AellaThe hot water cascades over my skin, a vain attempt to wash away the conflicting emotions that have taken hold of me since yesterday. The water from the showerhead feels almost accusatory as it pelts against my skin. Each droplet a microscopic indictment, saying, “You knew better.” I can almost hear them hiss as they make contact, swirling down the drain with all the resolve I thought I had. I feel the warmth envelop me, but it does nothing to dispel the cold sensation gnawing at my insides. My thoughts drift back to the SUV, to Roman, to the magnetic force between us that had been too much to resist. My mind keeps replaying those moments, dissecting them, searching for a way to rationalize my actions. But I can’t.You see, there are two versions of me. There’s Aella, the strong, independent woman who took a stand against an arranged marriage. Who ran from her pack to escape the heavy mantle of obligation and expectation. Then there’s this Aella—this conflicted mess standing i

Aella My Jeep’s tires crunch on the gravel as I make my way along the border of our territory. Patrols are a shared responsibility among the senior members of the pack, and today, it’s my turn. It’s late afternoon, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a dusky glow through the trees. As I pull over to do a quick check on the perimeter markings. Everything seems in order on this side, no broken barriers, no unsettling scents, no signs of rogue wolves or other interlopers. I get back in the Jeep, and the engine purrs to life, sounding heavenly. As I drive back toward the pack house, something nags at me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels like an itch at the back of my mind, persistent and irritating. When the pack house comes into view, that uneasy feeling solidifies into a heavy knot in my stomach. And that’s when I see it—a sleek, black sedan that screams money and arrogance parked beside Kaden’s truck. Its very presence feels wrong, like a dark cloud on a c

RomanThe sterile walls of the hospital wing feel like they’re closing in on me, their whiteness too harsh, too glaring against my turbulent thoughts. I can’t enter the room—not yet. Not when every fiber of my being is a cocktail of fury, self-loathing, and a kind of visceral fear that shakes me to my core.I glance through the glass door, catching sight of Aella lying in the hospital bed. Machines beep softly, echoing the frail rhythm of her life now hanging by a thread. It gnashes at me, this helplessness, this inadequacy.Damn it, Roman. You should’ve been here.When I arrived back, I sensed it—an off note in the otherwise harmonious chorus of scents that make up my pack. Alarm bells immediately rang in my mind. The moment Aella signaled to go in a different direction, I knew instinctively what she was doing. It’s her duty, just as it’s mine, to protect our pack. I should’ve realized the danger, anticipated the threat that would nearly take the life of someone I hold dear.I was t

RomanHer eyes lock onto mine, and in that gaze, I see a flicker of relief. And it guts me. The sensation is akin to someone ripping my chest open, laying my heart bare—like I’ve done for her just now.“Aella,” my voice shakes, surprising me. “I’m not going to sit here and spit pretty lies at you. What I told you is the twisted, complex truth of who I am, who we’ve become. I’ve been both your captor and your admirer, your deceiver and your confidant. And if there were a way to undo all the lies, I’d tear my damn world apart for it.”She reaches for my hand, and her touch ignites something raw, something painfully human inside me. For a moment, I let go of my Alpha instincts to snarl, to declare dominion, and instead, I just feel—feel like I’m teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to fall into an emotional abyss.“I feel the same way,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it’s as if she’s shouted it into every hidden corner of my soul. “I’m so relieved you finally told me

RomanThe first rays of sunlight filter through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Aella lies nestled in my arms, her head on my chest. Her rhythmic breathing lulls me into a serene trance. I never thought I could feel this way—so utterly content, my normally restless mind at ease. I knew the moment I admitted my feelings to her that things would change, but I hadn’t expected this blissful calm. It’s different from every other morning we’ve spent together, it’s more... real.My fingers lightly brush over her hair, and I feel a tranquility I didn’t know existed. I’ve admitted my feelings, laid bare my soul’s craving for her, and the weightlessness I feel now is a stark contrast to the walls I had built around myself. How did I go so long without knowing this peace? This is more than two bodies sharing a bed; this is souls intertwining, a new definition of home.I glance at Aella’s peaceful face, her eyes still closed in sleep, and I’m gripped by a protective intensity t