Novel-novel oleh Ssally

Alina’s POV – Thirty-Two WeeksThe pain woke me at three in the morning. Sharp, cramping pain, it felt wrong.I sat up carefully, trying not to wake anyone, but Jaxon’s eyes opened immediately.“What’s wrong?”“I don’t know,” I said, pressing a hand to my stomach. “Something feels… off.”Another cramp, stronger this time. I gasped.That woke Ronan and Maddox. Suddenly all three were alert, surrounding me.“What kind of pain?” Ronan asked, already in crisis mode.“Cramping. Sharp. I don’t… this doesn’t feel right.”“We need to get to the hospital,” Jaxon said immediately. “Now.”They moved fast. Clothes thrown on, car keys grabbed, and then they helped me down the stairs while trying not to panic. The ride to the hospital was a blur, Maddox was driving too fast, Jaxon holding my hand, Ronan calling ahead to tell them we were coming.The ER admitted us immediately when they heard “thirty-two weeks pregnant, with severe cramping.”There were Tests. Monitors. Questions I barely registered

Jaxon’s POV – Four Months Later“We need to baby-proof this entire hallway,” I announced, examining the compound’s second floor with a critical eye.“The baby isn’t even born yet,” Alina pointed out from where she sat, very pregnant, very amused at my paranoia.“So? We should be prepared.”“Jaxon, baby-proofing is for when kids can crawl. We have months before that’s relevant.”“Better early than late,” I muttered, making notes. Corner guards for every sharp edge. Outlet covers. Gates for the stairs. Maybe padding on the walls?“You’re insane,” Maddox said, reading over my shoulder. “Padding on the walls? Really?”“What if she falls?” I defended.“Then she cries and we comfort her,” he said. “That’s how babies work. They’re not made of glass.”“How w

Alina’s POV – Two Months LaterI stared at the little plastic stick in my hand, reading the result for the fourth time like it might change.Pregnant.Two lines. Clear as day. Unmistakable.“Oh shit,” I breathed.This wasn’t planned. We’d talked about kids eventually, someday, when the time was right. Not now. Not while I was waiting to hear back from law schools, not while we were still stabilizing everything.But apparently my body had other ideas.I’d missed my period. Felt nauseous for three days straight. Been exhausted despite sleeping normal hours. Chloe, during our weekly video call, had asked if I was pregnant, and I’d laughed it off.But then I’d bought the test. Just to be sure. Just to rule it out.Except it wasn’t ruled out. It was confirmed.I was pregnant.With one of three possible fathers, no way to know which.“Oh shit,” I said again.A knock at the bathroom door. “You okay in there?” Maddox’s voice. “You’ve been in there for twenty minutes.”“I’m fine,” I called bac

Ronan’s POV – Six Weeks LaterThe envelope arrived on a Tuesday with an official seal, and a federal prison letterhead. I opened it already knowing what it would say.Tommy’s final appeal had been denied. He’d serve his full sentence—fifteen years for embezzlement, conspiracy, and attempted kidnapping. No early release, no reduced time for good behavior.“Good,” I said to the empty office.Some loose ends deserved to stay tied.I added the notice to my growing file of closures. Morrison, the Vulture president who’d killed Elena Hart, had completed his testimony against Hart and was now serving his own twenty-year sentence in maximum security. Hart’s latest appeal had been denied that morning—he’d die in prison, just like the judge promised.Detective Charleston, one of the few honest cops we’d worked with, had been promoted to captain. She was systematically cleaning up

He had a point. Our entire relationship existed outside normal boundaries. Why would children be any different?“What about legal marriage?” I asked. “Is that something anyone wants?”“I’d marry you if we could,” Jaxon said immediately. “All of us, I mean. But legally, that’s not possible.”“We could do a legal marriage to one person and spiritual commitment to the others,” Ronan suggested. “Some polyamorous families do that for legal protection—insurance, inheritance, that kind of thing.”“We’d figure it out,” Ronan said. “Maybe whoever makes the most sense logistically. Or maybe we don’t legally marry at all. The ceremony we had was enough for me.”“Me too,” Maddox agreed. “I don’t need a piece of paper from the government to know we’re committed.”“But there are practical benefits,” Ronan the strategist pointed out. “Hospital visitation rights, medical decisions, inheritance. Those things matter.”“We could do legal documents,” I suggested. “Power of attorney, medical directives, w

Alina’s POV – One Year After Hart’s ConvictionI stared at my laptop screen, reading the same congratulations email for the third time. My online degree was officially complete. Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, completed entirely from the compound, somehow managing to balance coursework with club business, training, and my completely unconventional life.“You’re doing it again,” Maddox said from the doorway.“Doing what?”“That thing where you stare at something like you can’t believe it’s real.” He came in and looked over my shoulder at the screen. “Congratulations, by the way. You did it.”“I did it,” I repeated, still not quite believing it. A year ago, I’d been drowning in chaos. Now I had a degree, a family, a purpose. How had everything changed so completely?“So what’s next?” he asked, sitting on the edge of

