JAX:I gasped for air as I felt life elevate from the abyss of death. The weather felt extremely cold, making my eyes open, my teeth chattered, as if I were stuck in an ice cave.At first, it seemed like I had entered another universe until I looked around. My men were still scattered on the floor, the atmosphere had a color similar to orange-red. The sky was gray, as it would be in a storm, and the moon had a crimson color to it.Scarlett.My heart thumped."How dare you hurt us?" A voice echoed strongly, full of rage and hate.My mate's voice.For the first time in years, I cried. Tears trickled down from my eyes to my jaw.I could not hold it in.The moon reflected sparkling lights, even with its crimson state on her. Her appearance had changed.Long silver hair fell past her waist, she wore a white dress that bared her arms, with a high slit that went mid-thigh, gold jewelry adorned her ears, neck, and arms.She looked beyond empyreal. The rogues tried to run, but their attempt p
SOPHIE:A statement from the doctors broke our spirits."We don't know when she will wake up. It might take months, years even.”My mother burst into tears uncontrollably, we all could not almost believe that was all they were able to do. She was breathing, but her subconscious was absent.Unlike all of us who had accepted that as the case, the Alpha refused to. He called on doctors far and wide to check on Scarlett everyday. My sister must have no idea how well her plan to make him fall in love with her was. It wasn't just a sense of responsibility to the woman who saved the pack or the one who got affected by his brother, it was pure love. His present actions will never change what he did to Scarlett first, but I saw how hard he was trying to redeem himself. I hated him a little less now and decided that when Scarlett wakes up, I'd support her no matter the decision she makes.My parents could no longer fight it, he came every day immediately after he attended meeting upon meeting.
SOPHIE:"Oh, wait!" I exclaimed and ran back to the room, grabbed a bag from the room, and hurried back outside.I almost tripped, but Zharn caught me in time."Whoa, slow down."I giggled. "Sorry. I forgot these." I raised the bag up."What's that?" He questioned, eyeing the bag suspiciously."I got a gift for the girls," I added. "I wanted to get one for your older sister and parents, but they have everything, so I don't know-""I love you so much." His eyes gleamed, and I melted. Those blue orbs had me powerless."I love you too." I smiled back.He leaned in for a kiss, but I stopped him, removing myself from his arms. "My parents can see.""They'll have to know at some point. Both of our parents," he reminded, making me feel uneasy."Yeah, but now isn't the time." I squeezed his hands shortly. "Can we go?""Okay." He opened the door for the two of us. He had a former assassin as a chauffeur to drive us; he's had one ever since the incident. Pretty sure he already knows what we are
SOPHIE:There were seven blonde heads and one dark head. All turned their heads in our direction."Zharn!""Brother!""There's a pretty girl!"Three girls ran toward.Leaving three sighing adults and one unbothered young lady at the table.They all crashed into Zharn."Get off me, I was home two days ago." He acted like they were a bother to him, but he loved them with all his heart. He stayed home for two weeks to make sure the women weren't traumatized."Where's my muffin?!" Amy asked."With me?" I held out a bag, and Amy's eyes averted to me with pure hunger. "They're from Crumble and Bake."Amy snatched the bag, sniffed the muffins before looking back up at me. "If you want to marry my brother, let me go." She winked at me."You only bought muffins for Amy?!" Anna stomped on Zharn's foot with her little pink heel."Anna!" He groaned."I was the one who bought her muffins." I admitted."You better not be picking favorites on us, missy." Anna folded her arms."I'm not, that's why I
ZHARN:The war had left a scar on everybody, my girlfriend, best friend, and other people.It took Sophie a month to feel alive again. A part of her disappeared when she heard there was no telling when Scarlett would wake up. Jax was devastated too, as were all of us who knew her.We decided to keep her power under wraps and let people who saw what happened in the sky form their own opinions of the incident. It was a brilliant idea by Jax. If people knew, they would target Sophie and her parents and be all over them, which wasn't what she needed. None of us needed that.I was happier than ever the moment she began to emerge from the shell she had sunk herself into. Her well-being meant everything to me, and I wanted the same for her, to put her health and priorities first.My family was a tough one to crack. We were nobles of extra elites, and I mean extra in every sense. I needed Sophie to know what she was getting into since we weren't necessarily rushing anything. We belonged to ea
ZHARN:"I didn't bring any tools," Sophie said sadly."Anna has everything you need," Joy butted in. "Like father said, she's the glam child in the family.""Proudly," Anna said with great pride."Finish dinner first," our father instructed."Yes, father," they replied simultaneously."Now, let us hear about how you saved Zharn. He never quite got into detail."And we never thought of a story to give them. Sophie smoothly replied, telling them how I got stabbed instead of her in reverse.My father nodded attentively while my mother subconsciously teared up. It meant a lot to them. They'd hate to lose their only son."Thank you for saving our child," my father appreciated her once again. Once more in context, she did save my soul.Sophie lowered her head. "You don't have to thank me for doing anything.""No, imagine the scar the blade must have left on your skin. I have to find you a good doctor so your future husband doesn't have to worry about it," my mother spoke, concerned. "Have y
