"You're awake." Lila blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the window, turning her head toward the voice. Lucas stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, eyes scanning her like he was searching for something. "No thanks to you," she muttered, pushing herself up. Lucas’s jaw tensed. "You were dying." "And you thought forcing me to shift was the solution?" she shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. He didn’t flinch. "It worked." Lila exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into the blanket. He wasn’t wrong. The weight in her limbs had lessened, the perpetual ache in her bones faded. She felt… different. Stronger. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, no longer a weak, silent presence. "I hate that you're right," she admitted. Lucas smirked, the expression brief but unmistakable. "I get that a lot." Lila rolled her eyes but shifted her attention to herself. Her arms no longer looked frail, the jut of her collarbone less pronounced. Tentatively, sh
His jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue. Jake scoffed. "Right. Because he always knows what’s best for you." "Jake—" "Save it, Lila," he muttered, stepping back. His face was carefully blank, but the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. Lucas didn’t smirk this time. Didn’t gloat. He just watched as Jake turned and walked out. The door clicked shut behind him. Lila exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. Lucas’s voice was quiet. "You still want him." She closed her eyes. "I don’t know what I want." A pause. Then— "You’ll have to decide soon." The weight of his words settled over her. Because he was right. And no matter what she chose, someone would end up broken. _________________Lila exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. Lucas’s voice was quiet. "You still want him." She closed her eyes. "I don’t know what I want." A pause. Then— "You’ll have to decide soon." The weight of his words settled over her. Because he was right. And no mat
He reached across the table, fingers brushing hers. "I don’t care about any of it. Not Lucas. Not the past. I just care about you." Her breath caught. "You’re mine," he murmured. "And I’m yours. Nothing else matters." A lump formed in her throat. Jake squeezed her hand. "I love you, Lila. Always have." Tears burned at the back of her eyes. "You always say that like it’s enough," she whispered. Jake’s jaw tightened. "Because it is." Lila exhaled shakily. "Then why does it still hurt?" Jake stood, rounding the table, pulling her to her feet. "Because you won’t let yourself believe it." His hands framed her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that escaped. "But I’ll prove it to you." Lila searched his face, looking for doubt, for hesitation. There was none. And it terrified her. Because if Jake was certain—then she had to be, too. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. ...And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.Lila sat on the edge of the
"You're shaking," Lila whispered, her voice a soft tremor against his chest."Just... glad you're here," Jake replied, his arms tightening around her. "It's been too long.""Too long is an understatement," she said, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Where did you even go? You just vanished.""Business," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Things... complicated things.""Complicated enough to disappear for weeks?" she asked, her eyes searching his. "You know you can tell me anything, Jake.""I know," he said, his voice heavy. "It's just... some things are better left unsaid.""Until they explode in our faces?" she retorted, a hint of bitterness in her tone.He sighed, pulling her close again. "I'm sorry, Lila. I'm so sorry."____________________Jake held Lila close, treasuring the moment. His wolf, usually restless and alert, was strangely calm, soothed by her presence. But his mind was a storm of worries, a dark cloud hanging over their reunion. The last war with the Drakkons haunte
“Tell me,” he whispered, his voice a soothing balm against her pain. “Tell me everything.”Lila took a shaky breath, her body trembling against his. "He found me," she began, her voice barely audible. "After... after I ran away. I was lost, broken. He helped me. He showed me how to control my wolf, how to harness my power. He was my mentor, my friend. And then... and then he changed.""Changed how?" Jake asked, his voice low."He became obsessed," she said, her voice filled with fear. "Obsessed with power, with knowledge. He started talking about the Drakkons, about their magic. He said they were the key to unlocking our true potential. I tried to stop him, but... but he wouldn't listen. He said I was weak, that I was holding him back.""And then he started selling intel to them," Jake finished, his voice grim.Lila nodded, her tears flowing freely. "I don't know why," she sobbed. "I don't understand. He was my friend. He was like a brother to me."Jake held her close, his heart achin
Lucas POV I was busy working at my desk when a sudden noise from outside grabbed my attention. Heavy footsteps pounded toward my office in a rush. Before I could even stand up to see what was happening, the door flew open with a force that made the hinges groan.The person behind this abrupt entrance was none other than my mate.Her face was wild—fierce in a way I had never seen before. A chill crawled down my spine at the sight. There was raw fury in her expression, something untamed and dangerous. Right behind her, Jake followed in a panic, desperately pleading for her to stop."Tell me everything!" Lila demanded, her voice taking on a deeper, rougher tone as her wolf surfaced. Her usually bright eyes darkened with intensity, burning with a fire I never expected from her. For a moment, I was stunned. I had never imagined Lila capable of such raw anger. What had happened to make her act like this?Then, before I could ask, I caught a glimpse of Jake’s guilty expression. That was all
I hesitated. Telling her would mean crossing a line I had been trying to avoid. But there was no turning back now. "Pack defenses. Our border patrol rotations. The locations of our safe houses." Lila sucked in a sharp breath, her fists clenching at her sides. "He gave that to the Drakkons?" "Yes," I admitted. "And more." Her lips parted slightly, disbelief flickering across her face before anger consumed it again. "And you weren’t going to tell me?" I sighed. "I was going to tell you, but not like this. You’ve been recovering, Lila. You didn’t need this stress." "Are you serious right now?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Do I look like someone who needs coddling?" Jake mumbled, "You kinda look like someone who needs a punching bag." She spun on him so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. "Don’t tempt me." "Noted," he muttered. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my frustration in check. "Lila, listen. I was handling it." She scoffed. "Handling it?
