The cold concrete came in contact with Belinda's palms and despite her feeble resistance, it pushed them backward, towards her chest. She gasped when there was nowhere left for her hands to go, the wall now touching her breasts. The pressure on her chest grew insistent, suffocating her lungs and making it hard to breathe. A strangled cry escaped her when a sharp pain shot through her, torching all her nerve endings. She heard the bones break, felt her ribs pierce her flesh. This was it, then, she thought. She really was going to die. Tears welled up deep inside Belinda, fighting to flow down her cheeks. Closing her eyes, she gave herself up to her fate. Despite going back in time, despite doing it all over again, she still died at the hands of her family. Even when given a second chance, she still lived a pathetic life. Derek was having a hard time looking for Belinda. He was beginning to wonder if hiding his scent was worth it, because he could hardly smell anything with the perfum
Draven held Belinda close to himself, providing her comfort with his mere presence. He let her cuddle into him, waited till she stopped trembling, and eased into him. On the outside, he appeared calm and collected—powerful. On the inside though, his mind was whirling with questions, like for one... Why did Belinda smell strangely identical to Eudora? That had been the only difference. The one thing that had differentiated his mistress from the love of his life had been their distinct scents. However, as he'd made his way to Belinda, a burst of magic had exploded, the very same moment the scent he'd been following changed. He'd witnessed as the very scent that marked Belinda morphed, mixing with a subtle fragrance that turned her into someone entirely different. Someone who smelled like his Eudora. Her wolf had awakened, that much Draven could tell. Even in his arms, she still retained her werewolf form, her claws and fangs refusing to retract. But that didn't explain the electrifyin
For the next few days, Belinda and Draven stayed with each other, doing nothing in particular, never leaving the penthouse. Draven had made it clear he did not wish to be disturbed—on any grounds—so no one breached his privacy, even to discuss business. Food was brought up to them, and when they were done eating, the plates were taken away. During that period, they spent most of their time in the bedroom. Mostly, they were silent, cuddling under the covers of the large bed. They could go that way for hours, never saying a word, because the silence was comfortable, and just being in each other's presence was enough. Sometimes, they talked. The topics were usually light, enough to make Belinda giggle and draw a smile from Draven. Occasionally, they addressed more somber issues. Like the dark years that had seen the Sorcerer Clan war, and what it had been like for him to live so long, watching everyone else die and new people be born. They never discussed anything important. Not once d
Belinda gasped as the Lycan took her lips in a violent kiss. He kissed her roughly and persistently, never affording her the time to breathe. When he nipped her lower lip, a breathy sigh escaped her, and he took that opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues met in a passionate dance, stroking, caressing, and curling against each other. Till now, Belinda hadn't realized how much she missed the taste of him. She loved it when he was like this—when he kissed her till everything else faded away. Automatically, her body reacted, her back curving so her chest met his. His biceps flexed as supported his body over as, so as not to crush her with his far greater weight. Her fingers found the bunched muscles, her nails scratching down his arms. A deep guttural growl reverberated through Draven's chest at the possessive action. He felt as though his muscles were on the verge of breaking, especially the swollen one between his legs. He couldn't remember the last time he'd
His hands propped in the pockets of his black trousers, Maddox climbed down the old stone stairs. He had to duck at the entrance, because his tall height was too much for the short door. Stepping onto the dewy brick floor, he looked around at the small underground apartment. At the sight of the three long faces seated uncomfortably on the moldy, ancient beds, his thin lips set into an impish grin. "Settling in nicely?" It was a question he already had the answer to, but he asked anyway—because it was hilarious. Cecily obviously didn't get the joke, because she glowered, her fists clutching bedspreads that had been once white but were now a creamy yellow. "Of course we aren't! This place is worse than a pig sty!" She snapped haughtily. Still glaring, she furiously pointed her finger to the side. "And what the hell are those on your walls? It's all green and slimy and disgusting!" Maddox didn't need to turn; he knew exactly what she was referring to. Tilting his head, he said hon
Using her reflection in the mirror, Belinda put the finishing touches to her appearance. She kept her makeup light, adding only the barest color to her features. Her hair was left to flow simply down her shoulders, the black strands brushed to sleek perfection. Her dress was also plain. It was a boring ruffled polka dot gown with an elastic off-shoulder neck. To match, her white sandals were flat and ordinary. She resembled a middle-class suburban girl out for a walk, and that was exactly the look she was going for. She didn't wish to draw attention to herself today. This would be her first time leaving the penthouse after a week of returning here. The Lycan had resumed work a couple of days back, and he often left her alone for hours at a stretch. It had been lonely, but she simply hadn't been ready to begin her life again. For one, she had needed more time to rest, especially after being marked. Belinda brought her hand to the side of her neck, where the fang scar had already fad
