LOGINLucien's pov
Elena came down the stairs slower than she'd gone up them, her feet dragging slightly on each step. She had a first aid box in her hands, and she didn't say anything as she crossed the living room and knelt down in front of me on the couch."Let me see," she said, reaching for the collar of my shirt.I winced as she peeled the fabric away from the cut on my side. The bleeding had slowed, but it was still an ugly sight, torn skin and dried blood crustingElena’s pov "Oh, he owes me big time," she said, waving a hand dismissively, clearly not planning to explain further. By that evening, we were already on the road, Eli buckled into the back seat of Maya's car, most of our things crammed into whatever bags we could carry without raising suspicion from the staff. I hadn't said goodbye to anyone. I couldn't risk it. If even one person let it slip where I'd gone, it would all be for nothing. All I did was tell the maid I would be back, get into the car, and wait until it was time to leave. The drive to Kesterfield took most of the day, and by the time we pulled up outside a modest apartment building on a quiet street, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones. But something about the place felt like exactly what I needed. It wasn’t like the big mansion I had left behind. No. This was comfortable and cozy. The apartment itself was simple. Two bedrooms, a small kitchen, old but c
Elena's pov I sat at the edge of Eli's bed that morning, watching him sleep, his small chest rising and falling steady and peaceful for the first time since the kidnapping. I'd been up most of the night just watching him, unable to convince myself he was actually safe until I saw it for myself over and over. Lucien had left before dawn, kissing my forehead before he slipped out, murmuring something about handling things at the pack. I barely registered it at the time as I was too tired, but sitting there now, in the quiet morning, I finally let myself think clearly for the first time in hours. And what I thought was this: I couldn't do this anymore. The Ashthorne family and their drama were taking me down. But now, they were dragging my son with it. Anyone could do whatever they wanted with me, but the moment they went for my son, they had crossed a line that was not supposed to be crossed. I wasn’t going to stay
Lucien’s povI stood there, my whole body frozen, staring at the man in front of me, the man who'd raised me, trained me, forced me into a life I never wanted, and now, without so much as blinking, threatened to kill an innocent woman if I didn't cut Elena out of my life completely.Something inside me finally broke loose.Five years of resentment, five years of telling myself I hated her for what she'd done, for the betrayal I'd walked in on that night, none of it came close to how much I still loved her. It never had. I'd just been too broken and too proud to admit it.Right now standing before this man, all I felt was love for Elena and pure hatred for the devil standing before me.He could go to any length, even kidnap a child… a literal child! Just to show that he meant business. What kind of father was that?All he had done was give me problems for years and now he stood before me like he was giving me a way out.“What say you son?” He asked, seeing as I was silent.I kept quiet
Lucien's pov The drive back to the pack felt shorter than it should have. My mind was already there before my car even crossed the border, already standing in front of my father, already saying the words I had been practicing the entire way. The moment I pulled into the garage, I didn't even bother parking straight. I left the car crooked and walked fast into the mansion, straight for my father's room. I knocked twice, then pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. It was empty. I turned and found one of the servants passing by in the hallway, a young man carrying a tray of empty cups. "You there!” I called as he froze. “Where's my father?" He nearly dropped the tray. "The throne room, sir. He's in a meeting." I didn't wait to hear anything else. I was already moving, my footsteps echoing against the floor as I made my way down the long corridor toward the throne room. By the time I reached the
Lucien's povElena came down the stairs slower than she'd gone up them, her feet dragging slightly on each step. She had a first aid box in her hands, and she didn't say anything as she crossed the living room and knelt down in front of me on the couch."Let me see," she said, reaching for the collar of my shirt.I winced as she peeled the fabric away from the cut on my side. The bleeding had slowed, but it was still an ugly sight, torn skin and dried blood crusting along the edges."This needs stitches," she muttered, more to herself than to me."I heal fast," I said."You still need stitches," she said, not looking up, already pulling out a needle and thread from the box.She cleaned the wound first, dabbing at it gently with a cloth soaked in something that stung, and I hissed through my teeth. She didn't apologize. She just kept working, her hands steady even with everything that had happened tonight.The ro
Kaelan’s povI sat behind my desk, going through some of the files that I had been given to sign when a knock came at my door."Come in," I said, as the door opened and my spy came in.I raised a brow, leaning forward and dropping my pen before folding my arms across my chest."Do we have to meet today?" I muttered. “I doubt we set up anything for the day.”"I did what you asked." He gave off with a shaky voice. Something was wrong. I could feel it."Close the door," I ordered.He closed it behind him, then came to sit before me."Hope there was no problem with the mission?""Well, it all went well. The child was kidnapped."I nodded. "Okay. Why are you here? I said you shouldn't call me unless there's a complication.""Actually, there was a complication. Yesternight."I raised a brow. "Okay, did you kidnap the wrong child?”"No. We kidnapped the right child. We kidnapped him, Eli. The problem was that we were apprehended by your son. He broke into the facility we were holding the chi







