CAST - The rage had been building, but when the guard slid into the room, eyes wild and frantic, everything inside me shattered. The walls couldn't contain it. Nothing could."I saw them!" he gasped. "Hundreds of them! They tore her apart!"Linc snapped to attention. "Who? What are you talking about?""The spirits! They ripped that woman downstairs to pieces! I was watching Lila, but... but..."That was all I needed to hear. Lila was downstairs. My whole body tensed, instincts snapping into place. I moved for the door, but something slammed against it, locking us in.Linc and I hit the door at the same time. It didn't budge. The guard scrambled back, pressing himself against the wall. The walls themselves seemed to pulse, the air thick and vibrating. We weren't alone up here. Whatever was keeping us from getting to Lila wanted us stuck.No. No. No.My skin burned, my muscles straining. I hit the door again. And again. The room groaned around us, the floor shifting beneath my feet. Th
CAST -Everything inside me stilled. No rage. No regret. No grief. Just stillness. Complete and utter stillness. The others expected me to fall apart, to crumble under what I had done. They thought killing her would break me, that it would shatter something vital. But as I stood over her lifeless body, watching the blood seep into the floor, all I felt was relief.CeCe and the baby were safe. The healers had stabilized them, and Lila had refused to leave their side. She was staying in the med bay with CeCe and Declan, who clung to her like he was afraid she would disappear. He had spent more time with her than anyone, his attachment to her undeniable. Lila didn't try to fight it. She sent Linc and me to our room with the twins, a silent order masked as a suggestion. She didn't trust either of us to be alone.We didn't argue. We should have been exhausted. I should have been curled up in on myself, wrecked by what I had done. But as Linc and I lay tangled in the sheets, the exhaustio
DECLAN - The steps outside the school had become my throne. I leaned back, elbows resting against the warm concrete, my shirt half-unbuttoned. I had the sleeves rolled up just enough to let the breeze graze my skin and spread my scent through the courtyard. The afternoon sunlight clung to the lingering humidity, but it didn't bother me. Nothing really did these days except the heat. I felt the power simmering beneath my skin. Everyone else did, too. It wasn't just the way I carried myself or the way I never had to say a word to get attention. It was more than that. My name, Declan Roman-Oxford, came with a legacy stitched into every syllable. Heir to both of Georgia's dominant packs, it wasn't a secret. Even if it were, the way people gravitated toward me made it impossible to hide. Girls never left me alone. Ever. Even a few of the guys seemed to struggle. They hovered now, clustered in a half-circle like moths drawn to a flame they couldn't resist. I didn't even need to look up
DECLAN - I slammed the truck door and stomped up to the porch. Gaia didn't even flinch. She just sat there, twirling her hair between her fingers like she had all the time in the world.Roxy and Tory climbed out of the truck behind me. They were already bickering before their feet even hit the ground."What is she doing here?" Roxy muttered under her breath, not that it mattered. Gaia could read lips."Probably here to annoy us, like always," Tory shot back.Gaia rolled her eyes, that smug grin spreading wider as she watched them. She signed, "Nice to see you too."Neither of them understood sign language. By choice. They'd both refused to learn it, which meant I was always stuck in the middle of their spats."She said it's nice to see you too," I grumbled, already regretting every life decision that led to this moment."Yeah well, the feeling's not mutual," Roxy snapped, glaring at Gaia.Gaia let out a soft, throaty laugh, the kind that didn't need to be loud to be obnoxious. She si
DECLAN - The wolf's weight pressed into my chest, its breath hot and heavy against my skin. I didn't flinch. We'd been here before, more times than I could count."Get off me," I muttered, glaring up at the massive black wolf.It hesitated, a low growl rumbling in its throat, eyes locked onto mine like it was daring me to push my luck. When I didn't, she leaned in, snapping her jaws just inches from my face. I thought she'd ignore me, maybe even pin me down harder, but then she stepped back, claws dragging against the dirt near my head like she wanted me to know she could've done worse. I let out a sharp breath, pushing myself to my feet. I brushed the dirt from my jeans like her little stunt hadn't bothered me, but it had. Still, the last thing I needed was to give her satisfaction."Shift back," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not talking to you like this."The wolf's eyes gleamed with something between defiance and amusement. After an uneasy pause, bones cracked,
DECLAN - Linc and Cast didn't say a word as we walked down to the training field. That silence? It was worse than any lecture they could throw at me. I knew exactly what was coming.The field stretched out in front of us, packed dirt scarred from years of sparring. A few younger pack members were already there practicing forms, but they froze when they saw us coming.Yeah, no one wanted to get caught in the middle of whatever was about to go down."Shirt off," Cast ordered.I groaned but didn't argue. What was the point? I yanked off my spare shirt, tossing it to the side. The breeze hit my skin, cool against the leftover heat from my earlier run-in with Suki. I could feel her watching from the shadows at the tree line like she always did. I didn't have to see her to know. She was there."You know why you're here," Linc added, arms crossed over his chest. His light hair caught the fading sun, making him look deceptively calm.I nodded. "Yeah.""You want to tell us what the hell you w
