"Are we staying here!?" I asked, my voice tinged with excitement as we pulled up to a hotel nestled right on the beachfront. It had a quaint, rustic charm to it with beautiful wooden finishes. The sight of it made my heart race with excitement. I'd never been to the beach before."This is home for the next few days," Tyler confirmed with a smile as he parked the car.As we stepped out, I turned to Tyler, my eyes wide with wonder. "I've never been to the beach before," I confessed, my voice tinged with awe.Tyler looked at me, surprised. "Really? Never?"I shook my head. "Nope. Colorado is landlocked, remember? The closest thing we had was a lake."Tyler frowned slightly. "Didn't your family ever go on holidays to the beach?" he asked curiously."Yeah, they did," I replied, my voice softer and more uncertain now, "but I never went with them."Tyler's eyes softened, and he gave me a warm smile. "Well, I'm glad I get to be the one to share this experience with you."Tyler grabbed our bag
The hotel restaurant was cozy and inviting. Tyler and I sat at a table near a window, and the sound of the waves crashing outside drifted through the dining area. The menu was incredible, boasting local, seasonal ingredients. I was just hopeful that this wasn't one of those restaurants that served tiny portions. I was starving and needed a substantial meal.The atmosphere was intimate, with only a few other couples scattered about the room, quietly enjoying their meals. The low hum of conversation and the gentle clinking of cutlery created a soothing backdrop.As we waited for our food to arrive, my eyes lingered on Tyler as I contemplated asking him the question that had been burning inside me all day."What?" he asked, reading my mind."So... what happened to your face?" I ventured. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that my guess that it was from training is wrong."Tyler sighed, his gaze dropping to the table for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "Ryder and I... W
Tyler's grin widened as he took my hand, leading me back inside.Our room was warm and quiet, the space feeling private and comfortable.I watched with disappointment as he closed the door to the balcony behind us, but that was soon forgotten as he kissed me again, his lips hungry and needy.My fingers snaked up beneath his shirt, feeling the ripples of his chest against my fingers, his heart hammering away almost as violently as my own.I was nervous, but certain at the same time.He broke the kiss, his eyes watching me intently before he pulled his shirt up over his head. I followed suit, shedding mine as well before my fingers tugged at the button on my pants. I realized I was trembling slightly, my nervousness making itself apparent.I took a deep breath, determined to compose myself, trying again and this time managing to get the button and zip undone before I stripped my pants off, tossing them aside.When I looked up, Tyler had also shed his pants. We stood motionless in front
"I love you," I murmured, reaching out a lazy arm and resting it on his chest. "I love you too," he replied, wrapping his hand around mine before he brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to it.With a sigh, I closed my eyes, feeling wholly content.Outside, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore continued on, muffled now that the balcony door was closed.Tyler and I lay side by side on the bed, still trying to catch our breath and waiting for our heart rates to normalize to a more reasonable BPM.With great effort, I managed to roll onto my side and shuffle my way closer to him, craving his touch... The feel of his skin against mine. Those waves of warmth and comfort that he seemed to exude.He moved to accommodate me, shifting his arm to a more comfortable position beneath my head as he cradled me like I was the most important thing in his world.We said nothing and the room was silent aside from the sounds of the sea. Words felt unnecessary.His fingers raked through m
The morning sun streamed through the sliding glass door, its golden rays illuminating the room with warmth. I roused slowly, my body reluctantly waking from the deep, restful sleep I hadn't expected to get.I reached out blindly, searching for Tyler's warm body, but my hand met only cold sheets."Tyler?" I mumbled groggily, opening one sleepy eye to scan the room for him.He poked his head out from the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. "Morning, beautiful," he said around the toothbrush. "Did you sleep okay?"I yawned and stretched my limbs, feeling a satisfying click in my back. "Eventually," I replied, offering him a sleepy smile.He looked at me sympathetically, probably suspecting what had kept me awake.As he disappeared back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth, I curled up on the bed, pulling the covers back over myself as I faced the glass door that overlooked the sea.The view truly was breathtaking. The water seemed to stretch on forever, meeting the
I hesitated, knowing this was the moment I'd been waiting for. My organic opportunity to open up and tell him a little more about my home life. I hadn't expected it to present itself so quickly and was a little annoyed as a result."No," I began slowly. "I would have loved to have gone, but I was never included. When I was younger, they would send me to these shitty camps while they were away. As I got older, I started insisting they just let me stay home because the camps were so terrible. Of course, in my later years, that's when Jenna and I would get up to the most mischief," I recalled with a nostalgic smile.Tyler's eyes opened as he regarded me with a frown. "So, what? Did your parents just dump you and your sister at these camps and then head off on their own little amazing holiday?" he asked, clearly unimpressed at the thought."No," I replied, trying to sound casual. "My sister went with them. It was only me who stayed behind," I explained.He looked confused."We didn't get
