GINGER:Waking up with Caspian by my side feels right. I am not insanely attracted to him like I am to Hu, but I think I love it this way. There is no second-guessing if he loves me because, clearly, he cannot do without me, and he would do anything for me.His arms wrapped around me make me feel safe, and I would give anything to let this moment last.โGood morning, sleepyheads.โ I hear my motherโs voice, causing me to flip my eyes open to see her standing by the door with a smug smile on her lips.I open my eyes properly, looking around to see that pillows are lined between Caspian and me. The feeling of him spooning me was just the pillows against my butt. His hands are on me, but he withdraws them as soon as he opens his eyes.We both sit up, and I glare at my mom, my brows wrinkled.โGood morning, Anna,โ Caspian says, and my eyes widen. Theyโre on a first-name basis now? I know I disobeyed her, but she is trying hard to get to me, and, god, itโs working.โGood morning, Caspian.โ
GINGER:The events from the hallway keep playing in my mind as the geography teacher blabs in front of the board. Hana hasnโt returned, and itโs been over thirty minutes, which makes me worried. Suddenly, the door opens, and Hana walks in with a red face. I can tell she has been crying, and it makes my heart drop. If Hu knows his actions hurt people, then why does he keep doing it?Silently, she gets into her seat in front of me. I itch to ask her about Hu, but I cannot, because that would raise suspicions. So I sit there painfully until the class is over, then I reach out for her.โAre you okay?โ I ask, and she turns around, giving me a slight nod before letting out a sigh.โI donโt know why he keeps doing this. He knows it will cost him a lot if a teacher sees him that way, but he doesnโt care. No one knows the reason for this, because he wonโt talk. He says we donโt care about him, but he doesnโt make it easy either way.โ The crack in her voice makes me realize how much she cares f
GINGER:โWhat in the Moon Goddessโs name is going on here?โ Motherโs voice rings through the room, making Hu and I pull away from each other instantly.I stare at her, my face drained of color as she glares at me, her brows furrowing. Hu and I stay silent.โIs anyone going to explain what the hell I just walked into?โ she demands, then suddenly slaps her forehead with both hands, letting out a dry chuckle. โOh, I knowโthis is a dream. Iโll just shut this door, wait a second, and when I open it again, none of this will be real.โI open my mouth to speak, but before I can, she shuts the door. I sigh.โWeโre in trouble, arenโt we?โ Hu mutters. I glance at him, my brows knitted.We wait in silence for my mother to finish her dramatic pause. When the door swings open again, sheโs wearing a forced smile.โSo, Iโm not dreaming, and the Alpha Prince is really in my daughterโs room.โ Her voice is eerily calm before her expression darkens. She shuts the door behind her with a loud thud and lean
Hu:Itโs been a week since I told Ginger I loved her. I canโt tell how Iโve been holding back, but today, it feels like my heart will explode. Iโve noticed sheโs been avoiding me. When I see her at school, she wonโt meet my eyes, and she always walks in groups, making sure I donโt get the chance to pull her aside. She knows exactly what sheโs doing, and itโs killing me.She said she still thinks about that night too, so why is she acting like Iโm some kind of disease? Itโs like sheโs messing with my head, and itโs fucking working. I want to go to her house, but Iโm wary of her mom, and her curtains have been shut for an entire week.โYou need to wait for her to come to you,โ I tell myself, tossing a ball against the wall in front of me.At first, the steady rhythm soothes me, but the more I think about her, the more it grates on my nerves. When the ball bounces back toward me, I catch it and crush it in my hand. Sitting up, I swing my legs off the bed and let my hands hang between my
GINGER:I didnโt mean any of the things I said to Hu, and I never would. After my mother told me to choose wisely, I wrote out the pros and cons of both Hu and Caspian. Unfortunately, Caspian has never hurt me, but Huโthat night will forever stay in my mind, and it breaks my heart. I wanted to tell him I loved him back, but I couldnโt.After successfully holding back my tears, I lock my windows and make my way downstairs. Caspian is seated in the living room with my sister, Daisy, and my mother. Daisy is making weird faces, and heโs returning the gesture, but the moment he sees me, he stops.โCan we go now?โ he asks. I nod, and he gets up. I glance at my mother before heading upstairs with Caspian behind me, holding my hand.As we walk, I try to ground myself, focusing on the fact that Caspian makes me feel safe. That should be the only thing that matters right now. I shouldnโt care about Hu because he probably just wants sex from me. Even though I know thatโs not true, I try to convi
