Cast finally drifted to sleep after hours of fighting it and repeating the same things over and over. I guess depression will do that. I needed to do more research about these things. I felt pretty foolish for not already doing so, but werewolves just don't talk about these things. It was, sadly, a new concept to me. To have someone in my life be so open about mental health. Linc was just... incredible. Cast's wrist was still cuffed to the bedpost, and his breath was steady after what felt like hours. From the edge of the bed, I watched him, my thoughts running wild over everything that had happened and everything that hadn't. He looked peaceful now, almost like things would be okay, at least for Declan's sake. But I knew better. This was just the beginning. Real decisions would have to be made once he healed.I leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. I'd kissed him repeatedly tonight, trying to steady him. To keep him from spiraling. To keep him from leaving.But if I was hones
LINC - I carried the oatmeal into the living room, balancing the hot bowl in one hand while watching Lila nursing Declan on the couch. She held him close, focusing on him as she laid her head against the pillow. I walked over and kneeled in front of her."Breakfast is served," I teased, holding the spoon up to her lips. I was enjoying the way her eyes sparkled with amusement as I did."You're going to feed me now?" she asked with a grin."You've got your hands full," I murmured. She took the first bite, her eyes on mine as she tried not to giggle. I took one after her, each bite a shared rhythm that felt like breathing. I jumped up on the couch beside her and kept feeding her."You're spoiling me," she whispered."Good. You deserve it," I answered. We continued sharing each bite. Declan finished nursing and drifted off about the same time we did. She kissed his forehead before gently passing him to me. I cradled him while she stretched."I'll put him down," I whispered. She took the
LINC - The circle that formed around us felt suffocating. There was no reason for this, yet here we were. It was a tradition forced on us by the council. This was a formality, something neither Cast nor I wanted, but here we were, standing face to face like we hadn't already agreed on the future of the packs."You ready for this?" I asked. Cast was damn near bouncing on his heels, but he nodded. "We've got no choice," he muttered. "Let's just get it over with."The council's demand for a formal challenge pissed us both off. We'd planned this out. Me leading the pack, him stepping back but still involved where it made sense. Learning until he felt confident enough to do it on his own.What was most important was co-parenting Declan until he healed. They didn't care. Tradition was tradition, and it dictated a fight to submission if power was being passed between two Alphas.The council took it a step further. Since they were now aware of our plans, they required a public display.S
CAST - It had been a while since I'd left Oxford land, driven somewhere on my own, and actually felt like I could handle it. I wasn't sure I'd even return the last time I was here. I had just started my meds, and everything had felt like a blur. Now things felt more... manageable. Today wasn't about me, though. It was about seeing Selena.The rehab facility looked the same, almost like a luxury resort instead of a medical facility. The manicured gardens stretched out in front of me. I could hear water running somewhere nearby, probably one of the fountains. The calmness here had always been so at odds with what I'd felt the first time. Now, I didn't feel that storm raging inside me. It wasn't perfect, but at least it wasn't chaos anymore.This was also the first time I'd left the household since the meds started working. Lila had asked if I was sure I wanted to go. I told her I had to do this. This time, the real difference was that she believed I'd come back. It wasn't like before
CAST - Boxes were scattered across the floor, some half-open with their contents spilling out. Seeing all my stuff here, in what was now my new home was surreal. I'd been staying here for over a month, but moving my things here made it real. Permanent.Lila nudged a box closer to me, beaming as she looked around. She was so excited I was choosing to stay with them. To be near my son and to be near her. "It's like you've been living here for years with the amount of stuff you've accumulated." She punched at my shoulder, but I dodged. I glanced at the open box of books and laughed. "Maya's doing her best with the real estate side of things, but I need these. You know how much I rely on research."She snorted, teasing me as she pulled a thick book from the pile. "You say that, but I think you just wanted an excuse to take up more space."I shrugged, reaching for a framed photo to place on the shelf. "Maybe. Or maybe I just wanted to ensure I've got enough distractions so you can't b
LILA -Cast's phone buzzed again, and I already knew who it was. Selena's name had been popping up on his screen more often lately. He didn't hide it, but something twisted inside me each time her name flashed. It wasn't about not trusting him, because I did. But there was something about their connection that unsettled me. At first, it hadn't bothered me. I'd brushed it off as him catching up with someone from his past. But recently, the frequency had picked up. The messages started coming at all hours, early morning, midday, and sometimes even late into the night when we were supposed to be winding down. The dings and vibrations started to feel intrusive, weaving into our routines, like she was claiming space in our lives without even being here. Across the room, Cast was scrolling through his phone, not even bothering to hide the smile that came when he read whatever she'd sent. It wasn't like he was sneaking around, but he also wasn't explaining anything either. He was lea
