XAVIER’S POVAs the door clicked shut behind Hannah, I spun around, pinning Kas with a sharp look. "Anything new?" I demanded, my voice low and tense, weighted with the urgency of what we needed to know.Kas hesitated, his eyes flicking away as if still deciding how much to share. Then he leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. “I dug into the rogues. Found something you need to hear.”Silence stretched taut between us, and I forced my expression to stay calm. “Tell me,” I urged, though my voice betrayed the impatience simmering beneath.He took a steadying breath, glancing around. “These rogues... they bear marks. The same marks as the ones that attacked the Crimson Pack.”A chill settled in my stomach. I kept my face neutral, but my voice held a razor edge. “Coincidence? Or something intentional?”Kas met my gaze, unflinching. “I think it’s intentional, Alpha. They're too organized to be random.”I clenched my fists, my words dropping like stones. “Bring Alpha Coby to me. Now.”
XAVIER’S POVI glared at Elder Elijah, feeling a raw heat coil up from deep within, spreading through my veins like wildfire. My fists clenched, jaw taut, as I leveled him with a look that could cut glass. "What were you insinuating, Elder?" I said, voice low, each word edged with a warning he couldn't miss.Elijah held my gaze, unflinching, as if he were carved from stone. He leaned in just slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper that still carried like thunder through the silence. “Coby’s claim… about Jackson's parentage.”A growl built in my chest, low and fierce, threatening to escape. “That’s a lie,” I hissed, slamming my hand down on the desk. The wood splintered beneath the force, a jagged crack forming that mirrored the fracture in my control.Pain shot through my hand, sharp and grounding, but it only fed the fire simmering inside me. Elijah’s expression remained placid, unfazed. "I've heard rumors, Alpha. The Luna is said to be… involved with Alpha Coby. Naturally, qu
ANDREW’S POVAs I walked away from Hannah, a weight lifted almost instantly, like I’d been holding my breath for days and could finally exhale. A strange peace crept into my chest, loosening knots I hadn’t even realized were there.Her forgiveness wrapped around me, warm and gentle, and for once, the guilt that had shadowed me for so long began to fade. I tilted my head to the sky, breathing in the crisp air. The breeze was cool and refreshing, pushing away the last threads of tension that clung to me.After a few steps, I pulled out my phone, checking for a message from Lily. My thumb hovered over the screen as I frowned, realizing she hadn’t replied. I’d texted her first thing this morning—she usually answered right away.Why hadn’t she this time? Anxiety twisted inside me. What if something had happened? What if— My thumb hovered over her name, but just as I was about to call, I saw her.Lily stood across the street, but she wasn’t alone. A man stood close to her, his presence dark
ANDREW’S POVAs we walked, the tension between us eased, and Lily’s grip on my hand softened. Her fingers intertwined with mine—a silent reassurance—though questions still buzzed in my mind. What had Elder Elijah really wanted? And what was Lily hiding?Each question seemed to pull me deeper into a maze, but I pushed them aside, letting the gentle warmth of her hand ground me in the moment.“Lily, where are we going?” I finally asked, my voice quiet, blending with the rustle of leaves underfoot.She turned, a flicker of mischief in her eyes, her lips curving in a teasing smile. “Somewhere special,” she replied, shrugging playfully. “Or maybe nowhere at all. Does it matter?”I laughed softly, feeling my worries ease. “As long as I’m with you, I suppose it doesn’t.”We fell into a comfortable silence, her hand still warm in mine, as the pack’s homes faded behind us, giving way to rolling hills and the rugged edge of the territory. Soon, we reached a high rocky overlook, the entire villa
Lily’s POVAs I quickened my pace, each step struck the ground with a force that matched the pounding in my chest. Andrew’s voice called out behind me, soft but pleading. “Lily... wait.”But I couldn’t look back. His eyes had held something I wasn’t ready to face—an understanding, a compassion that felt too close, too much.The warmth of his hand still lingered on my wrist from when he’d tried to hold me back, grounding me for that one brief moment. But I tore away, needing distance. I needed to drown out his kindness before it softened me.“Lily,” his voice echoed once more, fainter this time as I rounded the corner. *Just keep moving.*Mom’s voice filled my head again, trembling, choked with a fear she didn’t need to spell out. I knew who she feared: Elder Elijah.The very name crawled under my skin like ice. How many years had his shadow hung over us, his threats leaving us caged, breathless, afraid to step out of line? I clenched my fists, the anger pushing me forward.The echo of
