KAI I frantically looked around like someone would magically appear with a solution. Arya slumped heavier against me, muttering the same thing. “I can’t feel my baby…” Shit. I didn’t have time. I scooped her into my arms and raced toward the entrance, weaving through the crowd and ignoring how everyone turned their heads like I was the drama they’d been waiting for. “Hey, you really gonna be fine,” I assured her even though the words just slid off the top of my tongue like a recitation. Confusion had its claws deep around my throat, and fear made every step I took heavier than it should have been. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Dala or Vander, maybe, but I couldn’t stop. I reached the parking lot and scanned the cars like a madman. It would take minutes to call my driver, which was precisely what I didn’t have. Arya’s warm arms tightly wrapped around my neck, tears spilling from her eyes. In seconds, my gaze fell upon a silver convertible with a group of girls lounging insi
VANDERThe second the doors slammed open, I knew. I knew from the way the air shifted that it was him. I could feel it from the way his eyes locked straight onto me without hesitation that he wasn’t wondering who to blame.He already knew.My father had already decided. I barely had time to brace myself before his boots thundered across the tile, and then his arm swung at me so hard that I almost lost my footing. The slap was brutal. A full swing, palm wide, strength precise. My head jerked sideways, my vision flashing white for half a second. The sting spread across my jaw like wildfire, and I tasted blood.A gasp ripped from Dala’s throat. I straightened slowly, locking my jaw, not because I wasn’t hurt but because I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.“What the hell is wrong with you?” His voice roared through the hospital.“Did you come back just to destroy everything again?”I winced. The words hit harder than the slap. Destroy everything? “You’re barely back fro
KAELMy head hurts.That was the first thing I registered— this wicked, throbbing pain behind my eyes like my brain had been tossed around in a blender overnight. I groaned and shifted under the sheets. It wasn’t my room. That much was clear.My eyes cracked open, and the ceiling above me came into view, completely unfamiliar. My mouth tasted like bad decisions and tequila, and I sat up slowly because any faster and my skull might actually implode. I was shirtless, just boxers. Great. This must be one of Knox’s hotels. How I ended up here? I had no idea. I glanced to my left and nearly jumped out of my skin when someone squirmed in the space beside me. Looking closer, I realized it was Gabriel, the last person I’d expect to be here.My best friend, since always. Since matching superhero costumes and sleepovers where we’d talked about crushes—his on Jason from track, mine on no one in particular. I stared hard. He was still asleep, curled slightly toward my side of the bed. I blink
DALAThe Alpha’s words still rang in my ears like a slap. Apparently, no, worse than the slap he gave Vander. It crashed into me in slow motion, and my vision was blurred by my tears, slowly trickling down my cheeks. He was sending me back. Back to a house that had never felt like home and to Aunt Claudette, who always looked at me like I was a burden she was stuck with.“Please!” I cried desperately, running to the Alpha before he could get to the awaiting vehicle.Desperation was the thing I understood and felt in that second. My knees moved before I could stop them, and I dropped to the cold floor with a hard thud that could have cost me my bones.“Please,” I whispered, my voice barely a thread. “I can’t go back. I didn’t mean to hurt Lady Arya. I didn’t know she—” My voice cracked. “Please don’t send me back.”He kept walking, disregarding my existence. “Please!” I called louder, scrambling closer. I grabbed the fabric of his trousers, clinging like a child, begging not to be le
ARYAI can’t let him go.The thought echoed so loud in my head, it was a physical thing, pounding against my skull. I couldn’t let Vander leave this house or watch Dala be dragged away like she was nothing.My hands twisted the bedsheet in my lap as the memory bled into me. It was years ago, at a summer camp organized by the packs but obviously for the privileged families.Then, my father hadn’t gained steady footing in the pack’s politics. I was a nobody with braces, giant glasses, and a target so obvious it was like I wore a sign on my forehead. I wasn't a conventionally attractive kid.The kids, as horrible as their families, circled me, laughing, poking, and one of them trying to yank my glasses off.I thought I’d die of shame before Vander appeared to cook up a storm, telling the kids off and threatening them all that if they touched me again, they’d have to deal with him. He was rough and reckless even then, with a black eye and a crooked grin, but to me, he was… everything.I’
KAII didn’t even like pies.Seriously, I didn’t. I found them too sweet, too flaky. That was definitely too much drama for a bite of fruit and sugar. But for some reason, when Arya handed it to me—still warm, wrapped in a little dish towel that smelled like cinnamon and rosemary—I didn’t hesitate.It just seemed more valuable than it actually was, and I took it like it was a damn treasure. As if I’d been waiting all day for someone to make me a pie.Which, again—I hadn’t. I don’t even like pies.I liked the way she smiled when she gave it to me. She looked like she hadn’t slept and wasn't thinking about the bruises under her eyes or the way her hands still shook a little when she thought no one was watching. I guess that was my little thank you gift for helping and practicing hijacking a car.I should probably call my dealer to see if the upgrade was done for the girls. I carried it upstairs, headed to Knox’s room, and tapped on the door with my foot.“Bro,” I called, “you alive in
