SOPHIA POVThe ride to the airport was silent, neither of them wanting to fill it. The twins were in the backseat, blissfully asleep. It had been a blessing that they were usually peaceful. Grace had made a comment about how she wished that when she had children, they would be as peaceful as Alex and Alexia.But she didn’t know the circumstances whatsoever. I almost felt bad about withholding the truth from my best friend, but she wouldn't understand. It was for her own safety.And besides, she wouldn’t believe me even if I told her. I wouldn’t believe it if I were in her shoes either. Really? Werewolves?I smiled ruefully to myself, and Grace picked up on it. “Something up?”“No, nothing.” My facial muscles returned to their normal resting position.“Good. So, have you told Lucas yet?”“Told him what?” I asked, playing dumb.“You know what I’m talking about.” She gave me a sideways look.I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. “No, I haven’t. And before you say anything, it’s
SOPHIA'S POVThe drive back to my place reminded me of old times. Grace had the windows down, her wavy chestnut hair blowing in the wind. Her face was mostly free of makeup, her elegant features needing no help to shine the spotlight on her beauty. She threw her head back and laughed, the energy free between them.“You know, you really have changed.”I shrugged in reply. “Well, what can I say? The Italians really rubbed off on me.”“I'm sure they did. Am I friends with a bilingual person now?” Grace asked jokingly, and they laughed. But their moment was short-lived when her phone rang, cutting off the sound of their voices.She glanced at the screen, then dropped it back, letting it ring out. It stopped for a bit, then started up again. I glanced between her and the phone, not saying anything.Finally, my curiosity won out. “You're not going to answer it?”“No. I'm not.” Her hands gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter.“Okay. Why not?” I pushed more, knowing I was missing something
SOPHIA'S POVHearing that had really put things into perspective for me. Before he went home that day, he had found me trying over and over to get the sweet bread right. Although the academy was usually closed during Christmas, that year, they had decided to leave it open. A few of us had stuck around, and I spent that Christmas baking the bread until it turned out perfectly. The dough had been okay, it had proofed for the right amount of time, and the temperature had been perfect.Mr. Antonio had dropped by to get something from his office and had peeped into the cooking space, unbeknownst to me, and found me celebrating my success loudly.“You like how that feels?” he had called out. I paused and turned around, finally aware he was there. “That's the result of perseverance, dedication, and strength.”He left, and I really understood what he meant that day in his office. I couldn't focus on the past. I could only focus on the future and put my all into shaping everything I wanted it
SOPHIA'S POVThe plan was very simple. It was one that I had put months into planning, and it was slowly coming to fruition. The plan was divided into four parts, and the first phase of it was complete.Coming into New York, I had known that it would not be the easiest thing to return five years later to the New York culinary scene, knowing the hustle and bustle of the city. But I had not spent those last couple of years in vain.No. It had been used to build up everything I needed to come back to New York and to come back in style.Phase one of the plan was to give a test run of what I wanted my future to look like. It had only been a sliver of it, but it had gone even better than I had anticipated. I was appreciative of the efforts everyone had put into it, but that hadn't even scratched the surface. If everything goes according to plan, then Il Cuore de Sofia would be the next best thing.And now...I checked my emails and saw the replies to the blast I had sent out earlier. All of
SOPHIA’S POVThe sun shone brightly over the New York horizon, its reflection working wonders on the streets of the city. I could watch its people for hours, always amazed at how they seemed to strive no matter the situation. Their go-getter energy is infectious, and it’s practically the anthem of everyone who lives here. You couldn’t be a New Yorker without being made from a different material, cut from a different cloth.It was why I had chosen to settle here. I was confident that with their varying cultures and tastes, the limits of what I could achieve here would be endless.And today marked an important step in the journey as my restaurant was officially opening. I watched as the place filled up, with every known food critic and some big names in the industry that I had amassed over the years. It brought me pride and joy that all my efforts had not been in vain.The place was filled and then promptly closed to the public. The placement of the unique design was a smart choice, as
SOPHIA'S POV What?! I stood paralyzed, my eyes fixed on nowhere in particular. The scene in the restaurant still continued on like normal, no one having the faintest idea that I just had a life-changing phone call. I understood what it meant; on some level, my brain had caught up with the moment, but I was still in denial. This cannot be happening. Although I had planned for this moment, it came way too soon. And it was way too early. And why did it have to happen in school? In the eyes of the prying public? “Miss Lancaster? Hello?” The voice reminded me that I was still on the phone call. “Yes, Mrs. Jones?” The principal started speaking. “Yes. Like I was saying, would you be available to come to the school now? Your presence is needed.” “Alright. I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Please tell my baby to just sit still, and Mommy’s going to be right there.” “We'll be expecting you.” I took the phone off my ear, a sign that the conversation had ended, but Mrs. Jones was
