THERESA“Come, koshechka.” Kolya’s voice was gentle as he tugged on my hand, pulling me down the hall. I followed him without question.When we reached Tyce’s office, Kolya pushed the door open and gently guided me inside. He led me to a chair already waiting for me and pulled another close, settling beside me. His fingers intertwined with mine in a grip that was firm yet soothing, grounding me in a way that only he could.The air in the room was heavy.Tyce stood behind his desk with crossed arms and a face set in a hard line. It was rare to see him this serious. Even in the worst situations, my brother usually had some smartass remark, some way to cut the tension. But now? There was nothing but cold, hard vibes staring back at me.“Terri,” Kolya said in a careful but firm voice. “There’s something we need to talk to you about.”I looked between the both of them, already guessing what this was about before it was stated.“We need to talk about Joe,” Tyce finally said.A sickening, gu
TYSONFor Valentine’s Day, I went classic.A bouquet of red roses.Well… mostly classic.Gigi had been camped out in my office all week, using my desk as her personal study space. She and Terri had caught some human illness called COVID. At least, that’s what the doctor’s note from the pack hospital claimed so they could take classes remotely for the time being. Gigi had tried explaining it to me, something about crown shapes, face masks, and quarantines, but honestly? I’d tuned out somewhere around respiratory droplets.Because she hadn’t been wearing a bra under a tank top so skimpy it might as well have been see-through. The deep-cut neckline barely managed to contain the perfect swell of her tits, and if anyone else had been in the room, they’d have known the exact shade of pink her nipples were.Pretty sure I lasted all of five seconds before my very educational lesson about an infectious disease turned into me titty fucking her.A smirk curled at my lips as I lay in the dark, ha
NIKOLAII stepped closer, the stone still resting in my palm. “How did Alpine Snow Pack get ahold of Sophia?”His jaw tightened. His silence stretched. My patience thinned.I pushed out my aura, pressing down on him like a vice. “Answer me.”Sasha gasped as his control snapped. “I took her,” he admitted, the words spilling out unwillingly. “I gave her to them. She was bait.”The world stilled.My breath came slow, measured, but the fury beneath my skin boiled hotter with every second. I had suspected. But hearing it—hearing him say it—made it real. Final.“You betrayed me,” I said in an eerily calm voice. “You betrayed our pack.”Sasha said nothing. He couldn’t. I hadn’t given him permission to speak.“Why?” I asked, forcing as much of my aura into the short question as I could.He staggered under the force of its weight, his eyes momentarily shuttering, his fists clenching. But in the end, his body gave in, baring his throat in submission.“Severnaya Zvezda is in shambles,” he mutter
NIKOLAIGrief wrapped around Terri like an unshakable shadow. I’d catch her staring into the distance, her eyes hollow, stripped of their usual fire. Sometimes, her hands would drift to her chest, rubbing absentmindedly over her heart, as if trying to soothe an ache too deep to reach. Even the way she moved had changed—her posture heavier, her presence quieter. It was a stark contrast to the lively, buoyant woman I had first met.After rescuing her and Gigi, Tyce and I made the unanimous decision to return with them to the Jade Moon Pack. Leaving them at school, so close to Alpine Snow Pack’s territory, was out of the question. It was simply too dangerous. Even with their alpha reduced to ashes, there was no telling what other enemies might still be lurking in the shadows. And then there was his successor. We had no guarantee he wouldn’t pick up where his brother left off, continuing to aid the Russians in their search for the stone, enticed by the promise of a wish in return.But now
GINGERI woke to warmth and sparks softly vibrating along my skin.The steady rhythm of a heartbeat thumped beneath my ear. A strong arm wrapped securely around my waist, pulling me in, anchoring me. The scent surrounding me was familiar, comforting. I nuzzled closer, inhaling deeply, as if I could physically absorb the safety I felt in his embrace.I was finally home. Maybe not literally, but in every way that mattered.No chains. No damp cave walls. No torturous nights filled with fear and uncertainty. Just him. His warmth. His scent. The quiet reassurance of being exactly where I belonged.Tyce stirred beneath me, his grip tightening instinctively before his lips brushed against the crown of my head. “Morning, pyro.”A slow, lazy smile spread across my face. “Morning.”His fingers traced slow, absentminded circles on my back, a soothing motion that made my eyes want to slip shut again.“I missed waking up to you,” he murmured.Warmth bloomed in my chest. “Me too.”We laid there in
JULIA*21 years ago*The house was quiet, save for the faint crackling of the fireplace and the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall. It was a rare moment of peace. Tyson and Travis were finally asleep, their endless energy and constant screaming temporarily halted.I ran a hand over my swollen belly, feeling the delicate flutter of movement beneath my palm. A soft, wistful smile touched my lips before fading just as quickly. After giving Lance both an alpha heir and a backup, this child—this last one—was for me.Alfochka.That’s what I’d taken to calling her. My little female alpha.Even now, I could feel it in my bones. She would have the heart of an alpha, the drive, the fire, in a way her brothers never would.As much as I loved my sons, loved them to the point that I would lay down my life without hesitation, both Lance and I knew neither of them would ever truly take to alpha training. They were too gentle, too soft-hearted. Sweet, sensitive boys. Had I not conc