YVANNA’S POV: The afternoon sun streams through the window, casting a warm glow over the newly decorated bedroom of Zachary. I sit cross-legged on the floor with Zachary giggling uncontrollably as I make funny faces and silly noises. Toys are scattered around us, forgotten in the joy of our play. "Again, Mama, again!" I playfully say.Zachary squeals, clapping his tiny hands together.I lift him into the air, his laughter filling the room. But just as I lower him back down onto the matted floor, my cell phone rings, breaking the enchanting spell of our play."Stay right here, sweetie," I murmur, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead before rising to answer the call.Then, my heart flutters nervously as I glance at the caller ID. Hugh's name blinks back at me, surprising me. It’s only yesterday afternoon since we last spoke, and that last encounter was marked by tension and unresolved issues.Taking a deep breath, I answer the call, my voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in my

ANASTASIA’S POV: The soft glow of the ceiling light bathes the condo’s bedroom in a warm ambiance. I sit alone amidst the quietude, my gaze fixed upon the open folder spread out before me. Papers are scattered haphazardly across the bed, photographs peeking out from beneath the clutter, each one a testament to Yvanna's meticulous wedding plans. My fingers idly trace the edges of the papers as I try to focus, to absorb the details of what I’m seeing and reading, but my brain feels like a tangled mess of wires, incapable of coherent thought. “What do I know about planning a wedding anyway?” I glance at the photographs scattered across the desk – images of Yvanna and Hugh, their smiles frozen in time, their happiness captured for eternity. A pang of longing pierces my heart as I study them, my gaze lingering on Hugh's face. Regret gnaws at me, a bitter taste rising in my throat.“How could I bear to plan his wedding to another woman? And why did I stupidly accept Yvanna's inconsidera

I watch with wide eyes as the apprehension continues to crackle in the air between Hugh and Dwight, like sparks ready to ignite into a wildfire. I feel a bile rise in my throat, a scream clawing at the back of my mind, desperate to do something. But fear, cold and paralyzing, holds me in its suffocating grip.Hugh's smirk twists into a cruel grin as he delivers his cutting words, each syllable laced with venom. "No matter how much you try to pretend or to think otherwise, you know the truth. You know who Anastasia is in love with. It's not you and never will be. She’s just with you because of… you know what. You'll always be a second choice, a spare."Dwight's expression darkens, a storm brewing behind his eyes. It’s obvious that Hugh's words have struck their mark. Dwight lets go of my wrist, and without a warning, fur sprouts from his skin, muscles rippling and contorting as he shifts into his wolf form, a huge black wolf. The growl that emanates from him is guttural and menacing,

I push Dwight away with the little strength I have, breaking his kiss. My heart races in my chest as I quickly and fearfully glance at Hugh, searching desperately for his reaction. Luckily, relief knocks down my fear when I find Hugh looking surprisingly calm, his gaze steady on me. I swallow hard, my eyes flickering between the two men, uncertain of what will come next. Without shifting his gaze from me, Hugh addresses Dwight in a firm tone. "I'm pretty sure you already had your chance talking to Anastasia. I want some private time alone with her too." Dwight, standing up from the bed, wears a smirk that only thickens the tension in the air. "You're in my mom's house, so I have more right to make the rules than you do." “Your mom’s house is in the pack’s village where I have more right to rule than you do,” Hugh replies, his voice still dangerously calm, his gaze still fixated on me. “Guys, please… not again,” I beg, trying to pacify the tension. But just before the tempers st

The night stretches endlessly, restless thoughts weaving through my mind like an unyielding storm. Sleep eludes me as I grapple with the weight of the impending tragedy. Evelyn's plan to eliminate Hugh and his son on the day of the wedding is inconceivable! I thought such things can only happen in TV series and movies… I pause, toss and turn, realizing that I’m inside a novel, so these things are not impossible. What can I do to stop Evelyn… and Dwight too? How can I prevent the bloodshed without being caught by them? As the first tendrils of dawn paint the sky in hues of pink and gold, I find my thoughts still gnawing at me like a relentless predator stalking its prey, leaving me weary and hollow.A sharp rap on the door shatters the fragile peace of the morning, pulling me from my restless reverie. With a heavy sigh, I rise from the bed, my limbs heavy, not due to my wounds, but due to exhaustion, and make my way to the door.Upon opening it, I’m greeted by the sight of the Omega