Alaina POVAdrian’s hand wrapped around mine, his touch warm yet uncertain, like he was testing the weight of what had just passed between us. For a fleeting moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, a glimpse of vulnerability that quickly disappeared behind the usual firmness in his gaze.I took a small step back, gently pulling my hand from his grasp, trying to steady my breathing and quiet the chaos in my mind.It was fine, I told myself. I did not need him to like me in that way. I only needed him to trust me as a worker in his pack, nothing more. If he trusted me, I would have a place here, a place where I could finally belong without fear.But it was the lie that stung the most. The way he had looked at me before, the softness in his eyes, the words that had felt like they were meant for me alone, all of it had been nothing but a carefully constructed illusion. And I had fallen for it, foolishly allowing myself to believe that I coul
Adrian POVThe morning air felt heavier as we set out for the Coastal Region, the sky above gray and unwilling to break into dawn’s usual warmth. Issac, Lucious, and I were heading there to finalize our alliance with The Huntington Pack, but none of us could ignore the tension pressing down on us like an invisible weight. Their recent silence, the rumors of their possible involvement in the strange attacks on our pack—everything had twisted into a knot in the pit of my stomach.When we arrived at the border of their territory, a suffocating stillness greeted us. There were no howls echoing in the distance, no scents of warriors marking the land, no patrols standing guard. It was as if the entire territory had been swallowed by a void.Lucious broke the silence first, disbelief edging his words. “I didn’t expect it to be like this.”I glanced at him, trying to understand what he saw that I didn’t. “What do you mean?”Issac’s hand tightened
Alaina’s POV“Nothing else to discuss.”Adrian’s words fell like a stone between us, heavy and final, draining the hope I had carried into his office that maybe, just maybe, we could clear the awkward tension hanging between us since yesterday.“We’ve already gone over everything,” he continued, adjusting the strap of his bag as he prepared to leave. “We’re visiting another pack, and that’s that.”“Can’t I come with you?” The words burst out before I could stop them, louder than I intended, leaving me exposed as heat rushed to my cheeks.His eyes flicked to mine, and for a moment, silence pressed in, the air charged with something I couldn’t name. My work had consumed me these past few days, and I hadn’t even managed to find Grace to talk through everything weighing on me. Maybe that was why the words had slipped out so easily.Adrian stepped closer, and I saw the corner of his lips twitch with a hint of a smile that made so
Adrian’s POVLucious had called me into the private room, his expression tense, eyes darting toward the monitors displaying our ongoing communications with the Huntington Pack.“Something’s off,” he said, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “The Huntington Pack isn’t replying to our messages anymore. Even when they do, it’s cold, almost mechanical, like it’s not their Alpha sending them.”His voice was strained, and the unease in the air felt like a storm about to break.I stepped closer, scanning the screen, noting the cold, clipped responses and, in some cases, no responses at all. Silence from the Huntington Pack was dangerous, and we both knew it.“Do you think this is something we need to worry about?” Lucious pressed, trying to gauge my reaction.“Yes,” I replied, my voice firm, cutting through his uncertainty. “Everything feels connected, especially to that unusual movement we detected in the woods. This isn’t random.”
Alaina’s POV“Adrian…” The name slipped from my lips, so soft I barely recognized my own voice. Disbelief clung to every syllable as I stared at him, trying to process the look in his eyes.His jaw tightened, the muscle flickering beneath his skin as he clenched it. “I want to be the first person who truly knows you, Alaina. I want to see what you’re hiding behind those eyes.”His words struck me like a quiet storm, leaving me rooted to the spot, unable to speak for a moment. When I found my voice, it came out weak and unsure. “You’re making it hard for me to know what to say,” I whispered, trying to keep my hands from shaking. “I can’t return the feelings you’re talking about. You think I’m different because you’re feeling something you’ve never felt before, but I… I don’t feel that way about you.”A part of me wondered if that was a lie, but I shoved the thought away.Adrian opened his mouth as if to argue, but I cut in quickly, tr
Cole’s POV“Don’t feed me lies!” I roared, grabbing whatever I could reach and flinging it across the chamber. The echo of glass shattering against the walls was the only answer, until Grace’s small whimpers broke through, her hands pressed desperately against her ears, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.“Take your hands off your ears, Grace,” I commanded, my voice rough with the fury burning through me. She hesitated, trembling, before slowly lowering her hands, her eyes wide and glistening with fear.“I’m sorry, Alpha,” she whispered, her voice shaking but her back still straight, her resolve refusing to break. “You will see the truth, just as I did. You don’t even realize who she truly is.”“That’s enough, Grace,” I snapped, cutting her off with a glare sharp enough to silence any further protest. She swallowed hard, her lips pressing into a thin line as she lowered her gaze.“You’ve ruined everything,” I hissed, pinching the br