Jake's breath hitched, his mind reeling from the weight of Lila’s revelation. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he stared at her, the woman he had sworn to protect, the woman he had longed for, and the very person he had been hunting all this time.Lucas was frozen beside him, eyes wide in disbelief. He had dismissed Jake’s suspicions for years, never once believing that Lawrence could be so close. And yet, here she was—Lila, the ghost of their past, the hacker who had tormented them, the enemy they had chased relentlessly.“You…” Lucas started, his voice hoarse. “You’re Lawrence?”Lila nodded, her face unreadable, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed her unease. “Yes.”Jake exhaled slowly, forcing himself to focus. “So, everything—the break-ins, the leaks, the near-death encounters—you orchestrated all of it?”“Yes,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.Lucas clenched his fists, the urge to lash out evident in his rigid posture. “You were toying with us. With him.”
"Where is Jake?" Lila’s voice cut through the morning stillness, sharp with unease. She barely touched her breakfast, the plate in front of her nearly untouched. Lucas, sitting across from her, stirred his coffee with deliberate calm, seemingly unaffected by the tension crackling between them. "Handling something important," Lucas answered vaguely. Lila’s fingers curled into fists. "Something important? That’s not an answer, Lucas." His gaze flickered up to meet hers, steady and unreadable. "It’s not something you need to worry about." Her stomach churned. "Not something I need to worry about? My servers are missing, Lucas. Do you even understand what’s on them?" Lucas set his cup down with a quiet clink. "Yes, I do." "Then tell me why you’re acting like this is nothing!" Her frustration boiled over, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea how much damage could be done if that data falls into the wrong hands?" Lucas sighed, rubbing his temples. "We’re looking into it."
Lucas's hold tightened slightly, his warmth grounding me in ways I hadn’t expected. "You don’t have to figure everything out right now. Just… let us in."I wanted to. More than anything. But the walls I had spent years building weren’t so easily torn down. Every time I let myself believe in this—in them—a whisper of doubt crept in, reminding me of all the reasons I shouldn’t.Jake sighed, almost as if he could hear my thoughts. "You overthink everything."Lucas smirked faintly, his gaze softening. "It’s what she does best."I let out a shaky laugh, and something shifted in their expressions—like a weight lifting, even if only slightly."Better," Jake murmured, his thumb brushing against my jaw. "I like it when you laugh."My throat tightened. "I don’t know how to let go."Lucas’s grip never wavered. "Then don’t," he said simply. "Just lean on us instead."That was the real fear, wasn’t it? Letting go felt like losing control, but leaning on them… That was different. That was trust.Ja
Lucas leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. His warmth seeped into me, soothing the tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding. "Are you okay?" he asked, his thumb tracing soft circles against my cheek. His expression was open, vulnerable in a way that sent my heart racing."Yes," I breathed. "I want this—I want us."Jake let out a slow breath, as if he’d been holding it in, waiting for those words. His hand brushed against my shoulder, grounding me, steadying me in a way I hadn't expected."You don’t have to be afraid," he murmured. "We’re not going anywhere."Lucas’s fingers tightened slightly around mine, a silent reassurance. "It’s okay to be scared," he admitted. "But you don’t have to carry it alone."I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their words settle deep in my chest. No one had ever told me that before. No one had ever wanted to carry anything with me. I had spent so long convincing myself I had to be strong, that I had to keep everything locked away—but now
He smirked. “You eat, don’t you?” She stared at him. “I—of course, but…” She hesitated. “What are you making?” Asher opened the fridge and pulled out a pack of ground meat. “yambeef.” Elena blinked again. The powerful Alpha—the man who had just silenced an entire pack with a single growl—was now casually talking about yambeef. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be more confused. Still, something about the abrupt change in mood made her relax. At least a little. She folded her arms, tilting her head. “You cook?” Asher glanced at her. “Do I look like someone who doesn’t?” Elena hesitated. “…Honestly?” One brow arched. “Careful, Elena.” A small, unexpected smile tugged at her lips. For a moment, the weight of the day lifted, and she allowed herself to simply watch him move around the kitchen. The way he effortlessly grabbed ingredients, the way he seemed completely at ease in his own space. Her gaze drifted across the room again—the wooden beams, the large
