~Audrina~A resounding crack sounded by the fence, echoing into the hall and satisfying the desperate, angry part of me that wanted to hurt Paige in any way possible.It was born out of years of her bullying me and ruining my life.A smile curled my lips as another crack sounded. From the sound of it, the guards were really going hard at the lashings because I heard Nicholas let out a cry of pain.No one had expected me to issue a flogging order, but then no one complained.And since no one had complained, it was definitely OK to do as I had asked, or rather, it was OK for them to do as I requested."Happy?" James asked me, eyeing my smiling face wearily. I ignored him.This was my moment to savor Paige and Nicholas being whipped like criminals by the guard post. I wouldn't let anyone ruin that for me. I was damn happy, and if I could record this moment, I would.When Mabel had asked James if he would punish them, I'd half expected him to say no. He could be like that sometimes,and a
"Before today, I didn't know you were that man I slept with that day. But now that I know, it messes a lot of things up." I began.James narrowed his eyes and walked over to his desk, but said nothing.The silence urged me to continue."In the marriage contract, there's a clause that says we will get divorced after three years, and the baby will be mine," I said as gently as possible.James sprang to his feet, eyes wide open."What?! That's not possible!"I let him talk."That's not possible! I drew that contract; don't you think I wouldn't make such a grave mistake?" He pointed it out.I sighed."Well, I don't know who made the mistake, but it's there, and it's there. You can check it later if you think I'm lying. After three years, we're going to go out separate ways, me with the baby in my belly. I thought I would point it out to you so you wouldn't say I deceived you in later days." I calmly said.James was pacing now.I was glad I didn't go ahead with the wedding. If this was how
~Audrina~The elder gave me a weary look before asking:"Do you take this man as your husband? To support and love him in good health, in sickness, in riches, in bad times and good times, goddess, help you."I inhaled and then let my answer float on my exhale."I do," I said.James sighed next to me in relief or in anxiousness—I didn't know. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mabel beaming at me, and I gave her a smile back.The same question was asked of James, only that he didn't even think of his answer and didn't even breathe before he said, "I do," and then before the elder ordered us to kiss, he had tilted my head to the side and placed his lips on mine.Tingles shot up my body, and I felt like I would float to the skies if he didn't hold me down.A hand was placed on my jaw while James expertly parted my lips and touched his tongue with mine.I could've moaned in ecstasy if only we weren't standing in front of cheering people.When he finally broke off the kiss, I was left blinki
~James~I stared at Audrina as she slept peacefully. My heart was filled with rage over what happened at the ceremony, and I couldn't get enough of the constant flashes of the past event in my head. It taunted me like a demon, and as I stared with a clenched fist, my heart raced with more anger, and I felt like teaching her a lesson. She slowly woke up and stared at me before covering herself with the duvet. I stood and gazed as her body moved underneath the duvet."Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked."Running through some thoughts, things that happened, and what's bound to happen""What does that even mean? Why speak in riddles when you can just tell me what's wrong and get over with it?""I should get over it, you say; it's so easy for you to say underneath that duvet.""James, I'm not in the mood for this; I'm tired and I need to sleep. You can stare at me all you want, and it won't get anything."I thought hard about what she said and smiled. An idea struck me hard, l
~AUDRINA~I sat on my bed as I let the tears flow from my eyes while the events of some minutes ago played in my head.How did I find myself stuck like this? How come I even had two mates, and yet I couldn’t do anything without the two of them, and I couldn’t do anything with both of them?Why was it that I had found my mate, and now everything seemed so lost?I wrapped my hands around my belly as I struggled to let go of everything, but it was not as easy as it sounded in my head.Slowly, I bunched up my legs against the bed and let my chin rest on my knees as tears soaked my dress, which was not even a complete dress.It had seen better days than tonight as a whole.It was a sad night for me. Some people would believe that it was a blessing to have two alpha’s into you, cuddling you and having their way with you, but even if I had two mates, I still don’t think I would find it exciting. I loved Ryan,I was connected to him somehow, and yet, I wanted to be with James.The wedding was
~James~Audrina is my mate.I couldn't believe it. I had a mate, and it was someone as beautiful as her. I may have been with her for convenience sake, but he never expected her to be his true mate.But how was that possible? I mean, why now? Why am I discovering that now?But it couldn't be; I have touched her several times. Why didn't I feel the mate bond snap into place?It doesn't make sense.I felt my wolf move around happily in my head; it seemed like he was pleased with the moon goddess's choice. I must admit, I'm pleased too.“I want you, mate; take me to my mate.” He growled in my head.He's going to give me a headache if he doesn't stop his pacing.”“Give me my mate now; I want my mate. She's mine.”“Hold your horses, you oversized mutt. She's resting; she had a long day, and you know she's pregnant with our pup.”He growled again and started pacing all over again. “Must protect, mate, must protect, pup. I want to go to them now.”“And I said we needed to let her rest,” I ye
