LOGINDANIELI didn't answer her. The question hung in the stagnant air of the corridor like a physical weight, thick and suffocating. How could I explain to the Luna that while I was trying to rest, the world had found a way to strike at him through his own weakness? I watched her face, the way her composure crumbled into a jagged mosaic of maternal terror and simmering, lethal rage.I didn't speak. Instead, I simply pressed the medical report into her trembling hands.Marie stepped in closer, her shoulder brushing mine as she leaned over to read the technical jargon. Her eyes darted across the page, seeking answers, but finding only more dread."I don't understand this," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the hospital lights. "What does this mean? Poison? What kind of poison?"I took a steadying breath, the air tasting of antiseptic and stale coffee. I had to be the anchor. "He was poisoned, Luna. Someone slipped something into his system that’s designed to sup
DANIEL The high-pitched wail intensified, filling the room with a raw, demanding urgency that made my skin prickle. I spun around, my eyes landing on the tiny, swaddled bundle that had, moments ago, been the image of peaceful perfection. Now, her little face was scrunched into a mask of indignation, her limbs flailing against the confines of her blanket."What does she want?" I asked, my voice betraying my complete lack of experience. I felt like I was facing a threat I couldn't neutralize, and that helpless feeling was worse than any battlefield tension.Miss Moonrack let out a soft, breathless laugh, though it was tinged with exhaustion. "I don't know for certain, but she definitely wants to eat. Help me, Daniel. Bring her here so I can feed her."I hesitated, standing like a statue. Then, I took a step toward the crib and stopped. My shoes felt heavy on the linoleum, and the baby’s cries seemed to bounce off the walls, vibrating in my teeth. I reached out a hand, hovered over
DANIELMinutes later, I gently released Miss Moonrack’s hand and stood, my legs feeling slightly stiff as I navigated the small space toward the crib. I leaned over, my breath hitching in my throat. She was breathtaking. Even for a newborn, she looked remarkably healthy, a sturdy, precious little thing with skin as soft as velvet. Everything about her... the tiny, curled fingers, the button nose, the faint fuzz of hair on her head... was perfection. She was a tiny, sleeping miracle, so peaceful in the quiet hum of the hospital room that I felt like an intruder just by breathing the same air.I extended a finger, trembling slightly, and brushed the back of it against her cheek. It was so incredibly soft, warm with the heat of life. I pulled back immediately, terrified that even the lightest touch might shatter the stillness of her slumber."Daniel?"The soft, fragile call pulled me back to reality. I turned around to find Miss Moonrack watching me, her gaze heavy with a questio
DANIEL "Yes, please do," she snapped, cutting me off with a jagged edge of sarcasm."Explain where you and my brother took Yelena to. Her parents are at the pack house right now, and they are absolutely livid. They are demanding answers, Daniel. My brother took her on a date, and they both just vanished off the face of the earth. Do you have any idea how that looks? Who disappears without a trace?"My heart hammered against my ribs, a dull thud of dread competing with the lingering joy of the baby's arrival. My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles blanched."They are at your place?" I asked, my voice dangerously low."Yes, they’re here, and they aren't leaving until they see their daughter," she fired back, her voice thick with the mounting pressure of the situation. "What would you do if your child didn't come home? If she was supposed to be back and she was just… gone? Tell me, what would you do?"I didn't have an answer, not while she was in this state.How do you explai
DANIELThe persistent, rhythmic tapping against the chair frame increased in the sterile silence of the hospital corridor, followed immediately by a soft, melodic voice. "Beta."The sound cut through the heavy fog of my exhaustion, dragging me back to consciousness. I stirred, my muscles screaming in protest. Every joint felt like it had been fused together, a direct consequence of spending the entire night curled into an unforgiving, stiff-backed hospital chair. I shifted my weight, trying to find a comfortable position, but my body just pulsed with dull, aching reminders of the long hours spent in wait.My eyes cracked open, heavy and grit-filled. The harsh morning light filtering through the window hit me with a sudden, stinging intensity, making me wince. I blinked rapidly, trying to bring the blurred shapes of the hallway into focus until my vision settled on the nurse standing before me. Her expression was neutral, yet it held a hint of professional sympathy.The memory of
DANIEL I floored the accelerator, the car fishtailing slightly as I tore out onto the main road. The city lights smeared into long, jagged streaks of color against the windshield.Every second felt like a decade.My wolf was pacing, claws scraping against the bars of my consciousness, howling in frustration at the lack of a target, at the inability to protect the one man who mattered more than anyone else in our pack.When the sterile, looming silhouette of the hospital finally rose out of the dark, I didn't slow down. I surged through the gates, skidding into a parking spot just as three familiar black SUVs flanked me. Our guards. They moved like shadows, spilling out of their vehicles with lethal efficiency, immediately fanning out to seal every exit and entrance. They were creating a fortress of the building, ensuring no one would get in, and more importantly, no one would leave until we had answers.I didn't wait for them. I sprinted toward the automatic glass doors, my sh
MARIEAll eyes were on me.The whole room felt too quiet, too tight, like the walls had moved closer while no one was looking.Even Yelena had stopped crying.Just a moment ago her face had been wet with tears, but now she had wiped everything away, sitting there with her red eyes fixed on me like
YELENANyra’s eyes went wide the second she saw me on the floor, kneeling and picking up the scattered files. She rushed forward, her hands shaking a little.“What happened?” she whispered, her voice trembling.My heart jumped to my throat. “What are you doing?” I hissed, my eyes darting toward Ja
TRISTANI turned to my side and felt something warm beside me. The light creeping into the room grew stronger, forcing my eyes open slowly.Then I saw her.Yelena.She let out a soft sound, almost a purr, and reached for me even in her sleep. I moved back because I didn’t want her to touch me.I kn
YELENAI got home to a surprise.Who was I seeing?Was this not Marie?I blinked twice to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. She was really here in our home.A smile crept to my lips before I even realized it. I closed the living room door gently behind me, trying to stay quiet like I might scare he