(Ryder’s POV)The silence in the house was deafening. Tyler and Katelyn had left on their trip, and all I could think about was how badly I needed to see her, to try and make things right again. The emptiness gnawed at me, a constant reminder of the mess I had created.Earlier that morning, I had gone to the therapist my mom had recommended. I hated the idea of seeing a therapist, but I couldn't think of any other way to show Katelyn that I was serious about changing.Surprisingly, even though it was just the first session, I felt like there was some progress. The therapist, Dr. Henderson, had a way of making me feel understood, and I started to see why people might recommend therapy. It was a step in the right direction, a step toward becoming the person Katelyn deserved.I sat behind my desk with my headphones on, just blankly staring at the screen while my mind ran the same laps over and over as I asked myself why I'd been so determined to hurt her. Suddenly Ash walked into the stu
(Katelyn’s POV)The days with Tyler had flown by, filled with sunshine and laughter. We’d spent most of our time lounging on the beach, wading in the waves, and at night, we would watch the stars from our balcony. We indulged in a romantic and relaxing couples massage on one day, and then on another, we took a trip to the nearby farmers market with the hotel's sous chef where we explored the vibrant stalls and even got a chance to taste some of the fresh, local produce.Now, on our last night at the hotel, I finally had the chance to soak in the bathtub I’d been eyeing out since we'd arrived. I ran the water adding a generous amount of bubble bath, and lit myself a candle that smelled like cinnamon buns.I was so ready for the warm relaxing embrace of the water and couldn't think of a better way to round off our trip.The golden glow from the candle flickered against the tiled walls, while the scent of warm cinnamon buns wafted through the air. The room felt like my own private spa an
(Katelyn's POV)The cab pulled up outside a weathered, ivy-clad building on a quiet street in New Haven, Connecticut. From the outside, it looked like an old academic institute. Just the type of place someone might come to pore over dusty manuscripts or discuss obscure theories with professors who wore tweed jackets. But I knew better.This was The Council’s headquarters, masquerading as the “Institute for Cultural Anthropology” to the human world. I'd heard about it, but I never thought I would actually get to see it in the flesh.My stomach churned as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. The air was crisp, carrying a hint of autumn even though it wasn’t quite the season yet.Behind me, Tyler and Ryder followed closely, their postures tense and alert, flanking me like a pair of protective bodyguards. It was an odd comfort, knowing I wasn’t walking into this alone. But the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on me like a lead blanket.“Looks normal enough,” Ryder muttered, eyeing the st
(Katelyn's POV)"You're okay," Tyler whispered over and over again, but I wasn't sure whether he was talking to me or to himself.“What the fuck was that, Kate?!” Ryder's voice demanded.I shook my head, against Tyler's chest, still trying to come to terms with where I was and what was going on here."I... I just..." I tried to reply, but my voice was weak and hoarse.Tyler kissed the top of my head, his own breathing uneven as he gently stroked my hair, still holding me against him in a death grip. "Sshhh... Sshhh..." he hushed me, shaking his head as he rocked me back and forth."Never again. Never a-fucking-gain. Okay? You're never doing that again, Katelyn," Ryder's voice was sharp and firm, leaving no room for argument or debate. "Never again..." he repeated, sounding more exhausted now.It took a few minutes for me to regain my bearings as Tyler continued to whisper soft reassurances in my ear, rocking me back and forth against his chest like a child.I heard the sound of footst
(Katelyn's POV)The airplane’s engines droned softly as I stared out the window, the world below reduced to quilted patches of green and brown earth divided by winding roads.New Haven, Connecticut... The Council Headquarters. We were still a few hours away, but the gravity of what awaited me felt like a noose around my neck.I adjusted my seatbelt for what felt like the hundredth time and closed my eyes, leaning back into my seat and letting my thoughts drift back over the last two days at home. The two days I’d spent trying, and failing, to harness my telekinesis. The two days that had left me feeling more exhausted, more frustrated, and more anxious than before.I’d wanted so badly to figure it all out before I faced The Council. I’d tried everything I could think of. At first, I tried to recreate the conditions of those emotional surges, thinking maybe I could trick my mind into somehow flipping that internal switch. I thought about arguments. About fear. About sadness. But nothin
