THANERiley had never once forgotten to replace the flower on Axel’s tombstone. I had seen her more than once, heading for the grave with a fresh flower to replace the old ones; sometimes she'd sit down beside the tombstone and talk to him.Axel had been a close friend to her, and sometimes I worry she would be all alone while I am away, ‘occupied’ as always.I had to run a check on Riley’s father, Sebastian Bruce; he had nothing under his name, and the thought of tracing him down was far too enticing. All I was going to do was talk to him, maybe leave him with an injury or two, nothing too much, just a reminder that he shouldn’t mess with my mate.I smirked at that.Just then I notice the woman approaching. It was Pricilla, Axel’s mother.I did remember informing the patrollers to never let her in, but on the day of Axe’s burial, she had practically begged to be let in to witness her son's burial, and as much as I disliked her, I let her in. But currently she was exceeding her welcom
Isabella seemed taken aback by my refusal, tears welled up in her eyes — albeit they were tears of embarrassment; I could easily tell that she wasn't used to being rejected. I debated leaving the office, but finally she spoke up."You don't love me anymore, Thane.""I think I've had about enough of this; it's time you leave.""So you are going to push me away? After everything?""Well now you are making me believe you are crazy.""Don't pretend like you don't know what I speak about. You had the suspicions, but I turned them down. When I told you I forgot my memories, I hadn't been exactly truthful. I don't know what happened these past years, but all I could remember was being with you.""What are you trying to say?""I am trying to say I am the very same woman you loved; I am Bella.""Don't you dare..."She cut me off. "I can prove it to you. We met in the woods. At first, I ran away from you because I knew I was going to die. I didn't want to hurt you, but you were persistent, and
RILEY"There's something I need to tell you." Thane said to me, his tone calm but I could sense the gravity of his words, and I gave him my full attention."Earlier, I told you that I had been seeing my father.""Yes, you did." I prompted him to go on."He wasn't the only dead person ‘visiting.""Thane, I think about Axel too; sometimes I dream about him. I understand that." I said to him, already knowing where this was heading to."No, it’s not Axel— that wouldn't have been a problem. It's Bella, my… dead mate. Though she only visits my dreams, it still worries me; I hadn't dreamed about her in years, and all of a sudden she is all I dream about, and in this dream... it's always like we were still together, just how it had been before she died.""Thane, I trust you. I know you don't love her, and it's just the deities trying to mess with your head, but I know you love me, and I love you too. The fact that you see your dead mate in your dreams doesn't mean a damn thing." I assured him
Now it all made sense. Thane's reaction to Isabella finally made sense.I was mad, angry, and jealous, and I had every right to be. After Bella's death, Thane had been in so much pain, he couldn't bear it all alone, and that had been the very same reason he shut everyone out; it had taken so many years for him to move on, but the effect of her death remained, even till today. So I didn't exactly believe that he could just... Stop loving her.I paused in the hallways; hesitating for a moment before taking a turn, I headed to the room Isabella occupied. I knocked once, and she opened the door. I didn't wait for an invitation; I pushed past her and walked into her room. She shut the door before turning to me. There was a small frown on her tiny doll-like face. Her red hair had been made into a messy bun; she was beautiful, and I couldn't deny it, and despite myself, I felt an ache in my chest. Thane never spoke of how beautiful 'Bella' had actually been."I know why you are here," she s
"How did you get in here?" I questioned him."Let's skip that part. I was hoping you would ask why I was here.""Well then, why are you here?" I asked him."I needed to apologize.""It doesn't work that way, and I don't appreciate you showing up in my home, Bruce.""I know, and if I will try not to do that next time —if there ever has to be a next time. I didn't handle things well when you came to visit; I had been too brash and... cold. For this reason, I ask for your forgiveness.""Got it. You can leave now.""I know you wanted an explanation, but I didn't give you one...""Bruce, I don't really care, not anymore; all I need is some time alone.""I would leave, but I went through a lot to be here, and so I need you to hear me out.""You have one minute, and your time starts now.""I do have an explanation; there is a reason I had to stay away from you, but the problem is I cannot tell it to you.""If I may ask, why?""I just can't. But I want you to know that I did care for your mo
“I didn’t tell my mother about... you.” I said to him, “I didn’t do it for you though, but for her. She has moved on, Bruce; she’s in love now, and she is happy, it will remain that way.” “You did the right thing. It has been so many years; she deserves to be happy.”“She does.”“I don’t expect your forgiveness...”“I don’t plan on giving you that. What I am interested in knowing is what exactly you are. I know you aren’t a werewolf.”“You are right; I am not. I am a warlock.“A warlock?” I repeated.“Yes, similar to a sorcerer but also... different in some way. A sorcerer is born with magic flowing through their veins, but a warlock isn’t born with magic; we earn it, and for this reason, we operate on a different level.”“That’s how you were able to make Mom forget about you.”“Yes. It was a simple spell.”“When you made her forget about you, why did you compel her to believe Slade was my father?”“Because I knew it would make her hate him even more, and hate is one strong emotion;
