Chapter 6

Michael

The estate sat deep in the forest—miles from the city, surrounded by dense trees and protected by security, both technological and supernatural. A fortress masked as a home.

But for Michael, it wasn’t the isolation that comforted him—it was the quiet.

Here, he could think.

Here, he could breathe.

He walked through the west wing hallway, shirt sleeves rolled up, tie long gone, thoughts still caught in the memory of Anna standing barefoot on her porch, smiling at him through sleep-blurred eyes.

Human.

And still, the bond pulled at him like a living thing.

“She’s got you twisted up, doesn’t she?”

Michael didn’t have to turn to know who’d spoken.

David, his Beta, leaned casually in the doorway of Michael’s study, arms crossed, brow arched. Always loyal. Always observant.

Michael moved to the bar in the corner and poured himself a glass of water. “She’s not just some woman.”

“I figured that out the second you rerouted a billion-dollar meeting to chase someone through Manhattan.”

Michael gave him a look. David held up both hands in surrender.

“No judgment. But you’ve got people whispering, and your mother breathing down your neck with this whole Alina thing.”

“I don’t care about Alina,” Michael said flatly.

David stepped further into the room. “You care about her though.”

Michael’s jaw flexed. “Yes.”

David nodded slowly, as if weighing something. “You planning on telling the Council she’s human?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I have to,” Michael muttered.

“Or,” came a new voice from behind them, “you could set the bridge on fire like you always do and make everyone watch.”

Michael turned just in time to catch Lauren, his younger sister, breezing into the room. Auburn hair pulled into a loose braid. Combat boots. Black hoodie. Her smile was effortless and unapologetic.

“You planning to use the front door next time?” he asked dryly.

“Where’s the fun in that?” she smirked, dropping onto the arm of the couch. “You looked tense. Figured it was a good time to pop in.”

David grinned. “He’s always tense.”

Lauren waved him off. “Yes, but this is the mate-bond kind of tense. I can smell it from outside.”

Michael exhaled and dropped into the chair across from her. “It’s not that simple.”

“You found your mate, right?” Lauren asked, tilting her head. “She’s beautiful. Strong. Good for you. So what’s the issue?”

“She’s human,” he said quietly.

That sobered them both.

David looked away. Lauren’s brow furrowed.

“Oh,” she said after a moment. “That’s… not what I expected.”

Michael leaned back, staring out the tall windows behind his desk. The moonlight cut clean across the forest floor.

“I’ve been alive a long time,” he said. “I’ve known wolves, witches, and shifters of all kinds. I’ve seen bond marks fade, pairings fall apart, even mates reject each other. But this…”

His voice dropped.

“This is real. And it’s strong. Too strong for a bond that shouldn’t even exist.”

Lauren crossed her arms, her teasing edge now gone. “You think she’s not meant to be yours because of her bloodline?”

“I think I don’t understand why it feels like this. I think I don’t know what she’ll do when she finds out what I am. And I think if the Council gets wind that I’ve laid claim to a human…”

“They’ll challenge you,” David finished.

Michael didn’t respond.

Lauren stood and walked to her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe she’s not just human,” she said quietly. “Or maybe that doesn’t matter. Either way, you’re not walking away from this, Michael. I can see it in your face.”

“I can feel it in your bond signature,” David added. “You’re already tethered to her.”

Michael looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers slowly. He could still feel the warmth of Anna’s touch from earlier.

“No matter what happens,” Lauren said, “you’re not facing it alone. We stand with you. Pack or not.”

Michael gave a small nod, his throat tight.

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy.

It was grounding.

The beginning of a war he hadn’t asked for—but one he was already willing to fight.

—————

Anna

The morning sunlight spilled across her kitchen counter, warm and golden, filling the apartment with a soft stillness that usually didn’t last long.

She was barefoot, hair in a loose bun, sipping the first quiet cup of coffee she’d had in days. Ethan was still snoring under his superhero blanket, and Dawn had left just before sunrise with a half-eaten bag of popcorn and a smile that said, we need to talk later.

Anna smiled at the memory.

Then her phone rang.

She didn’t even have to look to know who it was.

Ally – Big Sis 💅🏽

Anna answered and put her phone on speaker. “Good morning, Madam President of Everyone’s Business.”

“Damn right,” Ally’s voice replied, thick with Southern drawl and sleep. “Dawn texted me. Said you went on a date last night. You really gonna let me find out like that?”

Anna rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the grin. “I was going to call you today.”

“You better. Spill it.”

Anna leaned against the counter, the coffee warming her palms. “His name’s Michael.”

“Uh-huh.”

“We met last week… sort of randomly. But he asked me out, and we had dinner last night.”

A long pause.

“And?”

“He’s… different. Mature. Intense. Smart. The kind of intense that makes you feel like he sees through you.”

Ally whistled through the phone. “So you’re saying he’s fine.”

Anna laughed. “I’m saying he’s more than just looks.”

“Okay,” Ally said slowly. “And what else?”

“We had dinner on a private rooftop. No distractions. Just him and me. It felt like I’ve known him longer than I actually have.”

Another pause.

Then Ally’s voice softened. “I’m happy for you, Annabelle.”

Anna closed her eyes at the nickname only her siblings used. “But…”

“But be careful, baby girl.”

Anna swallowed.

“I know you want to open your heart again. And you deserve to. But you’ve been through too much to let someone in who might not understand what that means.”

Anna nodded, even though Ally couldn’t see her.

“And with Mama gone…” Ally’s voice wavered just slightly before she cleared her throat, “I gotta play double duty now. I’ve got eyes everywhere.”

Anna smiled sadly. “I know. You’ve always had that third-eye thing going.”

“Don’t make me fly up there,” Ally warned, her tone playful but protective. “Because I will.”

“I believe you.”

“Does he know about Ethan?”

Anna nodded. “Yeah. I told him. He didn’t flinch. He actually seemed… I don’t know. Gentle about it.”

“Okay,” Ally said. “Then that’s a start.”

There was a pause. Quieter this time.

“Mom would’ve liked that,” Ally said softly. “A man who treats her daughter like she matters.”

Anna’s throat tightened. She looked down into her coffee, her reflection swirling.

“I hope so,” she whispered.

“I know so.”

They stayed quiet for a moment, the kind of silence that only sisters could share across miles.

“I’ll keep you posted,” Anna finally said.

“You better,” Ally replied. “And tell my nephew I love him.”

“I will.”

They hung up, and Anna stood there a moment longer, letting her sister’s words sink in.

The truth was, she didn’t know where things with Michael were going. She just knew they felt different.

And maybe that was the scariest—and most hopeful—part.