LOGINZahra's POVThree sets of arms hold me, stroking and soothing me while I cry.They murmur words of comfort and reassurance, soft sounds against my hair, my shoulder, my back, but I barely hear them. Their voices reach me like they're coming from somewhere far away, muffled beneath the roar of everything cracking open inside my chest.I try really hard to soak in the three amazing mates I have. The ones who are here. The ones holding me together when I feel like I might come apart completely. The ones who want me.But all I can think about is the one who doesn't.Guilt twists through the grief, sharp and ugly, because these three are giving me everything. Comfort. Patience. Love. And still, some broken part of me keeps reaching for the empty space Max left behind.I hate it. Hate that he can hurt me this much without even being here.So, I force myself to breathe. I focus on their scents, their three heartbeats, the gentle sound of their breathing in the still air, and the comforting h
Zarha's POV“This one is from me,” Xander says, holding out another small square box.It’s about half the size of the one Tobias gave me. This one isn’t wrapped in paper, but the black velvet box has a neat red satin ribbon around it.I take it from Xander and undo the bow, then lift the lid. Inside is a beautiful bracelet. It’s like a woven vine circling around, with an intricately carved clasp and leaves etched into it. There are regular loops designed to look like shoots from the vine. It’s delicate and so beautiful. I pick it up. It moves like a chain, but looks more solid.It’s stunning.“Wow,” I breathe. “Thank you.”Something clinks inside the box as I remove it, and I realise there are three small objects underneath it. I glance down. A small, intricately carved black wolf with a silver loop sits next to a silver crescent moon and a small crystal heart.I frown, glancing at Xander.“It’s a charm bracelet,” he says, pointing to the silver band. Then he hesitates and blushes. “I
Zarha's POVXander leads me onto a stack of cushions and has me sit down. The others arrange themselves around me, Tobias reclining back on his side, one leg bent as he rests on his elbow, the picture of relaxed elegance. Xander sits cross-legged in front of me, and Lincoln settles on my other side with his knees bent in front of him. For such large men, they look strangely small sitting on the ground.It makes me grin.“I thought we could have a little picnic dinner tonight, do something different, and celebrate your birthday,” Xander says as he reaches into a basket I hadn’t noticed and pulls out four champagne glasses and a bottle.My birthday feels like a lifetime ago. I hadn’t really thought about celebrating it, not properly, not after everything that happened, but the fact they have makes my throat tighten.Tobias sits up and takes the bottle from him, opening it deftly and pouring the glasses while Xander tilts them for him. Xander then passes them to us all while Tobias puts
Zarha's POVWhen the credits roll, I stretch languidly. I'm nestled into the sofa, my legs stretched out along the L-shape, with Xander and Tobias lying on either side of me. Lincoln came in about ten minutes ago, and he's sitting on the other side of Tobias.I feel relaxed and, surprisingly, steadied. Now I'm in contact with two of my mates, a semblance of peace has settled over all of us. The ache in my chest hasn't disappeared, but it's quieter than it was a few hours ago. Being surrounded by them helps, even when one of them is missing.I yawn. I need to find my phone. I've probably got a mountain of emails and texts waiting for me, not to mention Northwatch. Someone will have needed to keep an eye on things while I've been sequestered here, and while I was unconscious for a week.Shit.Northwatch was my responsibility. My project. I'd finally got it off the ground, and then I'd vanished for over a week. The thought makes me wince.“Xander, did your mum drop my laptop and phone of
Zahra's POVI can't stop crying.I swear the bath has gone up by at least a couple of centimetres since I got in. My eyes are stinging and my throat aches, but I can't stop.Fuck, this hurts.I don't know what's worse: the idea that Max wanted to reject the bond before, or knowing that even after we've partially completed it, he still wants to reject it.I'd let myself hope. That's the worst part. For a few glorious minutes, I'd believed everything was going to be okay. That Max had finally accepted us. Accepted me. And now that hope feels like a knife twisting in my chest.‘We don't know that,’ Zanthe hums soothingly.‘Why else would he leave?’ I sob back at her.She doesn't reply.She has no answers for me.When the water becomes too cold to be comfortable, I climb out. Lincoln has left a fluffy white towel warming on the towel rail for me, and I grab it, wrapping myself in it before heading into the bedroom.The towel is warm and soft against my skin, and the simple thoughtfulness
Xander's POVMy mind blanks out at the contact, and I watch her slowly climb the stairs like I’ve forgotten how to do anything else. When I finally blink back into myself, I realise Tobias and Lincoln look just as lost as I feel.“Fuck. What can we do about this?” Tobias asks, running a hand through his hair.Lincoln flops into a chair, sighing heavily. “I don’t know. We don’t even know where he is.”I sigh. Knowing Max, he’s probably in a bottle somewhere.“I’ll ask his unit to track him down and keep an eye on him,” I say, rubbing at the ache forming behind my eye.“And I thought maybe we could have a small birthday celebration later for Zahra,” I add.I see the objections forming in their eyes and hasten to clarify.“Just us lot. Maybe a picnic tea, with a cake and her presents?”They relax when they realise no one else will be joining us, then seem to consider the idea properly.“I think that’s a great idea,” Lincoln says with a grin.Tobias nods slowly.“I think she'd like that,”
Levi's POVAfter breakfast, we go to find Baldwin. Apparently, his office is in one of the barns at the back of the stables. When we get there, Baldwin is inside with four other guys, as if they’ve been waiting for us.“Ah, you’re here. Come in,” he says, standing. “This is Caleb, Aaron, Dante, and
Zahra's POV'Zahra.'A gentle voice in my head drags me back towards consciousness.'Zahra.'I feel like I’ve been asleep for a week. My whole body is heavy and achy and fuuuck.The collar around my neck snags as I shift, and reality slams back into place. Damp straw scratches my skin. The dungeon
Max's POVOn the run home, Medus and Atlas picked up a herd of deer and hunted. It was exhilarating. I don’t remember the last time I hunted in wolf form, and Medus’s joy was infectious. I receded slightly to let him enjoy his kill, eating happily beside Atlas before we continued home. They ran thr
Max's POVI’m spared the need to say anything else, or for her to interrogate me, as Xander strides into the room.He doesn’t look at me. He heads straight for the coffee.“Morning,” he says, leaning against the counter to sip his drink, keeping his distance, like he has ever since…“Morning, darli







