Tristan's POVI adjusted my posture as the two brothers approached, careful to school my expression into something neutral. Inside, I was annoyed churning in my chest. I didn't want to even glance them, I hated them so much. I'd already pieced together the truth about Mia's living situation, and the knowledge left a bitter taste in my mouth.The fact that she lived with them—Xavier and Rolex—was infuriating enough, but learning that they bullied her? That they hated her because her mother married with their father? It was disgusting. How could they even bully her? Fucking, they are alphas and still behave like freaking rogues. None of it was her fault, and yet they treated her like she was a stain on their perfect lives. She was already innocent like a petal, her eyes reflects her innocence and purity. That's how badly she was stuck in this mess. She was the girl, who couldn't even think of hurting a butterfly, so how could she be treated like a slave?Though, I hated them before I kn
Mia’s POVThe whispers followed me as I walked through the hallways, but something was different this time. There were no sneers, no insults spat in my direction. The usual taunts that had become a part of my daily routine were oddly absent.The silence wasn’t comforting, though. It felt strange, unsettling even, but I couldn’t deny the small bubble of relief that formed in my chest.By the time I reached my locker, I let out a soft murmur to myself. “At least one thing they did right.”I was sure this was my stepbrothers’ doing. Maybe their overbearing nature had finally worked in my favor. The bullies who had tormented me every day for months now avoided my gaze, whispering only among themselves. It didn’t matter how it happened; it was one less thing to worry about.As the day wore on, I found myself glancing at the clock more often than usual. My stomach churned with nervous energy, anticipation bubbling beneath the surface. By the time the final bell rang, I was nearly running ou
MIA’S POVPanic clawed at my chest as the car teetered on the edge of the cliff, the gravel beneath the tires shifting with every passing second. My hands gripped the edge of the seat so tightly that my nails dug into the fabric. The world around me blurred as fear consumed me, and my mind raced with desperate thoughts.I screamed, calling out for help. “Help me!”But when I looked outside, my heart shattered further. None of them—Nathan, Sean, Xavier, or Rolex—made any attempt to help me. They stood a few feet away, their focus on checking themselves over, brushing dirt off their clothes and arguing among themselves.Tears spilled down my cheeks as hopelessness set in. I was on the verge of giving up. They don’t care. They never did.My mind spiraled as I realized the truth I’d been avoiding for so long. I was nothing to them. Just an inconvenience, a reminder of a mother they hated. If I died here, if the car slipped over the edge, would they even care? Would they mourn? No. They wo
Tristan’s POVI drove away from the scene with one thought in mind—putting as much distance between us and her stepbrothers as possible. I could see their figures shrinking in the rearview mirror, and I knew they didn’t have enough time to shift and chase after me. Speed was my only advantage, and I wasn’t about to lose it.Mia was slumped in the passenger seat, unconscious. Her face was pale, and her breathing shallow, but steady. I glanced at her every few seconds, my chest tightening at the sight of her injuries. Blood from a cut on her forehead had dried, and she looked so fragile, so breakable, that it made my wolf restless.When we finally reached my pack’s territory, I didn’t waste a second. Pulling up to the main house, I rushed to her side of the car and carefully lifted her into my arms. She felt lighter than I remembered, as though she’d been carrying more than just physical weight.“Get the pack doctor here immediately,” I ordered as soon as I entered the house. My beta no
MIA’S POVI opened my eyes slowly, my vision blurry as the ceiling above me came into focus. The soft, familiar scent of pine and something earthy surrounded me, and it didn’t take long to realize where I was. This was the same room Tristan had brought me to before.For a moment, I lay still, the events from earlier rushing back to me like a flood. The car teetering on the cliff. The brothers laughing as I begged for help. The way they mocked me even after pulling the car back. And then Tristan… Tristan saving me.My heart raced as the memory of it all made my chest tighten.The sound of the door opening startled me, and I sat up abruptly, my pulse spiking. Tristan stepped into the room, his gaze immediately locking onto mine.“It’s just me,” Tristan said as he stepped inside.“You’re awake,” he said, walking toward the bed.I exhaled shakily, trying to calm the panic rising in my chest. He walked closer, his movements steady but careful, as though he didn’t want to startle me.“You’r
NATHAN’S POVIt took hours, but we finally tracked down where Tristan had taken her. Tristan’s new pack house wasn’t exactly a secret, but it wasn’t easy to get the information we needed without raising questions. By the time we left the bar, another car had been delivered to replace the one we wrecked earlier.The drive was tense, and I could feel the weight of my brothers’ stares on me. Rolex, sitting in the passenger seat, was the first to break the silence, glaring at me through the rearview mirror.“This is all your fault,” he snapped, his frustration barely contained.Xavier, sitting beside me in the backseat, shook his head in disapproval. “You shouldn’t have pushed her so far. She wouldn’t have run if you hadn’t pulled that stunt with the car.”I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the seat. “Spare me the lecture. You’re the ones who let her slip through our fingers. If you’d been paying attention, we wouldn’t be chasing after her like this.”“Don’t put this on us,” Rolex re
Mia's POVI opened my eyes slowly, my body still weak, but my mind racing with the realization that they were here. My stepbrothers had come for me, and the thought of what they might do sent a wave of panic through me. I could hear the muffled sounds of their raised voices outside the room, growing louder with each passing moment.My heart pounded as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the sharp sting of the IV pulling at my arm. I winced but didn’t stop, gripping the tubing and yanking it free. Blood welled up at the small puncture site, but I ignored it, my only thought being to get out before this turned into something worse.I knew Nathan. I knew how far he would go to prove a point, and with Tristan standing in their way, this could end in violence—maybe even a full-blown pack war. I couldn’t let that happen.The door creaked open, and I froze, caught halfway between the bed and the door. Nathan leaned against the doorframe, his smirk as sharp as ever.“Running away again?”
