ALEXIS’ POVI couldn’t bring myself to speak with Max. After a few minutes of awkward silence, I said, “Can you put on the radio?”He obliged and turned it on. I allowed myself get lost in the song being played over the radio and turned, looking out the window, making it known that I wasn’t read to have any conversation with Max. I knew it wasn’t his fault but then, I just couldn’t help feeling the way I did. I just wanted to crawl into an hole and get buried in it forever. I couldn’t believe it, Hannah was gone. Hannah was gone. It was true. I’d seen her lying lifeless on the gurney in the morgue. I imagined that my phone would ring and it’d be her calling to tell me that it was joke that she was alive. Many questions were playing in my mind; how had she died? Where was Cody her boyfriend? Was I supposed to call him? Why had Hannah been found where I overhead that she had been found? Why was my name and number written on a paper on her? There were so many questions and yet I was re
MAX’S POVI tried to hide my emotions as best as I could. I understood that Alexis was having a difficult time coming to terms with her best friend’s death, the sudden life changes she was having and everything else Selene seemed to be throwing her way. However, I was very skeptical about her choice to see Bailey again. I was very hesitant to take her to the mental institution. Yet, her fierce determination had won me over. I was also hugely sympathetic towards her. I was trying so hard to put myself in her shoes and try to be more understanding and gentle with her. It must not be easy. To have your entire life unravel before your eyes and turn out to be a lie; to be told you aren’t who you’ve lived for all the many years of your life and to lose your best friend to unfortunate circumstances. It must be hard. It must be tough for her. So I decided to oblige every desire to see Bailey. Here we were, at the mental institution with Alexis finally hearing the truth about everything from
ALEXIS’ POVMax carried me back to the car. He placed me gently on the seat and buckled the seat belt around me. He didn’t say a word to me and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to say any at all too. I was lost in my grief and the realization of my mother’s word fully dawning on me. It felt like a really heavy weight had settled over me and I couldn’t shake it off. All I could do was succumb to the weight in tears. I buried my face in my hands and cried.Max started the car and began the journey back to the house in silence. At some point, he put on the radio, probably remembering my earlier request. My tear duct finally decided to stop secreting more tears and I used Max’s handkerchief to wipe my face. I didn’t spare him a glance, focusing on the view outside my window and my thoughts. Yet, I couldn’t deny that knowing he was close was of great comfort to me. Everything in my life had suddenly turned upside down and it seemed like the only stability that I had was him. His gentle presenc
MAX’S POVRight before us stood a very tall man with whitish blonde hair and a menacing smile. “I asked a question. Do. You. Need. Some. Help?” Something about his voice turned me off. Then his scent was human but it smelt of something else. Something I couldn’t really describe; something I’d never smelt before.“Trying to analyze my scent are we?” He said, staring at me with a smirk on his lips. He knew I was a wolf. Instantly, my guards came up and I stood up, bringing my weight from leaning against Alexis to leaning on my own feet. It sent jolts of pain to my side and I felt my vision get blurry with the pain but then, I ignored it. I pushed Alexis behind me, gently but firmly.“What do you want?” I said, ensuring to keep my voice crisp and clear and laced with Alpha’s venom. The man shrugged. He said, “Well, I just wanted to have a conversation with the lady that’s all.” He pointed at Alexis. I felt Alexis try to stare past me at him but I held her back firmly behind me.“Sp
ALEXIS' POV"Alexis! Alexis!" John yelled as he got out of his car. He had some people with him who I didn't recognize. He said to one of them, "Go after that man!" He pointing in the the direction the man with white blonde hair had run in. Then the others helped Max into an ambulance. As John helped me up. I couldn't control myself as I sobbed helplessly."Max." I said, unable to say anything else but his name. John placed his hands on my shoulder and said, "He's going to be okay, Alexis. Inside that amublance is my personal doctor who is an expert at treating wolves. Max is in good hands."I shook my head. Words didn't come and instead, I began to sob. I pointed at the ambulance, I wanted to say that I was unwilling to ride apart from Max. I wanted to be with him. John understood because he shook his head. "Ride with me Am—" he paused and then smiled sadly. "Allow the expert do their job please, Alexis."I nodded and he squeezed my shoulders. He helped me into the car. He drove
MAX’S POVHer small hands were around my waist and mine were around hers too. Her beautiful green eyes were boring into mine and for a moment, nothing else mattered except that she was right here in front of me and this tiny woman was my world. I remembered her frantic gestures after the accident and the strength she had channeled and the way she had composed herself and in that moment, I couldn’t help but fall more headfirst in love with her. I don’t know if that was possible but in that moment, I loved Alexis more than I ever thought. Like I said, everything about Amelia Rhodes appealed to me. Everything about her. All the other women I’d been with now seemed too tall, too short, too this or that but Amelia was perfect. She was perfect. And she just confessed that she was in love with me. I felt elated. I felt like I’d won the lottery. “I don’t know how it happened or how best to describe it but what I feel-“ she paused and swallowed looking at her feet. “I know it’s not what I
EVE’S POV“What have you done?!” I said in alarm staring at Ezekiel. “You were supposed to scare them, not engage in a fight with Max. Now, you’ve shown yourself to them! I can’t believe you.”Ezekiel sat on a sofa in his living room, sipping some whiskey. It was broad daylight and he was already getting himself drunk. The windows in his living room were closed and the lights were off, placing the room in darkness. This was how his house always was, covered in shadows. I was pacing around the living room. I’d grown accustomed to the darkness in them and overcome the weird chills his house gave me. I stared at Ezekiel and got more infuriated. For someone who’d just messed up our plan, he was looking too calm. Too calm. That always pissed me off. Ezekiel never lost his cool. This was why it surprised me when he said, he’d gotten engaged in a physical altercation with Maxwell Moon. It wasn’t like Ezekiel to lose his cool. What this meant was that whatever he had against Max and his fam
ALEXIS POVOnce we got to John's house, Jaime was waiting for me outside. She welcomed me with a big hug, squealing, "Aunty Mia!"It took me aback. I squeezed her in a hug and then said, "What did you just call me?""Dad said your birth name was Amelia so, I decided that I'd call you Aunty Mia. It's the shortened form of your name."I felt tears pool in my eyes and I hugged Jaime back. I closed my eyes and savored the feel of her stubby body close to mine and her arms around my neck. There was just something that her words did to me. It felt good to be in a family unit. After I and Jaime dislodge from our hug, Grace stood with her arms opened. I walked into them. "Welcome home, Amelia. Welcome."I felt the tears escape and my heart was filled with an indescribable joy. I was glad my family members were the Rhodes. I was glad it was them. John said, "Well ladies, shall we go in? We can't stand around out here all day. Jaime go show Aunty Mia her room."Jaime perked up in excitement.