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
DEREKThe bond between us didn’t just hum now—it roared.It flooded my veins with golden heat, a tidal pull that stripped everything else away until there was only her. Elena.Every breath I dragged into my chest tasted like her. Every beat of my heart thundered with her name. It was unbearable and
There was no show to it. No posturing.He was just… here.Present. Steady.It was terrifying how much I noticed.At one point, Logan took the microphone, giving a polished, charming toast. His words were smooth as river stones, but something about the way he said, “The best bonds are the ones you fi
DEREKNonna Lucia’s smelled exactly the way I remembered it—like garlic, fresh bread, and something slow-simmered and sacred. The kind of smell that belonged to memory more than to food.Aiden was practically bouncing in the seat beside me, legs too short to sit still, eyes wide as he watched a serv
I could see where this was going and tried to head him off with a joke.“How’d you manage to score an invitation?” I said. “You know those Moonstone types—they don’t associate socially with Silverclaws.”“I’m father of the ring bearer,” he said, and I could still hear the smile in his voice. “Which







