ASTRIDI should have known I wouldn't be a part of the meeting. Anything to get me away from the pack she would do. Not only have I had a late night and barely any sleep but when I woke up to prepare ahead for the meeting like everyone else, Luna just had to get in the way. She gave me a list of chores that made sure attending the meeting was out of question if I wanted to go to school early or at all.“These are all the chores you have to get done today,” she started to say, her face holding that constant dislike for me. “You have a choice to make here…” Whatever it is, it cannot be any good. I thought, waiting for her to list them to me. “You either go to school late and attend the meeting or you don't show up for the meeting, get this work done and head to school early with everyone else.”She didn't sound like she was giving me room to argue. This was final. But I also knew that there was a hidden option and that involved my getting hurt but her hands. I didn't want that.Thankful
JUSTIN “The Book Of Life, The Witch’s Handbook.” Those were the words written on the piece of paper. I read it over and over trying to make sense of it but nothing came to mind. I knew nothing about witches, let alone a handbook. I looked in the direction she had gone to and wondered what this meant. Was she trying to find ways of bringing the girls back? Is it even possible? Was this research driven by guilt? Was this her way of trying to make things right?I had a million questions running through my mind, questions only she could answer. I immediately ran out of the library in search of her but she was nowhere to be found when I made it out, I missed her.I wanted answers as soon as possible and I knew she would try to avoid me in the pack house and I was too anxious to wait for them then. I need the answers now. I need to know.Rushing through the halls, I searched for her in classes I knew she took but nothing. “Alpha's son or not, this is unacceptable…” at least two teachers
JUSTINIt's been two days since Astrid was found unconscious. And has been in a coma for two full days. Throughout this time, I hadn't left her side and I couldn't lie to myself anymore at this point, I hated her enough to care that she hadn't woken up.And for what seemed like the hundredth time in two days, my mother came into the room, annoyed about the fact that I was staying with who she considered to be an enemy of the pack.“That's it, Justin. You're leaving here and going home right away.” She said as she walked in and I sighed. She glanced briefly at Astrid whose condition remained unchanged despite the fact that the doctor assured us that she was fine. She was truly taking her time to wake up.“I'm not leaving, mom.” I said, barely looking at her, fixing my gaze on Astrid. This was the first time I was seeing her face not in some form of pain or fear.“You need to rest, Justin. You've been here for two whole days. Go home.” She tried to use her authoritative tone but I shook
ASTRIDMy entire body hurt. I felt pain all over and moving any part of my body felt like an Herculean task. I opened my eyes, shutting them back almost immediately when my irises were pierced by the sudden bright light.It took a little adjusting to but I was finally able to properly open my eyes only to see Justin sleeping by my bed. What’s he doing here?I wondered if the throbbing in my head made me see things because this couldn't be possible. I frowned, trying to clear my vision but it became obvious that it was reality and I wasn't dreaming him up.How long have I been here?Most importantly, what was Justin doing here?I found my bag by the bed stand and I knew the journal had to be somewhere close. I didn't want him to get to it first so I gently got up from the bed, prepared to search for it and hide it before he read through the content.“Looking for this?” I froze. I didn't hear him wake up and when I turned to face him, he was holding up the journal. My face must be paler
ASTRID “I don't want you ask you again, you wretched cunt. What are you doing with my daughter's dairy?” I wished at that moment that I hadn't woken up from my coma. Or at least, the memory of how the diary came to be with me should have been wiped alongside the attack. I wished more than anything that my parents weren't here to witness this because I was embarrassing them. Luck definitely wasn't on my side. I couldn't say anything, my throat choked up. The words were at the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't get them out. And even if I could talk, I didn't know what to say to her. Any excuse I tried to give wouldn't have been plausible. She was going to take the diary away regardless. Thank goddess I read through it all.My head swung painfully to the side with enough force that sent me crashing back into the pillows. Even though I was seated, my mother-in-law managed to gather enough momentum to slap me so hard I saw stars. The force nearly had my back breaking the wall behind
JUSTIN I chuckled to myself, amused by her audacity. For the first time since I met her, she finally summoned up the courage to defend herself when it came to me. Truthfully, it pissed me off that she talked back at me. I could feel the anger churning in my veins, looking for an outlet but amidst everything, I was also extremely impressed. This was the side of her I wanted to know and not the scared one that cowered at the slightest raise of voice. That was cute. I frowned at that thought. It seemed like I had confused myself by feeling too many emotions at once. Why the hell would I think she or anything she does was cute? I reminded myself of the fact that she had actually killed my mate and my anger came back, this time with the guilt of thinking a murderer had done something cute. I should hate her and not think of her as cute. But what if she's telling the truth? What if she didn't kill them? What if Kris had actually been helping her? Why would she have killed her then?I
