LOGINNick knew the endgame of the footage, but his big question had yet to be answered. He watched attentively as the three young girls played rock, paper, and scissors, and then the twins darted in opposite directions, leaving Caroline in the school playground. “Hide and seek,” Dalia murmured. Nick watched as Kira ran past the playground and towards the woods behind the school, and out of the camera frame. “Give me a second,” Dalia said as she clicked a few buttons to display the surveillance of the small river area, where Kira was heading. The screen was now visible with just Kira walking towards the water’s edge… goosebumps decorated Nick’s skin. The same river where he had met her again years later as his destined mate. On the screen, Kira crouched low and dipped her hand into the water. She looked over her shoulder, then rose to her feet and hid behind a big tree, her face in direct view of the security camera. She glanced at the camera. Just for a split second. A tiny moment tha
The cottage had always been a place of stillness for Nick. A space where the weight of leadership loosened its grip just enough for him to breathe without feeling like the entire pack depended on the rise and fall of his chest. But today, even the quiet felt loud. It pressed in on him from all sides, clinging to his skin like something alive, something watching.Nick stood by the window, arms crossed over his bare chest, his gaze fixed on the stretch of forest beyond the clearing. The trees swayed lazily, their leaves whispering secrets to one another, but none of it reached him. His mind was elsewhere, tangled in threads he could not seem to pull apart.Behind him, Alfie sprawled across the couch like he owned the place, one arm draped over the backrest, the other lazily tossing a small apple up into the air and catching it with practiced ease. The casualness of his posture was almost offensive considering the storm brewing in Nick’s head.“You’re going to wear a hole into that windo
Nick POVThe packhouse had finally gone quiet after the roundup of all the festivities. Not the peaceful kind of quiet that settled over the town during early mornings but the kind that had something lingering underneath. This silence felt heavy and unsettled. Like the entire pack was holding their breath after the chaos of the Alpha and his mates. It made Nick uncomfortable but he knew now wasn’t the time to dwell on what people might be saying. He stood in his office with both hands planted on the edge of his desk, his neck bent and eyes staring intensely at his desk. The room smelled faintly of old paper that took space on his shelves, cedarwood polish, and the lingering scent of Kira still on his skin after their hug and refused to leave his senses no matter how many windows he opened to let in fresh air. Perhaps a lengthy shower would help but Nick had deliberately not gone to his room to wash off her scent. His jaw tightened for the one millionth time as the memory of her sta
The cottage had always been a place of stillness for Nick. A space where the weight of leadership loosened its grip just enough for him to breathe without feeling like the entire pack depended on the rise and fall of his chest. But today, even the quiet felt loud. It pressed in on him from all sides, clinging to his skin like something alive, something watching.Nick stood by the window, arms crossed over his bare chest, his gaze fixed on the stretch of forest beyond the clearing. The trees swayed lazily, their leaves whispering secrets to one another, but none of it reached him. His mind was elsewhere, tangled in threads he could not seem to pull apart.Behind him, Alfie sprawled across the couch like he owned the place, one arm draped over the backrest, the other lazily tossing a small apple up into the air and catching it with practiced ease. The casualness of his posture was almost offensive considering the storm brewing in Nick’s head.“You’re going to wear a hole into that windo
Nick POVThe packhouse had finally gone quiet after the roundup of all the festivities. Not the peaceful kind of quiet that settled over the town during early mornings but the kind that had something lingering underneath. This silence felt heavy and unsettled. Like the entire pack was holding their breath after the chaos of the Alpha and his mates. It made Nick uncomfortable but he knew now wasn’t the time to dwell on what people might be saying. He stood in his office with both hands planted on the edge of his desk, his neck bent and eyes staring intensely at his desk. The room smelled faintly of old paper that took space on his shelves, cedarwood polish, and the lingering scent of Kira still on his skin after their hug and refused to leave his senses no matter how many windows he opened to let in fresh air. Perhaps a lengthy shower would help but Nick had deliberately not gone to his room to wash off her scent. His jaw tightened for the one millionth time as the memory of her sta
NickThe cottage had always been a place of quiet for him, a space removed from the constant movement of the pack house and the expectations that came with being Alpha. It sat at the edge of the forest, surrounded by tall trees that filtered the light into soft, shifting patterns across the wooden floor.Today, it felt anything but quiet.Nick stood near the small window, his hands resting on the edge of the frame as he stared out into the trees. The wind moved lazily through the branches, carrying the familiar scent of pine and damp earth, yet it did nothing to settle the restless tension building beneath his skin.Too many things had shifted in too short a time.The mate bond.The council’s secret.The footage.The blood moon.And now Kira standing in front of him with questions he was not entirely ready to answer.A soft knock sounded against the door behind him, followed by the creak of wood as it opened without waiting for permission.“Wow,” Alfie’s voice filled the room with cas
The things siblings did for love were an art that can never be studied. Perhaps understood, but trying to understand like a diet was a very stressful exercise. If asked to donate a kidney to Kayla, I wouldn't hesitate, but now, in a position to give up my destined mate for her happiness, I was torn
Kira's POVThe morning after the very eventful shifting ceremony was too quiet. The air was stifling, and at 10 am, everyone in the house remained in their rooms. Perhaps dwelling in their thoughts, but as for me, the only thing that mattered now was leaving the pack. There was nothing left for m
He didn't sleep. An odd thing, considering he was usually out like a light the minute his head hit the pillows. Yet, Nick hadn’t slept. Over an hour in bed and he still chased the sleep, tossing around in bed and punching his pillow to make it comfier more times than he could count.The ceiling abo
Nick didn’t speak immediately.He sat there with his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together so tightly that the veins stood out. His wolf was unsettled in a way he had never experienced before, pacing restlessly underneath the surface like it was searching for something it could not fi