"Sit," Asher’s deep voice commanded. Elena hesitated, hovering near the doorway of his home. Her eyes flickered over the elegant black couches, the wooden table, the fireplace flickering with golden embers. The place was beautiful. It suited him. Dark. Refined. Commanding. But she—she didn’t belong in a place like this. Still, Asher was watching her, waiting. Slowly, she moved forward and sank into a seat at the kitchen island, her fingers gripping the cool marble counter. Asher walked past her, opening the fridge. The sound of the door creaking open, the soft clink of glass against metal—it all felt too normal. Too mundane, given the chaos of earlier. Elena swallowed hard. The tension in her shoulders refused to ease, even as Asher casually pulled out a plate of food. His presence was the only thing grounding her—the warmth of his body as he moved past her, the occasional brush of his fingers against her skin. The firm, steady weight of his hand resting
...The moment hung in the air, thick with anticipation, the prelude to the complete and utter claiming that was about to unfold. A hush fell over the room, broken only by the sound of Lila’s ragged breaths. Lucas, his eyes locked on hers, moved with a slow, deliberate grace. He positioned himself behind her, the tip of his cock pressing against her slick entrance. The anticipation was almost unbearable, a delicious tension that coiled tight in Lila’s belly. With a deep breath, he began to push forward, the slow, gradual entry stretching her, filling her with his heat.Lila gasped, a sharp intake of air as she felt him slide inside her. The initial stretch was intense, a sensation that teetered on the edge of pain, yet was quickly overtaken by a burgeoning pleasure. She clenched her muscles around him, instinctively pulling him deeper, craving the fullness of his presence. A low moan escaped her lips, a mixture of surrender and anticipation.Jake's voice, a low rumble in her ear, soot
The air in the room thrummed with unspoken fears, a palpable tension that clung to Lila like a second skin. Her eyes, usually vibrant and full of life, were shadowed with a deep, primal anxiety. "Don't... don't leave me," she whispered, her voice barely audible, a raw plea against the phantom of abandonment. Her fingers, trembling, clutched at the soft fabric of Lucas's shirt, her knuckles white. "I can't... I can't lose you. Either of you." The words were a fragile confession of her deepest vulnerability, a desperate attempt to anchor herself to the two men who had irrevocably claimed her heart.Lucas's hand, warm and reassuring, covered hers, his strong fingers intertwining with her own. "Lila," he murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble, "we're not going anywhere. We're yours, completely and utterly. There is no 'losing' us. We're bound to you, heart and soul." His gaze, intense and unwavering, held hers, promising a loyalty that transcended mere words. Jake, standing beside hi
She buried her face in her hands, breathing in shakily. “For so long, my purpose was revenge. I let it consume me. I spent years chasing ghosts, believing that if I avenged my father, I could somehow make sense of his death.”Jake's expression darkened. “And now?”She let out a humorless laugh, leaning against the headboard. “And now? I don’t know who I am anymore.”Lucas took a step forward. “Then figure it out. But don’t let the past define you.”Lila sighed, fingers tracing the jagged scar along her forearm. “You think I don’t know that? But the Moon Goddess didn’t make it easy. She gave me you two. The very men I was supposed to hate.”Jake’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And when you denied the bond, what happened?”Lila's throat tightened. The memory of fire, of screaming, of pain so unbearable it nearly broke her came rushing back.“The explosion.” Her voice was hollow. “The moment I turned my back on fate, I was punished. I lost my arm. I lost everything.”Lucas' gaze soften
“I hate you!”Lila's voice rang through the dimly lit hotel room, raw and filled with a fury that left the air crackling with tension. Her chest heaved, fists clenched at her sides as she glared at Lucas, her entire body trembling with emotion. The words had escaped before she could stop them, before she could swallow down the storm that had been brewing within her since the moment he had spoken those words—*Do you want to have sex with the man who killed your father?*Lucas stood unmoving, his gaze unreadable, his expression impassive. But Lila saw it—the flicker of something behind his cold exterior. Guilt? Regret? Maybe both. Yet it wasn’t enough.The hotel door swung open.Jake stepped in, his brows furrowed as he took in the scene before him. His gaze bounced between them, his usual easy-going demeanor vanishing in an instant. “What the hell is going on?”Lila sucked in a shaky breath, her mind spinning. She turned sharply to Jake, the intensity of her emotions still gripping her