MasukElenaWe entered one of the examination rooms tucked away at the end of the medical wing. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung heavily in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of disinfectant that clung to every corner of the room. White cabinets lined one wall, meticulously organized with medical supplies, while an examination bed occupied the center beneath the harsh glow of fluorescent lights.A nurse stood quietly beside one of the counters, clipboard tucked against her chest. She offered me a polite smile, but it did little to settle the storm raging inside me.Stephen walked ahead without a word before turning toward me. His expression remained unreadable as he gestured toward the examination bed.“You can sit there.”I obeyed without hesitation.The paper covering the mattress crinkled beneath me as I perched on the edge, my back stiff, my hands instantly finding each other in my lap. My fingers twisted together until my knuckles turned white.Stephen glanced at the nurse.“You
ElenaI sat in the passenger seat beside my father as the car cut through the quiet morning roads toward the pack hospital.Every passing second felt heavier than the last.The closer we got, the tighter the knot in my stomach became, until it felt impossible to breathe properly. Every turn of the wheels carried us closer to a truth that had the power to ignite a war. I couldn’t stop imagining every possible outcome, and somehow every single one of them ended with blood staining the ground.Monica occupied the back seat in complete silence.For the first few minutes, I could feel her eyes resting on me through the rearview mirror. I refused to meet her gaze at first. I had expected amusement. Maybe satisfaction. Maybe even mockery.Instead…When I finally glanced back at her, I found something that caught me completely off guard.Sympathy.It wasn’t obvious.It was buried beneath her usual careless expression, hidden so well that I almost convinced myself I’d imagined it.Almost.Befo
Elena“But there will be bloodshed, Jax,” I looked at him, my eyes already stinging as they filled with tears at the mere thought of it. My voice trembled helplessly, every terrifying possibility flashing before my eyes before it had even happened. “You two can get hurt. You two… you could get seriously hurt. What if something goes wrong? What if they outnumber you? What if—”“Nothing comes without sacrifices, Elena.”Ashton’s voice was calm.Steady.It carried none of the fear that was threatening to consume me.He stepped beside me until I could feel his warmth before his large hand gently came up to cradle my cheek. His thumb brushed softly beneath my eye, his silver eyes searching mine with a tenderness that made my chest ache. They were soft—so impossibly soft whenever they looked at me—but beneath that softness lived something unbreakable.Something fierce.“And we have made enough sacrifices in life,” he continued quietly, his voice firm enough that every word settled deep insi
ElenaThe cars rolled to a stop in front of the house.Before the engine had even gone silent, the guards hurried forward and opened the doors. A handful of maids emerged from the mansion as well, their eyes heavy with sleep yet their backs perfectly straight, as though they’d been standing by, waiting for my return all night.“Take Elena to her room.”Dad didn’t even spare me another glance as he nodded at the maids.“Yes, Alpha,” they answered in perfect unison, bowing their heads.So much respect…For the shell of a man.My gaze drifted past him and found Ashton and Jax instead.Our perfect little haven.The place where I’d finally been able to breathe. Where, for the first time in years, I’d forgotten what it felt like to constantly look over my shoulder. Dad had ripped me away from it far too soon.And somehow…That only gave me one more reason to hate him.One more reason to despise him with every piece of my soul.Jax caught my eye.He didn’t smile.He simply gave me a small no
AshtonMy eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.More specifically...On the car in front of us.Gabrielle's car.The one Elena was sitting in.I'd reluctantly let her go with him because there hadn't been another choice. If we'd pushed back any harder at the border, things would've spiraled into a bloodbath before we'd even left the pack.Jax was clearly pissed at me for letting her get into that bastard's car.I couldn't blame him.Truth be told...I was pissed at myself too.But it had been the only solution at the time.As if the atmosphere inside the car wasn't already tense enough, our dear sister decided it was the perfect time to start a conversation.“Well,” she murmured, a sly smile tugging at her lips as she looked between the two of us, “you guys really do love Elena. Since when did that happen? I'd always thought she was just a quick fuck.”“We were never into quick fucks, Monica,” Jax replied without even sparing her a glance. “And Elena isn't someone you choose for a qu
ElenaThe silence inside the car was sickening.It gnawed at me in ways I couldn't even explain, scratching at every exposed nerve until I became painfully aware of my own breathing. I couldn't remember the last time I'd sat beside my father for this long in complete silence. Back then, the quiet had never felt threatening.Now it suffocated me.The only sounds filling the car were the low hum of the engine, the occasional crunch of gravel beneath the tires, and the steady rhythm of my own heartbeat pounding inside my ears. I found myself staring out of the window, watching the dark forest blur past us, wishing the ride would end before either of us spoke again.The air conditioner was turned up far too high.The inside of the car was freezing—so cold that goosebumps spread across my skin, and I had to curl my fingers into my palms to stop them from trembling. I almost felt like my teeth would start clattering if I stayed silent any longer.Dad didn't notice.Or perhaps...He simply d
ElenaI stood on the rooftop, staring down at the borders.Guards patrolled in relentless formation, eyes sharp, movements precise. No lazy pauses. No fifteen-minute breaks. Every shift was replaced seamlessly by another team.Fuck.There was no escaping the borders anymore.I swept my gaze north,
ElenaI was here. In my room.Back in my dad's grand fortress—the one I'd tried to escape this morning.Night closed in, thick and suffocating, swallowing everything whole. And my defeat? It sat heavy on my chest, bitter and sharp.They'd brought me back home in a ride I'd spent fighting the entire
ElenaI ran.Bare feet slapped against the rough earth, every stride slicing my skin open a little more. The ground was cold, cruel, and unyielding. My lungs burned; my heart felt like it was about to rupture. My wolf wanted to shift back—she was done, exhausted—but I couldn't stop. Not now. Not wh
Elena I was trapped between two Alphas in the pool, their bodies pressed tight against mine, hands on me, their scents—dark cedar, sandalwood, and something uniquely male and powerful—filling the air until it was thick enough to taste. I could feel it—as if I could dart my tongue out and I’d ta







