"You killed my father."The words landed like a blow, sharp and precise. Lila watched as Lucas froze, his body tensing against her own. His eyes, usually so unreadable, flickered with something unspoken—shock? Confusion? Guilt? She couldn’t tell, and that only fueled her anger.Lucas didn’t step back. He stayed exactly where he was, his grip on the wall firm, caging her in. "Say that again," he demanded, his voice eerily calm."You heard me," she hissed. "You killed Anthony Liams."Lucas’s expression didn’t change, but something in his gaze darkened. "Anthony Liams?" he repeated, as if testing the name on his tongue."Don’t pretend you don’t remember him," she snapped. "You executed him. Like he was nothing. And now you act like—""I’ve killed a lot of people, Lila," he interrupted. "That name doesn’t mean anything to me."Her heart pounded in her chest. Was he lying? Or did she truly mean so little to him that her father’s death was nothing more than a forgotten detail? The thought
"You’re running yourself into the ground, you know that, right?"Jake barely acknowledged the voice behind him as he sprinted along the treeline, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The damp soil beneath his feet did nothing to slow him down, and the cool night air burned his lungs. He had been running for hours, pushing his body to the limit, but the weight in his chest never lightened."Jake." Lucas’s voice was firm now, cutting through the silence of the woods. "This isn’t going to change anything."Jake skidded to a halt, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His brother’s figure emerged from the darkness, arms crossed, his expression unreadable."What do you want me to do?" Jake snapped, straightening up. "Sit inside and pretend everything’s fine? Because it’s not."Lucas let out a long sigh. "I never said it was. But exhausting yourself isn’t going to make it any easier."Jake wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head. "I don’t know how to dea
Jake flinched slightly but said nothing. Lucas remained calm, though his grip on the edge of the table tightened. "I’m not asking you to forget," Lucas said evenly. "I just want to talk." Lila tilted her head, studying him. "Talk?" she echoed. "Alright, let’s talk." She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering. "Are you sorry for killing Anthony?" The question hit the room like a knife to the throat. Jake’s breath hitched, his fingers twitching against the table. Lucas didn’t move. For a long moment, he simply stared at Lila, his expression unreadable. Then, his jaw tensed. "No." Lila’s lips pressed together, and a cold, bitter smile touched her face. "Of course not." Jake shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between them. "Lila—" She held up a hand, silencing him. Her attention remained on Lucas. "I just wanted to hear you say it. Just in case I had any doubt left." Lucas inhaled slowly. "You asked for the truth." "And I got it," she murmured. She pushed h
Lucas didn’t flinch at Lila’s words, but the weight of them settled in the air between them. "Are you sorry for killing Anthony?" she asked again, her voice sharp, unyielding. Lucas exhaled through his nose, his expression unreadable. "I regret that he was your father," he said evenly. "But I don’t regret killing him." Lila’s nails dug into the edge of the table. "That’s not an answer." "It’s the truth," Lucas replied. "I won’t lie to make this easier." Lila let out a bitter laugh. "Easier? You think any of this is easy?" Jake’s eyes flicked between them, his grip on his fork tightening. He had known this conversation would be brutal, but he hadn’t expected it to feel like this—like something irreparable was breaking between them. Lucas met Lila’s glare head-on. "I avenged my parents. I did what had to be done." Her chest rose and fell with shaky breaths. "And what about me, Lucas? Did it ever cross your mind what would happen to me? That you weren’t just killing a man
Jake exhaled, rubbing his temples as the silence stretched between them. "What if she never comes back?" Lucas didn't answer right away. He stared at the door, his expression unreadable. Jake leaned forward, his voice tight. "I mean it, Lucas. What if she decides we’re not worth it?" Lucas’s grip tightened on the edge of the table. "She won’t." "You don’t know that," Jake shot back. "She just walked out. What if she keeps walking?" Lucas shook his head, his voice firm. "She won’t." Jake let out a bitter laugh. "And how can you be so sure? After everything we’ve put her through?" Lucas finally turned to him, his gaze steady. "Because no matter how much she fights it, she feels the bond just as much as we do." Jake looked away, doubt clouding his features. "I don’t know, man… she seemed pretty damn sure she wanted nothing to do with us." Lucas leaned forward. "She’s angry. She’s in pain. But that doesn’t mean she’s gone for good." Jake shook his head. "And what if sh
"You don’t belong here." Lila flinched, the voice from her past echoing through her mind like a cruel reminder. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor, her hands gripping the sheets. The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with silence, but inside her head, memories roared like a storm. "He’s gone. There’s nothing left for you here." Her breathing hitched. She could still remember the orphanage’s cold hallways, the way they dragged her away from the only home she had known. Anthony had promised her forever, but forever had been ripped from her hands the moment he was killed. She squeezed her eyes shut, her chest tightening. “No one wants a girl like you.” She forced a deep breath, pushing back against the weight of those words, but they clung to her like shadows. Even now, sitting in the safety of her room, surrounded by walls that weren’t hers, she felt like an intruder in her own life. Her gaze flickered to the mirror on the dresser. Her reflection stared b
