was Lucas.Every instinct in my body screamed at me to stop him from getting too close. To keep him out of the house.
“What do you mean?” Loren coughed as he stepped over a broken piece of wood, his clothes coated in dust and ash. Jake ignored him, his gut twisting. Something wasn’t adding up. The explosion—it had been too precise. Too controlled. If this was just a desperate escape attempt by Lila, then why did it feel like they had walked straight into a setup? “She’s not stupid,” Jake said, running a hand through his hair, his mind racing. “She wouldn’t have let this happen by accident. Which means…” He trailed off, his stomach sinking. “Which means what?” Loren pressed, wiping soot from his face. Jake turned toward Lucas, who lay unconscious in the car, his breathing shallow but steady. He was hurt, but he was alive. That was all that mattered for now. But something about this entire situation gnawed at him. “What if this wasn’t just her running?” Jake finally said, voice tight. “What if someone else is pulling the strings?” Loren stiffened. “You think she’s working with someone?” J
“Lucas?”The voice sounded distant, muffled, like it was coming from underwater. His body felt heavy, his limbs unresponsive. A dull, throbbing pain pulsed through his skull, each beat sending sharp jolts down his spine.“Lucas, can you hear me?”He forced his eyes open, blinking against the harsh light. The ceiling above him was unfamiliar—plain white, no cracks, no familiar marks. His mind scrambled for clarity, but everything was tangled in a thick haze.A shadow moved beside him.“Fidel?” His voice came out hoarse, strained.“Yeah, I’m here.” Fidel leaned closer, his expression tense. “Don’t try to move too fast. You took a pretty bad hit.”Lucas groaned, attempting to lift his head. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, and he collapsed back onto the bed. His stomach churned.“What… happened?” he managed, his throat dry as sandpaper.Fidel hesitated. “You don’t remember?”Lucas shut his eyes, reaching inward for his wolf’s presence—only to be met with silence.Panic flickered thr
Lila set the dagger back on the table, narrowing her eyes at the mess of blueprints and scattered wires. "This place looks like a bomb went off," she muttered. Jake smirked. "It’s organized chaos." She shot him a skeptical look. "That’s just something people say when they don’t want to admit they live in a disaster zone." He chuckled. "Maybe. But it works for me." Lila wasn’t sure what she had expected from Jake’s personal space, but this… it was something entirely different. It wasn’t just a collection of weapons or tech—it was a reflection of him. A mix of precision and unpredictability. Her gaze flickered back to the empty space where a bed should be. "You seriously don’t sleep?" she asked again, this time more curious than before. Jake leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. "Not much." "Why?" He hesitated for a second, then shrugged. "Too much to do." Lila frowned. That wasn’t the whole truth. "You mean too much to think about," she guessed. Jake’s s
The house was bigger than she expected. Warm lighting. Large windows. A fire crackling in the living room. It felt… lived in. Jake carried her bag upstairs, stopping in front of a door. "This is yours." Lila stepped inside without a word. The room was simple. A bed. A dresser. A window overlooking the forest. It was nice. Too nice. She hated it. She turned to face Jake. "How long do I have to stay?" Jake hesitated. "As long as it takes." "For what?" "For you to heal." Her chest tightened. "And after that?" Jake’s expression darkened, but before he could answer, Lucas spoke from the doorway. "You’ll leave," he said, voice unreadable. Lila turned to him, startled by his presence. He was leaning against the frame, arms crossed, watching her with that same guarded expression. Something sharp twisted in her stomach. Lucas held her gaze. "If that’s what you want." She should have felt relieved. She should have felt something like victory, like freedom w
"I want to leave." Lila’s voice was quiet but firm, cutting through the sterile silence of the hospital room. Jake, who had been adjusting the blanket around her, stilled. His eyes met hers, searching. "You’re not ready." "I don’t care." Her hands trembled as she gripped the sheet, but she refused to let the weakness show. "I can’t stay here." Jake sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Lila—" "I feel like I’m suffocating," she interrupted. "The beeping machines, the doctors poking at me, the way they look at me—like I’m broken. I can’t take it anymore." Jake hesitated, and for a moment, she thought he would argue. Then, after a long pause, he spoke. "You’re being discharged tomorrow." Relief crashed into her so hard she nearly choked on it. "Tomorrow?" He nodded. "Lucas and I arranged it." Her stomach twisted at the mention of his name. "Lucas," she repeated, voice flat. Jake watched her carefully. "You’ll be coming with us." The relief died instantly. Lila’
