LILA - It had been ten days since Lincoln and Castor destroyed Indy's apartment. Ten days of silence. I was still mad at both of them. After everything, they couldn't even put their hatred for each other aside, not for me, not for the baby. I wasn't about to deal with them until they showed up together, civil, acting like adults. Until then, they could both stay away.Indy and I had been at the Riverwalk house since that night. She'd practically dragged me here, saying I needed the space.I was glad she did.I could almost pretend none of the mess was happening. Almost.We spent most of our days getting things ready for the baby. It was the only part of this chaos that made me happy. Preparing for the life growing inside me despite everything going around it. Indy had been a constant distraction, helping me with everything, from picking out onesies to arguing over the perfect decor. Focusing on something that didn't involve Cast or Linc for a change was nice.I set down a plush baby
LILA - At seven months pregnant, my body felt ready to burst. The baby was huge, kicking constantly, reminding me that any day could be the one. Linc and Cast knew it too. They were starting to panic, though neither would admit it. I begrudgingly let them into a group chat with me. More to monitor how they communicated than anything else. I wasn't going to keep them out of important moments with the baby, but I also wasn't going to let them in until they showed me they could co-parent. I'd told them about the sonogram appointment, laying down a clear rule: they had to show up together, united. Otherwise, they weren't coming in.Force two alpha males to play nice wasn't easy. It went against every instinct they had, but they put me in this position, so they had to figure it out. I was done tolerating their egos. They had a week to work on it, and I made sure they knew I wasn't joking.Indy dropped me off at the clinic on the day of the appointment. I was more nervous about seeing Linc
CAST - Seeing my son on that screen changed everything. I’d known Lila was carrying him, but seeing his small body twisting inside her made it real in a way I wasn’t prepared for. That was our boy. The life we created. I stared at the sonogram longer than I should have, feeling something in my chest tighten. This wasn’t just about her or me anymore. We were responsible for him, and no matter what, we had to be the best parents we could be. That’s why I forced myself to work with Linc. Every part of me hated it. Hated seeing him around Lila, watching how they still moved around each other like they belonged together. But if I didn’t make it work or at least show her I could try, I knew she’d walk away from me for good. And I couldn’t let that happen. I had to prove to her that I could be the man she needed, be there for our son, and be something more than just the wreck she left behind. After showing her the house, after tearing everything apart to build it into something that did
LILA -When I walked into the Oxford house, I found Linc pacing in his office, talking to Luca. The moment he saw me, everything stopped. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and pulled me into a hug. "I missed you," he whispered against my skin, kissing the side of my face. He lingered at my ear. "I'm so damn glad you're back."I closed my eyes, letting him hold me. I missed him, too. There was no denying it, not to myself. Not to him. The pull between us had never gone away, even with everything else spinning out of control. It felt good to be here again, in his arms. But as much as I wanted to stay lost in him, I couldn't ignore the questions or reasons I was here.He sensed it before I said anything."Come with me," he said, pulling away but keeping his hand on mine. "I need to show you something."I followed him through the house.Every room felt lighter, more open. Like he'd erased the shadows and oppression that seemed to cling to the place. He led me down the hallway to a
His hands settled on my hips as I straddled him.The moment I sank onto him, everything inside me sparked to life. I savored the feeling as I kissed his neck and tasted the salt on his skin. He groaned loudly as he gripped my hips and guided me as I started sinking lower.I quickly grabbed his wrists and pinned them behind his head, holding them there as I looked into his eyes.His cocky grin faded. It was quickly replaced with a need that mirrored my own."Keep your hands there," I commanded, my lips brushing his ear as I spoke. It made my lips tingle and him moan."Yes, ma'am," he breathed.I rode him slow at first, moving my hips in circles, feeling every inch of him inside. His body tensed, his muscles tightening under mine, but he didn't move. I kissed his neck again, licking along the curve of his throat. I kept my pace steady, my lips on his neck. His pulse was pounding under my tongue. I tangled my hands in his hair. I jerked his head to the side so I could kiss and suck on
He groaned, and I felt his hands go limp in mine. His body relaxed against mine as he opened his eyes to look at me. He wasn't seeing anything but me. He wasn't thinking about anything but me. I was his world. His everything. He was mine. All mine. "Thrust."He obeyed instantly, his hips lifting off the bed just enough to push into me. I could feel the strain in his body, the way he struggled to maintain the control I demanded. His muscles tightened beneath my thighs, and a low groan escaped him as he fought to hold back."Good," I whispered, trailing my fingers over his wrists still locked behind his head. His chest rose and fell fast. Every inch of him screamed for release, but I wasn't letting him have it. Not yet."Do it again. Slower this time."His entire body shuddered as he lifted his hips, inch by inch, drawing out the movement like it was torture. The power I had over him, the control pushed me to the edge along with him. My body was on fire, each movement making my skin
LINC - I collapsed against the headboard, trying to catch my breath. My body still thrummed, my skin tingling with the intensity of what had just happened. Lila remained on top of me, her body trembling slightly, her palms resting on my chest after she untangled them from my hair. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She'd taken control in a way that shattered every illusion I had of owning the moment. I thought I was in charge. I thought I could hold it together. She showed me just how wrong I was.She leaned down, brushing her forehead against mine. "You good?"I let out a shaky laugh. "Lila, you don't even know what you just did to me."She brushed her lips along my neck, making it clear that she wasn't finished playing with me yet. "Oh, I know exactly what I did."I smiled like a fool. Every inch of me was still on edge, ready for her next move. I had nothing left to fight her with. I was hers, completely, and we both knew it."I think I might die," I muttered.She laughed softly a
CAST -I woke up feeling empty all around me, the bed cold, just like every second since I dropped her off. It hadn't felt right since then, but today, it was worse. My thoughts went straight to her the second I opened my eyes, the same as they had every morning. The warmth I used to feel was gone. She had taken it with her when I drove away from that house.I grabbed my phone, hoping for a message, a missed call, something from her. My chest tightened as I looked at the screen, praying it would light up with her name. But there was nothing. No texts. No calls.I tossed the phone onto the bed, trying not to let it get to me. She was with him. She chose him. Linc had what I wanted, and I was just the afterthought, left behind to pick up the pieces.I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, burying my face in my hands. Lila was with him. The idea of her being with Linc, waking up next to him, hit harder than I'd prepared for. I wasn't ready to lose her like this. Not to hi
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