LINC -The house felt more like a battlefield than a home. Two days into everyone being sick, and I was running on nothing but coffee and sheer determination. Declan was miserable, whining and restless in Selena’s arms as she paced the hallway, trying to get him to take a bottle. Lila and Cast were wrapped around each other in the bed, both drenched in sweat and completely out of it. I didn’t know how they could stand it, tangled together when they were both burning up, but they clung to each other like they’d fall apart otherwise.Selena’s steps echoed faintly as she murmured something to Declan. I leaned against the doorframe, watching her struggle. He turned his face away from the bottle again, his little hands batting weakly at it. His small whimpers clawed at me, but there wasn’t much more I could do for him right now. Selena caught my eye and shook her head.“He’s not eating,” she said. “I think he’s too congested.”I nodded, pushing away from the doorframe. “Keep trying. If he
LINC - Declan whined in my arms, squirming restlessly as I paced the living room. I tried everything to calm him. Bouncing, singing to him, rubbing his back, but nothing seemed to work. His little body was too warm, his face flushed, and I was running out of ideas.Cast and Lila were still passed out in the bed. Selena and Jaed had abandoned me hours ago because they were worried about catching it, and even Wady seemed to be at her wit's end. The knock at the door felt like a lifeline. I practically lunged toward it, juggling Declan as I swung it open.A woman stood on the porch, her dark brown hair pulled back and a large medical bag slung over her shoulder. She looked young, but all the healers had made it clear she knew what she was doing."I'm Katherine Chelsea," she paused and smiled. "You can call me Kat."I stepped back to let her in, nodding toward the couch. "Thanks for coming. I wasn't sure what else to do. Lila's been out of it, and Declan won't settle. I didn't want to
CAST -It was too late to do anything about it when I realized I was sick. The virus hit hard, just like I knew it would. My body burned, my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and my energy had vanished. I spent 99% of the time in bed with Lila, not that I was complaining about that part. The fever sucked, and the aches were brutal, but being tangled up with her without Linc getting all bent out of shape made it easier to ignore. On the second day, somewhere between fever dreams and reality, I began to wonder if I'd let this happen on purpose. Maybe I hadn't been as careful as I could've been when she started showing symptoms. Maybe part of me wanted this. To be right here, exactly where I was. Sick as hell, sure, but wrapped around Lila, her body pressed against mine. If this was the price, I'd pay it ten times over. Linc stayed busy, running between us and Declan, trying to keep the house from falling apart. He'd brought in that doctor. Her name was Kat. I manag
CAST -I ripped the shower curtain back, and what I saw froze every thought in my head. Lila lay crumpled in the tub. Her clothes were drenched, water cascading over her as blood mixed with it and swirled toward the drain. Her hair clung to her face, and a deep gash on her forehead sent streaks of red down her pale skin.Her lips were blue.My legs nearly gave out, but I forced myself forward and dropped to my knees beside her. I reached under her, pulling her into my arms. Her head fell against my shoulder. She was lifeless and cold. So cold.Water soaked through my clothes as I pressed my hand against the gash, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was slick and unrelenting."Linc!" My shout reverberated off the tiles, raw and desperate. "Linc, get in here! I need help!"Nothing.The silence of the house was deafening. The only sound was the rush of the shower and my ragged breaths. I stood, hauling her up with me, her limp body heavy in my arms. Water dripped from her clothes as I s
CAST - The world jolted back into focus as I woke. The room was dim. I quickly looked around, trying to orient myself. I noticed Kat standing near the IV pole. She was fiddling with it, making the metal clank fainting over and over.She glanced down at me. "Sorry, I was trying to get it apart. Didn't mean to wake you."I rubbed a hand over my face, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to me like cobwebs. My chest felt tight, and the air in the room seemed too thin. Kat must have noticed because she paused what she was doing and sat down on the edge of the bed."What's wrong?" she asked softly."Just a bad dream," I muttered as I scanned the room again. "Where's Lila?""She's fine," Kat reassured me. "She and Linc are showering. No reason to panic."If only she knew. The thought of that dream still made my stomach churn. I leaned back against the pillows, willing myself to relax, but my forearm brushed against Kat's bare leg as I did. I pulled it back like I'd been burned."So
LILA - There were days I didn't remember. Entire stretches of time vanished into a haze of fever and sheer exhaustion. All I knew was the sickness had struck me, leaving me trapped in a cycle of throwing up and sleeping. At some point, Cast must have gotten sick because suddenly, he was there full-time, curled up against me with the same fevered shivers I felt. We must have been a miserable pair, sweating through sheets and blankets, too weak to do anything but endure.When I finally came to, it was to the faint sound of movement and the sting of a needle leaving my arm. I blinked groggily, my vision swimming until it settled on a woman I didn't recognize. She smiled as she noticed me waking."Your color is finally coming back," she remarked. "And, wow. Baby Declan got your eyes. So beautiful."I blinked again, still trying to clear the fog that had settled on my brain. Declan. I sat up slowly, my body protesting the movement. Before I could ask anything, Linc appeared at the doorwa
LILA - Steam filled the bathroom as I turned the water on, letting it warm up. Cast stood by the doorway, his arms crossed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days."I'm not doing this," he muttered. "It's not a good idea.""Get undressed anyway," I replied, pulling a towel from the rack and setting it on the bench. "You smell awful, Cast, and you know it."He sighed, but he started unbuttoning his shirt. He stripped down slowly, avoiding my eyes. I forced myself to keep my eyes on his face. Wolves saw each other naked all the time, but this felt different. It had been so long since I'd seen him like this, and the circumstances now were... quieter. More intimate.When he was completely bare, he hesitated, hovering near the edge of the shower. I stepped forward, ignoring the way my heart thudded in my chest. "Get in. You'll feel better once you're clean."He stepped in, the water hitting his skin and instantly turning it pink. I reached for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head.
