로그인“I’m fine, Nigel,” I answered.I opened my mouth to say something else when the first wave hit.It came without warning. A sudden, violent twist deep in my gut, sharp enough to steal my breath. My fingers tightened around the stem of the glass until I thought it might snap. Heat flooded my face, then drained away just as fast, leaving me cold and clammy.The wine, I told myself. It has to be the wine. Or the stress. Or the secret sitting in my chest like a live coal.But this was different. This wasn’t anything I had felt before.It was a clawing, tearing sensation that started deep in my gut and ripped upward with terrifying speed. Within seconds my mouth started to flood with saliva and my vision started to swim at the edges. Fear spiked through me, sharp and cold.“I… I need to excuse myself,” I said suddenly, my voice coming out strangled. Nigel’s brows drew together at my words, but before he could say anything I turned, intending to walk with dignity toward the nearest exit, tow
“Another generous toast.” Nigel lifted his glass, his pale eyes fixed on Calla. “Generosity is my specialty.”Calla laughed, a light, musical sound that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I believe in making everyone feel welcome. Especially those who might feel… out of place.”I tensed at her words. Out of place. She’s talking about me. She’s making sure I know it. The memory of her laughter in the bathroom still clung to me like smoke.Nigel took a slow sip of his wine, his gaze flicking between us. “An interesting choice of words, Calla. Tell me, what makes you think anyone here feels out of place?”Calla’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, I don’t think anything, Alpha Nigel. I simply observe. And I’ve observed that new mates often need a little… extra support. Especially during their first pre...”“Calla is right,” I cut in, stopping her midsentence, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice even as everything inside me trembled harder. She wanted to talk about the pregnancy. Rhea’s pr
“You’re shaking, Dylan.”Just as I was still looking at Asher, the voice came from directly behind me, low, rough and far too close. I froze immediately and didn’t turn at first. My pulse hammered so hard I could feel it in my throat. Rhea’s quiet presence half a step behind me was the only solid thing left. Then the voice came again, softer this time and almost amused. “You all frozen like you’ve heard a ghost.”I turned when I heard that.It was Alpha Nigel, standing less than an arm’s length away, tall enough that I had to tilt my chin up to meet his eyes. Dark hair pulled back, sharp features half-shadowed by the light, pale gaze fixed on my face with an intensity that made the air feel thinner. He hadn’t been there a second ago. Or maybe he had, and I had simply been too busy drowning to notice. I forced my spine straight, forced a small, polite smile onto my mouth even as everything inside me continued to fracture.“Alpha Nigel,” I said, keeping my voice steady, almost light. “I
I waited thirty seconds, then rose as if I simply needed air. No one stopped me. The corridor outside the hall was cooler and quieter. I slipped into the nearest washroom and locked the door.Rhea was already inside. She turned the moment the latch clicked, eyes searching my face.“Are you all right?” she asked.I shook my head. Before she could ask anything else I closed the distance between us and crushed my mouth against hers in a desperate, hungry kiss.Rhea froze for half a second, then kissed me back just as fiercely, one hand sliding into my hair, the other gripping my waist hard enough to bruise. The taste of her, warm and familiar and completely off-limits, flooded every corner of the fear that had been choking me since Asher’s public threat. I poured everything into the kiss: the terror, the secret growing inside her, the need to feel something that belonged only to us for once. For a few stolen heartbeats the world outside the locked door simply ceased to exist.When we fin
“He’ll come back,” Rhea said fiercely. “He has to. You’re strong, Dylan. Stronger than you know. And that wolf of yours? He’s a survivor. Just like you.”“I don’t feel strong,” I admitted, voice rough. “I feel like I’m one breath away from shattering into a thousand pieces.”“Then we’ll gather those pieces together,” Rhea said, her voice steady and sure. “Every single one. And then we’ll rebuild you into something that can still stand. Something that can run. Something that can fight and protect what’s coming.”I dragged a hand down my face. “I know, but where the hell are we even supposed to go? We can’t just run into the woods and hope for the best. We need shelter, food, money. We need a plan that doesn’t get both of us killed.”Rhea was quiet for a long moment. “I’ve been thinking about that. I’ll update you when I can. For now, get dressed before Asher comes looking for you.” She stood abruptly, energy shifting in a heartbeat.She crossed to the wardrobe and yanked it open, rifli
I lined my lips into a hard, straight line and stared at the floor. “You don’t want to tell him,” Rhea’s expression hardened and her mouth pressed into a thin line, disagreement radiating off her in waves. “Yes,” I nodded, meaning it with every battered piece of me. “You can’t do that to him. It isn’t right, and you know it.” She shook her head. “Rhea, if Asher finds out about this, my freedom will be gone in the blink of an eye. He’d never let me go.” I hugged the damp towel tighter around my shoulders, feeling the chill of the water still clinging to my skin. The fabric was rough against my chest, and I hated how exposed I still felt even covered. She didn’t disagree with me. Her silence said more than any argument could. I watched the muscle in her cheek twitch as she looked away for a second, staring at the damp towel still pooled around my shoulders, at the water droplets still sliding down my collarbone and disappearing into the dark trail of hair that led lower. “I







