MasukVivienneThe room felt smaller now, not in a bad way, just… different. I stood there for a second, suddenly unsure what to do with my hands or my words or even my breathing. Asking him to stay had felt necessary when the words came out, but now that he was actually here, the weight of it settled on me in a way I wasn’t ready for.I cleared my throat lightly and moved toward the bed, sitting on the edge as I glanced at him. He didn’t rush or make it awkward. He just walked over slowly and sat on the chair near the window, giving me space like he always did, like he knew I needed it even when I didn’t say it.“Thanks,” I muttered, looking down at my hands because looking at him felt too much right now. “For staying.”Ryker nodded once, his voice low and calm. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”I let out a small breath and rubbed my arms, even though I wasn’t cold. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t easy either. Too many things sat between us, things I still hadn’t fixed
VivienneIt was late, the kind of late where the whole pack had gone quiet and even the guards outside had stopped shifting as much, but my head refused to shut up. I had been pacing for what felt like hours, moving from the window to the bed and back again, my thoughts circling the same problem over and over until it felt like I was wearing grooves into the floor.I’d gone through the file again. Twice. Then a third time just to make sure I wasn’t missing something obvious, something small that could turn this around, but every angle led to the same place. Marcus had found a legal thread buried deep enough that no one bothered to question it until now, and he was using it perfectly, not to rush or attack blindly, but to corner.And I hated that because it meant he had learned.It meant he wasn’t the same reckless man I had once outplayed.“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance,” I muttered under my breath, dragging a hand down my face as I stopped by the window again.The mo
VivienneI looked at them and waited, but no one said anything, and that silence… it pressed down on me in a way I didn’t likeIt was heavy and steady, like they were all thinking the same thing but no one wanted to be the first to say it out loud. It wasn’t the loud, aggressive tension I was used to with them, not the kind filled with growls and sharp words, but something quieter, colder, more dangerous, and that scared me more than any fight ever could.I forced myself to stay still, even though my fingers were itching to move, to grab the file again, to tear it apart and find something, anything that made this less real, but there was nothing to find. Marcus had done exactly what he always did, twisted something old or forgotten, and turned it into a weapon.“What do you want to do?” Dante finally asked.The question landed directly on me, simple, calm, but heavy with responsibility, and for the first time in a long time… I had nothing.I shifted slightly in my seat, my shoulders
VivienneThe brush moved slowly across the canvas, dragging color into shape as I worked on the sky, soft blues blending into a dull orange that didn’t quite match anything real but felt right in my head. Painting had never been my thing before, but lately it was the only way to keep my thoughts from tearing me apart. When my hands were busy, my mind stayed quiet, and right now, quiet was the closest thing I had to peace.I leaned back slightly, tilting my head as I studied the mess in front of me, trying to decide if it looked like a sunset or just something broken pretending to be beautiful, and honestly, it felt a little too accurate. My fingers were stained with paint, my hair tied up carelessly, loose strands sticking to my face because I’d been at this for hours without noticing time passing, and for once, I wasn’t thinking about Zach, or the men, or the mess I’d created with my own stubbornness.Then the knock came.It was firm, controlled, not hesitant, and that alone told m
Vivienne The brush moved slowly across the canvas, dragging color into shape as I worked on the sky, soft blues blending into a dull orange that didn’t quite match anything real but felt right in my head. Painting had never been my thing before, but lately it was the only way to keep my thoughts from tearing me apart. When my hands were busy, my mind stayed quiet, and right now, quiet was the closest thing I had to peace. I leaned back slightly, tilting my head as I studied the mess in front of me, trying to decide if it looked like a sunset or just something broken pretending to be beautiful, and honestly, it felt a little too accurate. My fingers were stained with paint, my hair tied up carelessly, loose strands sticking to my face because I’d been at this for hours without noticing time passing, and for once, I wasn’t thinking about Zach, or the men, or the mess I’d created with my own stubbornness. Then the knock came. It was firm, controlled, not hesitant, and that a
VivienneHis lips pressed against mine and for a second the whole world just stopped. The kiss wasn’t rushed or demanding. It was slow and careful like Asher was giving me time to pull away if I wanted to but I didn’t want to. I leaned into it instead my hands still gripping the front of his shirt as something warm and terrifying spread through my chest. His mouth moved against mine soft at first then a little deeper and I felt the way he breathed me in like he had been holding his breath for weeks.My eyes slipped shut and for once my mind didn’t race with excuses or fears. It just let me feel him. The way his fingers brushed my jaw. The way his other hand rested on my lower back pulling me closer without forcing anything. It was Asher. My Asher. The one I had hurt the most and he was still kissing me like I hadn’t broken his trust.When we finally pulled apart I was breathing harder than I wanted to admit. My forehead rested against his chest for a moment because I couldn’t look a
VIVIENNE’S POVBlackwood territory... like the Atlas Blackwood’s kingdom, if you could call a place like this a kingdom.Out here, “territory” meant something deeper that hummed in your bones and hissed in your blood. A rogue pack, hidden behind layers of old magic and silence, population small bu
VIVIENNE POV“V… Viper?” The man called and my whole body boiled, before I could think, I rushed towards him with every intent to slap him blind, my hand already rising, fingers curled, ready to claw across his smug face until I felt bone under my nails. The name he spoke wasn’t a question, it wa
VIVIENNE’S POVLess than two hours to the wedding.The pack was glowing like a fucking crown jewel, lights blazing, music drifting across the compound, expensive laughter spilling into the night. Alphas. Mafias. Men who ruled cities and graves in equal measure, all dressed sharp, and smiling like n
Dante’s POVMy wolf was snarling in anger, pacing inside me like a caged beast, and I was not helping either. I was equally angry, rage boiling under my skin so hot it felt like my blood was on fire.“Who would dare attack her in our pack, who…” I paused, trying to control my anger but it seriously







