Lila's POV Yes, Luis and I dated for two years, but it wasn’t a solid relationship. It happened in our first year in school; we both met at the school cafeteria. He was the only one eating at a table with an empty seat, so I had to join him. Out of courtesy we exchanged names and casually talked about how we were adjusting to the school. I left the cafeteria, not knowing I’d see him again; though our courses were different, there were times we had to take shared courses, so we met randomly in class and eventually exchanged contacts before we fell in love. I ignored Brian’s reaction to Luis’s words and proceeded to ask the question that had been on my mind since I laid my eyes on him. “So, how did you get to know them?” I asked, stretching forth my hand a bit so he would know I was referring to Brian and Dominic. “I should be asking you that.” He said, giving the weird look that I was used to since he looked at me like that a lot back then. I squeezed my face, hinting that I did
Lila's POV I didn’t turn to look at him even though I was taken aback by his declaration. I had no idea about what was going through his head. But one thing was certain; He's gotten bolder. I clenched my fist in an attempt to contain my rage.We broke up about six years ago and when I look back at our past relationship, it didn’t end well. We were both young and naive; like me, he was an orphan, so we both had our difficulties. I ought to blame and hate him for what happened but I had more pressing life issues than to think about a guy who broke my heart, so I eventually forgot him as time went by. But there he was some minutes ago, talking about still wanting me. That crazy jerk!The interview was brief, they asked about my past work experience and what I expect to be my salary. I assumed Brian must have spoken to them about my situation because compared to my former workplace, their interview was brief, and the questions they asked were simple. I stepped out of the room only t
Lila's POV Brian choked on the water he was drinking, spitting it out. Luckily, no one was close enough for the water to splash on them. My mouth widened in disbelief. Luis really said that. It wasn't new information, but his delivery was completely off.If it had been someone else saying it, I might have supported their point, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree with Luis. Though Dominic wasn't great to me, I would choose him over Luis— it was a choice of the lesser evil."Says who?" Dominic asked in a deep, authoritative tone, his hands calmly resting in his pockets. What trick was he trying to pull?It was already a known fact that we had rejected each other. I slipped my hand into my pocket as the pain in my stomach intensified.Luis shifted his gaze to me, “Lila, were you not rejected?” That bastard, why did he have to drag me into it? I laughed weirdly at Luis’s question, what was he expecting me to say? “Who told you I was rejected?” I asked without batting an eye. There w
Lila's POV I must have left them utterly speechless, their jaws hanging open in disbelief. They were too shocked to say anything.After that intense conversation, I retreated to my room.I wash away the day’s stress in a warm shower before sinking into the comfort of my bed. I lay on my stomach, the fabric of the sheets cool against my skin, hoping the cramping pain in my abdomen would subside soon.I heard a knock on my door, I decided not to answer, thinking whoever was at the door would leave if I didn’t respond. But I was wrong, the person kept knocking.Reluctantly, I peeled myself off the bed and walked over to the door, turning the handle to reveal Judith standing there, her expression a mixture of concern and determination.“Judith?” I asked in a soft voice, the surprise barely contained. She held a thermo bottle in her hands, its sleek design gleaming in the dim light, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside it.“I heard you were having cramps,” she said, her voic
Lila's POV “You are crazy Judith!” I said, throwing a pillow at her. What a ridiculous suggestion. I stood up and headed for the door. I swung it open and pointed outside. “You should take your leave if you have nothing useful to say,” I stated calmly. I needed to get rid of her before she polluted my mind.She kept laughing. She had been laughing after my exclamation; I knew she found it amusing, especially when she caught me blushing, too. She was beginning to get under my skin. “I was only joking. You shouldn’t be standing there.” She patted a spot next to her, and continued, “Come sit and let’s talk.” She raised her hands in the air as if she were surrendering herself. I rolled my eyes at her childishness. How was she different from Brian? But I could swear I’d kick Brian in his groin if he ever tried that shit with me. Instead of taking the spot she offered, I went to sit on the bed instead.“Now be serious,” I warned, my voice steady and stern. She dropped her hands, adju
Lila's POV Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one taken aback this time. How could someone be so shameless? I shook my head as I tried fanning myself with my hand to cool the hotness I felt from within. I turned to Brian, who also had a shocked expression. “Is this one of the rituals she does every year?” I asked out of deep curiosity.“No, this is new.” He replied in a low voice. He proceeded to take a sip from his cocktail, clearing his throat right after as if he had something to say. “Juliana, everyone is watching.” He sounded irritated. That was probably the first time I’d heard Brian sound like that. Juliana didn’t reply, but instead, her eyes were fixed on Dominic who was probably in a daze or unbothered by what just happened. Anyway, I couldn’t figure out what was going through his head at that point. I had to applaud his composure in my head. “She’s so annoying,” Brian muttered under his breath, but it felt like he said it on purpose. I could hear him ‘cause I was sitting c
