I stood at the edge of the yacht, watching the island shrink in the distance. It had been a wonderful holiday, but now, we were heading back to the pack lands.
Back to whispers. Expectations. Complications.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around myself, the wind tugging at my hair. I didn’t even hear Lucas until he was beside .
Softly, he said, “We’ve already started looking.”
I turned to him, confused for a second.
“Into your parents,” he added, his eyes fixed on the waves. “Levi pulled so strings, and I reached out to a few old contacts. If there’s anything left out there—records, stories, people who knew them—we’ll find it.”
My heart squeezed. “Lucas...” I reached for his hand, gripping it gently. “You don’t have to do that.” His jaw clenched a little, but he didn’t speak.
“I an it,” I said again, more firmly. “You guys have already done so much. This isn’t your burden to carry.”
He finally looked at , his green eyes serious and unwavering. “It is our burden, Hazel. Because you matter. What hurts you, hurts us too. You don’t have to walk through this alone.”
I looked away for a mont, staring at the sea, trying to blink away the sting building in my eyes. His words touched sothing deep inside of . I had long accepted being forgotten, even by my own blood.
“It ans a lot,” I said quietly. “Just knowing you care enough to try... that’s enough. I’m not in a rush. I’ve made peace with not knowing for so long, it doesn’t scare anymore.”
Lucas leaned closer, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “Still. You deserve answers.”
His hand squeezed mine reassuringly. I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes for a few seconds, listening to the sea and the steady beat of his heart under his shirt.
“I’m scared of what we’ll find,” I whispered. “But I think I’d rather know than keep wondering.”
“We’ll find the truth,” he said. “And whatever it is... we’ll face it.”
By the ti we pulled up to the packhouse, the sun was already low in the sky, casting everything in a warm, golden glow. It should’ve felt like coming ho, but instead, it felt like walking back into a storm I wasn’t ready to face.
The festive music could be heard before we even stepped inside. Strears were everywhere, balloons floating in the breeze, and the sll of roasted ats and desserts filled the air. Laughter and chatter echoed from the courtyard, where a large crowd had already gathered.
There was even a banner strung across the main hall: Welco Ho, Alphas, Lucas, Liam, and Levi.
Lucas noticed stiffen and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Relax,” he said under his breath. “We’ve got this.”
Just then, Alpha Henry and Luna Evelyn made their way through the crowd. Alpha Henry wore his usual calm, detached expression, but Evelyn... looked thrilled.
“You’re back,” she said, eyes scanning over her sons, lingering just a little too long. “Perfect timing. Everyone’s been looking forward to welcoming you ho.”
Then she turned to the crowd and raised her voice. “Let’s give a huge round of applause to the person who put all of this together—Jessie!”
The applause was imdiate. Jessie stepped forward, playing shy, though I caught the satisfied gleam in her eyes. Her dress clung in all the right places, her hair styled to perfection. Every move she made scread “look at ’’.
My stomach twisted, but I forced a polite smile. I wasn’t going to give Evelyn or Jessie the satisfaction of seeing bothered.
Evelyn smiled down at her like she was very precious. “Such a lovely girl. Always so helpful. Always around.” She looked at a nearby pack mber holding a cara. “Why don’t we take a photo? Sothing to mark the mont.”
Then, just a little too loudly, she added, “Jessie, dear, go take a photo with the boys.”
Jessie giggled, already stepping toward them. “Only if they don’t mind...”
Lucas, Liam, and Levi all turned their heads toward in unison. They didn’t say anything but their eyes widened with alarm.
I swallowed the uncomfortable lump in my throat and gave a small nod. Only then did they walk up to the photo area and stand beside her.
Jessie positioned herself right in the middle, glowing like she’d just won a prize. The first photo snapped. I turned away as the cara flashed.
But then I heard a little giggle. I looked back.
Just as the third photo was being taken, Jessie slipped her arms through both Levi’s and Liam’s, looping them tightly.
My chest tightened, breath catching in my throat.
She leaned in closer, tilting her head like she was made to fit between them. Her hand brushed Levi’s chest, not by accident.
She knew what she was doing. Judging by the flash of discomfort on Liam’s face and the stiffness in Levi’s posture, they knew too.
Still, they didn’t pull away fast enough before the cara clicked.
Jessie smiled like the image had already been frad and mounted on her future bedroom wall.
And I stood there, burning inside.
Jealousy flared in . The mate bond scread inside my bones. I knew what she was trying to do. And I wasn’t about to stand by and let it happen.
I felt the heat crawl up my throat, my jaw tightened as I watched Jessie clutch Levi like her life depended on it. My wolf stirred beneath my skin as annoyance flared through .
Mine.
That word echoed over and over again in my head, loud and clear. The cara flashed again.
Levi shifted, trying to free his arm without making a scene. Liam was quicker. He eased himself out of her hold with an awkward laugh, stepping back just enough to break the contact.
But Jessie only tightened her hold on Levi. Her fingers curled possessively around his bicep as she laughed softly, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Oh, this one’s definitely going to be my favorite,” she said to the photographer as if the triplets were her personal photo props.
She tilted her head toward Levi, brushing just a little too close to his chest. I felt like clawing out her eyes.
Luna Evelyn stood nearby, watching with a pleased expression. It suddenly clicked—her plan was just to wedge Jessie into the triplets’ circle.
To replace !
Levi looked over at . The mont our eyes t, the tension in his shoulders dropped a little. He looked trapped—not by Jessie, but by his mother’s firm gaze.
That was all I needed. I moved towards them and the crowd parted for .
Levi’s eyes tracked the whole way, his lips parting slightly. “Hazel—”
I didn’t let him finish. Instead, I closed the space between us. Reaching out, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and forced his lips down to et mine in a kiss.
Levi reacted imdiately, deepening our connection. His tongue pried my mouth open and pressed closer against . I smiled against his lips as gasps rang through the crowd.
I made sure everyone watching—Jessie, Evelyn, the whole damn pack—understood that Levi belonged to .
Reviews
All reviews (0)