The news Lauren gave me left me flabbergasted for a moment before I came back to life. Lauren, as I told you earlier, I'm not in the mood to tolerate your bitterness. I'm telling you the truth Catriona. I know it's hard for you to believe me because of our differences. But you have to. Her granddaughter and I know each other. We went to the same school and I assure you that I know her well enough to take you there if that would make you believe me. She said. "Do you think I can meet her?'' I asked. "If that's what you want! Of course Lauren, I do want to. I replied excitedly. Jayden gently pulled me aside. There is something I must talk to you about. He said. "Bad news! I asked. "Um… kind of." Can you save it for later? I asked him in full tilt. He tried to hold onto my hand but I swiftly avoided it. Alright Lauren, lead the way. Her brows furrowed. Her expression got me thinking that maybe she was playing with my emotions. Catriona, her house isn't a three-minute wal
How much did you hear? I muttered. "Everything! Jayden mindlinked with me. I got on my feet and sauntered to my mates. If they heard my story I am scared I might not own a single one. Jayden's face remained neutral which gave me a little hope but Gabriel told it all that I was not his anymore. Hey baby! Are you alright? Jayden asked his hands on both my cheeks. I was reverted to only Gabriel whose unpredictable eyes never left mine. Catriona, look at me, baby. Let me get you out of here and we will talk whenever you're ready. Jayden reiterated. I felt my heart changing from its position when Gabriel walked away. Jayden stopped me immediately as if sensed what I wanted to do. And that was following Gabriel and earnestly entreating him from breaking up with me. That's not necessary. Jayden said as he took me toward his car. The woman shadowed us and nudged my hand. Don't let your painful past ruin the bright future that's ahead of you girl. Knot your every painful past behin
Author's POV Somewhere in the forest was a beautiful woman sitting on a rock biting her fingernails. She looked anxious. Her beautiful eyes beamed up to an eerie cerulean glow light that materialized into sight. What took you so long? Did you find anything? She desperately asked. Cool down, woman. I'm here now. The peculiar voice from the glow replied. Things are getting intricate out there Luciana. You need to act soon because your sister is just a few inches away to get into that house. Luciana became so nervous that she started biting her fingernails again. Biting your fingers won't solve anything. Think quickly and act. The voice said. " Why don't we summon Catriona's soul!" She is one of my sister's main targets. Luciana said. We can't summon her now. The mysterious voice said. Why? Luciana asked, her facials questioning. The mysterious voice exhaled. You're not going to like this. Your hot alpha marked that girl. Luciana stared into the glow, prolonged. "Already!" She
JAYDEN The painful guilt of watching Catriona's reaction to Vannesa's chanting was eating me up to my core. I must've been quick or done it incorrectly with the marking process. I marked her in fear of losing her and in anger of her sleeping with the man I had never got along with and never will. Vannesa crouched, vetting her wound. And Pamela on the other side looked perplexed at the space which made Catriona react ironically. The two women stared at each other for quite a moment before reverting their eyes to a space. Is there something that you two would like to fill us in? Vannea asked them. Catriona was the first to nod in contradiction. Her exceptional reaction filled my head with questions. Ahem, could you guys leave us alone for a moment? I'd like to have a word with her. Catriona said, looking between Pamela and the space. Sure thing, but change that blouse and put on something light that covers up that wound. Vannesa affirmed. I agree, do that first. Pamela conceded.
