LOGINHi Lovelies, Things are heating up (literally!) The tension is real! Stay tuned for more sparks
Alanza’s POV"He seems decent enough," Sombra remarked, her voice a calm ripple in the back of my mind."Yeah, he does," I whispered back.Teddy didn't linger after our dance. He gave a casual wave and melted into the moving wall of bodies without a hint of clinginess. His absence left me feeling strangely lighter. Successfully navigating a conversation with a pack member felt like a small, hard-won victory. More than that, the dance had settled the frantic pacing of my heart. Teddy was handsome, sure, but he didn't make my pulse jump the way Luciano did. One word from Luciano could make my world tilt, and that realization was both a comfort and a curse.I really needed to talk to Lucia. Girl talk wasn't just a want tonight; it was a necessity to keep my head on straight.The problem was finding her. The house was a sea of shifting shapes and loud music. My skin began to itch with that familiar, crawling sensation of being watched. I could he
Alanza’s POV"Alanza, honey," a voice drips with artificial sweetness, making the hair on my arms stand up.I turn to find Chloe closing the distance between us. She moves with a practiced sway, her hips cutting a path through the crowd as every guy in the vicinity tracks her progress. My eyes widen at her outfit. She is wearing a top that barely qualifies as clothing and a skirt so short it looks like a stiff breeze would be a legal liability.Her hair reminds me of Lucia’s with those messy auburn waves, but the similarity ends there. Her face is a canvas of heavy liner and shimmering shadows, the kind of professional look you see in viral beauty tutorials. It is impressive work, though it feels like an armor of paint compared to my bare skin.She reaches me and plants an enthusiastic kiss on my cheek. Her lips stay there a second too long, leaving a damp, lingering sensation that makes me want to wipe my face."You look stunning," she
Alanza’s POV"How are the sessions going?" Brendan asks. He tilts a plastic cup back, taking a long pull of beer. The heavy, fermented smell of the stuff hits my nose and makes my stomach do a slow roll. I try to keep my face neutral so I do not look like a total killjoy. "Amara has a reputation for being a drill sergeant, but she is easily the best trainer we have."I shift my weight, feeling a bit of the tension leave my shoulders. Talking about training feels safe. It is something I can actually control. "It is brutal," I admit. "I am sore in places I did not even know existed. But she does not coddle me, and I like that. It feels like I am actually making up for lost ground instead of just being handled with kid gloves."Brendan gives me a sympathetic look, though there is a hint of a grin there too. "She is definitely not a fan of coddling. But hey, it works. Give it a few months and you will be a total menace on the field. She will turn you into a wa
Alanza’s POV"Just keep your head up," Sombra says, her voice a steady anchor inside my mind. "You are doing fine. One step at a time."I take a slow breath, forcing the stale, crowded air into my lungs. It helps. I let it out slowly, trying to shed the layer of panic clinging to my skin.Lucia is already moving, her hand firm on my wrist as she tugs me toward the back of the house. "Let's find the kitchen," she shouts over the bass. "I need a drink, and you look like you need to hold something."I follow the back of her head, using her as a shield to part the sea of dancing bodies. The air in the kitchen is thinner, cooler, and the music loses some of its teeth once we pass the doorframe. A group of shifters stands around a marble island, their laughter ringing out over the sound of ice hitting glass.Lucia reaches over the counter and grabs two red cups. She holds them out, her eyes scanning the row of bottles next to the sink. "Pick your p
Alanza’s POV“Are you actually going to get out of the car, or do I need to drag you?” Lucia asked, her voice bright with a teasing edge that didn’t quite mask her own nervous energy.I took a shaky breath and looked out the window at the dark road. We had left the bright lights and constant hum of Granite City behind miles ago. Now, the tires hummed against a narrow strip of asphalt that cut through the deep woods of the Westwood pack lands. It was the kind of place that felt empty to a human but crowded to a shifter. Every shadow between the trees felt like a pair of eyes.“I’m coming,” I whispered, though my fingers stayed locked around the door handle.A strange, cold itch started at the base of my neck and crawled down my spine. It was that heavy, wrong sensation that usually preceded a disaster. Beside me, Lucia noticed the way my shoulders hunched toward my ears. She reached over and squeezed my hand, her p
Alanza’s POV"You have to be kidding me," I said, leaning into the glass of the full-length mirror.The girl looking back wasn't the one I usually saw. Lucia’s jeans gripped my legs in all the right places, showing off muscle I didn't realize I’d built. I twisted around to check the view from behind. London’s brutal training sessions were finally paying off in ways that had nothing to do with fighting.Lucia sat on the edge of her mattress, her own floor buried under a literal mountain of discarded shirts. She gave me a smug grin. "What did I tell you? We’re officially the same size."I smoothed the denim over my hips. It felt strange. "I’ve spent years being the 'big' friend. This is actually a little disorienting."Back when I was stuck doing all the grocery runs and cooking, I’d managed to sneak enough extra portions to keep a soft layer of comfort on my frame. It wasn't much, but it was a security blank
Alanza’s POV"You look like a bird in a cage, Alanza, just waiting for someone to forget the latch."Alpha Reynaldo did not wait for me to invite him in. He never did. He stepped into my bedroom with a smile that did not reach his cold, calculating eyes. I stood by the window,
Alanza’s POV"Why are you looking at me like I’m a ghost?"My voice cracked as I backed away from the door. My brother, Pascual, didn't answer right away. He just stood there, his shadow stretching across the floor of my old room. He looked older, harder, and way more da
Alanza’s POV"Why are you staring at your plate like it’s a death sentence?"The voice belongs to Alpha Reynaldo. It is heavy, gravelly, and vibrates against the mahogany table. I don't look up. Instead, I focus on the steam rising from the expensive takeout my brother P
Alanza’s POV"Why are you staring at your plate like it’s a death sentence?"The voice belongs to Alpha Reynaldo. It is heavy, gravelly, and vibrates against the mahogany table. I don't look up. Instead, I focus on the steam rising from the expensive takeout my brother P







