The next morning dawned with a heavy sense of dread weighing on me. As I lay in bed, the sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting warm golden patterns across my room. I should have felt comforted, but instead, I felt like I was on the edge of a precipice, teetering and waiting for the inevitable plunge. I forced myself to sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor was cold against my bare feet, and I shivered slightly. I had avoided checking my phone all morning, fearing a text from Stefan or, worse, Rex. But as I took a deep breath and steeled myself, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand.No new messages. A mix of relief and disappointment washed over me. It was strange how much I had come to rely on the presence of Stefan in my life, even though he stirred up so much uncertainty. I shuffled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. I stared at my reflection, taking in the dark circles under my eyes and the way my hair stuck out in all dire
Hi, Elara. I'm breaking up with you.I read the text which had popped up in my phone when I was in class and laughed.Not because it was funny - but because there was no way, this is real.Surely, Rex just wanted to play a prank on me.Something he was very fond of doing.I shook my head, got into my car and headed home. Perhaps I should pretend and act like I believed him so he would get the satisfaction of thinking that his prank got to me.I could. But God knows I've got a very crazy day at work - so I'm just gonna opt out and play along next time.I parked my car in our garage about one hour later and walked into the house.Rex was in the sitting room, sitting down but the smile on my face slipped when I saw his mother there too - and she looked so serious.Not that Agnes ever looked unserious.“Hi mum. Hey baby, you didn't tell me mum was coming today.” I bent to kiss him but Rex's reaction had me raising my brow. He moved his face away and shoved me lightly away from him “Did
“I can't believe that Rex would do that.”“Well, believe it or not - here I am. Engagement broken off and single once again at the age of thirty six. Yippee!!!”My best friend, Keisha smiled sadly but snatched the bottle of beer in my hand.“Okay. I understand you are heartbroken but A: You have had enough alcohol…for now. B: We should be celebrating - not you here moping around. This is a testimony, a blessing in disguise. Really, look at me. Rex has been nothing but a liability tied around your neck for six good years. If anything I'm so glad that the burden chose to detangle himself.”I sighed, and reached out for the drink but she swapped my hand away with a glare.“You are not going to sit here mopping like a loser. Especially not for that low life. You deserve better than Rex.”“Yeah right. Look at me. I'm thirty six years old - I'm certainly not getting any younger so trust me, I'm not that hot in the market anymore. I'm disappointed!”I slammed my palm on the table and hiccupe
And fuck the hell outta me be did.༺༺♡♡༻༻My head was aching - so badly like I was being hit over and over with an invisible hammer.I groaned loudly, slowly opening my eyes and tried to turn, but stopped when I felt an arm - a strong one holding me down.The eff?I turned immediately to the side, forgetting the pain on my body and almost screamed when I saw that I was in bed - NAKED - with a stranger. A very hot one at that.But that's not the point!I'm in bed naked with a fucking stranger!What on earth have I done? And where did fuck is Keisha?I looked around, groaning again when I saw that we were in a hotel.The last thing I remembered was going into a club with Keisha - and drinking - oh drinking so much hoping to push the pain away.How did I go from wanting a few bottles of beer to climbing in a hotel bed with this stranger?Dear mother of Jesus —What exactly happened and why the fuck can't I remember anything?But as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes trying to recall
“And it was a very good fuck.” That voice in my head growled again and I groaned, but it was like a snap of reality.Some of the students were starting to look at me with raised brows and I could only imagine what I looked like, frozen, wide eyes and my mouth hanging open.Dear mother —I inhaled and got back to my teaching, carefully avoiding the boy's look as I explained how urine is formed in the kidney.“You look so hot, standing there and talking about biology.” The voice said again in a low sexy that sent shivers down my spine.I ignored it as best as I could, carefully picking my words despite the sudden heat that I was starting to feel.“You will have to pardon me oh dear teacher, I can't seem to pay attention to a word you are seeing cos all I can think about is your red full lips wrapped around my cock.”Oh my dear goodness.I stuttered on a sentence but continued.I'm definitely running mad.This is madness from heart and desperation. The desperation to feel better had so
I blinked, trying to process what Stefan had just said. The words seemed to echo in my head, like a broken record stuck on repeat. “Mate?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Did I hear you right?”Stefan’s expression was serious, almost solemn. “Yes, Elara. We are mates.”I stared at him, my mind scrambling to make sense of this absurdity. “Mates? Like, in a romantic sense?” I couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that bubbled up from my chest. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”“I’m not kidding,” he said, his blue eyes unwavering. “In the werewolf world, being mates means that we are destined to be together. It’s a bond that goes beyond mere attraction or affection.”I shook my head, trying to clear the haze of confusion. “Destined? Are you seriously trying to tell me that we’re supposed to be together forever because of some... mystical bond? It sounds ridiculous.”Stefan’s gaze softened slightly, as if he were trying to gauge whether I was being sarcastic or genuinely bewildered.