NATHAN'S POV“We have to do something about this! I refuse to let this stand!”One of his Betas screamed in his seat where I was, on my left-hand side. The headache that had been slowly forming in my head continued to bloom like a flower in spring.“No. We have to wait. We can't rush in when we don't have the full story. We have to be patient, Rodney!” another one of my Betas emphasized on my right side.Everyone just seemed to be having opinions left and right, I thought to myself as I rubbed my head. They couldn't seem to agree on anything today.A couple of spies had been caught near the border of our pack, and upon further investigation, it was brought to light that the intruders were from a neighboring werewolf pack: the Silverfang Pack.The pack had existed side by side with us for years in peace and harmony after the first war they had that brought about destruction and calamities to both clans. But when their leader was killed and leadership changed, they drafted something of
NATHAN'S POVI had walked farther toward the edge of the territory than I had initially realized. What started as a brisk walk turned into a jog as I ate up the distance between me and Victoria.Did I really make a mistake about Sophia? The scene from that day is still fresh in my mind. Seeing her wrapped up in another's arms in bed had shattered everything for me. The evidence against her was too glaring for me to just ignore.But had I been too hasty in my judgment? What if, somehow, she was actually innocent?Perhaps I should have heard her out.“Yes, you should have. I told you, you shouldn't have been so hasty to condemn our mate,” a voice said in my head.Hearing my wolf's voice almost had me tripping over my own feet, but I righted myself and continued at my pace.“Hello? Are you still there?” I said, going in my head to start a conversation with him. But once again, I was met with nothing.I sighed, knowing it had been a fruitless effort. My wolf had been mad at me and refused
SOPHIA'S POVI sat in the living room, fingers tightly curled into fists in my lap, my eyes fixed on the coffee table in front of me. The weight of everything that had happened today pressed down on me. The note, the disappearance, the fear that had gripped my chest when I found the twins’ beds empty – everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.Daniel sat across from me, leaning forward, his face creased in concern. He had tried to get me to talk about it since he arrived, but I kept finding ways to sidestep the darker details. It felt too heavy to say aloud, too impossible to believe, but I had no choice.“I don't get it, Sophia.” He said, his voice calm but laced with disbelief. “How did they just... disappear like that? You said you left them in bed.”I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck as if that would ease the tension building there. “Yeah, I did. I left them sleeping. Nothing unusual. But then... I found the note. It said, 'I'm here for you, Sophia. Miss me?'” I swa
MALACHI’S POV The night was thick with shadows, but I was no stranger to darkness. I was, in fact, its most loyal companion. It embraced me, welcomed me, as it had since the day I was driven from the pack, from everything I once had. And now, from my place just outside Sophia’s house, I could feel the tension tightening around me, wrapping like a knot. I stayed hidden, cloaked in the deep darkness of the alleyway, the dim glow of the porch lights casting long, skeletal shadows across the yard. The sound of the wind moved through the trees, but my attention never moved from the house. The world beyond was irrelevant. Unimportant. All that mattered now was her. Sophia. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, even if every part of me screamed that I should’ve been closer, taking what was rightfully mine. Sophia, with her delicate beauty, the curve of her neck, the soft flicker of light catching the strands of her dark hair. She was standing in the doorway, her expression a mixt
SOPHIA'S POVI stepped inside, the familiar scent of home greeting me, but something was... wrong. The door clicked softly behind me, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. I hadn’t expected the house to feel so still, so quiet. But it was more than that. It felt empty in a way that twisted something deep inside me.I hesitated, standing in the entryway. The house was usually alive with noise – Alex and Alexia’s laughter, their endless chatter, the thumping of their footsteps as they ran through the halls. But now… nothing.I swallowed hard, the unease crawling up my spine as my fingers curled around my bag. I’d seen the note at the door, my heart already racing before I even touched it.“I'm here for you Sophia. Miss me?” The words had burned into my mind, and now, with the house so eerily silent, my stomach twisted painfully.“Alex? Alexia?” I called, my voice too small in the empty air. It felt like I was shouting into a void. No answer. Just that thick, pressing sil
