Her smile drops, and her eyebrows furrow as she stares blankly into my eyes. “Excuse me?”“Unbelievable, you still want to act innocent? Thalia, you couldn't brainwash me into making you my Luna so you go for him? Have you no shame, he's got a family.”“You're mistaken.” she nervously chuckles. “Ezra and I are like family.”I snicker, unable to control my laughter. They're family? “And yet you say his name like that? You both must be truly incestuous because as far as I know, family doesn't screw each other.” I sneer, and I should know considering I have a lot of sisters and cousins I'm close to.“You can say what you will about me but don't you dare utter anything of that nature against Ezra. Regardless of what atrocities your deranged brain must be conjuring, he loves his wife and kids very much. He's an honorable man….” she trails off, glaring at me. “Unlike most.”I shake my head, she's feigning innocence as if she doesn't know what I'm saying but she does, she's just so good at p
NOVASeeing Thalia again after being forbidden from going on the floor she works felt good. I am aware It's hypocritical of me to miss her, and as a sister and aunt I dislike everything that occurred but as a friend? I love who she is. She might have been a terrible mother, mate, or whatnot but she's a good friend. Ever since I saw her covered in cement, claiming Knox didn't push her which in certain he did, we've talked daily. And no, I've not missed how she's been trying to avoid me so I brought it up and we ended up agreeing to be friends again, even if she goes no contact when she leaves. “We should totally get lunch at Fenny's.” I offer, and Thalia gasps.“She still runs the place? I love her food.”“Well not technically but on Fridays she cooks and lucky for us I made a permanent reservation for every Friday.”Her lips pull into a smile, the happiest I've seen her in the two days we've been catching up. “Should we go right now?”“Yeah, but can we stop at the pack house so I can
I frown, my gaze shifting between Bella and Thalia. “Huh?”“She eats vegetables, so she's very pretty.” Bella explains and I finally connect the dots, she thinks Thalia is pretty and I always tell her pretty women ate and ate a lot of vegetables when they were young. “And her hair is shiny. Can I touch it?”“Bella,” Knox calls out in a panicked warning. “Come here.”“Just a tiny touch, tincy winy..” Bella pouts, flat out ignoring Knox.“Me too.” Katie Rose agrees, clapping her hands. Now both the kids are excited. Thalia feigns a laugh and squats down. “Go on.” she urges them, and they waste absolutely no time. They both stroke her hair and gush about how beautiful and soft it is. “I could do this forever.” Katie Rose sighs, pure satisfaction as she feels the strands of Thalia's hair.“Me too.” Arabella Venus agrees, looking up at Mariella. “Mommy you should eat some vegetables too like this lady. Your hair doesn't feel this nice.”I can't help but laugh at the remark. “Okay
Too many questions, too close to him to not fantasize about the accusation. “Because you can.” he snaps, and I hardly get to react or so much so as to get a word in before his lips crash onto mine. Claiming them violently, and too darn hurtful. He's giving me both pain and pleasure, kissing me while purposefully biting my lips and I'm too consumed by lust to notice. “You should leave my territory.” he bites. A moan slips past my lips, consumed into my mouth. “I can't, not yet.” “I hate you.” he snaps, shoving me onto the mattress where I land with a bounce. My rob wasn't exactly fixed for this, it comes undone the moment he throws me, leaving me bare on the mattress as he stares at me like exactly what I became years ago, his prey. “I can't stand you, Thalia Rose Laurel.” “I know.” I nod, licking my lips. He leans over me, grabbing me at the wrists and pinning them above my head. His gaze sweeps over my hard nipples, the way in which my chest rises and falls from being in hi
RYAN Thalia's assistant is quite the looker, and the brains on the girl simply make her way hotter than most girls who throw themselves at me. I'm not blind to the way she looks at me, but if I fuck her? It'll be a damn shame to ghost her, that too an impossible one. The best I can do is keep it professional between us, at least until the night before she leaves, I'm a patient man. “Ugh, Ruston needs to fucking quit. Look at how lousy he plays, he's dragging the entire damn team down with him.” Amara frowns, staring at the TV screen like she could just jump inside. “You see that?” she quickly turns to me before drifting back to the basketball game we're watching. “Useless. Height doesn't cut it alone, Niko! Fucking play for goodness sake you darn spoiled rich brat.” I can't help but laugh at her, despite her trash against my team and complaints about the team she's supporting losing not once has she drifted from the TV. She stares like she could just go and score herself the
