I barely noticed the murmurs of the crowd as I dragged Finn and Luna away, their small hands clutched tightly in mine. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the bustling fair. All I could focus on was getting as far from those men as possible.Rachel rushed after me, calling out, “Briar, wait up!”I ignored her, my mind spinning. How did they know? How could they be so sure? No, they were wrong. They had to be.It wasn't possible that I had slept with them and have their children. But everything I was thinking was against logic. Yes it was possible. I had slept with multiple men that night. But I was scared to admit it. By the time we reached the car, I was shaking. I helped Finn and Luna into the backseat, my hands trembling as I buckled them in.Rachel finally caught up, her face flushed from running. “What the hell just happened?” she asked, breathless and wide-eyed. “The Lycan kings and you…”I slammed the car door shut and whirled on her, my voice sharp. “I do
I was stunned when Kai grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the back of the clinic without so much as an explanation. My head spun, caught between the chaos around us and the raw panic rising inside me. I dug my heels in, trying to yank my hand free, but his grip was like iron."Let go!" I shouted, my voice drowned out by the blaring fire alarm and the frantic voices of people rushing past us.“We need to get you out of here,” Kai growled over his shoulder, as if my safety was the only thing that mattered. As if my children weren’t at home, unprotected, and completely unaware of what was happening.“No! I need to get to Finn and Luna!” I screamed, twisting against his hold, but he didn’t slow down. My pulse was hammering, and I felt like I could explode from the panic.“They’re safe,” Kai snapped, his voice rough with impatience. “There are guards at your house.”“I don’t trust your guards!” I shot back, “I don't know you and I don't trust you. I’m going to them, and you can’t stop me
Kieran’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on the horde gathering outside. “They’re not here because of us,” he said, his tone steely. “Vampires don’t hunt on a whim, especially not in these numbers. They’re organized. This was planned.”Kai nodded, his face dark as he turned back to me. “They’re after something specific.”“Or someone,” Kylan added quietly, grimacing as he straightened, though the strain was clear on his face.I glared at them, not buying their cool explanations. “So they show up at the clinic the moment you’re there, and then suddenly my house is crawling with vampires?” My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. “Explain that.”Kai held my gaze, his expression like stone. “If we knew, we’d be handling it.”“Lycans draw vampires like moth. The ones here aren't important. Just wolves. So when a Lycan king or kings comes into town they follow.” “Then come with us to our home. And we would not have to worry about this.” Kieran added with a goofy smile. He wa
"Briar… I am sorry. It's just that it’s late, and it’s risky,” Kai said, his voice softening but still edged with his usual impatience.I squinted at him, feeling the frustration bubble up. “Who gave you the right?” I asked, my voice sharp. He might be a king in his world, but here, in my house, his authority meant nothing to me.Kai’s eyes flicked over me, a strange expression passing over his face, but he didn’t say anything. For a split second, I thought he might actually consider what I was saying. But no—he only sighed and crossed his arms, like he couldn’t understand why I was even questioning him."Look," he said, his tone still laced with authority. "I get it—you want to help, but you don’t have our strength, Briar. And there’s still danger out there. I’m just trying to keep you safe."I let out a bitter laugh. “Safe? You don’t even know me. And I don’t need your permission. I’m not part of your pack.”Kai’s jaw tightened, and he dropped his gaze. “Fine,” he muttered. “I just
We all stared at the three handsome Lycan kings, waiting for them to answer.Were they going to reveal that they were here for my kids?I prayed they wouldn’t. This was a small town, and Finn and Luna already faced enough shame at school for not having fathers. I had told them—and everyone else—that their father was dead. If the truth came out, it wouldn’t just be gossip. It would ruin us. People would see me as worse than a joke. Worse, my kids might be ostracized for my mistakes.Having three fathers. Kai’s piercing blue eyes swept over the crowd, his jaw set as though deciding how much to reveal. Kieran, the calm one, exchanged a glance with his brother, his red hair catching the dim light. Kylan, the most reckless of the three, smirked, like he was enjoying this standoff.“Well?” Elder Nilo prompted, his tone sharper now. “You haven’t answered the question. Why are you here?”Kai stepped forward, his voice steady but unyielding. “We are the kings. We go wherever we like but
Rachel. Dead.The image of her blood-soaked body wouldn’t leave my mind. Her face pale, her lifeless eyes closed like she’d gone in her sleep. But she hadn’t. The vampires had done this.Put her in a state of death and life. She did not transition into a vampire. Nor did she die fully as a wolf.She became the in-between.My assistant. My friend. Gone.I stumbled away from the stretcher, my breaths coming in shallow gasps. My vision blurred with unshed tears, and my body trembled as a storm of grief and rage coursed through me. Lizbella trailed after me, her expression unusually somber.“Briar…” she began, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it.“Don’t,” I choked out, shaking my head. “Don’t say it. Don’t tell me it’s going to be okay, because it’s not. Rachel…rachel is dead..”She stopped, biting her lip. For once, Lizbella had no sarcastic quip, no lighthearted joke to ease the pain in my heart.I couldn’t be here. I couldn’t see Rachel like that again.My heart was breaking the
