Vienna's POV Would I be a terrible person if I admit that I knew something was wrong the moment we came back to the pack?Gemini had always been dramatic, but this sweetness… this breathy voice and fragile hands, all of this felt too rehearsed. The healers bought into it quickly, convinced she was traumatized and clinging to the only family she remembered: me.But despite their insistence that I should interact with her, more and more often, I stayed away. I let the maid take her food, and asked Fynn or Kai to check in when needed. I didn’t trust her… not anymore… and thankfully, my mates didn’t question my instincts this time. I wasn't sure if their patience was going to run out anytime soon, but I was grateful for it now. That made it easier to breathe… at least for a while.But Gemini wasn’t blind. She noticed my absence, and instead of breaking down quietly, she turned it into full performance.Over the next few days, she started whispering to the healers, just simple things l
Vienna’s POVThe sky above the mountains was bright, shining with hues of peach and hints of lavender, as the last traces of sunlight dipped behind the peaks. I was standing barefoot on the wooden balcony, cradling a mug of hot cocoa in both hands. The breeze was cool, brushing my skin like a whisper, and behind me, soft notes of an ongoing discussion between Kai and Fynn were drifting faintly from the living room. Everything felt peaceful, even suspiciously so. But I pushed the thought away, choosing instead to soak in the moment where there were just the three of us, our sanctuary in the clouds.I smiled into my cup. Maybe we deserved this break more than I had admitted to myself, or even realised. Fynn had pulled me out of my spiral that night, and Kai… he had made me feel like I was the only thing he saw when he looked at me. I hadn't felt this seen in weeks.I turned, just as Kai stepped outside, phone pressed to his ear, eyes suddenly dark and clouded over. My stomach clenc
Vienna’s POVThe sheets were still twisted around my legs, and Kai’s hand rested low on my hip, heavy and warm, keeping me tethered in that drowsy space between sleep and memory. I didn’t want to move. My body ached in the most delicious way, the kind of ache that reminded you exactly who you belonged to, and how thoroughly they had claimed you.I drifted somewhere between dreams until I felt lips… soft at first, then firmer, urgent. A hand cradled my jaw as another traced my ribcage, and the kiss deepened with unmistakable hunger.My eyes fluttered open.Fynn.His mouth moved over mine like he was starving, like the hours he’d been gone had driven him half-mad. His stubble scratched my skin in the best way, and his tongue teased mine until I whimpered into his mouth.“Good morning again, sweetheart,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to let me breathe.“Mmm,” I managed, dazed and still half-asleep. “You were supposed to be back by lunch.”“It is lunch,” he said, voice low and wa
Vienna's POV:The hum of the engine soothed something in me. The road curled like a ribbon through the pine-swept slopes, and the air outside the windows turned crisper with every mile. Fynn drove, one hand lazily on the wheel, the other resting on the gear stick, fingers tapping to some quiet rhythm in his head. Kai sat beside me in the backseat, his thigh brushing mine every time we turned. It wasn’t accidental. It hadn’t been accidental for the last hundred miles.“Almost there…”Fynn said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. His smile was quiet but full of promise.I smiled back, not trusting my voice. I’d known something was coming. This trip wasn’t just about escaping. This was about something they hadn’t said yet. Something I’d felt simmering for days beneath their glances, their touches, the too-long silences.The mountain rose in the distance like a secret kept too long. Its white crown shimmered under the setting sun, streaks of amber and rose gold painting the snow. I l
Vienna's POV:No matter how many times they tried to reassure me, my heart refused to calm.Fynn and Kai stood on either side of me, their voices gentle, their words like soft hands trying to hold together something that had already cracked. But the storm inside me was louder. Every logical argument they made bounced off the walls of my panic, useless and weightless. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply, irreversibly wrong.Finally, they exchanged a look. That silent decision passed between them before Fynn said, “Come on. Let’s go see her.”“She’s leaving soon,” Kai added. “Maybe seeing that will help settle your mind.”I didn’t argue. I didn’t trust myself to speak. I just followed them, my steps mechanical, my hands cold at my sides.When we reached the front of the house, Gemini was already there. A couple of her bags were neatly stacked beside the door. She was talking to the healers with unusual energy, her eyes bright, her face flushed with excitement. As soon
Vienna's POV:That afternoon, everything moved faster than I could track. Gemini was being moved out of our house, formally, this time. But for that, they needed to bring her back to gather her belongings. The healers had arrived, their expressions firm but polite, ready to escort her to her room and then to the specially prepared house which Fynn had arranged, where she would remain under their care and supervision at all times. This time, when Gemini would step through the doors, Kai and Fynn stood beside me, unwavering, like my pillars of strength. Meanwhile, Zeke was standing in front of me, arms crossed and his little face set in a grim line. For the first time in days, maybe even weeks, I didn’t feel like I had to be the one shielding myself. They were here… they had finally seen her mask slip. And they weren’t brushing it aside anymore.When the door opened and Gemini stepped inside, something in my spine straightened. Not out of fear… no, this wasn’t fear anymore. It was i