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 tailor stood back and adjusted his glasses, lips pursed as he eyed Aiden critically from top to bottom.“Hmmm,” he said. “Turn, please.”Aiden did a slow, proud spin, arms outstretched like a very serious airplane.The jacket swayed around him—still a little long in the sleeves, but the fa
DEREKThe Moonstone gardens were bathed in gold and green, lanterns swaying gently overhead. Laughter floated on the cooling breeze, curling like smoke among the trees.It should’ve felt perfect.It didn’t.Above us, the clouds clung stubbornly to the sky, hiding the moon.The longer they lingered,
ELENAWas I crazy?I might’ve been.I kept asking myself that the entire walk down the Moonstone hill, the hem of my coat swishing around my knees and the crisp night air curling against my neck. I had said yes. I had agreed to go on a date—with Derek. Of all people.And now I was doing something ev
DEREKThere are threads that weave through a life unseen— Quiet, stubborn things that tie us to the world, to the people who change it forever.Most fray slowly, the work of years and distance, worn down by the everyday erosion of time. But some... Some are burned. Some are ripped away all at onc







