LILY’S POVThe familiar sight of the pack house greeted us as Andrew’s car rolled to a stop in front of my place. Andrew turned off the engine, his fingers lingering on the key for a moment longer than necessary. He exhaled softly—a sound that felt like the release of a weight neither of us wanted to name.“I had a great time today,” I said, turning to look at him. My voice was light, but my chest tightened, betraying how much I meant it.His eyes, warm and steady, found mine. A smile tugged at his lips—soft but earnest. “I did too, Lily. More than you know.”A blush crept up my cheeks, and I looked down briefly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “We should do this again,” I ventured, the words leaving my mouth before I could second-guess them.Andrew’s smile deepened, his gaze never wavering. “Definitely.”The quiet that followed wasn’t awkward. It was charged, filled with the kind of unspoken tension that makes you hyper-aware of every detail—the soft tick of the cooling e
Xavier’s POVThe mid-morning sun hung heavy over the training grounds, its relentless heat beating down on warriors locked in combat. The air brimmed with the tang of sweat and the steady rhythm of fists striking practice dummies. Every movement, every grunt, reverberated with purpose.Across from me, Beta Kas tightened his grip on my hand as we squared off. His sharp eyes bore into mine, a flicker of challenge igniting within them. We began circling, our boots digging into the wet earth.“Ready to lose?” Kas teased, his smirk sly and his voice edged with anticipation.I cracked my neck, matching his grin. “You wish.”Kas chuckled, the sound low and deliberate, before lunging forward.The fight erupted into a whirlwind of motion. Kas moved with the precision of a predator, each strike calculated and fierce. But I was ready.His fists were fast, his jabs sharp, but my blocks met him with equal force. A particularly strong punch grazed my forearm, sending jolts of pain up my arm. I grit
XAVIER’S POVAs I stepped into our home, the tension in my shoulders unraveled like a frayed rope, the familiar warmth of the living room washing over me. My gaze landed on the two anchors of my world.Hannah sat cross-legged on the couch, her hair tumbling loosely over her shoulders, a strand curling near her cheek as she scrolled through her tablet. She looked up as the door clicked shut, her sapphire eyes crinkling into a quiet smile.Across from her, Jackson was sprawled on the carpet, his tiny hands working diligently to stack colorful blocks. He furrowed his brows in exaggerated concentration, his tongue peeking out from the corner of his mouth.When one of the blocks tipped over, his high-pitched giggle lit up the room—a sound so pure it eased the last vestiges of tension from my body.“Dada!” Jackson’s voice rang out as soon as he spotted me, his face lighting up like the blocks he’d abandoned. Without hesitation, he scrambled to his feet and bolted toward me, almost tumbling
HANNAH’S POVAs Xavier hurried upstairs to shower, his footsteps faded, leaving the room still and quiet. The silence felt weighty, thick with unspoken thoughts.I adjusted Jackson in my arms, his soft coos a soothing contrast to the tension. Cecilia’s gaze lingered on him, her expression a mixture of curiosity and tenderness that caught me off guard.Clearing my throat, I forced a smile. “Mom, this is Jackson, my son,” I said, keeping my tone steady despite the flutter in my chest.Her eyes widened, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. “Oh my goodness,” she murmured, stepping closer. Her clasped hands trembled slightly. “He’s... beautiful. Look at those little fingers.”She hesitated before reaching out, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. Jackson giggled, his chubby hands instinctively grasping at hers. Cecilia let out a small laugh, her face lighting up with a warmth that momentarily eased the knot in my stomach.“Would you like to hold him?” I asked, careful to keep my voice invi
VIVIAN’S POVThe wind bit at my cheeks as I stormed down the sidewalk, each step harder and faster, as though I could outrun the weight pressing on my chest. The laughter and chatter from the pack center faded into the background, a distant hum drowned by my boiling frustration.The title of Luna felt less like a crown and more like a noose today, tightening with every shallow breath I took.The memory of Coby’s smug smile lingered—his broad shoulders draped in the admiration of the elders—while I stood beside him, a silent ornament. I had played my role: graceful, composed Luna they expected me to be. But inside, my patience had worn razor-thin.My thoughts kept returning to the one face absent from today’s Crimson moon pack gathering: my mother’s. Deep down, I already knew where she had gone.As I turned the corner, my suspicions solidified. There she was, her stride light and her expression glowing with excitement, as though she’d just stumbled into paradise. Her smile widened when
VIVIAN’S POVI hung up the phone, the receiver trembling slightly in my hand as I set it down. My chest tightened under the weight of the choice ahead. I’d been circling this moment for days, but now there was no escape. It had to be done—one way or another.The drive to his house felt like an eternity. The rhythmic hum of the engine did little to calm the storm raging inside me. When I pulled into the driveway, the sight of the house loomed large, its darkened windows seeming to watch me. I sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, inhaling deeply. You can’t back out now.The porch creaked beneath my feet, and the mahogany door stood before me like an unyielding sentinel. My finger hesitated over the doorbell, but I forced myself to press it. The chime echoed faintly, and moments later, the door opened with deliberate slowness.Beatrice stood there, her eyes sharper than any words she might have spoken. She scanned me quickly, as if assessing my resolve.“Vivian,” she said, her
Vivian’s POVElder Elijah stood up, pulling me to my feet with him. He reached behind me and unzipped my outfit, peeling the black vinyl down my skin until my breasts popped out of the top.As he continued undressing me, he captured one of my nipples in his mouth, swirling his tongue and sucking in a wonderfully familiar way.He released me all too soon. I helped him with the rest of my outfit, stretching it over my heel and tossing it aside.Elder Elijah dropped to his knees and started untying the laces of my shoes, taking his sweet time and kissing my legs as he went. When he was finished, he sat back on his desk, returning to the same place he had been before letting his intentions be known. He was waiting for me to do something, and I didn’t hesitate to oblige.I didn’t try to come up with something creative—I just straddled him. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I kissed him deeply, rocking slightly on his lap.I caressed his chest with my hands, the heat radiating off his skin
Vivian’s POVHis mouth covered mine, silencing any further protests. His finger finally found my slick heat, softly circling my moist clit. The teasing motions sent waves of pleasure through me, my hips moving in time, coaxing him to go faster. But he maintained his maddeningly slow pace, his eyes fixed on my face.“Goddess, you are so beautiful when you’re desperate. Do you know that?”I could only shake my head; no words were possible at that moment. His words tore through my brain, making my chest flush with renewed heat.His finger slipped down past my clit and entered me, opening my pussy for the first time. The flat of his palm grazed my clit with each slide in and out.His gentle hand strokes teased my pussy, sending waves of pleasure through me until I was shaking, clawing at the hard surface with my perfectly manicured nails.The sensation was so intense, I wasn’t sure I could take much more. He continued to tease me slowly, urging my desire forward and pushing me closer to t
Coby’s POVThe next morning, I stood outside the coroner's office, a knot of unease twisting in my stomach. The dawn light washed the street in muted grays, the quiet air punctuated only by the faint rustle of leaves. My breath hung in visible puffs as I exhaled, each one feeling heavier than the last. Sleep had been an elusive luxury—every time I closed my eyes, the weight of what was to come pressed harder against my chest.The sound of measured footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Xavier’s figure emerged from the misty street, his stride calm and deliberate. Even in the low light, his presence seemed to command the world around him."Morning," he greeted, his voice steady but tinged with an edge I couldn’t quite place. His piercing eyes met mine, searching for something beneath the surface."Morning," I replied, forcing my tone into something resembling calm. My hands, buried deep in my pockets, clenched into fists."Did you sleep?" he asked, his brow lifting in faint skepticism.
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