CAST - Lila was persistent. That much had become painfully clear over the last week. She had taken to calling the kid Jaed, and somehow, Linc had started using it too, probably because she softened him with every meal, every gentle nudge to "see the potential" in the scrawny former threat. I wasn't buying it yet. The kid had tried to hurt my family. The only reason he hadn't touched Declan was that he'd mistakenly thought my son would smell like Linc. That wasn't heroics; it was a miscalculation.We were in Linc's office, the three of us, Declan perched on his stomach on a blanket in the middle of the floor. Lila leaned back against the couch, her arms crossed as she argued her point for the hundredth time. Linc looked like he was trying not to get drawn in, which wasn't going well. I kept my stance firm, arms crossed, glaring at the wall instead of her."He's putting on weight," Lila said. "He's less shaky, and he's been polite to everyone...""Polite isn't enough," I interrupted.
LILA - The kitchen smelled like vanilla and lemon polish. Balloons and streamers sat in half-unwrapped piles on the counter, waiting to transform the space. Selena was coming home today. A part of me wanted to be happy about it, to welcome her back like nothing had changed. The rest of me wasn't sure what the hell I was supposed to feel. I glanced at Cast and Jaed working across the room. Cast had Jaed stringing lights along the exposed beams, keeping a close watch on him. Jaed's cuffs clinked faintly with each stretch and adjustment. They weren't tight, just enough to remind him not to screw up. Cast hadn't said it outright, but I knew what this was. A test for Jaed. Cast was giving him a chance, something he'd rarely been given when he was that age. Maybe this kid would figure it out before he went too far down a dark path. Cast hadn't been that lucky. Jaed shifted on the ladder, reaching for another hook. Cast didn't look away from him, not even once. "You're doing good,"
SELENA - Rehab had been my salvation. I'd fought against it in the beginning, kicking and screaming, literally, on the day Linc dragged me there. But months of therapy, medications I once scoffed at, and hours of staring down my own darkness had pulled me out of the pit I'd fallen into. Dr. Tessa was relentless, but she believed in me when I didn't. And Linc… he was my savior, refusing to let me disappear even when I wanted to. I wasn't the same person who left this house, shattered after killing my adopted brother when he tried to take from me what no one had the right to touch. I didn't feel whole yet but felt solid enough to stand again.Coming back to the pack house was like stepping into another life. Lila had gone all out to make it feel welcoming. The smell of fresh bread and roasted meat filled the air as we walked in, all my favorites. It should have felt perfect. But the moment I stepped inside and locked eyes with him, everything else faded.A young blonde guy stood at t
CAST - The basement felt odd as I walked down the steps. The air carried a stillness that prickled under my skin. Something was off. Jaed wasn't moving around in his cage like he usually did, and the faint, restless sounds he made were missing. As I turned the corner, I froze.Selena was on the far side of the cage, her arms threaded through the bars. Jaed stood close, their bodies tangled together like magnets. I barely had time to process what I saw before she leaned in and kissed him. My blood boiled instantly."What the hell is going on here?" Selena jumped back like she'd been burned. Jaed stepped away, retreating toward the cot."What are you doing?" I stepped closer. "Slutting it up with the prisoner? Really, Selena? Have you lost your damn mind?"She opened her mouth, but I didn't let her speak. "You think this is okay? You're not corrupting him. Whatever game you think you're playing ends now."Jaed's fists clenched at his sides as he stepped forward. "Stop talking to her l
SELENA - The cot creaked beneath us as Jaed shifted closer again once Cast left. Cast was pissed, but I couldn't even think about that right now. Jaed slid his arm around my waist, and I forgot everything else. "We need to talk about this, I guess. I need to tell you... Well, who I am. Who I really am, not who The alphas, my dad, or the world in general thinks I am. I kind of feel like this is the first time I can tell someone who I really am. No matter how much baggage it comes with. Wow... Is that mate bond making it this easy to talk to you about hard shit, or is that... Just you?" I tilted my head slightly, catching his eyes for a fleeting moment before I looked down. "Not tonight," I murmured, resting my hand on his chest. "Let's just… let's just let this be tonight. Before real life ruins it." He didn't argue. He sighed and nodded. "Okay," he replied. His arm tightened, pulling me closer until I was nearly tucked into him. The blankets twisted between us, and I laughed quie
LILA - I woke up to soft laughter drifting from the nursery. The sound pulled me from sleep, and I pushed the blankets aside. Declan's giggles carried into the hallway. I found Cast kneeling by the changing table, fumbling with the snaps on Declan's onesie as he tried to pick up the container of wipes Declan had knocked to the floor.Declan wasn't making it easy for him, wriggling like he was trying to escape. Cast groaned softly, muttering something under his breath as he reached for another diaper. Declan kicked his legs, laughing like this was all some kind of game.I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms. "I'm surprised he didn't wake me," I said, watching Cast give up on the diaper to tickle Declan's stomach.Cast glanced over his shoulder. "He wasn't making any noise. I just came in to check on him and found him lying here, wide awake, staring at me like I owed him an explanation for something."I walked over, gently taking over as Declan's tiny hands reached out to gr
CAST - I stormed out of the nursery with what Lila said still ringing in my ears. I couldn't stay in the pack house any longer. It was suffocating. Every corner reminded me of how out of place I was. I didn't belong here. Not really. But then again, did I really belong anywhere at this point?I headed to the pool house, hoping it would bring some sense of normalcy, some comfort I couldn't seem to find anymore. As I walked through the door, the familiar space filled with my things greeted me, but I felt an emptiness I couldn't shake instead of relief. The silence was unbearable. I sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, staring at the floor, waiting for the feeling to pass. It didn't.This place used to feel like home. A safe retreat when everything else was too much. But now? It felt hollow. I stood up, frustrated, and left without looking back.Back at the pack house, I wandered aimlessly, pacing the halls like I was searching for something. The kitchen. The sitting room. Eve
LILA - I carried Declan to the bedroom, his little body warm and snug against me. He played with the fabric of my shirt as I pushed the door open with my hip. Linc lay sprawled on the bed, his snores loud enough to compete with the air conditioner. I climbed onto the bed and settled Declan between us. He squirmed a little before rolling toward Linc and grabbing at Linc's chest.Declan's fingers curled into the sparse hair there and tugged. Hard. Linc grumbled in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible before one eye cracked open. He looked down at the little boy and grinned, clearly groggy but amused."Well, good morning to you," Linc mumbled, still half-asleep. Declan giggled and hugged again. Linc caught his hand and pulled it away. "What is this, your new thing? Hair-pulling?"Declan squealed, and Linc chuckled. He brushed at Declan's curls. "I'll wake up like this every morning, little man. The only thing better is if your mama's in my arms, too."I tried to smile, but the
Ian didn't wait for my answer. He turned, moving fast toward the packhouse, Suki limp in his arms. I stood there for half a second, torn between Gaia and Suki. One was my mate. One I shouldn't care about. One had nearly killed the other. But standing there, body wrecked, blood still thick in the air, I didn't feel like running after Gaia. Not this time. I turned and ran after Ian. The packhouse was already chaotic when we got there. Someone must have smelled the blood. Ian pushed through the doors, heading straight to the medbay. I stayed on his heels, breath still too ragged, my ribs screaming with every step. Mom and the pack healer were already waiting. Ian laid Suki down carefully, stepping back as Mom pressed a hand to her forehead. "Her breathing is steady. She'll be fine." I didn't move. Couldn't. Suki looked too pale. The blood stood out too harshly against her skin. I forced my body to stay still even though every muscle screamed to pace. "She's healing fast," the he
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