Logan looked at the other women in the room, their clothes threadbare and grubby. His eyes lingered on Maggie for a long moment before turning back to me.“Maybe the people who came after them are the same ones who attacked you all those years ago.” He turned to look at Carly. “You said these people
DEREKThe child barely came up to my waist, his wild curls bouncing as he tilted his head up at me. His amber eyes sparkled with mischief as he studied me. He didn’t look afraid—if anything, he was curious.“I’ve never seen you before,” he said, matter-of-factly.I smirked. “Maybe because I haven’t
“We should move on to the meeting,” she said evenly.The meeting itself was tense, the room crackling with friction. Mason and Elena sat across from me and my men, both projecting confidence and authority. This was a far cry from the rogue I had found living wild, the girl I had once—I shut down t
ELENAThe tension, even outside, was suffocating. My fingers curled into my palm as Derek’s grip tightened around my wrist, his touch burning into my skin like an unspoken demand. His golden eyes, once familiar and warm, were now dark with something unreadable—anger, frustration, something else lurk
Not wanting to be late meeting Derek, I made my way to the hotel that would host the guests, stepping into the grand hall. It was impressive—high ceilings adorned with intricate chandeliers and polished marble floors. The scent of fresh-cut roses and crisp linen filled the air, a sign that preparati
DEREKI stared at the file in front of me, flipping through the neatly arranged pages with growing astonishment. Elena had compiled an incredibly detailed plan for the Alpha Ball—everything from the venue layout to the sequence of events was accounted for. The seating arrangements were particularly
DEREKThe amphitheater was already beginning to take shape for the Alpha Ball. The grand arches, adorned with the first strands of elegant floral arrangements, framed the vast open space, where pack leaders and their honored guests would soon gather. The event planning team bustled about, making adj
ELENAThere was terrible art on the walls—beige and pastel expressionist reproductions that were meant to soothe. I did not find them soothing. I sat stiffly in the reclining chair, the soft hum of the lights above us barely registering in my ears.Another session. Another attempt to unlock the past
The temperature in the room shifted.Not dramatically, but enough. Like a subtle drop in pressure before a storm. Erin straightened, her laughter tapering. I smoothed the sample fabric in front of me and didn’t look up right away.“Hey,” Logan said casually. “What’s so funny?”Erin glanced at me. “J
ELENAThe Moonstone packhouse was a flurry of motion and color. Fabric swatches fluttered like flags in a breeze as pack members carried bolts of cloth up the stairs. Someone was arguing loudly in the hall about whether “frosted lilac” was different from “lavender fog,” and a delivery of beeswax can
ELENAThe metronome was ticking again.That steady, deliberate rhythm that Dr. Voss insisted helped center my recall—though half the time, I wasn’t sure if it helped or just made me hyper-aware of how fast my thoughts were spinning.I sat back in the reclined chair, palms resting against the fabric-
“A silver claw?”I nodded. “Yeah. The first. The only. It seared his flesh every time he used it. Every swing hurt. But he used it anyway.”“That sounds… awful.”“It was,” I said. “But he made that pain his purpose. Every battle, every fight he walked into—he carried the silver claw. And with it, he
DEREKThe room still smelled like fresh paint.The new bedding hadn’t quite lost its store scent either—crisp fabric, a little too new, the faint chemical undertone of being unboxed that morning.But it didn’t matter. Aiden was already halfway under the covers, head turned toward the window, blanket
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