I paced the length of my living room, my footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors in a rhythmic pattern that did little to soothe the storm raging in my mind. Every corner of the room seemed to close in on me, magnifying the whirlwind of thoughts that refused to be silenced.Stefan’s words kept replaying in my head: *“We are mates.”* I tried to shove them away, to focus on anything else, but they kept resurfacing, relentless and insistent. “No, this is absurd,” I muttered aloud, running a hand through my disheveled hair. “Werewolves don’t exist. They just don’t.”Yet, no matter how much I tried to convince myself, my mind kept drifting back to the bizarre experience I had. How could he have heard my thoughts? How could he have spoken directly into my head? It was impossible—yet, it had happened.“What kind of trick was that?” I questioned the empty room, my voice tinged with frustration. “Maybe he’s just good at reading people or something. Or maybe it was all just some elaborate ac
I woke up the next morning feeling more frustrated than ever. The strange whispers from the night before clung to my thoughts, leaving me restless and on edge. I dragged myself out of bed, determined to push through the frustration and start the day. As I went through my morning routine, I tried to shake off the unease that had settled over me. "It’s just a bad dream," I told myself, trying to muster some sense of normalcy. "Stefan’s just playing games. I won’t let this mess with my head."I forced myself to focus on my preparations for school, dressing quickly and making my way to the university with a determined stride. I needed to get through the day without letting the bizarre events from yesterday disrupt my work.The halls of the university were buzzing with students and faculty, a familiar hum of activity that should have been comforting. I was just about to walk into my office when I spotted Stefan approaching from down the hallway. My heart skipped a beat, a wave of annoyanc
The next morning dawned with a heavy sense of dread weighing on me. As I lay in bed, the sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting warm golden patterns across my room. I should have felt comforted, but instead, I felt like I was on the edge of a precipice, teetering and waiting for the inevitable plunge. I forced myself to sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor was cold against my bare feet, and I shivered slightly. I had avoided checking my phone all morning, fearing a text from Stefan or, worse, Rex. But as I took a deep breath and steeled myself, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand.No new messages. A mix of relief and disappointment washed over me. It was strange how much I had come to rely on the presence of Stefan in my life, even though he stirred up so much uncertainty. I shuffled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. I stared at my reflection, taking in the dark circles under my eyes and the way my hair stuck out in all dire
The lights of the city twinkled like stars as Keisha drove through the familiar streets, but the beauty of it all felt distant, as if I were watching a movie from behind a glass screen. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a chaotic jumble of emotions that I couldn’t seem to sort out. “Are you okay?” Keisha asked, glancing over at me as we waited at a stoplight. Her concern was palpable, and I appreciated it, but it only added to the weight on my chest.“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, though my voice lacked conviction. The words felt heavy on my tongue, weighed down by the truth I was trying to deny. I wasn’t fine. I was a mess, caught between the reality of my life and the bizarre new world Stefan had introduced me to.“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she probed, her eyes steady on the road but her attention completely focused on me. “You’ve been quiet ever since we left your place.”I sighed, leaning my head back against the seat. “I don’t know, Keisha. I feel… I don’t know. C
The air outside felt thick, like a brewing storm ready to unleash itself, but I couldn’t focus on the weather. My mind raced with everything that had happened recently. The revelations, the strange connection with Stefan, and now the humiliation Rex had put me through—it was all too much. I could feel a heavy weight settling in my chest as I made my way to my car, my thoughts swirling like a hurricane.I tried to push it all down. Tried to tell myself that it wasn’t a big deal. But the truth was, things were changing, and I had no control over any of it.As I started the car, the engine’s low rumble did little to soothe my nerves. The memory of Stefan’s promise back in that dark closet echoed in my head. He’d said he would deal with Rex, that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. But I didn’t want him fighting my battles. I could handle Rex on my own. I *had* to.Yet, there was something about Stefan’s protective nature that unsettled me. It wasn’t just his promises; it was the way he look
