ANDREA’S POV
It was official—there was something horribly wrong with me.
Here I was, standing in front of the perfect, most amazing man who loved and cared for me and was willing to do anything for me. But even as I rejected him for the second time, all I could think about was the scumbag whose favorite pastime was breaking my heart.
I didn’t understand it, and it frustrated me to no end. Why couldn’t I just pick Zayne? All my problems would be solved, and I could actually be happy.
Here he was, so sweet and kind, offering a love so pure and honest—and all I could think about were Kade’s dark eyes and the powerful way he gripped my body.
I meant it when I said Zayne didn’t deserve me. He deserved someone who could love him in return and not keep him as some sort of second option. I felt horribly guilty every time he offered himself up to take care of me or the twins.
Like right now, I felt so guilty,
CLARA’S POVKade’s room stank.That bitch’s scent was everywhere, and as he slammed the door behind me, uncaring that he’d left me alone in his bedroom, I was sure I was going to choke on her sickly-sweet floral scent.But that was the least of my problems at the moment.I could feel the leash—the one I’d so meticulously woven around Kade’s neck since I reentered his life—slipping.His words seemed to echo around me, bouncing around the walls of his room like a cruel taunt. ‘Andrea is my mate, and one day, she’ll be my Luna.’“Fuck,” I whispered as the reality of what just happened came crashing in.He was going to her—leaving me.I bolted for the door, tearing it open. “Kade!”I rushed down the upstairs hallway, down the flight of stairs, and yanked open the heavy front door.“Kade!”His car peeled out of the courtyard in front of the house. The tires squealed against the paved path like he couldn’t get away fast enough.“Kade!” I rushed down the stairs—the very one we’d been stargaz
ANDREA’S POV“Fuck, I love rainy days,” Julia muttered as she snuggled into me.“Yeah, well,” I hung up my phone, tossing it on the coffee table. “Hope you love being hungry too, because rain equals delayed deliveries.”She groaned. “Dammit, woman. Will you please just go grocery shopping?”I shook my head. “Too lazy.”That was a fat, bald-faced lie. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping because a weak part of me still thought I was going to be living here temporarily.That part of me was waiting for Kade to show up at my door and announce that Clara had been hit by a falling meteorite and we could live in peace again.“Well, now, we’re going to starve because of your lazy ass.”I tutted, pointing at the TV—where Magic Mike was playing. “How can you starve when all these snacks are right here for your pleasure?”Julia snorted. “True, I could feed off of Channing Tatum’s abs for a whole year.”“And ice cream,” I added, shoving a spoonful of rocky road into her mouth.“Ice cream isn’t food,” s
KADE'S POVI stiffened when I heard the soft knock on the door. A second later, it opened, and Clara poked her head in.“Kay? What about the mov—” She paused and stepped into the room. I remembered Andrea’s threat to dismember Clara if she did what she had just done, and I winced.“What are you doing?” Clara asked, peering over my shoulder.“Packing,” I answered gruffly as I moved to the closet and grabbed an entire section full of shirts.“Oh, where are we going?”I gritted my teeth. “Not we, Clara. Me.” I sighed. “I’m leaving.”She inhaled sharply. “What? Why? Where?”I turned to her and bit back a groan at the wary expression on her face. “I’m going to Andrea,” I declared.Her lower lip wobbled. “And you’re leaving me behind? You can’t… You can’t do that, Kade.”
KADE’S POVBeing this close to Andrea and not being able to touch her or talk with her as usual was pure agony.After we returned from the mayor’s office and I parked in front of the factory, she mumbled, “Thank you for going with me and for your help with the Alphas.”As she stepped out, I couldn’t resist catching her wrist. She turned to me, an eyebrow raised, and I could feel her pulse racing under my fingers.“We should talk…right?” I said skeptically.She glanced at where I was holding her and sighed. “About what?”“Come home,” I said tightly. Desperately. “I miss you so fucking much, Andrea.”Her face shuttered, her guarded expression wavered, and for a second, I thought she was going to agree. I thought she would get back into the car and come home with me. But then—“Kay! You’re back!”Andrea yanked her ha
ANDREA'S POVBy some miracle only the Moon Goddess herself could have performed, Kade managed to convince Clara to stay behind at the factory.Granted, it was probably less Kade and more Julia sneering at her. I just knew my best friend was wondering what cut would go better with the coat she wanted to make out of Clara's fur.Being alone with Kade should have been awkward and strained. But there was no room for that.The gravity of our investigation took up whatever mental energy I had, and Clara's absence made it so much easier to pretend it was just me and my mate playing detective.Especially since our results were nothing to write home about.Just like I'd feared, every pack we visited gave the same report: at least one or two of their humans (relatives, workers, or subordinates) were mysteriously missing.The last pack we visited—White Claw—was the worst. Their Alpha, Magnus Dalton's, mate was human—and she was missing.He'd kept it quiet and was secretly investigating, but he w
NICO’S POVI didn’t know what hurt more: seeing Bella pale and weak in bed or the long-buried memories the images brought to the surface.Carlotta had been sick, and the nights spent nursing her, watching life slowly seep out of my mate till she was nothing but a shell of her former self, were the worst moments of my life.What nefarious grievance had I committed in my past life that made the goddess punish me so violently to repeat this fate?Bella moaned softly, snapping me out of my melancholy. She writhed on the bed, her eyebrows furrowed tightly. She was dreaming—probably of the awful ordeals she’d gone through.I hated that all I could do was watch from the outside. I wish I could get into her head and destroy all her demons. I wish I could join Andrea to find the bastards who did this to her and destroy them. But the thought of leaving Bella’s side was a physical, stabbing ache.I gripped her hand tightly. That was the only physical contact I allowed myself because I knew that