With every second that passed, the hand Paul offered became more repulsive to Belinda. She took it because she had no choice, smiling as her stepbrother led her to the dancefloor. The orchestra had begun playing another song, and they joined the other couples in the steps of the dance. Belinda tried to make it through the session by blocking out everything but the music, but Paul made that impossible. "So," The sound of his voice ticked a nerve in her temple. "this is where you went after you left." Despite not being in any mood for a conversation, Belinda kept a straight face as she replied him. "What did you expect?" She asked. "You used violence on me after I refused to throw my life away. I was hardly safe back home." "And you feel safe here?" The question held no emotion, so that the reason behind it couldn't be guessed. Belinda wondered what Paul was driving at, but she quickly decided it couldn't hurt to rub the truth in his face. "I'm under the Lycan's protection,
"Okay. Remind me what we're doing here again." Using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, Lexie looked up at the skyscraper still in construction. Belinda smiled, also enjoying the view of the uncompleted structure. "What else? To sightsee."Lexie looked at her like she'd gone crazy. Sure, the building would be breathtaking once finished, but it was certainly nothing worth visiting now. Turning back to her front, Lexie studied the extremely tall height of the skyscraper. It was being built in a unique style, its floors set in a way that made them appear wavy. The construction seemed halfway done. Soon, the city of Chicago would be blessed with such magnificent beauty. "My brother was the one who commissioned it. He's spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this baby." Although Belinda noticed Lexie sharply turning to her again, she ignored it, all her concentration fixed on the budding skyscraper. In her original past, this building had ushered in a new era for Knight
Running as she struggled to keep her shawl on her shoulders, a blond woman rushed through the hallways of the hospital. She was a pretty woman, but her hair was in a mess, and her rumpled clothes made her look haggard. As she ran, she trembled, the anxiety she was feeling evident all through her body. Pausing at the doorway of a ward, she addressed the two women standing there. "Excuse me, I'm looking for James Fleming. Is he in there?" Her voice came out in gasps, as though she was out of breath, which she likely was. Instantly, Belinda guessed who she was. Considering how worried she appeared, she was most likely one of the family members who had fought for justice after the construction worker's death. Now, she could direct her energy into being grateful he was alive. Curving her lips, Belinda gave her a reassuring smile. "He is." The woman was very disoriented, her pupils which kept darting back and forth plenty proof of that. However, she did manage to bow gratefully at B
It was dark, as it was well into the night, but Lila had no trouble seeing. In nothing but her sexy sheer nightie and a flimsy excuse for a robe, she poured a glass of water for herself. Leaning onto the kitchen counter, she sipped it and absentmindedly listened to the voice raging a few rooms away. That voice had woken her up. Pulled out of her sleep, she'd felt the other side of the bed to confirm her fiancé wasn't there. Instead, he was in his study, conversing with someone on the phone. Whatever they were discussing must have been serious—he was yelling pretty loudly. The kitchen lights came on, and Lila squinted as her eyes got used to the brightness. Georgina stood at the doorway, her hand still on the light switch. "You're awake." It was a question more than it was a statement. Draining the last drops of water, Lila dropped the glass on the counter. "Your son made it impossible to sleep." Glancing out at the hallway, Georgina looked in the direction of the study. "He tends t
Belinda glanced at her phone, after which she glanced back at the sign reading May&Tom's Coffees. The name matched the one specified in the text, so she pushed the door open, entering the shop. It did not take long for her to spot those she'd come for. They waved widely at her from a corner of the café, easily drawing her attention as soon as she walked in. Returning their smiles, Belinda joined them at their table. "We're so sorry we didn't call sooner." Jane was the first to speak, apologizing as Belinda took the empty seat in the circle. "It felt wrong to simply call you on a phone, so we decided to treat you." The woman who had raced through the hallways of the hospital to find her husband, looking haggard and shaken, was completely gone, leaving this Jane that seemed to radiate sunshine. Dressed in a cute floral gown and with her hair properly combed, she appeared even more pretty. Belinda flashed her a kind grin, and assured her that it was okay they'd taken their time to
Belinda sighed as her lover nipped her lower lip, her tongue coming to lick his upper one. Their kiss was soft, the kind that progressed slowly, searing their partner with satisfaction after hardcore sex. Draven's fingers caressed Belinda's waist as he deepened the kiss, reigniting the flames still left in her body. His hand eventually slid to her bum, and she giggled as he squeezed a cheek. "You can't seriously be up for another round." She smirked as she raised an eyebrow, because she truly couldn't believe it, not after the sex they'd just had. "And what if I am?" Teasing her, Draven took her earlobe between his teeth. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea." Belinda curved her arms around his neck, and pressed her breasts to him. Indeed, she was exhausted, but the instant her nipples came in contact with the Lycan's bare chest, they stood at attention. She could never get enough of him. He was a drug she was delighted to be addicted to. As punishment for being so
