Lana's P.O.V. Not turning to look at Oliver was the hardest thing I had ever done. But I couldn't take my eyes away from the forest in front of me. Too many wolves had gotten through the defense we had in place, but we were lucky to only have lost a few of our men who were surrounding my mate, trying to protect him. I knew Oliver was still alive, still surviving. I could still feel him even though I couldn't talk to him or turn back to see him. Whatever this was, it was bigger than all of us. There were forces at play that seemed to surprise even the natural-born shifters who had known about this world their entire lives. It made me feel a bit better about my ignorance. I was looking for a witch when I first hit the barrier, ready to rip her throat out to get to my mate. But Scarlett stopped me. She made me focus without my anger to understand that there was more going on. There was a glow about the dome of magic Oliver was trapped in, one that felt familiar. The connection my wol

Oliver's P.O.V. The chilled air was thick with magic. I could feel it teasing my skin like a feather brushing along the surface. Each breath I took in was strained as my body rejected the movement and struggled to find the oxygen it was needing. For as far as I could see, there was nothing but darkness, but I knew I wasn't alone. When I was here, I would never be alone. I listened closely, waiting for any sign of the other occupants, but the room remained silent. Did I dare to make a noise and disturb the other souls who had fallen to the veil, who were stuck in the in-between? Had they failed to complete their missions as well? Or was it something else in their life that they left unsaid or untouched? My Lana wasn't here with me, nor was Maddie. I wanted my girls, but I wanted them to stay amongst the living. There would be nothing for them here. If they were stuck in the in-between with me, would I even know it? I lifted my arm, hoping to touch something, anything that would le

Oliver's P.O.V. The darkness was never-ending. The Goddess told me it wasn't my time, but then she left me here in the veil. I wandered aimlessly, trying to find the way out for what felt like years. Periodically, I would stop and lie down. Other times, I would talk to myself. I could almost hear her giggling at me as I sang at the top of my lungs, trying to do anything to break up the monotony of being stuck in the emptiness. Yet, she still wouldn't send me back. I would shout and call out to her, asking her for answers to questions I had my entire life and requesting she send me back if I wasn't supposed to be here, but all of my comments and questions went unanswered. It was times like this that I wished for it to be possible to talk to my wolf. At least then, I wouldn't be so alone. Instead, he sat quietly in my head like usual. There was a constant poking on my arm that was driving me insane, and I was positive the veil had bugs. They were eating away at my flesh little by

Oliver's P.O.V."I don't want to leave," Lana mumbled, her lips rubbing against my chest as she pressed her warm, naked body firmly against mine beneath the blanket. The morning sun beamed in through the edges of the curtain, reminding us that it was time for us to get up and get to work.I hated that while I had been sleeping for the past two weeks, my pack had been busting their ass to restore our homes and way of life. Even though I was injured and in a coma, I wanted to make up for it and contribute.I was disappointed when we entered our room yesterday evening to find it was occupied by multiple other people. Their mats and blankets spread out across the floor. But when I got out of the shower, Lana was standing in the middle of our newly vacant room with a wide smile.I didn't waste another second in swooping her up into my arms and taking her to bed. We had been apart for too long, and all I wanted was to be close to her. What star

Oliver's P.O.V. As much as I loved Aspen, I had to get out of there. We had grown up together, almost as siblings since her dad was the Beta and mine, the Alpha. But even as a kid, I could only take so much of her dramatics or lack of a filter. Things moved through her brain and out of her mouth without considering whether it was appropriate or hurtful. As a teenager, I heard way more about her sex life than I wanted to, and the last thing I wanted was to get suckered into sitting down and having to listen to her go on about her lack of sexual freedom while I was trying to eat my breakfast. Instead, I packed up the majority of the pancakes into a Tupperware as soon as they left the frying pan, much to Hudson's annoyance, and stole the bottle of syrup before dashing after Maddie. She screamed with joy as I threw her over my shoulder and carried her away from that clingy little pup, Nicholas. He really wasn't so bad, but I resented him for the idea that he could one day take her from