Rose's POVIf there was anything I could take back at any moment in time, this would be it.He stalked toward me, the same chilling grin plastered on his face. Every step made my heart jump. My blood thrummed at my fear. Every single part of me was begging to run. Escape. Run.But why wasn't I moving?It was frustrating how every part of me at this moment was frozen in time, even though my soul was desperate to jump out and away from the threat I faced.‘Why, why, why!’ for all my caution, all the unease I had felt to come here, I still fell into a trap. And this time, it wasn't anyone's fault but my own. I let myself get tricked, pushed away my caution. It was my fault. My own fucking fault.No. I couldn't stay in a mirage of self pity when a dankeh was nearing. Swallowing, I forced my eyes away, searching for the exit.There! I spotted the small light. It was barely visible from afar, so far away but it was a sign. It was hope.I couldn't outrun the wolf no matter how hard I tried t
Rose's POVI was sure that if not for him, I would have collapsed again.His arm around me held me captive yet safe and protected, especially as he lifted me slightly. Where I was once confused, the moment he lifted me into the air, understanding came through. I wrapped my hands around his neck, burying my face into the crux of his neck.I was just grateful that he found me.“Rose." From the tone alone, I looked up, feeling the seriousness.“How did you get here?”He started moving, and I looked up to find that he was walking out of the alley. But looking at his face, there was no humor in them.Swallowing, I gave him a short rendition of the story in less than a minute, inwardly berating myself as I ended right as the dankeh attacked me.“What were you thinking?” His incredulous tone brought back the shame.I swallowed against his chastising tone, tearing back.“I made a mistake, alright?” I spat out, never breaking off my link with him but upset all the same.“I made a stupid decisi
Rose's POVI stirred awake, meeting plain colors illuminated by the sun. I stood up only to hiss out, grabbing my head. Pain bloomed in the back of my head, a thumping ache slightly reminiscent of the bass. No doubt it was surely from the alcohol.With a sigh, I forced myself to adjust to the new sensation until it took the backburner in my mind. Fully sitting up, I turned only to gasp in surprise.There was food waiting for me. A glass of water along with two small pills which were no doubt painkillers.Relief flooded me as I quickly snatched the pills and the glass, eager to ease the headache.The glass of water soothed my throat, forcing me to drink even further as the pills were long swallowed.‘Finally.’ I embraced the soothing feeling before surprise sparked in me. The painkillers worked fast. My hind brain was completely at work, only my instincts leading me through. Grabbing the plate, I ate quickly, trying to soothe the other ache that the painkillers couldn't solve. Slowl
Rose's POVTrepidation filled me as I stayed unmoving. My breaths had halted until there was no sound. Nothing aside from the constant rhythmic vibration that emanated from the phone.The question of whether I should answer or reject the call was moot, especially when the core question in my mind remained unanswered .Because this was the first time I had seen this number. My contacts had reduced to very few, limited to Kayla, Jade and anyone else within the pack. So who could be calling now?It was the first thought that left me still.Was it the dankehs? No matter how ludicrous it sounded, I was only attacked yesterday. I couldn't take any chances.It could also be someone who dialed the wrong number. That thought was a lot more assuring compared to the last, yet I couldn't still be sure.Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of ringing, the call ended. The silence brought in relief seeping through me as I finally exhaled.Maybe I didn't have to confront it after all.I was ac
Rose's POV.“Okay, then… Bye.” I ended the call to Kayla, letting out a sigh.It had taken time to move past an inch the moment my mo… the moment Kate called. The first person I called was Jade. It served as a good distraction as the reminder of Adian's words earlier prompted me to be more careful. That flew out of the window moments after when she suddenly apologized.Flashback. “I'm so sorry. For the lack of communication… everything,” Jade apologized, leaving me speechless.“I've just been pissy from work, with no sense of relief. It's been a hard set of weeks, and I've been on edge." She said.As I processed her words, all, I sighed in relief. No matter how kind Jade could be, she was human and was living a life with hardships that I wasn't dealing with. Perhaps her words toward me back then were said out of her frustration.It didn't help that I had all these matters and rarely approached her either.Adian's words came to me, but I decided to push it all away for now. This wou
Rael's POVFuck. I cursed in my head.Fuck it all.I hated this. Hated myself for what I was doing. Hater the fact that I couldn't tell her why…The mission - the logical part of me still supplied, but then again, fuck the mission.After she told me everything, I held her without hesitation. She felt fragile in my arms, as though she was on the verge of breaking down. And now hearing everything she had to say made me pull her even tighter.I had lost my parents early in circumstances that were out of our control, but she lost hers whilst she still had them. I was surrounded by my pack. By both Adian and Kayden as my brothers, but she had nobody with her.She wasn't the fragile person I once believed I could brush off. She was stronger in ways even I wasn't sure of.I thought back to the pictures I had seen months ago, after investigating her. The reminder of the older woman whom she gained her red hair from.Had she not been her mother, I would have rended her to pieces. Found a way t
Rael’s POVI slipped down onto the cold grass. The atmosphere did nothing to stifle my heat or thoughts.Kayden was already waiting there, drinks in hand. To my surprise, Adian zoomed in, waving right before he sat down.“He decided to tag along,” Kayden shrugged, unsurprised.Of course, he would. I scoffed, laying fully on the grass beside them in silence.We were deep in the forest, in an area we were used to meeting when we needed to talk. I could barely remember the last time we had done this. A year? No, more than that. Far before the dankehs were ever a problem.After this night though, I was tired of holding things back. Especially to the only ones who truly knew the extent of my secrets. The stakes which I had foolishly put myself under.Once, we were just boys, sitting outside this forest to play. Long after my parent’s death, we had met up here, even after Kayden’s mating. Now, with the weights we had on our shoulders, we drank beer that couldn't affect us under the moonless
Rael’s POVOnly the sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled the air. All the other screams had died down to nothing.The man, the dankeh, who once stood confident, now quivered in his chains. His face was bloodied up and bruised, matching my hands.My right hand stung with every blow - unfortunately he had tried resisting at first by biting my hand. His resistance hadn’t lasted but I kept on going. “Please.” He cried out, blood streamed down his face.He had stood confident after I came in, spouting out facts he knew of me. I could tell then that he wasn’t just one of the lackeys.This man knew something, and I was going to get it out of him.It wasn’t even the way that he resisted all the questions that pushed me to this point. No, it was something much simpler. It was her.“She was so trusting, you know.” He had the audacity to laugh right after. "If you gave me a few seconds more, I would have ripped out her throat then and there. How would you have liked that, Rael Allston?”