SEVENIt was obvious that my words were a bombshell, but there was no better way or time to do this. Alaric was right. It was high time I left here. Aside from getting back to right all that was wrong in Luster Falls, I couldn't allow myself to grow on Becky. Her crush on me seemed to be getting stronger by the day.Becky held my arm tightly and cried so hard. Suddenly, she paused and looked up at me. "But I thought you said you didn't have anyone? You told me you were an orphan and that you were all alone. How come many people are waiting for you now?""I lied, Becky," I responded sadly. "I can't really explain my situation, but I'm an orphan who has a lot of people to cater to. I really need to leave. You have gotta let me go.""Take me with you, Seven. There's nothing for me here. I have no friends or even enemies. My father and brother are always keeping me indoors. And the few times I go out, they hover over me like eagles. I am sick and tired of being so caged. Take me with you
WINTER"You look thin. Have some more bacon," said Seven as he picked up the platter of bacon and shoved some on my plate.The smile on my face reached my eyes at this moment. Although I didn't quite agree that I looked thin, it filled my heart with great joy that he was this caring.Since I moved back to Luster Falls, I had been wondering if I made a good decision. There were little changes here and there. Seven spent most of his time in the study, but he always kissed me good night and was by my side when I woke up.He also had breakfast with me. Whenever he was out, he called several times. He also returned home early to have dinner with me whenever it was possible."You know, I'm in talks with some business partners for the cobalt mining. They are coming to town in a few and they would love to have a dinner party after the deal is made.""Oh, okay," I said, taking a sip of tea. "What kind of dinner is it? Would you like me to help you pick a tux?""Just a boring one. But you can h
WINTERThe piece of crab meat fell off Seven's hand. His face instantly twisted into a frown when he looked at me. "What did you do that for?"I glanced at the other men at the table. They had both stopped talking and were now staring at us. I leaned closer to Seven and whispered, "What are you doing?""I just wanted to eat off your plate. Don't you share your food anymore?"My head drew back and I bobbed my eyebrows at him. "I do enjoy sharing my food.""So what's the big deal? Why did you slap my hand?" he asked in a harsh whisper.I glanced at the men again before whispering back, "But you hate crab.""Oh! I do?" Seven straightened up and looked away. He picked up a serviette and wiped his lips. "I guess I like it now."He liked it now? Since when? What was wrong with him? Why was he acting so strange lately? First, he didn't seem to mind that his business partner gawked at me. Second, he didn't pull out my chair. And now, he just ate crab meat like it was nothing.Strange. Make th
SEVEN"You can't catch me!" Winter squealed after throwing a strawberry into my mouth. She stood up and ran away, holding the hem of her flowery dress.Without thinking, I ditched the bowl of strawberries, got up from the mat, and called out behind her, "I am gonna get you!""I'd like to see you try, Mr. Seven Greywolf!" Winter, whose hair was now flying in the wind, teased as she ran.The speed on my heels was a little lesser than usual. I allowed Winter to run halfway through the garden before picking up speed. "Ha-ha-ha! You missed!" Winter teased, swerving to the left behind a large tree.She took to her heels again. I watched her go for a few moments before running after her. My shirt flapped against the breeze. Winter looked back and stuck her tongue out at me. "I am faster than you, Seven! You are never gonna catch me!""Oh, really?" I called out, picking up my pace. In no time, I grabbed her by the waist and collapsed on my back intentionally. "There, I caught you!"Winter b
SEVEN"What did you just say?" I asked and then laughed. "You are joking, aren't you? Are you a comedian or a doctor? Pick a struggle."The doctor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I am a doctor, Mr. Seven. Your doctor. And this is no joke. You have to use a wheelchair until further notice."The laugh that was about to roll up my tongue disappeared. My tongue went dry. I looked at the doctor, only to find that he was actually very serious."Doc, how can that be?" Becky asked.I fired. "Are you saying that I am now cripple? That's impossible!"The doctor moved closer. "I know that this might sound ridiculous. But just as your survival was a miracle, your lack of sensitivity on both feet is a mystery. We checked your spinal cord, but there's barely an injury on it. The problem is with your legs. I am afraid you are now a cripple."A high-pitched noise rang out in my ears. It was as if someone just dealt a heavy blow to my head. Were my ears deceiving me? I was no
SEVENThe slippery liquid burned my lips as soon as it made contact. It was as if I had lit a match and brought it to my lips. Quickly, I moved the bottle away and wiped my lips with the back of my hand.My tongue accidentally brushed my lips. The bleach tasted awful. I retched and spat on the floor. The awful taste lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I had another problem.There was a burning sensation in my eyes. Tears swiftly flooded into them, causing my vision to be blurry. I pinched my hospital gown and then wiped my eyes with it.Slowly, the burning stopped. I rested my head against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. My legs were already not working. I couldn't add being blind to that.For some reason, an image of Winter's beautiful face as her hair flew in the wind suddenly appeared. She smiled at me. Her well-shaped teeth glistened.I want to see that smile again!This was the thought that came to my mind out of nowhere. It felt like ages since I last saw Winter. Altho
