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
CAST - I walked away from the council meeting in a daze. Like I wasn't myself. I didn't feel like myself. Hell, I wasn't even sure any of this was real. The sound of Linc's voice echoed in my head. "The baby is mine."I couldn't unhear it, no matter how hard I tried.It had been the one thing keeping me together. The thought that, no matter what happened, no matter how badly I'd messed up, the baby was still the one good thing I could say I did.But now, even that was gone. Linc had claimed him. My son. The council didn't even hesitate when he said it. They just accepted it like it was the truth. And Lila... she let it happen. She hadn't even looked at me. She was too busy guiding me through the meeting like I was a child, whispering answers to questions I should've been able to handle on my own. But I couldn't.I couldn't hold it together in front of the council. I'd frozen, crumbling under the pressure, and Lila had stepped in to save me. I should've been the one fighting for my
CAST - The hot water ran down my back, mixing with the blood, grime, and sweat from the last few days. It all swirled down the drain. I stood there, letting the steam surround me, trying to breathe through the tightness in my chest, but it wasn't working.It never worked.I didn't deserve to be here. I didn't deserve any of this.Lila had given me another chance, which felt like a gift I shouldn't be allowed to accept. The water poured over me, but I couldn't wash away what I'd done. Not the pain I'd caused her, not the fact that I'd missed my son's birth because I was too stupid to see reason, too full of self-hatred to be there. The thought of it broke something inside me, and before I could stop it, I started sobbing. Quiet, hard sobs that I couldn't control. They came in waves, just like the water running over my skin, but the difference was that the water would eventually stop. My guilt wouldn't.I leaned against the cool tile, feeling the hot water hit my shoulders, but it did
LILA - I sat in my room, cradling Declan against my chest as he nursed. I could hear the low murmur from the other room. I wasn't sure what would come from their conversation, but I hoped they'd find a way through it.Declan let out a soft breath, his eyes fluttering closed as he drifted off to sleep. I carefully pulled him from my chest and laid him in the bassinet beside the bed. He looked so peaceful, his little body completely relaxed, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.Cast had missed the birth. He wasn't there, and I knew it was eating him alive. He had made so many mistakes, but this one was the hardest to forgive. I stood up and quietly propped the door open just enough so their voices could filter through.All I could hear at first was Cast's voice breaking as he lost control. He was sobbing, completely unraveling as he confessed everything to Linc. "I missed it… I missed everything. I thought you were trying to steal my son from me. I thought you were taking
I cradled Declan in my arms, my hands shaking as I held him close. His small body rested against me, and it felt like the world stopped. Everything I had missed over the past few days came crashing down, and the realization of what I had almost thrown away tore through me. I stared at him, taking in every little detail. His tiny nose, his dark hair, the way his chest rose and fell in rhythm He was perfect, and I had been too stupid, too wrapped up in my own pride and fear to be there when he came into the world.Lila had let me hold him, given me this chance to be here, and I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve her forgiveness, or this moment. But I wasn’t going to let it slip away. Not again.I leaned back on the bed, Declan still asleep on my chest, with Lila curled up beside me. The room was quiet enough that I could hear my own heartbeat. Or was it his? I looked down at him, and I knew that this was everything. He was mine. My beautiful son, brought into this world by the angel I
CAST - I adjusted my shirt, buttoning it back up after holding Declan against my skin. Lila was getting ready to nurse him, and I sat back, watching with a weird, almost stoic focus. It was the same focus I'd had all day, just observing, taking in every little detail like it might slip away. I couldn't stop staring. Everything seemed to narrow down to just those two. It was all I could think about. It was all I wanted to think about. It wasn't long before Declan started drifting off, full and content after what felt like his twentieth feeding of the day. Lila returned him to me, and I cradled him under my shirt. It was colder in this part of the house, and this was better than using blankets. There was one good benefit from the extra heat an Alpha werewolf produced. Lila also mentioned it helped with bonding. I would never argue with that. I couldn't get used to the feeling of holding him like this. It was overwhelming in a way I didn't know how to put into words. "You've b