CAST - The days began to shape into a rhythm I hadn't anticipated, one where waking to Declan's morning gurgles and the ensuing diaper changes became the highlight. He seemed to reach his tiny hands out to me when I walked into the nursery. It ignited a feeling of contentment I would have once told you I did not deserve. Once not long ago at all. Living on Oxford land wasn't part of my original plan, yet I was crafting daily routines with my son that wouldn't change anytime soon. Routines that, thanks to Lila starting college, meant balancing business calls with his diaper changes. Not that I was complaining or anything. I would take every second I could with my Little Man. Linc generously offered me the pool house, and we quickly renovated it into a modern studio apartment shortly after I moved in full-time. Lila teased us that there was too much Alpha energy in the main packhouse with the three of us there, so Linc kicked me out. Banished me to my own space. Linc would t
The soft hum of my laptop mingled with Declan's little coos as he chewed happily on a colorful teether nearby. Watching him discover everything with such genuine delight always sparked something inside me. A reminder of the simple wonders in this life, even while balancing paralegal studies, motherhood, and the tangled connections between Linc and Cast. This new chapter was challenging, but each piece brought me closer to feeling like myself again. To feel independent and ready to take on the world, no matter what happens in the future. I wasn't going to be caught off guard again. Getting my education was a big step towards that. They both understood and supported me however they could. I was so lucky to have them both, and I knew it. The coursework was invigorating, giving me something completely mine. A space for thoughts that didn't revolve around anyone else. Law had this grounding structure, a reassuring counterweight to the disruption that was my life. I'd catch myself
CAST - He wasn't gone, but he wasn't here either. Just a hollow shell tethered to a string. I stood at the edge of his bed, staring at the faint bond that flickered between us, a fragile thread stretched too thin. There wasn't enough energy left between us for both. It was him or me. They needed him. As much as I needed him, needed Lila, needed the girls just as much as he did, they needed him more than they needed me. I ripped the dry-erase board off the wall so violently that some of the drywall came with it. I quickly scribbled a message. "Wake up. Lila is in labor and needs you. The twins need you. Go NOW!" I stared at the message. It wasn't enough. I had no idea if I would be able to tell them anything after this. I didn't know if I would even be anything after this. My hand shook violently as I added, "WARNING: WATCH MY MOM. SHE WANTS DECLAN. TO REPLACE ME. TAKE CARE OF HER" I hoped he would understand what I was saying. What I needed him to do. What I couldn't do myself
CAST - We sat together on the bed, her hand gripping mine as she leaned into me through each contraction. Her body tensed with the rhythm of pain that came and went like waves crashing against a shoreline. I reached out through the bond, drawing the sharp edge of her pain into myself, giving her space to breathe, to endure."You're doing good," I whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. She didn't answer, just squeezed my hand tighter as the next contraction rolled through her. I held her steady, focusing every ounce of my strength on pulling the worst of it away from her.But something shifted. Her body jerked against mine, a strangled cry escaping her lips. The bond flared wildly, erratic and overwhelming, like a dam breaking. I staggered, trying to keep control, but the pain surged back into her with twice the force. Her grip slackened, her head falling back as her eyes fluttered open, unfocused."Lila?" My voice cracked. I pushed harder through the bond, pouring
CAST - The sterile scent of antiseptics always hit me first. It always snapped me back awake, no matter how tired I was. This hospital, with its polished floors and monotone walls, held too many memories. Linc’s room waited at the end of the hall, but the sight of her standing at the nurses’ station stopped me in my tracks.Kat. She’d been gone for weeks, ignoring every text I sent once the nurses told me she left on a leave of absence. Now she was here, calmly flipping through Linc's chart like nothing had happened.My breath stalled as the anger threatened to choke me. She looked the same. Sharp green eyes and dark hair pulled back in a way that framed her perfectly. Every text I sent about the baby went unanswered, leaving me to wrestle with the questions on my own. Seeing her now with so much energy ignited every frustration I’d tried to bury.I moved before I fully realized it, boots scuffing loudly against the floor. She turned slowly. Her eyes met mine, and the detachment th
