I stood with my family; my brother was by my side, holding me so I wouldn’t crumble. I was trying so hard to keep it together, to appear calm and peaceful. And to some extent, I think I was able to achieve that. The huge sunshades on my eyes prevented me from making eye contact with anyone, and they also prevented them from seeing my tear-filled eyes."We have gathered today to mourn the death of a mate, a friend, and a family." I released a ragged breath as I heard my dad’s words. I was still finding it difficult to come to terms with all that was happening. Vincent was an excellent warrior who was unafraid and always ready to help. "It is a shame that the cold hands of death have snatched him away from his loved ones so early." He continued, but not before glancing at me to see if I was okay.He signalled the males beside him, and my breath seized as they began to lower his remains into the grave. I felt a hand on my back, rubbing it. "Breathe, Jaz, breathe. You can do it." My broth
It has been some months since Vincent passed on to the great beyond, and I am learning to live without him. Each day was a struggle trying to function without him, but I managed to get by only with the thought of him. Every day I would drag my weary ass back to the big lonely bed so late at night after spending the whole day working. I was basically working to escape reality; I didn’t want to go back to my bed and be reminded of all the times we had spent together or all the memories I had of him. But if I worked and got too tired, I wouldn’t be able to think of all that stuff. I would only be going to bed to sleep. On this particular day, I was sitting in the office, fingering the necklace he was unable to give me. It was my comfort thing—to remind myself that he was still with me and will always be part of me. I didn’t want to lose any of those precious memories. I looked at the small table calendar that was on my desk, sighing as I saw the date. I will have to leave early today
Present"Rise and shine, bitches, for the light has come." An annoying voice disturbed my sleep as he slid the windows open. I recoiled as the sunlight hit my face, and I shielded my eyes. A groan came from me as I remembered that my dream was cut short. Now I couldn't even remember what I was dreaming about, but I knew it was good."Liam." I whined, cursing my best friend in my mind. "Don't you have better things to do than to disturb me?""Hmm, let me see," he put his hand on his chin, and his eyes squinted in concentration as if he were giving them some thoughts. "Actually no, I don't have better things to do. So, what else can I do but disturb my best friend?" And then he jumped on me and started bouncing on my bed.I shook my head; he had succeeded in waking me up. "What do you want? Today is my day off, the only day I can rest, and I will like my beauty sleep." I told Liam, my best friend, for ages.We basically grew up together, being born just a few months apart (barely two mo
"Ewww, Jasmine, you stink." Jason said, scrunching his nose as he moved back. "Of course, I will stink. I just came home from fighting a bunch of filthy rogues, not to mention that I ran all the way from the southern border to the pack house. So of course, I will sweat." I retorted, as I was not in the mood to deal with him. I looked up at the man I once shared a womb with. Some people would say we look alike; we had the same nose and eye shape, but that was where our similarities ended. While he looked like a Caucasian with the skin tone and hair, even inheriting blue eyes from our grandma, I was stuck in between. It was as if the goddess wasn't sure what she wanted me to be, so she made me a blend of the two. While I had a light brown skin with a golden undertone, I get tanned from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown that burns easily under the sun. So I always have my sunscreen with me. But I stop at a staggering height of 6 feet, which is pretty tall for
"Mate."This man on the phone was my mate. Alpha Lucas was my mate. The dreadful Alpha Lucas."Just calm down; maybe he wouldn't be as bad as people say. It is probably just a rumor that has circulated." Maya (my wolf) tried to reassure me. I hope so. I really hope so."Are you still on the line?" His rich voice asked through the speaker, and I felt like I was floating. I slapped myself mentally. It was as if a repeat of the past was happening. Be focused, Jasmine.I cleared my throat and tried to organize myself before I asked him to marry me there and then. Jason was still looking at me weirdly, and it looked like he was about to ask questions when I beat him to it. I zipped my lips as I signed for him to shut up. "Yes, Alpha Lucas. You were saying?" I hope he was also feeling this electricity. because I can't be the only one affected by it."Good. I was beginning to think you were daft." And that was how I crashed from whatever high I was on.Mate or not, I won't tolerate an insul
I tried to calm myself and held on to the wall so as not to collapse right there and then because his voice was making me weak on my knees.He was here, in the same space as me! And I feel like I could faint. Calm down, Jaz. Calm down. He is just here to talk to you. Alpha to Alpha. There is nothing about it.I could see the mountain of the man coming to me with all seriousness, like he wanted to kidnap me. He was tall, towering over all the men who were beside him. He was walking in long strides, like he owned the place, and if I wasn't careful, he could own the place.I tried not to show my admiration for him; instead, I straightened up and wore a stern face. I stood beside the door, ready to welcome him in. "Alpha Lucas. It is nice to meet you." I said as I stretched my hands in a handshake. But he just went in, ignoring my hand.I glanced at my Beta so he could explain what had just happened, but he shrugged his shoulders and signaled for me to come in. I see he is just going to b
