Annabel sat at her desk in the back corner of the classroom, staring blankly at her notes. The words on the page blurred together as her mind wandered, consumed by thoughts of Oliver. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since his birthday celebration, and the tension gnawed at her. Was he okay? Had the tests begun? The questions plagued her, but she couldn’t allow herself to reach out. Her father’s expectations and Bernard’s constant presence weighed heavily on her.Across the room, Bernard’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Annabel,” he called softly, leaning closer. “You’ve been quiet all day. Are you feeling alright?”She forced a polite smile, nodding. “I’m fine. Just tired.”She didn’t have any strength to fight him. The more she ignores him or frowns, the deeper he would press so it was better for her to just give out the smile he wanted to see.Bernard didn’t seem convinced even with the smile but he left. Later that afternoon, he approached her in the hallway, holding out a
Lisa stood before her ornate mirror, the soft glow of candlelight casting a golden hue over her room. Her emerald gown clung perfectly to her frame, the shimmering fabric accentuating her curves. She adjusted her earrings with steady hands, her reflection revealing a look of determination.Tonight was the council meeting where Oliver would formally address the pack. Rumors had swirled about him confirming his mate, but Lisa dismissed them as nonsense. She was certain that Oliver had no one in his heart, not any she’s aware of. She had worked tirelessly to position herself close to him, earning his trust and proving her loyalty to the pack. This evening felt like the culmination of her efforts. It was the night she would inch closer to her goal."He’ll see it," she murmured to herself, smoothing the folds of her dress. "He’ll see that I’m the one who belongs by his side."With a final glance in the mirror, she turned and left her room, her heart light with hope and expectation.***Th
The corridors of the school buzzed with the usual energy as students prepared for the final stretch of exams. Oliver walked through the hallways with quiet determination, his focus set on his studies. After the whirlwind of emotions and confrontations at his birthday party, he had resolved to put his energy into his academics and let other matters settle themselves. His decision wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.A lot was going through his mind as he found his way to class. So many tasks were ahead of him. Once the final exams were out of the way, he would have to advance to Alpha classes. He would be attending meetings with his father, ruling over some affairs, and learning several things before his ascension in six months’ time, when he’s expected to have found a mate.He wasn’t sure if anything would change between him and Annabel because she seemed to have made her resolve and was firm with it. She suddenly became distant and would not even spare him a glance. The fact that she c
The late-night silence in Annabel’s room was broken by her sharp gasp as she bolted upright, her chest heaving with each passing second. Her sheets were twisted around her legs, damp with sweat, and her heartbeat drummed loudly in her ears. The dream—no, the memory, as it felt more and more like, was still vivid. She had been standing in a forest bathed in silver moonlight, her hands outstretched as if summoning something. Shadows danced around her, and a voice she didn’t recognize kept whispering her name.But just as she thought she could grasp the meaning, the image dissolved into darkness, leaving her with only fragments she couldn’t piece together. This wasn’t the first time. For weeks now, these dreams had come, each one pulling her deeper into confusion and fear.She threw her legs over the side of the bed and walked to the mirror. Her reflection stared back, but it didn’t feel like her own. Her hazel eyes looked darker, almost stormy, and her usually calm expression seemed ten
For several days, Lisa couldn’t get the rejection out of her head. Nothing was pleasing to her. She refused all the water and food that were served and just got herself curled up under her blanket.Her mother, who was worried about her health, couldn’t bear her daughter sulking terribly because of a mate that didn’t belong to her in the first place.“Are you going to spend all week on the bed? I think you should get over this and move on to the next thing. As long as this doesn’t affect your relationship with Luna.”That only added fuel to the fire. Lisa flew up in anger. Her face laced with dried tears that strode down her cheeks in the past hours.“Do you know what this means? I sacrificed a lot to be by his side. How could he be so wicked? His mate rejected him; did he have to chase her over and over? I am here looking at him so why is he not looking at me too? I want to die right now.” As soon as she completed the sentence, she dived back under the blanket and continued her tears.