KNOXI’ve done worse.Worse things. To worse people. I have done things that would keep most people up at night, gnawing at their souls, but I always slept just fine.When did that end? Because sleep seemed to have eluded me. The moment I shut my eyes, her face was the first thing I saw.Those huge eyes staring at me with so much fear in them. That wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to be to her. Every single time after that, all I saw was the way her eyes filled with so much fear and hatred toward me. Even the way she slammed that damn door in my face like I was some kind of monster still stuck to my memory, and maybe I was.I wouldn’t usually mind that. But this—this tightness in my chest, this constant ache gnawing at my ribs wasn’t just guilt. Funny, it could be but o wouldn’t even know what guilt feels like anymore. All I knew was that I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I don’t even remember what I said that night. I was drunk and out of my fucking mind. But I remember to
Don’t Trust Your Bitchy Aunt.”DALA“Hey, you!" I flinched at the loud thud of the door that followed. “Lunch is served, and my Mom wants you downstairs,” Isabella announced, leaning against the doorframe like she owned the place. Her phone was pressed to her ear, and her voice carried that lazy arrogance I’d come to always expect from her. I frowned, putting away the notepad balanced on my knees. “Lunch is served or I’m supposed to serve lunch?” Isabella just gave me a look— half disgust, half annoyance— before rolling her eyes. “It’s already on the table, dummy!” She turned on her heel, still chatting into the phone as she headed down the hallway. “Have you heard? The Erymor triplets are back from their tour. They’re even hotter now— yes, hotter! Like, how is that possible?” I stood, more confused than ever. Lunch was never “served” in this house by anyone except me. I was the one who cooked, plated, and cleaned up afterward. The idea that someone else had somehow prepared
KNOXI’ve done worse.Worse things. To worse people. I have done things that would keep most people up at night, gnawing at their souls, but I always slept just fine.When did that end? Because sleep seemed to have eluded me. The moment I shut my eyes, her face was the first thing I saw.Those huge eyes staring at me with so much fear in them. That wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to be to her. Every single time after that, all I saw was the way her eyes filled with so much fear and hatred toward me. Even the way she slammed that damn door in my face like I was some kind of monster still stuck to my memory, and maybe I was.I wouldn’t usually mind that. But this—this tightness in my chest, this constant ache gnawing at my ribs wasn’t just guilt. Funny, it could be but o wouldn’t even know what guilt feels like anymore. All I knew was that I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I don’t even remember what I said that night. I was drunk and out of my fucking mind. But I remember to
KAII didn’t even like pies.Seriously, I didn’t. I found them too sweet, too flaky. That was definitely too much drama for a bite of fruit and sugar. But for some reason, when Arya handed it to me—still warm, wrapped in a little dish towel that smelled like cinnamon and rosemary—I didn’t hesitate.It just seemed more valuable than it actually was, and I took it like it was a damn treasure. As if I’d been waiting all day for someone to make me a pie.Which, again—I hadn’t. I don’t even like pies.I liked the way she smiled when she gave it to me. She looked like she hadn’t slept and wasn't thinking about the bruises under her eyes or the way her hands still shook a little when she thought no one was watching. I guess that was my little thank you gift for helping and practicing hijacking a car.I should probably call my dealer to see if the upgrade was done for the girls. I carried it upstairs, headed to Knox’s room, and tapped on the door with my foot.“Bro,” I called, “you alive in
ARYAI can’t let him go.The thought echoed so loud in my head, it was a physical thing, pounding against my skull. I couldn’t let Vander leave this house or watch Dala be dragged away like she was nothing.My hands twisted the bedsheet in my lap as the memory bled into me. It was years ago, at a summer camp organized by the packs but obviously for the privileged families.Then, my father hadn’t gained steady footing in the pack’s politics. I was a nobody with braces, giant glasses, and a target so obvious it was like I wore a sign on my forehead. I wasn't a conventionally attractive kid.The kids, as horrible as their families, circled me, laughing, poking, and one of them trying to yank my glasses off.I thought I’d die of shame before Vander appeared to cook up a storm, telling the kids off and threatening them all that if they touched me again, they’d have to deal with him. He was rough and reckless even then, with a black eye and a crooked grin, but to me, he was… everything.I’
