Raven I was rushing to my next class, my backpack slung over my shoulder. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the break. I hurriedly descended the stairs, the multiple steps leading up and down filled with students rushing to their next class. "Oops, I'm sorry," I said politely as my backpack accidentally brushed against a girl. Tardiness was frowned upon by our chemistry teacher, Mr. Lawson, and I couldn't afford to be late to his class. Lost in the sea of students, I didn't realize when I reached the bottom of the stairs. Unaware of my surroundings, I failed to notice the foot extended in my path, causing me to stumble and fall to the floor. Before I could react, several hands gripped me from behind, tugging at my backpack. Confused and startled, I turned around, trying to face them. "Hey, what's going on?" I shouted, my words falling on deaf ears. Before I knew it, an intense burning sensation engulfed my eyes. The searing heat intensified rapidly, unmistakably the resu
Raven The members of the math club boarded the school bus one after the other. Today was D-Day, and we were heading to a suburb in the metropolitan part of town where the competition would be taking place. The bus rumbled to life, pulling away from the school gates. Vlad sat next to me, slinging his arm over my shoulder. I felt much better and healed almost immediately after the attack. My dad didn't take the case lightly, though I assured him I was fine. He was going to see me at the competition venue, and Principal John assured him that the school was going to get to the bottom of the case and find out who assaulted me. Despite the perfect opportunity to get back at Nova for all she had done to me, I didn't have solid evidence, and I needed to be sure before exposing her. For now, I had to keep my suspicions to myself. The bus rolled along and the world passed in a blur outside the windows. The bus driver drove over speed bumps while the scenery changed outside. Everyone l
Vlad When Raven stepped out of her dorm, I stared at her with longing and my pulse raced. She was becoming impossibly difficult to resist. My body lurched madly, longing for her nearness. Smiling, I closed the space between us. Resisting the urge to hug her in public, I stuffed my hands inside my pockets instead. "Vlad, what are you doing here?" she said playfully, looking up at me with a twinkle in her eyes, and then glanced around, probably checking for the matron. "Last time I checked, I'm not invading anyone's privacy. I thought I could stop and say hello since I couldn't do it in your dad's presence." She snorted and burst out laughing. Even her laughter was enchanting. It sent goosebumps down my arms and warmed my insides "I bet he'd have been thrilled to see you," she said with light sarcasm. "And severe my head afterward? No, thanks." Her eyes crinkled with a soft smile and my eyes roamed all over her body. She wore a casual Mickey Mouse mini dress and held her hoo
Raven Vlad took two steps back, freezing and his mouth fell open in shock. "Hold up, are you sure about this? "One hundred percent," I nodded with a voice devoid of emotion. An unnatural stillness settled between us like gas until Vlad cursed under his breath, swallowing hard and trying not to reveal his anger. "I'm assuming she did that to get revenge?" "Looks like it." "That's crazy. What the hell was she thinking? If that's the case, we have to find a way to cull out the truth from her. How could she be so heartless to do that to her sister?" I turned away, acting nonchalant and feeling a painful tightness of hurt in my throat. Ivy was influencing Nova negatively and I feared what she'd end up becoming if she continued listening to her. Vlad's face lit like a candlestick. "I think I've got the perfect plan." My body perked up. "And what would that be?" "I'll ask her to be my date for the homecoming and act like I'm into her." I turned sharply to face him, not liking t
Raven Taylor ransacked my clothes and complained about my lack od appropriate party clothes. "See? That's a sign for me not to go." She groaned loudly. "Come on, don't be a houseplant. You can match this beautiful pink crop top with jeans." My mouth formed a pout, and she laughed at my expression. Taylor would have her way and probably drag me to the party if she had to. Her enthusiasm was annoying because all I wanted to do was sleep and drool all over my pillow. "Here, let me help you dress up. And I think you should let your hair down. You have very beautiful, shiny hair." "No, I'll tie it up." "Gosh, Raven, you're such a wet blanket. You don't even know how beautiful you are. Stop hiding your beauty." "Look, if the matron catches us, I'm never going to forgive you. I'll smother you to death in your sleep." "She won't," Taylor laughed. "She's probably high or begging a male student to shag her. Plus, this isn't the first or the last time parties are going on in the valley.
