River’s POVAs I drove down the narrow streets that led to the Alpha’s house of the Crescent Moon Pack, my grip on the steering wheel tightened. I knew this path too well, every curve, every bend… and yet I had spent years trying to erase it from my memory.The memories—the love, the betrayal, the heartbreak—clung to me like shadows I could never run away from . No matter how hard I tried to bury them, they always made their way back. And now here I was, heading straight to the one place that had scarred me the most. The Alpha’s house. Zed’s house.I slowed down as the familiar sight came into view. The pack grounds looked almost exactly as I remembered them, like they hadn't been touched by time. Wooden houses lined the street, their roofs sloping to one side but still standing tall like the wolves who’d lived there for decades. Warriors patrolled the edges, their eyes scanning the territory with utmost precision. Children ran barefoot in the dirt, their laughter ringing through the
River’s POV“What the hell do you mean by that?” I snapped into the phone as I walked out of my office, shutting the door harder than I intended. “We had a plan, Daniel. You meet me here, and then we drive down to Crescent Moon together to get this over with.”I locked the door, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear. My heels clicked sharply against the floor as I made my way down the hall. The irritation bubbling inside me was so strong I felt like I could set something on fire. I reached the elevator and pressed the button, the little light glowing in response. I stepped back, holding my bag closer.“I know, Bar. Stellar, and I’m sorry,” Daniel said, his voice low and hesitant. “This is highly unprofessional of me, but—”“But what?” I cut in, pressing the elevator button harder than necessary. “Of course it’s unprofessional of you. You came highly recommended, Daniel. Highly recommended. Everyone talks about how reliable you are, and this is how you work?” .”“And for a
River’s POVMy phone tucked between my ear and shoulder while I rummaged through the bottom drawer of my desk, searching for a file that had decided to play hide and seek with me.“The house was just left with finishing touches, thank goodness,” I told Hailey, still shuffling papers around. “They wrapped everything up in a day or two… You should come visit soon.”“I certainly will,” she replied, her voice bright. “So we can pop some champagne and celebrate the new house properly.”That made me smile. “Exactly.”“By the way, how’s Steven?” she asked.“He’s good. Dropped him off at his wrestling class earlier,” I said, moving another pile of files aside. “He misses you all so much.”“Aww, we miss him too, trust me,” she chuckled. “Peter hasn’t stopped pouting. We’ll definitely come and see him soon. Promise.”I finally spotted the missing file, wedged awkwardly at the back of the drawer. Relief swept through me as I pulled it free and carried it back to my chair. “That will make him so
Hailey’s POVJust as Zed shoved his way past me, anger boiled in my chest. I spun toward the staircase, ignoring Peter’s voice behind me.“Hey, baby, calm down,” he called, but I didn’t.My legs carried me up, two steps at a time, the fury in my veins louder than my own heartbeat. By the time I reached the room I had given her, my hands were trembling. I didn’t bother knocking—I twisted the knob and shoved the door open.“Hey! Can’t you knock!?” Charlotte snapped, her voice dripping with annoyance. She was sprawled on the bed, eyes glued to her phone like she didn’t have a care in the world.I clenched my jaw. “What did you do?”Her eyes flicked up at me briefly, then back to her screen. “What do you mean by ‘what did I do’?” she mocked, mimicking my tone.Rage flared hotter. I stormed to the bed, snatched the phone right out of her hands.“Hey! That’s not nice,” she shouted, sitting up. “Give me my phone back.”“Not until you answer my goddamn question,” I shot back, gripping the pho
Jay’s POVI chased after her car, my bare feet pounding against the dusty road, my voice breaking as I yelled her name.“River! Please just stop!”But she didn’t stop. She didn’t even slow down. Instead, she pressed harder on the accelerator, the distance between us stretching with every heartbeat. My chest burned from running, my lungs screaming for air, but I kept going, desperate to reach her.After a while, I couldn’t keep up. My legs felt heavy, my throat raw. I slowed, then stopped, bending slightly as I tried to catch my breath.And then… I just stood there.She took the right turn at the end of the road, and in seconds, she was gone, swallowed up by the world beyond my sight. I stared at the empty space where her car had been, hoping—no, begging that she’d come back. That she’d change her mind, pull over, and run back into my arms. Maybe kiss me long and hard and tell me we could fix this.But deep down, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Not even the king of wolves could mak
River POV I let out a harsh laugh. “Oh please, Jay. I’m not a fool.”In my room, I grabbed my box and stuffed my remaining clothes into it. He was still there, still talking.“I don’t think you’re a fool, River,” he said. “But she came in and tried to seduce me. Hell, I had no idea she was even in the house.”I ignored him, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.When I was done, I yanked the zippers closed on both boxes and rolled them out of the room. My feet carried me toward the stairs, but halfway down, I stopped and turned to face him.“You had her pressed to the wall, Jay. Your hands were wrapped around her neck. How’s that for seduction?”The hurt in my chest burned hotter. I didn’t wait for his answer. I just shook my head and kept going down the stairs.By the time I reached the bottom, Steven was in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.“Steven, wear your shoes. We’re leaving.”His little head turned toward me, confusion wr