Savannah
I tried to calm myself down, sipping the Chapman in slow gulps. My hand barely trembled, but inside, I was a mess. I forced my face into something pleasant and carefully composed, because if Ethan, who was probably still watching me like a hawk, caught one slip, he’d know I was lying.In my line of vision, I spotted Xavier. He was talking to Gregory. I tuned my ears to them, straining to catch each word.“You’ll have to stay away from the house for now,” Xavier said. His tone was cool, but not without weight. Gregory’s smirk dropped fast, replaced with a cold, bitter frown.“What? Why?” Gregory asked.“Because my wife says she’s uncomfortable around you.”Gregory’s mouth opened. “Come on, Xavier. It’s probably just a memory thing. You, of all people, know how strange she’s been since she got back. She’s not herself.”“That’s exactly why I’m telling you not to make it worse,” Xavier answered flatly. “Just give her space. No visits. No surprise apSavannah I stayed numb after the test. My body moved through each day, but I wasn’t in it.Sometimes, I’d catch my hand resting on my stomach. A reflex, nothing intentional. I’d yank it away as soon as I noticed. I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it, not even in private.But that didn’t stop the thought from returning.How long could I keep pretending this wasn’t real? How long before it slipped out in some look, or breath, or silence I couldn’t explain?I didn’t feel pregnant. I didn’t feel much at all. Some nights I lay flat, waiting for sleep, but it didn’t come. The next day I’d drag myself into smiles for the boys, laugh at their jokes, nod at their stories, act like my chest wasn’t getting tighter with every passing hour.I hadn’t planned for this. I wasn’t equipped for it either.And this wasn’t about two boys anymore. There was another child now. One I hadn’t spoken of. One I wasn’t sure I could speak of.It might even be twins again. The thought turned my stomach.The safe house
Savannah Rage moved under Xavier’s skin. He folded his arms, not for comfort, but to stop his hands from doing something worse.Alpha Henry had a habit of cutting Xavier down in ways that never left a mark but always left damage. Xavier’s rank didn’t matter to him. Neither did his record. Every time they spoke, Alpha Henry made sure Xavier walked away smaller than he came.Xavier looked away sharply. He was reining himself in hard. Ethan didn’t notice. Or he ignored it.“Your grandfather’s a bitter old fool,” Xavier said, tone clipped. “He plays power games with people like it’s a sport. He’ll twist your confidence until it cracks.”I stayed quiet. Xavier kept going.“He’ll keep turning the knife until you start thinking he’s right about you. Don’t fall into that.”“I don’t get a choice,” I said. “He has my father in custody.”“I’ll handle it.” Ethan drew his shoulders back. “I’m your dad's Alpha. I’ve got the authority to pull rank especially if the victim is over fifty.”“He’s fort
Savannah“That’s unfair,” I trembled, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t care about me. You don’t even care to know me. You’ve already picked a side.”I blinked rapidly, fighting the moisture that stung my eyes.Why did I even need his validation? I shouldn’t take his rejection personally. I didn’t belong to them.“Don’t make this more difficult than it is,” he grumbled, avoiding my gaze and choosing instead to inspect a nonexistent piece of lint on his shirt.“Return to where you came from. Rewind these last few months like they never happened. I’ll give you money. I’ll take care of you and your children. What more could you possibly want?”I kept my tone light, a flimsy shield against his dismissal. “It’s fine,” I said, turning away. “You can bury this reality by sending me away. You can suppress what you’re supposed to feel. But you’re not the only one affected here. Your reputation should be the last thing on your mind right now.”I looked back at him then, my gaze direct
SavannahNausea hit me hard as I stumbled into the bathroom. I clutched the porcelain sink to stay upright, splashing cold water on my face, wondering what could be causing these strange symptoms.All morning, I had been feeling queasy, and the lingering smell of the boys’ breakfast had become overwhelming.That thought was quickly pushed aside when my mother called to inform me she was coming to visit. I found some mint chewing gum to get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth and waited.The room was a mess, thanks to the boys’ hyperactivity. Strangely, a part of me celebrated the chaos.Jermaine was healthy enough now to be as playful as his brother. He would never match Jace’s boundless energy—their personalities were too different—but at least he wasn’t lying in bed, pale-faced and struggling to breathe.The thought brought a smile to my lips.“Boys, this is not a pigpen. Imagine if a visitor comes in and sees the room all messy. That doesn’t speak well of us.”“Okay, Mommy, we’ll c
Xavier Watching Savannah made my throat tighten. One moment, I wanted to break her for the deception and punish her for making a fool of me. The next, I was lost in a confusion that left me directionless. Nothing would ever be the same. The present and the future felt like sand slipping through my fingers. Sasha, though confined to a wheelchair, was brutal. She would crush Savannah without hesitation. And Savannah, for the most part, seemed harmless. She used her identical face and a wall of silence as her weapons, but she lacked the hard, cruel core that Sasha possessed. Savannah stared at me, then looked away, only to glance back again. She bit her lower lip, trying to hide her nerves. That simple movement sent a raw need surging through me—a desire to close the distance between us, to pull her into my arms and kiss her until this pulsing, maddening want subsided. Maybe just one more time. A dark thought stirred in my mind. One more time to feel the burn of the bond, and then I
SavannahI couldn’t breathe when he came closer. He crossed the space between us until there was none left. His body heat seeped into my skin, and his eyes held me in place.My head bowed in submission. His breath caressed my neck, right on the very spot where he’d marked me.“Savannah.”His voice was a low rumble against my ear. The way he spoke my name made me suck in a sharp breath. Not just from the pull of my mate being so close, but from fear.I knew the next words he would say would shatter me.“Tell me, how did it feel claiming your sister’s husband?”My breath hitched. He leaned in and pressed his lips to the very spot, a possessive kiss that sent a jolt through my system.My body became a slave to the raw hunger I felt for him.“I was still married to Sasha,” he continued, his voice a murmur against my skin. “I still am. Yet your supposed helplessness didn’t stop you from accepting the bond, did it?”Heat curled low in my abdomen, but his words were like shards of ice. I nee