I was in the middle of sketching in the uncompleted building, my mind consumed with thoughts of Rissa. Her engagement was in just a few days and I still hadn't found a way to stop her from marrying Ivan. She was my mate, and she deserved to be with me, not that arrogant peacock. My anger boiled over and I threw my spray can against the wall, the yellow ink splashing across the concrete.Just as I was about to dive back into my sketch, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see my sister, Jaela, making her way towards me. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my tone brusque.She didn't answer, instead she began to cry, her tears a strangled sound. I knew something was wrong. I turned on our mind link, our special connection and she me that our mother had almost killed herself.I was stunned, the weight of her words hitting me like a freight train. I immediately dropped everything and rushed to Jaela's side. I couldn't believe that she would do something like that. "Where is she?"
JalenI walked down the dark streets, my hand still bleeding from the altercation with Dante. I could feel the sting of the cuts, but I didn't care. All I could think about was how satisfying it felt to finally stand up to him and his constant taunts.As I approached Cade's house, I could see the warm light coming from the windows. I knocked on the door and Cade answered, his eyes widening as he saw the state of my hand."What the hell happened to you?" he exclaimed, clutching my arm and pulling me inside.I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just had a little run-in with Dante. He won't be bothering me anymore."Cade shook his head, leading me upstairs to his room. "That fool needs to learn how to control himself."As we entered his room, I couldn't help but chuckle at the state of it. Clothes were scattered everywhere and empty pizza boxes littered the floor. Cade's room was always a mess, but I didn't mind. It was familiar and comfortable.We sat down on his bed and Cade handed me a controlle
Wedding morningI woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and dread in the pit of my stomach. Memories of the night before came flooding back to me as I groggily opened my eyes, and I groaned at the thought of my upcoming engagement with Ivan. My mum walked into the room, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea and jolting me out of my thoughts."Good morning, love," she said, her tone scolding as she set the tray down on the bedside table. "I see you had a little too much to drink last night."I winced at her voice. "Mum, I have a headache, besides, it was just champagne," I lied in the last part. Getting drunk to a stupor was the only way to let myself get lost in the false sense of happiness that came with booze, knowing deep down that I didn't truly want to marry Ivan.My mum sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Today is a big day for you. You're going to be spending your first night as a married woman in Ivan's bed, making love, and..
The celebrations had begun in earnest in the house and people showed up dressed gorgeously for the engagement ceremony. It was eight pm and I had less than two hours to make my decision whether to run away with Jalen or marry Ivan despite knowing that not only were we not mates, but he had another female in his life. On the other hand, wasn't I a hypocrite because I was condemning him for the same offense I was committing? The female was probably his mate and Ivan wanted us to get married for his selfish reasons. I didn't know what to do and I was so restless.As I walked through the grand halls of my family's mansion, I felt suffocated by the luxury and magnificence of it all. Tapestries adorned the walls, the gleaming marble shone and the chandeliers sparkled like diamonds. I watched from upstairs as guests arrived at my house with their faces etched with arrogant expressions as they made their way through the front door. All of them were beautifully dressed in designer clothes
The celebrations had begun in earnest in the house and people showed up dressed gorgeously for the engagement ceremony. It was eight pm and I had less than two hours to make my decision whether to run away with Jalen or marry Ivan despite knowing that not only were we not mates, but he had another female in his life. On the other hand, wasn't I a hypocrite because I was condemning him for the same offense I was committing? The female was probably his mate and Ivan wanted us to get married for his selfish reasons. I didn't know what to do and I was so restless.As I walked through the grand halls of my family's mansion, I felt suffocated by the luxury and magnificence of it all. Tapestries adorned the walls, the gleaming marble shone and the chandeliers sparkled like diamonds. I watched from upstairs as guests arrived at my house with their faces etched with arrogant expressions as they made their way through the front door. All of them were beautifully dressed in designer clothes
My mother was getting better, thankfully. I could see the color returning to her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes as she slowly regained her strength. Even though we hadn't forgiven her for the evil she committed against us, and that she was the reason I was cursed, she was still our mother and we couldn't watch her die or self-destruct.I spent most of my days by her side, reading to her and keeping her company. I stopped going to the uncompleted building and instead spent more time with my family, even though there was still a negative peace between us.As the evening approached, I waited anxiously for Clarissa to call me back. I was certain that she had seen those messages and feared that she would go ahead and marry Ivan despite knowing that he was going to be unfaithful to her. If that were the case, I swore that I would stay away from her, even if it meant me dying. Because if she could value wealth and association more than her happiness, then I didn't deserve to be with som
I grasped the windowpane firmly, maintaining a good grip on it. The window was slightly ajar letting in a gentle breeze and I gazed at the wooden ladder propped against the wall outside leading down to the ground below aaa a mix of fear and determination."Clarissa, you need to go now," Genevieve said with urgency. "The ladder is sturdy and you won't fall. Even if you do, you can shift into your wolf and jump down." "Okay, "I excelled and positioned my foot on the ladder and then the other foot. The cool night air hit my face and my heart pounded in my chest as I descended, the fear of being caught making my hands shake.I took a deep breath to study myself and began climbing down the window. I had barely steadied myself when I heard the sound of my bedroom door opening and my mum's voice echoed through the room."Clarissa, where are you? Genevieve, why isn't my daughter downstairs yet?" Panic set in and I almost lost my footing as I heard my mother's voice. I increased my pace and
Ivan My best friend, Charles, got me ready and I dressed up in one of those large and elegant bedrooms in Clarissa's house. Charles carefully adjusted the jacket of my suit, making sure it fits perfectly. My suit was made of the finest Italian wool with a rich navy color that perfectly complimented my skin tone, giving me a sleek and elegant look. I felt a mix of excitement and impatience for this whole ordeal to be over with. "So, what's going to happen with Bianca?" Charles asked me, holding my shiny black leather oxfords while I stared at my reflection in the mirror, spraying a subtle and expensive woodsy and spicy cologne. "We're going to keep our relationship a secret, so that spoiled brat Clarissa doesn't find out," I replied, trying to keep my tone casual. Bianca was my true mate and I didn't love Clarissa, scratch that, I couldn't stand her, but I had to go through with this engagement for the financial security her father promised to provide. Charles laughed. "It must