Melinda’s POV “Keith….” I whispered, raising my fingers to brush the surface of the cold mirror. I had thought that I would stop missing Keith after rejecting him, but… he still occupied my every thought.Even now, while I was looking at myself, I could only think about Keith, the way he looked at me when I asked him to reject me, his smoldering gaze when I climbed into his lap and kissed him.The good memories hurt because they stirred a deep longing within me and the bad ones hurt because of the stabbed me. A shaky breath left my lips. That is how it was probably going to be for the rest of my life.Drawing in a deep breath, I adjusted my hair and applied a bit of makeup. Today, I was going to compel Kain into rejecting me. But, before that I wanted to do something for him. I could never repay him for the warmth he had shown me, but I wanted to leave him with a pleasant memory.Pulling out my phone, I texted Kain, ‘Meet me at the Pergola in thirty minutes. I have a surprise for you
Keith’S POV “Veronika!” I gasped, seeing her lying on the floor, her clothes soaked in blood.“Keith…” She mumbled in a feeble voice, raising her head to look at me. “I knew you would come.”Her face was pale and there were marks of bruises on her cheeks; some of them had faded, and some faded. Her eyes were sunken and the corner of her lips were covered in dried blood. Her dress was torn at several places and she was hunched over as if in intense pain,“Why are you in such a state?” I snapped, grabbing the bars of the cell. “Who did this to you?”She lowered her gaze and clenched the fabric of her dress. Shaking her head, she said in a voice that was barely a whisper. “Just forget about it, Keith. I don’t want to create problems for you.”“Veronika!” My teeth gnashed together, and I chewed out. “I. Asked. Who. Tortured. You.”“For the last two days, Alpha Alexander has been torturing her,” the guard standing at the gate supplied. “He wanted Miss Veronika to confess that she is plott
Melinda’s POV ‘Meet me at the Lotus Pavilion in ten minutes.’ I texted Kramen. ‘It is time to pay for your sins.’This was it. One more rejection and all of it would be over. I had expected to feel at least some kind of relief, but all I felt was a sense of emptiness; as if my soul was stranded in the middle of the infinite universe with nowhere to go.An inadvertent sigh left my lips, and I leaned against the backrest of the chair, my gaze landing on the small pond with large, round leaves. Keith had specially gotten this artificial pond created for me when he found out that I loved lotuses. In a couple of months, it would be summer, and the pond will bloom with flowers. Too bad I wouldn’t be there to see them.The water sparkled with a golden glow as the ripples radiated out slowly in the soft breeze; its tranquility soothing my battered heart.“Why did you call me here?” Kramen’s cold voice sounded behind me. “Is this your way of blackmail me or something?”I turned around; adjus
Keith’s POV “Keith…” Veronika’s feeble voice sounded from the bathroom. “Can you come here, please?”My face flushed, and I looked around, a bit hesitant. But when she called again, I walked over. Standing close to the door, I said in a slightly flustered tone, “What is it?”The door opened, and she peeked out before I could finish the sentence. “Can you help me take off my dress?”“What?” I blurted, my face flushing deeper and my mouth going dry. “What nonsense are you spewing?”“Don’t get me wrong Keith.” She said, reaching over and holding my hand. “My clothes are all stuck in the back, probably caked due to blood. I really can’t.”She lost balance and swayed, pulling me inside with her. I spun her around at the last moment to prevent her from getting hurt. In the end, I ended up falling on my back and Veronika landed on me, her entire body pressing against me.We stayed like that for a few moments, too startled to react. Veronika was the first to snap out of it. Holding my arms
Melinda’s POV “Melinda…. Oh my God… You finally picked up.” My mother’s anxious voice sounded through the phone. “Are you okay, hun?”“I am fine, mom…”“Then, why in the world was your phone not reachable, Melinda?” Her voice took on a hysterical edge as she continued. “Thirty days, Mellie. I couldn’t reach you for thirty days. Kramen and Kain wouldn’t pick up and every time I tried to talk to Keith, he gave me vague answers.” “Calm down, mom…. I was a bit sick but I am fine now.”“Switch to video call right now.” She said in a suspicious tone. “I want to see you.”“But, mom….”“You said you were alright… Were you lying to me, Mellie?”“No, mom….” I groaned, massaging my forehead. It was just difficult to explain what I was doing in a cave. “I am really doing good.”“Then, why won’t you turn on the video?”I bit my lower lip and shifted from one position to another. This place was a bit too obvious. Mom would sense something was odd with just a glance.Letting out an exhausted sigh
Melinda’s POV “Give me the craziest dish you have on the menu.” I said, glancing through the dishes. “I want to try something different today.”“Would you like to try our special delicacy, ma’am: The Bird’s Nest Soup.”“The Bird’s Nest Soup?” My eyebrows furrowed. “Now what in the world is that?”“It is an Asian Delicacy made from the nest of the swiftlet bird, ma’am.”“Ohk, bring it on, I guess….” Moments after the waiter left, I started regretting my decision. “Bird’s nest Soup?” I mumbled, looking around. “God knows what I was subjecting myself to?”The glass door of the restaurant swung open and a large group of about fifty people strolled inside. All the seats got occupied in the blink of an eye.A middle aged man walked over to my table and asked, “Can I sit here?”I looked at him for a moment; assessing him. Tall, well built, deep brown eyes and a slight quirky appearance; he seemed harmless. Then again, I had thought George was harmless too.In the end, I decided to just rela
