LINC - I hadn't expected it to hit me so hard. Loving him. Loving all of them. It wasn’t slow or cautious. It was immediate, absolute. I’d never wanted something so much, never been so sure of anything. This was us. This was our family. This was what I was fighting for, even when I wasn't aware of it. Walking up to the packhouse, I felt the change in him before I even looked over. He carried himself differently. Cassy barely waited for us to make it up the steps before her attention locked onto him. "You should stay out here, talk to me," she urged, waving him toward the porch steps. "We’ve got a lot to go over, and I have a feeling your two and mine are going to be lifelong friends." She tipped her head toward the twins inside. "Might as well get ahead of it and start making sure their parents are solid too." She wanted to talk. Needed to.Phin sat on the porch with Viv curled up against his side, a bottle of beer balanced on his knee. Teddy had his own, his cheeks already flushed
CAST - Cassy’s eyes dropped to the mark on my neck. "Didn’t take long."I rolled my shoulders, the lingering sensitivity from Linc’s mark still settling into my skin. "It’s been a long road."She leaned against the railing as she studied me. "Mom picked you for Lila, you know. I took over right about the time she walked in and saw you with Selena. That moment hit me harder than almost anything I’d ever felt from one of my subjects. For a split second, her heartbreak was stronger than any other wolf in the world. That’s what made me pay attention. It was more than pain. It was total devastation and from someone as strong as her? It was hard not to take notice. That was when I knew she would never truly leave you, no matter how much she wanted to. She knew in her heart she belonged with you."That memory clawed at my senses. "I was a different person back then. An idiot. Almost threw everything away." My throat burned from just speaking the words out loud. The thought of losing what I
LILA - The airplane landed smoothly at the airport. The twins had handled the flight better than I expected, sleeping most of the way on their dad's chests with only a few quiet fusses as we descended. I was so happy to be home.The drive home felt endless, the hours spent traveling finally catching up to me. I sat wedged between them on the truck’s narrow seat, Cast’s arm draped around my back, his hand resting on Linc’s shoulders. Linc kept one hand on the wheel, the other on my leg.I shifted, relaxing into Cast’s hold. "Cassy wants to see me more." I traced the line on Linc's jeans. "She thinks we’ll be good friends. We probably won’t have much of a choice, considering Tory and Bayla are already trying to communicate."I turned slightly toward the backseat. Tory sat in her car seat, hands stretching toward the window where the faint moon still hung in the early evening sky. Her tiny fingers flexed, reaching, drawn to something unseen.I tensed up as I shivered. "Do you think they
LILA - The front gates stood closed, but the voices carried through the trees long before we reached them. Guards stood firm, watching the three people on the other side. Mrs. Roman pressed against the bars, demanding entry. Kat hovered nearby, shifting nervously, while the unfamiliar woman stood silent, watching.The resemblance was undeniable. The same dark eyes, the same high cheekbones, the same way she stood,calm, composed, like she already had every answer. It wasn’t just her features; it was the way she held herself, the quiet confidence, the slight tilt of her head, the unshaken stillness. Something about her made my stomach twist, not with fear, but with something deeper, something that felt too close.She was familiar in a way that went beyond recognition. It felt like I had spent time with her before, like I knew her presence even if I couldn’t remember how. But I didn’t remember my life before my adoptive parents. My childhood was a blur of vague memories, disconnected pi
Dear Readers,We’re closing in on 300 chapters and soaring past 300,000 words! I can’t believe how far we’ve come, and it’s all thanks to you. This story wouldn’t be what it is without your time, energy, and unfiltered reactions pushing me forward.Now, I want to hear everything. Your thoughts, feelings, wild theories. Is the book dragging? Should it go on forever? Should the characters have made different choices? Regrets? Triumphs? What’s been in your head while you've been living in mine? (Too weird? Ehh, too late now.)Spill it all, don't hold back.Love y’all. - Eden
LILA - The bond roared in my mind, a chaotic storm of fear and fury radiating from Cast and Linc. Their emotions weren’t just lingering in the background, they were crashing into me with every heartbeat. I hadn’t figured out how to manage this part yet, how to separate their panic from my own. It was overwhelming and suffocating.Cast’s breaths grew louder and uneven. Linc kept his hand on his shoulder, not to calm him but to keep him from falling over the cliff. It wasn’t working. The anxiety between them was thick enough to choke on. I could feel their fear like it were my own. Not just fear for themselves but for me, for the twins, and for everything we thought was safe.They were unraveling, and through the bond, I felt myself unraveling too."Go upstairs," I declared.Neither of them moved. I sighed. "The guards will stay. They won’t let anything happen."Linc glanced at the guards. "You don’t take your eyes off her," he barked, pointing toward me. "If any of them try anything,
Hey again, wonderful readers!I can’t thank you enough for all the responses to my last note. The flood of comments here and on social media has been incredible. I seriously love hearing from you and interacting. It’s what keeps me writing and makes it so easy to let these characters come to life. You’re the heartbeat of this whole process, and that’s why I love including you in it.As Eileen pointed out, the original ending really focused on Cast’s redemption and the evolution of the trio’s relationship, and we are just tying up loose ends now. But because my brain never knows how to sit still, I’ve already come up with a ton of new stories and scenarios for these characters. The problem is, once they move into my head, they don’t like to leave, and I'm not good at evictions. Know what I mean? So here’s where I need your input. I could keep going with this story, but updates might slow down a bit (think 1-2 per week). I could also wrap this book up and start a new one to kick off the
LILA - Cast and Linc were still upstairs, their emotions tangled in the bond, striking against me in relentless waves. Cast's thoughts twisted and changed violently as he fought against the feelings they brought up. It was always this way when she was involved. The past she carved into him never really faded. Now, she was here, stirring it all up, knowing exactly what she was doing. He knew it too, but that didn't stop the memories from cutting deep.Linc held firm, taking the brunt of Cast's unrest, his own exhaustion creeping in with every second. Cast had allowed it, just enough to keep himself from breaking entirely. If he hadn't, he'd be in pieces by now. These two, always walking the edge of destruction. At least they were doing it together I guess. I climbed the stairs, each step dragging through the energy pressing against me. The door to our room stood slightly ajar. Inside, Cast paced, arms rigid at his sides, steps quick and sharp. Linc sat on the edge of the bed, his f
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