MIASix Years LaterThe evening was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and earth. I stepped out onto the balcony, watching my son Aiden chase after Logan with wild laughter.Aiden was only five, but even at his young age, his Alpha blood was unmistakable. He was strong, fast, and fiercely protective
I swallowed, my fingers curling into my palm. Six years of avoiding the spotlight, of staying out of politics and power struggles. Six years of staying far, far away from Derek.“Will he be there?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.“He notified us in advance about his absence.” Mason hesita
MIAThe look on Derek’s face was one of complete shock. I had never in my life seen an Alpha so utterly discombobulated.“But…Mia…” he said, the name I’d left behind coming out of his mouth on a breathy hitch.Despite the hammering of my heart and the vaguely nauseous feeling roiling in my gut, I lo
“Perhaps Silverclaw would be honored to take on the responsibility,” Mason said smoothly, though his tone carried the faintest challenge.Derek smirked, leaned back in his chair. “Moonstone has always been known for hosting grand events. It would be a shame to deny them the opportunity.”The words w
DEREKI’d spent the last six years working myself to the bone. From the moment I woke up in the morning until the moment I fell into bed late at night, I worked.It was a constant stream of meetings and phone calls. And when I wasn’t pouring over the pack’s financial reports or meeting with foreign
My eyes flicked to her, desperately searching for some sign of recognition, of the connection we once had. But she stood there, unreadable, as if she didn’t remember who I was. As if the months we spent together, the bond we shared, meant nothing.Had she deliberately made me think she was dead just
ELENAMason studied me carefully, his gaze searching for something I wasn’t ready to give. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “Seeing Derek again…It must have stirred up a lot.”I sighed and stepped off the elevator. Mason and I were in nearby rooms on one of the higher floors of the venue. As we
As we dined, I scanned the entrance for Cassandra, eager to see her, and for her to see me.She and Derek entered about midway through the breakfast rush, sitting several tables over. Exactly where I wanted them.I sipped my coffee, pretending not to have seen. Cassandra watched me closely, probably
DEREKIt all slammed into me at once.The office, the old leather chair beneath me, the taste of whiskey still lingering on my tongue—and Maggie’s name reverberating like a bell that wouldn’t stop ringing in my head.Maggie. Pierce’s daughter.A rogue who had saved Elena’s life, who had helped her e
I gasped against him, and his tongue slid in—deep, claiming, desperate.I should have shoved him off. Should have screamed at him, reminded him what he was, what I was. But my body betrayed me.I kissed him back.Hard.My fingers curled into the front of his shirt, dragging him closer as his hands s
MAGGIE“Bastard.”It was the first word out of my mouth as I shoved open the grimy motel room door. The air inside was stale—sweaty sheets, old coffee, the reek of damp carpet and desperation. Logan looked up from where he sat on the edge of the lopsided bed, one foot resting casually on the ratty h
I froze, inhaling again, trying to find it.“Elena?” Derek’s voice was cautious behind me. I could feel him watching me, could hear the faint shift of his weight in the needles.I didn’t answer right away. My head turned slightly, following where I thought the scent had drifted. I took a step, then
ELENAThe fire pit was little more than a ring of scorched stones now, filled with white ash and the collapsed skeletons of logs. Charcoal dust stained the edges of the grass, a faint outline of where the flames had lived. The scent of woodsmoke still hung in the air, sharp and lingering, but it was
My son turned toward him. “Yeah?”“Why don’t you go tell Caroline how you want that room decorated?”Aiden’s face lit up like someone had flipped a switch inside him. “I get to decorate it?!”“You get full artistic control.”He gasped like he’d been offered the moon on a stick. “Cool! Bye, Mom!”And
ELENAThe phone rang at 6:23 a.m.At first, I didn’t register the sound. I was curled under the covers, still caught in that foggy place between dream and waking, where everything is quiet and soft and nothing bad has happened yet.But the ring didn’t stop. It cut through the peace with sharp, repet
DEREKThe scream tore through me like a blade.Aiden.I shifted mid-motion, bones snapping, fur ripping free of skin, the world sharpening into Erebus’s senses before the tent flap even hit the ground. I lunged straight through the sliced back panel, teeth bared, paws hitting earth as I hit the wood
DEREKThe trout crackled over the flames, the skin curling and blistering as the fat sizzled into the fire. It smelled amazing—woodsmoke, lemon, the faint tang of salt I’d sprinkled from a packet I found in the supply box. I was proud of the sear, honestly. Not bad for fish cooked on a stick beside