Bella:“What?” Ryder asked immediately, and I glanced at Hazel, seeing how uneasy she felt.“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything,” I muttered, getting to my feet, but Kai grabbed my hand, pulling me down as he sat beside me.Hazel squeezed my thigh. “Oh, honey, I’m sure it was a mistake, and you shouldn’t let Sebastian use it against you,” she said, and I glared at her, considering the possibility of compelling all of them to forget what I had just revealed.“Yeah, Bella, I mean, if you died after you fell that day, we three would be murderers, and it would be fair if we got tormented by our actions. But look at you, Bella, you are...”“Innocent.” I finished Finn’s sentence, then I stood up, pushing away from them. I paced around for a moment, then I faced them. “Aside from the fact that Fae was the one who pushed me off the roof that night, this case is very different, and...”“Fae pushed you?” they asked, their eyes widening.“That is not the point of this conversation,” I said, t
Third person pov:For about three days, Bella had been checking her phone each morning, waiting for Sebastian and Fae to strike on the blog, but nothing happened.“Why are you smiling so hard at six in the morning?” Hazel questioned, opening her eyes to see Bella on her bed with the widest smile on her face.“Because I am finally free,” Bella said, and Hazel raised a brow. “The blog hasn’t said a thing about me in days, and it’s either the moon goddess silenced them or Fae is dead.” She sunk in a bit. “I really wish the latter would happen.”Hazel chuckled lightly. “I wonder what could have happened,” she said, pushing herself out of bed.The entire morning, Bella sang in a jolly tone while getting dressed, which made Hazel happy, and she gave herself a secret pat for making her best friend happy. No one would know as long as she kept the other news on the blog rolling.A knock came on their door after they had dressed up, and Bella opened it to see Kai.“Hey,” he said, kissing her li
THIRD PERSON POV:The next time Hazel regained consciousness, she was slung over the shoulder of a strange man in an unfamiliar environment. She kicked and slapped, struggling to free herself, but the man held firm, carrying her into a room with only a chair in its center. He put her down on the chair, taking the rope from his shoulder and binding her tightly to the seat.She stopped struggling as her hands were securely bound, then she looked at the man, whose eyes and lips were the only visible parts of his masked face. Without a word, he left the room.Suddenly, she heard voices in the hallway, immediately recognizing them as Fae and Sebastian approaching.“Remind me why I’m the one providing people for your plans. You’re using my witch, my father’s men, and my car. Are you trying to hide your tracks in case we get caught?” Sebastian questioned, his irritation clear.Fae wished he would stop talking. She had hope in him at first, but ever since he got beaten by the triplets, he had
Third person pov:“Sebastian!” Nyx blew hot. “You want me to wipe the memory of a Baudelaire witch? Do you know what I saw in there? A lineage of witches guarding her soul, waiting for devour me. Isn’t this a bit far for a stupid childish game?” Nyx questioned, and Sebastian rubbed the back of his head looking Fae.A part of her was still in awe at their stupidity. “Do you know what you just asked me to do? Wipe the memory of a descendant of the most powerful witches in Moon fire. Did you bother checking her last name?”She turned to Fae who shrugged.“What’s my business with a nerd?”“The fact her brain might stem from her nature.” Nyx said, and Fae patted her hand on her mouth with a yawn. “Sebastian, you warn your friend!” Nyx gritted her teeth, and Sebastian grabbed Nyx.“So what do we do now?” He questioned and Nyx shook her head.“I’m sorry I cannot help you.” She said, and she tried to make her way out of the room, then Sebastian reached for her again.“Nyx, come on, you can’t
Bella:“Hello, Mother,” I said in a cold tone as I slid into the front seat and shut the door behind me.A tense silence filled the car, one that made me want to bolt. What could she possibly want with me? She had barely shown any interest in seeing me, and suddenly, she decided it had to be today.“How are you? And how has the semester been?” She started the car, steering it towards the gate while I remained quiet, trying to figure out the most respectful way to blow her off. “I asked a question.” Usually, this would be said with a sharp edge, but now her tone was oddly calm and warm.I cleared my throat.“It’s been good so far,” I replied. “So, where are we going?” I added, unable to keep the question that had been burning inside me.“Someplace nice. I thought it was about time I treated you.” When she said this, I glanced at her, my face twisted in confusion. “Just doing what a mother should do.”‘Yeah, you’re right on time, Mom,’ I thought to myself, sinking into the seat as we ex
Bella:“I hadn’t enjoyed this much bliss in a while,” I said as I took the last bite from my plate. I grabbed my bottle of water, washing down my food while everyone else at the table stared at me with straight faces.“If you could learn to eat faster, that would really help,” Finn said as they all got to their feet, fastening their bags on their shoulders.“I can’t help it,” I shrugged, standing up slowly. We made our way out of the cafeteria, chatting about random things.On the walk to class, I noticed Hazel was unusually quiet. Concerned, I withdrew from the group to speak to her. I felt bad for her most times, but I would hate to be the person at the receiving end of pity like that. I mean, I was alive, so people shouldn’t have to act like it was that bad, but we were different.“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, gently grabbing her hand, causing her to tilt her head towards me with a forced smile.“Sure, I’m just getting pumped for the upcoming quiz, so don’t worry about me. Just mem
