Se connecterRue’s POVI lay in the VIP ward, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling. Percy had arranged the transfer within an hour. While he was briefly away, he had arranged for two security guards to stand outside the door, both from his inner circle.The hallway had been cleared as if a dignitary had arrived rather than a woman with a stitched arm.And when he was back, he had refused to leave. He moved with restrained stiffness due to his injuries, the kind that told me every breath hurt. But he never winced in front of me.The nurse had attempted to check my IV earlier. Percy had stepped forward instinctively.“She should be able to get off the IV in a few minutes,” the nurse had said nervously.
Rue’s POVAlmost as fast as she came, the assassin boarded her own vehicle and left the scene. Percy immediately called for an ambulance afterwards.An hour later, at the hospital, my daughter Iris was tended for. She had a scrape of glass on her right cheek, light enough that it was only cleaned. Other than trauma of the event, she was generally okay.My arm had been cleaned and bandaged, the bullet having passed through without shattering bone. The doctor had called it “minor injury.”I wondered if that word would still feel appropriate if the bullet had landed two inches lower. If it had pierced something essential.If Iris had been watching her mother die instead of being ushered into a waiting room with trembling hands and t
Rue’s POVWe stood near the shoreline now, the surface of the lake reflecting fragments of the evening light.His hands remained at my waist. Mine rested against his chest.In my past, closeness had always carried expectation and obligation. I had once believed that intimacy was something to be endured, like walking across thin ice.This was different.When Percy kissed me again, it wasn’t with hesitation, it was reassuring.His mouth moved against mine slowly, as if exploring a language we were building together from scratch. My breath hitched softly when his fingers traced the curve of my spine, mapping the line with quiet reverence.I deepene
Rue’s POVIris was eight now. It marked survival and growth. Years I had not been certain I would live to witness.She had my eyes, it was remarkable, always scanning the world as if cataloging it. But her smile was freer than mine had ever been at that age. She laughed easily.She stood between Percy and me, holding both our hands as we walked toward the car. She spoke animatedly about the newly built school, about a drawing she had made, about how she thought wolves should be majestic in painting.I had laughed.Percy had crouched down to her level, “Majestic wolves,” he said, “that would be revolutionary.”Iris grinned at him with unfiltered admiration.
Rue’s POVI had almost forgotten what it felt like to be invited somewhere without calculation. Ever since the mutation apocalypse, I had rarely heard of parties.When Vicky called and insisted I attend her small gathering at the mountain lodge, I nearly declined out of instinct. “Just come,” she had said lightly. “Let’s enjoy life for once.”The idea felt foreign, but I went.The lodge sat near the base of the northern range. Patches of snow still clung stubbornly to shaded slopes, while the lower meadows had already surrendered to green. The air smelled of thawing earth.Inside, the atmosphere was warm and conversation drifted easily from one topic to another. With the light laughter that transformed the air, I was glad that no one watched me too closely or no one whispered when I passed.I stood by the window for a short while before Percy joined me eventually. He held two glasses and handed one to me without speaking, his shoulder brushing mine lightly.“This is new,” he observe
Author’s POVAiden’s proposal had been rejected. In the formal letter that had been typed after the meeting cited “insufficient institutional trust,” “limited documented community-level implementation experience,” and “concerns regarding stability of leadership oversight.”They seemed like polite words but they had devastating implications.Aiden stood at the doorway as he read it. His fingers tightened around the paper.He had led patrols, defended borders, and negotiated tough agreements. He had commanded wolves in battle and maintained internal order through the mutation craze. And yet here, in the CDC facility, those victories meant little.They did not trust him. Not after the wedding incident. Not after whispers of plagiarism and concealed conflicts.He exhaled slowly, folding the letter once, then again, until the crisp edges bent unevenly beneath his grip.There was more. The second page outlined the CDC’s decision not to reassign the project to any alternative candidate with
Aiden’s POVIt’s been five years since Rue walked out of my life, since she disappeared with our daughter and took whatever remained of my soul with her. And still, the emptiness refuses to leave me.Time was supposed to numb it. Everyone said it would. That the sting of betrayal would dull, that g
Rue’s POVMy lips curved into a short smile. “If I wanted your attention, Aiden, trust me—I’d have it. And I wouldn’t have to pretend to be anyone else to get it.” I’d just turned to leave when Aiden moved. His arm blocked my path before I could take another step.I stopped, my pulse quickening—no
Aiden's POVHaven's shriek tore through the room like claws across glass, high-pitched and relentless. "We finally have the date set!" she squealed, spinning in front of the mirror like an overexcited pup. Her dress sparkled under the lights as she admired her reflection, completely absorbed in her
Rue’s POV“There is a sickness spreading,” he said gravely. “A virus that preys on our kind. It weakens wolves, stripping them of strength, leaving them fevered, unable to shift. It makes us human.” He paused.“ Even the most skilled healers and witches are powerless. My team and I are trying to fi