THANEI remained in the garden. Maybe this hadn't been the right time to tell her about Bella.She was right.While I didn't love Bella anymore, I still cared, and it felt wrong.At that moment, I felt like something was wrong. It had been pure instincts but I felt the need to check up on Riley so I hurried back to the room we shared.She might need her space, but she was pregnant, and she needed company, just in case anything happened...She wasn't in the room.I moved to the bathroom, and there I saw the blood on the tile.Damn.I had been heading to the healers when I met Daisy halfway there. "What's wrong?""The Luna is in labor."That's all it took, and I was sprinting to the healing room.Riley had been placed on the bed; sweat coated her face — maybe it was tears. I walked to her holding her hands in mine."You are going to be fine." I assured her."It's not yet time; I don't know why this is happening to me.""We will get through this together, okay." I said to her, and she n
RILEYThane never left; not once in the next three days. He used the bathroom in the healing room instead.I felt so weak and tired; Daisy said I should be getting better, but I most definitely wasn't. At least the child survived, even if it would take a few more months for me to see him again. I tried lifting my hand, and it did take some effort for such a petty task."Thane, you know you could go to work...""No, nothing is more important than you and right now you need me here.""But I am fine Thane, the pack needs you too." I said to him, I did notice Regnux visits; there was work to be done, but Thane didn't want to leave me alone, I could handle myself for a few hours — maybe I'll try not to trip on my own foot while I lay on the bed."I'll only be gone for a few hours, and I'll be right back," he promised."It's alright."..Exactly an hour after Thane was gone, the door was pulled open. I had thought it was Daisy, and so I didn't bother, but then the figure got close enough.
**DAEMON** "I have every reason to kill you." Bruce said to me as he tended to my wound. I should have kept an eye out for Thane; maybe I did underestimate him."I know.""No, you don't. You are a fool if you think you have a chance with my daughter; you don't. Many have tried; she has eyes for only one man.""I've learned from my mistakes; I won't repeat them.""Of course you won't; I will not let you," he says.We were back in Bruce's home. I hated this place; for some reason it made me feel powerless, totally helpless.Bruce had helped me escape from Jade; together we locked her away, but I always felt like I escaped from one prison only to fall into another. Just like Jade, Bruce wanted to control me, but unlike her, he made me feel like I had an option even if I didn't."You gave them the pendant; why?""Why else do you think? I know about what you did to my daughter, against her will.""You don't really care, so stop the pretense.""Is that what you think? That I don't care?Ju
RILEYI paced in my room. What if he had something important to tell me?I shouldn't have slammed the door at him as I did earlier, it was wrong of me.He was right; I was pushing him away, and I feared he would go to the only one available and ready to give him a listening ear.You know what? Fuck it.He was right; I couldn't pull through with this; it was simply impossible. I headed back to the Thane room. Nothing has changed since I moved.I headed to the inner room, moving as silently as I could... I stopped short. Bella had her legs wrapped around Thane's waist. I stood there, watching them; it took everything in me to hold in the tears and turn around.It was too late. I had pushed him right into Isabella's waiting hand. If I had any tears left, I would have let them out. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think, and for the first time I wondered if I should have taken Isabella's offer while it was still on the table.I visited Ethan because I needed someone, anyone, to be with.Wa
"Do you know Logan is also a Lycan, like me?" "I had no clue that any of you were lycans; believe me, I am proud of you, but if I had even a single clue that you were a lycan, then I would have killed you, then haunted him down and killed him too, just to remain in power.""What do you know about the Lycan's curse?" I questioned Slade."I thought you would never bring that up. I've been doing my homework, and I heard a thing or two about it.""By doing your homework, you mean 'snooping around?""Yes, that. It had been interesting watching your relationship with the Luna stumble. It's like history repeating itself; maybe this thing called 'love' was never meant for us.""Leave her out of this, will you?""But it is so much more fun talking about her. You know, If I were alive, I would have had a taste of her.""Just as you did to her mother?" I asked, holding back my anger because I couldn't hurt him, not when he was a ghost."Kate was such a sweetheart. You know, there came a time th
