(Katelyn's POV)Tyler and I were still laughing when Ryder walked back in, his face somewhere between amusement and discomfort. “So... uh... bad news,” he said, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward smile. “They’re in your room,” he said, fixing his gaze on me.I grimaced for a second, but then shrugged. I couldn't say it would be the first time Jenna had used my room for sex... At least this time it was with her mate. And honestly, I wasn’t about to interrupt them. I could always spend the night with one of the twins.“Of course they are,” I muttered with a sigh, shaking my head. Ryder sat back down on the couch, reclining into it with a deep sigh. He was still smiling, that lazy, content smile that seemed to have spread through the room.“I’m happy for them,” I whispered, my voice soft as I let myself reflect on what this might mean for Jenna. She’d been through so much shit with Nathan, and it was clear that after this little ordeal she wasn't completely over him. Ash wo
(Katelyn's POV)I leaned over Alpha David's shoulder, my eyes quickly skimming through the draft of the letter he had prepared for The Elders. While the words on the screen divulged most of the truth, the tone felt far more cryptic than I had envisioned. We had talked about being completely transparent with The Elders, but this letter seemed... careful. Like it was holding back, saying just enough without revealing too much.It wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t sit right with me either."Can I write them my own letter?" I asked, my voice coming out a bit louder than I had intended.David looked up at me, his brow furrowed in surprise. “What’s wrong with this one?” he asked, clearly caught off guard.I shook my head quickly, not wanting to offend him. “No, it’s not that. This is fine. But... there’s more I want to add.”Alpha David hesitated for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Before he could respond, Tyler spoke up from behind us, “Maybe that’s not the worst idea. It could so
(Katelyn's POV)"I'm done!" I called out after saving the document, leaning in closer to the screen, my eyes scanning over it once again for any missed errors.It was the third time I'd read through it, but I still felt the need to check it again. To be absolutely sure.Writing wasn't exactly my strongest skill, and I was torn between keeping it formal, because, well, it was a letter to The Elders, or making it more casual since it was, after all, my personal testimony. I’d ended up somewhere in the middle, though I wasn’t entirely sure that I'd hit the mark.I was happy. No, wait, happy probably wasn't the right word. I guess I was satisfied. This was likely as good as it was going to get for me. I felt like I'd exposed myself in a way that made me uncomfortable. I felt vulnerable. Like I was at their mercy. Suppose I kind of was...David and Ryder walked into the room. "Where's Tyler?" I asked, peering past them, waiting for him to appear."I sent him to get some rest. He’s practica
(Ryder's POV)Kate had fallen asleep beside me on the sofa, her breathing calm and steady.I meant what I had said earlier. No one was going to take her anywhere she didn’t want to go. She might have these crazy abilities, she might be tied to the Elysian Line in ways I couldn't fully understand, but she was still a person. Her own person. She deserved to have control over her life.Just because someone has the talent or the ability to do something doesn’t mean they’re obligated to follow that path. And just because she was born into something didn’t mean that has to be her entire future.If Kate wanted something else, she should be free to pursue whatever was going to make her happy.I looked down at her, resting against my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair, grateful to have her back. She looked so peaceful, so innocent in that moment. But there was so much weight resting on her shoulders. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. The Elysian Line, Harlan, The Elders... all these
(Katelyn’s POV)I woke slowly, feeling Ryder's warm body next to mine as my eyes fluttered open. I had missed this... I had missed just hanging out with him. I had missed his easy company.His arm was wrapped around me, holding me close, his breathing slow and steady, the gentle rise and fall of his chest making it clear he’d fallen asleep too. I lay there for a minute, savoring the comfort of being back. Being with him and with Tyler. I guess this was home and I had missed it and everything that went along with it.I glanced around the room, taking in the soft glow of the TV that cast flickering shadows on the walls. Ash and Jenna were sitting together on the other sofa, their heads close together as they watched some movie.It must have been late. The windows were dark and I saw a few stars twinkling in the night sky. The world outside felt still and quiet.I shifted slightly, trying not to wake Ryder as I snuggled closer to him, feeling so warm and content in his presence. After ev
(Katelyn’s POV)A hand shook my shoulder gently, and I opened my eyes to see Tyler leaning over me, his face hovering over me with a mixture of urgency and anxiety."Kate," he whispered, his voice low but insistent. "Wake up, we need to get upstairs. Dad says he needs to talk to you."I blinked my eyes, still groggy with sleep as I tried to piece together what was happening. It took a moment, but Tyler’s words slowly began to register and tension immediately began to set into my muscles.“Talk to me?” I echoed, pushing myself up on one elbow. “Do you think it's The Elders?” I asked, already having come to the conclusion in my own mind.“I don’t know... He just said he needs to talk to you as soon as you wake up,” Tyler replied, rubbing a hand through his hair, his expression tense. "I mean, maybe I should have let you sleep," he admitted, sounding a little sheepish now, "but it just felt like it was kinda urgent," he went on, guilt lacing his words."No, it's fine," I assured him, hav
(Katelyn’s POV)The kitchen felt too quiet, even with the faint hum of the refrigerator in the background.The three of us sat at the kitchen island, my hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee, trying to absorb some of its comfort. My mind was too restless for that though.Tyler and Ryder sat on either side of me, their faces tense as they each sipped at their own mugs. None of us had spoken much since the meeting with Alpha David, and the silence was becoming suffocating.I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen tomorrow, about the arrival of The Elders’ representatives and what that might mean for me. It felt like a dark cloud looming over everything, like an inescapable weight that pressed down on me.The uncertainty was the worst part. I didn’t know what they would want from me or what I’d be expected to do. But I had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, I probably wasn't going to look back on this situation with fond memories.“I don’t want them to take me awa
(Katelyn’s POV)The morning sun filtered through the kitchen windows, casting a warm glow across the room. We had finished cleaning up the broken mug, and the tension from the argument was still hanging in the air, unspoken but still heavy. I had so much on my mind... Things I needed to start dealing with if The Elders were coming tomorrow.Ryder leaned against the counter and sighed deeply while I watched him with wary eyes. I needed to talk to him, I'd been putting it off, but there just wasn't any more time.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Ryder?” I began hesitantly, my voice soft. He turned his gaze toward me, his brow furrowing slightly. “Yeah?” “Can we talk?” I asked, glancing over at Tyler, who had just cleared up the final fragments of the broken mug from the counter and thrown them into the trash. Ryder nodded, pushing himself away from the counter. “Sure,” he said, "You mean alone?" he asked, wanting clarity.I nodded, trying to swallow my nerves."U