Emily’s POVI stumbled up the porch steps, exhausted from the night’s events. The door to my house loomed in front of me, but instead of going inside, I dropped onto the steps, my back resting against the wooden railing. The cool evening air felt heavy, weighing me down as I tried to collect my thoughts.The Frost family dinner had been... intense, as always. Between Lila’s infectious energy, the endless banter, and Ethan’s constant presence, I was emotionally spent. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I hesitated before fishing it out, bracing myself for another work email or Mera’s antics. But it wasn’t either of those.It was a message from Reuben.My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t spoken to him in weeks—not since I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with him. What could he possibly want now?Curiosity and unease battled within me as I opened the message. The screen lit up with a video.The Frost Mansion’s familiar hallway filled the screen, dimly lit but unmistakable. The camera s
Reuben’s POVI leaned back in my chair, letting the soft glow of the desk lamp cast long shadows across the room. The air smelled faintly of old wood and leather, the familiar scent grounding me as I drummed my fingers on the armrest. My phone buzzed on the table beside me, the name flashing across the screen bringing a slow, satisfied smile to my lips.“Miriam,” I answered smoothly, my voice low and calm.“It’s done,” she said without preamble, her voice clipped and professional. Miriam was always efficient, and that’s why I trusted her with this delicate task.“Tell me everything,” I said, leaning forward now, my focus sharpening.She hesitated for a moment, the faint sound of the car’s engine humming in the background. “The timing was perfect. Lila was busy, probably chasing after one of her endless whims. Luna Joan didn’t suspect a thing. Honestly, I’m not sure she even noticed I was there.”I chuckled, the sound dark and full of amusement. “And Ronan?”“He left early, just like y
Emily’s POVThe moment my phone rang, my heart skipped a beat. The house was too quiet, and the unease in my chest grew with every passing second as I fumbled to answer the call. My voice trembled as I spoke. “Lila?”“Hey, Emily,” she answered brightly, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside me.“How are the babies?” I asked, skipping pleasantries. My twins had just turned a year old, and any mention of them tugged at every maternal nerve in my body.“They’re fine,” she said casually. “They went to bed a while ago. The nanny took them back to their rooms since.”I closed my eyes, my stomach twisting. Something didn’t feel right. “Lila, can you go check on them for me? Right now?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the urgency was impossible to mask.There was a long pause on the other end. “Emily, seriously? They’re asleep—”“Just check, Lila!” My voice broke, and I blinked back the tears threatening to spill.“Okay, okay,” she muttered, clearly confused but willing to compl
Ethan’s POVThe second Emily mentioned Reuben’s name, a rage unlike anything I’d ever felt surged through me. That bastard. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly I thought it might crack. My jaw clenched so hard it hurt, but the pain didn’t matter. Reuben had crossed a line this time, and I swore he’d regret it. I cursed him under my breath, a litany of expletives rolling off my tongue, but none of them were enough to express the fury burning inside me.I glanced at Emily beside me. She sat curled up in the passenger seat, tears streaking her face as she clutched her arms around herself like they were the only thing keeping her together. My chest ached seeing her like this—broken, vulnerable, terrified. Reuben had stolen more than her kids tonight; he’d stolen her peace, and I wanted to rip him apart for it.“He’s not getting away with this,” I muttered, mostly to myself, but Emily heard me. She turned her head slightly, her red-rimmed eyes meeting mine. She didn’t say anythi
Emily's POVThe tension in the air was palpable. I could feel it crawling beneath my skin as I stood frozen in the foyer, staring at the stormy faces of Alpha Ronan and Caden. The sound of their footsteps echoed down the hallway, heavy with anger, and my pulse quickened in response.Lila stood at the center of it all, her eyes burning red, a reflection of the fury that seemed to pulse from her like an electric charge. I had seen her angry before, but this? This was different. The wolf within her was practically vibrating, her aura fierce and untamable, and I felt the pressure of it suffocating me."Where is he?" Lila’s voice cut through the air like a blade, her words laced with an edge so sharp I could almost feel the weight of them pressing against my chest.Caden, standing just behind her, was no better. His usually composed demeanor had shattered, and in its place was a feral intensity that made my heart skip a beat. He didn’t even try to hide it. The tension between him and Lila
