COBY’S POVThe days had blurred together, each one a heavy fog of guilt and secrecy. My heart pounded under the weight of a truth I couldn’t reveal. Every glance from Vivian—sharp, questioning—was a needle pricking deeper into my conscience. She was no fool.Her suspicions were growing, a silent storm building between us. And every day, I felt the pull—our son, somewhere within the pack. The thought gnawed at me constantly, a relentless ache.I couldn’t take it anymore. It had to end. I had to know, to face it all. I needed to see Hannah. Confront her. Get the answers that had eluded me for too long.Before I knew it, my feet were moving, taking me out of our quarters and straight to Xavier’s mansion. The closer I got, the harder my heart pounded, each step fueled by a mix of anger, desperation, and a flicker of hope.The guard at the entrance stood tall, his face a mask of indifference, but his eyes betrayed suspicion. His hesitation only fanned the fire inside me.“I need to see Han
COBY/HANNAH’S POV*Coby’s POV*“What do you mean, Hannah? You think I would hurt my own son?”I barely recognized my own voice—it was sharp, defensive, almost aching. Her accusation cut deep, like a wound I didn’t know could exist between us. My eyes darted over her face, searching for a sign, any sign, that she didn’t truly believe it. But there was no comfort in her expression. Just fear. Fear of me.Hannah’s lips formed a thin line, her eyes hardening. “Not you, Coby,” she said quietly, “but Vivian would. And I can’t take that risk.”Vivian. That name—it twisted something inside me. My gut churned, though I tried to push the thought away. I couldn’t let myself believe it. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. But doubt crept in, slow and unwelcome, wrapping itself around my resolve. My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to shake it off. Vivian was capable of a whole lot of things, there was no denying that.“Vivian wouldn’t dare.” The words came out firm, though the certainty wasn’t there
VIVIAN’S POVI sat on the couch, book open, but the words blurred together, unread. My eyes followed Coby’s every movement as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He paused for a second, glancing back at me. I quickly pretended to turn a page. My heart pounded, but I forced a casual smile. He wasn’t buying it. Neither was I.The door clicked softly behind him, and the silence that followed felt deafening. I tossed the book aside and stood, my chest tight with unease.Something was wrong. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, that gnawing sense of dread I couldn't shake off. Coby had been distant since his meeting with Andrew that night, shutting me out with that maddening, dismissive line he always gave whenever I asked what was wrong: “It’s nothing, Vivian.”I clenched my jaw. It wasn’t nothing. His smile didn’t reach his eyes anymore, and when he laughed, it felt hollow, like he was forcing it for my sake. But worst of all, he wouldn’t meet my gaze. Every time I looked
VIVIAN’S POV"Trouble in paradise?" A voice cut through the tension behind me, thick with mockery. I froze, my pulse quickening. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.Eva.I whipped around anyway, my eyes narrowing as I met her gaze. She stood there, arms crossed, a smug grin plastered on her face—the kind of grin that made my skin crawl.Ever since our last encounter, I had done everything to avoid her. Coby’s warning about her not being trustworthy echoed in my mind. But now, here she was, baiting me."Trouble in paradise?" she repeated, savoring the words like some sort of victory. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and the sight of it made my stomach twist.I clenched my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. The sharp sting helped anchor my rising anger. "I don’t have time for your games, Eva," I bit out, trying to keep my voice steady. The last thing I wanted was for her to see just how much she was getting to me.She tilted her head, her grin widening. "Oh, but I
ANDREW'S POV I walked away from Vivian, the cool evening air brushing against my skin, but it did nothing to calm the chaos inside me. Her words still clung to me, replaying in fragments, each one soaked with desperation and ignorance. Seeing how angry she was, It was obvious she had no clue about Coby’s secret—the child with Hannah. A slow, satisfied smile crept onto my lips. Finally, Coby was growing a fucking spine, keeping Vivian in the dark about something as important as this has to be the first. For once, he was making decisions without her claws digging into him. Maybe he was ready to stand up to her. Maybe not. But I couldn’t help wondering what his endgame really was. Was he truly hiding everything to protect the child from her evil schemes, or was he preparing for something bigger? The possibilities swirled around in my mind like smoke from a fire I couldn’t control. Maybe I should go see Hannah and talk to her but I doubt she would want to see me, not while she was tha
ANDREW’S POVI stood there, torn between confusion and overwhelming concern for Lily. The shift from passion to rejection hit me like a punch, leaving me off balance.Something was wrong. I could feel it, and the thought gnawed at me, deepening my resolve. I couldn’t let her vanish into the night—not like this, not when she was hurting.My breath hitched as I stepped out into the cool evening air. The distant hum of laughter and conversation from pack members enjoying their night felt wrong, like it belonged to a world separate from the one Lily and I occupied.My footsteps echoed down the path as I quickened my pace, my mind spinning. What had happened to make her push me away? Was it something I had done? Or was she battling something deeper?By the time her house appeared in the distance, my chest was tight with worry. The windows glowed faintly, a sign that someone was home. Relief flickered through me. I could still reach her. I just needed her to let me in. I reached the door, k
