Novels by Jeane

Emily giggled, her tiny toes digging into the soft grains, squealing every time the water splashed against them. River held her securely in one arm while Jace held River’s hand with the other, creating a perfect circle of warmth, love, and protection. The three of them had been through so much, fought so many battles, and yet here they were, alive, whole, and together.River looked down at Emily’s small, cherubic face, her eyes wide with wonder as she pointed at the waves. “Look, Daddy! Water!” she squealed. Her little voice made River’s chest tighten with love. He bent slightly to kiss her forehead.“You love the water, huh, baby girl?” River whispered. Emily responded with a squeal and clutched his neck tighter, making him laugh softly.Jace watched the scene unfold and felt a warmth fill his chest. He couldn’t help but smile at how natural this felt. “You’ve got her wrapped around your finger already,” he said teasingly, ruffling River’s hair.River chuckled, careful not to disturb

Mirinda paced around her small living room with slow, angry steps. Her hands trembled even though she kept telling herself she had done the right thing. Emily was asleep on the couch, wrapped in a soft blanket Mirinda had found in her closet. She hadn’t hurt the baby. She couldn’t. Emily was innocent. But every time Mirinda looked at the child’s small face, something twisted inside her chest.“That baby should have been mine,” she whispered to herself, voice shaking. “River should have been mine. We were supposed to start over.”But River had chosen Jace. And Mirinda could not accept that.She knelt beside the couch and stared at Emily again. The baby exhaled gently and moved one of her tiny hands. Mirinda softened a little.“I’m not a monster,” she whispered. “I took care of you. I fed you. I kept you warm. I didn’t hurt you.”Her words didn’t comfort her. Deep inside, she knew she had crossed a line she could never return from. But she was lonely, broken, and desperate. And desperat

The morning started so peacefully it almost felt unreal. Jace was in the living room feeding Emily her oatmeal, humming quietly while she kicked her tiny feet. The apartment was warm from the sunlight coming through the wide glass windows. River was upstairs taking a quick shower before heading to a meeting.Everything was calm.Everything felt safe.And Jace had no idea that danger was already standing outside his door.A soft knock echoed from the front entrance.Jace frowned. “Who could that be…?”He wasn’t expecting anyone. Sasha and Leo always texted before coming. The cleaners weren’t due until next week. He wasn’t ordering anything.Emily babbled, smearing oatmeal on her face.“Hold on, baby,” Jace said gently.He carried Emily in his arms and walked toward the door. He looked through the peephole.A woman stood there. Tall. Slim. Pretty. Long dark hair. Serious eyes. She held a small purse in front of her and looked calm, almost too calm.Jace unlocked the first latch but kept

As the weeks passed, River noticed something else too, he missed Jace.Not the man holding bottles, not the man panicking about diapers, not the man humming lullabies at 3 a.m.He missed his husband.The man he kissed slowly. The man who made him blush. The man who whispered things that made his heart race. The man he married with so much love he thought he might explode from it.And every night, when they finally collapsed into bed, Emily asleep in her crib beside them, they were both too tired to even talk. Sometimes River reached out to hold Jace’s hand, but even that tiny movement felt heavy.One evening, after Emily finally drifted off, River lay on his back staring at the ceiling. Jace lay beside him, eyes half-open, looking like a very tired angel.“We need time alone,” River said suddenly.Jace blinked. “What time?”“Some time. Any time.”Jace rubbed his face. “River, I haven’t slept properly in two weeks. If we get alone time, I might just pass out.”River let out a small lau

River thought he had faced hard things in his life. He had survived military missions, gunfire, pain, and even long nights alone in strange countries. But nothing prepared him for waking up at 3 a.m. to the high-pitched cries of a tiny baby with lungs stronger than a siren.He shot up from the bed, disoriented at first. The room was dark. The city lights glowed faintly through the curtains. Beside him, Jace groaned, rolling over and pulling the pillow over his head.“It’s your turn,” Jace mumbled, voice muffled.River snorted. “My turn was two hours ago.”“…Are you sure?” Jace asked weakly.“Yes,” River said, already standing.He was still half-asleep when he made it to the nursery. Emily’s face was red, scrunched like she was furious at the whole world. Her tiny hands waved in the air as she screamed.River lifted her gently, patting her back. “Hey, sweetheart. It’s okay. Daddy’s here.”Emily did not care. She kept crying as if she was telling the house a dramatic story.Jace entered

The morning sun streamed into the penthouse, warm and soft, and Jace woke up slowly with River’s arms wrapped tightly around him. Married life made River even more clingy in the mornings, and honestly, Jace loved it. He turned a little, facing River, and brushed his fingers gently against his cheek. River’s eyes blinked open instantly.“You’re staring again,” River murmured, voice rough with sleep.“I’m admiring,” Jace corrected with a shy smile.River kissed him softly. “Good. Admire your husband all you want.”They stayed like that for a moment, warm and quiet, before Jace finally took a deep breath. “River… can we talk about something important?”River sat up, suddenly alert. “Are you okay?”“Yes. I’m perfect,” Jace said quickly. His fingers played nervously with the bedsheet. “I was just thinking. About… our future.”River’s face softened. “Tell me.”Jace breathed out. “I want us to build something bigger. More… complete. Something that belongs to us both.”River reached out, hold