Bella:As soon as my mother said those words, the world blurred around me. I turned to face the triplets and Hazel. Their expressions hardened. Tears welled up in my eyes, but that wasn’t the problem—the churning in my stomach was. I pushed past the triplets, who tried to hold me back, and bolted toward the restroom. I barely made it before everything I’d eaten came rushing up, splattering into the nearest toilet.I collapsed onto the cold tile floor, my body trembling. Moments later, Finn pushed the restroom door open, not caring that it was the girls’ restroom. He swooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Without a word, he carried me outside to where the others were waiting.“Where’s Bella?” my mother asked, her voice cold. Ryder, Hazel, and Kai stepped aside, revealing me in Finn’s arms. “Your bags have been packed in the dorm, and Fred is waiting outside to take you home.”As soon as she finished, Kai spoke up, his voice trembli
Third Person Pov:It was late at night, and Bella had already gone to bed. Evelyn, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. She kept tossing and turning, her mind consumed with thoughts of her daughter, whose condition had flared up again. The first time Bella had experienced this was when Evelyn reappeared in her life when she was ten, shattering Bella’s hopes of having a happy family and making it clear that she was now happily married to the Alpha of the Frost Pack.When she could no longer bear the turmoil, Evelyn reached for her phone on the nightstand, turning on the flashlight. She quietly made her way to Bella’s room.Easing the door open, she stepped inside and saw Bella fast asleep, her breathing steady and calm. Evelyn moved closer to the bed and sat down gently beside her daughter, her gaze softening as she looked down at Bella. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she hesitated before stretching a hand toward Bella’s hair. The moment her fingers brushed against the soft strands, sh
Third Person Pov:After a few minutes, Hazel sat up in bed as sweat clung to her skin while she stared blankly at the dark room. The thoughts of what had happened earlier still swirled through her mind, and Riley’s comforting presence next to her did little to soothe the icy knot of fear and dread settling deep in her stomach. Something about the nightmare didn’t feel right—it felt far too vivid, and too real to be just a dream. Her parents’ faces and the accusations in their voices couldn’t be figments of her imagination, and the witch in her refused to let it go.“No,” she whispered in a shaky breath.Riley’s hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Hazel, it was just a nightmare. It’s okay—”He tried to convince her with a sleepy voice, but Hazel shook her head sharply, pushing the covers off her body as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.“It wasn’t just a nightmare, Riley,” she said firmly, trying to steady her voice. Her parents had never come to her, and now that the
THIRD PERSON POV:One would have thought Bella was crazy because of what she was seeing, but she was far from that. She wasn’t the only one plagued by ghosts, but no one knew this for now. While Bella was battling the ghost of Joseph Black-Moon, Hazel was in the Dusk Pack with Riley, trying to enjoy her weekend.They had spent the entire day driving from the Frost pack to his father’s mansion at a beach with a good ocean view. Finally, they got there in the evening.“My butt hurts,” Hazel groaned as soon as Riley came to a halt in the enormous mansion in front of them.Riley leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You can rest all night now, and we can do whatever we want tomorrow.”He spoke as though he hadn’t been the one driving the entire time while Hazel had done nothing but play songs, read a book, and sleep through the entire ride. They both got down from the car, and Riley took Hazel’s bag from her, grabbing her hand with his other hand, then they made their way to the front door. He sl
Bella:“What?” I asked, staring at Finn.“Is something wrong?” Finn asked, and I shook my head at once, shutting my book and getting to my feet. “Bella, is something wrong?” I felt a slight shiver as his hands grazed my skin, then I turned to face him.For a moment, I battled with my mind, wondering if I should spill what I knew to him, but if I didn’t, I would have to solve whatever this was, and I didn’t want to follow the same path I did with Fae.“He is the man from my dream last night.” The words came out of my mouth, and Finn stared with his face contorted in confusion.I sighed, then walked back to the bed.“I had a nightmare last night,” I said to him, and he sat close to me as I started narrating everything I could remember from the dream.I ended by saying, “The dream felt so real, and I have a scar from it.” I showed him the mark on my hand, and he ran his hands over it.“According to Hazel, you didn’t kill Bonnie, so why is she mad at you? She should be mad at Sebastian.”
