LenoraThe brooding danger and panic eating at my heart made my chest feel as if it would burst. Kevin, Linda, and I shivered under Kilian's rough maltreatment. The bastard was so brutal he had to force us down in front of his minions, making us beg like filthy animals with our hands tied behind our backs. My stomach twisted into knots as my teeth rattled. It was the first time in my life I'd ever been beaten or subjected to this torture. Never would I have imagined Killian to be a terrible person. He masked his cruelty and his ruthless personality well and deceived everyone into believing we knew him. We were so blinded by his good-boy persona. After the phone call with CJ, I was on edge, having no choice but to open up to Linda about everything.I met her outside the faculty and drew her aside to avoid anyone interrupting us. She took a seat in the nearby grassy field and waited patiently for me to speak."Girl, what's eating you up?""Don't freak out," I looked around cautiousl
LenoraAt the sight of CJ's wolf, Killian immediately shifted into a wolf. Panic consumed me but because CJ was here, I verbalized the pros and not the cons, feeling a strong awareness of CJ's presence and a biting cliffhanger effect. It felt strange, yet at the same time, right, as if CJ was meant to be my savior. His pupils dilated to reveal his red irises.Good timing, dudeSnapping his jaws open, fear, stark and vivid, made my body tremble. I had never seen something like this before.In a maddening rage, CJ's wolf lunged at Killian's wolf, who swiftly dodged his attack and charged at him again. They tumbled back and forth across the hall like wrestling dogs, snarling and snapping at each other, neither giving the impression of ever winning.CJ down on Killian's hindquarters and ripped out a chunk of meat from the bone with ease. Killian roared in pain, and I knew CJ must have injured some bones because blood sprayed everywhere. Killian twisted in midair and managed to kick CJ
CJMy muddled heart raced with so many thoughts at once. Lenora had asked to flee with me. As tempting as that sounded, the thought was vaguely disturbing and I couldn't bring myself to agree to her wishes. Left to me, I’d seize the chance and take her with me. She meant the whole world to me, but I knew better. It wasn't right to force her to make such a huge decision in her life. She was young and had a full life ahead which I wasn't planning on stealing from her. Yet I couldn't imagine living without her. I loved her with all my being, and the thought of being with her forever filled me with joy. But her dad had been through so much these past few weeks, and I couldn't bear to add to his difficulties.There was no easy answer to this. Whatever choice I made would have aftermaths. Leaving her here was going to break me because I would miss her every day of my life. Taking her with me was going to break her dad and cause more dilemmas.There was nothing here for me anymore. I had
LenoraCJ dropped me off at school and I hugged him, refusing to let go. "Don't forget what we spoke about. I'm dead serious about it." I saw the hesitation in his body language but I'd already made up my mind. "Baby, let's not add more issues to the existing ones. Maybe should try to talk to your dad."I groaned, frustrated that CJ didn't understand my dad's strong disapproval of our relationship. "My dad will never agree to this. I may be young and foolish, but I'm an adult capable of making my own decisions. I can't bear the thought of staying apart from you.""Same here, but eloping without trying to reason with your dad first is crazy. Let's find a way to approach him together and explain our feelings. Maybe he'll surprise us.""Yeah right, " I scoffed. "I've tried, CJ. He's stubborn and won't accept our relationship."CJ silenced me with a kiss and my eyes drifted closed, lulling me with the sweet sensation of his tongue gently probing mine. He pulled away to whisper, "Just
Lenora"Here we go," CJ announced, opening the door for me to exit the car. My gaze darted around the house and my heart skipped with anxiety. Things were about to get awkward between Mariselle and me, and because she used to be my best friend, it hurt like hell to see her so distant and angry, CJ pulled me closer, kissing my forehead tenderly, but when Mariselle stood at the door and glared at me, an expression that screamed, 'I'll tear you apart if you take one step closer, ' I froze. CJ grinned, rubbing my back to soothe me, his gaze silently communicating that he was solidly behind me and bent to whisper to me. "Your face turned white as a sheet. Don't forget what I told you. Try to ignore her tantrums. She's angry but will get used to us eventually."I nodded, giving him a tight-lipped smile, but deep down, it hurt to see her harbor so much resentment for me like we were never friends. CJ turned towards Mariselle. She looked so intimidating, perhaps because I knew she was a
CJMy gaze became unfocused with nostalgia and I rolled down the car window, allowing the natural werewolf scent to waft into my nose. My eyes prickled with happy tears and a thickness in my throat. I drove past the bustling metropolis filled with tall buildings and vibrant nightlife. The familiar landmarks and cherished memories filled my head. I remembered everything as though ten years ago was yesterday."Wow," Mariselle's eyes shone with joy like a little child, taking everything in, and her neck craned to look out the car window at the beautiful lake. "I'm finally here." She was blissfully happy, a huge contrast to the rage that had clouded her face earlier. She seemed almost giddy now. Cute. "Dad, isn't that the Fang Wood forest? You used to take me and Mum there for our monthly rituals.""Indeed it is," my breath slowed as the memory took over. "Still the same.""Whoa, and even M& T ice cream shop by the left. Mum and I used to hang out there for our girl bonding sessio