CAST - The drive up to Dr. Tessa Marie's office was quiet. It wasn't uncomfortable exactly, but it was sober. We both had things to say but didn't know how to start. I stared out the window, watching the trees blur by, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was actually going to see a doctor about this. About the depression I'd been ignoring for years. It wasn't something alphas talked about, let alone admitted to needing help. But here I was, on my way to meet with someone who understood both sides of me. I'd met with Dr. Tessa briefly over a telehealth session a few days ago, and she'd asked to see me in person. "Sensitive things to discuss," she'd said, which was code for werewolf problems that couldn't exactly be included in medical records. The idea of talking about my struggles, especially with someone outside the pack, didn't sit right with me, but Linc had been insistent. I couldn't keep going like this. Bouncing between moments of calm and spiraling into de
LINC - As Cast and I exited Dr. Tessa's office, she called after me. "Linc, how are you doing?"I turned back to face her. "I'm doing really well, actually. My healers have perfected the formula."She seemed pleased. "That's wonderful. Is it easier now that you're Alpha?"I chuckled. "Yes, much easier. I even promoted the healer who has been helping me all this time."Tessa nodded. "That's great to hear. Your progress is impressive."She hesitated before adding, "You know, after hearing about Lila from three different people, I'd really love to meet her. How about you and Lila join me for dinner soon?"I was a bit surprised but smiled. "That sounds nice. I'll mention it to Lila.""Excellent," she said. "My husband always likes to meet the Alphas I work with, anyway.""I appreciate the invitation," I replied.I hadn't told anyone before today. Not a single soul. Not even Lila, the person I trusted with everything. And here I was, sitting in the car next to Cast, admitting to him that
LINC - I didn't remember him doing it. Cast didn't remember either. Even Lila, shaking and pale, said she had no recollection of the bite. Yet, as we sat there on the bed in the pool house, trying to piece it all together, his mark stood out darker than mine. It wasn't subtle. It wasn't something we could brush off. We all sat there, unable to articulate the emotions bouncing heavily between us. Between the three of us. She was caught in the middle, her entire body shaking. One hand was pressed to the mark on her neck, the other resting over her stomach. I sat on one side of her, Cast on the other, and we both touched her in the same way. A hand on her knee, the other on her back, trying to steady her, or maybe ourselves. She shifted between us restlessly, leaning against me for a moment, then to him. Her breathing was uneven, and I couldn't stop running my fingers lightly over her skin, trying to calm her. Cast and I didn't look at each other. We couldn't. We didn't need to.
CAST -I wasn't sure why it happened. Why Linc let it happen. Why any of us did. It was like the moment had taken on a life of its own, and we were just caught in its current. She had crumbled onto the floor, overwhelmed by how we were acting. I couldn't leave her there. I bent down and scooped her up, her body slack against me, and something in the way she folded into my arms shattered the last of my restraint.Her lips were right there, and I didn't think before kissing her. It wasn't soft or cautious. It was the kind of kiss that demanded more. Her lips pressed back against mine, but then she broke away, looking toward Linc. He was already behind her, his hands resting on her sides, his fingers dragging in slow, deliberate patterns on her growing belly. She looked caught between us, her breaths uneven as her eyes darted back to me. She was about to panic."You need us both, don't you? Just… just let it happen." My lips brushed hers again, desperate to pull her back to me.Her att
Declan’s breathing finally evened out, his tiny body curling against me in complete trust. I placed him back in his crib, smoothing the blanket over him as gently as I could. The nursery quieted again, leaving just the soft hum of the baby monitor in the corner.I turned to CeCe, still sitting on the floor near the crib. Her hands rested in her lap, and her focus stayed on Declan. “He’s fine now. You should go back to your room and get some sleep.”She hesitated, biting her lip. “Helena’s in there… busy.”I raised a brow. “Busy?”She shifted awkwardly. “With her boyfriend. I don’t really want to walk in on that.”I crossed my arms, leaning back against the edge of the crib. “Are they being safe?”“As best they can,” she admitted, looking at her hands. “The healers won’t exactly help with that kind of thing. It’s… hard to get what we need.”“That’s just the old traditions still lingering,” I explained. “The healers were scared of the old alpha and stuck to whatever rules kept them out
LINC - Her skin was soft and smooth beneath my hands as I traced the curves of her body. I felt the goosebumps rise on her skin as I kissed her neck. The way she responded to my touch left no doubt. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. We fit together perfectly. My fingers slid over her back, savoring the warmth radiating from her. She leaned into me, her breath feathering against my neck as I pulled her closer. Her hands roamed, exploring me in ways that made everything else dissolve into nothingness. The sound of her heartbeat thrummed against my chest, grounding me in the moment, in her. My mouth moved over her skin, tasting every inch. She arched under me, her body soft and eager. I pulled back just enough to look at her, but the shadows covered her face. "I need you," I murmured, letting my lips find hers again. The kiss built into something that made us feel endless. Like our bodies could melt together and become one. My body moved against hers as I growled against her
