Romans de Acedomvile

HONESTY~DARLA'S POV~I stepped onto the balcony and answered before the second ring finished."What, Kyle?""Baby, please. Just hear me out….""I'm hanging up." My finger hovered over the red button."Wait!" His voice cracked with desperation. "I love you. I fucked up. I know I fucked up. But we can fix this. I'll do whatever you want. Therapy. AA. Anything." I closed my eyes, fighting the familiar pull of his manipulation. How many times had we done this dance? How many times had I believed him?"You tried to rape my friend, Kyle."Silence. Then: "That's not what happened. Annette misunderstood….""Stop." My voice came out cold. Flat. "I was there. I saw the bruises. I heard her screaming. Don't you dare rewrite history.""She came onto me….." I hung up. Blocked the number. Again. For the third time this week.My hands shook as I gripped the balcony railing. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? Why did he keep finding new numbers to call from? My phone buzzed immediately. Different

ENEMY WITHIN FRIENDS~CLAIRE'S POV~I was spread out on Alexander's couch, staring at my phone for the hundredth time. No new messages. Just the same text from this morning: ‘Something came up. Have to leave town for a few days. Darla's coming to keep you company. I will call tonight.’Three hours ago, that text had seemed reassuring. Now it felt frightening.A knock at the door pulled me from my spiral."Finally," I muttered, padding across the hardwood in bare feet. Darla had said she'd be here by noon.I swung the door open, smile ready.Then froze.Darla stood there, grinning. But beside her was Annette."Surprise!" Darla sang out, pushing past me into the penthouse. "I brought reinforcements."Annette followed, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Hope you don't mind. Darla mentioned you were alone, and I thought...""No, it's fine." The lie came easily. I forced brightness into my voice. "Great, actually. The more the merrier."Behind them, Ilynos appeared in the hallway, his

THREATEN WHAT'S MINE~ALEXANDER'S POV~The board call connected, and I didn't even get a full breath in before the shouting started."Alexander, this is unacceptable......""......stock prices are in freefall...."".....need immediate action.....""Gentlemen." My voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "One at a time."Quietness. Then Henderson, the senior board member, spoke. "The Mexico factory is gone. Burned to the ground. We need you there. Now."I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled. "Send a representative. I have situations here that require my attention.""This isn't a request, Hayes." Thompson's voice came through sharp. "The fire was arson. Someone torched a fifty-million-dollar facility. You're the only one who can handle this."My jaw clenched. "I am aware of the severity.....""Then you understand why you need to be on a plane within the hour." Henderson's tone left no room for argument. "We've already arranged everything. Your jet is fueling up as we speak."I wa

ESPIONAGE~CLAIRE'S POV~Morning light sifted through unfamiliar curtains. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then Alexander's arm tightened around my waist, and everything from last night came rushing back.Richard at the door. His broken voice. The way my chest had ached watching him leave.I pushed the thoughts away and burrowed deeper into Alexander's warmth. His chest rose and fell steadily against my back. Peaceful. Safe.Then his phone exploded with sound.Not one ringtone. Multiple. Overlapping. Desperate."What the hell?" I mumbled, blinking against the sudden assault of noise.Alexander groaned beside me, his arm falling away as he reached blindly for the nightstand. The phone screen lit up his face in the dim room. I watched his expression shift from sleepy confusion to quick alertness in seconds."Fuck." He sat up abruptly, scrolling through what looked like dozens of missed calls and messages.My stomach dropped. "What's wrong?""Nothing." He was already on his feet, mov

HEARTACHE ~CLAIRE'S POV~Richard stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, his blue eyes wild with something I couldn't name. Desperation? Anger? Regret?"We need to discuss this lawsuit," he said again, his voice strained.I looked at him. Really looked at him. The man I had loved for three years. The man who had called me disgusting and clingy. The man who had thrown divorce papers at me in a hospital bed.He looked tired. Worn out. Lines creased his forehead that hadn't been there before."No," I said simply. "We don't.""Claire, please." He took a step forward. Alexander shifted beside me, a wall of silent protection. "Ten million dollars? You're really going to destroy Monica over one mistake?"The audacity made me laugh. Harsh. Bitter."One mistake?" I moved away from Alexander, walking closer to Richard. "She stalked me. Showed up at my home. Put her hands on me." I stopped in front of him, close enough to see the flecks of gold in his blue eyes. "And you're calling it a mistak

SUED 2 ~RICHARD'S POV~(30 minutes earlier)I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. The house sat dark except for the porch light. Monica's car was gone.Again. I checked my phone. Seven missed calls from me. Zero responses from her.My jaw clenched. Where the hell was she? I grabbed my briefcase and headed inside. The house felt empty. Cold. I dropped my keys on the entry table and loosened my tie, rolling my shoulders against the day's tension.The doorbell rang. I frowned, glancing at my watch. Eight forty-five. Too late for deliveries. When I opened the door, Lincoln stood on my porch, briefcase in hand. My lawyer showing up unannounced was never good news."Evening, Richard." His expression was rough. Professional. "Sorry to disturb you at home.""Lincoln." I stepped back, letting him in. "What's going on?"He set his briefcase on the entry table and pulled out a thick manila envelope. "You've been served. Well, technically, your wife has been served. But since you're

