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
So I stepped forward.“I know how it looks,” I began, keeping my voice calm. “But it’s not what you think.”My father stared at me like I was an insect he wasn’t sure he wanted to squash or interrogate. “Oh? Do enlighten me.”I took a slow breath. “Do you remember Erin and Carly? And Maggie? The wom
DEREKThe problem was that the numbers made too much sense.I leaned back in the chair, eyes burning from the screen, fingers stiff from too many hours toggling between spreadsheets, old scanned reports, and financial summaries from a decade ago.Pierce’s tenure as Gamma was laid out in meticulous d
Derek didn’t hesitate. He stripped off his shirt and stepped forward, every inch of him radiating authority.“You’re formally challenging my station as Alpha?”“I am,” the other wolf said.“I accept.”The fight was brutal.The challenger was older, heavier, but Derek was faster—more precise. Every m
ELENAThe breeze off the lake carried the promise of rain, but I barely noticed it as I moved through the courtyard, searching for Mason.I found him where he always went to think—on the back porch, leaning against the railing, arms crossed, gaze locked on the tree line like it might shift if he sta







