Alexander I leaned back in my office chair, arms crossed, my gaze fixed on Lauren. She stood in the center of the room, her posture rigid, her defiance radiating off her in waves. Her eyes, sharp and unyielding, seemed determined to cut through what little composure I had left.Even now, with her f
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us, my voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. “And what about me? You drop all this on me—that Abigail is mine, that Owen is ours—after years of believing you were dead. And now you expect me to just… let you all go?”My gaze locked onto hers, unflinch
Lauren The mansion felt unfamiliar the moment I stepped inside, despite the countless times I’d been here before. It used to feel warm, but now it was heavy, as if the air itself braced for the storm we were about to unleash.The walls were still the same pale gray, the sleek, modern furniture—Alex
Great, another thing to fight over.“I wanted to ask,” he interrupted my thoughts, his voice low, almost like a dare. “Later this week, I have some free time. Would you want to join me for dinner?”My brow furrowed. “Us? Alone?”A smirk tugged at his lips, his gaze never leaving mine as he gestured
Lauren The first full day in Alexander’s house felt like a strange kind of limbo, like I was living in a version of reality that didn’t quite belong to me, or a memory being painted over.Abigail and I had moved in yesterday, but it wasn’t until this morning that the weight of it hit me. We were he
Alexander walked beside me, hands in his pockets, eyes on the kids. “I didn’t think she’d be this excited over… a muddy playground.”I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “She’s a kid. They get excited about the simplest things.”He nodded, then his gaze snapped to the forest’s edge. I followed
Lauren Daphne had offered to babysit Abigail and Owen, leaving us alone for the first time in what felt like forever. And suddenly everything felt more... complicated.When I woke up, I had expected a day like any other—an ordinary day with the kids, trying to adjust to our new normal. But Alexande
“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “How are you feeling about everything? The move, the kids...”I hesitated, swirling the wine in my glass, trying to find the right words. How was I supposed to feel? I didn’t know anymore. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s a lot. But... it’s good, too. I mean, we
“Wait, what?” I blinked, not entirely understanding. “What do you mean, not one of us?”Theo’s smirk grew. “Not one of your family’s pack, Abigail. There are some bloodlines stronger than others. Some are... legendary.”Owen and I shot eachother a wary glance. The moutain visit. Our blood.Owen’s fa
AbigailI was so ready to figure this mystery out.We were in our usual hideout—a massive fort constructed in our room, the pillows and cushions build tall and hide—filled to the brim with toys and light up by a small portable lap. It was my favorite place to vent about absolutely everything, and to
Worst of all, he was right.A sickening wave of guilt crashed over me. It wasn’t about him. It was me—my own weakness. The way I’d let everything spiral out of control, let myself be influenced and now…I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of every unspoken word lodged in my throat. My lips parted,
Lauren Liam left with all the dramatics of a man who knew exactly how to piss off Alexander. A slow, taunting exit, the ghost of a smirk on his face like he had won something. He even had the audacity to wink.The second the door clicked shut, I felt it—the air shifting. Heavy. Charged.My head was
“Well, don’t you two look cozy,” Liam mused, his eyes flicking between us before landing squarely on me. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to wake up.”“Liam,” Alexander growled, already swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Get out.”“Sorry, can’t,” Liam said smoothly. “Business.”
LaurenPain.That was the first thing I registered. A dull, aching soreness that settled deep in my muscles like I had run a marathon, fought a war, and then been hit by a truck for good measure. My body felt...off. Like I wasn’t quite put together right, like my bones didn’t fit inside my skin prop
But she didn’t.Her teeth sank even deeper, and the pain spiked, blinding me for a moment. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, my body thrashing beneath her, trying to free myself without breaking her apart in the process.But it wasn’t enough.Her jaw deepened it’s hold on me, and I knew in a
AlexanderThe moment we hit the tree line, I shifted, my body snapping, twisting, reshaping in a way that should be painful but wasn’t. A familiar rush of heat, the pull of instinct taking over, and suddenly I was running on all fours—massive, powerful, my black fur blending into the night.Beside m
AlexanderThe moment I stepped into the clearing, I knew something was wrong.Lauren’s scent was thick in the air, but beneath it—beneath the sweat, the earth, the raw, electric energy—there was pain.And then I heard her scream.The sound gutted me.“What the hell is going on?” My voice boomed as I