Belinda entered the apartment Lexie had told her of, looking around at the small but comfortable lodgings. She then advanced to the bedroom, where she'd been told she would find who she was looking for. Indeed, Derek lay on the bed, unconscious and even more bandaged up than Marcus. A nurse had just finished attending to him—one of the human servants who worked for the Lycan and specialized in werewolf medicine. Bowing her head, she took her leave from the room. For several seconds, Belinda did nothing was stare into the room. Then, she walked in, stopping just before Derek's bed. She gazed down at his face, which had healed from its minor bruises and was now flawless. Even with the strip of gauze wrapping his forehead, he was handsome, his boyish features looking serene whilst he slept. Lexie's words returned to Belinda, "He had direct contact with the explosion that freed you, and was badly injured. The doctor has stabilized for now, but they're not sure how long they can keep him
Ellie was in the reception of the orphanage when Belinda arrived, switching the wilted flowers on the windowsill with fresh ones. She smiled at the younger woman, pushing the dead plants into a waste bin and dusting her hand on her white apron. "Hello, dearie." The widow greeted cheerfully, shuffling to arrange the storybooks scattered on the tables into the shelves. "The children are at the back. Now I would take you to them, but they were quite naughty this money and are doing chores." Belinda smiled at the children's antics. It must be so wonderful being that young—having no worries and only concerning yourself with mischief. Everything was simple back then. Even the abuse of a cruel stepfather and the negligence of a distant mother had been bearable. "That's okay. I won't be staying long." Nodding, Belinda slid into the seat Ellie had gestured that she should take. She had prevented Sasha from following her into the building, permitting the female guard to spend the aft
Sneaking out of the Lycan's residence had not been an easy task, especially when there were at least fifty wolves who had their nose locked in on your scent. Basically, Belinda had had to distract her watchdogs—mostly by setting a fire to a storage closet. The tiny room had been nearly empty and barely used. No one would miss it. No one got hurt. The closet did serve its purpose, however. In those next few minutes, the fire alarm blared through the skyscraper, creating a booth of panic. Everyone had been momentarily occupied with the not-so-small fire, allowing Belinda to fade into the background. She made her escape, running through a rarely used service exit while everybody else was fully occupied. Once free, stopping a cab had been easy, and soon, she'd been zooming off to infinity. Actually, infinity was a cemetery behind a small cathedral at the opposite end of town. The place was old and in dire need of tending to, with weeds overgrowing on most headstones and dead leaves and
"No." Draven sighed, not because he was annoyed, but because he knew the task before him was not going to be an easy task. Calming an angry woman, especially one like his spitfire mate, was something he was beginning to dread. And he never dreaded anything. "No. You can't be serious!" Belinda cried, not very nicely. "I go out of my to find out what my brother is scheming, and your plan is to let him... scheme?" "You are intentionally excluding the most crucial part of what I told you. I said I would allow him to make the first strike. First off, you didn't exactly bring me the location of our culprit. Even if you did, going to them first would mean fighting them in their own territory. The Sorcerer Clan can not be underestimated. On the other hand, letting them come to me ensures I retain the advantage of location, and gives me enough time to arrange a defense. The fact that the sorcerers were bold enough to make such a move means that they intend to end this once and for
Paul was feeling nervous, and that was something new. Ever since losing everything nearly two weeks ago, his confidence had been practically nonexistent. And now, a meeting with a bunch of old magicians was making him anxious. Ridiculous! He was standing in an empty hallway in front of wooden double doors, waiting for the people inside to decide it was time to let him in. When he was alpha, no one would have dared keep him waiting, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It pained him to admit it, but he needed their damn help. At last, the door opened and a woman in a plain black suit stepped out. "The High Council will see you now." She nodded curtly at him. The door was widened more, making space for him to enter. Paul was ushered into a very dimly lit room, dominated by a crescent-shaped table and chairs arranged around it. There were 11 in total, and a man or woman sat in those seats, all who turned to him once he walked in. Their gazes were eerie and unsettling, but h
