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
CAST - It had been two days since Linc lost it over Lila and me kissing in the bathroom. I was glad she decided not to tell him about the shower. If she had, I doubted I'd still be here. Linc's reaction wasn't just anger, it was explosive. Even now, thinking back on it made my pulse spike.After she told him about the kiss, I expected yelling, maybe some passive-aggressive comments. I didn't expect him to storm into the kitchen ready to throw down. I'd barely had time to react before he was right in front of me, shoving me hard enough to knock the breath out of me."Linc, back off!" Lila screamed. It was just enough to make him hesitate."Don't," I stepped forward. "I'm warning you."I wasn't about to let him put all of this on me.He snarled like he was deciding whether to swing. "You don't get to warn me about anything.""You think this is just on me?" I barked. "Maybe stop looking at me like the problem and take a good look at yourself.""Enough!" Lila stepped between us with her
LINC - I didn't think I was going to get sick. I convinced myself it wouldn't happen, even though the signs were already there. Lila is making us lie down together, and I am not fighting her. She should've tipped me off. When I woke up and felt like my body had been through hell, there was no denying it anymore. Days blurred together after that.I was still angry with her for kissing Cast. I'd been trying not to dwell on it, but it stayed in the back of my mind. It felt like she was touching him, but I figured it was just cuddling.Turns out, they were making out in the bathroom.I wanted to be reasonable. I wanted to allow them this, to understand it how I was starting to understand things since Phoebe came into my life. But getting sick stripped that thin layer of control I had. When I found out, I shoved him. I wanted to kill him, and I didn't bother trying to hide it. Lila must've noticed I was spiraling more than usual. She stepped in, dragging me away before it could go any fu
LINC - The dreams were the worst part. Phoebe's face was always there. It wasn't just her. It was everything about her. The way she felt like she'd been carved out of some impossible, perfect mold. She was my match in ways I didn't want to admit, and even though I'd rejected her, she wouldn't let me go. Or maybe it was me who couldn't let go.Kat came to mind too often when I thought of Phoebe. Another human, tangled in the werewolf world, but completely different. Kat didn't shrink back or pretend to ignore the way things worked. She faced it head-on, caring for the people around her, even when it didn't seem like her place. Like me. The idea that humans could stand strong in our world felt strange, but Kat managed it easily. Maybe that was why I couldn't stop connecting her to Phoebe, no matter how different they really were.Lila stayed with me when she could, curling up at my back or pulling me into her. Sometimes, when she wasn't there, I'd sense Cast lying nearby in the bed.
CAST - Lila leaned into me on the porch swing, her body soft against mine as the chains creaked with each sway. My arm rested along the back of the swing, my fingers brushing her shoulder. She shifted slightly, and I tightened my hold without thinking. Kat's car came into view. I groaned quietly, already bracing myself. She had become something of a thorn in my side, showing up often and making herself at home. Teasing me was her favorite pastime. Like clockwork, she parked, hopped out, and stretched like she owned the place. "Don't get up," she called out, waving as she approached us. "Not like you were going to anyway." Lila snorted as Kat leaned against the porch railing. "So, how's Linc? Still refusing to leave his cave?" Lila sighed, brushing her hand over her bump. "He's struggling. I've tried to get him outside like you suggested, but you know how stubborn he is." Kat smirked. "Stubborn doesn't cut it. Drag him out here. Tell him I'm not leaving until he talks to me."
CAST - Lila tugged at my sleeves, stepping back to inspect her handiwork while Selena adjusted something behind me. They both exchanged approving nods over the dark teal shirt I'd been forced into, with the charcoal jacket draped over the chair, waiting its turn."You two know how weird this is, right?" I muttered, brushing at my chest unnecessarily. "Both of you. Helping me get ready for this?"Selena grabbed the jacket and held it out while Lila straightened my collar. "It's not weird. It's practical," Selena chimed in. "You were helpless before we stepped in."I shrugged into the jacket. "Helpless might be a stretch. I can dress myself, you know."Lila crossed her arms. "Can you? Because if you'd walked out in that old Metallica shirt, I'd have disowned you."Selena grabbed a comb, stepping closer to fix my hair. I groaned but stayed still as she worked. "Why are you so into this?" I grumbled."It's exciting," Selena replied. "You're going on a real date with someone who's not us.
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