LOGINViolet "What?!" Talia shot forward. "You can't do that! Violet's shop is thriving. She's got loyal customers.""Is it everyone?" I asked, tight.He studied me, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. "No. Most shops meet the upgrade criteria and may remain. It's just..." He paused."Smaller operations like yours require reevaluation."His words made me feel even more confused and uneasy. Why my shop specifically? There were plenty of other small shops on Blossom Street about the same size as mine—why target me alone?"Mom, what's vacate?" Theodora whispered, fear creeping in. "Are we leaving?"My heart was instantly torn apart. I couldn't let the kids see me panic, couldn't let them feel upset."I'm sorry. The decision is final," he said flatly. "If you have questions, contact the buyer."I felt my blood freeze in my veins. This shop was five years of my life's work, it was home for me and the kids, it was everything that kept us going. We'd built a stable life here, had regular
VioletFive years later.Every morning I paused at the mirror and studied the stranger I had become. Chestnut hair where the silver once blazed. No more naivete in my eyes—just grit. My body was fuller after having children. Time reshaped my face, but it never erased the scar carved deep inside me.I had learned to live with it.Five years ago, I bought a ticket out of the country, desperate to run from the wreckage. Right before boarding, the life inside me kicked up a storm. I threw up, got dizzy, couldn't make it onto the ship.Later I heard it exploded at sea. No survivors. Terror and relief hit me at the same time. Maybe it was fate. Maybe my babies saved me and forced me to start over in this city."Mom, the donuts smell extra good today!"Leon's voice yanked me from the past. I looked at my five-year-old and my heart twisted. He was the spitting image of his father—those black eyes, that sharp little face, even the cadence of his voice. Every time I looked at him, it hurt. An
Derek"No... It can't be!" Father's voice started shaking."She shifted in my arms, under my touch," I continued, each word hitting his heart like a bullet."Do you know? Her wolf is silver, as beautiful as her hair.""You actually dared to touch that filthy bitch!!" Father roared, trying to jump up from the bed to attack me, but his weak body and the drug effects made it impossible."Filthy?" I stood up, looking down at him. "Father, you got one thing wrong. She's not filthy. On the contrary, she's the most precious thing in this world. And you—you're too old now, no longer fit for the Alpha position. I think it's time for you to step down from the pack.""Are you... are you going to kill your own father?" He pointed at me shakily, his eyes full of anger and fear.I looked at this man who had once been so powerful. He really was too old now—even a small hunting trip nearly killed him. The former Alpha was now just an angry but powerless old man."Kill you? No, Father, I won't kill y
Derek"No... It can't be!" Father's voice started shaking."She shifted in my arms, under my touch," I continued, each word hitting his heart like a bullet."Do you know? Her wolf is silver, as beautiful as her hair.""You actually dared to touch that filthy bitch!!" Father roared, trying to jump up from the bed to attack me, but his weak body and the drug effects made it impossible."Filthy?" I stood up, looking down at him. "Father, you got one thing wrong. She's not filthy. On the contrary, she's the most precious thing in this world. And you—you're too old now, no longer fit for the Alpha position. I think it's time for you to step down from the pack.""Are you... are you going to kill your own father?" He pointed at me shakily, his eyes full of anger and fear.I looked at this man who had once been so powerful. He really was too old now—even a small hunting trip nearly killed him. The former Alpha was now just an angry but powerless old man."Kill you? No, Father, I won't kill y
DerekIt had been half a year.For six straight months, I had paced this gilded cage like a beast waiting to be loosed. Not for a wedding with Liriel, but for the revenge I built piece by piece.I stood before the mirror, looking at the man in the white tuxedo. A chiseled face, a body built for cameras—a groom on the brink of his big day. Only I knew what was coiled under the silk: rage and killing intent.Six months ago, when they forced me to deny Violet in front of everyone, half of me died. Her eyes—shattered. Her voice shaking as she asked me why. Every word cut like a blade. I did it anyway. It was the only way to keep her breathing.My father's power is a noose. If he ever realized Violet is my true fated mate, he'd find a way to erase her. So I hurt her, drove her off, and learned how to live with the pain.For these six months, I've been playing along with Father's arrangements on the surface while secretly building up my strength.I bought off his confidants. Took the pack'
VioletWhen I surfaced from that dizzying, soul-deep mating, Derek was already out cold, felled by the drug.His breathing was heavy, his beautiful face softened by moonlight. I stroked his cheek. Joy and a fierce, quiet peace flooded me. My newly awakened wolf kept calling for him, and the pull of a fated mate made me feel safe and whole."Derek," I whispered in his ear. He didn't stir.The drug was strong. He needed time. I straightened his clothes, then gathered the shredded scraps of my gown and tried to cover myself.I was about to wait for him to wake up when the door slammed open.Trained guards rushed in, seized my arms, and hauled me out silently. My scream died in my throat as they dragged me to a shadowed corner of the garden like trash.My knees skinned raw on the stone. My dress hung in tatters."You shameless slut!" Liriel stormed up and slapped me hard. "Filthy bitch! I went to all that trouble drugging Derek, and you walked off with the prize?"Rage twisted her face;
Jaxon Twenty-three unread texts. Fifteen missed calls that went straight to voicemail.A day and a half later, and I'm still standing in the wreckage of whatever the hell happened in that park, turning over every word I said to Freckles like evidence at a crime scene.Everything had been going be
Natalie Two hours later, we're back at my car, and Harry is fast asleep in Jaxon's arms again.It's becoming a pattern—my son feeling so safe, so content with this man, that he can drift off without a care in the world.We stand there in the fading afternoon light, neither of us speaking, both af
Natalie As I draw closer, Jaxon stands to his full height, setting Harry gently back on his feet before turning to greet me. His eyes hold a brightness that touches something deep in my heart, and it makes my pulse hammer against my ribs so hard. I clear my throat. "Thank you for doing this. I k
Natalie Dallas in August is like being trapped inside an oven that someone forgot to turn off.The sun beats down mercilessly on the asphalt, and even with the AC cranked up to arctic levels, I can feel sweat gathering at the base of my neck as I navigate through the midday traffic."Bye bye bye..







