FAZER LOGIN•LEO•The council hall was quiet when I arrived.The two elders sat at the long table, their hands folded in front of them. They were muttering something between themselves before they saw me approaching. I closed the door behind me and didn't sit down.I walked to the head of the table and stood there, looking at them both for a moment without speaking."Alpha Leo," the head elder began. "Thank you for making the time. We have several matters that require your attention regarding pack governance and the upcoming—""I want to talk about Mary and Xander first," I said.They stopped and looked at each other before they looked at me. I pulled out the chair at the head of the table but didn't sit in it. I rested my hand on the back of it and looked at them both."The two of them were stripped of their wolves and living as humans inside this pack," I said. "Under council observation and under your watch, but you failed me. You betrayed me.""Alpha, we understand your frustration—""Do yo
•CATHERINE•I placed my hand around my mouth when I walked out of the clinic, and stopped near the driveway, trying to steady my racing heart. My chest tightened and I hated myself for a moment for sitting beside Viktor, and pretending that I hadn't done something wrong against him. Leo's child was growing inside me while he was fighting for his life, which was at risk because of me. And the thought that Nora died because of me, caused my chest to tighten painfully. I had wronged both of them, and left, leaving their lives in danger. Nora's blood was in my hands. And Viktor's heart would break once he learned the truth of my pregnancy. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself and walked slowly toward the car. I tried not to think much for the sake of the baby. I was still walking when my phone rang.I looked at the screen, expecting Lila or Aisha, but the number that showed was one I didn't immediately recognise. I almost let it ring out. Then something made me answer."Hello?"
•MARY•"After everything we've done," Xander muttered as we approached the end of Whitlock's border. "How did we end up here?" "When I married Leo, I thought I would finally be free and get back at the man who molested me when I was young," I scoffed. "But my father turned against me once again. I thought—""He never loved us after our mother died, Mary," he answered. "He lost affection for us when he lost her and that's not our fault." "You must promise me that we will get back at them, Xander," I said as I looked at him. "All those who laughed and encouraged our father to cast us out must pay." "Everyone who wronged us will pay, little sister," he answered. "Everyone, including Leo and Catherine. All those Crescent moon cunts will pay for stripping away our wolves and leaving us with nothing." I looked at him and hung on to every word he said. Just when we were finally out of Whitlock, the front tire snapped and the car wobbled to the side. "Fuck," Xander scoffed. "We have a f
•MARY•The drive to Whitlock territory took most of the night.I sat in the passenger seat and watched the trees blur past the window while Xander drove in silence. Neither of us spoke much. There wasn't anything left to say that would make any of this feel better, so we just sat with the weight of it and let the miles pass.By the time the familiar stone entrance of Whitlock pack came into view, the sun was rising.I hadn't been back here in years. I had told myself I never would be. But here I was, returning with nothing but a bag and a brother who looked just as lost as I felt.My father was in the courtyard when we arrived.That surprised me. It was early, and I hadn't sent word ahead. But he was standing there in the open space between the main house and the training ground, speaking to a small group of pack members who had gathered nearby.When he turned and saw us walking through the gate, he went completely still.For one brief moment, I allowed myself to hope. I thought ma
•CATHERINE•The phone slipped from my fingers and fell onto the vanity table with a loud clatter.Aisha grabbed my shoulders. "Catherine? What happened? What's wrong?"I couldn't speak for a moment. The words the doctor had just said were still ringing in my ears, bouncing around inside my head like they refused to settle.'Nora is dead.'"I have to go," I whispered."Go where?" Aisha asked, her voice rising with alarm. "Catherine, you're shaking."I hadn't even noticed. I looked down at my hands and saw that she was right. My fingers were trembling as I grabbed my jacket from the bed and pulled it over my shoulders."Viktor's mother is dead," I said quietly. "He's in the clinic."Aisha's face fell. She didn't say anything else. She just stepped aside and let me go.***The drive to Viktor's pack felt longer than it ever had before.I kept my hands tight on the wheel and my eyes on the road, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. I kept thinking about Nora. Her warm smile. The way
•LEO•The Stormfield elders had been waiting for nearly an hour by the time I returned to the council hall.They sat in a straight line along the long wooden table, their expressions serious and guarded. These were the same people who had once watched Catherine suffer without lifting a finger. But now they wanted her back to their Alpha. I folded my arms over my chest and slowly walked toward them.“Have you spoken to her?” Elder Tobias asked immediately, leaning forward. "The entire pack is waiting to hear if she will rejoin our pack as the Alpha." I stopped a few feet away from the table. “Yes,” I answered. "I've spoken to her." Every pair of eyes in the room focused on me at once. “And?” another elder asked.I exhaled slowly before responding. “She needs time to think about your request. The news came suddenly to her, but I assure you, she will get back to you.”Elder Tobias frowned. “She needs time?”“Yes,” I repeated calmly. “Catherine didn’t expect this. You can’t walk into
•CATHERINE• “The patient is with his parents. Leo and Mary Thorn,” she answered.My breath caught.Leo.Mary.The two names that could still slice through me like a blade.“Very well then,” I replied smoothly, far steadier than I felt. “Please tell them I’m on my way.”She nodded and left, closin
•CATHERINE• I couldn't sleep that night after Benson left. I kept tossing and turning, thinking of everything he said to me, and about Julie. I had already sent the admin team an email not to open the hospital in the morning. Elias and I wanted to find Julie and get rid of Viktor from my life.
•MARY•When we got to the courtyard for the Beta test, Xander looked at me and reminded me through a mind link of our earlier conversation.‘Don’t forget what I said, little sister. Your perfect plan with a bastard son will be exposed, and the pack will throw you out, just like they did to their pr
•CATHERINE•Viktor’s small paper was on the table when I woke up. I looked at it again for the tenth time before tearing it into shreds and heading to the shower.My work clothes were on the bed, ironed and ready for me to face the day.I kept reminding myself in front of the mirror that I was Dr.







