(Katelyn's POV)A familiar voice whispered my name, pulling me gently from sleep."Kate..."I barely stirred, the word slipping through the haze of my exhausted mind. I had slept so hard that I could barely remember lying down on the bed, let alone falling asleep. It was as if I had been swallowed by the darkness, and now I was clawing my way back to consciousness."Kate," the voice came again, soft but insistent.This time, I managed to crack one bleary eye open. The room was warmer now, the stale air heavy after hours of sleep. Through the thin, shitty, motel curtains, a soft orange glow seeped into the room.Tyler was sitting beside me on the bed, his fingers gently combing through my tangled hair."It's time to go," he said, his voice gentle and patient as he gave me a reassuring smile.I wanted to smile back, but instead I groaned, the weight of sleep still pressing down on me."I'm still tired," I mumbled, my voice thick and croaky.Tyler chuckled softly. "I know, but we need to
(Katelyn's POV)The steady rhythm of the tires on the asphalt was almost hypnotic as the afternoon sunlight cast a warm glow through the windows.I leaned into Ryder, his arm wrapped loosely around my shoulders, his thumb tracing slow, absentminded circles on my upper arm. Every now and then, I’d feel him adjust slightly in his seat, and I could tell he was fighting off sleep.The soft glow outside was beginning to fade, the daylight slowly turning to twilight.“How did it go with your mom?” I asked, turning my attention to Jenna as I remembered that that was the last conversation we had had before I had climbed into the shower with Ryder.Jenna shifted in her seat, turning her head slightly to glance back at me. The sunlight caught her face, and I could see the mixture of relief and sadness in her eyes as she processed the question.“It was… hard,” she admitted softly, her voice filled with emotion. “She cried a lot. She wants to quit working for Harlan’s family, which I get, but I c
(Katelyn's POV)Jenna’s question hung in the air, thick with curiosity and concern. Her eyes searched mine, waiting for an explanation that I wasn’t sure I could provide.I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everyone's gazes on me. That's right, EVERYONE... Jenna’s from the front seat, Ryder’s just beside me, and even Tyler, who glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and the road.I knew I had to say something, but what?“It wasn’t a vision like the others I've had before,” I started, my voice low as I tried to put the experience into words. “It wasn’t the past, and it didn't seem to be the future... I... I was experiencing it in first person... which... which isn't usual,” I explained, my gaze focused on the darkness outside while I tried to make sense of the strange experience.Jenna raised her eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. Even though a general weariness still hung over everyone in the truck, there was an alertness that now seemed
(Katelyn's POV)Tyler climbed out of the truck, stretching his arms and legs as he walked around the front of the vehicle. I watched him, taking in the fatigue that had been etched into his features. This whole experience had definitely taken its toll on him.Ryder headed towards him, also stopping to stretch his arms and legs before Tyler handed him the keys."You sure you're good?" I heard Tyler's muffled voice carrying from the front of the truck.Ryder nodded. "Better than you, at least," his muted response came. As Tyler climbed into the back next to me, his hand brushed against mine and a small, tired smile tugged at his lips. “You should sleep,” he whispered, his voice low and comforting.I nodded, leaning into him. "Trust me, I want to," I replied, sounding exasperated and exhausted. "Got a lot on your mind?" he asked gently.I sighed and nodded, resting my head against his shoulder.He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in close as he relaxe
(Katelyn's POV)The warm water from the shower ran over me, dousing me in calm tranquility. It washed away the grime from the journey and the weight of everything that had happened over the last few days. The shower I had shared with Ryder hadn't fulfilled the same need. Though, you could definitely argue that it fulfilled other needs...As I washed my hair and felt the knots in my hair beginning to untangle, I could feel myself becoming lighter, more like my usual self.After drying off, I threw on some clothes, just an oversized t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, then I joined Jenna in my room. I'd let her shower first and now she was sprawled out on my bed, wearing my clothes and looking more like the Jenna I knew and loved.“At least your bed doesn’t smell like fast food and sweaty motel sheets,” she sighed in relief, her voice muffled as she buried her face into one of the pillows.I chuckled softly, sitting down at the edge of the bed while I towel-dried my hair.“Glad to kno
(Katelyn's POV)Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting soft beams of light across the bed. I opened my eyes slowly, relieved to see my familiar surroundings as I stretched and yawned.The room was quiet aside from Jenna’s soft breathing beside me. As I looked over at her I couldn't help but smile. It felt like we were just having a sleepover, like we used to when we were still in high school.I fumbled for my phone on the bedside table and saw that it was 11:15. Almost time for us to head to The Fortress.With another yawn, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Jenna. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, letting out a soft sigh as she snuggled deeper into the pillows.“Lucky cow,” I mumbled under my breath with a smile as I grabbed a hoodie from the chair and slipped it on.I padded quietly across the floor and out into the hallway, wondering where Ryder and Tyler were. They hadn’t mentioned how we were getting to The Fortress. We all kind of just parted ways to do our
