Mag-log inRiver."Debbie!" Rain shouted. "I went to her room to tell her the bath was ready, and she wasn't there. I checked the bathroom. I checked the kitchen."I stood up, my heart starting to race again. "What do you mean? I’ve been here the whole time. I haven't seen her. Is she not downstairs?""No!" Rain yelled. "I said I searched everywhere. Every room. Every corner. She’s gone, River. She’s nowhere in this house."I felt a cold pit form in my stomach. I pushed past him and ran down the stairs. I checked the living room.Empty.I checked the back patio.Empty.I ran to the front door and threw it open. The night air was cold and silent. The gravel driveway was empty.I walked back into the foyer, my legs feeling like lead. Rain was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his hands shaking."She must have gone," he whispered."But where?" I asked. "It’s the middle of the night. It’s dangerous out there."Rain leaned against the wall, his head dropping. He looked devastated. All the anger h
River.The silence in the living room was heavy. It felt like a physical weight pressing down on my shoulders. I sat on the edge of the sofa, my hands buried in my hair. My mind was a whirlwind, spinning with images of the night. I saw the Boss’s cold eyes. I saw the needles. I saw the spray of blood from Rex’s mouth.What have I done? The single thought looped in my head like a broken record.Yes, I had known the Boss was coming. I had felt the shadow of his arrival days ago. But I stayed silent. I thought I was protecting them by not causing a panic. I thought it was nothing. Matter of fact, there was no reason why I should justify.I was wrong. I was so wrong that it almost cost Rex his life.Almost…I pray it remains almost.I looked over at Rain. He was sitting in the armchair across from me. He wasn't looking at me. He was staring at his own hands, which were still stained pink from the scrubbing we had done earlier.We had spent the last hour at the gate. We had to move the bod
Debbie He didn't answer. He seemed too weak to even nod. I reached down and pulled his pants away. When I looked at him, my heart sank further. He was soft. He was completely still. No hardness whatsoever. A total opposite of Rex, who would get hard just by me being close. "Rex," I whispered, tears starting to prick my eyes. "This is a bad idea. Your body isn't even responding. You’re too sick." He didn't respond. His breathing was so shallow I had to lean in to make sure he was still alive. Fuck. This feels wrong. This feels like I’m hurting him. But then I remembered the way he looked when he hit the floor earlier. I remembered the way he gagged blood. he convulsed. I didn't want that happen again. Then, amongst everything, something else snapped inside my brain. I remembered River saying something about him "exploding inside." what would I do if he exploded. Fuck no. I couldn't let that happen. I took the guilt that was lingering in my mind, and tossed it to the dark co
Debbie I sat in the dark room, my head resting on the edge of the mattress. I was exhausted. My brain felt like it was melting from all the things I had just heard downstairs. Suddenly, I felt a faint, shaky tap on my hand. I bolted upright. The fog of sleep vanished from my eyes in a second. "Rex?" I whispered, my heart jumping into my throat. "Rex, are you awake? Can you hear me?" He didn't move much, but his eyes were open. They were terrifying. There was no color in them, just a white, haunting white that seemed to stare right through me. I had seen it before, but now, like this, it looked… scary. "Are you okay? Do you know where you are?" I leaned over him, my hands hovering over his face. "I need to go call Rain. They need to know you’re awake." I started to stand up, ready to dash out the door, but a cold, weak hand shot out. He grabbed my wrist. It wasn't a strong grip—he was too far gone for that—but it was enough to make me stop. "Don't," he whispered. His voice soun
Debbie."Exactly," Rain said, jaw clenched. "If a doctor runs a deep scan, or if he needs a blood transfusion, the lie falls apart. Our blood is a mess of chemicals and altered genes. If the pack finds out our blood doesn't truly match the Grand Alpha’s core, we’re dead. Every single one of us. We can't.""We can't afford another test," River added. "We’ve spent two years living a lie, playing the part of the devoted sons. One mistake, one hospital visit, and it could all burn."I sat in silence for a long time. The ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound in this large room.My life was a lie. The place I thought was home was, in fact, a nest of spies."And me?" I asked, my voice small and hollow. "How does this have to do with me? Why am I in the middle of this?"At that point, I watched Rain look at River. "I’ll leave this one to you, River," he said quietly. "You’re in a better place to say it."River cleared his throat, but he wouldn't look me in the eye. "The Boss wan
Debbie I stood in the center of the foyer, my feet planted firmly on the cold floor. My heart was a drum, beating in rhythm of undilutable rage. I watched them—Rain and River—as they stood on the stairs, looking down at me like two guilty children caught in a lie. But this wasn't a small lie. This was a grave lie."Start talking," I whispered again. My voice small but enough to just fill the room. "Now!"Rain looked at River. It was a long, heavy look. I saw the hesitation in his eyes, the way his jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to run, but there was nowhere left to go. The house was a cage, and I was the one holding the key."Let her calm down, Rain," River whispered, his voice smooth but hollow. He looked at me, his eyes dark. "Debbie, please. Just… come and sit. We will explain. We will tell you everything.""Explain?" I let out a harsh, jagged laugh. "Yes. Please do. Start. Start explaining the blood on my hands? The dead men at the gate. I want to hear how this mess make
RexThere was nowhere to go. This man was close, and if I'm caught here, I'm fucking gone. There's no way I'm not done if I'm caught.Last minute. I looked at the narrow storage closet built into the wall. It was meant for files, barely wide enough for a man. I dove inside without thinking, pulling
DebbieThe car slowed as it entered the driveway of the triplets' massive estate.My heart did a little jump when the garage came into view.They were already there, standing in the morning light like a scene from a movie. Rain was leaning against his sleek sports car.River was checking some bags,
Debbie(Back at the resort.)The dining hall felt warm. River and I were sitting at a beautifully set table, the candlelight dancing in his blue eyes.“It’s getting late,” River said, his voice low. He kept glancing at the entrance. “I noticed your assistant hasn’t arrived yet. Isn’t she supposed t
Debbie I didn't care about the files anymore. I didn't care about the Moon Essence or the bunch of reports that I had to sign.The only thing that mattered was the heat coming off Rain in waves. And the pool that was building between my legs.I pulled him down by his leather jacket, and he didn't







