Brock’s Point of View – When Stephanie started listing her conditions for letting us go, I would've happily agreed to prance around in a tutu with a crown on my head. After all, wolves hate being stuck in a caged environment, and we were born to roam free. I just needed Stephanie to set us free so I could come up with a fitting punishment for my mate. My wolf loved the idea and was filling my head with all sorts of naughty thoughts. I yelled at him, "Not helping, pal!" As my eyes locked onto the villain, gun pressed brutally into the side of the human's rib cage, a surge of dread washed over me. It was clear as day—Stephanie would hurl herself into the fray, compelled by her reckless illusion of invincibility. That girl needed to shed her delusion of being an untouchable, solitary force in this world. Freed at last from the confining grip of my makeshift prison, urgency clawed at my chest. "Linda!” I bellowed, my voice cracking with anxiety, “Which coffee shop is she at

Alpha Yadiel -- My voice thundered through the chamber, echoing off the stone walls. "What is this Rogue?" I demanded, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. "What happened to the team I entrusted to you? And where is the Captain?" I loomed over the rogue, my eyes burning with fury. The quivering figure fell to his knees, head hung low in shame before me. "Why have you brought this pitiful human, instead of Alpha Lexington's daughter, Stephanie?" My words hung heavy in the air, each syllable carrying the weight of my disappointment and disdain. Rogue— Trembling with terror and the imminent threat of death, I could feel the weight of Alpha Yadiel's disdain for incompetence bearing down on me. I was the last rogue or vampire remaining from our once formidable team, and I had no doubt that he would make a chilling example of me. As I struggled to find my words, the fear of my impending fate choked the breath from my lungs. I had brought the wrong woman—this woman was not the on

Bart and I rose in unison, a maneuvering so familiar it was almost instinctive. He inclined toward me, his lips beckoning a kiss, a silent pact we had honored countless times before. Enveloped in his warm embrace, I was hit by an avalanche of conflicting emotions. My heart, a traitor to my conscience, whispered longings I thought I had buried deep. As I teetered on the brink of succumbing, a sudden awareness clawed at me, urging me to retreat. But it was too late—my hesitation was shattered as Uncle Brock, fueled by a thunderstorm of rage, catapulted Bart from me, his hands unforgiving as he pummeled Bart's face while he lay on the ground.My screams tore through the chaos, primal and laden with a betrayal that anchored in my throat. “Stop!” I yelled, my fists beating against Uncle Brock's broad back in desperation. Each blow was a silent scream of the inner turmoil that raged within me—my loyalty to my family clashing with the remnants of affection for Bart.Amid the frenzy, I caught

Brocks Point of View:I weighed his words, the unease in my chest unwinding slightly. He had a point; the timing was a bit too convenient to be just coincidence. “And what’s the price for this… ‘investment’ you’re talking about?” I asked. Behind Rylan’s nonchalance, there had to be a catch.He leaned forward slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “We both know Yadiel’s a common enemy, and right now, I need pack strength. I need… sanctuary.”A murmur of shock rippled through wolves at my table. Offering sanctuary to a rogue wasn't unheard of, but it was an invitation riddled with risks.Alpha Brock was now on his feet, his expression hard. “You want refuge in our territory?" Alpha Brock's voice was incredulous, like he'd been asked to babysit a porcupine.Rylan didn't break stride. "I want more than refuge," he said. "I want to join your pack."The room erupted into chaos. Chairs scraped against the floor, growls mingled with snarls, and my head began to throb with the beginnings of a

Linda’s Point of View -I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "Actually, it's 'birdies.' Plural. As in more than one," I corrected him defiantly, but my attempt at bravado was undercut by the high-pitched waver in my voice.Brock's gamma, a burly man named Hank with a nose that had been broken more times than I had hot dinners, sneered—a gold tooth glinting amongst the decay. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise. Two little birdies to play with."Stephanie inched closer to me. "Did you really have to correct him? Now is not the time to be a grammar Nazi, Linda."Linda, trying to diffuse the tension, chimed in with her characteristic deadpan, "In her defense, being captured by a traitorous gamma doesn't mean we have to succumb to grammatical anarchy."As if on cue, Hank lunged forward but stopped short, his eyes flickering with confusion as he collided with the invisible barrier shielding Stephanie and me. Hank, baffled by the sudden and unseen force before him, stumbled backward, r