LOGINDECLAN
I stride down the hallway, putting distance between myself and Celeste. Each step feels like shaking off something clinging and unwanted.
She follows anyway. Of course she does.
"Declan, wait—"
I stop and turn to face her, my patience already threadbare. "What?"
DECLANI stride down the hallway, putting distance between myself and Celeste. Each step feels like shaking off something clinging and unwanted.She follows anyway. Of course she does."Declan, wait—"I stop and turn to face her, my patience already threadbare. "What?"She blinks at my tone, her carefully practiced expression faltering for just a second before she smooths it back into place."I just want to understand," she says, her voice dropping to something meant to sound gentle. Concerned. "You seem so distant lately. I thought finding Dr. W would bring you some relief, but you're still—""Still what?" I cut her off.
DECLANThe drive back is silent.Antony sits in the passenger seat ahead of me, his hands folded in his lap. The driver keeps his eyes on the road, the hum of the engine the only sound filling the car. No one speaks. No one dares.I stare out the window, watching the landscape blur past—trees giving way to rolling hills, the human world fading behind us as we cross back into pack territory.Dr. W agreed.It should feel like a victory. We found her. Convinced her. My parents will be saved.But something about it sits wrong in my chest.It came too easily. Too quickly.One moment, she was shutting me down, c
ARIAMy heart pounds as I stare at Declan through my mask, his offer hanging in the air between us.Join his pack. Give my children a home. Safety. Protection.Everything I've been trying to build for them in the human world, he's offering to hand me on a silver platter.But at what cost?Kelly stirs uneasily in my mind, torn between the instinct to accept pack protection and the visceral need to run from the man who destroyed us.I take a breath, forcing myself to think clearly.The money he's offering would be substantial—enough to pay off my debts completely. Enough to thank Sarah and her family for everything they've done for us. Enough to secure
DECLANThe woman in the mask takes a step back, her entire body going rigid. Even without seeing her face, I can read the panic in her posture—the way her shoulders draw up, the sudden tension in her hands.She’s afraid.But of what?“Alpha,” Antony says again, his voice ringing with excitement. “I found it! She must be—”He’s staring at his tablet, then at the masked woman, his eyes bright with realization.“Dr. W!” Antony practically shouts, his face splitting into a huge grin. “Please don’t hide your identity! You must be the great, mysterious Dr. W!”The words hang in the air.
ARIAI freeze on the road, my breath catching in my throat.No.This can't be happening.Declan Cross stands beside my car, his tall frame silhouetted against the fading sunlight. Even from this distance, even after six years, I'd know him anywhere. The broad shoulders, the confident stance, the way he holds himself like he owns the world.Kelly, whimpers in recognition, a sound of longing and pain all tangled together.I force myself to keep walking, my legs moving mechanically toward the car. Toward him. I can't turn back now—the kids are right there, and running would only make things worse.As I get closer, details sharpen into focus.
DECLANI stare at Antony like he's lost his mind."The orphan? Aria, the girl I banished six years ago... is Dr. W?"Antony nods slowly, his expression carefully neutral. "The scouts confirmed it twice, Alpha. Same address. Same location."I shake my head. "That's impossible. There has to be a mistake.""I thought the same thing," Antony admits. "But the surveillance team triple-checked. Every letter we've sent to Dr. W has been delivered to Aria Sinclair's residence. Every single one."My wolf stirs uneasily, torn between excitement and confusion.It can't be her. The quiet girl who worked at the pack clinic, who studied basic herbs in the orphanage—







