DEREKSomething was wrong.Aiden hadn’t come down the slide.I was already halfway to the base of the water slide when the thought hit me like a punch to the gut. My eyes scanned the splash pool—half a dozen children flailing joyfully in the turquoise water—but none of them were mine.No copper curl
DEREKThe sun beat down on the Silverclaw training grounds, heat rising off the packed earth in shimmering waves. My breath came hard and fast, my knuckles bloodied and raw. Across from me, Brock was grinning like a damn lunatic, sweat pouring down his bare chest.“Getting slow, old man,” he taunted
ELENAThe villa looked like something out of a travel magazine—terracotta tiles, palm fronds swaying gently in the salt-heavy breeze, a glittering private pool framed by limestone and lush tropical blooms.It sat on the very edge of the resort property, past the winding golf cart trails and through
I forced a small laugh. “Guess not.”Pierce folded himself into the chair beside mine with an easy grace, like he had all the time in the world. “You and your son from back East? Moonstone territory?”I nodded slowly. “That’s right.”“Beautiful pack lands. Dense woods. Clean air. I passed through on
DEREKThe bastard was fast.We chased him through the remains of the old rail yard—broken tracks twisted like bones, rusted metal screeching underfoot as we leapt from one abandoned car to the next. He vaulted down from the top of a boxcar and hit the ground running, silver blade glinting in one han
“He’ll skin me alive!”He started thrashing again. Harder this time.And then—His jaw clamped down with a sharp, audible crack.I surged forward. “What—"Foam bubbled at his lips. He convulsed, silver-tinged saliva spilling down his chin. His eyes went wide. Terror. Regret.And then—nothing.Brock
DEREKThe table in front of me was covered in ash-streaked plastic sleeves, each one holding a piece of what was pulled from the oil drum.Burned edges. Charred ink. Some were just scraps. Others still had enough legible text to make your blood run cold.Brock stood beside me, flipping slowly throug
ELENAThe door creaked open, and I nearly choked on the fear that rose in my throat.I didn’t move from where I stood next to the cot, Aiden was just next to me, his body limp and convincingly still. The metal vent above us swung open just a hair—barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.Pie
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