ASTRIDI thought I knew what pain was. I thought I had seen everything there was to see except death. But, maybe death would be a mercy compared to this, maybe it was the only way to stop all these from happening. Maybe Hunter was right to want to kill me. Maybe that would stop the endless spiral of pain and confusion and hurt I was drowning in. How could they have hidden this from me all these years? The people I trusted the most, the people who were supposed to love me unconditionally had built my life on a lie. No wonder they had been so quick to throw me aside the second I was locked up and left to it without a second thought. But the biggest question gnawing at me now was- did Justin know? Was he aware? Was he part of the deception? Could he have kept something this important from me, just like everyone else? I was sure his parents knew. The thought of him knowing tore through my chest as I stared at the picture on my phone, my vision blurring from the tears that were streaming
JUSTIN“Justin, slow down,” my father called out as I yanked open the driver’s side door. I looked over the roof of the car at him, but I could not stop moving, could not stop the rapid beating of my heart or the surge of adrenaline pulsing through me. She was out there, and I had no idea where.“I’m not slowing down,” I muttered, the engine roaring to life as I threw the car into gear. My father barely had time to get in before I hit the gas, driving out of the house and making for Hunter’s house.For her, I would do anything, even if it meant killing Hunter. I couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that Astrid was somewhere, hurting because of this one guy. Here I was, thinking we had made progress- real progress. She didn’t flinch anymore when I touched her, she didn’t hate me anymore, and sometimes, I even got to see her smile. That was my sole mission, to see that the only tears that came from her eyes were from happiness and not pain. But tonight, the walls she had built so hig
ASTRIDAs soon as I stepped into the house, I began to panic and looked about for any sign of life. Everywhere I looked, there were people I knew and others I had never seen before. As they hurried to me, their faces blended together and they started asking me endless questions about where I had been. But the blood was all I could think about, and that was all in my head. And that one person that I didn’t see. “Where is he?" With my voice hardly audible, I asked. I was filled with fear as I realized that I had no idea where he was or whether he was okay. I pushed past everyone and headed up the stairs, following the trail of blood as my heart raced and knot formed in my stomach. When the blood stopped, I threw open the door. I paused in the doorway, the sight in front of me bringing my whole world to a halt. In addition to having bandages all over his body and a pale, sweat covered face, Justin was unconscious as he laid in bed. His mother was beside him, her eyes swollen and re
RAINAMy mother’s voice cut like a knife through the tension filled air. “You let her leave, Raina! How could you have let that girl slip away? Do you know what you have done?”I tried to maintain a neutral, blank expression as I stood in the corner of the room, my fingers tugging at the hem of my sweater. But my stomach churned inside. “I didn’t let her leave, mom. She’s not stupid. If we killed her off just like that, everyone would be suspicious. She needs to trust me first and let her guard down. Then it’ll hurt more when it happens. “Trust?” My mother scoffed, eyes narrowing as she moved closer to me. “That’s a stupid suggestion and you think she’ll trust you now, after running away like that? She didn’t even leave through the front door, Raina. She went through the window. She must have known something was off.”I gritted my teeth and pretended not to feel anything. Astrid would have noticed something, of course. She was too aware, too cautious, always looking over her shoulder
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
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
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
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