The car idles outside of Tatum’s family home, my knee bouncing as I unlock the door for Tatum to hop out. She pauses and I look over at her, a worried expression dotting her brow as she watches me. Her hand drops from the door handle and she releases a heavy sigh. “Seriously?” she asks, and I arch a brow. “What?” “Are you such a coward you can’t even come in to face them?” an amused smirk takes over her face and I scoff, my hands tightening on the steering wheel before they release and I drop them into my lap. “I have nothing to say to them,” I say softly and she rolls her eyes. “Then don’t talk.” Then she opens the door and tugs her coat around her body as she runs into her house. She is right, my usual go to is just ignoring people. It shouldn’t be that hard except…except that these aren’t just strangers or a friend of Tatum’s. These are the people that know my every fault. Shit, Mara changed my diapers when I was a baby and Nathan used to spare with me in the yard. And Ja

When I come back out, I sense eyes on me and I look over to catch Rose as she watches me and then offers me a knowing grin. I hate she seems to know exactly where I was and that I was with Artemis. She makes her way over to me, bumping me with her shoulder as she smiles up at me. “You don’t have to feel so guilty.” She teases. “Clem and I both understand that Artemis favors you.” I look forward, watching Clem as she giggles near the cake, laughing with the very man we are discussing. “I hate that you know that, though. This isn’t some competition. It may have started off that way, but now it feels…” I sigh, shaking my head and looking down at my hands. “I don’t know, sorry. I’m out of sorts.”“Rough trip home?” She asks, concerned, and I give her a gentle smile. “Wasn’t home? That was the issue. I love my family. My parents are amazing and my brother is…well he is your typical overprotective older brother.”“That sounds nice.” She says. “So what was so hard about it? You didn’t wan

*Tatum*My body tingles with awareness and I look up at Clem, who now has her eyes focused on the man in front of us. She clutches the blue vial in her hand; her knuckles going white as she seems to crouch slightly, ready to attack.“Sorry for what?” I calmly ask as I stand and back to her side. She doesn’t pull her eyes away from the man in front of us, not for a second.“You are going to have to run,” she whispers, and my mouth falls open. Here I thought she was betraying me and now she wants me to run? What in the actual fuck is going on? I glance at the man standing only twenty feet away, his hands in his jeans pocket and a grin on his lips. Why the fuck is he so happy?“What is going on?” I hiss. Clem swallows roughly and looks over at me for a second.“I don’t know.”Well, that answered absolutely fucking nothing. I groan, annoyed and so fed up with these dumbass rogues, ghost wolves, not-rogue dickheads. My mind races while he just stands there and fucking waits. What the hell

*Tatum* Everything feels bleak and dark, no escape, no way out of this mess that will forever have us living in agonizing pain. Be it physically or emotionally. All hope for something better, something more was obliterated the moment he said those three words. Because the moment it was out there, I knew there was no one else I could ever love. But I could live with a broken heart. I’d done it before and I had no hope of ever feeling complete again, but I could learn to care for someone, with a little time. I could adjust and be a suitable mate, a wonderful mother and pine in the comfort of my own moments. Or so I thought. Before the second chance, bond kicked in and left me with no recourse, no escape from the love and craving I have for Mav. I can never be with another man without hurting Maverick through the bond. Every kiss, every intimate encounter would render him incapacitated with pain of the bond, informing him his mate is unfaithful. One moment I was trying to convince mys

*Tatum* I watch the shadows on the ceiling, the lightning outside my window lighting up the room, igniting the large space in a cacophony of ferociously dancing tree limbs before darkness descends again. Each strike brings me a small get away from the horrible thoughts in my head and ache in my bleeding heart. Not a true injury, no, but one I still feel keenly as ever. Artemis kissed me, and I kissed him back. It felt more wrong than before, like I was lying not only to him but disregarding my very reason for existing. And the way Maverick couldn’t look at me.Tears threaten my eyes as another bolt explodes near the packhouse. The thunder follows quickly behind it as it rumbles through me. Even the weather is upset with my situation, playing out all my frustrations in a great showcase of power and rage.He walked behind me the entire way back to the room and when we got in; he darted past me to his room. Since then, he has said three words to me from the darkness of his little den