SusanMother tapped her fingers against the armrest of her chair. Tap-tap-tap. The sound grated on my already frayed nerves."I don't see why you're so worked up," she said, examining her nails. "It's just a journal.""Just a journal?" My hands trembled as I gripped the wheels of my chair. The tremors had gotten worse in the hours since Dr. Graham—since Evelyn—had disappeared. "That journal has my treatment formula. I'm dying, Mother."Catherine tilted her head, studying me with that same clinical detachment she'd always had. Like I was one of her specimens. "You're in no condition to travel. Look at you, Susan. You can barely control your chair."She was right, which only made it worse. The tremors were becoming more frequent. Soon would come the fever, then the bone-deep pain that felt like being torn apart from the inside. Without Evelyn's treatments, I had days at most."Then you go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Go to the university and get your journal.""I can't pos
DamonThe door closed behind us. I couldn't turn around. My hand still gripped Ava's smaller one, her pulse fluttering against my fingers.Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows. The corridor smelled of antiseptic and something earthier—herbs, probably. Somewhere down the hall, a monitor beeped in steady rhythm."Daddy?" Ava tugged my hand.I forced myself to turn. Slowly. My eyes found the figure on the bed, and the air vanished from my lungs.Evelyn.Her dark hair spilled across the pillow, tangled and dull. An IV line snaked from her arm to a bag hanging beside the bed. Bruises bloomed across her cheekbone, her lip was split. But it was her. Unmistakably her.Five years. Five years telling myself she was—No. Not dead. I never let myself think that word. Just gone.The woman I'd known as Dr. Graham lay there, but now I could see through whatever disguise she had on. The curve of her neck. The scar at her left eyebrow that I'd once—Shit, how hadn't I seen it?"I.
Hey all,Sorry for the slow updates lately. I'm back to my normal routine now and promise to return with standard daily updates starting today.More chapters coming tonight at 8:00 PM (GMT -4).Keep voting for the book and drop reviews if you're enjoying the story!~ J
RobinI stared at Hilda, too tired for this shit. The woman had own up to slaughtering twenty rogues, yet stood in my holding room like she belonged there."We'll pick this up later," I said, turning to leave.My hand touched the doorknob when her voice stopped me."Robin."Just that. My name. Not Alpha Robin, not sir, not even a hint of deference. Just Robin, like we were equals. I paused, the audacity of it sinking in. Most wolves would sooner cut out their tongues than address an Alpha without their title. Even Levi never called me by my name. But this strange omega had already proven she wasn't most wolves.I turned back around. "What?""How exactly do you intend to play this off? You're with Damon's child. Are you going to simply hand her over?"The question hit a nerve. No way in hell I was giving Ava back. Not after seeing how Evelyn looked at her. Not after what Evelyn had been through. But something about Hilda's confidence grated on me. She stood there with her red hair and
EvelynI sat on a bench outside my treatment room, the wooden slats digging into my thighs. My side ached dully where the wolfsbane wound had been. The corridor smelled of antiseptic and pine.Robin and Hilda stood ten feet away, facing each other like territorial animals. Neither spoke, but the tension crackled between them. Hilda's shoulders were squared, her stance wide and ready. Robin's jaw twitched as he glared down at her.Hilda was cursed. I'd figured that out. Her life had been brutal, she lived to survive. Years of it made her fierce enough to stand against anyone. Even an Alpha."Step back," Hilda said, her voice low and dangerous.For a split second, fear flickered across Robin's eyes. He actually did step back, though he played it cool by turning around to face someone else in the hallway.The man he turned to looked familiar somehow. I recognized his voice when he spoke, but couldn't place his face. He was ordinary—brown hair, medium build, nothing remarkable."Make sure
SusanI sat in my wheelchair, staring at the closed door. Damon had left me behind. Left me here to rot while he went to save his precious daughter. The room felt too empty, too quiet with just the clock ticking away seconds I couldn't afford to lose.Everything was going to shit. Everything was slipping out of my control.My fingers trembled against the armrests. The first sign. I'd been through this before—the shaking would get worse, then the fever, then the pain that felt like glass shards in my blood. Without Dr. Graham's treatments, I was on borrowed time."Susan?"A voice yanked me from my thoughts. I turned my chair around, the wheels squeaking against the hardwood floor.Margaret stood in the doorway, her face flushed. "I just saw Damon heading out with Cole. Where are they going?"I sighed, the sound heavy with irritation. Just looking at Margaret made my blood pressure spike. "To fix the shit you created."Her face twisted like she'd been slapped. "How dare you blame me for