LOGINElena’s POVThe competition started at eight in the morning.Nathan had picked up Colin, Caleb, and Cindy in his car, looking equally nervous and determined. Before he drove off to start his twenty-four hours with the triplets, he had leaned out the driver's side window and grinned at me."May the best parent win, Elena," he had called out."You don't stand a chance, Nathan," I had shouted back, waving as his car pulled down the street.That left me standing in the driveway with Leo. He was wearing an oversized hoodie and sneakers, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he looked up at me with a solemn, serious face."So," I said, walking down the porch steps toward him. "Where do you want to go first? What’s your absolute favorite thing to do?"Leo shook his head immediately, his dark curls bouncing. "Can't tell you, Miss. Willow. That would be cheating. You’re supposed to figure out what I like on your own. That’s part of the test."I let out a quiet, exasperated laugh, shaking m
Elena’s POVI watched from the top of the porch as Nathan wiped his grease-stained hands on a rag, looking slightly thrown by my eldest son."You're trying to date our mom," Colin said smoothly, leaning his hip against the workbench with a rare, mischievous glint in his eyes. "That’s a high-clearance permit, Dr. Hayes. And I’m only one-third of the board. You’ve got Caleb and Cindy to deal with, too."Nathan tossed the rag onto the bench, his green eyes crinkling at the corners. "Fair enough. I'll ask them what the requirements are next time I stop by.""No need to wait," Colin said, checking his watch. "Go pick Leo up from school and bring him back here. We’ll have our answer ready by the time you get back."Nathan blinked, caught completely off guard. "Wait, today? Colin, I don't think Leo has his homework done—""Don't overthink it, Doc," Colin interrupted with a faint smirk, slapping Nathan once on the shoulder before turning back to his tools. "Just bring him."Nathan stood there
Elena’s POVThe diner Nathan took me to was nothing short of secluded and boring, just like he said, and oddly, that brought me a sense of calmness. It was old, tucked away on a side street two blocks from the hospital. The neon sign in the window hummed with a low, steady buzz, and the vinyl booths were worn out at the edges. It smelled of dark coffee, fried eggs, and rain-dampened wool.Nathan held his coffee mug with both hands, his fingers wrapped around the heavy ceramic. He had taken off his lab coat, sitting across from me in a soft navy sweater. He looked exhausted, but his green eyes were entirely focused on me, exactly how I liked it to be."I didn't sleep a second last night," Nathan said softly, his thumb tracing the blue rim of his cup. "I just kept pacing around my room, looking at the clock, thinking about the look on your face when you ran out of the restaurant""Nathan...""No, let me say it, Elena," he interrupted gently. He leaned forward over the small table, his
Elena’s POVThe morning sun came through the bedroom and I just sat on the edge of the bed, wearing an old grey wool sweater over my leggings. On the dresser across the room, the emerald dress lay folded in a dark plastic bag, the red wine stain had dried on it and was now stiff and ugly against the beautiful dress. I decided to go downstairs, I had kept to myself for long enough. When I walked downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee filled the kitchen. Colin was sitting at the counter, with an open notebook in front of him and his phone pressed to his ear. He looked up as my boots hit the floor, gesturing for me to wait."Yeah, Officer. Incident report 402-B," Colin said into the phone, his deep voice calm and measured. "My mother was at the restaurant. I just need to verify the details... Right. Understood. Thank you."He set the phone down and looked at me. "I called the police.""Colin, you didn't have to—""I did," Colin interrupted softly. "I took the incident number Nathan shou
Elena’s POVThe cold air hit my face like a slap, but it didn't stop the burning heat of the tears on my cheeks. I ran down the wooden dock, my heels clicking loudly against the planks, and the hem of my ruined green dress was heavy and damp against my shins."Elena! Wait! Please!"Nathan’s voice came from behind me, accompanied by the heavy, hurried sound of his boots. I didn't look back, I couldn't. I got to my car, my hands were shaking so hard that I dropped my keys. I scrambled to pick them up, gasping for air that wouldn't seem to go into my lungs."Elena, talk to me," Nathan said, his hand catching the top of the driver's side door just as I got it open. He was panting, his face was pale under the orange lights, and his green eyes were wide with panic. "You can't just run away. I don't know who that woman was. I have never seen her before in my life.""Get your hand off my car, Nathan," I said, my voice shaking. I got behind the wheel, staring straight ahead at the dark windsh
Elena’s POV“I’d like to take you out,” Those words from Nathan lingered in my mind all day long, I could barely hide my excitement.I kept my chin tucked into my coat collar as I walked down the street after my shift at the clinic. My shoulders ached from a long day of charting, and my fingers still felt stiff from the scrub sink, but my mind was entirely somewhere else.I stopped in front of the small boutique on the corner of Elm Street.A single mannequin stood behind the glass, wearing a simple, deep forest-green dress. I stared at it for a long minute. My mind kept trying to tell me that it was just a dinner; a friendly cup of coffee that had somehow turned into an invitation for a meal. I didn't need a new dress, I tried to convince myself. I had plenty of sensible trousers and neat sweaters in my closet at home.But there was a smaller, quieter voice inside me; one I hadn't listened to in a while that wanted to look beautiful tonight… For him.I pushed the glass door open, th
Elena’s POVThe surgery took six hours. By the time I stepped out of the operating theater, my back was aching and my hands were stiff, but Elder Thomas was stable. I had removed the blackened tissue around his heart. The tissue hadn't just been rotting, but was literally saturated with a dark, oi
Elena’s POV"Mommy has to go help someone who is very sick," I said softly, kneeling down to look my three babies in the eyes. "Mr. Sinclair is going to stay with you. You have to be on your best behavior, stay inside the garden, and you must never take off your necklaces. Do you promise?"I touch
Elena’s POVSix Years Later…“Mommy, wake up! It’s past 8!”A chorus of chattering voices broke through the fog of my sleep, followed by a shower of soft kisses and tiny, energetic hands.“Let’s go for the tickle, it always works,” Caleb’s mischievous voice commanded.I cracked my eyes open, giggli
Elena’s POVI could only stand there and watch as my partner marked another, and there was nothing I could do.***The hall fell unnaturally silent. Even the elders straightened as the Alpha stepped forward.“Now,” the Alpha’s voice rang out, vibrating with authority that jolted me back to reality.







