LOGINHayden’s POV My brow lifted slightly.So he finally decided to make a move.If he'd come looking for a fight, he'd picked the wrong night.“I see you finally decided to stop pretending we're friends,” I said, not bothering to stand.His expression remained unreadable.Mine probably wasn't much different.“Relax, dude.” He raised both hands. “I'm not here to fight you.”“Unfortunately, I wouldn't mind it.”He gave a careless shrug.“Well, considering our history, I didn't expect a warm welcome.” His expression became sober. “But…I really didn't come here to fight.”He sounded genuine.Good for him.I held his gaze for a moment before looking away.“What do you want?”He stepped closer and sat beside me, pulling out a cigarette.“Care for one?”I stared at him“Get to the point.”He looked at the cigarette between his fingers before putting it back into the pack and lighting one for himself.He took a slow drag, then exhaled, the smoke disappearing into the cold night air.Rey's irrita
Hayden’s POV Derek Hawke had been a thorn in my side even before Abby came into the picture. And the feeling had always been mutual.That was why I couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting this way. Friendly and smiling at me like we'd buried the hatchet.I didn't trust that sudden change.He was definitely up to something.I had no intention of creating tension in Alpha Thorn's house, especially now that he was recovering, so I kept my cool.When Thorn asked us to stay, my first instinct was to refuse politely.But the twins were already excited.Alpha Thorn himself also looked genuinely happy.“That's fine.” Derek simply accepted Thorn's request without hesitation.“Yeah,” I found myself saying too.If I left, Derek would still be here regardless. And I wasn't about to leave Abby and my children under the same roof as him without knowing what he was planning.Accepting to stay didn't mean I'd let my guard down.I'd keep my distance.If he crossed the line around Abby or my ch
Abby’s POV The quiet respect I'd always seen whenever Father looked at Hayden returned to his face.“Alpha Hayden, good to see you,” Father said. Even after Hayden became his son-in-law, he never stopped addressing him as "Alpha Hayden.”Hayden bowed again.“Please accept my condolences for Luna Marie's passing. May the Moon Goddess guide her soul safely to the Eternal Moon Realm.”“Thank you,” Father said with a grateful nod. He gestured toward the chair beside his bed.“Please, have a seat, Alpha Hayden.”I squeezed onto the edge of the bed near Father's feet.We didn't keep Father talking for long. His speech was still slurred, and he clearly needed the rest.But simply seeing him awake brought me more relief than I could put into words. The trip from Australia had been worth every second. I didn't regret coming at all.Before long, Father drifted back to sleep.Hayden and I stayed quietly by his bedside until morning.When daylight finally broke, Hayden suggested I return to his
Abby’s POV The pilot's voice announcing that we'd be landing soon pulled me from my sleep.Hayden was beside me, buried in his tablet.Did this man ever rest?“I received a call from Silverclaw,” he said when he noticed I was awake. “Alpha Thorn has finally been able to talk.”The last trace of sleep vanished from my eyes. I sat upright instantly.“Why didn't you wake me?”A small smile touched his eyes.“It was good news. I didn't want to disturb your sleep,” he said. “They said he asked about you, and I told them to let him know we'd be there soon.”Thank goodness.I let out a slow breath, the tension in my body finally easing. The relief of Father's improvement, combined with the sleep my exhausted body had gotten, made me feel lighter.But I still needed to see him with my own eyes before I could truly feel at ease.When we stepped off the jet, night had already fallen. The cool air brushed against my skin as Hayden's men and cars waited for us nearby.Asher was awake, but Amy wa
Abby’s POV The moment Amy and Asher saw the jet, they did exactly what I expected… they bombarded Hayden with questions.“Is this for you?”“See….it has biiig wing!”“Can I fly it?”“Can I press the button?”“Hayden, can this plane fly up to heaven?”“Does it sleep here?”“I'm not scared!”Oh, Goddess.They didn't stop talking for even a second, and Hayden didn't get tired of answering every single question either. He looked genuinely amused.I couldn't help smiling. This was their first time flying.Their endless chatter became a small comfort, easing the tightness in my chest.Still, the fear never truly disappeared. I'd called father's phone three times before we even reached the airport, desperate for updates. Each time, the answer from the maid remained the same.No improvement.Once we settled inside, the jet came alive.My fingers brushed against the armrest.Despite everything racing through my mind, I recognized this seat.Hayden and I had been tangled together here a few ye
Abby’s POV One thing about father that I knew as well as the back of my hand was that no one dared touch his phone.Everyone in the house knows the rule."Where's my father?" I demanded, my grip tightening around the phone.“Miss Abby,” the maid said. “Alpha Thorn… he fell off the stairs…”“What?" My heart lurched. "How? When? Where is he?" I didn't give her a chance to answer before another question tumbled out.“He's in ICU…”"Oh, benevolent Goddess... have mercy," I whispered hoarsely."What's wrong?" I vaguely heard Hayden ask, but all I could do was nod and shake my head at the same time."I'm catching the next flight," I told the maid before ending the call.The moment the call ended, I moved without thinking, my hands trembling as I searched for my phone again.I needed a flight. I needed to get there.“Abby.” Hayden gently caught my shoulders, stopping me. “Calm down. Just breathe, okay?”I nodded and forced myself to do as he said."Father's badly injured," I managed once I
Abby’s POV My legs trembled, weak from standing too long, but Ruby kept me upright, her arms still wrapped around me.“I can help numb the pain in your chest, if you want me to,” she whispered.I shook my head. Tears slipped free anyway. Ruby had always helped ease the weight in my heart with her
Hayden’s POV The meeting with the elders wasn’t going the way I wanted, but it was fair. They insisted on a proper investigation before any punishment could be decided. I understood their reasoning. Valentina was the mother of the pack’s heir, and there were customary rules meant to protect the
Hayden’s POV I turned and found the little boy from yesterday boldly staring at me. There were no other customers inside, only the uniformed staff arranging tables for the morning rush. I wanted to act petty and scare the little boy off, but instead I heard myself explaining.“Hey, little guy! I'
Hayden's POV I parked at the location Abby had sent and stopped the engine. She wanted to talk. To resolve this. The thought alone made my chest ache.I couldn’t waste another second. I needed to tell her I was sorry for everything. For losing control. For the scene I’d caused in her restaurant. F







