MELISSA’S POV“Melissa, please just return to me… the boys are happy there, are they not? Can’t you just leave them there and come back to me, please? I need you.”“And my children don’t?! We talked about this before I left, Sam. there is no way in hell I am leaving my boys. How could you even bring this up again? Are you not ashamed of yourself? The boys adore you. How do you think they would feel if they found out that you are trying to get me to leave them all alone…?”"Don't twist my words, Melissa!" Sam’s voice was sharp now, his frustration spilling over. "I'm saying... there has to be a way for us to work this out. For us to be together again."I scoffed, feeling the tension coil tighter in my chest. "How? By me leaving them behind? How is that even an option, Sam? You knew from the start that they are my priority. They are everything to me.""I know that!" Sam shot back. "But I’m not asking for forever, just some time. We can bring them back later. It’s just… I need you here w
MELISSA’S POV"I love you, Melissa. I hope you love me enough to choose me."I stared at the words, my heart sinking deeper. How could he say that? How could he ask me to choose between him and my children? Between the life I had built with the boys and a future with him?I set the phone down, refusing to reply. Not now. Not when I was still reeling from our argument. I didn’t want to say something I couldn’t take back. I could feel the anger simmering just beneath the surface, mingled with a deep sense of hurt.How could he put me in such an impossible position? He had been there through so much—he knew my history, the boys' history. To think that he would ask me to leave them behind, even for a short while, felt like a betrayal. I didn’t care how scared or insecure he was feeling. The boys came first, always. And Sam knew that, or at least he should have.But even knowing that didn’t make the guilt disappear. I did love Sam. I had loved him for so long, and part of me had always env
MELISSA’S POV"Mom?" His voice was sleepy, barely a whisper."Hey, buddy," I said softly, smiling despite the heaviness in my chest. "What are you doing up so early?"He shrugged, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I had a weird dream."I knelt down to his level, brushing the hair out of his face. "Do you want to tell me about it?"Tyler shook his head, then hesitated. "It was just...I was looking for you, and I couldn’t find you anywhere."My heart clenched. It was just a dream, but the timing felt cruel, like the universe was mocking me. I hugged him tightly, hoping he couldn’t feel the turmoil inside me."I’m not going anywhere," I whispered into his hair. "I’m right here, okay?"He nodded, his small arms wrapping around me in return. After a few moments, he pulled back, looking up at me with those big, innocent eyes. "Are you okay, Mom?"I blinked, taken aback by the question. "Of course, sweetie. Why do you ask?""You just...seem sad sometimes," he said, his voice quiet
MELISSA’S POVI glanced back at the boys, who were watching the scene with wide eyes. “It’s fine, Knox. I’m good. Really. You didn’t have to come all this way.”“Melissa, come on,” he said, stepping forward slightly. “You’re already running late, and I can see you’re stressed. Let me help, alright?”His tone softened, and I felt the weight of exhaustion pulling me down again. I was tired—so damn tired of doing everything on my own. But letting him help? It didn’t feel right. It complicated things. Still, there was something in his eyes that made me hesitate.“Okay,” I said, almost reluctantly. “Let me just grab my bag.”I turned to the boys, trying to mask the unease Knox’s presence stirred in me. “You two behave while I’m gone. I mean it. Call if you need me.”“Will do, Mom,” Dylan said, giving me a look that was far too mature for his age. Tyler waved, already distracted by something on the TV.“Love you,” I said, giving them a smile, even though it felt forced. “I’ll be back soon.”
CHAPTER 48MELISSA’S POV"I can’t lose him, Melissa," he finally said, his voice cracking slightly, betraying the emotion he usually kept locked away. "I’ve already lost too much."Hearing that crack in his voice broke something in me. I wanted to reach out, to offer comfort, to promise that everything would be okay. But I knew better. Making promises in situations like this was dangerous, especially when I didn’t know the outcome myself."I’m doing everything I can," I said quietly. "I promise you that."Knox nodded but didn’t say anything else. The car pulled to a stop in front of the hospital, and for a moment, neither of us moved. I felt the urge to say something more, to bridge the growing chasm between us, but the words just wouldn’t come."I should get inside," I finally said, breaking the silence. "There’s a lot to do.""Right," Knox said, snapping back to the present. He cleared his throat, his mask of stoicism sliding back into place. "I’ll be waiting for your call."I nodde
ALPHA KNOX’S POV"Melissa."She turned, looking at me over her shoulder."Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "For trying. For everything."She nodded, closed the car’s door gently behind her and walked away towards the hospital’s entrance. I watched her go, our conversation on my mind.Her words reverberated in my mind: There’s a chance. I wouldn’t be working this hard if I didn’t think there was.The hope that I had in me for Michael’s recovery was like a double-edged sword.I knew that too well. Hope could lift you up, but when it fell apart, it shattered you into pieces that were impossible to put back together.Finally, after what felt like hours but was only minutes, I forced myself to turn the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life, but I still hesitated before putting the car in gear. What if I drove away and something happened? What if I left, and that small glimmer of hope slipped away while I wasn’t there? The thought of losing Michael was unbearab
ALPHA KNOX’S POV“Oh, Knox… " she trailed off as her friends bowed. I recognised them a little; I had seen them with Susie a couple of times prior to that moment. Susie and I had not seen each other for a while, not since the last attack on the pack that had left me injured and technically, I was still living at the hospital since I had not been discharged yet. It was then that I remembered that she had not even come to check on me at the hospital. She was the Luna of the pack and my wife and yet, she cared about nobody but herself… and maybe Michael. My mom’s words rang in my ear as I stared at Susie. Your wife, who hasn’t visited you in the entire week you’ve been admitted? Don’t pretend that her opinion on this matters, Knox. She’s never cared about the pack, or you, the way she should.“Susie. My office, now,” I declared before heading straight into the office, not even waiting for her reply.I slammed the door behind me as I entered my office, my mind racing. The sound echoed
“You don’t need me, Knox. You just need someone to stand next to you and play the part. Someone who’ll follow your lead and not ask questions. That’s all you’ve ever needed.”“Do you even care that I was injured?” I demanded, remembering how quickly Melissa had attended to me, trying to hide her concern when she had seen me injured.Susie’s eyes flicked to mine, sharp as daggers, but there was something else there—something guarded. She crossed her arms tighter across her chest, refusing to answer for a long, tense moment."Of course, I care,” she said, her voice quieter now, but still edged with irritation. "But let's not make this about you, Knox. You’re the Alpha. You’ve been injured before, and you’ll get hurt again. That’s just part of it. You don’t need me hovering around like some nursemaid.”I stared at her, disbelief surging through me. "It wasn’t about needing a damn nursemaid. I needed my wife, Susie. I was in that hospital for a week—seven days—and you didn’t come once. No