登入Caden’s POV: I could hear my heartbeat—loud, uneven, almost deafening, as our bodies collided. It wasn’t just contact. It felt like an impact, like something inevitable finally happening after being held back for too long. My hands found her waist, gripping her more firmly than I intended, like I needed to anchor myself to her or risk losing control completely. She held onto me just as tightly, her fingers curling into my shirt, clutching me like she was afraid I might disappear. The moment our skin touched, something ignited. Not just sparks, no, this was different. It was a wildfire. It rushed through me, sharp and consuming, burning through every ounce of restraint I thought I had. In the past, moments like this had always stirred my wolf. It would react, sure—restless, eager, drawn to her. But this… this wasn’t the same. This time, my wolf wasn’t just reacting. It was losing its mind. It surged forward inside me, clawing at the surface, desperate, no, demanding, to
Tyler’s POV:“Steph, wait!”My voice echoed down the hallway, sharper than I intended, but she didn’t slow down. Not even a flicker of hesitation. She just kept walking, dragging that box behind her like it weighed nothing, like everything she was leaving behind meant even less.The sound of it scraping against the floor grated on my nerves.“Steph, please,” I tried again, my pace quickening as I followed her. “Just stop for a second. Let me explain.”Nothing.She didn’t turn. Didn’t speak. Didn’t even acknowledge that I was there. It was like I had already become part of her past, something she had decided to walk away from without a second glance.And that hurt more than I expected.The more I watched her, the rigid set of her shoulders, the way her back stayed straight like she had locked herself into that decision, the heavier something in my chest felt. It wasn’t just frustration. It was panic. Because I could see it now, clear as day: she wasn’t bluffing. She wasn’t trying to ma
Aiden’s POV:I reached for the door handle, fingers barely brushing the cool metal, but Tyler beat me to it. His hand closed over it like he’d been expecting this exact moment, like he’d rehearsed it. For a split second, neither of us moved, just two statues frozen in the same terrible second.Then the door clicked open from the other side.The sound was quiet, almost harmless, but it hit me like a gunshot.My gaze lifted, and there she was.Stephanie.She stood in the doorway, one hand gripping the edge of it, the other dragging a box that looked heavier than it should have been. Or maybe that was just how she carried it, like it held more than clothes, more than things. Like it held everything she’d decided not to say.My stomach dropped.Why?The question surfaced instantly, sharp and desperate, but I already knew the answer. I just didn’t want to face it. I didn’t want to name it, because naming it would make it real.She was leaving.What else could it be?Still, some stubborn pa
Stephanie’s POV:The world outside the window blurred into long, smeared strokes of color—greens melting into soft grays, buildings and trees stretching and snapping back into place as we passed. I watched it all without really seeing it, my eyes fixed but my mind somewhere far from the moving car. It felt like I had slipped just slightly out of myself, like I was sitting beside my own body rather than inside it.The hum of the engine droned on, steady and almost hypnotic. Normally, I would have filled the silence but this afternoon, words felt heavy in my throat, like they would come out wrong no matter how carefully I chose them.Everything replayed in fragments. The way I felt staring realizing they were my mates. It was the best feeling in the world but I couldn't allow myself to experience it or feel good about it. It doesn't change the fact that they lied to me. It only means one thing. They didn't want me. I could help but wonder if their kindness to me was all an act because
Tyler’s POV:“Stephanie, wait,” I called after her, my voice catching somewhere between urgency and regret. She didn’t slow down, didn’t even turn her head. It was as if the sound of my voice had been carefully shut out, like a door she had no intention of opening again.I quickened my pace, my steps growing uneven against the pavement. At first, it was just a brisk walk, then something more desperate. Before I fully realized it, I had broken into a run, my chest tightening as I tried to close the distance between us. There was a time when reaching her had been the easiest thing in the world. Now, every step felt like I was chasing something already lost.“Stephanie!” I called again, louder this time, hoping, maybe foolishly, that she would stop, that she would turn around and give me something, anything, to hold on to.She didn’t.Just as I stretched my hand forward, my fingers inches away from brushing her arm, someone stepped in front of her. Stephanie came to an abrupt halt, her m
Nicholas’s POV:She knew.She already knew.The certainty of it settled in my chest before I could even make sense of why. It was written all over her face, in the way she stood across the field, still as a statue yet somehow commanding everything around her. The way she was staring at us said more than words ever could.She knew we were her mates.For a moment, just a moment that felt stretched thin and endless, everything seemed to stop. The noise of the crowd dulled into nothing, the wind softened, and even the tension that had filled the arena seemed to pause, suspended in that fragile space between realization and reaction.Her eyes locked onto ours, and something unspoken passed between us. Recognition. Shock. Maybe even something deeper, something that might have been fragile enough to break if either of us moved too quickly.I almost did.I almost stepped forward.But before I could take even a single step toward her, before I could test whatever invisible thread had just form
Alex’s POV:“Alpha Oleg Zakharov's Trial?” Tyler’s voice rang out, laced with disbelief. “That’s ridiculous.”“Who would even add such a thing to the RDC? Are they out of their minds?” Nicholas chimed in, his expression matching Tyler’s outrage.“Let’s calm down,” Aiden said, his tone measured as a
Stephanie’s POV:When I first stepped onto the field, I froze at the sight before me. Real people, actual human beings were being used in this challenge. My stomach churned with unease, but I had no other option but to participate. I couldn’t afford to back out now, not when so much was at stake.
Akira’s POV:The sound of the crowd’s cheers roared in my ears as I sprinted across the field, the gun heavy in my grip. My chest heaved with every breath, my lungs burning with exertion. Sweat poured down my face, trickling into my eyes and momentarily blurring my vision. I blinked it away, forcin
Tyler’s POV:The hunt was going better than expected. The forest, shrouded in twilight, was eerily silent except for the occasional crackle of leaves beneath our boots and the distant rustle of branches overhead. We had already taken down several animals, their lifeless forms marking a trail deeper







