JESSICA Just as I was sure I couldn't see Olivia's car, I rushed into the mansion. Blake was sitting on his favorite couch, but when he saw me, he stood up. I rushed to him, jumping in his arms. He looked perfectly fine. I should have trusted him more than I had. "I was worried sick about you. Thank goddess you're alright." He kissed the side of my neck, his arms tighter around my waist. "You don't have to worry about me, Antonio wouldn't do a shit to me. And even if he does, it's either one of us ends up alive. And it's certain I'm the one walking out alive." I pulled away, staring into his eyes with a grateful smile on my face. "You never stop to amaze me." He bit his lower lips, causing a sensation in me to erupt. "What about Vanessa?" I asked. "She's in her room." We both sat on the couch. "Why did he show up in the first place?" "Who else? You." I frowned. "I think someone needs to tell that bastard I've found my mate." "I already did, so I guess that hit him i
JESSICAAfter a full month of training back to back without a break, at this point I'd say I was a more independent wolf who can save herself from trouble. Vanessa however was supposed to travel back abroad tomorrow, but I had to plead with her to spend an extra one week with us before she leaves."How about we hang out for a while? I mean, like a girl to girl outing?" I asked Vanessa and she accepted."Sure. What time?" She asked anxiously."How about now?" I said."Now?" Her eyes flew open."Yeah. I'm all set already. Besides, I've got nothing to do and I feel bored.""Alright then. But I need to have a shower first. Give me ten minutes, I'll be down." She said, hurriedly leaving for her room."Sure. Ten minutes it is."I sat on the couch, patiently waiting for her. Though she wasted more than ten minutes, but that was only five minutes extra."Five minutes late." I told her. She checked on her wrist watch. "I said ten minutes, you don't expect I should be done in exactly ten minu
BLAKE"Who are you?" I texted."Someone you wouldn't want to know." The message popped in, and for a while I thought hard but couldn't guess who it could be."Can we meet? Face to face." I texted."No." The message dropped. "Just know that I know everything that happened on that day. And don't think it's all in the past, because I'll make sure you suffer for this."At first, all my brain could imagine was Priscilla. The weight of the message spoke a lot. No one would want to take revenge on anyone, but then... Could it be that someone was recording this and had to send it to her family members?If I can remember vividly well, Priscilla had drank a very strong chemical, so there was definitely no way she survived that. And since we were both inside the physics laboratory, then it's definitely not her.Whoever it was that recorded that day must have known something bad would happen, or was a close friend of Priscilla or something."Shit!" I slammed my fist on the table. "Why can't I thi
BLAKE The days passed in a blur. Hours turned to minutes. It felt like the world had suddenly turned super fast, with everyday passing in just a blink of an eye.One week successfully passed, and Jessica was surprised to see Vanessa not making any sign of leaving. I believe she didn't want to say anything about it, maybe she thought if she did say, she'd only be reminding her to leave.I, on the other hand, tried to push every negative thought aside, focusing on the main purpose—work, training and keeping Jessica safe. Every time Jessica asked what was wrong, even as she noticed how disturbed I was in my sleep. I brushed it off, telling her it was nothing. How could I tell her the truth? That someone out there was watching, waiting, plotting to make me suffer?It was late one evening when the knock came. "Come in." I permitted.Reed walked in. "Sir, detective Harris from the police station has come to see you."I exchanged glances with Vanessa. "Did you ask the detective to come?" S
BLAKE "Confess."Vanessa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Confess what?! This is... this is a nightmare.”I stared at the USB drive, “They’re trying to blackmail me. But why now? After all this time, why come after me now?”“Maybe they know something we don’t,” Vanessa suggested. “Or maybe they’ve been waiting for the right moment.”I nodded slowly. “Whatever the reason, we need to find out what’s on this drive. But we can’t do it here. It’s too risky.”Vanessa agreed. “I’ll take it to a secure location, somewhere we can check it out without anyone knowing.”“Be careful,” I said, handing her the drive. “And make sure no one follows you.”She took the drive, nodding her head. “I will. But Blake, promise me something.”“What?”“Promise me that no matter what it is, you must protect Jessica."I nodded affirmatively. "I will."She turned to leave but made a stop. "And... you’ll tell her the truth, before it’s too late.”I looked away, sighing heavily. That was something I wasn't su
BLAKEAfter Vanessa forwarded the video, I opened the file, and somehow my breath caught in my throat. As the footage began to play, I felt my heart drop for a second. The video was grainy, but it was clear enough to recognize the people in it—me and Priscilla.But something was off. Way off.In the video, I was strangling Priscilla, with my hands wrapped tightly around her neck as she struggled to breathe, her eyes wide with terror. This never happened. I knew that. Yet there it was, playing out in front of me like some twisted nightmare.Then the scene shifted. Now I was holding a bottle, forcing some kind of chemical down her throat. Her choked gasps filled the room. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The sound—my voice—was distorted, but the words I spoke were all twisted. They had me saying things I never said, things that painted me as a monster.“Fuck!” I cursed, slamming my fist on the desk. This was beyond bad. It was a setup, a calculated manipulation to frame me. My mind ra
