SCARLETT :Alpha Jax and I spent time away from each other until it was time to practice. He was with Rosie, and I was with Alpha Aaron as we stepped into the music room. All the windows were covered with wine-colored blinds, shielding us from the intensifying heat and light of the sun. The blinds contrasted beautifully against the golden-colored walls. The room was filled with various musical instruments, including a grand piano, a large violin, a flute, and a trumpet.Each instrument stood at the four corners of the room, with a ray of light shining from the slightly open window at the center, making it the focal point of the room. It seemed like whoever stood in that spot would be the star, with the sunlight reflecting their beauty."It's pretty," I mumbled."Of course, it is," Rosie spoke proudly. "Everything here is expensive.""Roseanne," her brother cautioned her.She rolled her eyes in response. "What? She obviously has no shame. Now that Jaxy chose me, she's clinging onto you
JAX:Scarlett was doing such a good job at riling me up. I explained that I was with Roseanne for a plan. I had no feelings for her. I'd be damned for all eternity if I allowed something that stupid to happen to me. I'd rather quit my status than do that.She, on the other hand, had no good reason to be with Aaron. I did not understand what hold Scarlett had over me. Since when did I start acting like a child?For fifteen minutes, she did not glance at me during dance practice. She kept chatting with Aaron, while on the other hand, I chose to shut my ears to my partner's voice.Soon, his hand was on her face, wiping a tear. Something in me snapped, allowing me to lose my composure.I broke away from Rosie's grip and strode over to them, removing his hand from her. "What do you think you're doing?" I tightened my grip on Aaron's hand."Leave me alone!" Scarlett blared, tears pooling in her eyes."She's crying." Rage consumed me. "What did you do to her?""I think the question should be
JAX:Just like earlier that day, her eyes did not search for me."I need to speak with you," I communicated with her through our bond. From the way her gorgeous eyes slightly enlarged, I knew she got the message.Soon, Rosie dropped in from the ceiling in a large flower, wrapped in a white dress decorated with silver stones. Her hair was straightened and let down, and her makeup was bold.Her entrance was grand, alright. I went to the flower to receive her, and she gave me a warm smile.As she addressed everyone, Aaron thought it would be an amazing time to tell Scarlett a joke that made her flash him a huge smile and her dimples.She had never smiled that way with me. I've seen tears gather in her eyes and a formal smile, but one where her amber eyes shone while her dimples became visible was something I had never seen before, not until Aaron came along.If I had only made her cry so far, why was she still bent on not breaking the bond? Did she want revenge by torturing me with it be
SCARLETT :Alpha Aaron spent a lot of time comforting me even when my tears fell for another man. It was my plan, and it hurt so bad. Too bad.Deep down, I knew it would be best to give up now, but how could I? I already started; I'd be a coward not to see it to the end.I called my twin to let her know how right she was."Stop going back and forth, Scar," she told me. "Pick a side now.""I'm trying to," I groaned on the other end of the phone. "I can't come up with a way to get that close to him.""You don't have to go to him. Make him come to you," she replied."How?""Jealousy," I could sense her maliciously grinning."I don't know," my brain glowed in remembrance, and a light bulb appeared above my head. "Alpha Aaron.""Brother of bitch 2.0?" she questioned. The moment I gave Sophie all the details on Rosie, she gave her a well-deserved nickname."Yes, him.""Hmm. Not bad.""You're stroking your chin, aren't you?" I sighed."I hate that you know me so well.""This isn't your detec
SCARLETT :"I can't get the image of the two of you together out of my mind," I admitted, a part of me wanted to let that go but the pain it brought me refused to fade."Why?" His thumb stroked the exposed skin of my neck."I don't know," I told him. "Make me forget." Without breaking eye contact, I brought his finger with my shaky hands to my trembling lips.I didn't have to say it; my gesture was enough for him to crash his lips onto mine. He fisted my hair gently while I did the same. He shuffled between slow and aggressively passionate. It was almost as if he only wanted to treasure the moment between us. My legs turned to jelly in a millisecond, if it weren't for the support of the wall I'd have fallen on the spot."I've…"Kiss."Always…”Kiss."Wanted to…”Kiss."Touch you again."Every movement sent tingles from my back to my core. Although it seemed momentarily, it gave me the chance to see an opening for a possibility of it all to last forever."Part your lips for me, Scarle
SCARLETT : A loud bang on the door made my heart skip a beat and jolted me awake. My legs were trapped between Alpha Jax's, who was also awake and tightened his grip on my legs to keep me in place. He signaled for me to stay quiet. I lay back on the bed while the noise continued from outside his door. He had kept his promise about me not being able to walk, as I felt entirely sore. My body ached severely, and though I couldn't see them, I knew there were marks of his teeth all over me. "Jax, come out now!" I heard Rosie's voice. Who else would it be? Both of us had left the party and never returned to the venue. I was naked in his bed, my shoes and jewelry askew, my underwear nowhere to be seen, my dress a rag, my hair rough, my body marked, my lips swollen. There was no excuse. Alpha Jax hadn't signed the alliance. Alpha Aaron could take it back if something were to happen. Roseanne was beautiful, too beautiful to pine over a man who did not love her. Although I was in no posit