~Ryan~It was hard to disappear from the pack grounds. But it was harder to believe that George, Paige, and Nicholas had disappeared without any warning whatsoever. I could only imagine how pissed James would be when he found out they were missing from pack grounds. I stared at them in disbelief, and they stood before me, heaving and breathing heavily.“You're welcome. Come on in; I know you must be very tired.” I said it warmly as I took them into my chambers.My hands were outstretched to showcase the different areas that were OK for sitting down.Paige looked very tired and drained, and I couldn't help but feel pity for her, especially.I was curious about Audrina and wondered about what she had been doing in the hands of the Alpha, but I didn’t know whether to ask Paige since there was something about them that just stood out, but I decided to try my luck anyway.“How is your sister, Audrina?” I asked and watched as her face morphed into one of confusion and disgust."Well, she is
~James~“Inhale, exhale, and inhale again. You will be fine. It's just a matter of time.”These are the words I constantly tell myself so that I can keep my cool and not overreact.Things have not, in any way, gotten easier. Instead, they have become tougher to deal with, and I can barely contain myself with everything I have been through lately.It's been some days now, and I have found it hard to tame and contain my wolf. He was becoming extremely restless for me to handle, and I was already tired of it.We have had some fights, and the only way I could keep him in his place was to ignore them.While I battled with my thoughts, I was not alone. My beta was here with me, trying to keep me company as usual.“You good?” he asked, handing over a glass of wine to me.I held the wine up and shook the cup a little. I really enjoyed the way the wine danced inside the glass.“Do I look like I'm good? Well, thank you for this,” I answered and sipped a little out of the wine.My beta then pull
~Audrina~As I was still contemplating on my decision, Ryan stepped back to grant me an offer.“I’m already aware of everything and I think the right thing to do is apologize for constantly causing a rift in your relationship.”In the past, I would have rolled my eyes, cussed him out and left but the sincerity in his tone didn’t let that happen.“Ryan is apologizing? I didn’t see that one coming.” I muttered, waiting a reaction that would counter his previous words but none came.“Yes, I am because I have realized my mistake.”“To be honest, I haven’t healed ever since the loss of Sarah, I went into drinking and even tried to patronize those strips in clubs but I saw her face everywhere..” he paused, laughing like it wasn’t a serious situation.“It’s crazy and I’m crazy for trying to force you into becoming her.”“It’s no doubt that you hate me but please, save my wife’s life and I’ll leave you alone for good, even compensate for the mental damages and the harassment.” He begged.I fo
~Audrina~While they were still discussing God knows what, I wanted to eavesdrop, but it would be disrespectful, and at the same time, she would think that I didn’t trust her.“You finally did it,” my wolf stated with a hint of celebration laced in her tone.“Did what? I didn’t do anything.” I denied it, and I could already see the look on her face.“Well, you did, whether you fail to recognize it or not.” She countered.“I hope you finally celebrate when you get back to the pack house because you killed more than one bird with a stone.” She praised me so much that I suddenly remembered what I did with James.I prayed that he would find a place to forgive me.“I’ll try.”While we were still discussing, the door opened to reveal her presence, but she didn’t return with Ryan.“Mom, are you sure you are fine?”“Yes, I am, but there’s something you need to know; there’s no need to hide it any longer.”Furrowing my brows, I inquired, “What’s that? You can tell me anything.”There was reluc
My heart thumped in my chest as I walked closer to Ryan's office, every step feeling far stronger than the one before it. I became consumed with an aura of dissatisfaction that tore at me from the inside out. I had to be strong, though. My mom's security hinged on it. I opened the door to Ryan's office and looked around to see if he was there. With a chilly and cynical expression in his eyes, he was seated behind his desk."I'm here," I said, my voice steady despite the nervous flutter in my stomach. "I hope you're ready to fulfill your promise and release my mother."Ryan's gaze flicked up to meet mine, his expression unreadable. "I didn't imprison your mother, Audrina," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance. "But if you want to see her, she's right outside."My heart skipped a beat at his words, relief flooding through me like a tidal wave. Could it be true? Had my mother been here all along, just outside this very door?Without waiting for a response, I hurried over to the door
