LINC - I carried Lila to the west wing, her body soft and warm in my arms, her head resting against my chest. The day's pressure still clung to me, and having to come here to handle Cast's mess only worsened it. But with her here, everything started to fall away.I laid her down on the bed slowly. I was reluctant to break contact with her even for a second. I reached for my tie, ready to tear off the suit that had been suffocating me all day."Stop," she said, brushing my fingers away. "Let me."My hands fell to my sides as I obeyed. I needed this. I needed her to take control. She undid my tie, slipped it off, and tossed it to the floor. She unbuttoned my shirt slowly, grazing my skin as each button came undone, and it was all I could do to stay still, to keep from ripping the damn thing off myself.She could feel the stress I'd been carrying for days. How close I was to snapping. She leaned forward and kissed my chest, just above my heart. It was enough to make my knees buckle."Yo
CAST - I stayed frozen, back pressed against the cold wall, listening as the room beyond the door fell into a quiet lull. Their breathing softened, and the sounds that had torn me apart faded into the night. I should've left a long time ago, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I was too hollow and exhausted from fighting whatever war was happening inside me.They were together, complete, and I was here. Alone. As I always was.As I always would be.I pulled my knees tighter to my chest, resting my forehead on them, trying to breathe through the tightness in my throat. The dull ache in my chest had become unbearable, and I couldn't shake it off. I thought I'd gotten better at this. I thought I could handle it and be near them, knowing I wasn't part of it anymore. But I was wrong.I bit down hard on my lip to keep the sob from escaping.Then I broke.A quiet sob slipped from my throat, muffled into my knees as I lay on the cold floor. I couldn't stop it. Everything...the loneliness
LILA - I sat between them, Linc on one side and Cast on the other, in the council's meeting room. The council members sat across from us, a row of stern faces studying our every move, every word. It was like they were waiting for one of us to crack. And they were close to seeing it.Closer than I'd like to admit.Linc had just finished answering questions, defending every decision he made as leader of the Oxford pack. They dug into every detail of Astin's death, questioning his leadership, poking at his choice to send Selena to a human recovery center upstate. They seemed eager to find fault, but Linc stayed steady. He answered every question without hesitation, without a crack in his defense.The council's focus shifted. Cast wasn't nearly as composed.I looked over at him, his shoulders tight as they fired question after question about the state of his pack, his mother's removal, and the mess it had all become. I could feel the panic rolling off him as he struggled to answer. Ever
LILA - The drive to Oxford land felt like it stretched on forever. Every bump in the road sent sharp waves of pain shooting through me as the contractions came hard and fast. I tried to focus on breathing and staying calm, but it felt like my body was being torn apart. I kept drifting to Cast. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be with me for this.But he wasn't.I pressed my hand against my stomach, trying to hold back the panic. Linc's hand rested on my thigh as he drove, but I could feel his anxiety, too. He hadn't said much after Cast walked away, but I knew it was eating at him as much as tearing me apart."We're almost there," Linc said as we turned onto the dirt path that led to the Oxford estate.I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut as another contraction hit, this one worse than the last. My body felt like it was splitting in two. I bit down hard on my lip, trying not to scream. The pain was relentless, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take.The house came in
My body was no longer my own. It was consumed by the pressure, the tightening, the overwhelming need to push. Simultaneously, it felt like doing so might break me. “Breathe,” Linc whispered, his lips close to my ear. “You’re doing so well. I’m right here.” I leaned into him, my body trembling, fighting against the next wave of pain that was already building. Every nerve was on fire, every inch of me felt like it was splitting apart, but I held on to his words, his touch, his presence. He was so steady, so calm, even though I knew he had to be as scared as I was. He didn’t show it. He was here for me, all in, taking on every ounce of pain and fear with me. “I can’t do it,” I whispered, even though I knew it was too late for that. The baby was coming, and there was no stopping it. But I was terrified. Not of the pain, not of the birth, but of the fact that Cast wasn’t here. He should’ve been with me, should’ve been here for this moment, but he wasn’t. He’d walked away, and I couldn’
"What are you going to name him?" she asked. Linc smiled as he looked down at our son. "Caslin," he began."No," I cut him off. "His name is Declan Ford… Corrigan."Linc blinked, his eyes wide with surprise. "Declan? What happened to Caslin?"I sighed. "Cast should be here, but he isn't. He walked away. He doesn't deserve to have our son named after him."Linc stared at me. Understanding filled his eyes slowly, and he nodded. He leaned down and kissed my temple."Declan," he whispered. "Our son."Cast wasn't here.He should have been. He was supposed to be here for this moment, to see his son come into the world, to cut the cord and hold him for the first time. But he wasn't, and I didn't know if he ever would be."I'm sorry," I whispered, trembling as I held Declan tighter. "He should be here. Your Dad should be here."Linc didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer, pressing his chest against my back. "He'll regret it," he said softly, his lips brushing my te
