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
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
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
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 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
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
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 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
XAVIER’S POVThe air in the room felt heavy, pressing down on my chest and making it hard to breathe. I took a deep, shaky breath, but it didn’t help. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat.Hannah sat on the edge of our bed, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her eyes locked on me. Those eyes—deep, warm, and usually so full of life—were now clouded with worry. She was waiting, and I hated that I was about to break her heart.“Hannah,” I began, my voice low and rough, like gravel. The words felt stuck, as if they didn’t want to come out. But they had to. She deserved to know. “There’s something I need to tell you… something I should’ve told you a long time ago.”Her brow furrowed, and I saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. She shifted slightly, her fingers digging into her arms. “What is it, Xavier?” she asked, her voice soft but trembling. “You’re scaring me. Just say it.”I couldn’t stand still. I paced the room, my boots thudding against the floor, each step ec
HANNAH’S POVThe air felt heavier than usual, pressing against my chest as I stood by the window. My fingers gripped the edge of the sill, the coolness of the glass doing little to soothe the unease coiling in my stomach.Outside, the gate was swarming with guards—more than I’d ever seen before. Their movements were sharp and purposeful, sending a chill skittering down my spine. What’s going on? My mind raced, each thought more frantic than the last. Were we under attack? Was someone coming for us?Xavier had left before breakfast, his absence like a gaping hole in the room. I’d been missing him more lately than ever. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or just this nagging feeling that something was wrong—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on yet.Having him around calmed me down a lot, and when he wasn’t here, everything felt chaotic. I hated how much I relied on his presence to feel safe, but right now, his absence was a gnawing reminder that something was off.“Mama!” Jacks
COBY’S POVMy heart dropped the moment Elijah’s face changed. The calm mask he’d been wearing earlier slipped, and a slow, icy smile spread across his lips. It wasn’t the kind of smile that brought hope—it was the kind that made my skin crawl.“No,” He said. And for a second, I thought I’d misheard him, but his next words made every hair on the back of my neck stand straight.“I’m not going to help you,” Elijah said, his voice flat and empty. The warmth I remembered—the camaraderie, the shared purpose—was gone. “In fact, I can’t wait to see Ross take down every single one of them.”My hands balled into fists, nails digging into my palms, as my mind scrambled to make sense of what he was saying. “What—what the hell are you talking about?” My voice cracked, a mix of disbelief and anger bubbling up in my chest.I was this close to snapping at him but I clenched my fists tighter, trying to keep myself grounded. I couldn’t lose it—not yet. Not until I understood what the hell this old geez
COBY’S POVThe way Elijah was looking at me, I was sure he would expose me—so certain he would let slip something that would ruin everything. But to my surprise, he didn’t. He kept his composure, playing along just as we had agreed. I exhaled, relieved, though my heart was still pounding in my chest.Ross turned to Elijah, his tone shifting to something more private, more serious. “We have things to discuss,” he said, glancing at me as if I were suddenly an outsider.I tensed, curious about what they needed to talk about. Whatever it was, I needed to know. But before I could say anything, Ross looked at me sharply. “Excuse us, Coby. This is between Elijah and me.”I nodded stiffly, swallowing the bitter frustration that rose in my throat. I had no choice. “Of course, Ross,” I said, bowing my head before turning and walking out.The door closed behind me with a heavy thud. I leaned back against it, pressing my ear against the wood. I tried to focus, to pick up any sound of their conver
COBY’S POVThe moment Ross said he was going to take Xavier’s family and make him watch, the world seemed to tilt. My stomach dropped to the floor, and a cold sweat prickled at the back of my neck. My heart thudded unevenly, like a drumbeat gone wrong, and for a second, I couldn’t breathe.But I couldn’t let Ross see. I couldn’t. My face hardened, my jaw tightening as I shoved the panic down, burying it deep. I’d spent months perfecting this mask—cold, unfeeling, loyal. But inside, I was screaming.Hannah. Her name echoed in my mind, sharp and suffocating. Her laugh, her smile, and our son—our son—his tiny hands clutching mine, his wide, trusting eyes. Xavier loved him like his own. If Ross touched them... if he even looked at them... I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t.I swallowed, my throat dry as sandpaper, and forced myself to think. Think, Coby. Think. I couldn’t protect them openly—not without Ross figuring it out. But I had to do something. Anything to stop this madness.I
ROSS’S POVFor ten years, I’ve waited. Ten long years, each one heavier than the last. The weight of her absence has never lifted, never faded. Laila. My mate. My beautiful light. She was the only good thing in my life, the only person who could see past the darkness inside me. And he took her from me.Xavier.I don’t care if it was an accident. What matters is that her blood spilled at his fucking hands. What matters is that I had to watch as the life drained from her beautiful eyes—the same eyes that used to look at me with nothing but love. Xavier stole her from me, and for that, he must pay. He will pay.I’ve bided my time, waiting, planning, gathering my strength. Over the years, I’ve had offers—wolves eager to see Xavier fall. But none of them understood what it would take. It wasn’t enough to just kill him. No. That would be too easy, too quick. I needed him to suffer. I needed him to feel the same pain that has torn me apart every single day since I lost her.For ten years, I’v
XAVIER’S POVThe moment Hannah told me she was pregnant, the world seemed to stop. A rush of joy—raw and electric—surged through me, so intense it stole my breath. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a second, I couldn’t speak.Another baby. A piece of us.I pulled her into my arms, holding her so tightly I worried I might hurt her. But she laughed—a sound so light and full of hope it made my chest ache. I kissed her, my hands trembling against her face, and for that one perfect moment, everything else faded away.But as we left the hospital, the joy began to crack.Ross.The name slithered into my mind like a snake, cold and unrelenting. My stomach twisted, and I clenched my fists to keep them from shaking. He was out there. Watching. Waiting. The thought of him anywhere near Hannah, near Jackson—near this new life growing inside her—made my blood run cold.I could almost see his face: that cruel smirk, those empty, cold eyes. My jaw tightened, and I forced myself to breathe, to ke
Hannah’s POVThe thought made me smile, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I needed to be sure before I said anything to Xavier. The last thing I wanted was to raise his hopes—or mine—if it wasn’t true. Still, the possibility made me feel warm inside, and I couldn’t help but imagine another child, a sibling for Jackson.Once I was dressed, I found Xavier already waiting for me, his eyes watching my every move. He didn’t say much, but the way he hovered close to me, the gentle touches on my arm and back, spoke volumes. He was worried, though trying to hide it. I could tell.As we headed downstairs, I kept thinking about that small possibility—could I really be pregnant?Jackson was still fast asleep when we peeked into his room. His little body was curled up under the blankets, clutching his stuffed bunny. I smiled at the sight, but my thoughts wandered to how different things could be soon if there was a new addition to the family. The idea made my heart flutter."Let’s go befo
HANNAH’S POVI stirred awake the next morning, feeling the warmth of Xavier’s body beside me. His lips brushed against my cheek, trailing down to my collarbone, and I smiled before my eyes even opened. When they did, he was there—his face inches from mine, his dark emerald eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned down at me.“Good morning, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice low and rough with sleep.I reached up to touch his face, my fingers grazing the stubble along his jaw. “Morning,” I whispered back, my voice still thick with sleep.He leaned in, his lips hovering over mine, but I turned my face away with a playful squeal. “Xavier, no! I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”He chuckled, the sound warm and rich, and I felt it vibrate through his chest. “I don’t care,” he said, his breath tickling my ear. “You’re still you.”Before I could protest again, his lips found mine—soft and insistent. I melted into him, my hands sliding up to tangle in his hair. His kiss was slow and deliberat