Emily's POVThe house was silent after they left. The air still felt charged with the anger and urgency they carried. I should have felt relieved that they were taking action, but all I could do was stand there, my hands trembling as I tried to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes.My heart beat like a war drum in my chest, echoing in my ears as I took a few steps forward, glancing over my shoulder toward the closed door where Caden, Lila, and Ronan had disappeared moments ago. I knew they were headed for the basement.But something inside me tugged at me. The fear that had gripped me earlier had never fully faded. I couldn’t just stay behind and do nothing. It wasn’t in me to just sit by while they fought, while danger loomed so close. I wasn’t like them—I wasn’t a werewolf, I wasn’t part of their world in the way they were, but I still had a role to play, didn’t I?A soft voice broke through my thoughts.“Lila, stay here,” Caden said, his voice low but firm a
Emily’s POVI sat on the cold bathroom floor, my head resting against the sink as I tried to catch my breath. My stomach churned, and my whole body felt like it was spinning out of control. The feeling was all too familiar. The nausea, the dizziness, the waves of exhaustion—it was overwhelming. I could hear Lila’s voice faintly through the bathroom door, and then her footsteps, growing closer.When she entered the room, her face was taut with concern, her brow furrowed as she knelt in front of me. I could feel her gaze on me before she even spoke, her presence steady and familiar, like a pillar I could lean on.“Emily,” Lila said, her voice soft yet demanding. “Let me check your pulse.”I groaned, brushing my hair from my face, trying to push myself up but failing to find the strength to do so. “Lila, stop asking me weird questions. I’m fine,” I muttered, my words slurred as my mind struggled to focus.But she was insistent. She always was. She took my wrist gently in her hands, her f
Ethan’s POVI walked into the room, the weight of the conversation I was about to have pressing heavily on my shoulders. Caden was already standing by the large windows, his back to me, staring out at the vast expanse of land outside. His shoulders were tense, every line of his body wound tight with the strain of the situation.Alpha Ronan was seated at the large, oak table in the center of the room, his hands folded together, his posture regal and unyielding. I could feel the strength of his presence, even from across the room. It was that quiet authority that made him so imposing.I knew what I had to say. I just didn’t know if I had the courage to say it.As I moved further into the room, my mind raced. Emily. Lila. The pregnancy. The mess Reuben had created. The twins still out there, in danger, and I could see it all unraveling faster than any of us were prepared for.I cleared my throat before I spoke, breaking the thick silence that seemed to hang in the air. “Alpha Ronan,” I s
Emily The moment Ethan and Caden stepped back into the room, I could feel the shift in the air. My heart stuttered for a second as I took in the sight of my husband, his expression softer but still lined with the weight of everything that had just happened. Caden, on the other hand, looked like a man who just put out a fire, calm and assured. He caught Lila’s eye and gave her a subtle nod, a silent message passing between them.Lila turned to me and smiled. “Emily, Caden and I need to grab some groceries. We’ll pick up the kids on our way back.”I knew exactly what she was doing. She was giving us privacy, a chance to talk. A warm appreciation swelled in my chest, and I nodded, smiling back at her. “Thank you.”She waved me off as she grabbed her purse, and with a final knowing glance, she and Caden stepped out of the house, leaving Ethan and me alone.The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncertain. Ethan shifted his weight, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. I stayed
EthanI slammed my fists into the steering wheel, the sharp sting running up my arms doing little to curb the frustration boiling inside me. I shouldn’t have let my temper get the best of me. I shouldn’t have snapped at Emily. But goddamn it, everything is falling apart, and I feel like I’m drowning with no way to get my head above water.I wasn’t supposed to make mistakes. I was supposed to take care of her, protect her, build a future where she’d never have to worry. Instead, I got swindled like a fool.Reuben. That bastard. He’d played me like a puppet, and I had danced to his tune, convinced that the deal would put us ahead. My financial advisor had warned me.“Ethan, this is too risky,” He said, but I had been arrogant, thinking I could handle it. Reuben must have been laughing behind my back, knowing full well what he was doing. And now? Now I was standing in the ruins of that stupidity, watching everything I worked for crumble.I rear back and punch the dashboard again.
