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
She was so distressed. And then it occurred to me.“He’s your mate,” I guessed. “You’re fated mates.”She nodded slowly.I sank back against the wall, trying to catch my breath. “Why didn’t either of you say anything?”“We wanted to. After the summit, once things settled. But then the explosions hap
A few words, murmurs from the crowd. I let them settle.“This was guerrilla warfare,” I said. “A tactic used for centuries by smaller, less-equipped enemies to strike fear into more powerful ones. They use the shadows. They bait and bleed. They think fear is our weakness.”I looked at the Alphas bes
DEREKThe moment the emergency response teams cleared the worst of the wreckage, the adrenaline began to fade—and reality set in.The Alliance Summit had been attacked. Not just disrupted. Not just interrupted. Attacked.Bombs, blood, death. Alphas injured. Lunas crying. Warriors dead. I had bruise
ELENAThe summit was winding down.The final signatures had been inked, ceremonial photos snapped. The halls of the venue were quieter now. Not empty—there were still guards, staff, a few straggling Alphas and their entourages—but the storm had passed.Blood and scorching covered and erased with fre







