I hated this place. I hated everything about it. The bland scent of antiseptic, the too-bright lighting, and the whisper of worried voices in sterile halls. But what I hated more than anything was the fact that Conan—my Conan—was here. In the maternity ward. Without telling me a goddamn thing. I would’ve missed it if Charlie hadn’t pushed me to keep that tracking app. I almost deleted it last week, figuring Conan’s daily park-to-home loop was harmless. But today, his route changed. And that alone had me tearing down the road like my tail was on fire. The moment I stormed into the clinic, I was met by some receptionist who tried to stop me. “Sir, we’re not taking walk-ins—” I ignored her. My eyes had already landed on Conan’s jacket slung over the waiting room chair. Then I saw him. That damn human. I spotted Conan standing beside him just as a doctor stepped out, calling, “Conan Moss!” “Fuck, he really came,” Conan muttered. The human beside him chuckled nervously. “Damn. Righ
I rubbed my stomach again, feeling the phantom weight of something that wasn't even showing yet. Still flat. Still normal-looking. But not normal. I sat up in bed, head swimming with stress. I didn't remember falling asleep. A soft hand touched mine. I looked down and froze. A baby. A literal baby was sitting beside me, reaching out and babbling through gummy lips. "Mama." My heart seized. "Who the fuck are you?!" I shouted, yanking my hand away. The baby's face blurred like a smudged painting, but it started to cry instantly. Shit. Was it because I yelled? "Stop crying. I didn't mean to yell," I tried, but it wouldn't stop. What do I even do? Pick it up? Throw it out the window? "Is everything alright in here?" a familiar voice asked. I turned just as Levi walked in—three-piece suit, calm like he owned the world. The crying baby didn't faze him at all. "The baby's made a mess again," he chuckled, eyes flicking toward me. "Is something wrong, Conan?" "Conan?" "CONAN!" I bolt
I’m such an asshole. All I wanted was to get an answer, not scare Conan until he broke down in front of me. I didn’t expect tears. Not from him. But once they came, I didn’t let go. I just held him, arms wrapped tight around his trembling shoulders, rubbing circles into his back until the sobs faded into hiccups and silence. Now, sitting beside him on the couch, I handed him a glass of water. “Feeling better?” He sniffled, clearly embarrassed as he took it. “Yeah…” “Why were you crying like that?” I asked softly. “Was it me?” “No… it’s just…” His words trailed off as more tears welled up. He bit his lip, clearly trying to hold them back. His little scrunched-up face made something in my chest squeeze tight. “Here, use this.” I passed him some napkins. He nodded, blowing his nose, avoiding my eyes. I didn’t push. Not yet. “I must be overwhelming you,” I said instead. “Things did move at lightning speed between us. It probably freaks you out a bit, huh?” He didn’t answer. “Do
Two months passed without anything major happening between me and Levi—aside from him getting twice as clingy, of course. Any chance he got, he'd drag me outside to let our wolves out and run together. And if we weren't phasing? He was making out with me at completely random times like we were one of those couples that couldn't breathe unless they were fused at the lips. It was exhausting. The worst part? Every time I wanted to hang out with Alex, Levi threw a fit. And for no reason. "I just hate that guy," he told me once, arms crossed like a petulant child. "He hasn't done anything wrong, he's just... terrible." Helpful. Naturally, I ignored him and went to ride bikes with Alex to the clinic for my monthly check-in. I was getting better fast—too fast, apparently, because they decided I needed extra tests this time. Wonderful. The doctor eventually stepped out, holding a clipboard and a suspiciously cheerful expression. "Conan Moss?" I followed him in and sat down, stretching m
I was already pissed. Conan wouldn't let me go inside the restaurant with them. I wanted to—hell, I should have. I could feel it in my bones: things were going to go sideways the moment Esme opened her mouth. Donovan being a cheating snake? Yeah, not surprising. What was surprising was that Conan felt the need to get involved. This whole damn mess—Esme, Donovan, that cursed bracelet—I didn't get his logic. Wasn't this just keeping them in our lives? I don't understand his thinking sometimes. I shifted in my seat, restless, until I saw a blur of motion through the windshield—Conan, Esme, and Donovan all running from the restaurant. Yep. Shit's officially going down. I got out of the car and jogged after them. They split, of course. Esme went one way, but Donovan... he followed Conan. Oh hell no. I sped up, feet pounding against the pavement, heart thudding. But just before I reached them, I slowed. Conan led Donovan into a side street—no, a narrow alley. A dead end. Was he sett