Juliana’s POV I couldn’t stop tears from rolling down my face. I knew Dominic had told me on several occasions, even before he met his mate, that I would never be more than a sister to him. We weren’t blood related so why should I be his sister? I remember how I used to follow him around when I was still a pup. It was uncommon for werewolves to joke about their child getting married to another wolf, knowing the wolf probably had a soulmate somewhere. But my dad wouldn’t stop talking about how nice it would be to have Dominic as his son-in-law. So, I grew up believing one day he would be mine. The moment I turned sixteen and I couldn’t smell him as my mate, I knew I’d have to double my effort in loving and trying to win his heart. And given the all-prophecy saga around his soulmate and how he was so not bothered about finding her from the get-go, I felt he was indeed finally going to notice me. But now what? Did he kiss her? How could he do that to me? I was certain he
Lila's POV Should I go to Dominic and ask him if what I heard from Julian is true or should I just sleep in my room and ponder on it by myself? There was warfare happening in my soul. Of course, I ended up pondering about it all night. And I finally concluded it was best I stayed away from Dominic. But I still gave myself the benefit of the doubt—I decided to ask Judith about it. Even if it meant guilt-tripping her until she talked, I planned to do it. Judith stopped working the moment she moved into the pack. She said it wasn’t her dream to be a nurse, but she had to deal with it because she had been protecting me. So, she started taking a course on fashion—it was her dream to become a fashion designer. Good for her, now she has a dream. I, on the other hand, still didn’t have a dream. I chose to become a nurse because it was well-paying, and it was the only stable job that could pay my mother’s debt and also grant me access to legalized loans. I chose nursing to survive. It
Judith's POV “Where is Lauren?” I went straight to the point, definitely not in the mood to put up with her behavior. She can wait for Lila to get better then they continue their feud.“And how am I supposed to know that?” She folded her arms over her breasts with her gaze matching mine.“Don’t mess with me, I don't have the patience for that,” I warned, my voice instantly turning cold.She scoffed, stepping closer. “I don't know where Lauren is, if I were you I'd be worried about much bigger things than trying to get an innocent lady upset.” The way the words rolled out of her mouth felt so wrong. Like she knew something we all didn't. Something is wrong. Her confidence, everything.I arched an eyebrow, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”She shrugged nonchalantly, “I don't know, we'll see.”Her eyes sparkled with something deadly, something darker. Something beyond my understanding. I watched as she walked away, swaying her hips, my self-control slipping by the second. The s
Judith's POV I watched her struggling to hold them off, her arms vibrating as they stretched forth holding the already breached barrier in place. A stray tear rolled down the corner of my eye at the sight of her fighting to keep her eyes open.“Lila,” I called softly, a little whimper involuntarily escaping my mouth.I didn't think she could hear me, but she did; her eyes searched everywhere until they found me, her formerly lively face now paler by the second.“Lila,” I called again, feeling a little helpless at her current state. She's all alone out there, scared, drained. Fighting for the people who once treated her as an outcast because she was birthed by a witch. For the people who had wanted nothing more than to throw her out of the Packhouse.“Judith,” She whispered weakly, “You shouldn't be here.”I shook my head, tears spilling from my eyes. Tears I didn't want to shed for the fear of making her weaker. Tears I fought to hold back just so I could give her some kind of motiva
Brian's POV Saying I expected those words from Judith would be a blatant lie. I was taken aback myself. Didn't she break down a while ago when they got separated? Now she's throwing it all under the bus for some heroic move? Is this how quickly it is with women? The mood swing thing?“Excuse us,” I pulled her to the side, maybe I could talk some sense into her, just maybe. “What are you doing?” “Staying here to help. Isn't it obvious?” She asked back, feigning confidence even though I could see through her eyes that she wanted to be with him more than anything else.I sighed, shaking my head slightly.“There's nothing left for you to do here. Go to your mate.” “No.” She replied bluntly, making no attempt to comply, her eyes holding mine as if this was a staring competition.My hands moved until they settled on my waist, maintaining that posture for a while, just peering intently into her face. “You know, you and Lila, I'm starting to wonder who is more stubborn.”She shrugged casua
