CamillaI watched George tenderly examine Grandma Zora's leg. His face was fixed on the task. Grandma Zora, who looked much better, was cheerfully joking and teasing."Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? I'm not dying or anything! I'm perfectly fine; nothing serious happened to me.”She looked amused and laughed. Kai advised her to let the doctor perform a thorough scan on her leg because he didn't want to take chances. "Grandma Zora, you are very important to everyone in the pack. We can't afford to let anything bad happen to you.”She seemed fine. Kai left after George confirmed her fitness. I went to get George some orange juice. Our fingers brushed, and I grew so uncomfortable that I forgot he was my boyfriend for a brief moment. He ran his thumb over my hand discreetly, and I was relieved when he pulled away. I was afraid that he would soon start asking for sex. I quickly turned away to focus on Grandma Zora, whose leg was bandaged and elevated.It was quite sill
ZiahVespa's Luna ritual was drawing closer, and the disturbing thought that Kai was finally going to take over her frightened me. It was impossible to think positively that I would win over him, as it was glaringly obvious that Zeke and I had lost Vespa.We headed to the clearing in the heart of the forest at 9:00 p.m. Although the moonlight wasn't bright, our enhanced vision allowed us to see.The women stood in the center, where a large stone altar and torches on tall wooden sticks were situated. Vespa was dressed in a pure white flowing robe, and Grandma Zora reluctantly placed one of her wolf-pelted scarves on her.Kai and I stood side by side, watching the women chant one of our songs dedicated to the moon goddess. I was so uncomfortable, which was in stark contrast to Kai, who was happy that this was finally happening.Vespa looked like she wanted to bounce out of there. I leaned against the tree trunk, knowing that these women were distrustful of her and disapproved of a human
Camilla I wasn't expecting George to abandon his duties at the clinic and take me to his friend's house, but he did, and that warmed my heart. The fact that he was always eager and enthusiastic to help me was precious, and I didn't take it for granted.When we arrived at the venue, we waited for close to an hour, but there was no sign of his friend. I began feeling restless and mentally berated his friend for being a time-waster.“Are you sure she's home? We've been waiting forever," I said to George, who had attempted to distract me and remain patient."Absolutely. Her car is parked outside, and she's always fashionably late—a bit of a diva. Let's give her some more time."“Don't you need to head back to the clinic?”"Don't worry about me," he said, pulling me closer and placing a peck on my cheek. I was relieved that it wasn't my lips—as bad as that sounded.His friend finally made an appearance. Lisa King was tall, and graceful, and looked even more beautiful up close. She was one
Vespa My spine stiffened as I stared at the polished floors. I was in a room surrounded by council members. The leaders looked serious, and their eyes were fixed on me. They made me feel like a guinea pig in a lab. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The tension in the room was so thick that I could cut it with a knife. Occasionally, I raised my head and looked past them to stare at the sculpture in the corner. There were murmurs and laughter from small groups. I sipped water continuously and watched a couple of guards standing by the door.We sat around a large U-shaped table, and even though I was beside Kai, I couldn't wait to leave this oppressive atmosphere.Zeke and Ziah were present, but they were respectful: thank goodness for that. Kai was scribbling furiously into a notepad, and I didn't want to bother him. He must have noticed my moodiness because he leaned in close. "You look blanched, baby. You okay?”My response was a strained smile. "I'm fine," I whispered back, tryi
CamillaAn extremely intense pain seized my stomach and legs. The weight of carrying an alpha baby was taking its toll on my omega body.I was breathing loudly and clenched the bed sheets as I writhed from side to side, trying to find a position that would ease the discomfort."Please, my baby, you need to help mommy carry you," I begged, wondering what kind of danger I had gotten myself into.As if the baby were playing pranks on me, the pain intensified, causing me to let out a soft whimper. Grandma Zora said that from the second trimester on, the pain would be reduced, and I just had to endure the physical agony."Oh no." I whimpered and closed my eyes, trying to focus on something other than the pain, but it wasn't working.There was a faint knock on the door and the pain in my stomach was so unbearable that I was crying. I mustered all my strength to slowly crawl to the door and wondered who could be there at such an ungodly time of the night.I managed to reach the door, and my
Camilla“Your friend, Lisa, is something,” I said to George with good humor and relaxed on the comfortable sofa while chuckling with happy memories. After work, George took me to Cake Oasis, a small, family-owned bakery that was recently transformed by the owner's daughter, who created a whimsical-looking sitting space for patrons.“Her face was camera-worthy,” I said, with a mouth full of laughter. “I mean, I don't get why she doesn't like me. I told you she didn't the first time we went to her house, but you kept defending her. Gosh, I've never felt so happier.”The warm and sweet aroma of freshly baked goods floated over us as we talked. A small child ran past carrying a plate of cookies, giggling at his childish joy.George looked distracted. He wasn't fully present in the conversation, and I wondered why. He was still wearing his uniform from work—a white shirt, gray pants, and his coat.I waved a hand on his face after taking a sip of my creamy milkshake, and he blinked, coming
CamillaThe drive to George's house was tense. His mother's hatred was a storm, and it was eating at my guts. Before we left the house, Grandma Zora stood solidly behind me, saying that George had gone too far and that, as a doctor, he knew the consequences of his actions. “He has been sad since she rejected him,” his mother said, her steely-gray eyes not leaving me. "The young boy's heart was captured by love, but alas, his affection was unrequited. I don't hold him responsible. My blame lies with the girl who declined his heartfelt proposal, even though she carries the child of another man.”“Laura, you promised not to bring this up,” Grandma Zora warned her. "She never imposed herself on your son, so please show some self-respect and respect her boundaries. Remember, I have the authority to keep George away from her if need be.”George mumbled under her breath. We got to the house, a two-story duplex with large rooms. My stomach turned when we headed upstairs to his room. He was aw
CamillaThe drive to George's house was tense. His mother's hatred was a storm, and it was eating at my guts. Before we left the house, Grandma Zora stood solidly behind me, saying that George had gone too far and that, as a doctor, he knew the consequences of his actions. “He has been sad since she rejected him,” his mother said, her steely-gray eyes not leaving me. "The young boy's heart was captured by love, but alas, his affection was unrequited. I don't hold him responsible. My blame lies with the girl who declined his heartfelt proposal, even though she carries the child of another man.”“Laura, you promised not to bring this up,” Grandma Zora warned her. "She never imposed herself on your son, so please show some self-respect and respect her boundaries. Remember, I have the authority to keep George away from her if need be.”George mumbled under her breath. We got to the house, a two-story duplex with large rooms. My stomach turned when we headed upstairs to his room. He was aw
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