Carena:The melodic chirping of birds and the warm sunlight streaming through the window signaled the arrival of morning. I forced my eyes open and realized I was lying on the cold bedroom floor. With effort, I struggled to rise, my body feeling numb on one side. Sitting up, I surveyed the room, realizing I had passed out there the night before.Glancing at the clock on the wall, another shock hit me. "9 am! I'm so late," I muttered to myself, noting with a pang that no one had come to check on me. It was saddening because I should have known I always deal with sorrow alone.As I showered, memories of last night flooded back. Sawyer with Ashley, my father's slap, and then those screams and the earthquake. "No!" I immediately regretted opening my mouth under the rush of water. But surely, the earthquake wasn't my doing. My freak-out wasn't that special. It was probably just an anxiety attack. Why the hell would the world shake when I am angry?Pushing aside my worries, I focused on get
Carena:I left the bakery with him after telling Yamin I needed to go fetch my ID. The car ride was terribly quiet. However, I did notice him adjusting his mirror a few times to keep an eye on me. He hadn't really said much until we were outside the office. He led me in and flicked on the light, chuckling to himself. I reckon he wanted me to ask why he was laughing so he could say something absurd to me. So, I kept quiet and didn't respond to his little chuckling."Have a seat," he said, plopping down and gesturing to the chair. Before leaving the bakery, he grabbed a donut which he now chewed on rather ungracefully."I'm fine, thank you. I'll just grab my ID and head home," I muttered, not in the mood for conversation."What's the rush? Sit down," he insisted, but it sounded more like a command. I was slightly taken aback by the way he kept smirking, as if he had uncovered my secret or something. So, I sat down with my spine erect, ready to bolt once I got my hands on my ID."I've be
Carena:“Here’s your ID. Keep it safe because I heard someone in the North is stealing identities,” he whispered as he got closer, too close for my comfort.I tried to snatch it out of his hands, but he held it so tight that my fingers slipped over it. It was only after I shot him a disapproving glare that he let it go.His face was so close to mine that I could clearly see the brown in his eyes.“Let’s drop you home now, Miss Arrogant Carena!”It really hit me when he used that word for me. I was always known as the nice girl. The naive and idiot girl, in fact.I don’t know why, but hearing the word “arrogant” didn’t offend me. For the first time in my life, it felt like somebody recognized that I do have a spine.I walked out to sit in the back seat when I noticed him holding the passenger seat open for me.“You don’t want people to think you were arrested, do you?” That man was so cunning.He was able to make me agree with him in such a sly way. I walked over to the passenger side
Carena:I was staring at her face in disbelief. Is this what she thought of me?"You didn't say all that when you asked me to marry Sawyer right after I was rejected by my first mate," I said, folding my arms over my chest, casually calling her out on her hypocrisy."So now you're talking back to me? Where are you getting this confidence from?" she replied, folding her arms over her chest, looking shocked as if she were the only one who could defend herself."I guess I've come to realize that in order to live in this world, I will have to stand up for myself," I replied, grabbing the bowl of white rice out of her hands and walking out of the kitchen to serve it on the table.Theodore was engaging in a conversation with my father, who was pretending to be in a pleasant mood. I knew him too well.After all the food was set out, I sat down with Theodore while Maanya was sitting with my dad and eating.It was my first meal with them after I told them I was leaving Sawyer."So, how is work
Carena:I woke up early in the morning, thinking I would be on my way to work without any more arguments. Usually, we take breaks between arguments, but recently, my family has learned this technique where they don’t want to leave me in peace for one second.Changing into a purple tank top, a black sweater, and pants, I grabbed my side bag and rushed downstairs. I kept my hair in a high ponytail, unlike how I used to keep it. Since I was changing so much, I decided to switch up my style a bit as well.Not to mention, there was so much I wanted to do when I was a teen but couldn’t due to all sorts of responsibilities. But now I was free, and this newly found freedom had given me a weird sense of courage and confidence.However, life was still the same because the people around me were the same. I had only stepped off the stairs when I realized we had a guest over. With my eyes narrowed and my heart sinking in my chest, I acknowledged it was none other than Sawyer, sitting on a chair wi
