Jake She tasted wonderful. I was never going to forget how her lips felt against mine and how she moaned as I played with her tongue. It was the best thing in the world, and I wanted more of it. But despite all that, the strong scent of her desire in the air was impossible to miss. She smelt as exquisite as she tasted, elating my desire. My wolf pranced around, urging me to cede control to him so he could be closer to her and show her how much she meant to us. He wanted to show her how much we had missed her, desired her. "My pussy kitty. It's time for play," I told her, unable to keep myself back. She was feeble yet ready for me. She seemed to come alive under my touch, making me feel like the most powerful man on the earth. Her eyes were dark with hunger and need for me, and a whimper from her lips. Her chest rose and fell fast as he stared at me, waiting. I didn't want to make her wait for long. I inserted myself between her legs, eyeing her carefully while I gently pulled a
Lucas I was delighted today since Lila was finally coming home. I had done my best to arrange her room so she'd like it. Even if she didn't like it, I was willing to make alterations according to her preferences. I was eager to do anything for her, but being away from her was slowly depleting me. I needed to see and speak to her, but I decided to hide in my ofice instead. She didn't want to see me yet, and I didn't want to overwhelm or distress her by continuously being in her face. If she wanted for my absence, that was all I would offer her, even if it physically wounded mne to do so. My knot had been throbbing all day and night since she woke up, and I could feel the link again. No matter how much I massaged myself, it wouldn't help me at all. It appeared to make my urges worse. It seemed as if my body was indirectly pressuring me to go to her, but I wasn't selfish. Lila needed rest, and I doubted she'd be able to relax if she saw me So far, Jake had been doing excellent at eas
"Is she awake yet?" Lucas asked, his eyes locked on the screen before him. "Just stirring now," Jake replied, leaning against the desk. "You really think she’s gonna like it?" Lucas didn’t answer immediately. He watched as Lila sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. His heartbeat picked up when she noticed the small box resting on the bedside table. For a moment, she didn’t move, just staring at it as if it were something foreign. "She’s hesitating," Jake noted, folding his arms. "She’s curious," Lucas corrected. "Just give her a moment." On the screen, Lila reached for the box. She lifted it slowly, fingers brushing over the velvet surface. Her expression remained unreadable as she unlatched it, revealing the delicate silver pendant inside. Lucas held his breath. Lila’s thumb ran over the tiny engraving on the pendant. Something flickered across her face—something Lucas couldn’t quite place. Hope flared in his chest. Then, without a word, she snapped the box shut. Luc
"I'm telling you, Lucas, she's not going to make this easy for you," Jake said, his voice low and serious."I don't expect her to," Lucas replied, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him."You're really going to just sit there and watch her sleep?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.Lucas didn't respond. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Lila's peaceful form.As he stood there, a pang of longing struck him. He wished he could hold Lila like Jake once did, feel her warmth and closeness. The thought tormented him, and he knew he had to be near her.Without thinking, Lucas made his way to Lila's room. Her scent stirred deep emotions within him, and he felt his wolf stirring. He stood by her bedside, longing for her touch but holding himself back."I shouldn't be here," he whispered to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.Instead, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the pendant. He had given it to her as a symbol of their bond, but she had rejected it. Now, he was det
The softness in her tone caught him off guard. It was a subconscious call, a whispered admission that she was aware of his presence. Lucas's heart skipped a beat as he wondered if she was truly awake or simply dreaming of him.For a moment, he hesitated, torn between the desire to stay and the risk of shattering the illusion. Her unexpected tenderness tempted him to linger, to see if she would say more, but he knew better. He decided to leave before the spell was broken.As he turned to leave, Lila's sleepy voice halted him. "Where are you going?" she asked, her words barely above a whisper.Lucas froze, his back to her. He didn't dare turn around, fearing what he might see. "I'm just going to...check on some things," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.There was a pause, and for a moment, Lucas thought he'd gotten away with it. But then Lila spoke again, her voice a little stronger this time. "Don't go."The words hung in the air like a challenge, and Lucas felt his resol
"You don't know what you're talking about," she told him, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. It had been weeks since she had seen him. It felt like she had finally found a part of herself that had somehow gone missing."I don't?" he questioned, watching her darkly. "Then tell me, Lila. Why must you keep pushing me away? Why do you keep ignoring me? Why do you hate me so much?" he pushed. "I want to know everything."She could burst into flames at that moment as her darkest memories flashed in front of her eyes, reminding her of all those years she had to spend orphaned and nearly homeless. The sense of loss she felt then made it seem like her life had ended and there was nothing left for her to live for.It made her feel so alone, deserted, lonely, and insignificant because the only people she mattered to were gone forever. It shattered her devastatingly. No matter how much she tried to be strong on the surface, her darkness always found a way to seep through.She wanted to yell at