Vlad Seeing Raven dance with that idiot made me have unkind thoughts for him and a strong desire to yank him by his hair. It didn't help that Nova was all over me, attempting to seduce me, and was as happy as a child on Christmas morning. It took me a great deal of self-restraint to not yank myself away from her and tell her off. The only reason I hadn't done so was because I promised to help Raven out. Nova's eyes were hungry with desire as she was flirting with me. My best friend, Zarek, cast me a worried look, wondering why I was dancing with Nova and not her sister. After the torturous night, I was more than excited to head back to my dorm. I took a cold bath and lay on my bed with the thoughts of Raven being on my mind and the cool air con lulling me to sleep. **** It was happening again. My dreadful, never-ending nightmare was causing a sharp pain in my chest. My hands clutched at my chest and the thrashing in my ears intensified. Breathing in agony, my room closed in
Raven The much-anticipated homecoming week fell upon us and after a long week of series of events, the homecoming dance was taking place tonight. The school was packed with past students who were eager to come back to their alma mater. My dorm was rowdy with girls getting ready and pumped up about the homecoming dance. Clarissa had sent me an expensive striped jumpsuit, knowing that I hated wearing dresses. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with intricate shimmery threads and sequins running down the sides. A small part of me sometimes wished she was my real mum. Carefully, I put on the outfit, and it fit me like a second skin while I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I admired myself from every angle, and a smile spread across my face. Taylor had expertly applied some makeup on my face. I opted for light makeup much to her disagreement. She couldn't get how I was so calm about everything and not jumping my head off. To me, it was just a normal event and there was nothing
Raven "Close your eyes and kiss me," I said softly and he broke into a lazy smile. "Which would you prefer, my lady? Heated, messy, slow, or needy?" "I want a slow, drugging kiss, "I breathed, feeling my stomach lurch. "Then a hard, passionate one." "I'm at your service," he breathed against my neck, leaning down. The kiss began softly and then built in intensity. His teeth brushed my bottom lip and I moaned as his tongue stroked mine. His mouth was soft and tasted of mint and alcohol as he kissed me passionately. He took control, cradling my head in his hands and all I could think about were the butterflies running in my belly, making me feel so good. I closed my eyes and poured everything I had into the kiss. My body came alive as Vlad increased the intensity of the kiss from soft, to hard, then soft again. The passion between us was electric. When our tongues slicked together, I liked the feel of his tongue rubbing mine. Vlad's mouth was made for kissing. They were moist
JalenThe overpowering smell of old, musty leather filled my dad's beat-up sedan, and the sound of his angry voice rose above the roar of the engine as he scolded me for shifting into my beast form. Tension filled the car, and my anger radiated off me in waves."Is it such a difficult task to control yourself in public? Have you never seen a girl before that you had to shift into your beast form? Now everyone in the pack will yap about how my son was aroused by a stupid werewolf.""I wasn't aroused by her," I lied, trying to defend myself, but he was too far gone in his rage to listen."Griffin, please hear him out. There may be other reasons why he shifted, and besides, Jalen can't be attracted to that spoiled brat.""Oh, shut up," my dad barked at my mom, who had stepped in to try and calm the situation. "That's all you do, make fat and silly excuses for him. He never does anything right. I'll be retiring in a year, and I don't even know the future of our pack."She sat in silence,
Clarissa I fell to the stage, surrounded by flashing cameras and concerned faces, I couldn't believe what had just happened. My heart was racing and I was hyperventilating, trying to process the fact that a Lycan was my mate.All around me, my family rushed to my side, trying to help me up and calm me down. My mother's caked-on makeup was smudged with sweat, a proof to her concern and worry. And all around, people were talking and trying to make sense of what was happening. 'Breathe, Rissa,' I encouraged myself, breathing out of my nostrils.Why was the moon goddess doing this to me? My brain couldn't process this at all. I'd been mateless for twenty-three years only to become a forbidden Lycan's mate?Fucking great!My mum squeezed my hand to comfort me. She was going to keep blaming me for months for disgracing her. "Here, sip some water," she said. My brother, Bryon, held my head while my dad checked my temperature. I felt lightheaded and was breathing quickly, inhaling and exh
Dearest gentle readers, *wink. This book is a sequel to Bound By The Lycan's Curse, which is Raven's dad amd Stepmom's love story. Kindly support by reading and enjoying the rollercoaster of emotions and unwavering love between a werewolf and a Lycan after fifty years of rivalry between both factions. Below is an expert.Chapter 1 I gazed out at the bright sun through the tinted windows of my dad's limousine, and rhe diamonds on my dress seemed to mock me, reminding me of my failure.Growing up, I thought all the males would fall at my feet because I was the Alpha's daughter, and my dad was a billionaire. But now, at twenty-three, with a first-class degree from Harvard and all the money in the world, I had no mate.To crown it all, my longtime boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend for months before I found out, thanks to the moon goddess, who paired them as mates.Thinking about it now made my chest tight. The two people whom I loved and trusted betrayed me in the mo