JAX:Scarlett was a force that pushed and pulled. Right now, she had pushed me into giving in to my desires.It was tough to resist her after I saw her again. Audaciously, she fully tempted me, making me surrender. Now that I had tasted her again, I did not think I'd have it in me to let her go until she breaks the bond.She was my undoing; she'd end me if I wasn't careful. I could not find it in me to regret what I did.I woke up much earlier than I expected to, and the sight before me was so beautiful. She had barely rested all night, and I wasn't going to disturb her.Her eyes were tightly shut, and her lips partly opened. Our legs were wrapped together like we were lovers.A small light shone from the windows, reflecting on her white skin stained with my teeth marks, leaving me satisfied. Scarlett was mine for as long as she'd let me have her. I did not know if I was fine with that, but I hoped to get clarity once she broke the bond.I was about to stroke her hair gently when a lo
JAX:Scarlett fell asleep midway, as she always did. It bothered me that she was easily carried away by the wind. If she were in a car with someone else, anyone who could harm her, there would be consequences.I instructed my chauffeur to join my men in the other car and drove because I wanted to be next to her. Every now and then, I glanced at my side to find her lips partly opened while her head changed positions.I didn't want to drop her off at the pack house in that state. Furthermore, I would be returning to the royal pack residence to give my mother details of my ordeal. She wasn't in control of the pack, but as Luna, she could offer advice or take steps on her own. My mother was skilled in diplomacy, having an eye to make the right connections. She bored me to death with her talks; she was a better Luna than a good mother, yet avoiding her was impossible.I led the way to Scarlett's home, knowing the address due to my research. It was weird, but I had stopped there twice to ca
JAX:All good things come in good time. As Doctor Rachael said, Scarlett was discharged on the seventh day with no issues.And it wasn't a dream.It's a blissful reality.She changed out of hospital clothes into a black dress that hugged her slim figure. The diva that she was. I'm completely mesmerized by her."I've waited long enough," I said as I pulled her by the waist and embraced her.She stilled for a moment as if she was rethinking everything.Please don't.Don't leave me again.I don't say those words out loudand let them burn at the back of my throat.Soon she relaxed in my arms and gently hugged me back.Yes.She felt so small in my arms. I made it my responsibility to help her regain her previous weight. She looked too thin."Let's stop before someone sees."Right. Anyone could come in.It wasn't going to be her parents because they were planning a surprise party for Scarlett. I sensed that they must've gotten a hint about us but weren't willing to discuss it yet, which wa
JAX:I reached the front of her room, the buff guards still in place."Alpha Jax!" Scarlett's mother called out to me."Is she?" I asked."Yes," Sophie responded as she embraced Zharn, who was happy for her. For all of us.Her parents had come to terms with it. Those two were never leaving each other.I creaked open the door. No one accompanied me inside. There was no need for me to voice it out. I wanted to see her alone.Her head slowly turned.My chest was about to explode.Amber eyes filled with longing.I think I'm gone."Scarlett," I breathed out. How much breath was I holding back? It was hard for me to recognize the sound of my own voice."Jax," she replied in the same tone.I'm about to scream with joy.Stow your inability to be calm as well as your restless spirit, Jax!She was right in front of me.Her eyes open, staring at me intently.Say something else, you fool. My inner voice taunted me.Ah, yes. I had to say something. Now, if the words would come out."How are you?"
JAX:"Three out of the six shelters have been completed, Alpha Jax," one of the council members informed me."Fifteen people who survived the attack but have been in a coma passed away today," another informed us."Shall we then have a moment of silence for them?" I asked the council members and elders who were left.Three whole months had passed, and things weren't fully back in shape. There had been improvements, but it wasn't enough. How do I do justice to what happened? My soul felt utterly crushed. Meeting upon meeting at least thrice a week.I have never had to go through so many paper documents in my life.How dreadful.The minute of silence was quickly over, and there was much more to discuss. Cage had resumed duties as the Lord of the Harrison family, much to the disappointment of every person who contested his right and replaced the family in the council. The Harrisons were a crucial part of the pack, and his father was present for every important meeting.That aside, I had
SCARLETT :Jax cared, I felt it. I saw it. And the guards knew he'd probably listen to me when it came down to it, and it worked in my favor. I was in the garden in no time.Oh, it was chilly."Get her a blanket, now!" One of the men told the nurses. "The Alpha must not find her this way.""You don't need to. I want to feel the cold.""He's right, Miss. You need to maintain a warm temperature for the sake of your heart." The nurse differed before rushing off to get a blanket.Oh, all these constrictions. I hated them.The moon wasn't full; it was in half, and there were many beautiful stars in the sky, twinkling in the sky.It felt surreal. One moment I was with Herrera, then I was back."What date is it?" I asked him."Ma'am, it's..." One of the men responded."Three months!" I exclaimed.I was out for three whole months.No wonder a part of me was eager to see the sky. I deserved it.It's not as bad as I thought. In Herrera's paradise, it seemed as though I had been there for years.
