LOGINHis voice was soft when he asked, “Are you mad at Daddy?”My breath caught.I didn’t answer right away. I just held him tighter, brushing my lips against the top of his head, breathing in the familiar scent of shampoo and dreams.“No, baby,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just sad
ELENAHe said it. Just like that."Because I was a coward."And for a moment, I didn’t breathe. Didn’t blink. I just stared at him, this towering Alpha, folded in on himself like the weight of everything he’d done was finally more than he could bear.It wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t defensive. I
DEREKI was more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life.And that included some truly horrible moments. Moments when life and death had been in the balance.Worse than when Aiden had been in the hospital, his little body limp and pale against white sheets, machines screaming at me that I mig
ELENA"I’m strong enough to travel," I said.The words came out firmer than I expected. My voice still felt like it didn’t quite belong to me—too quiet, too dry—but I forced strength into it anyway.My mother narrowed her eyes at me across the hospital room, arms folded, posture stiff with tension.
ELENAThe first thing I felt was cold.Not the kind of cold that settled into your bones. Not the chill of snow or wind. It was sterile, dry, antiseptic. The kind of cold that came from machines humming, filtered air, fluorescent lights. A hospital.I blinked slowly, and the world came into focus in
DEREKToday was going well.Which, lately, felt like a miracle.The meeting room was warm with early sunlight, and the Stormfang delegation finally looked less like they wanted to skin me and more like they might—possibly—listen. The Icelandic pack had been guarded since our arrival, especially with
ELENAThe world had been reduced to a series of small rituals.Wake up. Tiptoe down the Moonstone hallways. Open the door to Aiden’s room. Sit by his side. Watch the rise and fall of his chest. Whisper prayers to the Moon Goddess I’d neglected to properly worship since I was a teenager.Repeat.He’d
My blood might be rare, but it wasn’t special. It couldn’t turn back time. It couldn’t stop what had already happened.But maybe—just maybe—it could give him one more shot.She placed the items beside me on a tray and looked at me carefully. "It’s wonderful of you to do this for that boy."My voice
She shook her head, tears glinting in her eyes but refusing to fall.“And I knew I couldn’t risk you rejecting him the way you rejected me. I couldn’t bear it, Derek.”My name on her lips felt like a blade.“So I stayed,” she said. “In Moonstone. With people who loved me. Who didn’t care what I reme
MAGGIEI crouched just beyond the treeline, the scent of smoke curling around me like a whisper I didn’t want to hear. It clung to my clothes, my skin, the edges of my thoughts. Below, the aftermath of the raid smoldered quietly—embers glowing like dying stars scattered in the dirt, streaks of blood