Just as the phone call from one of Draven's men had specified, a woman who wished to see the Lycan's Luna, waited at the base floor. Usually, this kind of visitors were turned away—random people who thought they could reach the higher-ups just by asking. However, this particular woman had been damn persuasive, even going as far as to say that she possessed exclusive info that could determine the fate of the world. So, they'd let the Luna decide whether she wanted to see this wacko herself or not. Belinda spotted Lila the instant she stepped into the restaurant, and so did the latter, who couldn't stop waving. Her features icing over, Belinda walked over to the table, making sure to keep her pace slow. Lila waited patiently, the widest smile on her face as she watched the other woman approach. "Phew!" She blew out a dramatic breath as Belinda took the seat opposite her, wiping off imaginary sweat from her forehead. "I was almost afraid I wouldn't get to see you. Do you know how
Two days later, Belinda stood at the door of Lexie's apartment. As the latter had told her to just enter on arriving, she bunched the entry code on the keypad and went in. She caught Lexie bent over a table in the kitchen, sticking two candles in the shape of “2” and “5” into a cake covered by pink icing and colorful sprinkles. On noticing the presence behind her, Lexie turned. Her lips spreading into a broad smile, she carried the cake and presented it to her friend. "I know you aren't a huge fan of cakes, but I thought you should have one this year. Happy 25th birthday, bestie." Despite its small scale, the gesture warmed Belinda's heart. It was true that she wasn't particularly fond of birthday cakes, or cakes in general. As children, no one had ever bothered to mark her and Baron's birth. After he'd died, it had simply felt wrong to celebrate a day they had once shared. She no longer felt that way. Now, she understood that loss did not mean she couldn't accept happiness. "
The next morning, Belinda waited till the twins were done eating before approaching them. Nearly a day later, they were still the center of attraction at Mrs. Sutar's Home. The other children marveled at the fairy-like pair with the pale eyes, and the dark hair that contrasted drastically with their light skin. Lin Lin basked in the glory, completely comfortable with being in the spotlight. Baron on the other hand—the poor boy—looked like he didn't know what to do with all that attention. Lin Lin was the first to notice Belinda standing at a corner of the dining room, and she skipped over, a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, Miss Belinda!" She greeted as her brother joined at her side. Their joy was contagious, and Belinda couldn't help smiling back. "Good morning to you too. How was breakfast?" "It was delicious." Baron nodded his approval. Lin Lin had more enthusiastic opinions about their meal that morning. "Peanut butter sandwich has never tasted better!" She s
"Miss Belinda!" Belinda wondered what the kid was doing here at this time of the night, while his mates were indoors sound asleep. Dressed in plain pajamas, he looked like a raccoon who'd been caught going through the dumpster by a hound dog... Scared and utterly guilty. Once she'd gotten over her surprise at seeing him, her features squeezed into a stern scowl. "Why aren't you indoors?" Baron winced at her harsh tone. "Uh... Um..." He hesitated to reply, searching for words to put together an excuse. All the while, his eyes sneakily darted from place to place, as though he was looking for something but didn't want anyone to know. However, Belinda understood immediately. A groan escaping her, she twirled around and yelled to no one and nowhere in particular. "Come out, Belinda. I know you're there." The juvenile delinquent heard the call, and shyly slipped out from behind a bush, looking even more guilty than her brother. She appeared to be lacking her usual confidence to
That night, Belinda tossed and turned in her bed. Despite the open window and cool breeze blowing in, she was sweating, the nightdress she'd borrowed from Shoba clinging to her form. An unconscious frown twisted her features, her lips trembling as her teeth chattered. In her sleep, her mind was even more turbulent. The vision from that afternoon replayed in her dream, even more vivid now. She finally understood that the death she'd seen had been a devastating war, and that the blood was that of the various lives that it had taken. Chaos signified the destruction that was left behind. The dirty streets were littered with corpses left to rut. Those still alive fled on foot, leaving behind their lives and loved ones. The crumbling buildings were abandoned, humans betraying each other for any bit of advantage they could gain. There was no law, no order, no damage control unit working to contain the crisis. Just chaos. In the midst of the disaster, two siblings fought to stay together.
With each child at her side, Belinda stared up at what was supposed to be the Peach Valley Orphanage but wasn't. In place of the warm pink building she was familiar with was a gloomy brick house. Rather than a lush lawn and pretty flowers leading up to the house, the front yard was a boring graveled floor. The sign at the gate had it changed too. Mrs. Sutar's Home For Orphans, a name that definitely couldn't be mistaken for Ellie Compton. Masking her unease, Belinda smiled down at her left, then her right. The children in turn gazed up wide-eyed at her. "Let's head in, shall we?" She said cheerily. Despite having nothing in common with the orphanage she remembered, this Mrs. Sutar's home was still an orphanage. She would check it out, at least. If she wasn't satisfied with what she saw, or found it the least bit suspicious, she would take the twins away. Belinda offered both of the children, and they each took one. Together, they walked through the front gates of the building, down