THALIA Ever since I came back to Flame Valley I've been nothing but confused, I knew coming here would definitely mess me up in a way but things have gone from bad to worse and I'm afraid I'm becoming the girl my mother walked in half dead on. I promised myself I would never see that look in her eyes again because I don't want to hurt another person I love but I'm afraid I'm failing, I'm falling short of life. Even with my hair done and a pantsuit on, I don't recognize the woman I've grown accustomed to loving. I'm starting to feel just as stupid as Knox claims I am. Not willing to lose the one part of my life that pushes me to live another day, I call my therapist Lana. I have at least thirty minutes before we leave for the last of the Conference today, which I'm fairly looking up to. “Thalia.” Lana smiles at me from my laptop screen, looking as flawless as always. I wonder if that's why people like me trust her with our flaws because she eliminated any surface ones she migh
“Did you say something?” Knox glares, his eyes piercing.I nod, fully pumped on advice from my therapist. “I said I didn't offer, you bullied me into it, and honestly I'm quite sick of your behavior.”“Ms Laurel.” Amara hisses, warning me I'm poking the bear.“No, let me say this because if I don't say it today then he'll think I am okay with the way things are.” my gaze drifts back to Knox, noting Ryan's return which gives some sort of comfort. “I'm not.”I match his glare. “I'm so fucking done with you bullying me, trying to find faults in my work, which news flash!” I lowly chuckle, “There's none. There aren't any because I'm good at my job. I'm the god darn best lawyer in this region and if me not beating your top lawyers wasn't enough? Try a little Google search.”Ryan laughs, pulling Amara away. “Get in the car, star player.” and there goes my support team.Knox watches me, he didn't expect the outburst. “You should watch your fucking tone when you talk to me.”“I won't, because
“Family lounge!” she yells back, leaning towards the entrance. Knox walks in, hardly acknowledging me. “Where is my-what are you doing here?” he snaps, after taking a second look at me he realizes it wasn't just her here. “I'm just-” His gaze cuts to Mariella. “I thought I told you I didn't want her around my house and much less my child.” “She came to get Nova, they have plans.” Mariella swallows. “Bullshit, they see each other every fucking day, and th-” “I should have waited in the car,” I grumble, interrupting his useless point. Mariella jumps in quickly, “No. It's fine that you're here, right Alpha Knox?” “No.” Knox asserts, “Nova may have won the choice to keep her around but I don't think you should be buddy-buddy with her. Her bad influence could rub off on you, or worse on the kids.” Mariella gasps, “Alpha Knox, that's mean. Thalia-” “No. Knox is right.” I wave her off, causing both of them to stare wide-eyed at me. “I don't think this friendship
“Novie? Are you okay?” Thalia repeats, her tone laced with concern. “Yes,” I nod, jumping off the bed. “I just remembered I have a proposal to submit at work, Knox might be here but he will still scold me.” “Okay, goodbye?” she calls out, but I'm already opening the door. My first instinct is to run to Knox, but I can't find him. The doctor says he went out to buy some special vitamins for Thalia. I book an Uber, my whole body shaking thanks to the information I just learned. The car couldn't go fast enough, in my opinion. My foot jitters the entire ride home, and when I'm finally dropped off, I nearly forget to pay the driver in my haste to find Mariella. “Mariella!” I scream, my voice bitter than it is most times I address her. This is someone Thalia trusted with her life, someone who betrayed her just so she can fuck Knox
The words hit me like a thousand bricks to the head. I sit there, frozen, her voice echoing in my head long after she’s turned her face away. She doesn't know, she thinks the baby—babies are gone. In her head, they couldn't have made it through the blood, screaming and chaos. I want to correct her, I ache to tell her. To see her eyes taken with something other than pain, to watch life crawl back into her bones but not only do I not deserve the satisfaction, but the way she’s looking at me right now as if I’m the ghost that haunts her dreams makes me stop. She hates me as much as I long to hate her or even more and right now? I hate myself too. I hate the way I hurt her, the way I didn’t protect her from herself—or from me. “Thalia,” I call out, in an attempt to tell her the truth but when she looks at me with her teary eyes and tear-stained cheeks, the words get stuck in my throat. “Everything is okay,” I tell her but it's more for me, to ease some of the guilt that comes
KNOX It's been six hours since Thalia was rushed to the hospital, and four since the doctor let us see her. Ryan, Nova, Amara and I surround her hospital room while she just lays in the bed which makes her look so small and frail. She's still unconscious but the doctors swear both she and the pup are fine, I even had my pack doctor Madison come here to aid the other doctors because I trust her work, and believe in her methods. The doctor said she bled due to stress, and knowing I've been the biggest inducer of her stress has done something to me. I have this pain in my chest that won't go away, it intensifies each time I hear her name or think of it. I feel like crap, but if the need had been there I would have chosen her over our pup, I would rather she walk out on he own than take the pup from her. My words must have hurt her, I put both her and the pup at risk and now I don't know what to do. Amara came to the hospital a few hours ago, she and Nova are closely watching Thalia
