|Annabel|Thanks to Bernard, I lost interest in reading, and my head was filled up with several thoughts. I couldn’t get the fact that he thought he owned me off my head because it kept pissing me off. The random claiming, the stupid assurances he had that I was meant for him just because he knew that he was the stepping stone to my position as the heiress was crazy.My father dotes on me truly, but he wouldn’t hesitate to will the company to someone else if I dared to break off the engagement; he was that brutal. Several times, I had tested the water before the engagement and whined that I didn’t want to be involved with him, and he always retaliated.There was a time we were meant to go on a group vacation, but I refused and pretended to be sick just because I didn’t want to be around Bernard. My father didn’t say much; he canceled the trip and let me be, but I couldn’t go out throughout the entire holiday.“I have a cinema outing with my friends this weekend; can I go?”“I believe
The pungent smell of bleach greeted my nostrils as my eyes struggled to give way in the unfamiliar environment. I managed to drag my eyelids apart before the bright lights above travelled deep into my eyes and made me shut it immediately.My head was filled with a wheezing noise as if I had been near a washing machine all day. Whatever was going on, I couldn’t understand but I was also too tired to move any part of my body. It felt as if all my strength had been sapped and I had been beaten so much in the past few days.“Oh my God! She’s awake!” the tiny, disturbing voice blasted through the room as the footsteps heightened towards my direction I was greeted by Courtney’s huge eyeballs as she almost dipped them into my face in her quest to confirm if I was really awake or not.“Annabel! Can you hear me? Can you even see me?” Her voice matched her choreography. What a loud fellow I managed to open my mouth before her screams brought the attention of everyone to my bed.“What am I doing
|Oliver|The sessions were exhausting for me that very day because it was close to the full moon. That was the first full moon I would be experiencing in the school because I was lucky enough to be at home the last full moon but this time, I was stuck in the school.“If you are that worried, will you come home? I will talk to the school’s principal and send a driver to come pick you up,” my mother expressed her concerns.She could sense my anxiousness and discomfort over the phone. Even if she doesn’t get my feelings when it comes to the marriage talks, she surely understands every other thing going on with me.“I will take care of it. You don’t have to worry about me,” I objected strongly.I added, “If I need anything or your help, I will let you know.”She saw that there was nothing she could say to make me bulge, so she left me and believed that I would take care of myself. I know deep down that she was still anxious and concerned that I would get found out by my fellow mates.“We
|Oliver|The restlessness built within me as the evening crept closer. All my senses were heightened by the pull of the full moon. Every cell in my body was tugging towards the forest; it was becoming uncontrollable with each passing second. Even though it wasn’t long I came to the school, I knew enough to tell me that slipping away during the bonfire would definitely be hard work.With the way everyone was hyped for the bonfire, all alerts and attention would be high, but I also couldn’t risk shifting in front of my classmates, especially not with Bernard and Annabel around. They had been watching me like a hawk these days. My mother’s voice rang in my ears.“I will talk to the school principal and send a driver to pick you up.” But I had refused because I wanted to handle it myself even though I wasn’t sure if I could or how I would. From down the hall, voices of excited students echoed. Ali’s booming laugh shot out like a warning before he barged into the room.My stomach twitched,
The sun was too bright for my liking. It streamed through the dormitory curtains, slicing through my restless sleep. My body still ached, every muscle taut from last night’s shift. I rolled onto my side, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with the memory of Bernard’s voice searching through the forest and Annabel’s suspicious gaze. They had both gotten too close. Too close to the truth.“I need to do something about it. I just have a few months to go.”My energy sapped out with each sigh that dropped off my chest. I wasn’t sure of where to start my agenda of hiding my identity from, and it looked like I had drawn unintentional attention to myself.The dining hall was chaotic as usual when I got there; the chattering and laughter of students got me drained. I kept my head down, my tray tightly clutched in my hand as I struggled to find an empty table. I was close to one when her piercing gaze shot through my skin; it was glaring that she was watching me.Immediately, my legs made a
I was surprised that she knew about something like this for a second before I remembered that she was a fanatic. She read almost all the crazy books and stories about us, so she had an idea of what one looked like already.Before I could think of any answer, she was already by my side in a flash. Her expression softened, and to my surprise, there was no fear in her eyes. Only curiosity and something else I couldn’t place.“I can’t believe I finally met a werewolf in my lifetime! This is hugggeee” her voice was finding its volume with every word.“You know you can’t…”I couldn’t complete the sentence before she cut me off.“The wolf was so beautiful. Can I see it again? Can I touch it?”Happiness was glaring in her voice, but I couldn’t fathom if it was for my good or bad. She was getting overexcited so I needed to calm her down.“Can you just calm down a bit? You know this is complicated and you cannot tell…”Another cut!“Of course! I am already called crazy enough for enjoying those
