Lana's P.O.V. I had been here before. The depression that dragged me down until I felt nothing. The emptiness inside me had me wanting to do nothing more than sleep. The first time it happened was when James had started hitting me. I was so heartbroken, so scared. But my mind shut down, and my body started to follow. I lost a lot of weight and couldn't muster up the energy to even shower or brush my teeth. It all felt so pointless, such a waste of the little energy I had. The only thing that got me out of bed this morning was Maddie. She needed me. I couldn't fall back into my shell and leave her on her own. I had to fight against it. Having it happen again with Oliver was strange to me. After our fight, it was like all of my anger had drained away, and I was left with a hollow feeling. I knew what it was after it happened, but I couldn't stop it. Waking up this morning to a beautiful handful of flowers on the nightstand sent a spark of happiness through me, like a lightning bolt

Lana's P.O.V. My heart beat widely in my chest. I was briefly shocked that seeing Oliver react so violently didn't scare me, but his declaration that I was his mate sent a stampede of elephants through my torso. It didn't matter whether I was his chosen mate or his fated mate. I was his, and he was mine. I wasn't going to let him go so easily. We would work through our issues and become stronger together. "That is enough!" Parker growled as he stepped forward, causing me to flinch back as he passed me. His eyes flickered over at my movement, but the intensity didn't lessen as he stormed toward the two fuming men by the door. Oliver pulled back as his father pushed himself off the wall. Their similar appearance was startling. They shared the same hair and eye color and the same facial structure. It if weren't for the obvious age difference and greying of Mr. Blakes's hair, they could have been siblings. "This is your mate?" He gasped as he glanced from Oliver to me. The way his eye

Oliver's P.O.V. Hearing Lana demand for me to continue had me growing impossibly harder. The bond made it feel similar to a command from an Alpha, and I felt my wolf react eagerly, wanting to give in to her request. I wanted to give in to her every want and need. "With pleasure," I said, spinning her around and capturing her mouth with mine. Lana wrapped her arms around my neck, holding herself up on her toes to get closer to me. The feeling of her body against mine made everything else melt away, and all I could focus on was her. How her desire for me was growing stronger, and her body grew warmer as she voiced her pleasure through small moans. My hands slid down her body, gripping her ass tightly in my hold and pressing her hips against mine. Lana lifted one foot from the ground, spreading her legs as she bent her knee and slid it up my side. I groaned as she reached between us, grabbing my cock and placing it between her wet lips. "Ah, uh. I thought we had an agreement." Lana

Lana's P.O.V. I wasn't sure what to expect as we rounded the corner into the living room, but finding Maddie sitting next to Oliver's dad, was not it. After the greeting we received, I hoped Kaylee would have had better sense than to let Maddie meet them without us. Parker was nowhere to be seen, and I had to imagine being Alpha would keep him very busy. "What's going on here?" I asked, hesitant as Oliver walked up behind me to witness his father laughing with Maddie. "Oh, honey. She is just so beautiful!" Adeline exclaimed as she turned to look at me before freezing, the smile on her face growing even wider. "Oh, my Goddess!" Kaylee said as she pulled herself to her feet. "It's about time!" I leaned back against Oliver as his sister rushed toward me, pushing my hair to the side and examining my mark. While I had wanted to pull my hair up and wear it with pride, showing everyone that Oliver had marked me, I wanted to keep it private. It felt personal and intimate. It was also som

Lana's P.O.V.Kaylee froze as we descended the stairs, hearing Oliver's confession about his attempted suicide. It was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, and her body had gone rigid. I didn't wait for her to snap out of it. Oliver had asked for privacy to talk to his father, and he deserved the respect for us to honor that.I placed a hand on Kaylee's back, pushing her forward gently and encouraging her out the front door. She moved willingly but stayed silent, looking despondent."I didn't know." She whispered as she walked forward. Maddie released my hand, moving to walk in front of us as the other kids came into our sight, running in the sprinklers that were attached to several hoses. "Was…""Kaylee," I interrupted, and she looked up at me. "I know that was hard to hear, but it's not my story to tell. There are ears everywhere, and unless Oliver is the one telling that story, I don't think they need to hear it.