HIRAM’S POV:I glance at Juniper and the frustration written on her face. It doesn’t make me happy that she is frustrated, but I am happy I get to preserve my secret. Her thoughts scare me, and I know I should tell her, but not now. It is too much for me to think about.“Is there a problem, love?” I question, and she looks up at me, forcing a smile onto her lips.“No. Not at all.” She tries to uphold the smile, and I flash her back a smile.“I think the network here is terrible,” she lies through her teeth, but I do not care, as long as she has no information about my family.Then I text Alex.“Please help me with whatever you have before she loses her mind.”I shut my phone off, then I walk over to June, planting a kiss on her forehead.“I will go freshen up,” I say to her, then I walk to the closet to grab a towel, draping it around my waist. I try to keep my mind open, allowing her frustrations to flow through me while I hit the shower.If I continue this way, Hiram is going to thin
JUNIPER’S POV:The café hums with energy, with a lot of chatter in the air. Its open windows let out a soft ocean breeze, which makes my body feel cool in contrast to the hot, crisp croissant in my hand.“Hot!” I exclaim as I take a bite of the piece, then I catch Hiram staring at me with intent. “I am fine,” I say to him at once, then he reaches for my lips, wiping away the crumb stuck on them.“Thank you,” I mutter, and he nods before going back to staring at his coffee directionless.I think there is something wrong with him. I know he is having a hard time with his dad being sick, but he almost won’t open up to me.“You’re scaring it,” I say, trying to start off light.He looks up with his brows slightly drawn down. “What?”“Your coffee. That’s the face you make when something is bothering you.”When I say this, he lets go of the spoon, and I watch his lips twitch into a smile.“I am fine, and there is nothing wrong, love.” He goes ahead to grab my hand to solidify this lie, but I
HIRAM’S POV:It is that time of the year again when humans dress up to make fun of supernaturals—yes; it is Halloween, my least favorite time of the year. I have to watch children wear hideous costumes of wolves and witches, then hand them candy like seeing them mock us makes me happy. One of these days, I really hope they encounter an actual wolf or maybe a vampire; then we’ll see who’s laughing.“How do I look?” Juniper asks, walking out of the room in a towel. At first, I think she is joking because all I can see underneath the towel is thick leggings that look yellowish.“Is this a joke?” I ask, and she frowns slightly. “You’re going out in a towel?” I question, and she chuckles, then opens up the towel to reveal a glittering black bodysuit. The sides of the towel are glittery, too.“And what’s that supposed to be?” I ask, trying not to sound controlling at the fact that my girlfriend is about to go to a party filled with boys in a bodysuit covered by a towel.“Sabrina Carpenter,”
Hiram:Hearing about my father’s passing has left me devastated. I cannot even open my mouth to speak because a part of me wants to believe it is a joke. My mother’s trembling voice on the phone and the way she cried broke me. I cannot even imagine what Hera and Hana will do when they return from that stupid camp.Mother wants me home, but I cannot leave here—not now, when it is still fresh. My father was the only person close to understanding me. He promised he wouldn’t die, and he did. I wish I could cry to take away the pain I feel, but I cannot. The tears refuse to leave, but the gnawing pain in my chest won’t stop. The only thing keeping me together is Juniper’s sleeping figure on my body.I reach out to her, wrapping my arms tightly around her. Telling her about my pain might comfort me a little, but I cannot wake her up, so I remain like that, waiting to fall asleep. But my eyes remain wide open.After a while, I sit up while still clutching her to my chest, then I skillfully g
JUNIPER’S POV:Hiram doesn’t look at me. He pulls away and gets to his feet like I’m invisible. He adjusts his pants, knots the rope around his waist, and walks off without a word.I sit there, frozen, as a thousand emotions ripple through me—shame, anger, betrayal. My chest feels tight, and I glance at the camera on the wall. The knot in my stomach twists tighter, knowing Cillian was behind it. Watching.“Hiram!” I scream out his name as I push to my feet.He doesn’t stop even after hearing me. My legs move instinctively, following him, but before I can catch up, he reaches the storage room door. He pulls it open, and there’s Cillian, tied to a chair, glaring at me.His eyes are sharp, judging, and I feel their weight. I do not care about him because I’ve seen him with my roommate and the way he played me like I was nothing. If anyone deserves this, it’s him.But it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change the truth burning in my chest—Hiram didn’t do this for me. He used me to get his reve
