(Ryder's POV)"These need to go," Kate whispered, her hand still caressing my throbbing member through my pants.I couldn't agree more, they felt like a fucking prison, but I had other plans."No, this needs to go," I replied, reaching down and tugging at the hem of her t-shirt.She sat up slightly as I pulled the shirt up over her head, tossing it aside carelessly as I kissed her.I held her body against mine, her skin soft and warm as she melted into me. My hands traced her curves, committing every inch of her to memory.Her body tensed as my hand wandered up her thigh, her anticipation building before she gasped against my lips as I trailed an eager finger between her folds.She was wet and hot and ready to take anything I had to give her, which only made me want her even more.Her arms were wrapped around my neck and her grip tightened as my fingers returned, this time sliding them into her depths. She moaned softly, her legs parting carelessly as she offered herself to me.I wante
(Katelyn's POV)Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting soft, golden patterns on the walls. I stirred, blinking slowly as my eyes adjusted to the light. The warmth against my back was familiar, as was the face that hovered only inches from my own.There was an arm draped loosely over my waist and another on my hip. I wasn't certain whose was whose at this point, not that it mattered. All that I knew was that it felt good here, sandwiched between their warm bodies.I didn't want to move. I didn't want to disturb the perfect moment, so I stayed still, listening to their rhythmic breathing while I just wallowed in the warmth that surrounded me.I could have stayed there all day, but, of course, reality had other plans for me.It had probably been only ten minutes when my phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand beside the bed, shattering the silence and eliciting a chorus of groans on either side of me.“Jesus,” Ryder grumbled from behind me, his voice rough with sleep.“So
(Katelyn's POV)I stared at the phone screen, Helen’s name glowing back at me like it was daring me to press the button. My finger hovered over “Call” for far longer than I cared to admit.Jesus Christ, just fucking do it, Kate! You're making this so much worse than it needs to be! I scolded myself.With a deep breath, I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. The dial tone stretched out endlessly before Helen’s familiar voice finally answered.“Katelyn. Thanks for calling,” she greeted warmly, but there was an underlying tension in her voice that made my chest tighten.“Hi, Helen,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual, even though my anxiety levels were well through the roof by this point. “You said I should call you?”“Yes,” she replied, her tone shifting to something more serious. “I... I wanted to give you a heads-up before anything official comes through. The Council has been deliberating, and… well, it’s looking more and more likely that they’re going to ask you to
(Katelyn's POV)Tyler had left the room to take a call from his dad about some pack stuff, leaving Ryder and me on our own.I was curled up on the sofa beside him, my mind still focused on my conversation with Helen as I wondered when they were going to call me in.One of Ryder's arms was wrapped around me, while his other hand held mine, his fingers gently stroking over my knuckles as they rested in my lap. Every now and again he would press a gentle kiss to my temple and whisper how much he loves me.I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it. I felt loved and appreciated and important, but at the same time, there was absolutely no denying that he seemed to be a lot more affectionate than usual and I began to wonder what was going on. I wasn't sure whether I should say something about it or just let it play out.Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me."Not that I'm complaining, but you seem to be in a very loving mood today," I murmured softly after he trailed another volley o
(Ryder's POV)Tyler had disappeared, a serious look on his face as he spoke to Dad on the phone. A strange feeling settled in my chest as I watched him walk out of the room, realizing that soon that was going to be me. I was going to have to stop whatever I was busy with to attend to pack business.The thought filled me with dread, but at the same time, it didn't feel wrong.Kate leaned into me, her head resting on my shoulder, her hair brushing softly against my neck as I held her close. My perfect distraction.Something was different today. I don't think it was her who was different though, I think it was me... I couldn't seem to get enough of her. From the moment I opened my eyes, I just wanted to touch her, to hold her, to have her close to me.My arm was wrapped around her waist, and her hand rested lightly in mine. My fingers traced absent patterns over her skin, movements I barely registered but couldn’t seem to stop.She felt… fragile. Not in the way a porcelain doll does, but
(Tyler's POV)I hung up the phone and stared down at the screen with a sigh. There was nothing too pressing going on. Just the usual, a couple of disputes and disagreements within the pack, updates on border checks, that kind of thing.But still... I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.The sound of the TV show in the living room filtered down the hallway as I headed back, trying to come up with some reason for Kate not to go.As I entered, everything appeared normal. She was snuggled up against Ryder, her head tucked under his chin while his arm was draped around her, holding her protectively. The sight should have been reassuring, but for some reason, it wasn't."Everything okay?" she asked, straightening up a little as she saw me lingering in the doorway.I nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah. All fine," I replied, but I wasn't sure that it really was.With another sigh, I took a seat on the armrest of the sofa, watching her as I tried to make sense of my feelings."What?" s
(Katelyn's POV)I'd say that the drive to Ash's house was quiet, but I'd be lying. None of us were talking, but Ryder had the music cranked up, so the car was filled with the sound of guttural growls and double bass drums that made me question how a human being could possibly move their feet so fast.I loved it, but it was clear that Tyler was not having the best time.Ryder's fingers tapped against the steering wheel in rhythm with the beat, while Tyler stared out the passenger window, his jaw tight like he was still trying to convince himself that this wasn’t a terrible idea.I didn't hold it against him. I knew his protectiveness was coming from a good place, and honestly, it was kind of sweet to know that he cared about me so much. But I also knew that if I didn’t draw some lines now, I’d never be able to go anywhere without one or both of them hovering over me like a couple of bodyguards.The truck rumbled to a stop outside Ash’s place and Ryder turned the music down. I spotted J
(Katelyn's POV)Jenna and I sat side by side in the waiting room, the quiet murmur of conversation and the occasional rustle of magazine pages filling the space around us. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and while it was familiar, it wasn't exactly comforting.Jenna leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other as she looked around the room with an uncomfortable expression. She shifted in her seat as if she couldn't get comfortable, then blurted out, "God, this place reminds me of my old job,” with a frown."Oh, right. Dr Miller's office," I replied with a knowing smile.She had hated that job. She hadn't been doing it for long when I had left Colorado, but even in that short time, she had complained about it bitterly.Apparently, Dr Miller had been a pain in the ass and Jen would always complain about the fact that she had to wear long sleeves because he didn't approve of her tattoos.“It was honestly awful. People yelling at you because their insurance d
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