Thank you for reading! I apologize for the missed update yesterday. Our flight was delayed and I was exhausted by the time I made it home.
Kaden I pace back and forth, horrified and frantic as I wait for Declan and Mason to bring Kyle out from the cells. I couldn’t trust myself to go with them after hearing what Brynlee had to say. The mere fact that he would align himself with a monster like Xavier warrants a death sentence in my opinion. The words she said won’t stop playing in my head and the sight of her, looking so frail and broken, the ghosts of her trauma haunting her, it torments me. No sign of the bubbly, vivacious girl she used to be remains and I doubt she’ll ever be that girl again. Not after what she’s been through. Hearing what Xavier did to her, had others do to her, it terrified me. I knew he was power hungry, knew he planned to use my mate and pups against me. But I hadn’t allowed myself to consider what punishment he’d impose if Olivia refused to cooperate. We can’t take the chance that he’ll do to her what he did to her sister. I can’t even think about what he might do to our pups. He’s already
Kaden Leaving the car behind, Mason and Rhett shift, making quick work of the two guards on the other side. Xavier should have posted more men but the arrogant ass probably thought we’d never find out. Declan and I stay in human form so we can keep a handle on our prisoner. The wolves flank us, all of us on high alert. Kyle may be delusional enough to think Olivia still wants him, but that doesn’t mean I trust him not to try something stupid. “Olivia was with Xavier when I left to meet you.” Kyle reminds us. “But we can’t just march in there, too many guards everywhere. “We should go to Hester’s first. She knows everything going on in the pack. She’ll know exactly where he’s keeping Olivia so we don’t waste time looking. And the boys are with Hester too.” Declan and I both stifle a growl, wanting to rip Kyle’s head from his body for leaving our pups with a witch, but knowing we can’t afford to be heard. Just one more thing he’ll pay for as soon as Olivia is safe. He leads us
Declan “Where the fuck is he?” Rhett tosses aside severed body parts, kicking others out of the way as he searches. “Where’s who?” It’s an automatic response, my mind still grappling with everything I just witnessed. One minute I’m preparing to rip into Xavier’s men, only to realize we brought teeth and claws to a gunfight. Fear laced every breath as reality crashed down around me. We underestimated him. We have an army waiting just outside the borders but we thought we could handle this covert mission alone. We were mistaken. Or were we. I hear gunfire, expect to feel the piercing of a bullet ripping through flesh that never comes. I leap into action, determined to take down as many men as I can before I’m killed, but suddenly they aren’t there. In their place are their mutilated bodies, cut down by . . . what? I’ve heard my mother talk about the things Auntie Kat can do but I’ve never seen it in action. I even knew Ellie inherited some of her power but Kaden just assumed he n
Olivia“No! Don’t say you’re sorry! You go back in there and fix him!” I know I sound hysterical, shouting at the poor man, but I refuse to accept there is nothing he can do.“I was able to extract the bullet,” he explains to Declan, evading my gaze altogether, “but he lost so much blood. We tried a transfusion but so far, there is no indication his wolf survived.”“I want to see him! Now!” With strength I didn’t know I possessed, I shove out of Declan’s hold and stomp right up to the doctor, not allowing him to ignore me.His soul is still present in the bond. He isn’t gone yet! I don’t know what I can do but I can feel that he needs me. This doctor might have lost hope, but I haven’t.Somewhere behind me, I hear Ana snicker. “I hope he is dead. You don't deserve him. My father would have killed him anyway for disrespecting me. He got off easy!”That’s it! I’m done with this bitch! I whirl around and slap her across the face, feeling a keen sense of pride at my handprint on her cheek
Kaden At first I’m surrounded by midnight, a pitch black so thick it’s almost palpable. This must be what floating in one of those sensory deprivation tanks is like, weightless, no sight, no sound. It’s peaceful. But I can’t shake this nagging feeling that I’m not supposed to be here. That I have somewhere infinitely more important to be. Why did I come here? How did I get here in the first place? The answers to those questions evade me. But I don’t linger on them for long. Because a tiny pinpoint of light flickers in the distance and my instincts are roaring at me to reach for it. So I do. Or maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m not moving at all and it’s just getting closer. Either way, it grows until nothing of the darkness is left. Just a bright light, blinding in its intensity.The light slowly softens, like sunbeams through the trees on a summer day, and my surroundings come into sharp focus. The scene is idyllic, trees and gardens and hills with waterfalls cascading into crystal clear
Olivia Declan bursts through the door at the sound of my scream. He pulls me into his arms and holds my head against his chest, hushing me softly. But I won’t let him drag me away from Kaden completely. If I let him go, if I leave his side, then he’s really gone and he can’t be gone. So I hold tight to his hand while I drench Declan’s shirt with my tears. My Beta mate has to feel it, the absence of his Alpha, his bond-mate, but he stays strong for me. My chest burns, a throbbing, pulsing fire filling the hole where Kaden should be, the flames licking at my heart, slowly burning it to ash. How can I feel so empty and so full of agony at the same time?I break free from Declan and throw myself on top of Kaden, clinging to him like a lifeline even when I know there’s no one at the other end to pull me to safety. For the shortest time, he was my safe harbor and now, he never will be again. I don’t know how to breathe without him anymore. Gut-deep wracking sobs escape me as I bury my f