ZHARN:"When I said I was over Cleo, I meant it," I replied to him. "We were going to keep everything under wraps because Sophie knew you wouldn't approve of her.""Well, the young woman isn't wrong," he sat up straight. "She didn't save you during the rogue attack, did she?""She saved me before then, during, and now.""A woman willing to risk it all," he dragged an hm. "Allow me to test her.""You don't need to," I disagreed."It is the only way I can accept her. Lowborns are born homemakers so she might not cause any trouble. Is she educated?" Father asked me."She is, and she's planning to attend college as well. You can't be serious about testing Sophie. She's amazing -""She reads books meant for men," he interrupted me."Forgive me, father, but they never specified what gender those books were for," I retorted. "You have to stop gender specifying hobbies; times have changed, and only the nobles are stuck on the ways of the old.""Tradition must remain tradition, son. Without th
SOPHIE:"Outdated, you say?" She raised a brow."To us, the new generation," I nodded. "Yes.""My girls look pretty even if it's not the normal way," she looked back at me. "Find something elegant and not outdated. You will be styling just my hair. I want to be the only one to show off something modern. No one had ever given that opinion before.""I won't disappoint you. I promise," I said, excited."You better not," she said sternly."Yes," she then turned to leave.I examined my work one last time.Joy wanted her dark hair straightened, and it was. Anna wanted her hair not too curly, not too straight, and that was achieved. Tamara wanted to have light brown brunette hair curled at the end. I used a semi-permanent dye and Anna's luxurious hair kit. That thing would cost me at least three years of savings."Will you be able to help me get my hair done?" Amy pouted sadly."I'm not sure it's possible tonight. It's getting really late.""You can sleep over," Tamara offered. "We have lots
SCARLETT :The past days and weeks have been utter bliss. Life has never been so fulfilling. It almost feels too good to be true. I'm thrilled. I'm scared.Pushing the negatives aside, I remember Lucinda's words.My therapist.Cage said she was hospitalized, but she's recovered just fine and hasn't quit the profession. I was glad. Lucinda was a darling. I hope she never quits."Sophie," my father's voice reaches the room from downstairs.Right. We were supposed to hand out free pastries to the neighborhood as goodwill. Papa's pastry shop was coming into good view, and boy, was I excited for it. Sophie must be up already. I texted Jax into the night. I feel like an actual teenager now. Late-night calls and texting. I loved those activities quite a lot. It's an understatement to say I am not quite fond of them.I got off my bed, looked into my mirror, at my tattoo. My parents don't understand it yet. I have to tell them at some point.I brushed my teeth, had a shower, changed into a gra
SCARLETT :We grabbed some food first and played some outdoor games before heading to the arcade. The neon lights of the arcade cast a colorful glow as Sophie squealed, jumping up and down."It looks just like in the images," I said, delighted that it met our expectations."Right?" Sophie beamed."What games shall we play first?" Zharn asked."I vote air hockey, unless you guys are scared wimps," my twin pointed to Jax and me."What about your boyfriend?" I arched my brows."Nah, Zharn has never and will never be a scared wimp.""Thank you, baby," he leaned down and pecked her cheek."Well, my girlfriend and I aren't scared wimps. Air hockey is too easy."I blushed at Jax's retort. We weren't dating yet.We decided to play as teams: Team Jax and Scarlett and Team Zharie. I can't with their name combination."We won! We beat you two!" Sophie declared, pointing at Jax and me. My mouth hung open in betrayal at the air hockey table."You cheated," I fumed."You both just suck," Zharn grin
SCARLETT :The day was upon us. The day we had all been waiting for.Our double date!I stared at the neatly wrapped box on my bed, my band inscribed on a smooth, precise script. A single deep red rose rested on top, its petals velvety and rich in color. Sophie’s box sat beside hers, wrapped in soft blue ribbon, a pale pink rose accompanying it."Do you think they actually picked these out themselves?" Sophie asked, holding the delicate flower between her fingers, her blonde curls bouncing as she turned to me.I smirked, running my fingers over the sleek black leather jacket inside the box. "I don't know, but it looks so good. They probably had Sir Hensley help them. I've always wanted a new leather jacket. It's designer. I hope it didn't cost a fortune. I have to treat Jax to corn dogs and burgers at the amusement park."Sophie gasped, dramatically clutching her heart. "Blasphemy. Zharn has good taste. I believe he picked these out himself." She pulled out a silky baby blue off-shoul