I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. Couldn’t they argue just once without waking the entire neighborhood?“It’s not your stuff!” Luna’s voice carried into my room, filled with anger. “It’s our stuff! You’re just selfish!”“Oh my God,” I muttered, tossing the blanket aside and sitting up. My body still ached from the chaos of the previous night, but the twins didn’t care about that. No, they were too busy acting like they lived on a battlefield.They were toddlers. The next day, they have forgotten all about it. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, shoved my feet into my slippers, and shuffled into the hallway.“Guys—” I started, only to stop when I saw Finn and Luna locked in an epic tug-of-war over a ratty old stuffed wolf.“Let go!” Finn shouted, his small frame straining as he yanked the toy.“You let go!” Luna retorted, planting her feet like she was about to go full alpha.“ENOUGH!” I said, my voice louder than I intended.Both of them froze, their wide eyes snappi
The town square was quieter than it had been the night before, but the tension was still there. Everyone was looking at each other with fear.There were whispers, people pointing at me as if I was a vampire myself. I ignored them, tucking my hands on my dark blazer pockets. I found the elders near the center, their grim faces locked in discussion.“Elder Nilo,” I called, my voice cutting through their conversation.He turned to me, his expression neutral. “Briar. What can we do for you?”“You can start by explaining why Rachel and the others are being burned,” I said, crossing my arms.“It’s a precaution,” he said evenly. “The vampires who attacked carried venom. It’s too dangerous to bury them as we normally would.”“That’s ridiculous,” I snapped. “Rachel wasn’t a danger to anyone. She deserves a proper burial, by the river, the way she wanted. The family's of the others can vouch for them. Or a friend, you can't just burn them and throw their ashes away. .”Elder Maura frowned, st
“I don't know, Briar, the question is starting to look as if I should believe you.”I raised an eyebrow, my grip tightening on the edge of my seat. “What do you mean?”“Tell me, Briar,” he turned his sharp, silver eyes toward me, a dangerous edge to his tone. “Tell me exactly what’s going on in your mind.”I hesitated, the witch’s words still echoing in my head like a haunting melody. “I already told you. I’m trying to figure this out—just like you.”He scoffed, his hands tightening around the steering wheel as the car swerved slightly.“Kieran, what the hell are you doing?” I snapped, gripping the side of the seat harder.“You’re not telling me everything, Briar,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, ignoring my question. “You’re keeping something from me, from all of us.”“That’s not true!” I shot back, panic creeping into my voice as he pressed harder on the accelerator.The car sped down the dark road, the trees on either side blurring into a shadowy mass. The tension between us
"I was surprised you decided to follow me," I said as I tucked Finn and Luna into the back of the car.Neither of them looked at me. Luna’s eyes were still red from crying earlier, her face turned toward the window, her little hands clutching the edges of her blanket. Finn was quieter than usual, his brows furrowed in thought, though his grip on his toy wolf was tight enough to whiten his knuckles.I sighed, shutting the door softly before turning to Kieran, who stood a few feet away, watching the kids through the glass.“I told you I’d take you,” he said simply, leaning against the car. His silver eyes flicked to me, unreadable. “And you’re stubborn enough to do this alone if I hadn’t.”“You didn’t have to,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “This isn’t your problem.”His lips twitched into something like a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re impossible, you know that?”I frowned, brushing past him to the driver’s side. “Let’s just go.”---The drive was silent. Too silent.K
“Kieran, I’m not—”“Don’t,” he cut me off, his tone sharper than a blade. “Don’t try to talk your way out of this. Not with me. Not when it’s about them.”His words hit me square in the chest, making my breath catch. His frustration, his worry—it wasn’t misplaced, and that only made it harder to face.“Kieran,” Kai said, stepping forward, his tall frame casting a shadow over his brother. “You’re not helping.”“And you are?” Kieran snapped, his voice rising. “You think standing there, acting like everything’s fine, is going to solve this? She’s not telling us everything, Kai. And you’re just letting it slide.”Kai’s jaw clenched, but his voice stayed calm. “This isn’t about letting anything slide. It’s about handling it in a way that doesn’t push her further into a corner.”“I’m right here,” I said quietly, my voice breaking. “You don’t have to talk like I’m not.”Kieran’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second, but his frustration didn’t waver. “Then start talking, Briar. What aren’
My face changed, “What do you mean what am I doing to my daughter?”Kylan didn’t flinch, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed. “Exactly what I asked, Briar. You’re talking about medicine like it’s the only thing keeping her from falling apart. What’s really going on?”“You wouldn’t understand,” I muttered, shaking my head.“Try me,” he pressed, his voice calm but firm.I stood abruptly, pacing the room as my mind raced. “It’s nothing, okay? Just something the doctor prescribed to… keep things normal.”Kylan arched a brow. “Normal? You’re talking about glowing eyes and a song that no six-year-old should be humming. There is no way for a six years old to know Latin and surprisingly she does. None of that screams normal to me.”I froze, my back to him, my fists clenched at my sides. “It’s under control.”“That’s what you call control?” he shot back, gesturing toward the hallway where Luna’s muffled cries could still be heard. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing my room in a soft golden glow. I blinked awake, my mind already buzzing with the to-do list for the day. Work, the kids, figuring out what to do about this ridiculous mansion situation—there was too much to handle and not enough coffee in the world to help.As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I paused. A soft, familiar sound drifted through the air, sending a chill down my spine."Lacrimam tuam effunde,Et dolorem tuum dimitte.Lux tua in stellis est,Numquam obscura, numquam amissa."The words, haunting and melodic, seemed to float from the hallway. My heart stopped.No.It couldn’t be.I rushed out of the room, following the sound to Luna’s bedroom. My hands trembled as I pushed the door open.There she was, sitting on the edge of her bed, her small feet dangling as she hummed the tune softly to herself.“Luna?” I said, my voice cracking.She turned to me, her innocent face lighting up with a smile. “Morning, Mummy!
