LAILA’S POVThe excitement inside me fizzed like a shaken soda bottle, ready to burst. My heart pounded against my ribs, my fingers twitching at my sides as I stepped into the living room. The words tumbled out before I could even think of stopping them."Everyone, you might want to sit down for this one!"The reaction was instant. Mom’s hands froze mid-fold over a rumpled sweater, her sharp eyes snapping up to meet mine. The familiar spark of curiosity danced in them—the kind that always meant she was already three steps ahead.Dad lowered his mug of tea—steam curling lazily into the air—his lips quirking in that knowing half-smile. He recognized that tone. Karen’s head popped out from the kitchen, flour dusting her cheek, her grin already widening as she wiped her hands on a striped dish towel."Can anyone guess what just happened?""Someone found their mate?" Mom asked, her voice lilting with hopeful anticipation, fingers tightening slightly around the fabric in her hands.I couldn
LIAM’S POVThe moment the words left my lips, I saw it—the way her breath hitched, the way her pupils dilated, the way her fingers twitched at her sides like she didn’t know whether to reach for me or push me away. Shock. Confusion. A flicker of panic. It all flashed across her face in rapid succession, raw and unguarded, before she took a half-step back, her chest rising and falling too fast.I stayed still. Let her breathe. Let her process.Inside me, my wolf was clawing at my ribs, wild and insistent, howling with the truth of what we both already knew. But I didn’t rush her. Didn’t crowd her. I just watched—watched the way her throat worked as she swallowed, the way her lashes fluttered like she was trying to blink away the reality of it."Sarah," I said, my voice rougher than I intended, the weight of everything between us thickening the air.Her gaze snapped to mine, wide and searching."It’s real, isn’t it?" I asked, even though I didn’t need to. The bond pulsed between us, war
LIAM’S POVThe midday sun blazed overhead, turning the training field into a furnace. Sweat rolled down my back, my muscles burning with exertion, but I barely noticed. My focus was shattered; my gaze locked onto the left side of the clearing where Logan stood—too close to Sarah.His voice carried just enough for me to catch the smooth, teasing lilt of his words, and then—Sarah laughed.Not the polite, half-hearted chuckle she gave when she was just being nice. No, this was real, unrestrained, the kind of laugh that made her eyes crinkle at the corners and her head tilt back just slightly. My stomach twisted into knots.It’s nothing. Logan flirts with everyone. She’s just humoring him.But then his hand was on hers, adjusting her grip on the training staff, his fingers lingering a second too long. And Sarah—Sarah—didn’t pull away. Instead, she smiled up at him, lips parted, her expression softer than I’d ever seen it when she looked at me.Something inside me snapped.Before I could t
ALEX’S POVThe darkness of the room pressed against me, thick and suffocating, but the glow of my phone screen cut through it like a lifeline.Laila.I sat there in the dark, grinning like a fool at the glowing screen of my phone. Just reading her messages had this strange effect on me. Like everything was still salvageable. Like I wasn’t a total failure who’d just gotten punched in the face and accused of treason. Her words were steadying—like a warm hand on my chest, pressing down on all the panic and rage.The thought settled deep, a fragile comfort in the chaos.A sweaty sock hit the side of my face with a damp thwap, snapping me out of my thoughts."Alright, what’s got you smiling like an idiot?" Logan’s voice was laced with amusement as he leaned against the opposite bed, arms crossed.I wiped my cheek with a grimace, tossing the sock back at him. "Shut up."He dodged with a grin. "Oh, it’s Laila, isn’t it?" His smirk widened. "Should I give you two lovebirds some alone time? I
LAILA’S POVMy bare feet padded softly against the cold wooden floor as I paced outside Jackson’s room, my fingers knotting together like tangled threads. The rhythmic creak of the floorboards beneath me matched the frantic drumming of my pulse.Five minutes. Five agonizing minutes of hesitation, of chewing my bottom lip raw until the coppery taste of blood bloomed on my tongue. I knew he’d still be furious—not just at Alex, but maybe at me, too. Maybe at the entire universe for spinning everything out of control.The door swung open with a quiet groan, and there he stood—Jackson, his broad frame filling the doorway, a towel draped lazily around his neck. The scent of soap and that damn strawberry shampoo he always used clung to him, but the warmth that usually radiated from him was gone, replaced by something colder, sharper. His dark eyes were shuttered, his jaw set like stone.“We need to talk,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper, the words scraping against my throat like s
JACKSON’S POVMy hands ached—a dull, throbbing pain that pulsed with every heartbeat. The skin across my knuckles was split, raw from the force of the punch I’d thrown at Alex. The memory of it played behind my eyes like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from—the sharp crack of impact, the way his head snapped back, the slow trickle of blood from his nose.And Laila’s voice, desperate, screaming my name like I was the monster in this story.Maybe I was.The anger had been so easy. It burned through me, hot and blinding, leaving no room for doubt. But now, the fire was fading, and in its place, something colder slithered in—guilt.If Alex was really working for Grayson, would he be that stupid?The thought gnawed at me. Alex was reckless, stubborn, infuriating—but careless? No. He wasn’t the kind of man to leave a damning letter from his father lying around. Not in plain sight. Not where anyone could find it.Unless someone wanted you to find it.My father’s voice echoed in my skull, low and