Mia's POVI took the chance; and quickly open the car door. I ran toward him, my legs moving faster than I thought possible. His arms opened wide, and I stumbled into his strong embrace, the tension in my body easing just slightly. He pulled back to examine me, his sharp eyes scanning my face, lingering on the bruise forming on my temple and the dried blood near my hairline.“You’re hurt,” he said, his gaze hardening as he looked past me toward my stepbrothers.“I’ll be fine,” I whispered.Diego’s expression softened, and he placed a hand gently on my shoulder. “You don’t need to cry anymore, Mia. I know what they’ve done to you. Everything.”The weight of his words hit me like a tidal wave, and the tears I had been holding back spilled over. “You know?” I managed to say.He nodded. “I’ve been hearing whispers about their behavior, but I didn’t act fast enough. For that, I owe you an apology.” His hand tightened slightly on my shoulder, his expression filled with regret. “You’re my re
Mia's POVThe world was white and quiet.A soft beeping, the faint scent of antiseptic, and the heaviness of my body all told me one thing—I was in a hospital. My thoughts swam lazily through a fog, struggling to piece together how I'd gotten here.The last thing I remember was... pain. So much pain. And their faces, watching me fall.I blinked open my eyes slowly, wincing at the harsh fluorescent light. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck, every muscle protesting as I tried to shift position."Mia!" Daisy's voice broke into my haze, and before I knew it, she was gripping my hand, her eyes wide with worry. "Oh, thank the Goddess, you're awake."I tried to speak but choked on the dryness in my throat. My tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth, and panic flashed through me as memories started flooding back."The… baby?" I whispered, barely getting the words out. Please, please let my baby be okay.She sat on the edge of the bed, brushing a few strands of h
Mia's POVI drifted back to consciousness slowly, like swimming up from deep water. The first thing I registered was the softness beneath me and a scent I knew intimately—cedarwood and mint. My eyes flew open as my heart skipped painfully.This is my old room. Our room. How did I get here?Confusion flooded through me as I took in the familiar surroundings—the pale blue walls, my favorite quilt folded at the foot of the bed, my dog-eared books still lined up on the shelf. Nothing had changed, yet everything had.Did they bring me back here? Why would they do that after everything that happened?My hand moved instinctively to my stomach, fingers spreading protectively over the tiny life growing within me. The memories of what happened before I passed out came rushing back—the cruel laughter, the humiliation, the feeling of my knees against the hard floor as they forced me to crawl.My baby felt that. All that stress, that fear. I should have been stronger.I sat up carefully, wincing a
MIA’S POV"Why are you here?" Sean asked.His voice cut through me like he was addressing a stranger who'd wandered in off the street. Not the woman he'd held in his arms countless nights. Not the woman he'd whispered promises to in the dark.How can he look at me that way? Like I'm nothing to him? The music died suddenly. Everyone turned to stare, drinks paused midway to lips, conversations hanging unfinished in the air. I felt their eyes crawling over me—soaking wet from the rain, hair plastered to my face, chest heaving with each ragged breath."You're seriously asking me that?" My voice came out stronger than I felt. I took a step forward, then another. "Are you all completely insane? Your father just died, and you're throwing a damn party like nothing happened?"They should be grieving. We all should be. Instead, they're celebrating while I'm carrying their child alone.A few guests shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances. Others watched with barely concealed interest, like th
Mia's POVRain hammered against my skin, each droplet another reminder of how completely alone I was. I hugged my knees tighter to my chest, the sodden grass beneath me had long since soaked through my jeans. My gaze remained fixed on the pack house gates, watching, waiting, hoping against hope that someone—anyone—would emerge and tell me this was all some cruel misunderstanding.No one came.Minutes stretched into hours. The darkness deepened around me, but nothing compared to the void growing inside my chest. I couldn't stop replaying their words in my head, those sweet promises that had once meant everything:"You're safe with us, Mia.""We'll protect you with our lives.""You're our mate—our forever."The memory of their voices twisted the knife deeper. How easily they'd cast me aside, as if those vows had been nothing but convenient lies. As if I had been nothing.When the first light of dawn broke through the clouds, something inside me finally broke too. My body protested as I
Mia's POVQuiet spread over my skin like winter cold, each moment that passed without them touching me making me colder than before. After being together, it should have felt warm—it always did before—but something had changed. The air in the room felt wrong. Heavy. Final.My body still felt the touch of their hands, my skin marked with signs of what we'd just shared. Sweat cooling on my skin. Hair messy from their hold. The familiar ache between my legs that usually made me feel good now left me empty.I waited for what always came next. Sean's rough hands moving over my hip, his touch both owning and soft. Rolex pushing hair behind my ear, whispering dirty promises about next time. Xavier's rough lips pressing against my head, his voice a deep "Good girl" that always made me feel like I belonged.Instead, they stood up. Put their clothes on. And walked away.The bed moved as Nathan got up last, his warmth leaving me. I reached for him without thinking, my fingers touching his wrist.