Emily I knew something was wrong with Ethan before he even opened his mouth. The way his shoulders tensed when he thought no one was looking, the dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights he never spoke about, the way he ran his hand through his hair when he thought too hard about something these were the little signs that only someone who truly knew him could catch.And I knew him. Knew him well enough to understand that he was keeping a secret. A big one.Lila and I stepped back into the living room, balancing the glasses of pineapple juice in our hands. I handed Ethan his glass, offering a soft smile. “Here you go, love.”He accepted it without looking at me. “Thanks.”Lila, ever the smooth one, slid onto the couch beside Caden and passed him his drink, shooting me a quick glance, almost as if to ask, Are you ready for this?I wasn’t. But I had no choice.I cleared my throat. “Ethan.”He sipped his juice. “Yeah?”I hesitated for a moment, gathering my thoughts, and then
LilaThe mood in the living room had shifted. The tension was palpable, as though the walls themselves were closing in on us. Ethan was unusually quiet, staring into his drink as if it held the answers to questions he wasn’t ready to ask, let alone answer. Caden and I exchanged looks, but neither of us dared to speak up. It had been a while since we’d all been together, and I could sense the heaviness that hung in the air, especially around Ethan.But it wasn’t until I caught Emily’s face, suddenly drained of color, that I felt a shiver of unease. She had been laughing just a minute ago, her usual lighthearted self, but now she sat there, a shadow of herself, her eyes flickering nervously. She was hiding something. I knew her too well.I didn’t want to push her in front of everyone, but I also couldn’t let it slide. I stood up, my feet carrying me toward her. "Emily," I called gently, "You good?"She froze for a moment, then forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yeah,
EmilyTen years had passed and for two weeks now the rain had not let up. It was as if the clouds themselves were mourning, drenching everything in their sorrow. The funeral was anything but ordinary. Reuben had taken his own life, leaving behind a legacy as dark as the storm above. Pack traditions dictated that the body should be cremated, the ashes scattered to allow the soul to roam free. But for me, it wasn’t so simple. I’d known Reuben, and although his narcissistic and manipulative lifestyle had led to us going our separate ways and ultimately his sentence to the prison, I could not deny that I had once loved him and that he was also Ethan’s relative. “Ethan,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the howling winds, “Are you sure about this?”He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes fixed on the freshly dug grave. His jaw clenched, his brow furrowed. I could tell he was fighting with himself—struggling with a decision that felt so wrong but so necessary. Finally, he turne
Emily's POV Two years had passed since that life-changing day when everything seemed to fall into place. I stood at the kitchen counter, gazing out the window at the garden beyond. The sun was shining, a golden light spilling across the earth, painting everything in soft hues of warmth. The twins were playing outside, laughing as they chased each other around, their tiny feet kicking up little clouds of dust. Joan's son, almost two years old, was toddling along beside them, his innocent grin lighting up his entire face as he followed the twins’ every move. Lila’s baby, just a year old, was content in her arms, the tiny bundle snuggled against her chest, peacefully asleep.And then there was mine. My son. Our son. He had just turned one, and his bright eyes followed the others, his small hands reaching out to touch the world around him. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him, my heart swelling with a love that felt boundless. He was the perfect combination of Ethan and me, with
Emily’s POVThe morning was crisp, the air just chilly enough to make me wish I had a scarf but not so cold that it drove me inside. I had grabbed my camera before heading out, planning on capturing the beauty of the city and the world around me for my blog. It wasn’t the most glamorous job, but I loved it—those quiet moments, the things most people overlooked, caught forever through the lens of my camera. I had started blogging as a way to reclaim some of my life after everything that had happened with Reuben, and over the past two months, it had been an escape. But now, it felt like something more—a way to share what I had found in the quiet spaces between moments, my own healing journey.I’d never been much of a morning person, but I had to admit, there was something beautiful about the way the world woke up. The soft golden hue of the rising sun filtering through the trees, the chirping of the birds, and the occasional rustle of leaves as a gentle breeze blew through the streets.
Ethan’s POVThe tension in the air was thick with the weight of what had just transpired. My wolf, still surging with adrenaline, felt like it was still in the thick of the fight, the echo of my claws scraping against Reuben’s skin. But the battle was over. Reuben had been captured, and now all that remained was to ensure that the twins were safe and that justice was done.I couldn’t help but glance over at the twins as I carried them, still unconscious but alive—thank the gods. The small bodies of the children felt impossibly light in my arms, but the fear gnawing at me wasn’t going away anytime soon. I could already imagine the damage done to them—mentally and physically. The kind of trauma they would have to overcome.As I moved through the woods, my thoughts kept drifting back to Emily. Her tear-streaked face haunted me. She’d been through too much—more than anyone should have to endure. I hated that Reuben had forced her to go through all this, but at least, for now, we had saved
Ethan’s POVThe forest was eerily quiet, the air thick with tension. My pulse pounded in my ears as I led the way through the thick trees. Every step felt heavier than the last, each footfall a reminder of what we were about to face. The twins were close. Too close. I could almost taste the fear in the air, the bitter tang of it sinking into my chest.The plan had been simple: get in, get them out, and deal with whatever came next. But there was no plan for what was about to happen. The forest was quiet now, too quiet, like the calm before a storm, and I could feel it deep in my bones.As we moved deeper, I could sense them—Reuben and his men—waiting. Their presence, looming in the shadows, thickened the air. The anger was palpable, like a storm cloud ready to burst. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew one thing for sure: we were walking into a confrontation that could change everything.When we finally reached the clearing, there they were. Reuben stood at the edge of the trees,