My Room Mate from the Pack

“Umm…” That was all I had. Just umm. Roman tried not to smile. Failed. Then that infuriating, smug little smirk. I hated him. (Probably.) “No,” I finally muttered. “I’m not mad.” “Good,” he said. And that was that. We kept walking, hands still clasped. I didn’t let go, and neither did he. The second we…

The door opened. Roman stepped in and froze when he saw me. Swollen eyes. Red nose. Mascara somewhere near my jawline. Even so, I made direct eye contact. My pride had left thirty minutes ago and wasn’t returning anytime soon. Without saying a word, he walked to the kitchen, grabbed a spoon, and crossed the…

“I assume you have something to say?” I snapped, unable to take the tension another second. Roman stopped pacing. His hands dropped to his sides, still twitching, like they didn’t know how to be still. “The pack meeting yesterday was… a little unexpected,” he said in a low voice. “My cousin Lucien, the alpha… he…

Lucien’s sharp and unyielding gaze scanned the room. “We are officially initiating a mating mandate. All unmated wolves aged twenty-one and over have thirty days to form and seal a bond. It doesn’t need to be a fated match. It simply needs to be committed and magically stabilized.” Gasps, murmurs, and questions buzzed across the…

Shirtless. Doing burpees. The sunlight hit him just so, highlighting every cut of muscle like the universe was playing a cruel joke on me. His back arched with each movement, and sweat shone on his skin. Roman’s hair was mussed in a way that I wanted to hate but couldn’t because he looked like the…

I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Looks better.” He nodded once. “Yeah. It does.” Neither of us moved. It wasn’t a breakthrough, but it was effort. Shared air. And the bed now had decent lighting. Roman picked up a framed photo that had slid out of the last box. My sister and…

Oh. I kept reading. 3F: Physical comfort post-shift is encouraged. Cuddling is mandatory. Failure to participate in post-shift emotional support may result in immediate termination of the lease agreement. “You’re joking.” “Nope.” “I have to cuddle you?” “Technically, yes. Or you’re in breach of contract.” I groaned and flopped backward on the bed, contract on…

She’d become a steady rhythm in my life I hadn’t realized I wanted until it was there. The light teasing over breakfast, and her rolling her eyes at my “rules,” but then sitting with me quietly when the world was too loud, had become our pattern. I’d grown fond of her. We were still figuring…

I bit my tongue. This was the dance. Always the dance. Most people thought Lucien was just a peacock in silk and body glitter. They didn’t see what I saw. What he truly was. The dramatics were smoke and mirrors, camouflage for the political monster underneath. He smiled with teeth, charmed his enemies, and bent…

Maggie The couch was white. Not cream, not off-white. No, it was stark white, like the teeth of an overachiever or a bridal showroom. It was the kind of couch you only bought if you never planned to eat on it. I perched on the edge of it, afraid I might stain it if I…