SCARLETT :So far, so good. The move was going nicely for us. The people were kind, and there were others our age who were AMAZING. Dad had enlisted a few people to help build a nice, cozy wooden pastry shop.My father was such a hard worker. We were currently hanging out with our new friends.José, Elena, Adrianne, Estelle, Jean, Lennie, and Courte.It took me three whole days to memorize their names.This side of town had a lot to offer, though it wasn't as beautiful as our pack's Capital since the majority of the population here was filled with lowborns, as the nobles would call us.Elena invited us to watch a movie. Her parents were well-to-do, owning a flourishing timber business. Not huge, but doing alright. Her parents were out, and we were all just chilling with popcorn and soda.Sophie had had a couple of hangouts with friends before, so she knew what to say or do. I had always been more reserved; hence, it was the first time I had tried putting in effort to associate with ot
SCARLETT :The farmhouse sat at the end of a winding dirt road, nestled between rolling green fields and a thick tree line. It was a sturdy two-story home, built with warm brown timber and stone, standing strong as if it had weathered years of seasons. The wraparound porch had wooden railings, a few rocking chairs, and flower pots spilling over with bright daisies and lavender. A wind chime swayed gently, adding a soft melody to the sounds of nature.Past the house, the land stretched wide, dotted with trees that swayed under the afternoon sun. A fenced pasture sat to the side, where a chestnut horse grazed peacefully, flicking its tail. A few cows stood lazily in the shade of an old oak tree, chewing grass without a care in the world. Closer to the barn, goats wandered near a wooden pen, occasionally headbutting each other in playful mischief. Chickens pecked at the dirt, their soft clucking blending with the distant croak of a frog near a small pond at the edge of the property. A pa
SCARLETT :To say that meeting with the grand Luna was fairly okay is viewing it on the positive side.How estranged was her relationship with her son?When did it get this bad?Has it always been that way?How exactly did Jax grow up? Did he even experience any parental love?I wanted answers. No, I needed answers."Scarlett!" My mother called out to me."I'm coming." I put the last box onto the truck."I'm so tired." Sophie slumped onto me."Get up, lazy ass." I pushed her off me gently. "I won't be moving your hair kit box for you."Two days went by fast, and we were moving to the farmhouse.I told Sophie everything, about my new ability, about Herrera. It still felt unreal that my spirit remembered her, not everything. Just faintly and with time, it seemed as if all my memories there with her were leaving me. My newfound ability was for the pack alone. When the pack becomes in great danger, it will arise. The permission for Herrera to use my body was irrevocable. Meaning I can sli
JAX:Scarlett tensed at the mention of the royal pack house. I understood why. My brother hadn't been found. All I needed was for him to come around so that I could confront him for my mate. How were skilled spies and assassins not able to locate him? The issue was beginning to seem beyond me. I hated it.She fiddled with the seatbelt next to me. I could tell she was still anxious."Why did you lie to me and say that you are fine, Scarlett? When will you learn to trust me fully?" I asked.I glanced to the side, our eyes met.I placed one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her fidgeting hand. She became stiff, just like when I hugged her in the hospital, but later relaxed to my touch."That's it. Don't shy away from me," I said.I didn't say anything more to her. Her body understood what mine was trying to convey. I saw through her because she's mine.The drive wasn't too far, and the enormous gates of the royal pack house opened to us, very grand and stylish.We entered and m
SCARLETT :"It is easy. Too easy. You have me by your side."His words sounded sweet, sweeter than all the honey in this world, if you will.He made it sound like nothing, yet to me, it was something. It was the whole of it."How much time?" He asked me, his gaze unmoving, unnerving. This man was trying so hard to reach into my soul.I think it's working."I have no idea," I replied to him honestly.How long does it take to think a relationship through?A day?A week?A month?One year?I did not know."I can't say I know all of you, and you can't say you know all of me," I told him."Scarlett, you have all of me. You can take all the time you need to study me, and I'll let you. Nothing is holding us back."How can you say nothing is?Are you going to tell him how you planned to use him first? A voice teased at the back of my head. It was like the devil whispering words of conceited advice sure to ruin me. Herrera would give it a good smash and stab if she were present.The voice was
JAX:La Belle Vue. The restaurant was just as I envisioned—warm, intimate, yet refined. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a soft glow over the dark oak tables and exposed brick walls. A fireplace crackled in the corner, the scent of burning cedar mixing with the faint aroma of freshly baked pastries. The space was entirely ours, not a single other guest in sight. Just Scarlett and me.She looked around, taking in the dim golden chandeliers and plush leather seating. The faint notes of a jazz piano hummed through the air, barely noticeable under the quiet shuffle of the wait staff."I've never been to this side of town. It's so pretty," she murmured, settling into her seat.I loosened my tie slightly, trying to shake off the ridiculous nerves creeping up my spine. "I thought you'd like something simple but nice.""Thank you," she told me.A waiter appeared with two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, setting them down with a polite nod before handing us the men