BOOK 1: THE AWAKENING
~LILY'S POV~
Smash!
The glass box slipped from my hand and crashed onto the floor with a sharp sound. I stepped into Tyler's room with my heart racing like a wild stallion. And there, right in front of me, my worst nightmare came true.
The Alpha's son, Tyler—the guy who had been my crush for as long as I could remember, the one who had held my hand and promised me an eternity as his only—was holding Audrey in a romantic embrace, making out with her on his sofa.
It felt like the whole world had frozen. The promises, the dreams we had shared together, all shattered like fragile glass.
Tears blurred my vision as I turned away. The pain was too intense to bear.
"Lily!" Tyler's voice sounded desperate as he called my name, but I couldn't stand to listen. I couldn't face him. Feeling so hurt and angry, I just ran. How could he betray me like this? After everything he said, everything he promised me…the tears refused to flow but I could barely see as I was running.
I bumped into Jaxon at the entrance. His eyes looked worried and confused as he searched mine, wanting me to explain. My voice failed me as I was totally lost in my feelings. Jaxon held onto my shoulders firmly but gently, wanting me to tell him what had made me look so shattered the way I was.
"Lily, what happened? What's the problem? Why are you-"
I didn't even hear what he was saying. I wanted to say everything, to yell about the betrayal that was tearing me apart, but the words stayed stuck in my throat.
I hurried to the car, and the driver's eyes widened when he saw me on the brink of tears. I didn't say anything, just told him to take me home, to the grove. The car started loudly, drowning my feelings.
Tears finally ran down my cheeks as he drove, and the road ahead looked blurry. I kept seeing Tyler's face next to Audrey's in my mind. The way he held her waist and their lips entwined in each other's…
"Fuck!" I cussed and removed the bracelet he gave me for my 17th birthday last year from my wrist. I stared at it for a while, wanting badly to wake up and realize this was all a dream. But I wiped my tears and felt the reality bitterly sink in. I threw it at the glass window and brought my palms to my face. In no time, my hands were soaked with tears. I couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Ma'am, I thought you wanted to stay till evening for the young master's party?" The driver asked innocently but I belted out my frustration on him.
"Just shut up and drive, okay?!" I yelled at him and he nodded, focusing back on the road.
I just couldn't…believe it.
The things he promised and the secrets we shared seemed to fall apart just like that. Tyler betrayed me. He betrayed me. I shook my head and kept in that position till we got home.
_____
When I got to the grove, a fresh wave of sadness hit me again. My wound was still new but upon getting home, it seemed like it was reopened. The other members of the grove looked at me with pity and understanding as I walked to the mansion. It seemed like they already knew I was heartbroken, like they could feel how much I hurt. Was this going on for a long time, even before I found out? Had this been happening behind my back? So everyone knew and noone told me about it? Wow. I felt even more stupid and foolish with each step I took.
I couldn't even face my parents or anybody for that matter at that moment. The hurt and confusion inside me were too much to handle. The weight of it all made it hard to breathe. All I wanted was to escape, to be far away from everything that reminded me of Tyler's betrayal. I just needed to be away, away from everything.
I went to the garden for comfort. Being alone in that garden felt like the only way to find some peace, even if it was just for a little while. The trees provided a shelter, and the rustling leaves seemed to understand my pain. Nature was my refuge. I could sort through my thoughts and figure out how to heal from the pain Tyler had caused. The aroma of flowers around me made me feel better, even though my heart still hurt. Watching the flowers dance in the basking sunlight made me realise life would still go on despite this utterly devastating thing that just happened to me, but still, it hurt.
Audrey.
That sneaky bitch.
I always knew she wanted to have Tyler. She had tried everything to entice him and have him for herself, but I paid no attention to her because I trusted in Tyler's faithfulness. Guess I was more than stupid and unobservant. I let her slip under Tyler's arms right under my nose.
I palmed my forehead.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
But Tyler wasn't less to blame. How could he? I gave him everything. Everything I had, everything I had to offer; my time, my attention, my love, my care…for god sake I just turned 18, and I already knew by the goddess that I would marry him. I had crushed on him for the longest time, but we recently just started dating. Still, I knew I would love no other and he would never betray him.
This was life spitting at my face.
All of a sudden, a strange voice seemed to come from the wind and called my name.
"Lily…"
I felt my heart beating fast, and I looked to where the voice came from. It was eerie but oddly familiar. I knew that voice. Even though the pain of Tyler's betrayal was still raw, I felt curious. I followed the mysterious voice carefully down the garden trail, not sure what I would find.
"Who…is it?" I then stopped and went to sit back down. I was just hearing things.
"Lily…help." but it called my name again. And it called for help.
My ears and hairs stood.
••• THE BOOK IS UNEDITED AND IS NOT IN ITS FINELY FINISHED FORM. EVERY WEEK, I PROOFREAD AND RE-EDIT THIS BOOK. SO IF YOU SEE A TYPO, KINDLY IGNORE IT AS THEY'LL BE EVENTUALLY EDITED OUT. THANK YOU.
