Craig The fury in my stomach tightened into tiny coils, stopping my wind. There were no words to describe how irritated I felt right now. Alexis' announcement shattered all my hopes, punching my gut and making me break into a sweat. She shifted uncomfortably, staring at me through her long lashes, while the asshat, Westin, stood smugly. I had a devilish urge to choke his throat. Instead, I turned to face Alexis, hoping she would say this was a prank, after all, I'd never noticed them being intimate. "Is this some kind of joke?" I snapped. Alexis shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. "Since when?" Westin went pink with pleasure, and his smile crossed his face, their hands linked. "Westin and I are together," she said without looking me in the eye. "Really? And you're saying this after I asked you to be my date for the homecoming?" She sighed, "You know we can't be seen together. This is in everyone's best interest." "Yeah," Westin sneered, "back off." Rolling my should
Alexis Sitting on a rectangular table in the cafeteria and surrounded by Tara and Westin, I forced myself to eat my cereal. Westin and Tara were throwing banters with Westin sipping coffee from a white mug and Tara battling with her scrambled eggs and bacon. My mind wandered through thoughts of Craig. He was so pissed and jealous about the news of my 'boyfriend.' I should feel relieved, but I couldn't stop thinking about the look of disappointment on his face. "Girl, you chew like a baboon," Westin poked at Tara. "Your body size isn't proportional to the food you're eating." Tara threw a piece of bacon at him in retaliation. "Get your pork face off my food! It's none of your business the way I eat or the quantity of food I consume. You aren't paying for my feeding expenses so go fuck yourself in the ass." Westin pretended to gag, giving Tara a nasty look while Tara rolled her eyes at him before stuffing more food into her mouth with relish. I tuned out of their banter and
Craig I thought I was coming to a quiet room, but my friends proved me wrong. Zarek and Xavier were in my room, cramping my space and making it hot and stuffy with their raised voices echoing off the walls. Throne, on the other hand, was busy playing on the Xbox. "Guys, can you stop arguing back and forth?" I pleaded. "No!" Zarek yelled. "He broke the bro code by sleeping with my ex." Xavier slept with Annabelle, Zarek's ex, but he didn't feel remorseful about it. To be fair, she was just a fling to Zarek, and we all knew he didn't take her seriously. He didn't take any females seriously. "She's not your ex, Zarek. You're overreacting," Xavier said dismissively. "You fucked her and made it clear to her that she meant nothing to you. Stop being a sourpuss." I wished they could all just leave my room and give me some quiet. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but it was no use. The noise only grew louder, and my headache worsened by the minute. X
Alexis I was rushing to my next class, my backpack slung over my shoulder. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the break. I hurriedly descended the stairs, the multiple steps leading up and down filled with students rushing to their next class. "Oops, I'm sorry," I said politely as my backpack accidentally brushed against a girl. Tardiness was frowned upon by our chemistry teacher, Mr. Lawson, and I couldn't afford to be late to his class. Lost in the sea of students, I didn't realize when I reached the bottom of the stairs. Unaware of my surroundings, I failed to notice the foot extended in my path, causing me to stumble and fall to the floor. Before I could react, several hands gripped me from behind, tugging at my backpack. Confused and startled, I turned around, trying to face them. "Hey, what's going on?" I shouted, my words falling on deaf ears. Before I knew it, an intense burning sensation engulfed my eyes. The searing heat intensified rapidly, unmistakably the res
Alexis The members of the math club boarded the school bus one after the other. Today was D-Day, and we were heading to a suburb in the metropolitan part of town where the competition would be taking place. The bus rumbled to life, pulling away from the school gates. Craig sat next to me, slinging his arm over my shoulder. I felt much better and healed almost immediately after the attack. My dad didn't take the case lightly, though I assured him I was fine. He was going to see me at the competition venue, and Principal John assured him that the school was going to get to the bottom of the case and find out who assaulted me. Despite the perfect opportunity to get back at Beverly for all she had done to me, I didn't have solid evidence, and I needed to be sure before exposing her. For now, I had to keep my suspicions to myself. The bus moved swiftly, the outside world a blur. Westin was engrossed in his textbook across from me. Despite realizing it was useless, I nervously flip
Craig When Alexis stepped out of her dorm, I stared at her with longing and my pulse raced. She was becoming impossibly difficult to resist. My body lurched madly, longing for her nearness. Smiling, I closed the space between us. Resisting the urge to hug her in public, I stuffed my hands inside my pockets instead. "Craig, what are you doing here?" she said playfully, looking up at me with a twinkle in her eyes, and then glanced around, probably checking for the matron. "Last time I checked, I'm not invading anyone's privacy. I thought I could stop and say hello since I couldn't do it in your dad's presence." She snorted and burst out laughing. Even her laughter was enchanting. It sent goosebumps down my arms and warmed my inside. "I bet he'd have been thrilled to see you," she said with light sarcasm. "And severe my head afterward? No, thanks." Her eyes crinkled with a soft smile and my eyes roamed all over her body. She wore a casual Mickey Mouse mini dress and held her ho
