She stares at me like she doesn't believe my lie. I panicked and lied, and now there is no way to reverse it. I do not want to jeopardise my relationship with Mare because Ivan was right. She won't forgive me, and neither will she believe me if I say he killed our son.Mare wipes her tears herself. She wants to come down from my thighs, but I grab her waist, stopping her."Hey, where are you going?""I need to think," she says, but I also know it's a terrible idea to leave her on her own now."Stop." I hold her waist tighter, trapping her on my body. She can't free herself because she still hasn't gotten her strength back yet. "I'm here, Mare. You can talk to me about anything. I love you, okay?"She nods after a pause, fighting the tears threatening to spill again. I take her hand in mine and give it a reassuring squeeze."He was flawed as a father, but..." She trails off, sniffling. I can see the pain in her eyes, and it breaks me to know I'm the cause, but how could I have spared Iv
It takes the guy behind the counter fifteen minutes to get my order processed. I'm pissed by the time the hot coffee cups are before me on the slab. I pay with my card and take my order, jogging down the street to get to my car.The clouds darken above me. A storm is coming this early January. The snowfalls lessen as the days pass. I tip the bill of the dat hat down, covering my face as the woman with a stroller stares at me for too long. It never gets old. The attention and reactions when you think you've just seen a popstar on the streets near your home.Inside the car, I hand Alexis the drink. She holds the plastic cup beneath the rim, taking slow sips. I settle in, opening the glove box. I toss my wallet in and close it back. Her eyes are on me."What?" I withdraw."You've not said a word to me since I told you my life is at stake.""What am I supposed to say to you?" I make a face with an arched brow. "Sorry?""Ugh." She rolls her eyes, staring at the boring view of grass outside
The next day, I'm walking down a bored tunnel. It's dark at the entrance, but I use my wolf's eyes to navigate the area. There are no signs of people down here. I cut into the next turn, and I find the water conveyance at the centre of the now cut and covered tunnel. It's rising from the pit below and flowing through the city. I step down the stairs. There are overhead pipes lining the walls as well as florescent bulbs. It stinks. I curse under my breath because I won't be leaving soon. There's also graffiti on the walls of the sewage tunnel. I walk down a path, whiling away my time with the words in spray paint. It's all sorts of nonsense. Someone clears their throat behind me, and I turn. Bessie approaches me on the edge. She's wearing a nosebleed boot, a net panty hose, and a green tee shirt underneath her black short dress. Her choker necklace matches the round shades over her eyes. She takes off her black hat and flaunts her red, flawless hair. "You clean up nice." I flash
It's been three weeks since Alexis left, and I called a truce with the Diamond witches. Three weeks since Marelyn said a word to anyone. She lost a lot of weight. Grief was taking a toll on her. I cancelled my trip to London and gave up the lead role because I had to stay by her side, even from a distance. I'm in my study, scanning through a few files, containing new business ventures I'm planning on expanding into. Jai-Blynn and I usually handle matters like this together. He brings up ideas on the way forward all the time. I blot that thought out as soon as it comes. There's no place for a traitor in anything that concerns me. Drusila knocks on my door and enters. She comes in with a cup of tea. The content of the tray before me smells fresh and earthy. "Have some black tea. It will help," Drusila says, giving me those intrusive eyes. "Thank you." Of course, she seats... "How are you feeling today?" "It's the anniversary of my mother's death. Drusila, I feel like shit."
MAREI can't flee fast enough. I rush into my room, lock the door, and tear my nightgown off my body before I enter the bathroom. Tears roll down my cheeks as I clog the drain with the stopper and fill the bath with ice cold water. I'm freezing. I bring my knees to my chest inside the bathtub.The scene comes to mind. I pushed him. It's all my fault. I'm not stable enough to be around anyone. What's the point of living anyway if I've lost this much? My child, my best friend, and my father, who raised me. I missed them all. I wish for this grief to be a lie.The tears stop coming after a while. I'm still sitting inside the bathtub with my knees to my chest like a scared puppy. I'm anxious, and I don't even know why. It's been like this for days. First, I won't be able to sleep or eat anything. Then, the constant stages of sadness and pain. I feel like I'm slowly dying inside while I'm still breathing fine.I finish my bath and walk into my room after drying my body and hair. My movement
ZEKE Drusila talked about doing the right thing and paying for my sins. I've set a ticking time bomb, and I'm waiting for it to catch up with me. I check my watch. It's time. I know he's here. Aiden rushes into my study. He stops before my desk and bows with his hands crossed before him. He's dressed in a black wife beater and faded denim jeans. I can see his question before it comes. "Chase Erickson is walking free within Moon Grove's walls, and we are just going to let him?" I toss those files I've been trying to figure out for days inside the bottom left drawer and steeple my fingers on my desk. "Yes." "He's the enemy." "You, of all people, shouldn't question my decisions. I don't have to school Orson and school you as well." He lowers his head, calming himself down before me. It's a lost cause to fight me or disagree with me. He should respect his position as my beta. They all should remember that before anything else, they are beneath me. "My apologies, Alpha Zeke.
I don't know how many times I read the note. I'm making sense of it because it's hard to believe it's finally over. My hand supports me as I lower myself onto her bed. I run the other one over my mouth. She's gone. I read the note again. It's hard this last time because my shaky hands won't let me. Drusila finds me after a few minutes. She sees what I'm staring at and instantly gets alarmed. She checks the bathroom, the terrace, and even my bedroom, but Marelyn's in neither of them. She plops down on the bed, flanking me. "She was just right here." "Chase Erickson must have come for what is his. I made it easy for him again." "Again?" She frowns. I spare a vague smile, staring off at the wall with distant eyes. She's gone. I've pictured this moment since I found out we were pregnant. It's everything I thought it would be. Unbearable. "Drusila, do you think I can still get her back?" "Let her go, Zeke." I roll right on. "I should probably remind her how madly in love with
Nostalgia sets in as Chase extends an open palm. I take it and climb out from the boat at Carodia's harbour. We are dressed differently from the people around us. I'm in an ankle-length dark blue gown with a noodle strap hand, and he's in a tee and jeans, too. It's late at night when we arrive. "Are you up for a run in the woods?" "Don't we have a feast to get to?" I turn to him on the stave. He steps closer. "Marelyn, we call the shots here. I think we both could use these last free hours before we face our wolves. What do you say?" I think about it. I've not had a good run in months. The full moon hangs in the night sky gloriously. It's a sight to behold. When I look at it, my wolf feels it. I'm stuck in Red Valley for good. This is my last chance as a free person. "Would you fancy losing to your Luna, Chase?" "I'm faster." He declares with his eyes on me. The raven dismisses himself and leaves us to it. He bows before walking away with a brown envelope in one hand. Money