HIRAM'S POV:Over the weekend, I try to call June, but she doesn’t respond. I send Winston to her apartment, and it is empty. She isn’t at Rhea’s either, and it keeps me worried. I know I am wrong, but I can’t help myself. I am stressed. It is still news to me that my father is gone, and I haven’t yet acknowledged it. I need her, but she isn’t responding, so I spend the whole weekend trying to get high to make me forget the pain, but it never works.This morning, I wake up with a terrible headache from all the alcohol I had the previous night. I have class, and I badly don’t want to attend, but June will be there. I need to see her, and I already feel she has something up her sleeves for me. That is typical June. I push myself out of bed, pop a pill, and hit the shower, then I head to school.On getting to class, I spot her sitting in front, scribbling in her notebook. I walk to the lectern and set down my briefcase. Then she glances at me. I examine her for a moment to see if she is
JUNIPERI do not know what happened with Hiram and the disciplinary committee, but after that day, he vanished from school. What puzzled me is the fact that I wasn’t, even once, called in by the panel for what happened, and they passed the information on, stating he sexually assaulted me. I wanted to know why he would put himself up, but he went mute on me. He didn’t send a text, and he never called. It’s been five days now, but it feels like an eternity. My heart aches each time I remember him, and I cannot even tell who is worse between him and Cillian. He didn’t apologize for humiliating me in class, and he hasn’t called to check on me. Nothing.Worse? My nightmares have returned. I have been staying with Rhea for a while, and my routine has been the same—waking up drenched in sweat and crying the entire day because of Hiram.“June, you cannot continue like this.” Rhea’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I throw the blanket over my head. “We have school on Monday, and you canno
JUNIPER’S POV:“Come, my child,” my mother says, leading me to the couch, then she helps me sit.I stare at her with my heart pounding real fast, and a lot of thoughts swirl across my mind, making me wonder if something has gone wrong at home. I try to shake off the ill feeling and keep a straight mind, but that is all I can think of.“Did anything happen to Milo?” I ask before she speaks, and she shakes her head.My heart calms a bit, knowing my brother is safe.“What I am about to tell you is a family secret that has been kept for years,” she says, and I swallow hard as I feel my heart race further.Oh, I was dying to hear that wolves were real, but then the thoughts of the full story and whether I will stomach it claw at my heart. She inhales sharply once more, then she begins to speak.“Your full name is Juniper Moonmiles.” Her first sentence makes no sense to me, but she doesn’t stop at that. “Moonmiles is a surname that belongs to the natives of the Shadow Pelt Pack, or used to
Hiram’s POVI shift into my human form the moment Cillian’s lifeless body hits the ground. I am in pain from the bullets that hit me, but I push it aside as my body heals slowly.My heart lurches at the sight of Juniper clutching her belly with her face twisted in pain.“June!” I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. My hands hover over her, unsure of where to touch first. She’s trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.Her wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine.“Hiram,” she gasps. “The baby... the baby’s coming. He made me take pills. Too many...” Panic grips me, but I shove it down.This isn’t the time to lose contr
JUNIPER’S POV:I’m crammed between two burly men in the backseat of the SUV. The air inside the car reeks of cigarettes and sweat, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle hard against the man who has his hand covering my mouth, but he doesn’t let up. I bite his palm, causing him to yelp in pain and pull away from me.“You little—!” He grabs my hand, twisting it behind me, and the other man glares at me.“You’re going to regret this. My husband—he’s going to find you. And when he does, you’ll be sorry.” I try to sound confident, but the four of them let out a heart-draining chuckle.The man holding me snorts, his beady eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
