LOGINI didn't stop walking until I reached my room. The moment the door clicked shut behind me, every ounce of strength I'd borrowed from my pride vanished. I slid down against the door and pressed both hands over my mouth to smother the sob clawing its way out of my chest.The mate bond still pulled at me with relentless force, but it no longer felt like hope. It felt like punishment. Wesley hadn't looked at me the way a mate should. He had looked at me the way men looked at women they wanted to have sex with and I'd been foolish to believe something as sacred as the bond could survive status or reputation.Maverick stirred in his sleep when I climbed onto the bed beside him. I gathered him into my arms and buried my face in his hair until my breathing settled.He was the only person who had never made me question my worth. Wesley's words kept circling in my head until they tangled with memories I'd spent years trying to bury. My mother had believed promises that were never meant to last
"Go to him!" my wolf cried the moment I spotted Wesley standing alone in the garden.I took a step back from the window, then looked again.He was still here, which meant Barbara's red SUV was still in the driveway. Her spending the night under the same roof as me should have been reason enough to lock my door and stay exactly where I was until morning. My eyes drifted back to the garden.Wesley stood beneath one of the hedges, his hands tucked into his pockets. Was he struggling to sleep too? Had the growing heat disturbed him enough to pull him from his room?The absence of any audience was telling.Maybe he didn't want to acknowledge the bond publicly. The first time it hit, Barbara had been there. The second time our eyes met, Luna Lisa had been standing beside him. Perhaps he hadn't wanted to name something so sacred in front of other people.Or perhaps I was making excuses for a man whose intentions I didn't know.I closed my eyes. He hadn't ignored me or looked irritated by my
Isabella POVMy phone vibrated in my pocket for what felt like the fifth time in as many minutes.I didn't have to look at the screen to know Barbara must have told my father and Gwen she'd seen me.They were probably trying to decide how to get me back before I became a problem. Barbara never did anything without thinking three steps ahead, and if she had already called them, then the conversation had already shifted from Where is Isabella? to How do we keep Isabella from ruining this?The voices drifting through the open service door drew me closer.The kitchen staff were cleaning up. A middle-aged couple stood near the serving counter, putting away the last of the dishes, while two younger workers wiped down the stainless-steel tables. They sounded lighter than they had during dinner, relieved the evening had gone well and that no one had found fault with the food."They'll make beautiful pups," one of the younger women sighed. "Honestly, have you seen them together? Dr. Barbara is
Wesley POV Mom and I were talking when a football rolled into the room. A little boy came charging after it, scooped it up, then paused when he noticed us. He couldn't have been more than three years old."Who's this little menace?" I said with a snort.Mom had no idea.A young woman hurried in after him."Maverick, get back here!"She stopped short the moment she saw us, and seemed mortified.“Isabella," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you and your son are settling in.""I'm sorry, my lady. I thought he was asleep. I was helping in the kitchen.""Nonsense," Mom said , resting the back of her hand against the little boy's forehead. "Let him run around. As long as he doesn't knock over my figurines, we're perfectly fine.""How are you, handsome? What's your name?""Maverick," he replied."Oh? That's a strong name," Mom said, smiling up at Isabella.I wasn't looking until now and recognized the boy's mother as the same girl who'd walked straight into me.She seemed about my sister's a
Family guide Parents: Lisa & Cameron- Wesley (24)- Anita (21)Parents: Franklin & Nadia- Emma (21)Parents: Kieran & Susan- Charlie (23)Enjoy!==============Wesley POVHaving what looked like a real family had once been something I'd taken for granted. These days, I liked to pretend it didn't matter. The truth was, it did.My parents had been married for twenty-four years. Most people would expect the excitement to have worn off by now, leaving only routine, duty, or habit. Somehow, they had escaped that fate. They were still hopelessly in love.Dad leaned toward Mom and whispered something that made her laugh.They weren't the only ones.Grandma and Grandpa Kieran were just as bad. Charlie, my uncle and best friend, never missed a chance to complain that his parents were too old to act like teenagers. Then there was Aunt Nadia and Franklin. Their daughter, Emma, always pretended to gag whenever they got too affectionate.I looked away before any of them noticed me watching.No
My body was overwhelmed by pain and confusion, even as I held myself together.My wolf shrank into herself with a whine. Our mate was looking right through us. He didn't even react, as though he hadn't seen or felt anything.The mate bond was supposed to be the one thing nobody questioned. The Moon chose. Both wolves knew. It was simple. Then why was mine standing in front of me as though I were invisible?I remained frozen as my sister's arm settled on my mate's shoulder. None of them paid any attention to me.Was he ignoring me on purpose?I couldn't walk over and tell a complete stranger he was my mate when he hadn't even looked at me twice. Especially not in Barbara's presence.Every time I thought I'd found something good, it slipped away before I could hold on to it. The only person I had ever been able to call mine was Maverick, and even with him, nothing came easily. Every day was another fight to keep him safe, fed, and accepted in a world that could dismiss him over the basi
Lisa The safehouse looked locked down from the outside. It was a narrow duplex with sealed windows and thick curtains pulled shut, the air trapped inside.My mom and I stood in the living room, looking around at furniture that wasn’t ours. A keypad blinked beside the door. Franklin punched in a cod
Lisa POVI stood in the bathroom with the door closed, staring at my reflection. The light above the mirror showed the tiredness under my eyes and the faint crease between my brows that had not been there a few months ago. I leaned forward and splashed water on my face. The water felt cool against
Lisa Evangeline showed up a few minutes later.“Mrs Hartwell, it’s so good to see you. How are you feeling?”My mother stood there for a second, still adjusting to her vision, then accepted the hug.“Much better, thank you. And thank you for letting me stay here. It’s very generous.”“Oh, please.
CAMERON POVI kept my distance from Lisa and stopped going near her room or looking for reasons to see her. It was the only way to steady things with Evangeline and keep the house from turning into a war zone.Evangeline stayed close to me during meals and followed me through the house as if monitor







