LOGINThe thick silver metal rested heavily against my collarbones, and the strange weight made my breathing feel slightly shallow. I reached my fingers up to touch the cold dampener, but I forced my hand to drop back to my side so I would not look nervous.Kurt placed his large hand on the lower curve of my back to guide me out of the massive bedroom. We walked down the grand staircase together, and my leather boots made a soft tapping sound against the polished wood."Are you feeling okay with the necklace?" Kurt asked softly while we approached the heavy front doors of the estate. "I know it feels uncomfortable, but it will keep you safe from the Institute trackers while we are outside.""I feel fine," I reassured him, and I offered a small smile to show him I was ready for the challenge. Jason opened the front doors for us, and the warm afternoon sun provided a nice contrast to the cold silver chain around my neck.We walked down the long paved driveway side by side, leaving the quiet s
The unnatural glow pulsed softly against the carpet, and I realized my hidden magic was leaking so badly that it was starting to affect the physical environment around us.The two nervous nannies paused their cleaning near the closet, and they turned their heads to see what the young boy was pointing at.Kurt reacted with incredible speed before the nannies could notice the strange magical residue. He stepped forward and placed his large boot directly over the glowing edge of my shadow to hide the blue light from their view."It is just the afternoon sun hitting the edge of the glass window, Leo," Kurt lied smoothly while he offered his son a reassuring smile. "The light is playing tricks on your eyes because you were hiding in the dark for so long."Leo blinked his innocent eyes a few times, and he seemed to accept his father's simple explanation. He rested his head against my shoulder and let out a tired sigh.Kurt turned his attention to the two nannies standing near the wall. "You
KURT'S POV"Fuck," the harsh curse slipped past my lips before I could stop it.The heavy wooden door of the office was still open, and Jason stood in the hallway looking terrified. When a trained Beta looked terrified, it meant something was very wrong.My heart pounded against my ribs. The mere thought of my son in distress sent a violent shock through my nervous system. I did not wait for Jason to explain the situation further. I pushed past him and broke into a dead sprint.I ran down the long corridor and took the grand wooden staircase two steps at a time. My heavy boots slammed against the polished steps, echoing loudly through the massive house. I heard Heidi running right behind me. Her lighter footsteps followed my path without any hesitation. She did not ask questions about the danger. She just ran with me to help.My mind went to very dark places as I climbed to the second floor. The Research Institute hunted my first mate. They took her from me many years ago, and I spent
HEIDI'S POVI stood frozen in the middle of the quiet office. The heavy words hung in the air between us. Kurt just admitted his deepest trauma, and my brain struggled to process the horrific information. The Research Institute hunted my kind. They killed the woman he loved before me."They... they killed her?" I stuttered. My voice sounded very small in the large room.Kurt nodded his head slowly. He did not look like a terrifying Alpha right now. He looked like a man carrying a massive burden. He lowered his gaze to the wooden floor, and his broad shoulders slumped forward."I was very young when it happened," Kurt explained softly. "We were not prepared for their weapons. They brought strange technology and silver guns. I watched them take her away, and I could not do anything to stop them."My heart ached for him. I knew what it felt like to be powerless and afraid. I spent my whole life locked in a freezing basement by my foster parents, feeling forgotten by the world. Kurt spent
HEIDI’S POVErwin shouted the ridiculous accusation from the dark floor of his cell. I immediately lowered my right arm and hid my hand inside the long sleeve of my soft gray sweater. Because I absolutely refused to let my former abusers believe I possessed some kind of unnatural magical ability, I quickly decided to blame the sudden flash of heat on a completely normal physical reaction."You simply scraped your bare hand against the rusted iron bars while trying to grab my neck, Erwin, and the intense physical friction caused a severe static shock to burn your skin," the logical explanation left my mouth smoothly while I stared down at the older man. "I am a completely normal, wolfless human being, and you are simply looking for a pathetic excuse to justify your own physical weakness."Erwin opened his mouth to argue against my practical reasoning, but Kurt completely lost his remaining patience. The massive Warlord stepped forward aggressively, reached down, and grabbed Derek entir
HEIDI’S POVHearing Jason shout the urgent news about the underground holding cells, Kurt let out a deafening growl of frustration. His massive hands gripped the back of my wooden chair tightly, and his dark eyes flashed with pure, murderous anger because his Beta ruined our highly anticipated intimate moment. The intense romantic tension inside the room vanished instantly, replaced entirely by the sudden threat of a violent prisoner escape."You need to stay exactly right here in this dining room, Heidi," Kurt commanded in a very harsh and authoritative tone, turning his broad shoulders toward the hallway. "Derek is a complete fool, and I am going to rip his arms completely off his torso for trying to release my traitorous brother from his heavy iron chains. Stay upstairs where the guards can protect you properly."Standing up from the wooden chair smoothly, my hands brushed down the soft gray fabric of my knitted sweater to smooth out the wrinkles. I completely ignored his strict co
HEIDI’S POVAfter turning off the shiny metal faucet of the kitchen sink, the warm water finally stopped running over my soapy hands. Grabbing a clean cotton towel from the handle of the oven, the damp fabric absorbed the moisture from my skin perfectly. A reassuring smile formed on my face to keep
HEIDI’S POV"What are you going to do first, Alpha?" I asked, looking up into his incredibly handsome face while I felt my heart beating rapidly inside my chest.Kurt looked down at me, and his dark eyes softened significantly. He did not release his tight grip on my waist. Instead, he turned his m
KURT’S POVAs I watched the small girl yell directly into Derek's face, her voice rang clearly across the silent clearing. Every other person in the pack remained completely immobilized by my dominant energy field, with grown men and seasoned warriors pressing their faces into the dirt because they
KURT’S POVWatching the absolute terror appear on my older brother's face, I took another deep drag from my cigarette and let the gray smoke fill my lungs. Erwin stood on the wooden stage and trembled violently, his expensive suit suddenly looking ridiculous on his aging, out-of-shape body. Exhalin







