Se connecterLiam’s POVIt hit me like a blade through the chest.I was halfway across the training grounds when my knees buckled, pain exploding so suddenly that I barely had time to breathe. My vision blurred, the world tilting violently as my wolf surged forward with a roar that shook my bones.‘Danger.’Not fear.Not longing.But danger.I dropped to one knee, one hand slamming into the dirt as I sucked in air that felt too thin to hold me upright. My heart pounded wildly, every beat echoing her name.“Marilyn.”The bond wasn’t aching anymore.It was screaming.I could feel it sharp, frantic, panicked. Like she was being ripped away, dragged somewhere dark and wrong. My wolf slammed against my skin, furious, desperate, claws itching to tear through flesh and distance alike.“Alpha!” Rowan shouted, running toward me.I didn’t answer.I staggered to my feet, ignoring the dizziness, ignoring the shocked looks from the pack around me. The air tasted wrong. My senses flared painfully, searching for
Liam’s POVThey called it a formal introduction.As if putting a name and a face to something unwanted made it easier to swallow.I stood in the main hall of the pack house, hands clasped behind my back, shoulders stiff. The elders were lined up near the long table, their expressions careful, expectant. The room smelled of polished wood and old authority.This wasn’t a celebration. It was a presentation.“Alpha Liam,” Elder Jonah said, stepping forward. “Thank you for attending.”As if I had a choice.I nodded once. “You said this would be brief.”“It will,” Elder Maura replied. “This is only an introduction. Nothing more.”My wolf snarled quietly at that. He didn’t believe them.The doors opened.She walked in calmly, her steps measured, posture perfect. She was beautiful in the way the pack admired,dark hair pulled neatly back, strong build, chin lifted with confidence. She wore a simple dress in pack colors, her scent controlled, disciplined.Pack-raised. Prepared. Not her fault.“
Liam’s POVThe One They ChoseThey didn’t wait for me this time.That was how I knew something was wrong.The council chamber was already full when I arrived. The elders sat in their carved stone seats, robes neat, expressions unreadable. The room felt colder than usual, like the walls themselves were holding their breath.My wolf stirred uneasily.I took my place at the center, arms crossed over my chest.“Why was I summoned?” I asked.Elder Jonah didn’t answer right away. He glanced at the others, then nodded once, as if giving permission for something already decided.Elder Maura stood.“Alpha Liam,” she began, voice calm and rehearsed, “this council has deliberated long and carefully.”My jaw tightened.“About Marilyn?” I asked flatly.A few of them shifted.“This is about the future of the Blood Moon Pack,” Maura replied. “And your leadership.”I already knew.My wolf knew too. He pressed hard against my ribs, restless, angry.“You told me to let her go,” I said. “I did.”“And th
Marilyn’s POVThe city park was quiet in the late afternoon.Not silent,never silent,but softer than usual. The trees stood tall and still, their leaves barely moving, as if even the wind was tired. Caroline walked beside me on the narrow path, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket, her steps slow to match mine.Neither of us spoke much.We didn’t need to.The air smelled like grass and distant rain, familiar and safe. This was my world. The place I had chosen. The place I had run back to because I thought it would protect me.But my chest still hurt.“Do you want to sit?” Caroline asked gently, nodding toward a bench near the pond.I shrugged. “Sure.”We sat side by side, watching the water ripple as ducks moved lazily across the surface. I tried to focus on that and on normal things. On being human. On being me.Caroline glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “You’ve been quiet all day.”“I’m always quiet,” I said lightly.She didn’t smile. “Not like this.”I opened my
Marilyn’s POV It started as a whisper. Not a sound, not a voice but a feeling. Low and constant. Like a thread tugging at my chest every time I tried to breathe too deeply. I woke before dawn, tangled in sheets damp with sweat, my heart pounding for no reason I could name. The city outside Aunt Agnes’s house was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt borrowed from something wilder. I pressed my palm to my chest and closed my eyes. “Go back.” The thought wasn’t mine. I sat up slowly, drawing my knees to my chest. The ache was there again. Deeper this time. Sharper. It curled in my stomach and slid up my spine like something stretching awake after a long sleep. My wolf. She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t afraid. She was yearning. “No,” I whispered aloud, shaking my head. “We’re not doing this.” The pull tightened in response, like she didn’t understand the word. I slid out of bed and padded to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to look out at the empty street. Concrete.
Marilyn’s POVI didn’t realize Caroline was awake.Aunt Agnes had already left the living room, her footsteps fading down the hallway, leaving me alone with the heavy silence and the thoughts pressing against my chest. I stayed curled on the couch for a long time, staring at nothing, replaying her words again and again.Love should never feel like a trap.I hugged my knees tighter.I didn’t hear the floorboard creak at first. I was too lost in my head, too busy trying to understand my own heart. It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat softly that I looked up.Caroline stood at the edge of the hallway.She wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t angry either. She looked… conflicted. Like someone who had walked in on a truth they weren’t meant to hear.“How long were you standing there?” I asked quietly.She hesitated. “Long enough.”My stomach dropped. “How much did you hear?”She sighed and walked closer, sitting on the armchair opposite me. “Enough to know Aunt Agnes wasn’t defending Liam th







