Carena: “What--” I gulped, my eyes widening at his demand.“Listen, it's not about us. If you want Payton to be happy, then find someone who will love her. Matt loves Yamin,” I finished because he wrinkled his nose."and who do you think I love?" he asked playfully, making me frown at him because this wasn't about us."Yourself. You love yourself," I spoke confidently even when my confidence was withering away."That's kind of rude to assume," he pouted, making me swiftly look away from his lips.“Hmm! And if you want them to be happy and stay together, you have to give yourself to me. You have to remain here to be the Luna Queen you are,” he spoke again, a smirk steadily playing across his lips.“And you think forcing me--” I paused when he shook his head.“Who said anything about forcing you? I'm not going to coerce you,” he clicked his tongue and for the moment, my eyes landed on his lips again.“Try them, they are yours,” he commented and I looked up. I felt quite embarrassed whe
Carena: I returned home and wondered if Sawyer would uphold his end of the deal. Then I couldn't help but think about the kiss and how strongly my body yearned to be with him. If Ashley hadn't intervened, would I have been able to stop myself? I kept shifting in bed, with so many thoughts racing through my mind -- from the woods to how Ashley must have reacted to seeing us together. Finally, after hours of contemplation, I dozed off.The next day was going to be challenging. I wanted to find out from Yamin if Sawyer had withdrawn his threats and how the couple was doing. On my way there, I received several calls from Theodore, discussing plans for lunch so he could share other job opportunities with me. I asked him to come to the bakery because I couldn't leave the workplace for too long; our lunch break was only ten minutes.The reason I was able to have more free time was that Mr. Bob had stopped bothering me after witnessing Sawyer's affectionate behavior towards me."Yamin! Where
Carena: “Let me read it,” I said, holding a sandwich in my hand and the papers in the other hand."You can work at the bakery until 12 and then join me in the office for the investigation," Theodore suggested, making me stare at the forms spread out before me. They looked so intimidating."I don't know if I'm cut out for this job," I sighed, leaning back on the staircase and eyeing the papers."You're good at everything. I know that from the investigation you did in the woods the other day. It impressed me," Theodore's admiration for my research was very tempting to accept this job.“You are saying this because you don't want to hurt my feelings,” I gave him a playful judgmental look while he shook his head to show his disagreement to my statement."So, what does the job require?" I questioned, and he straightened his back, standing before me. We were having this conversation on the street behind the bakery."The job isn't demanding. You'll accompany me to locations where crimes have
Carena: I have been visiting the sheriff’s office for work, and so far, we have only discussed minor thefts and other crimes. It was quite exciting, even more thrilling than working at a bakery. Although my interaction with people at the bakery was more frequent, and I haven't yet visited many crime scenes, I was truly enjoying working with Theodore. We would take food breaks and chat about all sorts of things. Now that I was spending time with him, I realized he wasn't that bad, to be honest."I'll be fine, don't worry," I reassured Yamin as I hurried out of the bakery after grabbing lunch for myself. It was my day off with Theodore, so I could go home and rest for the rest of the day. Working for so many hours had given me a new direction in life. I was no longer sitting alone in a corner of the room, crying all the time. This kind of life was so exhilarating and fulfilling. I don't know why I let Jack stop me from achieving so much in my life. He hated the idea of me continuing my
Carena:“Theodore, what is going on? You are sounding funny,” I laughed uncomfortably, not wanting it to be anything other than a joke. I was not truly ready for something emotional."Can you please meet me outside your house in a few minutes? I will be there soon," he said next, leaving me to wonder what was going on with him. I slipped closer to the window again and watched Sawyer and Ashley leave."Sure, I'll wait for you," I replied, puzzled by Theodore's urgency. Despite my concern, I was deeply bothered watching Sawyer and Ashley leave.What happened to all the 'I am yours and you are mine' talk?"Huh! He is such a player," I groaned and sat on my bed, rubbing my face in my hands, waiting for a call or text from Theodore. Maybe he was just feeling lonely and wanted someone to speak with.After he called and asked me to come out, I rushed downstairs to find Maanya next to the window.“Ask him to come inside. I am making some new dishes tonight,” she giggled happily, rushing back
Carena:“Tell me,” as my father insisted, I felt like I had lost my tongue."I need to go take a shower," I quickly freed my hand and ran upstairs as if my tail had been on fire. Once under the water, I began to curse at myself for not making things clear before my father spoke those words. Now it would be so embarrassing for Maanya. But why did they assume Theodore had come to express his feelings for her? He never spoke about her or to her. Every time he was home, he talked to my dad about me. They had nothing in common either.Whatever made them think he wanted to marry Maanya, it was going to be very awkward. After showering, I had to walk downstairs to eat dinner with my family, who were now awaiting an explanation from me."So? What are you going to tell him? I think he should come and talk to me directly," Dad began, and Maanya started blushing. She hadn't been able to connect with her wolf or find a mate, which was expected at eighteen. This left her weaker compared to me."Da
Carena:"It's called the Dark Wood Murders case," Theodore laid out the entire list of crimes that had taken place in the woods."200 dead bodies?" I turned to Theodore, my eyes wide in disbelief."We suspect there are more, but they may be buried deep in the woods," he added, leaning forward and placing his hand on the table."Tell me more details," I insisted, sitting down with my hands still on the open sheets on the desk."We don't know much. Just that some prominent council members have lost loved ones during these killings. There are files dating back many years, but the case is closed since then. Now, when a body is found, the news isn't shared. It stays within the circle and fades away. No leads, no suspects so far," Theodore explained, settling back into his seat across the table and watching my reaction closely."What if--just hear me out--it's the woods killing these people?" I shifted in my seat. "I mean, what if the woods themselves are responsible?"I watched him study m
Carena: "Theodore let out a laugh, shaking his head at me and looking like he had heard the best joke ever. 'Why would you treat her unfairly like that? Just because she called me?' he joked again, thinking I was preparing a jest to tease Maanya for calling him.My guilt reached a new limit now. Even the idea was amusing to him. 'I am not joking,' I stated very seriously and watched his smile fade away right before my eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to comprehend the scenario.“I think Dad and Maanya misunderstood your gestures. They think you were interested in Maanya,” I bit my tongue the moment I finished talking.“What? Why? Why would they think like that?” The sudden aggression in his voice made me cover my face with my hands.“No! Carena, don't hide your face from me. What gestures? I never spoke about her unless it was your father bringing her up. Where did I mislead them?” His insistence compelled me to raise my face from my hands and look at him.“I told them the
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