"What?" I looked at myself, waiting for him to repeat what he said."You should get your ears checked out; it is bad that a werewolf of your ranking has horrible hearing." Sometimes I hate his guts; he is always so blunt and doesn't have a filter. I was going to reply to him, but in order not to start up a world war, I let the comment slide. Jake was already motioning for me to get inside; he could sense that a storm was brewing and that it could end badly. "Aren't you getting inside? Or are you going to keep holding the line?" He said in a condescending tone."I don't understand; why should I get into the car?""Aren't you my mate? Or do I have to spell it out for you?" He snapped, looking down at me. Maya was all over the moon, happy that her mate has finally recognized her. While I was also happy, I couldn't tolerate this disrespect anymore."Yes, I am your mate. But I won't tolerate such a condescending tone from you again, Lucas. You are not in any way better than me. We are bot
It was that time of the month—the time of the month that Mother Nature chose to be bloody. And of all the days Lucas could choose, he chose today for the exchange, and I couldn’t be angrier. Today was one of those mornings where I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I winced as I rubbed my stomach, trying to relieve the pain.I could have spent the morning in bed, nursing a cup of warm milk, but today was going to be different. Lucas was coming today, and I had to make sure I put on a brave face, regardless of the fact that my stomach was killing me."Are you going to be okay?" My brother asked when he noticed the way my face contorted. Everyone knows how I usually get on days like this, and as a caring brother, he had come to offer emotional support."Yes, I will be. Duties call, and I can’t keep them waiting." I said as I got dressed for the event. Jake had just alerted me that Lucas had just left his pack, and I had to get dressed on time if I was going to meet up."Are you sure?
Lucas was able to get me to see reasons why we should merge the pack, and I agree. I had already relayed the information to the pack. At first, they were sceptical about it, not knowing how to behave towards these new intruders. But as words passed around and the date kept drawing near, the excitement began to increase. Everyone had an individual reason for being happy. The nurses and warriors who had been previously sent to the other pack during the exchange were very excited about the news. They could finally see their families without having to get permission to go across the border. While the pack was excited about the possibilities and exposure I would bring. Imagine two powerful packs merging to become one; we would easily become the most powerful and unstoppable pack on the continent, rivaling even the best pack on the continent. I was happy for all those things, but nothing could be compared to the fact that I would get to spend every waking moment with my mate. I was ove
I blinked my eyes, trying to get used to the bright light that was streaming from the window blind. I successfully opened my eyes after several tries and was greeted by the dull painting of my room.I groaned on the bed, feeling my head alight with pain. Something was different, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was. But everything was just different.Maybe it was the way Lucas' scent was saturated in the room; it literally filled everywhere, like he had been staying here all day.I rolled across the bed till I got to the edge, and I placed my legs gingerly on the floor. I tested their strength to see if they could support me, and they could.I stood up slowly and made my way to the bathroom to relieve myself. I washed my hands after I had done my business. From there, I proceeded to wash my face, and I padded out of the room after I was through, back to my room.Someone, whom I assumed was Lucas, had changed me into shorts and a shirt. Just then, my stomach rumbled, and I looke
I didn't know where the man had come from, but he had run up to me and collided with me. The impact was forceful enough to make me stumble all across the floor, and I was lucky I did.Because, just then, the man exploded into bits and pieces beside me, spraying us with his innards.Then everything was pure chaos.Someone screamed behind me, and I suspected it was one of the warriors. I could hear someone running beside me. There was a high-pitched noise ringing in my ears, and it continued, the bell refusing to stop.I could feel my body leaving me, and it was like I was floating in midair from all the chaos. The ringing began to gradually subside, and in that state, I realised that there was a girl who was also at risk of exploding."She can't be away from him; she would blow up. She can't be away from him; she would blow up." I kept murmuring the phrase like a broken toy. It was a way to keep me in touch with reality."Alpha, are you okay?" A cute face peered down at me, worry lines
