Lucas, my elder brother have not been at home for months because he was touring his favorite countries. The last time we talked was the day he left for his vacation. We never had any reasons to call each other because it would always end in bickering, fighting or some yelling.
We were never on the same page but the most shocking thing was that, this was not obvious to the other members of the pack. He would take care of me and pamper me like an egg whenever we were out of the palace.
“What a loving brother he is. I want to be have one like him,” I heard one of the boys remarked one day as we walked through the pack together with father but I only scoffed because they didn’t know that he was a viper underneath his façade.
When he left for his tour, I felt relieved. The fact that I didn’t have to pretend around others was refreshing. I would have been worked up now that he was back if I were at home but thankfully, I would be living in the school till further notice.
“So what are you doing here?” I lashed out as soon as I got to the car
“Come on! Be respectful. I am your older brother. I came to wish you well after hearing that you will be staying back at the dorm for the time being,” he chuckled
“Are you that jobless to come all the way here?” anger welling up in my voice
“Calm down smallie. You don’t have to be that defensive. We both know this is the best option for the both of us right now. Enjoy your dorm, I will take care of the house till you come back,” he mocked, and blew his gum loudly in my face before motioning for the driver to start the engine.
I just watched him go away in silence because I was not in for his dramatic ass. I was actually glad that I didn’t have to deal with him for the time being.
“This is actually for the better,” I mumbled and headed for the dormitory.
****
I went to fetch my suitcase from the security but I was told that an assigned potter had taken it to my room. The staff there gave me a spare key to the room for my own personal use and also gave me a card for the dormitory’s door passage.
On getting to my room, I found my roommate already settled in. His suitcase was opened on the floor with all his clothes littered everywhere. He already took the other side of the room so I just dragged my suitcase closer to the other side in order to arrange my clothes in the wardrobe, silently.
“Nice meeting you. I never knew we would be roommates,” he suddenly started
“Well, we are here now” I responded, not sparing him a glance.
“My name is Ali. I am the last son of the family of twelve sons and eight daughters. You can say we are pretty much a community with that number. I’m sure you must have figured out that I am an Indian, and yea what else?” he blabbered away, disturbing my thoughts
“Maybe you can take some break. I need to clear my head,” I almost shouted but managed to control my tone
“You need to clear your head? What could you possibly be thinking about? You are too young to think about complicated things,” he remarked, his mouth filled with the cream accompanying his bread
For goodness’ sake, what was my offense that I was got paired with a chatterbox? I couldn’t hold myself any longer. He should just shut up and stuff his face with his cream at this point.
“Do I need to explain things to you? Do I owe you any explanation? Uhn?” I growled, my wolf nature taking the best part of me already
He was slightly taken aback by the intensity of my voice but he shrugged it off quickly and smiled. His messy cheeks and mouth annoying me the more.
“Well, I just thought I could help you with it since we are now roommates but since you are getting worked up, I will just focus on my bread and cream,” he responded, raising his bread slightly with a painful smile before turning to his bed.
I felt bad for a second but I didn’t let myself get absorbed in the feeling. I didn’t have the tolerance to endure his chattering at that moment. I had a lot going on in my head and entertaining him was the last thing on my mind.
A loud silence filled the room afterwards, and by the time I was done, he was fast asleep. The cream on his face was still there on his huge cheeks as he snored away in his awkward position.
“He could have at least cleaned up after himself,” I mumbled and wiped his cheeks before correcting his posture
Even in his deep sleep, he muttered an inaudible “thank you” before turning to the side. I stared at him for a while, wondering what his world looked like for him to think so simply of life. He looked like he had no worries but I know that it was only a mask. People like them talk so much in order to hide their true self.
I was about turning back when a thought popped up in my head that I could actually get the information I wanted from him. Given his free spirit nature, he would probably have access to several information and secrets.
“I should move closer to him. Listening to him talk wouldn’t kill me at least,” I concluded before going to shower the day’s stress off.
I didn’t realize that I was that tired until I took the shower and slept off immediately without eating anything for the night.
The next day being a Saturday, we were allowed to sleep in till around ten in the morning before the announcement came in that we should assemble at the great hall in the next hour. Ali already woke up way earlier, freshened up, and was at the reading desk already. I didn’t take him to be someone academically serious since he came off as a chatterbox and foodie the very first time we met yesterday. He had always been in my class but we never had any personal encounters until we were paired as roommates.“Good morning, trust you had a great night?” he greeted me cheerfully and I wondered if he didn’t read meaning into how I shouted at him last night.That was remarkable so I had to apologize for yelling at him. Immediately, he turned it down and said that he was wrong for being pushy when we only met the first time.The response got me relieved and burdened at the same time. It gave me the realization of being a better person. “I should be more accommodating,” I scolded myself as I sl
|Annabel|Ever since the school declared the plan to stay at the dorm, I didn’t know what to think about it. It had always been like that for the senior students, though, but I just wasn’t prepared for it. I still couldn’t understand why they would never give a notification ahead, it was always a sudden announcement.My mother had gotten my suitcase packed before I even got home. She must have been waiting for the school mail.“You should use this period to bond with Bernard since you will be in the same proximity as him. He will show you what he is like and not just want you to see from afar,” she advised, throwing the rest of my clothes on the bed for the maids to pack.I was tired of her making everything about him. She just wouldn’t talk about me as a person. Bernard this, Bernard that, every single time.“So if I don’t get to like him after all this, will you break off the engagement?” I slammed her and she pausedShe probably wasn’t expecting what I just asked. I never voiced ou
The only person that could chuckle that way was Bernard. Instantly, my fears were replaced with anger. I felt irritation from the deepest part of my belly and pushed him off me with full force.“What the fuck do you think you are doing right now?” a loud yell ran out of my throat.My fists folded in anger as I walked forward, giving some distance to the wall.I couldn’t understand the reason why he created such a drama just to talk to me. Although we were engaged, we did not talk unless it was highly necessary because it was obvious that we hated each other. We were very much aware of the fact that we needed each other for business, so we didn’t stress it out. Nothing like romance or love was ever mentioned between us.“Are you sane? What is this scenario? What are you trying to pull here?” I shouted at him, my anger shooting through the roof.“I saw how interested you and the new boy are in the sick boy’s affair. Don’t bother to dig up anything, I will not stay still,” he threatened.