LILY’S POVI could feel my heartbeat—each pulse pounding, aching, like a quiet scream within me. Andrew sat beside me, close but not too close, his face a mixture of compassion and worry.He searched my face, as if he could somehow read the pain written there, wanting so badly to understand, to help carry whatever burden weighed me down. I hadn’t wanted him here. I’d told him to leave, but he stayed. And a part of me—a small, bruised part I barely acknowledged—felt grateful.“Lily…” he murmured, his voice a gentle, steady plea. “Please, talk to me.”Words seemed too dangerous, too revealing. I pressed my lips together, shaking my head, fighting against the tears stinging my eyes. “I... I don’t know how,” I whispered, barely finding the strength to say it. My voice broke, a small, fractured sound.His gaze softened even more. “I’m here,” he said simply, a promise in those two words. “For you, no matter what.”His kindness felt like a blade slicing through old scars, painful in its gent
ANDREW/LILY POVAndrew’s POVI closed Lily’s door softly, feeling the ache of her words like a bruise in my chest. Leaning against the cold wall outside, I clenched my fists, replaying every moment of our conversation. She’d been so close to opening up, and then… like a door slamming shut, she pulled away, shutting herself down.Her words echoed in my mind: “damaged.” The raw pain in her voice, the defeat in her eyes—both haunted me.“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my short hair.I knew she was hurting; it was written in every guarded glance, every tense silence. But hearing her call herself damaged… it twisted something deep inside me. I took out my phone, fingers hovering over the screen as I wrestled with what to say.Finally, I typed a message. Simple, but true. “I’m not going anywhere, Lily. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here.”I hit send, hoping, praying she’d understand. I meant it. Whatever she was carrying, whatever shadows she was fighting,
COBY’S POVI stumbled out of Eva’s house, my chest heaving as if I’d run miles, though my legs barely registered the steps beneath them. My mind was a storm—rage and regret swirling so violently that I couldn’t think straight.Each breath felt sharp, cutting through the tightness in my throat. My feet moved on their own, pulling me farther from the suffocating weight of what I’d just done—farther from her house.Eva’s face wouldn’t leave me. That pale, terrified expression—the way her lips trembled as she backed away from me. The memory tightened around my ribs like a vice. My hands curled into fists at my sides.I’d come so close. Too close to choking the life out of her tonight.Her fear had thrilled me for one terrible second. That scared me even more than anything else. But she deserved it, didn’t she? After everything she’d done? For the lies, the pain, and the part she played in Vivian’s destruction?Vivian.Her name ripped through me like glass. I stopped dead in my tracks, my
EVA’S POVCoby's words hung in the air like smoke, clinging to every breath I tried to take. His eyes, sharp and relentless, bore into mine, alive with a storm of emotions I couldn’t begin to unravel. When he stepped closer, his movements deliberate, almost predatory, my heart raced. His voice, low and serrated with urgency, sliced through the suffocating silence."I know you know something, Eva. Don’t lie to me." His words were a command, not a plea. "This isn’t the time for games. If you have even the slightest idea who’s behind this, you have to tell me."I stumbled back, the intensity of his presence nearly knocking me off balance. My chest heaved as panic swirled in my gut. "I—I don’t know anything, Coby." My voice was barely audible, a quivering whisper trying to rise above the weight of his accusation. "I swear, I don’t know what happened."Coby’s eyes narrowed, his frustration turning to something darker. "You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t just about Vivian. Someone’s tryin
EVA’S POVThe floor felt cold against my legs, grounding me in the oppressive silence. My chest heaved, but I couldn’t fill my lungs. Fear clawed at me, digging deeper with every second. My hands trembled, my fingers numb as if I’d been gripping ice for hours.How long could I keep running? Every escape route seemed to collapse the moment I thought of it. Doors slammed shut before I even reached for the handle. And the pack...their rules, their suffocating watchfulness—they were closing in. My throat tightened. Was there even a way out?The suitcase at my side felt impossibly heavy as I hauled it upright. The weight wasn’t just in the fabric or the few belongings I’d managed to shove in. It was the memories. The questions I couldn’t shake. It was Vivian—her face, her voice. The way her laugh used to light up a room. The way her death had shattered everything.I stood up slowly, dragging the suitcase with me. It felt heavier now, as if the very weight of it mocked my attempts to escape
