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.
I woke up to an empty bed. The absence was immediate, the warmth gone. Stretching out, I let my hand graze the sheets, confirming they were cool. They hadn't been in bed for a while. The faint hum of water and voices carried through the room, pulling me from the remaining haze. I followed the sound to the bathroom door. It was cracked open, steam curling out. Their voices grew clearer as I leaned in to look. Lila sat on the built-in bench, with the water spraying down her back. Cast knelt in front of her, his hands resting gently on her stomach. He spoke softly, leaning closer, and even though the words weren't meant for me, they hit me hard. "I'll be there for them, for you," he murmured. "No matter what. Even if I have to handcuff myself to you to make sure I don't screw this up again." She laughed out loud as he started feathering kisses across her growing stomach to try to tickle her. She leaned forward and pulled him up. Their lips met, and I stayed frozen at the door
CAST - The day felt light. That was the only way to describe it. Everything seemed easier now that things were settling, now that we'd found balance. I needed to head to the office, but I didn't want to leave her behind."Come with me," I said, grabbing my keys.She tilted her head, curious but not hesitant. "What about Declan?"Before I could answer, Linc stepped into the room, already holding Declan in one arm. "I've got him," he said, adjusting the boy who giggled and swatted at his face. "I'll stay here and handle some things around the house. You two go have fun. I'll keep things under control."Lila stepped closer to him, brushing a hand over Declan's head. Linc leaned down, catching her lips in a kiss that lingered long enough to make me smirk.When they pulled back, he rested his forehead briefly against hers. "I love you. Have fun with him while you're gone."Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded, and I grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the door. Linc waved us off, Declan's
LILA - I shifted out of his lap and moved to the couch. Sitting there felt more composed, more like I could handle whatever was about to walk through that door. Cast crossed to the door, pulling it open so he could see the elevator. He'd set the office up intentionally, giving himself that small buffer for moments like this.I couldn't see from where I sat, but I heard the elevator chime. Cast tensed immediately, muttering under his breath, "Shit."My stomach dropped. "What?"He glanced over his shoulder as he bit back a growl. "Kat. Fuck, I'm sorry. Let me handle this, please. The alpha energy is going to be..."I cut him off as it hit me, the ripple already making me shake. "I'll do my fucking best, but don't let her touch you. I mean it."He nodded sharply, stepping back to let her in. Kat stalked through the door. She paused and looked over at me first. "I'm sorry you have to be here for this," she said flatly before turning to Cast.She pulled something from her bag and tossed i
CAST - Linc drove us back to the packhouse, silent and focused on the road. In the backseat, Lila curled into me, her body trembling as the tears refused to stop. I kept my arms wrapped around her, my grip firm even as I felt like I was unraveling inside.She didn't stop crying, and I didn't ask her to. It was all I could do to hold her, to try to keep myself steady while my thoughts spun out of control.The ride stretched on, each second dragging. I tried to focus on the steady rhythm of the truck, the faint hum of the tires, and anything to distract from the storm building in my chest. But nothing worked.By the time Linc pulled into the driveway, my hands were clenched so tightly around her that I had to force myself to relax. I climbed out first, taking her with me as she refused to let go. Her arms stayed wrapped around me, her face buried against my chest as I carried her into the house.The living room was quiet, and the soft hum of the heater was the only sound until CeCe app
LINC - The sound of running water echoed through the walls. I stayed by the nursery window, holding Declan against my chest as I quietly paced back and forth. He was a reminder of what mattered most. I adjusted the blanket around him, trying to ignore the faint bursts of laughter coming from the shower. And the intense feelings that I knew weren't mine. I took a deep breath and tried to still myself. This was the path we'd chosen. It was messy and unconventional, but it was ours. That didn't mean it was easy.Declan let out a tiny sigh as he went limp in my arms. I shifted to lay him in the crib, tucking him in with care. The water stopped, and silence crept through the house, amplifying every creak and distant murmur. I stepped back, keeping my movements quiet, and lingered by the crib, watching the rise and fall of his chest.I heard footsteps in the hallway and turned as Lila appeared in the doorway. Her hair was damp, and loose tendrils were curling at her collarbone, where o