Under the guidance of Lucas, we were able to safely scale the landmine. And it wasn't until everyone had a good metre passed it and were safe that my breathing finally went back to normal.The fact that someone close to me also had a near-death experience was enough to sober anyone, and we all moved quietly as we walked deeper into the forest.The air was getting stale as we ventured in, and at a point, the hair on my body stood stiff, as if it could tell the danger lurking behind.The sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. Everyone was quietly walking forward, and it added to the eerie feeling.I tightened the grip on the hilt of my dagger and took a deep breath, summoning courage. While praying for the goddess to help me.The air grew colder as we ventured further into the heart of the forest, and the sound of nature was slowly fading away, replaced by an unnerving silence.I winced as my shoe got caught on a metal piece, and Lucas t
We have been running for so long that I have lost count of the hours. The adrenaline that had been fueling me was gradually depleting, and I was already getting tired.But I still continued urging on; it also helped that Lucas was beside me, motivating me in his own way. He was running behind me, and anytime my speed was declining, I would feel his cold nose on my rump pushing me forward.That really helped because we were able to cross the border of a pack, and we were currently in another one. I had already gotten permission from the alphas of the pack we would be passing through; it was considered folly not to do so. I also beseeched them for their help, and they were happy to lend their support in their own way.I looked ahead of me and saw that the sun was glistening on a surface, which was no doubt a body of water. I gathered momentum, my legs suddenly becoming alive and kicking forward as I saw the lake.The sun had been scorching down on us in all its ferocity, barely sparing
I could see the silhouette of a man fast approaching where we were standing, and I was instantly on high alert. My hands reached back automatically to the back of my jeans, and I removed an object, craftily hiding it behind me. I had hidden weapons all over my body, and I was currently holding a steel blade that had been so well sharpened that it could cut through anything.I had very good throwing skills, coupled with good hand-eye coordination, so should the person pose a threat to me, I would have the blade firmly lodged in his neck before he could move further, so perfectly that he would be unable to breathe freely.The silhoutte was getting closer, and with it was the scent. That sweet, enticing scent that could only belong to one person wafted to where I was, and I was sniffing it like a dog, wanting more from where it came.The man behind the alluring scent came out of the shadow, his sharp features clearly visible in the dark, and I was holding my breath.Just his presence alo
Maya was urging me to ask my mom about the voice recording because she felt she would have opinions about it. According to her, Kiayra told her that she would know about it. Kiayra was my mother's wolf and had been with her since she shifted.So if there was anyone who would know these things, it was definitely Kiayra. So I listened to her, and I was sending my mother the voice recording. The parents were currently out of town because they went to pay a visit to my aunt.And yeah, my dad is aware of everything that has been going on; he only called to ask me if I was okay and if I ever needed help from him. My dad is a firm believer in letting people do what they want, as long as they are not doing the wrong thing.He said I was the alpha now, and the pack was mine. It was my decision to run it however I wanted to run it, as long as I didn't ruin it. Many people may not agree with that sort of reasoning, but it has helped me grow into a strong, independent woman.But I do believe I am
I groaned as the loud ringing disrupted my sleep. Will there ever be a day where I get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep? In another world, it may have been possible, but in this present world, I very much doubt that.I took a deep breath to calm myself before I lost it. "Patience, Jasmine, patience. It may just be important." Maya prodded me on, and I sighed as I picked up the device."Hello." I spoke into the receiver. Beside me, Lucas stirred as he heard my voice, and his eyelashes fluttered as he tried to open them, making me swoon because Lucas was always handsome on a regular day, but he was breathtaking when he was sleepy and a little cute."Alpha, help us." A voice whispered panic on the phone, and immediately I was up, every atom of sleep gone from my eyes. Lucas also stirred beside me and sat upright.I heard that voice; it was the woman's bratty daughter that was missing. "Suzy? Is that you?" Lucas' ears perked up as he heard the name. I had informed him of the missing person,
The day was still young, and although the sun was still shining its bright light on us, I was drained and stressed out. I have been wrung out to the point that the only thing that could remedy it was quality rest. And that was what I was going to get now.I looked down at our jointed hands as we walked down the path to the pack house. I could feel curious eyes on us, but I could care less. I was happy that we didn't have to keep hiding the fact that we were mates.We had gotten up to the huge double mahogany door that stood tall and unyielding, and I was going to take another step forward when a thought flashed through my mind and I remembered that he wasn't living in this pack and may likely have somewhere to be. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked, gently stroking the hairs at the back of his palm."Uh?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at me all confused."Your pack." I provided. "You can't leave the pack just like that. I am fine now, so you are free to go." It took great pai