The sound of footsteps and the cabinets opening wakes me up. With one arm, I reach to the other side of the bed and I find it empty and cold. A soft groan escapes me and I brush a hand over my face as it turns to the source of the sound. In the distance, scavenging through her own clothes, Madelaine seems to have been awake for quite a while. Energetic, or so she seemed, and determined to get her day started.“Madelaine?” I rasp out and she suddenly stops and turns to me. “Did I wake you?” She asks and turns back to finding whatever was so important to be found at this early hour.“Yes.” I bluntly answer and push myself up, leaning into my elbows as I watch her. “What are you doing? It’s so early the sun has not even risen yet -“ I comment and I don't need to see her face to know she is smirking right now.“I’m going for a run.” She states proudly as she removes the robe and pulls on a sturdy sports bra and a pair of leggings. “A run?” I repeat a little taken aback by the sudden ne
I did expect him to avoid the topic, but it still came as a little surprise. I thought we were at that point where we could easily share things, but it was clear we were not. There were still thick walls surrounding us and despite my wish of not being aware of them, they were still very much there. My eyes narrow slightly and I drop my gaze back to his chest. His skin, not just his chest, was peppered in scars of all sorts. Smaller, bigger, round or sharp… I think I spotted one on his inner thigh too… “I want to know.” I whisper, quite determined, but not ready just yet to push it, as I slowly sit up, my thighs straddling his hips as I sit on his lap, hands tracing a smooth, straight line from his chest to his stomach.Killian tenses under my touch and his lips press together in a thin line as he watches me. I look up at him through my lashes, swallowing the lump in my throat with a little harshness, my eyes narrowing on his figure slowly.He was so ready to throw me off of him and
I don’t give him time to answer me as I pull away from him and get ready to limb out of his lap. But before I can move away, I am suddenly shoved into the bed and he climbs on top of me, keeping me trapped. There is a low growl in his chest and I know he is not excited to even think of letting me go right now.I let out a soft hiss and bring my hands to his face, aimit to push him away, but he grabs both my wrists and I find them pinned above my head in the next moment. His moves are harsh and his grip is not forgiving right now.“You’re not going anywhere, doll -“ he growls out, and suddenly it feels like I am talking with a completely different person. “Not until we make things clear.” He adds and when his eyes come to meet mine, there is no trace of the warm gold. There is only a sea of crimson on a pitch black canva, the white of his eyes now completely black.“Killian?” I find myself whispering, my voice drowned out by his rattle.“Knox.” He speaks, the corner of his lips arched
“You know what -“ I hiss out as I pull away from the man that holds me against him and walk past the blonde woman who seems ready to pluck out his eyes. “I am not having any of this!” My arms go up in frustration. “Neither of you makes any sense and I have other things to figure out than what the hell is going on!” I stomp my foot on the floor and turn around and make my way downstairs.There was a strange tension Knox’s words brought me earlier. I wrap my arms around myself, gripping my arms as if this would give me more control over myself as I walk to the kitchen./Hide their real self./ what was that about? What did he mean by that? He could not be serious, could he? What dirty secrets were hiding underneath this all? Was my mother, and her mother before her, just actors in a staged play?If so, what was I? Who was I?I swallow harshly and look up the window of the kitchen, to the unending forests of the island. There was still a call for freedom, a yearning for being free, comin
/ “You need more than that to earn my trust!”“More than what I have already been offering you?!” “A lot more, Killian! A shitload more! You hid all this from me until now, and you expect me to just be fine with it?! Do you think that I’m some sort of idiot?! Some sort of damsel in distress that would rather be spoiled and kept away from everything than included and trusted with such plans?! Do you look at me and see nothing but a weak puppet you use just to fuck and possible give you heirs?!” /That might have been the beginning of all this. I remember the night vividly. It was right before Christmas. We moved back into the city where it all started, into that lovely apartment I have been quite plenty of times, in the heart of the city, near the territory of my father’s pack.After two nights and two whole days where Killian had simply gone missing, I had finally lost my cool when he walked into the apartment. He was obviously exhausted, and there were hidden wounds I did not care t
I watch her turn away from me once more and the stab of pain that shoots through my heart does not go unnoticed this time. She has made sure to confide herself in this apartment we could have both called home, with thick walls made of anger and resent. At this point, I had no idea how to approach her anymore, and Knox did not bother to even try anymore. We were both focused on something else right now. Or so we thought. Because no matter how much we tried to force her into a dark corner of our mind, at the end of the day, we craved nothing else but the comfort of her scent, of her hold, of her warmth and her gentle voice.The smell of cinnamon, oranges and pine tree was heavy in the house, all mixed with spices and sugar she used to bake and cook. For whom did she cook and bother so much? I knew that if I walked in the kitchen, I'd find food prepared for my dinner, just as usual, and lots of other things ready for tomorrow.Did she have guests coming over? Was this all for her? Who d
