“Blaise?” I smile, putting a finger to my lips to hush him as he looks at me like I’m a dead person, coming back to life. In front of us, Omegas spill into the forests behind the Packhouse, desperate to find cover before the ten minutes of Preparation would tick out. It’s a flurry of paws and scattered snow. Noel recovers surprisingly quick. “Hurry,” He whispers, pulling at my wrist. “Transform to your wolf. We have to run.” “We don’t have a lot of time.” I nod. The bells continue to echo behind us as I shift midair, bare flesh changing to snow-white fur. Next to me, I see Noel shift into a wolf slightly larger than mine, the shade of warm chestnut. His amber eyes spark with intelligence. “Follow me.” I break into a run after him. The scarlet light of the Blood Moon above our heads is almost eerie, washing the snow crimson. And I’m so, so glad that I’m with him. I think anyone by themselves would be eaten by the terror first, even before the warrior wolves find them. We p
I scream. Noel is torn away from me within a second. Both of us are dragged out by the scruffs of our necks from the haven underground, where I’d thought we’d be so safe in. Now the cold is everywhere, and being unprepared, it hits even worse. The snow is still deeply blood-red. Two. They are both high-ranks, right underneath the status of Beta. “Blaise!” “Shut up,” A wolf growls, swatting a heavy paw. Noel’s jaw slams shut. And I feel my blood run cold as the silver wolf mercilessly sinks his fangs into his shoulders, dragging him away to the farther edge of the crimson clearing. Noel cries out. I see rivulets of scarlet between his chestnut fur. My eyes turn feral. I lunge, straight for the wolf at least thrice my size. Both my claws and fangs are bared. I want nothing more than to bury them into his throat and tear it out of his— “Where are you so set on going, girl?” A howl breaks from my jaw as something pulls me backward. My body is too weak to resist— metal wraps
I’m not gone for long. My eyes feel like they’ve been glued shut for a decade as I open them again, to the feeling of tender roughness against my fur. I’m still lying in the snow. My fur is wet with it, soaking with it. Above me, the Moon shines a bright silver. The Alpha is bent over me. His tongue runs over my wound. I hear him murmur. “You foolish Omega.” “Alpha,” I gasp out dizzily, wanting to ask him if Noel is okay. But my own tongue feels like ash in my mouth, and I hear him hush me. His body is a mass of warmth against the cold of the winter. “Sh. You’re in pain.” “No, no.” I murmur, scrabbling at him with the tips of my sopping paws. He slowly lifts his eyes, at my continued calls. His golden eyes finally settle on mine. And he must’ve read my mind, just from my panicked gaze. He sighs heavily. “The other Omega is safe. The Beta has him.” Beta…Ezra? But he’s safe. He’s okay. My head drops limply back onto the ground. And I see the Alpha through the slits
Hands around my neck. The fingertips squeeze, finding its way through to pressure the grooves of my throat. Whoever’s choking me is shrouded with shadow. The only thing that I see are two clouds of ash, streaked with dirt. Was that a smile, flickering in and out? I couldn’t tell. My own hands aren’t there when I call on them, to try and get this silhouette off of me. It’s like they are somewhere else, or not mine. Or simply glued to the ground, and I was nowhere near strong enough to move them a single inch. Then the fingertips suddenly turn to claws. The tips of them break flesh. Blood pours. My eyes fly open. Someone is holding my hands. And I’m on a bed, the back of my shirt firmly stuck to my skin with how much I’d sweat. My tongue sits like a ton of bricks in my mouth. It feels as if I haven’t spoken in the last decade. The Alpha holds me. His large hand is wrapped around both my wrists. His eyes are a steady stream of gold, brilliant yet haunting. He’s in bed r
IRA All the nails on my fingertips have been chewed up. That vixen piece of an Omega. I was now convinced that she’d known I was there. She’d intentionally worn those long dresses with loose, ugly sleeves, to play the good girl image to the Alpha. She’d intentionally spilled that fact about the new dress that he had given her, so I could be manipulated into helping her show off her assets. I scream into my pillow. Everyone. Everyone had been whispering about her today. The usual male wolves who always hung out around me, trying to get my attention and be the lucky one to take me to bed, hadn’t shown up at all. I’d even pulled the I-need-help trick with the heavy water bucket, and none of them had even bothered to come near. They’d just been talking among themselves, about that damned Omega. How she had one of the best figures that they had ever seen. How they would give anything to even talk to her once. “Goddammit!” Useless, woman-chasing dogs. Foolish idiots. I ha
Noel had pleaded with me to keep a low profile. It’s late afternoon. And I’m walking to my room, for a nice, refreshing nap after a garden walk with Noel. He was showing me all the secret spots around the Packhouse, and I’d made a mental list ranking my favorites. I make a note to make a trip back up to the balcony on the top floor, for some stargazing after putting the Alpha to sleep tonight. I turn the corner, pressing back a huge yawn. Then I meet eyes with the Alpha. Quickly, I shuffle back into the corner, cursing under my breath. I hear footsteps, echoing closer towards my direction. There’s an alarm blaring in my mind. Why was he here? Usually I’d never see him out in the halls during this time, because he was too busy working in his office or whatever. He was the number-one person that I could not be seen with right now. Especially after I’d heard all those threats in the dining hall. “Blaise?” I jump, forcing an awkward smile on my face as I look up into his bri
The door closes. And the moment it does, I rush to take my hand off of him. Suddenly, I’m all too aware of what I’d just done, from the heat of the moment. The Alpha is gazing at me, gold eyes alight with amusement and curious interest. A candle burns lowly in the corner of the room. My cheeks slowly turn red. “What was that?” “Nothing.” I instantly say. “That was nothing. She was pissing me off. That’s why I did it. No other reason.” He laughs, his hand resting against the spot on his chest where I’d touched him. “Such a feisty Omega my Singer is.” I flush. Then I quickly take my pillow, marching over to set myself up on the chair I usually sat on. My cheeks are burning still. I don’t know why I did that. Even if I really did want to make her angry. That had been a bad decision on my part. She had looked furious. I’d caught her expression just before the door had closed. Then I stop. “Where is it?” “Where is what?” He replies, giving me another smile. “The chair.
