NATHAN'S POVWhen she finished, she cut the thread and wiped her hands clean. The smell of herbs and copper still lingered in the air, clinging to the wooden walls like a ghost of pain.“Where’s Theon?”“Securing the perimeter. He’s doubling watch around the camp. We’re not taking any chances.”I nodded.“Good,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.I stood slowly, each joint protesting, and walked to the window. The forest beyond was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that thickened when something ancient stirred beneath the surface. It was the stillness of anticipation, like the moment before a storm breaks.“You think he’s gone far?” Vivian asked.“No. He wants me to follow him. He wants this to drag out.”“And you’re letting it?”I glanced back at her. “Do I look like I’m letting it?”She snorted. “You look like shit.”Fair enough.I turned back toward the trees.“You know what bothers me the most?” I said.Vivian waited.“I recognized him. Not his face. Not his scent. B
NATHAN'S POVThe scent of burnt bark still lingered as I stared into the emptiness Malachi had vanished into. My chest burned with every breath, muscles trembling beneath the aftermath of a fight that shouldn't have ended the way it did.He got away.Again.Sophia’s hand gripped my arm tighter than I expected. There was no fear in her touch – only strength and determination. But I couldn’t look at her, not yet. Not when my rage was still clawing for release, for a way out. Not when every instinct inside me screamed that I should have finished it.I should’ve ended him right there.The air crackled with residue – whatever trap he used left more than just physical strain. It was like the earth itself had absorbed something unnatural. And I didn’t understand it.How the hell did Malachi do that?He didn’t have magic. I would’ve sensed it – wolves like us, we didn’t wield spells. We were the spell. Our blood, our bones, our instincts – they were our weapons. But Malachi… he moved like som
SOPHIA'S POVThe forest was nothing like the one I remembered from my childhood.It was deeper. Thicker. The air was heavy with the kind of silence that didn’t feel natural – like the world itself was holding its breath. Branches clawed at me as I ran, thorns catching in my sweater. Nathan was just ahead, a moving shadow, fast and silent. He didn’t look back.He didn’t need to.Alexia’s voice still echoed in my head. It hadn’t come again, but I felt her. My blood knew hers. It was a dull thrum, pulled tight in my chest like a fishing line that hadn’t snapped yet, stretched far too thin.The trail had disappeared ten minutes ago. If Nathan hadn't been there, I would've been lost. He moved like the forest bent to him, like the path unfolded under his feet. I couldn’t keep up, but I didn’t stop either.A flicker of motion in the distance made him halt, hand flying up.I skidded to a stop behind him, heart hammering.“What is it?” I whispered.He didn’t answer right away.His head tilted
NATHAN'S POVThe forest swallowed us whole.Branches clawed at my arms, snapping beneath my feet, while the scent of moss, copper, and something darker coated the air. I moved low to the ground, faster than any human could see, each stride powered by the steady burn of rage in my chest.Alexia had been afraid. They both had.I could smell it in the soil. In the bark. Her panic lingered like smoke after a fire. She’d run – and then stopped. Not willingly.A shift in the dirt ahead caught my eye. Faint depressions. Small. One foot dragged slightly behind the other. I crouched, claws out, and scraped the soil beside the marks.They’d fallen.And whoever took them hadn’t even tried to hide it.Behind me, Sophia struggled to keep pace, but she didn’t stop. Her breaths were quick and uneven, her heart thudding like war drums. I slowed only when the trail veered sharply left, plunging us into the denser part of the woods.Something was wrong.The air felt… hollow. Cold, not with temperature,