LILA - The poolhouse felt like stepping into another world. I trembled as I reached for the handle, pausing long enough to let my pulse slow. I wasn't sure if I'd ever been this nervous. Not even when Cast first came into my life and I'd lost my virginity to him. He stayed near the door, letting me take the lead. I appreciated that, even if it didn't make this any easier.I walked toward the couch in the center of the room. Every step felt like I was dragging a hundred decisions with me, each one whispering doubt into my mind. "We don't have to," he murmured. He stayed where he was, leaning against the wall like he had all the time in the world. How was he the calm one here?"I know." There was something in the way he watched me. It wasn't pressure or expectation, just… patience. That helped, too. "I want to. I just…" I trailed off, unsure how to put everything into words. I wanted to be here, wanted this with him, but the thought of Linc lingered. It wasn't that I didn't trust C
LILA - It wasn't frantic or desperate. He moved his hands slowly as he explored every curve of me, his touch both steady and tender. He lingered on my waist, then shifted down to my hips, careful to avoid putting pressure near my belly. The consideration wasn't lost on me, and it only intensified the ache I felt to be closer to him. I missed this. Missed him. I followed his lead, tracing the familiar lines of his shoulders, remembering how I always loved the way his muscles moved beneath my touch. His breath hitched as I dragged my hands lower and started stroking him between us. I couldn't hide how my body responded to the noises he was making. The noises I was making him make. He kissed me as he grinned against my lips. He had waited for this since he lost me. But then again, did he ever really lose me? He picked me up, turned, and lowered me onto the bed. He shifted again, ensuring my comfort before letting his weight settle between my thighs. I gasped softly at the closene
DECLAN -I couldn't stop staring at the bruises. They darkened her arms, deep purple patches against her skin. More bruises ran along her ribs, circling her sides, marking every place I fought her, every spot I had thrashed to get free. Each mark told me exactly how much I'd lost control.Suki didn't move away despite everything. She lay still against me, her breathing steady, calm. She hadn't flinched once through it all. She hadn't complained or tried to escape. She'd just held me down for an hour, refusing to let me lose myself completely. And why?Because I panicked.Because I convinced myself something was broken when the truth was obvious. The moment we were marked, I would hear her, and she would hear me. It wasn't complicated. It wasn't something to fear. But panic had overtaken me anyway, and she'd paid the price.The ache spread through my knuckles. The truth hit me again and again. I'd hurt her because I couldn't keep my fears in check. Those bruises weren't just from the
SUKI - Declan's wolf moved like nothing I had ever seen. I had spent countless moments wondering what he might look like. Would he carry his father's stark, shadowy appearance, or would the softer colors of his mother break through? He was a spitting image of Cast, so I was expecting him to be dark, tall, and strong. And a bit chaotic. The reality surprised me. His coat held the deep hue of Cast's fur, intense and powerful, but lighter shades wove through like lighter veins hidden beneath the darkness. He shimmered slightly as the faint light caught the streaks, giving him an otherworldly presence. He wasn't just a wolf. He was an embodiment of raw strength, each muscle carved for dominance, a predator poised at the peak of power. I was in awe.His eyes held me captive immediately. Those icy, striking blue eyes were the only thing truly familiar. They belonged to Declan. They had always belonged to him. Seeing him this way felt oddly comforting. He was beautiful, a creature perfe
DECLAN - Fire tore down my spine. It twisted through every limb. My bones cracked. They shifted under the surface. They broke apart and reformed in ways that weren't natural. A scream wrenched from my throat. It came out raw and ragged. My legs gave out. I fell forward. Suki caught me, arms wrapping around me, pulling me tight against her."Stay with me," she whispered.I wanted to. I wanted to hold onto her and never let go, but I couldn't. The pain grew worse. It tore through every inch of me. It turned me inside out. My hands clenched around her waist. My forehead pressed hard into her shoulder. Everything inside me screamed to stay close. To hold on. To let her keep me together. But the shift had other plans.Another wave of fire ripped through my body. It was stronger than before. My back arched. My fingers spasmed. A growl, deep, guttural, completely inhuman, tore from my throat."Suki..."She held on tighter. "I know. I know."I wanted to believe she did, but she couldn't. No
DECLAN - I tried to push past her, but she held her hands up. "You can't go inside. Not right now."I froze. "What do you mean we can't go in?""Something happened," she said. "No one's allowed inside."My stomach dropped. "What the hell happened?"She shook her head. "Linc, Lila, and Cast went to Linc's old apartment in the city to shift. If you want to go there, you can."Suki and I exchanged a look. That was too close to the city. Too close to people. I didn't know what this shift would be like, and I wasn't about to risk tearing through concrete walls because I lost control.I exhaled sharply, turning back to Selena. "No. That's not a good idea."She hesitated before speaking. "Go to the burned-down house."Every muscle in my body locked up. "You can't be serious."She didn't waver. "You need a place to shift. That's your option."My heart hammered against my ribs. "What happened here? Why can't I shift at the pack house?"She stayed silent.I stepped forward. "Selena—""Don't wo
