LORRAINE'S POVSlowly, I opened my eyes. My head was pounding badly. I had to hold my head to soothe the ache. My tongue felt like sandpaper, and the taste of liquor still clung to my mouth. I squinted against the harsh morning light that filtered through the window. Memories of last night came rushing in. I remembered how wasted we got at the bar last night. That's probably the reason I have a hangover. It's been a while since I had one. I turned my head and I instantly became aware of a presence beside me. It was Neil. He slept soundly beside me. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His dark hair was tousled. The sight of him here, in my bed, made me scared. What had I done? My stomach churned. Did we have sex? “Neil,” I nudged him gently. “Neil, wake up.”He stirred in his sleep. Slowly, he opened his eyes.He rubbed his eyes “Lorraine? What’s wrong?”I swallowed hard “Did we… did we sleep together?”He sat up “No, Lorraine. We didn’t. You had too much to drink last night,

LORRAINE'S POVThe next morning at work went by smoothly. There was no trouble. The customers were happy. I worked peacefully with my colleagues. I felt at peace. Life was really turning out well for me again. I smiled every time I thought about my night with Neil. It was perfect. Even at that, I couldn't help but compare it to my first time with Kylian. Nothing could compare to the night Kylian and I had together. It was passionate and.... I couldn't even put my finger on it. Nothing could describe what I felt that night, what we both felt. I could tell he felt it too. I felt bad for using Neil to get over Kylian. Neil was a nice guy and I liked him a lot. Sadly, nobody could compare to Kylian. I fucking hated myself at this point. I went on with my work, trying my best to get my mind of Kylian. By midday, I was ready for a break. The scent of coffee filled the break room as I entered. I saw Jollie already seated at a table. She scrolled through her phone while sipping a cup of co

LORRAINE'S POVI looked at Liam and Neil in shock. I couldn't believe what was happening. No.... It can't be. It's not possible. “Neil?” Jollie whispered. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back.Neil looked at her. His expression was filled with shock and confusion. Liam pulled at Neil's pants. Liam grinned at him. “Liam,” Neil breathed. "Hi papa" Liam said. Neil smiled at Liam and carried him in his arms. "Hi buddy" Neil said "How are you?" Jollie’s face turned pale. “No, no, this isn’t happening,” she muttered.She faced me with a glare “Lorraine, how could you?”I felt my blood go cole “Jollie, I—” She snatched Liam away from Neil. Liam cried out loudly, reaching for Neil. Jollie looked at me. “Never speak to me again!” she shouted “You’re fired!”My heart sank in my chest. “Jollie, please, I don’t understand—”Jollie didn't listen to me. Neil reached for Liam, but Jollie glared at him so hard that he stopped in his tracks. Without another word, she turned away and sto

ALPHA KYLIAN'S POVThat night, I paced up and down in my office. Yaz stood in a corner, watching me in silence. The textbooks scattered across my desk held no answers. Every corner of my mind was filled with Isabella’s face. I didn't understand how this was possible. An innocent girl was the cure to our pack's suffering, yet the price was a life I could not bring myself to take.“Kylian, you need to rest,” Yaz said “You’ve been racking your brain for hours.”“I can’t,” I replied “I can't do this. . I have to find another way. I can’t kill her. There has to be another cure.”Yaz sighed tiredly. From the look on his face, I could tell he was frustrated already. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder before leaving the room. I sank down in my chair, thinking of a solution. Isabella. Her name echoed in my mind. She was willing to sacrifice herself to save everyone. She didn’t deserve this.I couldn't do this. What kind of leader couldn’t protect his own people? What kind of Alpha couldn’t

ALPHA KYLIAN'S POVThe sunlight seeping in from the window reflected in my eyes, making me wake up. Slowly, my eyes fluttered open and a dull ache pounded in my head. I blinked against the morning light. In my head, I tried to piece together the events of the previous night. The last thing I remembered was being drinking far more than I should have in my private bar. I turned my head slowly and to my surprise, I saw Molly sleeping beside me.For a moment, panic gripped me. How did she get in here? What had I done? What had I said? Did we have sex? My memories were hazy due to the alcohol. I closed my eyes, hoping the fog in my mind would clear, but it didn't. Molly stirred and in a few seconds, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled sleepily at me. "Morning," she murmured, stretching her arms. "Morning," I replied "Did I... did I do anything crazy last night?"She laughed lightly "You were pretty drunk, but nothing too wild. You mostly just talked."I frowned "Talked? About what?"Sh