JAYDEN I shifted, my wolf impacting me as I darted into the woods. Listen to me human, we all want Edward out of our sight, right? My wolf asked. Is that a question? I asked. Look, this isn't an unpleasant suggestion but I'm very certain that something is bothering that crotch. I saw it in his damn eyes back from our fight. So, my suggestion is that instead of driving ourselves up the walls, why not first see or listen to what he's going to say? There must be a very good reason he came to you out of a sudden. And that's why I want us to find out and maybe we could use it to destroy him in the blink of an eye. I'm not interested in whatever good reasons he has. I don't intend to let that bloodsucker breathe again after destroying me, and my family. But doing that I need an explanation on why he did what he did to my family. Welcome son. I thought you wouldn't come but here you are. I'm glad you respected my call. You can call me anything you want in this world but never call me yo
JAYDEN I once again opened my eyes and found myself in the same incident of lying down on a seaside shore and seeing the wandering birds in the sky. I certainly knew it was that old man again. I leisurely rose from the sand and stood on my heels darting around for him. My pulse began beating fast to the recall of my last meet-up conversation with this old man. He warned me not to hurt Catriona, or else I'll have to face the consequences. I got goosebumps as the hairs on my skin stood up when I got a feeling that someone was standing behind me or watching me. I was kinda hesitating to turn around. Why am I hesitating? This isn't our first meet-up. I swallowed hard and turned around. The old man was indeed behind me but not alone. He was with another old man I'd never seen before. He looked shorter than him but very menacing. He gave me a stony lingering stare before he turned to face the one I knew. "I need a word with him alone." He said. "Go easy on him." The face I know sai
GABRIEL The guilty conscience of my attitude towards Catriona had been encumbering me from going to the red moon pack to see Catriona and explain everything to her. Explain to her that I'd been there before. That I'm no one when it comes to family too. I know very well the pain she must've been through. Will she be able to listen and forgive me though? There is a question tag!! The pain I saw her in when I left is enough to justify my conscience that she won't forgive me. I don't know what she's thinking right now that she hasn't come yet to see her family. It's been eight nights now and she hasn't come to see her brother. I was outside on my bedroom balcony and I spotted Catriona's brother cheerfully playing with the packs' kids. He's being very careful with his movements while playing. I think he hasn't fully recovered yet. And their grandmother is on the other side with the older ones but never leaves her eyes off him. It's kind of surprising that her family had acclimated with e
GABRIEL "For real? Have you made up your mind? I didn't expect you to be this quick after playing so hard to get." I didn't come here for a prattle. I'm serious about this. I want Catriona. I can't lose her to Jayden. He'd hurt her enough. It's time for me to take the lead in protecting her. I want to show him how alphas protect their mates. I want to show him what protection means when it comes to mates. If you say so. As long as you know both their full names, let's head right to it. She scampered, veering into the library. How did you discover this library? I asked. A werewolf house without a library in it isn't a werewolf house. I just had to give myself a quick tour. I'm not quite sure if you're aware that we witches love libraries. Anyways, write me down their full names as I bring what I'd need for the spell. As I wrote down the names on a sheet of paper I had to ask myself if this was the right thing to do. I'm an alpha. I don't need witches' help to get the woman I
It has been eight months since the pack was attacked and everything that followed. Jayden and I have been able to reconcile and our love for each other has grown. Ever since Gabriel broke the mate bond with me he suddenly disappeared. Until now I haven't seen him. But I heard murmurs from the pack members that he found himself a mate and made her the Luna. Initially, I was hurt because he seemed so determined to be with me, but then suddenly ended our connection. However, I feel at ease with everything going well around me. The pack members have accepted me as their alpha's mate, and their affection towards me is growing stronger. My brother's health has stabilised, so we don't have to visit the hospital as often. Regarding the old spirits, they continue to possess me during times of trouble and fight our battles when needed. However, whenever I attempt to inquire about our relationship, they simply smile and leave me hanging. I have given up on pursuing this topic. Vannesa, too,
JAYDEN I froze in place when my so-called vampire brother burst out of the pack house, somehow managing to get his hands on Catriona. "I've had enough, little brother," he said. Everyone paused including Gabriel, waiting to see whom he was referring to as his brother. Gabriel was quick to react, glancing from me to the vampire. His face turned red with fury, and could tell he wanted to charge at my brother and break him in half. As satisfying as that would be, it was also impossible. Doing anything foolish would put Catriona in danger. My brother approached me confidently, exuding an air of satisfaction. He sniffed Catriona's neck and then turned to me, remarking, "She smells good." He twirled his bloody tongue over his fangs. Gabriel's voice echoed angrily in my mind, demanding, "Who is this bloodsucker to you, Jayden?" His wolf paced restlessly around him while bombarding me with questions. "Let her go. It's me you want." I said but instead, his smile grew wider, as if he was
GABRIEL When I ensured Catriona's safety indoors, I ventured out to mediate the conflict between the witches and Jayden's enraged wolves. I never anticipated being struck by the witches' wrathful magic, which was originally intended for Jayden. The impact of the magic left me clutching my chest tightly as if it might burst open. I remained on the ground for several minutes, groaning in pain. Although the temptation to shift and violently retaliate against everyone was strong, I knew I had to remain calm. Feeling frustrated, I took a deep breath and confidently approached the wolves and witches, positioning myself between them with a dominant demeanour. "You all need to calm the fuck down," I assertively stated. Surprisingly, everyone except for Jayden stopped. He angrily trotted over to me, snarling in my direction… "You dare bring unknown witches to my house and give orders to my pack?" Who do you think you are?" He said, his voice guttural. "Trust me, I wouldn't mess with brin
