ANMELDENMatthew POV“You look so grown up,” my mother says, wiping a tear from her cheek as she pushes a lock of stray hair from my forehead. “So strong.” “Of course he’s strong, Tessa. He’s our child, after all,” my father says proudly. He wraps an arm around my shoulders. “It’s good to see you, son.” “What did that healer give me…?” I mumble, frowning. “I’ve never had a dream like this.” My parents ignore me, hugging me tighter. I relax, sighing into their embrace. Real or not, it feels good to be with them. “We’re so proud of you,” Tessa says with a smile that makes my chest tighten. “You’ve made an incredible Alpha. We never doubted you for a second.” “No, I haven’t,” I say quietly. “I failed my mate. I failed.” My father cuts me off. “You didn’t fail, son. Lessons are sometimes given to us in the hardest ways. You had to learn. Vengeance isn’t everything. While you were able to catch our true killers, a life of seeking revenge isn’t what we wanted for you.” I stare at him
Matthew POVThe cool night air blows in from the window as I sleep. I roll over to see my mate, Jill, and between us is Owen. I look at them with a content smile, happiness filling my body with warmth. My perfect family— I’m about to close my eyes again when a faint smell shifts through the window. I frown as Jill slowly opens her eyes, blinking at me. “What is it?” she asks. “Probably nothing,” I say as I get up to check the room. The silence that was peaceful moments ago is suddenly deafening. My wolf is alert, as if something is wrong, but I don’t see anyone as I move through our room to the window. I peer into the dark but see nothing. Yet that smell— My hackles rise as a sudden noise shakes the house. The door slams open, and I turn to face our intruders. “Give us everything,” the first says. I can finally put a name to the scent—rogues. I growl at them, shielding the bed from view. I glance over my shoulder to where Jill has woken Owen and is holding him tigh
Jill POVHave I made the right choice in keeping them apart? Or have I been neglecting their potential relationship? I know Matthew would make a great father. Even though he’s been a terrible partner, I don’t doubt that wouldn’t leak into how he treats his son. His decision that night at the warehouse gives every indication that he would do anything for his child. I knew raising a child on my own was going to be hard, but at the time, I had Amanda. I didn’t ever think Owen would need a male figure or that he desperately wanted one. “Try to go back to sleep, hmm? We can talk more in the morning,” I say. Owen nods before sliding back down beneath the blankets and closing his eyes. I slip down beside him and rub his back until he falls asleep. But the rest of the night, I lie awake thinking about Matthew and the situation I’ve somehow found myself in. The night before everything happened, Matthew had come to me and apologized for the way he’d mistreated me. He’d just discov
Jill POVMatthew stays true to his word and assigns one of his wolves to walk us back. Even though I want to argue, I’m grateful to have someone guarding us for a while. I doubt there are more rogues, but on the off chance there are, I don’t know how much fight I have left in me. Hearing Matthew say goodbye made me feel unexplainably sad. I should be grateful he left without trying to take Owen from me or force his way into our lives. But as I watched him walk away, all I felt was a sense of longing, like I’d misplaced something but couldn’t remember what it was. We walk home in silence. I carry Owen on my hip, and he nuzzles his face into my neck. When we arrive home, I bolt the door behind us and carry him to the bath. Slowly, I wash the grime from his body. His wrists are red from the chains they put him in, and I’m careful not to hurt him further as I work. He doesn’t say a word, letting me comfort and take care of him without argument. After he’s clean, I lay him on his b
Matthew POVWhen daylight finally peeks through the windows, I watch in silence as the rogues reemerge. Owen wakes up slowly, his eyes crusty with tears. He looks at his mother, fear filling his expression before he glances at me. Does he understand I hold the outcome of his life in my hands? Patrick wastes no time in approaching us; his lips lifted in a cocky smirk. “Have you made your decision?” he asks. I glare up at him, my voice steadier than I feel as I answer him. “I’ll agree to your terms, but no harm is to come to the boy.” Owen watches me, his expression frozen with innocence. I’m not sure he understands, but I offer him a small smile of reassurance. Jill’s mouth hangs slightly open, but she shuts it quickly, staring at me. Is she that shocked at my answer? “Excellent!” Patrick gloats. “We will arrange the paperwork.” He turns to bark an order over his shoulder as my blood runs cold. If I sign something, it will be an official contract. One that I won’t be ab
Matthew POVI stare at the boy as he curls into a ball on the floor and closes his eyes. My heart clenches. It can’t be true, can it? Although, as I stare at him, I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. His eyes are the same color as mine, along with the shape of his face. The timing lines up perfectly after we— My heart sinks. I rejected the mother of my child and threw her out to fend for herself. I’d been nothing but cruel and heartless toward her. My eyes turn to Jill, sadness and anger filling me. I’m not angry at her but at myself. Would this have happened if I hadn’t been so consumed with revenge? “It’s true, isn’t it?” I ask her quietly. Jill turns to look at me. I can’t tell what she’s thinking, and I find myself desperately wanting to know. There’s a moment of silence before she finally nods. “When did you know?” She sighs sadly, and the sound makes my chest clench. “After you,” she pauses before continuing, like the next words are sour in her mouth, “re
Jill POV I feel like screaming but don’t get the chance as another customer walks in.“Welcome to Jill’s bakery. What can I get for you?” I say automatically as the client walks forward, scanning the items for sale.I glance at Matthew’s back as he turns the corner, leaving for the final time.My
Jill POV “Good morning, Jill,” Anthony greets me. He’s wearing his usual black suit and looks handsome as always. He smiles at me kindly. While he’s flirting, he’s so far respected my decision not to go out with him, and it hasn’t become awkward since he asked yesterday.However, as he walks to th
Matthew POV I spotted the she-wolf immediately. She’s in the corner, clutching her side as she bandages it from an odd angle. She doesn’t notice us at first, but she must finally sense us as her eyes shoot up and she growls.“You should've known you would be hiding in tunnels like rats,” I remarke
Matthew POV The city is still asleep as I walk the streets restlessly. I can’t stop thinking about last night. It shouldn’t have happened. In a moment of weakness, with my wolf’s emotions heightened, I’d forgotten who she is and her relation to my parents’ death.When I woke and saw her sleeping b







