Alexander pov Alexander Matthews had never struggled to control his wolf before. But standing in the hospital corridor, listening to the snide comments about my mate, my canines threatened to descend. The bitter scent of jealousy and spite from the nurses' station set my teeth on edge. "Did you
Beth pov I was picking at my hospital breakfast when two detectives entered my room. One was local – I recognized him from yesterday's brief interview after the crash. The other wore a crisp FBI windbreaker and carried herself with federal authority. My fork clattered against the tray as my hands
Beth pov The discharge process took longer than expected, giving me plenty of time to second-guess my decision to accept Alex's offer. I stood in the hospital room, clutching the small bag of belongings his dad had retrieved from my apartment, and tried to quiet the voice in my head, screaming tha
Beth pov The scream tore from my throat before I was fully awake. In my nightmare, I was back in that storage room, but this time, the traffickers caught me. James River's cold eyes watched as his men dragged me toward a waiting van, past rows of terrified girls I had failed to save. I bolted up
Alexander pov I had faced down rival rogues, negotiated peaceful business talks, and built a business empire with my families help , but nothing had prepared me for the exquisite torture of holding my sleeping mate. Beth's warm weight against my chest felt like coming home, even as my wolf prowled
Beth pov The attack came at dawn. I woke to the sound of breaking glass and Alex's body tensing over me protectively. In the split second before chaos erupted, I registered several things at once: I was still in his arms, sunlight was just beginning to paint the horizon, and something was very wro
Beth pov The pack meeting was called for sunset. Beth stood in front of the full-length mirror in Alex's bedroom – and wasn't that a development that still made my head spin – trying to decide if my outfit was appropriate for meeting the entire Fireside and Paw pack wpuld be there formally for the
Beth pov The pack gathering stretched late into the night. I found myself on the periphery of multiple conversations, watching the intricate dance of supernatural politics play out. The male wolves, following their alphas' lead, had begun treating me with careful respect. The females, however...
Sophia considered the question seriously before shaking her head. "Not worry. It's the right pattern. The balance is happy about it." She adjusted another stone slightly, the golden light flowing to illuminate the new configuration. "Five is better than four. Stronger shapes." As if confirming her
I began to protest, but another wave of dizziness—milder this time—reminded me that Elena's medical advice wasn't merely precautionary. My body was indeed adjusting to significant changes, and pushing beyond its limits would serve no one. "Two days," I conceded reluctantly. "But I want regular upd
Grace pov Liam nodded, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Our children were never going to be ordinary, were they? Not with us as parents." I smiled as he looked into my eyes. Lucas was a strong werewolf with Alpha blood, and Sophia was a truth seer. Both were strong as hell.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice slightly hoarse. "You collapsed in the observation gallery," Liam explained, squeezing my hand. "Gave everyone quite a scare, especially the children. Tomas has been asking about you every fifteen minutes." I attempted to sit up, but Elena moved swiftly to prev
Grace pov Two weeks after the Children's Day revelation, the Balance Center hummed with renewed purpose. I had implemented a carefully structured program to continue engaging with the children who had shown connection to the Equilibrium, while the research division refined their understanding of h
Grace pov Liam, ever practical, focused on immediate implications. "How does this affect our response to reality-shapers? Does this expanded connection give the equilibrium greater range or power?" "Not exactly, power," I replied thoughtfully. "More like... expanded awareness. Greater understand
As we discussed these implications, Sophia's block construction had grown increasingly complex. Children placed pieces with surprising precision under her guidance, creating what appeared to be a three-dimensional representation of reality patterns around the Balance Center itself. The golden light
Grace pov Latent gifts," Elena suggested, joining me as I completed my circuit of the courtyard. The Alpha and healer had attended as a representative of the supernatural communities allied with the Balance Center. "Not strong enough to manifest as active abilities, but sufficient to create resona
Grace pov Three days after the shadow attack on the pack house, the Balance Center was hosting its first-ever Children's Day. What had begun as a small educational initiative had expanded rapidly as families associated with the Center brought not just their gifted children but siblings, cousins, a