LILY’S POVI fought back a sob, forcing a strained smile. “It’s okay, Mom,” I lied. We both knew it wasn’t. Nothing about this was okay. Her face crumpled, an ocean of worry and fear etched into every line, deepened by my choice.I squared my shoulders, grabbed my bag, and pushed down the fear clawing up my throat. I had to protect her—no matter the cost. Without another word, I turned and left, the cold evening air biting at my skin as I made my way to Elder Elijah’s estate.The mansion loomed in the distance, each spire reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers, casting shadows that seemed to grow longer, darker, as I approached. A familiar servant greeted me with a nod, his face blank and impassive, his voice monotone. “Elder Elijah is expecting you.”I nodded back, swallowing hard as he stepped aside, revealing a dim hallway that stretched toward a closed door. My pulse quickened, each beat hammering in my ears as I took slow, reluctant steps toward it. I stopped just outside,
**TRIGGER WARNING(None consensual scene)**LILY’S POVI stepped into the bathroom, feeling like I was dragging my feet through cement. Each step felt slower, heavier. I avoided my reflection at first, but my gaze drifted up—caught, almost unwillingly, by the face staring back at me.It didn’t feel like mine. I saw a girl hollowed out, the edges of her mouth pressed tight, eyes dark and glassy. A stranger. The weight of the silence pressed on me, and a prickle stung the back of my eyes, threatening tears. I clenched my jaw and swallowed. Not here. Not now.My gaze dropped to the counter, to the small pile of clothes waiting for me, mocking me with their presence. The underwear, stark against the cool surface, felt like some cruel emblem of this moment. It sat there, a thing I couldn’t escape, a command in fabric form.I took a shaky breath. My hand hovered over it, fingers twitching, reluctant to touch it, like it might burn. “You have to,” I murmured softly, the sound barely escaping
LILY’S POVAs I stumbled away from Elder Elijah’s house, my heart thundered wildly, each beat a raw reminder of what had happened. I could still feel the ghost of his touch crawling beneath my skin like a poison I couldn’t purge. The taste of him lingered in my mouth.I wanted to scream, to run, but my legs felt like lead. Where could I go? Home? My mother’s face flashed in my mind, her eyes filling with worry, her heart shattering once she knew. I couldn’t bear to see her look at me like that.I wiped away the tears with trembling fingers, willing myself to hold it together. Somehow, without even realizing it, I found myself outside Andrew’s quarters. My stomach twisted into untangleable knots.What would he think if he saw me like this—broken, hollow, smeared with the weight of someone taking advantage of me? I almost turned away, but before I could move, the door swung open.Andrew stood there, his expression softening the moment he saw me. He looked tired, his hair slightly mussed
COBY’S POVI clenched my hands into fists, my resolve hardening as I thought about everything. Before I could further my plans involving Elijah. I would find a way to eliminate any evidence in that report linking me to the crime and expose Elijah for the monster he truly was.When Xavier and the pack saw the truth behind his mask, I’d ensure he was the one who paid the ultimate price. No one else needed to know my secret. As far as the world was concerned, Vivian’s killer was still out there—and I would keep it that way.I walked briskly to my car, my mind racing with possibilities. They couldn’t get too close. I couldn’t let that happen. If they found out, it would all be over—my plan, my revenge, my life as I knew it.Sitting behind the wheel, I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. My thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning. I needed to think, to figure out how to stay one step ahead of them. Because if the truth came out, there would be no escape. Not for me.The driv
COBY’S POVThe chill of the evening clung to my skin as I left the training grounds, sharper than the sweat cooling on my back. But it was nothing compared to the ice coiling in my chest. The hospital loomed against the night sky, its white walls muted in the dim glow of the streetlights when I arrived.I lingered by the side entrance, my pulse steady but my breath shallow. From here, I could hear them—voices threading through the stillness. I hadn’t come to eavesdrop; I’d come to check on Cecilia, to see if there was any improvement. But now, I found myself rooted to the spot, my feet betraying me, my ears straining to pick up the conversation between Hannah and Xavier.Hannah’s voice drifted down the lobby, soft yet strained. “I can’t leave, Xavier. What if she wakes up and I’m not here? I need to be with her.”I peeked around the corner, watching as she stood firm, her arms crossed in that determined way of hers. Xavier sighed, his tone calm but edged with frustration. “Hannah, you
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