LOGINGrandma, Jane, and I finally arrived at the family home after the drive from the airport. The familiar winding driveway lined with ancient pine trees seemed to embrace us as we approached, their branches swaying gently in the mountain breeze like they were waving hello."Welcome home, child," Grandma said with a warm smile as she opened the front door, the old hinges creaking in that comforting way I remembered from my childhood.I stepped inside and felt a wave of relief wash over me, so powerful it nearly brought me to my knees. This was a place where I belonged, where I was appreciated, where I didn't have to prove my worth every single day. After years of feeling like an outsider in James's home, walking on eggshells and wondering if I'd ever be good enough, the familiar sights and smells made my heart swell with something I hadn't felt in a long time—peace. The wooden floors still creaked in the same spots, the grandfather clock still ticked with its steady rhythm in the corner,
The plane touched down with a gentle land, waking me from a dreamless sleep. I blinked away the fatigue, my body still heavy with the weight of everything.As soon as I stepped out of the plane, the scent brought back memories I'd tried to suppress for years. "Home," I whispered, taking in the green mountains that surrounded the airport. It had been five years since I'd been here, five years since my twin sister's tragic death. Instead of staying and accepting my responsibilities, I held on to my promise to Amelia, serving James and Liam where I was not appreciated. My grandma had called me repeatedly, begging me to come back and take my rightful place as the Alpha. But I foolishly, stupidly stayed with my promise to my twin sister. I rejected their pleas, turned down my birthright.Now I was back, ready to face my past and claim what was rightfully mine.The small regional airport buzzed with activity tourists excited about hiking adventures and locals returning from business trip
At the hospital, nurses rushed out with a gurney as soon as James screeched to a halt. They whisked Liam away while a nurse guided James to fill out paperwork."What happened?" she asked calmly."I don't know," James said, his voice breaking. "He was fine this morning. Then he just... started convulsing.""Has he been eating normally? Any changes to his diet?"James started to nod, then stopped. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "His... his mother figure just left a few days ago. She usually handles his meals."The nurse made a note. "We'll run some tests. The doctor will be with you shortly."The waiting felt endless. James paced the hallway, unable to sit still. Sophia had gone to get coffee, giving him a moment alone with his thoughts—thoughts that were growing darker with each passing minute.The security footage. Liam's sudden illness. The timing of it all. Sophia's hesitation. A horrible suspicion began to form in his mind.The doctor emerged from Liam's room, her expression grave. "
James stood frozen in the doorway of what used to be *their* bedroom. The air felt different now—colder, emptier. His eyes scanned the room, landing on the half-open wardrobe door. He walked toward it slowly, as if approaching a wound he wasn't ready to inspect.Empty. The space where Ella's clothes once hung was now just a void of wooden hangers. Her side of the dresser drawers gaped open, not a single item left behind. It was like she had erased herself from this space, from their life.James sank onto the edge of the bed, running his hand over the covers where she used to sleep. Memories washed over him like a tide—unavoidable and overwhelming.He remembered the days after Amelia died. Ella, her twin, had been devastated too, yet she'd somehow found the strength to hold him together when he was falling apart. While he drowned in grief, she became his lifeline."You don't have to face this alone," she had whispered one night when he couldn't stop the tears. "I'm right here, James. I
James slammed his fist against the wall, cracking the plaster. The divorce papers lay scattered across his desk, each page a mockery of his authority as Alpha. His phone screen still displayed Ella's last message: "I, Ella Hayes, reject you, James Wilson, as my mate. Our bond is severed. You have no claim on me. You never did.""This has to be a joke," James muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "She can't reject me. I'm the Alpha!"He picked up his phone, dialing her number for the fifth time. The call went straight to voicemail, just like all the others."Ella," he growled into the phone, "stop this nonsense and come home. Now!"He hurled the phone onto the couch, pacing the length of his office. The audacity of her message burned in his mind. How dare she? Five years he'd given her a home, status, protection—and this was how she repaid him?The front door burst open. His Beta, Marcus, rushed in with urgency."Sir! We've been trying to reach you!" Marcus exclaimed, o
I walked out of the house without hesitation. The cool night air hit my face, washing away five years of suffocation. Relief flooded through me, but with each step, my vision began to blur around the edges.My shoulder throbbed. My head felt light. The world tilted sideways.When I reached the gate, headlights cut through the darkness. My Uber had arrived."You're here just in time," I whispered, stumbling toward the car.The driver's concerned face was the last thing I saw before everything went black.***Beep. Beep. Beep.The rhythmic sound pulled me from darkness. I tried to move, but pain shot through my shoulder."Stay still," a gentle voice instructed.The sharp smell of antiseptics filled my nose. Hospital. I was in a hospital.My vision cleared slowly. A nurse stood beside my bed, adjusting something on a monitor. When she noticed me watching, she smiled."Take it easy, ma'am. You're safe now.""How did I get here?" My voice sounded raspy, unfamiliar."A man rushed you in say