JAMIE'S CHOICE~MATHIAS POV~I raced upstairs, my wolf howling in panic. Through the bond, I could feel Tate's terror spiking, could sense something strange pressing against her mind. The safe room was built into the center of the Packhouse. No windows, reinforced walls, and covered in protective wards. It was as secure as we could make it.But as I reached the hallway, the emergency lights flickered on, casting everything in red. Four guards lay unconscious outside the safe room door.I burst inside to find Tate standing rigid in the center of the room, her eyes glowing with an unnatural light. And between her and the door stood Jamie.Jamie had arrived two hours ago, immediately after his last exam, driving straight through without stopping. He'd walked into the Packhouse looking exhausted and determined, demanding to see Tate. Daxon and I had barely finished explaining the basics of the supernatural world to him when the attack began. Now he stood facing our possessed mate, his h

OWEN INTERROGATED~MATHIAS'S POV~The emergency Pack meeting was the most tense I'd ever experienced. Warriors lined the walls, Vida sat beside Marcus, and at the center of the room, bound in silver chains and surrounded by a protective salt circle, sat Owen.He'd been captured an hour after the school incident. Three of our scouts had found him wandering near the forest border, muttering to himself. The dark magic radiating from him was so strong that even our human guards could sense something was wrong.Now he sat there, calm despite the chains, despite the fury radiating from every wolf in the room. That eerie smile never left his face."Owen Clarke," Marcus began, his Alpha voice making the air vibrate. "You are accused of conspiracy, of working with enemies of this Pack, and of attempting to harm our future Luna. How do you plead?""Guilty," Owen chirped. "Of all of it." Shocked murmurs rippled through the room."You confess?" Tate asked from beside me, unable to hide her surpri

OWEN'S OBSESSION~TATE'S POV~I ducked into an empty classroom and locked the door, then immediately called Jamie back with shaking hands. He answered on the first ring. "Tate? What's wrong? You sound...""Something just happened," I said, my voice barely steady. "Owen, this guy at school, He grabbed me and started saying all this crazy stuff about spells and dark magic and...""Whoa, slow down. What guy? Did he hurt you?""No. I mean, yes. I mean... I burned him, Jamie. I don't know how, but I burned his hand just by touching him, and everyone saw, and they were all recording, and..." I was spiraling, the words pouring out in a panicked rush."Okay, okay. Deep breaths. You burned him? Like, actually burned him? With fire?""Yes! And he was talking about this witch who's been helping him, and I think... Jamie, I think he's working with the person who's been trying to hurt me."There was a pause on the other end. When Jamie spoke again, his voice was carefully controlled. "Tate, I nee

SCHOOL CHAOS~TATE'S POV~Vida had spent all night warding the Packhouse, covering mirrors and treating windows with a spell that prevented scrying. By morning, the house felt darker, more oppressive, like we were living in a cave instead of a home.But Mathias insisted I return to school. "We can't let Heriberto think he's winning," he'd said. "You are going to class, and living your life. That shows strength."It felt more like stupidity, but I was too tired to argue.My phone buzzed as I walked through the school entrance. A video call from Jamie. I answered quickly, grateful for the familiar face even through a screen."Hey! Just checking in on you," Jamie said, his eyes crinkling with concern even from miles away. "I heard some weird rumors floating around online about an incident at your place last night. You okay?"I stepped into an empty corner of the hallway, keeping my voice low. "How did you even hear about that?""Social media, duh. Someone posted something vague about a f

AFTERMATH & ACCUSATIONS~DAXON'S POV~The fight lasted maybe five minutes, but it felt like hours. By the time the last Hunter fell, three of our wolves were dead, a dozen more were injured, and the main hall looked like a war zone. Blood stained the elegant decorations. Glass crunched under boots. And at the center of it all stood Tate, still frozen, her dress splattered with blood that wasn't hers."Get her out of here," Mathias barked at me. "Now."I didn't argue. Tate wasn't responding to anything—not voices, not touch, not even the bond. She'd locked down completely, her mind retreating from the horror of what she'd done.I scooped her into my arms and carried her upstairs, ignoring the chaos below. Our bedroom felt too quiet after the violence downstairs. I set Tate gently on the bed and crouched in front of her."Sweetheart, you need to come back to me."Her eyes were distant, glassy. "I killed him.""You killed an assassin. A Hunter who came here to murder you.""I didn't kno

LUNA PARTY DISASTER~TATE'S POV~The week leading up to the Luna introduction party was the longest of my life. Between Vida's brutal training sessions and avoiding Elena, who had somehow convinced her way into helping plan the event, I barely had time to breathe.Tonight was the night. I stood in front of the mirror in a dress I'd never have chosen—deep emerald green, long and elegant, with a neckline that showed just enough to be appropriate but not enough to feel like myself. Myra had done my hair and makeup, transforming me into someone who looked like she belonged at a supernatural gathering.I didn't recognize the girl staring back at me."You look perfect," Myra said softly. "Like a real Luna.""I don't feel like one.""Fake it until you make it." She squeezed my shoulder. "Remember what Vida taught you. Keep your mental walls up. Don't let anyone's thoughts overwhelm you."I nodded, but my hands were already shaking. Downstairs, hundreds of Pack members were gathering. Other A