THIRD PERSON’S POV
The forest was silent, the only sound being the crunch of gravel under Olivia's boots and the soft rustle of leaves as a breeze swept through. The air smelled like pine and danger—two things she should be running from, yet she kept walking forward, the shadows offering a strange kind of comfort.
She could feel him behind her—Dominic. His presence was a living thing. It clung to her like a second skin, hot and unyielding. He hadn’t said a word since they left the bar, but she could sense every breath, every internal war he fought not to reach out and close the distance between them.
Olivia’s mind was chaos. Her thoughts tangled and turned, torn between reason and the dangerous thrum of her mate bond, which had become unbearable. It screamed for her to turn around. It whispered promises of comfort, of belonging, of a love that still lingered beneath the ache.
She hated it.
And she needed it.
The
OLIVIA’S POVI walked in just as the sky began to turn a soft lavender, the first golden rays of morning brushing the tops of trees like a whisper. The front door creaked softly behind me, and for a brief, breathless moment, I stood still—half-hoping, half-dreading that someone would hear me.Thankfully, the house was quiet.James hadn’t noticed. I could hear the faint sound of his snores coming from the guest room. He must’ve fallen asleep after his call.But someone else had noticed.I froze in the hallway when I saw her—my mother—leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed over her chest and a steaming cup of tea in her hand. She didn’t say a word. Her eyes just swept over me, from my tousled hair to the faint marks on my neck and the shirt I’d obviously thrown on in a rush.“Morning,” I whispered, guilt already clawing at my throat.She raised a brow and took a sip
THIRD PERSON’S POVThe forest was silent, the only sound being the crunch of gravel under Olivia's boots and the soft rustle of leaves as a breeze swept through. The air smelled like pine and danger—two things she should be running from, yet she kept walking forward, the shadows offering a strange kind of comfort.She could feel him behind her—Dominic. His presence was a living thing. It clung to her like a second skin, hot and unyielding. He hadn’t said a word since they left the bar, but she could sense every breath, every internal war he fought not to reach out and close the distance between them.Olivia’s mind was chaos. Her thoughts tangled and turned, torn between reason and the dangerous thrum of her mate bond, which had become unbearable. It screamed for her to turn around. It whispered promises of comfort, of belonging, of a love that still lingered beneath the ache.She hated it.And she needed it.The
OLIVIA’S POVI should have known better than to let him come so close.The moment Dominic’s lips crashed against mine, I felt my entire focus shatter like glass. It was supposed to be an act—a desperate ploy to avoid being discovered by Evelyn and Alpha Dorian. But the mate bond didn’t understand logic or timing. It simply awakened and devoured. I could feel him harden, his body heat too close to mine and the meeting of our tongues once again did something to me.Even now, with the danger passed and the two conspirators gone into the night, I couldn’t steady my breath. The phantom of that kiss still clung to me, like a brand I couldn't wipe clean.I tried to step away. "We need to leave before someone else sees us."But Dominic’s hand wrapped around my wrist, gently yet firmly. “Wait.”I turned, fully expecting an apology, or at least a half-hearted excuse. But what I got was him—standing far too close, eyes stormy, breathing shallow.“I need you,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to pull
THIRD PERSON’S POVThe dimly lit bar in the neutral zone buzzed with drunken laughter and off-key music, but Evelyn sat unnaturally still in the booth, her spine rigid as a spike of unease crawled over her skin. Her sharp eyes darted around, scanning the shadows.She stiffened suddenly. A crash from somewhere near the back of the bar made her flinch."Did you hear that?" she asked, voice tight.Alpha Dorian barely looked up from his glass. "It's a bar, Evelyn. Noise happens."Evelyn leaned forward, her voice a low hiss. "I swear I saw Olivia—just for a second, near the corridor."Dorian snorted, clearly unimpressed. "You need to stop. You're so obsessed, you're starting to see her everywhere. Relax. She wouldn’t be dumb enough to follow you here."But Evelyn didn’t relax. If anything, her senses heightened. Something was wrong. She couldn’t explain it, but the prickle along her neck hadn’t faded. In fact, it grew stronger, more insistent. She felt watched."Something’s off," she murmu
OLIVIA’S POVMy heart was hammering in my chest, my breath carefully measured as I pressed myself deeper into the shadows behind the dingy curtain of the bar’s back hallway. From my hidden position, I could still see the corner booth where Evelyn and Alpha Dorian sat, their heads leaned in close as the conversation turned darker and more sinister with every word.“I’m listening,” Evelyn had said, her voice a quiet, venomous promise.My fingers curled into fists. Every instinct in me screamed to stay, to hear what came next. Whatever they were plotting—it was about me. About Dominic. About the pack.But before I could lean in, before I could make out even one more sentence from the snakes sharing secrets over whiskey, the unmistakable stench of stale alcohol and sweat hit me like a wall.I stiffened.“Well, well, what do we have here?”A gruff, slurring voice slithered into my ear. I turned my head just slightly, enough to see him—tall, disheveled, shirt half-open and eyes bloodshot, w
OLIVIA’S POVIt was nearly midnight when the knock came.Soft. Urgent. Almost too light to notice—but I’d always been a light sleeper, especially since the children came back into my life.I opened my eyes, heart already picking up pace. The twins were safe, sleeping soundly in their room, and the house was still. Which meant someone was at my door. Quietly, I slipped out of bed and crept to the entrance.A folded note had been slipped beneath it.I frowned, reaching down to pick it up. The handwriting was scrawled, rushed—but familiar. One of the Omega servants from the main house. I hadn’t spoken to her in a while, but I knew she’d remained loyal to me even after everything that happened.My hands trembled slightly as I unfolded the paper and read:"Evelyn left through the eastern path. She told the guards she needed fresh air, but she’s disguised and carrying a cloak. She’s heading toward the border. Thought you’d want to know. Please be careful."My pulse roared in my ears.The ea