“You’re not even listening.”Lucas blinked, forcing his mind back to the present. Across the desk, Caleb—the pack’s beta—was watching him with barely concealed irritation.“I heard you,” Lucas said, though he wasn’t sure that was true.Caleb exhaled sharply. “Alright. What did I just say?”Lucas stared at the documents scattered before him. Reports on pack affairs, financial records, and the latest updates on the false money laundering accusations. Important things. Things he should be focusing on.But all he could think about was her.“Lucas.” Caleb’s voice cut through his thoughts again.Lucas sighed and ran a hand down his face. “The accounts are still frozen. We’re being investigated. Lawrence left a mess.” He gestured vaguely at the papers. “Did I miss anything?”Caleb crossed his arms. “Only the part where we need a plan.”A plan. Right.Lucas tried to concentrate, but his mind kept drifting. A month. It had been over a month since the explosion. Over a month since Lila had been
“You’re beautiful.” Lila’s breath caught. She turned sharply to look at Jake, expecting to see amusement or sarcasm in his expression. Instead, he was watching her with a look so raw it sent a shiver down her spine. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “I look like hell.” Jake’s eyes didn’t waver. “You don’t.” She scoffed, lifting her metal arm. The artificial fingers curled and uncurled, the movement eerily smooth. “You see this?” She tapped the metal plating, the sound hollow. “This isn’t beautiful. This is ruin.” His jaw tightened. “You’re not ruined, Lila.” She turned away, unable to look at him. How could he say that? Her skin was pale, her lips cracked, her face swollen from the weeks of unconsciousness. And now—this thing attached to her body, a constant reminder of everything she had lost. Jake reached out, but she shifted away before he could touch her. “I don’t need your pity.” “It’s not pity,” he said softly. “It’s the truth.” She clenched her jaw. H
“Lila? Can you hear me?”The voice was deep, steady—one she should recognize.She tried to open her eyes, but her body felt impossibly heavy, like she was sinking into an ocean with no way to reach the surface. Everything around her blurred between reality and dreams.A hand brushed her hair back gently. The touch sent warmth through her, a sensation she didn’t expect.“It’s okay,” the voice murmured. “Just rest.”She wanted to fight it. To demand answers. But exhaustion pulled her back into the dark.The next time she woke, the light was dim, but the air in the room was thick with something—something familiar.She shifted slightly, wincing at the dull ache in her body. Her senses sharpened just enough to notice the presence beside her.Jake.His head was lowered, his breathing even, but she knew he wasn’t asleep. He was waiting. Watching.Her throat was dry when she spoke. “You’re always here.”His head lifted immediately, his blue eyes locking onto hers.“You finally noticed?” he sa
"Lila, breathe." The voice was steady, but she barely heard it over the pounding in her ears. Her heart raced, the erratic beeping of the monitor beside her growing louder with every second. She stared at them—both of them. Lucas. Jake. My mates. Her mind struggled to piece it together, to make sense of why the two men she had vowed to hate stood on either side of her bed, watching her like she was something fragile. This couldn’t be real. "Lila," Jake said her name softly, stepping closer. Something inside her reacted—a rush of warmth, a pull so deep it made her breath hitch. Her wolf. Her traitorous wolf, who had spent years snarling in anger at the mention of them, was now purring at their presence. No. No, no, no. Her breathing quickened. The beeping of the monitor spiked again. Jake's expression darkened with concern, and then—before she could stop him—his hand was on her face. The second his skin touched hers, everything inside her exploded. ---
Waking into Pain:"She moved."The voice was distant, yet urgent.Lila felt as if she were trapped under something heavy, her entire body aching in ways she couldn’t understand. A dull, throbbing pain pulsed in her head, and her limbs felt too weak to move. It was like waking up from a terrible dream, but the nightmare hadn’t ended—it had followed her into reality.A sharp sting burned her throat when she tried to swallow. Her lips felt dry, cracked, and raw. She attempted to lift her arm, but it wouldn’t respond. Her fingers twitched, but even that small movement sent a wave of agony through her."Lila?"The voice was closer now, deep and rough with emotion.She tried to turn her head toward the sound, but her body refused. Every part of her felt disconnected, like she was floating between pain and exhaustion.Something warm wrapped around her hand. A touch. Familiar. Safe."Can you hear me?"Lila wanted to answer, to let whoever was speaking know that she was here, but all that came
"I won't let him get away with this," Jake said, his voice thick with anger. His eyes were fixed on Lila, who lay motionless in the bed, her once lively presence now replaced by a quiet stillness that seemed unnatural. Lucas stood by her side, gripping her good hand with a tenderness that betrayed the depth of his feelings. His gaze never left her face, even though the sight was almost too much to bear."I know," Lucas replied, his voice strained but resolute. "But we need to focus on her right now. We can’t do anything if she’s not okay." Jake’s jaw tightened. “I’ve never felt this helpless. Watching her like this, it feels like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.”He took a step closer, his anger simmering beneath the surface, threatening to explode. His fists were clenched at his sides, but he did nothing with them. Instead, he let the rage build. "Lawrence is going to pay. For this. For everything. He won't get away with hurting her like this."Lucas turned his head slowly, meetin