Dylan reached the front door of the so-called Sophie Clandestine’s apartment. He could hear the loud sounds of the TV through the door and it irritated him already. Was she hard of hearing that she would put the TV to such high volumes, or was she so committed to doing her best at being the nuisance in this building?With a sharp exhale, he knocked, and he heard a loud groan before there were footsteps.“Who the fuck is it?” The griff sounding woman demanded. Dylan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t like this situation he was in and was looking to be far too action movie-esque for him to stomach.“It’s Dylan.” He replied, and then suddenly there was a glance at him through the peephole before she opened the door, satisfied that he was safe.He was quickly ushered in by Sophie, who looked a little bit… off, to say the least.Well, he thought to himself, I’m in deep shit now.To have Anna call him and act like he was the bad guy had been nothing short of insulting for him. He h
Anna didn’t know what to say as she watched Ethan brush past her and enter the house. The shock hadn’t faded off yet.“Where are the children?” He asked, seeing the empty living room.“Oh, they’re asleep,” Anna replied in an awkward manner, feeling odd. This wasn’t what she expected to deal with this evening. Today had been a doozy - in fact the entire weekend had.Meanwhile, Ethan could tell the scent of his brother in the house and it irked him. So William had been here. Hmm…He didn’t like it. One bit.“Do you want some… tea?” She offered, stepping into the open plan kitchen right beside the living room.Ethan smirked at her, saying, “I doubt you’ll have anything to my tastes. It’s okay, though. I actually came to check in on you.”Water, then, she thought, as she nodded in response. That would do.“Take a seat.” She stated before then turning to grab a glass cup, hearing a ping on her phone.A quick glance at it told her it was a message from Dylan.‘It’s done,’ the message said.
Anna nervously waited at the Standham Park. It was already past midnight, and her children were sleeping, the babysitter having been paid overtime for this.It was the perfect time for the 10 million dollars in cash to be dropped off.All of hers and William’s plans had led to this. She could have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, all over a photo. But she knew that neither she nor William wanted that photo leaked, each for their own reasons.Sophie would be put in jail and denied bail until her court cases came up; she had been assured by William, who had a connection with various members of law enforcement in high ranks.If not for that, then perhaps this might have taken a wrong turn.She turned as she heard footsteps. She smiled inwardly as she saw Sophie sauntering toward her, Dylan by her side. Dylan’s eyes met Anna’s and he minutely nodded.If all went well, he would not be getting arrested today. That was the deal she had made with him if he could get enough evidence to
“Thank you.” The interviewer - a woman that looked to be in her late 40s - said to Anna as she stood up. “We’ll be in touch.”Anna felt her heart fall; saying ‘We’ll be in touch’ was kind of a roundabout way of saying ‘We have someone else in mind already’.She shook the woman’s hand with a polite smile and left the small room.However, as soon as she got out of the office and down to the street, her smile faded and she took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.She was really in trouble.It had been just the day after she managed to get Sophie behind bars - with William’s invaluable help. And Anna had not been scheduled any shifts today at her temp job, so was able to attend another interview.Really though, today was just another day for her to consider the thought of returning to work for William again.The Hayes’ Corp was really one of the top companies in the area and it showed. No other place was willing to give as many benefits - company clinic with free care, free daycare amon
Anna couldn’t believe she was having this sort of conversation. She wondered idly if she was dreaming but no, it looked too real to be a dream.She blinked many times as she picked up the cup of coffee to sip, while Ethan reached for the glass carafe and poured himself another cup.Watching him place five cubes of sugar, one at a time into the cup with those slim long fingers of his was entrancing enough for her to watch while her thoughts roiled.Werewolves.Ethan and William were werewolves.And apparently, so were her children.She still didn’t want to think he was telling the truth. But Ethan wouldn’t be playing a practical joke on her, he looked so damned serious saying all of those.As he stirred in not one, not two, but three creamers into the coffee cup, she let out a loud sigh.“I have to be honest with you, Ethan,” she shook her head as he looked at her. “I don’t want to believe this sort of thing could ever happen. It’s just too…”Too much of a movie? Too unreal? Too strang
The moment that Ethan walked into the mansion through the front door, William could spot the smirk on his younger brother’s face. It irked him and so he spoke up.“Where are you coming from, brother?”Ethan stopped upon hearing that and turned to glance at the Alpha seated in the living room with an office document in his hands.“I didn’t know that my movements disturbed you so,” was all that Ethan said in response, the smirk still on his face. He had no intention yet of letting on to William that he had been seeing Anna regularly, and had just finished having lunch with her.“Ethan, everything about you disturbs me, to be frank,” William retorted. “Especially with that hobby of yours. You should be more careful.”“Ah.” The smirk only widened on the younger’s face. “Don’t worry, I haven’t been playing around with my pets today. I simply went out to check on a friend.”That made William even more curious. A friend? Ethan didn’t have friends; he much preferred to be on his lonesome, par