Carena:"You didn't clean the back kitchen yesterday?" Mr. Bob had been bothering me since the very morning I arrived. It had been two peaceful days where not much had happened in my life. This was the longest I had gone without dealing with any trouble, and I enjoyed every bit of it."It was Yamin's turn," I muttered, secretly rolling my eyes at him for pestering me when he knew it was her turn."And when will it be your turn then?" he asked, placing his hands on his waist and staring at me like an annoying idiot."Why do you care?" Thankfully, his wife arrived just in time and intervened.He quickly broke his stare and loosened up now that he was being confronted by his wife."Honey, I was worried she wasn't doing her work properly," he instantly started coming up with excuses, but the glare his wife was giving him made it clear that she wasn't buying any of his lies.I mean, a mate usually knows about their partner and their interests after being together for so long, just like I e
Carena:"Actually, thank you for the offer, but I have some work left to do," I excused myself, thankfully remembering I had to clean the kitchen."No! It's fine. You can go," the people pleaser spoke, making me clench my jaw."Would you look at that? I got you off work early," Sawyer joked. Even though it wasn’t funny, they laughed like it was a million-dollar joke.This was going to get me in huge trouble because they would make me work hard to please Sawyer."Great then, grab your stuff if you have any," Sawyer taunted before he scoffed and chuckled to himself. "Oh, sorry, I forgot, you don't even take your stuff when you’re rushing to leave."Wow! And I thought he had moved on.I gave a dead look to Mr. Bob, who was constantly eyeing me, urging me not to reject the offer and to walk after Sawyer. Since day one, they had made it clear they wanted people to come, even if it was because of me.I grabbed my bag and walked after Sawyer, who let me sit in the backseat where he also slid
Carena:Once I settled in beside Theodore, I couldn't help but notice Sawyer's sudden need for speed. His car zoomed past us like a streak of lightning, catching my attention. Theodore's gaze flickered toward me, almost as if he was gauging my reaction. However, I maintained a poker face."Looks like someone's in a hurry," Theodore remarked, a sly grin creeping onto his face. I adjusted my posture in the seat but refrained from responding to his comment."You know, folks who are always rushing end up in big accidents. That's why there's a saying, 'slow and steady wins the race,'" he chimed in, prompting me to cock my head in his direction, curious about his reaction."Just because one rabbit dozed off doesn't mean all tortoises stand a chance. Can't we pick up some speed? I need to be home early," I murmured, keeping my voice low and steady. It wasn't that I wasn't affected whenever Sawyer's name came up."Why? Is your loving family eagerly awaiting your return?" he teased, a playful
Carena: “I have put them to bed; we’re all set,” Sawyer announced, his shirt disheveled before he quickly straightened it, though he didn’t roll down his sleeves.I gave him a smile and got up from my seat to welcome him. He took the main chair, and I sat down beside him, wearing a beautiful red dress.“You are the best father and husband,” I whispered, leaning over to kiss his cheek while the maid served us food.“You two need to get a room,” Ronan joked, making us smile and turn to him. He looked so happy with Yamin. The two had welcomed twins--a baby girl and a baby boy--last year.“And my brother is truly proving himself to be a good role model too,” Payton added proudly.Lady Jane smiled at her sons, delighted with their perfect lives.“And Payton is taking good care of business,” Louis grinned at her, giving her a wink. I knew something was brewing between the two, and they had recently opened up about it. They were set to get married in two months.I didn’t think there could b
Carena:“What do you mean?” My heart revived even more, my grip tightening around my child.“Kelly, don’t fucking make up stories,” Jack yelled, his fists clenched.“I am not. You fool. You really bought my lie about Carena being so powerful to get pregnant already and then giving birth in seven months. Carena didn’t have a proper sense of date and time because there were days she would sleep without waking up for two days. But you, you knew everything. Yet you didn’t question anything?” Kelly smirked at Jack, who was finally hit with the realization.That’s when my baby let out a little cry and opened his eyes. He had the same eyes as Sawyer.“He is my baby?” Sawyer rushed toward me, taking him from my hands and then smiling, “No wonder I felt such a strong connection.”“No! You did not betray me like that,” Jack yelled, rushing to wrap his hands around Kelly’s neck, but Martin raised his legs and kicked him, making Jack drop back like a pathetic weakling.“How dare you--,” it was as
Carena: After I beat him up, Sawyer handed me my baby while he tied the couple to a tree. I was curious about what he was planning to do.“I am so sorry I got you into this mess,” Kelly cried to Martin, the two tied side by side.“No! If I have to do that again, I will do it. All for you,” the guy was hopelessly in love with her but also an idiot for partaking in her crazy schemes.She was a doctor; if she had remained committed to her job, the two would be living a very good life by now.While the two cried and talked, I held my son and smiled with teary eyes. My baby was perfect. There was no way he was Jack’s child. How could such a beautiful baby belong to that monster?“My perfect child,” I cried happily, rocking my baby in my arms. All these months, not once did I hate my child. I had grown so much in love with my baby that I didn’t understand why and how."Why would you want us dead? You already have your baby and your mate by your side now. Don't you have everything already?"