Kaden “In the wind?” I ask incredulously. “What do you mean ‘in the wind?’ I want every inch of that pack turned upside down. Dig up the foundations if you have to. I had squadrons at every exit. He couldn’t have gotten out.” The man nods and salutes me before leaving to follow my orders. But unease curdles in my stomach. As much as I want to believe he’s still there somewhere, in hiding, biding his time, I know the man would have had a contingency plan. “We need to get home where we can keep Olivia and the boys safe until we get our hands on Xavier.” I feel almost frenzied with panic, my heart racing and beads of sweat forming on my brow. I can’t let anything happen to my family again. I’ve already failed them so many times. We’re finally all together again, I can’t let Xavier take that from me! “Shh. Calm down, my Alpha. I’m right here. I’m safe. No one’s going to hurt me. You won’t let them.” Olivia says exactly what I need to hear, soothing my frayed nerves. Alpha. I’m an
Declan “Have you lost your fucking mind?” I challenge Kaden as I jog to keep up with him. The man is on a mission and won’t listen to sense. “The woman has been fucking with our lives since before we could talk, erased Liv’s memories, is in love with our mate’s psycho ex-boyfriend, and is on Xavier’s payroll. You don’t see a problem with that?” “Was. She was in love with Kyle. Olivia said she’s done with him. That’s why she helped her and the pups.” He reasons.“Right. We’re taking the word of a witch now. Because they never lie.” I roll my eyes, a thick layer of sarcasm in my tone. “Besides,” he continues, completely ignoring me, “Kyle is in our custody, so we can use him as a bargaining chip if she still has feelings for him.”“Bargaining chip, how? Because we aren’t letting that asshole go, so don’t even suggest it!” “Of course not. But I could be persuaded not to kill him . . . yet.” Kaden sneers.All I can do is shake my head. “You’re not even fully healed, we just got our ma
Rhett The familiar scent of pine and earthy dampness greets me as I cross into Forest Trails territory. Home. Though that word feels hollow now, more obligation than comfort. Like everything else in my life lately, it’s complicated by duty and expectations I never asked for.Tracy will be waiting at the clubhouse, neutral territory for what promises to be anything but a neutral conversation. We agreed to meet here rather than the dungeon where we usually play. This isn't about scene negotiation or pleasure; this is about ending something that should have been simple but never really was.She’s already there when I arrive, perched on the edge of a leather armchair like she’s ready to spring into action. The sight of her makes my chest tight with guilt. Tracy is beautiful, willing, and uncomplicated – everything I should want. Everything I might have settled for if fate hadn't fucked with my plans."Master." The word slips from her lips automatically before she catches herself. "Rhett.
Rhett “Fuck!” I shove the papers off my makeshift desk in a fit of rage. I fight the urge to toss the un-fucking-helpful computer too, knowing how satisfying it would be to watch it shatter against the wall. But it’s a loaner so I restrain myself. “Problems?” Kaden’s gigantic frame fills the doorway, casually leaning in with an amused smirk on his face. “All I’ve got is fucking problems.” I kick the leg of the desk for emphasis, and because I need an outlet for this fury threatening to consume me. “How can someone attempting such a massive coup hide so effectively? His fingerprints are everywhere, evidence of his plans basically begging to be found now that we know what we’re looking for, but Xander himself is a fucking ghost!” “We’ll find him.” He says so confidently I want to punch out a few of his pearly white teeth. “But none of this is on you. You know that, right?” I open my mouth to argue, to assure him it absolutely fucking is on me, but he’s running his damn mouth ag
Brynlee Who am I? It’s the last thing I ask myself before I fall asleep and the first thing that comes to mind the minute I wake up. Who am I now that the person I used to be no longer exists. Sweet, innocent Brynlee is gone. She died the moment Xavier cornered her in that coffee shop all those weeks ago, even if she didn’t know it yet. But when he, and then his son Xander, put their hands on me, brutalized me in unspeakable ways, there was no coming back from that. No, sweet, innocent Brynlee, the girl everyone loved, who never put a toe out of line, she burned to ash in those moments. But what’s awoken in her place is something I can’t begin to wrap my head around. Contemplating a question I can’t stop asking myself but that has no easy answer is hard. Going to sleep and never waking up would be easier. But I don't. I won’t. For them. Everything I do is for them, the people that love me. My family who would never recover from my loss. A sentence I can’t impose upon them, even if
