LEVI EDELMAN
The moment I stepped into the library, I regretted it.
Maddison was already standing by the window like she’d been pacing back and forth for hours. She turned as soon as she heard the door close behind me.
“Seriously, Levi?” she snapped. “Soon? That’s what you said? In front of Camila and Gia? You're going to chase me away soon?”
I didn’t answer right away. I just let out a breath and walked over to the far shelf, needing some distance between us.
“I’m not here to argue,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Let’s just do what we came here to do.
GIA O’LEARYThe taxi ride back to the pack house was quiet, except for the sound of the engine and the occasional sound of tires rolling over gravel.I sat in the back seat, my hands pressed to my lap, my fingers twisted tightly together. I couldn’t look out the window.My chest felt heavy, like someone had tied a stone to it and dropped me into cold water. I kept hearing my father’s voice in my head, over and over, as if he were still beside me, lecturing me on why I have to leave the pack.He was never the type to care about me, but the way he had looked at me then, it was like I was a child who didn’t understand the danger I was walking into.
KEEGAN O’LEARY“You went to the pack house?” My voice came out sharp immediately I stepped inside the sitting room. Tara was sitting on the couch, her eyes mainly on the book in her hand, until she heard my voice. She lifted her eyes slowly, but I didn’t miss the way her fingers tightened around the book’s edge. She said nothing at first; she just looked at me like she was deciding whether to lie or not. “Answer me.” I took a step forward.She hesitated before departing her lips. “Yes… I went.” She admitted. “And why did you go there? Or you thought I’d not find out if you sneak behind me?”“I wasn’t sneaking, I….” “Don’t talk back to me,” I cut in coldly. “You don’t get to explain anything right now!” My voice was sharp. I had warned her severally not to go to the pack unless it’s my order. She closed her mouth, lowering her eyes to the floor. “I told you to stay away from that pack, didn’t I? That wasn’t a suggestion.” I moved closer, dropping my voice lower. She shifted,
GIA O'LEARYMia froze the second her eyes landed on us.Levi’s arms were still around me. I could still feel the wall against my back, feel the echo of his voice ringing in my head. But all that came to a sudden, sharp halt the moment Mia stood in the doorway, with wide eyes, holding something in her hands.She blinked. Her mouth parted, and without a word, she turned on her heel like she hadn’t just walked in on something completely private.“Mia!” Levi called sharply.She stopped immediately.I looked at him, then at her, my chest still rising and falli
GIA O'LEARYI didn’t realize I was running until I reached the Sitting room. My feet just kept moving fast and desperate like I could leave the image behind if I moved quickly enough. But it was stuck in my mind. Maddison in his arms. Her lips on his. And Levi just… standing there while his lips pressed on hers. Was that what he wanted all along?I tried to breathe, but my chest felt tight.The library door had closed behind me without a sound. I didn’t even think he noticed I was there.Or maybe he did, I don’t care at this rate. I shook my head, rubbing my hand over my eyes. I didn’t want to cry, after all, it’s just a relationship of medium time. But something in me cracked anyway. Pain, confusion, and frustration mixed together, dangling. Was everything he told me a lie?I turned the corner too fast and almost ran into someone.“Woah….Gia?”I blinked, recognizing the voice as Camila’sShe was standing near the stairway with her bag slung over her shoulder, her keys in her hand.
LEVI EDELMANThe moment I stepped into the library, I regretted it.Maddison was already standing by the window like she’d been pacing back and forth for hours. She turned as soon as she heard the door close behind me.“Seriously, Levi?” she snapped. “Soon? That’s what you said? In front of Camila and Gia? You're going to chase me away soon?”I didn’t answer right away. I just let out a breath and walked over to the far shelf, needing some distance between us.“I’m not here to argue,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Let’s just do what we came here to do.
GIA O’LEARYFor a second, I didn’t know what to say.Camila’s words had sliced through the room like a blade, so sharp and direct that even I flinched. I turned my head slowly toward Maddison, expecting a snide comeback, but what I saw in her face wasn’t anger; it was pain, raw pain.Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words fast enough. Her shoulders dropped, the smugness gone. Even her stance shifted from confidence to something more fragile, like she’d just stepped on a broken bottle. “I respected you,” Maddison finally said, her voice soft but strained. “Camila, I really did…. And I’d appreciate it if you could return the same energy.” Her voice was so hard that I felt she wanted to yell at her, but was just holding herself back. Camila raised a brow, unfazed by everything she had just said. She didn’t even blink, not to talk of being surprised. “Respected me?” she echoed, her tone light. “Don’t flatter yourself.”“You should at
GIA O’LEARY I was deep in sleep when I first heard the knock on my door. At first, it was soft, like whoever was outside wasn’t sure whether to keep knocking or walk away. Then the knock came again, it was louder this time around. My eyes fluttered open, squinting against the morning light that seeped in through the closed curtains. I groaned, pulling the duvet over my face for a second, hoping whoever it was would give up and leave.But the knock didn’t stop sounding, which caused a sudden frustration. I sighed and pushed the blanket off, sitting up slowly. My head felt heavy. I haven't been sleeping well lately, not with everything going on in my head, and last night, when I tried to catch some sleep, the image of the photo Tara gave me kept flashing behind my eyes every time I tried to close my eyes.Dragging myself out of bed, I reached for the robe on the nearby chair, tying it around me as I moved to the door. My feet felt cold against the floor, and I rubbed one arm abse
GIA O'LEARY I slammed the door shut harder than I meant to, the folded picture crumpled in my fist. My chest was burning, not from exhaustion, not even from pain. Just anger. Sharp, bitter, untamed anger.Tara.If she stood in front of me right now, and I had the chance, I wouldn’t even need words. I’d end her. Quietly, efficiently, without a blink of hesitation.I stormed into my room, threw the picture on the desk, and began pacing. My thoughts were a mess, circling around the situation. Why now?Why, when I was still trying to get a grip on Alan’s secrets, did I have to deal with this?I hated that I had to divide my focus. I hated feeling like someone had a string tied to each limb, pulling me in different directions, trying to tear me apart.I marched to the bathroom, undressed quickly, and stepped into the cold shower without thinking twice. I let the icy water run over my skin until my breath calmed, until the pounding in my head faded a little.I thought taking a cold shower
Alan’s POVI stood in front of the mirror for longer than necessary, tugging at the collar of my shirt as if it would fix the way my chest felt, tight, irritated, barely held together.The call from James still echoed in my head.“We might’ve found something. It’s not confirmed yet, but… if it’s true, it’s exactly what you’ve been waiting for.”He hadn’t needed to say more. Just the tone of his voice was enough to get my pulse going. I buttoned the last button and reached for my coat. My mind was already miles away, picturing the file in James’s hand, wondering what secrets might finally come to light. Something about Gia’s past. Something that I could use to keep her shut forever. I was just stepping toward the door when I heard it creak open.“Where are you going?” Maddison’s voice rang as she stepped inside. I was really not in the mood to exchange words with her, so I just kept staring. “Alan, I’m talking to you.” Her voice climbed, sharp and impatient. “Are you seriously igno