I stood up again. I thought I was hearing things or my mind was playing tricks on me. But the faint sounds persisted, drawing me deeper into the garden. I stopped. What was I doing? Gosh. I needed a bath. My heart was still heavy. I began to walk back only to bump into someone. I looked up, and there he was – Tyler. What was he doing here? What the hell did he want? I couldn't bear to look at him, not after what I saw. I would either tear his face apart or break down crying rivers. "I didn't expect to find you here," he said with an unserious voice. That's what he wanted to say to me? After what he did? Fine. Cool. We'll play that game. I gulped then shrugged, keeping my gaze away from him. "Guess you never really know where someone might end up when they're hurting." My voice shook but I tried to mask my nervousness. He rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand, "I've been looking for you everywhere." I chuckled sarcastically and then pressed my tongue against my cheek
Tears kept running down my cheeks as I stumbled my way back to my bedroom. I couldn't get the picture of Tyler and Audrey out of my head. It was like a pain that wouldn't go away, deep inside me. All the memories rushed in, hitting me like a wave. More tears wet my pillow. It was so hard to believe he actually ended our relationship. Despite how angry I was, I knew I couldn't just hate him. I remembered the words he said. "She's a connection, but you're the one I love." Like hell I am. How could I possibly believe him? How? Had he forgotten all the promises he made me? To never leave or betray me? How could he let it all go down the drain like that? All the fucking promises. They felt empty now, like they didn't mean anything. I still wished that when I woke up, everything would be back to normal. I hoped this was just a really bad dream. I managed to fall asleep, the exhaustion finally pulling me under. The last thing I remembered was Tyler's voice, his words hanging in the a
My parents looked at each other and then walked into the room. They watched me trying to get up and act normal again. "What are you doing, Lily?" My father asked with a raised eyebrow. I stammered, "Nothing, just... I was just..." I got up quickly and tried to change the subject to stop them from being curious. "Is there something you need?" They shared another glance before my mother spoke up. "We just wanted to let you know that Tyler will be joining us for lunch." I felt lots of feelings all at once, but they changed too quickly for my parents to notice. How could my parents understand how messed up and broken I was feeling? My mom especially always liked Tyler and thought we were a great match. She'd drop hints about us being perfect together. I couldn't be mad at them for telling me this. "Okay," I said quietly, trying to sound calm even though I wasn't. "Is there anything else you want to say?" My father cleared his throat, his expression slightly more serious. "Actually
I dashed across the corridor, desperate to reach my destination. The corridor appeared to be quite longer than it used to be, but I didn't let it deter me. I had to save the vampire's life. I paused for a second when I approached my father's room. What if he found out what I was up to? What if he got angry? I didn't want to deal with his anger. I took a deep breath and carefully turned the doorknob. As I opened the door, it made a creaking sound. I entered the room gently, looking for the medicine that my father had hidden. I saw a little box on a high shelf. It was made of wood and locked with a silver key. I knew my dad kept the key in his desk drawer. I quickly went to the desk, feeling very anxious. I felt my heart race as I looked through the drawer. I could hear someone coming towards the room. I started to panic as I searched for the key, my hands shaking nervously. "Lily, what exactly are you doing in here?" My father's voice stunned me, and I hurriedly shut the drawer whi
He looked at me with a visage that held a depth I couldn't quite grasp. He paused briefly before speaking, his voice noticeably filled with regret. "I'm Adrian. Adrian DuMont." Adrian DuMont. The name struck a chord with me, evoking a flash of reminiscence. It was a name with weight, one that triggered something deep within my memories. But I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. He responded the question before I could think more about the mystery surrounding his name. "What about you? Can you tell me your name?" I paused for a moment, unsure whether to reveal my true identity. But there was something about him, something in the way he looked at me, that made me want to believe his every word. "Lily, Lily McGregor." Adrian's face lit up with surprise, as if my name meant something. His eyes widened slightly as a flash of recognition passed through them. "Lily McGregor," he said quietly again, as if testing the name on his tongue. "The daughter of the renowned pack hunter, H
I was really anxious when I left my room because I wanted to make sure my plan worked out smoothly. But when I unintentionally ran into Audrey, the same girl who had caused me so much pain in such a short period of time, things only became worse. Tyler choosing her rather than me still shocked me. The pain and rage I felt intensified as a result of how misled and played I felt. "Oh, how are you doing, Lily?" Audrey asked, her voice filled with disdain. "I noticed you weren't looking too well during our lunch so I decided to check up on you." I breathed in and out. "Such a shame. Don't tell me you're still heartbroken?" I attempted to ignore the hurt of her words and push past her. I needed to concentrate on finding Adrian and assuring his safety. Tyler's decision and Audrey's presence were unnecessary distractions. I walked past her and wandered the corridors, lost in my thoughts. My head was still reeling from the recent incident - I actually found a vampire in my room and I save
"What's happening here?" I asked. I was really confused and my voice was trembling. The air in the room choked me with tension, and I could feel the intensity of their gazes on me. Tyler's grip on Adrian tightened and he said triumphantly, "Look who I found snooping around your chambers, Lily. He could be a thief, or worse, an assassin." My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to fix this. I had to act quickly and find the perfect thing to say to distract them. I wandered why Tyler was suddenly acting like the hero in all this. Summoning every ounce of composure I had left, I straightened my posture, meeting Tyler's gaze head-on. "Tyler, let him go," I commanded. "He is not a threat. He's here under my protection." Tyler's expression hardened, "What? Are you commanding me, the Alpha-to-be? And why is he here under your protection? Who the hell is he to you?" My father stepped forward, his expression stern and questioning. "Lily, why are you showing sympathy towards this strange
Without looking at him, I replied, "No." I tried to move through the door, but he blocked the way again, "I won't beg you." "And I don't want you to." "Why are you being difficult?' "Just let me pass!" I jerked his hand off the door rail but he banged the door behind us, making me flinch back. I glanced at him, my gaze piercing. "What do you think you're doing?" "Is this how you want things to be between us from now on? Weird? Awkward? Toxic? Shitty?" The words came out of his mouth like garbage. "You made it this way…" My voice broke with every syllable. He sighed and looked the other side. I walked back and folded my arms, eager to get this over with and get away from him. "Talk." He hesitated, "Lily, I understand that our breakup was difficult for both of us, especially you…" "Oh gee, look who's just finding out." "You won't even let me speak." "Look, to be honest, I don't even want to hear anything. You've said all I needed to hear already. We just need to find a way to