His breath hitched, and his hands roamed down her body, gripping her waist firmly. “You push me away, and then you pull me back in. You’re driving me insane.”“Then let me fix it,” she whispered, arching against him. Her lips found his neck, her teeth grazing his skin as she fought the overwhelming hunger inside her.Lucas groaned, his grip tightening. “Tell me you won’t disappear after this. Tell me you won’t shut me out again.”She hesitated. A part of her knew she always ran, but she didn’t want to think about that now. She just wanted him, only him.“Right now, all I know is I need you,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.His gaze darkened. “That’s not enough.”She flinched at the intensity in his voice. “Then make it enough,” she challenged, her nails digging into his back, silently begging him to close the space between them.Lucas let out a deep, shaky breath before capturing her lips again, his kiss demanding, possessive. His hands slid under her shirt, his finger
"Lila, you awake?" Jake's voice cut through the haze in her mind. Lila barely moved, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts tangled in the events of the past. The sheets were cool against her skin, the silence of the room pressing in around her. A shadow shifted by the door. "Come on," Jake continued, his tone lighter. "Don’t make me check if you’re breathing. That would be awkward for both of us." She sighed, rolling onto her side, meeting his gaze. "I’m breathing." Jake smirked, stepping into the room. "Good to know. But judging by that look on your face, you’re either plotting my murder or contemplating the mysteries of the universe." Lila didn't answer. She wasn’t sure she had an answer. Jake sat on the edge of the bed, too close for her liking, yet she didn’t move away. His warmth, his presence—it was a reminder that she wasn’t entirely alone, even if she wanted to be. "You slept longer than usual," he observed. "Want to talk about it?" She let out a short laugh
“You’re insane, Arika. You know that, right?”“Insane?” Arika’s voice oozed with mockery. “Please. That’s such a civilian diagnosis.”Lila’s fists clenched as she took another step forward, her eyes locked on the massive screen overhead—00:09:56. The red numbers blinked with a deadly calmness, each second ticking away a piece of her resolve. Beneath the screen, her servers stood like monuments to everything she’d fought for. Wired with explosives.“You’re going to kill us both,” Lila spat, her voice shaking with fury. “All of this—just to prove a point?”“Oh no, darling.” Arika twirled the sleek detonator in her hand, its silver surface catching the dim light. “Not to prove a point. To make one.”“You planted explosives on the servers!” Lila’s voice rose, ragged. “Are you listening to yourself?”Arika chuckled softly, stepping aside to reveal a clearer view of the blinking red lights wired into each server unit. “I told you this was always bigger than us. You just didn’t want to belie
Lila followed Arika up the ramp, her boots clinking softly against the grated metal, heart thudding louder with each step. Something in Arika’s voice lingered like smoke—too calm, too measured. She didn’t trust it. Not for a second.“You keep the data onboard?” Lila asked, eyes flicking to the wall-mounted surveillance cams. The ship’s interior was sleek but sterile, with black paneling and chrome fixtures. Cold. Like its owner.“No,” Arika said, stopping at a narrow corridor. “I keep my insurance onboard.”She keyed a code into the control pad, and a mechanical hiss broke the silence. A door slid open, revealing a freight elevator platform.“After you,” Arika said with a mock bow.Lila stepped in cautiously, hand still near her weapon. The platform hummed, descending smoothly into the ship’s belly. A few seconds passed in silence. Arika didn’t move. Didn’t smile.Then the metal chamber opened—and Lila’s breath caught.Rows of blinking machines lined the container-sized space. The ser
The Vault’s Truth:Arika’s voice cut through the still air like a blade. “You ever stop and ask yourself what the point of it all is?”Lila didn’t answer immediately. The faint hum of the servers was the only sound between them. Outside, the snow still howled, muffled through thick bunker walls. Her fingers hovered over the tablet screen, pulling fragments of data—locations, funds, faces of corrupt officials—but her mind was already one step ahead.“I used to,” she said finally, gaze still fixed on the display. “I used to think the world was rotten to the core. That maybe if I set a match to everything, it’d feel better.”Arika snorted. “It doesn’t.”“No,” Lila agreed, voice softer now. “It just burns you with it.”That silenced Arika for a beat. Lila glanced over, catching the flicker of doubt that cracked through her sister’s sarcasm.“You sound like one of those therapy podcasts the Alphas play for their anxious mates.”“I sound like someone who’s been burned before.” Lila turned o
Frostbite and Fireworks:"“You sure you’re not walking me into a trap?”Lila’s voice cut through the storm, low and razor-sharp, carried on the wind like a blade tossed by fate."Would I waste this much time just to kill you?” Arika replied without glancing back, her silhouette a blur through the thick curtain of snow. “Don’t flatter yourself.”"You’ve done worse for less."Lila adjusted the grip on her sidearm beneath her coat, every muscle coiled. “And you still haven’t answered how you got the servers out of here without leaving a trail.”"You'll see.”It wasn’t a tease. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise laced with something darker—familiar, dangerous, and maddeningly vague.The snowstorm howled around them like a feral thing, wind battering exposed skin and biting through layers as they trudged deeper into the derelict port grounds. Long-dead cranes loomed like rusted sentinels, skeletal and forgotten. The place reeked of salt, decay, and memory.Lila kept scanning—trees, rooft
The locket in Arika’s hand glinted one last time in the fading light before she tucked it into the folds of her coat, her fingers twitching as though the cold no longer bothered her—just the past that still clung to her skin.But Lila wasn’t finished.Not yet.She turned slowly, like a predator toying with a rival too confident for her own good. “You know,” she said conversationally, her voice laced with honeyed venom, “for someone who prides herself on good taste, I’m surprised you didn’t notice the warning signs.”Arika’s head tilted. “What signs?”Lila’s smile was all razor-edge charm. “Oh, just that Salicus was riddled with diseases. Biochemical ones. I should know—I left him with a few.”The blow landed with precision. A flicker of something passed through Arika’s expression—a stutter in her breath, a twitch at the corner of her mouth. She masked it quickly, but not quickly enough.“You’re bluffing,” Arika said, voice clipped.“Am I?” Lila stepped closer, letting her words drip.
