KADE’S POVI raced through the woods, straining to detect something—anything that could lead me to the twins.I knew New York was a huge place, and they could’ve been anywhere, but I could also feel in my gut that they were close—somewhere in the interconnected backwoods.Andrea clung tightly to me as we bounded through the woods. I could feel her heart beat furiously against my back. The proximity was driving Jaxon crazy, and it was an effort to focus on the task at hand.The sun was going down, and I hadn’t picked up a viable trail. I wouldn’t stop, though; I would find those kids, no matter what.I could feel Andrea’s panic with every minute that passed without finding them, and it agitated Jaxon. They were not my pups; I shouldn’t have felt so personally invested.But, I did, and—Jaxon skidded to a halt, straining to feel what we’d just felt.“What?” Andrea panted. “Did you feel something?”I lay down, pressing my paws to the ground, tensing. I felt…something. Like a tug on my in
KADE’S POVThe last thing I wanted to do was leave Andrea and the twins behind, but I was Alpha, which meant my pack came first, and whatever emergency had occurred, it was my duty to deal with it first.I cursed softly. “I have to go.”“Oh,” Andrea looked surprised, and the idea that she had expected me to stay made me want to block the mind link and say to hell with their emergency.“Of course,” she said, standing up. “You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”I glanced at the twins. “They’ll be fine,” I told her.She smiled, her eyes slightly glassy with tears. “Yeah—thanks to you.”I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to hug her, and I had to take a step back to stop myself.“I should…” I choked up; she looked so vulnerable and gorgeous. “I should go.”She nodded.“I’ll be back,” I heard myself say.Andrea nodded again.I turned away from her, and my gaze snagged on the twins again. I knew they were not mine, and now that they were safe, they were none of my business. Still, leavin
ANDREA'S POV“Andrea, you should get some rest.”I shook my head, my eyes never leaving Matteo and Luca for one second.“I'm never leaving their side, ever again.”“They're safe,” Zayne whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Beck is dead. No harm can come to them now.”I sighed. His words were fact, but they didn't feel true. The idea that I had almost lost my babies was like a huge weight on my chest that refused to lift.I had been careless with them, and they’d been taken from me.Never again.I’d moved to a new hotel far away from the old one and checked in under an alias. I would do whatever it took to protect my babies.“Andrea,” Zayne pressed, "it's almost midnight, and you've had the shittiest, longest day ever.”He was right. I was exhausted—more emotionally than physically. So instead of leaving to my own room, I stood, and climbed into bed between Luca and Matteo.They hadn't woken since we left the hospital. The doctors hadn't wanted us to leave, but all the test resul
KADE’S POVI didn’t have Andrea’s number. How the fuck did I not have Andrea’s number?‘Shift again,’ Jaxon pressed. ‘We’ll find her the way we found the twins.’I shook my head, plopping down onto my bed. ‘No.’“Why?”‘Because she ran!’ I snap.I told her I was coming back, yet she left without informing me of her whereabouts. From the hospital, I went straight to her hotel—and found out that she had checked out.I understood why she left. I understood the need to keep her kids safe—but then why did it feel like she was running away from me specifically?I groaned, punching the mattress underneath me. Why was I still so firmly intertwined with Andrea and all her drama? I was supposed to hate this woman; I was supposed to close her out of my life forever.But instead, I ran through New York, looking for her pups. I’d killed her enemy, and now I was losing my mind because I didn’t know where she was.What if a complication had arisen with the twins? What if she was in distress again?‘
ANDREA’S POVI hung up the phone with a heavy sigh and sank into the chair in the living room of our new suite.My parent’s words weighed heavily on my mind, and although we’d had similar conversations like that in the past, this time, it weighed heavier.My mom’s final words kept replaying over and over again in my mind: “What about Zayne? He would make a perfect mate, and he would never hurt you.”I knew that. I knew that the last thing Zayne would do in this life was hurt me. But that didn’t mean I wanted to be his mate.I groaned, leaning back into the couch. It made no sense. Zayne truly was perfect—he was handsome, smart, fiercely loyal, hell, he could even cook. Any woman in their right mind would choose him in a heartbeat.I guess I wasn’t in my right mind.Despite all the hurt I had been through, I was still a hopeless romantic. Although choosing Zayne was the logical, sensible thing to do, I couldn’t help wanting to be with someone who made me…feel.Someone who made my heart
KADE’S POVIt was a miracle that Andrea and I made it back to the Alpha compound with our sanity intact. I’d Shifted back to Jaxon, and Andrea had ridden me all the way back, and as we went, the only thing I could think about was all the other ways I wanted her to ride me.All I could think about, all that consumed my mind, was having Andrea again.When I stumbled upon her in the woods, it was like a gift from the goddess. Jaxon had been wandering aimlessly, desperately fighting the effects of the aphrodisiac Natasha had drugged me with.But then I saw Andrea, and all those heightened feelings exploded. I didn’t know what was going on with her but thank the goddess that she didn’t reject me. If she had, I might have died right there and then.And then, right after that, I wanted more. And then more. It was like the more I got of Andrea, the more I wanted.I was so glad that when we got back to the Alpha compound, Natasha was nowhere to be found. If she’d still been around, I might hav