DECLAN - I made a beeline for the stairs, ignoring the ache in my muscles from the training field. The shower was all I could think about, but even as the cold water hit my skin, it didn't help. The heat inside me was worse. Too hot. Too demanding. Like my skin was stretched too tight over something bigger.The moon wasn't even full yet. Still a few days off. Not that it mattered. I wasn't supposed to shift since I hadn't had my birthday yet. I really hoped it wouldn't feel like this for an entire cycle. I may die before the next full moon. I kept replaying everything from today like it was stuck on a loop. The cafeteria fight wasn't just some random outburst. I saw that guy from the bear pack, all smug, thinking he had the right to put his arm around that younger girl like she didn't have a choice. She was uncomfortable, trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let up. Something snapped in me. I didn't think. I just acted. The moment my fist connected with his face and I saw his nose b
DECLAN - She refused to spare me another look as she hurried to the front door. I followed her with my eyes until she reached the front door. Her hands moved in clipped signs toward Aunt Selena."I want to leave soon," Gaia signed. Aunt Selena barely glanced up from her chat with Mom. "Walk home. We're staying. Dad and Linc have a few tasks." Gaia paused for a moment, then grabbed her jacket and walked outside. She made no apology for the abrupt exit. No apology for ignoring me. I felt an agitated warmth spread under my skin, an urge I couldn't dismiss. She had refused to speak to me again. I wasn't letting that happen.I moved toward the porch. She was halfway down the steps. I stomped forward, cutting her off before she reached the yard. She folded her arms, trying to slip around me, but I shifted to stay in her path."What's wrong?" I signed, blocking her from going any farther.She tried to move sideways. I refused to budge. "Gaia," I repeated, shaping the signs with more force
DECLAN - We took the long way back to the packhouse. It took far longer than the ten minutes I'd agreed to. Suki was going to give me hell for that. She’d probably time it down to the second and bring it up at dinner, then again at breakfast. I was already prepared to ignore the first three times before I gave in to whatever atonement she had planned. Honestly, I was looking forward to the punishment. Gaia and I fell into old habits. She challenged me to spot tree knots shaped like animals. I told her she was making them up when she did. She called me arbitrary and pronounced it correctly. I lobbed a pinecone at her head. She caught it, grinned, and tucked it into my hood when I wasn't looking. It was familiar. Just two people who used to know every inch of each other, finding the quiet rhythm again without forcing it. When the porch came into view, I slowed. "You and Dorian should stay," I paused. "The east wing at the Roman packhouse is yours if you want it. No strings. Just.
DECLAN - "I'm sorry." I looked over. She kept her eyes forward. Hands shoved into the front pocket of her hoodie. Shoulders stiff. We walked side by side. The trees closed in around us while the porch lights faded behind. Neither of us said anything for a long time. Our feet crunched through the undergrowth. The breeze rolled between us. I didn't try to close the space. Neither did she. But neither of us veered away either. The remains of the old house peeked through the trees. Blackened beams and collapsed stone still scattered across the clearing. A skeleton. A memory. "For how I rejected you. And for not telling you why." I didn't answer until we reached the house. "You didn't just reject me. You vanished." She flinched. "I know." "So why?" She took a deep breath and stopped walking. Her eyes stayed on what was left of the front steps. "I'd gotten the call. The implant was finally approved, and they found a werewolf doctor who could do it. It was scheduled. It was final
DECLAN - That was her fated mate.It was written in the way he tracked her every move, in how he hovered just close enough to guard but not crowd. His posture said protector. His eyes, sharp and constantly scanning, said no one would get within reach unless she wanted them to. He moved like he'd been made for that role. Like every instinct in his body had clicked into place the moment he met her.He moved like he already belonged next to her.Judson finally spoke. "This going to be a thing now? Fated mates falling out of the sky onto your porch?" Then he squinted. "Wait. No way. Dorian?"The other man stepped forward, arms crossed. "Judson."Judson huffed. "Damn, talk about the sky falling. Of course it's you."Gaia looked between them. "Wait. How do you know him?"Judson tilted his head toward Dorian but didn't look away. "Med school. He was top of the class. Never let anyone forget it. Ever."Dorian crossed his arms. "And you were always one sarcastic comment away from getting kic
