Anderson's POVI didnât sleep all night. Not a blink. Not a second.Because no matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept drifting to Sarah. It was more than just thinking about herâit was like an invisible rope was pulling me toward her.The more I resisted, the more I felt like I was betraying a primal part of myself.My chest felt heavy, like someone had dropped a stone on it and kept tugging every time I tried to breathe.And to make it worse, every time I closed my eyes, this weird feeling would wash over me.Something felt off. I couldnât relax, and it made me anxious. It was like the stupid mate bond was sending alarm bells through my body, making my skin tingle with this strange urgencyâmy muscles were tense like I was about to fight, and even my claws were itching to come outâwhich made no sense.I mean, Iâm a lycan, not a werewolf. Iâm supposed to have control over stuff like this.âIs she in danger?â I could not help but ask myself in the middle of the night, sitting up in b
Sarah's povIf love came with a refund policy, I would be the first to cash in. No, scratch thatâI would kick down the door and demand every penny back, no questions asked. Here I was, sitting in the darkest corner of the club, tucked away from the sweaty mess of bodies moving to the beat like it was their last night on earth.But I wasnât here to dance. I sat with my third bottle ofâĶ honestly, I didnât even know what it was. The label didnât matter. The burn in my throat was nothing compared to the wildfire in my chest.My mind kept dragging me back to that momentâJoshua, my fiancÃĐ, the man I swore my world revolved around, sleeping with another woman in the very bed that was supposed to be ours very soon.Their moans still echoed in my head like a broken record I could not turn off.They say, "Everything happens for a reason." Whoever came up with that lie deserves to have this bottle hurled straight at their head. If that saying is true, then I must be the exception. No way am I g
Sarah's POVI could not believe my ears as my mind transformed into a storm of conflicting thoughts. I had long given up on the idea of meeting my mate, even though it was believed that it was inevitableâthat one way or another, fated mates would cross paths. I was told that my mate would be the key to curing the chronic illness I had been living with since I was eighteen, according to a healer. However, the news came with a devastating prophecy: I would die within seven years if my mate didnât mark me. Now, I had only two years left. Two short years before the countdown to my death would hit zeroâa fate I had already accepted. Until tonight.Joshua didnât know any of this. This made me wonder sometimes if that made me selfish, knowing I would have left him a widower in the end. But I guess life spared him from that mess. I should have been thrilled, since meeting my mate would change everything, right? But instead, all I felt was the sting of disappointment because the person who w
Anderson's POVFor the first time in six years, I actually slept peacefully. Usually, every full moon brought back the same horrific nightmareâreliving my first shift when I lost control and slaughtered everyone at the orphanage except Lucas. He nearly died by my hands too, but somehow survived, which was how I turned him into a lycan and became my closest friend.Unlike any other lycan in history, who lived their normal lives on every full moon, I had to fight these memories every full moon. They would leave me drenched in sweat, sometimes waking up screaming. But last night was different, and I could not help wondering if it had something to do with meeting my mate at the club as I woke up. I had kept this struggle hidden from everyone, even my adoptive family in the Shadowpine pack in another city. Whenever my screams woke them up, I would brush it off as nothing. Even Lucas didn't know about it. After realising these nightmares followed a patternâhappened every full moonâI tri
Sarah's POVI thought letting go of Joshua would be easyâlike walking away from the club and everything that happened there would somehow burn away the love I had for him. But I was wrong. Every time I replayed the image of him with that woman, tangled in sheets like I didnât exist, the pain came back sharper than before.Sleep barely came. My thoughts dragged me around all night until I had no choice but to take a sedative. I needed at least a few hours of rest, not just for my sanity but for work. Mondays were always hectic, and I could not afford to show up drained and unfocused.The loud buzz of my phone snapped me awake the next morning. I didnât need to check the screen to know it was himâJoshua. He had made a habit of calling me every morning like clockwork, asking pointless questions like, "How was your night? "Whatâs on your agenda today?"âthe same boring routine we used to do like we were something special. "Asshole,â I muttered, turning the phone face down, my lips curlin
Anderson's POV"I'm sure that's why the principal asked her to follow him to his office," a girl said loudly as soon as my mate stepped out with the principal. "Yeah, you are probably right. He must have heard the news," another girl sitting next to her replied, nodding in agreement. The classroom buzzed to life as the noise grew louder, like a storm brewing as students gathered into clusters."I knew it! She hasnât changed. She's still the same murderer she's always been," a girl near the window sneered. "Who does she think she has been fooling putting up that innocent act?" Another chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain. "I don't even know why you all are surprised. Once a killer, always a killer," a boy behind me added, loud enough for the entire room to hear."Did you see the video?" a male student sitting in front of me said when Liam, the class president, asked him what was going on, clearly confused.Afterwards, the boy showed Liam a video on his phone.My brows furrowe