DECLAN - I startled awake, breath catching hard. My body tensed, expecting the usual flood of images, the heavy, sinking feeling that came every time I crawled out of sleep. But there was nothing. No nightmares. No flashes of Gaia. Just quiet.Suki was still curled up beside me, the blanket barely covering her. She had gotten too hot in the middle of the night and tossed her shirt somewhere across the room. I stared for a long moment, wondering if she did it to torture me. Maybe it was on purpose, a test of how much self-control I had left. I had spent two weeks fighting every urge, pulling back when I wanted to push forward. That was ending tonight.The second I recovered from the shift, I was taking care of this. I was done waiting. She was mine, and I was going to make sure she knew it. In every way I could. I was relieved she was still asleep. Still so peaceful. I probably talked in my sleep the entire week. I did that a lot as a kid. I still did when I was stressed. Dad used t
DECLAN - I swore she was about to lean in and mark me. My whole body jerked, already reacting to what I thought was coming. Then she didn't. The absence of it hit just as hard. Something close to desperation cracked through my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Every breath felt heavier than the last. Every second dragged. I was losing it. Literally losing it.Suki straddled my lap, pushing me against the mattress. Pressure kept me there, but it wasn't enough to settle the fire running through me. My fingers tightened on her thighs, trying to maintain some level of control here. Nothing worked. The burn spread. Every nerve turned razor-sharp.Her hands moved down my arms like she could pull me back. "Breathe."I tried, but the air seemed to be stuck in my throat. "I can't."She dug her fingers in my skin. "Yes, you can."My teeth clenched. "Suki..."She kissed me, dragging me under before I could stop her. My body jerked into hers, chasing the only thing I could think of.S
SUKI - The night before the full moon arrived, and the energy in the air felt thick enough to choke on. His body didn't fully understand what was coming yet, even if he did. Every instinct in him was preparing for something it had never gone through before. Luckily, I was here to help.My shifts were different. The moon didn't force them on me. I chose when to let my wolf out, when to embrace what was inside me. On the full moon, I wanted to shift. It felt incredible, like everything inside me clicked into place. But I didn't have to. He did. And it hurt. Really bad the first time.I had never understood why werewolves got the short end of the deal. Why their shift had to be something brutal, something to survive rather than something to embrace. If I could take that part away for him, I would. But I wasn't the one in the family with connections to the moon goddess. Declan paced through the Riverwalk house like he was trying to outrun something. He stretched, rolled his shoulders, a
SUKI - We ignored Gaia's birthday entirely. Neither of us spoke about it. Didn't acknowledge the date when it came and went. I'd say I hoped she had a good birthday, but that would be a lie. Instead, we swam in the river.The water was cool and clear, wrapping around us like something separate from the real world. Declan came alive in it, shedding the weight he had been carrying for weeks, moving through the currents like his body was remembering what it felt like to be free.He caught me from behind, dunking me before I could react. I sputtered to the surface, wiping water from my face just as he dove again, disappearing beneath me. A second later, hands gripped my waist, dragging me under. I fought, twisting against him, but he was stronger. Faster.I let him win.He pulled me close, his mouth brushing against mine just as we broke through the surface again. His lips hovered, teasing, waiting. My breath tangled in my throat, but I didn't make him wait long. I pressed into him, wat
SUKI POV - The first few days at the Riverwalk house had been quiet. Not silent, Declan didn't do silent, but calmer. Softer. Far less dramatic. I had expected the grief to eat at him, to turn him sharp, reckless, and impossible to handle. And while the anger still lingered, and he did seem ready to snap at any second, he let me help him. Let me take care of him. Let me put him back together piece by piece.He let me shove him toward the hammock when he was too exhausted to argue. Let me force water into his hand when he was too stubborn to take care of himself. Let me sit beside him and force-feed him, watching to make sure he ate every bite. I cleaned the cuts on his knuckles when he got too lost in his head and hit something he shouldn't have. I massaged the tension from his shoulders when he just couldn't relax. I patched up every wound, physical and otherwise, without him having to ask.He just let me take care of him. Let me curl into him at night when I knew the nightmares wer