LILA - The knock startled me. My body stiffened as I clung to the remnants of composure, the ache in my chest almost unbearable. Cast turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. I watched him wrap it around himself and head for the door. He seemed far too calm for this. "I've got it," he said, glancing back briefly.I didn't respond. The nausea still twisted in my stomach, and the bond with Linc burned at the edges of my mind, an unwelcome intrusion that wouldn't stop.Cast opened the door, sticking his head out just enough to block whoever it was from seeing inside. "I just finished showering, and Lila's getting cleaned up now. She threw up all over both of us," he explained, his voice casual like it wasn't a blatant lie. "I'll be out in a minute."I froze, heat flushing through me. Not from embarrassment but from pure fury.Before I could think twice, I grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower, forcing down the bile rising in my throat. The lie was too much, and
CAST -The night stretched endlessly, each tick of the clock reminding me I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. Tessa had adjusted my meds earlier in the week, upping the dosage just enough to screw with me. It wasn't the first night I'd spent like this, wide awake while the rest of the pack slept. It was starting to wear me thin.Kat, on the other hand, was out cold. Her body rested against mine, curled into my chest like she couldn't get close enough. The warmth of her breath skimmed my skin, steady and soft, the kind of rhythm that should've been calming. I trailed my hand over her back, tracing idle patterns out of habit more than intent.The room we were in wasn't really ours. It belonged to Lila, and she had Declan here, then briefly to me when I didn't have anywhere else to go. Now it was just "the extra," a placeholder no one had claimed outright. Yet, it was starting to feel like ours. Our stuff was scattered across the dresser and floor, the bed smelled like her shampoo, an
LINC - The road stretched ahead, cutting through familiar territory and leading us toward the human city. My eyes darted to the rearview mirror more often than I wanted to admit. Cast and Kat sat in the backseat, wrapped up in their own little bubble.Cast had her pulled against him, whispering something that made her shoulders shake with quiet laughter. Their heads tilted together, foreheads brushing occasionally, like they couldn't bear the thought of any distance.I told myself to be happy for them. They deserved it, after everything. But no matter how hard I tried, the sight made something twist inside me.Lila sat beside me, her hand resting lightly in mine, but it might as well have been someone else's hand for all the connection I felt. Her grip barely registered, her fingers slack against mine. She wasn't even pretending to care about the passing scenery. Her eyes stayed fixed on the window, distant and unfocused.I could feel the anxiety radiating from her, though she tried
LILA - Linc returned hours later without anything other than more exhaustion and cuts and bruises all over his body. He'd tracked over the entire property inch by inch and could not find Pheobe's scent anywhere else but in the nursery. It was unnerving, to say the least. The house felt different tonight. I moved down the hallway, trying to settle my breathing, trying to put the pieces together. Phoebe's scent, that unmistakable presence, was still here, still staining everything with questions. And I had to get to the bottom of it before it shattered the fragile ground Linc and I were walking on.The girl who smelled like Phoebe had been with Declan earlier, changing his diaper. Feeding him, burping him, and her hands all over him all day. She'd been in that nursery all afternoon. She'd never left, according to multiple people. I walked into the room where we'd confined her. I wouldn't allow them to keep her in the cold basement. She looked up, startled, and I could see her anxiet
LINC - Phoebe's scent hit me hard, sharper, and more potent than ever before. It nearly dropped me where I stood, my wolf surging to the surface in chaotic waves. It rooted itself in my instincts and refused to let go. My entire body reacted violently, muscles tensing as my wolf clawed for control. I wanted to fight it, to reject every maddening urge it awakened, but the instincts were overwhelming. All I could think about was the need to hunt, to claim, to dominate. I hated all of it.The basement air carried the acrid tang of lingering shifts. The full moon always left its mark, draining energy from our bodies and our minds. I didn't want Lila away from me during the shift, but the plan had been the safest for everyone. She'd stayed upstairs with Declan while Cast and I had been confined below, locked in the reinforced cells to ensure no one else bore the brunt of our transformations.As my limbs ached from the shift, the exhaustion was intense. Knowing Declan was safe upstairs h