All Chapters of Inevitable Red Flag: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“I’m guarding my spirit, Jade. If I don’t keep running, I’ll be shattered beyond repair. I honestly don’t know if I can survive another blow to my heart.” Willow turned to retreat, but her friend caught her arm again, refusing to let go.“You’ll never discover the truth if you won't take a risk. For that to happen, you have to stay. Remain here and witness where your instincts lead you this time,” Jade said, her amber eyes reflecting a rare gravity.“I simply can’t!” Willow snapped. Why was the other woman being so obtuse? Did she not remember the agony Willow had endured?“Actually, you can. Just because the past was dark doesn't mean the future is a repeat. You don't even possess the full story of what transpired that night or the reasons behind it. You’ve had this nagging suspicion that a piece of the puzzle is missing, haven't you? So why keep up this wall?” Jade exhaled a heavy breath, her expression softening into empathy. “Listen, Willow. You know exactly what your soul craves.

It was twelve-thirty in the morning.Why was he reaching out? Was his safety compromised? Willow hadn't been able to find peace for hours; the memory of him at the party wouldn't release her. His fractured history, that sealed room belonging to Ophelia, the cryptic words between Blair and Matthew—it all clawed at her mind. She had almost dialed him the moment she heard he’d vanished from the Compound without a word to the pack, but she had fought the impulse.What could she possibly say? She couldn't afford to let him see the depth of her concern. And now, she was paralyzed by the same hesitation. Should she return the call? If it were an emergency, surely he would ring again?Her thumb hovered over the screen, her inner wolf urging her to bridge the distance. Instead, she set the device face down. She had to maintain the boundary she’d drawn. Perhaps he was simply looking for another way to unsettle her. She pressed her head into the pillow, her gaze locked on the silent phone. Answe

“Be still! Where is your medical kit?” Willow asked, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the jagged cuts and darkening bruises on his knuckles. How had he sustained such injuries? When Roman remained motionless, merely tracking her every movement with a heavy, silent intensity, she shot him a sharp look of reprimand.He let out a ragged sigh. “In my sleeping quarters.”Willow didn't hesitate. She practically hauled the Alpha toward his bedroom, forcing him onto the edge of the expansive bed before retrieving the kit. Sitting beside him, she took his hands in hers—her skin pale against his bronzed, scarred grip—and meticulously sanitized the wounds before massaging a soothing balm into the damaged tissue. Not once did he flinch. He simply watched her, something primal and fierce swirling in his stormy gray eyes.“How did you come by these? And why have you left them festering?” She focused entirely on his hands, doing her best to avoid the magnetic pull of his gaze.“They were of no co

How could she have betrayed them? Liza had been a presence in the Grant House for years, serving the pack and working alongside Matthew with an unwavering smile. What could have been dire enough to turn her into a spy?Willow knew she couldn't keep this buried. Clutching the tainted plastic packet so tight her knuckles turned white, she turned and sprinted toward the Alpha’s private office. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs.Outside the heavy oak doors, Marco DeLuca sat at his station. He looked up as she approached, his sharp features softening into a smile.“Is Roman within? I must see him immediately,” Willow panted.“He is, though the atmosphere is quite tense,” Marco replied, gesturing toward the doors. “However, his orders were absolute: you are never to be kept waiting. You may enter whenever you wish.”Willow didn’t pause to marvel at the fact that she had been granted such a rare privilege. She murmured a quick thanks and pushed inside, but the scene that m

Willow knew she wouldn't find a moment of peace until the loose ends of the day were tied.Matthew laughed, a boyish sound that cut through the tension. “Exactly why I didn't hesitate to say yes when the Alpha offered the position!”Chuckling, Willow gestured to the stacked crates he was balancing. “Do you need a hand with those? I’m finished with my own tasks for the moment.”The relief in Matthew’s blue eyes was unmistakable. “Goddess, yes! I’d be eternally grateful if you could take the smaller one.”Smiling, Willow took the white parcel he handed her and walked alongside him toward the executive wing. They were laughing at a story about his first disastrous day as a trainee when they turned the corner and nearly collided with Roman and Marco.Marco was speaking rapidly, trying to keep pace with the Alpha’s powerful, predatory stride. Roman’s jaw was a jagged line of stone, his fists clenched at his sides. The very air around him hummed with a brewing storm.He was beyond furious.