AellaHe leans against the door, his eyes raking over me in a way that makes my blood run cold. “Ah, Aella, alone at last.”Fear pumps through me, but I force myself to remain calm. “What do you want?”“What I’ve always wanted, my dear,” he sneers. “To see Roman suffer. And what better way than through you?”My heart pounds in my chest. I know I can’t overpower him physically, but maybe I can stall long enough for someone to notice I’m missing. I think of Roman, of the love and strength that have always anchored me, and it fuels my resolve. “You won’t get away with this,” I tell him. “Roman will—”“—What? Save you?” Vasily interrupts, pushing away from the door and taking a menacing step forward. “Oh, babygirl, this time we won’t be waiting for my little brother to come to us; I’m taking the fight to him."It happens so fast. One second Vasily is leaning against the bathroom countertop, the next, his hand is like iron around my wrist, yanking me out of the restroom. My heart is poundi

AellaThe sterile smell of antiseptics fills the air, mingling with the earthy scent that is uniquely Roman. Even unconscious, he smells like the forest, like the wilderness we both call home. My hand finds his, dwarfed by the size of his palm, but perfectly molded to fit. I’m holding onto him as if he’s my anchor, the one constant in a world that has spiraled so far from what I knew.I replay the night over and over again in my head. The tension in the room, the way Roman’s eyes narrowed as he exchanged words with Vasily in rapid Russian. I couldn’t understand the words, but the intent was palpable—two titans locked in a battle of wills and strength. And I’d stood there, unable to do anything but watch and hope that Roman would come out unscathed. My heart aches at the thought. What was so personal that it had to be shrouded in their mother tongue? Was it just a string of profanities or something deeper? A sharing of old wounds and familial grievances that led them to this terribl

AellaWe step out of the hospital and as I spot the black SUV, it takes me back to my time spent here. More specifically, when Roman finally confessed his feelings to me. It was sort of a simpler time back then.Before Vasily, before…everything else.“What’s on your mind, little bird,” he asks as he takes my hand and draws it to his lips. “You’ve been quiet, even as I went off at the nurses.”I chuckle. “That was just me letting you have your own way after everything that happened,” I say, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. “Kaden’s message over the mind link just had me reeling.”Roman sighs, because I know he’s already so pissed off and now he has to face Diego. Alpha Javier is at the pack house with Kaden and Elena and has demanded his son answer to Roman.“Yeah, well I suppose he has to face the music sometime,” he says, sitting back and shaking his head. “As much as I just want to fucking sleep, it needs to be done.”We remain quiet for the rest of the ride, but as soon as th

RomanThe goddamn sound of waves lightly bitch-slapping the shore should be soothing. It’s what people fantasize about—a secluded beach, the woman you’re batshit in love with beside you, the freedom to do nothing at all. Aella looks like she’s in fucking heaven, the sun on her skin, a gentle smile on her lips, a book lying forgotten on her lap. But me? I’m crawling out of my damn skin.And yet, I’m restless. Why the fuck can’t I just relax?Aella senses it before I even realize it myself. She opens her eyes and looks at me, her gaze soft but probing. “You’re thinking about something. Spill it.”I chuckle. “It’s nothing, really. Just getting a bit antsy, I suppose.”“Roman, we’re on vacation. You’re allowed to relax, you know?”I nod, knowing she’s right, but not feeling any less restless. “I know. It’s just not something I’m accustomed to, that’s all.”The ingrained habits of an Alpha, the constant state of alertness and readiness, they don’t just disappear overnight. They’re a part

Aella As I stand by the intricately carved crib, my heart swells with a love so fierce it feels like it could consume me whole. I look down at Aaron, our son, sleeping so peacefully in a cocoon of soft, moonlit blankets. His little fists are curled beside his cheek, and he has his father’s rebellious blonde hair and the beginning of my mismatched eyes. The room is filled with the comforting scent of lavender and freshly laundered baby clothes. The light from the nursery’s lamp washes over his tiny form, casting gentle shadows on his crib. I can’t help but think how profoundly my life has shifted in just two years. Nearly two years ago, I was a ball of defiance and fear, literally running through woods and brambles to escape an engagement my Alpha father had orchestrated with Roman. The irony is palpable. Roman was everything I thought I didn’t want, but ended up being everything I didn’t know I needed. I went from clawing at the idea of a life by his side to craving his touch, hi