Lana's POV

8 years later

It was one of those rare, peaceful mornings where everything seemed to be in perfect harmony in my life.

Jasper and I were lying in bed, tangled up in each other's arms, enjoying the quiet before the day really began. His warm breath tickled the back of my neck as he kissed me softly, his lips tracing a line along my skin that sent shivers down my spine.

"I could stay like this forever," I murmured, turning to face him, my fingers tracing the familiar lines of his face. The years had only made him more handsome, his blue eyes still sparkling with that same fire that had drawn me to him in the first place.

He smiled, leaning in to kiss me again. "Me too. But forever might be cut short if your triplets find us."

As if on cue, the door to our bedroom burst open with a chaotic explosion of sound. "Uncle Jasper!" My three boys, Lucas, Mathew and Jacob, practically barreled their way into our bedroom.

Their shouts of battle filled the air as they jumped on my bed, play-fighting each other and tumbling over us.

"Uncle! Uncle Jasper! Get your sword were attacking!" Lucas screamed and I laughed.

"Boys!" I gasped, half-laughing, half-scolding as they nearly knocked Jasper off the bed. "Uncle Jasper has to go to on a work trip, remember?"

"But we want to play with him!" they chorused, all three pairs of eyes wide and pleading.

Jasper chuckled, ruffling the hair of the closest one- Jacob, I think, though it was always hard to tell them apart when they were in full-on chaos mode. "I'll always have time for my little boys," he said, and the way he looked at them made my heart swell with love.

Before I could protest, the boys were on him, a tangled mess of arms and legs as they tackled him with gleeful shouts. Jasper put up a mock struggle, groaning as if he were truly overpowered. "No, you're too strong for me! I surrender!"

The boys cheered in triumph, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched them. My life now was something I could never have hoped to even imagine eight years ago.

It was now full of love, laughter, and the kind of peace I never thought I'd ever find after being banished from the pack. I had finally found my true home.

I leaned back against the headboard, my mind drifting to that fateful night when everything changed for me. Jasper had led us out of the pack, guiding me through the forest with a calm strength that I held on to like a lifeline.

Jacob assured me that he had planted evidence to fake our deaths, so no one would ever come looking for us or my baby. And then, we fled to the human world, starting a new life far from the pain and danger of Alpha Asher and his his forsaken pack.

After that, Jasper became my solid rock throughout my pregnancy. He was always by my side, doing everything he could to make sure I was properly cared for.

When my triplets were born, Jacob became even more devoted to me, helping me raise them with a love that only grew stronger over the years.

Jacob worked tirelessly, building a business from the ground up that now brought in millions, and he'd sent me to school, supporting me every step of the way until I graduated and became a world-renowned doctor.

Using my medical experience and research, I did something amazing, I revived my wolf! And that was a great miracle I could never take for granted. Jasper was so happy and so proud of me.

In those years, my feelings for Jasper had deepened, evolving from friendship and gratitude into something much stronger. We'd become inseparable lovers, and grown even more closer every day since had been Now, my life was perfect. Truly perfect.

Jasper finally managed to disentangle himself from the boys, looking at me with a grin. "Alright, you little monsters. I really do have to get ready for my work trip."

I checked the clock on the nightstand and gave him a playful nudge. "You're going to be late for your flight if you keep fooling around with them."

He sighed dramatically, ushering the boys off the bed. "Fine, fine. But only because Mom says so." He winked at me, then turned to the boys. "Okay, soldiers, time to let Uncle Jasper get ready. March!"

The boys giggled, saluting him before running out of the room, their energy still boundless. Jasper sat back down on the bed, pulling me close for one last kiss. "I hate leaving without you," he murmured against my lips, his reluctance clear in every word.

"It's only for a few days," I teased, though I understood how he felt. We'd been through so much together that even a short separation felt like too long.

He sighed again, more softly this time. "I know, but I'll miss you. And the boys. I don't want to leave you here all by yourselves."

"We'll be fine," I assured him, my hand resting on his cheek. "Just come back to us in one piece, okay?"

Jasper nodded, but there was something different in his eyes now, something that made my heart flutter in my chest. "Actually, before I go..." He reached into his pocket, and when he pulled his hand out, he was holding a small velvet box.

I gasped as he opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. "Jasper..."

He took my hand, and his voice got thick with emotion. "Lana, you're everything to me. You and the boys are my world. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Will you marry me?"

I couldn't believe it. This perfect man wanted to be with me forever. I had hit the jackpot.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him and my heart overflowed with love. "Yes," I whispered, barely able to speak through the lump in my throat. "Yes, Jasper, of course."