Alexis Craig took two steps back, freezing and his mouth fell open in shock. "Hold up, are you sure about this? "One hundred percent," I nodded with a voice devoid of emotion. An unnatural stillness settled between us like gas until Craig cursed under his breath, swallowing hard and trying not to reveal his anger. "I'm assuming she did that to get revenge?" "Looks like it." "That's crazy. What the hell was she thinking? If that's the case, we have to find a way to make her confess. How could she be so heartless to do that to her sister?" I turned away, acting nonchalant but feeling a painful tightness of hurt in my throat. Ivy was influencing Beverly negatively and I feared what she'd end up becoming if she continued listening to her. Craig's face lit like a candlestick. "I think I've got the perfect plan.I'll ask her to be my date for the homecoming and act like I'm into her." I turned sharply to face him, not liking the idea one bit. "What!” "Simple. If she truly did at
Alexis We arrived at the dark valley. A large circle of students were dancing in the center of the valley. The atmosphere was electric with lots of booze. To my greatest surprise, vampires, and werewolves were partying together. "Whoa, is this a new development? I thought there was going to be some sort of separation," I said to Tara, and she rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Look, no matter how our parents try to separate us, there's always going to be an alliance between both factions. You see why I always want you to come out of your shell?" Two girls with bright pink hair danced about, and Tara took my hand, leading me further into the valley while I dragged Westin. My heart beat fast, making me excited and nervous at the same time. I hadn't seen Craig, and I wondered if he was going to come. The students were laughing and dancing, their feet pounding on the ground in rhythm with the bass sound that came from the speakers. We made our way to the crowd of dancers, and I scann
Alexis "Shit. That was close. He rasped out, his eyes glowing like a wildcat's and bulging with fear. "These bastards are mean and are out for us." "What are we going to do?" I said to Craig with my voice trembling. Craig grimaced, glancing outside the window, and swallowed hard, trying desperately to form coherent words. "I have no idea. But we have to stay here for now and run for our lives when this blows over. It's only a matter of time before they find us." "Fuck," Zarek winced while I paced frantically. Zarek broke the silence. "Are these buildings connected? They could destroy innocent lives while searching for us." "We need help," I said with every fiber in my body trembling nonstop. "We cannot do this on our own. They have outnumbered us." Craig turned to face me, his face congested with fear "Alexis, you have to stay here for now. I don't want you to get hurt." "Stay here?" I gasped, my eyes doubling in size. "Are you kidding me? I can't and I won't leave your si
Alexis My heart was racing so fast. I heard Craig and Zarek coming up, and I composed myself, watching them enter the room, laughing. Craig came to my side and knelt in front of me, kissing my stomach, and Zarek looked away. "How do you feel now? Better?" Craig said, concerned. I shook my head in a no, and Craig frowned. "Do you want me to get you something?" I got on my feet. "Craig, I called my dad," I blurted. "He thinks we are not safe, and is on his way to get me." Craig cursed under his breath. "We need to leave," he said firmly. "I don't trust your dad." "Come on, Craig. My dad may be an enemy to you, but he's my father. He's going to help us." Just as I made that statement, we heard a commotion downstairs, as if a riot was taking place. My heart skipped so fast. "Did you hear that?" I whispered to Craig. My breathing became raspy, and my lips trembled with fear. "I think they are here," Craig trembled and grabbed the bag where the staff was. Zarek rushed to the windo
Alexis Dora had warned us to be very careful and lay low because Dimitri had informants everywhere. It was even dangerous for us to call her, as Dimitri could trace the call and hurt her. Craig couldn't sleep and kept thinking the worst. Zarek joined us the next day and my thoughts were filled with self-loathing and the nagging urge to ask for my dad's help tugged in my heartstrings. But it was very unlikely that my dad, a werewolf, would help Craig and the vampire king. The possibility was almost impossible. He was never going to hand that staff to me. I could sense the frustration in Craig's eyes. He was like a locked-up bull, searching for a means of escape. He had stopped smiling, answering questions with minimal responses, and kept sighing constantly. He seemed to prefer talking to Zarek more than me, and that infuriated me because he made me feel like I had betrayed him in some way. And he poured out his frustration when I asked Dora how Oliver was doing. "I've warned
Alexis Craig's lips kissed my throat up before capturing my lips, and our breaths fused into our mouths. I was in divine ecstasy, and my wolf almost threatened to come out of my body. Our kiss was raw, rough, sloppy, and filled with weeks of longing and a mountain of passion. He went hard, soft, then hard again, and I had no desire to back out. Burying my hands into his thick hair, I let him scoop me up, nibbling his lips. Our kisses were messy because of my tears and the world disappeared around me. I pulled away, staring into his eyes with so much love. "I can't believe I'm seeing you. I hope someone doesn't wake me up if this is a dream." "It's me," he said. His voice thickened with emotion. "I'm here in flesh and blood." A comfortable silence settled between us and we exchanged glances, smiling. His gaze was mad with lust and molten desire, and a raging beast of need was in his eyes. "I dreamt of this day for weeks,"he whispered, kissing my neck and making my knees loosen.
