I’ve never been inside of a Walmart before today. The place has far too many people moving around for my liking, and it smells like old fish.‘You’ve gone soft in your time parading around as a human,’ Onyx snarls, making me roll my eyes. He doesn’t understand the difference between a high-class supermarket versus this place. When you walk into my favorite family-run market, the smell of artisan coffee swirls around you. Baked goods linger in the air, and kind, familiar faces recognize you.Here, it’s like a swarm of bodies bustling through, tossing whatever junk they can into their cart to get out of here before the stench of old fish clings to their clothing.I need to make myself look like everyone else so that I can blend in. My face and style are far too recognizable and if I want to attempt to do what Dante does, I need to make sure that I look the part.The clothes section here has a surprising number of options, and I quickly grab a plain black t-shirt, black sweats, and a bla
James left early this morning for work and forbade me from going into the hospital. I called in with a family emergency, and there was no questioning. They knew if I was taking off, it was necessary, even though it didn't feel that way. Chris remained passed out on the back patio, and I’m not sure if I should force him awake or let him sleep off the shockwave that was yesterday. I still don't even know if I've managed to brush off the reality that I've been a werewolf my entire life and everyone I loved kept it from me..... and I've had weeks to process it.My phone buzzing against the countertop startles me, and I glance over to see that my father is calling.Begrudgingly, I grab the phone, hesitating as my finger hovers over the small green button. I’ve been avoiding talking to either of them. Since my meeting with my father and my mother’s explosion over the scathing interview I did with Mr. Arden; I’m not sure they even consider me a member of the Red family.“Hey dad,” I finally
A loud noise jars me awake and my eyes struggle to focus in my disoriented state. The sky is nearly black and rain pelts against the floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the house.The television remains on, but the show I’d been watching has long ended. Glancing at my phone, I blink away the sleepiness seeing that somehow, I’d managed to nap for the last five hours.Another loud crack startles me as the sky lights up with a flash of lightning. A few seconds later, the power goes out, causing complete darkness to blanket me. The storm raging outside is the only sound I hear, and I quickly grab my phone, illuminating the flashlight as I walk towards the rear windows.The backyard leading into the forest looks eerie blanketed in complete darkness. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and the feeling of being watched envelopes me as I squint my eyes, trying to see anything through the heavy sheets of rain.Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and I swear I saw someth
“Rosa,” James’ voice filters through the darkness, “Rosalind, baby.”My body shakes softly on my shoulders and my eyelids flutter. The lashes on my left eye are stuck to my face, and after a few attempts, they tear free.Bright lights above my head blind me as I blink away my disorientation.The sound of multiple different voices has my eyes panning around the room. EMS workers move quickly, rushing inside the small space and focusing their attention on Ahmed. I recognize a few of the faces rushing around me, but a relieved sigh falls from my lips as I finally focus on James.“What’s going on?”My voice sounds foreign and gravelly.“Are you injured?” James rushes out, coming back to my side and ignoring the emergency personnel shouting at him to back up.“My…” I start, trying to move the leg that had gotten bit, but it felt numb and stiff, “My leg and my ribs.”“What happened here?” The gold flecks in James’ eyes glitter beneath the harsh lights of the elevator, and his eyes soften as
Pure, unfiltered rage didn’t even begin to describe the poisonous feeling flooding through my veins. The anger feels like a living, breathing thing.Like a Goddamned snake slithering its way beneath my skin, releasing toxic poison in the form of fury that bleeds into every square inch of my body.I want the heads of every single person who stepped foot on my property last night. I don’t give a shit who they were or what they were doing there. If they accidentally stumbled upon the forest at the back of the property…. I’m going to find them and make them pay.Since my driver is now fighting for his life in the hospital with Rosalind, I’m forced to call and wait for a driving service to offer me a temp replacement for Ahmed.A few painstaking minutes pass while I pace a hole in the cement out front of the hospital, sweating from the sweltering, humid Georgia heat before the damn driver finally shows up.‘He is clearly incompetent,’ Onyx spats in my head, ‘Ahmed would never keep us waiti
“Rosalind,” Chris shouted, shouldering through a group of nurses who were conveniently gossiping about James. They still couldn’t believe he was married to a woman like me. Sure, I was a doctor, but that wasn’t anything special when the most eligible, billionaire bachelor in Georgia was in the running. He was like a God around here. And me? Well, I was simply an average looking woman who also happened to be a doctor. My status as a Red didn’t mean a damn thing, because I wasn’t a hot man who also happened to have enough money to buy the entire United States and not blink an eye. “What the fuck?” Chris muttered; eyes wide as he stared at my elevated leg. Blood had seeped through the bandages because they couldn’t seal the wound and for someone who doesn’t see this kind of thing on a regular basis, it was pretty disgusting. “Close the curtain,” I whispered, and he did quickly, rushing back to my side.“Was that,” he pointed at my injury, “From one of them.”“We are one of them,” I n