Ethan was right. He had been so damn right.That was all that Anna could think and inevitably her thoughts ran a mile a minute as she thought about all the ways William had deceived her. Had this been why he denied fathering the children with her or even knowing her before?Her trust in William was slowly going down the drain more than ever before.William sighed, unaware of her raging thoughts as she kept silent and watched him with narrowed eyes.“Look,” he said to the human girl he was unwittingly bound to. “The topic of what I was never came up. Werewolves and humans are not meant to be involved with each other, not this way. And it would be a thing of shame if anyone found out that–““–That you had children with a human? Is that it?” She asked, and he nodded.All she was hearing from him were excuses and more excuses, that it pained her. She had hoped he would be more of a father after the lunch they had the past weekend, but she was sorely left disappointed. What kind of father
Lily frowned at the sight of her phone screen.‘I’ll be busy tonight,’ William had sent to her about a minute ago.Tonight of all nights? The night of the rare and long awaited for blue moon?Now he was busy?She let out a sigh, keeping her face appearing gentle like a dove even when she fumed on the inside. The cafe she was in was playing boring background music and her mocha latte tastes like shit.It was almost like today was meant to be horrible for her.With a snap of her fingers, the server by the side immediately rushed to her table.“Bring me the bill.” She ordered, noticing how the young man was flustered when glancing at her. He had been sneaking looks since she came in just like many of the other patrons of the cafe. Already she had two men come and try to talk to her.It was very funny; though it was something that she was used to, Lily always wondered how foolish men could be that they only thought with the thing dangling between their legs.As she paid her bill using her
Lily couldn’t contain her smirk as she saw Anna’s wide-eyed stare aimed at her. It had taken the work of a couple of her connections for her to figure out William’s whereabouts.It had just been her luck that she had a standing reservation here.The Alpha growled lowly under his breath as she turned to look at him. “What a surprise,” Lily remarked with sarcasm dripping from her voice. Then she turned to Anna, the redhead whom she glared venomously at. She blamed the formerly human woman for ruining her life, and her future with William. “Don’t tell me you two are on a little date.“What are you doing here, Lily?” The emerald eyed Alpha demanded.“What? You didn’t think you’re the only one that can step out on a nice night like this?” She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “You know, I was just wondering how you two could be here having a good time when you both have caused so much chaos. You, especially, Anna.” She spat out the redhead’s name with such venom that Anna coul
It was an hour later when Anna arrived at her parent’s place.She knocked meekly on the door, and was startled when the door was flung open.“Anna?” Her father was the one who answered it and she could have nearly cried at the relief in his eyes. He pulled her close into a hug and she closed her eyes briefly from the warmth.“Where have you been?” He asked her, curiosity in his voice. “And how are the twins?”“I had to travel for a bit. For work,” she clarified, the lie that she had come up with left her lips so easily. “The kids are okay as well.”She stepped into the house that she had lived in all her childhood.…Anna woke up from the bed of her childhood room early the next morning. Sleep hadn’t come easily but she eventually drifted off. After an hour of tossing and turning, she got up for a jog and had breakfast.“Good morning mum, dad,” she greeted her parents as she returned for breakfast.Her mother eyed her in silence, and Anna could sense questions on her mind. Having lied
“Of course,” William said in an imperious voice. “My brother saw fit to take his anger out on human girls and murdered ten of them in one night. There is even news to prove that, and he has confessed it to me.”Gasps left the lips of all who had no idea, and Camille’s face turned pale as she processed that.“T-this cant be true-““It is the truth,” William turned to say to his mother unabashedly. His eyes pierced hers with a look of certainty on his face. “And it will always be the truth. That is why,” he continued, turning to his brother. “From now henceforth, I cut all our ties to him.”There was a wave of confusion in the air and Alpha Drake seethed silently.“You are banishing him from your pack?” The Alpha of the Eclipse pack asked and William nodded in the affirmative.“Now that you have seen the truth of what caused the Hunters to come into the city, you have no right to hold these charges over my mate’s head. And you will release her at once. Council, your decision?”The Elder
