LOGINI barely caught any rest last night, tossing and turning until the witching hour when I crept over to check on Lucas’s forehead. By the time I finally drifted off, the sun was already high, streaming through the gaps in my curtains.I craned my neck to look at the bed. Lucas was buried in the duvet, his back to me, not moving a muscle. I reached out, giving the kid’s hair a gentle rub."The sun’s burning our tails, Lucas. Time for us slackers to roll out of bed."He didn't move. I propped myself up on my elbow, letting out a soft chuckle."Don't fake it, I know you’re awake. Get up, eat some breakfast, and I’ll drop you off..."I froze mid-sentence. My pulse slowed to a crawl and the blood drained from my face.Lucas’s skin was radiating a terrifying heat. I turned him over, and my heart stopped. A crimson mess was smeared under his nose, a heavy nosebleed having already soaked through half the pillowcase."Lucas! Lucas, wake up! Andrew!"I was paralyzed with fear for a split second b
I couldn't take the words back once they were out. Trying to keep my dignity, I trudged to the linen closet, grabbed a spare blanket, and tossed it at Andrew where he lay sprawled on the couch.I was ready to turn on my heel and vanish when a strange, loud noise tore through the silence of the room. It was visceral, twisting through the air. Andrew and I exchanged a puzzled look until the sound made a return performance.It was my stomach. My face instantly burned, a deep crimson flushing my cheeks. It was impossible to play the ice king when my own body was betraying me like a starving pup.Before I could cover my belly and bolt, Andrew reached out. His large, warm palm landed flat on my stomach, giving it two gentle, firm pats. I had taken off my heavy jacket, leaving me in a thin knit shirt; I could feel every ounce of heat from his skin through the fabric.I froze, my heart racing a mile a minute. My wolf was pacing under my skin, confused by the sudden intimacy.Andrew let out a
I stared at my phone, the screen glowing in the dark of my bedroom. Lucas had sent a clip from the Wolfe Crest sitting room. Watching the elders and those high-rank omegas scatter like leaves in a gale under Andrew’s roar made my chest tighten.Hilary and Mrs. Brooks were Maren’s inner circle. Back when I was trapped at the estate, Maren would summon me whenever they visited. Even with a house full of servants, she’d make me serve the tea and peel the fruit, while her friends watched with mocking eyes, treating me like a stray they’d taken in out of charity. I was barely nineteen then, fueled by a desperate, pathetic hope that if I just endured their cruelty, Andrew might finally look at me with something other than disgust.Seeing him tear into them now... it was a bitter, confusing victory.My phone vibrated, snapping me out of the past. It was Lucas calling."Lanka? Is it true? Are you and Andrew really done?"Lucas sounded breathless, and I could hear the roar of a motorcycle engi
I watched as Serena’s claws dug into her palms, her body trembling as she tried to keep her scent from souring with the smell of guilt. Tears streamed down her face, looking practiced and pathetic."Andrew, I didn't," she whimpered.Andrew didn't even look at her. He turned on his heel, ready to leave her on the curb.Seeing him pull away, Serena truly panicked. She scrambled out of the Cullinan, chasing after him and lunging for his arm. Her voice rose into a desperate plea that echoed across the station parking lot."You promised! Investing in the Hawthorne pack was part of our arrangement! How can you cut us off now?"Andrew’s eyes shifted, cutting through her like silver daggers.Serena’s hand froze mid-air. She didn't dare touch him.He looked away, his voice dropping to a low, lethal growl. "You don't know when to stop. I warned you, Serena. I told you to leave Lanka out of your games."A chill ran down Serena’s spine. He had warned her. Back at Wolfe Crest, he told her that if
I watched through the glass as the heavy door of the Cullinan swung open. Andrew stepped out, his tall frame cutting a sharp silhouette against the asphalt as he marched toward us.Serena didn't stay behind. I saw that familiar, icy glint in her eyes before she scrambled out to follow him, her movements practiced and delicate.Andrew came to a halt right in front of me. His golden eyes scanned my face, flickering with a strange softness that felt like a lie."You were at the clinic, Lanka," he said, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "Why are you at the Enforcer station?"I let out a jagged, mocking breath. "If I weren't here, how could I witness your unwavering devotion to the Hawthorne bloodline?"The sarcasm hit him; I saw his brow knit together. He opened his mouth to explain, but Carllo stepped between us, yanking me back as if Andrew’s very shadow was infectious."You’ve got some nerve, Wolfe," Carllo spat, throwing a mocking thumbs-up. "Still trying to play the 'good ex' while
I looked at the three of them, and it was clear they were too focused on their own survival to notice the dark, jagged bite mark on Andrew’s jaw. They were trembling, their eyes blown wide with the kind of terror you only see in a wolf facing a silver blade."Light."Andrew’s voice was a low vibration. Daniel Cho, caught off guard for a split second, quickly handed over a lighter.Andrew flicked it. He didn't set them on fire; instead, he lit a cigarette, taking a long, slow drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke that drifted toward the gasoline-soaked trio.The warehouse went dead silent. All eyes were fixed on the glowing ember of his cigarette. At that moment, he wasn't just the Alpha of the Wolfe pack; he was the judge, jury, and executioner.He took another puff, then casually tossed the lighter onto a nearby crate.Paige Gardner and the others let out choked gasps of relief, tears of pure joy streaming down their soot-stained faces. They thought the nightmare was over.Andrew til
I glared at him, my eyes narrowing until they felt like they might spark. "Can’t you tell I’m talking about swallowing gunpowder? I'm five seconds away from exploding."Andrew barely moved, though one corner of his mouth twitched upward. "If you’re so full of fire, Lanka, just try not to blow me up
Serena wore a mask of pure, trembling contrition as she stepped toward me, her scent projecting a faint, sickly sweet submissiveness."Lanka, are you still harboring bitterness over what happened at the hospital? I’m so sorry, truly. My pregnancy has been playing havoc with my system. I was so weak
The silence in that cramped bathroom was deafening as a second, faint pink line began to crawl across the plastic. It was pale, barely a shadow, but in the world of the supernatural, there was no such thing as a "maybe."I was carrying a wolf.My knees hit the floor. I sat on the closed toilet lid,
The realization that Andrew considered Serena’s unborn pup "important" was the final silver stake through my heart."So, that’s it," I whispered into the phone, my vision blurring as I stood outside the dance studio I’d just been exiled from. "It wasn't that you didn't want an heir, Andrew. You jus







