{~~Avery Sterling~~}I woke up in a tight hold, and panic was the first thing that settled in. For some reason, my brain was trying to have me convinced someone else was in bed with me. Until I took a moment to relax, and the scent filled my nose. We really didn’t relax with our wolves the way we should have, but I had so much fun. I turned my body around in his grasp so I could get a good look at his face. Logan doesn’t lose his handsomeness and it’s a bit unnerving.No, I mean overwhelming. He’s truly handsome. His looks never fade away. Like youth only gets better for him.I ran my fingers against his chest. He made a small sound before opening his eyes. What a light sleeper.“Oh, you innocent pervert.” I bristled with laughter, and logan smiled. He still looked like he could sleep some more but we have to check out. And get back to work. And I have to change the bandages on my injuries.“Come on, we have to go.”“Can’t we just quit our jobs?”I scoffed. “I am only twenty-three. I’
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The king was nothing like I had expected. His presence filled the room with a heavy, almost suffocating tension. He wasn’t even supposed to be here with us, yet here he stood, commanding attention with every breath he took. The air seemed to grow colder as he entered, and I could see the color drain from Ava’s face. She had always been defiant, always had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but now, for the first time, I saw her tremble. Perhaps, at last, she was realizing the gravity of her crimes.The king’s dark skin glowed under the dim lighting, a stark contrast to the rich, deep crimson of his robes, which draped around his tall, broad frame with an elegance that spoke of power and authority. His features were striking—high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and eyes so intense they seemed to pierce through you. His hair was neatly braided, and a thin golden circle rested atop his head, gleaming faintly. The intricate patterns embroidered in gold on his tuni
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Working in the basement of the hospital with Martin Miller had become a routine that I found oddly comforting. The sterile smell of antiseptic, the soft hum of machines monitoring vitals, and the quiet chatter of the medical team were all familiar now. Martin was lying on a gurney, his skin pale but his breathing steady as I checked his blood pressure and other vitals. He had been through a lot, and seeing the numbers slowly stabilize gave me a sense of satisfaction, a small victory in the midst of the chaos that had engulfed our lives.There were others with us, members of the team who were just as invested into finding this cure just like I was. Their presence was a comfort, a reminder that we were all in this together, no matter how dangerous the situation became. We worked efficiently, sharing small smiles and words of encouragement as we moved from task to task, each of us doing our part to keep things running smoothly.After what felt like hours, the work wa
{~~Logan Grey~~}Can you believe she wanted to think about the king instead of her kisses? She locked her mouth with mine and expected me to focus. Okay, maybe I was the one who kissed her. But who drags someone into a broom closet if they didn’t want us to fuck? How did I misread the signals?Wait, aren’t I doing something? Should my attention not be on that? I sighed and glanced at the screen of my monitor.I was deep into the files of one of my new patients when I noticed something that sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t something that jumped out immediately, but the more I looked, the more uneasy I became. There was something off in her system, something that didn’t add up, something that made me feel like I should triple-check everything. It wasn’t just a hunch—this was the kind of gut instinct that only comes after years of experience, the kind that told me that if I didn’t dig deeper, I’d regret it later. I knew from the get-go that this wasn’t just a normal case. And now th
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I came back from my talk with Logan, my mind racing with the implications of everything we’d discussed. The king being here was seriously disturbing me. Something about his presence is throwing me off. The weight of the situation was pressing down on me, making it hard to focus on anything else. But there was no time to dwell on it; I had more pressing matters to attend to.I headed straight for the room where Ava was being held, my footsteps echoing down the dimly lit corridor. The cold, sterile walls of the facility seemed to close in around me, amplifying the tension that had been building since this whole ordeal began. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, a steady, relentless beat that matched the urgency of the situation. It was high time Ava told me what she knew. I couldn’t afford to let her keep silent any longer. Too much was at stake, and the clock was ticking.It’s time for her to tell me everything.As I approached the door, I took a deep breath