Bella:Today was cheerful enough for most of the students at Howlstone Academy. The vibrant energy of exam prep filled the air, a relief from the tension that had shadowed the halls two weeks ago when Fae was expelled. There were no bullies lurking around to ruin the day, and for once, I didn’t have to glance over my shoulder, expecting someone to plot my demise.As usual, I walked to class with Hazel and the triplets. The sun streamed through the tall windows, casting long beams across the polished floor, but something about the brightness felt off. It was too cheerful, too perfect. As soon as we stepped into the hallway, the bell blared through the air, startling me.“That’s the bell for class,” Hazel said, her voice snapping me back to reality.“See you guys later,” I said to the triplets, giving them a quick wave as I grabbed Hazel’s hand.We made our way down the corridor, the familiar hum of conversation and footsteps filling the space. At our lockers, I grabbed the books I need
THIRD PERSON POV:CONTINUATION OF FLASH BACKAll hell was let loose when the Luna knew that the first child would be a girl, but there was nothing she could do immediately. This made her decide she would stress Evelyn out so much in order to cause a miscarriage. She started maltreating Evelyn throughout the pregnancy, but she never did this in front of Herald. She was a saint when he was around, but the moment he stepped out, the two women were at loggerheads.Herald believed that Evelyn’s constant nagging was from the effects of the pregnancy, so he provided more material things for her without waiting to hear her out each time she tried to complain to him. This continued until the Fifth month of the pregnancy when Evelyn started spotting. The stress had weighed her down so much that her body could no longer take it.She was placed on bed rest, and she feared her baby would die. That same night, she woke Herald up because she was in a lot of pain, but he didn’t believe that she would
THIRD PERSON POV:Evelyn knew that her life without Fred wasn’t going to be rosy, but she didn’t expect what her in-laws had in store for her. On her first night at the Rune pack, she asked for a room where she could be alone, but her mother-in-law laughed.“What do you think you are here for?” she questioned, and Evelyn stared at her, unsure of what she was playing at. “You just got married, and you act like you do not know what couples do on their first night together. I mean, you have done it before, so continue from…”“I didn’t sleep with Herald,” Evelyn said, but Kate didn’t care.She had achieved what she wanted, and she was certain she had secured beautiful and strong grandchildren to take over their lineage.“Lie all you want, child, but you will sleep with your husband tonight, and you both will produce an heir for this family,” she said, and then Evelyn watched the guards move her things into Herald’s chamber.Herald, on the other hand, didn’t return on time that night. The
Bella:I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs as I asked my mother the question. She hurriedly shut the door, then faced me, shaking her head.“Why would you say that, Bella?” she asked, and I shrugged.“That day in your office, when Hazel talked about things that reminded you of the past, you glanced at me. You must not like me that much, and I definitely remind you of something you want to forget,” I said, watching her shut her eyes momentarily.“I do not hate you, Bella, and I never would. Of course, you remind me of my past because you are my daughter, and I’ve had you for sixteen years plus, and—”“Mum, stop!” I cut her off, raising my tone, forcing her to fall silent.I was tired of being driven around in circles. I wanted answers.“I need to know what happened with you and Dad because it kills me every single time I think about it,” I said, and she scoffed, shaking her head.“You do not need to know everything, Bella, and it’s called the past for a reason. So, do you want
Bella:“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” my mother said, and for the first time, I felt relieved standing close to her.Emily had said a lot about her last night. She had sent Emily’s mother to rescue me, and although it didn’t seem like much, I was grateful she was willing to save me even after all her threats to hand me over when I got discovered.As soon as the Stormclaws exited the school, I turned to leave, but my mother reached for my hand.“We are going for a drive,” she said, and I swallowed hard.This time, I didn’t pull away violently. I allowed her touch to seep in, and it felt a little less cold than it always had.“It’s Saturday, and I need to study,” I said, and she shot me a death glare before cocking her head towards her car, which stood in the parking lot.I took a deep breath, walking towards it. As soon as we got into the car and the doors were locked, she placed both hands on her lap, gripping them tightly. My heart raced as I expected her to do something drastic, bu
THIRD PERSON POV:The moment Emily’s mother said this, the haze in Fae’s eyes cleared at once, but it was too late.“What?” Fae asked as the guard came after her. “Principal Evelyn, I am sorry, and I... I didn’t mean it,” Fae tried to apologize, but no one seemed to listen, and the guard grabbed her hand at once.“Take her away, and I will call her parents right away!” Emily’s mother said to the guard, but then Fae bit him in the hand, causing him to yelp in pain.“That’s it!” the man growled, grabbing both hands and putting them behind her.“This isn’t right, and if you do not unhand me, you will face my father. You will face his wrath, I tell you! This isn’t the end, Howlstone! You cannot treat a Stormclaw like this and get away with it!”Her voice vanished in the distance as the man dragged her back to the dormitory.“Go back to bed right now!” Barry yelled at the students who were still watching, and they all groaned, putting away their phones and sliding away from the windows.In