I'm seated in the backseat of a black Ford Fiesta. At least, that's what Kyra calls it. The car is hers and she's behind the wheels. Aiden's in the passenger seat, drumming his fingers on the dashboard at intervals. There's a traffic light ahead. We stop, waiting for the red-light to change.The second we informed Jai-Blynn Moon Grove will cooperate, the attacks stopped. We've been on the road for over three hours. It's daybreak now. People are on the sidewalks catering to their daily activities. We are in Boston City, and the mood in the car is awkward. It lasts until Kyra breaks the silence streak."When are you planning on telling her, Aiden?" She asks, hands firm on the steering wheel.Aiden pinches his gaze on her. Her question shocked him. He didn't see it coming. I can see it also makes him uncomfortable. Whatever he's supposed to tell me, it's clear he planned to take that secret to his grave."Tell me what?" I look between them.Aiden sighs, leaning into his seat and staring o
I can tell many hours have gone by. I'm in a dark room, but I can't see anything else except the void. Jai-Blynn tied me to a chair with silver chains. I'm dressed in a tank top and shorts, sans my coat. The chilly weather is biting. There's blood all over my wrist and ankles. His traps are too tight. There's also wolf's bane is in my system. I can feel it. After meeting him at the hospital, I can't remember how I got here.There's someone in the room with me, though. My sense of smell is poor because of the effect of the Wolf's bane, but I can feel a presence in here. Where am I? I shut my eyes, trying to force the memories back, but I get nothing. It frustrates me.The door to the room opens. It disturbs the silence as it scrapes on the tiles beneath it. Someone flips the switch and light pours into the room. It's Jai-Blynn. He's still dressed in that all-black suit I saw him in. I scan the space. We are in a warehouse, but there are no windows in here. I glimpse the view outside the
ZEKE Earlier... A fucking day! She's been gone the entire day and I can't find her. I knew this was a terrible idea, but then, it was the only way to take her suffering away. I rake a hand through my hair, pacing in my study, one end to another end. "Zeke." Drusila placates me with her voice. She's the only who can come this close to me when I'm this furious and won't get harmed. "Calm yourself. Jai-Blynn won't harm Marelyn. I have faith that he won't. Kyra and Aiden are look—" "Faith!" I toss a few papers on my desk to the floor, letting it rain them. "How does faith guarantee her safety, huh? Can your faith vouch that she's still alive?" I never let my anger get the best of me, but it's feeding off me in waves and I can't stop the fire. Marelyn knows how to call for me. She will do that. I know she will, but the wait is killing me. I can't sit here idling away while Jai-Blynn decides on killing Isolde and Marelyn behind my back. There's an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomac
Two years ago...She's in the kitchen. She's cooking something that smells heavenly on the stove. I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She giggles, smiling hard at me. I can't get over the gleam in her eyes. I've missed this. She snuggles into my hold, turning to face me. I kiss her lips slowly, like we have all the time in the world to do this. "How's my gorgeous pregnant wife doing?" She can't stop smiling even if she tries. "Shh. Someone might hear you."We found out we were pregnant yesterday and kept the news a secret. Scarlett won't tell her family, and I won't tell Drusila. No one except the two of us knows what's coming. Our baby."I'm on top of the world, Letty. You did that." I lie while planting another kiss on her lips. She can't know what my real thoughts on this matter are, or she'll never forgive me. I will try my hardest to make her smile last. I might even discover how to make it permanent. Who knows?"I'm happy, too. There's so much I want to do
I get down from her car and follow her up a short stairs leading to the entrance door of a town house lined with flowers. Alexis doesn't respond. She turns the key in the lock and the door opens. I follow her in. Her house is warm and neat. I expect to feel like I'm in a witch's home, but there are no cauldrons and potions lying around."You play baseball?" I ask, picking up the bat at the corner next to the bookshelf. There's a signed ball locked away in a see-through box in between the books in the middle row.She breezes in and out of the kitchen, and passes me in the living room with a reply. "Why? You think witches only fuck with brooms and spells? I have a life, you know?"I drop the bat, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck. She's right. Apart from being a wolf, I have a perfectly built life in this city as well. It's the same for everyone else. Deserters, and even those back in Carodia. There's more to life than what we are.I turn to the only framed photo on the wall. It's
A few minutes later..."Don't even think about lying, Alexis." I stand, moving closer. "Marelyn's not dead. She can't be dead, right?"Alexis taunts me with her silence. She can see it's eating me away on the inside, but she doesn't think I deserve to be put out of my misery so easily."Say something, for crying out loud. This wasn't the plan!""I'll answer you in a few. I just want to understand other things first," she says.My hand rakes through my hair as I pace in small circles. I need to know if Marelyn is alright. I can't possibly imagine the other option being the case."What kind of game are you playing, huh?" I grab the nape of her dress and tug her towards me. She's glowering at me and breathing hard. This isn't how partners should treat themselves, but she gave me no choice.Alexis struggles to pull my hand away. "Let go of me!""Tell me. Now!"She flares her nostrils, hesitating for moments. "What if I told you there's a slight chance Scarlett Burns is still alive?"I free
He's gone. The space carries an eerie silence for minutes. I don't stand from my place against the chair because I'm staring at Isolde's dead body, wondering if I did the right thing. I should have stopped him from finding the Celtic Isle. Even after everything, my heart wanted to show him mercy, but Jai-Blynn will come back stronger. When he does, I can only hope Zeke and I will be strong enough to destroy him. I hold my stomach, also hoping I haven't put our unborn baby in harm's way by letting him off scot free. I have another worry. Jai-Blynn is not a pure blood. Carodia was never his home. He will come for the land the moon goddess built for her werewolves. A land he has no ties with. I know greed drives him, but the reason he's willing to go this far still beats me. Jai-Blynn said he wants revenge against Zeke because of me, but what about everything else? I exhale. It's over, but it's not really over. I pull myself up and walk to where Isolde is lying lifeless. Her eyes are s
"If they haven't already learnt their lesson, I'll be waiting for round two. Take care of this, Aiden."Zeke surprises me by locking our fingers in one fluid motion and tugging my hand after him. He doesn't stop and I don't ask him to, but that thought still lingers in my mind. The end of the woods comes closer. Aiden takes the car on his mission, so we go our separate ways. Zeke and I hitch a ride on the lonely road and head into the city while it's still snowing.It's an old truck transporting chickens in its covered cargo bed. The elderly man in the driver's seat is less concerned about us. He's the only person I've seen who does not recognise the popstar, Zeke, at first sight.I turn to Zeke, glancing at where our hands are still joined. "Can we talk?""After I snap the necks of these chickens behind us, sure, why not?" The rakish smile he spares takes my breath away. I'm hypnotised. It widens as he raises our locked hands and kisses the back of my palm. "I'm just kidding, but I wi