LOGIN"Why am I here?" Finn asked.He sat small in an oversized wooden chair, his legs dangling a few inches above the dirt floor. His little fingers clutched his red plastic block, squeezing it tight. He looked up, his big green eyes wide but steady.A woman sat right across from him on the edge of a heavy table. She was tall, with sharp, striking features and dark hair pinned back loosely, though a few stray strands fell over her pale face. Her eyes were an unsettling shade of amber, dark and hollow, shifting constantly like a predator watching a cage. She wore a long, flowing dark dress covered in dust from the road, and a heavy gold necklace glinted under the dim yellow light bulb hanging from the ceiling. She leaned forward, bringing the scent of heavy lavender perfume and sweet makeup right into his space.This woman was Lydia."You are here because your daddy is a bad man, sweetie," Lydia said. She kept her voice soft, mimicking a sweet, gentle tone.But Finn didn't lean in. He didn
Liora's POV "We have to go at night time to lessen attention," Ella said, pulling her jacket closer."Hmmm... that makes sense. Though why night time, though, Ella?" Elias asked, leaning his shoulder against the side of our grey work truck."Because I've got my eyes on Martins for the longest time," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I know how his patrol guards shift. Though I really didn't think Isolde would be so petty to get a little boy involved in this.""She did it to get back to me, somehow," Ronan said. His voice deep."So there's a high probability of Martins not knowing about your ability yet," Renn said, turning his head to look straight at me."We'll get Finn, Liora," he assured me, his voice firm. "Don't worry.""Yeah, unless it gets to the absolute worst, don't let Martins know of your abilities, Li." Thorne warned, stepping into the middle of our circle. His arm was freshly bandaged, but his eyes were deadly sharp."And why is that?" I asked, my brows knitting togeth
Liora's POV "Ooh, Ella," I said, stepping forward as soon as the truck door clicked shut. I pulled her into a warm hug.She smelled like wet leather, and the sharp scent of pine needles from the woods around us. Her arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders before I pulled back to look at her face. My hands stayed on her arms, feeling the chill of the afternoon air through her sleeves."I'm sorry about how things went down yesterday," I said quietly. I looked down, my cheeks burning. "I was a complete mess. I shouldn't have snapped at you.""Ooh, it's fine. I totally understand," she said, a small smile breaking across her face. She patted my hand gently. "Any mother would lose her mind in that basement, Liora. Don't worry about yesterday."I let out a slow breath, my shoulders relaxing just a bit. But as I looked at her expression more closely under the dim light of the trees, the relief vanished. Her green eyes looked heavy, and her jaw was set in a tight line. It didn't look like s
"Can you meet me outside the border line?" Ella’s voice came through the phone, sounding a bit fuzzy over the wind. "Don't use the main road. Take the old path near the eastern marker."Jax pulled his truck to a stop under a bunch of thick pine trees. The tires crunched quietly on the damp ground. He climbed out, the cool air hitting his face immediately and bringing the scent of rain. A few yards ahead, standing near a low post, Ella was waiting. Three big, broad-shouldered Theta wolves stood a few steps behind her, keeping their eyes on the trees. Which Jax recognized two of them from during his stay in Lockwood."What are you doing here, Ella?" Jax asked, walking up to her with quick steps. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets to keep them warm. "Voss is totally on edge right now. Ronan is already inside looking for tracks. You shouldn't be anywhere near the perimeter.""I'm sure you'd want to sit down for this, Jax," Ella said. She looked completely calm. She just turned and
"You knew she was a seer, didn't you?" Ella asked, pacing in his private study. Damien didn't even flinch. He just stood by the tall glass window, the gray afternoon light catching the sharp lines of his face. He took his time turning around to face her, his boots clicking softly against the hardwood floor. "I had a hunch," Damien said, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Your little discovery just confirms it." "But the last seers died years ago," Ella countered. She took a step closer to his dark mahogany desk, her boots clicking loudly against the tiled floor. "Everyone knows that bloodline was wiped when Martins first went mad. How is it possible she's even alive?” "Luckily, their daughter escaped," Damien said. His voice was calm, devoid of any surprise. He walked past her, the scent of rain and woodsmoke shifting through the air as he moved toward his desk. Ella stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping slightly. She watched him pull out a chair and sit down with easy, slow move
"Any news from the northern gate yet?" Jax asked, holding the phone tight against his ear. He walked back and forth on the dirt path, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust."Nothing yet, Beta," the guard said over the line. "We have been watching the main road since sunrise. No sign of the Luna's car, and nobody matching her description has crossed the border.""Keep your eyes open and tell me the second you see anything strange," Jax said before hanging up.He leaned against the hood of his truck and let out a long breath. Following Ronan’s instructions over the phone, he had driven straight to the outer entrance of the Voss territory. But he didn't want to go into the main compound yet. He still didn't have any real answers for Serena’s worried parents, and he wanted to see if he could catch Isolde before she even entered the pack, if she was even coming back any time soon.The afternoon air was turning cool, carrying the sharp scent of pine needles and wet dirt from the woods.
The morning after Kira called me out, the air felt different, I felt lighter. The secret of my pregnancy had been a heavy wall between us, but now that it was down, I felt like I could finally breathe. I woke up to the smell of woodsmoke and the bitter, comforting scent of yesterday’s tea. Usually
I didn't stop walking until the sun started to peak over the trees. My legs were heavy and my feet were sore, but I kept moving. I kept looking back, half-expecting to see a patrol or hear the sound of a familiar howl, but there was nothing. Just the wind. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ronan’s
The next day, I was up before the sun. The cabin was quiet, except for Serena’s soft breathing in the next room. I got ready in the dark. It was cold, so I put on my black pants and a green shirt that matched the trees. I laced my boots tight and crept out so I wouldn't wake anyone. The village w
LIORA'S POV I woke to the sound of laughter, Serena’s high-pitched, melodic chirp followed by Mom’s softer, amused chuckle. It was the sound of a "real" family starting their day. I lay still under my worn wool blanket, staring up at the cracked, flaking white paint of the ceiling. Another morning