GINGER: For a moment, I try to convince myself that nothing bad has happened to Hu and that he is probably at his apartment, needing space to process what I said to him. โGinger, are you there?โ Hanaโs voice snaps me back to reality. โPlease put Caspian on. Iโve been calling him, but he isnโt answering. Hiram went to Huโs apartment in town, but heโs not there. Everyone is worried, and I donโt understand why he keeps doing this.โ Her voice cracks, and I can feel her pain. โHold on, please,โ I say, my mouth barely able to form the words. I tap Caspianโs arm lightly, causing him to stir. โBabe,โ he groans. I roll my eyes with a sigh and tap him harder, making his eyes snap open. โHana wants to speak with you. Hu is missing.โ His body shoots upright like a robot given a command. He grabs the phone from me and brings it to his ear. As I watch him take the call, a sinking realization settles inโI am the villain in this story, and there is no sugarcoating it. I shouldnโt have come to
GINGER:โI want her.โ The words replay in my head like Iโm in a movie as we all file out of the room.I know heโs trying to get back at me, but a part of me doesnโt want to see it that way because that would be selfishโthinking everything revolves around me. I hate what heโs doing to me, and knowing Ruby will be the one seeing him while heโs in that condition makes me feelโฆ jealous.โAt least heโs okay, even if I have to watch that monster walk into my house every single day,โ Hana says, and I try to keep a straight face as we make it to the general living room.I sit there, waiting for Caspian, who is still in the room with Hu. Guilt presses down on me, and honestly, I want to let it out. I want to tell someone that I caused his accident, that Iโm sorry and never meant to hurt him, but they will never see it that way. So instead, I sit quietly, saying nothing.Shortly after, Caspian comes out of the room, and Hana gets to her feet, walking toward him.โThank you so much for coming,โ
HU:A week goes by again, and just like Hiram promised, he makes sure I donโt see Ginger or speak to her. I stay in the hospital wing of the house, far from her room, far from temptation. Every night, he checks on me to make sure I donโt sneak out. And to be honest, itโs helping. Everything seems to be going greatโincluding therapy.Hiram secretly hired a different therapist, not wanting Hana to find out and risk her telling Ginger, which might cause her to spiral and text me. Therapy has grown on me, because itโs easier to tell her how I want to rip off Caspianโs head, claim Ginger as mine, without being judged for it.Today is Hiramโs wedding, and I have a therapy session too. I contemplate skipping it until Hiram walks into my room.โIโve arranged for a driver to take you to therapy. Youโll be back just in time for the wedding,โ he says.I nod without a fight. Ever since I let him take charge, things have been better, and I wonโt mess that up now.I throw on a shirt and some pants,
HU:Six in the evening, I show up at Ginger’s house dressed casually. Mrs. Orbblood opens the door as usual. This time she gives me a warm smile instead of taunting me like in the earlier days.“Good evening, Mrs. Orbblood,” I greet with a slight bow. I am trying to be the perfect gentleman whom she cannot say no to.“Well, hello, Hu,” she replies as I walk into the house. “You can call me Anna, and I made my special soup.”“Mum!” Ginger groans, and we both look at her, standing by the door leading to the living room, fuming with anger.Mrs. Orbblood leans towards me, whispering, “She hates when I am friendly with her friends.”A chuckle leaves my lips briefly, but Ginger’s eyes shoot me a hard look, which causes me to clear my throat.“And I heard you guys,” she says. Then Anna shifts for me to mee
HU:The plan to get Ginger and me to the human world is in motion. It has been in motion since graduation day. Today, I am supposed to meet with one of the service engineers who works in the portal room. I’m supposed to have access to the portal, but I guess my mother doesn’t trust me enough. Well, she’s right not to—because I would have used it anytime they annoyed me, which is every time.Hiram has one in the mansion in Las Vegas, which he took over after he left for the human world.Finally, I make it to the portal room, opening the door to find the engineer inside. He’s in his usual gear, scanning me as I walk toward him.“Prince Hu,” he calls out in a steady tone.“Mr…” I hesitate, reading the tag on his shirt. “Pierce.” I call out at once, flashing him a smile. His brows remain crumpled as he glares at me, arms crossed over his chest.“I believe you understa
HU:A lot has been on my mind lately, especially the fact I need to go somewhere and be alone with Ginger. I cannot tell if it is the impending pressure from the duties I will take up in the future, but sometimes I feel I am sliding back into the past where I was depressed. I hate it so much, and I have been holding out the strongest because I do not want Ginger to worry about me.Also, she holds it down for me too without even knowing or trying. It is like when I see her, the dark cloud hovering over my head disappears, so I want her even more than I have her now. I want us to be together every second of the day. Knowing she has to go home at some point makes me sad and mad every time.Yes, we are neighbours, but the distance still feels like hell. I want to be the only air she breathes, my face the first thing she sees in the morning. The moon goddess made her mine, so why wonโt everyone allow me to just have her forever? I have been scared to voice my thoughts to anyone, even my th