Keith’s POV ‘Does she hate us so much, Keith?’ Jake’s voice sounded like a soft whine. ‘That she won’t even talk to us.’‘Maybe….’ My heart clenched and a sharp wave of agony seared through my chest, as if someone had stabbed me from the inside. Drawing in a shaky breath, I dialled her number her yet again.“Melinda…. Please pick up the phone….” I whispered in a pained voice. “At least let me hear your voice once…. Please, baby…. Once…”The phone rang a few times and beep… disconnected with that ominous sound.‘Why don’t you try calling Kain again?’ Jake suggested in a hesitant voice. ‘Maybe request him to let you talk to Melinda.’“I don’t think he will, Jake….” I blurted out aloud. “Why would he me talk to her when he can have her all to himself.”My mind veered to the day I spoke to him for the last time. Two days had passed since Melinda had rejected me. Driven by the intense need to know what had happened during the rejection, I had called her. Every word spoken by Kain was sti
KEITH’S POV “What do you mean Melinda is not with Kain?” My voice came out in a shocked whisper. “Did you visit his apartment and check?”“I did, Alpha Keith.” Justin paused for a brief moment before continuing. “I visited his apartment and trailed him for two days, Alpha. I didn’t bump into Melinda, nor did I hear him talk to her on the phone…”“How is that possible?” My forehead creased with deep lines as I rubbed the back of my neck. “What about the girl who flew to California with him?”“Alpha… that girl…”“Just spit it out, Justin….” I snapped angrily. “Don’t try my patience.”“Umm… I did some enquiries and found out that the girl who came to California is Ariana.”“Ariana… that human girl? Why would Kain go with her to California?”“I will try to find out, Alpha…”“No need….” I said, massaging my temples. “Let them be. Take the next flight to Queensland. I need you here.”“Got it, Alpha.”Disconnecting the call, I dialled Denver’s number. “So, Denver? What is the update? Is Mel
“Alpha Keith,” the manager greeted, hurrying over to bow in front of him. “If you had told me that you were coming, I would have made better arrangements.” This stupid woman, she was pitching for her downfall and honestly, after what she did to Aldwin; I didn’t feel like saving her, either. So, I stood there, arms crossed over my chest, waiting to watch how the drama unfolds. The way she was looking at me flared Keith’s temper further. He gnashed his teeth. “That is not the answer to my question.” “My apologies, Alpha.” Mrs. Stellar’s face flushed. “We didn’t mean to cause you inconvenience.” I clicked my tongue. This woman, she still didn’t understand what Keith wanted to know. The way Keith was glaring at her, I was afraid he would shift and rip her to bits. The woman must have felt it too. I could almost hear her teeth chattering with fear. I was about to talk to Keith when Luna Aspen spoke up. “Please don’t blame her, Alpha Keith. It is all that guard’s fault. Mrs. Stellar was
Melinda’s POV “Where are Keith and Kain?” I asked, walking into the hall. “Why are they taking so much time to get ready? We are just going for shopping.”Karmen rolled his eyes, his face lighting up. “This is nothing, Melinda. Back in the days when we went to college, Keith and Kain would wake up at least an hour before to get ready.” He chuckled, “They would try out so many outfits before finalising that by the time they were done we would all be fed up.”“Kain is the kind of person who would do such a thing but Keith…” My eyebrows shot to my forehead. “I can’t imagine…”“He was the worst of us. Then again, all the girls flocked around us mainly because of his looks.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “No wonder Jessica fell so hard….” He slapped his hand to his mouth and his eyes widened. “I am sorry… I didn’t mean to stir up unpleasant memories.”“It’s okay, Kramen.” I drew closer and took his hand in mine. “Actually, I have been meaning to talk to you. But, every time I tried,
Melinda’s POV “Whether it is a few steps or an entire lifetime, you can always rely on me to carry you.” His words dripped in my ears like honey, melting my insides. I really liked this new version of Keith, who was bold, proactive and impatient.Resting my head against my palms, I looked at him, studying his features. His eyes were sunken and his cheeks had shrunken a bit, but that made his jaw bone more prominent, adding a devilish charm to his appearance.“What is this?” His words pulled me out of my thoughts. My eyebrows furrowed as I took the piece of paper from his hand. Why did it look so familiar?As I gazed at the paper, words started appearing one by one. ‘For the past five thousand years, I have lived my entire life with a deeply set prejudice against werewolves. I always thought that werewolves were selfish, ambitious, and cold-hearted, but you managed to change my worldview.While seeing your memories, I realised that werewolves are capable of being honourable and selfle
