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
SUKI POV -I had known Declan was mine for almost two years. Mine. No one else's. Mine in a way that made my blood hum, made my instincts lock onto him like nothing else ever had. I had known, deep in my bones, that I would kill for him, die for him, claim him in a way no one else ever could. He belonged to me as much as I belonged to him, even if he hadn't realized it yet.The realization hadn't come all at once. It wasn't like lightning striking or some earth-shattering moment of clarity. It settled in quietly, creeping in the way instincts always did. Slow, steady, undeniable once it was there. One day, Declan was my best friend, the person I fought beside, the one I trusted above all others. And then I looked at him, really looked at him, and I knew.He was mine.It happened on a night that should have been unremarkable. We were training late, running drills under the dimming lights, both of us pushing ourselves long past exhaustion. He had yanked off his shirt, sweat dripping dow
My brain would not shut up. I told myself to stop thinking about her body, but it was useless. I was standing there, naked, grieving, trying to process everything, and yet, all I could focus on was the way the water ran over her skin. The way her muscles flexed with every slight movement. The shape of her waist, the way her hips curved in a way that made something in me lock up. Fuck. Everything in my lock up. I gritted my teeth, staring at the tile, trying to drown out the thoughts. She was my best friend. My mate. And I felt like an asshole for noticing her like this, especially right now. But my body did not care. My instincts did not care. They did what they wanted, dragging my focus back to her over and over. She sighed and turned with the loofah in her hand. She looked down, then back up, her grin turning downright smug. "Damn, Dec. You're really going through it, huh? Looks like all the blood in your body decided it had more important places to be." I groaned. "Can you j
"She did not even care." The pain ripped out of me, raw and shaking, breaking apart between sharp breaths. "I tried. I did everything I was supposed to. And she just walked away. Like I meant nothing."Suki did not flinch. Mom did not look away. They sat beside me, letting me fall apart without stopping me. Letting me feel it."She was not even my mate," I choked, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes like I could stop everything from spilling out. Like that would somehow make the tears stop. "I knew that. I knew it the second I saw her. But I still tried. I still did the right thing. I still honored the bond she forced on me. And she just... dropped me. Like it was easy. Like I was disposable."I tried to sit up, but my body refused. "I told myself I could make it work. That I could be what she needed. That I could be enough. And she did not even hesitate. She let me love her, let me stand by her, let me put my whole life on the line for her. And the second she was done with
Cold tile pressed against my cheek, biting against overheated skin. A dull pounding slammed through my skull, relentless, shoving me back into awareness. The room spun in slow, nauseating turns. My limbs refused to cooperate, heavy, disconnected, caught somewhere between exhaustion and the aftermath of last night. For a second, I didn't know where I was.The bath mat was back hanging neatly over the side of the tub like it had never been on the floor with me. My boots sat beside me, lined up perfectly. My shirt was gone. The stale stench of sweat clung to my skin, but a fresh t-shirt and jeans sat folded on the counter, waiting. Someone had been here. Someone had seen me like this.I was covered by an actual blanket. The air felt cooler than before, the AC humming softly in the background. Someone had turned it on while I was passed out.I forced myself up, muscles stiff, movements slow. Light spilled through the half-open door, too bright. The person who undressed and cleaned up afte
A sudden wave of nausea hit. The burn turned brutal, curling deep, coiling like something alive inside me. My breath hitched, and in that split second, I knew. This was coming back up. All of it. The relief vanished, replaced by the horrifying realization that my body was done pretending to handle this. My limbs tensed, instincts kicking in too late, the floor tilting as I scrambled toward the bathroom. "Oh, fuck..."I crashed into the bathroom, barely making it before hitting the tile. The second my knees hit the floor, my stomach turned so hard it felt like something inside had torn open. Everything inside revolted, rejecting every drop of liquor I had forced down. My throat burned as bile seared its way up, tearing through me in brutal waves, each worse than the last. The liquor clawed its way back out, scorching and violent, stripping everything raw on its way up.My arms locked against the toilet, gripping hard as my body convulsed again, heaving until there was nothing left. My
I didn't even remember deciding to come here. One second, I was running. The next, I was shoving the back window open and climbing through. The glass rattled in the frame as I slipped inside, boots hitting the floor of the empty house. The Riverwalk house. I didn't live here. My parents barely used it. But I knew the alarm code, knew every creaky board, every stuck window. Knew the way it smelled like the river outside, the scent settling deep into the old walls no matter how many times it had been aired out. I didn't know why I was here. I didn't know what I wanted. I just knew I couldn't go back. Not yet. My whole body shook, too wired to sit, too wrecked to move. Everything clawed at me from the inside, my mind stuck in a loop I couldn't break. I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be bitten. I didn't ask to be tied to someone before I even understood what it meant. I hadn't wanted that bond, but I had honored it. I had tried. I had done everything I could to be a man about i
I ran the words through my head again and again, muttering them under my breath as I walked. Nothing sounded right. Nothing sounded like enough.Gaia, I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...Nothing fit. Nothing could fix this.The pack house loomed ahead, but I didn't speed up. Each step felt heavier than the last, like my body already knew what was coming and wanted to slow it down. I didn't know how bad it would be, how much of her disappointment I'd have to face before I even opened my mouth.Then I saw her.Gaia sat on the porch, wrapped in a blanket, small against the massive wooden steps. Her hair was a mess from sleep, but I knew she hadn't gotten any. I didn't need to ask. I could feel it. JI stepped closer, forcing my breathing to stay even. I signed, "Did you sleep?"She didn't answer. Didn't move.I stopped in front of her, waiting, stomach twisting so tight it hurt. I reached for the blanket, wanting to pull it away so I could wrap my arms around her, to close the distance
The second I woke up, everything hit at once. Last night, I hadn't felt it. I had let myself get caught up in Suki, in the way she reacted to me, in the way it felt to touch her finally. But now, in the quiet of the morning, my whole body locked up with something I hadn't been ready for.Gaia.It wasn't just guilt. It was worse than that. The sharp, suffocating ache of knowing I had done something I couldn't take back. Last night, the mate bond had been quiet. I hadn't felt anything but Suki. But now, now that the rush had faded, I swore I could feel Gaia's sadness sinking into me. They always said mate bonds worked differently when they weren't fully formed when only one side had marked the other. I hadn't marked Gaia. She had marked me. And last night, I had convinced myself that meant she wouldn't feel what I was feeling. That she wouldn't know.I had been wrong. Completely, unforgivably wrong. Last night, I hadn't even thought about it the way I should have. I should have question
I wanted to keep going, wanted to lose myself in her, but the thought of Gaia snapped through the haze. If Jaed hadn't interrupted us, we would have slept together. There wouldn't have been a way to stop it. And now, here, with Suki pressing against me, that same fire was taking over. Except there wouldn't be any interruptions this time. No one to stop me before I crossed a line I wasn't ready for. And Gaia would know. I barely managed a nod, my voice rough and unsteady. "Yeah, I hope so." She kissed me. Nothing careful, nothing slow. She met me with the same intensity I felt, no hesitation, no second-guessing. My whole body locked up as raw need took over my senses. I gripped her thighs, dragging her into me, grinding against her, chasing that friction before I could stop myself. My head screamed to slow down, to think, but my body was already gone, already locked onto the way she felt against me.I had never let myself have this before, never let myself give in, and now I was seco