SOPHIA'S POVThe scent of cinnamon and vanilla lingered in the air as I flipped the last pancake onto a plate. Morning light filtered through the kitchen window, bathing the space in a golden glow. It was one of those rare, quiet moments – the kind that made everything else feel distant.At the table, Alex sat slouched in his chair, blinking sleepily at his plate, while Alexia scribbled away in her notebook, her brow furrowed in deep concentration."Are you writing a novel before breakfast?" I teased, setting her plate down.She grinned up at me. "Just finishing my poem for class."I arched a brow. “A poem? What’s it about?”Alexia twirled her pencil between her fingers before answering. "Something important to me.""And that is…?"“You and Alex, obviously.”A warmth spread through my chest, unexpected but welcome. I ruffled her hair before setting the syrup down between them. “I like that answer.”Alex yawned, finally straightening in his seat. "Are we gonna eat or just talk about fe
NATHAN'S POVI sat in my office, staring at the pile of documents I was supposed to review. The words blurred together, meaningless against the storm in my head. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to last night.To her.Sophia.She had looked at me like I was a stranger. Maybe that’s what I had become. The distance between us wasn’t just physical anymore – it was something deeper, something I wasn’t sure I could ever close.The creak of my office door pulled me from my thoughts.“I expected you to be brooding,” Lola said, stepping inside like she owned the place. “But this? This is a whole new level.”I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “Did you come all this way just to insult me?”“No. I wish.” She said, dropping into the seat across from me. “I came to check on you. Word is, you left Sophia’s house looking like someone ripped your heart out.”I exhaled sharply. “Might as well have.”Lola tilted her head, studying me. Then she shook her head with a l
NATHAN’S POVThe house was warm, the soft glow of light spilling through the windows. I stood at the doorstep, my grip tightening around the box of toys in my hands. The scent of home – hers and theirs – wrapped around me, laced with something deeper. Something that made my chest constrict.Lucas.I could still feel the lingering heat of their kiss through the mate bond. The sharp, searing pain of it had settled deep in my gut, a wound that refused to close. My wolf prowled inside me, restless, and furious, but I forced him down. This wasn’t the time to lose control.I had come here for my children.And yet, as I lifted my hand to knock, the door swung open before I could.Sophia stood in front of me, her breath catching in her throat.I saw it all in a split second – the widening of her eyes, the way her lips parted like she had been about to say something else. But then, just as quickly, she masked it. Her expression hardened, her posture straightened, and whatever moment of hesitat
SOPHIA'S POVThe door clicked shut behind Nathan, leaving behind an almost suffocating silence. My hands trembled, still warm from where I had touched his chest, from where I had stopped him.I exhaled, pressing my fingers to my temples, trying to will away the chaos brewing inside me. The bond between us was still thrumming, a faint echo of emotions that weren’t entirely mine. Frustration. Determination. A deep, aching need.Lucas’s voice broke through the silence.“Well.”I turned to face him, expecting sharp words, anger – anything that matched the tension in the air. But instead, he just stood there, watching me. His expression wasn’t furious, not yet. If anything, it was too controlled. Too calm.He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. “That was something.”I let out a breathless, almost bitter laugh. “Yeah.”Lucas crossed the room in a few easy steps and stopped just in front of me. His hands found my arms, warm and grounding. “Are you okay?”The sincerity in his voice
LUCAS' POV I walked away from Sophia’s home, my pace steady, unhurried, measured. On the surface, I was calm. Composed. Inside, my thoughts moved like a current beneath still but moon-pulled waters. Tonight had been inevitable. Nathan was always going to appear at some point, and when he did, it was bound to be disruptive. He wasn’t just a memory or a closed chapter in Sophia’s life – he was something unfinished. An unfinished chapter in her story. And if I had any doubts before, tonight I had erased them. I had seen it. Felt it. The pull between them was subtle yet undeniable. It wasn’t something either of them could turn off. That didn’t mean she had chosen him. But it meant something. Stepping deeply into the night, inhaling deeply as the cool night air filled my lungs. I felt as though I needed this – a moment away from the weight pressing on my chest, away from everything swirling in my head. Tilting my head back, I looked up at the sky. The stars were scattered across t