(Katelyn's POV)The next day started off like any other, but with the new weight and responsibility of pregnancy pressing down on me. I'd made a call to Dr Connors's offices to try and get a better idea of how far along I was and we managed to gauge that I was about three weeks in. She said they would be able to confirm by checking measurements and all that stuff at my first scan, but for now, I was three weeks in. Three out of forty. It somehow felt like too much and not enough at the same time.Shortly after the call, Alpha David's voice called from upstairs. My blood went cold and the twins and I exchanged worried glances."Jesus, do you think he overheard that?" I asked, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.Tyler shook his head. "I doubt it..." but still, he looked as concerned as I felt.The fact that David had bothered to call us upstairs personally, rather than sending Tyler a message like he usually did, didn’t escape me. This time, he’d taken the effort to personally
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder's hand lingered on my stomach for a moment, but then he sighed and dropped it."So... What do we do now? I mean, I guess this thing is happening. Do we have to start picking names and shit?" he asked, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.I shook my head. "I don't really know. Can't say this has ever happened to me before. I don't even know how far along I am... I kinda freaked out and left the doctor's office before she got to tell me..." I admitted."Well, you should probably find out," Tyler suggested, slipping his hand into mine and giving it a squeeze. "A timeline might be helpful here."I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll try get hold of the doctor's office tomorrow to see if she can give me more details. She said something about an OBGYN. I think she gave me a referral or something. Maybe Jen knows more of the details. My brain was all over the place," I explained, feeling a little stupid for not paying more attention to something so fucking
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder fell into silence, not finishing his thought as his jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists.Tyler’s hand rested reassuringly on mine, his presence a steadying force, but Ryder’s tense silence was killing me. He looked like a caged animal, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.“I…” Ryder started, but his voice faltered. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as frustration flashed across his face. “How am I supposed to do this?!” he suddenly blurted, his voice sharp and rising with each word. “For fuck’s sake! I’ve just agreed to take on the role of Alpha! Now I need to play dad too?! When is it going to stop?! When is it going to be enough?!”He stood up again and began pacing, his movements erratic and tense. “I can’t! I can’t do all of this at the same time! It’s too much! How the fuck am I supposed to deal with this?!”His words hit me like a slap, leaving me momentarily stunned. The fear and uncertainty I had been feeling all day were
(Katelyn's POV)The drive home had felt too short. Jenna and I had spent lunch talking in circles, and I knew she was just trying to distract me, to lighten the load, but there was no amount of banter or brainstorming that could make this easier.When she’d suggested checking out some stores for the twins’ birthday gifts, I’d briefly considered it, but ultimately, I'd ended up saying no. I was way too distracted to focus and it felt like it would be a total waste of time. So, instead, she called the Uber, and we headed home.The drive was quiet, my thoughts too loud to leave room for conversation. All I could think about the entire way was what I was going to say, rehearsing it in my mind and trying to come up with the right words, but I guess there are only so many ways you can say, 'I'm pregnant', right?When the Uber pulled up outside the house, Jenna gave me a tight hug. “You’ll be fine,” she murmured, her hands gripping my shoulders as she looked me in the eye. “You’re going to t
(Katelyn's POV)"You can tell them the truth, babe," Jenna said with a reassuring smile. "I mean, that's what I'd recommend.""What if... What if I can't do this? What if... What if I don't want this life?" I whispered softly, ashamed to be saying the words out loud.Jenna squeezed my hand. "Well, that's something you need to think about. It's not a decision to make on a whim. But if that's what you decide, I'll be there for you every step of the way. I'll hold your hand in the appointment and tell you that everything is going to be okay. I would never let you do this on your own, okay? Never," she assured me, looking into my eyes with a fierceness that told me she wasn't kidding."Do you want to think it over for a while before you talk to the twins about it?" she suggested, her hand still clutching mine across the table.I shook my head. "No. I can't keep this from them. Even if I wanted to, I know I wouldn't be able to.""Babe, I'm sure they're going to be super supportive," she ins
(Katelyn's POV)The words echoed in my ears, bouncing around my skull but refusing to settle into anything coherent.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as tears began to well up in my eyes. “I can't... That can't... This wasn’t...” but the words evaporated into thin air as I tried to reason this out.Dr Connors watched me carefully. “I know this might be a lot to take in,” she said, keeping her tone professional but supportive. “But you have options, Katelyn. You don’t need to make any decisions right now. Perhaps you should just take some time to process this.”“Options?” I repeated numbly, the word tasting foreign on my tongue.Her meaning was clear, but I couldn’t focus on it. I couldn’t focus on anything. The tears spilled over, sliding down my cheeks as my chest heaved with quiet sobs.Jenna was at my side instantly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “It’s okay, babe,” she murmured. “We’ll figure this out, okay? You’re not alone in this. I'm here with you.”I couldn’t even bri