Judith's POV I staggered backward until I crashed to the ground, my legs suddenly finding it difficult to carry my body.Fear gripped me, my eyes taking in the gruesome scene before me.My ears suddenly became alert, realizing that the killer might still be lurking around waiting for the next victim.My heart throbbed vigorously against my rib cage, fear clouding my senses at the thought that there was a murderer in our midst and on the loose. And we had no idea who it was.I sprang up to my feet with determination, sprinting out of the room as fast as I could. I had to warn the others. Whoever it was that had managed to penetrate the Packhouse and eliminate Morinda was dangerous. They had to be alert.My legs descended the stairs rapidly, my steps were as light as a feather. It felt as if I was flying over them. “There's a killer in the building!” I announced breathlessly. My intention wasn't to scare anyone, just to keep them alert, but my approach was wrong. They stared at me wit
Judith's POV The ache in my body threatened to rip me apart. It was too much, too intense. This is probably the end of it for us. How did we not know it was the full moon tonight? Now we're all a wrecking mess, praying for some kind of miracle to happen.“Urgh!” My throat cracked along with the bones of my body. Why did this have to happen now? Has the moon goddess forsaken us? Is this how we perish?I would never have thought that the witch could harness the full moon’s energy to resurrect the dead. I've heard that it was possible. Only heard, not really believed it. And this was said to have happened over two hundred years ago. When witches were still allowed to coexist with werewolves. It all seemed like a nightmare I wanted to make up so badly from.“We have to leave now.” Jonathan’s voice interrupted my train of thought as he wrapped his arm around me, nudging me to move. His eyes burned with contained pain. He was trying his best to be strong for me. For us.Shaking my head in
Lila's POV I found it difficult to sleep after my encounter with the witch in that memory lane. For some reason, it scared me; I feared that she would reappear in my dream and trap me there. I've been trapped before, it's not a funny experience. Not something I wish to experience again.Her presence felt oddly familiar and I feared what that could mean. In the library, I searched for a book on ancient spells; I was bent on finding out how she was about to touch me in a trance. Despite looking for a while, I couldn't find anything tangible, but I kept looking, keeping my mind open for possibilities.Then the lights went out and I found myself stuck at the library. It was just me there, nobody else. A feeling of fear washed over me as my heart thumped rapidly against my chest as if it could explode at any minute.Luckily I was with my phone, so I was able to keep my corner illuminated until the saved energy was restored. I was going to return to my room when I met Judith and the rest.
Brian's POV “Where's your phone?” I demanded, my voice calm and measured despite the crawl I felt under my skin. I needed to find mine but I couldn't see a thing. The darkness thickened, increasing the tension in the air.“Wh– why should I give you my phone?” I could hear her shallow breathing through the silent night.“I need to find my phone!” A frustrated groan left my throat. What did she think I was going to do with her phone? Couldn't she see that I need even a flicker of light to help my vision? Moreover, I was losing patience. I needed to be with Lila. I needed to make sure she was safe.The feeling of uneasiness clung to me like a second skin, triggering my senses.Her phone's screen shone softly on her face, making her the only glowing spot in the dark. Slowly, the flashlight came on and I immediately spotted my phone. Without hesitation, I reached for it.The screen was cracked but it was manageable. At least the flashlight was working.I dashed for the staircase, determin
Juliana's POV It's been one week since I got disowned by my only surviving parent. This increased my hatred for Lila; since her arrival to the pack, things have gone the direct opposite in my favor. She has taken everything from me.This was the height of it all. I couldn't take it anymore. I could kill her if I got the chance. She's a bad omen and doesn't deserve to live among people.She carried trouble with her everywhere she went, effortlessly emitting bad luck like a transmitter, inflicting everyone within reach.‘Just wait until I'm done with you.’ I said in my mind as I glared at Lila from across my table as she ate with Brian and a little girl. Today is the night of the full moon. I can't wait to finally put her in her place.As it stands, I don't care about the details. I only cared about eliminating Lila. She's the biggest threat to the existence of wolves and the supernatural world. I sat patiently, waiting for Lauren's signal or role designation.Over the past few days, w
Juliana's POV There's something strange about the determination in Lauren's voice that piqued my interest. There was a hint of disgust in her voice if I'm not mistaken.“Are you already giving up on Dominic? Deep down you know he belongs to you. You know she hasn't done anything to deserve him.” She spoke steadily, peering intensely into my eyes. I fought the urge to scoff. “What should I do when he already chose someone else instead of me?”He made his choice. Despite the pain that comes with admitting to this fact, I've come to accept it.“Their union is a disaster, I'm sure you've heard that. Would you rather intervene now or stay apartheid and watch the worst come to Blackwood? Even if Dominic might die in the process?” Her eyes never left mine as she spoke.If she was aiming to scare me, then she was definitely doing a great job at it because a dreadful shiver overtook my body for a split second after the words left her mouth.Luther had mentioned the same, now Lauren. There ha