ASTRIDI hated myself for the fact that they had found out. I knew they wouldn't understand and they proved exactly that. Other than Kris and myself, no one knew what was going on with me and I had intended to keep it that way and now that other people knew, they were bound to think of me as a freak. It wouldn't take a long time before they start associating my condition with what happened to Kris and Audrey. This would only give them more warfare to use against me. I could already imagine what they would be thinking right now. It's no wonder she killed the girls. She wanted what they had and what she could never get. She was jealous of everything they were and she could never be. And the bitter truth was that I actually was but at Audrey. She had what would have been my life. And I resented her for it, just not enough to want her dead or actually do it myself.My eyes stung with unshed tears. It felt like everyone now knew my secret and the world was bearing down on me. There was t
JUSTINFor the second time in my life, I prayed hard. My entire body was focused on just one thing, desperate for her not to get a scratch on her body.Don't take her from me too. This feeling, tightness in my chest, sweat forming, palms sweaty and heart racing was far worse than the time I lost Audrey which meant Astrid had to be in an even bigger danger. Don't make me lose her. I prayed again, repeating it over and over like a chant as I searched for her everywhere. I felt crazed. I was going mad with worry. Where could she be? Was she in danger?Knowing I couldn't find her like this, and by myself wherever she was, I knew I needed help. I reached out to Jonah immediately as I paced around the hospital hallway. “Whatever, you're doing, drop it and watch for Astrid. She's gone.” I was thankful that his mind wasn't blocked when I reached out because he responded with just as much urgency as my tone had.“What do you mean gone?” He asked, confused. This was the first time I showed a
JUSTINMy heart was pounding against my chest widely and a strange feeling settled over me as my eyes drifted from my father to my mother . I had never seen my parents so- tense like that before, the seemed so bothered about something I couldn’t understand why it was. My father’s jaw was tight and my mother’s lips were pressed together in a tight line as if she was trying to hold back her words. For the first time in my entire life, it seemed like there was an unresolved issue lingering between them, something neither of them wanted to talk about.My mother sat down and my father sat beside her, he held her hands tightly as if to anchor him. Then with a small sigh, he started talking. “There’s something I haven’t told you before and I guess this is the time for you to know, Justin,” he let out, his voice firm but I could tell the tension underneath it. “Years before I met your mother or even began dating her… I used to date a witch.”I frowned at what he said, refusing to believe his
JUSTINI knew something was off about that girl right from the start. And right here, she proved me right the moment she disappeared. Of course, she was a witch but why had she come here only to disappear? Why show herself now if it wasn’t a part of some plan?I turned around and saw Astrid with wide and startled eyes, a million thoughts were swirling in her head. I could hear her thoughts and she was back to thinking about her wolf, back to believing she needed a witch to fix whatever was wrong with her wolf. But not this witch. Raina, Sasha, or whatever she called herself. She was the wrong person for that. A very wrong one and I had this feeling she was dangerous too. It was clear too.I walked to Astrid and placed my hand on her arm, but her mind was too preoccupied with what she was thinking she knew about Raina. “Astrid,” I whispered through our link. “Look at me. She is not the witch you're looking for, snap out of it, baby. Raina is a liar and a friend of Hunter’s. She can’t
ASTRIDI was sure it was him- or at least, I thought I was. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, spinning my fears into shadows outside the window. I didn’t feel safe. Not anywhere. Not anymore. The only place I felt safe was in Justin’s arms. But what are we going to do now?I was trembling and crying quietly into his chest as he held me tight, his hands rubbing my back up and down soothingly. The only thing that comforted me was his presence and the warmth of his body. Not even a minute later, the room was filled with everyone else. The door burst open, and my parents and Justin’s came inside. I could feel their eyes on me, I could see the worry in their eyes and I started feeling overwhelmed. “What happened?” Justin’s mother asked, her voice laced with concern. “The fucker was here,” Justin replied her, his voice was strained and I could tell he was trying to control his anger. “Astrid saw him.”They all let out a low gasp immediately the words came out of Justin’s m
