LOGINTamara's POVI was making coffee when they walked in. I heard them before I saw them. I was still wearing Garrett's shirt from this morning…….his actual shirt that I'd borrowed…and I didn't change because I liked how it felt. It smelled like him. Like cedar and something else that was just Garrett. Like having him close even when he wasn't physically in the room.I looked up when they came in the kitchen.Josh saw us. He saw me in Garrett's shirt. He saw Garrett looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered in his entire world and Josh's face just changed. That knowing smile spread across his face. He was going to say something teasing but he stopped himself."Okay," he said instead. "I'm out of here. You two clearly have something happening and I'm not about to be the third wheel watching this.""Josh, wait……" I said."Nah, I'm good, really." He was already moving toward the door. Moving fast like he wanted to give us space. "Take care of yourself, Tamara. I mean that.""You
Garrett's POVJosh and I were running the perimeter.We'd been doing this twice a week. Just running the two of us before everything got loud."You've been quiet," Josh said as we moved.He wasn't even breathing hard. Josh was solid like that. He is really a good runner. Someone who noticed things."Yeah?" He matched my pace. "This is different. This is something eating you quietly."We turned the corner near the tree line. My feet hit the wet ground hard."So," Josh said. He was watching me. "What's actually going on with you?""Nothing's going on, man.""Garrett, come on."I sighed. Just let it out."Tamara," I said.Josh laughed a little. Actually laughed. "Of course it's Tamara. Okay so what? Things going bad between you two?""No. Things are really good like actually really good." I picked up the pace. Running faster felt like it helped. "But I want to propose to her, Josh. I want to marry her."Josh slowed down for a second like he needed to process that."Hold on. You want to
Mara's POVHe's gone.I watched him walk out without looking back and now I'm back in my cell alone and he's gone and I don't know when I'll see him again.If I'll see him again.The guards walked me back. I didn't say anything, just walked. My shoes were loud on the concrete. Everything sounds loud here. I sat down on the bed hard.This is it. This is my life now. This cell…..the bed. This toilet in the corner. This is forever until I die.Three months. It's been three months and no one has come to see me except Lucas. Not my parents or anyone from the pack except Lucas and that's because he had to. Because he needed to understand something before he could move forward.And now he has. Now he's moved forward and I'm still here.My dad hasn't even called.I remember when I was arrested my mom came to the facility. She was crying. She asked me why I would do something like that and I told her to leave. I told her I didn't want her here. And she left. She listened to her daughter tel
Lucas's POVI sat down at the same metal table.She came out and picked up the phone.She looked different she'd finally stopped fighting against where she was and just actually accepted it."You came back," she said."Yeah. I told you I would when I left."You actually did.""Yeah. I did." I gripped the phone. "How are you?""How was Portland?" she asked first."Good. Really good. Dr. Patricia helped me understand why I was so angry. I paused. "Therapy worked. I'm not angry all the time anymore. I'm actually…..I'm okay now." I looked at her through the glass. "How are you?""Accepting," she said. "Like I said last time. Not happy but accepting.""You look different.""I feel different." She set the phone down for a second. Picked it back up. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. About what I did. About who I was when I did it.""And?""And I was a terrible person." She said it like she'd already accepted that fact and wasn't trying to argue about it or make excuses. “I hurt people I ca
Lucas's POVThe council chamber felt different this time.I'd been here before watched Garrett run meetings. Sat in the back listening to older alphas argue about territory and resources. But this time I was walking in as someone they were voting on. Actually voting on me for a real position.My hands were steady when I opened the door."Lucas," Garrett said when I came in. He was sitting in the center seat. The coordinator position. Eye contact. Full attention. "Are you ready for this?""Yeah," I said. My voice came out solid. That was good. That meant I wasn't as terrified as I thought.My father was already there. He nodded at me like he was saying…..I see you doing this.Sarah from Northridge smiled. The other pack leaders filtered in. Some of the older members. "We're here to formally vote on Lucas Panne as confederation liaison," Garrett said. Straight to business. "He's chosen this role. He understands the responsibility.""What makes you qualified?" One of the older pack membe
Tamara's POVThe literature exam was four hours.Garrett had made me coffee at 5 a.m. Elena had quizzed me the night before.I walked in and just did it.I turned in my exam and walked out into the afternoon sun.It was Wednesday afternoon. The program didn't start until Saturday morning. I had three full days before I needed to think about new students or drills or anything besides being a person who just actually passed her midterm exam.“How was it?” Elena texted before I even got back to Fornon House.Good…..actually good.Told you…you’d crush it.Didn’t crush it , just didn’t fail.That’s crushing it for you.She wasn't wrong.I got to Fornon House at 4 p.m. Garrett was in the kitchen making soup. The whole house smelled like it."You're back," he said."I'm back.""How'd it go?""Good. Maybe good." I stopped myself. "I'm not doing the thing where I second guess for a week.""Good." He stirred the soup carefully. "Because you studied hard. You actually know the material. You're no