Alexis One week later My heart pounded like a frightened bird, racing to escape, as I ran through the night. The darkness was consuming, making the hairs on my nape raise with raw fear, but I moved swiftly along, ignoring my rising panic. Oliver confessed to Dora and agreed to help us. I was heading to a vampire coven, so I couldn't shift into my wolf. Several nasty thoughts kept flying in, causing me to get frightened beyond measure, but I put a fire under my feet, attempting to lighten my mood with the hope of seeing Craig tonight. "I'll see Craig tonight," I chanted like a mantra. I hastened because it was almost midnight. The hotel Oliver recommended didn't seem to be popular. I stopped to take a breath when I began seeing spots in my vision and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to regain control. A stray cat darted behind me, sending chills down my spine. I sighed in relief when I burst out onto a surprisingly busy street with half-naked girls and men who couldn't walk
Alexis I edged closer to Dora until our eyes met. Dora held her head high and a broad smile graced her lips.My curiosity heightened, wondering what she wanted from me, considering that we had only met once. There was only one way to find out, but something in me suspected Craig sent her, but why would he when we’d gotten back together? "Hi," I formed a cheeky smile, hugging her. "What a surprise to see you here." "Hello, Alexis, right? I can never forget your name, considering how my boy never stops gushing about you," she said and hugged me back. When she pulled away, she stared at me with kind, observant eyes. The clouds darkened and it began to drizzle."You might want to come into the hall," I said to her. We found a secluded corner in the empty hall and sat opposite each other. Silence settled on us like mist, filling the air. I waited for her to speak but she didn't, making me uncomfortable. "Does Craig know you are here?" I managed to say. She let out a soft chuckle
Alexis Confusion was an understatement for how I felt right now. My spirit was in chaos. I couldn't believe that Craig had asked me for my forgiveness and wanted me back, even though I ended up whacking his face, which I had the right to, after all, he'd put me through. Something was off, no doubt. Yet, I couldn't deny that I still loved him. Our brief relationship brought me back to life in ways I'd never imagined. I lay on Tara's bunk, staring off into mid-distance at the star design on her ceiling, lost in thought. I didn't want to be involved in a game of back and forth where I would be easily swayed by Craig's seduction. I wasn't that stupid. Tara didn't see a big deal in Craig wanting to come back to me. "It was bound to happen," she chuckled, scooping the last of her vanilla ice cream."I know you don't see it that way, but I knew his relationship with Beverly was not going to last." "I'm not buying that bullshit," I sighed. "I know something triggered him to ask for my f
Craig Days and nights passed, and I was still trapped in Bloodline Manor like a helpless butterfly, but I had completely healed and grown stronger. My desperation grew by the second. I wondered what was going on in the outside world. Dimitri hadn't come to threaten me in days. For sure, he was surely up to something sinister. My only companion was a damn diary where I scribbled all my plans to escape, waiting for the perfect time to hatch my plan. I was staring at a cow giving birth. The mother lay exhausted on the ground after pushing her calves far enough out. She was too weak to stand and the smell of its dung and blood was strong enough to kill, but the cows were the only distractions I had because I was so close to going insane. I loved video games and being with my phone. Not having that luxury was killing me. My ears perched when someone knocked on my door. "It's open," I said flatly. Anna, who was the only innocent person in this manor because she had no idea I was s
Oliver I winced, rubbing my stinging cheek. The force of Alexis's slap remained. I deserved it for being so stupid to think she'd jump on me like a lovestruck puppy after I asked for her forgiveness or be easily manipulated without questioning me. Rooted on the spot, I watched her walk away, cursing under my breath. The girl was petite but bold and hostile. Thanks to that bastard, Dimitri, I'd received an unwarranted slap. My shoulders sagged like a deflated balloon. Dimitri forced me to gather information from Craig's friends, including his girlfriend, about the staff of authority. I had two days to come up with something, and the consequences of not getting sufficient information would be brutal. But how could I ask them a string of questions without them becoming suspicious? Craig's friends, especially Zarek, were discerning and were beginning to sniff my fakery. It was a miracle that I hadn't gotten caught at this point. "Oliver, you're a man. I didn't raise you a coward!"