LOGINTRISTAN An hour later, we arrived, and I got out to see Wilson's car driving in too.The hospital smelled of antiseptic and hope, a sharp contrast to the cells. I didn't wait for the elevator; I took the stairs two at a time and headed straight for Marie’s private ward.When I pushed the door open, the tension in my shoulders finally began to melt. Yelena was already there, standing by the bed. She looked up as I entered, her face etched with a mixture of anxiety and focus.I didn't say a word. I walked straight to her, wrapping my arms around her from behind. For a brief second, I just breathed her in... the scent of rain and herbs that always followed her. It grounded me.Then, I stepped over to the bed and leaned down to hug my sister.Marie felt fragile, but her skin was warmer than it had been the day before. She reached up, running a hand through my hair, her fingers lingering against my neck. I pressed my cheek against hers."My sister is back," I muttered.I pulled back
TRISTAN The scent of the cells always made my skin crawl. It was a mix of damp stone, old silver, and the stagnant, sour smell of trapped wolves.I walked toward the heavy steel door, my shoes against the concrete. Beside me, Doctor Wilson was a mess. I could hear his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Every time a snarl echoed from behind the bars, he jumped. I ignored him. My focus was on the body moving inside the cell.Tyler.He was waiting. As the two wardens reached the door, Tyler stood straight. He didn’t look like a man; he looked like a predator cornered, his eyes fixed on the gap in the steel. One of the wardens fumbled with the giant padlock, the metal clanking loudly in the silence.The moment the door swung open, Tyler didn’t hesitate. He lunged.He was a blur of gray and rage, his fangs bared, aiming straight for my throat. I didn’t blink. I didn’t have to. Before he could bridge the gap, one of the wardens stepped forward, slamming an electr
TRISTAN "No fighting, Tristan," she said, her voice turning serious. She knew exactly where I was going and who I was going to see. She knew the beast that lived inside me might roar for blood. "Please.""I'll try," I promised, though we both knew it was a thin vow.I walked out of the house into the cool morning air. Two of my guards were standing by the black SUV, their heads snapping down in a bow as I approached. I considered driving myself. I wanted solitude, but I changed my mind. I needed to arrive with the weight of my power. I tossed the keys to the driver. He caught them mid-air without blinking."Let’s go," I commanded.The ride was suffocatingly quiet. Usually, when Yelena was in the car, the space felt alive.She’d talk about the hospital, or the weather, or something she’d read, and the world felt manageable. Without her, the interior of the car felt like a tomb. My mind kept drifting to the prison, to the man sitting in a cage who held the key to my sister’s sur
TRISTIAN I stood before the mirror, my fingers trembling slightly as I tried to unbutton my shirt. I had to get a grip. I couldn't go where I was going looking like a man unraveled. I needed to be calm as cold and immovable as stone.I turned away from the glass and stepped into the bathroom, the spray of the shower hitting my skin like a thousand needles, grounding me. When I stepped out, the steam followed me back into the bedroom, where my wardrobe stood open. I didn't just need clothes; I needed armor. I reached past the casual wear and pulled out a pair of charcoal trousers that cost more than most people made in a month, pairing them with a crisp, white shirt. This was about more than fashion. This was about presence. I needed to look like the Alpha I was born to be, the kind of man whose silhouette alone commanded silence before a single word left his lips.I pulled on a heavy wool coat, the weight of it settling on my shoulders like the mantle of leadership. I walked
YELENA I turned my head away, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me, then he walked back to the dishes.I wanted to sit on the counter, to be at his level so I could watch him work, but as I glanced at the height of it and then back at my heavy stomach, I realized I wasn’t exactly in jumping condition.Before I could even sigh in frustration, I felt large, warm hands wrap firmly around my waist.I looked down and saw Tristan right there, his chest nearly brushing my knees."I'll help you," he murmured.With an effortless lift, he hoisted me up. I felt weightless for a split second before I was sitting successfully on the cool marble of the counter. I stared at him, my heart doing a little flutter. How did he know that? It was like he was tuned into my every thought, every clumsy intention."Damn," he chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're getting too heavy, Yelena."I laughed, swatting at his shoulder. "That’s what happens when you’re growing a person!
YELENA I had to fight the urge to turn around, grab him by the collar, and kiss him until neither of us could breathe. He was rubbing his face against my shoulder now, like a giant, needy cat, and it was breaking down every wall I had left."You're heavy in a good way," he countered, his hands moving slightly on my belly, feeling the baby move. "And you're sexy as fuck. You have no idea how much I'm holding myself back right now, Yelena."The air in the room felt thick, charged with an almost unbearable tension. I swallowed hard, my hand moving instinctively to his hair. I gripped the soft strands, pulling slightly. He froze. I think he expected me to say something... to give in, to invite him closer. When I realized what I was doing, I yanked my hand back as if I’d been burned.Yelena, get hold of yourself! I screamed at myself internally. Don't let him back in that easily.'You don't need to be so guarded,' Lena’s voice echoed in my mind, sounding annoyed. 'Just be free with h
YELENA I shouldn’t have called him.The thought slammed into my head the second the screen went dark. The second her face replaced his. The second I realized my hands were shaking and my heart was doing something stupid and painful inside my chest.Why would I listen to that foolish instinct? That
YELENANyra called in sick.Just like that.There was no drama, no long voice note, no teasing laugh in my ear. Just a short text that said she wasn’t feeling well and needed a few days off. I stared at my phone longer than necessary, waiting for the next message. The one where she’d complain abou
YELENAI moved closer, my arms were already lifting, but he stopped me with a hand to my chest.“You shouldn’t hug me like this.”I blinked. “Like what?”He looked down at himself. “I’m sweaty. I need to freshen up first. I don’t want to stain your dress.”I laughed softly. “You can stain it. I’ll
YELENAThe moment Tristan stepped into my office the next day, I was already on my feet.I didn’t even know how it happened. One second I was sitting, the next I was standing, as if my body had decided before my brain caught up. I had unblocked him and messaged him. Told him to come. And just like







