MELISSA’S POV“Melissa, wait,” Knox called after me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not tonight. Not when I felt like I was standing on the edge of something dangerous, something that could shatter everything if I let it.“I’ll take the other bedroom,” I said over my shoulder, my voice flat. “You can have the couch.”I heard him sigh, the sound heavy with frustration. “You don’t have to do that. The bed’s big enough for the both of us.”I stopped in my tracks, the thought of sharing a bed with Knox sending a jolt of panic through me. I whirled around to face him, my heart racing. “No. I’d rather sleep with the boys.”Knox’s brow furrowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Melissa, the boys are already asleep in the twin beds. There’s no room for you in there.”I opened my mouth to argue, but he was right. I had tucked Dylan and Tyler into those beds myself and watched as they fell asleep curled up under the covers, their little faces peaceful and unbothered by the chaos swirlin
KNOX’S POV“Goodnight, Knox.” Her voice echoed in my mind long after the door closed behind her. The way she said it—soft, final—it was as if she was shutting more than just the door between us. I stood there for a second, staring at the wood, feeling an odd sense of emptiness wash over me. I wasn’t sure why.I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and force myself to move. There was no use in standing here like an idiot, hoping she'd open the door again. I walked down the hall, the floorboards creaking under my weight, heading toward the laundry room. The cottage was quiet, too quiet, with only the faint hum of the wind outside.When I reached the laundry room, I flipped on the light, the old bulb buzzing to life above me. It was a small space, tucked away at the back of the house. There were a few shelves lined with towels and sheets, and an old wicker basket sat in the corner, half-filled with unfolded laundry. I grabbed a couple of blankets off the shelf and tossed them over
KNOX’S POVI crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe, watching them for a second. They were so caught up in whatever mischief they were concocting, they hadn’t even noticed me standing there.“What exactly are you two doing?” I asked, my voice low but firm.Their heads shot up in unison, eyes wide as they realized they’d been caught. Tyler quickly turned off the flashlight and tried to hide the book behind his back, but it was too late. Dylan’s cheeks flushed, but that mischievous grin was still plastered on his face.“Nothing,” Dylan said innocently, blinking up at me like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.“Nothing?” I arched an eyebrow, stepping further into the room. “So, you mean to tell me that all this giggling and whispering was just... nothing?”Tyler fidgeted, clearly feeling a bit more guilty than his brother. “We were just... uh... reading.”“Uh-huh.” I crouched down beside the bed, my eyes narrowing playfully. “Reading, huh? At this hour?”Dylan bit his lip, trying
MELISSA’S POVThe boys giggled quietly, their earlier promise to stay silent forgotten as they eagerly grabbed slices of pizza. For a few minutes, the kitchen was filled with the sound of them munching and slurping on the juice boxes I’d grabbed for them. I leaned back against the counter, watching them eat, feeling oddly content.But my mind couldn’t stay in the moment for long. It drifted back to Melissa, as it always did. The way she’d looked at me tonight—torn, conflicted, like she was fighting herself as much as she was fighting me.“Uncle Knox?” Dylan’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.“Hm?” I looked over at him, still chewing on his pizza but now eyeing me with curiosity.“You’re gonna stay, right?” His question was simple, but it hit me like a ton of bricks.Tyler glanced at his brother, then back at me, waiting for my answer. The air suddenly felt heavier, the weight of their question pressing down on me. I wondered why they were suddenly asking about that. Perhaps they o
KNOX’S POVDylan beamed at that, clearly satisfied with my answer. He lay back down, snuggling into his blanket with a yawn, his eyes fluttering as sleep began to claim him.For a moment, I just watched him, grateful for the simplicity in his world. A world where everything was black and white, where people like Melissa could fix anything and make the world right again. I envied him, in a way. Things were so much more complicated from where I stood.The room grew quiet again, the only sound the rhythmic breathing of the two boys. I stood from the rocking chair, careful not to make too much noise as I crept towards the door.But before I could leave, Dylan's voice stopped me again, small and soft. "Uncle Knox?"I turned back. "Yeah, buddy?""You’re not scared, right?" His voice was heavy with sleep but still laced with concern. "If Mom’s helping Michael, then he’s going to be okay. So you don’t have to be scared anymore."I felt something tighten in my chest. I hadn’t expected him to n
MELISSA’S POVThe sound was faint, but unmistakable—wood groaning under pressure, the kind of sound that made my senses sharpen. I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I instinctively scanned the treeline. The forest was thick, a web of shadows and sunlight that made it hard to distinguish anything clearly.I took a deep breath.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. My inner wolf stirred within me, always more perceptive than my human side, sensing something in the air that wasn’t quite right. But as I continued to listen, the forest remained still. Nothing else moved, no further sounds came, and the tension in my body slowly began to unravel.It was nothing. I told myself, exhaling a long, slow breath. Just the forest waking up.Still, my wolf whined softly, restless beneath my skin. She wasn’t convinced, and I could feel her pushing against the edges of my control, eager to be let out, to run, to stretch her legs after so long. I had been ignoring her needs for days,
MELISSA’S POVEmbarrassment flooded through me as I realized I was completely naked. I quickly pulled on my t-shirt and sweats, my cheeks burning as I felt Knox’s eyes on me. The entire situation felt surreal—one moment I was lost in the freedom of the forest, and the next, I was caught in a tussle with him.Once I was fully dressed, I turned to glare at him, still flustered. “You could’ve given me a heads-up, you know,” I muttered under my breath, crossing my arms over my chest as Knox shifted back into his human form. He stood before me, all muscles and stern expression, completely unbothered by his own nakedness.His dark hair was tousled, falling into his eyes, and his jaw was set in that familiar way that told me he wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “Melissa,” he growled, his voice low and filled with irritation. “What the hell were you thinking, coming out here alone?”I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off, his eyes narrowing in frustration. “You know the pack is under att
Once inside the cottage, the boys immediately bolted toward their toys scattered across the living room floor. Their chatter filled the air, but I could feel Knox’s presence looming behind me, his unspoken questions pressing down like a weight I wasn’t ready to carry.I busied myself with straightening up the kitchen, ignoring the heaviness between us. Knox lingered near the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, his eyes never leaving me. I knew he wouldn’t drop it, but I wasn’t in the mood to go through the emotional minefield that conversation would trigger.Finally, he broke the silence. “Melissa…”The ringing of a phone interrupted him. It appeared to be his. I watched as he ooked down at it and a muscle in his jaw ticked. He looked back up at me again, his gaze colicted. I held it, trying my beest to not show any sort of emotion.The moment hung heavy between us, the weight of his unfinished sentence thickening the already tense air. Knox’s phone vibrated in