ANDREA’S POVWaking up in Kade’s arms to the sound of my phone ringing was like de ja vu. Especially when the caller ID showed Zayne.My eyes widened as I answered the call. I was only supposed to have gone out for a short walk, and instead, I’d spent the entire day and night out.“Shit, Zayne, I’m so sorry,” I whispered into the phone, gently pulling out of Kade’s grasp. “I lost track of time, and—” I paused. I couldn’t possibly tell the man who I knew was in love with me that I’d left him to watch my kids while I fucked my ex all night.“None of that matters, Drea,” Zayne said, his voice slightly panicked.Ice filled my veins. “What happened?”He swore. “I swear I didn’t let them out of my sight. I even slept in the room with them, but then I woke up, and they were gone.”“What?” I felt lightheaded.“The twins aren’t in the hotel.”“Fuck!” I hissed, climbing out of bed. My dress was hanging over the chair in Kade’s room, and I grabbed it. As I hurriedly threw it on, my heart pounded
ANDREA’S POVI spent an unholy amount of time in the shower.I scrubbed and scrubbed, harder than I think I’d ever scrubbed in my life. I wanted the scent of Kade off me. I wanted to stop feeling the print of his hands on my skin and the weight of his body on mine.I stood under the sprays till the hot water ran out and freezing droplets ran over my skin.“Mommy!” Luca banged against the bathroom door. “I have to pee.”I sighed, turning off the tap.“Hold on, hon!” I called back out.I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.When I had wrapped it around myself, I opened the bathroom door, letting Luca in.“Can you help me unbuckle my belt?” he asked innocently.I smiled, leaning down. “Sure.”As I unhooked his belt buckle, he sniffed my hair and giggled. “You smell like daddy—and Aunty Nora.”I stiffened, resisting the urge to run back into the shower and scrub till my skin bled.I cleared my throat. “I thought you didn’t like the idea of a new daddy,” I asked Luca.He shrugged
ZAYNE’S POVAnyone who knew my story would probably shake their head at me and brand me a fool.Andrea had clearly rejected me before. Now, she smelled like another male, and I wasn’t stupid; I knew what that meant.Yet, here I was, offering myself up to her again.Honestly, I didn’t understand it myself. When I’d first met Andrea, back when she was with that scumbag, Beck, I’d felt an instant connection.I was never going to come between her and Beck, and truthfully, I was content with being her friend.Then they broke up, and she got pregnant and was suddenly moving to Italy. I didn’t even have to think about it for a second before I decided I was moving with Andrea. The decision felt natural—like the abnormal thing was if I stayed behind.And over the last five years, as we’d gone through thick and thin together, I’d felt our bond grow stronger and stronger between us.Somedays, it felt like love and other days, it was a fierce need to be by her side and protect her at all times. T
ANDREA’S POVI spent an unholy amount of time in the shower.I scrubbed and scrubbed, harder than I think I’d ever scrubbed in my life. I wanted the scent of Kade off me. I wanted to stop feeling the print of his hands on my skin and the weight of his body on mine.I stood under the sprays till the hot water ran out and freezing droplets ran over my skin.“Mommy!” Luca banged against the bathroom door. “I have to pee.”I sighed, turning off the tap.“Hold on, hon!” I called back out.I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.When I had wrapped it around myself, I opened the bathroom door, letting Luca in.“Can you help me unbuckle my belt?” he asked innocently.I smiled, leaning down. “Sure.”As I unhooked his belt buckle, he sniffed my hair and giggled. “You smell like daddy—and Aunty Nora.”I stiffened, resisting the urge to run back into the shower and scrub till my skin bled.I cleared my throat. “I thought you didn’t like the idea of a new daddy,” I asked Luca.He shrugged
ANDREA’S POVWaking up in Kade’s arms to the sound of my phone ringing was like de ja vu. Especially when the caller ID showed Zayne.My eyes widened as I answered the call. I was only supposed to have gone out for a short walk, and instead, I’d spent the entire day and night out.“Shit, Zayne, I’m so sorry,” I whispered into the phone, gently pulling out of Kade’s grasp. “I lost track of time, and—” I paused. I couldn’t possibly tell the man who I knew was in love with me that I’d left him to watch my kids while I fucked my ex all night.“None of that matters, Drea,” Zayne said, his voice slightly panicked.Ice filled my veins. “What happened?”He swore. “I swear I didn’t let them out of my sight. I even slept in the room with them, but then I woke up, and they were gone.”“What?” I felt lightheaded.“The twins aren’t in the hotel.”“Fuck!” I hissed, climbing out of bed. My dress was hanging over the chair in Kade’s room, and I grabbed it. As I hurriedly threw it on, my heart pounded
