Ashton's POV My day has been incredibly busy. Just two hours after I got to the office, I received a call from the Council. They had just left Blackwood and were contacting me with their findings. Apparently, they had completed their examination of the vehicle, and as Maya had claimed, it had indeed been tampered with.I felt sick to my stomach at the lengths they were willing to go to just to force the sisters into compliance. If Maya had not overheard their plan, the three of them might already be bound as mates to the Beta and Gamma. Even if Lauren and Meliza had managed to escape, Maya would almost certainly have been forced into becoming a breeder for Damien. Their lives would have been completely derailed had they not run.I already knew Damien and his crew had done exactly what Maya described. I believed her from the very beginning. Their obsession with the sisters was obvious to anyone who witnessed the scene they made at my gate. But the Council needed hard evidence, so we h
Kayla's POV The nurse returned and quietly told me I could put my underwear back on before the next procedure.About fifteen minutes later, another woman entered the room, pushing a cart. She introduced herself and explained that she would be performing the ultrasound. The lights were dimmed so she could see the screen clearly. I closed my eyes, trying to stay calm. This was far more bearable than the last procedure.She worked in silence, carefully studying everything, especially on my right side. Her focus lingered there, but she didn’t say a word. When she was finished, she wiped the gel from my stomach and told me the results would be sent off for review. I could get dressed, she added, and that my nurse would be in shortly.Few minutes later, the nurse returned. I felt… defeated. Broken, even before hearing any official results. As she gave me aftercare instructions, telling me to take it easy for a day or two, I barely absorbed her words. I healed fast, and I would be fine by t
Kayla's POV I had left early this morning to go to the doctor. I didn’t want to deal with questions about where I was headed. I planned to use my personal account to cover the visit. I couldn’t risk Damien finding out why I had come here.When I made the appointment, they warned me I would be here a while for testing. I had already filled out piles of paperwork and had been sitting in this thin hospital gown for over an hour. Moments like this made me grateful I was a wolf, but even that didn’t stop the chill from creeping in. Another hour and I would be freezing.Nerves were twisting in my stomach. One wrong result, and the cushy life I had built could come crashing down. Best case? I was fine and just needed a little help, something to boost my chances of carrying Damien’s pup. I would do whatever it took. I was desperate.But I already knew the truth: Damien didn’t want me anymore.I had to get him drunk last night, and even then, I had to give him something extra just to make him
Ciara's POV I had just come down after my release when I heard the low growl. I had grown so used to the security of my home that I let my guard down. But I realized quickly, this wasn’t Wade. The emotions rolling off him were impossible to ignore: anger, frustration, desire. He didn’t try to hide any of it. Instead, he pushed it all toward me, making sure I felt every raw edge of what he was holding inside.Wade wasn’t like Jace. It wasn’t just the rejection, it was everything that had happened since. Losing my daughter for over twenty years had carved new levels of pain into me. And hearing Timber say he wanted me to bear his children... that had hit me hard. Against my better judgment, I looked into his mind. The moment I did, I felt it, he truly cared. He believed I was his mate, and that belief came with a depth of feeling I couldn’t deny.I got the answers I needed when I saw his tears. My mate was crying. I had caused that. I had hurt him, and it cut me deeply. But I also saw
Wade's POV We looked at her from head to toe. Timber was not going to miss this opportunity with his mate. His eyes ran down her slender neck, still exposed as her head was thrown back. Her breasts were a handful, even to my large hands. She usually wore loose, flowy tops paired with jeans. And I had always known she had a great figure, but I had not realized just how stunning it truly was until today.We broke our eyes off her breasts with difficulty and let them trail down the rest of her body. My mate was a goddess, and I didn’t just want her, I needed her. Timber dragged our gaze slowly down her long, shapely legs, drinking in every inch. When we reached her feet, he let out a low, possessive growl.As expected, her head snapped up the moment she sensed us. Timber wanted her to know we were here, that we wanted her. And maybe… he was right. She wouldn’t lower her walls unless she truly understood how deeply we felt for her.She turned her back to us as she rinsed off, but even
Wade's POV I don’t understand what just happened. One moment, I was trying to get Vera to stop flirting with me, and the next, Ciara was gone. Vera had never been this clingy before, until today. I knew it was because of Ciara. She was acting jealous, even though there was never anything between us.We had always been careful with Vera. She had been through a lot, and only Dante and I were allowed to bring her food. Most of the time, it was me. She was used to me, and we wanted her to feel safe here. Dante only stepped in when I was away on assignment.Vera had always been kind and reserved, never once overstepping boundaries, until now. When she touched me, it felt like a message meant for Ciara, and I didn’t like it. I could sense Ciara pulling away the longer we stayed. Vera’s behavior toward her was shockingly rude. I had never seen this side of her before, and I didn’t like it at all.I stayed for almost an hour, trying to help Vera calm down. Before I left, I grabbed the stakes