They decided on a small wedding. Just family and close friends. Luca didn't want anything elaborate—no press, no business associates, no reminder that Dante ran a criminal organization that was slowly becoming legitimate."Garden ceremony," Luca said, planning with Elena six months after the proposal. "Right here at the villa. Simple, intimate.""Boring," Elena said. "You need at least some drama. It's a wedding.""My entire life has been drama. I want boring.""Fine. Boring it is." Elena made notes. "Guest list?""You, Marco, Dr. Patel, maybe a few people from the foundation I work with." Luca counted on his fingers. "That's like fifteen people max.""What about Dante's people?""He said he doesn't care. He just wants to marry me.""He's such a sap now. It's disgusting." Elena grinned. "I love it."The wedding was set for October, three years almost to the day after Luca was taken. He chose the date deliberately—taking back that anniversary, making it about love instead of loss.Dr.

Elena secured Lorenzo while Marco untied Dr. Patel. Luca dropped the knife and stood there, shaking. Dante crossed to him immediately."Are you hurt?" Dante asked, checking him over."No. I'm fine. He didn't touch me." Luca looked at Lorenzo on the floor, bleeding and cursing. "Your father. It was your father the whole time.""I know. Elena figured it out twenty minutes ago. Found some encrypted communications he'd been hiding." Dante pulled Luca into his arms. "I'm sorry. I should have seen it sooner.""How could you? He's your father.""Exactly. I should have known." Dante held him tighter. "Are you sure you're okay?""Yeah. Just tired of people trying to kill me. Getting really old."Marco helped Dr. Patel to her feet. Her face was swelling where Lorenzo had hit her, but she was steady. "Thank you for kicking down my door. My landlord's going to love that.""Sorry. I'll pay for it." Luca managed a weak smile. "Are you okay?""I've been better. But I'm alive. Thanks to you." Dr. Pat

Elena ran background checks on everyone in their inner circle. Every employee, every associate, every person who'd had access to their operations in the past two years. She found nothing suspicious."Either Anya was lying, or whoever it is is very good at covering their tracks," Elena said, frustrated. "I've gone through financial records, communications, travel logs—everything's clean.""Too clean?" Dante asked."Maybe. Or maybe we're paranoid." Elena closed her laptop. "I'll keep digging, but we might be chasing ghosts."Marco had a different theory. "What if it's not someone in the organization? What if it's someone personal? Someone we trust outside of work?"They all looked at each other. The idea was worse than a mole in the business. Those you could handle professionally. Personal betrayals cut deeper."Make a list," Dante said. "Everyone who knows about Luca, about what happened, about our operations. Family, friends, doctors—everyone."The list was shorter than expected but s

Two years after Vienna, Luca graduated with his literature degree. The ceremony was small but Marco, Elena, Dr. Patel, and Dante all showed up. Dante wore a suit that probably cost more than the average graduate's tuition. Luca wore his cap and gown and couldn't stop smiling."You look ridiculous," Marco said, adjusting Luca's tassel."You're just jealous because I actually finished." Luca grinned. "When are you taking the bar exam again?""Next month. And I'm going to pass this time.""You said that last time.""This time I mean it."They bickered like they used to, before everything happened. It felt good. Normal.After the ceremony, they went to dinner at the restaurant where Luca and Dante had their first date. The same corner table, the same wine, but everything else was different."Speech," Elena demanded, raising her glass."I don't do speeches," Luca protested."You're a literature graduate now. You absolutely do speeches."Luca stood up reluctantly. "Fine. Um. Thank you all f

Luca didn't leave the bedroom for two days. He slept, woke up screaming from nightmares, slept again. Dante stayed with him the entire time, working from the bedroom, answering emails and phone calls while Luca tossed and turned.Dr. Patel came by on the second day. She sat on the edge of the bed while Luca stared at the ceiling."You're crashing," she said. "Completely normal after an adrenaline event like that.""I can't stop seeing their faces. The men who died." Luca's voice was flat. "I keep thinking about their families. People who loved them who are never going to see them again.""That's called empathy. It's a good thing.""Doesn't feel good.""No, it doesn't. But it means you're not becoming what was done to you. You still care about people. That matters." Dr. Patel pulled out her notepad. "Tell me about the moment you offered to trade yourself for me.""I didn't think about it. I just did it.""Why?""Because you didn't deserve to die for helping me. None of this was your fa

The first shots came before they even reached the villa. Guards on the perimeter spotted them and opened fire. Dante's team scattered, returning fire as they pushed forward."Stay low," Dante told Luca, pulling him behind a stone wall."I know what I'm doing," Luca said, but his hands were shaking.They fought their way to the villa entrance. Team two reported they were inside through the vineyard. Team three had the exits covered. The guards were falling back, regrouping inside the main building."Sergei's in there somewhere," Elena said over the comms. "Thermal imaging shows a cluster of people on the second floor.""That's where we're going." Dante kicked in the front door.The entrance hall erupted in gunfire. Two of Dante's men went down in the first volley. Luca pressed himself against a pillar, breathing hard, trying to remember his training."Move!" Dante grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the stairs.They fought their way up, leaving bodies behind them. Luca fired his weap

