HANNAH’S POVOnce inside, I led Coby to the dining table and gestured for him to sit. He sank into the chair heavily, as though gravity had claimed a special hold on him.Without a word, I poured him a cup of coffee. The kettle hissed softly, and the bitter scent of the brew filled the air. I placed the mug in front of him, the faint clink against the table the only sound between us. “Here,” I said simply.“Thanks,” he muttered, his voice rough and small. He wrapped both hands around the mug, his fingers trembling slightly. He sipped, his shoulders slumping further, as if the heat in the cup could thaw the cold inside him.I sat across from him, my gaze sharp and unwavering. He avoided it, staring into the dark liquid like it held answers he was too afraid to speak aloud.The Coby I remembered wasn’t this… diminished. He used to carry himself with a sharp-edged arrogance, always ready to cut someone down if it suited him. Now, that sharpness was gone, dulled to something that looked u
COBY’S POVI leaned against the counter, arms folded, the cool edge pressing into my back as I stood there, silent. My eyes stayed on them—Hannah, her arms wrapped tight around Jackson, his head tucked under her chin like it was where he belonged.Her face was hidden, buried in his messy curls, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell if she was smiling or holding back tears. Either way, I wasn’t part of it.Jackson’s laughter cut through the heavy silence like sunlight piercing storm clouds. It was bright, full, and innocent in a way that made my throat tighten.The sound pulled a smile from me despite everything, but it was fleeting. The joy in his laugh felt like a reminder of everything I wasn’t—everything I’d lost.“Can I have pancakes?” he asked, his small, hopeful voice breaking the quiet.“Pancakes?” Hannah repeated, tilting her head to look down at him with a teasing glint in her eye. “Hmm… what about broccoli pancakes instead? So healthy. So delicious.” Her voice was playful, soft—
Coby’s POVShe sat at the edge of the table, smoothing Jackson’s messy hair with tender, rhythmic strokes. Her touch was so soft, so unguarded, it felt like catching a glimpse of something fragile—a rare treasure she kept hidden from me. She didn’t look my way, but I could feel it: the invisible wall between us.It was my wall. My doing. Every lie, every moment I’d turned away instead of toward her, had laid another brick. Now, it towered between us, solid and unyielding.If I could take it all back—every selfish choice—I would. But regrets don’t rewrite the past. They only carve heavier lines into the present. And so, I sat there, a silent guest in her world, trying not to shatter the thin peace she’d allowed me.I wanted to say something, anything. But words felt like stones, clumsy and heavy, with no good place to land. Instead, I stayed quiet, watching as the morning played out around me.Breakfast ended in a soft chaos—sticky plates smeared with syrup, Jackson’s half-eaten pancak
XAVIER’S POVAs soon as the meeting wrapped up, I finally felt like I could breathe after holding it in for hours. The tension that had knotted my shoulders slowly eased, leaving behind a strange, weightless feeling. Freedom.No more sterile hotel rooms with their faint bleachy tang. No more forced smiles in stifling conference rooms. I was done. Done and heading back to where I belonged—to them. To Hannah and my mate, Jackson.Packing was mechanical, almost too easy. How much does a man really need when his heart is somewhere else? My clothes were just placeholders, things to keep me functioning while I was away.The thought of home filled me with restless energy. My flight wasn’t for hours, but I was already counting the minutes. Should I call Hannah? Tell her I’d be back early? My fingers hovered over the phone.No.I wanted the surprise. I wanted to see that look she gave me—the one that made every long day and every ache worth it. A text to Kas would do instead.“Pick me up from
XAVIER'S POVIn the center of all the joy—all the comfort I’d imagined in my head during those long days away—stood Coby. He was holding Jackson, my son.My heart skipped a beat as I watched them together. Coby had Jackson clutched to his chest, the little boy’s arms wrapped around him as he giggled, his face alight with happiness.I froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat. My eyes locked onto the scene, unable to move, unable to process anything else. Jackson—my son—was laughing, clinging to Coby, the man who had torn everything away from Hannah.I had come home for this?The shock of the sight hit me like a physical blow. I wanted to rush forward, scoop Jackson into my arms, to feel him hold onto me the way he was holding onto Coby, but my feet wouldn’t move. The scene in front of me felt surreal, like a dream I hadn’t been prepared for.Coby was here. He wasn’t just here; he was in my home, standing in my place. He was the one making Jackson laugh, the one wrapped up
HANNAH’S POV“Coby.” I froze at the sound of the voice, the mug of coffee in my hand forgotten as I turned to see Xavier standing in the doorway like a storm that had just blown in.His frame seemed broader, his presence larger than life, but his face—oh, his face was what stopped me in my tracks. He looked tired—not just physically, but in a way that cut deep, as if he’d been carrying something heavy for far too long.For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. What was Xavier doing here? I had given up on him coming back anytime soon. I had imagined this moment a thousand times, but never like this. Never with him showing up unannounced on a random morning.“Xavier,” I managed to whisper.Before I could even gather my thoughts, my body moved on instinct, my feet pulling me toward him. But then I saw the look on his face, and it stopped me cold. His eyes weren’t on me—they were locked on the living room.I followed his gaze, and my heart sank. Coby was there, standing with Jacks
HANNAH’S POVI stepped back, taking his hand as he guided me to the couch. The living room felt quieter now—emptier without Jackson’s laughter or the uncomfortable presence of Coby.I sank into the cushions, my hands twisting together in my lap, while Xavier sat across from me. His posture was rigid, but his eyes were soft.“Talk to me,” he said. There wasn’t any anger in his voice, no accusation, but the weight of his words left no room for me to avoid the truth. “Help me understand what’s going on.”I took a shaky breath, trying to gather my thoughts. My heart felt like it was splintering into a thousand pieces.“Xavier, I… I didn’t know you’d be back today. You didn’t call, or—”“That’s not what I’m asking,” he interrupted gently. “I’m asking about Coby. Why was he here? Why was he playing with our son?”My chest tightened, and I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “It’s not what it looked like,” I said, my voice trembling.I took a deep breath, my hands twisting nervously in my
Hannah’s POVXavier carried me up the stairs and back to our room before lowering me onto the bed. He climbed onto the bed above me and looked down at me. Lust smoldered in his eyes. I lay beneath him, panting with desire.He reached for my shirt and paused midway, waiting for my permission. When I didn’t stop him, he proceeded to pull it apart, then lowered his mouth to my breast, taking my hard nipple between his lips, flicking at it with his hot tongue and sucking it gently.I arched my back and put one hand on the back of his head, pulling him against my sensitive, puckered flesh. My other hand stroked his hard chest and stomach until I found the shaft of his penis and fondled it lovingly.He let out a groan as I stroked his length, and he sucked my nipple with more force as his desire grew. This rough treatment of my sensitive nipples made me moan and wriggle beneath him.Xavier directed his kisses down over the swell of my soft belly to the juncture between my thighs. I panted
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 drive
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