(Katelyn's POV)Alpha David's voice cut through the heavy silence as we took our seats around the table. The familiar tension of The Fortress weighed down on me, but today it felt even more oppressive than usual. The air in the room was thick, anticipation hanging in every breath as we waited for David to speak.“First things first, I’m glad you’re all back safe,” David began, his tone still serious. “But we can’t pretend this is over. Things have happened while you've all been gone.”He certainly didn’t waste any time...“In fact, just before this meeting I was contacted by The Elders,” he continued, looking to Tyler and Ryder. “They received communication from the Aspenwood Pack. They’re claiming we acted unlawfully in Colorado.”The words hit like a sledgehammer, and the tension in the room spiked instantly. I looked to Tyler and Ryder, both of them sitting stiffly in their seats as they listened to what Alpha David had to say.“What do you mean ‘unlawfully’?” Ryder muttered, his j
(Katelyn's POV)“You can’t expect me to sit here and do nothing!” Ryder snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously.“I’m not asking you to do nothing,” Tyler said, his voice calmer now but still tense. “I’m asking you to listen to me and to consider all the facts before we get ourselves into even more trouble.”Ryder opened his mouth to argue, but Alpha David cut in before he could.“That’s enough, both of you,” David said firmly, his voice commanding as he drew the attention of everyone in the room. “We’re not making any rash decisions right now. You did what you had to do to get Kate back. Now she's back and she's safe and we should let The Elders handle the rest. At this point, we can still argue that you were acting to protect your mate. If you go out there to hunt down Harlan or any of his accomplices in all of this, that looks like vengeance and there's no way to defend that.”The room fell into an uneasy silence, Ryder’s frustration still palpable as he glared at the table, his bod
I adjusted my grip on the tiny, squirming bundle in my arms and smiled as a chorus of laughter echoed through the Valentine house."Could you hold her for a sec?" I asked Ryder, shifting Ava into a more comfortable position. "I forgot my phone downstairs.""Absolutely," he replied, his face lighting up as he took her from me.I had to admit, Ryder had surprised me. I’d always known Tyler would step up to fatherhood like it was his destiny, but Ryder… I thought he might need a little more coaxing along the way.To my relief, and, I'll be honest, surprise, that hadn’t been the case at all.Ryder had embraced fatherhood like a natural. Late-night feeds? He was right there with me. Diapers? No problem. Making sure I ate? He was relentless. And the way he loved our daughter, with every fiber of his being... God, it melted my heart daily.Tyler, on the other hand, was exactly the dad I’d known he’d be. He was steady, dependable, and endlessly patient. Where Ryder brought the energy and fun,
(Katelyn's POV)I nodded slowly, processing it all as I tried to picture it in my mind's eye."Oh! And get this!" Ryder piped up with an excited grin. "Michael, the guy you wrapped around the pillar? He's Simon's cousin!""What?! How do you know that?" I asked, confused.Tyler replied this time, "Well, when we were leaving, we bumped into Simon in one of those long, winding corridors. He started going off at us asking where we were going and if we had permission to leave, blah blah blah... But Helen shut him down. She told him that the decision had been made and instead of giving us a hard time he should probably go and check on his cousin because the last time she saw him, he didn't look so good.""You should have seen his face," Ryder smirked, chuckling to himself. "He just stood there for a moment, still blocking our path, but then I think something clicked in his head. He probably saw that we were all covered in blood and shit and realized that something was wrong and he practicall
(Katelyn's POV)The first thing I registered was the sound of hushed voices and the faint smell of lavender.My eyelids felt like they’d been superglued shut, but after what felt like an Olympic-level effort, I finally managed to pry them open.My vision swam, the room around me looking like a watercolor painting that someone had left out in the rain.Where was I? WHO was I? It felt like I had been asleep for a hundred years.I blinked repeatedly, willing my vision to focus, but when it finally did, nothing seemed familiar.It was dark, from what I could tell, and the only light was coming from a lamp somewhere on the other side of the room.I shifted onto my elbow, trying to sit up, but I instantly regretted it. Pain throbbed in my skull, my head spinning like I’d spent hours on some rotating carnival ride. A groan escaped me, and the low murmurs nearby stopped immediately.“Kate?” A voice cut through the haze... Familiar, warm, desperate.My gaze darted toward the sound, and there t
