Anna's P.O.VThe phone slipped through my numb fingers, the sickening crack of plastic on tile echoing in the deafening silence of the room. My baby. Lost consciousness. Relapsed. Each word Sen spoke felt like a hammer blow to my chest, the air whooshing out of my lungs in a strangled gasp. Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and stinging, but I blinked them back furiously. Panic clawed at my throat, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to focus. I couldn't afford to break down right now."Asher took Evan to the hospital," the words tumbled out of my mouth, my voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor running through me. Even to my own ears, it sounded hollow, detached. "When Evan ran out of your office, I think... I think he ran into Asher and then..." My voice trailed off, the horrible possibility hanging heavy in the air. Was Asher's presence the trigger? A fresh wave of terror threatened to drown me.Across the room, Tony's head snapped up, concern etching lines on his forehe
(Anna's Pov) "Thank you." I said again to the doctor and Asher and I stood up at the same time. He reached out his hand towards me and gave me a pointed look to take his hand. Pausing, I glanced at the doctor and back at Asher.I swallowed and took the hand. He was trying to fake a "happy family" before the doctor and going by the way the doctor pressed his lips into a thin line, he didn't buy into our act.Suddenly my chest tightened with fear. What if Ivan and Evan are taken away from me by CPS on grounds of unsafe parenting? I wrapped my fingers tightly around Asher's and allowed me pull me to him.His scent hit me with an unexpected intensity and I flushed at how heady my brain went. I gritted my teeth and quickly walked away with Asher.He held the door open for me, and we exited the doctor's office, the muted glowing lights replaced by the harsh fluorescents of the hallway.As soon as the doors closed behind us, I yanked my hand away, ignoring how his pheromones changed from "I
Asher's P.O.VWatching Anna leave after I instinctively blurted out moving in with her, I felt a little terrified to be honest. But one thing was sure, I'd rather go to the ends of the earth with Anna, than lose a chance of watching my kids grow, being a good father to them. I knew more than anyone what an absent or terrible father does to a child, fucking first hand experience. I wouldn't let that be Evan and Ivan's fate. No matter what.Maybe it was the magic of Westside that automatically suppressed parts of Alpha dominance, but I couldn't make Anna do what she doesn't want to do. It was unsettling, but maybe, just maybe, it was what I needed to be the father they deserved.There was no manipulating Anna as she had grown from a timid maid to a lioness that protected her cubs. Derek was deluded if he thought I would marry Vira Kuznetsov and take the kids away from Anna. I'd kept silent that day because I'd been too gotten and enraged to form actual words and I wanted the threat of
Asher's P.O.VFolding the last of my shirt into Anna's cramped closet--its space barely designed for half of the content it's currently holding--I stepped back and dusted my hand with a satisfied smirk. Nice work Asher.Perched on the edge of the tiny Queens sized bed was Anna and the smile on her face was tentative, like a butterfly unsure of landing. I shook my head, a silent chuckle escaping my lips. Ducking out of the closet, I shut the door with a soft thud before turning my attention back to the room.Tiny... that was the only way to describe it.It looked like something Snow-white and her seven dwarves would be most comfortable living in. The first time I was here, my head had been too far up my ass to actually take in the size and state of the apartment."You know you don't have to do any of this right?" Anna cut into my thoughts with an exasperated smile. "What I said about giving you options, I didn't mean it literally. We could work out something that'd allow you good acces
Asher's p.o.v:An ache subtly throbbed at the small of my back as I hunched over my laptop, finishing some intense paperwork. I was sort of growing into the lack of workspace thingy, as I lived on Anna's couch even if it was terrible for my back. I guess my wolf gene would have lots of work to do now.Talking about living in Anna's space, it'd been very eye-opening to say the least and I couldn't believe I'd be able to control my possessiveness after I didn't find her in bed three nights in a row. Usually, after we are done with a family dinner with the kids, I read them bedtime stories and Anna retires to her room after leaving out blankets and duvets for me.But two nights after the cook-off challenge, she'd gone to bed and while I got myself comfortable enough on the couch, I realized she didn't leave out blankets for me. Werewolves had natural heat but combined with her evident lack of any source of warmth in the apartment (she refused to let me install an electric fireplace), it
Asher's P.O.VAnna blatantly refused taking a ride in my car so we were all stuffed into her tiny beat up Cadillac as it rumbled down the dusty road, the morning sun glinting off the chrome bumper. Anna, in the passenger seat, belted out a tune off-key but full of heart, a smile splitting her face. In the back, Evan and Ivan bounced like popcorn kernels, their backpacks overflowing with snacks and mismatched socks."Faster, faster!" Ivan shrieked, his face pressed against the window. "I wanna see the big, blue boat!"I chuckled, glancing over at Anna. Her eyes sparkled with a joy that was contagious. This… this felt different. Like a real family. The drive to the riverbank was a blur of excited chatter and singalongs. Through the rearview mirror, I could see a black S.U.V following behind. That was Sen. When we finally pulled up, a rickety wooden pier jutting out into a shimmering expanse of water, the boys practically exploded out of the car.A weathered man with a sun-baked face ap
(Anna’s Pov) The cabin floor scraped against my back as Asher lowered me and I bit my lip to hold back a scream of agony when my feet thudded against the wood flooring. My vision swam in a dizzying cocktail of pain and exhaustion. Through the haze, I felt him pull my boot off, the rough tug sending a fresh jolt of agony shooting up my leg. Tears stung my eyes and my fingers tightened into fists. Why me?A gasp tore from my throat as his hands, surprisingly gentle brushed against my ankle. But gentle wasn't the word for what came next. A searing pain ripped through me, a scream dying in my throat as a bone clicked back into place."It's broken, Anna," his voice, rough with strain, reached my ears. "It needs to be put back in llace if it's going to heal right."The world narrowed to the white-hot point of pain in my leg, his words a distant echo. But a fear flickered to life within me– not of the pain, but of what might happen if it didn't heal right. Then, a surprisingly tend
(Anna's Pov) The first rays of dawn peeked through the cracks in the cabin walls, painting the smoke-filled air with a soft, golden glow. The storm had finally passed, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Embarrassment flooded my cheeks as I became aware of my nakedness, sprawled across the makeshift bed of furs. Asher lay beside me, his arm wrapped possessively around my waist, his chest rising and falling with each slow breath. He was naked too. very naked. I tried to ease away, to slip out from under his touch, but his grip tightened around my hand, anchoring me in place. I held my breath as his eyes fluttered open, and a sleepy smile spread across his face. "Good morning," he mumbled, his voice rumbly with sleep. "Where are you going?"My cheeks burned even hotter. This was… unexpected. He seemed completely at ease, unfazed by our tangled bodies. I, on the other hand, felt like I was on fire. Scrambling to my knees, I fumbled for the discarded cloak, desperate to cover