KIERAN'S POVHe brought the Aldrich documentation to Thursday dinner in a separate folder from the treaty materials, which told me he'd been thinking about the order of things — business first, then the rest of it.I brought wine because Drea had said he wasn't fussy and because it felt like a normal thing that a person does when they go to dinner with someone, which was a category this had quietly become.Eli looked at the bottle when I set it on the table. Then at me. "Your assistant called Drea.""I didn't have your number for that kind of question.""You have my number for treaty questions.""That's a different number," I said. "Professionally speaking."Something moved in his expression — not quite the small private smile but adjacent to it. He poured the wine without making it a thing and we opened the Aldrich folder.The payment chain was as clean as Drea had made it sound. Reina's connection was documented across six transactions, the shell entity paper trail forensically mapp

ELI'S POVDrea had the Aldrich records by seven in the morning.I was already at my desk when she forwarded them, still in the clothes I'd slept in because I'd fallen asleep at my desk, which happened during heavy case periods and which I'd stopped being embarrassed about.The records were clean on the surface, contractor license, board-adjacent work history, nothing that would flag in a standard review. But Drea had gone deeper. Aldrich's contracting fees over the past eight months showed three payments from a shell entity that traced back, after two layers, to a holding company registered in Reina Cross's territory.She was paying him. Not through the board. Privately.I forwarded it to Kieran with one line: "Drea found the money. It's Reina. Full records attached."His reply came in four minutes: *I'll handle Aldrich directly. Can you have Drea document the payment chain formally before the hearing?*I typed back: *Already in progress.*Then I got up, changed, made coffee, and sat

KIERAN'S POVWednesday dinner became Thursday dinner became the thing I organized my week around without deciding to.Eli always brought the folder. We always started with the treaty. Somewhere in the middle the folder closed and we talked about other things — the pack, his firm, the gap years between eighteen and now that neither of us had fully mapped for the other yet. We didn't push. We just let the conversation go where it went and stopped when it needed to stop.The cold kept receding.Not gone. Not even close to gone. But Ingrid's Wednesday check-in showed improvement two weeks running and she'd said *good* in the particular tone she used when she meant it, which was different from the tone she used when she was managing expectations.I didn't tell Eli about the check-ins. He knew I was going. He didn't ask for reports and I didn't offer them, which was an unspoken agreement that felt right — this wasn't a medical arrangement, even when it was.Five weeks to the substantive hea

ELI'S POVThe preliminary hearing was on a Thursday.Judge Mott's courtroom was the kind of room that had been designed to make people feel the weight of what was happening in it, high ceilings, good acoustics, the particular silence of a space that had absorbed a lot of consequential language over the years. I'd been in it twice before. I knew where the light hit the plaintiff's table and I knew Mott's habit of watching the gallery when she wanted to think without being watched thinking.Drea and I arrived forty minutes early. We set up, we reviewed, we did the quiet pre-hearing ritual we'd developed over three years of working together — she handles the physical documents, I handle the room. I walk it, I find the angles, I figure out where the pressure points are before anyone else arrives.Draven's team came in at twenty minutes before. Four attorneys, which was two more than necessary and therefore a performance. The lead was a man named Harwick — I'd faced him before, two years a

KIERAN'S POVThe place Eli chose was a small restaurant that was mostly a bar after seven, low light, separate tables, the kind of ambient noise that gave conversations privacy without trying. I got there first again. I was starting to think that was just going to be my position in this, arriving early and waiting, which was not something I was used to and which I was choosing to treat as practice.Eli came in at seven exactly. He spotted me without scanning the room, which meant he'd already figured out where I'd sit. He ordered water from the passing server before he'd fully taken his coat off and sat down with the folder he carried the way other people carry phones, constantly, naturally, like an extension."Status memos went in," he said."I know. Mott's clerk confirmed receipt this morning.""Draven filed a counter-request this afternoon. Trying to push the preliminary hearing back two weeks."I hadn't seen that yet. "On what grounds.""Scheduling conflict. It's thin." He opened

ELI'S POVIngrid's office was in a converted brownstone on the edge of pack territory, close enough to be accessible, far enough that human neighbors didn't notice the occasional wolf-related emergency coming through the side entrance. I'd been here once before, years ago, for a mandatory pack health clearance I'd needed to transfer my legal credentials into supernatural jurisdiction. I remembered it as clean and quiet and entirely without warmth.It was still all three of those things.The receptionist showed me in at ten. Kieran was already there, which I hadn't expected. I'd assumed separate appointments.He stood when I came in, which was a reflex he probably didn't notice. Pack-raised Alphas do that. I'd spent years being annoyed by it in courtrooms and deposition rooms and I let it pass now without comment."I didn't know she'd have us both at once," he said."Neither did I."We sat. Not next to each other — the chairs were arranged in a slight arc facing Ingrid's desk and we ea