The inside of the house looked like a massacre. Tiny shards of glass decorated the floor like snow. Some of the larger bits were painted with a deep, blackish crimson from the dried blood, and the smell was nauseating.‘These were definitely rogues,’ Onyx spat through gritted teeth, his anger blending with mine the more we assessed the scene.Through it all, I could smell Rosalind’s blood, and the thought of them hurting her while I was off chasing some ignorant lead on Marina made my blood boil with anger. But the anger was directed at myself.I should have been here. I should have been the one to protect her, and Ahmed did his best, but one man against multiple wolves just didn’t succeed.Rainwater had flooded most of the evidence, causing it to spread before drying. The cops wouldn’t be able to pull anything from this mess. Not anything concrete anyways.I’d learned the hard way how easily evidence can be destroyed. If you’re not on the scene within a tiny window of time, your succ
I was finally cleared to go home from the hospital, but I’m not quite sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I missed my bed and the comfort of my own home. On the other, I didn’t know how to feel about being there after the attack.Not to mention my mind has been running in circles since Marina showed up here yesterday.James came shortly after she left, but something seemed off, and I wanted to dissect everything that Marina had said before confronting James about it. But even more confusing was the fact that she’d specifically said a wolf bite, when she shouldn’t have known that small fact.She couldn’t have known that unless she orchestrated it or James had told her about it, but I was leaning towards her orchestrating the attack.“How’s Ahmed?” I glanced up at James as he wheeled me out to the awaiting car.“He’s awake and recovering. I’ve placed him on paid leave and instructed his wife to come to me if they need anything at all,” James’ voice held an edge to it, but I didn’t c
One Year Later“I’ll never get over seeing you like this,” Shawn wrapped his arms around my body, his hands smoothing over the growing bump that used to be my toned stomach. “And this dress makes you look even more ravishing.”My cheeks heated as he thrust his hips against my backside to show just how much he actually enjoyed seeing me swollen with his child. Six months ago, I found out we were pregnant. Fear gripped my soul at the prospect of becoming a mother, mostly because this came out of left field. We’d been married for six months, and hadn’t been actively trying, but life seems to have a way of paving the way for surprises. “Later,” I peck his cheek, bringing my thumb up to wipe away the light red stain from my lipstick, “We are going to be late.”“Are you sure you want to do this?” Shawn stood up straight, adjusting his tie, while I smoothed out the bunching in my glittering red dress. He wore a black suit with a matching red tie, and we were about to be going to our first G
How?I stare at the card on the ground. Scribbled letters stare back at me in writing that I’d never forget. I memorized the way his pen strokes over paper. I can see where he wrote softer versus where the pen dug deeper into the cardstock.Our door was still closed, but I didn’t know how much time I had before Shawn returned.My heart was in my throat as I reached for the card, staring at the words written inside until my eyes blurred.Rosa, I am not writing you this to hurt you more than I already have, and as you already know, I’m not very good at articulating my feelings. I hope you’ll understand what I’m trying to say despite knowing that this will be a string of words that probably won’t make sense by the time I’m finished. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, nor do I expect it. I realized after Marina and I destroyed your wolf that I had made the wrong decision. I knew that Marina had used a powerful spell on me, and I didn’t care. I allowed the anger and pain from
I let out an emotional chuckle, fighting the urge to cry.“I remember the first time you and I met. Chris practically dragged me over to your house to hang out, but I was terrified. The thought of being with someone famous made my skin feel itchy. I was just a poor kid with a shitty family life, and I was walking into a pristine mansion. But the moment I walked through those doors, your pale blue eyes, that reminded me of the sky when you look at it through the clouds, met mine, and you said, “You look like you could use some tea.”I let out another laugh, the memory coming back to me like it was yesterday.“You grabbed my hand and dragged me to your bedroom, ignoring Chris’ shouts, and pushed me into one of your chairs beside Mr. Giggles and Sir Pounce-A-Lot. We spent two hours talking over imaginary tea like we were old friends,” Shawn looked up towards the sky, his throat bobbing before returning his gaze to mine. “I didn’t know why I wanted so badly to have a tea party every day f