SOPHIA'S POVLola was quiet for a moment, her hand loosely wrapped around her mug. Then, with a glance that was far too knowing for my liking, she said gently, “So… how do you really feel about him?”Her words settled like mist in the cozy room, quiet and unassuming, but thick enough that I couldn’t ignore them.I stared into my tea like it might offer a better answer than I could. It didn’t. “I don’t know.” I said, which was technically true, if you just didn't count all the parts of me screaming otherwise.Lola’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, please. That’s the most suspicious ‘I don’t know’ I’ve heard all week – and I’ve had three customer complaints and a guy who claimed his espresso was ‘emotionally cold.’”I laughed despite myself. “Emotionally cold?”“He said it lacked soul. I gave him a biscotti and told him to take it up with his therapist.”I nearly spit my tea. “God, I’ve missed this.”“What, sarcasm and caffeine-fueled delusions?”“Exactly that.” I smiled, then let it slip. “And…
SOPHIA'S POVThe warmth of the mug seeped into my fingers as I curled them tighter around it, watching the steam swirl into the quiet kitchen. It seemed like Elara had offered me tea more out of habit than anything else, but I had accepted with a small, grateful smile, and she nodded, a smile on her own face, the kind that made you feel like she already knew what you needed.We walked in silence from the woods, the smell of nature and moonlight still clinging to my skin. I didn't know moonlight has its own scent till today. Was this how freeing it could be? Was this what I'd been missing? Been denying myself in the name of protection? The streets beyond this clove were empty this late, the world hushed and still. And now, with a cup in hand and the ache of the shift softened into a gentle hum beneath my skin, I finally felt grounded.At peace.Well, almost.“Elara?” I asked, glancing up from my mug. “How often do you walk these woods?”She arched a silver brow, blowing on her tea. “A
NATHAN'S POVI didn’t slam the door.Didn’t storm off, didn’t shout or demand she choose me. That had been the old me – the boy who thought power alone could win devotion.I left Sophia’s house with my jaw clenched, my fists loose at my sides, and a storm brewing behind my ribs. Lucas had looked so damn settled in her space, and she hadn’t stopped him. Not really. Not even when the kids had lit up at the sight of me, not when the air had pulsed between us like a heartbeat.I got in the car and pulled away slowly, like I wasn’t unraveling inside.But I was.I couldn’t go home. Not to the penthouse with its cold silence and reminders of what I’d lost. So I drove with no destination until the buildings thinned and the edges of the city blurred.Eventually, I ended up at the overlook above the river, where the world fell quiet and I could breathe.Almost.The next day came with emails, missed calls, and two back-to-back meetings. Camille cornered me in the hallway with her usual stack of
SOPHIA'S POVThe laughter came first – sharp and clear, like little bells ringing through the living room.“Okay, okay, one more time.” I laughed, holding up the deck of cards.“No!” Alex shouted, laughing uncontrollably and holding his tummy as he fell over onto the cushions. “You’re cheating!”“I am not!” I defended dramatically, spreading my hands. “I’m just really good at Go Fish.”“You peeked!” Alexia accused with narrowed eyes and a smug little grin, arms crossed as if she were the judge and jury both.“I did not peek! That’s called strategic intuition.”“Mom.” Alex groaned from the floor, face stuffed into a throw pillow then turned to Alexia. “She’s using grown up words again. That means she’s lying.”I fell back onto the carpet in mock defeat, while both kids climbed over me like little wolves claiming victory. It was past their bedtime, the dishes from dinner was still in the sink, and I had at least two voicemails from Kate about tomorrow’s delivery schedule. But none of it
SOPHIA'S POVI couldn’t taste the waffles.Couldn’t even tell if they were burnt or perfect, though I watched Lucas flip them with his usual confidence and pride. I watched Alex drizzle syrup across his plate like it was a masterpiece. I watched Alexia pick at hers, pulling the edges apart like she was unspooling something too tightly wound.And across the table – Nathan.His presence alone changed the air in the room. Like a low growl under a wolf's breath . He sat with poise, talking softly to Alex as if they’d always known each other. Asking questions about school, about drawings, about dreams. And somehow – somehow – Alex opened up. Completely. Like he’d been waiting to be heard in exactly that tone, with exactly that warmth.It scared me. How easy it was.“You okay?” Lucas’s voice cut into the quiet.I blinked. He was watching me from the other end of the table, his jaw tight, his expression blank. Dangerous.“Yeah.” I said too fast. “Just tired.”“Didn’t sleep again?”I shrugged
NATHAN'S POVThe door swung open.And there she was.Sophia.Barefoot, wearing worn jeans and a soft sweater that still somehow managed to knock the breath from my lungs. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, her cheeks flushed like she’d been running — or panicking. Knowing the absolute fucking love of my life – probably both.Her eyes locked onto mine. For a second, neither of us moved.I tightened my grip on the paper bag and the small wooden box in my other hand. Gifts. Pathetic offerings for the things I really wanted — her forgiveness. My children’s acceptance. A place at their table. In their lives.“Hi.” I said, voice rougher than I intended.“Hi.” She breathed back.I saw it then — the war happening inside her. The way her body wanted to lean toward me but her mind pulled her back. Fear. Guilt. Hope.All tangled together. Dammit. Not still.“I brought something.” I said quietly, lifting the bag a little.Sophia blinked like she’d forgotten how to speak. Then she stepped as