LOGINKANE POV"'If they can't take it, they shouldn't dish it out. That's just how the world works?'” Liana says incredulously.Her eyes are blazing with upset and disappointment.I'd said those statements to Lina not too long ago. This was because when she’d told me she didn't want to play with the other kids after they’d had an argument. Lina's always been such a sweet, reserved little girl. Sometimes too reserved, in my opinion. I'd only wanted to help boost her confidence; to show her she wasn't less than the other kids. But I can see now how my words and advice might have been misinterpreted by a child."She's just a child. She doesn't need to understand how the 'world works' right now. I don't want a life for my daughter where she has to resort to violence to defend herself."I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. Liana's always been protective of Lina, almost to a fault. But I've never seen her this upset before."I didn't mean to upset you," I begin, but Liana isn't fi
LIANA POVI hope Jimmy never becomes Alpha. He’s not capable of becoming one, but I still worry thinking about the possibility of him scheming something stupid to make good on his threats.For Jimmy to come to me, he must've been pushed to the wall, and I wonder what he might do next to try to get Kane out of the picture. God, I hope he doesn't do anything stupid and bring more trouble our way.I pull up to the tavern.Two of my workers rush out to start unloading the items, and while helping, I hear shouts coming from the children's play area at the back."Careful with that box, Sid. There are eggs in there," I say to one of the girls whilst picking up on how those shouts are growing louder and more frantic.Curiosity getting the better of me, I head in the direction of the commotion.I'm met with a crowd of children screaming, laughing, and jumping around in a circle.What’s got them so worked up? I muse in a bit of amusement, pushing through the buzz.There are two children wrestli
LIANA POVI hope Jimmy never becomes Alpha. He’s not capable of becoming one, but I still worry thinking about the possibility of him scheming something stupid to make good on his threats.For Jimmy to come to me, he must've been pushed to the wall, and I wonder what he might do next to try to get Kane out of the picture. God, I hope he doesn't do anything stupid and bring more trouble our way.I pull up to the tavern.Two of my workers rush out to start unloading the items, and while helping, I hear shouts coming from the children's play area at the back."Careful with that box, Sid. There are eggs in there," I say to one of the girls whilst picking up on how those shouts are growing louder and more frantic.Curiosity getting the better of me, I head in the direction of the commotion.I'm met with a crowd of children screaming, laughing, and jumping around in a circle.What’s got them so worked up? I muse in a bit of amusement, pushing through the buzz.There are two children wrestli
LIANA POV‘Don't get too attached to him,’ I’d said. But it hasn't been quite that simple.Ever since that power outage incident, Kane and Lina have been growing closer in a way that's starting to worry me. It's like watching two magnets slowly inching toward each other, and I'm the invisible force trying to keep them apart. I also can’t help the prick of guilt I feel every time I see them together. At the same time, I remember everything I've been through and everything I've sacrificed to keep her safe and happy.A mother's instinct to protect can be a selfish thing, I suppose, but it's all I've got to hold on to right now.It's not just even about keeping them apart anymore. It’s also the fact their closeness makes me cross paths with Kane more often than I'd like.The other day, Lina had skinned her knee playing outside, and Kane was there in an instant to comfort her like it was the most natural thing in the world.People around have started noticing it too.When they ask me, I gi
To the man at the door, I explain, "There’s been an outage. I'll bring some candles to your room."I look at Lina and Kane again as I move towards the door. The man steps aside to allow me to pass.I go down the stairs again, this time extra carefully.My body hums again with the memory of Kane's touch when I reach that particular spot we'd been earlier on.These stairs will never be the same again, because every time I come down now, I'll remember what I don’t want to.I make my way to the storage closet to get candles and matches. Then I light them up and deliver each one to rooms that need them."...yes, the boy and girl met at university,"I stop a few paces from Lina’s door, my heart constricting immediately as I listen."What was she like?" I hear Lina ask."She was extremely beautiful, and the boy was so captivated by her, he would never let a day go by without seeing her face. She was also very strong. Despite having a tough life, she never let it weigh her down.”I swallow an
LIANA POVI freeze at first when he kisses me, passionately and urgently, like he’s trying to say something he’d been unable to communicate with words.But then, like a switch flipping, I respond.My fingers slowly curl where they’re resting on his hard chest and my eyes flutter closed to allow him entrance into my mouth. My wolf, which I’ve been fighting to keep dormant, is howling inside me as his scent continues to enthrall my senses.As much as I want to get out of what’s happening, in my head, my body and emotions are saying otherwise. So much for trying to bottle up my feelings, all it takes is being in the warmth and strength of his arms again to send everything rushing back up to the surface.I kiss him back, this time letting my hands slide slowly up his chest to grip his shoulders, leaning into him greedily.Kane gradually becomes bolder with my acceptance and secures his hand more firmly behind my neck, and a little gasp from me is swallowed by his eager mouth when his othe
MatthewJill’s mouth meets mine once more, capturing my breath as I steal hers. I move us to a wall, pressing against her as my other arm wanders down her curves. I slip the straps of her dress down her shoulders enough to reveal her torso. My lips eagerly find the peaks of her breasts, and I kiss
ELENA POVAfter Arthur left, the clinic felt too quiet, too empty. I walked slowly to Jonah's room, my footsteps heavy with dread. I could hear the soft hum of the machines keeping him stable, but I couldn't mask the sadness that gripped my heart. I looked at his peaceful face and wondered what I w
ELENA POVThis was a mess. My mind raced as Arthur and I carefully laid Jonah and Elder Marcus into my car. This was all my fault. Maybe I should have acted sooner. Maybe I should have used my powers.Jonah's arm hung at a painful angle, the bone visibly broken, and his chest was covered with blood
ARTHUR POVThe moment I heard the words "Elena's daughter," it felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. My mind raced, trying to make sense of it. A daughter? My chest tightened with jealousy and confusion. Who could the father be? My wolf growled inside me, ready to find and tear th







