LOGINLEAH The clock on my nightstand glowed 11:47 PM.I had been lying in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, my mind refusing to shut off. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Santos's face. The way he had looked at me in the boutique. The way he had pinned Austin against the wall like he was nothing. The way he had said "She's mine" like it was the most natural thing in the world.And then the way I had walked away.I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to push the images away. It didn't work. Nothing worked. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me, confused and anxious. She didn't understand why I had walked away from Santos. Neither did I.The house was silent. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago. My mother's soft snores drifted from down the hall. My father's heavy breathing from his room. Matteo's room was silent, and Bianca was playing music as usual.I was alone with my thoughts.And my thoughts were destroying me.He's just protecting you because of the deal, I told myself. I
LEAH The word hung in the air between us, heavy and impossible.Cousin.I looked at Santos. Then at Austin. Then back at Santos.My mouth opened, but no sound came out. My brain was spinning, trying to process what I had just heard, trying to make sense of the impossible."Cousin?" I finally managed, my voice weak. "You're... cousins?"Santos's eyes remained fixed on Austin, cold and unblinking. "Yes."I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me.All this time. All this time, Santos had known. He had known that Austin was his cousin, and he hadn't told me.My hands started shaking.Behind Austin, the door to the back room swung open. Valeria stepped out, her face still flushed from her dress fitting ordeal. She was holding her phone, her expression bright and chatty."—and then I told her that white was absolutely necessary, because—"She froze.Her eyes landed on Santos.The blood drained from her face. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She looked like she had seen a
LEAH I took a deep breath, one, two, three, before I opened my mouth. "I'm very happy, Valeria." I said, voice flat. "Thank you for your concern." She tilted her head, and chuckled mockingly before returning to try another dress. I looked away. My wolf growled. The next hour was a nightmare. Valeria was getting frustrated. Nothing was good enough. The saleswomen were exhausted. One of them had literally started crying in the back room. I stood beside the rack, standing professional with a a cup of coffee in my hand. I could feel Austin eyes on me but I refused to look at him. "Leah!" Valeria's voice cut through my thoughts. She was standing in front of a full-length mirror, her hands pressed against her hips, her expression furious. "I asked you a question." "I'm sorry, what?" "I said, do you think this dress makes me look fat?" I stared at her. She was wearing a dress that was three sizes too small, the fabric straining across her chest and hips. "I think
LEAH Sunlight streamed through the windows, warm and golden, painting the room in soft shades of amber. The sound of waves crashed against the shore, steady and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the world itself. I blinked, disoriented. Where was I? The bed was unfamiliar. The room was unfamiliar. The smell of salt water and something else—something dark and masculine that made my wolf stir—filled my senses. Then I remembered. The beach house. Santos. The kiss. The way he had pulled away like he had seen something terrible. I sat up slowly, my hand reaching out to the empty space beside me. The sheets were cold. He had been gone for a while. My heart sank. I looked around the room. A note on the nightstand caught my eye, folded neatly, his handwriting sharp and precise. "Had to leave for pack business. Stay as long as you need. Driver will take you home. — S" I stared at the words for a long moment. He had left. Without saying goodbye. Without explaining anything
SANTOS The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the walls. The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the night, steady and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the earth itself.I sat on the sofa, my eyes fixed on the woman sleeping in my arms.Leah.Her face was peaceful in sleep, all the tension and pain from the day finally melted away. Her lips were slightly parted, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. She looked younger like this. Softer. Nothing like the fierce woman who had stormed into my office and demanded my help.Malakai stirred inside me, restless and possessive.Mine, he growled. She's mine.I didn't argue. I couldn't. He had been screaming those words for three years now, and I had long since stopped trying to silence him.I carefully shifted, lifting Leah into my arms. She murmured something soft, her hand curling against my chest, but she didn't wake. I carried her to the bedroom, my movements gentle, careful, li
LEAH I didn't know how long I sat there in the parking lot, my head leaning against the steering wheel, my body heavy with exhaustion. The day had drained everything out of me. Every smile, every nod, every professional word I had forced through my teeth had taken a piece of me with it.My phone buzzed again, but I didn't look at it. I couldn't. My eyes were too tired, my mind too numb.Then I heard it.The sound of a car pulling up beside me. The soft click of a door opening. Footsteps approaching.I looked up.Santos was standing there, his silhouette framed by the dim parking lot lights. He wasn't wearing a jacket, just a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His face was unreadable, but his eyes—those dark, intense eyes—were fixed on me with something that looked almost like concern.I stared at him."Come on," he said quietly.I didn't argue. I didn't have the strength.I climbed out of my car, my legs shaky, my body moving on autopilot. Santos took off his jacket







