Asher’s POV I laid her carefully on the bed, but she clung to me, refusing to let go. Our gazes locked, an invisible thread pulling us together, the heat between us rising like a slow-burning fire. “Asher, I want a baby. Now,” she whispered, desperation lacing every word. My heart clenched. I wanted her—God, I wanted her—but something about this felt wrong. She wasn’t fully herself yet. This wasn’t our first time, yet tonight, hesitation gripped me. “Isabella, let’s take it slow,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I know losing the baby wasn’t easy, but I don’t think this—” I swallowed. “I don’t think being with me right now is what you truly need.” She didn’t respond immediately, just watched me with a fragile smile that barely masked the sadness in her eyes. “I do want a child, Asher,” she said softly. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not doing this out of desperation. I just… I need you. You’re all I want.” Her voice was steady, but then her lips trem
Asher’s POV I tried everything to get Isabella to sleep, and now, after hours of mourning her child, she’s finally resting. Lying beside her, I listened as she spoke about all the dreams she had for her baby—the nursery she wanted to decorate, the lullabies she planned to sing. She was so happy to finally have a child after years of suffering. And now, that happiness has been ripped away. Maris killed her baby. The only punishment she deserves is death. I needed to leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk out the door. I didn’t want to leave Isabella alone, not like this. Just as I debated staying, my phone rang. Michael. I answered immediately. “Speak.” My eyes widened as he delivered the news—one of the people responsible for poisoning my pack had been caught. “Thank you, Michael. I’ll be there soon. This is good news.” Satisfaction settled in my chest. I turned to leave, but my feet hesitated. Isabella. I moved to her room, standing in the doorway, watching th
Isabella’s POV "Bella, how could you?" Zach growled, his hands tightening around my neck in rage. I gasped, struggling to break free, but he was too strong. "You kept my child from me!" His voice dripped with fury. With every ounce of strength I could muster, I tore his hands away and slapped him hard across the face. "I deprived you of your child?" I spat, my voice shaking with raw anger. "Your mother just killed my baby, and you’re strangling me?" My entire body trembled with rage. Maris opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, my eyes landed on a scalpel lying on the floor. Without thinking, I snatched it up and pointed it at her, my hands shaking. "You killed my baby, Maris. You monster!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I lunged toward her. Before I could strike, Zach grabbed my wrist, stopping me. "Isabella, stop!" he shouted, his grip firm, his tone just as furious. "Mom isn’t to blame here—you are! You lied about the father of the child! We
Isabella’s POV A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through my head as I struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry, the harsh white lights above making it even harder to focus. I groaned, my body aching as if it had been crushed under something heavy. Slowly, my surroundings came into view—a hospital room. The sterile scent filled my nostrils, and confusion clouded my mind. What happened? A voice broke through the fog in my head. “Isabella, you’re finally awake!” Zachary’s voice trembled with both relief and disbelief. His eyes, wide with emotion, searched my face. “I was so scared, Isabella. I thought I… I thought I lost you.” I winced as I tried to push myself upright, but before I could, his hands were on my shoulders, gently holding me down. “Don’t sit up. You’re hurt badly,” he said, his voice thick with concern. Now that he mentioned it, I could feel the searing pain radiating through my body. But why? My brows furrowed in confusion. “What happened to me?” My v
Asher’s POV No matter how much I try to regain my strength, my body refuses to cooperate. I feel weak—too weak. My vision is still blurry, and every movement feels like dragging myself through thick mud. "What did you inject into me?" I manage to say, my voice hoarse. My fingers tremble as I weakly pull the syringe from my arm. I try to stand, but my legs betray me, and I stumble back. Isabella reaches for me, but I’m too heavy for her to hold up. "Don’t fight it, Asher," Zachary taunts, his laughter ringing in my ears. "No matter how hard you try, you’ll remain weak." His amusement is sickening. "I knew you’d be stupid enough to show up here, so of course, I was prepared." "Zach, undo what you’ve done!" Isabella pleads, her voice laced with desperation. "He might die!" "Wouldn’t that be for the best?" Zachary sneers. "With him gone, there’ll be no one left to interfere with us. No one left to stress us out." Rage ignites in me, burning through the fog of pain. Even with
Asher’s POV It has been a week since I started working tirelessly to keep my people safe from the illness. The knowledge that Maris is responsible only fuels my determination to make sure no one else suffers. This isn’t just about containment anymore—scores must be settled. "Have you done what I asked?" I ask Michael, my voice edged with frustration. His expression remains composed as he shakes his head. "It wasn’t successful. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find any dirt on Maris. It’s like she already knew I’d be looking. She’s wiped out every piece of evidence that could link her to this." I exhale sharply, rubbing my temple. The weight of this entire situation presses down on me, suffocating. "You need to do better, Michael," I say, my voice laced with irritation. "She thinks she can get away with this, but I won’t let that happen. This is my people we’re talking about! Three have already died. How many more do you expect me to watch perish before we do somethin