I glance to my left, before turning my gaze back to the night sky. I stare at the silver-encrusted, star-adorned Milky Way painting a streak down the pitch-dark sky for a couple seconds before frowning. Then I glance to my left again, side-eyeing the Alpha leaning against the wooden railing. His large hands are folded over one another, and his eyes are closed. The locks of his dark hair ripple in the winter breeze. This time, his eyes open to catch mine looking at him. “Am I prettier than the stars, Blaise?” I imitate throwing up. He laughs softly. “You’re ruining the moment,” I say. The audacity of him, to say something like that. “It’s hard to enjoy this view when you’re here.” “I’ll be quiet.” He murmurs, and I raise a brow as I turn back to the stretch of snow and forest below me. A fresh gust of wind takes my breath away. The Moon pours her silver down on the ground. It’s a cloudless night, and it’s easy to see the stars that cover the skies. He really is completely
________________________________BLAISEAfter that day, I hadn't seen a trace of Christian. Now it had almost been a full week, and I had lost most of the confusing thoughts with what had happened. The first three days I hadn't been able to get him out of my mind. But by now I'd convinced myself that he'd probably realized he didn't feel that way about me. We hadn't had contact for years. There was just no way he could have fallen in love with me. My fingertips hover above the keyboard of my laptop. Great. I was thinking about him again, wasn't I? Leaning back into the chair, I take a sip of iced coffee and start typing again. Half of my mind is still occupied with Christian. It wasn't good to think about him. He did this, to me. Always. He made me wonder. He would always leave me so confused and lost, always leave my head so full of him. Then he'd leave for years and not come back. A bitter expression passes by my lips. It was better to just forget it entirely. "Miss?" "M
__________________________________Great.This was just all fucking great, dammit.The moon is already high up in the sky. And I'm wandering in the dark, empty streets of Seoul, my stomach turning with the guilt of having said all that to him.I'd just run. I'd run away from him, without even thinking where I'd go.Would he still be there, at my apartment?I had no idea.And the regret is just growing by the second, slowly pressing down on my chest.I'd acted so childish just now. Like a childish little brat, out to get revenge. I could've just held it all in. Held it in, like I'd always done.I don't know why I'd gotten so emotional when I'd seen Christian's face.I'd just completely lost my composure. I'd just lost it in front of him, not even thinking what was going to happen next.And I'm so deep in my own thoughts I don't even look where I'm walking.My shoulder crashes into someone."Ah!"A surprised yelp bursts from my lips as I tumble backwards onto the sidewalk. And I complet
_______________________________BLAISE"Ow."My eyes slowly flicker open. And I'm surprised to see that I'm in my own kitchen, my head tucked between my hands and chest leaning against the island table. I'm seated on the high chair, but in the opposite way so I'm practically hugging the back of the chair.How in the world had I gotten into this—"Don't move."Christian?!I twist around in surprise. But the moment I do, pain streaks up my spine and I nearly tumble off the chair."Ah!"Strong hands wrap around my shoulders, righting me back on the chair again. Christian sounds absolutely pissed."I told you not to move.""What are you even—"I look down to see that he's wrapping bandages around my stomach. My shirt, soaked completely in blood, is thrown in a messy pile on the wooden floor.I'm only in my bra.My face goes paler than before."Christian!""Relax." He says, and I can practically hear him roll his eyes even when I can't see him. "Should I have let you bleed to death then?"
