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Latest chapter

• Beneath the Moon   |c.12|

  The afternoon sun had long dipped below the horizon by the time Channary and Colton emerged from the haze of the past. For hours, they sat on the old gray couch in the living room—its cushions worn soft by years of bedtime stories and rainy day cuddles. The scent of lavender and the faint aroma of cookies lingered in the air, a gentle reminder of the life Channary had built here.The house was modest but warm. Family pictures—just the three of them—lined the walls. Crayon drawings were pinned to the fridge with mismatched magnets, and a stuffed bunny with a missing ear lay abandoned near the hallway. The girls’ laughter had echoed through these rooms for seven years. But today, it had been quieter—more reflective.Colton sat hunched forward on the couch, his elbows on his knees, brows drawn in concentration. Channary, across from him in the armchair that used to belong to her uncle, held a steaming cup of chamomile tea she hadn’t taken a sip from. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun,

• Beneath the Moon   |c.11|

  "Wait… what did she mean by she thinks?" Colton's mind reeled, the words echoing louder than the pounding in his chest. Keaton's grip around his throat slackened, and the room fell into tense, suffocating silence. The air was thick with unease, every breath heavy as the reality of the situation settled like dust in the air.Keaton's eyes darted between Colton, Channary, and the girls—his nieces. His expression, typically carved from granite, was unreadable for once. Claire was a damn fool for not noticing it before. Those girls were spitting images of Colton. The same stormy grey eyes, the same stubborn jawline, even the way they tilted their heads when confused—it was all him. Yet, they were softened by their mother’s beauty, their moon-kissed traits glowing faintly in the afternoon light pouring through the windows.The twins stood huddled behind their mother, clutching her legs tightly. Their wide eyes flickered between the men in the room, registering the danger, the chaos—and now

• Beneath the Moon   |c.10|

  The second Claire was safely back at her classroom to pick up her car, Colton had already pulled out his phone and messaged his beta—his best friend and the only person who truly knew the secrets Colton carried.Logan had been with him the night of the Blood Moon. He was the one who had found Colton afterward, bloody, confused, and broken in the sacred Grove, swearing up and down that someone had drugged him. Logan was the only one who had believed him, the only one who had kept the truth tucked away all these years.Now he was the only person Colton trusted with this new, fragile truth:Channary was his mate.The twin girls—those tiny sparks of life—were his daughters.And they were missing.It had been two full days since Channary and the girls had disappeared. Two days of gnawing silence. Two days of sleepless nights and pacing like a caged animal. He had Logan keeping an eye on their small, cozy house nestled at the edge of town, but no lights ever came on, no car pulled into the

• Beneath the Moon   |c.9|

  The drive to Channary’s house was thick with a silence so charged, it buzzed in the air between Colton and Claire. The late afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the narrow country road. Claire stared out the window, her fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against the worn denim of her jeans. Her mind spun with unanswered questions.Colton gripped the steering wheel tighter, the leather creaking beneath his fingers. His jaw was locked tight, every muscle in his body coiled and restless. The closer they got, the more his wolf stirred beneath his skin, pacing, pushing—hungryfor something he couldn’t name. Yet.When they finally turned onto Channary’s street, Claire unbuckled before the truck even came to a full stop. She swung the door open and hopped onto the gravel driveway, her boots crunching in the crisp autumn air.Colton remained seated, frozen, as a scent wrapped around him like a vice—warm, soft, sweet—a scent he hadn't smelled in years yet had

• Beneath the Moon   |c.8|

  The moment Claire stepped through the door of her cozy apartment, she kicked off her black heels with a groan, each step echoing faintly against the hardwood floor. The familiar scent of cinnamon and worn leather wrapped around her like a hug, but it did nothing to ease the tight coil in her chest. She grabbed her phone off the entryway table, her fingers dialing Colton's number almost before she thought about it. The line rang and rang, each pulse stirring her irritation until finally—"Well, if it isn’t my dear sister," Colton drawled, his deep voice layered with amusement and just a hint of exhaustion. "To what do I owe the pleasure this late?"Claire scoffed, kicking her purse onto the couch. "Cut the crap, Colt. Why didn’t you show up to dinner tonight?"There was a beat of silence, too long, too telling."I got caught up with some pack business," he said finally, the excuse flimsy even to his own ears."Pack business, my ass," she snapped, flopping onto the worn leather armchair

• Beneath the Moon   |c.7|

  The rest of the dinner passed in a blur for Channary. Laughter echoed around the dining table, stories were shared, and the twins were doted on by Claire’s parents, who seemed genuinely enchanted by them. Yet, Channary couldn’t fully immerse herself. Her thoughts remained tethered to the eerie resemblance her daughters shared with the late Elena DuPont, the silver-haired twin who had captivated the family’s hearts even in death.The connection didn’t end there—Channary herself felt it, an inexplicable pull that left her unsettled. She was drawn to the warmth and familiarity of the DuPont family, as though she belonged among them. It was a sensation she couldn’t shake, no matter how much she tried to distract herself with polite conversation or the twins’ innocent chatter.By the time they arrived home, the girls were yawning and rubbing their eyes, their energy from the eventful evening finally spent. Channary moved on autopilot, guiding her daughters through their bedtime routine. Sh