Sarah's POVThe universe must have been having a good laugh at my expense, finally settling the score for my sin that turned me into a pariah in this city. In less than 24 hours, I had gone from catching Joshua in bed with someone else to being escorted out of school by the police like some common criminal.Humiliation burnt through me as I walked down the school halls. Teachers and students stared, their smug, satisfied looks practically screaming how much they were enjoying this live drama. My fists clenched, but I kept my head highâI was not about to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break. During the drive to the station, I kept demanding to know why I was being hauled in, but the officers wouldnât speak. Their only response was the same: âYouâll find out at the station," every time.I eventually gave up asking, realising I was not going to get a single hint out of them. Now, here I was, stuck in an interrogation room, alone. âCan someone please tell me what the hell is g
Anderson's POVWas this what it felt like to be powerless? All through the morning, before the break, I could not shake off the anger gnawing at me. I was furious that I had to hold back from teaching that bully and his lackeys a lesson. My entire life, I had made sure that anyone who crossed me regretted it. But here I was, restrained by my father's warning.Lila and Tasha told me that they were not the kind of people to mess with, including some others in other classes. "It's complicated," Tasha replied when I pressed them for more information, and she added that a senior named Cara would explain it to me better. That was when I realised that she's the one the principal talked about earlier.Some of my classmatesâ pitying glances only made my anger worse. I hated being seen as someone who needed sympathy. The more it made me think about the bullies, the more determined I became to teach them a lesson without exposing my identity.Lucas and I grabbed lunch together during the break
Anderson's POVI didnât sleep all night. Not a blink. Not a second.Because no matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept drifting to Sarah. It was more than just thinking about herâit was like an invisible rope was pulling me toward her.The more I resisted, the more I felt like I was betraying a primal part of myself.My chest felt heavy, like someone had dropped a stone on it and kept tugging every time I tried to breathe.And to make it worse, every time I closed my eyes, this weird feeling would wash over me.Something felt off. I couldnât relax, and it made me anxious. It was like the stupid mate bond was sending alarm bells through my body, making my skin tingle with this strange urgencyâmy muscles were tense like I was about to fight, and even my claws were itching to come outâwhich made no sense.I mean, Iâm a lycan, not a werewolf. Iâm supposed to have control over stuff like this.âIs she in danger?â I could not help but ask myself in the middle of the night, sitting up in b
Sarah's POVMy eyes darted across the room, heart thudding like a war drum.The thick tension that came with Alpha Derek's presence felt like a noose tightening around my throat."What... What do you mean?" My voice trembled, trying my best to mask my fear and panic.Alpha Derek chuckled. It was the kind that would make your spine itch.His gaze pinned me down like prey. "That tongue of yours,â he murmured darkly."It is one of the few things I find impressive about you.""But make no mistake, girl, if you werenât my sonâsâĶ friend, you wouldnât be standing here, breathing this air. Youâd be in a cell, or worse.âI froze. That was not a threat. That was a promise dressed in velvet.Then he stepped forward, his aura crashing over me like a tidal wave.âTell me,â he said, his voice turning cold and sharp, âwhoâs the psycho brave enough to mess with my city like this?âI squared my shoulders, trying to ignore how my heart thundered against my ribs like a war drum. If I showed weakness, k
Sarah's POVMy head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it.Pain pulsed behind my eyes as I slowly came to, a groan escaping my dry lips.My tongue was dry, and every part of my body ached like I had been hit by a truck.I blinked several times, my vision blurry at first. This wasn't the dungeon. The stone walls and flickering torches were gone. Instead, soft morning light filtered through sheer curtains hanging over a window.I tried to lift my hand to rub my temple, but something cold and heavy pulled against my wrist. The metallic clank made my eyes snap open, and I looked down.The chain was still there. Shackled tightly around my ankle, biting into my skin.My heart leapt into my throat as memories hit me in fragments."What the..." I whispered."Did he figure it out? Does he know Iâm connected to the murders now?" My heart pounded as the thought hit me."Did I black out last night?" My brows furrowed, trying to piece it all together.My whole body felt heavy as I pushed
