LOGINThe garden is alive with laughter, a sound that feels like the only real thing in a world that used to be made of glass and documents.I lean back in the cushioned chair beneath the old oak, its massive branches stretching wide enough to shield me from the aggressive afternoon sun. The air here is different than it was in the city, it’s heavy with the scent of blooming jasmine and the faint, salt-licked breeze that follows Roderick wherever he goes.My twins—two golden-haired whirlwinds—are knee-deep in their sandpit, building castles that collapse as quickly as they rise. Every tumble is met with roaring giggles, their joy echoing through the pack’s grounds like a melody I never tire of hearing. They move with a coordinated grace that sometimes stops my breath, a synchronicity that feels far too uncanny for three-year-olds.I watch them, my hand instinctively resting on the high, hard curve of my belly.The weight is familiar now, comforting even. In just a few days, another son will
The ride to the restaurant was steeped in unspoken tension, the kind that feels like it’s vibrating in your teeth.Sitting in the back of the Bentley, squeezed between two massive Alpha energies, I felt the heaviness pressing down on my chest. The car was a vault of silent, expensive leather, and every time the driver hit a bump, my shoulders brushed against theirs, sending sparks through the silk of my dress.Rapha broke the silence first, his tone low but oddly casual, though I could see the way his pulse was jumpy in his neck.“You’ve been quiet this week,” he said, his thigh pressed firmly against mine. “Besides the logistics and the distribution paperwork, you’ve been… distant. Even when we were in the same room.”I turned my head a little, meeting his gaze.The smoky eyeliner made me feel like I was looking at him from behind a shield. “I was giving you space, like you asked. And honestly? I was enjoying the peace. I actually got through a Tuesday without someone hovering over m
"Happy birthday, Rahab." Nisi’s voice drifted smoothly from behind the sea of red roses, with a hint of something darker underneath. It was like taking a slow sip of aged whiskey—rich, deep, and with just a touch of danger that made my skin crawl. I froze there, standing at the door, eyes fixed on the wall of roses that seemed to bleed into the dim hallway.Damn!I’d completely lost track of the date.Between endless reports, dodging sharp looks from Alphas, and dragging my own doubts from my time with Roderick, the days had blurred together. Today was my twenty-first birthday, the official step into adulthood, according to their rules, biology, and beliefs. To the rest of the world, it was just a legal milestone. To the men in front of me, it was the day the clock ran out.And suddenly, everything felt weird. I blinked, caught off guard, then slowly took in what was happening.The usual coolness, that ‘Corporate Chill’, was gone entirely. Both guys stood in the narrow hallway, bu
Saturday didn’t feel like a day of judgment; it felt like a graduation, a rite of passage into a version of myself I was finally ready to meet.I woke up with a clarity that usually only comes after a long, dreamless sleep, but this was different. The fog that had clouded my mind and dulled my nerves was gone. It was as if a heavy curtain had been pulled back, revealing a horizon I’d been afraid to approach.There was a strange, exhilarating weightlessness that made my heartbeat quicken, like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing I was about to leap, but feeling strangely unafraid. For the first time in weeks, I felt a sense of purpose, clear and unfiltered. I was humming as I moved around the apartment, an upbeat, almost mischievous tune, the kind that makes your shoulders sway and your spirits lift. It was a soundtrack for a new beginning, a celebration of freedom.I paused at the window, looking out at the city waking up below, and whispered to the two dogs, Ranger and Soldier,
The week after my late-night escapade with Roderick felt like I’d stepped into a weather forecast predicting a hurricane, one of those slow, ominous storms where the air hangs heavy, pressing against your skin, waiting for the sky to burst open and unleash chaos. At work, the so-called ‘Corporate Chill’ had turned into something even colder, almost glacial.Nisi and Rapha, who once kept their distance with professionalism, now seemed downright brooding. They prowled the hallways like displaced animals, their eyes following me during meetings as if I were an unsolvable puzzle or the last thing standing between them and disaster. Every time I passed their offices, I could feel their unrelenting gaze, like static electric in the air. Standing at the copier, I’d get that prickling at the back of my neck, only to turn and see one of them leaning against the glass, arms crossed, jaw tight enough to crack stone. Then, around Wednesday, something shifted. The hostile glares softened, morp
The interior of the Maybach was a complete pivot from the glass-walled stress of the corporate district. It felt like a plush leather cocoon. The air pressed close, saturated with Roderick’s scent—rich, spicy, and warm.I leaned back, the dam inside me finally breaking.“You have no idea how weird it’s been,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Nisi and Rapha... it’s like they’ve been replaced by corporate robots. No growling, no intense staring contests. Just ‘Yes, Rahab’ and ‘Excellent work, Rahab.’ It’s eerie.”Roderick kept his eyes on the road, but his focus was entirely on me.“Is that right?” he asked. “The perfect managers, thus.”“Exactly! But the city feels so small now, Roderick,” I continued, looking out at the passing streetlights. “After being on the Aurelius... after seeing that horizon... these buildings just feel like they’re leaning in on me. Every skyscraper feels like a cage bar, and the subways are just tunnels for people who’ve forgotten wha
Walking through the estate’s vast hallways, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d stepped into some kind of secret society, or maybe a really exclusive club where every move was deliberate and every glance was loaded with meaning.The floors echoed beneath our footsteps, and the way the others moved, s
An hour later, we touched down at the estate. The helicopter’s blades slowed and the silence that followed felt almost deafening. In front, I noticed a group had gathered at the landing pad, their sharp posture and watchful eyes making the moment feel staged, like a scene I’d stumbled into.Jake,
The office was a battlefield of a different kind, and stepping back into it after three days at the villa felt like being dropped from a fever dream into cold reality.My skin kept remembering them, as if it couldn’t let go. Even the light graze of my sleeve felt electric, a spark from nights that
The sensation of cool, silk sheets against my damp skin was a stark contrast to the warmth of the bath. When Nisi carefully lowered me onto the bed, a strange, heavy sense of calm still held me in place, anchoring me to the mattress even as my heart pounded wildly in my chest. They moved with a syn