I shouldn’t have come to campus today. That was the thought swirling through my mind as I walked across the courtyard, my heart pounding in my chest. After everything that had happened—the shocking revelations, Stefan’s insane claim that he was a werewolf, and the terrifying fact that I believed him—I needed time to process. But instead, I was here, trying to pretend that everything was normal. But it wasn’t. Nothing felt normal anymore.The whispers followed me through the hallways. They had since Rex and his girlfriend, that snake Clarissa, had humiliated me in front of the entire faculty the other day. My feet dragged as I moved toward the faculty lounge, not because I was physically tired, but because I dreaded what would come next. Stefan had kept his distance since his dramatic reveal, something I was grateful for but also… unsettled by. Part of me wanted him to barge into my life again and force me to confront this madness. The other part of me wanted to run as far away as
The air was still, thick with tension as I sat in my living room, staring blankly at the walls. My mind had been spinning ever since Stefan’s ultimatum. It was as if the universe had tilted, and I was left clinging to the remnants of my old life, trying to make sense of it all. *Werewolves? Mates? Danger?*It was impossible. Completely absurd. I should’ve laughed in his face, but every time I tried to, something tugged at the back of my mind—his eyes. The way he looked at me, the raw emotion in his voice, it didn’t feel like a lie. But how could it be true? How could *any* of it be true?I groaned, rubbing my temples in frustration. Keisha had already called twice, sensing something was wrong, but I didn’t have the energy to explain. Not yet. Not until I could figure out what the hell was happening.The soft buzzing of my phone on the table pulled me out of my thoughts. For a second, I hesitated, hoping it wasn’t Stefan again. I didn’t think I could handle another intense conversation
The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting long shadows over the clearing as I paced back and forth, my mind racing. I had never been one for patience, especially when it came to matters this important, but I knew that pushing Elara too far, too fast, would only make things worse. And yet, time was running out.She had no idea the kind of danger she was in—none at all. The longer she stayed unaware, the more vulnerable she became. But every time I tried to explain, she shut me out. The fear in her eyes when I mentioned what we were, what *I* was, was like a knife to the gut. She thought I was just messing with her, playing some cruel game.I stopped pacing and raked a hand through my hair, letting out a low growl of frustration. She didn’t understand, and I couldn’t exactly blame her. How could a human begin to comprehend the weight of the bond that tied us together, or the threats lurking just beyond the veil of her reality?But she *had* to understand. She had to kn
By the time Friday night rolled around, I was more than ready for a distraction. Keisha had been hounding me all week about going out, insisting that I needed to get out of my own head for a while. She wasn’t wrong. Between Rex’s humiliation and Stefan’s confounding presence, my mind felt like it was constantly spinning. I needed a break.Keisha’s voice rang out from the hallway as she let herself into my apartment. “Elara! I swear, if you’re not ready, I’m dragging you out in whatever you’re wearing!”I smiled despite myself, smoothing out the dress I had thrown on at the last minute. It was a simple black dress, nothing too flashy, but it made me feel put together in a way I hadn’t for days. Maybe going out wasn’t such a bad idea after all.“I’m ready, I’m ready!” I called, walking out of my bedroom.Keisha’s eyes lit up when she saw me. “Girl, you look *good*!” She twirled a lock of her curly hair and grinned. “Tonight, we’re leaving all the drama behind and just having fun. Promis
I couldn’t sleep.The night was supposed to bring peace, a way to escape from the chaos swirling in my mind, but all it did was amplify my thoughts. I tossed and turned, each creak of the bed reminding me of Stefan’s words.“There’s power inside you… It’s waking up.”I sat up in bed, wrapping my arms around my knees. The darkness felt suffocating, pressing against me, trapping me in my thoughts. What did he mean? What kind of power could he possibly be talking about? I was just Elara—an ordinary woman who taught literature at a local college. I wasn’t… anything special. And yet, Stefan had said it with such certainty, such conviction, that I couldn’t shake it off.I groaned, rubbing my temples. “This is ridiculous.”The rational part of me wanted to dismiss everything. Werewolves? Mating bonds? And now, some hidden power inside me? It all sounded like the plot of one of those supernatural romance novels my students loved to read. But then there were the things I couldn’t explain away.
The day had passed like a blur, the dread building within me like an invisible weight pressing against my chest. Stefan’s warning had rung in my ears all day, a constant, oppressive reminder of the lurking danger I couldn’t quite comprehend. Stay away from the woods. But why? And what was I supposed to do with that?When I got home, my apartment felt eerily quiet. Too quiet. I dropped my bag by the door, kicking off my shoes and pacing through the small living room. I was restless, my thoughts swirling like a storm in my head.The attacks. The wolves. The warning. I couldn’t stop thinking about Stefan’s face when he’d told me there were more wolves, more dangers. The way his voice had softened, as though he was revealing something he’d been carrying for far too long. But what really stuck with me was that fear in his eyes. Stefan was afraid, and if someone like him—someone who claimed to be a werewolf—was afraid, then what hope did I have?I sighed heavily, sinking onto the couch. I