WINTER"Girl, I thought you were never going to pick up!" Nico voiced as soon as I answered the call.For a long time, I had been avoiding the calls from her and Melanie. I had yet to tell them that I was in town, let alone reveal my pregnancy to them.Since they had texted a few days ago that they were coming back home for winter break, I knew that they would be expecting me to return from New York and spend the holidays with them.I had wanted to invite them over. However, Seven had not only told me not to but also rough-handled me when I picked offense on his choice of words for my friends.Seven rarely ever raised his voice at anyone, let alone called people names. I still couldn't wrap my head around why he called Melanie and Nico bitches. I didn't even have the opportunity to talk things out with him.Ever since the dinner party, Seven had been avoiding me. How did I know?Well, let's just say that he hasn't been doing all the things he did shortly after I moved in with him. He
KAI-VIIYou would think that after I successfully manipulated Winter with all the sweet words in my dictionary, I would have my hands on the Phoenix Orb by now. But I didn't.In fact, it seemed that with every step I took, the orb got farther away from me. I couldn't bring Winter to tell me anything. I also didn't know where Dawn Holland's lab was located.Reading her diaries seemed to be a dead end, but I spent most of my time doing that recently. Trying to interrogate Winter hadn't worked as I had expected. She seemed dull and oblivious to what really went on in Seven's life before I killed him.Her cluelessness was so bad that I had almost slipped up several times in the past few days. It took the fear of incurring Ratio's wrath to not snap her neck any time I saw her around the house.Since Ratio commanded that I interrogate her and keep her close, I was going to be doing just that until I was certain that she was useless."Any luck?" Dr. Longman asked the second I answered his ca
WINTER Seven allowed me to hold a small wake for Eric after his body was sent over to his father. I also intended to visit his grave with flowers once I got news about his funeral. As much as a part of me wanted to hate Eric for all the mental strain he put me through, I just couldn't. Despite being infatuated and impulsive, he was still a good friend of mine. His assurance to rescue me was one of the things that made me persevere during those six torturous years. More so, he had protected me from his sister. I wasn't sure I would have survived getting stabbed after barely surviving a gunshot wound with the aid of the Phoenix Orb. As for Becky, she was whisked away while shouting, "Seven, if I can't have you, no one else can!" Last I heard, she was going to be tried for two counts of attempted murder and murder. It turned out that after investigation, the bomb blast that almost took me and my baby's life was her doing. I had lost count of how many times Seven apologized. For some
WINTERI really died. I died with Seven's voice replaying in my head. Then his voice was replaced with a couple of others. I drifted in and out of consciousness as a bright light shone above me.When I finally woke up, Seven's face was the first thing I saw. He grabbed my hand with both of his and smiled brightly. "You're back!"My throat felt dry as I said, "What happened?""You were in a coma. The doctor took out the bullet and..."He picked up a ziplock bag from the table and held it up to me. I saw a bullet inside it. There was something else."Is that...is that what I think it is?" I muttered, staring at the strange-looking shiny ball.Seven nodded. "Yes, this is the Phoenix Orb.""How did it even get inside me?"He sighed. "On the night we had sex for the first time while we kissed, I put it inside of you. I did it to protect you, but I am sorry for not asking for your consent."I went silent for a while, replaying that night. "So, this thing has been inside my chest for six yea
SEVENEverything froze over as soon as Winter's body fell into my arms. I stared for a long time before my brain processed what just happened. "Aargh!" I roared as soon as I saw the blood on Winter's chest.Clutching her shoulders, I looked at her face which was fast becoming pale. "Winter! Why did you? Why!"She smiled at me. "Because I love you and you would have done the same?"I buried my face in her neck. "You shouldn't have. You shouldn't--""Good riddance!" A snarl interrupted my words all of a sudden.I raised my head only to find Nora still aiming the gun at me. With the swiftness of a thousand wolves, I let go of Winter and lunged at Nora. My claws pierced into her chest. And when I pulled back, her heart came with it.Her eyes bulged from the sockets as she fell to the floor with a thud. Ratio, whose head was still on her lap, growled at this moment.Blinded by immeasurable rage, I squeezed the bloodied heart in my hand. Then dropped it to the floor."You!" Ratio shouted a