"Slade." I called again, but there was no response. Of course, when I needed him the most, he chose to play a disappearing scheme on me. I was not going to have that. "Would you prefer I beg?"This felt stupid; I was alone in my office, calling for my dead father's ghost, but of course anyone stumbling upon this scene would find it very...unsettling."I can tell you need something." The voice called. Slade was finally here. "I thought I had finally lost you.""You don't say that like it is a bad thing.""I mean, I need answers, but if I could stop seeing your ghost, then that is even better.""I should feel sad, but I've gotten accustomed to your manner of caring."I watched my father, once I feared this man; the whole world feared him. He was a walking, breathing terror, and now he was...nothing. I couldn't help but feel a little pity for him, even if he had been the one digging his own grave from the very beginning."Do you by any means know a man called Logan Dimintri?" I question
"What has life in the shadows been like?" I questioned Logan. "What do you think it would be like?" he threw the question back at me. "Perhaps sad, lonely, pitiful." "It was all of those things, but I had to be that, knowing you were the complete opposite." "So, about Isabella, had you been the one who awoke her?" "No, I wasn't — what do you think I am? I don't know how she awoke but strange things happen, brother. She told me she lost her memory, but I recognized her almost instantly, and I knew she was your mate. I believe it's all fate. I mean, she came in the time you needed her the most." "And what about you? Do you have a mate?" "I did; I killed her." "I just might have found a match." I mused with a smile on my face as I took another sip of the whisky. "It had been a mistake; just like you, I had no idea about the Lycan's curse, and then all of a sudden it happened. It had been an accident, but, well, I wouldn't let you go through what I did." "So let me get
THANEI hadn't seen Riley in three days; she was avoiding me. I wanted to pay her a visit so badly; it took every last will in me not to. She wasn't ready to see me, and I should respect her decision.Kissing Isabella right before her was the worst move I've ever made and I did feel guilty even if it had been my wolf who was drawn to her. Surprisingly, living with Isabella wasn't exactly as complicated as I had thought it would be; since our last conversation, she had stayed away, barely speaking to me. I knew my words hurt her, but I wasn't going to lead her on; she deserved better."There's a man requesting an audience with you," a soldier reported to me."Does he have a name?""He had refused to say a thing till he saw you.""Well, if he isn't ready to share his name in the very least, then I don't think I'll be entertaining him.""Alpha... I think you should see him." The soldier said, a hint of concern in his eyes..The man waited outside the pack house, surrounded by my pack so
ISABELLA"You know, she is right." I said to Thane, I knew he was considering staying in another room; that wouldn't be ideal, and I wasn't suggesting this only because I wanted to be in the same room with him.I settled on the bed in my nightgown, and maybe I had gone a little overboard with picking something sexy, but Thane didn't even seem to notice, and a part of me felt slightly... disappointed.I still believed this could work; Thane loved us both, and he could have us both. I wouldn't mind the time he spent with Riley as long as he was going to be with me too. It might seem pathetic, but I had already come to terms with the fact that she would always be a part of his life.She helped him recover from the state I left him in, and for that I was grateful.I watched Thane settle on the couch."What are you doing?" I questioned."Taking a nap," he responded as if that wasn't clear."You don't have to sleep on the couch; join me on the bed.""The fact that we share a room doesn't me
RILEYAll the destroyed furniture in the room had already been replaced. I took only some of my clothes, a few other things I needed, and I was packed in no time. I didn't want to think too much about this; if I did, it would only result in me breaking down in tears. I also feared that if I paused to think about what I was doing, then maybe I would change my mind."What do you want, Isabella?" I asked. She remained by the door to ‘Thane's room’."Come on, don't do this."I turned to her. "You don't have to pretend like you don't want it.""I do, Riley. I want to sleep in the same room with him, but he doesn't; he wants to be with you.""This is the only way; how else would the pack be safe? It's not going to be permanent, and I'll still be a short walk away; it's just for the meantime." I said, and finally she gave in."I'm sorry, Riley.""Take care, Isabella, and take care of Thane too.""I will," she promised..I found a free room, a good distance away from Thane; it was a bit sma
Isabella attempted pulling away from him, just for my benefit, but he wouldn't let her go; he held onto her, kissing her. His hands ran down her body, the want in his eyes evident— No, this wasn't him; it was his wolf, and I knew that, yet I couldn't stop the tears. I should leave; I shouldn't witness this, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I watched him rip her clothes off, and finally she pulled him back."Thane!" she called this time louder.She wanted it; I could see it in her eyes, and I could smell it in the air, but she was doing this because she wanted to be friends; the problem was... it couldn't work.Thane blinked. "Isabella?" he called."Guess I was wrong," she muttered, her breath still raspy. Thane's gaze met mine; I could see the silent apology and instant regret in his eyes. I took a step back, followed by another, and then I was running. I didn't know exactly where I was heading to, but all I knew was that I had to be far away, far away from Isabella and far away