LOGINHayden’s POVThe kiss had been perfect…Too perfect.It played in my head on a loop, like some sick, sweet addiction. The taste of her lips still lingered, the warmth of her breath against mine, the way she melted, hesitant at first, then desperate. Gods, I almost lost it. I would’ve taken her right there. Right on the damned table.If Shayla hadn’t shown up. That woman was a goddamn parasite. A loud, clingy, inconvenient parasite. I should’ve disposed of her ages ago, but she was good for one thing and one thing only, scratching the itch when the cravings kicked in. She was good to fuck. Nothing more.But I don’t need her now. Not anymore. Now I have Gwen. Or at least, I will.Who knew all it took to get everything I’ve ever wanted was to get Reagan out of the picture? The moment that fool was gone, the crown practically slipped itself onto my head.Alpha King.Respected. Loved. Worshipped. And now, finally… Gwen was back in my arms. The door creaked open, dragging me from my glorious
Gwen’s POVHow do you look at someone who once held your heart… someone who once meant everything… and now all you can see is the knife they plunged into your chest?How do you smile at that person… and not imagine ripping their throat out?I sat across from Hayden, every muscle in my face working overtime just to keep my expression soft. Calm. Kind….Not murderous.“I’m so glad you came,” Hayden said with that smile…the same smile I once thought was warm, real, honest.Now I know better.Now I know it’s venom wrapped in dimples.“Of course,” I said with a little laugh, tilting my head just right. “You’re like family. And despite what happened in the past… You mean a lot to me.”His eyes softened—glowed, even. And then… he took my hand. My skin crawled, but I kept the smile.“Of course I’ll always love you, Gwen,” he said softly. “Always.”My heart thundered— not with love….Not anymore. With rage. Pure, ugly rage. How badly I wanted to yank my hand away. How badly I wanted to grab the
Gwen’s POVLife had a cruel way of lying to you. It let you believe everything was okay, that you were surrounded by people who loved you, people who’d stand by you no matter what. But one crack, one secret… it could shatter everything.My eyes fluttered open.The soft glow of the lamp made the room feel warm, but the tension in my chest said otherwise. My gaze landed on the people around me, Dad, Mom, Gil... and Shayla.My breath caught.I sat up quickly, my heartbeat kicking up, but my mom was instantly at my side, hands on my shoulders.“Hey, hey, sweetheart, don’t sit up so fast,” she said, concern tightening her voice.“I’m fine, Mom... thanks.” I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing.“What happened?” she asked. “How are you feeling? Should I call the physician?”I shook my head. “Mom, really... I’m okay. Maybe it’s just stress or something. I just need a little rest.”She didn’t look convinced. Her eyes scanned my face like she was trying to read between the lines, but
Gwen's POV My head pounded, every throb behind my eyes a reminder of how hard I’d cried. The silence in the car didn’t help. It was loud somehow, louder than a scream.I sniffled, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I drove into the city, the edges of the human world slowly coming into view. As I hit the outskirts, snowflakes began to fall, soft and quiet, like they were trying to soothe my aching soul.I pulled over, exhaling shakily.I needed air. Space. Distraction.Slipping out of the car, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my black jacket and began to walk. The streets were alive, lovers huddled together beneath scarves, kids laughing as they tossed snowballs, teenagers tapping away at their phones like the cold couldn’t reach them.There was always something so… warm about this world. Even in the cold. The humans lived with such ease, so much heart. I envied it sometimes.I slowed when something pink caught my eye.An old woman, her hair dyed a striking cotton-candy pink
Gwen's POVOnce Lance laid the flowers at the base of the tree, he turned to me. We walked together in silence, the soft rustle of leaves filling the air between us. My chest ached, the quiet almost too heavy.“About Lia…” he began.“I’m not ready,” I cut him off, my voice firm but gentle.He paused, studying me, then gave a slow nod. “It’s fine.”I exhaled quietly, fingers brushing against the hem of my coat as I stared ahead. Ever since I had Lia, I kept her away from almost everyone. The only ones allowed to see her were Nana Lena, my mother, and me. It might have seemed selfish, but I didn’t care. I would do everything—anything, to keep her safe. Even if that meant from her own family.“You’re doing an amazing job,” Lance said suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.I turned my head slightly, forcing a small smile. “I try my best. With Reagan not back…” my voice caught, and I swallowed hard before continuing, “I just want to make sure our people feel safe. And so far, it’s been g
Gwen’s POV“Mummy, look!” Lia’s little voice rang out, full of excitement.I looked down from the book in my hand and saw her holding up a colorful painting, mostly yellow scribbles with a big smiling face in the middle.I smiled, my heart melting. “Oh… is this a sun baby?”She nodded so fast her curls bounced. “Yes!”“It’s really beautiful,” I said, kissing her warm little temple as she climbed into my lap, wiggling to get comfortable.Her tiny fingers still had paint on them, and I didn’t even care that they left smudges on my black jeans. She was glowing. My little light.Just then, Grandmother Lana walked in, holding a folded cloth and a warm smile. “She’s been drawing that a lot,” she said, setting the cloth down on the table. “The sun baby. Over and over again. Either it’s the simplest thing to draw… or she might be telling us something.”I rolled my eyes playfully. “Nana, she’s just a baby.”Lia had already hopped off my lap, humming as she ran to her toys in the corner of the







