★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I woke up to the bright rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. The worst kind of wake up call. I could hear chickens in the distance. I’m kind of surprised. This is my first time hearing them. Colton’s house is nowhere near the major parts of the farm. I wanted the noise just to stop. My body was aching, and I can’t even remember why. Why does it feel like a truck ran through me?I rubbed my eyes, groaning at the sight of the sun. I was enclosed in a warm embrace from the back. I didn’t need to look down to know whose arms were tightly curled around my ribs. Colton. Yeah i don’t have a crazy hangover but i do remember staring in a porno titled how long can two people fuck?The answer is a blur. My jaw aches, my thighs ache, i think my vagina is officially on time out. Cause no. I’ve fucked enough to last me a week. Or longer. I don’t know how long I stayed staring at the streaks of sunlight, but eventually Colton moved his body from mine. I let
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Breakfast went by smoothly. Too smoothly. The kind of smooth that made my brain itch with questions.Colton had made sure I had coffee, slid a plate in front of me before I could protest, and even pulled out my chair like some old-fashioned gentleman. He was attentive in a way that wasn’t suffocating—just enough to make me notice.And then, just like that, he was up and moving, brushing past me to grab his hat and keys. I barely had time to open my mouth before he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.A kiss. On my cheek.A very sweet, very platonic thing.But do casual people do that?I sat there for a full thirty seconds after he walked out, processing the strange little ritual we’d somehow formed. Breakfast together. Quiet conversation. A lingering moment before he left for work.This is weird.I mean, it’s not weird-weird, but it’s… something.With a deep breath, I pushed away from the table and started my slow, painful trek up the stairs.
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Darcy began slowly explaining what happened to her on the day of the attack. She had gotten some word back from her friend in the city who had collected the package earlier than she had thought. Yes, she took my advice to send some samples over. He explained that i was right about some odd chemical being there. And he tested it on a frog, as well as a hamster. Appalling but he figured it wasn’t that harmful. The frog died instantly, and the hamster was gradually falling ill. He explained that he has no clue what the chemical is but it reacts differently with each person. I listened attentively as Darcy went on.“I was curious. Most people drink from this. The crops, animals, all the lives lost, what if the town is suffering for it too? How long has this chemical been in the rivers?” She huffed. “I was reaching out to someone after the call when I heard a sound. I pretended not to hear it to avoid alerting the intruder. Just in case it turned out to be s
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I had a list of things I wanted to tackle today. A damn good list, too. The kind that should’ve kept me busy from sunup to sundown, handling the animals, checking on the new foals, and making sure the workers were staying on top of things.But before I could even get started, I ran into Catia.She was lingering near the barn, arms crossed over her chest, bottom lip tucked between her teeth the way she did when something was eating at her.“Everything alright?” I asked, wiping my hands on my jeans.She hesitated before saying, “I wanna go fishing.”That was all she said, but I knew what it meant.Dusty Creek might look like it was in the middle of nowhere, but on my farm, it felt like the heart of everything. The land stretched wide and welcoming, the fields golden under the sun, the trees whispering with the wind.Sure, a witch-like crystal was aiding our crops, buried deep in the soil by some ancestor long before my time, but magic alone didn’t keep the farm r
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I leaned back against the headboard, my laptop balanced on my thighs, scrolling through an endless list of chemical compounds.It was like trying to find a single drop of water in the ocean.Chemicals existed in everything—water, soil, the air we breathed. And each one had variations, different combinations of elements that could alter their properties just enough to make them untraceable to the untrained eye.If Darcy had still had her research, this wouldn’t be so difficult.I sighed, rubbing my fingers over my temple. My eyes flicked to my phone screen lighting up with a message.RACHEL: Vanessa. Call me back. Now.I ignored it.Rachel was going to be my brother’s soon-to-be ex-wife. And lately, all she did was call when she needed something. I used to help her. Used to get involved.Not anymore. Lincoln was right. I gotta choose, and if it’s between my best friend who cheated or my brother who was cheated on.... the answer seems like it was written i
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and by the next morning, I could finally borrow a horse to take into town. She was a sweet, chestnut-colored mare with big, curious eyes and a habit of nudging my back like she expected me to sneak her a treat. I had no idea what her name was, but she felt like a Daisy, so that’s what I called her as we made our way down the winding dirt road toward Dusty Creek.The ride was smooth, if a little slow, and the morning air was crisp against my skin. I made it into town just as the sun was beginning to warm the streets fully, and my first stop was the post office. The clerk was a stocky man with a long beard and an even longer drawl. He took one look at my package and squinted at me like he was trying to determine if I was a troublemaker."Sending somethin' delicate?" he asked, tapping a meaty finger against the box."Yep. Fragile as can be. If this breaks, I'm suing."He let out a slow chuckle, shaking his head as he
