Se connecterAlanza’s POV
"Hold still, or I will end up pinning your ear to your scalp," my mother snaps.
She jerks a section of my hair upward, the comb scraping painfully against my skin. I stare at my reflection, watching her hands move with a cold, practiced efficiency. There is no love in the way she touches me. To her, I am just a mannequin she needs to prepare for a window display. She has been at this for nearly two hours, twisting and tucking my hair into an intricate style fo
Alanza’s POV"So, is it like a constant fluttering from your stomach all the way up to your chest?" Lucia asked.She moved her hand in a wide arc, tracing a line from her belly to just under her ribs. I gave her a slow nod, feeling the heat rise in my neck."And does your skin actually prickle when you hear him speak?" she pressed.I nodded again, looking down at the table."Do even the most normal things he says start to sound... suggestive?"My face burned. "Yes," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.Lucia let out a triumphant hum and picked up her burger. "Congratulations. You have officially crossed the border into Flirt Town. This is your very first crush, Alanza."She took a massive bite, closing her eyes with a groan of pure satisfaction. After she swallowed, she pointed the half-eaten burger at me like a witness in court."Not my first," I muttered.I th
Luciano’s POV“Did you fix the chainsaw?”Lindsie looks up from the tool, his fingers slick with dark fluid. He gives the cord a sharp pull. The engine coughs, sputters, and then settles into a rhythmic, angry growl that vibrates through the concrete floor of the basement. He holds it up, the metal teeth catching the overhead light. It is ready. I should be focused on the task, but my mind is still echoing with the sound of Alanza’s laughter.I just hung up with her. I actually pressed a kiss to the glass of my phone screen like some obsessed teenager. Even worse, I am standing over a mangled body with a heavy ache in my pants because the mere memory of her voice turns me on. I am definitely going to hell. I might even get a front-row seat.I tuck the phone into my pocket and look down at the mess. The man on the floor is a Crystal Lake spy, or what is left of one. He was supposed to be dead by now, but his healing factor is stubbo
Alanza’s POV"Alanza, I really don't think this is a smart move." Luciano sounds like he is vibrating through the phone. I can picture him pacing his office, jaw tight, probably crushing the life out of a stress ball or the edge of his desk."It doesn't matter what you think, because I am going." I cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth. I sound like a child throwing a tantrum. Standing up for myself is a new muscle I am trying to flex, but right now, it just feels like I am playing dress-up as a rebellious teenager.I never actually had a rebellious phase. My sister, Jimena, handled enough of that for both of us. I remember her constant whining about how Mom and Dad were ruining her life with their rules. They just wanted her to stop dating a new boy every week and focus on her future mate pairing. She eventually grew out of it. Maybe it is finally my turn to be difficult."Alanza, please listen to me.""No." I cut him off before he can
Alanza’s POV"A candle in the dark is only useful if you know where the matches are," I mutter, staring at the screen until the light fades.The text is a cold weight in my palm. Lucia is practically hanging off my shoulder, her breath warm against my ear as she tries to squint at the display."What candle?" she asks. Her brow furrows in that way it does when she knows she is missing a piece of a puzzle.I haven't told her yet. I haven't mentioned what Sister Loreen whispered to me before I left. Only Sombra knows the truth of those parting words. I catch Lucia’s eye and give a sharp, tiny shake of my head. My thumb slides over the power button, and I shove the device deep into my pocket just as Karlos rounds the corner of the training building.He looks like a storm cloud in a tactical vest. He doesn't even wait for us to speak before he starts shaking his head."The answer is no," Karlos says. His voice is flat and final.
Alanza’s POV"You actually think you can hide behind that guard forever?"The words from my sparring partner are a low growl, barely audible over the scuff of bare feet on the mats. I don't answer. I can't. My lungs are burning, and my focus is pinned on the way his shoulders shift. Easier said than done, I tell myself. I need to stop overthinking and let my instincts take the lead.He lunges. I slip to the left, feeling the rush of air as a heavy right hook whistles past my ear. There is the gap. It is a classic opening, maybe even a lure, but I don't have time to second guess. I dive inside his reach. My elbow finds the soft spot of his solar plexus with a sickening thud.He double folds, a pained grunt escaping his lips. I don't give him a chance to recover. I snag his lead arm, plant my feet, and pivot hard. Using his own forward weight against him, I toss him over my hip. He hits the padded floor with a heavy slap, the air leaving his lungs in
Alanza’s POV"Don't let them see you flinch," Lucia whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the gym ventilation.I gave a tight nod, though my pulse felt like a trapped bird beating against my ribs. We followed Amara deeper into the training floor, passing clusters of shifters who didn't even try to hide their stares. Their eyes tracked us with a heavy, judgmental weight that made the back of my neck prickle. Every insecurity I had spent weeks burying bubbled right back to the surface.I wondered if they smelled the Crystal Lake scent on me and hated me for it. Maybe they were disgusted by a wolf who couldn't even shift. Or perhaps the rumors about my arrival had already poisoned the well. I kept my jaw set and my eyes forward, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.Inside my head, Sombra let out a bored huff. She didn't care about the opinions of the pack. To her, everyone besides us was background noise. She wasn't even
Alanza’s POV"I was in heat and I couldn't stop it, so I slept with the alpha there," I say, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a rush. "He took care of me. Then Pascual grabbed me while I was out with his sister. We aren't mated, but we aren't strangers either."There. I s
Alanza’s POV"I need you to look at me and promise you won't just walk out that door," I said, my voice cracking as I gripped the hospital sheets.Luciano didn't pull away. Instead, he reached out and brushed a stray hair from my forehead. His touch was light, almost hesitant,
Luciano’s POV"I have to go back to the Crystal Lake territory, Alanza," I said, the words feeling like lead in my mouth.The silence in the hospital room was heavy. I stood by the door, watching her through the gap. She looked so small in that bed, swallowed by white sheets a
Alanza’s POV"Wait a—Alanza, are you crying?"Luciano stepped toward the bed, his hand reaching out as if to catch the tears before they hit the blanket. I yanked my glasses off and shoved them onto the bedside table, blurring his handsome, worried face into a collection