Lenora Moping like a ghost, I felt isolated, with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. A few hours had passed since CJ's announcement, and ever since, I felt like I'd just swallowed a gallon of lemons. I perched on a chair in the inner part of the living room, listening to the sound of laughter filling the air, and watched women swirl and dance gracefully, all dressed in colorful dresses.Laughing, they swayed with jubilant energy to an Oriental beat, the chorus of the lyrics was The sun will rise in the morning. Their energy was beautiful. The kind that made you forget about everything bad for a little while. The women were all gorgeous. Not one was ugly or unattractive.The kitchen was packed with women and piles of delicious food. The women served themselves a couple of glasses of wine and tea. CJ and the men had headed out while the women continued their form of entertainment, dancing and playing charades, while the elder ones sat near the fireplace telling stories.I didn't
Lenora My eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light. I blinked, finding myself in this unfamiliar bed with a floral-patterned ceiling above my head.Then I relaxed, settling back onto the bed, remembering that I was in CJ's bedroom, a human now living among werewolves who didn't like me. Hurrah! Turning my head, I expected to find CJ beside me, but he was nowhere to be found, and the side of his bed was cold, which meant that he had been gone for quite some time. I wondered if CJ was even going to have time for me, considering the activities that were cut out for him.Rising, I stretched my arms above my head and yawned, entering the bathroom and squeezing a dollop of minty toothpaste onto my brush.After brushing my teeth, I splashed my face with cool water from a crystal glass bowl and returned to the bedroom. It was time to call my dad. Making excuses to postpone the call, my subconscious warned me to go ahead and place the call. My stomach rolled and my fing
LenoraI was busy making sure that the party was going in full swing and tried as much as possible to avoid Titan. Unfortunately, his charming smile and seductive voice had gotten some females in the house, including the married ones. He flirted with anyone, not caring whether they were married or not, and I was annoyed. I couldn't wait for him to get the hell out of my house.I hated him so much because he was a very good pretender and hated myself for falling for his cheap ploy. The party was over. CJ asked me to show the entourage their rooms. I was about to walk past a room but gasped in shock when he drew me inside and shut the door."What are you doing, Titan?" I yelled, giving him a dirty look. I never knew I was capable of being this angry. I felt like using a knife to stab him.My nasty look didn't stop him. Instead, he was adamant and had an amused smile. "You know you turn me on when I see you mad. I missed your lips, darling. And this is between you and me, but I came here
RubyI couldn't believe that that wicked boy and his father were here. It hurt more that he was sitting at the dining table chatting with my dad, looking so smug and confident as if he had done nothing wrong and was fooling my dad, who didn't know how terrible the boy was.He didn't even glance at me and was acting like I was invisible. I felt a surge of pain. How could people be so cruel and heartless? I wanted to scream at him, to tell my dad and everyone how much he hurt me. But I couldn't do that because the Lycans were very important and powerful, and they were my dad's guests. My dad beamed with pride, and I could tell that he was so happy.I was glad that my sister spiked Enzo's food, and I wished she had done more. I couldn't stand being in the same room with him anymore, so I excused myself to get some fresh air. My mom gave me a worried look but didn't say anything. She was also battling with her demons.It didn't help that Jade and Luca were also around. I didn't want to se
Ruby My niece, Jade, hugged me so hard I could barely breathe. Squealing in delight, she wrapped her arms around my neck, almost lifting me off the ground."Can you believe it, Rubs? We're in senior year! This is going to be the best year ever, especially now that I have a boyfriend," she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with happiness.Pretending to share her enthusiasm, I returned the smile. There were familiar faces here and there, all chatting, laughing, and reminiscing about their summer. I wished I could escape from it all and go back to my quiet room where I could lay in bed all day. I didn't care about senior year or any of the things that Jade was babbling about. I just wanted to be left alone.I was in the bathroom doing my thing when I heard Tammy and the other queen bees of the school walking to the bathroom. They were putting the finishing touches on their makeup and also talking about who was dating whom. My stomach tightened when they mentioned Luca and Jade."Oh my God,
