After years as inseparable friends, Sage and Kaiden have always known they could count on each other until hidden feelings start to bubble up. Kaiden, a beta, has secretly loved Sage, who is also a beta, since their school days. But with Sage eyeing someone new, Kaiden offers to help his friend pursue this new love interest. However, Kaiden’s “help” might not be as innocent as it seems, as it brings them closer than ever and unveils a possessive streak in Kaiden that neither expected.
Lihat lebih banyakKaiden
In the lecture hall, the faint scent of lavender and cedar lingered, a scent I couldn’t ignore even if I tried. It was Sage’s scent, soft, alluring and a whisper of the beta’s presence that made my wolf stir beneath his skin. Sage didn’t know his own allure, oblivious to the ripple of interest he left behind everywhere he went. But I knew. I had always known.
From the moment we met, I had vowed to protect Sage from everything, including himself. Alphas were predators by nature, drawn to the innocence and vulnerability of a beta like Sage. He wasn’t an omega yet he possessed qualities like one.
But I wasn’t an alpha, although I was possessive, territorial, and deeply aware of how much control it took to keep myself from claiming Sage outright.
The problem was, Sage didn’t belong to me.
Not yet.
Sage was sitting in the front row, furiously jotting down notes as Professor River droned on about some engineering stuff. His deep voice was smooth as honey, laced with that Alpha authority that made every student in the room hand on to his every word, including me.
But I hated the way the professor kept looking at Sage, the subtle, lingering glances of the faint twitch of a smile whenever Sage asked a question.
River wasn’t just a professor, he was an unmated Alpha in one of the most respected regions and I felt like he had set his sights on my Sage.
Sage had no idea that I had registered for college again, to keep a close watch on him and away from the Alpha. All that thoughts came crashing when the professor placed his hand on Sage’s shoulder and squeezed.
I clenched my fist, the sharp sting of my nails digging into my palm grounded me. I wanted to yank that hand of my man but I couldn’t make a scene, not here.
Sage was oblivious to my dark thoughts, scrawling in his notebook as he too notes.
“You need to focus,” I muttered to myself, tearing my gaze away from Sage and forcing my attention back to the professor’s lecture.
But it was impossible.
Sage was a beta whose soft scent was growing stronger by the day. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. The subtle shifts in the room whenever he walked in, the way unmated alphas, and betas that turned to track his movements, made my blood boil.
When class ended, Sage lingered behind, chatting animatedly with River. The professor leaned in, his smile far too warm for my liking. My wolf bristled, the urge to storm over and stake my claim almost overpowering.
I stood up abruptly and my books fell to the ground, they both looked at me and Sage’s eyes widened with surprise at my presence.
“Kaiden?” He called out in confusion,
I gave him a grin but he shook his head at me before waving me over with that innocent grin that always disarmed me. “Come meet Professor River.”
I forced a tight smile as I approached, my gaze locking with the professor’s. The older alpha’s expression was unreadable, but I knew he could sense my hostility from a mile away. Judging by the smile on his face, I would say he was smug about it.
“Kaiden,” Professor said smoothly, extending a hand. “Sage speaks highly of you, you are the best friend, no?”
I took the hand reluctantly, “That’s because he’s too kind.”
Sage laughed, oblivious to the territorial undertones, I looked at the professor letting him know he was encroaching.
His smile widened as he cocked his head to the side, he was disregarding me. He was letting me know that my claim doesn’t matter. My wolf snarled because then I have to push forward in just claiming Sage and turn him into my omega.
