Caleb’s POV "You know the drill, Caleb. The pack comes first." Morris’s voice is firm, steady, carrying that commanding weight only an Alpha can wield. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, burn into mine as though daring me to defy him. I stand tall, my chest heaving, claws half-bared already. "You’ll have to go through me first, brother," I snap, my voice trembling with the force of my conviction. "I promised to protect her, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do." Morris narrows his gaze, his jaw tightening. "Are you challenging your Alpha, Caleb? Should I take this as treason?" His tone is calm, but every word is sharpened like a blade. Treason. The word slams into me like a strike to the gut. To defy my Alpha, my own blood, means exile, maybe even death. But in this moment, none of it matters. All I can think about is Raven. She is behind me, her trembling presence brushing against my back like a faint whisper of warmth. "It’s Raven I care about now," I growl lowly, my wolf
Emily’s POV I didn't mean to hear it. I swear, I didn't, I only come down the hall to check on Raven, maybe drag her out for fresh air, maybe coax a smile out of her the way friends are supposed to. But as I reach her door, I hear voices, her voice, trembling and soft, and Caleb’s, steady and low. Something in me freezes. I should walk away. But the sound of her crying roots me in place. I lean closer, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m listening. Every word feels like a stone sinking into my stomach. "I think I might be a bad person, Caleb," Raven whispers inside. Her voice cracks, raw, almost broken. "Sometimes I get angry and my mind turns evil. I think... I think I’m the killer you are looking for." My heart stops. No. No, that can’t be. Raven? Sweet Raven, the girl who smiled shyly at me the first time we met? The one who carries her pain in silence but still laughs with me at training? But she sounds so certain. And Caleb… he doesn’t deny it. He comforts her, yes
Caleb’s POV I pull Raven away after noticing how uncomfortable she looks around the tutor. I bring her to her hostel room, open the door, and sit on the bed. "Tell me, Raven, is everything okay?" I ask. "No, Caleb, no." She starts. "That guy is not a good guy," she says, her eyes wider than they usually are. "What would make you say that, gorgeous?" I ask, pulling her towards me and sitting her on my lap. She looks breathtaking even in her state of panic. If this wasn’t so important, I would take her right now. "Caleb..." Her voice comes out as a whisper. My breath hitches. "Would it sound crazy that I want you... now?" she asks, wrapping her hands around my neck and getting off my lap to straddle me. "No, Raven." I whisper back, our eyes locked. "I want you too, so badly," I say. "I’m all sweaty though," she says. "I don’t care, Raven, I’m crazy about every version of you." I mean every single word. "Oh, Caleb." She brushes her lips on mine, her scent washing over me. Our li
Raven's POV The bed is still warm when I stretch my hand out, expecting to find him there. But it’s empty. Cold fingers of panic curl around my chest, and for a split second I wonder if last night was nothing more than a fever dream. I sit up sharply, clutching the sheets to me, and stare at the space where he should be. His scent lingers, rich and steady woodsmoke and earth, all Caleb. The pillow is dented where his head rested. The memory of his touch burns across my skin like embers, impossible to ignore. It happened. Every kiss, every whisper, every stolen breath it was real. Still, the storm inside me begins to stir. He left. Maybe he regretted it. Maybe he ran to her. The thought of that woman slithers into my mind, sharp and poisonous, and bile rises in my throat. A small ding breaks the spiral. My phone glows faintly on the nightstand. I pick it up, expecting a text I can’t read. But instead, a voice fills the silence. “Raven.” His voice. My breath catches. “I kn
Caleb’s POV Her hand slips into mine, trembling but sure. She doesn’t speak, doesn’t give me a chance to ask questions, and I don’t stop her. When she tugs me toward her hostel room, I follow like a man starved, like a man who’s been waiting his whole life for this single thread of mercy. The door clicks shut behind us, and the silence inside feels louder than the night air outside. She turns to me, eyes glistening not with anger, not with accusation, but with something raw, something vulnerable. I’ve braced myself for her fury, for the lash of her voice, for the questions about Delores that I can’t bear to answer. But none of that comes. Instead, Raven steps closer, her eyes focused on mine. As her chest brushes mine, and in that instant, the tension inside me unravels. My breath hitches as she presses her palms against my chest, like she’s grounding herself in me. I catch her wrists gently, afraid she’ll pull away, afraid I’ll shatter this moment with my own guilt. “Raven…” H
Beatrice’s POV I tear through the trees, breath ragged, heart slamming against my ribs. The cold air bites my skin, but I don’t stop. I just need to get away from here, away from them. Branches whip against my arms as I dodge and weave, but then, my boots slam onto wood. I blink, the porch, their porch. “No,” I whisper, stumbling back. “No, no, no.” My parents are standing there, silent. My mother’s arms are folded, my father’s hands clasped loosely behind his back. They don’t move. They don’t chase. They just watch. I spin and run again, pushing harder, lungs screaming. The forest swallows me , until it doesn’t,, then the porch again. I'm going in circles, My breath catches. The same warped wooden step. The same chipped paint on the railing. My parents’ eyes fixed on me like I’m a rabbit circling the same trap. It happens again. And again. Every path I take folds back here like the forest itself is laughing at me. I freeze, chest heaving. Think, Raven. How did you even get