l gazed wide-eyed, still processing what just happened where I hurried over to Jayden, as he appeared to be in pain. My love and concern for him compelled me to reach out, but instead, a powerful gust of wind blew through me, separating us. I stumbled backwards, my heart pounding in my chest. Fortunately, Gabriel was behind me and caught me before I hit the ground. His strong arms wrapped around me, providing a sense of stability amidst the chaos. I clung to him, grateful for his presence in this bewildering moment. Without hesitation, I turned to face the witches, my Voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "Did you do this? Are you responsible for what just happened?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing as I awaited their response. The witches exchanged glances, their expressions filled with surprise and confusion. One of them with silver hair, stepped forward, her voice gentle yet resolute. "No, we had nothing to do with it,'' she replied. My mind raced, trying to make sense of
JAYDEN I froze in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest. The weight of my wolf's words hung heavily in the air, leaving me speechless. Breaking the mate bond was an unthinkable act, a betrayal of the deepest kind. It was a bond meant to be eternal, unbreakable. That is the best thing we can do for Catriona. She'll be free. And safe from being hurt by the man she loves. Even though my wolf said this, I can feel the sadness in his tone and feel the beating of his heart, which tells me that he doesn't mean it. I know he's trying to punish me for everything I did to him, especially to Catriona. Fuck me I wasn't in my right damn mind. However, it doesn't mean that I don't love Catriona. I genuinely love and care about her to the extent of giving my life to her. Despite my wolf's warning, I disregarded him and headed into the house. "Did you hear what I said?" His voice echoed loudly in my head making it hard for me to think straight. "I heard you loud and clear, beast." We nee
I stared wide-eyed at the saliva rolling down my bare skin, fear flooding in as the memory of Jayden's nearly lifeless body came rushing back. What is going to happen next? Am I going to end up in the same half-dead state as Jayden was? How many days will it be? And what about the child inside me? I instinctively touched my belly, filled with trepidation at the thought of my unborn child facing the same fate as me. How unlucky am I? Gabriel was immediately by my side, attempting to communicate with me but his words were incomprehensible, though I could sense his anxiety and anger. I'm scared he would kill another person. Based on Gabriel's account of what the saliva did to Jayden, I expected an immediate reaction when it came into contact with me. However, it took longer for the effects to manifest. Gradually, I felt my larynx becoming blocked, making it difficult for me to breathe. Desperately gasping for air, I clutched at my throat. Gabriel's grip was strong, and his roug
GABRIEL Catriona's gaze filled me with fear, causing my heart to pound relentlessly. Her silence alone is already destroying me. Naturally, no woman would look at you the same way after learning that you have killed someone. I took a step forward and reached out to touch her, but she quickly backed away, saying, "Please don't touch me. Whatever you want to say, just say it from there. Don't come any closer." Her lips trembled as she spoke. A feeling of unease crept into my stomach as if poisonous insects were devouring me from the inside. It was then that I realized it was time to tell her what happened to her. After all, she's my mate, and she has all the right to know. Pumpkin, I'm going to tell you everything, but not in this situation where you're trembling. It's distressing to me. Please sit down first. "I'm fine here, she said, cutting me off. I nodded, respecting her decision. ~~~ Due to my prolonged search for my mate as an alpha, l was deemed unfit for impor
I dropped my hands in shock as Sandra's words hit me like a ton of bricks. "He murders his mates. The weight of her statement overwhelmed me, leaving no room for coherent thoughts. Before I could process it further, Gabriel abruptly grabbed Sandra by the neck, choking her. Everyone who was minding their businesses gasped in shock as others started disappearing away. Despite struggling to breathe, Sandra managed to speak. "Are you going to kill me like those other women?" You've crossed the line, woman, Gabriel growled. In an instant, he snapped her neck. The sound of Sandra's neck snapping echoed through the air, sending shivers down my spine. Time seemed to freeze as the weight of what had just happened settled in the atmosphere. The witches stood frozen in a mix of shock and fear, their eyes wide with disbelief. My mind raced, desperately trying to process the horrific scene unfolding before me. As Sandra's lifeless body fell to the ground, Gabriel slowly turned his gaze toward
As I continued to whine in pain, this beautiful woman I had just met came to my aid. She gently guided me down the grass and placed her hand on my neck, where the pain was emanating from. Breathe in," she said and then started talking in small words. After a few moments, I began to feel the pain dissipate, replaced by tiny shimmering sensations. As she removed her hand from my neck, she collapsed down in a sideway position, panting heavily as if she had just run a long distance. Concerned, I turned to her and asked if she was alright. She waved her hand dismissively, indicating that she just needed a moment to relax. "I just need a moment," she said. "I laid down facing her. What do you think you're doing?" she asked. First of all, thank you for your help. For a moment, I felt like I was dying. I shouldn't have done that," she said, cutting me off. She slowly got up and sat upright, and so did I. Get out of here. She said in a dead serious tone. Did I do anything wrong? I asked,