River There are moments in life that feel like breathing again after being held underwater for too long. Moments that don’t announce themselves with fireworks or drama but with quiet, unwavering peace. This was one of them. The hospital room was bathed in warm afternoon light, the sound of faint birdsong slipping in through a cracked window. It was a rare kind of day—still, unrushed, and real. And I was alive to see it. Kaiden was sitting on the bed beside me, one leg propped up, a tray of half-eaten hospital pancakes in front of him. His hair was a mess, his stitches were healing, and his eyes still carried that untamed fire but it was softened now. Like the worst of the storm had passed, and he could finally breathe again. Sage sat curled up in the visitor chair, a blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon. He had color in his cheeks again. The bruises had faded. The shadows beneath his eyes weren’t as heavy. He was alive. He was safe. And somehow, despite everything, we were
River Hospitals always had a strange smell. Antiseptic, floor polish, and quiet dread. It felt like I had spent so much time in the hospital. Ever since I became involved in Kaiden, it's been one hospital trip to the other. I truly hope that this will be the last one. I have seen so many strangers receive bad news all in the span of fifteen minutes. I was scared that the doctors would come and give me horrible news like they had been giving those strangers. This time, they weren’t strangers in those rooms. They were mine. Kaiden and Sage had each been taken into separate wings of the hospital the moment we arrived. Sage was still unconscious. Kaiden was pale and was rushed into trauma with blood still soaked through his shirt. I stood in the emergency ward’s hallway, my body stiff, my hands crusted with dried blood, his, theirs, mine. I hadn’t let the nurses check me. I didn’t care. I only cared about them. I needed them to be okay. The glass doors hissed open behind me, and
River The engine roared beneath my hands like a beast unchained, and I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles went white. The tires screeched against the asphalt as I swerved onto the main road, heart pounding like a war drum inside my chest. Kaiden was in that car, bleeding, unconscious, slipping away by the second. And Raines was taking him to God knows what. My foot slammed harder against the gas. “You’re not getting away with this,” I muttered, eyes burning as the road twisted ahead. “Not this time.” The trees blurred past, and I leaned forward like I could will the car to go faster. I wasn’t thinking clearly, wasn’t thinking at all, honestly. I just saw Kaiden’s face when he crumpled to the ground. The way his body went limp in my arms. The blood in my hands and the instant fear that he won't make it. And now that bastard was running. Running with him. I gritted my teeth. Raines had already stolen too much from us, too much time, too much peace. He thought
River I wish I could say it went breezy like we had planned. We would just walk out of here alive with no one to stop us. I was wrong. I was deeply wrong. Every step we took crunched leaves beneath our feet, every heartbeat pounding in my ears like a war drum. Kaiden was right beside me, his jaw clenched, his hand steady against Sage’s limp body on my back as we moved deeper into the woods, away from the facility. We were close to freedom. Just a little further. But freedom, I’ve learned, never comes without a fight. It started with voices. Shouts in the distance. Then the piercing, commanding bark of Raines. “Secure the perimeter!” Kaiden froze beside me. My gut clenched. “No, no, no,” he muttered. “They weren’t supposed to know—” We both turned at the same time. Flashlights blazed through the trees, gun barrels gleaming beneath the moonlight. Before I could react, we were surrounded. A perfect circle of armed men closed in. Cold, ruthless eyes. Steady fingers on trigge
River I was spiraling since I was left alone with Sage. He hadn’t spoken in hours. His face was too pale. His breathing shallow, lips parted as if halfway between a dream and the edge of death. I knelt beside him, pressing my palm gently against his cheek. “Sage,” I whispered. Nothing. “Come on, dammit. Wake up.” I shook his shoulder softly, then harder. “You hear me? You don’t get to give up now.” Still, he didn’t move. The drug had done its job too well. I exhaled through clenched teeth, sinking back against the stone wall of the cell. I hated this place, hated the damp smell, the metallic taste of rust, the faint buzzing of fluorescent lights overhead that made it hard to tell if it was day or night. But I waited. I had to. We couldn’t run now. Not in daylight, not through the open woods. That would be suicide. We’d wait for night. Wait for the dark to cloak us like an ally. And then we’d run. I watched the window. Already knowing it's pointless. I’d already scanned the
Kaiden I wasn't one to give up. That's the one thing people found annoying about me. That and the fact that I always gathered attention. But giving up is for dead people. I know Raines was dirty and it was up to me to prove that. I'd gone back to the house in the woods, something was wrong. They didn't know I was coming with the detective so they were not tipped off. So I deduced that they were only operating at night. I decided that I would be smart about that this time around. This time, I didn’t get too close. I parked far off and moved on foot, quiet through the trees, heart pounding against my ribs like it wanted out. I’d dressed dark, layered in silence and paranoia. I found a thicket of brush that gave me just enough cover and sat low, watching through a pair of binoculars I borrowed, okay, stole from Bryan’s glove compartment earlier. There they were. People. Dozens of them just like the other night I was here. So many crates being loaded into two separate vehicles,
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