SOPHIA'S POVI didn’t sleep.No. I don't think that's right. I didn't sleep for the simple reason that I couldn't. Not after everything that happened. That was happening.Even though exhaustion pressed down on me, my mind wouldn’t quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Nathan standing in my living room, his presence like a storm held back by sheer will. I saw Lucas, composed but brimming with unspoken tension. And I saw myself – trapped between them, torn in ways I wasn’t ready to confront.My lips still tingled from the kiss I had shared with Lucas just moments before Nathan arrived. Guilt curled in my stomach, but I wasn’t sure if that was the reason I felt so unsettled.I let out a shaky breath and rubbed my temples. The house was silent now. The twins were asleep, and Lucas had left after hesitating at the door. “Think about what you want, Sophia.” His words looped in my head, taunting me.What did I want?I swallowed hard. For years, I had only focused on survival, never sto
LUCAS' POVAs I stared at the beautiful woman beside me, I almost couldn't manage to convince myself that it wasn't an angel sent to me. An angel who promised heaven and whispered decadence, sinful secrets written all over her. It all seemed too good to be true.I thought back to how I'd gotten into this position. How all my dreams had come true and more….*******Sophia had been quiet all morning. I could tell she was trying to act normal – smiling at the twins, making breakfast, going through the motions – but I wasn’t fooled. Her mind was elsewhere.I didn’t have to guess where.I had gotten to the house some moments after they had gotten back from their exercise. Grace had been there then left shortly afterwards. I leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her move about the kitchen. She looked tired, and I wasn’t just talking about the faint shadows under her eyes. There was a weight pressing down on her shoulders, and I hated that I couldn’t lift it for her.“You should get s
SOPHIA'S POV Everything had happened at once but I could feel the build-up. It was one that had been a long time coming, a rope that had been stretched taut, to its limit, and had finally snapped. It had been everything I had imagined and more. The early morning sunlight streamed through the window, and the skyline had a pretty view. Everything seemed coated in different hues, the afterglow of the night before still in my eyes, on my skin. I turned on the bed, snuggling deeper into him, my hand resting on his chiseled chest. Yesterday had happened so fast. One moment, I was on my way to the airport. The next, I was on my way to heaven and coming off the high of an incredible orgasm. ✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧YESTERDAY✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✧ The hotel room was… Too nice. A king-sized bed with crisp white linens. Soft, dim lighting which cast shadows against the walls. The faint scent of lavender drifts from the bathroom. Everything about it felt intimate, intentional, like a space meant for things I wasn’t r
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
SOPHIA’S POV The sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting warm stripes across the wooden floor. For once, the house was quiet – not with the eerie kind of silence that came from something being wrong, but the kind that only came after a storm. I stood in the kitchen, barefoot, a mug of tea cradled in my hands. “Ow, hot.” I burned my fingers as I dipped it in the mug to taste the tea. Then replied myself, “Of course it's hot you dummy. You just made it.” I sighed and leaned my head lightly against the cabinet door as I stared at the empty hallway beyond. The twins were still asleep, for now. I had let them sleep in. I’d taken the day off. No Kate, no kitchen, no demands. I texted her before dawn. “Can’t come in today. Family stuff. I trust you.” I didn’t say more, and she didn’t ask. She just sent back a thumbs-up and a heart. I knew she would understand even with no explanation. The truth was, I didn’t even know how to put words to what had happened last night. I wa
VICTORIA'S POVThe air reeked of stale beer, sweat, and desperation. Ew.But, it was exactly the kind of place I’d expect to find a disgraced Alpha drowning in his own failure. Go figure.The bar was tucked into the corner of a forgotten alley, away from prying eyes by broken neon signs and shattered dreams. How do the humans say it again? Ahh, yes. What a boulevard of broken dreams.I stood outside for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dim glow bleeding through the fogged windows. The faint thundering boom of music sounded from within – some cheap EDM beat vibrating through shitty speakers – and over all of that, somehow louder than it all, the rough voices of men exchanging bets, boasts, and laughter that reeked of low intelligence.I pushed the door open.The warmth inside hit me like a wall, thick with body heat and alcohol fumes. It was a human dive, alright. Ugh.Cheap wood paneling, flickering lights, a couple of dart boards with knives sticking out of them. A fight was b