Hey wonderful readers, I hope you’re all doing amazing mentally, physically, and emotionally (because these characters sure aren’t helping with that, are they?). I am dying to know how you are feeling about the story so far. Who’s your favourite character? Who’s making you want to fling your phone across the room? Are Thalia and Knox making you scream too, or is it just me?? How’s the pacing—do you need more heartbreak, fights, or more kissing (or all)? Let me know in the comments and leave me a review, I’d love to know what’s got you hooked or raging. Thank you for reading, supporting, and choosing to fall into the chaos with me.♡ With love and just a dash of angst, XO, Athena.❦
MARIELLA The sharp snap of the bullet tearing through the paper is the only thing that calms me but not today, I don't vengeance know what to do. I've been at the shooting range since I heard about the secret Knox has been keeping from me. I was having the best day, knowing I settled Arabella's obsession with Thalia but then a certain someone called and told me they overheard another say that Thalia was rushed to the hospital with Nova, and Alpha Knox and that was merely the opening statement, the final straw for me was learning she's pregnant. That bit of information turned my spa date into a rage outlet activity. I went to the shooting range, with Kennedy who has been nothing short of N instigator. I've stuck seven pictures of her on the body targets I paid extra for and so far, four are down, this little ritual of mine is practically more sacred today but with each shot, I'm reminded Thalia is still alive because none of the dummies bleeds like I know she would. “I hate
I knock on the bathroom door twice, my knuckles stinging slightly from how hard I'm knocking. “Thalia? Are you okay in there?” I knock again, but I hear nothing. The restaurant has one bathroom with two stalls, and Thalia is the only one with the keys. Something feels wrong; it sends alarms ringing in my head. I rush to the reception for the spare key, but then it dawns on me that I didn't try to open the door, so I head back and twist it open. Thalia is on the floor when I get in, cradling her knees, arms wrapped around them while staring into nothingness. “Thalia, you had me worried.” I sigh, “What are you doing on the floor?” She doesn't answer, nor react to my presence. I crouch down beside her, tapping her shoulder, “What's wrong?” I ask, only then does she acknowledge me. She stares at me, eyes wide and distant. I start to panic, this doesn't look or feel normal. “Are you okay?” “Call Knox,” she swallows. Knox? What did my idiot brother do this time, did he scold her for
“Maybe if he wasn't my chosen then I'd be happy.” I swallow, I picked Aaron for a mate, my ancestors really cursed me there by crossbreeding with lycans and interfering with the perfect assortment by the moon goddess. Okay, maybe not perfect, there's Thalia and Knox are proof even the moon goddess can get things wrong. “You know, I would have waited for my fated mate or died waiting, anything would be better than this.” “Aww, I'm sorry, Novie.” Thalia caresses my arm. “I wish I knew what to say but my love life is a bigger fuck up.” “True,” we share a laugh. “But I am fine, I'll get over him and start over, just me and Katie Rose...” I trail off, forgetting he will always be around because we share a child, and he will torment me with that. “It's not your fault, you're not wrong for wanting a peaceful life.” “I'm wrong for not forgiving him,” I admit. Many women would overlook this and hand him a second chance but I'm just not there yet, I don't think I'll ever be there. “No
“Calm down,” I tell her, watching how easily her emotional state has escalated. I'm just trying to find something that works for me and my children and not having her around worked just fine for me. “No, you,” she points at me, shaking still. “You don't tell me what to do, you're sick! I just found out you knocked up for sport, tortured me because I didn't get pregnant when you hate me for killing our child?” “Thalia,” I warn, not liking the way her breathing pattern has quickened with each word she says. “Sorry, touchy subject, I know.” she nervously laughs, misreading my concern. “But I'm not giving up my baby to some sadistic psychopath with had a brain cell.” I ignore the jab at my intelligence, and still unsure of why she's so upset when she's mentioned she doesn't want a baby. “You yourself have expressed your need to not have a baby, if you give the child to me I'll raise it better than you can.” I tell her, knowing the example of my parenting is sitting at home happy a
I lift her and sit her in my lap, holding her close while I try to find words that won't sound too resentful. “Your daddy doesn't like your auntie Thalia and when you're so close to her, it hurts him. And me too, she's nice but she can be very bad sometimes.” “Why?” “I don't know,” I sigh. “But if you want to go to school, and be a flower girl in Mommy and Daddy's wedding then you have to stop liking Thalia.” I prompt, watching her frown, her gaze a multitude of unspoken questions. “If you do that, I can convince Daddy to let you go to school.” She frowns, “But Mommy, I like her.” “So I do,” I frown. “But if you really want to go to school, and get that pretty dollhouse daddy said no to then you have to stay away from Thalia and treat her like strangers.” Arabella doesn't respond, she's been wanting to attend school since she