LOGINYELENAI stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds, just staring, not at my face but at myself.Then I sighed and reached for the small makeup kit on the table. I wasn't going to use it too much, just a little. Enough to not look like I just woke up and decided to fight the world.My hands moved fast to powder, lip gloss and then it was done.I didn’t even bother with my hair.I pulled off the towel I had yet to remove and let it fall freely down my back, still a little damp, soft against my skin. I didn’t have the strength to sit under a dryer or start curling it like I had somewhere fancy to go.I snorted lightly. “I’m going to a prison, not a museum.” That settled it.I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and walked out of the room without looking back.Each step down the stairs felt louder than usual or maybe it was just my mind.I already knew he was there.I could feel him. His scent filled the house, strong, steady, and impossible to ignore.Tristan.Of course, he d
YELENAI woke up feeling… strong.It was strange.It was not the kind of strength that came from power or being an Alpha. No. This one sat deep in my chest, quiet but steady, like something inside me had decided to stand up again after being pushed down for too long.Maybe it was the sleep.Or maybe it was yesterday.Nyra’s loud voice, the way she wouldn’t stop talking even when I told her to shut up. The way everyone stayed, filled the room, pushed away the silence that had been eating at me.Yeah… maybe that was it.I breathed in slowly and pushed myself up from the bed. My hand moved to my stomach without thinking. “I’m going to see him,” I whispered under my breath.I was going to see Tyler. I had to even if it was just once, even if I had to stand far away from him, behind cold metal bars, with guards watching like I was the criminal instead of him.I needed to see him alive, I needed to tell him…“You have to wait,” I murmured, pressing my palm lightly against my belly. “You hav
YELENA“Oh my... you're a lifesaver!”Nyra’s voice burst through the kitchen before my brain could even catch up.She rushed toward the table as she had just seen gold, her hands already reaching for the pack Tristan had dropped earlier. That was when I finally looked properly.It was an orange juice pack.The exact same one with my orange juice.The one we had almost started a war over seconds ago.I blinked.Nyra didn’t waste time. She picked it up like it belonged to her and turned straight to the fridge, already opening it, already making space like she had been living here all her life.“Careful,” Vivienne said calmly as she walked after her, her voice soft but carrying that quiet authority.Nyra scoffed lightly. “Relax, I won’t break it. This is precious.”I didn’t even bother stopping her this time because my attention had already shifted. To him.I walked toward Tristan slowly, my brows pulling together. “When did you get this?” He didn’t even hesitate. “When I went outside.”
YELENAShit.Why today?Why did they both choose today of all days?My fingers curled against the counter, my nails digging into the wood as if I could steady the storm inside me. The air still carried him... Tristan. His scent clung to everything. To me. To the walls. Thick, warm, impossible to ignore.And now they were here.Right when things between us were… not normal. Not calm. Not safe.I forced my face into something that looked like a smile. It didn’t stay. It never did when my chest felt like this.“Hi, Director… I’m happy to see you.”The words came out light, almost steady. Almost believable.Vivienne stepped closer, her heels soft against the floor, but her presence? Never soft. Never small. Her eyes swept over me, sharp and knowing, like she could peel me open without asking.“You don’t need to be polite,” she said, her lips curving. We’re not at work.”I nodded, even though my shoulders stayed stiff.She moved past me into the kitchen, as she belonged here as she had al
YELENA“Oh yes, right!” Tristan pulled back suddenly, stepping away from me as he’d just remembered something urgent. His hand reached the gas, switched it off, and immediately a rush of steam escaped from the pot, filling the kitchen with that warm, rich scent that made my stomach growl despite myself. I didn’t even realize when I had walked closer, drawn in by the smell.It was… inviting. Even though it had burnt a little, the aroma wrapped around me, soft and strong at the same time, like him.He stirred the pot gently, and I watched, fascinated, wondering… how did he know how to cook? I didn’t know he could cook at all. And then he turned, wiping his hands on a napkin, and before I could even react, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me easily, carrying me to the kitchen table.“Tristian!” My voice squeaked, caught somewhere between shock and fear, but also awe.He didn’t even stumble. My body was safe in his arms, but my heart was racing anyway.He set me down, his smile sl
YELENAI woke up tired.Not the normal kind of tired.This one sat deep in my bones, heavy, like something inside me refused to move. My eyes stayed on the ceiling for a long time, blank, empty, like I was still trying to remember how to feel.Work.I was supposed to go to work.I let out a slow breath and turned my head to the side. No… I couldn’t. Not today. My body wasn’t ready, my mind even less though I didn’t even tell the director. I would send a message later.Just today.I needed today.Tomorrow, maybe I will be strong again. I had to be. I wasn’t the type to stay down. I never was. Even now, with everything going on… with the baby growing inside me… with him…I swallowed.Soon, I wouldn’t even be able to go anymore. The third trimester would come, and I’d have no choice but to stop. Rest. Sit still. Wait.I didn’t like that.I liked moving. I liked working. Even when it stressed me, it made me feel alive.Slowly, I pushed myself up. My body protested, but I ignored it. I pla
MARIE“Please don’t do this to me.”My voice broke before I could stop it. “Please. Don’t tell him. You’ll ruin us forever. You’ll make my brother hate me!”The words came out messy, soaked in tears I hated showing. I hated that my chest felt tight, that my pride was cracking right in front of him
ANONYMOUS“What the hell is wrong with you?”My voice exploded in the room, sharp enough to cut glass.“Why did you drag this for so long? I thought you would have ended her by now!”He stood across from me, tall, stiff, shadows clinging to him like a second skin. His jaw tightened, and when he loo
JACKSON I stepped back at once.“Shit.”I looked down at my palm. It was red, angry, like fire had kissed it and left a warning behind. The skin throbbed for a second, then slowly started to calm, healing the way my kind always did.Nyra moved closer without thinking. “What is it? Are you okay?”S
YELENAI didn’t know if it was the pregnancy doing this to me, or if my mind had finally decided to turn against me. Either way, something had been wrong for days now. A tight feeling that wouldn’t leave my chest. A whisper at the back of my thoughts that kept poking, even when I tried to ignore i