GINGER:Huโs mouth lingers at the inside of my thigh, his tongue moving in slow strokes that makes my skin quiver. Every kiss he places there is maddening, and he savors me, worshiping every inch of my skin like he had promised. His hands grip my thighs, spreading me wider, and the cold air hits my core, intensifying the heat in between.He breathes in deeply, his nose grazing my folds, and I shut my eyes, biting my lower lip to muffle my moans. I wait for a moment, but I feel nothing. This drives me to the edge as I throw my eyes open, looking down at him to see he is looking up at me. Then his tongue dips into meโslow and deep. The wet slide of it makes my back arch off the bed, hips jerking toward his face. He holds my left thigh, grounding me as his tongue works me in slow circles.His tongue flicks up to my clit, then down again. He works in long, wet strokesโlicking me open, dragging his tongue through my folds like he is starving for it. A low groan erupts from his lips as he p
GINGER:Hu leads me upstairs to a room in the house, shutting the door behind him as we walk in. He finds the light switch, turning it on. At first, it feels like déjà vu, but then it strikes me. This is the room we had sex in on the first night at the welcome party.“I guess every beginning deserves an ending,” I say to Hu, who raises a brow, unsure of what I am saying. “Doesn’t this room look familiar?” I question, and he opens his mouth to speak, but then he realizes.A smirk forms on my lips as I walk to the bed, sitting on it, running my hands over the sheets. The exact sheet we did it on—or maybe they just have a lot of sheets in the same colour and design. Hu walks towards me.“Are you sure you want to do this, or will you walk away from me again after…” I barely finish my words when his hand fists my throat, swallowing the words with a rough, messy, and desperate kiss.His
Ginger:“Look, Caspian and Hu have been having a conversation for over ten minutes,” Hana says, but I refuse to take my eyes off the Monopoly board as I think it is just a lie to get me to fail.“That is goal one of this party achieved,” Wendy says, taking her eyes off the board, and when I see Hana isn’t trying anything funny, it dawns on me they are every bit serious.My attention falls solely on the two of them as their eyes remain on both boys. Then I turn slightly to see them discussing happily. This lifts off a heavy burden from my chest, which I didn’t know had been there for a while. Probably for months.“That brings us to phase two of this party,” Hana says, and I look back at them to see both of them glaring at me with what appears to be a forced smile.My brows furrow slightly. “What?” I ask.Hana lets out a sigh at first.“I know you have said a million time
HU:Left to me, I will not be at Caspian’s party. I wanted something for just Ginger and me, but I know this means a lot to her. I do not know what it feels like to have two mates, and I hope I never have to find out. Well, I won’t because I am so sure I do not have two mates.It is already time for the party, so I drive across to Ginger’s house. There she stands, dressed casually in a miniskirt and crop top, which strikes a few nerves I try to suppress as she walks towards the car. I open the door for her from inside—a little too jealous of her choice of outfit.“Hey,” she says, leaning in to kiss my lips.“Hey,” I mutter as my eyes descend to her exposed lap before going back to her eyes, which are still in mine.“Why are you looking at me that way?” she
GINGER:Today is Hu’s graduation. It is supposed to be a happy day for him, but his face has been gloomy from the start. I understand his fear, but he makes it look like I will run off with some guy before he blinks an eye. We are at the graduation ground, which is full of family, friends, and students, all waiting for the ceremony to finish.We are sitting in a special spot which is reserved for the Alpha’s family. Luna Holly invited us to sit with them because of my tie with Hu. Hana and Wendy are seated beside me.“You know it’s been more than two months, but I still cannot believe you are Hu’s mate, and I have been sharing you with him ever since,” Hana voices, seeing I will not take my eyes off Hu. Her words barely register in my mind as Hu’s name blasts from the speaker for the athlete's achievement award.He stands up gracefully, making his way to the stage with his face in a frown. He looks good in his blu
GINGER:Huโs words hit me hard as a feeling of embarrassment warms my face. Anyone with self-dignity should walk away from someone who has such vulgar things to say in a demanding tone, reducing you to nothing. But even I question my self-worth. I should at least be scared, but my body finds him hot, and I imagine what he just said.โSit exactly where I wantโon my fucking cock.โ His words replay in my mind like they have been branded inside my skull.Honestly, I have been turned on the moment I saw him doing bench presses. The way his muscles flexed with each rep kept sending untold sensations to my belly. His hands slip from my waist as he pulls away, walking back to the bench. I donโt know how he still looks so calm when I feel like Iโve been shaken down to my bones.Hu lowers himself onto the bench and spreads his legs slightly, resting his arms on his thighs. Then his eyes lock on mine again.โNow,โ he says, his voice softer but still layered with that dominance that coils heat in