ALEX’S POVThe snapping of dry wood filled the air as warriors gathered more logs for the fire, the sharp cracks echoing through the silent night. Each sound was steady, rhythmic—unnervingly normal. But my thoughts were anything but.I sat on the hood of my car, the cold metal biting into my thighs, my fingers curled into fists so tight my knuckles ached. The darkness stretched ahead of us, swallowing the road like a gaping maw, endless and suffocating. The deeper the night grew, the heavier the weight in my chest became, pressing down until I could barely breathe.I was going back.Back to the place I once called home. Back to the two monsters who shared my blood but had never once treated me like a son. Like a brother. Alpha Grayson and Noah. My father. My brother. By blood? Maybe. By choice? Never.Blood doesn’t make you family. Family doesn’t carve wounds into one son just to lift another. Family doesn’t sneer at you for being different, for daring to question their cruelty. Famil
LAILA’S POVThe moment the strategy meeting ended, the group dispersed like shadows melting into the dusk. My pulse thrummed in my throat as my gaze swept over the parked trucks, searching—until I found him.Alex.He stood beside his truck, the fading sunlight painting his face in streaks of gold and shadow. His fingers twisted the cap off a water bottle with slow, deliberate movements, his shoulders tense beneath the weight of unspoken memories.The sight of him—so outwardly composed, yet so clearly at war inside—sent a sharp ache through my chest. I swallowed hard and stepped forward, the crunch of gravel beneath my boots the only sound between us.He turned before I even spoke, his dark eyes flickering with something raw before softening at the sight of me."Hey," he murmured, holding out the water bottle without a word.My fingers brushed his as I took it, lingering just a second too long—just enough to feel the warmth of his skin, the roughness of his knuckles. A silent reassuran
Jackson’s POVI couldn’t speak at first. My throat locked up. I might’ve been Alpha now, but in that moment, I was just a son—a son standing in the shadow of the man who always showed up when it mattered.I stepped forward and hugged him. Hard. "Thank you," I whispered into his shoulder. "For everything."He gripped my shoulder when we pulled apart. "Let’s go get your girl."Then another voice, softer but strong in its own way, called from behind."I hope you’re not all leaving without saying goodbye to me."Mom stood in the doorway of the pack house, hands clasped in front of her. There were tears in her eyes, but her chin didn’t tremble. Not even once."Bring my daughter-in-law home," she said. "And all of you—come back to me. Safe."One by one, we went to her. She kissed our foreheads like she was sealing a blessing over each of us. Even Alex and Logan. She brushed away her tears before they could fall.And as I looked at the people standing around me—our fiercest warriors, our clo
JACKSON’S POVThe pack house courtyard felt like a storm brewing in real time—boots pounding the dirt, the sharp slide of steel being drawn, wolves growling low under their breath. The air reeked of sweat, guns loaded with silver and wolfsbane, and something sharper: adrenaline.My pulse matched the chaos around me, thundering like war drums in my chest. Ryan, my Beta and the one guy who’d been through every ugly corner of life with me, appeared at my side. His face was hard, focused—all business.“We’re ready,” he said, voice low but clipped with tension. “Just waiting on your word.”I didn’t even get a chance to answer before Liam jogged up, tugging on his leather jacket like it owed him money. His eyes were locked in, jaw clenched with the same barely contained fury I felt clawing at my insides.“I’m coming,” he said, leaving no room for debate.I blew out a breath through my nose. Figured you would.Then I heard her—quick footsteps, all fire and stubborn pride.Laila.She came str
Jackson’s POVI was losing it.The walls of our home—once warm, filled with laughter and love—now felt like a cage. Every second that passed without Karen was a second too long. My mate was gone. Vanished. Stolen from right under my nose, and I hadn’t been there to stop it.I stormed through the halls, my claws digging into my palms, the sting of blood grounding me. My wolf raged inside me, howling, thrashing, demanding action. I could barely hold him back.I stormed through the hall again, fists clenched so tightly my claws threatened to rip through my palms. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t breathe properly, not without her. My wolf paced inside me, howling with fury and confusion, and I was barely holding him back.Karen had been right beside me hours ago—glowing, smiling, beautiful in her dress—and now she was just… gone.“Anything?” I barked at Liam as he came through the front door.He shook his head, his jaw tight. “No. We questioned every guard on rotation. None of them saw an
KAREN’S POV“Well, well…” Noah drawled, his smirk widening. “If it isn’t the little Luna of Shadow Moon.”I stayed silent.He took a slow step forward, his gaze crawling over me like maggots on rotting flesh. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or are you still trying to figure out how my father snatched you right from under your mate’s nose?”I clenched my fists but didn’t speak.He stopped inches from me, tilting his head mockingly. “What? No clever comeback? No desperate scream for Jackson to come save you?”I met his gaze, unflinching. “What do you want, Noah?”His smirk vanished. “I’ll be the one asking questions here, and when I do? I deserve an answer!” he snarled.Then—crack!His palm struck my cheek so hard my vision blurred. Pain exploded across my face, sharp and hot, but I didn’t cry out. I wouldn’t.Before I could recover, his fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back with a brutal jerk. His breath, sour with malice, fanned over my face.“You filthy omega,” he