The twins were bouncing on the large bed in their new room, their laughter echoing through the spacious house. The soft, cloud-like mattress made for the perfect playground, and the clean room, with its lavender coloured walls and oversized windows, felt like a dream.“This house is huge!” Finn said, flipping onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. “Do you think there’s a secret room or something?”“There has to be,” Luna said, her curls bouncing as she flopped next to him. “Rich people houses always have secret stuff.”Finn rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand. “You know what’s even weirder? The three dads thing.”Luna nodded solemnly, folding her hands under her chin like she was pondering something important. “Yeah. They’re all so… different.”“Right?” Finn said, sitting up. “Like, Kai’s kinda scary, but not in a bad way. More like… like when Miss Thornton at school gets mad at us for not doing homework.”“Yeah, he’s like the principal of dads,” Luna agreed
My phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Over and over, the incessant buzz pulled at my fraying nerves. I ignored it at first, pacing through the mess of my dismantled apartment, but when the ringing started again, I snatched it up without checking the caller ID.“What?” I barked, my voice tight with anger.“Good to hear you’re still in one piece,” Kai’s calm, low voice came through the line, immediately freezing me in place.“Kai?” I asked, surprised.“I heard about your… situation,” he said, his tone clipped but careful. “I took the liberty of moving your important things. There’s a better place waiting for you.”His words hung in the air like a slap to the face. “Excuse me?” I snapped, my anger bubbling to the surface. “This is my house. I don’t want some ‘better place.’ I got this home with my hard earned money.”“But you weren't able to keep it,” Kai said evenly, and that pissed me off. “Kylan is on his way to pick you up. He’ll take you to your new home.”“Oh, no,” I said, my voice risin
“Are… are you alright?” I asked, my voice hesitant as I watched the young woman. She turned to me, her face glowing with a creepy happiness. Her earlier grief seemed to have vanished, replaced by an unsettling calm. She looked different from when she first came in, more happy, at peace for someone who just lost her twin.Then again, what was that…song.“I’m more than alright,” she said, her tone bright and airy. “I feel… free. Like the pain was never there to begin with.Did I lose anyone, I don’t even know.” My stomach twisted. “Do you remember your brother? Your loss?” She frowned, her brow furrowing for a brief moment before her face cleared again, her grin returning. “No,” she said simply. “I’ve forgotten it all. The pain, the sadness—it’s gone. Completely gone.” “That’s… good,” I said, though the words felt strange on my tongue. She stepped closer, her eyes brimming with what could have been joy. “The rumors weren’t wrong. You’re the best therapist, Briar. You make peo
Kai stood nearby, as stoic and intense as ever, his blue eyes watching me like he was trying to solve a puzzle.That's how he always looks though . Watchful.It was annoying sometimes, but there are sometimes, especially now when I am in nothing but a T-shirt, shorts, and my hair in a mess, it felt like he could see my body from within my shirt. Kieran was the least distracting, for once, but only because he was busy coaxing the twins into the car.I let out an exaggerated groan, throwing my hands in the air. “Can you guys please be less hot?”Kylan turned, his grin widening. “You think we’re hot?”Kai’s lips twitched, though his voice remained cold as ice. “We’ll try harder to be less of a distraction for you.”“Oh, shove it,” I snapped, flipping him the finger.---This was a welcome change of scenery. The hum of activity, the soft beeps of monitors, and the soothing scent of disinfectant helped ground me. I made my way to Lizbella’s office, holding a small paper bag containing h