Novels by Ssally

Alina’s POV Tommy’s office was located on the second floor, nestled between two important rooms—one for strategy discussions and the other for storing weapons. This placement allowed him to keep an eye on operations while still having quick access to any weapons if needed. According to Ronan, who was watching the place closely, Tommy had left the compound two hours ago to meet with some of his connections. He wouldn’t return until the next morning.That gave us a brief opportunity to search his office without him knowing.“Cameras are looping now,” Ronan’s voice came through our earpieces from the security room. “You’ve got twenty minutes before the next guard comes around. Make it count.”Jaxon and I slipped through the dimly lit hallway, our footsteps muffled by the carpet. He had insisted on joining me even though Maddox would have been a better choice for this kind of stealth mission. “Someone needs to watch your back,” he had said. “I’m not letting you do this alone.”The lock o

Alina’s POV Eventually, we moved to the gym mats, lying side by side and talking about everything and nothing. His childhood in the cartel, the violence he’d escaped, the family he’d lost. My mother’s death, the years of searching for truth, the moment I’d realized my father was the villain all along. “We’re both orphans,” I said quietly. “In different ways, but still.” “Yeah,” he agreed. “But we found each other. Found this fucked up family that’s held together by violence and loyalty and really questionable life choices.” “That’s one way to describe it,” I said, smiling despite everything. “You got a better description?” “Home,” I said simply. “It’s home. Chaotic and dangerous and probably destined for disaster, but home.” He pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Then let’s fight to keep it. Whatever it takes.” “Whatever it takes,” I agreed.

Ronan’s POV - The Next MorningTommy brought up a serious topic during the morning meeting. “We need to talk about Chloe,” he said, keeping his tone calm but looking around with a keen eye.“What about her?” Jaxon asked, sounding cautious.“She's a civilian caught in a war zone,” Tommy replied. “Though it's not her fault, as Alina so eloquently pointed out last night. Which got me thinking—why are we keeping her here? Why not move her somewhere safer? Get her out of harm’s way while still protecting her?”“Because anywhere else could be even more risky,” I replied. “We have more control over our environment here.”“Do we really?” Tommy challenged me. “Last night showed that our people are uneasy and frustrated. That doesn’t sound like control to me; it sounds dangerous.”“So your answer is to move Chloe?” Maddox asked directly.“My solution is to give her a choice,” Tommy corrected. “Let her decide if she wants to stay in a compound full of people who resent her presence, or if she’d

Maddox’s POV“She was good,” Ghost said as we loaded into the SUVs. “Like, really good. Hart’s lawyers tried everything and she didn’t crack once.”“She’s stronger than people give her credit for,” I agreed, sliding into the back seat beside Alina.“Maybe tough enough that she doesn’t need all this extra protection,” Viper said from the front seat. His tone wasn’t aggressive, just thoughtful. “Strong witnesses usually don’t need a whole team watching over them.”“She still has threats coming her way,” Jaxon shot back from the driver’s seat. “Just because she handled herself well during questioning doesn’t mean she’s invulnerable.”“No,” Viper agreed. “But it does make some people question why we’re putting ourselves on the line for someone who seems capable of

Alina’s POVThe conference room where they’d scheduled my deposition was deliberately intimidating—all dark wood and leather chairs, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Chicago’s skyline like a reminder of how far I could fall. Hart’s legal team had arrived early, spreading their materials across the massive table with the territorial confidence of predators claiming their hunting ground.Three lawyers. Two paralegals. One stenographer. All of them watching me enter with expressions that ranged from professional neutrality to barely concealed hostility.Patricia Morrison squeezed my hand once before we sat. “Remember—answer only what’s asked. No elaboration. No emotion. Just facts.”I nodded, smoothing down the navy suit we’d chosen specifically for this—professional, composed, the view opposite of the “unstable victim” narrative Hart’s team would push.Across the table, Christopher Blake smiled but It didn’t reach his eyes.“Miss Hart,” he began once the preliminaries were done, his

Ronan’s POVMy blood went cold. We hadn’t planned for this—hadn’t prepared Alina to take the stand today.“She is, Your Honor,” Rios said, glancing back at us. “Miss Hart is present in the courtroom.”“Then I’d like to hear from her,” Reynolds said. “Miss Hart, please approach the witness stand.”Alina’s hand found mine under the table, squeezing hard. “I don’t…I’m not ready…”“You are,” I whispered. “Just tell the truth. That’s all you need to do.”She stood on shaking legs and moved to the witness stand, every eye in the courtroom tracking her movement. The bailiff swore her in, and she sat, looking small and vulnerable in the formal setting.“Miss Hart,” Reynolds said, her voice gentler now. “I understand this is difficult. But I need to hear directly from you about the alleged attempts on your life since your father’s arrest. Can you describe what happened at the hospital yesterday?”Alina took a deep breath, and despite her fear, her voice was calm when she spoke.“A woman posing

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