Jasper slid the ring on my finger -goddess! It was huge!- then we kissed and the world around us faded away as I felt nothing but pure happiness.

When we finally pulled apart, I literally couldn't stop smiling, even as I helped him get ready for his trip and drove him to the airport:

The drive to the airport was filled with light kisses and a lot of blushing, but as we approached the terminal, his reluctance to leave returned.

"I really hate saying goodbye," he murmured, holding me close one last time before he had to go.

"It's not goodbye," I reminded him, though I felt the sting of it too. "Just see you soon."

He kissed me again, lingering as if trying to memorize the feel of my lips on his. "I'll see you soon," he echoed, finally letting go and walking toward the gate. He turned back again, giving me a wave before he disappeared from sight.

As I drove away from the airport, heading to work, I couldn't stop replaying everything in my mind-his proposal, the look in his eyes, the way he'd held me like he never wanted to let go.

I was soaring on cloud nine, and nothing could bring me down.

But then, something suddenly caught my attention.

There was a black van in the rearview mirror, and I noticed that it was trailing me at a distance.

I turned a corner, and the van turned too. Now I was beginning to worry.

I tried to shake off the unease that crept up my spine, telling myself it was just a coincidence. After all, I was probably just being paranoid.

But as I neared my location, the black van suddenly sped past me, and I breathe a sigh of relief, even though my heart didn't quite settle.

I tried to push the worry away and chose to focus instead on the sick clients waiting at the hospital. That helped to calm me down and brought back my focus.

I walked into my work place and the familiar busy sounds of the hospital immediately surrounded me as I made my way through the halls.

Every single staff member I passed nodded respectfully, and always offered warm greetings. "Good morning, Dr. Montgomery," they said with admiration that I'd grown used to receiving over the years.

I returned their greetings with a nod and a smile, feeling a sense of pride. Being respected in this hospital which was the most prestigious in the city, was something I'd worked hard for.

My reputation as one of the best doctors in the field was well-earned, though the name they knew me by wasn't the one I was born with. Here, I was Dr. Kara Montgomery, not Jasmine.

Dr Kara Montgomery was name I had chosen to distance myself from my past life. Only Jasper ever called me by my true name, Lana.

As I approached my office, my secretary, Megan, quickly stood up to greet me. "Good morning, Dr. Montgomery," she said with a smile, taking my bag as I handed it to her.

"Good morning, Megan," I replied, settling into the comfortable familiarity of my routine. "Any emails today that I need to address?"

"Not really, just the usual reports. But you did receive a letter." Megan handed me a crisp white envelope.

I raised an eyebrow, taking the envelope from her. "A letter? That's odd. Who sends letters these days?" I glanced at the envelope, but it was blank, not even a return address.

Megan shook her head. "I'm not sure who it's from. There's no name on it."

Curiosity piqued, I walked into my office and softly closed the door behind me as I took a seat at my desk. The envelope felt strange in my hands, as if it held more than just paper inside. With a slight hesitation, I opened it, revealing a thick letter inside. The moment my eyes scanned the contents, a sudden chill ran down my spine.

The letter was from my old pack.

My heart pounded in my chest as I read the words in disbelief and horror.

Dear DrMontgomery,

This is a formal request from the office of the Alpha, requesting for your famous services as a doctor. We are in desperate need of your skills and are willing to pay any amount you demand.

I stared at the letter and my hands began trembling slightly. How the hell did they find me? I had changed everything-my name, my appearance, my location.

Jasper had been very meticulous in faking our deaths, to make sure that no one in the pack would ever suspect we were alive.

I had stayed away from social media and anything that might be used to track me down. So how could they have found me?

Was this just a coincidence? Or did Asher somehow know that I was alive and that I had taken his sons with me? Was this a disguised threat from him, or was I just being paranoid?

My mind raced as I searched through all our emails, social media, anything that might have mentioned my name or show my face. But after a thorough check, I realized that I was still completely anonymous.

There was no way Alpha Asher could know that Dr. Kara Montgomery was actually Lana, the Omega he had once banished.

With a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. It had to be a coincidence. They probably just needed a skilled doctor, and discovered that Dr Kara was the best in the field. Nothing more.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of my stomach, so I tore the letter into pieces and threw it in the trash, vowing to put it out of my mind. I would never go back to that goddamn pack. Never!

A week later

A few Days had now passed without another letter or any incident. I didn't mention the letter to Jasper, not wanting to worry him. He already had enough on his plate with work and taking care of the boys.

Besides, I hadn't received any follow-up letters, and life continued as normal, so there was nothing to worry about.