Sarah's POVThe dungeon was thick with tension.Alaric's gaze was locked on me, confused, processing what was happening.But I wasn't looking at him. My mind was spinning, trying to find a way out of this nightmare.Axel's face twisted with rage as he pointed at me."You lying piece of shit!" he growled, his muscles tensed like a coiled spring ready to unleash violence as he lunged toward meâonly to be yanked back by Alaricâs sharp command."Stop!" His voice echoed off the stone walls.Axel froze mid-step, but his eyes burnt with defiance. "Just because Dad left you in charge doesn't mean you get to order me around like some pet!"He snarled, baring teeth that seemed sharper than they should be. "I have just as much right to act as you do!"His fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned bone white. "She's playing us, and you know it!"The air in the room suddenly felt colder.Alaric's fists clenched so tight I could hear the bones crack before he turned to face his brother slowly.âY
Sarah's POV There he stoodâVincent Reyes, the notorious loan shark who owned some of the underground businesses in the city. He was the owner of the loan shark company and also a werewolf. His tall figure filled the doorway.Alaric's eyes flashed with irritation. "You are late, Reyes. The moon doesn't wait for anyone, neither do I."Vincent ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, offering a slight bow that didn't quite reach his eyes. "My sincerest apologies. Had a little... situation."When Vincent's gaze finally landed on me, my heart stopped. Time itself seemed to freeze as I felt naked, as if he could see right through me. His eyes narrowed, head tilting slightly as he studied my face.This was it. He would definitely know who I was and I was deadâ even though I was sure we hadn't come across each other before.And now, he was going to tell them everythingâthat I had killed every one of them because of the loan I was yet to pay back. My fingers dug into my palms and sweat b
SARAH'S POVI woke up to a pounding headache, my vision swimming as if I had been knocked out cold. My body felt heavy, my limbs sluggish, and every breath came in short, shaky gasps.Blurred figures stood in front of me, their voices slurring together like an incoherent murmur as I fought to sit up, forcing myself to push past the weight pressing me down.I had to wake up. I had to figure out where the hell I was.A low groan escaped my lips as I blinked against the flickering glow of torches hanging on the walls. The dim light did little to help me piece together my surroundings.The last thing I remembered was walking into the loan sharkâs office, determined to uncover the murdererâs identity through a ritual.I had overheard two students whispering about it at school, and I needed answers.I was in the middle of it when everything went dark.Now, as my vision cleared, I finally saw them.Alaric sat in front of me, legs crossed, his sharp eyes watching me like a predator sizing up
Anderson's POVThe woods were eerily quiet as I stepped into the clearing where Lancelot was already waitingâour usual meeting spot.I chose this place for its isolation because no one would get to see us together.His eyes locked onto mine the second he saw me.âYouâre late,â he muttered.I scoffed, dragging my gaze over him like he was nothing more than a waste of space. "Yeah? And?âHis brows knitted together, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "You said to meet here at this timeââ"And you actually thought I cared?â I cut him off.A flicker of confusion and frustration crossed his face as he gritted his teeth. âThen why the hell are we here? You agreed toâ"My hands slid into my pockets as I took another step forward, closing the gap between us. âTo make you realise what a fool you have been..."A smirk tugged at my lips. "Because I've just been wasting your time all this while."His whole body went rigid, his breath hitching as the weight of my words sank in."Youâve beenâĶ wasting m
Author's POVIn the skeleton of an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, Harry, Anderson's adoptive father, paced like a caged animal, his shoes scuffing against the dirt-strewn floor.He checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes, his jaw clenched tight as he drummed impatiently against it.âDamn it. She should be here by now,â he muttered, glancing toward Gaines."Every second we waste..." He shook his head, the moonlight catching the beads of sweat on his temple."Every second we waste is another second closer to everything falling apart. If Derek connects those dots..." His voice trailed off as he slammed his fist against a concrete pillar."We donât have the luxury of time.â His voice was sharp, filled with mounting frustration.Gaines, leaning casually against a pillar, exhaled through his nose.He had been watching Harryâs restlessness with mild amusement, but there was an underlying tension in his stance as well.He checked his own wristwatch before res
Anderson's POVI did not expect to see my adoptive mother return with Lucas."Didnât you leave already?" I asked flatly, raising a brow at her as she strolled in with Lucas."Werenât you supposed to leave with Dad? What's wrong?â My voice was laced with suspicion.Something felt off.She smiledâtoo easily, too calmly. âOh, nothingâs wrong. We just decided I should stay here overnight while he handles things.âI did not believe her for a secondâit was as if she had another agenda other than just to spend time with me a bit before leaving the next morning like she had claimed.But before I could press further, she seamlessly changed the subject."We should have dinner together," she suggested, her tone light but leaving no room for refusal.I did not argue. I never really did with her or my adoptive father."Fine," I muttered, already rising to head to my room."I'll join you later. Need to freshen up first."She said nothing, but I felt her eyes on me as I walked off.Under the water,