Back at the general hall separating the dorms, Annabel insisted on helping me clean the scratches I hadn’t even realized I’d gotten. We sat there, the air thick with unspoken tension as she dabbed at a particularly nasty gash on my arm.“I don’t think it’s right to be here. What if someone comes in?” my low voice whispered to her but she only dusted her ears“No one is permitted in the hall at this time of the day.”“You heal fast,” she remarked, changing the topic immediately. Her fingers light against my skin. “But not fast enough to avoid this.”I shrugged. “Comes with the territory.”She leaned back, her expression thoughtful. “You’re so used to doing everything on your own, aren’t you? Even fighting rogue werewolves.”“I’ve had to,” I admitted. “It’s safer that way.”“For who? You or everyone else?” Her question caught me off guard, and I didn’t have an answer.After a moment, she set the first aid kit aside. “You’re not as scary as you think you are, you know. In fact, you’re ki
As part of the school’s monthly tradition, we were required to participate in an extracurricular team bonding event. This time, it was a scavenger hunt across the campus and surrounding woods. The students kept chattering and catching up with their friends that had been separated by class for a few hours of the day. I just stood at a corner with Ali, who was busy stuffing himself with a bag of cookies before the teachers strolled in.They were led by the head teacher, whose face was wearing a blank expression. He had always been like that. I have never seen him smile“Pair up!” he called, handing out lists of riddles and items to find. Annabel appeared at my side before I could blink. “Guess we’re partners again.” “You’re making this a habit,” I muttered, though I didn’t mind as much as I pretended to. However, I needed to make it look like I didn’t want her. People were beginning to suspect us unnecessarily.“I told you, I’m claiming you,” she said with a grin. Her line was so s
Annabel woke up to the soft hum of the hospital machines, the rhythmic beeping providing a strange sense of comfort. The room was dimly lit, the moon casting a silver glow through the blinds. It was the last night she would spend in this place before being discharged, and though she was relieved, something about the stillness of the night made her restless.Everyone had been by her side throughout the day; Courtney, Dela, Bernard, Oliver, and her parents. She was grateful for their presence, but exhaustion had weighed her down, and she had fallen asleep early. Now, as the silence stretched around her, her eyelids grew heavy once again, and she drifted off into a dream.***A familiar scent of wildflowers and fresh earth surrounded her as she walked deeper into the road. A soft glow shone from behind and Annabel turned to see her mother standing there. Although she wasn’t the one who had raised her, but the one she had lost and the last healer of the werewolf kind, she still felt the a
Annabel blinked as the warm lights of the hospital settled into her vision. She felt light, almost as if she were floating, but the comforting warmth of the blanket tucked around her reassured her that she was safe.Courtney, Dela, and Bernard sat by her bedside, her parents standing nearby as the doctor finished his check-up. The tension in the room had been thick until the doctor finally spoke."Her condition is remarkable. I've never seen a wound heal this fast," he said, pressing gently against her abdomen. Annabel winced slightly, but the pain was nowhere near what she had expected.Her mother let out a breath of relief. "Thank Goodness."Her father nodded in agreement. "So, she'll be fine? We don’t have to worry about any complications, right?"The doctor smiled. "Not just fine. She'll be ready for discharge by tomorrow morning. However, I’d advise her to take it easy for a few more days. She needs to rest a lot and avoid strenuous jobs or activities"Courtney clapped her hands
Murmurs erupted among the officials at the announcement of the Alpha’s purpose for the meeting. The Alpha had made sure the words about Lucas didn’t get out until he was ready to deal with him so they didn’t know what was going on.Oliver was at the right hand of the alpha, trying hard to calm his boiling inside so he wouldn’t ruin the meeting that his father had called.“Bring him in.”The alpha’s voice roared as the guards led Lucas in. He was tied with thick silver chains and his hands were behind his back. The murmurs that had once died down erupted with full force.Some of the officials even had to stand up to be sure they were seeing right. What could warrant a father to have his child bound in chains?“I am an alpha that has always upheld integrity because I believe that is what our pack is built on. There’s no reason for me to jeopardize this belief just because my son is involved. Today, we will be reviewing the crime of the traitor who has done everything evil to turn our pa