Oliver never let Annabel’s coldness get to him. He was just fixated on his own things and prepared aggressively for the final exams. Bernard, on the other hand, was always giving a gift or the other to Annabel so he could buy her love and favor.It was obvious to everyone that she was only tolerating him and he needed him just as he needed her.She was reading in the library when Bernard appeared with a box of chocolates to cheer her on but she was not in the mood to be disturbed, thanks to her dream that had been disturbing her for several days continuously.“Can you get this out of my face? I can’t deal with you right now,” she remarked, pushing it back to him"Oh, come on, Annabel. It’s time you stopped playing hard to get. We will get married anyways so why don’t you start tolerating me?”Those words hit Annabel on the wrong side. She flared up to the surprise of everyone, Bernard included.“Do you think all I care about is the damn engagement to you? I don’t care about you or you
“Nyssa? What do you mean you’ll go crazy if you don’t see her? How do you even know of her in the first place? She’s not someone just anyone can come across.” Oliver fired his questions at Annabel, his voice laced with both frustration and alarm.Annabel, still shaken from her dream, barely flinched at his reaction. She had spent the past few days trying to decipher whatever all the dreams she kept having meant, but nothing made sense to her.It wasn’t until that afternoon she finally got a hint of where to start from. The wolf had told her that everything she wanted to know will be revealed to her by Nyssa and she has no choice but to see her, and Oliver was the only one who could make that happen.“It doesn’t matter how I know her. I just do,” she shot back. “I need to see her, Oliver. You have to take me.”Oliver shook his head, his jaw tightening. “That’s not possible.”Annabel narrowed her eyes. “Not possible? You mean you won’t do it.”He sighed and turned away. “You don’t under
Oliver stood frozen; his pulse was hammering against his ribs as he processed Nyssa’s words. The jar of answers? He had always known that Nyssa was cryptic, speaking in riddles that only made sense to her. She would never go straight to the point; all she has to offer are her encrypted answers that she leaves you to figure out by yourself.Nyssa slowly rose from the ground, dusting her hands against her cloak. The deep silver of her iris glowed slightly in the dim candlelight of her hidden chambers.“Please come in my Alpha,” she finally ushered him in and they both walked into her hut that was bigger than it looked from the outside.The arranged jars kept shining several lights that almost blinded him as he made his way deeper into the house.“You cannot escape it, Oliver. The blood that runs in your veins, the lineage you come from, the burden of your fate—it is all inescapable. You will be Alpha, whether you like it or not.”Oliver clenched his fists. “It’s not like I can escape it
Oliver walked through the school’s tennis court, the crisp autumn air swirling around him as the golden leaves crunched beneath his boots. The day had been uneventful so far, but he could sense something different. It felt like something would happen before the end of the day but he wasn’t sure what it would be.He had a match session with Ali so they could unwind after hours of reading. They were about to turn to the dorm when the security informed him that he has a visitor. He realized that he had put his phone on silent and didn’t check it even after the match.Lisa had called him multiple times and had to wait for him after confirming that he was in the school’s premises.“Lisa.” He ran to where she was. She sat near the fountain, her long, auburn hair catching the sunlight, making it glow like fire. Her face was softer than he remembered, as if she had shed the weight of resentment she once carried. As he approached, she turned, meeting his gaze with hesitation.Her fingers were
Oliver walked into his quarters with a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. The tension from the royal court was still going through his system, but as soon as his eyes landed on Ali, standing near the grand window with his mouth agape, a small chuckle escaped him.“A bug will get into your mouth at this rate,” he said as he closed the distance between themAli turned abruptly at the sound, his dark brown eyes wide with fascination. "Dude, this place is insane!" he exclaimed, taking slow steps forward as he turned in a full circle. "I thought werewolf packs lived in ancient castles or wild forests, but this—this looks like a damn elite town!"Oliver smirked. "I told you, we’re not as different as humans think. We adapt, just like you do. You were the one reading meaning into it."Ali’s gaze swept over the towering bookshelves, the sleek leather couches, and the delicately woven tapestries depicting battles and victories from centuries past. The walls were adorn
Lucas settled in his seat and the meeting commenced. The elders whispered amongst themselves for a few minutes before elder Lionel stood to his feet and turned to face the Alpha where he was sitting with the Luna and his two princes.“My Alpha. Given the fact that Prince Oliver is yet to bring home his mate and the pack is going through such a hard time, we decided to have a meeting that lasted all night long and came to a conclusion that will benefit both the pack and the royal house” Everyone paid rapt attention to the elder talking as they anticipated what the conclusion was. Some of the elders sitting were also whispering inaudible things but not loud enough to tamper with the meeting’s focus.The elder cleared his throat and continued. “We need the Alpha to step down as soon as possible due to tradition. Also, he need to take care of his health, he had been on the throne for years and it’s time for him to take the deserved rest. Prince Oliver who should succeed him seems to be h