One evening, as I was preparing dinner, the boys ran into the kitchen, their faces bright with excitement. "Mum! Mummy!can we play in the backyard please?" Mathew asked while his brothers eagerly nodded beside him.

I hesitated for a moment. I really didn't like them playing outside unsupervised, especially with how dangerous the world could be. But the backyard was fenced, and we lived in a safe neighborhood.

"Alright," I finally agreed, "but I'm coming out with you. No going off on your own, okay?"

"Okay, Mom!" they chorused, already rushing toward the back door.

I followed them outside and my eyes scanned the yard out of habit. My boys immediately started playing, their laughter filling the air as they chased each other around the grass. I sat down on a lounge chair, watching them with a smile.

They were growing into really handsome gentlemen, I had gotten my wolf back, and I was getting married to the man I loved, everything was perfect.

But then, it all happened so quickly.

Before I could realize what was happening, a huge shadow suddenly loomed over the fence, and before I could react, big mails figures wearing all black swooped down on us.

We were being attacked.

My blood turned cold and I screamed for my boys to run, but the men in black were too fast, because in a matter of seconds, two berg Strong arms grabbed me from behind, and even though I and my wolf fought with all our might to protect my sons, we were no match for these men.

"Mom!" I heard one of my boys cry out before a sharp pain exploded in my head, and everything went black.

The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the sight of my boys being dragged away, and into the van. My heart gave a wretched scream of anger and pain.

And then, I blacked out..

Lana's POV

The first thing I felt was a heavy ache behind my eyes. It wasn't a sharp pain, but it felt like my head was paining me. I tried to move my hand to touch my face, but my arm felt weak and slow.

I opened my eyes. The light in the room was soft, but it still made me blink. I wasn't in my car or my backyard,.I was lying in a bed.

I sat up slowly. The room tilted for a second, but I ignored it. Then, the memory of the black van and the men in masks hit me.

"Lucas? Mathew? Jacob? Jasper?" I called out. My voice sounded thin and shaky.

No one answered. I moved my legs over the side of the bed. I was still in my work clothes, but my shoes were gone. I looked around. The room was large and very clean. There were medical machines in the corner and a small sink near the door. It looked like a private hospital room, but the windows were very high up.

I stood up and held onto the bed until I felt steady. I had to find my boys. I took a deep breath and walked to the door, I turned the handle, but it didn't move.

It was locked.

"Hey!" I shouted, hitting the door with my hand. "Is anyone there? Open up!"

I heard footsteps outside, a lock clicked, and the door opened. Two tall men in dark suits stood there, with no emotions on their face.

"Where are my children?" I demanded. I tried to push past them, but a hand landed on my shoulder.

"Please stay back, Dr. Montgomery," one of them said. His voice was deep and calm.

"How do you know my name?" I asked. My heart was racing. "Who are you? If you want money, my fiancé will pay. Just give me my sons."

"We don't want money," the man said. "Follow us. Someone wants to talk to you."

"I'm not going anywhere without my boys," I snapped. I felt my wolf waking up inside me. She was angry and ready to fight.

The guard didn't move. "Your children are eating. They are safe. If you come with us, you can see them soon. If you fight us, we will have to put you back to sleep."

I bit my lip. I couldn't help my kids if I was knocked out. I nodded. "Fine. Lead the way."

They walked me down a long hall, we stopped at two large doors. A guard knocked and then opened them.

"The doctor is here," he said.

I walked into a big office. An older man sat behind a desk, he had gray hair and deep lines on his face. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. When he looked at me, I almost stopped breathing.

It was my father.

He didn't say my name. He just looked at me like I was a lifeline. To him, I was just Dr. Kara Montgomery.

"Thank you for coming, Doctor," he said. His voice was shaky. "I am sorry for how we brought you here. We have an emergency."

I gripped a chair so he wouldn't see my hands shaking. "You kidnapped me and my kids. You don't get to be sorry."

He sighed and rubbed his face. "I know. But we sent letters, we offered money. You didn't answer. Our people are dying. The reports say you are the only one who can help."

"I don't care about your people," I said. "I want my sons. Now."

"They are in the next room," he said, pointing to a side door. "They think they are on a surprise vacation. Sit down, please."

I didn't sit. I went to the side door, but the guards blocked me.

"Not yet," my father said. "I am the Beta of this pack. My name is Silas. A sickness is killing us. It started with the old people and is now hitting the children. Our doctors can't find a cure. They say you know things about wolves and humans that no one else knows."

I looked at the man who had let my stepmother hurt me for years. He looked small now.