Two Years LaterThree years ago, my ex-husbands mistress woke up from a coma. Three years ago, I asked James Wood for a divorce. Three years ago, my life changed drastically. I fell apart, picked myself up, rinse, and repeat. But today; I’m healing. “You look so beautiful,” Chris’ girlfriend Sienna covers her mouth with both of her hands. Her chocolate brown eyes shimmer with tears, and mine instantly well with my own. Fanning my face, I take a deep breath, “Is this real? I still don’t think it’s real.”“Girl,” she steps closer to me, placing her hands against my arms, and spinning me around to look in the mirror. My hair has grown back out, even longer than before and falls just below my breasts. It’s finally back to blonde, but I keep a shadow root to remind myself of the hell I’ve overcame. A small nod to the time I spent in that cabin pretending to be someone else. I chose a subtle smokey eye for a more natural look. Warm browns bring out my blue eyes, highlighting the flecks
Chris is whistling in the kitchen, the aroma of coffee making my mouth water as I step into the open living room. Shawn came out first, walking down to the bathroom for a quick shower. “Coffee?” Chris already has a mug prepared, offering it out to me, “They didn’t have the creamer you liked when I was at the market. I hope you don’t mind plain vanilla.”It wasn’t my favorite, but I couldn’t complain much. “It’s fine,” I grabbed the mug, lifting it to my lips to bid myself an extra few seconds. “Thank you.”“If only I’d have bought ear plugs instead of that creamer,” he shakes his head, sighing dramatically.I choke, sputtering coffee over the side of the mug, and my hand, “You… You heard all that?”Chris sits his mug on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, “Unfortunately so. The walls in this place are thinner than a fucking sheet of tissue paper. I’m half tempted to file a formal complaint against the builder.” I snort. I had heard Chris watching porn a few times through
I wake to the feeling of eyes on me. My heart begins to palpitate, and panic seizes me. “Rosie,” I hear the faint sound of a voice, but I’m terrified to open my eyes. “I don’t want to go back,” I whisper, feeling emotion clog my throat. “Please.”“Rosie, it’s me,” Shawn’s voice filters through the panic, and I quickly throw my head over my shoulder. It takes a few minutes for my heart rate to slow as I lock eyes with Shawn. Memories of last night hit me like a freight train, and the panic settles beneath my skin once more, but it’s different. I’m safe, and that’s what matters. “What’s going on, baby?” Shawn’s fingers hesitate before he reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I thought he found me,” my voice breaks. “Hey,” Shawn’s fingers cup my chin, holding it with such delicacy, “He won’t get to you again. I’ll make sure of it. You don’t have to worry anymore. I won’t hesitate next time.”“I hate that he still has this effect on me.”“There is no timetable to hea
Another growl bubbles from his chest as he scoops me up, my legs wrapping around his waist, and my heart nearly jackhammering out of my chest. I’ve dreamed of this moment since puberty. Maybe not this exact scenario, but Shawn wanting me. His lips on me. And I as I grew older, those innocent desires turned into something more sensual. The first time I ever touched myself was to the thought of this man who has his lips pressed against my throat. My back hits the thick quilt covering my bed, and I whimper as Shawn pulls away, looking down at me with a mixture of longing and fear in his eyes. “Are you sure about this?” his voice is bathed in fear, and I can practically see how fast his heart is beating from the pulse point on his throat. “Make me forget him, Shawn.” My voice is low and hoarse. “I want you.”“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear those words?” Shawn hisses through gritted teeth, his strong body hovering over mine. My fingers found the hem of his shirt, slowly lift
“You have to be kidding me,” Chris groans at Shawn, his face twisting with annoyance. Flour clings to almost every surface, and the kitchen is going to need a deep clean, but this is the most fun I’ve had in months. It’s my life by Bon Jovi blares from the small radio set up on the countertop. “What?” Shawn shimmies his shoulders. “This is a classic, sir. You not enjoying it is just a sign of your bad taste.”“My tastes are modernly defined,” he narrows his eyes.“That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re crap.”“Says you,” he waggles a finger in my direction. A bowl of brownie batter is wrapped in my arms, but Shawn snags it away, sitting it atop the counter before lacing his fingers with mine. Our arms moved back and forth, palms attached, and I felt my lips pull into the first real smile since we’ve been here. “It’s my LIFFFFEEEE,” Shawn sang off key, “It’s now or never.”“I AIN’T GONNA LIVE FOREVER.”“I just wanna live while I’m alive,” Shawn spins me in a circle, tipping me
We’ve been here for six weeks. Six weeks I’ve spent staring at the walls of this cabin expecting the boogeyman with shimmering green eyes to pop out at any moment.Once the shock of being flown here wore off, fear settled beneath my skin like a poisonous snake. I plastered a smile on my face for Chris and Shawn, but the days have been long, and the nights… even longer.I’ve learned the sounds of the forest surrounding us. The calls from the birds that chirp from the trees and the geese on the lake. Some days, the wind pushes the water against the shoreline, the sound of crashing startling me.I hate what I’ve become. It’s sickening to think that once upon a time, I was just a girl with the ambitious thought that she could convince her husband to love her.Now I’m afraid of my own shadow.“Rosa-lindddd,” Chris singsongs my real name, and I ignore him.Rosalind was dead. I was Rose now.I hated both versions of myself.The hopeful one that was naïve enough to believe in fairytales, and