Mia’s POVI didn't even recognize myself anymore. The walls that once held laughter and warmth were nothing but cold reminders of what I had lost. And still… I stayed. Even after everything. Even after they humiliated me. Ignored me. Disrespected me.Three percent. That's all I am now. Three percent of the woman I used to be. Three percent courage. Three percent hope. Three percent fool.Because maybe if I loved them harder, Maybe if I gave them everything, They would remember that I was once their everything too.I cooked their favorite dishes—like muscle memory, chopping, seasoning, stirring with trembling hands. The scent filled the kitchen, nostalgic and painful all at once.Two and a half percent now. Fading with every dish they won't eat. Every effort they won't see.The table was set perfectly, candles lit just like before. I'd spent hours making Xavier's favorite lasagna with the extra cheese he always requested. Nathan's garlic bread, crisp and golden. Sean's whiskey-glazed s
MIA'S POV"How could you?" I screamed, voice shaking as I stared at the man who raised me, the man I once trusted more than anything.My father didn't even flinch. He sat there behind his desk, the same way he always did—calm, detached, untouchable.I'm down to just fragments of myself now. Three percent. That's all that's left of who I used to be."Answer me!" I cried, fists balled at my sides. "How could you kill Alpha Diego? How could you ruin everything I had left?!"His expression didn't waver. Not once."He deserved it," he said bluntly, voice like ice. "For stealing my wife, your mother, and for everything else he took from me."The room spun. My stomach twisted in knots so tight I thought I might collapse.Three percent of my heart still beating. Three percent of my soul still fighting. That's all I am now.I stumbled back a step, clutching the edge of the desk like it might hold me together."He's dead because you couldn't let go of your fucking pride?" I hissed. "You destroy
Mia's POVThe audacity. The fucking audacity.I was still adjusting the silver trim of my dress in the mirror when I heard raised voices from downstairs—feminine, dramatic, and laced with just the right amount of venom that made my claws itch. Something in my chest tightened immediately. That particular tone, that specific cadence—it triggered memories I'd tried to bury.As I stepped down the stairs, my stomach dropped.Laura and Scarlett.Oh, hell no.Of all the days, of all the moments they could reappear in my life, they choose now? When I'm already raw with grief? My long-lost, karma-dodging cousins stood front and center like it wasn't them who once nearly got me killed. Like it wasn't them who orchestrated one of the most brutal betrayals of my life. Like they weren't the reason I was kicked out, broken, hated, and alone—until the truth came out and I crawled my way back from the ashes.And now? Now they had the nerve to show up at Alpha Diego's funeral and pretend they belonged
MIA'S POVThe news of Alpha Diego's passing hit me like a physical blow. Standing in Xavier's apartment, watching his strong facade crumble as he received the call, I felt my own heart breaking twice over—once for the man who had shown me kindness when I needed it most, and once for the pain etched across Xavier's face."I'm so sorry," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him as his broad shoulders trembled beneath my touch. His scent, usually warm and comforting, was now tinged with the sharp bite of grief.Xavier pulled away first, his eyes red-rimmed but determined. "We need to go. The others are already at the pack house."I nodded, rushing to dress appropriately. Black dress, simple jewelry—nothing flashy for a day meant for mourning. My fingers fumbled with the zipper, my mind racing with memories of Alpha Diego's hearty laugh, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. The way he'd welcomed me despite everything.The drive to the pack territory stretched endlessly