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 watched it all and my body began to feel numb from the amount of pain my heart was dealing with. Tears welled in my eyes, my breath hitching. Then Theodore leaned over me from behind and whispered in my ear, "Look! This is why you should eliminate him." My heart skipped a beat and I swiftly turned to face him. He wore an eerie smile, stretching from ear to ear, as if it had been carved into his face."You should end him. He deceived you. He told you that you belonged to him—look at him now, with her. The woman who killed your dog," he said, his voice no longer sounding like himself, but rather feminine and unsettling."What are you—What is wrong with you?" I gasped, my hand on the door handle, trying to unlock it, but nothing was working."Why? Why can't you do it? Do it! Kill Sawyer!" he hissed, advancing towards me. His entire body loomed over me, and that's when I gasped the loudest and woke up."Hey! Take it easy!" Theodore was sitting in his chair with his hands up, wa
Sawyer: “I can't believe you are saying this to me,” Ashley expressed her happiness in a high-pitched tone that made my ears almost bleed.“I've planned everything, the honeymoon location and the tickets too,” I said, leaning back in my office chair and staring out the window.“Sawyer! I've never been happier. I knew my love would win your heart one day,” she giggled joyfully, with a hint of disbelief in her tone.“You should have known this would happen. You’ve been so persistent,” I replied, grabbing the crystal angel paperweight and rolling it between my fingers.“I guess the Moon Goddess heard my prayers,” her voice returned to normal, as she had to conserve her energy for all the packing and preparations. I knew that much.“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, losing interest in the conversation.“May I ask, what about Carena?” The way she mentioned Carena’s name, during a conversation that didn't include her, almost made me drop the paperweight. But I held it firmly and narrowed my eyes at the
Carena: I didn't respond to Sawyer’s text. How on earth does he expect me to believe his single message when he was away with his other friend for days on their honeymoon, after repeatedly telling me he didn't care about her?No, I didn't believe him and decided to move on."Do you want breakfast before you leave?" Maanya surprised me with a plate full of pancakes ready. I was hurrying towards the exit when she caught me off guard."Dad asked me to make sure you eat well," she added, pouting apologetically.I was stunned to see her realize so quickly that they had been asking too much of me."Are you no longer angry with me because of Theodore?" I raised a brow, steadily approaching the table and taking the plate."No, it was just a phase. I'm fine now, and I'm sorry too. Dad is sorry as well, but he's so ashamed of himself for constantly hurting you that he couldn't apologize to you himself," she spoke in one breath while offering me syrup and serving fresh orange juice."Dad doesn'
Carena: "Hey!" I turned around and yelled, feeling like someone was really tailing us. But the moment I turned away from Yamin and faced the unknown danger, the road was entirely empty."Maybe we should call someone to come pick us up," Yamin slid closer to me and wrapped her arm around mine, shivering. It was only when her skin touched mine and our arms entangled that I realized she had goosebumps."It's getting dark because of the storm. I don't think we can catch an Uber right now," I glanced around the darkened road, feeling the unease grow.Her apartment was also on the other side of my house. Even if I dropped her off, I would still need to walk all the way back home alone."I'm calling Matt. He'll drop me off and then you," she said, dialing his number. I didn't object because the atmosphere was becoming increasingly eerie. The silence and the wind sent chills up my spine.Moreover, there was indeed someone behind us. What were they waiting for? Why were they following us? We
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