LOGINDerekEdmond signaled the investigator to leave, then moved in beside me. "Derek. Breathe.""Breathe?" I paced, the wolf snarling under my skin. "My fated mate might be with another man. Tell me how to breathe.""First," Edmond said evenly, "you two haven't marked each other. Legally, she can choose someone else.""Edmond." A warning."Second," he went on, ignoring me, "five years ago, you rejected her. If she's found happiness, you should bless her.""I did not reject her!" I roared. "I was protecting her!""She doesn't know that," he said, calm as a blade. "If you act now, you'll push her even farther away."I picked up my phone to have someone "handle" Adrian. My thumb hovered. I couldn't press.Edmond was right. If I touched Cooper, Violet would hate me forever. She already sees me as the enemy. Hurt someone she cares about, and I'm dead to her.Reason and instinct tore at each other. I'm an Alpha. Possessiveness is in my bones. No man should be near my mate, much less try to rep
DerekAfter Violet left, I sat alone in the empty office, staring at the cake box on my desk like it might breathe again.That sweet, familiar scent still hung in the air, a ghost coiling around my throat, setting my blood on fire. I brushed my fingers along the edge of the box, as if I could still feel the warmth of her hands.Lemon honey Madeleine.Five years. I thought I'd never taste it again. In a heartbeat, that sweetness blew open everything I'd buried—pain, rage, longing. The wolf inside me went quiet in front of her pastry, just like five years ago.I closed my eyes and replayed that kiss. Her lips were still soft, a whisper of vanilla. When I kissed her, I felt the tremor in her body, heard her breath catch. For one breathless instant, five years of hell burned away. All that remained was need. Possession.The bond between fated mates was still viciously strong. Five years later. Even with her hating me down to the bone. Her wolf still knew me. Her body still answered mine.
VioletAfter the crowd thinned, I slipped inside. The kids were in the corner with their blocks. They sprinted over when they saw me."Mom! You're back!" Theodora hugged my leg. "It was loud outside. What happened?""It's nothing, sweetheart." I smoothed her hair. "Just some rude people talking nonsense.""Was it that chubby lady?" Leon frowned. "She talked really loud and said your cake was bad. Did a witch curse her tongue?"I laughed despite everything. This boy is sunlight in my darkest places."Violet." Talia came over, anger still smoldering. "What did the buyer say?"My smile fell. How could I explain the mess between me and that so-called buyer?"They... need time to think." I forced a smile."Really? So there's hope?" Her eyes lit.Looking at her face, I almost confessed. She loves this place like I do. If we close, she loses her job.I couldn't. I looked away."Mom, I'm hungry." Theodora tugged my apron. "Can you make me a little cake?""Me too!" Leon said. "Chocolate!"The
VioletI practically bolted out of that building.When the elevator doors slid shut, I could finally breathe. The weight on my chest didn't lift; it pressed harder.Five years. For five years I told myself I was strong enough, that I could face anything. One look at him and every wall I built collapsed.What burned most? When he kissed me, my body answered.That old thrum in my veins. That mind-blanking hunger. Just as fierce as five years ago. My head knows he's a liar, anger roars, but my wolf was howling for him.That's the curse of the fated mate bond—no matter how many times he's hurt me, no matter how deep the hate runs, the bond lives in my bones, ready to set me on fire. But my pride won't bow again. I won't be his plaything.I won't forget that betrayal. I won't forgive his cold heart.I sat at the bus stop, forcing my breathing to even out. People rushed past, blind to the storm tearing me up.I kept seeing the shock in his eyes, hearing the tremor in his voice. He felt som
DerekI shut my eyes and let that quiet soak in. That was what she was to me—my one mercy in a brutal world, the cure to my chaos.I wanted to devour everything in that box, drink down every ounce of feeling she poured into them. I forced myself to slow, to hide how badly I needed it.When I looked up, she was watching, nervous and hopeful. It twisted something in me."It's... not bad." I kept it cool, even while I was starving for more.Hope flashed in her eyes. It almost made me confess."But," I paused, let the tension push, "not good enough to move me.""What would it take, then?" Her voice carried a flicker of disappointment, but more stubborn fire.Watching her struggle to stay composed, I felt a fierce conflict between guilt and possessiveness. She was willing to endure my unreasonable demands just to save her shop. That strength made me both heartbroken and proud, but it also made me want to have her and protect her even more."I'll give you a month," I said, slow on purpose
Derek Five years. I thought I'd lost her for good.When Edmond told me the ship had exploded, my world caved in. I tore out to that stretch of sea like a madman and dove into those waters myself for three days and three nights, until my body gave out and my men dragged me back to shore.Every plunge into the freezing, dark water, I prayed I'd find something—her dress, a strand of hair, anything to prove she was still breathing. All I hauled up were broken planks and scattered luggage.No body. That one fact kept a spark alive. Maybe she made it. Maybe the tide threw her somewhere else.That thought carried me through the darkest stretch. I burned through every resource, chased leads across the globe. If a rumor surfaced, I went in person. Every time, I came back empty.Those days without her were like hell. My wolf howled every day, desperate to find our mate, and that heart-wrenching pain nearly drove me insane. Sleepless nights became normal, violent emotions grew like weeds, and
Jaxon Twenty-three unread texts. Fifteen missed calls that went straight to voicemail.A day and a half later, and I'm still standing in the wreckage of whatever the hell happened in that park, turning over every word I said to Freckles like evidence at a crime scene.Everything had been going be
Natalie As I draw closer, Jaxon stands to his full height, setting Harry gently back on his feet before turning to greet me. His eyes hold a brightness that touches something deep in my heart, and it makes my pulse hammer against my ribs so hard. I clear my throat. "Thank you for doing this. I k
Natalie Dallas in August is like being trapped inside an oven that someone forgot to turn off.The sun beats down mercilessly on the asphalt, and even with the AC cranked up to arctic levels, I can feel sweat gathering at the base of my neck as I navigate through the midday traffic."Bye bye bye..
Jaxon I watch as Natalie wipes the sweat from face and I can't help but picture this scene as mine.Them as mine. Over and over, the image plays in my mind until it feels more real than the gymnasium around us.I haven't noticed anyone else in this room since Harry ran to me and I saw his mother.