LILA - The bathroom tiles were cool against my back. Cast pressed into me, his hands warm as they slid over my hips. I tugged him closer, letting myself get lost in the pull. His lips moved against mine, each touch carrying a growing urgency that left no space for anything else. Finally, I eased back, resting my hands on his chest. "Go to the kitchen and get the food started," I murmured as I felt his erratic heartbeat under my palms. He lingered before nodding. He straightened in an attempt to pull himself together. "You'll come out soon, right?" "I'm just going to check on Declan," I paused and sighed. "And Linc." He gritted his teeth but nodded. He didn't argue, which surprised me. He stepped back and left the room, the door clicking softly behind him. I leaned against the sink, steadying myself. My reflection stared back at me, flushed and slightly erratic. I splashed water on my face before heading toward the bedroom. When I opened the door, Linc was propped up against the
DECLAN - We took the long way back to the packhouse. It took far longer than the ten minutes I'd agreed to. Suki was going to give me hell for that. She’d probably time it down to the second and bring it up at dinner, then again at breakfast. I was already prepared to ignore the first three times before I gave in to whatever atonement she had planned. Honestly, I was looking forward to the punishment. Gaia and I fell into old habits. She challenged me to spot tree knots shaped like animals. I told her she was making them up when she did. She called me arbitrary and pronounced it correctly. I lobbed a pinecone at her head. She caught it, grinned, and tucked it into my hood when I wasn't looking. It was familiar. Just two people who used to know every inch of each other, finding the quiet rhythm again without forcing it. When the porch came into view, I slowed. "You and Dorian should stay," I paused. "The east wing at the Roman packhouse is yours if you want it. No strings. Just.
DECLAN - "I'm sorry." I looked over. She kept her eyes forward. Hands shoved into the front pocket of her hoodie. Shoulders stiff. We walked side by side. The trees closed in around us while the porch lights faded behind. Neither of us said anything for a long time. Our feet crunched through the undergrowth. The breeze rolled between us. I didn't try to close the space. Neither did she. But neither of us veered away either. The remains of the old house peeked through the trees. Blackened beams and collapsed stone still scattered across the clearing. A skeleton. A memory. "For how I rejected you. And for not telling you why." I didn't answer until we reached the house. "You didn't just reject me. You vanished." She flinched. "I know." "So why?" She took a deep breath and stopped walking. Her eyes stayed on what was left of the front steps. "I'd gotten the call. The implant was finally approved, and they found a werewolf doctor who could do it. It was scheduled. It was final
DECLAN - That was her fated mate.It was written in the way he tracked her every move, in how he hovered just close enough to guard but not crowd. His posture said protector. His eyes, sharp and constantly scanning, said no one would get within reach unless she wanted them to. He moved like he'd been made for that role. Like every instinct in his body had clicked into place the moment he met her.He moved like he already belonged next to her.Judson finally spoke. "This going to be a thing now? Fated mates falling out of the sky onto your porch?" Then he squinted. "Wait. No way. Dorian?"The other man stepped forward, arms crossed. "Judson."Judson huffed. "Damn, talk about the sky falling. Of course it's you."Gaia looked between them. "Wait. How do you know him?"Judson tilted his head toward Dorian but didn't look away. "Med school. He was top of the class. Never let anyone forget it. Ever."Dorian crossed his arms. "And you were always one sarcastic comment away from getting kic
DECLAN - "You're not gonna pout if I drink the last one, are you?"Judson didn't even glance over. "Only if you waste it."I reached for the bottle closest to him, smirking when he didn't try to stop me.Crickets chirped loudly in the trees. The house behind us had finally gone still. It was peaceful.A lazy row of empty beer bottles lined the railing like some halfhearted scoreboard. Judson leaned back again, one ankle hooked over the other, shoulders loose. That rare kind of settled that only happened when nothing needed to be said.We were both quiet. Not the kind of silence that needed filling, just the kind that held space. The kind that made it really easy to notice how much I liked having him here. Judson wasn't soft, but he didn't crowd either. There was something about the way he held space, like he understood exactly how not to mess it up. I hadn't realized how rare that was until I felt it.Until headlights swept across the tree line.Judson didn't move, but I straightened