Keith’s POV “Please tell me that I am not dreaming,” my voice cracked as I looked into her deep, beautiful eyes. “Please tell me that you are really here.”Her lips curved into a wry smile, and her mesmerising eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I am really here, Keith. I am fine.”I raised my hand to stroke her hair but then dropped it; too afraid that she might turn out to be just an illusion. “Can you tell me that you are here once more?” I swallowed hard. “This seems so surreal. I am afraid that you will vanish like a cloud of smoke at any moment.”“I love you, Keith.” She said in a voice thick with emotions and drew closer. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she cupped my face, raised herself on her toes and pressed her lips to mine. “Does this seem real enough?”I shook my head as I grabbed her arm and tugged, causing her to slam against my chest. Wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug, I buried my face in the crook of her neck, whispering, “I missed you so much, Melinda. I m
Melinda’s POV I was drowning in the sea of darkness with nothing to anchor me. There was nothing to keep me afloat, just a sense of emptiness; an eternal void.“Mellie…” A voice pierced through the haze. There was something about that voice that was deeply comforting. All of a sudden, the emptiness stopped bothering me and I relaxed.“Melinda.” The voice sounded again. “How long are you going to sleep? I really want to see the outside world.”My breath caught in my throat. Why did the voice voice so familiar? Fuck! NO! This was impossible. It couldn’t be….“Corel…” My voice came out as a throaty whisper.‘Yes, sleepyhead.’ Her voice was extraordinarily enthusiastic. ‘Miss me?’‘Am I dead?’ I thought, groaning as my stiff neck made a cracking sound. ‘Is that why I can hear you?’‘You will find out if you open your eyes.’“But, I don’t want to,” I mumbled. “This darkness is so comforting. I don’t have to worry about anything.”‘That is true… But if you don’t open your eyes, you can’t s
Keith’s POV In the elegantly decorated banquet hall, a large crowd had gathered; alphas of important packs, their families, the council members, and several other important members of the pack. We even had pacts and deals with some of them.There was once a time I was quite close to many of them. But, today, I felt alone despite the large gathering. All these ties and relationships seemed futile. They were all cheering and applauding me for my achievements, but my heart; it felt empty. There was no warmth in there, just a sense of void.Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink! My mother struck the spoon against her glass to draw our attention. “Alpha Rivers would like to raise a toast to everyone.”My father stood up and held up his glass. “Over the past few months, we have been through a lot. But, thanks to the diligent efforts of my sons and your constant support, everything is back to where it should be.” His eyes sparked with pride as he continued, “Conspiracies have been thwarted, enemies ar
Keith’s POV I sat beside the window, watching the sun rise; slowly scattering the darkness and casting a faint orange glow over everything. The flowers in the garden swayed in the light breeze, creating a peaceful rhythm.Something about the serenity of the garden irked me. The flowers, the breeze, the rising sun all seemed to be mocking me. With an annoyed grunt, I drew the curtains and started pacing in the room again, my gaze drifting to the door every few moments. When was Oleander going to return with Melinda?With each passing moment, my anxiety rose higher and higher on the scale. If this continued for some more time, I would probably explode. I increased my pace further, as if walking faster would help me reach Melinda quicker.“Justin!” Kramen gasped, and he sat up with a start. This distracted me from the spiral of anxiety and I hurried to check on Kramen.“Justin,” He muttered again, looking around anxiously, “Keith… Where is Justin… He is a traitor… He tried to kill Mom a
Keith’s POV “Dr. Stelsar,” I called out, hurrying over to him. “How is my brother?”He froze as his gaze met mine. The color drained from his face, and his lips pressed into a thin line. My heart sank when he placed his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. Everything seemed to slow down and my mind blanked out.“I am sorry, Alpha. We managed to save Master Kramen’s life, but I am not sure whether he will come out of the coma. Silver has combined with the blood cells of his body, inhibiting his healing. Unless the process is triggered again, he might never wake up.”“It’s fine. It’s okay,” The sense of dread that had formed in my heart eased, escaping my lips as a forced gust of wind, “As far as he is not dead and there is still a chance.” My eyes reddened with unshed tears and my voice got choked up. “Just tell me what I can do, Dr. Stelsar. Do you need any special herbs or medicines or maybe I can fly in some specialist? Give me the word and it will be done.”“I don’t want to gi
Melinda’s POV “We have done whatever we can, Miss Spencer. I am sorry to say this, but he might never wake up.” The healer’s words rang in my ears as I watched Kramen’s still form. “Due to the excessive amount of silver in his system, he has stopped healing. If only the treatment wasn’t delayed for so long….”My chest clenched painfully, and I slumped to the chair. “This was all my fault. If I wasn’t so quick in accusing him, Keith wouldn’t have banished him from the pack. He would have been treated on time and he wouldn’t be lying lifeless like this.”Lifting Kramen’s hand, I pressed it to my cheek, “I am sorry Kramen for being such a shitty mate…. For not trusting you more… for not giving you a chance to explain everything properly…” A choked sob left my lips followed by a whimper. This was all I could do now; apologise…“Melinda…” A familiar voice sounded as Oleander placed her hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright? I came rushing the moment you found out.”“Oleander….” My voice b