"Why should I help you?" I asked.

"Because if you don't, I won't let you leave," he said. It wasn't a threat; it was just a fact. "But if you help, I will give you a lot of money. You and your boys can go back home and never see us again."

I laughed, and it sounded mean. "You think I want your money? I want my life back."

"Then do your job," Silas said. "The lab is ready. Once you find a cure, you can take your kids and go."

"I want to see them first," I said.

Silas nodded. The guards moved. I ran to the door and pushed it open.

It was a playroom with toys and a TV. My three boys were on a rug playing a game.

"Mummy!" Jacob cried, running to me. The other two followed.

I dropped to the floor and hugged them tight. I checked their faces and arms. They were okay.

"Are you guys alright?" I whispered.

"Yeah, the men gave us pancakes," Mathew said. "They said you were working. Are we at a hotel?"

"Sort of," I said, trying to smile. "Stay here and play, okay? Don't leave this room. I have to work, but I'll be back soon."

"Is Uncle Jasper coming?" Lucas asked.

My heart hurt. Jasper. He would be going crazy looking for us. "I'm not sure yet. Just stay together."

I went back into the office. I made my face look like stone. "I will help. But I stay with my kids. We sleep in the same room. And I want all the medical files right now."

Silas looked relieved. "Anything you need."

He led me down another hall. We passed a woman in a fancy dress. It was Amelia. She stopped and looked at me with a mean face. She didn't know who I was.

"Is this the doctor?" she asked. "She looks too young. Silas, are you sure?"

"She is the best, Amelia. Move," my father said.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just fix it. The Alpha is in a bad mood, and I'm tired of hearing about sick people." She walked away.

"Ignore her," Silas said. "Here is the lab."

It was a huge medical room with the best tech I had ever seen.

"I will leave you to work," Silas said. "A guard is outside. Just ask if you need something." He left and shut the door.

I was alone. I opened the first file on the desk. The symptoms were weird. High fevers and black veins, it was like something was eating their wolves from the inside.

I worked for hours, I lost track of time. I moved to the window and saw the sun setting over the trees. This was my old home, but I felt like a stranger.

I had to be fast, if the Alpha came back and saw me, it would be over. I went back to my microscope. I was so busy I didn't hear the door open.

Then, the smell hit me. It was like rain and pine trees. My heart skipped a beat.

I knew that scent, I had smelled it in my dreams for eight years.

I didn't turn around. I couldn't move.

"I heard we had a guest," a voice said. It was deep and cold.

I slowly turned.

A man stood in the doorway. He was tall with broad shoulders and black hair. His blue eyes looked like ice. It was Asher.

He wasn't looking at me like a doctor. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Lana?" he whispered.

I stepped back, knocking over a tray of tools. The noise was loud in the quiet room.

"You're dead," he said. "We found the blood. We found your clothes."

I forced my voice to be hard. "I am Dr. Montgomery. I am here to work. That's all."

Asher walked toward me until he was right there. He reached out and touched my hair, I pulled away, but he didn't stop.

"I would know you anywhere," he growled. He looked at me with so many questions in his eyes. "You've come home, Lana."

"This isn't my home," I snapped. "This is a prison."

He stared at me for a long time. Then his eyes moved to the door where my boys were.

"And who," he asked, his voice getting very low, "are the three boys in my playroom?"

Lana's POV

My heart was beating so hard it felt like it would break my ribs. I stood my ground, even though every part of me wanted to run. Asher was standing so close that I could see the tiny flecks of silver in his blue eyes. He looked older and more tired, but he still had that same power that made everyone in the room hold their breath.

"I asked you a question, Lana," he said. His voice was quiet but heavy. "Whose children are those?"

I took a slow breath, trying to keep my face calm. I had spent years preparing for this. "They are my sons, Asher. That is all you need to know."

Asher let out a short, dry laugh. He turned away and started to pace the small room. He looked like a caged animal. "Your sons. You disappear for eight years. Everyone tells me you were killed, I saw the torn clothes, I saw the blood on the ground. And now you show up here with three boys who look just like me."

"They don't look like you," I lied. It was a lie. Lucas had his jawline. Mathew had his eyes. Jacob had his exact smile.

Asher stopped pacing and looked at me. His eyes were dark. "Don't play with me. I am the Alpha now. I know everything that happens in this pack."

"You didn't know I was alive," I pointed out. "So you don't know everything."

He winced. It was a tiny crack in his mask. "I looked for you, Lana. For months, I went into those woods. I almost lost my mind trying to find you."

