(KAEL POV) Mom and Ezra had taken Nola and Huck, insisting we rest. "You all look like zombies," she said firmly. "The babies don't need to see you like this." I couldn't argue with her logic, but the thought of this becoming a recurring issue worried me. I didn't want my children to grow up under the same dark cloud I had. I was just starting to drift off, Skyla safely wrapped in my arms, feeling my brothers' hands resting on my shoulder and back. The happiness of being home without Burk's shadow looming over me was enormous. Suddenly, my dad's shouting shattered the peaceful silence. He burst into our room without even knocking. "Kael, get up! Come with me." Reluctantly, I untangled myself from Sky and my brothers. "Stay here. I'll handle this," I mumbled as I tucked Sky in Knox's arms. She rolled into him and buried her face in his chest. I knew what was coming as I made my way down the hall. When the door to his office closed, he was in my face, totally irate. "How could
(SKY POV) Laying in the backseat between Kael and Knox, the drive to the bayou felt heavy with the weight of everything we'd just learned. The revelation that they were supposed to be one person split into three had left Kael and Knox visibly upset. I could feel the tension radiating from both of them. Knox broke the silence first. "You have no idea how much this messes with my head. Knowing I was given pheromones then. It's like my whole sense of self was engineered." Ky nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and it's not just that we were split into three. It's everything that followed." Kael continued, his voice shaking with frustration. Knox growled in frustration. "Fletcher and Burk must have been giving me so much. I remember days when I... Fuck, when I masturbated like eight times. Eight damn times. I couldn't think of anything else. Those days, I ended up at the bar with the girls. Sometimes two. I was totally out of control, far worse than any of you know." He took a deep breat
(SKY POV) After a long, exhilarating day on the boat, catching fish and watching Teddy wrestle an alligator, we made our way to the Bayou Pack House. Today had been an eye-opener into the raw and wild side of Bayou life. As we approached the house, the laughter and music grew louder. The triplets, Cassy, and I were wide-eyed, taking in the chaotic scene. People were everywhere. Some were dancing, others were eating, and a surprising number were just lounging around completely naked. The amount of alcohol flowing freely was enough to make any frat party seem tame by comparison. We found a spot near the barbecue where Teddy was holding court, flipping pieces of gator meat on a makeshift grill made from old bathtubs. He greeted us with a wide grin, his face still smudged with dirt from the hunt. "Grab a plate, y'all! Plenty to go around!" he bellowed. Cassy was the first to dive in. Her enthusiasm was contagious. She was loving every minute here with this pack. I'm sure it w
(KNOX POV) The hot water washed over me, but it did little to cleanse away the filth I felt clinging to my skin. I replayed the day's events, the chaos at the Bayou Pack House, Phin's drunken antics, and the overwhelming pressure Teddy faced trying to keep things under control. I tried to help him to distract myself, but it was hard not to think about that asshole down where we killed him. The memories of Fletcher and Burk's manipulations overshadowed everything else. They had pumped us full of high-level pheromones, turning my body into a ticking time bomb of uncontrollable desire. The need to mate had been unbearable, pushing me to the brink of madness a few times. At the time, I didn't know what was happening to me. I thought it was just part of being an alpha, part of the raw, untamed power we were supposed to wield. I thought about the countless times I had to sneak away just to find some relief. During early morning training sessions, I would slip into the bathroom multip
(KNOX POV) The sensation was both a relief and the connection I desperately needed. As Sky wrapped her arms around me, I felt grounded for the first time in what seemed like ages. Her soft gasps and whispered encouragements drove me on, each movement bringing us closer and pulling me further away from those horrible thoughts.I could feel her soft skin against me, the gentle rise and fall of her breath as our bodies moved in sync.Each thrust seemed to have a purpose, a silent vow to love and protect her, to make up for all the times I felt I had failed. And I had failed so many times. Her hands traveled up my back, her nails lightly scraping my skin, making me tremble and want more. Her breathy moans echoed in my ears and urged me on. The fiery bliss built quickly, overwhelming the lingering shame and guilt. I focused on her, on the way her eyes fluttered closed, the way her lips parted with each deep thrust. She was it. She was my everything. "Knox," she whispered. "Don't sto
(SKY POV)After leaving the shower with Knox, I helped him to bed and tucked him in beside Ky in our giant bed. His anxiety over what happened had drained him. I kissed his forehead softly, whispering goodnight before leaving the room.I headed down the hallway to check on Kael and the twins. As I approached the living room, I couldn't help but smile. Kael and Nola were still racked out on the couch together, just as I had left them. Nola was resting on Kael's chest, her tiny arm stretched above her head, mimicking her father perfectly. They were so alike, even in sleep. I snapped a quick picture, capturing the sweet moment.Satisfied they were comfortable, I moved on to the nursery. Huck was still asleep in his crib, blissfully unaware of the earlier chaos. I gently brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. He was my peaceful little boy. He was happy away from all the crazy energy of the rest of the house. I lingered in the nursery, watching Huck sleep. The soft hum of the nightl
CASSY POVTeddy and I fought all night after he returned with them from the wild bayou party. Watching him wrestle that alligator into submission was an intense experience. Seeing him grill it and feed the entire pack, effortlessly stepping into the caregiver role, turned me on in ways I hadn't anticipated. Everything about him already captivated me, but this display of raw power, the energy, the muscles glistening with sweat as they flexed and moved.It was overwhelming.Until now, I had mostly been the one taking care of him. He was still recovering from his injury. It was the first time I'd seen him do something like that, and the image refused to leave me alone after. I couldn't close my eyes without seeing him straining against the massive beast without a shred of fear.We were making out on the couch in my closet, our usual spot that offered some privacy. Plus, it allowed us a moment to compose ourselves if someone walked in. As we kissed, trying to stay quiet, we often grunte
(KNOX POV)I walked into the kitchen and found Teddy staring into the pantry and fridge, completely confused. He looked like he'd seen a ghost or was trying to solve a Rubix cube. I couldn't help but laugh. "You look like you've seen a ghost, dude."Teddy quipped back, "Seems to be a trend around here." He closed the fridge and turned to me, looking somewhat defeated. "I want to make breakfast for Cassy. We've been fighting all night, and she gets angry when hungry."I chuckled. "That's an Alpha Monroe thing. So much power in our blood that we need the extra fuel."Teddy managed a weak smile. I walked over to him and started pulling out ingredients. "Let's get started. I'll show you how to make something she'll love."He was clearly overwhelmed, but I could see the determination to do something nice for my sister. I handed him some eggs. "Start with these. Cassy loves omelets.""You know," Teddy said, cracking an egg into a bowl, "the Bayou Pack catches most of our food. We even eat