LINC - Four days had passed since Declan was born. Four days of a quiet peace that had settled over our home. Everything felt different now. The house was filled with the new life we had brought into the world. And Lila... she was radiant. Watching her with our son and seeing how naturally she had taken to motherhood hit me like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was in awe of her. I was in awe of this tiny, perfect being she'd created.Declan slept in his bassinet beside the bed while Lila rested. I'd barely left their sides since the birth, only long enough to shower, eat, and take care of basic things around the house. I even convinced the judge to allow me to attend the case via Zoom for the first week. Luca handled everything and I kept the video on mute. Most of the time, I just sat with them, watching as Declan curled up against Lila's chest.The way she looked at him, held him, soothed him... It was magic. I didn't think I could ever love her more than I already did, but it gr
LINC - Cast's body sagged, his chest heaving as he lay there, defeated. I turned and walked away, not giving him another chance to speak. I couldn't. Not after everything. He didn't deserve it.I made my way back to the house. I couldn't let this get to me. Not now. Lila and Declan were inside, waiting for me, and I needed to be with them. I needed to make sure they were okay.I slipped inside, quietly making my way to the bathroom to clean up. My knuckles were bruised and bloody from the fight, but I washed them quickly, the cool water soothing the sting. I didn't have time to think about what had just happened. Lila couldn't know he was that messed up. Not now. Not after everything.Once I was cleaned up, I returned to the bedroom. Lila was still asleep, her body curled up on the bed, and Declan started to stir in his bassinet. I smiled, the anxiety from the fight melting away as I looked at them.They were all that mattered. I would protect them, even if it were from someone who
Gaia lunged at him. Ian didn't move. He braced himself, standing firm as her massive form slammed into him. The force of it sent a shockwave through the ground. He held his position, absorbing the impact, pushing her back with raw strength alone. His white fur bristled. Gaia struck again, snapping at his throat, but he dodged, twisting at the last second to drive her off balance. She hit the dirt hard, paws digging into the earth as she pushed herself back up in an instant. Her entire body shook, not from exhaustion but from pure, unchecked aggression. Ian snarled, lowering his stance, but he didn't strike back. He didn't need to. He was blocking her, stopping her, keeping her from finishing what she had started. Something shifted in Gaia. Her breaths came hard, her body still wound too tight, but the moment stretched longer, stretched too long. Then, finally, she stopped. Ian didn't move, waiting, making sure she was really done. I didn't wait. The second she hesitated, I forced
DECLAN -The trees blurred past as Gaia ran, powerful and sure beneath me. I gripped her fur tighter, not because I was afraid but because I had never felt anything like this. The wind cut sharp against my skin, my pulse pounded in my ears, and my body moved in sync with hers like we were built for this. Everything in me buzzed with adrenaline, with the rush of speed, the sheer force of her muscles coiling and flexing beneath me. Then I saw it. A shadow slipped between the trees, fast and silent, keeping pace with us. Suki. Not now. Not like this. I silently begged her to stay back, to leave this moment alone, to not push this any further than it had already gone. But she didn't. Her wolf stayed just on the edges of my vision, always there, always lingering, never letting me forget what was still tangled inside me. The pull. The connection that refused to break, no matter how much I willed it to disappear. Then Gaia saw her. Her muscles coiled. A ripple of tension passed through
DECLAN -I made it back to the house just as Gaia came tearing out the front door, furious. She was barely holding herself together. The second she saw me, she yanked her shirt over her head. My brain barely caught up. I froze as every muscle in my body seemed to ripple at once. I was still reeling from being near Suki. From the way she looked at me. From the way my body reacted even when my mind told me I belonged to Gaia. The confusion pulled me in opposite directions, turning every second into a battle. And now Gaia was storming toward me, tearing off her clothes, taking up every bit of space in my mind. "Damn, Gaia." I snapped my head to the side, forcing myself to look anywhere but at her. She stalked closer, bare feet kicking up dust. I frowned. Why the hell were her shoes off? She had stormed out of the house so fast that she hadn't even thought to put them on. That wasn't like her. She grabbed my chin and jerked my head forward. "We... werr 'dults. We... need to stop act
