DAMON'S POV
Dr. Ada’s voice was gentle, careful, as though he feared startling her into silence. “And how long have you been experiencing the nosebleeds?”Velara’s eyes flicked to the floor, her voice barely a whisper. “A few years.”The tension in the room thickened like fog. Earlier, she'd fought tooth and nail to keep me out, practically shouting at the doctor and shoving me away in desperation. That alone had piqued my suspicion. So I stayed. And now, watching her shrink from every question, twisting vague answers into veils of misdirection, was grating on every nerve I had. She was dodging the truth, and I was done letting her.“Answer him properly,” I snapped, voice sharp as a blade. I didn’t just speak—I let my aura slide out like a storm cloud rolling low across the ground. The force of it swept over her, curling around her limbs and into her spine. She flinched, a tremor wracking her small frame before she gasped out the truth.“VELARA'S POVDante drives in steady silence, the cityscape blurring past the windows as we make our way toward Damon’s hotel. When the car finally rolls to a stop in front of the grand entrance, I step out, and instantly, I feel the weight of a hundred unspoken questions pressing down on me. Eyes turn. Heads tilt. Their stares are anything but subtle, brazen, judgmental, and heavy with unspoken disdain. It is as if my presence alone disturbs the pristine air of this place.I pause beside the car, a flicker of hesitation passing through me. The urge to turn around or vanish into smoke hums beneath my skin, but I steel myself and follow Dante into the hotel. The lobby stretches wide before us, a display of wealth and sophistication. Crystal chandeliers scatter soft golden light across glossy marble floors, and velvet seating lounges like royalty across the space. But none of it softens the jagged discomfort rising in me. No amount of luxury can dull the sharpness of
VELARA'S POVA flicker of recognition passed through me when Officer Elijah asked if I knew her. I nodded, voice steady despite the unease building in my chest. She worked at my hotel. I had driven all this way just to check in on her.Elijah let out a long, weary breath, his fingers dragging down his face in a gesture of frustration and exhaustion. “Her apartment’s a disaster,” he said, his voice heavy. “Looks like there was a serious fight. Forensics are already inside, gathering blood samples.”The word blood hit me like ice water down my spine. My thoughts immediately leapt to Hazel and her little boy—the last time I saw them, their quiet warmth, the way she smiled even on the hardest days. Blood samples. My stomach churned.I could barely form the word as it left my lips. “Blood?”“It’s bad,” Elijah said grimly. “Whoever did it didn’t get to her without a fight. But there’s no trace of her or her son.”Beside me, Dante’s jaw
VELARA'S POVThe moment Kylie answered the phone, I didn’t waste time. My voice came out firm and clipped as I told her, “Call Isla and see if she can fill in. I’m heading to the commune.” The panic was already taking root, curling tightly in my chest like a storm ready to break loose.Kael.His name echoed through my mind, heavy and urgent. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled out my phone and called Damon. The line clicked once, then went straight to voicemail. I stared at the screen in disbelief, then locked it with a sharp tap. Of course it was off. Of course.A growl built in my throat, low and frustrated. I turned to Dante, my tone clipped. “Mind-link your Alpha. Ask him where my son is.”Dante’s mouth curved into a lazy smirk, clearly unbothered by my rising panic. “If you’d let him mark you, you could mind-link him yourself,” he said with a shrug.I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for games. His expression turned dist
VELARA'S POVGetting Damon off my back felt like an exhausting battle that lasted all day. He had been relentlessly pushing to take Kael for the weekend, his persistence turning every conversation into a frustrating loop. The argument dragged on endlessly until he finally agreed to drop the subject, but only on the condition that he could pick Kael up from school and take him out for a while. I gave in with a reluctant nod, not out of trust, but sheer necessity. I needed space to breathe, to actually get some work done. Things at the restaurant were spiraling—again. We were short on staff, and the weight of it all pressed heavily on my shoulders.As if that wasn’t enough, Hazel had gone completely silent. No one had heard from her, and unsettling rumors started to circulate. Her son had apparently missed school today too. That piece of information landed like a rock in my gut, feeding a sense of unease I couldn’t ignore.When the clock neared six in the ev
DAMON'S POVThe air was light with teasing when she tilted her head and gestured toward the bundle of clothes resting in my arms, her expression playful and sharp.“So, did you go sniffing Elysia’s underwear too?”“What? Of course not!” I said, my voice firm and rushed. “I just picked these up from the hamper in the bathroom.”Like what the hell?The corners of her lips twitched into a knowing smirk as she gave a soft laugh. The amusement in her eyes sparkled like the edge of a joke only she understood. Then, with casual ease, she tossed her panties and camisole at me.“Relax, Damon. I’m only messing with you.”I let out a slow breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, the tightness in my chest loosening just enough to feel ridiculous for taking her seriously.But she wasn’t finished. Stretching out more comfortably on the bed, she cast me a sideways glance, still amused. “If you’re looking for a job, I could use
DAMON'S POVThe low hum of morning activity filtered into the room like a distant tide, gently coaxing me from the haze of sleep. Muffled voices drifted down the hall, punctuated by the sound of hurried footsteps—Elysia, orchestrating the start of the day with the kids, her voice rising and falling in calm but practiced command. The rustle of clothing, the soft patter of little feet, and the occasional burst of laughter painted the rhythm of a home in motion.I stirred slowly, the warmth of Velara beside me anchoring me to the bed. Her body was curled against mine, her breathing steady and undisturbed. Careful not to wake her, I began to shift, inching my way out from beneath her soft weight.But the door burst open before I could even sit up, slamming against the wall with a sharp, echoing thud. Kael exploded into the room with the unstoppable energy only a child could possess, his small frame a blur of enthusiasm and bouncing limbs. In his wake came Elys