LOGINLana’s POVMoonbathing, I learned quickly, was less mystical ritual and more deliberate stillness.The clearing sat just beyond the houses, a gentle slope of pale grass surrounded by low stone markers that hummed faintly with old magic. Nothing dramatic happened when we arrived. No chanting. No sudden surges of power. Just the moon above us, full and steady, washing everything in silver light that felt oddly intimate, as though it were paying attention.Mara dropped onto the grass first with a satisfied sigh. “I forgot how much I missed this,” she said, stretching her arms over her head. “Actual rest without someone asking me to justify my existence.”Kael sat a little more carefully, folding his long legs and leaning back on his hands. “You say that like it happens often.”“It happens constantly,” Mara replied. “You just aren’t around for most of it.”I lowered myself beside them, letting the cool grass brush my palms. The moment I settled, something in my chest loosened. My wolf did
Lana’s POVThe forest air was crisp as I stepped beyond the lodge’s gates, the moonlight painting the path in silver and black. For the first time since we returned, I felt an urge to wander alone—not out of defiance, but out of necessity. The pack had its routines, and I had mine. I needed to feel the earth beneath my paws, to breathe without the weight of Warren’s presence pressing against every thought.The park surrounding the lodge was vast, a mix of dense woods, open meadows, and winding streams. The scent of pine, damp earth, and wildflowers mingled, pulling at memories I didn’t yet fully remember. Wolves lounged in the distance, shifting between forms, their eyes glimmering in the moonlight. I gave a nod to Mara, who was near the lodge entrance, checking on a small group of scouts. She returned it with a brief smile, then disappeared into the shadows herself.I let the forest swallow me, my senses alert. Each sound—the crack of a twig, the rustle of leaves—reminded me th
Ethan’s POVMy phone rang just as I was stepping out of my office, and the moment I saw my grandmother’s name on the screen, I already knew this wasn’t going to be a short call, because she never called unless something required my attention in person, and the moment I answered, her voice came through steady but firm, telling me there would be a family dinner that evening and that my attendance was not optional in the way she phrased it, which meant it absolutely was not optional at all.I agreed immediately, though my mind was still partly on Eva, because even after the past few days she had been improving, there was still something fragile about her lately that I couldn’t ignore, a kind of quiet exhaustion that didn’t fully leave her even when she smiled, and I found myself checking my phone more often than usual just to make sure she was okay.&nb
Eva’s POVI didn’t even realize how tightly I was holding onto Ethan until my body finally started to give way, as though the moment I felt his arms fully around me something inside me broke loose and refused to stay contained any longer, and the words left my mouth before I could even properly think them through.“I never want to see them again,” I choked out against his chest, my voice trembling as another wave of tears hit me. “I don’t care anymore, I just… I never want to go back there.”Ethan didn’t hesitate for even a second.His arms tightened around me immediately, pulling me closer as though he was trying to physically shield me from whatever had hurt me, and I felt him shift slightly as he lifted me off my feet without warning, carrying me as though I weighed nothing at all.
Eva’s POVThe moment I turned to leave, I thought the worst of it was already behind me, that whatever cruelty had been thrown at me in that office had already reached its peak and there was nothing left that could possibly cut deeper, but then my mother’s voice rose sharply behind me, breaking through the air like something breaking entirely.“I’ve had enough.” My mother yelled. Her words were not just loud, they were sharp enough to freeze my steps mid-motion, and slowly, I turned back around because something in her tone felt different this time, not controlled anger, not frustration, but something unrestrained, something almost venomous.Sarah’s chest was rising and falling rapidly now, her hands clenched at her sides as she stared at me with a kind of hatred I had never fully allowed myself to acknowledge before, and when she spoke again, her voice was louder, more unhinged than before.“You have brought nothing but misfortune into this family,” she shouted, her voice cracking sl
Eva's POVThe moment the words left my mouth, my mother's face twisted with so much anger that I almost expected her to slap me, and for several long seconds she simply stared at me as though she couldn't believe I had actually dared to stand there and refuse them after everything they had just demanded of me.Then she laughed. It wasn't a pleasant laugh. It was cold and filled with resentment."So this is what you've become?" she asked bitterly. "Ungrateful."I looked at her without flinching.For years that word had followed me everywhere in this house, no matter what I did or how hard I tried to earn even the smallest bit of approval from them, and hearing it now didn't hurt nearly as much as it once would have."I've become exactly what all of you raised me to be," I replied calmly.She frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?""It means you've spent my entire life treating me like an outsider." I gritted at her and the room fell quiet. I continued before anyone could interrupt me
Eva's POV I looked across the ballroom and saw the exact moment reality finally settled onto Livia’s face. She had a on of horror on her face. For the first time that night, she looked completely defeated sitting beside Tiffany while whispers spread throughout the ballroom like wildfire. The smug
Third person's POV The ballroom remained wrapped in tension even after Eva lowered her paddle. People immediately began whispering louder amongst themselves while several guests exchanged knowing looks. To most of them, her hesitation confirmed exactly what they had suspected from the beginning.S
Third person's POV The silence Tiffany’s challenge created did not disappear immediately. In fact, it only grew heavier.The ballroom remained unusually quiet as dozens of eyes shifted toward Eva, waiting for some kind of reaction. Even the auctioneer looked hesitant to continue while the atmosphe
Eva's POV.The auction officially began a few minutes later, and gradually the noise inside the ballroom softened into a more controlled atmosphere.Large circular tables filled the hall elegantly while soft golden lights reflected against crystal glasses and polished silverware. At the front of th







