Novels by Heritage pen

Ronan’s POVThere she was.Lisa.Arms crossed like iron bars, foot tapping so fast it was practically drilling into the wood of the porch. Her eyes—sharp, blazing, a storm bottled in one body. And Heri, peeking out from behind her like a quiet shadow, book still clutched in her hands, expression unreadable but calm in that unnerving way she always carried.Ah, hell.I braced myself.The second my boots touched the step, Lisa’s voice cracked through the air.“—DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA—” She cut herself off, threw her hands up, then stomped down two steps closer, jabbing a finger at my chest like she was about to stab me with it. “Ronan. Freaking. Hunter. You are LATE.”I blinked, thrown off by the sheer fire of it. “I—”“Nope! Uh-uh! Don’t even start!” she snapped, wagging her finger like I was some delinquent schoolboy. “Do you KNOW what it’s like waiting here? Sitting? Pacing? Pacing so much I almost dug a trench in the floor?! Heri saw it, tell him, Heri—”Heri raised her book a little,

Ronan’s POVThe air in the elder’s sitting room was heavy. Too heavy. It clung to my lungs like damp cloth, choking without pressure.The elder sat hunched, his hand still trembling slightly against his knee. His wife hovered near the door, fussing with a tray she didn’t really want to carry. Damon was watching—eyes sharp, like he was waiting for the elder to slip and reveal something else.My jaw locked. I couldn’t shake it. That voice. Heri’s voice. The echo of it still pulsed in my skull, haunting, taunting. And that damn house.“Alpha Ronan,” the elder rasped, his voice cracked but steadying. “What I’ve said… that is all you can take from me.”“Take?” I echoed, my tone sharper than I intended. “Or all you’re willing to give?”His eyes flicked up. For a second—just a second—there was defiance there. A flash of something old and unbending.Then it faded. He exhaled, long and ragged. “Sometimes… the burden of knowing is heavier than ignorance.”My hands curled into fists. “Then let m

Ronan’s POVThe elder stood at the doorway, framed by the dim afternoon light. His steps were measured, but his presence carried the weight of someone used to respect. His hair had silvered, skin weathered by time, but his eyes… sharp. Searching.“Alpha Ronan,” he greeted, voice low, resonant. “I apologize for the delay.”I inclined my head. “Your wife received us graciously.”He glanced toward the table, the untouched tea, the cooling biscuits, then back to me. His gaze lingered, reading me the way old wolves do. “I imagine you didn’t come only to drink tea.”“No.” I gestured to the seat opposite. “There are matters I need your insight on. Private matters.”He lowered himself slowly, hands resting on his knees, posture still proud. “Then speak.”The room quieted. Even the tick of the clock seemed to hold back.I drew a breath. “It’s about a mark. A strange one. I’ve only seen it once—on a child.”The elder’s eyes flickered. Just for a heartbeat, but I caught it. “A mark,” he repeated

Lisa’s POVThe dishes were still clinking faintly in the sink when Ronan stood up, chair legs scraping the floor in that decisive alpha way he always did things. His expression was sharp, already distant, like his head was two steps ahead of us, plotting the next move.“Damon,” he said, voice calm but commanding, “let’s go.”Go? Go where? My brain scrambled. And then it hit me—oh no no no no no—“Wait, wait, hold on.” I pushed up so fast my chair nearly tipped. “Go? As in—leave leave? Right now?? Without—without me??”Ronan barely even looked at me. Just grabbed his coat off the back of the chair like I hadn’t just squeaked myself into near-collapse. “Yes.”My mouth dropped open. “Wh—WHAT?! Excuse me?! You—you can’t just—”He finally glanced at me, one brow arching in that annoying I’ve already made my decision way. “Lisa. Stay here. Rest.”Rest?! Ohhh nooo. Nope nope nope. “Urmm—ahhh—rest?? After you just dropped a BOMB about creepy elder guys and mysterious alpha marks and scary aur

Lisa’s POVThe water dripped down my arms as I shut the faucet, steam curling all around us like a soft little fog. Heri was towel-wrapped, tiny and blinking at me with that sleepy face she always made after a hot bath. My own hair was plastered wet against my cheeks, sticking to my neck. I wrung out the ends, shivering a little but not because of the cold.Because of that mark.It was still burning in my mind.But she didn’t even… care. Like, hello? Big suspicious alpha mark stamped on your back and she’s just—meh, shrug, “oh yeah, family said it’s normal.” Normal?! Whaaaat?!“Urmm…” I mumbled under my breath, clutching my towel tighter. “Not normal at all, Lisa, nope nope nope. Totally weird. Totally important. Totally something I gotta—ahhh…”“Lisa?” Heri tilted her head at me, her damp hair dripping onto the towel. “Why are you making faces?”“Wh—faces? Me? N-nooope, no faces, all good, totally good, yup!” I squeaked, scrambling for the door before she could stare too long. “C-com

Lisa’s POVWhen my eyes blinked open again, light stabbed at me. Not soft dawn light — no, full-on, bright, burning sunshine pouring through the curtains. My first thought was— what time is it? My second was— wait, I actually slept?I rolled to the side, squinting at the clock on the nightstand. The red digits glared back.“10:03…”I sat up so fast the blanket tangled around my legs and nearly sent me face-first into the floor. “Wh-what?! Ten??! No way—” My hands scrambled through my hair like maybe it would help me think clearer. “Ohhh crap crap crap, it’s—late, it’s… waaay late, oh God…”My chest squeezed, that cold reminder washing back in. Last night. The forest. Heri. The men. The suffocating weight. My breath hitched, and suddenly it all came tumbling back at once.I clutched the blanket to my chest. “No, no, don’t—don’t think about it right now… calm down, Lisa, urmm, just… just breathe, ahhh…”Before I could spiral further, a sound made me freeze.The bathroom door clicked ope