LILA POV When I finally woke up, I noticed that the sun was already high in the sky, meaning it was sometime in the afternoon. The steady beeping of machines around me sent an uncomfortable reminder of my past experiences in hospitals."Don't do that," Lucas's sharp voice cut through the silence just as I moved to take off the oxygen mask strapped to my face. The mask felt suffocating, and I wanted it gone. I turned my head slightly and saw him sitting nearby, a stack of papers in his hands, his expression dark and unreadable.Despite his warning, I didn’t hesitate. I reached up and removed the mask, ignoring the disapproving growl he let out. The moment the mask was off, I inhaled deeply, testing my breathing. Everything felt normal. As I focused on how my body felt, I became aware of movement beside me. Lucas had shifted, closing the distance between us."Put it back on," he urged, his tone firm."I'm fine," I insisted, frowning at him."You weren’t last night," he countered, his vo
Lila POV By the time I stirred awake, the afternoon sun was already streaming through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. The quiet hum of medical equipment surrounded me, an unsettling reminder of past hospital stays that I’d rather forget. "Leave that alone," Lucas’s voice cut through the silence just as I reached up to remove the oxygen mask strapped to my face. His tone was sharp, laced with something I couldn’t quite place—worry, perhaps? I turned my head toward him, finding him seated nearby, his fingers gripping a stack of papers. His expression was unreadable, but the tightness in his jaw told me enough. I ignored his warning, pulling the mask away from my face anyway. A deep breath filled my lungs, reassuring me that I could breathe just fine. Lucas let out a low growl of disapproval, but he didn’t try to stop me. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, closing the space between us. "Put it back on," he ordered, his voice quieter this time but still firm. "I
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
Lila froze.The crimson dot shimmered against her coat, small but deadly. Her breath caught in her throat, her muscles wound tight. Not a single sound echoed behind her—no footsteps, no shouts, no signs of the guards or her brothers intervening. Just that quiet, icy stillness and the whine of wind over rusted steel.Where are you, Arika? she thought, pulse hammering.She didn’t raise her hands. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared up at the ridge. “You’re not going to shoot me,” she said, her voice even despite the cold in her spine. “If you were, you already would have.”A long beat of silence. Then a laugh—faint, hollow, metallic.The laser dot vanished.Lila exhaled slowly. Her hand dropped to her side, fingers brushing the outline of her weapon, but she didn’t draw it. That would only escalate things. She was here for answers, not war. Still, her unease grew by the second. Not because of the target on her chest.But because her wolf was silent.Utterly.Painfully.Silent.Why ar
Through the Snow:"You're seriously doing this now? In this weather?" Jake's voice was low but taut, his breath misting in the cold air.Lila didn’t flinch. "The message said tomorrow. It’s already morning. Waiting is not an option."Lucas glanced toward the gray sky, his jaw flexing. "Visibility’s down to nothing. If this is a trap—""Then I’d rather spring it on my terms," Lila cut in, her arms crossed beneath her coat. The biting wind whipped strands of her dark hair across her face, but she stood her ground at the mouth of the estate garage, eyes fierce beneath the gloom."You’re making a mistake," Jake muttered, zipping up his jacket. "We could wait an hour. Maybe the snow will break."Lila turned to him. "Or maybe Arika will take the servers offline in that hour. We don’t know what she’s capable of anymore. We can’t afford to gamble."The heavy garage doors groaned open behind them, revealing three armed guards preparing the convoy. The steel-blue SUV at the front revved to life
Lila's fingers twitched restlessly against her thigh, the room tightening around her as the conversation spiraled deeper into familiar but no less agonizing territory."If you come," she said, her voice breaking against the lump in her throat, "if either of you are seen—Arika could destroy everything. She won't hesitate, Lucas. You don't know her like I do."Lucas exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees. His gaze cut into her with razor precision, but there was no anger there. Only relentless, painful patience."I know you think she's a monster," Lucas said slowly. "But even monsters hesitate when they have something they value."Jake nodded, standing just behind Lucas like a second pillar of quiet strength. "She won't destroy the servers. She’s desperate for them. She made that clear when she sent you that message.""You’re wrong," Lila whispered, shaking her head. Her heart banged painfully against her ribs, desperate to be heard. "You’re both w
The clock ticked forward, dragging them closer to sunset, closer to whatever fate waited at the abandoned harbor.---"You’re not going alone," Lucas said flatly, his voice sharp enough to slice through steel.Lila flinched at the force of it but said nothing, fingers tightening around the hem of her jacket."I second that," Jake added, stepping in front of her, effectively boxing her between them. His expression was grim, his posture bristling with protective energy. "This isn’t up for negotiation, Lila."She opened her mouth to argue but found no words ready on her tongue. Their eyes burned into her, filled with something fiercer than anger—fear. Not for themselves. For her."I have to go alone," she whispered hoarsely, but it sounded weak even to her own ears.Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, a living wall of defiance. "Over my dead body."Jake didn’t speak this time—he didn’t have to. His glower said it all.Lila bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood, frustr