“Hey brother!” the girl slid the door with a full smile on her face, only to be met with Ali’s horrified faceShe was puzzled at first and thought she was in the wrong room until Gary signaled to her from the side of the room.“What are you doing here? Was my brother the friend you have here?” she asked, pointing from Ali to Gary, who slowly nodded.“You are his sister?” Ali managed to ask after blinking several times for his brain to get focusedShe nodded slowly, clutching the bag in her hand tightly. The moment was so awkward that none of them knew how to behave. Gary released a cough to ease the tension and Oliver took it up.“Now that you know, we can have a proper introduction. There’s no reason to be shocked for a very long time,” Oliver remarked and Ali made way for her to come in properly, muttering a low “sorry” since he had stood there, preventing her from entering the room.“You know them?” Gary chuckled, grabbing the bag she handed over to him.She had stopped to shop for
Due to some internal issues, the school decided to move the examinations up by three weeks so the students would be able to focus, catch up, and thoroughly prepare for the finals. However, they knew the school’s excuse was not a genuine one; some big parents have called the shot due to the recent dramas that kept happening.“You really had to make me find you. All you had to do was persuade her. I guess it would be difficult too, considering how bitter the bond that ties you is.” The double-colored eyeballs girl came up to Oliver, who was finalizing the study material he wanted to give Gary later in the day.The words were sudden and unclear. Also, prior to that conversation, they didn’t have any form of relationship. Although she had always been an odd one to Oliver. There was something about her that he couldn’t fathom. Her aura was different from others and it felt like she had so much to hide.“I don’t quite follow. What do you mean?” he raised his head and she chuckled as she fol
“You cannot enter. He’s currently sleeping.” The guard stretched his hands to stop her, but she delivered a loud slap on his face.Lisa’s chest rose and heaved as she fumed in anger. “If you don’t want me to break this door down, open it at once,” her voice rang through the hall as she protestedThe frustrated guard stood on his words and insisted that he had received instructions to not allow anyone in, so there was little to what he could do concerning her situation.“Where is there so much noise? Let her in,” the voice commanded from inside and the guard opened the door finallyLisa’s huge strides swallowed the distance between them within seconds. She was pissed up to the point where her sweat was dripping. Throwing her phone on the table, she asked, “What is this? How are you going to explain this?”He only glanced at it from afar, but he knew what the content was. “So, what’s the ruckus about?” his voice unapologeticHer lips parted in shock. “What do you mean by the ruckus? Is
They all ran to the field where Lucas had decorated in advance with the help of the underlings he had there. Everywhere was looking bubbly and beautiful as he waited for her with a bouquet of flowers and ring. The students were oblivious to the fact that he was Oliver’s brother, aside from Bernard and some of his men.“He’s really doing too much. I thought this was a joke. It’s getting a little bit serious,” Bernard remarked, anger turning his face red“I don’t even understand what’s going on anymore. This drama is too much,” one of Bernard’s men sighedThe girls got there around the same time Oliver showed up. He was beside Bernard and was watching what was about to unfold.“Are you not going to stop it?” Bernard asked, glancing at him“Why should I ruin it? There is another perfect place to ruin it better,” he smirkedAt the sight of Annabel, Lucas rushed to where he was and gave her the bouquet. “Happy birthday, my queen” and kissed her foreheadThe other students melted with his g
Oliver made sure to study every day with Gary and Ali as the exams approached. They tried everything from online sessions to the physical meetings and Gary caught up faster since he was an intelligent student.During the weekend, Oliver paid Nyssa a visit at the pack. He was ushered in by the old woman, who has been battling a cold for a while.“I have always known you to be healthy. It’s weird seeing you on the sick bed like this, considering how you have all the cure on your herbal shelf,” he remarked as he saw her on the wooden bedNyssa only chuckled a bit before the cough took over. “No one is above death or sickness. Also, I am only human and not some god.”“Do you feel better or should I arrange for you to be taken to the pack’s hospital?” he proposed and her hand flew up in the air. “Don’t! Even if I’ll die, it will be in this place,” she counteredHe had no choice but to drop it since she wasn’t interested. He settled on the chair he drew out for himself and faced the frail w
For hours, Ali didn’t wake up from his unconsciousness. Gary also fell unconscious when he realized what had happened. He had tried running away in horror but as Oliver ran after him, fear took over and he fainted.Luckily, he had shifted to his human form before the nurse came to the rooftop with other nurses. Rye couldn’t keep his laughter as he watched the drama he had caused unfold.“You think this is funny?” Oliver lashed out at him but he kept snorting“Why? Should I have watched him jump over the rooftop? You hesitate for what I don’t understand. If I didn’t take over, he could have really died. Also, I was able to do that because you allowed it!”“I understand that but why do you keep laughing in such a serious situation? Both of them fainted,” I argued and Rye released another round of laughter“You would have done more than that if it were you. How do you explain a human shifting into something enormous in front of you? Let them have their moment of fear. Don’t worry, they w