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I had to contact Logan. The moment I saw the blood pooling beneath my sister, the cold, hard reality of the situation hit me like a freight train. The surgery wasn’t going as planned—not by a long shot. The baby had been delivered, but something was horribly wrong. Her pulse was weak, her skin ashen, and the monitors were screaming with alarm. The doctors were doing everything they could, but it wasn’t enough. She was bleeding out, slipping away with every passing second, and all I could think was that this couldn’t be happening—not now, not like this.For a moment, I froze, watching the chaos unfold in slow motion. The nurses scrambled around her, hands moving frantically as they tried to stem the flow of blood. Doctor Shawn’s face was a mask of concentration, but even he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes. My sister’s life was hanging by a thread, and if she died, everything we’d been working towards would be lost. She was the only key we had to Rex, the only p
{~~Logan Grey~~}When the king and his wife showed up at my office, I thought they were going to talk about something but after an initial questioning of my skills, they told me to have dinner with them. I’m not going alone, Avery will be there with me.We’re getting ready now. After the whole surgery fiasco. The hospital decided they would watch Ava’s child for a while then we could decide what to do with the baby. I would like to talk to Avery about it. The child cannot go, Ava, she’s going to prison. I don’t know who will take the child. Especially one attached to this scandal. No orphanage will accept this child, and even if they do they might treat the child wrongly.We have the children from the other women, but we don’t have the women. They’re the key factor. The kids remember nothing. If they haven’t sold the children, then what is Darren’s endgame here?I just know in my gut that it has something to do with Avery. I turned my eyes to her. The red dress looks amazing on her bo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}“That was dumb. We need to be on his side. He’s going to mess with what we’re doing. He’ll—” I began, my voice tinged with frustration as the car hummed along the dark, winding road. The trees outside blurred together, a streak of shadowy green against the setting sun as if the world was rushing past us while we remained stuck in the same argument.“He shouldn’t have treated you that way,” Logan interrupted, his tone firm, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he gripped the steering wheel. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, but I could sense the storm brewing behind them. The way he clenched his teeth, the way his hands tightened around the leather wheel—it was all so very Logan, ready to defend me, ready to protect, even when I wasn’t asking for it.“We spent less than five minutes there, Logan,” I countered, my voice rising slightly, frustration lacing each word. “We didn’t eat or drink anything. But you—” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts, trying n
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The waterfall is majestic and stunning. Logan suggested we go in naked since we’re the only ones here. I’ll admit, trusting a radically vegan hippie to plan my honeymoon was a bold and disturbing choice. Third year in college she lugged me off to the rain forest where we camped for six weeks so we could connect with the gods who brought us here.It was my worst summer vacation. Six long weeks. But I got so much work done that I felt like I came back even smarter. I love Agatha, but my goodness, her ideas of fun are always nature-like. The lack of wifi is going to kill me, but thank god I got another honeymoon present from Logan’s parents as an apology for the way they acted at the start of my marriage to their son.And that one is for two months on a cruise. We’ll be leaving for that after a week of getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.The water is cold, and the view is even better. I talk alot of crap about Agatha but the woman is far more connected to this world t
{~~Logan Grey~~}My honeymoon is not at all what I expected. It’s one of those situations where you step back and think, How did I not see this coming? But I guess that’s what happens when you go with the flow and don’t plan out every last detail, just trusting that things will fall into place. We decided not to bring Hope with us, even though part of me wanted her to be here. She’s spending the week with my parents—her grandparents—which feels like a huge milestone, not just for her, but for me too. Avery and I wanted this time to ourselves, to really celebrate our marriage without any distractions, to focus on us for a change.We’re an odd pair to most people, and I know some didn’t expect us to last, but we’ve made it work in ways that surprise even me sometimes. Over the last year, we’ve settled into this rhythm that’s become second nature. It’s a good rhythm, one that’s brought us closer, and made us stronger. It’s funny—when you think about it, but it feels like so much longer.
