VespaMy best friend and roommate Ria and I had a habit of daring each other to pull off pranks on ourselves and our classmates.On a warm Friday afternoon, after our last class for the week, I had downed a bottle of cold Guinness when a dare suddenly popped into my head.I revealed a cheap ass ring I’d picked up at a jewelry shop. It was a silver band adorned with a fake diamond.“With my boyfriend arriving from the werewolf pack tonight and this ring in hand, I'll ask him to marry me right in the middle of the airport.”Ria's mouth gaped open. “No!”I giggled from part drunkenness and part excitement, and she found my reaction disturbing."Are you out of your mind, Vespa? Women don't propose to men; it's the other way around. And Donovan's a werewolf, for crying out loud! You're not even supposed to be with him in the first place.”I wrapped my hands around Ria's neck and spun her around. "Life is short, darling. Besides, I've been dropping hints about wanting to get married early."
A throbbing pain exploded in my head as I cracked open my eyelids. The noise in my head sounded like a rumba band gone wild. It was fucking painful and I was forced to slam my eyes shut again.Groaning, I pressed my fingertips against my temples, desperately trying to massage the ache away. Then I froze, trying to piece together my surroundings.My headache ceased momentarily when I recognized my surroundings. Bookshelves overflowing with my favorite novels, the familiar cream walls of my childhood bedroom, my cat…Terror washed over me, stealing my breath. I was at my parents' house. This meant my parents knew about the humiliating airport incident.Fuck me!A fresh wave of pain hit me as Donovan's rejection replayed on a loop in my mind. The bastard had sworn his undying love on the phone just two days ago, whispering sweet nothings about how excited he was to see me. Fumbling for my phone on the nightstand, I tried calling Ria, only to discover a lifeless battery. Just as I cursed
Vespa My jaw practically hit the floor as the guys descended from the bus. Like moths to a flame, a swarm of girls gathered around them, and all their faces were plastered with googly-eyed adoration.What in the name of all that is holy and sane was going on here?! It was like watching k-pop artists and their teenage fangirls.It didn't help that the guys looked like they were straight out of a magazine. Each muscle looked meticulously sculpted, and they moved with an air of self-importance that bordered on smug. Every step they took sent the girls into a frenzy, shrieks and giggles.Alright, this was no fun. I swiped at the bead of sweat clinging to my forehead, hating the way the girls couldn't compose themselves. Where was their feminine grace and energy? Why were they acting like lovestruck fools?These weren't just men; they were walking, breathing werewolves. Donovan's public humiliation was a sure masterclass for me, and I wasn't about to be dragged back into the mess of being
Vespa "Ten minutes max and I'll bounce," I warned him. "Copy that," he mock-saluted. His smile broadened and I headed out, creating a distance between us. From nowhere, his brothers appeared, blocking us on the road. "What's going on?" I asked Ziah. "Where are you taking her?" The grumpy one (Kai) spat with the same arrogance as the previous day. Was he always this insolent? "None of your business," Ziah started to say, but his brother raised a brow."We're just going for lunch. What's wrong with that?" "Everything," Zeke, the beautiful one said with a much calmer tone, tossing his hair to the side. "You can't go out with her." "Why not?" "Because I said so." He tried to move closer, but man-bun stood in front of me. I stood there, wondering what these three rascals were up to. "You know what?" I raised my hands, tired of the back and forth. "I'm going to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Please do not follow me, else…" "Fuck off, Kai!" Ziah, my classmate, yel
KaiAnger was an understatement of how I felt after Vespa walked away. I was inflamed that my one chance of being with my mate was ruined by my overbearing brothers and my spoiled cousin."Get the hell out of here, Nebula." I snapped at the silly girl. "You're so infuriating."Nebula rolled her eyes, looking smug. "C'mon, Kia, I'm still your favorite cousin and you shouldn't dump me over a worthless human."Then she sat on the same seat Vespa had vacated, placing her manicured nails over my clenched fist and trying to pry it open.I pulled away, glaring at her.Hissing, she leaned back, drinking some of Ziah's water. "This isn't what you should be focused on. Grandma said keep your eye on the prize. But here you are, acting like simps. I'm most surprised that you're acting pussy-whipped, Kai.""Shut the fuck…""You're the serious one," she continued, ignoring me. "If it were Zeke or fuckboy Ziah, I wouldn't bat an eyelid."She was right. Vespa's presence made my skin prickle pleasur
VespaStarving, fatigued, and utterly drained from the whole drama, I was relieved to be in the comfort of my room. Without wasting a second, I yanked off my boots, tossed my backpack on the bed, and flopped down on the single couch in the room.Ria, who was sitting at the desk and working on her laptop, looked up, her eyes roaming over me. "Something wrong? You look like a horse pissed on your leg.""Is there some Universe diety I need to bribe to cease these back-to-back calamities?"Ria's face turned serious. She shut her laptop, sprang up, and rushed to my side. "What's wrong?""You don't want to know," I said, gulping some water. "My unwelcome lap dogs are driving me crazy."She frowned, trying to figure out what I was talking about, but when she understood, she burst into crazy laughter."What's funny?" I glared at her."Sorry, sorry. How so?""Would you believe it if I told you that they continued with their charade, each of them trying to warm up to me but fighting each other