JUSTINI was torn between staying with Astrid to protect her and the baby and going over to where Hunter was to confront him. I felt that familiar feeling of fear and all my body became tense as my mind started racing, calculating the risks. Under no circumstances must Hunter find out about the baby. If he found out, his games could get dirtier, more dangerous, and I could not afford that. Not now. Not ever. I pressed a kiss to Astrid’s temple, she was too focused on her ice cream, completely unaware of anything happening while mine was melting in my hand, dripping down my fingers. So, I got to eating it and took my eyes back to where Hunter was, but he was gone like he had never been there. I turned Astrid and tried to get her walking so we could get out of there but she wasn’t budging. “I want another one,” she whined, holding out her empty cone. I forced a smile, trying to keep my fear out of my eyes and our link. “We have to leave sweetheart,” I said, my voice steady despite th
JUSTINWith an opponent hot on my heels, I ran across the pitch, the wind whipping over my hair. I didn't care that running had scorched my lungs and pushed my legs to the breaking point. There was only one thing on my mind- reaching the goal post. I focused, dodged an opponent and narrowed my eyes. And Immediately I got to the goal post, I swung the pusher against the ball straight into the net. The stadium exploded in cheers as soon as the ball got past the goalkeeper and into the net.Victory. I turned immediately to the stands, my eyes searching for the one face that made this whole moment worth it. Astrid was there, her eyes shining with pride and a big smile playing at the corners of her lips. I blew her a kiss, grinning like a fool. I could barely hear my teammates rushing towards me, to celebrate with me. The championship game had just started and this was our third win. I ran to where she was in the crowd in the stand as soon as the game ended. I immediately lifted her int
HUNTERI stared at Raina and her mother, Celeste, with a bored expression plastered across my face. The room felt suffocating with their presence, their very existence was dripping with deceit. If there was one thing I had learnt from dealing with these two, it was that they were up to something. The fact that they had the audacity to show up at my pack unannounced only confirmed my suspicions. Whatever they were planning, I needed to figure it out- and fast. I had zoned out for a moment, allowing the dull hum of their voices fade to become background noise, but then, Celeste called my name, snapping me back to the conversation. I blinked, trying to focus on her as she spoke. “Hunter, we heard what happened,” she said with sympathy in her voice and I rolled my eyes. “So, what are your plans now?” She asked, her voice smooth and practiced. It was as if she was trying to sound genuinely concerned, but I knew better. I could see the calculation in her eyes, the way her lips curled into
ASTRID "It was- I…” I opened my mouth to respond, but then it hit me. It has actually been a while. I stared up at her, my eyes widening as a wave of terror and bewilderment passed over me. With my heart pounding, I muttered, "It can't be." “We have… well- it can’t be what I’m thinking right? I mean yes, we have done it a few times. Well a lot since that day but could I really be?” My heart was beating fast against my chest and the room bounced a little in my eyes. Goddess.She nodded knowingly. “There is a high chance,” she replied. “I have a few pregnancy test strips in the pack’s first aid kit downstairs. You stay put, I'll go and grab one for you.” I nodded in response.As she left the room, I felt my mind waving. This was exciting, but also terrifying. This was not the right time at all. A lot was still going on. Hunter was still out there. What if he found out? And school- oh my God, I still had two years left. How was I supposed to manage being pregnant and finishing school? I
ASTRIDA few weeks has passed since I found out about my adoption, Hunter’s intentions and Justin getting hurt. My relationship with Justin had gotten even better and it was flourishing. Even now, I was still in shock at how much had changed so quickly. I no longer felt the weight surrounding me, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I fit somewhere. My relationship with my parents was… progressing. Slowly. But, we were getting there. The hardest part, though, was trying to get used to Justin’s mother change in attitude and how she was so sweet to me now. I was finding it hard to accommodate her but I was sure I’d get there eventually. Justin had helped me pack my things back into the Alpha’s home after everything had settled down and it felt good to be back, surrounded by people that cared about me. And I could always see Justin and not wait or count down until time I would get to see him. Everything was going well. All was well. But there was a nagging feeling at the back
ASTRIDBest news of the year. Hell, best news of my life. She loves me.Astrid, the girl who always made my heart race, who kept me awake at night, and haunted my thoughts whether she was around or not, had finally confessed to loving me back. I felt a raw, powerful feeling go through my veins as soon as she finished speaking. A high I hadn't felt in years. It was taking up all of my mental space, making the physical anguish I was experiencing seem unreal and distant. I forced myself up, scowling at the way the stitches were pulling at my flesh, ignoring the pulsating pain in my ribs. Astrid, always the worrier, immediately moved to get me to lay back down. She attempted to gently lead me back to the bed by saying, "Justin, you're still hurt." But I would have none of it. Grabbing her wrist, I pulled her in until she was inches from my face. I could smell her skin, that subtle aroma that always made me crazy, and I could feel the warmth of her breath. She made an effort to make me