Lila’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. That sentence—so personal, so venomous—stuck in her like a blade wedged between ribs.Arika didn’t wait for her to recover. She turned and walked slowly toward the edge of the clearing, her fingers brushing the frost-covered rail of a long-abandoned cargo lift. The silence between them thickened.“I had a guest once,” Arika called over her shoulder, too casual. “You might know him. Salicus Grante.”Lila’s body snapped to attention.The name landed like a hammer.“You’re lying.”Arika looked back, one eyebrow raised. “Am I?”“Salicus is dead.”Arika gave a mocking little shrug. “Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? Or just what you hope is true?”Lila took a shaky step forward. Her pulse thundered in her ears. “Where. Did. You. See. Him.”“Here. There. Doesn’t matter,” Arika said. “He’s a wanderer. A very persistent one. Had a few... interesting stories about you, too. I see where you get your taste in men.”Lila’s hands
Chapter Title: Blood Tides and Buried Truths"You look older than I imagined. The cold's not kind to you, huh?"Lila’s voice cut through the air, sharp as shattered ice.Arika smirked, slow and poisonous. “And you still greet people like you’re handing out ultimatums.”“I only greet the ones who fake their deaths and sell lies for a living.”Arika’s eyes flicked down her nose, unfazed. “Still bitter, I see. At least that hasn’t aged.”The wind between them twisted, biting through cloth and bone alike. They stood ten paces apart in the heart of the abandoned clearing, surrounded by cracked concrete and frost-covered crates. The silence of the ruin only emphasized how violently the past clawed its way into the present.“You died,” Lila said, voice low now. Controlled. “That’s what they told me. What you let them tell me.”“They weren’t wrong,” Arika replied smoothly. “Not entirely.”Lila scoffed. “You faked your death and vanished. What else was I supposed to believe?”“That I had a rea
The cold gnawed at Lila’s exposed cheeks as she emerged from the warehouse’s side exit and stepped into the clearing.A vast, open yard stretched before her.Flat, white, endless.The area must have once been the central cargo bay—a wide slab of cracked concrete now buried beneath ice and powdery snow. Massive tracks were etched faintly beneath the layers, ghost-lines of long-dead machinery. Here, where shipments had once been loaded, goods transferred, and orders barked, now only wind howled and silence ruled.She stepped forward slowly.Her boots sank with every crunching step, leaving deep impressions behind her. The expanse was so open, it felt vulnerable. Naked. No cover. No shadows to slip into. Just the broad chest of the clearing exposed to the grey sky overhead.Lila exhaled through her nose, eyes scanning left to right, then back again.No movement.No signs.And yet her pulse wouldn’t slow.Something didn’t add up.If this was Arika’s meeting point, where the hell was the e
The snow swallowed their steps as they began to move again.None of them spoke.The world had gone eerily still, as if holding its breath. Lila led the way, eyes narrowed against the wind, with Jake close behind her left shoulder and Lucas covering their right flank. Their boots crunched against the crusted snow, the only sound in an otherwise dead landscape.With every step forward, the forest behind them shrank, consumed by the encroaching white.“This is madness,” Jake muttered under his breath, his voice muffled beneath his scarf. “Visibility’s garbage. We’re tracking straight into open ground. Arika wants us blind.”“She wants a meeting,” Lila shot back, not looking over her shoulder. “And I’m not turning back.”Lucas scanned the tree line one last time before sighing. “Yeah, well, if we die out here in the snow, at least it’ll be poetic.”The wind howled in answer.Their pace slowed as the ground sloped downward, snow now knee-deep. Every few steps, one of them stumbled. Lila’s