(Katelyn's POV)She was furious, but not with me. I could feel her... like a storm raging inside me, raw and untamed. I waited in the quiet shelter of my own mind, nothing more than an observer as I watched her wrath unfold. It was like witnessing a hurricane from the safety of a bunker, awe and terror warring inside me."We... We didn't know!" the iron-haired woman’s voice quivered, her arms raised defensively, as if they could shield her from the Goddess's divine fury."You didn't know?! You didn't know that you were exploiting them? Or you didn't know that I would care?" the Moon Goddes spoke through my lips, her words flowing like liquid thunder."I... We..." the woman stammered, her eyes darting around desperately, searching for someone, ANYONE, to come to her rescue. But no one did. No one dared to move. They were all frozen like statues in the face of the storm."You will—" the words spilled from my mouth, but I somehow managed to cut them off abruptly when I heard Tyler's angu
(Tyler's POV)"I don't know what to do," Kate whispered, her voice filled with helplessness as she looked up at me while I struggled against the attendants who held me in place."Let him go," she ordered, authority resonating through her voice in a way I'd never heard before.When they hesitated, she glanced toward the man she'd just sent flying through the air like a puppet as some kind of silent warning of her power.That seemed like enough for them to release me.The second I was free, I fell down beside her, desperate to stop the blood that was pouring from Ryder's neck. It was coming out so fast it was clear that they must have gotten an artery, the blood pulsating out of the wound in steady throbs."What do we do?" she whispered, looking to me for answers I didn't have.I reached out, holding my hand over hers in some futile attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was like trying to hold back a flood with a fucking paper towel.His neck was a mangled wreck. The flesh was torn open t
(Katelyn's POV)Tyler’s hand trembled as he held it in place over mine, trying desperately to stop the blood that continued to pulse out, albeit at a much slower pace now.His voice was a whisper and it wavered with desperation. "You’re going to be okay, Ryder. You hear me? Just hang on. Just—" he broke off, choking back a sob as his other hand found its way to Ryder’s blood-matted fur as he rubbed him affectionately.He looked at me, his face pale and his eyes swimming with tears that he tried uselessly to blink away.“Kate...” His voice cracked, barely audible above the rapid, shallow breaths of his brother. “The bleeding... it’s too much. He’s not healing fast enough.”His words struck me like a dagger to the chest. I'd thought it, but hearing him say it out loud made it real.“What are you saying?!” I cried, my voice raw and broken as I gripped Ryder’s limp paw, shaking it in hopes of some kind of reaction. My vision blurred as I let the tears spill down my cheeks. “Is he going to
(Katelyn's POV)Through a blur of tears, I found myself face to face with the broad-shouldered Elder, Michael."You're an abomination!" he snarled, his hands gripping my arms with a ferocity that promised bruises. "You're a curse! A witch! A temptress! Do you know how my family has suffered because of you?!" he spat as he shook me violently, his eyes filled with absolute rage."But... I..." I stammered, trying to form words into sentences, but my brain couldn't do it.All I could do was stare at him, still reeling from the fact that one second I had been kneeling beside Ryder, trying to help him, and the next, I was being violently shaken by a man who seemed to have gone full psycho."Katelyn?!" Tyler called out, realizing I was no longer at his side.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him struggling against about three or four attendants who tried to hold him back.Suddenly, pain shot through my cheek and the world around me fell into a darkness that seemed to ebb and flow like the t
(Katelyn's POV)For a moment, the entire room froze and my ears rang with the word exterminated."We're leaving," Tyler said, his voice low as he snatched me by the wrist and tugged me toward the door.The attendants remained though, none of them making any move to unblock our path. Instead, they all looked toward the iron-haired woman as if waiting for her to give them some instruction."Move," Tyler demanded sharply as Ryder appeared on my other side."We aren't finished here," the iron-haired woman called out as three more attendants appeared to block our exit."She wants to leave," Ryder replied, his voice filled with venom as he turned to address her."We aren't finished," she repeated, her voice cold and sharp as steel."I thought you said this was a hearing," I shot back, glaring at her. "Was there some line in the invitation about being held against my will? Because if there was, I must’ve missed that part," I spat, trying to hide my growing fear with sarcasm.The room fell si
(Katelyn's POV)The iron-haired woman watched me, her grip on her notes tightening once more. Her restraint was evident as she took a deep breath before finally replying. “You have already been told, Miss Grey, that this meeting is for us to ascertain—”I cut her off, my own patience now unraveling fast. “God, you can’t even give me a straight answer! What are the potential outcomes here?!” I demanded. "Even criminals on trial know what potential penalties they'll be facing! Why can't I be afforded the same courtesy?! Are you going to impose some kind of limitations on me and my abilities? Or do you plan to lock me in a prison cell? Or maybe a tower in the middle of nowhere? Are you going to kill me? Seriously, what options are on the table here?!" I pressed, annoyed by how fucking evasive she was being.It felt like they had already made up their minds here. While a few of them did seem to be on my side, it's clear that many of them were not. And those who sat on the fence would likel