Chapter 49The journey Willow's POV The morning air was crisp, laced with the anticipation of what lay ahead. I’d been up before dawn, packing and repacking, my hands working mechanically, but my mind racing, tangled in the web of thoughts and memories I couldn’t seem to unravel. Today was the day I’d finally go back to the place I’d tried to leave behind, the place that held both the roots of my past and the scars that had shaped me.Ruby arrived promptly, a warm, familiar presence amid my nerves. She held a steady gaze as she gave me a reassuring smile. “You ready for this, Willow?”“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to summon some confidence. She put a hand on my shoulder. “Just… be careful, okay? You’ve got people here who need you.” Her gaze softened as she glanced towards the stairs, where the kids were getting dressed for school.I nodded, swallowing down the knot in my throat. “I’ll be careful. And I’ll check in often, I promise. You know, I have to make sure tha
Chapter 50The Unimaginable Asher's POVThe machines in Axel’s hospital room were the only sound breaking the silence, their rhythmic beeps both comforting and tormenting. My brother's body was still, his pale skin a sharp contrast to the stark white sheets covering him. His lips had taken on a bluish tint, a haunting reminder that time was slipping through my fingers. I sat beside him, gripping his hand, though he didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell faintly, each shallow breath like a whisper of life refusing to give up. “You can’t die on me,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “You hear me? You don’t get to give up. I’ll fix this. Just hold on a little longer.” The weight of my words was suffocating. I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring Axel or myself. The sight of him like this, a shell of the strong, stubborn brother I’d always known was unbearable. I wished I had stopped us from going out that night, but I knew that without us, those kids might have faced a fate worse th
Chapter 51As Fate Fated Willow’s POVThe morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of my hotel room, casting long shadows on the floor. I barely noticed it. My mind was consumed by the whispers I had overheard the day before, the fragmented details about Axel and his deteriorating condition playing on a loop in my mind. Axel was dying. Even now, it felt unreal to connect the vibrant, overconfident man I once knew with the lifeless figure those hushed voices had described. I had to find out the truth. I threw on my disguise, dark sunglasses, a long hoodie, and a scarf wrapped tightly around my hair, and stepped into the crisp morning air. As I walked toward the pack's main grounds, my heart pounded in my chest. I stayed to the edges of the bustling pathways, avoiding direct eye contact. The voices of the pack members hummed like static around me, snippets of conversations drifting past. “I heard Axel’s barely hanging on,” someone whispered as I passed. I froze, preten
Chapter 52A Questionable SolutionWillow's POVThe night was restless. Despite the exhaustion that weighed my body down, sleep evaded me. I lay in the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling in every direction. Axel was fading. His pulse was weak. His body drained. The color had already drained from his skin, and I couldn't stop thinking about the state I had found him in. It had been worse than I expected. I had watched, helpless, as his life seemed to slip away from him. I couldn't rest, not when there was a chance, no matter how small, that I could still help him. The urgency of it kept my mind racing. The hospital had been an emotional rollercoaster, and it felt like every moment was slipping away, with nothing I could do to stop it.I sat up in bed and reached for my phone. My thumb hovered over Ruby's name, uncertain. But I knew she was the one person who would understand, who would not brush off my feelings of helplessness. Without another thought, I dialed he
Chapter 53Dine with the DevilAsher's POVThe silence of the night was like a thick, oppressive blanket, the kind that weighs down on your chest and stifles every breath. It had been a long journey, one filled with secrets, lies, and betrayal, and I was finally nearing the end. I made my way to the final location after collecting two separate packages. The first stop had been a successful exchange, a mountain of cash handed over for a much-needed brief respite. Now, with everything packed away in my duffel bag, I was headed toward the last meeting. Marcelle was waiting for me. He always was. The leader of the kidnapping squad. A man who made his living through fear and bloodshed, orchestrating the worst of crimes in the shadowed corners of the world. The kind of man I had hoped I would never have to deal with. But here I was, standing before him, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. The antidote for Axel, my brother, hung in the balance, and time was running out.I wa
Chapter 54Saved by the BellWillow’s POVTwo days. It had been two days since I’d last heard from Kingston. Two days that felt like an eternity. I had called, I had texted, and I had even left messages for him. But each time, my phone screen stayed silent. The number I had for him kept ringing, and every time, there was no answer. My stomach twisted with dread. I had done everything I could, everything short of throwing myself at his doorstep, but Kingston had not returned my calls. I knew he had promised me that the antidote would arrive, but I was starting to lose faith. Axel’s condition was deteriorating. His heart rate had been dropping steadily over the last 48 hours, despite the temporary solution they had given him. It was only a matter of time before it became irreversible, and I couldn’t let that happen. The thought of losing Axel, of losing him to something that might have been preventable, ate at me with every passing moment. Aiden had been on my case, too. Every time I