DALAThe Alpha’s words still rang in my ears like a slap. Apparently, no, worse than the slap he gave Vander. It crashed into me in slow motion, and my vision was blurred by my tears, slowly trickling down my cheeks. He was sending me back. Back to a house that had never felt like home and to Aunt Claudette, who always looked at me like I was a burden she was stuck with.“Please!” I cried desperately, running to the Alpha before he could get to the awaiting vehicle.Desperation was the thing I understood and felt in that second. My knees moved before I could stop them, and I dropped to the cold floor with a hard thud that could have cost me my bones.“Please,” I whispered, my voice barely a thread. “I can’t go back. I didn’t mean to hurt Lady Arya. I didn’t know she—” My voice cracked. “Please don’t send me back.”He kept walking, disregarding my existence. “Please!” I called louder, scrambling closer. I grabbed the fabric of his trousers, clinging like a child, begging not to be le
KAELMy head hurts.That was the first thing I registered— this wicked, throbbing pain behind my eyes like my brain had been tossed around in a blender overnight. I groaned and shifted under the sheets. It wasn’t my room. That much was clear.My eyes cracked open, and the ceiling above me came into view, completely unfamiliar. My mouth tasted like bad decisions and tequila, and I sat up slowly because any faster and my skull might actually implode. I was shirtless, just boxers. Great. This must be one of Knox’s hotels. How I ended up here? I had no idea. I glanced to my left and nearly jumped out of my skin when someone squirmed in the space beside me. Looking closer, I realized it was Gabriel, the last person I’d expect to be here.My best friend, since always. Since matching superhero costumes and sleepovers where we’d talked about crushes—his on Jason from track, mine on no one in particular. I stared hard. He was still asleep, curled slightly toward my side of the bed. I blink
VANDERThe second the doors slammed open, I knew. I knew from the way the air shifted that it was him. I could feel it from the way his eyes locked straight onto me without hesitation that he wasn’t wondering who to blame.He already knew.My father had already decided. I barely had time to brace myself before his boots thundered across the tile, and then his arm swung at me so hard that I almost lost my footing. The slap was brutal. A full swing, palm wide, strength precise. My head jerked sideways, my vision flashing white for half a second. The sting spread across my jaw like wildfire, and I tasted blood.A gasp ripped from Dala’s throat. I straightened slowly, locking my jaw, not because I wasn’t hurt but because I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.“What the hell is wrong with you?” His voice roared through the hospital.“Did you come back just to destroy everything again?”I winced. The words hit harder than the slap. Destroy everything? “You’re barely back fro
KAI I frantically looked around like someone would magically appear with a solution. Arya slumped heavier against me, muttering the same thing. “I can’t feel my baby…” Shit. I didn’t have time. I scooped her into my arms and raced toward the entrance, weaving through the crowd and ignoring how everyone turned their heads like I was the drama they’d been waiting for. “Hey, you really gonna be fine,” I assured her even though the words just slid off the top of my tongue like a recitation. Confusion had its claws deep around my throat, and fear made every step I took heavier than it should have been. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Dala or Vander, maybe, but I couldn’t stop. I reached the parking lot and scanned the cars like a madman. It would take minutes to call my driver, which was precisely what I didn’t have. Arya’s warm arms tightly wrapped around my neck, tears spilling from her eyes. In seconds, my gaze fell upon a silver convertible with a group of girls lounging insi
KAINancy finally peeled herself off me with a flirty little, “Don’t go too far,” before disappearing toward the restroom, blowing me a kiss I had already had enough of for one night.I exhaled hard, finally able to catch my breath and move a muscle without Nancy breathing down my neck or pressing her perfumed tits into my face.She was not exactly annoying. She was… fine, just little too everywhere all the time like glitter, and had worn enough perfume for all the ladies in here. I was debating whether I had time to ghost her before she came back when two very familiar faces cut through the blur of sequins and smoke. Knox didn’t believe me when I said Vander could have an angle with this Omega. He should totally see them now.The vision cleared out, and their full faces came into view. Dala, looking pale and spooked as she’d just been chased through a cemetery, locked eyes with me first. “Have you seen Arya?” she asked urgently.“Arya? What? Wait, Arya’s here?” I looked at Vander,
DALAThis wasn't a panicked grab of someone flailing for safety. Nope. This grip was confident and intentional. The kind of handhold that said, I knew exactly where you were, and I waited for the lights to go out just to be extra dramatic about it.I didn’t need to see his face or the lights because only one person would drag me into the shadows like this and act like it was perfectly normal—Knox.“You,” I said flatly, still half-blind as my heels skidded over the marble floor. “Do you ever enter a room like a normal person?”His voice burst into the dark. “You look…decent, Omega.” I blinked, still trying to adjust my vision. “Excuse me?”“You don’t look like a maid,” he added, as if that somehow clarified the compliment and not terrified me even more. My cheeks burned, and I looked away. Great. I’d officially reached the highest level of praise in Knox Erymor’s vocabulary. “Wow. My self-esteem just grew legs and ran straight into traffic,” I muttered.The lights hadn’t come back on