The days dragged by in a haze of anxiety and exhaustion. Annabel had not stirred since the surgery. A full week had passed, and yet there was no sign of her waking up. The doctors assured them that her vitals were stable, that she was still fighting, but the waiting gnawed at Oliver like a relentless beast.He sat by her bedside every day, holding her hand, whispering to her.“Are you that angry at me that you don’t want to see me? You look so upset even in your sleep,” he muttered, adjusting the bangs scattered on her face.He talked about anything and everything, hoping his voice would pull her back. He told her about the sunrise, about how the pack was restless without her, about how he needed her to wake up because he didn’t know how to live in a world where she wasn’t conscious. But every day, his words were met with the same steady beep of the monitor and the soft sound of her breathing.He clenched his fists, his exhaustion heaving out.“I need to go back to the pack,” he final
Lucas gritted his teeth as he forced himself up from the floor, his werewolf strength pushing against the poison that coursed through his veins. His muscles ached, his vision blurred for a second, but the sheer will to survive and take Annabel down fueled him. He staggered to the bed and fished out the dagger she had hidden under the pillow."You thought you could outsmart me?" he growled, his voice hoarse but filled with venom.Annabel’s eyes widened as she saw the glint of the blade. She struggled to steady herself, the poison affecting her but at a slower rate than Lucas. Her body was fighting back, her lineage granting her some resilience, but she was far from safe.Before she could react, Lucas lunged at her with his remaining strength, plunging the dagger deep into her abdomen. A sharp cry of pain tore through her lips as she stumbled back, clutching at the blade lodged in her stomach. Blood seeped through her fingers, her breath coming in ragged gasps."You—!" she choked, her
Her driver dropped her in school upon request and she went straight to her room to bid Courtney and Dela goodbye.“So you are bent on not letting us know the resort you are going to with your boyfriend? That’s a mean one,” Dela whined but she only smiled in return“Thank you both for being a good friend every single time. I enjoy doing friendship with you both. There are a lot of memories that I had swam in throughout the night and I just couldn’t help but laugh at this point we have come to,” she said with her voice thinning as she tried not to break down in tearsDela moved to her side and gave her a hug. “Why are you talking as if we won’t see each other anymore? We still have a whole month to graduation and also, we can pull up at each other’s houses anytime. Don’t make a big deal out of this.” “I know right. You are making me so emotional right now. Is there something going on? It’s too early to drop appreciation messages” Courtney chipped in“I just wanted to do it before any o
Annabel had just finished her exams after two exhausting weeks so she decided to crash in her bed throughout the day before heading out to the resort with Lucas the following day. She had packed her bag for the trip and told her friends she won’t be around for the next three days.She knew the probability of coming back dead so she decided to visit her house for the last time. That evening, she had dinner with her parents who didn’t know of her plan in advance.“Are you still going out with that nameless boyfriend of yours? I left you alone because I didn’t want to distract your exams. Now that you are done, it’s time to make your firm decision. I stand with Oliver though, since you have decided to discard Bernard,” her father poured his mind over dinnerShe just sat there quietly slicing through her steak. Her presence at home was not to argue but to pay them a special visit, incase her plan goes south.“I didn’t discard Bernard, I just let him go from the burden and shackles that th
The silence in Lisa’s house was deafening, broken only by the frantic rhythm of her own heartbeat. She moved through the darkened rooms, her hands outstretched, searching for anything that could offer a semblance of security. Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of the curtains, sent shivers down her spine.She tried the light switches, but nothing happened. The house was plunged into complete darkness. “Hello?” she called out, her voice trembling. “Is anyone there? Where are you all?”Only silence answered her questions. She stumbled towards the living room, her hands groping for her emergency flashlight. It was gone. Panic began to rise in her throat, choking her. She knew she wasn't alone.Her parents had gone out of town for the evening so she was the only one at home. She expected Lucas to move but didn’t know it would be this fast.A sudden, sharp pain erupted in her head as she turned to find her way back to the room, and the world dissolved into blackness.When Lisa re
The morning sun cast long shadows as Lisa pulled up to the familiar café. It was a place that held countless memories, both joyful and painful, now tainted by her recent betrayal. She took a deep breath, the scent of roasted coffee doing little to calm her nerves. Today was about redemption, or at least, a desperate attempt at it because she wasn’t sure how it would turn out at the end of the day.She stepped inside, the warm, inviting atmosphere a stark contrast to the coldness that had settled between her and her friends. Carly, Amara, Jacob, and Flora were seated at their usual table, their expressions a mixture of apprehension and guarded curiosity. Lisa walked towards them, her heart pounding.“Hi,” she said softly, her voice barely a whisper.A tense silence filled the air. Carly, ever the pragmatic one, spoke first. “Lisa. You said you wanted to talk.”Lisa nodded, pulling up a chair. “I do. I… I need to apologize. I was wrong. So terribly wrong.”Amara, her eyes filled with a