KAREN’S POVAs soon as he crawled on top of me, his hand slid under my shirt, and I broke the kiss. Our eyes met, and he smiled softly before whispering, “I need you, please.” As if he needed to beg. As if this wasn’t the only thing I’d ever wanted the entire time I was waiting for him to come home. Well… the second thing. The first? His presence, here with me.Nodding softly, I pulled him back down to me, reconnecting our lips as Jackson squeezed my breast gently. My body relaxed into the bed, legs widening as his thumb caressed my nipple. Kissing me deeper, he alternated between each of my breasts before slipping his fingers between my folds.I was already wet—soaking wet. There was really no need for foreplay. Besides, we’d wasted too much time these past few days to let another moment pass without being together. I was literally aching for him.Jackson seemed to be on the same page because he quickly spread my legs and pressed my knees into the bed. My eyes lowered to his abs as h
JACKSON’S POVThe moment I stepped through the front door, the weight of everything I’d done crashed into me like a tidal wave. My fists ached from clenching them too tight, my knuckles raw and throbbing. My head pounded, each heartbeat a hammer against my skull.Did I make the right choice?Letting Alex stay—letting him near Laila after everything—felt like swallowing glass. But the look on her face when I’d hesitated… the way her breath had hitched, her eyes wide with fear… I couldn’t have ripped him away. Not without breaking her.And yet, the doubt gnawed at me. What if this is a mistake? What if he hurts her in the end?The thoughts clawed at my chest, relentless—until I pushed open the bedroom door and saw her.Karen.She stood by the window, the golden light from the bulb painting her in soft hues, her arms crossed tightly over her chest like she was holding herself together. But the second she turned, the second her warm eyes met mine, the storm inside me stilled.She didn’t s
ALEX’S POV“That went better than I had expected, don’t you think?” Logan’s voice pulled me out of my momentary thoughts, and I turned to face him.“You can say that. We still have both our heads intact,” I said, releasing a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.“Enough chit-chat. Come on, let’s go,” one of the guards bellowed, turning to lead the way out of the hallway.The walk to the private quarters was suffocating, each step weighed down by the oppressive silence. Only the steady rhythm of our footsteps and the occasional rustle of the guards’ uniforms filled the air. Their eyes burned into my back like hot brands—sharp, distrusting, as if we were feral beasts seconds away from tearing out their throats.I didn’t blame them.Hell, I wasn’t even sure I wouldn’t snap myself. My wrists throbbed where the cuffs had bitten into my skin, the flesh raw and tender. My jaw pulsed with a dull, persistent ache—Jackson’s punch had been brutal, precise, fueled by months of hatred. And my pri
JACKSON’S POVThe moment I stepped into the dungeon hallway, I felt the air shift with unspoken tension. I could smell their fear—sour and sharp, clinging to them like sweat. Alex’s shoulders were rigid, his fingers twitching at his sides, while Logan stood unnaturally still, eyes fixed on the floor like it might swallow him whole.Good. They should be afraid.If they had any idea what was roaring inside my skull, what my wolf was snarling for me to do, they’d already be on their knees. Begging. Because if Alex thought—even for a second—that I’d stand by while he hurt my little sister, I’d tear him apart. Slowly and painfully until he was forced to take his last breath.I stopped just inches from them, close enough to see the pulse fluttering in Alex’s throat. His jaw was clenched, his dark eyes locked onto mine with forced defiance. But I saw it—the flicker of doubt, the unspoken question.What’s he going to do?A slow, cold smirk curled my lips. Let him wonder.I jerked my chin at t
ALEX’S POVThe cold of the dungeon floor had long since burrowed deep into my bones—a relentless, gnawing ache that matched the throbbing in my skull. Every breath was sharp, my ribs protesting like shattered glass shifting beneath my skin. I slumped against the rough stone wall, my head lolling back as the damp chill of the cell seeped through my torn shirt.I should be dead.Jackson’s fist had connected with the force of a sledgehammer, his Alpha strength unchecked, fueled by pure, unbridled rage. And yet, somehow, I was still breathing.But it wasn’t the pain that kept me awake.It was her.Laila’s face flickered behind my closed eyelids—her trembling fingers gripping the rusted bars, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her voice breaking as she whispered, "I love you."That memory alone was the only thing stitching me together.A dry, rasping chuckle cut through the silence.Logan.I turned my head just enough to see him dragging himself up against the bars separating our cells
LAILA’S POVMy hands wouldn’t stop shaking.The water from the sink ran red for a second—just a flash—before swirling down the drain, but my skin still felt sticky, tainted. I scrubbed harder, nails digging into my palms, the sting nothing compared to the memory of Alex’s blood smeared across my fingertips. The scent of iron clung to me, thick and nauseating, no matter how much soap I used.I couldn’t get it off.And the sounds—oh gods, the sounds wouldn’t leave me. The sickening crunch of bone under Jackson’s fists. The ragged, wet gasps from Alex as he hit the ground. The way my own screams had torn through the air, raw and useless.I gripped the edge of the sink, my reflection wavering in the water-streaked mirror. Hollow eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, lips bitten raw. Pathetic.“Laila.”Mom’s voice was soft, but I flinched anyway. Her hands settled on my shoulders, warm and steady, but all I could feel was the ghost of Alex’s weight as I’d dragged him away from Jackson’s rage.“You n