Love y'all. It will all make sense soon ;)
CAST -I raced through the dense forest. Shadows of trees streaked by, their skeletal branches clawing at the moonlit sky. The pack followed close, their pale white bodies glowing in the moonlight. Their eyes burned with a sickly green hue, eerily similar to Kat's human eyes. Her voice was louder than the cacophony of snapping twigs and guttural growls. She sat on the back of a massive white wolf, her hair whipping wildly as she screamed at me. “You kill them, or we will!”I couldn’t stop long enough to turn around to see her. My body stretched and lunged, every muscle of my wolf body screaming as I pushed forward. I wasn’t running for me. It was for her. For them. For Lila and the lives she carried. I had to lead them away.The pack was just a breath behind me. They weren’t going to stop. Kat grew louder, venom lacing every demand. “If you won’t do it, Cast, then it’s on us! You hear me? We’ll finish what you won’t!”It hit me. She wasn’t talking about some abstract enemy. She was ta
CAST - Chaos erupted the moment Linc collapsed. A bowl of soup tumbled from the tray he was carrying, the scolding hot contents splashing across the floor and burning my arms as I tried to shield Lila. The searing pain bit through my skin and made me hiss. I failed to shield Lila, and she was screeched as it hit her. His head struck the floor with a sickening crack, louder than the bowl clattering on the hardwood.“Get the car!” I barked at Lila. She froze, her wide eyes locked on Linc’s unmoving body beside mine. Red splotches had begun forming on her skin where the soup had splattered on her, but she didn’t seem to notice. When she didn't move, I reached up and pulled her face up to mine. I kissed her lips. "Baby, listen to me. Go get someone to get the car. I got him." I slid my arms under Linc’s shoulders and heaved. His body, unnervingly limp and hot to the touch, refused to cooperate. My feet skidded across the slick tiles, but I gritted my teeth and dragged him toward the d
CECE - Cast called me early that morning. “Cece, it’s Linc. He’s in the hospital.” I snapped awake. “What happened?”“Lila won’t leave his side,” he added. “I need you to take care of Declan full-time for me. Just for a few days.”“Why me?”There was a pause. “You’re the only one I trust with him,” he admitted finally. “He’s not easy, and you seem to be the only one he will calm down with besides us.”I almost said no. Almost. But Lila needed someone. My Luna needed someone. Declan needed someone. And Cast had asked me, of all people.The packhouse felt different when I stepped in. The usual hum of energy was missing, replaced by an unsettling stillness. Wady had explained it was from the lack of alpha energy due to having five in the house, but it was still so unsettling when it happened. I reached the nursery just as Declan started wailing. My steps faltered, but I forced myself forward. He stood in his crib, red-faced as he bounced up and down.“Alright, kiddo. Chill out, I'm her
CAST - The cracks spread faster than I could patch them as I remained by Linc and Lila's side at the hospital. As much as I wanted to stay there full-time, two packs had lost their alpha, and it was causing issues. Arguments erupted in both packs the second Linc was declared to be in a coma. It wasn't a day before whispered disputes escalated into snarled accusations that turned into physical fights. With the moon so close to full, everyone was on edge, and it showed. Territory. Resources. Everything seemed up for debate. Every one of them demanded attention to maintain the equilibrium between Oxfords and Romans. Without Linc to balance that, the packs looked to me. So did the council. It wasn't three days before I was called to a meeting with them. I tried to politely decline but was told I didn't have a choice. Lila barely even hugged me before I left. I strode into the meeting hall, still wearing the same clothes I had worn at the hospital. A sharp exchange between two pack mem
CAST - Lila had dug her heels in again, refusing to eat, refusing to rest, refusing to leave Linc’s side. Alpha or not, I couldn’t force her. Not in a way that wouldn’t break something I wasn’t willing to lose. Not again.I stopped near a vending machine, glaring at the lineup of snacks inside. Brute force wasn’t going to work. I needed another angle, something that didn’t feel like a challenge to her. She wouldn’t fight back if she didn’t realize it was a battle.The faint smell of coffee and fried food drifted from the food court. It stirred a memory of her leaning against me on the couch back at the packhouse, stealing fries from my plate. She’d grumbled about the grease but ate every last one I handed her after that. The twins seemed to love fried foods and made her crave them often.I had to start thinking like Linc and handle this like he would. He never had to force her to do anything. He didn’t even hint at it. His strength as Alpha came from something quieter, something that