I yanked Esme back, hard enough to make her stumble away from the woman who was still holding the damn needle in her hand. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” I hissed at her. “Are you trying to die?” “What are you talking about?” the lady asked, blinking like she hadn’t just almost drained someone dry. I turned to her. “Show me your license!” Everyone in the clinic always complied when I asked. This woman? She just stood there, caught in the headlights. Esme tried to pull herself away from me. “Why do you care? Don’t you want me to die?” she snapped bitterly. “Don’t cry and pretend to be merciful. Stay out of my business!” “Why the fuck would I cry over you?” I muttered. If it weren’t for the fact that she was my sister and the walking embodiment of a cautionary tale, I would’ve walked away and let her pass out face-first in the alley. But I knew how she operated—she’d drag me into her mess tomorrow if I didn’t clean it up tonight. And besides, she was the only one still stupid
Back in elementary school, Conan and I were absolutely inseparable. We ran through the forest trails together like wild things, digging up hidden treasures, daring each other to leap over creeks, shouting until our voices cracked. We were just kids then—two halves of the same whole, no roles, no ranks. Just siblings. But things changed. Slowly at first. Then all at once. I was the social one. People liked being around me. I could make them laugh, keep their attention. I liked the spotlight—it made me feel important, seen. And when I started presenting early as an alpha in fifth grade, everything escalated. I wasn't just Esme anymore—I was the Esme. The alpha girl with a future. The one teachers praised openly, who other kids looked to for leadership. Conan? He didn't manifest anything. He started lagging behind—not academically, but socially. He kept to himself. I tried to bring him along, but he didn't try. He didn't speak. I stopped bothering. There was one moment I can't un-hea
I wasn't expecting Levi to get so genuinely pissed off on my behalf. It didn't bother me anymore, not really. I'd heard it all before. The insults, the sneers, the way they talked like I was something scraped off their shoe—it was routine at this point. But Levi... he reacted like it was a fresh wound. Didn't he used to believe those same things about omegas? When the hell did he change? "Levi, dear, I understand that you—" my mom started, trying to soften the tension in the air. "No," Levi cut her off. His voice was sharp, and it made the whole table flinch. "You don't understand. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but I can tell you one thing—you're wrong. About everything." Hazel scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, please—" "What gave you the right to think you could have a say in who my mate is in the first place?" Levi snapped. "Are you telling me you have greater power than the moon?" I felt it then—the air shift. The weight of his suppression pheromones hit the
Okay, so I officially hated Conan’s mom. Every time she showed up, he went back into that cold, detached, blank-faced mode like she flipped a switch inside him—and it pissed me off. But I didn’t know if I had a say in cutting off his family. I shouldn’t have bought her that bracele. That was my mistake. She was already shameless enough barging into my house like she owned it, but when she spotted an unopened bottle of imported wine on the shelf and claimed it as part of her son’s “dowry,” I almost bit my own tongue in half. “Such a nice gift,” she admired the bracelet while twirling the wine bottle in her hands like a prize trophy as we drove her back to her place. “Oh, and it looks like dinner’s going to be served in a bit. As I mentioned, you two should come sit for a meal.” I glanced over at Conan in the passenger seat. He gave a small nod. He didn’t look thrilled about it, but I could feel it—he wanted to see this through. Should I deny it anyway? Would that ruin the progress