VespaRestless and aching with inner pain, I collapsed on my bed. The crazy day's events played themselves over again and again on a loop.I rolled over onto my side, hugging a pillow close to me. My eyes slipped shut, but I couldn't sleep. Ria practically condemned me without giving me the chance to explain myself. Maybe I was too harsh with my words, but I wasn't comfortable with the things she said to me as well.All's fair in love and war.Expecting her to support me all the time was foolish, but she made it seem like I deliberately let myself go through this trouble. I rose from my bed and pulled on an oversized t-shirt that fell just above my knees. Something had to be done about the triplets constantly fighting over me, or else I would lose my sanity. They were too clingy and none wanted to share. Cursing my folly and refusing to think about the boys, I headed to my work desk and turned on my laptop, but my mind kept drifting back to the boys and Kai's possessive kiss. My pho
ZekeFilled with the newfound victory of kissing and touching my girl, I sat happily on the fifty-four-seater bus driving us to the Lycan pack with a grin dancing around my lips. I couldn't stop replaying the intimate encounter with Vespa last night, how her jade-colored eyes turned dark with passion, how she looked up at me through thick lashes, and how her rosy mouth slightly trembled with lust. We connected so effortlessly that if I could dedicate my whole life to pleasing her, I would, without hesitating. My love for the girl transcended any mere physicality.My girl. My mate.May heavenly blessings rain down upon the genius who decorated the campus hiking path, because under that oak tree, I kissed her before any of my brothers did.Now that's a win right there. If this was a competition, I'd win fair and square.Werewolves and Lycans stepped onto the bus. We were heading home for the yearly harmony feast. Despite the misfortune that befell the Lycan community and killed our p
VespaExhausted like I'd run a marathon, I dropped my keys and gazed around. The house was silent with no sign of life. "Dad," I called, heading to his room, but my mom stepped out and we collided with each other. "Oi!" she exclaimed, brushing herself off with her customary frown. "Watch where you're going.""Hello Mom," I stepped aside, letting her pass. "What are you doing here?"My chest rose in pursuit of air. Must she always act coldly towards me?"Way to welcome your daughter whom you haven't seen in weeks. I came to check on Dad. ""Don't you have important stuff to do in school?" she said, letting her bitterness spill into her voice. "Even superheroes take breaks. Mom. Astrid informed me he had a work accident. Is he okay?" I asked, trying hard not to raise my pitch.She moved away from me and headed to the living room. "Go see for yourself."I ignored her and took the steps two at a time until I reached my dad's room. The smell of cigarette smoke clung to my nostrils as I
Ziah In the ancient enchanted woodland, where centuries-old secrets and powers were buried under moss-covered rocks, we gathered for the Lycan rituals, to channel our spirits to our loved ones.We were dressed in ceremonial attire – a white and black striped shirt, loose-flowing pants, and no footwear – we faced the Pack's totem, a silver wolf with eyes glowing red and another smaller one standing proudly at its side.I gazed up with a vacant, uninterested look. This ritual was meant to bring solace to those still alive, but it seemed pointless to me. The dead can't offer assistance or guidance, and they'll never return, making this exercise feel useless.Bored to death, I pretended to connect. But even before my parents' deaths, these rituals held no fascination for me. It was more painful now because why cry over spilled milk?The chosen priestess and Zeke's best friend, Selena, exploded into a chant, bringing me back to the present.She carried the symbol of the goddess in her hand
ZiahNebula was so aggravating. If I could get a fucking magic wand and make this girl disappear from the face of the earth, I'll do it without blinking.My grandma's head shot up in anticipation."That's my girl," she clapped. "Tell me everything."Nebula sneered, followed by a bark of laughter. "You don't know? It's no secret that-”"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" Kai fired back."Hey, watch your language?" Uncle Boaz snapped at him. "She's pregnant and your cousin."Nebula looked so smug, bouncing in place and wetting her lips. Grandma urged her to speak."The boys have a big problem, a human problem.""Shut up, Nebula," the three of us snapped."Why? Gran needs to know the truth, and you need to break that damn bond."Grandma sat up sharply. "What bond? Speak now, child, and stop keeping me in suspense.""The boys found their mate.""Their mate?" Grandma and Uncle Boaz exclaimed, shocked."Yes, a tiny human who has been causing the boys to fight with each other nonstop since she arrived.
Vespa At home, my irritation worsened. But as usual, I did great at pretending not to have heard the kitchen conversation between Mom my brother, and me until we gathered at the dinner table. Facing my mom caused me a lot of distress. When my eyes came up to study her face, I realized that all I felt for the woman was disgust.Her face wrinkled like an iguana. Old age was beginning to show through her body, which had once been lean and lithe. Silence echoed louder than any spoken words except for the scraping of forks and the distant sound of rain against the window pane.We were having spaghetti bolognese for dinner, my favorite food. My mom was a shitty woman and I had every right to fault her for many things, but she could cook pasta better than a Michelin chef. Not just pasta but any food. Whenever I tried to cook, I always made an awful mess and ended up with tasteless and bland meals. Pushing aside my emotions, I picked up my fork and served myself a portion of the delicious
VespaThe room fell silent like a graveyard after I uttered those words. Hurt passed Ria's eyes and her mouth bunched into a fist.In my defense, she was overstepping her bounds. She wasn't the one who had to deal with the embarrassment and chaos of having three men craving for my attention.Turning my face to the wall, I felt a little guilty. Ria and I never fought. She always had my back.Maybe I should have controlled my temper, but she was asking for the silent treatment.The harsh words my mom used on me rang in my head, making me curse my luck for having a messed-up life. Why would a sane mother wish that her daughter was never born?Ria's warm hand landed on my shoulder causing me to snap out of my thoughts and jerk away."Vespa, I'm sorry."My body stiffened at the sincerity and remorse of her tone."I've been an ass these past days and I apologize." I murmured in an unconvincing attempt at being nonchalant. Ria's heart was lighter than a flower. I knew this squabble wasn't goi
Vespa"Vespa, someone's at the door," Ria called from the bathroom. I lowered the volume of the Bluetooth speaker playing in the room.Who could it be at this time of the night? Ria and I rarely had visitors. Quickly putting on a pink shirt over my tank top I checked the time, seven-thirty, then I headed to the door and swung it open.My chest seized up at the sight of Kai standing tall like a god (no blasphemy intended) with his dark brown hair, short and neat beard, deep tan, and eyes that seemed to glow as he looked down at me. He wore a gray jacket and jeans with some sort of red stripe down each pant leg.For my good, I'd have to get used to the intensity of his gaze and stop acting like a breathless horny fool who wanted to pull off her panties. But for now, all I could do was stand there dumbstruck as my heart raced. Kai tilted his head just slightly, a gesture almost like a wink, causing my stomach to flip over."What are you doing here?""Hello to you too," his smirk deepene
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