LILA -The world blurred into a dull, aching haze as the weeks stretched on. I stayed at his side, ignoring the nurses’ whispers about rest. The hospital eventually relented, letting me stay. It was not like it mattered whether or not I had their approval. I wasn’t leaving. Not when he was there, unmoving, unnaturally still. So not like the lively man I knew. I curled against him, tracing patterns on the blankets that covered his chest. The bed rest kept me rooted in place despite the insane energy. The lives growing inside me were the only thing keeping me from losing it totally.That, and Cast, when he managed to be with us. He tried, I knew he did, but the packs had made it nearly impossible for him. The Oxfords had always been stubborn, notorious for refusing to follow anyone’s lead but their own. Without clear direction from Linc before everything fell apart, their disarray worsened. Their growing distrust lingered over every meeting. They hadn’t been ready to embrace a new alph
CAST - Lila’s head rested against my chest, her breathing finally even for the first time in days. I leaned my head back against the couch, exhaustion pulling me under in a way I hadn’t allowed since this all began. I'd told every story I could think of in an attempt to lull Lila to sleep. I'm thankful it worked because she needed it. I needed it.It was short-lived. I was quickly pulled back to reality. I blinked up at the lady standing over me. The nurse’s hand pressed firmly against my arm. “Your phone’s been going off for forty-five minutes.”I sat up, disoriented, Lila stirring slightly before settling back into the pillow. I fumbled around until I grabbed my phone off the table. Selena’s name filled the screen, along with more missed messages and calls than I cared to count. I hit the answer button and barely had the phone to my ear before she lashed out.“Get back to the house. Now.”I snapped into full alertness. “What the hell is going on?”“You’ll see when you get here,” sh
CAST - The sterile scent of antiseptics always hit me first. It always snapped me back awake, no matter how tired I was. This hospital, with its polished floors and monotone walls, held too many memories. Linc’s room waited at the end of the hall, but the sight of her standing at the nurses’ station stopped me in my tracks.Kat. She’d been gone for weeks, ignoring every text I sent once the nurses told me she left on a leave of absence. Now she was here, calmly flipping through Linc's chart like nothing had happened.My breath stalled as the anger threatened to choke me. She looked the same. Sharp green eyes and dark hair pulled back in a way that framed her perfectly. Every text I sent about the baby went unanswered, leaving me to wrestle with the questions on my own. Seeing her now with so much energy ignited every frustration I’d tried to bury.I moved before I fully realized it, boots scuffing loudly against the floor. She turned slowly. Her eyes met mine, and the detachment th
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
Life felt strange now. Not bad. Just different.The routine of school was gone, replaced by the quiet predictability of home. I woke up early, trained with Dad Cast and some of the others, then spent the rest of the day doing whatever needed to be done around the packhouse. The only difference now? I was healing far faster than I should have been.The gashes along my ribs had already started closing. My shoulder still ached, but nowhere near what it should have been given the damage Suki had done. Even the deep bruising felt more like old aches instead of fresh wounds. It was fast. Too fast.Gaia noticed it first. She was there when I peeled off my shirt after training, her eyes narrowing as she reached out, fingers barely brushing over the nearly-healed claw marks."That’s not normal," she signed, eyes flicking up to mine.I already knew that. "I heal fast now that I'm an adult alpha?""Not this fast," she countered . "Do you think,"I exhaled. "It’s you."She nodded slowly. "We heal