The next morning, everyone was woken up by a loud scream on the male side of the dormitory. We all rushed outside at dawn to check what was happening because the sound was too loud to ignore.“Who did this? How could anyone be this terrible?” we heard a boy shout on top of his lungs.Since everyone was in pajamas, we confidently marched towards the boys’ dorm to witness the scenario.Dan, one of the students, held his shredded uniform close to his chest as he tried to control his tears. He explained that he had washed the clothes in the washing machine and hung them to dry in the laundry room. Although he had wanted to pack it in last night, he just felt it would be nice to leave it there till morning where he would iron it and put it on for school immediately.“So who did this? How did it get to this state?” one of the boys asked, and he shook his head.“I don’t know. If I knew the person, would I be here standing and screaming like a fool?” he answered.Nobody knew what to say. Ever
|Oliver|I couldn’t bear the fact that everybody was silent about the boy. They all went on with their activities as if nobody was missing. I had discussed a lot with my wolf, Rye, over and over, but he just kept telling me to mind my business.“I think I should press her further so she can tell me what I want to hear. Bernard doesn’t seem like an option because he’s inaccessible for now. I can also threaten her with a little secret between us,” I told him in the shower as I prepared for school.“Just let go of your obsession with this case. You are not someone who gets involved in people’s affairs. Why are you suddenly nosy?” he warned, but I just wouldn’t listen.“Don’t you feel that something is off about this school? Everybody is afraid of the bully and that fairy girl is just pretending to be nice. I need to know what’s going on,” I countered, and poor Rye could only sigh.“Should we do some mind reading? I can get some info out of her through that method”, I proposed, and a subt
Judging from her looks and the murmurs that filled the entire classroom, it was obvious that none of them knew my family. She kept tilting her head to see if it would ring a bell but her brain couldn’t comprehend it. “Isn’t that some lowly family? The name doesn’t even ring a bell,” Courtney mocked but I just kept silent. “Let’s look up the family with such a lowly name that has the money or audacity to send their kids to this prestigious school,” Bernard remarked, his thumb gliding through the face of his phone as he made his research. Every one of them brought their phones out to follow suit while I fixed my gaze on Annabel herself. I wanted to see her reaction when she finds out about my family. “Oh my God!” one of them gasped, dropping her phone in shock. Rye chuckled and it took all the strength in me not to follow suit. “Fuck!” “He’s on another level” “His family is untouchable” “Incredible! Isn’t that even bigger than rank 1?” Several comments were flying arou
Something was strange about her. It was as if she was scanning through my mind with her fixed gaze. I have never had any encounter with her prior to that moment but I felt a strange chill down my spine.“Yes, I did. He looked like a human, just like you and I,” I responded and everyone burst into a laugh.I didn’t mean to hurt her, it was the truth. The president was a human just like us. There was nothing special about them. The ranks they had been segregated to clouded their thoughts and constantly fed him with the idea that the politicians and celebrities were demigod.“They are just like you are. Don’t feel bad for not meeting any. There’s no big deal. Every human is equal, isn’t it?” I added.Her lips curved slightly into a smile as the beam of happiness radiated on her face. My words must have done wonders, she felt relieved instead of being embarrassed by the laughs.The next word that flew out of her mouth was “Let’s be friends.”My heart skipped a bit. The words were too sudd
|Lisa|As soon as the tires of our plane touched down on the runway, a huge sigh left my mouth. I was welcomed with the strange but familiar atmosphere of Virginia blew on my skin. I didn’t know if I was happy to be home or sad.It was a mixed emotion.Checking out my luggage didn’t take long and I was out of the airport in no time. My father had specially come to the airport to pick me up alongside the driver. Considering how busy he was, it was one of the most considerable acts he had ever carried out.The change in weather was setting in faster than I had thought. It was summer in South Africa where I was coming from but Virginia was a bit chilly. I slipped on the huge wool jacket my father had brought for me without wasting any second.I hated being cold.“My Princess, how was the flight? Tired?” his soft hands rubbed my back as he pulled me into a hugI had missed his scent. His wooden musky scent filled my nostrils. I could smell home on him. My mother’s favorite mint scent was
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