DECLAN - Suki stretched out on the rock beside me, legs extended, fingers tapping idly against the stone. She wasn't in a rush, and that only made everything worse for me."Why are you upset?"I stared at the dirt, exhaling hard. "You don't want to know.""Please. You rejected me. Nothing else you say can be worse than that."That shouldn't have hit as hard as it did. My hands tightened against my knees, but I kept my voice even. "Yeah... Sorry for that too."She shrugged like it didn't matter. "You did what you had to do. That doesn't mean I can't tease you about it."She smiled, not mean, not teasing, but something about it still made it impossible to ignore. I didn't push. Couldn't. Not right now.Some of the pressure in my shoulders eased. "You're handling it better than I thought.""What, did you expect me to run off crying?" She kicked a loose rock down the slope. "I don't do the whole helpless thing."I huffed. "I know. Takes a lot of strength to live out here on purpose all t
DECLAN - Mom knocked once before stepping inside, moving like she expected this to be a fight. Maybe she did. Maybe it was."Your dads worked out a deal with Jaed."I stayed where I was, back against the headboard, arms locked around Gaia. Keeping her here. Keeping her mine. "Doesn't matter. Nothing is changing."She did her best to ignore my attitude. "Gaia can still stay until her birthday."I scoffed. "You heard what I said. She was staying regardless of all the bullshit."Gaia sat up fast, then shoved off the bed completely. "Don't talk to your mother like that."Heat crawled up my spine fast. A burn that made my stomach wrench. Being called out pissed me off. Being called out by someone below me? Made my teeth ache.And I hated that I felt like that.Mom just watched, waiting. No reaction, no expression, no wasted effort. My breath felt thicker, slower, body bracing for something I wasn't even sure of. I forced my attention back to her instead of the fire sparking hot under my s
DECLAN - Jaed turned on his heel and stormed out, steps heavy enough to shake the floor. The door slammed hard enough to rattle the frame. Gaia moved fast, pushing out of the room after him without looking back. My body still burned, everything wound so tight I thought I might snap in half. There was no way in hell I was walking out there right now, not like this. I sat on the edge of the bed, planted my feet, and dragged both hands through my hair before forcing them down. If I kept doing that, it would only make everything worse. I needed to get it together. I needed to think about something else. Anything else. My breathing was too hard, too uneven. My pulse pounded in my ears. My entire body ached, my skin too hot, my blood thick and heavy. Every inch of me still screamed for her, for more, for everything I had been seconds away from having. I stared at the ceiling and tried to focus. No good. Every thought ran straight back to her. To the way she had felt pressed against m
DECLAN - By the end of the lesson, most of them had the alphabet down. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. More than that, it was proof that this was happening. That Gaia was becoming part of us, not just some outsider with no way to connect.As the room emptied out, I felt her before she even touched me. Gaia slid her arms around my waist from behind, pressing herself against my back."You're incredible," she signed against my chest, looking up at me.I swallowed. Hard. "Come on," I muttered, taking her hand and pulling her toward my room.The second the door shut behind us, she was on me. She dragged me down to meet her lips. I didn't hesitate. I kissed her hard, ignoring the dull ache still lingering in my ribs. My shoulder moved without protest, and most of the cuts had already faded into thin scars. I knew I should still be careful, but touching her made everything else disappear. The soreness, the exhaustion, the remnants of pain all vanished the second she was in my arms.S
I found Cast and Linc in the office, going over some pack reports. Linc leaned back in his chair while Cast was half-standing, flipping through pages with a scowl. They barely looked up when I walked in, but I didn't care. I had something to say, and they were going to listen."We're starting ASL classes," I said, crossing my arms. "Everyone is required to attend. That includes both of you."Linc's brow lifted slightly, and Cast set the papers down with an exasperated sigh. "You're giving us orders now?" Cast asked, folding his arms over his chest."Yes."They exchanged a look. Linc sighed first. "Declan, you don't get to just..."I cut him off. "I do. And I am. This should've happened the second we knew Gaia was deaf. Jaed made sure every single person in his pack knew how to communicate with her before they moved there. But here? We're still scribbling on notepads like it's the Dark Ages."Linc's jaw tightened. Cast clenched his teeth, looking more annoyed than guilty. But I wasn't
Life felt strange now. Not bad. Just different.The routine of school was gone, replaced by the quiet predictability of home. I woke up early, trained with Dad Cast and some of the others, then spent the rest of the day doing whatever needed to be done around the packhouse. The only difference now? I was healing far faster than I should have been.The gashes along my ribs had already started closing. My shoulder still ached, but nowhere near what it should have been given the damage Suki had done. Even the deep bruising felt more like old aches instead of fresh wounds. It was fast. Too fast.Gaia noticed it first. She was there when I peeled off my shirt after training, her eyes narrowing as she reached out, fingers barely brushing over the nearly-healed claw marks."That’s not normal," she signed, eyes flicking up to mine.I already knew that. "I heal fast now that I'm an adult alpha?""Not this fast," she countered . "Do you think,"I exhaled. "It’s you."She nodded slowly. "We heal