KADE’S POVIt was a miracle that Andrea and I made it back to the Alpha compound with our sanity intact. I’d Shifted back to Jaxon, and Andrea had ridden me all the way back, and as we went, the only thing I could think about was all the other ways I wanted her to ride me.All I could think about, all that consumed my mind, was having Andrea again.When I stumbled upon her in the woods, it was like a gift from the goddess. Jaxon had been wandering aimlessly, desperately fighting the effects of the aphrodisiac Natasha had drugged me with.But then I saw Andrea, and all those heightened feelings exploded. I didn’t know what was going on with her but thank the goddess that she didn’t reject me. If she had, I might have died right there and then.And then, right after that, I wanted more. And then more. It was like the more I got of Andrea, the more I wanted.I was so glad that when we got back to the Alpha compound, Natasha was nowhere to be found. If she’d still been around, I might hav
ANDREA’S POVI hung up the phone with a heavy sigh and sank into the chair in the living room of our new suite.My parent’s words weighed heavily on my mind, and although we’d had similar conversations like that in the past, this time, it weighed heavier.My mom’s final words kept replaying over and over again in my mind: “What about Zayne? He would make a perfect mate, and he would never hurt you.”I knew that. I knew that the last thing Zayne would do in this life was hurt me. But that didn’t mean I wanted to be his mate.I groaned, leaning back into the couch. It made no sense. Zayne truly was perfect—he was handsome, smart, fiercely loyal, hell, he could even cook. Any woman in their right mind would choose him in a heartbeat.I guess I wasn’t in my right mind.Despite all the hurt I had been through, I was still a hopeless romantic. Although choosing Zayne was the logical, sensible thing to do, I couldn’t help wanting to be with someone who made me…feel.Someone who made my heart
KADE’S POVI didn’t have Andrea’s number. How the fuck did I not have Andrea’s number?‘Shift again,’ Jaxon pressed. ‘We’ll find her the way we found the twins.’I shook my head, plopping down onto my bed. ‘No.’“Why?”‘Because she ran!’ I snap.I told her I was coming back, yet she left without informing me of her whereabouts. From the hospital, I went straight to her hotel—and found out that she had checked out.I understood why she left. I understood the need to keep her kids safe—but then why did it feel like she was running away from me specifically?I groaned, punching the mattress underneath me. Why was I still so firmly intertwined with Andrea and all her drama? I was supposed to hate this woman; I was supposed to close her out of my life forever.But instead, I ran through New York, looking for her pups. I’d killed her enemy, and now I was losing my mind because I didn’t know where she was.What if a complication had arisen with the twins? What if she was in distress again?‘
ANDREA'S POV“Andrea, you should get some rest.”I shook my head, my eyes never leaving Matteo and Luca for one second.“I'm never leaving their side, ever again.”“They're safe,” Zayne whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Beck is dead. No harm can come to them now.”I sighed. His words were fact, but they didn't feel true. The idea that I had almost lost my babies was like a huge weight on my chest that refused to lift.I had been careless with them, and they’d been taken from me.Never again.I’d moved to a new hotel far away from the old one and checked in under an alias. I would do whatever it took to protect my babies.“Andrea,” Zayne pressed, "it's almost midnight, and you've had the shittiest, longest day ever.”He was right. I was exhausted—more emotionally than physically. So instead of leaving to my own room, I stood, and climbed into bed between Luca and Matteo.They hadn't woken since we left the hospital. The doctors hadn't wanted us to leave, but all the test resul
KADE’S POVThe last thing I wanted to do was leave Andrea and the twins behind, but I was Alpha, which meant my pack came first, and whatever emergency had occurred, it was my duty to deal with it first.I cursed softly. “I have to go.”“Oh,” Andrea looked surprised, and the idea that she had expected me to stay made me want to block the mind link and say to hell with their emergency.“Of course,” she said, standing up. “You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”I glanced at the twins. “They’ll be fine,” I told her.She smiled, her eyes slightly glassy with tears. “Yeah—thanks to you.”I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to hug her, and I had to take a step back to stop myself.“I should…” I choked up; she looked so vulnerable and gorgeous. “I should go.”She nodded.“I’ll be back,” I heard myself say.Andrea nodded again.I turned away from her, and my gaze snagged on the twins again. I knew they were not mine, and now that they were safe, they were none of my business. Still, leavin
KADE’S POVI raced through the woods, straining to detect something—anything that could lead me to the twins.I knew New York was a huge place, and they could’ve been anywhere, but I could also feel in my gut that they were close—somewhere in the interconnected backwoods.Andrea clung tightly to me as we bounded through the woods. I could feel her heart beat furiously against my back. The proximity was driving Jaxon crazy, and it was an effort to focus on the task at hand.The sun was going down, and I hadn’t picked up a viable trail. I wouldn’t stop, though; I would find those kids, no matter what.I could feel Andrea’s panic with every minute that passed without finding them, and it agitated Jaxon. They were not my pups; I shouldn’t have felt so personally invested.But, I did, and—Jaxon skidded to a halt, straining to feel what we’d just felt.“What?” Andrea panted. “Did you feel something?”I lay down, pressing my paws to the ground, tensing. I felt…something. Like a tug on my in