VANESSA I walked in, though I had taken a little longer from when I arrived. I knew from the look on Blake's face that he was suspecting something."I was expecting you sooner than now." I said, and I expected that from him.I recalled Jessica had pleaded with me not to tell Blake about our conversation. I thought of a better lie to give, masking my thoughts so he wouldn't have to read my mind.I shrugged. "I met Jessica in the dining room and I thought I should take a little bit from the omelet.""So, you said you have a new plan, fill me up." She sat on the couch, changing the topic."I thought, what if all these were just strategies to get to us. Whoever is doing this is trying to get to our weak spot, to pull us down so they can strike when we least expect it?"I thought over these and I figured just how true his idea was. "You're right." I agreed. "They're luring us to believe this and fall weak to their threats, and when we do, they get to us just at our weakest moment." I adde
BLAKEI haven't had a good sleep for a long while, however, it was cut short when Jessica tapped me. "Hey, babe. Aren't you going for training again?" Her voice pierced deeper into my ears, waking me up than the tap could have."I wouldn't mind letting you sleep more, but you know how important the training is to you, right?" She added.With the sleep still in my eyes, and the weakness weighing in my body, I sat up, rubbing my eyes gently. I stared out through the window, the sun hadn't risen yet, but the cloud was a bit clear to see."Did you even sleep?" I asked her."I'm used to waking up early after training." Vanessa's training had really impacted a lot in her life. Most mornings, she'd leave the room to train, and probably return minutes past seven.I forced myself to stand up, walking into the bathroom for a quick brush and shower. I wish I could have more sleep, but what can I do? This was for Jessica, myself and for the pack as well.The first light of dawn was just breaking
JESSICA Murmurs spread through the wolves and Lycans, and I could see some of Blake’s men lowering their stance, unsure of what to do next. Even Priscilla seemed uncertain now, and the Lycan King, though standing tall, yet he looked more cautious than he had before.“What do you want?” Raven asked. He wasn’t one to easily trust, and neither was I, but something about this figure made it hard to doubt its power.“To end this needless war,” the figure replied, its eyes now fixed on the Lycan King. “Your thirst for revenge has led you astray. And you, Blake, have let your past cloud your judgment.”Blake bristled at the words. I could feel the tension radiating off him, but he stayed silent, waiting for the figure to continue.“You all fight for reasons rooted in pain and loss,” the figure said, its gaze now on Priscilla, Antonio, and the rest of us. “But the moon does not favor endless violence. There must be balance.”I felt a sudden peace in me, but was tinged with fear. What would h
JESSICAThe fight was chaotic, with an endless clash of fangs, claws, and blood all over the ground. Just when I thought we were gaining the upper hand, things seemed to have shifted a bit. I saw Priscilla step forward, her eyes locked on Blake. My stomach twisted. All I could see in her was revenge. Revenge. It had swallowed her whole.I couldn’t just stand by and watch. I had to do something.I ran toward Priscilla, trying to reach her through the bond we once had. I pushed my thoughts into her mind, pleading with her to stop. *Don’t do this, Priscilla. It doesn’t have to be this way.* But she didn’t even flinch. Her mind was closed off, her heart totally consumed by rage. She was too far gone.Before I knew it, I grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away, but that only made things worse. She jerked around, her eyes burned with fury. And then, out of nowhere, the Lycan King appeared, moving so fast that I barely saw him coming. He smacked me hard across the face, and everything went
JESSICA The morning was quiet, but I could feel the tension in the air. Today was the day—the day of the war we had all been preparing for. Blake had met with Alpha Raven the day before, and they promised to fight with us. Not just Raven, but another wolf clan that was a close friend of his had joined in too. Seeing how determined they were gave me some comfort, even though the fear of what was to come still weighed heavily on me.Blake’s men were already gathered, standing at attention, waiting for his orders. I stood beside him, my heart racing, but I knew I had to stay strong. This was the moment Blake had promised me—fighting alongside him, just like he said we would.Beside him was Lyra, he had also made her the same promise. Even though she tried to play courageous with the smile on her face, I could tell she was shit scared like I was.Then the alarm went off. The knight watcher signaled that Antonio and the Lycan pack were on their way. My breath caught in my throat. This wa
