Carena: I stood before the imposing black mansion, scanning my surroundings as the security guard phoned the lady inside to inform her of my arrival. He assessed me while conversing with her.“Feel free to enter,” he ended the call and gestured for me to step inside. I had chosen a simple white dress paired with old boots from my highschool days.Inside the pack, numerous changes had taken place. The atmosphere was different, charged with an air of mystery and uncertainty. Neighbors were not very keen on meeting each other anymore. Everybody kept to themselves but the gossips would circle the entire pack in seconds.I leisurely made my way into the foyer, greeted by an aura of darkness reminiscent of a haunted mansion. The foyer offered a gloomy welcome, with shadows dancing around the dimly lit space. The big chandelier hanging down the ceiling gave me ick. It was huge, making me wonder if it would fall on me.Guided by a maid, I followed her to a living room tucked away beside the
Carena:"Alright, so you should begin with fixing up his sheets," the maid kept rambling on while I felt frozen in place. I couldn't even sense my heartbeat at that moment. It wasn't that I was upset because he was disabled, but rather due to the lack of transparency."Wait a moment!" I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and grasp the reality."Yes?" The maid rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest."What's going on? I mean—I need to go home. I'm not feeling well," I stammered, feeling like a fool. But at that moment, I couldn't even respond like a decent person. All I could think about was my family deceiving me, just like the other half of my family had."You're supposed to start working today. He has another maid, but she isn't coming today, so you have to stay," she pouted, though in reality, she was trying to appear cute. She seemed annoyed that it was taking so much time to get to work."Then I need a break," I couldn't stay put. I had this u
Carena: "Just one last bite," I held the spoon up to his lips and fed him the liquid food with much difficulty. He could barely open his mouth and would tremble miserably when he did."Now the medicine," I muttered, holding up the liquid in a syringe and then making him swallow it. His mouth would only open an inch, and whenever it did, his face would contort to one side."Are you aware of what's going on?" I asked as I stayed seated beside his bed."Okay! Blink twice if yes and once if no," I leaned in closer, engaging in a tense stare into his eyes. "Do you know I am going to be your wife in a week?" I asked, noticing that he blinked twice."There you go! That's not bad. See, we can communicate like that," I smiled until a sudden memory struck me. It was an odd thought, but it reminded me of my ex falling sick. He would become so grumpy, and I remember having to stay awake beside him. Even if he caught me blinking from sleep, he would groan and get upset with me.He used to find it
Carena:I returned home after finishing my shift and pressed my uniform for the next day. Heading downstairs to join my family, even though I wasn't planning to eat dinner. I simply craved their company, longing not to feel alone.The words spoken by Lord Rennick had left me deeply unsettled. I didn't know how I would fulfill his wishes."So, how was your first day?" my dad inquired, happily munching on his food. Tonight, my sister had prepared lasagna, and it looked mouthwatering. I couldn't resist grabbing a plate and digging in. Due to the royal protocols, I couldn't eat as freely as I usually do. I had to restrict myself to small portions, taking tiny bites, and leaving most of it untouched, mimicking their eating habits."It was strange," I sighed, taking a bite and savoring the taste. Even their food lacked flavor, no spices whatsoever."Strange? You must have been puzzled by their luxurious lifestyle," Maanya chimed in."No! It's just... they're peculiar," I struggled to find t
Carena: "I'm too happy to be mad at you right now," Lord Rennick said, leading me outside where he'd been scolding me about miscommunication with Sawyer. He said I might have mixed up the number of blinks I'd made him do earlier and taken it the wrong way. He also mentioned that I had hurt Ginny's feelings and advised me to be more careful from now on.However, I could sense his mood was a bit milder, probably because he was glad to finally communicate with his son. But that happiness depended on whether his grandson was honest with his words. I felt betrayed by how he treated me."Now, go take care of him and apologize to Ginny when you see her again tomorrow," Lord Rennick muttered under his breath. Before leaving, he added, "Don't tire my grandson with the blinking game. It's a blessing that we found a way to communicate with him, but it shouldn't be overused."Throughout this conversation, I simply kept my head down and nodded. I didn't even mention Sawyer's lie. But it did make
Carena:"I can't believe you keep on lying to us," Lord Rennick erupted, throwing another tantrum upon finding me guilty of deceit. I was innocent, it was his grandson who was a liar but who would believe me?"I'm not lying," I murmured, keeping my head down, unable to express my frustration to Lord Rennick."Then what's going on? Are you suggesting that you're not adept at the method of communication you've chosen for my grandson?" he spat, slamming his fist on the table and demanding eye contact.I flinched at the sudden rise in his voice."I'm sorry, I'll try to be more cautious from now on," I sighed, feeling exasperated that I continually found myself in trouble because of Sawyer. This time, there was no way I would accept his excuse.He had claimed not to understand the rules last time, but this time, he had heard me vent my frustrations, yet he still lied in front of his grandfather."Are you attempting to avoid intimacy with the alpha king?" as he posed that question, I found
Carena:He leaned in, getting his face so close that I could smell his minty fresh breath.In those few seconds, I decided what needed to be done. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back, swiftly getting out of the chair.Once I was on my feet, I watched him stand up from the chair and come after me to have a word with me."I was--," the moment he spoke up, I smacked him hard across his face, silencing him thoroughly.He gazed at the ground before straightening his posture and glaring at me. He towered over me so much that I felt tiny in front of him, even though I stood at 5 feet 6."Just because I laughed with you and helped you with your studies, you thought I'd be willing to let you stick your tongue in my mouth?" I yelled at him, causing him to clench his fists and jaw.If looks could kill, he would've devoured me right then and there."You're a disgusting creep for hitting on your brother's soon-to-be wife," I hissed, while he stood tall with narrowed eyes.It would'v
Carena:"The doctor said he's all right now," Lady Jane told Lord Rennick, her hands constantly fidgeting.Lord Rennick had been in a huff since we found Sawyer in that state in the bedroom.Lord Rennick had been shooting me angry glares all along, and I stood before him, head bowed.The moment Lady Jane moved aside, I faced Lord Rennick. I sensed it was time for him to have a talk with me. I kept my head down even as I could feel Sawyer’s step siblings watching me too.“You show up, and this happens. What's the point of having you around if you can't even look after him?” he bellowed at me, silencing everyone as his voice rose.“I was just doing my job—,” I hesitated to respond, but he cut me off, exhaling sharply through his nostrils."Huh! Then why were you nowhere to be found when we discovered him on the floor?" he continued in his aggressive tone."Because I had briefly stepped out to get him food and medicine," that was it. The more I looked down, the more I felt like a culprit
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