RomanThe room is tense with unspoken emotions, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Silvia, our pack healer, moves around Aella with clinical precision, collecting whatever evidence she can. While Aella sits on the edge of the bed with a hollow look in her eyes; a shell of the woman I know and love. She’s physically here, but mentally? Emotionally? I have no idea where she is.[“I’m right here, Aella,”] I try to communicate through the mind link, that intimate pathway that has always been open between us. But it’s as if she’s locked all the doors and windows to her soul, and I’m standing outside in the cold, helplessly knocking.She’s quiet, unsettlingly so. Her eyes are vacant, like she’s mentally far away from this room, far away from me. I reach out through our mind link constantly, trying to make a connection, but there’s nothing—no response, no echo of my thoughts in her mind. It’s as if a thick wall has been erected between us, and I’m helpless to tear it down.I can’t sit
AellaLying in Roman’s arms, I should feel safe, cherished—wrapped in the kind of love that chases away the monsters of the night. But all I feel is trapped. His arms around me are like steel bands, and though I know they’re meant to be comforting, they feel suffocating. I want to tell him, I need to tell him—about Vasily, about what happened, about the dread pooling like lead in the pit of my stomach. But my voice has abandoned me, leaving me mute in the face of his questioning eyes.And then there’s Roman—his eyes filled with questions I can’t answer, etched with a pain I can’t soothe. How can I tell him that his touch, once my sanctuary, now feels like a cage? That his love, which should make me feel treasured, now lays bare my utter vulnerability?He watches me with concern, the sharp intensity of his gaze softened by the love he clearly still holds for me. But what will happen when he finds out? What will he think when he learns what Vasily did to me, what he made me do? I wan
RomanThe night air is filled with an almost tangible sense of tension and regret, making it almost suffocating to breathe. I am lying down next to Aella, her body seems to be barely there, a mere wisp, and her breathing is shallow and uneven. Days have passed in agonizing silence, days during which she’s hardly uttered a word, days where her eyes speak volumes of her inner torment. I can do nothing but hold her, whisper sweet nothings of assurance that I am here.The disconnect between us is driving me fucking crazy, that space widening with each passing second. I want to scream, kill something, throttle the life out of Vasily for what he’s done to her.But what good will that do? Vasily will be dead, but Aella’s memories won’t be.I’m awake, hyper-aware of every twitch, every small movement that Aella makes beside me. It’s as if my senses are dialed to eleven, each one screaming at me to be prepared, to be ready for anything. I hold her as she fights her demons in her sleep, all w
AellaIt’s strange how you can share your life with someone and still feel as though there’s an abyss separating you—a chasm widened by fear, doubt, and unspeakable trauma. For the first time in what feels like a lifetime, I actually study my husband.Roman looks so at ease in sleep, his features relaxed, a far cry from the strained mask he wears when awake. Being Alpha, a leader to our pack, carries a weight, a gravity that he rarely shows but is there, lurking in the background. His responsibility doesn’t end there. He’s been the linchpin holding me together since my return—gently caring for me, never pushing, always there.Yet as I observe him, I notice things I never did before: the dark circles under his eyes, growing more pronounced, the beginnings of worry lines creasing his forehead. Time has been unkind to us both in different ways. I’ve been the ghost haunting our lives, a wraith in our own home. And here he is, still steadfast, still waiting.My fingers itch to touch him, t
Aella The sun isn’t quite up yet when Roman leaves the bed, slipping out with the feline grace that so contradicts his robust frame. Last night was cathartic, to say the least, and for the first time in weeks, I didn’t wake up with a heavy pressure weighing on my chest. I hear the shower running and contemplate joining Roman, but then I change my mind. I have no idea how I’ll react in there. It’s one thing to say you’re willing to heal, and it’s something else entirely when you put it into motion. So I lay in bed and wait for him to finish in there before I get ready for the day. When he walks out with nothing but a towel draped low across his waist, my heart leaps. It doesn’t matter how many times I see Roman like this, he never fails to make my heart beat like a teenage girl. Gods, he’s beautiful and when he smiles at me, I can feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I take it as my cue to run to the bathroom, but when I’m done in there and walk out in my towel, I don’t see him
AellaI sit quietly on the couch in Roman’s office, flipping through an old issue of a nature magazine as he pores over some documents at his desk. I’m used to these moments—the weight of his responsibilities as Alpha often leads to late nights and busy mornings. But it’s a life we’ve built together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.“You know, you could make this magazine collection a little more interesting,” I comment, giving him a playful look.He glances up from his work, an amused grin lighting up his face. “What, you’re not enthralled by the mating rituals of the North American beaver?”“Absolutely riveting,” I retort. “But I could use some variety.”The door swings open just as he chuckles, and Kaden steps inside, a solemn expression on his face. “Roman, I’ve got news,” he begins, then spots me on the couch and blanches. “Aella, hey.”“Hey, Kaden,” I greet him, closing the magazine and setting it aside. “What’s up?”Kaden looks at me, no look isn’t the right word, he visi
AellaThe walk back to the office is a weighted journey, each step heavier than the last. The information that Esteban gave me has caused my mind to start whirling.Vasily’s thirst for power knows no bounds, and it’s disconcerting how easily he’s manipulated Diego. I reach Roman’s office door, taking a deep breath before walking in.Roman and Kaden are deep in deliberation. Their brows are furrowed and the atmosphere is thick with tension. Papers are strewn across Roman’s desk, maps and charts outlining the territories of various packs and cartels. “We can’t just march in there, Ro,” Kaden is saying, pointing at a section on the map that marks the Ladron Cartel’s land. “It’s suicide. They outnumber us.”“I’m aware, but sitting on our hands isn’t an option either,” Roman retorts, raking a hand through his hair, his rings glinting under the light. “If we don’t act, Vasily plays his hand, and we become sitting ducks.”Kaden sighs and leans against the wall. “We need a mole, someone on t
RomanThe door clicks shut behind Aella, and I’m left standing in the suffocating silence of my office. What the hell just happened? I ask myself this question, but deep down, I know. I saw it—the flash of terror in her eyes, the way she tensed up. How could I be so fucking stupid?She saw Vasily when she looked at me.My fist collides with the wall, a sharp pain radiating up my arm. But it’s a good pain, a welcome distraction from the emotional shitstorm swirling inside me. “Dammit,” I curse under my breath. I should’ve known better. I’ve been an Alpha since I was a pup, raised to read people, to read her. And still, I forget. I forget what she’s been through, the invisible scars Vasily left on her.I flex my hand, testing the knuckles. They’re fine. I’m fine. Except I’m not. None of this is fine. I stand there, my fist aching from the punch, the dent in the wall a testament to my screw-up. “Damn it all,” I mutter, pacing the room. This was supposed to be simple. All my years of