The next morning, as sunlight streamed in through the windows and bathed the room with a warm glow, William stirred first.Anna slept soundly in his arms, both of them half-naked. The memories of the full moon the previous night made him smile. It had been better than he had expected. Luckily his Beta had fulfilled most of the duties William delegated to him, so the Aloha was free to enjoy the night with his family.“Hey,” Anna woke up with a small whisper leaving her lips. She felt his warmth all around her and she felt safe.It had been a long time coming, she thought, and she didn’t want to leave the bed anytime soon.“Sleep well?” He smirked down at her as she pressed her body against his.“Too well,” her voice was akin to a purr as she spoke. “Anyway, I think it’s nearly last breakfast. I’ll have to get ready to go into the city soon.”Ah yes, that.William’s mood soured and she noticed it quickly.“Will,” she sighed and leaned into him. “Please. You know this is necessary.”“I k
Anna was surprised to find Ethan approaching them.“Ethan?” Camille also sounded stunned to see her younger son there, and coming to Anna’s defense.“Mother, enough of this,” Ethan said in a calm tone, not showing any signs of anger.“B-but-“ Camille’s face reddened, out of anger or embarrassment or both… she didn’t know.“Focus on the festival. Stop with this,” he told her. “Focus on the festival.”“Focus on the festival? What about the Eclipse pack, and our relations with them? What about Alpha Drake?”“Everything is being taken care of,” Was all Ethan said before turning to glance at a stupefied Anna.She looked away, not wanting to show emotion to him of all people.She noticed the twins were staring at them from afar with curiosity in their faces.Camille was shocked at her younger son.“Ethan, I had never expected you of all people to defend her after all she has done,” she vehemently said.“And I am not,” Ethan sighed; his mother was hard to dissuade when she fixated on certain
“This is so cool!” Andrew jumped atop the picnic blanket in an excited manner that Anna couldn’t help but smile.There was a buzz of excitement in the air.As Anna played the snacks and fruits out for the twins to eat, there was the sound of a throat clearing that made her and William turn to see who it was.“Alpha,” it was a guard who bowed deeply. “There are some delegates from the Grey Hills Pack and the Moonlight Pack here. They wish to see you.”William refrained from giving into the urge to pinch his nose and only let oit a small sigh, and nodded.“Very well. I will be there in a bit. Have them wait for me in the study,” he ordered the guard and dismissed him with a wave. The guard bowed and left, before William turned to his mate, meeting her gaze.Before he could say anything, she spoke, “It’s alright, Will. I’ll handle things here for the time being.After William left - but not before giving her and the twins kisses each - she sat and enjoyed the snacks while they watched m
Ethan wasn’t surprised about his brother wanting to spend time with his family, and he kept his opinions on that to himself - being the one who never saw the point in all that, he wouldn’t even touch that topic with a fucking ten foot pole.However, he did have a point to make.“It’s easy to forget your duties if you focus too much on your family, brother,” he crossed his arms as William’s glare increased. “Alpha Drake will come for blood soon enough. I don’t think we’re ready for that in any way.”“Let me worry about that, Ethan. And focus on enjoying the rest of the day. The festival is just starting, you wouldn’t want to miss it. And afterward, Ethan, then we will have much to discuss.”William’s words made Ethan’s brows furrowed in confusion. Why did his brother have that tone, as if he had some plan he had kept under his sleeve? It couldn’t be could it? The Alpha had never shown any indication in the past day of strategizing.However he couldn’t outright question the Alpha now.“
Anna didn’t know what to say after William was done talking. She had not expected to hear that sort of thing coming from him. He used to be so stone cold towards her, at least on the surface… and now things had changed. For the better or for worse, she didn't know just yet, but she was pleased and warmed by it.“Will…” she began to say only for him to continue.“Anna, all you have to do is promise me that, and I won't have a problem with anything else. No matter what, don’t forget you're my mate and you are my top priority. You and our children, and our family. It matters more to me than anything.”The honesty wasn’t one thing he expected either to come from himself, especially with her. He had once prided himself on being unruffled by shows of love and affection that most other 5 men his age seemed to fall under the thrall of. William particularly recalled an occasion in which a VIP client spoke fondly of his wife and daughters and asked William if he had any himself to which the Alp
The sight of her two children writhing in pain on their beds made her heart beat faster and she rushed towards them, frantic.“Andrea? Andrew?” She pressed her hand atop their foreheads to check their temperatures and found, to her dismay, they were feverish.The sight of their pale, withdrawn faces even in their sleep was heart wrenching. Anna felt helpless. What could have been wrong with them? They were fine yesterday!As though some supreme power had read her mind, the door opened and William walked in, his lips moving.“Good morning-” his words were cut off as he took in the look on his mate’s face. She looked incredible, her hair down to the blue dress she wore, but it was the display of terror in her eyes that stopped him in his tracks.“What’s going on?” he asked, and she rushed to him, tugging him to their children’s beds.“They were like this when I found them. Will, what could have happened? Maybe they ate something or… or-”The emerald-eyed Alpha grabbed his mate’s hands a