LOGINThank you for reading. See you tomorrow. ❤️
DenverBy the time I finally left the hotel room Alec was in, I was already exhausted in a way sleep could never fix.The boy had only fallen asleep a few minutes earlier after another round of medicine and quiet reassurance from doctors who all sounded far too careful when they spoke around me now.Alec had tried to act brave through the pain again.That was the part I hated most.The way he smiled was like he was trying to comfort everyone else instead of himself.I paused briefly outside his bedroom door before pulling it shut quietly behind me.One of the guards straightened immediately down the hallway.“Alpha. The dinner has already started.”“I know.”I rubbed a hand across my jaw slowly.The entire night had started irritating me hours ago. Too many people. Too much noise. Too much pretending everything was fine while my son struggled to breathe through chest pain severe enough to leave him shaking earlier that evening.“Doctor Vale arrived safely,” the guard added carefully.
Selena.Back in the room, I stood longer than I needed to in front of the mirror.Talia’s words still lingered somewhere at the edge of my mind, refusing to fully disappear no matter how many times I told myself I didn’t care.I pressed my hands lightly against the sink, steadying myself.It doesn’t matter, I told myself.Not anymore.I had built a life out of everything I was supposed to be without him. Without this place. Without their opinions.And I was not going to fall apart now.Behind me, the room was quiet.Maxwell was still asleep on the large bed, curled slightly beneath the blanket as he belonged nowhere else but there.His face looked peaceful in a way I rarely saw during the day, like his body finally trusted the world enough to rest.My chest softened slightly as I looked at him.If only you knew.I adjusted the cuff of my sleeve and turned away from the mirror.A knock came at the door just as I finished getting dressed.“Selena?”Jameson.I crossed the room and opened
Selena.By the time we arrived at the hotel connected to the pack grounds, my nerves were stretched so tightly that even breathing felt unnatural.The drive through the territory had already been enough to leave me unsettled. Every road had carried memories I didn’t want to touch. Every familiar building felt like something half-buried clawing its way back to the surface.And somehow, despite seven years away, nothing truly looked different.The hotel entrance glowed beneath soft golden lights as guards moved carefully around the property. Expensive cars lined the front entrance, and through the tall glass windows I could already see people gathering inside the ballroom.The welcome dinner had apparently started early.Jameson glanced toward me after the driver opened the car door.“You alright?”No.But I nodded anyway.Maxwell was half-asleep beside me, still wearing the black face mask I had convinced him was part of his “superhero disguise.” Thankfully, he had loved the idea immed
SelenaPacking took longer than it should have.Not because there was much to bring, but because I kept stopping without meaning to.Maxwell sat on the edge of the bed swinging his legs, watching me with the quiet patience only a child could have. The suitcase beside him was already half-zipped, his things neatly folded inside, though he looked far more interested in the mask in his hands than anything else.He turned it over once before looking up at me.“I still don’t get why I have to wear this,” he said.I paused for a moment, smoothing down a folded shirt before answering.“It’s only for a little while.”His brow creased slightly, like he was thinking harder than he wanted to.I had given him the mask to prevent Denver or anyone from recognizing him as Denver child."You are trying to hide my face so no one recognizes me?" he asked. My hands slowed.That wasn’t something a child should have had to think about.Still, I kept my voice light.“That’s the idea.”He studied the mask
Talia.Though it was already late, I was more than determined to make sure my aim arrived. Not minding the earlier downpour, I made my way to Christopher's pack house to see him. If I trusted anyone enough to help me and keep my secret, it would be him. My steps slowed as I reached his door, my hand hovering briefly before I finally knocked.There was an answer for a few seconds and just when I was going to knock again,“Enter.”His voice carried easily through the woods. Calm. Controlled. As if he already knew who it was.I pushed the door open.Christopher stood near the far side of the room, jacket undone, one hand resting loosely in his pocket while the other held a glass of amber liquid he didn’t look like he had touched.His eyes lifted the moment I stepped inside.And stayed there.“I didn’t expect you,” he said simply.I closed the door behind me.“I didn’t come to socialize.”A faint smile touched his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes.“That much is obvious.”The silenc
Talia.“You’re not listening to me.”My voice cracked sharper than I intended as I paced across my mother’s sitting room for what felt like the hundredth time that night.Outside, rain tapped softly against the tall windows overlooking the eastern side of the pack grounds, but the sound did nothing to calm the frustration clawing steadily through my chest.My mother barely looked up from the documents spread across her lap.“I am listening,” she replied calmly. “You are simply being emotional.”A bitter laugh escaped me.“Emotional?”I stopped pacing long enough to stare at her in disbelief.“It has been seven years.”That finally made her glance up.“Seven years,” I repeated more quietly, the exhaustion in my voice suddenly sounding heavier than anger. “And nothing has changed.”Because nothing really had.Yes, I lived in the Alpha house.Yes, people treated me with respect.Yes, Denver provided for me in ways most women could only dream about.Expensive clothes.Jewelry.Security fo
Denver.I was halfway down the hall to my room when one of the guards walked up to me.“Alpha, Tiana was here asking for you,” he said. “She’s waiting.”I didn’t think twice. “Give her access.”The door to my room had barely shut behind me when I started pulling off my jacket. My body felt heavy, t
SelenaMorning came quietly.Not with noise or chaos, but with the soft movement of a house already awake. I could hear distant footsteps in the halls, low voices, and the sound of doors opening and closing somewhere far away. The pack house felt alive before I even left my bed.A maid arrived wit
Selena.As we entered the car and headed toward our pack house gates, I found myself glancing back.Some small, foolish part of me still hoped they would come. That they would say goodbye. That they would choose me once, just once.I kept expecting to hear my mother call my name. I kept believing m
Selena.Just as I had the previous night, I did not sleep. I lay awake until morning, staring at the ceiling as the light slowly changed in the room. When the sun finally rose, it did not bring comfort. It only made everything feel more real.This room no longer felt like mine.The walls were the







