I stare at Aspen, who is soundly asleep. She looks so beautiful. So, at peace. Her long lashes fan her cheeks, and her mouth is slightly open as she snores. Snoring should be annoying, but when it’s from Aspen, it’s absolutely cute.The day out that we had completely tired her out. She didn’t even f
I don’t know how long it is when Nyx finally stops, collapsing on the cold, hard ground.“I need rest,” she says, panting.I don’t say anything, because what is there to say? I kept pushing her because I didn’t want to think, and I knew stopping would automatically bring me back to my depressing tho
I drag the hybrid’s body, my mind full of unanswered questions. I couldn’t help thinking of the last two hybrids that attacked me and wondering whether these two incidents were somehow related.“What do you think?” I ask Nyx, not caring if the man I was dragging got hurt or not.He doesn’t really de
I walked into my room and immediately went to the bathroom to take yet another shower. This one, unlike the previous one, was quick. I was hoping that I could wash away Alec’s burning stare and the dirt that came with dragging a hybrid through the forest. I managed to wash the dirt away, but not his
I wake up a bit disoriented. My mind is a bit foggy and I can’t shake the tiredness that was weighing down my body.I hate it when this happens. You fall asleep finally, thinking that you’ll have the rest your body has been craving, only to wake up feeling more tired than you were the previous day.
“Who are the two girls?” I ask, fearing the answer she’ll give.“Me and my sister,” she whispers, brokenly.The air gets stuck in my throat as the words strike my already battered heart in a way I don’t understand. There is something just on the surface, but before I can fully grasp what it is, it d
I stare at them, my mind racing at seeing them like this, the new discovery about Nyx temporarily forgotten. Aspen is chatting away like she’s known Alec her whole life. I can’t hear anything because my ears are ringing, but I can tell she’s probably entertaining him with stories of her adventure.A
Alec and I look at each other, silently communicating. After a second or two, he pulls his eyes from mine and focuses on Aspen, who is holding on to him as if her life depends on it.I can see the struggle in his eyes. He doesn’t want to let go of her, but he also knows that questioning that hybrid
I don’t say anything. Just turned back and continued staring at nothing.I pretended that his presence wasn’t affecting me. Pretended that I was okay and that every fiber in my being wasn’t vibrating. I was fighting the pull despite Nyx telling me not to. I was used to fighting it since we learned t
The room was too quiet. Aspen had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, her monkey and elephant clutched tightly in her little arms. I watched her for a long moment, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her forehead. Her tiny mouth hung open just a little, breath even and soft.
The rest of the visit passed in a blur of giggles and tiny hands pressed to glass enclosures. Aspen’s favorites were the baby goats. She got to feed one, and when it nibbled her fingers, she laughed so hard she had to sit down.Alec was right there beside her, brushing dirt off her knees, and I stoo
We got out of the car. The air smelled like pine and sunshine, and Aspen was practically dragging us toward the enclosures before we’d even paid the entrance f*e.“Looook!” she squealed. “That one’s got a funny tail!”“That’s a lemur,” Alec said, keeping pace with her tiny footsteps. “They live in M
SadieThe next day came sooner than I had expected or prepared for. I was still on cloud nine after shifting into our other state. It felt so good. Like I had unlocked something fierce. Something divine. After Alec left, I practiced more and each time it became easier than the last.My mind occasion
“I didn’t tell anyone,” he replied with a shrug. “I was ashamed. But eventually, I realized I couldn’t fight him forever. So, I stopped trying to control him, and I just… accepted him. I accepted that Knox was a part of me. I embraced the power of an Alpha and I allowed myself to merge with my wolf.
SadieThe wind danced around me, soft but persistent, stirring the tall grass that brushed against my legs. It was cool, yet beads of sweat trailed down my spine, clinging to my shirt as if they were trying to remind me just how much effort I was putting into this. My heart pounded, not from exertio
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. The silence stretched until it felt like it would choke me.“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “I’m not telling you to give him a chance, Sadie. That’s your choice. But I think… I think it’s time to stop hiding.”“Hiding?” I repeated, my voice hollow.“You
Sadie.I’d just come from a run. Sleep had been a distant thought, elusive and half-formed, slipping from my grasp every time I closed my eyes. My mind had been too full of everything and nothing. When day came, and I still couldn’t get any sleep, I decided to go for a run to clear my head before I