★。\|/。★ VANESSA DAVIS ★。/|\。★ After that shocking statement, I decided to calm myself. Sip my coffee, then say something. “Kyrie, how did you find out about me?” She stirred her cup and looked down, unable to meet my eyes. “I was curious about my parents' love story. They never talked about it to us because Dad always looked weird. I know that look is guilt now, but back then, I had no clue.” She took a pause, then continued. “One night I cornered my father and asked him why he won't talk about how he and my mum met. That was when he admitted that she had been married. It didn't bother me, I assumed she was in a toxic relationship for him to have gotten intimate with her.” Kyrie cleared her throat. “But he corrected me. Admitting that in fact, her husband had just been through something terrible and she had three children. I remember just freezing and looking at him weirdly.” She lifted the cup, and drank a big gulp. She looked nervous. Perhaps it has something to do with the w
★。\|/。★ VANESSA DAVIS ★。/|\。★ Returning to the farm from that conversation was slightly exhausting. I felt like crawling into bed and forgetting everything and everyone. The moment I stepped into the house I spotted Ashley. She looked perturbed and guilty. No one else was around. So why the hell was she in Colton’s home? I tried to keep my snarkiness from my face, and get up something that could be passed off as polite if you squinted a little bit and pretended you didn't notice how my eyes ran over her form. She noticed I was there when the door slammed into place. I raised a single eyebrow, giving her my best smile. She couldn't match it. I knew something was up. “Are you okay? Is Colton expecting you?” My tone must have sounded somehow, which made her flinch. She swallowed. “Can I admit something stupid to you? I've heard talking to a stranger is easier than family.” I blink. I'm not the stranger for that, but I guess I can try. I motioned for her to follow me in
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★It was buried.Like someone had wanted it to be.I’d been combing through articles for hours, the motions mechanical now, almost numb. My mind was on autopilot—just picking through keywords, cross-referencing names, digging into obscure land deals that didn’t make sense, tracking down vague, half-mentioned connections between people who seemed irrelevant at first glance. The rabbit holes I’d gone down had been endless, some of them leading nowhere. But I couldn’t stop. I had to find something. Anything besides what I found about the drug dealer. Still, I wanted more details. My eyes were aching, and my fingers were numb from tapping the keys. I was running on nothing but cold coffee and the burning need to dig deeper. I had spent the better part of the morning and afternoon chasing down leads that now felt pointless. But then… I found it.It was another old article, buried under thousands of newer headlines, hidden like someone had intentionally tucked i
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I stayed long enough to make sure they both ate. Ashley had come down minutes after I'd urged Samson to bathe and dress in something else. He didn't need my judgment and neither did she. Didn’t matter that it was just eggs, pancakes, and the last of the sausage from the freezer. I stood in that damn kitchen like a drill sergeant, arms folded, watching Samson poke at his plate like food was something foreign. Ashley sat across from him, silent, her eyes rimmed red but dry now. She wouldn’t meet my gaze. I didn’t ask her to.I didn’t ask them anything.I just waited, and eventually they started eating. Slowly. Quietly. But they ate.That was enough for now. They drank some juice and told me they'd be staying indoors for the day. Well, not Ashley. Catia was coming to take her to her place so she could be away from Samson.Once I was sure they wouldn’t go back to bed hungry, I stepped out and headed down the porch stairs. The air was already thick with humidity, t
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The water ran hot over my shoulders, and for a while, I just stood there, letting it scald the edges of everything I didn’t want to think about. My hands braced against the tiled wall, breath slow, heavy. It didn’t do much to rinse away the ache in my chest—but it helped. Just a little.It was easy to smile around Vanessa, but away from her, my brain was starting to think again. I'd love to have my ability to think fucked out of me. When Vanessa and I have sex, I can only think about her. I do love just thinking about her. It's better than thinking about all the problems in my life. By the time I dried off, dressed, and placed my hat over damp curls, the morning had already fully settled in. Vanessa hadn’t moved from her spot in bed when I peeked into the room again—still buried in her research, sharp as ever, focused like she was stitching the world back together with a single thread. She didn’t even look up when I asked her if she'd need my truck to go into