VespaThere was a very thin line between love and hate, and this had been my case ever since Donovan dumped me. I thought I'd found 'the one,' when I met him. I thought I loved him and could die without him. Now, all I felt was the constant urge to gag, cold indifference and the fires of hatred flare up inside me. My hands itched to bang the door in his face hard and pound his brain cells into a pudding.A curse fell from my mouth and my instincts kicked in. I rushed to shut the door, but he was stronger than me and pushed it open before I could react.With my mouth gaping open, I watched him breeze past me without waiting for an invitation. Cocking his head, he leaned in, giving me the 'do-your-worst' smirk as he said, "Good to see you, honey," with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.After the public humiliation, I was hurt and my heart fell apart, then I transitioned to existing on autopilot. But tonight, my eyes opened to his flaws. I must have been blinded by his ugly dick to not not
ZekeMy favorite place to while away my time in college was the hiking trail. The surreal view was enchanting, thanks to the moon and stars reflecting on the water below and providing illumination that no artificial lights could ever hope to match.Unfortunately, a noisy gathering disguised as a party shattered the peace of this space. My heightened Lycan senses made the blaring music and thumping bass feel like an assault on my eardrums.No sleep tonight.Holding my acoustic guitar, I fixed my gaze at the constellations. The moon was at its brightest, fueling my body with lunar energy from the Moon Goddess and relaxing my body into a state of calm.I let out a sigh and tipped my head back, connecting to life and appreciating its beauty, while my fingers danced along the guitar strings, producing the familiar notes I held dearly to my heart.The ones my Mama taught me.Mama's soft face and her long, blond plait akin to a thick snake, filled my head. Her eyes, bright gray and sparkling
Chapter FiftyAthenaFour months had passed, and the academy graduation day had finally arrived. It was a bright and beautiful morning, and students, parents, and teachers gathered to celebrate this milestone. My dad and mom were there with my sister. Uncle Zika and their wives were also present. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress. I had settled for a simple blue gown that had a long slit. Mia helped me with my hair and makeup, ensuring perfect detail. Oh, and did I mention that Cameron was still alive, and Mia was engaged to her boyfriend Sean? She wore an off-the-shoulder dress to flaunt her mark with pride. I tried not to look at it because I always became jealous whenever I did. Mom and Dad beamed with pride, taking photos of me and Caleb. Cameron's dad, King Marcos, had also arrived, and when I curtsied respectfully, he smiled warmly at me and hugged me. His mom still had not been found, and some people speculated that she might have killed herself. Cameron ofte
AthenaSex with Cameron was beautiful. I never knew it could get so addicting, and I always thought the act was overhyped until I experienced it. The more the weeks passed, the more I couldn’t get enough of him. He had complained about condoms, saying that it wasn’t like the real thing, but I would always scream at him to stop being stupid and that I wouldn’t be responsible for his death. We kept the news from our parents. Cameron’s mom had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Cameron pretended to be calm the time we bumped into King Thor, but when he was closing off, he landed a punch on the king's jaw that I heard crack. He got a few bruises from the king’s bodyguards, but I was proud of him. The bastard deserved to be manhandled.Despite everything, I needed validation that I was doing the right thing. I couldn’t tell my mom because she would tell my dad, so the only person I could confide in was my grandmother. One of the weekends, I took a train to her house, which was close
Cameron's POVI'd never been on the verge of tears in years. It was taboo for boys to show emotion. Lately, life has been unfair to me, and realizing that nothing could ever be okay again has made me feel like a failure. I had always thought my life was great and better than most. Now, it was clear that that was just a delusion. The fact that my parents were on the brink of divorce because my mom fucked that bastard, Thor, made my blood boil.This roller coaster left my body drained. I didn't care how stupid I looked in tears; the feelings overwhelmed me. When the first wave of grief subsided, I finally looked at Athena, who was also in tears. She cupped my chin and kissed my forehead. “Why? Athena. Why does it have to be me? First, it's our bond and the pain of knowing you and I can never be together. Now, this?”“I'm sorry,” her mouth trembled as tears streamed down her face. “It isn't right. I wish I could fix it.”She wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I held her back whil