SEVENEveryone froze on the spot. I looked upstairs just in time for a pair of heels to appear out of nowhere. Tracing the plump legs up, I was shocked to find the face staring down at me."Mother?"My stepmother, Nora, eyed me as she descended the stairs. The gun in her hand scrapped the banister in the process. Once she got to the end of the stairs, she barred her teeth. "I am not your mother! Don't ever call me that!"Another jolt of shock coursed through my body. I stammered, "What...what's happening? What...what are you doing here?""What does it look like I am doing here!" she barked.At this moment, Ratio growled. I saw him reach out his hand to Nora. "Come, my love."What the...My jaw dropped to the floor as I watched Nora walk over to where Ratio was lying. She placed his head on her lap and touched his face. She cried, "What have they done to you, darling? Oh, my God!""Nora!" I shouted. "What do you think you are doing? You know this guy?"At my question, Ratio flashed his
SEVENIt wasn't just any white wolf. It was a she-wolf. She landed on her thin long legs with stealth and barred her equally white teeth at Ratio who was down on his knees.Suddenly, the wolf’s head turned in my direction. My heart had just taken a great leap when I locked eyes with the she-wolf. I instantly felt a sense of connection and smelled that familiar scent.“Winter?” I called out, still skeptical.The she-wolf glanced beside me. She ran behind the coffin-like box. Seconds passed before she showed up again. This time, in her human form and fully dressed in a flannel dress.“Why did you come here? It's too dangerous. Go!” I shouted worriedly.Winter shook her head hard. “I am not leaving you. I only just got you back.”“He’s going to kill you,” I said, glancing at Ratio who was still down and groaning. “Listen to me, please! Leave!”Winter walked over to the cage. She reached out her index finger and touched it slightly. Her skin instantly sizzled. Seeing this, I got even more
SEVEN I stood still, trying to figure out where exactly the voice was coming from. "It's you. Ratio?""Yes, that's me," Came the proud voice. "But you don't get to call me that, Seven. It's Uncle Darren to you."I couldn't help chuckling. "Uncle, my foot! Considering all the atrocities you have committed, you don't even deserve a name, let alone to be called uncle by me.""Ha-ha-ha!" The laugh reverberated on the walls again. "I must say I am quite surprised, nephew. You are not like your father. Unlike him, you have got a very big mouth! Luka must be turning in his grave.""Keep my father's name out of your fucking mouth!" I roared.Ratio chuckled. "And if I don't?"My breathing was getting heavier at this time. I clenched my fists despite the burns on my palms.That voice came again. "It's not like you can do anything to me. You fell right into my trap, so I can say whatever name I like. Luka...Luka! Luka! Luka, that stupid cousin of mine.""Shut the fuck up!"Ratio didn't listen.
SEVENNo one could tell me nothing. The sex Winter and I just had blew my mind. I had gone over this moment several times, but it never occurred to me that it would be this good. I couldn't have enough of her body. Fortunately, she felt the same way.When I finally came, we were both breathing heavily. I collapsed beside her and pulled her into my arms. It didn't take long before we both dozed off. It was already dark outside when I was awoken by the ringing of my phone. I looked at the pile of my clothes that lay on the floor and saw a light coming from the pocket of my pants."Shit! Who could that be?" I cursed as quietly as possible.Winter stirred in my arms. She turned away, her bare butt rubbing against my groin. I held my breath and groaned. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before my little man began to think for me.Quickly and gently, I pulled my arm from underneath Winter's head. I got out of bed and took out my phone. I pressed the volume button before even looking a
WINTERThe moistness of Seven's lips threw me off guard. I wanted to pull away, but I found myself frozen. When he bit my lower lip hard, my whole world tilted.Sparks erupted in my closed eyes. Reels upon reels of pictures filled my head. There were images of Dawn in a princess gown. Then, there was an eruption. After that came the Seven's face. He was roaring at me. No, that's not him. That's...that's...I know him. But that's not Seven. That's... Oh, God! Why can't I reach that name?I was still struggling to remember that name when Seven parted my lips with his tongue and it found its way into my mouth. It sent a shiver through my gooey body. Images continued to pour into my head. No, they were more like motion pictures...videos. Seven's face appeared again. This time, he was smiling at me. He said something. When I read his lips, he seemed to say those magic three words. "I love you!"His voice sounded in my head at this time. "I love you, Winter, and I want you to be my Luna.""
SEVENWinter let go of her head. When she looked up at me, I realized that she had lost so much weight. She wasn't this thin when I saw her at Dawn's birthday party. More so, it seemed she had been crying a lot.What happened to her?I was just about to say something when Winter pulled away from me and ran over to Alaric. She squatted beside him as the soldiers pressed him to the floor. "Honey, please tell me that guy is saying nonsense?""He is!" Alaric declared without skipping a beat. "He's a bad man. In fact, he was the one who caused your car crash.""What!" Winter and I exclaimed at the same time.I saw her look at me. Rage sparked in her eyes. I sensed her blood boiling at the same time. Suddenly, she pointed at me and cried, "So, it was you! You almost killed me. You caused the accident that took my precious daughter away from me!"For a second, I was speechless. What crash were they talking about? Winter's only bad encounter with a car recently was from the abduction which ha