Carena:He was watching me with so many emotions in his eyes. In that moment, Jack and the others decided to flee because they knew they couldn't fight Sawyer.Jack was so frightened that he didn't even wait to grab me. Instead, he just started running after seizing Kelly.“My son--!” I yelled, but before I could get up, I saw Sawyer gesture for me not to go after them.“They cannot escape the woods.”His confidence made me sit back. But what about my son? What if they hurt him?"Sawyer!" I uttered his name as he deepened his stare into my eyes, filled with nothing but love for me."My love!" He knelt down and instantly pulled me into a warm and comforting embrace."No! Don't touch me before you know my truth." It broke my heart that even after our reunion, I had to keep my distance from him.He needed to understand that I had given birth to Jack's child so he could decide whether he still wanted to be with me. It would shatter my heart if he didn't want to stay with me, but I could n
Sawyer:“Ronan, keep your eyes peeled at the border. Make sure your men remain hidden in dugouts around the portal,” I advised him as we marched away from the entrance. Tonight was the Wolf Moon, and after midnight, I knew Jack would arrive with Carena. Certainly, Jack would use Carena to try to lure us away so that he could cross the portal, but I would jump right in with them. That was the plan.“I have informed my guards not to stop them from enticing the bridge, but do let us know when they arrive,” Ronan confirmed. I didn't want to provoke Jack into attacking Carena out of anger. Of course, he would threaten us with her life when he was surrounded by the warriors.“Yamin is taking care of the roads--” Suddenly, Ronan's voice began to fade. My mind started to wander off, and I knew it wasn’t the first time this had happened. I had felt this before, only when someone stepped into my woods--the woods of which I was king.“They are here.”I closed my eyes, focusing on the whispers of
Carena:“AHHHHH!” My screams had deafened me at this point. The pain was unbearable, and being out in the wild was not helping at all. I was worried for my baby and how giving birth in the wilderness would negatively impact everything. Dr. Kelly had asked Jack and Martin to grab some supplies while she assisted me with the delivery.“Just keep going. I know you can do it,” she said, rubbing a damp cloth over my forehead in an attempt to comfort me, but I was far from comfortable. The open air and sky, combined with the fact that my mate was not with me, broke my heart.“Why can’t we go to a hospital?” I asked, letting out heavy breaths, but the pain kept intensifying.“Because Sawyer must have informed all the hospitals and packs about you and Jack,” she replied. “Besides, we are passing through Sawyer’s pack, so--” The minute she said that, goosebumps covered my body. I looked around and noticed the woods. What the hell!We were in the terrifying part of the woods? The crazy and poss
Carena: Jack was shocked to see the old man confronting him. It seemed like Jack had run out of words.“I don’t know what you are--talking about,” Jack tried to sound normal, but none of the words he uttered came out in a confident tone.His hesitation alone gave him a guilty appearance.I had stepped way back from them while Dr. Kelly ensured she stayed with me."I heard it all. You played me only so you could use my kin to escape the werewolf world--the world where you have messed up so much that you can’t even remain in it anymore,” Vincent finally seemed to have caught on to Jack’s scheme.It took him months and many wasted attempts to open his eyes. But what struck me as odd was that Jack steadily fixed his posture and approached him.For someone who had been caught in a lie by his only support, he was remarkably calm.“I think you’re taking this way too seriously. It’s not that grave of a matter,” he placed his hand on Vincent’s shoulder, but Vincent shrugged it off aggressivel
Carena:"What did you just say?" he asked, a harshness in his voice warning me not to say the wrong thing."Jack lied to you. He told me that if he told you the truth, you would kill me and my baby." I gulped, realizing it could be true. I was taking a risk here. If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have found a way to escape the chains and transition. But that was no longer an option."Huh!" He looked rightfully confused. "You are the reason my poor daughter is dead. Sawyer killed her because of you." Now that we were talking, he started revealing what he truly thought of me.The fact that he claimed Sawyer had killed Tabitha proved that Jack had lied to him about many things."That’s not true. Listen--" I took a deep breath, knowing I was about to admit who was really responsible for Tabitha’s death and the deaths of his other children.His expression grew even harsher as he continued to watch me, waiting for an explanation as to why I believed Jack had been lying."Tabitha did cheat on Ja
Carena:I was heavily pregnant and miserable, but I kept going for the sake of my baby and the hope of seeing Sawyer again one day. I just didn’t know how he would react to the fact that my child belonged to someone else.“You shouldn’t starve yourself,” the maid they had hired for me said, causing me to roll my eyes.I didn’t get along with any of these people.They were all enemies of both me and Sawyer, working for that despicable man.“I’m full,” I sighed. “Before you start lecturing me, I had breakfast less than two hours ago,” I scoffed, irritated.She rolled her eyes and left the hut. We had been on the run—or rather, they had kept me on the run—for months.Every time Sawyer got close, they would pack up and flee again. They’d managed to evade him many times by threatening my life, and of course, Sawyer always relented.“Hey,” Jack entered, having taken care of the food and other necessities for the night. He smiled at me.The mattress I sat on was uncomfortable, lacking the fa