Chapter 55Slow RevengeAsher’s POVWhen I regained consciousness, the world felt wrong. It was the kind of wrong you sense in your gut, but your mind is too clouded to process at first. My body ached, a deep, dull pain radiating from my neck and limbs. I tried to move, but the restraints holding me were tight and unforgiving. I could barely move my wrists, let alone my legs. My surroundings were unfamiliar, cold, metallic, and humming with the low, steady rumble of an engine. I blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim light.The realization hit me slowly. I’m on a plane.I jerked my head to the side, feeling the sharp tug of the ropes, but nothing gave. There was no escape. The air around me was thin, carrying a stale scent that made my stomach churn. As I struggled to orient myself, I saw Elena. She was seated across from me, her gaze locked on mine, unwavering and predatory. “How long?” I rasped, my throat sore from the silence. My words felt foreign like they hadn’t bee
Chapter 56Becoming SmartAsher’s POVIt had only been a week. Seven days, and I had already become someone else entirely. "Smarts," they called me. The men here had a strange respect for me, but it wasn’t one I had earned, at least not in the way I would have liked. They didn’t know who I truly was, or what I had done before I was brought to this hellhole. They only knew me as the guy who could read a map faster than most of them, or who could figure out the right tools to use before anyone else. They had no idea that I was here because I had failed my brother. Because my father had traded me away like some worthless pawn to settle his debts.And still, I was "Smarts." Even my cellmate, Leon, seemed to get a kick out of it. He was the type who found joy in the simplest things, like claiming me as his best friend the moment he could. I hadn’t asked for it, but it didn’t seem to matter. Leon was persistent. He was the one who would tell everyone that we were tight like we had a bond t
Chapter 70OverreactionAsher's POVI paced the floor, checking my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. It was past the time Willow was supposed to have arrived. The evening air outside had grown cooler, and the shadows in the room seemed to stretch farther as if reflecting the tension gnawing at my insides. Willow should have been here by now. We had planned for her to get picked up by mid-day but it was almost dusk and there was still no word from her.Axel had already tried calling her more times than I cared to count, his face growing darker with each unanswered ring. We even called the hotel, only to be told that she wasn’t picking up her room phone either. A knot formed in my stomach. What was going on? "She’ll turn up," Aiden said, trying to reassure us, though the uncertainty in his voice betrayed him. Axel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know, Aiden. I feel like she might have left. Everything she came here to do is done, she’s helped me recover, helped you get back, an
Chapter 69Ended RealitiesWillow's POVThe ride back to my hotel felt like an eternity. The world outside was a blur of lights and shadows as the car sped through the city streets, but all I could focus on was the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me. I had barely been able to think straight since I left Jason’s hotel room. His words echoed in my mind, sharp and accusing, and then, just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he confessed that he loved me. Love. The word seemed so out of place, so foreign coming from him. My heart ached at the thought of it, not because I wanted to return those feelings but because of the way he had said it like it was a plea, a desperate cry for me to see him the way he wanted me to. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was truth in some of the things Jason had said. He had called me cheap and made me feel like I had somehow been used by the triplets. There had been a part of me, a dark corner I didn’t want to acknowledge, that wondered if he
Chapter 68A Thin LineWillow's POV I stared at the phone in my hand, the weight of the decision I was about to make settling into my bones. It wasn’t that I wanted to confront him, Jason. He had been there for me, I couldn’t deny that. But sometimes, his protectiveness over me, his constant need to guard me from every little thing, felt like a chain wrapped around my heart. It was smothering. He needed to know that. I pressed the dial button, and the phone once, twice, three times before he picked up. “Willow,” Jason’s voice was flat, tired like he already knew what I was going to say. “I don’t want to talk right now.” My heart tightened. I wanted to scream at him, but I forced the words out instead, keeping my voice steady. “I’m not giving you a choice, Jason. I need you to tell me where you are.” There was a long silence on the other end. I could almost feel him weighing his options, deciding whether to comply or push me away further. I couldn’t let him. Not this time. F
