LOGINMILLIE'S POVThe estate felt too quiet without Braham.I stood by the window in the living room, staring out at the manicured grounds while my mind replayed the look on his face before he left. Tension. Worry. That flash of gold in his eyes that I was starting to recognize meant his wolf was close to the surface.Politics can be more dangerous than claws.I'd said it without thinking, but now the words haunted me. What was happening at that Council meeting? Were they really questioning his leadership because of me?"Mama?" Leo's small voice pulled me from my thoughts. He stood in the doorway, his dragon book tucked under his arm. "Is Braham okay?"I forced a smile and crossed the room to kneel in front of him. "He's fine, baby. He just had to go take care of some important work.""Alpha work?"My breath caught. Leo had started using that word more often lately; ‘Alpha.’ Like he understood something I didn't. Like some instinct told him what Braham really was."Yes. Alpha work." I kiss
BRAHAM'S POVWe were all in the car comforting Millie when my phone didn't just vibrate…it screamed through the pack bond.Not a physical sound. A pressure. A demand that made every instinct in me go rigid.I felt it before I saw the messages: twelve notifications from Gabriel, my Head Sentinel. Four from different pack Alphas under my jurisdiction. And one…the one that made my jaw clench…from the Council of Elders.Emergency session called. Your presence is REQUIRED. In the next two hours.Millie stood beside me, still processing the first section of Martha's hearing, her hand unconsciously rubbing her arm where the already healing injury from Sabrina’s attack peeked out from under her sleeve."She looked so smug," she said quietly, staring at the courthouse doors. "Even in handcuffs, Martha looked at me like she'd already won."I wanted to pull her close. Wanted to tell her that Martha had already lost everything. But the pack bond was crackling with tension, and I could feel millio
MILLIE'S POVAfter the short break, we returned to the courtroom. The second session felt heavier somehow, like the testimonies from the first had set something in motion that couldn't be stopped."The prosecution calls Daniel Chen," Hayes announced.A man in his early forties entered…average height… he kinda looked familiar, and his nervousness was obvious. His hands shook slightly as he was sworn in."Mr. Chen, what is your profession?""I'm a private investigator.""And did Martha Harvey hire you?""Yes. A few months back." He wouldn't look at Martha. "She paid me five thousand dollars to track Ms. Harvey's movements and document when she took her son to the park.""Did you know what she planned to do with this information?""She said..." He swallowed hard. "She said she just wanted to talk to Ms. Harvey. To try to reconcile. I swear, I didn't know she was going to try to take the kid.""But you did observe Ms. Harvey's routine?""Yes. For two weeks, I documented when she went to R
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR — Martha’s case preliminary MILLIE'S POVThe courthouse felt suffocating despite its high ceilings and large windows.I sat in the gallery between Braham and Callie, watching as Martha was led into the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, and she looked thinner than I remembered. Hollower. But when her eyes found mine, the hatred there was still very much alive."All rise," the bailiff announced. "The Honorable Judge Catherine Marshall presiding."We stood as the judge entered…a woman in her sixties with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor."Please be seated. We're here for the preliminary hearing in the case of The State versus Martha Harvey. Charges include attempted kidnapping of a minor, child endangerment, and stalking." Judge Marshall looked at Martha. "How does the defendant plead?"Martha's lawyer…a tired-looking public defender named Kevin Foster…stood. "Not guilty, Your Honor.""Noted. Mr. Hayes, you may proceed with
BRAHAM'S POVFOUR YEARS EARLIER— BARCELONA The November air in Barcelona carried the salt-sweet scent of the Mediterranean. I stood in the shadows across from the third-floor apartment, hands shoved deep in my pockets.11:47 PM. The lights were still on.Through the sheer curtains, I could see her moving…Millie-Rose, around 5-6 months pregnant, one hand pressed to her lower back. Even from this distance, I could see the exhaustion in her posture.Cross the street, my wolf Vorn snarled. Go to her. She's our mate. She's carrying our pup."We can't," I whispered into the darkness.Because three months ago in Mexico, she'd left me a note: Stop looking for me. I'll return when I'm ready. — MillieSo I'd stopped hunting. Stopped tracking. But I couldn't stop this…weekly check-ins from a distance, making sure she was safe.The bedroom light flickered on. I watched her shadow move across the curtains, preparing for bed."Sleep well," I murmured. "Both of you."My phone buzzed. Diego Martinez
CALLIE'S POVA few days after the phone recovery confirmation, Renan and I sat in his apartment organizing evidence files for Will Reid.It felt strangely domestic…me curled up on his couch with my laptop, him at the dining table with stacks of financial records spread out, both of us working in comfortable silence.This was what being together looked like. Not just the passionate moments, but this: quiet collaboration, shared purpose, choosing to spend our time side by side."These payment records are interesting," Renan said, flipping through bank statements. "Sabrina worked for June for years. Steady fifty-dollar weekly payments from 2000 all the way through early 2004."I pulled up the spreadsheet Millie had shared with us…the one from her mother's locked filing cabinets. "Right. Legitimate household assistant wages. Nothing suspicious there.""But then look at this." He slid over another set of documents. "Starting in January 2004, there's a separate set of payments. All marked w







