LOGINThird Person's POVAt noon, the Los Angeles sun beat down mercilessly through the blinds. Samantha dragged her exhausted body back into Thomasina's beauty spa.Thomasina was sharp; she immediately picked up on the anxious pheromones bleeding into the air.She quickly double-locked the door and lowered her voice. "Samantha, that kid—Algernon. Are you absolutely sure no other wolves know he exists, besides your mother and that useless brother of yours?"Samantha shook her head weakly. "No one, Auntie. I swear. I originally wanted to keep him as my ultimate trump card to trigger Cassian's paternal instincts and get him to take me back. But I never expected him to completely shred our history before he even saw the kid."Thank goodness she hadn't played that card yet, or Cassian would have immediately branded her a blasphemer without a second thought.Thomasina let out a sigh of relief, a ruthless, calculating glint flashing in her eyes. "
Third Person's POVCassian squeezed the shopping bags in his hands so hard his knuckles turned white.Watching Xander take such perfect care of her—booking her into the closest hotel, flying over just to go shopping with her, and even dropping to one knee in front of everyone without a second thought—slammed a bitter truth right into his chest.That was a level of decency and respect he had never given her during those three years in the prison they called a "marriage."Even an Alpha like Xander, who had zero dating experience, understood loyalty, favoritism, and a wife's dignity.Yet Cassian, in his past life, had just stood by and let Samantha trample all over Trista's boundaries time and time again."I don't deserve her," Cassian muttered. He leaned heavily against the car door, hunching over as a sharp, crushing ache rippled from his chest through his entire body, making it hard to breathe.He didn't deserve her love. He didn't even deserve the chance to say sorry.At 2:00 PM, Tri
Third Person's POVSamantha saved the number with shaking fingers and hit dial immediately.On the other side of the ocean, Cassian was pacing in front of his floor-to-ceiling windows.The moonlight outlined his lonely, towering frame. His thumb repeatedly brushed against his screen; he was just about to initiate a video call.Suddenly, an unknown number popped up.He declined it without a second thought and tapped the only profile picture that ever made his heart race.The video connected.Trista had just finished her skincare routine. A silk nightgown draped over her graceful figure, revealing a glimpse of her pale neck at the collar.Cassian's Adam's apple bobbed. His tone became softer than it had ever been. "Are you adjusting okay over there? If you aren't used to the scent of a foreign pack, I'll send a private jet to bring you home right now.""Hold on," Trista said, hearing a knock at her door. She looked a bit p
Third Person's POVThat same night, Samantha grabbed her toddler and left with Thomasina without looking back.Watching their retreating figures, the smile on Angela's face vanished instantly, and she spat toward the door."If I didn't know better," Angela snapped at her husband and mother-in-law, "I'd think Samantha was Thomasina's secret love child!"At 10:00 PM, Thomasina brought the mother and son to the top floor of a high-end beauty spa she owned."Samantha," Thomasina said, pushing open the door to a luxury suite. "This spa is my private property. I usually use this place for naps or meeting clients. It's quiet, and the Simmons family's spies can't get in. You and the boy can stay here for now."Samantha gripped Thomasina's sleeve like a lifeline. "Auntie, I've completely offended Cassian. I can't go back to France, and that bastard Ainsley has people looking for me. What am I supposed to do? My life is ruined."Thomasina sighe
Third Person's POV"Angela, don't do this." George started to step in, but a fierce glare from Angela shut him down instantly."I ended up like this because I was trying to help this family!"Samantha's eyes were red, her pride completely shattered. "I have zero cash left. Where am I supposed to go with Algernon? Sleep on the street?""That's your problem!" Angela waved her arm at the cramped apartment. "Every inch of this territory is mine, and there's no room for a stray like you bringing trouble to my door!""I paid the down payment on this place with the money I gave you back then!" Samantha shrieked."How can you say I can't stay?""Do you have a receipt? Legally, that was a gift. By pack rules, that was a tribute!"Angela went full scorched-earth, turning her finger toward Georgia. "And you! Look at this daughter you raised. You can pack your bags and get out with her!"George was caught in the middle, trying to sa
Third Person's POVCassian glanced down at the check and let out a cold laugh. "You really think I'm doing this for the money?""Of course not. This is just a small gesture for the... emotional distress you've dealt with.""Fine." Cassian finally gave in. "Since you're willing to give up territory for a 'friend,' I'll give you this win."After Edwin left, Humphrey looked baffled. "Sixty million out of his own pocket plus giving up land, all for an outsider? Since when did Edwin become a saint?"Cassian let out a sharp scoff. "He's not saving Samantha. He's saving his own dirty secret."Back at his desk, Cassian opened his phone again.By now, Trista should be busy at the healing center.He hesitated, typing and deleting several times, before finally sending a short text.In his past life, every time he coldly left LA for a business trip, Trista was the one staring at her phone, suffering through the silence.Now,
Trista's POVI tightened my grip on the glass, my knuckles turning slightly white.Cassian glanced at me, then spoke to Hera. "When Trista and I have a baby, you'll be the first to know."He said it so naturally, as if nothing had ever happened between us.Hera laughed and patted my hand. "You've b
Third Person's POVWhen Cassian returned to Ironthorn, pack members who had finished their training were gathering equipment in the pack plaza.The old manor, where Cassian's parents resided, was softly lit. The living room smelled of flowers mixed with the distinctive scent of old wood.Alaina and
Trista's POVBack home, Ulva changed the sheets on the guest bed and found a fresh duvet cover. Randolph left with a grocery bag to buy food.I forced my breath to its steadies level. I helped my mother fold the blanket and tidy the closet, letting the physical labor suppress the noise in my head.
Trista's POVThe scent of silver-leaf disinfectant and purifying incense was thick in the observation room. It was like an invisible salt scraping my throat, leaving a subtle, warm sting.The emotional backlash arrived faster than I expected—clusters of sharp sparks exploded from within my bones, h