"You banished me," I reminded him. My voice is steady now. "You stood in your room with my sister and told me to leave or you would kill me. You didn't look for me. You threw me away."

Asher stepped closer again. He looked like he wanted to touch me, but he kept his hands at his sides. "Things were hard back then. My father was pushing me, Amelia was lying. I thought I was protecting you by sending you away."

"Protecting me?" I felt a surge of anger. "I was eighteen. I had no wolf. I had no money. You sent me into a forest full of killers."

Asher's eyes narrowed. "I was a fool, Lana. I know that now."

The door to the lab opened suddenly. A guard looked in. "Alpha, the Beta needs you. Another child has fallen sick."

Asher didn't even look at him. "Tell them to wait."

"But sir, they say it's urgent."

Asher closed his eyes and rubbed his face. He looked back at me, and for a moment, the cold Alpha was gone. He just looked like a man who was drowning.

"I have to go," he said. "But we are not done. You stay in this wing. If you try to leave, the guards will stop you."

"I have work to do," I said, turning back to my microscope. "If you want your people to live, let me do it."

I heard the door shut. I sank into my chair. My legs were shaking, my wolf was howling inside my head. She was scared, but she also felt a strange pull toward him that I hated.

I worked for hours, I looked at blood samples until my eyes hurt, the sickness was moving fast. Around midnight, a nurse brought me food. She was a young girl, maybe nineteen.

"Are you really the famous Dr. Montgomery?" she asked.

"I'm just a doctor," I said. "How many new cases?"

"Four," she said, her lip trembling. "One is my brother. They say once the wolf dies, the human dies too."

"I'm doing my best," I promised.

After she left, I couldn't focus, I needed to see my boys. I walked over to the side door and opened it quietly. The room was dim. My three sons were piled together on the bed, they looked so peaceful.

I sat on the edge of the bed and touched Mathew's hair.

"Mummy?" a small voice whispered. It was Jacob.

"Go back to sleep, baby," I whispered.

"Where's Jasper?" he asked. "I want to show him my toys."

"He'll be back soon," I said. My heart ached. Jasper was the only father they knew.

I went back into the lab. An hour later, there was a knock, I thought it was a guard, but it was Amelia. She was in a fancy robe, and her face was full of makeup. She pushed past me into the room.

"It smells bad in here," she said.

"What do you want, Amelia?" I asked. I didn't use a fake name. I was too tired.

Amelia froze. She turned around slowly. Her face went white. "Lana? No. You're dead. He told us you died."

I stepped toward her. "Stay away from my husband," Amelia hissed, trying to look brave. "I don't care if you're a doctor. You're still just a maid to me. You won't take my place."

"I don't want your place," I said. "I just want to save these people and leave. You can keep Asher. He's not the man I thought he was anyway."

Amelia tried to slap me, but I caught her wrist. I squeezed it until she winced. "I am not that weak girl anymore. I have a wolf now. If you touch me or my kids, I will hurt you."

I pushed her toward the door. She ran out, looking terrified.

I went to the hall to get some air. I found Asher sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. He looked broken.

"The elders want to give up," Asher said without looking up. "They think it's a curse."

"It's not a curse," I said. "Someone is poisoning your pack, Asher. I found traces of it in the blood."

He looked up. His eyes were red. "Who would do that?"

"I don't know yet. But I need to see the first person who got sick."

Asher stood up. He walked over to me. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive? Why didn't you send a message?"

"Because you didn't want me," I said.

"I was a kid," he whispered. "I was scared of my father. I thought you would be safer far away from here."

"I was safe," I said. "Until today."

Asher looked at me for a long time. "I saw them, Lana. I went into the room while you were busy."

My heart stopped.

"They have my eyes," he said. A tear fell down his face. "And they have the Alpha mark on their shoulders. I saw it."

I couldn't speak.

"They are mine," he said. "Those three boys... they are my sons."

I looked at the floor. I couldn't lie anymore.

Asher let out a shaky breath. "Eight years. I missed everything."

"You didn't just miss time," I said. "They don't even know who you are. They call Jasper 'Uncle'."

Asher's face changed. The sadness turned into something hard and strong. He stood tall like an Alpha.

"That ends today," he said. "I don't care about Jasper. Those are my heirs. I am not letting you take them away again."

"You can't keep us here!" I cried."Just reject me, you have a wife, I don't want anything to do with you."

"Watch me," he said. He leaned in, his voice a low growl. "You are the mother of my children. You are safe here, I will only grant your wishes once you help my pack."

He turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the dark. I looked at him walking away, I will be damned if I let someone control my life again.