“Why?” “Because Thalia is here.” she says, proceeding to walk away hastily. Just as a scream pierces the air, a raw scream I know all too well. “Thalia?” My heart races, her scream echoing in my brain. She's in pain, I can feel it. Our mate bond never weakened enough for me to not know of things like this, distance helped but having her near has been a game changer. I don’t know who I am with her around, I hate it, I hate her. “Yes.” Nova proceeds to walk away, making me follow her all the way into the kitchen where she damps a liquid in an ice pack. “Where is she?” “She's in the panic room, it seems her heat got a little out of control so I took her in there and ordered off all unmated males from coming here.” Again. She screams making me flinch. “I told her to go home, why is she? Didn't you just drive her to her home?” Nova sighs. “Because I want to take care of my friend and besides, she'll be good in...” she trails off, her gaze lowering to her wrist. “Two
“you were at work.” I defend myself, he wasn't supposed to be here and neither was I. “I was.” he grunts, grabbing me by my thighs and dragging me. “But now I'm back and this..” he trails off, studying the state of my panties. “I don't want to run into you in my house.” “I can't promise.” I bite out, an honest truth. Knox will have to deal with my presence for a little while longer because I can't break my bond with Nova. A cold sting lands on my ass. “Really?” “Nova needs me.” I yelp, the sting of his hand against my ass sending shivers down my spine. He pulls me down further, and hoovers over me. I watch as he leans into me, smelling me. “Oh, damsel.” “Knox, please.” I cry out, unsure if it's for him to stop or continue. All I know is having this close clouds my brain, and my judgment, it makes me question my existence. “I don't want to touch you but I also can't hear you whimper for another second, you're pissing me off.” I whimper, grinding against his thig
THALIA Two days later, I'm no longer in heat with only a few symptoms lingering. It's been great feeling relief free while dedicating my time at work to avoiding Knox as best as I can. Not just him, but literally everyone from his pack because I didn't want them to smell him on me. I've been wallowing in guilt, and self pity while stuffing my face with caramel and cheese popcorn, an accidental flavor discovery that I've grown obsessed with. Considering I'm a stranger to the kitchen, this meal has carried me through the days, with everything else I attempt to make nauseating me. That's how bad I am in the kitchen, I can't smell my own food. I'm licking the last of my popcorn coating off my fingers, my eyes glued to the TV when a knock brings me out of my daze. I'm not expecting any guest, and not many people have this address so when another knock lands on the door, I assume it's a delivery of some sort, seeing I've been shopping online a lot. “Keir.” my mouth hangs open, t
His hand wraps around my ponytail and he pulls, forcing me to look up at him. “You disgust me, Rose. You're such a fucking slut, always enticing men and now you've upgraded to fucking them?” Fury flickers in his gaze, his chest rising and falling heavily, heavier than my sobs. For a moment, he seems to hesitate but his hand lifts, aiming for my face. “No, Keir please, please.” I beg, blinking through my tears. “Not the face.” “Who not?” he growls, “Maybe I should smash your face so other men won't find you fuckable.” I shake my head, shielding my face from his blows until he finally grabs my arms, shoving me against the wall. “I'm sorry, please don't hurt me on the face.” “Hurt you?” he snarls, “What about me? You're in enduring a physical pain that will fade in a matter of hours, but me? You've hurt my heart Rose, my soul. How the fuck am I supposed to heal from that as easy as you will.” “You know I'm your girlfriend, not his. I hate him” I gulp, my voice cracking wit
KNOX Thalia is missing. No, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration but she isn't at work and no one has heard from her. Thalia has a routine, she comes into the office every day at the exact same time, eight twenty five, and not a minute later or earlier. Yet today, her arrival is long overdue, she was supposed to be here for a meeting over an hour ago but she didn't show up, and the client is suing me for over three million in damages because Thalia couldn't do her job right. I assigned the case to her thinking she could handle it because if anything, her countless wins over the past month have placed her capabilities in my highest regard but I guess I was wrong about her yet again. Being upset over the client isn't the main source of my anger, the main source of my anger this morning is aimed at Thalia being M.I.A. My assistant has called her phone countless times, Ryan too, and not once has she picked up the darn device. However, her assistant has been here all morning, h
Ryan scrambles to help her, trying to do damage control when no one asked him. “I'm sorry, Thalia, he-” “Ryan.” I call out, stopping him from making apologies to Thalia in my name. “I’m fine.” I hear Thalia say just as the elevator doors open. When I step inside I get a clear view of Ryan rushing to meet me and Thalia picking up the documents around her with nobody but Amara aiding her. She did this, she's the reason but her assistant offers to help her. Ryan makes it just before the door closes, the heat of his gaze burning into me as I scroll aimlessly on my phone. “What is the matter with you?” “I did nothing wrong.” I scoff, unable to fathom how he's forever blind to her faults. If I didn't know better, I'd say my Beta is in love with my ex. “You didn't have to be rude to her.” I sigh, pocketing my phone. “And what do you think I should have done? Should I have kissed her feet and licked the ground she walks on?” “Why not?” Ryan smiles, ignoring the elevator doors o
NOVA Ryan’s birthday is in a few days and he has insisted on not wanting a party which I have agreed to but as the official family planner? I simply saw an opportunity to give him a surprise party. However, planning a surprise party for him when I'm under the same roof as him is going to be difficult, more so because of the kids. And yet, here I am, shopping for party decorations with both kids, under the guise of a co-workers birthday. I did purchase a few things online but there were some things I couldn't find hence the store runs. This is my third store this morning and I still can't find the right color balloons, which means I have to go to yet another store but just in case, I purchase three sets of backup apple green balloons. “Okay, that’s it. ”Mommy, look!“ Katie Rose squeals, heading straight for the wings on her left. Arabella giggles, spinning to show off the wings they somehow managed to put on each other while I struggled with the right color strings and ballo
Thalia laughs, and Keir grins widely, holding her closer. ”Hey, you're that boy in Val's phone!“ Bella says.Katie Rose giggles, “He's not in the phone, silly.”Keir looks down at the two troublemakers standing on my left. “And who are these cute little, umm…“ he trails off, his gaze shifting between Bella and Thalia the Bella again, he repeats the cycle, unmissable confusion in his gaze.It's more than clear to anyone who meets Bella she looks like Thalia, but Knox has forbidden us from saying anything about that. ”I know,“ Thalia nervously laughs. ”Babe, you should see her mom. The resemblance is-“”It’s scary, flower.“ he finishes for her”Umm,“ Katie Rose muses, “Who is Flower?”Thalia's cheeks flash as she raises her hand. ”Me, that's what he calls me.”Why?” both girls ask, making Keir laugh.”Because he's my boyfriend.” Thalia tells them, but that only makes Katie Rose scrunch up her nose.”You're prettier than flowers,” Katie Rose shrugs.”Yes, and she's Auntie Thalia Rose.“ B
“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