\One Year Later/{~~Avery Sterling~~}So, you know how little girls always dream about their wedding day? It’s supposed to be this big, magical event, where everything falls perfectly into place, and for some, it’s the pinnacle of their dreams, right? But not me. I never had those kinds of dreams. You know how my life was, how crappy my sister and parents treated me. There was never much room in my head for fantasies like that. Growing up, I couldn’t even imagine what marriage would feel like because I was too busy surviving and getting through the mess of my family. But, okay, maybe deep down, I had some dreams. Everyone does, right? I just never thought they’d come true.And marrying Logan Grey—that’s a whole different thing altogether. I mean, when we started planning the wedding, I was so overwhelmed. There were just so many details, and so many decisions, and with everything I’ve been through, I just didn’t have the energy to care about floral arrangements or seating charts. So, I
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The almost-car accident shakes me up more than I expected, but Logan is fine, and I’m fine. It all happened so fast, and yet I can still feel the pulse of my heartbeat in my throat when I think about it. That truck had come out of nowhere. The driver didn’t even slow down. Had I not tripped over that stone while I was looking for a signal on my phone and he’d come to check on me... logan would have died a painful death before my eyes.So of course I was a fucking mess. That driver is crazy. Did he not see the car? Why did the car even stop? What was wrong with the engine? I have like six million questions!He called Ryan to come get us. I was in his arms on the side of the road, watching as other cars drove around the wreckage. They don’t stop but look on surprised at the mess. Whoever that driver was I hope to god his truck breaks down and he’s fired. Because what the hell?He should have at least stopped. Panic fills me but so does anger. The panic wins though.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Logan and I had left Hope in the hospital. The tiny bundle of life—so fragile, yet resilient—was resting safely in the nursery, surrounded by the quiet hum of machines and the gentle presence of nurses. We’d return tomorrow, once we were sure they’d had time to scan her brain and ensure she was truly safe for release. My heart ached to leave her, but it was necessary. Thank goodness she was a baby, still too young to understand fear in the way that we did. She wouldn’t know the anxiety, the sleepless nights, the never-ending worry. All she knew was warmth and the safety of sleep, cocooned in blankets too big for her tiny form.The snow had started falling again, soft and silent, covering the world in a layer of purity that felt both soothing and unsettling. Logan drove carefully through the winding streets, the heater on low, warming our chilled fingers. We didn’t speak much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that sat between two peo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I’m back in this beautiful pack, surrounded by familiar faces, and yet it feels so foreign after everything we’ve been through. the rain stopped while I was away and now we have a new season. The landscape is stunning, especially now, with the first snowfall of the season transforming the dense forest and the lake into a quiet, white wonderland. The snow blankets the ground in thick, untouched layers, making the whole world seem calm and serene, but cold—bitingly cold. It's as if the snow carries the weight of my worries. The weather has shifted dramatically over the past few days, moving from endless, gloomy rain to this sudden onset of winter. So, congratulations on freezing my butt off, even with all the layers I'm bundled in.Logan and I had spent last night at the lake house, a place of solace for us, trying to reconnect after everything that’s been thrown at us. It was bittersweet, those quiet moments by the fire, the crackling logs filling the air with warm
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery is coming home today. Avery is coming home today. I’ve been repeating that sentence in my head for the past 48 hours, counting down the seconds like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. The excitement, the anticipation—it’s all bubbling up inside me, and I can barely sit still. I glance at the clock on my phone for what feels like the hundredth time, knowing it hasn't moved much since the last time I looked but somehow hoping the hands of time have sped up. It's been far too long since I’ve seen her.The air in the terminal is thick with the usual airport chaos—people rushing by, announcements echoing through the speakers, kids whining in the background—but it all fades into the background noise. I’m laser-focused, my heart pounding in sync with the roaring engines of planes outside. She’s been gone for weeks, and though it wasn’t that long, it feels like an eternity. We’ve been working tirelessly on the cure—sleepless nights, constant research, trial and error.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Agatha and I had been at it for hours, possibly days, though the passage of time had become something of a blur in the dim, candlelit room. The air was thick with the scent of dried herbs and burning incense, their heady aromas mixing in a way that both calmed and invigorated me. I had never spent so much time in the presence of a witch doctor before—not like this, not in such an intimate setting where every movement, every word, every breath was part of a delicate and complex dance of life and death.I’d seen witchcraft before. In university, we had a professor who dabbled in the ancient arts, using it to enhance her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies. It’s why i wished I’d been chosen to be a doctor, it would be so nice to be able to do so much than what a nurse can. But even she had never worked with the sheer precision and raw power that Agatha wielded. It was... mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but be drawn in, watching her every move, the way her
{~~Logan Grey~~}Two days without Avery isn't an eternity, but it sure feels like a long time. I’m surviving, or at least I think I am. Tonight, I’m having dinner at my parents' place, and the whole family is here to celebrate the newborns. Felix’s child, Marley, and my daughter, Hope. It feels good to be around everyone, even if my mind keeps drifting to Avery. The house is buzzing with laughter and chatter. The babies are in their playpen, tapping at toys, oblivious to the joyful chaos around them. My parents are practically glowing as they fawn over their grandkids, doting on every little coo and babbling like they’re treasures.I sit back in a rocking chair, watching the scene play out before me. My brothers are in the kitchen, joking around while they cook, and their wives are on the couch, chatting and laughing. And Ronan’s children are lying on the floor coloring something. It’s one of those moments that feels picture-perfect, like a scene out of some old family movie. Even Rya