Calla’s POVThe interrogation—because that’s what it was, regardless of how gently we framed it—took place in the same conference room where we’d confronted Leo about his initial betrayal three days earlier.But this time, Leo wasn’t a suspect. He was our informant, and the information he was providing about Councilwoman Gray’s operation was both more extensive and more disturbing than any of us had anticipated.“She has files,” Leo said, spreading photocopies across the table. He’d managed to photograph several documents during his last meeting with Gray when she’d briefly left him alone in her office. “Not just on me, but on at least eight other pack members with human families or vulnerable connections.”I picked up one of the photos, my stomach sinking as I recognized the name. Daniel Torres—one of our newer members, former Blood Fang like Leo. The file contained photos of his elderly mother in a nursing home, detailed medical records, financial information showing she was depende

It was the first time Leo had addressed Kane as Alpha instead of just using his name, and the significance wasn’t lost on anyone in the room. It was acknowledgment of hierarchy, yes, but also of genuine loyalty reestablished through the opportunity for redemption.After everyone dispersed to their assigned tasks, Kane and I finally had a moment alone in his private quarters.“You handled that well,” I said, settling onto the couch and pulling him down beside me. “The thing with Leo. The balance between discipline and mercy, consequences and second chances. That was good leadership, Kane.”“It was your idea,” Kane pointed out. “Turning him into a double agent, relocating his family, using the betrayal to our advantage instead of just punishing it.”“It was Jake’s idea initially,” I corrected. “I just helped refine it. And you’re the one who made the final call, who took the risk of trusting someone who’d already betrayed us once. That took courage.”“Or stupidity,” Kane said. “Still un

Calla’s POV“She threatened my family again at the end,” Leo said quietly. “Said she hoped I’d keep in mind what was at stake if I decided to get ‘creative’ with the information I was sharing. It took everything in me not to tell her that my family was already safe, and that she had no power left.”“That’s exactly what we need you to do,” I said firmly. “Let her think she still has control over you. Make her believe her threats are having an effect. That overconfidence will ultimately be what brings her down.”Kane quickly pulled out his phone and sent a text. “Just checked in with Jake—your family is secure in the safe house. Maria and the kids are managing, all things considered. Miguel wants to know when you’ll be able to visit.”Leo’s calm demeanor wavered slightly. “How long do I have to keep this up? When can I see them?”“Until we gather enough information to deal with Gray as a threat,” Kane explained. “It could take weeks or even longer. I know it’s tough, Leo. But your famil

Calla's PovSo there I was, sitting in a van a few blocks away from the coffee shop where Leo was meeting Gray, using binoculars to watch and listening in through a hidden microphone Jake had placed in Leo’s jacket.“This feels like something out of a police drama,” Luna said from beside me. “Are we really doing surveillance from a van?”“Would you rather we do it from a more obvious spot?” I responded dryly.“Fair point,” Luna admitted.Through the binoculars, I saw Gray arrive—always professional, carrying a leather folder that likely held the fake evidence she was using to pressure Leo. They ordered coffee and engaged in what seemed like casual small talk, but it was really Gray trying to establish comfort and control.Then she leaned forward slightly, and even from this distance I could see the shift in her body language as the real conversation began.“&helli

Calla’s POVWatching Leo say goodbye to his family was harder than I’d expected.His wife Maria was understandably confused and scared. She had only been told they had to leave right away for safety reasons, without any explanation that might put them in danger. Their daughter, Sofía, was clinging to Leo, crying because she didn’t want to leave her friends and school. Their son, Miguel, was trying to be brave, but kept asking when his dad would come to visit.“Soon,” Leo kept promising, his voice breaking with emotion. “I’ll come see you very soon, I promise.” Jake stepped in at that point, gently taking the kids by the hand and guiding Maria toward the cars with a mix of kindness and firmness that showed me why Kane had such confidence in him. “We’ll take good care of them,” Jake assured Leo quietly. “Your family will be safe. You have my word.”Once they were gone, Leo stood alone in the parking lot, looking completely empty inside. I recognized that feeling—the emptiness that come

The other pack members filed out quickly, leaving just the five of us in a heavy silence.“We should kill him,” Luna said flatly once the door closed. “Not because he betrayed us—I actually understand why he did it—but because we can’t afford to have a compromised pack member that Gray can continue to use against us. It’s a security risk we can’t contain.”“We’re not killing him,” I said immediately, meeting Luna’s eyes. “There has to be another option.”“Like what?” Luna challenged. “Exile? That leaves him vulnerable to Gray with all the information he’s already given her, plus whatever he picks up on his way out. Prison? Can’t exactly send him to human authorities. Isolation? That’s just slower execution.”“We work with him,” Jake said quietly, and everyone turned to look at him. “We don’t kill him and we don’t exile him. We help him protect his family—actually protect them, not just promise to—and we turn him into a double agent feeding Gray false information while we gather intel