SCARLETT:A cold monitor pressed against me through my hospital gown as a wave of shock surged through me. My back arched, lungs convulsing—then I gasped into life.No more Herrera. No more golden everything.A chorus of relieved sighs filled the room."Patient has responded!" The doctor’s voice rang through the tension. "She's awake!"The defibrillator paddles were pulled away, the scent of burnt skin lingering in the air.Beep. Beep. Beep.My heart was beating again. I was alive.I almost died.I almost died.My mind struggled to catch up, pieces of the past shattering and reforming in fragments I couldn't quite grasp. My heart rate spiked. The machine beside me echoed the rising panic.Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep."Miss, you're fine," the doctor assured me, her voice was steady but firm. "You need to stay calm. You cannot overwork your heart." She leaned over me, her sharp eyes assessing every change in my expression. "Take deep breaths. Slowly. In through your nose, out through your mo
SCARLETT:How long has it been since I left my world? Days? Months? Years?Sigh.Time here moved really fast.And it felt like such a long time since that divine being took control of my body.I would never forget how she transformed into a white angel. White long silky hair, blazing blue eyes, and a garment too white I thought it'd get stained once she hugged my body to take control of it.I remembered faintly how Jax held me in his arms. For what it's worth. I knew I could never have him anyway, and so I allowed myself to have him in that moment. My desire spoke out for me, and it didn't matter.The divine spirit said I could go back; her name was Herrera, and she's a pest most of the time, but the rest of the time she's fun."I can hear your thoughts, you know." Ah, there she was. In a vast space that was only made of pure gold. She sat goddess-like on a large couch with an enormous backrest while her servants clad in white cloaks served her red wine and grapes. We wore the same wh
LOGAN DE VAUNT:It was a well-organized scheme to ruin everything my brother cherished. The northern rogues were the deadliest, alive or not, since most of them got killed fighting against the Moonstone pack.My plan was easy. I only had to rat out information about my pack and the formation that held the walls of our border strong and secure. Our borders were our strength. The moment something goes wrong with it, all will come crashing down. I wanted nothing more than to see my brothers deflate as his ego broke.Everyone thought he was the perfect leader. I wanted to see just how good he was, how he would be able to handle the situation. The northern rogues had sought the help of evil grim witches who granted them immense power to do whatever they pleased. Each wielded different magic except for the children of the leader of the rogues. From a young age, they had been given the power to control their magic and wield it together, or so I heard.Over a century, they had destroyed sever
JAX:I took her pale hand in mine; her temperature seemed normal, a good sign that life coursed well through her. My mother had surprisingly been waiting for her to wake up. I don't know what she had planned in that conniving head of hers, but she'd be wrong to think her sad methods of motherly manipulation would work.Since the last dinner I attempted to have with her, I realized that it was foolish of me to hope that we'd be able to form a strong mother and son bond; again, a man can only dream. She had been saying confusing things about Scarlett, hinting at the power she wielded in the attack. She was unwilling to divulge it all until Scarlett woke up, and that seemed to be taking forever. Seriously, I would grow old and miserable if she never does.I had asked around, and the elders suggested that such a person could have lost connection with their wolves. Our wolves were a huge part of us, even if most of us rarely communicated with them. They served as a part of our life source,
JAX:Days have been longer, times have been slower since Scarlett went into a coma. I had changed doctors over and over with the same results until I came to the conclusion that she just had to wake up. Perhaps, it wasn't the doctor; it could be the power that was granted to her. Whatever it was, it drained her completely, yet not enough to take her life. Thankfully, because I doubt I'd survive if that were the case.Every night after meeting upon meeting, I'd go to see her. It became my tradition, it became a must-do for me. Seeing her peacefully resting made me feel very much at peace. Hearing her breathe softly was also more than enough, seeing her steady heart rate on the monitor brought me a sense of security I could not fathom.Many lives were lost due to the attack, many properties were destroyed. Councilmen dead, elders of the pack dead, a lot wounded, a lot unscathed as well. Zharn suggested dedicating land to all those who did not survive the attack. Families who were okay w