LOGINAva's POVThe closer we got, the stronger my dread became.Then I saw it. An excavator. Someone was operating it, and dirt was being dumped into a freshly dug pit.My blood turned ice-cold. My wolf howled.No... No... No."Maria!"I bolted forward.The mountain path was steep and unstable.Loose rocks slid beneath my feet. I fell once, twice, three times.My palms tore open against the sharp stone, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. I clawed my way upward like a madwoman.The moment I reached the top, my worst nightmare unfolded before my eyes.A metal container large enough to hold a person was being buried."Maria!"I lunged forward."STOP!" I screamed.The machinery drowned out almost everything.I had a gut feeling that Maria was inside that container.They were burying her alive."Maria!" I threw myself onto the container. "I'm getting you out!"Without thinking, I grabbed the lid, pulled, twisted, and tore at it, but nothing happened.Iron nails held it shut. It was impossible to ri
Ava's POVWhile the driver hurried to make the call, Victor strode deeper into the warehouse without another word.I watched him go.For some reason, the sight of his broad back made something inside me pause. My wolf stirred uneasily.There was something different about him tonight.The usual cold arrogance that had always surrounded him seemed absent.Instead, he looked weighed down by something heavy. Regret, maybe, or even grief.For a brief moment, uncertainty crept into my mind. Could I have been wrong about him?The thought appeared so suddenly that it caught me off guard. I frowned.No. I immediately pushed it away. The memory of everything I had gone through at his hands sent fresh bitterness flooding through me.My wolf growled low in my chest.An Alpha who could abandon his mate for someone else wasn't someone I could trust.Also, a man capable of betraying his own daughter? There was no telling how far he would go.No, I refused to let a single moment of weakness cloud my
Victor's POVMy wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin as my mind went over the bunch of words Ava rattled off earlier regarding the child she claimed was kidnapped because of her, a child mistaken for June.None of what she said made sense to me, yet something in her voice wouldn't let me dismiss it.The pain, the conviction, and the hatred for me.Moon Goddess, she truly believed every word she was saying. That realization unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.My chest tightened as the words slipped out before I could stop them."Is June really still alive?" I asked quietly.Ava froze. Slowly, she turned toward me, her eyes blazing. "You helped kill her, and now you're asking me?"The accusation hit me like a punch to the ribs.My wolf growled in distress because hearing her say those words with such certainty hurt more than I cared to admit.I reached for her arm instinctively."Ava..." My voice came out rough. "I told you she died in the hospital after an illness. Why do you ke
Ava's POVThe question sounded less accusing and more fearful.“You really need medical attention,” I snapped. “I told you, I was pushed!”His jaw tightened.Just then, my phone rang. I immediately reached for it. Victor grabbed it first.“Give that back!”He glanced at the screen, and his expression changed.“Andy?”Something dark flickered across his face.Raw, ugly jealousy, as though he already knew who Andy was.Before I could stop him, he answered.“Hello?”Anderson's voice came through. The moment Victor recognized it, his entire expression tightened. Without hesitation, he ended the call.The silence afterward felt suffocating.Victor lowered the phone. His eyes found mine.“What are you going to tell me now?”I stared at him. I was exhausted, confused, and frustrated. “I don't owe you an explanation.”My wolf bristled.“We're getting divorced, remember?”His face visibly flinched.“What I won't tolerate,” I continued, “is being treated like the villain when I'm the victim.”I
Ava's POV“I knew you weren’t dead.”Victor's deep voice behind me made my entire body freeze.How did he know it was me? Even with the sunglasses covering half my face, the dark cap shadowing my features, and my wolf scent masked, he had recognized me?I immediately jerked my arm back.“Let go of me,” I said coldly. “I don't know who you are.”I snarled in an attempt to escape him.In one sharp motion, he ripped off my sunglasses and cap.Cold night air brushed against my face.“Don't lie, Ava,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.“I'd recognize you anywhere, even with all your disguises.”I looked up.His gray eyes locked onto mine, but something was wrong.For a second, I almost didn't recognize the look in them. There was no indifference, no cold contempt, no irritation. Instead, there was something far more unsettling.Raw, overwhelming relief.Like a drowning man who had finally reached the surface.My wolf stiffened uneasily.A bitter laugh escaped my throat.“Recognize me?”
Laura's POVI looked away weakly.“Tell me,” Kingsley said firmly. “I’ll go talk to him myself.”“No, don’t…”I quickly grabbed his sleeve, widening my eyes slightly like I was scared he’d overreact.“He didn’t mean it,” I whispered softly. “Ava just died, and he’s emotional.”I forced myself to continue calmly.“And his grandmother...” I sighed softly. “Never mind. It’s nothing, Kingsley.”Then I pulled the blanket slightly over myself and turned away.“It’s late,” I murmured. “You should rest too.”Predictably, Kingsley didn’t let it go.“Get up.” His voice sharpened. “Tell me the truth.”I hid my smile carefully against the blanket.“Did the Smith family do something to you?” he demanded. “Is Victor cutting ties?” Kingsley asked coldly. “Or is his grandmother behind this?”“Let it go...” I made my voice smaller and weaker this time.“If you won’t tell me,” Kingsley snapped, “I’ll go to Victor right now and ask him myself.”Perfect.My wolf smirked.He actually started standing up.
Anderson’s POVAva was smiling, but there was no warmth in her scent.An unfamiliar unease crawled up my spine.If it wasn't an accident, then someone had been harming her inside prison. Who could it be?Immediately, the list of possible names formed in my mind without permission.Could it be Claud
Anderson’s POVClaudia's scent dimmed with hurt."Is it because I remind you of Juliet?" she asked quietly. "Are you avoiding me because of that?"For a second, I saw Juliet's face in hers again.They had the same eyes, the same fragile sadness hidden behind a forced smile. The memory hit harder th
Ava's POVHis eyes blazed with restrained fury as they swept over me from head to toe."You are wearing no shoes, your hair is wet. You plan on leaving looking like this?" His jaw tightened. "Anyone who sees you will think I've been abusing you."My wolf stirred uneasily at the intensity in his voi
Ava's POV“What were you thinking?” Anderson asked, his voice low and rougher than usual. “You’re normally terrified of situations like this.”My throat tightened slightly and I turned slowly.My smile came out automatically, thin and strained. “I don’t know,” I admitted.Then I looked down at the