Chapter 67A Romantic HorrorAxel's POVI couldn’t shake the feeling. Every minute since we returned from Willow’s hotel room, the tension had settled in my chest like a weight. My thoughts were consumed by the idea of our father. The old man, where was he? What would he do when he returned? How far had he gone in his plan? I tried to push it out of my mind, but it wasn’t easy. Asher, of course, noticed my mood shift. He always did. “You alright?” Asher asked, his voice cutting through the quiet of the living room. I had been staring into the empty space in front of me for what felt like hours. I blinked, the reality of the question pulling me back to the present. “Yeah, just… wondering what our father will do when he comes back.” His brow furrowed, and I could tell he wasn’t buying it. He knew better. I had to be careful. “You think the poison from the bullet is acting up again too?” he asked and I wondered why he thought that. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake
Chapter 66Proof of BondWillow's POVThe soft, golden light of afternoon seeped through the blinds, caressing my skin with a warmth that stirred me awake. My eyelids fluttered open, and as soon as they did, I knew, this wasn’t just any sleep. No, this was the kind of sleep that made everything feel distant like I had traveled somewhere far away and then returned. The best sleep I’d had in eight years.The weight of everything, the trauma, the heartbreak, the loss that had been crushing me for as long as I could remember had been lifted in that quiet, undisturbed rest. I felt light, lighter than I had in so long. There was no tension in my body, no gnawing worry. I could finally breathe. For a fleeting moment, I believed that maybe I was okay again. That everything would somehow be okay. But as the fog of sleep started to lift, the reality of my situation slammed back into my consciousness. The triplets. Asher, Axel, Aiden.I reached out instinctively, hoping to find their warmth
Chapter 65Desperate Measures Asher's POVThe first light of dawn was soft, creeping through the curtains of Willow’s hotel room. I could still hear the steady rhythm of her breathing next to me, her body tucked into the sheets as she slept soundly. I wanted to stay, to lie next to her forever, to savor the fleeting moments when the world seemed perfect when nothing outside this room mattered. But Axel’s sharp voice broke the spell.“We can’t stay, Ash. We have to go. Now.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes, but I already knew what he meant. We couldn’t risk waking her up, not after everything that had happened, not after everything we had left finished. Our time here was temporary. Willow needed rest, and we couldn’t afford to stay any longer.Axel was already moving, gathering his things and moving as quietly as he could. A small part of me wished I could stay longer, and hold Willow in my arms just a little bit more, but Axel was right. There was too much at stake, and if we stayed, we
Chapter 64Debt RepaidWillow’s POVThe pull was undeniable. It wasn’t just them; I felt it too. A simmering heat, an ache that had lingered for years, now amplified in the small hospital room. The triplets tried to hide it, masking their desperation under layers of stoicism, but I saw the truth. Their wolves were battling for control, and I could feel their struggle like it was my own. It wasn’t just the bond, it was what they had done. They had saved my children without even knowing they existed. For that, they deserved something, even if it was temporary. My body trembled as I came to a decision. I had to just not make it look like this was also coming from a place of need for me, it made more sense for me to justify it as that than as anything else. “I need to step out for a moment,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. The three of them looked at me, their eyes glowing faintly, as though their wolves didn’t want me to leave. I reassured them with a small smile before ste
Chapter 63A New EmotionAxel’s POVThe first thing I noticed was the pull, sharp, undeniable, and wild. My wolf surged forward, its growl resonating in my chest as I gripped the edge of the bed. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me. Across the room, I saw Asher stagger, his fists clenched, his entire body trembling. Aiden wasn’t far behind; he leaned against the wall, his glowing eyes betraying his own internal struggle. “What’s going on?” Willow’s voice cut through the haze. The sound hit me like lightning, reigniting the fire that was already roaring inside. My wolf clawed at the walls of my control, desperate, relentless. Every word she spoke only made it worse. Aiden’s voice was low and rough, his struggle evident. “We feel… like letting them take over. Letting our wolves do what they want.” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do they want?” Asher’s growl rumbled through the room. “You,” he said, his voice raw and guttural. “They want you. Our mate. It's be
Chapter 62Bonded and Broken Willow’s POVI didn’t know what had drawn me back to Axel’s hospital room at that exact moment. Maybe it was the lingering tension in the air or the unsettling energy that had been nagging at me all day. Aiden had texted again, asking me to come by, but his message had been more cryptic this time around and not as always. It was almost like something had happened and he now just wanted to tell me. Even though I knew the men felt disappointed with what Kingston could come up with after accusing their father of so many terrible things. Jason trailed behind me, his footsteps heavy against the polished floor as we walked down the corridor. I could feel his presence like a protective shadow, and while I appreciated his support, I wasn’t sure how much of it was necessary or welcome today. Then I heard it. “Asher?” Jason’s voice was puzzled, but I barely registered it. My ears buzzed, and my heart stuttered in my chest. That voice. I hadn’t heard it in t