AthenaA crease appeared on Cameron's forehead, and he looked pinched and unhappy from my rejection. I moved my hand frequently, trying to distract myself, and thought he would understand as usual, but he seemed too defensive."It's just a dance, Athena. Even strangers dance. Things aren't that bad; please don't push it," I said, remaining calm. Cameron grinned at me, and I didn't understand why he was so stubborn."Fine then, I'm not going to ruin the fun. I hope you wouldn't mind if I danced with another girl.""Break a leg."He looked like I had just slapped him in the face, surprised by my response, but I needed to protect him from myself, even if it hurt. He turned around and left, and soon, he was dancing with a popular girl from school. Watching them felt too painful. I skipped to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of juice to distract myself.I noticed someone at the door and thought it was Cameron, but it was my cousin Alex. He smiled a little too broadly, and there was an
AthenaI bit the inside of my cheek, feeling trapped and unsure of my options to return to school. It was easy to second-guess myself because teenagers and young adults my age were mean, and no matter how I pretended that words didn’t get to me, I knew that wasn’t true. Stepping off the plane, I hoped I had made the right decision. I flagged a taxi from the airport parking lot, wondered why they were so expensive and hiked their prices compared to regular taxis, but I had no choice because Mom had gotten me a truckload of edibles and even more for Caleb. The driver dropped me off at the school gates, and I didn’t know if it was the hopeful expectation that there was going to be a strange twist between Cameron and me or the fear that things could get worse and that I was shooting myself in the foot. My heart pounded as I dragged my suitcase behind me. I stopped when I spotted Cameron standing and smiling at me at the gate; my heart melted.Our love brought us back to each other in wa
Cameron My gaze never left Athena. She was too startled by my bold declaration, and even though I was more uncertain than ever about what I was doing, and my dad was caught off guard by my words, I couldn’t help it. A part of me knew I was digging my grave, and I liked life too much to lose it. But at the same time, seeing Athena roused my deep affection and attachment for her. It wasn’t just about lust; there was more to my feelings. I wanted to move closer, to touch her. My pulse raced, and I felt a hyper-awareness of being close to her. Only she could cause me this mental fuzziness and the feeling of possessing her and keeping her safe.Her father looked confused. I heard his quick intake of breath. Athena stood tongue-tied, and shock flew through her mother’s eyes. I could tell my father was irritated.“What is wrong with you?” he whispered harshly, but I was too far gone. Athena looked different, skinnier than when I last saw her. She looked like someone who had been through a
Athena The next day dragged on without much happening. Everyone soon returned to their lives, with Dad busy with alpha duties and Mom busy with work and the home front. I knew this was how it would be—that everyone would forget my predicament or soon see me as a sore loser who couldn’t overcome the fact that Cameron and I could never be together. But I was wrong. My mom had invited my grandma to come over, which was a real surprise, as my grandma was a pure witch, and it was risky for her to be in our pack. Having her over made me feel a certain type of way. I had inherited her bloodline, and with it came a legacy of pain and heartache. I didn’t know if I wanted to see her.I drifted to sleep but could hear my grandma’s voice in my dreams. When I woke up, I realized she was indeed downstairs. My parents and sister were welcoming her warmly. I remained in bed; a part of me wanted to rush downstairs and fling myself into her arms. Instead, I made my way to the window and peered down
AthenaThe next few days were a blur of sorrow and nothingness. I struggled to remain alive and succumbed to the sadness that consumed me. I hated myself. I wished my life was over. There was nothing positive to look out for in this bleakness. My parents were concerned, but I chose isolation, finding people's words and concerns irritating. My eyes were swollen from crying, and my bed was bearing the brunt of this depression. I didn't leave it; if the poor bed could speak, it would be screaming n. I knew I would be expelled from school; that was a no-brainer. My dad and mom tried to reach out to me. Even my uncles, Zeke and Ziah, came over with their wives, but I didn't want to see anyone.Caleb had sacrificed to travel back with me, but he shouldn't have bothered because his presence didn't lift my spirits. The whole family was angry with Alex for exposing my secret, but I knew it was for the best. Cameron would be free now, and it was useless holding him back. I heard my mom knoc
CameronIf anyone had ever told me that this revelation would break the bond I shared with Athena, I would have never believed them because Athena seemed like everything good in my world, all in one package. I devoted myself to her and desired to share everything with her—my body, mind, and soul. I gave my heart to her to treasure with trust. We matched perfectly and had never fallen in love so quickly or completely.A wedding seemed the next logical step. I thought I would feel happy with her and that even if we encountered issues, they would be minor things with solutions.But now, my heart was shattered beyond repair. I was furious, I was afraid, and the thought of bonding with Athena leading to my death frightened me beyond measure. The hurt was raw, and the terror came gasping up my throat in a cold, panting fear. Ever since that night at the ballroom, surrounded by the elite who gathered to watch the commotion occur, my life went downhill. That night, a hush fell over the cr