DECLAN - "You're not gonna pout if I drink the last one, are you?"Judson didn't even glance over. "Only if you waste it."I reached for the bottle closest to him, smirking when he didn't try to stop me.Crickets chirped loudly in the trees. The house behind us had finally gone still. It was peaceful.A lazy row of empty beer bottles lined the railing like some halfhearted scoreboard. Judson leaned back again, one ankle hooked over the other, shoulders loose. That rare kind of settled that only happened when nothing needed to be said.We were both quiet. Not the kind of silence that needed filling, just the kind that held space. The kind that made it really easy to notice how much I liked having him here. Judson wasn't soft, but he didn't crowd either. There was something about the way he held space, like he understood exactly how not to mess it up. I hadn't realized how rare that was until I felt it.Until headlights swept across the tree line.Judson didn't move, but I straightened
DECLAN - I squinted. "So... you left your pack?"Judson shook his head. "Not really. My sister's mate stepped in. Human guy, believe it or not. Doctor. Weirdly chill. He helps now with the medical side, which freed me up to go to college and train properly. They all said it made sense. I guess... I just haven't thought much about what I was gonna do after."He paused, then shrugged. "Now I get it. I wasn't supposed to leave the South yet. I was supposed to be here. Meeting her. If I'd been back in North Carolina, this wouldn't have happened. Or it would've taken years."He looked out toward the trees. "So no. I didn't leave them. I just followed where I was needed next."I blinked. "You live on the Riverwalk."He grinned. "I know. Kind of perfect, right? It's loud on the weekends and peaceful at sunrise. Plus, amazing food within walking distance."I stared at him.He raised his bottle. "Look, I didn't plan to meet my mate while helping chart bloodwork samples in a borrowed lab, but
DECLAN -When we pulled into the driveway, Dad and Linc were already waiting.They didn't speak, but I felt something in the way they stood there. At the time, I'd figured they were just sizing up Judson, doing the protective dad routine. But now, after everything Judson had said, it clicked in a way that made my chest feel too tight.They already knew.Not just about Judson. About what he might be. About how important he was going to be. Just like they'd known about Mom. Just like they'd kept it all quiet. For me.I'd spent so long thinking I was figuring all of this out on my own. That the timing was random, or fate, or whatever the hell else. But maybe it wasn't. Maybe Cassy hadn't just guided me.Maybe my whole damn family had. Perhaps they'd been walking beside me the entire time, keeping quiet so I could come to it on my own.Judson wasn't the surprise.I was.They stood at the edge of the porch, arms crossed, matching unreadable expressions locked in place. The second we still,
I stepped forward and stifled the growl as best I could. "Hey. Get up. Now!"The guy startled awake. "What?"Tory shot up in the bed, wide-eyed. "Declan, no! No, wait! This is... this is Judson."She looked panicked. But not afraid. Not at all."He's... he's my..."I stopped. Everything shifted. I looked at her. Looked at him. Looked back."You're mate."She nodded.I took a breath. Held it. Then stepped forward and stuck out my hand. Judson stood, still looking like he expected me to deck him. He shook my hand. I shook his harder.Tory glanced between us, then spoke up. "He's a nurse practitioner here. Was walking past the ICU when I first came in. Caught my scent in the hallway and almost dropped his coffee."Judson rubbed his hand where I'd gripped it "I tried to play it cool. Avoided eye contact, walked the long way around, you know, the usual 'don't poke the angry fathers and big brother' protocol. I thought I was being slick about it too. Barely even looked at her. Just nodded a
We didn’t leave the woods.Not that day. Not that night. I didn’t want to, and neither did she.We ran until our legs trembled. We played, circling and snapping at each other’s heels, tackling and wrestling in the mossy patches of clearing. We swam again, slower this time, more tangled up in each other than anything else. We lay in the grass and the sun, curled together, drowsy and content.And then we shifted.Over and over.Human, wolf, back again. Each shift smoother than the last. No moon. No pain. Not really. Not like the pain I had braced for my entire life. Just choice. Pure choice and ability. The power that came with it was almost addictive. I always wondered what they meant when saying the power overtook the pain. It was raw. It was strong. I loved it.And I loved her.We didn’t talk much, not out loud. But we didn’t need to. We were in each other's heads and had no plans to leave. When we shifted back to skin, we couldn’t stop touching. Couldn’t stop reaching. It was like
It hit all at once.One second I was halfway to my knees, still trying to breathe through the pull of her shift. The next, my ribs cracked outward and my body folded. I didn't fall. I collapsed.The pain was nothing like the moon-forced change I'd endured before. This wasn't guided or timed. This was raw. A hundred fractures all at once, my limbs pulling and twisting, muscles screaming as they rearranged.I couldn't stop the sound that tore out of my throat."Cassy!"I didn't even know what I was asking. Just that I was begging. My mind reached for her. I was desperate and frantic.Her voice came, faint and steady."You're never selfish, so you would've never asked."Bones popped in my jaw. My fingers stretched, then broke, shifting in crooked bursts. I slammed my hand into the dirt and gritted my teeth against the next snap. My skin burned. My eyes blurred.Oh shit.Did she make me...Cassy... Did you do this?Another bone cracked somewhere deep in my back, cutting the thought in hal