Taking a deep, steadying breath, I channel my focus on the reassuring weight of Alex’s hand against my back, allowing his familiar scent to wash over me and calm my frayed nerves. The press conference didn't rattle me nearly as much as tonight's high-stakes event. Any misstep here could cost Alex his future as Alpha, a consequence I desperately want to avoid. While his accusations of cheating infuriated me, I never wished for him to be stripped of his rightful position in such a humiliating manner.
As we step through the grand doors of the ballroom, every eye turns towards us, the weight of their scrutiny palpable. It's hardly surprising, given that we've become the subject of intense gossip in both the human and werewolf worlds. I plaster a polite smile on my face, nodding in recognition at the familiar faces from our engagement ceremony. Their reciprocated greetings are a promising sign - no one is
The following day, I accompany Alex to the groundbreaking ceremony for the new hotel, my stomach churning with a mix of anticipation and dread. His mother insisted that my presence would be good for the press, but I can't shake the feeling that something is bound to go wrong.As we arrive at the site, I plaster a smile on my face, determined to play my part. Alex and Collins pose for the cameras, cutting the ribbon, holding shovels, and digging into the earth together. To the untrained eye, they look like the perfect business partners, but I can sense the tension simmering beneath the surface.Collins takes the microphone, his voice smooth and confident as he expresses his enthusiasm for their continued partnership. I try to focus on his words, but my mind is reeling, wondering when the other shoe will drop.Suddenl
ALICEI've been holed up in this hotel room for days, ignoring the incessant calls and texts from Cameron and Lorenzo. I'm still too angry with them to face going home, where everything reminds me of that bitch Hannah and all she's stolen from me. It's bad enough she took Alex, but now the two people who were always on my side have turned against me, too. I feel like I have nowhere left to turn.Flipping on the TV, I hope to find something mind-numbing to watch, but instead, I'm confronted with images of Alex and Hannah, his eyes shining with sickening adoration for her. White-hot rage boils in my veins as I watch, my knuckles turning white from gripping the cigarette too tightly. It should be me by his side, not that conniving whore. "Fuck!" The scream tears from my throat, echoing off the walls.
ALICEI burst into the pack house, my blood still boiling from the botched attempt at enlisting Collins to help me tear Alex and Hannah apart. As I storm through the halls, I can feel everyone's eyes on me, their whispers following me like a swarm of buzzing insects. They think I can't hear them, but they forget we're werewolves - no amount of hushed gossip can escape our heightened senses."She looks like hell," they murmur, wrinkling their noses at my disheveled appearance and the stench of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke clinging to my skin. "Hasn't bathed in days from the smell of it."They're not wrong. I've been drowning my sorrows in a haze of booze and nicotine, letting myself wallow in the filth of my own misery. But today, I made an effort to clean myself up, to put on a brave face for the
HANNAH I accompany Alex to the airport to pick up Jason’s younger sister the following morning. He’s too swamped with work to go himself, so he asked Alex for help. Alex thought it would be a nice opportunity for me to meet her, given my close friendship with Jason. As we stand there, Alex holding a sign with her name, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and curiosity. What would she be like? Would we get along? I pull out my phone to check the time, wondering how much longer we’ll have to wait, when I hear Alex call out to someone across the terminal. Looking up, I see a stunning blonde with piercing blue eyes walking towards us, a radiant smile on her face. She practically throws herself into Alex’s arms, hugging him warmly. “How are you doing, Mila?” Alex asks, pulling back to look at her, his own smile warm and genuine. “Good, you?” She replies, her eyes sparkling with joy. “Good, too. I’d like you to meet my mate, Hannah,” Alex says, turning to me with a proud grin.
We arrive at the pack house. Alex grabs Mila’s bags from the trunk, and we make our way inside. The air is thick with a sense of anticipation, and I can’t shake the feeling that something big is about to happen.We start climbing the stairs to Mila’s old room, our footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. And then, as if the universe itself is orchestrating the moment for maximum drama, Cameron’s door swings open, and he steps out.I freeze, my eyes darting between the two of them, watching as they stare at each other in stunned silence. Cameron’s face is etched with a deep frown, his brows knitted together in anger, but the moment he lays eyes on Mila, his expression morphs into one of pure shock.Mila, for her part, seems eerily calm, her face a blank mask that betrays none of the thoughts swirling behind her eyes. For a long, tense moment, they simply stand there, locked in a silent battle
ALEXI feel a slight sense of unease as I adjust my cuffs, the fabric of my shirt brushing lightly against my skin. My heart beats fast as I turn to face Hannah, her presence calming me somewhat. I draw her close, my arms enveloping her waist like a shield against the unknown.We're both in the dark as to why the Alpha King has summoned us here tonight, but despite the lingering unease, I can't shake the feeling that it's not for a bad reason. After all, I managed to convince him last time that I posed no future threat to my pack, that my leadership would be sound and my intentions pure.We step into the grand ballroom, and my eyes immediately begin scanning the crowd, searching for any sign of the Alpha King. But he's nowhere to be found.I grab a drink from a passing tray, downing it in one swift gulp as if the burn of the alcohol could somehow numb the nerves that jangle beneath my skin. I hate feeling this way, so out of control, so at t
Collins' hands seize me with a suddenness that steals my breath away, his fingers like talons digging into the fragile fabric of my dress with a desperate, drunken ferocity. Panic grips me like a vice, constricting my throat and sending my heart into a frantic race against my ribcage.Just as I'm about to give in to the despair threatening to consume me, the door bursts open with a loud crack, nearly torn from its hinges by the sheer force of the blow. I gasp, my head whipping around to see who could possibly have come to my rescue.A figure moves across the room in a blur, grabbing Collins by the collar and ripping him away from me with a strength born of pure, unadulterated rage. Collins caught off guard and hindered by his intoxicated state, is no match for the newcomer's fury. Blow after blow rains down upon him, each sickening crunch of fist against flesh punctuated by a guttural growl that shakes me to my core."You fucking touc
ALICEI sit in my room, lost in thought, as I reflect on the events of the past few days. It's become painfully clear that my parents don't truly care for me, their affection reserved solely for my brother. Even Lorenzo and Cameron, my supposed mates, have grown distant, their love for me no longer as strong as it once was. Cameron's apology text days ago feels hollow, a mere bandage on a gaping wound. After the pointed questions he asked me, I know it's only a matter of time before he turns against me completely. And it's all that bitch Hannah's fault. No one else is to blame for my misery but her.I need to make her pay, to exact revenge for everything she's stolen from me. Killing her is out of the question, but there has to be some way to make her suffer as I have suffered.My vengeful musings are suddenly interrupted by the insistent ringing of my phone. An unknown number flashes on the screen, and I decline the call with an irritated huff. Bu