For a moment, all I could hear was my own breathing. It was harsh and ragged
“If there’s nothing else,” I said, forcing my voice steady, “I’m hanging up.”
The words came out calm, almost detached, but my chest ached with the effort.
The rain grew heavier, drumming on the roof like war drums.
The call ended before I could press end.
For a long moment, I stood there in the dim light of the room, my phone still warm in my hand.
Declan’s POV
My patience had its limits and Evelyn was testing every damn one of them.
I drummed my claws against the mahogany desk. The faint scrape filled the silence.
“Tonight,” I said, my voice low and final. “I want to see Evelyn at Crawford Villa.”
Collins stiffened immediately.
He hesitated. “Alpha Declan… I already sent people to check Shevron Estates.” His tone faltered, cautious. “The property manager said that since Mrs. Crawford’s bank card was frozen, she couldn’t pay rent and was evicted a while ago.”
The words hit the air like static, and for a moment, my wolf went still inside me.
Evicted?
I said nothing, but my claws retracted with a soft hiss as I flexed my fingers, my jaw tightening. She was proud, too proud. That woman would rather bleed than ask me for help.
Collins fidgeted, lowering his head under my gaze. I could smell the unease rolling off him, sharp and sour. He was right to be nervous.
Evelyn… once a creature of silk and confidence, now-what? Sleeping in a shelter? Wandering some street corner?
The image flashed unwanted through my mind, and my wolf gave a low, uneasy growl. .
Collins said, his voice soft. “Alpha Declan, we found out that Mrs. Crawford opened a new bank account. She drops small deposits at regular intervals.”
That caught my attention. I lifted my gaze, my eyes narrowing.
“She doesn’t have family or friends here,” he continued, words tumbling out faster. “We’re not sure how she’s getting by, but… if we freeze this account too, she’ll probably have no choice but to come back.”
The silence between us stretched, heavy and dangerous. Even my wolf went quiet, waiting.
Then I said the two words that sealed it. “Do it.”
Collins nodded quickly, relief and fear mingling in his scent, and hurried out the door.
When it clicked shut, the office felt too still.
I leaned back in my chair.
She was out there. Somewhere.
With a low growl, I stood and walked to the window, the skyline gleaming cold and indifferent beneath me. From up here, the city pulsed with cars and people moving like ants, insignificant and unbothered.
I clenched my fists until my knuckles cracked.
Evelyn.
Where the hell are you?
My wolf stirred again, his instincts prickling. You should find her. She’s ours.
I shut him out, my teeth gritting.
Did she really think she could disappear, vanish from my world like some stray? Walk away as if our relationship didn’t matter?
Maybe she thought I’d let her go out of guilt. Maybe she thought my silence meant weakness.
But she forgot what kind of man she was dealing with.
I stared into the city’s depths, my reflection merging with the glass, my wolf’s eyes faintly glowing in the dark.
She’d come back to me. One way or another.
And when she did… she’d remember exactly who she belonged to.
Evelyn’s POV
After the call, I was still unsettled. The silence that followed felt heavier than any noise. The rain finally stopped and the sun was gradually coming back up.
I looked down at Lana cradled in my arms, her soft lashes resting against her flushed cheeks. My heart softened, then clenched again.
No matter what, Declan could never find out about her, about us.
If he did, there’d be no escaping his reach. He’d take everything, just like before.
I drew in a long, steadying breath and gently pulled Lana’s tiny hand from her mouth. She made a soft noise, half protest, half contentment. My lips curved faintly.
“Hungry again, huh?”
The maternal instinct was strong but so was the exhaustion that nipped at my bones.
My wolf, ever protective, huffed inside me, restless. She hated how vulnerable we were like this. We were cornered, hiding, struggling just to keep our pup fed.
I moved to the cupboard and scooped what little formula remained in the tin. Just a thin dusting of powder scraped the bottom.
I sighed, my voice trembling,”That’s it, baby. Last of it.”
The clink of the spoon against the can felt deafening in the small room.
Even the cheapest formula wasn’t cheap enough. Every bottle, every diaper, every doctor visit drained the little I managed to earn. I hated it, hated how far I’d fallen.
Once, I could walk into a courtroom and silence a room with one sentence. Now, I counted coins just to feed my daughter.
But she’s worth it, my wolf whispered. She’s everything.
I nodded to myself. Payday was only a few days away. We’d make it. We always did. Even without Declan. Even without the gilded cage he’d once called love. Lana and I would be fine, as long as we had each other. Just the two of us against the world.
By the time I’d fed and changed her, she was already drifting off to sleep, her tiny fingers curled around one of mine. Watching her chest rise and fall was enough to soften the ache in my heart.
I changed into soft clothes, finally ready to rest. My wolf settled as I sank into bed, eyes closing. Maybe for a little while, I could forget everything but few seconds later…
A knock shattered the quiet.
I froze. Every instinct sharpened at once.
Someone was outside.
I slid out of bed quietly and opened the door, ready to shift if I needed to. But it wasn’t danger, it was kara. Her face was flushed from the sun, sweat gleaming on her forehead.
“Is Lana sleeping?” she whispered.
I nodded, stepping aside. “Yeah. What’s wrong?”
Her scent told me she was agitated, bitter and angry. I could feel it thrumming off her. I handed her a towel, and she wiped her face, taking a deep breath before blurting,
“Kevin is a complete bastard.”
I blinked, frowning. “What?”
She grabbed my hand, her grip tight. “They hired another cleaner today, and Kevin gave away your bed!”
For a second, my brain refused to catch up. Then everything went cold. “What about me?”
“That’s the point!” she hissed, eyes blazing. “He’s already screwing you over and he’s barely started this new position! He’ll probably send someone to tell you any minute.”
Her anger radiated like heat. I wished I could feel it too. Instead, I just felt numb – ice creeping up through my chest, stealing my breath.
This was the last thing I needed. The last thing Lana needed.
Before I could even process it, a sharp knock echoed through the dorm room.
kara and I locked eyes – both of us already knowing who it was.
My wolf growled low in my mind, They’re coming to take what’s ours again.
And this time, I didn’t know if I had the strength to stop them.
Sure enough, when I opened the door, Kevin was standing there with a young girl hovering nervously behind him.
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