________________________________"So you see— the sign changes, because the variable comes over to this side. And then you would flip this, too." I say, tapping at the paper with the eraser of my tipped pencil."Do you unders—Christian!"He's examining a strand of ramen, holding the chopsticks over his head. His eyes flicker to me."Yeah?""Put that in your mouth. Right now." I snap, grabbing a napkin and wiping the corner of his lips. He immediately pulls back, his expression tense."What are you doing?!""I should be asking you that." I fire back, crossing my arms. "Did you listen to anything that I said for the last ten minutes?""...I did.""Tell me one thing."He frowns, looking thoughtful for a second. Then he looks up at me with a pointed look."The variable changes, because the sign comes over to the other side of the equation. Okay? I've been listening, Ms. Ara."I raise a brow. Does he really think he's outsmarted me or something?"More like the sign changes because the vari
________________________________"Browse around." I suggest as I start picking books out for my next class. "I might take a while. There are a lot of books here.""I don't read.""Well, you can." I raise my eyebrow when I see him brooding at me from the corner. "What are you interested in? What kinds of topics?"He breathes. "How should I know?""No hobbies or anything?" I ask, tapping my finger on the cover of a book. "What about stories, then?""Here."I hold out a copy of one of my favorites."I don't want—""No. I'm giving you something to do as your punishment. Just wait until I finish checking out some books, alright?" I say firmly, making his expression steel. He rips the book from my hands.Then he walks briskly over to the reading corner, dropping into a plush chair with a stormy look.I laugh.He really was an interesting one._______________________________I finally pick out the last book, piling on top of all the others in the checkout box. That had taken over an half hou
"Christian."“Get to the blackboards, will you?”______________________________BLAISEI go through the list of names, one by one."Amana.""Yes, Ms. Ara.""Yousef?""Here.""Skylar.""Here."Finally, my pen stops at a name."Christian."No answer. I look up. And the boy is sitting in the far side of the window, his eyes fixed on me with a dark, haughty stare.I look back down at the clipboard, a smirk tugging on my lips."Christian Shadow. Is Christian here today?"Still no answer."Alright. Christian marked absent." I say loudly, crossing off the box next to his name. He gives me a disinterested expression, like he doesn't really believe that I actually had done what I said.Christian Shadow. It was my first day teaching the junior class, and all the teachers at school had talked so much about this single boy that caused so much trouble.According to them, he skipped classes for days on end. Got into fights, on the rare days that he did attend school.And apparently, he was the son
I hadn't been in a Striker apartment ever since Alen's death. But now with Ezra as my Shield, I step into our very own space, a place where I'd be safe to come back to every night.I would never have to step foot into my father's house again. For the rest of my life.The bruises are still fresh.And I'd tried to remember. I'd really tried, to recall what exactly he'd done to me that night. It was like someone had completely wiped out all of my memories, and I had no idea how I'd ended up that day.I knew it was my father, but I could not remember.My feet light and silent against the floor, I find a book and sink into one of the soft couches in the living room.The Firstblade was out, so that I was alone in the apartment.He'd said that he wouldn't be back until an hour later.Halfway through the book, I find my eyes slowly drooping. I let myself drift into half-sleep when all of a sudden, a heavy noise echoes through the room.My eyes flash back open.Someone was knocking.Leaving th
NOEL (2)How dare he.I'd heard him. How dare he insult Ezra like that, when he was nothing compared to the Firstblade? He hadn't been there— hadn't been there when I'd been pleading, watching him fight for his life that day in the blood-covered snow.He knew nothing.For the first time, the anger feels like it might consume me alive."Father.""You will not touch the Firstblade." I hiss, the point of my knife gleaming in the winter sun. And my father snatches his hand back, the surprise in his eyes turning into a flash of fear.Then rage, when he recognizes his own son.But for the first time I'm not trembling. Instead I'm looking him straight in the eyes, my knife a flicker of silver as I sheathe it again.My voice is steel."You can do anything you want with me.""But I won't let you mock him like this."Not when you don't even know what he's been through.My father looks furious, his face burning red. Of course— I'd humiliated him in front of all the other councilors, people who h
EZRA (1)I could only hope that he'd listened to me. Most Strikers had returned to their apartments by this time, shared with their Shields. Only a few actually went home to their own Houses.Their Shields.My expression turns bitter.Before I leave, my eyes flicker down the dark hallway. There's a little bit of light coming from the endmost room, where Noel should be. Because we didn't have Shields, both of us had rooms in the compound itself.It was late, nearly midnight.And my features stay flat as I turn my feet towards his room. The beam of light is streaming through the slight crack of his door— and I see that he'd listened to me.He's collapsed asleep in the middle of the bed, a candle flickering on the nightstand. There's a book fallen open right next to his head.The door doesn't make a sound when I shift it further open.My steps are silent as I take the book and close it, placing it by the candle. Then I pull the covers back over his slender figure.I was certain he'd kick