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I barely noticed the time passing.The world had narrowed down to my laptop screen, the dull hum of its fan, and the occasional click of my nails against the keys. Morning light had crept in slowly through the window, shifting from gray to gold while I chased paper trails and public records down digital rabbit holes. Every tab I opened spun into another, and another—property deeds, business filings, court case summaries, suspicious shell companies that seemed to tie back to a single name again and again.Alina.She was careful. Calculated. Her name was rarely listed, but the fingerprints were there—metaphorically speaking. I was stitching together something ugly. Bigger than what Colton had suspected. It wasn't just a bad deal gone personal. She was tied into something far-reaching. And worse—she was good at hiding in plain sight. I didn’t have the full picture yet, but I had the edges. And the more I found, the more certain I became: this was more than r
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I woke up warm.Not just in the way that meant the blankets were doing their job—but in the way that made my chest ache. Like a fire had settled there overnight. Slow, steady, and kind.Colton's arm was wrapped around me, his hand resting just below my ribs, his body curled into mine like he always belonged there. My cheek was pressed against the solid muscle of his chest, and I could hear his heartbeat—slow, even, completely at ease.It made me want to cry. In a good way. Maybe. This must be the good thing about having a partner. You're never truly alone. And if you want to be alone, you can. Take a moment to yourself. It works if you have someone who understands. Do I suddenly believe love strengthens and fixes everything? No. Heck, who knows if our relationship would stand the test of time. Who knows how this might end? In an affair? God I hope not. If Colton suddenly decides he's actually found his Mrs right, I'll kill them both. I nestled closer t
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I must’ve misheard her. No way she just said—Vanessa narrowed her eyes like she could feel my doubt. “I’m in love with you,” she said again, firmer this time. “I am. And when you said you wanted more than casual... well, I want that too.”My heart damn near leapt out of my throat. My wolf—usually quiet and brooding—sank somewhere warm and content like he’d finally been fed after starving.She said she loves me.I stared at her, stunned into silence for maybe the first time in my entire life. Vanessa. The girl who ran from any emotional talk as if it were fire. Who flinched at the mentions of true love, side-eyed people talking about mates and marriage, ducked out of the room when things got too real—just said she loved me. Out loud. On purpose.And she hadn’t even looked away. She stood there, her chest rising and falling like she was bracing for something, arms crossed like she needed to hold herself together. But she was still standing, still meeting my eyes
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I could have gone to my bedroom to take this call, but I didn’t want to go that far.. I stopped in the hallway, just out of earshot. I’m not the type to run from my problems. Hell, I run right into danger, that’s just who I am. But I’m avoiding the main conversation with Colton. I want to have it. I want to talk about it. I want to say, yeah, I want more than casual with you, too. I want more, I love you. I don’t know how or when I fell for you, but it kind of just happened. However, I cannot throw my whole life away. Long distance won’t work for us.... i mean, fuck, why am i even thinking about this?I brought my eyes back to my phone.The number was unfamiliar, but I answered it anyway, partly because I needed a distraction and partly because a flicker of dread told me who it might be.“Hello?” I said cautiously.There was a pause. Then a shaky inhale.“Vanessa?” a voice I hadn’t heard in days, maybe weeks, not in person, not like this. But I knew it i
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 After a moment of watching the lake, each of us silently making a plan in our heads, we decided to return home.We didn’t say much on the walk back. Vanessa kept close, her steps quiet but fast to keep up with mine. The storm had left behind a world slick with mud and the chill of lingering rain. Trees dripped steadily, and the sky overhead was still a dull sheet of grey, hanging heavy like the grief inside me.By the time we stepped back into the house, I shrugged off my damp jacket and tossed it on a hook. Vanessa followed, tugging her sleeves down her wrists like she was trying to ground herself. The house was too quiet without the family. Too hollow. The air still smelled like breakfast and loss.“Coffee?” I offered, needing something to keep my hands busy.She nodded, and we moved into the kitchen. I prepped the machine in silence, only the gurgling hum of it filling the space between us.“I was thinking…” she said eventually, leaning on the counter, “we s
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I arrived back at the farm—Colton’s house—just as the sky slipped further into gray.From the second I parked, I knew something was off. The driveway was clear. No voices floated from the porch. No creak of floorboards or clatter of kitchenware inside. It was empty.Too empty.I stepped out of the Jeep and onto the damp ground, the air thick with leftover moisture and the scent of wet wood. The storm had passed, but the rain hadn’t fully let go. It lingered in droplets that clung to the leaves and coated the windows like tears that didn’t know how to fall.Inside the house, the silence clawed at me.“Colton?” I called out, voice echoing just slightly. No response. My footsteps padded quietly over the wood floors as I walked from room to room, scanning for any sign of him.Nothing in the kitchen.Nothing in the living room, either of them.His phone wasn’t on the charger. His keys were gone.A slow panic started bubbling in my stomach.I checked the front p