JESSICA The door creaked open behind me, and I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Blake’s scent, that familiar mix of warmth and safety, wrapped around me as he stepped closer. “Jessica,” his voice was soft, yet I could feel the cling of sleep in his tone. “What’s wrong? You’re shaking.”I hadn’t even noticed my body trembling. I tried to pull myself together, but I knew he could sense it. He always could. I forced myself to look up at him, his eyes still sleepy but alert now, searching mine for answers."I'm fine." I lied. "I couldn't sleep anymore so I thought I should get some air. Besides, the guards are everywhere, you need not to worry. You should go back to sleep."He sighed, crossing his arms around his chest. "How am I supposed to go back to sleep when you're not on the bed?" I looked at him, and we both chuckled. "I can wait until you feel sleepy."That was one habit of Blake, he wasn't ready to give up on me no matter how minor or major the situation may be."It's re
JESSICAI felt my heart sink after hearing what the spy had said. Antonio had made it so obvious after speaking to someone over the phone, his laughter filled the air so it was loud enough for the spy to have eavesdropped on him.It hurt me that it was at this point Priscilla was being silly and stubborn. I don't know what her master had done to her, but whatever it is, I wouldn't let her have her way. I don't care if it would cost my own life, I wouldn't sit and watch her hurt my man.I welcomed nature with the purpose of meeting Priscilla at least for the last time. I knew I was disobeying Blake's order not to meet her again since she had made up her mind. Somehow, I believe there could be a chance for hope.The dream was so vivid, so real that when I saw her, standing there in the distance, my stomach dropped. "Priscilla." That name tasted like poison on my tongue. She didn’t look surprised when I called her out, anger burning in my chest as I stormed toward her. "Priscilla!" I sh
PRISCILLAIt was a week before Deluca finally came to a conclusion on the day to attack. Though it wasn't fixed yet, it was something he assumed to be. I was more than excited that I wouldn't have to wait any longer than I have. I didn’t see the need to attend Deluca’s meeting with his friends. We had already gone over every detail of the plan. Besides, the thought of sitting through hours of more discussion felt like a waste of time. So, I stayed back in my room, but as the night dragged on, I couldn’t deny how restless I was becoming. How long were they going to talk? It's been since morning, weren't they tired already? I can't even imagine myself sitting for hours, not to talk about talking for more than five hours over a particular conversation.I paced for a bit, trying to distract myself, but eventually ended up lying on my bed, waiting for Deluca to return. I kept glancing at the door, hoping to hear his footsteps. But he never came, and the heaviness of the day slowly lulle
JESSICAI felt strange, this time it was a different feeling. I could tell Priscilla was happy, and in a good mood. I wouldn't say I didn't like it but... the happiness felt kinda strange."What's wrong?" Blake asked."I need to dream.""What?" Aria looked at me like I had gone crazy."Yes, I need to dream. I need to see Priscilla right now.""But it's still morning." She said, "I mean, you can't see her except if you both are sleeping, right?""Shit." I cursed under my breath. That was the fucking truth. If I need to speak to Priscilla, we both have to be asleep."Do you feel like she's in trouble or something?" Blake asked and I looked at him. How am I to answer him when I can't even tell my actual feelings right now."No. I can only feel her excitement right now." He raised an eyebrow like he wasn't expecting that answer from me."You should be happy." He added."Yes, I should. But this happiness comes with something different and I need to figure out what it is."I never knew how
PRISCILLAWhat?!I mentally screamed and before I could know it, he had grabbed my lips into his. I felt my adrenaline rise in want, and I couldn't hold back the desire to kiss him back. As much as I wanted to fight him off, I found myself succumbing to his temptation.His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling my face closer. While his other hand held my waist, causing our body to meet, my chest resting against his. And for some reason, I wished I wasn't this bursty.This man was all charming, and no matter how hard I tried to resist him, I just couldn't. I felt weak in his arms, and the way he touched me was way too strong than my resistance. And I can't do anything but give up trying."You know," He muttered between the kisses. "I love it when you fill your thoughts about me." I knew well, he was aware I was thinking so much about him. But him asking me minutes ago was like he was playing the innocent man who doesn't read everyone's mind."So, I'm gonna make every thought you t
PRISCILLAIt was a hot morning. I couldn't believe the sun would shine this bright at such an hour of the day. I learned Antonio was paying Deluca a visit, I knew my anger would get a better hold of me so I decided to remain in my room for the rest of the day.I went to my wardrobe to search for something to wear. Or maybe, I can just take a drive outside to one of the eateries, rather than sharing the same air with an enemy. That was a perfect idea, and I was going to stick with it.I laid my clothes on the bed, and that was when Ivy, my maid, was showing up. Always late when needed. "Ma'am, your meal is ready." She walked in with my breakfast."Just drop it on the table." I said,She did so. "Anything else I can do for you?" She asked."No. I have everything done already." I walked into the bathroom. I just don't know how to get her changed to someone better. I have tried everything and yet she still seems dull to my liking.I heard the sound of the door closing, I let out a sigh b