LOGIN“I think I’ve heard enough.” But Garrick didn’t stop. “When you turned eighteen… and you were still wolfless,” he said, the confession weighing in his voice, “I’ll admit… I used that.” He dragged a hand over his face. “For my own benefit. And for yours.” He shifted slightly, like the words them
Her gaze flicked back to him. “Couldn’t use all that money of yours to get something a little more… upscale?” Garrick let out a faint breath, his attention following hers as he looked around the cell. “My family cut me off,” he said. “Completely.” His jaw tightened slightly. “They’re my only ti
The cell held the kind of darkness that never fully lifted, even when the lights came on. It smelled old—damp stone, rust, something faintly sour like mildew that had settled deep into the walls over time. The air felt stale, unmoving, as if it had been trapped there too long. Somewhere beyond the
Her grip tightened slightly. “And that was before you came to me in my dream.” Tessa’s eyes searched hers, steady, certain. “Kae… believe it or not, I always knew you were… different.” A faint smile touched her lips. “I mean, I didn’t think supernatural different—but this?” she huffed a quiet b
“After a while, they just… closed it down.” She let the silence sit for a second before finishing. “I tried to get a loan to save it,” she added, quieter now. “But I was denied… didn’t make enough.” A small, apologetic breath. Her eyes softened, guilt threading through her voice. “I’m sorry.”
Kaelani reappeared in the entryway of her home. It was night. Quiet. Still. But the darkness didn’t feel unfamiliar anymore. It didn’t press in. Didn’t suffocate. It settled around her—familiar, almost comforting. The shadows seemed to embrace her, welcoming her back as if she had never left—
He wondered if she’d opened the package yet. If she’d seen the dress. Did she like it? Did it make her smile, even for a moment? Or had it just reopened everything he’d already destroyed? He’d told himself the gift would soften her—ease some of the anger she had towards him. But after tonight, af
A woman who belonged somewhere. A woman who might have been loved out loud. Her throat tightened. Why? The word throbbed in her chest. Why send this? Why now? Did he think this made anything right? That an $800 dress could fill the hollow he’d carved into her? Did he think she’d see this, rememb
The streets were nearly empty by the time Kaelani locked the bakery behind her. The heat that had clung to the town all summer was finally breaking; the night air carried a faint chill that slipped beneath her sleeves. Her boots scuffed against the sidewalk, the sound too loud in the quiet. She kep
Kaelani’s eyes snapped back to Julian, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. He ignored it and started sweeping, long deliberate strokes that made it painfully obvious he had no idea what he was doing. She crossed her arms, watching unimpressed. “You’ve never swept a day in your life, have you?”







