LOGINAuthor’s POV Elsa stumbled down the dark alley, tears carving hot tracks down her cheeks as she clutched her arms around herself like she might fall apart if she let go. Her heels caught on cracked pavement more than once, but she kept moving, staggering toward her car parked crookedly at the far end. “I…I should have just let him be with Amber,” she whispered to the shadows, her voice shaky. “That way he would still be alive. He would be laughing right now, probably texting her some stupid meme or planning their next date. Why did I have to step in? Why did I have to be so fucking selfish and greedy? Why do I have to be this stupid? What the hell is wrong with me?” She gripped her hair so tightly strands came loose in her fingers, pain barely registering over the ache in her chest. “I killed him. I fucking killed him.” She reached her car, leaned her forehead against the cold metal roof, and let out a broken sob that echoed off the brick walls. *** At the university, Cassie
Author’s POV After what felt like an eternity of frantic pacing and desperate phone calls, Linda finally stopped running around the room, hands shaking as she wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her palm. No one had answers. No one knew how to stop the mate-bond agony. Amber had gone quiet now, a little too quiet. She lay motionless on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling, skin slick with sweat, shirt wet and clinging to her body like a second skin. “I-Is the pain gone?” Linda asked softly, her voice trembling as she knelt beside her. Amber managed a weak, barely-there nod, face pale and exhausted. “Can you get up?” Linda asked, though she already knew the answer. The pain had subsided, but Amber’s body was spent, limbs heavy, strength drained. Linda squatted low, gently lifting Amber’s arm and draping it around her own neck. “Come on, girl… lean on me.” Amber let her weight fall against Linda, allowing her friend to half-carry, half-drag her off the cold f
Author’s POV Elsa brushed him off with a scoff, striding closer like she owned the alley. “Whatever. Save the lecture for someone who cares. Just tell me straight, did you guys finally put an end to their little fairy-tale relationship? I want good news. Great news. Spill it,” she said, expecting a satisfying reply. The leader frowned, stepping toward her with slow, deliberate menace. “Hold up. I don’t get you. What exactly did you want us to do in the first place? Because I’m starting to think I didn’t catch the full picture of your crazy-ass plan,” he asked, staring directly at her. Elsa threw her hands up, exasperation exploding out of her. “Are you serious right now? Are you actually serious? I told you word for word to follow Nate’s plan! You stood there nodding like you understood everything. I said blackmail Alpha Mason into dumping that Black bitch. Threaten to kill her if he didn’t. Make him choose. Simple. Clean. Done. So what the hell did you actually do instead?” she
Author’s POV “Lower your fucking eyes, you arrogant piece of shit,” the leader barked, his voice dripping with hatred. “You have got some balls staring us down like you are still in charge. And sorry, sweetheart, but money isn’t our thing. Rest in peace, Alpha.” He punctuated the words with a vicious kick straight into the bullet wound on Mason’s leg. Mason collapsed face-first onto the filthy floor, tasting dirt and blood as pain ripped through every nerve in his body. He groaned, a wet, ragged sound, coughing up thick blood beside his face. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Even if it shredded what was left of his pride, he wanted to scream for help, but his mouth refused to obey after the coughing fit. His wolf was too weak, suppressed by the wolfsbane, and unable to fight back or heal him. His entire body throbbed in sickening waves, the bullet wounds burning like fire. A low growl escaped his throat, but the thought of never seeing his Brownie again hurt far worse tha
Author’s POV Alpha Mason stroked his stinging cheek with one hand, glaring daggers at the leader who had dared to slap him. His wolf was already clawing at the surface, ready to take full control. “I…I was framed,” he stuttered, the words tasting like ash in his mouth, still hoping against all reason that they might believe him. “I have never seen those bags before, and I don’t even know how the fuck they got into my pocket.” The guys exchanged quick, mocking glances. Mason tossed them a desperate, hopeful look, but to his shock, they all burst into harsh, mocking laughter so hard tears streamed from their eyes. The sound grated on his nerves like broken glass, and the heavy, choking stench of wolfsbane weakened him further, forcing his wolf back down with a painful whimper. “Why the fuck are you laughing?” Mason demanded, his voice exploding with fury. “If you planned this, I swear to the moon goddess this shit isn’t funny.” The leader wiped tears from his eyes, still chuck
Author’s POV Amber chuckled, the sound sharp and disbelieving as she stared at Cassie in utter disbelief. “What the hell does that have to do with me, huh? Isn’t he your best friend? And you just attack me like that and…” She trailed off, fury boiling over so fast it burned away every ounce of restraint. “Fuck it! This is it! I have had enough!” she shouted, charging toward Cassie with claws fully extended, aiming straight for her throat in a lethal arc. But before Amber’s clawed hand could connect, Xavier rushed between them like a wall of muscle and fury, blocking both girls from each other with his broad frame. “Girls, stop!” Xavier yelled, his voice booming with exhaustion and raw frustration. “Just fucking stop!” Amber’s claws retracted instantly, sliding back into her fingertips as she jabbed a finger hard into Xavier’s chest. “Tell her to stay the fuck away from me, got it?” she snapped, her voice exploding with anger. “And she can keep her so-called best friend for