HIRAM’S POV:My driver pulls up to the convention center in Boulder City, parking near a tree stripped bare by winter. The air bites a little—just cold enough to remind me it’s December. The streets are quiet except for a couple of locals strolling past. “Hang around, or you can come in with me,” I say to him as I look at the building in front of us.Above the entrance, a banner hangs: BOULDER CITY ART FESTIVAL 2024.I step out of my car, making my way towards the entrance. The moment I step inside, the chill fades, replaced by the hum of life and creativity. The place is packed with people, which makes it warm. There are conversations in the air, and the bright colors catch my attention.There are paintings, sculptures, and displays explodi
JUNIPER’S POV:“Will you at least drop me off at school before you go to your art, whatever?” I ask Hiram as I put on my jacket, staring at myself in the mirror.“Sure,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.“I am so glad we’re in winter, and I get to wear these large jackets. I can slowly feel the baby fat creeping in.” He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the mirror.“That’s enough for today.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “You look more beautiful than ever, and there is no baby fat,” he says, then plants a brief kiss on my lips.I adjust his tie, patting his shoulder briefly.“You look so
HIRAM’S POV:“I have an art exhibition I would love to attend on Monday.” Juniper puts down her phone and glances up at me as I say this. “It’s just in Boulder City.”Her brows crease, and she focuses on her phone without saying a thing.“You won’t make a comment?” I ask, and she glares at me.“Yeah, my husband is going to abandon me for an art exhibition while I go to school pregnant and in pain.” The sarcasm in her tone makes me chuckle slightly, then I walk up to her, sitting on the bed.“It is just one day, and I will be back in the evening or the next morning. It will be as though I didn’t leave. Plus, Rhea is here to take care of you, and&hell
HIRAM’S POV:After dinner, June and I settle in her room while Rhea stays in the guest room. I expect her to follow the usual routine of staying up almost the entire night, keeping me awake too, but before I can tell, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.I remain like that, watching the rise and fall of her chest with a gentle snore accompanying it. While she sleeps, I try to sleep too. I shut my eyes, patting her hair gently, but even as I close my eyes, I find it difficult to drift off to sleep.After a while, I push her head away gently, then I place it on the pillow, planting a kiss on her head before I stand up. My steps are quiet in order not to wake her. I leave the room, heading for the front door to get some fresh air, but the moment I step out of the hallway, I spot Milo sitting in the living room
Hiram:After minutes of driving, we get to Juniper’s mother’s house. It is a small house in town, which looks comfy. There is a compact car parked in front of it, and June’s mother is standing in front of the house. When we pull up, she rushes toward the car.Before I can open the door, Juniper gets it, rushing toward her mother.“Mum!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around her. Her mother pats her back slightly. Then I get out of the car, and Rhea follows. I grab our joint luggage while Rhea takes her bag.She looks almost the same as June, but her hair is black. They pull away, facing Rhea and me.“You already know Rhea,” June says, and Rhea waves at her.
HIRAM’S POV:“Hiram, the food’s too cold!”“Hiram, the food’s too hot!”“Hiram, it’s too sweet!”“Hiram, it’s too salty!”This has been June’s anthem this past week. I know mood swings are part of the pregnancy package, but I didn’t expect it to be this way. It’s like I can hardly breathe, and nothing is good enough for her. Sometimes I wish I could rip that baby out of her.Right now, she is fast asleep, and it is the best time for me with her. Watching her sleep peacefully like a baby and admiring her beauty, because once that eye opens, I’ll be running around the clock.
Hiram’s POV:Last night, June didn’t spend the night in my room. She came back home with Rhea, and they hung out the entire evening.“You know I’m beginning to think you love Rhea more than you love me,” I say to her as she sits in front of the mirror doing her hair.She looks at me through the mirror with a frown on her face.“Why would you say that?” she asks, and I walk up to her, bending slightly.“Maybe because you spent the entire evening with her, and slept in the guest room too,” I say, and she chuckles slightly.“So, you’re jealous of a woman?” she asks, then tilts her head slightly to face me. “You know what? Maybe I do love her better and we might have…”