EpilogueSix years later "Raven, my love, ever since I met you, I've fantasized about this moment," Vlad's voice trembled with emotion. "I can't imagine a world without you. We have everything we need – money, a loving family, and a future ahead. Please, baby, will you marry me?"Caught off guard by Vlad's proposal, I burst into tears, turning to mush and ruining my perfectly done makeup."You naughty boy! Why didn't you tell me about this," I blubbered, hitting his shoulder? His perfect dentition broke into a killer smile, as my head bobbed in a yes. "Of course, I'll marry you," my heart sang with delight. "you own me after all.""I owe you my life," he said and I threw myself at his arms. He wrapped them tight around me, the smell of his cologne and our mating bond engulfing me and sending shivers down my spine. Gently, he slipped a Tiffany style round cut engagement ring onto my third finger, and the diamondsglinted brightly against my skin. "So this is why that silly girl, Ta
Raven The Doctor and King Vladislav walked in slowly, with the king standing beside me.I sobbed uncontrollably to the point that I began seeing spots and my vision became blurred, and I could hardly see the people in front of me anymore. The king's eyes were clouded with sadness and regret. I could feel the pressure building in my throat, making my breathing feel constricted. "Raven, please don't cry. You have done enough. Let's just say goodbye to Vlad.""Goodbye?" I spat, and he took a step back. "How will I do that? How do you expect me to say goodbye to my mate? My partner for life!""Raven, Vlad is my son," King Vladislav said with a resigned tone. "I feel so hopeless right now. But we have to face reality. Hybrids are different from humans and werewolves. The earlier we accept the reality that Vlad can never regain consciousness, the better for everyone. False hopes and delusions will get us nowhere."The king's voice cracked. "Please understand, Raven." I stumbled forward,
Raven On the night of day six, I couldn't sleep. My mind was restless like a rolling stone and I kneeled by Vlad's bedside, begging him with everything in me.King Vladislav had begun preparing for Vlad's funeral. According to him, Vlad deserved a befitting burial. How could anyone be comfortable burying their child?My tongue felt swollen. I was helpless and needed a miracle for Vlad. He was the only thing that brought joy and light to my life.The king was broken. All he did was mope and answer questions with monosyllables. Reality had begun to hit him but matter how much I begged him to extend the date, he didn't budge."Raven, there's nothing we can do. This is pure torture," his voice choked. "Let him rest.""Vlad, my love," I gripped his hand. "Did you hear your father? Is this what you want, to be buried? Talk to me. Wake up before they turn off the life support. Come back to me. Don't leave me, please. Just come back!"The answer I got was the beep of the machine and Vlad's s
RavenI couldn't sleep all night, and all I kept thinking about was Vlad. It was so bad that when I finally managed to drift off to sleep, it was filled with nightmares of them burying Vlad and all our classmates placing flowers at his gravesite. I felt even worse when I woke up, rolling over to face the wall and pulling my knees tight against my chest. The darkness of the night wasn’t comforting enough for the pain in my heart. The silence didn’t help either. What if Vlad never makes it? What if he doesn't come back to life? And then the memories from my dreams replayed over and over again in vivid detail. Taylor never left my side and even shared my bed with me. She sat up, staring at me with sympathy in her green eyesMy head rested on her shoulder as she whispered soothing things into my ear while rubbing my arms and whispering ‘It's okay’ every few minutes.At one point, she had to go out and make me some hot chocolate because I had started shivering so badly. Early the nex
Raven On day three of my stay in the specialist hospital, I had to return to school to write an important test that couldn't be written online. It was the last screening part to get admitted to college."You need to go," King Vladislav pleaded with me. "You're young and have a full life ahead of you. Vlad wouldn't want you to waste your time here and spend a year doing nothing just because you missed your college entrance exam." He paused to let his words sink and sadly, he was right. It was a good thing that I had been accepted into the best college program on campus on a full scholarship. My dad was wealthy enough to train me but that didn't mean I should waste his money on tuition. I sighed and the King begged me to stop making excuses. "you've got to graduate, Raven. I'm here with Vlad and you can always come back whenever you wish.""I don't trust you enough," I muttered. I don't know what you'll end up doing the second I step my foot out the door. You have been looking for h
LucianI'd seen too much, witnessed too many painful scenes. I returned home, terrible regrets and guilt assailing me. Vlad's condition was my fault. I let out a choked, desperate laugh. The king was so mad at me that he couldn't stand my presence. He hated me so much. Blood pounded in my temples as I felt humiliated and deflated remembering the disgraceful way he sent me away from the hospital. Not that I blamed him anyway. I deserved to be ridiculed. Everything was all my fault. If I hadn't fallen for Dimitri's stupid antics, I would have exposed him instead and saved my brother.Now Vlad's blood was forever spilled on my hands. It made me want to cry like a baby.How could I have been so stupid? How was I so careless as not to recognize how evil Dimitri really was? When I returned home, that wicked bitch, Elvira, was nowhere to be found. She could run, but she was definitely not going to hide forever. She was the mastermind of all this calamity and the reason why my mother d