Fondling my breast, I let out a moan, my body shrinking under his touch.His thumb ran circles around my nipple as his lips moved down my neck and along my collarbone before moving lower.I shivered in delight, my hand sliding along his bare back, my skin burning as he made his way further and further south, kissing and licking my stomach.His hands gripped my hips as he shifted lower, and his mouth covered my most sensitive area."Ohh!"My body tensed, and I let out a long cry, my head thrown back.He continued to lap at me, the tip of his tongue sliding into my entrance."Mmm..." I groaned.He slid his hands along my thighs and gripped them, spreading them wider. He pressed his mouth harder against me, and I bucked my hips, feeling waves of pleasure ripple through me.He lifted his head and slid back up along me, his hand caressing my thigh. He leaned his head down and kissed me, his tongue running along mine.I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him close, kissing him
~AUDRINA~The ropes burned as I made an ineffective attempt to free myself from their tight grip. However, desperation drove me to persevere, and I eventually gained enough strength to escape. I got to my feet as the ropes came down, my eyes flaming with resolve and rage. Paige and Nicholas looked in surprise as I broke free from my bindings, their faces going pale. The room was silent for a while as we all tried to digest what had just happened.But before anyone could respond, James and Dylan stepped forward, assessing the situation with their weapons drawn one last time.Finally, James shot without thinking, striking Nicholas straight in the chest. He collapsed to the ground, lying still with a shocked expression on his face.When Paige realized what had happened, her eyes grew wide with dread. She took a step back, breathing hard enough to catch her breath. “No…no…no!”Dylan, however, was fast to respond and caught her by the arm before she could get away.James turned to face me,
~AUDRINA~As Paige pulled out her phone to shoot the video, urging the three awful men to speed up, I experienced an upsurge of vomit run over me. "Time isn't on our side; humiliate her!" She shouted. "Owww, I just had the perfect shot." "Go on!" The understanding of their intentions smacked me like millions of rocks, and I struggled against my chains, despair gnashing at my chest. "Stop!" I yelled out, my voice swaying from fear and anger. "Leave me alone!"They reached out for me with envious, grabbing fingers, but they ignored my cries. I struggled and wriggled against their grip, but to no avail. I had no way to protect myself from their disgusting whims and was totally at their mercy. It was like a flurry of wrath rising inside of me as their hands tore at my outfits, robbing me of my feelings of worth and pride. I mean, how dare they treat me this way? How dare they treat me like this, so inhumane?Tears of annoyance and shame clouded my vision, but through them, I saw Paige gri
~AUDRINA~If there was someone who could definitely get a reoccurring award for foolishness, it would be me. How could I have been so gullible? Those stories that she told me—how wasn’t I sure that they were nothing but lies, just so she could delude me into thinking that she was on my side?Oh, Audrina! How much I wanted to smack my head against the wall and wished that I had powers that could make my screams very dangerous, Paige, and that useless ex-boyfriend of mine would have been eliminated a long time ago.None of this made sense to me, but I decided to trust the process. It was hard to see if she had truly changed, but, I guess, a leopard hardly changes its spot.Or perhaps she had cast a spell on me that made me so stupid to have been so loose. I wondered what the guards who had been kept in charge of me would be going through in the hands of James, who was probably paranoid over his missing mate.I should have listened to him, though. Now, look at where my stubbornness has l
~AUDRINA~“By the way, my next confession might actually wreck you.” She gave me a heads-up.“There’s more?”“A whole lot, but I don’t have time to share,” she revealed.“My father is not yours either.”Wait what?! Everything was so complicated right now, and it felt like she was twisting the truth at this point.George, the man I had always known as my father, wasn't actually my father. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me, leaving me reeling with confusion and disbelief."But...how is that possible?" I asked, my voice trembling with emotion. "I've always been told that George was my father. How could he not be?"Paige sighed, her expression sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Audrina. I know this is a lot to take in. But the truth is, George wasn't your biological father. Your real father...he died before you were born."The words hit me like a punch to the gut, the reality of the situation sinking in with a sickening thud. My entire life had been built on a lie, a facade
~Audrina~Who was this lady, and why did she even want to help me? Nobody who had offered me help before ever did it out of pure intentions, so I was reluctant to accept.At the same time, I wanted to see the face of the maid before I was bold enough to accept such a risk. For all I knew, it could be someone else sent from one of my enemies to hunt me completely.“And why do you think I would accept help from a stranger? Do you think I’m that desperate?”Her eyes roamed around fearfully, and she whispered, “Please keep your voice down. The guards might hear.”“Let them hear; I don’t care.”“I don’t trust anyone at this point, so go away.” I wasn’t sure why I was refusing her, but something just didn’t sit right with me.“So you would rather rot here than save mom?” As her voice softened up, it was almost like my mother, and I became more curious to know her identity.“Now who the heck are you? Speak, or else I’ll alert the guards.” I threatened her.Slowly, she removed her mask, and t