Gladly, I spot no injury. Despite this though, I know something is wrong. One does not just fall like this without a damn good reason! He had worked himself to the point where he had to lean most of his body weight on me, just to walk from the kitchen to the living room.Once there, he sinks into the cushions of the couch and I can’t help but grow worried over his state. He is pale, he has lost some weight and he looks sick. There is tiredness in his eyes and his lips are dry and bitten over and over again.Without a word, I help him take off his coat and his tie and set them aside, half absent as I already map out the next steps of all this.“I’ll call for someone from the medical staff to -“ I start talking as I put his coat away, but he does not give me the chance to finish talking. Killian grabs my arms and pulls me towards him. For a man who had just collapsed out of tiredness, he was still incredibly rough and stern as he makes me sit in his lap. I want to pull away, hiss a cur
Killian remains utterly silent as I try to figure out what the hell I wanted right now. Did I want to run away? Spit some more venom his way? Add more to the list of crimes he had did and push him to the very edge and have him -No… I could not be thinking about this!A few deep breaths and I push myself up. He is still processing the blasphemy I spit at him and he does not seem very eager to speak out right now.“I said what I said. Take it or leave it. I don’t care anymore. You turned me into a damn prisoner in your own little world. I honestly did not expect something different from a forced marriage to someone like you. Mate or not, marked or not, I’d rather be rejected than spending my life like this.” I admit with a heavy heart, barely holding back the little sobs that escape me as I speak.He does not answer, so I walk away, to the bedroom, without even looking back. I crawl into the bed that still smells like him even if he had not been sleeping in it for long enough to even f
Altair and Aaron. Two bright stars on the endless sky that life is and can be. Two perfect little angel who just happened to hit a bit of a road bump right before they were even welcomed into the world. Born a bit too small and frail to be allowed to fly, the two little angels have been confined to secure chambers that helped them grow and develop their flight wings.Or at least, until they were ready to be taken home.That day came way too late.I was growing insane walking these brightly lighted corridors, always watched by nurses, always told what to do, how to touch and how to not touch them. It took so long for me to be allowed to actually hold my children that I actually had a breakdown right in front of the maternity when I was told I had to wait a few more days. I still did not get to properly hold either of them, but seeing them, and getting to touch their little hands and feet was enough to keep me sane.Not to mention that the mating bond was burning like a bright fire insi
Everything hurts. There is nothing in my body that is untouched by pain.I hear voices around me and I don't entirely care if they are nurses or people who think of themselves as being close to me, but I don't want to wake up yet. The pain is too much and my mind slips back into nothingness.***I think... I think it's later. I might have died. But the pain that still clings to my body is still sharp and very much present. The voices around have changed. And I can feel a warm touch that squeezes my hand. I can feel lips pressed against my knuckles. I can feel a soft breath brush against my skin.A rush of tingles wafts under my skin and makes me feel slightly more alive as it pools energy into my chest, making my heart flutter slightly. My eyes slowly open and I try to blink away the haze from my eyes.I try to remember what happened. I try to remember the last thing I remember, but my memory is too foggy right now.I was certain I was in a hospital. Have I given birth? Was I even ali
Dread takes hold of me, gripping my heart with an iron fist that makes my anxiety spike alongside fear and other things while I walked behind the nurse that didn't bother to give me too many details. Actually until we stopped in front of a glass wall, she didn't give me any details at all.She stops abruptly and turns to the glass wall, pointing in a rather vague direction inside the room."The twins have been born hours ago. Two prematurely born children who are not in great condition -" she tells me with a flat, emotionless voice before she looks up at me." they have a chance of survival, but we would not put our hopes too high into it. Better expect the worse and have a great surprise. " she tells and I feel like I want to strangle her.Was the the way one delivers news to a new father?My eyes drift from her figure to the glass wall, behind which I can see two small, incredibly small, pink and strange looking babies. Some of us are born with ears and tails, but my babies were so v