DECLAN - I squinted. "So... you left your pack?"Judson shook his head. "Not really. My sister's mate stepped in. Human guy, believe it or not. Doctor. Weirdly chill. He helps now with the medical side, which freed me up to go to college and train properly. They all said it made sense. I guess... I just haven't thought much about what I was gonna do after."He paused, then shrugged. "Now I get it. I wasn't supposed to leave the South yet. I was supposed to be here. Meeting her. If I'd been back in North Carolina, this wouldn't have happened. Or it would've taken years."He looked out toward the trees. "So no. I didn't leave them. I just followed where I was needed next."I blinked. "You live on the Riverwalk."He grinned. "I know. Kind of perfect, right? It's loud on the weekends and peaceful at sunrise. Plus, amazing food within walking distance."I stared at him.He raised his bottle. "Look, I didn't plan to meet my mate while helping chart bloodwork samples in a borrowed lab, but
DECLAN -When we pulled into the driveway, Dad and Linc were already waiting.They didn't speak, but I felt something in the way they stood there. At the time, I'd figured they were just sizing up Judson, doing the protective dad routine. But now, after everything Judson had said, it clicked in a way that made my chest feel too tight.They already knew.Not just about Judson. About what he might be. About how important he was going to be. Just like they'd known about Mom. Just like they'd kept it all quiet. For me.I'd spent so long thinking I was figuring all of this out on my own. That the timing was random, or fate, or whatever the hell else. But maybe it wasn't. Maybe Cassy hadn't just guided me.Maybe my whole damn family had. Perhaps they'd been walking beside me the entire time, keeping quiet so I could come to it on my own.Judson wasn't the surprise.I was.They stood at the edge of the porch, arms crossed, matching unreadable expressions locked in place. The second we still,
I stepped forward and stifled the growl as best I could. "Hey. Get up. Now!"The guy startled awake. "What?"Tory shot up in the bed, wide-eyed. "Declan, no! No, wait! This is... this is Judson."She looked panicked. But not afraid. Not at all."He's... he's my..."I stopped. Everything shifted. I looked at her. Looked at him. Looked back."You're mate."She nodded.I took a breath. Held it. Then stepped forward and stuck out my hand. Judson stood, still looking like he expected me to deck him. He shook my hand. I shook his harder.Tory glanced between us, then spoke up. "He's a nurse practitioner here. Was walking past the ICU when I first came in. Caught my scent in the hallway and almost dropped his coffee."Judson rubbed his hand where I'd gripped it "I tried to play it cool. Avoided eye contact, walked the long way around, you know, the usual 'don't poke the angry fathers and big brother' protocol. I thought I was being slick about it too. Barely even looked at her. Just nodded a
We didn’t leave the woods.Not that day. Not that night. I didn’t want to, and neither did she.We ran until our legs trembled. We played, circling and snapping at each other’s heels, tackling and wrestling in the mossy patches of clearing. We swam again, slower this time, more tangled up in each other than anything else. We lay in the grass and the sun, curled together, drowsy and content.And then we shifted.Over and over.Human, wolf, back again. Each shift smoother than the last. No moon. No pain. Not really. Not like the pain I had braced for my entire life. Just choice. Pure choice and ability. The power that came with it was almost addictive. I always wondered what they meant when saying the power overtook the pain. It was raw. It was strong. I loved it.And I loved her.We didn’t talk much, not out loud. But we didn’t need to. We were in each other's heads and had no plans to leave. When we shifted back to skin, we couldn’t stop touching. Couldn’t stop reaching. It was like
It hit all at once.One second I was halfway to my knees, still trying to breathe through the pull of her shift. The next, my ribs cracked outward and my body folded. I didn't fall. I collapsed.The pain was nothing like the moon-forced change I'd endured before. This wasn't guided or timed. This was raw. A hundred fractures all at once, my limbs pulling and twisting, muscles screaming as they rearranged.I couldn't stop the sound that tore out of my throat."Cassy!"I didn't even know what I was asking. Just that I was begging. My mind reached for her. I was desperate and frantic.Her voice came, faint and steady."You're never selfish, so you would've never asked."Bones popped in my jaw. My fingers stretched, then broke, shifting in crooked bursts. I slammed my hand into the dirt and gritted my teeth against the next snap. My skin burned. My eyes blurred.Oh shit.Did she make me...Cassy... Did you do this?Another bone cracked somewhere deep in my back, cutting the thought in hal