One Year Later
“You could be over here with your true mate and not sweating your ass off, but no—violence prevails.” I sighed dramatically, grabbing a grape, and plopping it into my mouth. Atlas was easily a hundred feet away, his skin porcelain and shimmering with sweat. I eyed the thick muscles that spanned his shoulders and back, running down the length of his thick arms. “Well, I guess the view isn’t that bad.”
“Speak for yourself, I love a little violence to start off my day. Nothing gets the blood pumping like political intrigue, vigorous training or a good old-fashioned fight.” Nicki grinned manically, leaning against the thick truck of the tree she sat in front of.
Her chestnut hair had lightened from spending the year in Liam’s court, beneath the blistering sun and thick humidity. It now held golden undertones that matched her tanned skin. The dress she wore was bound at the shoulders with golden pins and reminded me of the Greek goddesses taught in
Thank you so much for reading my books, and for enjoying them in all of their flawed entirety. I love taking all of you out of this world and into another, even for the short moments you read these chapters. <3 Thank you all so much!
Mastering others is strength,Mastering yourself is true power.Lao Tzu* * * * *I once thought strength was something you were born with. You were either born strong willed, or born weak minded. Just as you were either born good or evil. Black and white thinking kept my mind at ease, helped me to justify the things that happened in my life. I had never thought in grey, I loathed the color. Grey confuses and conflicts the mind. It never crossed my mind that strength is born in troubling times, when you have lost more than you've gained.I was once weak, swayed by the opinion's and comments of those my age. Words pierced my skin, insults ate away at my soul. I was an exposed nerve, navigating our complex world with a constant chip on my shoulder.My story begins in a small town, located in Eastern Texas. My life wasn't full of tragedy. Misery and trauma weren't the cause of my soft-hearted
There are four main species in the world, taught to us since we could walk.Humans - With their penchant for building and expanding. Raising buildings high into the sky, rushing around in their business suits with their smartphones glued to their ear.Vampires - Creatures who emerge during the night, humans their source of sustenance. Speed is on their side, allowing them to flit from place to place without being spotted. They live in the darkness and many can become one with it, cloaking themselves.Werewolves - Shape shifters by nature, with the spirit of a wolf living within them. They shift anywhere from ten years old and up. A mate is gifted to them, able to find them at sixteen or older. Speed and strength are on their side. Werewolves reside in a pack, a leader chosen among the masses.Fae - Elusive creatures, incapable of lying. Decades of being forced to tell the truth has made them gifted speakers, able to twist words easily. Not much is known about
I woke up that morning and got dressed as though it were any other day. Birthday's no longer felt exciting, but this one felt different.I felt excited for a chance. I knew I'd still spend the day bullied by Atlas and his friends but today was the day I was able to find my mate. It opened new doors for me in many ways. If I found my mate and he belonged to another pack, my Mom and I would move. I couldn't imagine my mate being from this town, as most of the people my age ignored me completely.I combed through my light brown hair, enjoying how much easier it was. A month ago I decided to chop my waist-length hair off, growing tired of how it constantly got in the way. My Mom was supportive and did the deed for me. My hair was no longer getting caught on everything, constantly slipping in my face.Once I was finished, I went downstairs. Mom had stopped trying to cook breakfast every morning. She had burnt so many pans of bacon I had lost count. Instead of cook
If I was strong I would've stayed. I would've fought for my mate, used the mate bond to bring Atlas closer. I would have found some way to make him see that I was more important than a girlfriend, as selfish as it sounded.It took me some time to realize how selfish and deluded Atlas had been. He chose Michelle over his mate. His two year girlfriend over his other half. Michelle had a mate out there somewhere. Was she destined to break his heart as mine had been broken?My world had come crashing down with his words. A part of me buried so deep inside broke, spewing out into the world like an unleashed tidal wave. My wolf was howling in my head, making my ears ring mercilessly.I gathered the scraps of my ruined book, clutching them to my chest as I turned on my heel and ran. I didn't notice the other students lingering in the halls, the ones who had witnessed the entire ordeal. The human students would have no idea what happened, but the werewolves wou
Mom offered me a ride home, which I reluctantly said no to. My face was red and puffy, aching from how much I had cried in her office. I needed time to think. Being trapped in a car with my Mom would only bring on the tears, and I didn't want any more of those. My body groaned and ached with fatigue, but I trudged home anyway.It was a fifteen minute walk to my neighborhood, giving me too much time to think. The entire scene in the hallway replayed in my head a million times. I thought of every possible thing I could've said, everything I could've done differently.Y'know how something happens to you and after it's done you think of everything you could have said? That was what I was going through. I could've pleaded, I could've simply stepped into his arms and used the mate bond against him. I didn't though, I didn't because I was weak. This fact was beginning to dawn on me, how I lacked true strength.When I made it home, I ran inside and grabbed a noteb
Mom drove through the center of town, turning into one of the residential neighborhoods. Every house nearly looked the same. Small and identical, ideal to fit the most amount of people in a small space."It's not as big as our old house." Mom grinned sheepishly, "But it's the best I could get on short notice. The landlord was friends with my Dad.""It's not a problem." I chuckled, my eyes tracing over the small square windows.My eyes were elsewhere. They were trailing over the porch's peeling blue paint. A low whine left Lila's lips as she recognized the similarities. That was one thing that needed to be changed.Mom parked on the curb by the house and popped open the trunk. Her arms were filled with bags as she wobbled down the sidewalk. I must've packed more than I thought. Her arms were overflowing with bags as she tried to carry everything at once. She could hardly see where she was going, nearly bumping into someone."Woah--" A man's voice c
Mom came into my room shortly after, letting me know everything with the school was in order. I would be officially starting school tomorrow, the thought frightening yet exciting.I laid in bed that night, picking my phone up to send Kris a text. I ran my fingers over the keyboard, struggling to figure out what to say. Alyssa and I never really texted. We hung out constantly, but rarely ever communicated over the phone.-Me 10:23p.m.'I'm all set for school tomorrow. What time does it start?'-Kris 10:29p.m.'Cool! Starts at 7, be at my house at 6:45'I had meant to send a response, but my eyes were fluttering warily. I fell asleep on top of the covers, my phone resting on my chest. The next morning, Mom peeked her head in the door waking me up in the process."What time is it?" I grumbled, squinting down at my phone."5:30." Mom responded, "Bet you're regretting not taking me up on my earlier offer. You could've been home
One Month LaterLiam and I had become the closest out of the entire bunch. Nicki and I had also grown extremely close. She loved that I had no sense of fashion, and allowed her to choose my outfits for me. She often paired me with cute skirts and tennis shoes, or the occasional dress but I didn't mind.In the month I had been here, I had grown more confident. I was now telling jokes with Kris and Dustin, or talking about guys with Nicki and Tyra. I'd often hang out with Liam, who wasn't nearly as grumpy as Dustin painted him out to be.No matter how hard I tried, Atlas was always on my mind. The first two weeks in town were horrible. I would awake in the middle of the night screaming, my insides burning with an invisible fire. Every nerve and cell in my body was screaming in pain. My Mom rushed into my bedroom without fail, soothing me with her words as best she could. After a few days, I finally got the truth from her. The truth broke my heart more than words ever