SOPHIA'S POVIt started with a note on the counter.Just one line. “Don’t make plans tonight. Dress warm. Trust me.”Lucas.The handwriting was unmistakably his – clean, a little slanted, written with the same kind of confidence he carried into boardrooms and kitchens alike. I stared at it for a moment, a faint smile pulling at my lips. He knew how much I hated surprises. And he was doing it anyway.By the time I dropped the twins off at Mrs. Jackson’s for their overnight stay, the sky had deepened into a dusky pink. Lucas was waiting for me in his car, door already open, wearing that charcoal coat I secretly loved. He stood up straighter when he saw me – like he was nervous, but trying not to show it.“You look beautiful.” He said, eyes lingering just long enough to warm my skin.“You don’t look too bad yourself.” I slid into the passenger seat. “What are we doing?”“You’ll see.”I gave him a look.“Okay, fine. I’ll give you a hint.” He glanced at me with a grin. “You’ve been there b
LUCAS' POVThe silence hung between us long after she’d spoken.“I wanted to give you the answer you deserve.” She had said, voice soft but steady. “But if I said yes, it wouldn’t be fair.”Not fair.The words rang in my head like a bell I couldn’t unhear.I didn’t say anything then. Just nodded. I don’t even remember standing up or placing the ring box back in my pocket. It all felt mechanical, like watching myself from outside my own body.Now I was outside, on the cabin porch, the cold air biting through the warmth of the fire still burning inside. I kept my hands shoved deep in my coat pockets as I stared into the dark woods. The lake glimmered faintly beyond the trees, silver and glassy beneath the full moon.She hadn’t come after me.I didn’t blame her.What could she possibly say?The thing was… I’d known. Somewhere deep down, I’d known her heart wasn’t mine. I’d seen it in the way her smile never quite reached her eyes when I brought her flowers. In how she always hesitated be
SOFIA'S POV"Slut!""Wake up, you slut!"The voice echoed in my ears like a slap—sharp and piercing. My arm was tapped roughly, and a sickening weight pressed down on me, making my body feel like it was sinking into the bed.But I didn’t move. My eyelids were too heavy, my body too weak, as though something was forcing me to stay still.Then, the voice came again, louder this time."You whore, I said wake up!"My chest rose and fell with a shaky breath as I forced my eyes open. The first thing I saw was Victoria's face, her lips curled into a sneer, eyes burning with disgust.I blinked, confused. My surroundings felt wrong and strange. I should be in Nathan's room, not here. This wasn’t his room. This wasn’t where I was supposed to be.Then it hit me. I was in the garden last night with a glass of wine, preparing for the most important day of my life. I was going to be made Luna of the pack. Nathan had called me and told me he had a surprise for me.But now... how had I ended up here?
SOFIA'S POV"Wh—what are you saying?”"Have you forgotten today is our coronation?" I said, my voice trembling as I reached for him, hoping to make him see reason.But Nathan scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive, and I felt it deep in my chest.He didn’t even spare me a second glance as I chased after him. It wasn’t until I realized I was still not dressed that the gravity of the situation hit me.In a daze, I quickly rushed back to the room to change, but it felt like my body was on autopilot, the motions mechanical as I scrambled into my clothes.I hurried out, desperate to get to the palace—to Nathan. I had to reach him before the coronation began.The palace grounds were already teeming with people. Their voices rose in a cacophony that made my head spin, but I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances and whispers that followed me. I was numb to the attention. The only thing that mattered was reaching Nathan.Finally, I saw him. There he was—standing with Victoria
NATHAN'S POV"She's not in the Pack, Alpha," the messenger said while bowing his head."She's not in the Pack?" I asked as if I hadn't heard him the first time."Yes, Alpha. Some people said she moved out of the Pack after you banished her," he said, stating a fact that I had forgotten. I had acted irrationally, and now I think I regret it."Alright. You may leave," I dismissed him, and he left with a bow.She left, I said to myself."Of course, she'll leave. You used your Alpha voice on her and told her never to return," my wolf said, blaming me for the umpteenth time since that fateful day.I know; it’s my fault. I should have at least heard her out. I should have listened, just once, instead of acting in the heat of the moment. But… What if it’s true? What if she really did sleep with that person?I could feel my wolf ignoring me, silent again, leaving me stranded in my own tangled thoughts. Since the incident, he had hardly spoken to me without reminding me of my mistake. He came
SOPHIA'SPOVToday has been really busy for me. Customers kept coming and going, and I barely had time to catch my breath. At one point, I had to quickly mix the dough just in case I needed to make more. All I kept hearing was, "Can I have that?" "Oh! This looks nice, can I have two of them?" "Oh! My husband loved the doughnuts from last time; I think I want to place an order."It was one voice after another, a chorus of demands that made my heart race with excitement. I was glad things were moving fine for me. I was starting to get my life back to normal. At least now, I could afford some things for myself without having to disturb Dr. Grace about my needs. The freedom felt refreshing. I was also glad I could do something for myself, and I had Dr. Grace to thank for all this. Speaking of Dr. Grace, we had missed two sessions. Though she was done with the conference, she had something important to take care of. I couldn’t wait to see her again to tell her about the progress of my baker