Lenora After the craziness the previous night, I woke up at five-thirty with a splitting headache. Luckily, there were painkillers in the drawer. After taking them, I decided to go for a run to clear my head and escape from the nightmare that had happened last night.I put on my running shoes, grabbed my phone, and checked the flight app again, hoping to find a way out of this hell, but the next available flight was at seven PM, which meant that we had to wait for another fourteen hours before we could leave Bali.Muttering to myself, I tiptoed out of the room without wanting to wake Ruby, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. She looked so innocent, like an angel, and I felt like a failed mother, for exposing her to strangers who had tried to hurt her.I began running along the beach, feeling the sand under my feet and the breeze on my face. The rising sun painted the sky with orange and pink hues but I couldn't enjoy the beautiful scenery and, despite trying not to focus on what
RubyI sobbed uncontrollably, bitter with myself and that pretender, Enzo, who ended up being everything I never thought he'd be. He seemed harmless, but little did I know that he was up to no good.My mom led me out of the nightclub, her eyes wide with fright. Although I suspected she was a bit tipsy from her stumbling movements, she still managed to hail a taxi and shove me inside.I hated her. I hated her for making me come to Bali with her. I hated her for encouraging me to explore and have fun. I hated her for being a hypocrite and a liar.But I couldn't tell her these things, so I kept quiet.We arrived at the hotel, and she locked the door behind us and turned on the lights. She looked at me with concern in her cornflower-blue eyes."Baby, what happened?" She asked softly. "Did that boy hurt you?"I glared at her through my tears. "And how's that any of your business?"A gasp escaped as if I'd struck her, and her face paled with tears gathering in her eyes."Don't raise your vo
Lenora The first thing that hit me when I stepped into the nightclub with Titan by my side was regret. Unable to fill my lungs, my thoughts turned inwards. I didn't know what it was, but it felt like Titan was controlling my mind, taking control of every cell in my body and keeping a tight grip on my consciousness.When I got to the door, I realized just how stupid I was acting. After CJ called me earlier, I decided to stay away from Titan, knowing that I was growing an attraction for him, but here I was in the club with him, ready to dance the night away. He took my hand and gave it an appreciative squeeze before releasing it.The music was too loud, and the lights were flashing everywhere, making it impossible to see past the crowd, but Titan's eyes were glued to me as if he wanted to see what was under my clothes.I didn't belong here. Maybe if Ruby hadn't gone out for the karaoke night with Enzo and I had someone to talk to, I wouldn't have agreed to come out with Titan.But when
Lenora An adorable smile appeared on Ruby's face, and Enzo grabbed her hand as they ran off, laughing. My daughter looked so happy and carefree, and I could tell she was into the boy. I couldn't blame her. The young man was dashingly handsome, with eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. His hair was parted neatly on one side of his head, with a few tendrils that had escaped, falling onto his forehead. He had a well-built body and strong arms.Standing beside his father, I stole a glance at him. His eyes lit up with a warm smile as he watched the children."It seems our kids are really into each other," he smiled, thrusting his hands in his pockets."It seems so," I cleared my throat and smiled back. But when Titan leaned closer to me, my body froze with paranoia, my blood started beating rapidly, and my heart skipped a beat as though it wanted to escape from my chest."You know, there's something very unique about your girl. Something I can't quite place my finger on," he reac
Ruby I was as high as a kite. The vape was so powerful, and it made me feel dizzy and lightheaded. Enzo was high too, and he was smiling, talking, and even touching me."Enzo, please. Let's go," I tried to push him away, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. Then he planted a kiss on my neck."Come on, don't be a sourpuss. We're having fun, sweetie."My body shivered, and I pushed myself away from him. "I really have to go to my mom."Adding enough strength, I stumbled away from him and towards the hotel, hoping my mom wouldn't be in the room. But when I opened my door with my key card, she was on the couch watching a movie on the TV.My heart skipped, and I hoped she wouldn't notice. She merely looked in my direction and waved at me. I sighed in relief when I snuck into the bathroom to wash my face with cold water.After failing miserably to sober up, I snuck into the bedroom and hit the bed, pulling the covers over my head and closing my eyes.I woke up hours late
Ruby I ran into my mum at the hotel lobby, just as I was coming back from the beach. She looked surprised to see me and flustered, like someone running away from something."Darling Where have you been?" she asked. "You need your sunscreen so you don't get sunburned," she said in a motherly voice."I was at the beach. What about you? Where are you coming from?" I asked, staring at her flushed cheeks.She smiled sheepishly and glanced around. "Oh, I was just... sightseeing. You know, enjoying the beauty of Bali."I raised my eyebrows and smirked. "Sightseeing, huh? With whom? That man?"She blushed and shook her head. "No one, just by myself."I didn't believe her for a second. I knew she was lying but decided not to confront her about it. I didn't want to ruin our vacation. Besides, it was none of my business. She was a grown woman, and she could do whatever she wanted except cheat on my dad."Come on, let's go to our room," she grabbed my hand..We entered our room and locked the do