I’m not entirely sure how or when, but one thing is sure. Demetri beats me to the hospital. By the time I made it there, the man was already filling in details about the patient he had just brought in, even if they already had all her files. They demanded to know what happened, and as this was a hospital for the likes of us and more, Demetri did not spare a detail. I find him covered in blood from chest down and I don’t have to ask to know it was not his. The feeling of guilt and incredible nausea wash over me with such force I feel like I am about to throw up as soon as Demetri’s gaze moes and meets mine. I can feel the judgment behind those green eyes.I could feel the fingers he mentally pointed at me in an accusatory way. Demetri yearned for a mate and he could simply not understand how does a mated wolf get in this situation? How does a mated wolf treat his mate in order to have her risk everything in the Moonfire Eclipse unbinding ceremony?I make my way towards him and fall i
The chants that ring and echo through the forest barely reach my ears anymore. There is a magic buzzing in the air that surrounds my body, that makes my skin prickle and turn to goosebumps as if it was tickling me. It could feel a mild tingle under my skin, but in the beginning everything seemed fine.It seemed....It was not long after when the contractions started. At first, they were dull and faint, making just some of my abdominal muscles spasm and contract. And of course, I thought this was just because of my anxiety. But they have become a bit harsher, a bit more insistent.It didn't matter... Nothing mattered now. I had to focus on Killian. I had to focus on me... I had to focus on my wish.A low grunt humms along with the strange chanting of thw witch who doesn't seem to pick on my discomfort. My arms wrap around my belly, my hands going underneath it and above it, Stroking it slowly, trying to soothe the strange contractions. I have read about them. Any pregnant woman does.F
As I get in the car, I get even more uneasy and anxious. Something was off and I am not sure if it was just the fact that the moon was completely covered by clouds and it felt as if nothing was alive, or if it was just a sense of anxiety because I was so damn close to fulfilling my wish.Nevertheless, it did not matter! I was very firm on my decision. Nothing could make me change my mind now! I needed this! Thalia gets in the car with me and I barely get to settle down before she drives off like a damn maniac, making my heart skip a beat.“Where exactly are we going?” I ask half heartedly. Maybe this was a good question to ask before I had climbed in the car…She looks at me for a brief second before looking ahead on the road. A car passes by us and I feel myself grow smaller in my seat. That must be Demetri’s car. Nonetheless, it seems that he doesn't actually notice us, because he drives past without a damn sign he will stop.Why does part of me wish he would…“It’s a bit of a more
I didn’t even know what to say. I had already made up my mind about it. I have even come in contact with the right person to perform the ceremony. I could not wait another hundred years for the Moonfire Eclipse to happen again. I did not want to live my life short and meaningless.. I did not want to die waiting hoping to feel what I want to feel, craving and longing for it the way I am doing now. But it seemed like Killian was very adamant about his decision. He would not support me in this /madness/ as so many called it. It slowly started to set in for me. That I did not ask for the proper support. That this was not something I should rely on others to support me through.I slowly look away from him and I feel his eyes move to me now. His breathing was shallow and uneven and I could tell he was fighting back his tears. It did not feel right to put more pressure on him though, so I leaned into him again and remained silent.The man let out a long sigh, his nose burying into my hair,
Killian runs out of the room like a whole damn storm, leaving nothing but splinters, broken things and pain. It was not as if it did not already hurt, but the turned back, the absolute betrayal I feel coming from him digs deep into my chest, pain pooling within my wounded heart.It was something to be expected, wasn’t it? Men were usually like that weren’t they? It was as it every and each one of them was a carbon copy of the previous one and so on and so forth. Our kind has seen them come and go, all as heartless as they made them. It was no surprise that he was just another brick in the wall- or at least that’s what I kept telling myself as I am once more in this god forsaken room I was slowly growing to hate.As my whole being shakes with my crying, the twins in my belly start getting fussy and agitated, kicking and moving tirelessly around as if they were on a damn dancefloor. It hurt, but it did not compare to the pain that was crashing over me in waves, as the sea crashed again
Her brows are narrowed and her eyes are dark and her attitude unmoving. She seemed to have made up her mind without even asking me first. As I turn to her again I find her staring at me as If I were the biggest baddest wolf there was in the woods.There was fear, tangled with anger and frustration, alongside guilt and sadness, and somehow, no matter how insane she just sounded, I could not just blow up right now. “You are pregnant -“ I start speaking, trying to find a logical way to reason with her.“Very observant of you!” She huffs and rolls her eyes, as she moves away from her spot on the window sill, to find a better spot to sit in.I follow her with my eyes, pinned in my spot in the middle of the room, trapped between rushing out of the door and lashing out at her to smack some sense into her.“Maddy.” I start, my voice low as I slowly saunter towards her, pinching the bridge of my nose with a low sigh escaping my lips. “The Moonfire Eclipse ceremony is a dangerous thing to do!”