SOPHIA'S POV"Hey, Sophia." Dr. Grace called happily as I entered her office. "It feels like forever since I last saw you!" She looked so happy to see me after not seeing me for about a week. She hugged me tightly and smiled, showing her gap teeth. But her smile turned into a frown when she saw my face. I obviously didn't smile back at her."Sophia? Are you okay? What is it, darling?" Her voice softened with concern as she searched my face, but I was silent as I couldn't even form words. I couldn't even lie this time by saying, "I'm fine," as it was clear that I was not."Sophia, have you been crying again?" she asked with a frown. "Come and have your seat, dear." She pulled me to the chair, and I sat down with the strength left in me. She walked back to her chair and sighed heavily as she stared at me in silence. She looked at me with pity—the same pity I saw in her eyes the day we first met at the park. She was starting to have some faith in me, and now it's all pity."Sophia...""H
SOPHIA'S POVThe stranger stared back at me like he could see my soul. He looked lost, and my back was starting to ache. I cleared my throat, and that seemed to bring him back. He pulled me up and took a step back."I'm sorry, miss, I wasn't looking," he said, looking a bit nervous."No, I'm sorry. I was searching for something in my bag. I didn't know..." I trailed off, looking away. There was an awkward silence. I didn’t walk away or feel the need to, and neither did he."My name is Lucas," he said, breaking the awkward silence between us and stretching out his hand with a broad smile."Sophia," I replied, meeting his big hand with my slim one."A beautiful name for a beautiful lady?" he said, and I scoffed."Isn't that a cliché, Lucas?" I asked, tilting my head a little to the side with a silly smile plastered on my face."You got me right there, but I'm not just saying it—I do mean it," he said with a serious expression. I quickly untangled my hand from his hold."I should get goi
LUCAS' POVThe silence hung between us long after she’d spoken.“I wanted to give you the answer you deserve.” She had said, voice soft but steady. “But if I said yes, it wouldn’t be fair.”Not fair.The words rang in my head like a bell I couldn’t unhear.I didn’t say anything then. Just nodded. I don’t even remember standing up or placing the ring box back in my pocket. It all felt mechanical, like watching myself from outside my own body.Now I was outside, on the cabin porch, the cold air biting through the warmth of the fire still burning inside. I kept my hands shoved deep in my coat pockets as I stared into the dark woods. The lake glimmered faintly beyond the trees, silver and glassy beneath the full moon.She hadn’t come after me.I didn’t blame her.What could she possibly say?The thing was… I’d known. Somewhere deep down, I’d known her heart wasn’t mine. I’d seen it in the way her smile never quite reached her eyes when I brought her flowers. In how she always hesitated be
SOPHIA'S POVIt started with a note on the counter.Just one line. “Don’t make plans tonight. Dress warm. Trust me.”Lucas.The handwriting was unmistakably his – clean, a little slanted, written with the same kind of confidence he carried into boardrooms and kitchens alike. I stared at it for a moment, a faint smile pulling at my lips. He knew how much I hated surprises. And he was doing it anyway.By the time I dropped the twins off at Mrs. Jackson’s for their overnight stay, the sky had deepened into a dusky pink. Lucas was waiting for me in his car, door already open, wearing that charcoal coat I secretly loved. He stood up straighter when he saw me – like he was nervous, but trying not to show it.“You look beautiful.” He said, eyes lingering just long enough to warm my skin.“You don’t look too bad yourself.” I slid into the passenger seat. “What are we doing?”“You’ll see.”I gave him a look.“Okay, fine. I’ll give you a hint.” He glanced at me with a grin. “You’ve been there b
LUCAS' POV The drive to my mother’s house from the airport was shorter than I remembered. Maybe it was the lack of traffic or the way the late afternoon sunlight stretched across the road, golden and slow. Or maybe I just hadn’t realized how long it had been since I made this trip. I used to visit once a month. Then once every two. Now… Well, I hadn’t been home since I came with Sophia. Pulling into the driveway, I killed the engine and sat there for a moment, staring at the modest house. White siding, blue shutters, flowerbeds brimming with tulips and wild lavender. Everything was exactly how I remembered it, like time hadn’t touched it – even though it clearly had. I grabbed the wine I’d picked up on the way and headed for the front door. Before I could knock, it swung open. “There’s my boy!” My mother stood there, arms wide, her smile brighter than the sun behind her. She didn’t wait for me to answer – just pulled me in and squeezed me like she hadn’t seen me in years.
LUCAS' POVI never liked small talk. I didn’t have the patience for it. Business was business, and I preferred things to stay efficient, direct, no fluff. But then she came into the office.Victoria.She’d been introduced as a new consultant for the company’s expansion project, and from the moment I saw her, I could tell she was different. She had this way about her – so composed, so polished. She moved through the office like she owned it, like she was in control, and it wasn’t long before I found myself paying attention to her more than I cared to admit.At first, it was just little things. She’d smile at me across the room, but it wasn’t one of those “polite office smiles”. No. It was more like she was sizing me up. I wasn’t used to being looked at like that, especially not in a room full of busy people, but there it was.I didn’t think much of it at first. That is, until she knocked on my office door one Wednesday morning.“Good morning, Luca.” She greeted me, stepping inside, a c
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