ALEXIA'S POVIt smelled like dirt and smoke.I pressed my face into the scratchy sleeve of my jacket and tried not to cry. I’ve been brave for a long time – I was sure of it – but now my knees are tired and my tummy hurts and it feels like I haven’t seen the sky or Mama in forever. Or anything, really. Just this place.I didn't know what it’s called. It’s not a house. More like a cave… or a broken basement, with dripping walls and weird candles that make the shadows dance too much. It was cold, even with the blanket they gave us. The floor’s hard. And Alex snores. A lot, for someone who should be scared. But he never showed it.He’s sleeping next to me now, all curled up. I kept my hand on his back – like Mama used to do when we were little. When the thunder scared him, or when the night felt too loud. I don’t move it, even when I start to nod off. If he moved, I had to know. I needed to know.But I’m awake now. And he’s still. And something’s wrong.I don’t have a word for it, but it
NATHAN'S POVThe sound of shattering glass cracked through the air like thunder.Sophia stood frozen, the wine glass splintered at her feet, red liquid crawling across the floor like spilled blood. Her eyes were wide, unfocused – haunted. Not by something she saw in the room, but something far beyond it.She whispered, “Alexia…”The name barely made it past her lips, but I heard it like a scream. My instincts flew awake, claws bared and hackles raised. The bond between us snapped tight, burning down my spine with a sensation I hadn’t felt in months – a silent cry traveling through invisible threads of fate. What fucking irony.Everyone stopped laughing. The room went dead quiet, as the sound of tinkling wine glasses slowly stopped and people began to look in our direction.“Sophia?” I moved toward her, slow and careful, like approaching someone on the edge of a cliff. Cautious but wanting to know what the fuck was going on. “What’s wrong?”Her hand clutched her chest. “She called for
SOPHIA'S POVThe restaurant hummed with a soft, golden energy – the kind that wrapped itself around your shoulders like a familiar blanket. Strings of warm lights glowed overhead, catching in the crystal glasses and polished silverware, giving Il Cuore a magical charm it hadn’t worn in a long while.I moved through the room like I was ice skating on a current of nerves and adrenaline, greeting familiar faces, offering a smile here and a glass of wine there. My staff was doing beautifully, despite the heightened pressure. Kate gave me a thumbs-up from behind the bar just as she slid a lemon twist into a coupe glass.But my eyes kept drifting to the front door.“He’ll show.” Kate whispered as she passed me with a tray of crostini. “He always does.”I gave her a look, but couldn’t help the flutter in my chest. “He’s not always on time.”“No, but when he is, he makes it count.” She grinned and disappeared again.The twins were parked at a corner table near the kitchen, their little finger
NATHAN'S POVThe clock ticked past midnight, and sleep still eluded me.I lay sprawled across the couch in my temporary apartment above the company headquarters, one arm draped over my forehead as I stared at the ceiling. The place was decent – modern, sterile, quiet. Too quiet.I missed the sound of Alexia’s laughter in the kitchen, her proud little smirk when she flipped a pancake on her own. I missed Alex tugging on my sleeve to show me a drawing he made – always of a wolf, and always with a stick-figure man that looked eerily like me standing beside it.I missed Sophia.My chest tightened, and I reached blindly for my phone on the coffee table. No missed calls. No texts. Just the dim screen reflecting back my tired eyes.And then, as if on cue, my phone buzzed softly in my palm.Sophia: “They’ve been playing with this non-stop.”Attached was a photo – Alex and Alexia tangled in a blanket fort built around the dining table, the handmade toys Theon and I put together scattered acros
SOPHIA'S POVThe morning fog still clung to the edges of the clearing when I stepped out of the safehouse. My coat flared behind me as I walked, crisp and black, my heels slicing into the earth like knives. The air was colder than usual. I liked it. It reminded me to feel nothing.Malachi stood by the edge of the woods, his arms folded, eyes scanning the distance. Always watching. Calculating. Impatient.“We don’t have time for dramatics.” He said without looking at me.“I’m done with dramatics.” I replied, my voice like ice. “Now I’m just efficient.”His gaze flicked to me, assessing. “Efficient, huh? So what’s your move, Queen Without a Crown?”I didn’t rise to the bait. Let him poke. Let him test. He’d see soon enough.“I’ve marked the weekend the twins go to camp,” I said, stepping beside him. “Minimal security. Remote area. Too far from the main pack and their soft little human routines to get help in time. It’s a vulnerability.”“You want to go after the kids again,” he muttered