Olivia "That's the last box," I announce, setting down a container marked 'Isla's stuffed animals' in what will become the nursery of our new packhouse. The sprawling structure sits perfectly between Glass Lake and Crimson Moon territories, a physical representation of the bridges we've built between our packs.Through the window, I watch Ryan and Reegan directing the placement of outdoor furniture while Kat and Declan’s mom, Isabella, supervise the unpacking of the kitchen. Having Kaden's and Declan’s parents move in with us feels right – the pups adore their grandparents, and after everything we've faced, keeping family close has become even more important.My own parents chose to stay in their home, a decision I understand completely. Brynlee needs the familiar comfort of those walls right now, needs the safety of the place she's known her whole life while she heals. The haunted look in my sister's eyes is slowly fading, but her recovery will take time. Time, and probably vengeance
OliviaSunlight streams through our bedroom windows as I drift awake between my mates. Every inch of my body tingles with pleasant soreness, marked and claimed exactly as it always should have been. Kaden's chest rises and falls steadily against my back while Declan's arms wrap around me from the front, both of them holding me close even in sleep.Last night was . . . transformative. The "do-over" of that pivotal moment didn't just create new memories, it healed something deep inside me I hadn't even realized was still wounded. Every word they spoke, every touch they bestowed, every mark they left replaced old pain with new joy.Memories of last night flood through me, making me shiver between them. The way Kaden's voice broke when he finally said the words he should have said years ago: "My wolf has been reaching for you since that first moment." How Declan's hands trembled as he traced reverent patterns on my skin, whispering "Our missing piece, always our missing piece."Kaden stirs
Declan I never considered myself much of a voyeur, never saw the appeal of watching others have all the fun. But with Liv, I could watch her in the throes of pleasure, her gorgeous body writhing in ecstasy all damn day. The only thing better is bringing her that pleasure myself. And now, it’s my turn. "My beautiful Luna," I breathe, crawling over her body where she reclines against Kaden’s chest. "I was lost without you, even when I didn't know what I was missing. Every instinct told me to protect you, to keep you close, but I fought it because I thought I had to." Kaden lifts her thighs, placing them on either side of his, opening her wide for me. Her pussy lips are swollen, her clit peeking out from under its hood. And a mixture of her slick and Kaden’s cum drips from her cunt. The sight is fucking erotic. "The day you left Glass Lake, something in me broke.” I whisper against her lips, kissing them softly and swallowing her moans when I scoop their cum onto my fingers and push
Kaden Olivia writhes beneath me as I eat her out like a man possessed. I lap at her folds, not wanting to miss a single drop of the delicious juices she’s making just for me. I won’t stop until she’s squirting all over my face. But not yet. I feel her struggling to focus as my tongue moves between her legs. She thinks I’m teasing her, taking my time, and it’s making her desperate. That’s how I always want her, desperate for me. But it’s not my intention to torture her, not tonight anyway. "I should have accepted you the moment you told us," I breathe against her skin, my warm breath over her sensitive nub making her cry out. "The way my wolf reached for you, the emptiness I felt when you left . . .” I trail off so I can circle her entrance with the tip of my tongue, missing the delicious taste of her. “I was so caught up in what I thought I needed that I missed what was right in front of me."I suck her hard little clit into my mouth and flick it with my tongue. She trembles benea
Kaden Listening to Olivia confront Kyle twists something in my chest. Her words about those lonely years, about crying herself to sleep knowing we were so close yet couldn't see her, they haunt me. Even though she's forgiven us, even though our mate bonds now pulse strong and true, the guilt gnaws at me."You're brooding," Declan observes as we wait for her outside the prison."I'm thinking," I correct him, an idea forming. "About that horrible fucking night. The first time she tried to tell us about the bond."Understanding dawns in his eyes. I don’t need a mate bond to feel his own regret surge, to see it in his eyes. "The ballroom, the night before we left for training.""We should have recognized her then. Should have felt what she was trying to tell us." The memory of her face that night, hopeful and terrified, makes my wolf whine. "What if we could do it over?"Declan raises an eyebrow. "You want to recreate that night?""But do it right this time. Give her the response she dese
Olivia “Where are you off to, rosebud?” Declan steps out of the office doorway just as I’m walking by. I was hoping to sneak out without having this conversation but apparently fate isn’t on my side today. I sigh, knowing I can’t lie to him and knowing he won’t like my answer. “I’m going down to the cells to see Kyle.” I answer honestly. “What did you say? Because I’m sure I must have heard you wrong.” Kaden’s gaze meets mine as Declan ushers me inside the office, anxiety radiating off of both men. "I need to see him," I say quietly, watching Kaden and Declan's expressions darken. "I need answers.""Like hell you do," Declan growls, pacing the room. "Kyle worked with Xavier, Olivia. He was part of everything that's happened. You know this. Why would you want to see him after everything he’s done?"Kaden's silence is almost worse than Declan's anger. Through our mate bond, I feel his rage warring with the need to protect me from more pain."He saved my life," I remind them softl