EVA’S POVThe drive home was a haze of headlights and shadows, my thoughts a chaotic swirl refusing to settle. Elijah didn’t kill Vivian—I knew that in my bones. But if it wasn’t him, then who? The thought sent icy fingers crawling up my spine. Someone out there knew too much. Someone was watching, waiting. And they weren’t done yet.My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my fingers throbbed, but the pain barely registered. Fear gnawed at me, a silent predator with its teeth sunk deep into my chest. Vivian was dead, and if they could kill her, what was stopping them from coming after me? I wasn’t innocent—I was as tangled in this nightmare as anyone else. Maybe even more.When I finally pulled into my driveway, the familiar sight of my house didn’t bring the comfort it once had. The front porch seemed strange, darker. Every creak of the trees in the wind felt like a warning. My pulse thundered as I scanned the street, the yards, the empty windows of the neighboring houses. Was
ELIJAH’S POVEva’s eyes flickered around the room, wild and restless, like a bird caught in a cage. Her chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths, and her fingers clutched the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white.“What if we can’t figure it out in time?” she whispered, her voice trembling as though it might shatter under its own weight. “What if they come for us before we even know who it is?”I leaned against the desk, feigning a calm I didn’t feel. My stomach churned with unease, a dull ache radiating through my ribs, but I kept my voice steady.“That’s not going to happen,” I said, though the certainty in my words felt borrowed, hollow. “We’ve survived worse, Eva. We’ll survive this. But we can’t falter. Not now.”Her laugh was sharp and brittle, cutting through the room like broken glass. She raked a hand through her disheveled hair, her movements jerky with frustration.“Worse than this? Are you kidding me, Elijah? Vivian is dead. Do you get that? Dead. And wh
Elijah’s POVI paced the office, my shoes scuffing the worn hardwood, my chest tight with unease. Every second stretched thin as the chaos from last night churned through my mind like a relentless storm.Vivian.Her name clung to my thoughts, heavy and unsettling. Her death wasn’t surprising—I’d predicted it, even counted on it—but it felt wrong. Like a picture slightly askew. Someone else was moving pieces on the board, and the thought made my gut twist.I stopped mid-step, running a hand through my hair as the question gnawed at me. I had planned for disruptions, but this—this was different. The timing was too perfect. Or maybe… too convenient.Inhaling deeply, I pressed my hands against the desk. The cool wood steadied me, but my thoughts wouldn’t follow suit. I couldn’t shake the sense that I was being played.A sharp, hurried knock came at the door, and before I could respond, it flew open. Eva stood there, breathing hard, her red hair wild as if she’d run through a storm to get
Hannah’s POVMy breath caught in my throat as Xavier and I lunged toward her.“Mom!” My voice cracked, panic breaking through my usual composure. I knelt beside her, pressing trembling hands to her shoulders and shaking her gently. “Cecilia, can you hear me?”Xavier was already at her neck, his expression locked in grim determination. His fingertips searched for her pulse.“She’s breathing,” he said, a whisper of relief cutting through his low, firm voice. “Faint, but steady.”I sagged for a fleeting second before urgency yanked me back upright. Xavier didn’t wait—he slid his arms beneath her with careful precision, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. The sight of her limp frame in his arms sent a shiver racing down my spine.I scrambled ahead, fumbling with the car door, my fingers betraying their weakness in the face of fear.“She’ll be okay,” I muttered under my breath, though the words felt hollow—like a desperate plea wrapped in fragile hope.The drive to the hospital was
HANNAH’S POVInstead of calling Cecilia to deliver the devastating news of Vivian’s death, I decided to go in person. She deserved that. She deserved the truth spoken face-to-face, no matter how much I dreaded the moment her world would shatter.Xavier agreed to come with me, though we both knew his presence wouldn’t lessen the weight of the task. Before heading to Cecilia’s, we stopped by Kara’s to drop off Jackson.The car ride was suffocating, a silence thick with the words we weren’t saying. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my sleeve as I stared out the window, watching the world blur by. When Xavier parked in front of Kara’s house, I broke the quiet.“I’ll talk to Kara,” I said softly, barely looking at him. “She might ask... questions.”He nodded, his hands gripping the steering wheel a second too long before he released it. “Take your time,” he murmured.With Jackson in my arms, I walked to the door, every step feeling heavier than the last. Kara opened it almost instantly,
XAVIER’S POVAs Kas and I stepped out of Eva’s house, silence fell between us—heavy and electric, like the air before a storm. I couldn’t shake the image of Eva’s face: pale, defiant, her eyes darting like a trapped animal. She’d insisted she had been home all night, yet the quiver in her voice betrayed her words.“She’s hiding something,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the crunch of gravel beneath our boots.Kas walked beside me, silent at first, his profile rigid. Finally, he glanced my way, his eyes sharp but restrained. “You think she did it?”I sighed, the weight of uncertainty pressing harder. “I don’t know,” I admitted, shaking my head. “But she’s involved. The way she reacted—shaken but not broken—it doesn’t add up. We’re missing something.”Kas didn’t respond. His gaze drifted to the horizon, as if searching for answers among the fading stars.We drove in silence, each lost in our thoughts. The early morning hours were quiet, but my mind was anything but. I couldn’t