CAST - Lila’s head rested against my chest, her breathing finally even for the first time in days. I leaned my head back against the couch, exhaustion pulling me under in a way I hadn’t allowed since this all began. I'd told every story I could think of in an attempt to lull Lila to sleep. I'm thankful it worked because she needed it. I needed it.It was short-lived. I was quickly pulled back to reality. I blinked up at the lady standing over me. The nurse’s hand pressed firmly against my arm. “Your phone’s been going off for forty-five minutes.”I sat up, disoriented, Lila stirring slightly before settling back into the pillow. I fumbled around until I grabbed my phone off the table. Selena’s name filled the screen, along with more missed messages and calls than I cared to count. I hit the answer button and barely had the phone to my ear before she lashed out.“Get back to the house. Now.”I snapped into full alertness. “What the hell is going on?”“You’ll see when you get here,” sh
LILA -The world blurred into a dull, aching haze as the weeks stretched on. I stayed at his side, ignoring the nurses’ whispers about rest. The hospital eventually relented, letting me stay. It was not like it mattered whether or not I had their approval. I wasn’t leaving. Not when he was there, unmoving, unnaturally still. So not like the lively man I knew. I curled against him, tracing patterns on the blankets that covered his chest. The bed rest kept me rooted in place despite the insane energy. The lives growing inside me were the only thing keeping me from losing it totally.That, and Cast, when he managed to be with us. He tried, I knew he did, but the packs had made it nearly impossible for him. The Oxfords had always been stubborn, notorious for refusing to follow anyone’s lead but their own. Without clear direction from Linc before everything fell apart, their disarray worsened. Their growing distrust lingered over every meeting. They hadn’t been ready to embrace a new alph
CAST - Lila had dug her heels in again, refusing to eat, refusing to rest, refusing to leave Linc’s side. Alpha or not, I couldn’t force her. Not in a way that wouldn’t break something I wasn’t willing to lose. Not again.I stopped near a vending machine, glaring at the lineup of snacks inside. Brute force wasn’t going to work. I needed another angle, something that didn’t feel like a challenge to her. She wouldn’t fight back if she didn’t realize it was a battle.The faint smell of coffee and fried food drifted from the food court. It stirred a memory of her leaning against me on the couch back at the packhouse, stealing fries from my plate. She’d grumbled about the grease but ate every last one I handed her after that. The twins seemed to love fried foods and made her crave them often.I had to start thinking like Linc and handle this like he would. He never had to force her to do anything. He didn’t even hint at it. His strength as Alpha came from something quieter, something that
CAST - The cracks spread faster than I could patch them as I remained by Linc and Lila's side at the hospital. As much as I wanted to stay there full-time, two packs had lost their alpha, and it was causing issues. Arguments erupted in both packs the second Linc was declared to be in a coma. It wasn't a day before whispered disputes escalated into snarled accusations that turned into physical fights. With the moon so close to full, everyone was on edge, and it showed. Territory. Resources. Everything seemed up for debate. Every one of them demanded attention to maintain the equilibrium between Oxfords and Romans. Without Linc to balance that, the packs looked to me. So did the council. It wasn't three days before I was called to a meeting with them. I tried to politely decline but was told I didn't have a choice. Lila barely even hugged me before I left. I strode into the meeting hall, still wearing the same clothes I had worn at the hospital. A sharp exchange between two pack mem
CECE - Cast called me early that morning. “Cece, it’s Linc. He’s in the hospital.” I snapped awake. “What happened?”“Lila won’t leave his side,” he added. “I need you to take care of Declan full-time for me. Just for a few days.”“Why me?”There was a pause. “You’re the only one I trust with him,” he admitted finally. “He’s not easy, and you seem to be the only one he will calm down with besides us.”I almost said no. Almost. But Lila needed someone. My Luna needed someone. Declan needed someone. And Cast had asked me, of all people.The packhouse felt different when I stepped in. The usual hum of energy was missing, replaced by an unsettling stillness. Wady had explained it was from the lack of alpha energy due to having five in the house, but it was still so unsettling when it happened. I reached the nursery just as Declan started wailing. My steps faltered, but I forced myself forward. He stood in his crib, red-faced as he bounced up and down.“Alright, kiddo. Chill out, I'm her
CAST - Chaos erupted the moment Linc collapsed. A bowl of soup tumbled from the tray he was carrying, the scolding hot contents splashing across the floor and burning my arms as I tried to shield Lila. The searing pain bit through my skin and made me hiss. I failed to shield Lila, and she was screeched as it hit her. His head struck the floor with a sickening crack, louder than the bowl clattering on the hardwood.“Get the car!” I barked at Lila. She froze, her wide eyes locked on Linc’s unmoving body beside mine. Red splotches had begun forming on her skin where the soup had splattered on her, but she didn’t seem to notice. When she didn't move, I reached up and pulled her face up to mine. I kissed her lips. "Baby, listen to me. Go get someone to get the car. I got him." I slid my arms under Linc’s shoulders and heaved. His body, unnervingly limp and hot to the touch, refused to cooperate. My feet skidded across the slick tiles, but I gritted my teeth and dragged him toward the d