"What?" The once peaceful atmosphere turned tense as shock coursed through Derek. He frowned, his brain delaying to process what he'd just been told. Staring wide-eyed at Belinda, he waited for her to say something. Anything. God, this was frustrating, Belinda thought, grinding her teeth against each other. How was she supposed to convince a Beta to turn his back on his pack? First of all, she was taking a mighty risk exposing herself to him, but she'd been pushed to by the encounter outside the café. Suffering defeat at Lila's hand had made her realize she needed someone on the inside on her side. She needed to know who was doing what in the Knight family, and when it was happening. Her only link to the Chicago Pack, Lexie, had been severed though, for very obvious reasons. The only other person Belinda had a friendly enough relationship with was Derek, despite their recent fallout. It was either him or no one else. "To be accurate," Belinda chose her words carefully. "I'
Dressed in a silk black shirt, a couple of its buttons opened and its sleeves rolled up to his elbow, Draven walked through the hallways of the hospital. A shadow shaded his expression, but aside from that, no other emotion was visible on his face. One hand propped in a pocket of his black trousers, he entered the private ward on the VIP floor. Derek jerked as the door swung open, and the face he saw at the doorway made him pale several shades. "My lord." His voice came out as a breathy, petrified, croak. Rather than reply, Draven took a look around the ward he'd just entered. It was clean and spacious, with every comfort a VIP patient could want. Good. There would have been hell if any expenses had been spared to make his partner comfortable. As Draven turned to the lower-ranked man, he squirmed, his fear visibly paralyzing him. Derek sat on a stool beside the bed where Belinda lay unconscious, her body bandaged in several places and a drip inserted into the vein at her wrist.
The moment was nothing like Belinda expected. She knew how death worked. She'd fully understood what it meant to kill her own blood. Yet, the experience itself was more... empty than she'd expected. Sitting on one of the chairs at the dining table, she stared across at the lifeless body of her parents. Even in death, her father still managed to appear handsome and proud. Somehow, he still managed to look down on her, with just the right amount of spite to show he never cared about her. As for her mother, she'd died more hideously. It was obvious she'd struggled against what was happening to her. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, her expression was twisted, and in her open eyes was the shock and anger she'd felt while dying. The sight of those two was supposed to stir something deep in Belinda, but all she felt was a large void. No pain, no sadness, no anger. Not even a hint of guilt for the atrocity she'd just committed. Had her parents meant that little to her?Rather than br
Georgina turned at the sound of footsteps approaching, in time to watch Maddox enter the dining room. She searched his face for information, but his mood was unreadable. Her attention shifted one other person followed behind him. "Did it work?" Georgina asked the sorcerer. Before replying, Maddox pulled back the chair at the head of the rectangular table, relaxing into it as he sat down. "Was there any doubt it would?" There was a clear arrogance in his tone.Georgina ignored him, moving to the woman who stood stiffly at a place with a dazed expression. "How are you feeling, Belinda?" She placed a hand on each of her daughter's arms. In the past, Belinda would have flinched at her mother's touch, but now, she did nothing. As though her body was present, but her mind was not. "Just a slight headache." She replied. "And my skin still aches from the silver chain." Tenderly, Georgina rubbed her daughter's upper arm, although that was not nearly the part of her body that ached
The pain woke Belinda up, the intense sensation tormenting every nerve in her body. Her skin felt like it was getting scorched, yet she couldn't feel any heat from the supposed fire. It all made sense when the sharp odor of silver hit her nose a second later. Opening her eyes, Belinda saw that she lay on her side an old and rather disgusting bed. A long and large silver chain wrapped around her body, ensuring she had minimal movement. As her ankles were pressed together and her arms were at her sides, her only option was to roll, and with much difficulty. The action allowed her to view the rest of her surroundings. Short stone stairs led up to a rather small door, making her believe she was in some sort of basement. The brick floor was dewy, and the walls were covered with moss.Where was she? And how had she gotten here? The last thing Belinda remembered was confronting her parents and being knocked out. What had her father done to her? Suppressing the pain she was under, she focuse
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