Emma.My nemesis. I was staring right at my enemies. The reason I stayed up at night in fear and couldn't find rest even in the dream world. . “Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” she hissed. I couldn't move. I was frozen to the spot, my legs trembling as I stood. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t say a word. My nightmare was right before me. And it felt like death itself had come for me. Cathy, who was cradling her baby in the corner, looked between us with confusion clearly written on her face. “What’s going on?” Cathy asked, glancing between me and Regina. “You two know each other?” Regina let out a bitter laugh that thinned into a cruel smirk. She stepped closer, crossing her arms as she glared at me. “Oh, I know her well enough. She’s a whore who falls for every alpha she meets.” Cathy’s eyes widened as she turned to me. “What is she talking about?” My lips trembled, and tears stung my eyes. “She’s lying,” I choked out. “Lying?” Regina sneered. “What am I lying abou
Emma.Was he going to fight for me? Would he end up like Roger? For a second I felt cold fear wrap around me. I was afraid of losing Derek. I was afraid of going back to Tristan. He was a killer. He was a vile man and I didn't ever want to be with him. “You think you can waltz in here and dictate terms, Tristan?” Derek growled angrily. “I came for her, Derek. You have no right to keep her here!” Tristan snarled back. “You know the rules, you know I can claim my property!" Derek didn't move out of the way. His fist remained balled by his side. Then he slowly let his animal side take over. “You don’t deserve her,” Derek snapped. “You lost any claim to her the moment you sold her out!” Tristan lunged forward, but Derek was ready. He stepped out of the way just in time to transform totally into his werewolf form. Cathy who stood far off immediately also transformed into a wolf at the sight of Derek in danger. I grabbed the baby off the desk where she'd placed her and ran to the c
Emma.“He's married," I repeated to myself. "He's married,” the words felt strange even as I said them. I believed Derek and I had a connection. I couldn't tell what it was. Perhaps it was that afternoon at the lake. Or the way he'd held my hands when I was in the throes of labor. But I felt it. I felt a pull to the brooding werewolf and I thought he felt the same thing too. “Miss Emma," Daniella called my attention and I turned to face her. I was in the dining room of the pack. The big table was set up and food was being served. I could see Daniella place some more vegetables on the large table along with meat and some fresh fruits. “Yes, Dani," I replied and turned to face her. I didn't know she was so close by. I had been in the dining room for hours, waiting for Cathy to arrive with Derek and whoever this wife of his was. I was looking forward to the meeting. But curtsy demanded that as a guest, I should be present to welcome such a dignitary. “I asked if you wanted more
Derek.I could see the shock on Emma's face as she realized what Antonia was. Emma was out of her chair before I could explain and she was holding her baby protectively. “What is she?" Emma asked, looking at me with shock. Cathy knew what Antonia was and she had an odd dislike for her the moment they met. Emma on the other hand had no idea. “She's a vampire," Cathy volunteered. “What?!" Emma snapped and looked at me with anger. “How could you let her into your home! Werewolves have hunted vampires for centuries!" I was a little surprised to hear her say that. I had no idea that she knew so much about the supernatural world. She looked innocent, naive. “Yes, the vampires and werewolves have been fighting for as long as time itself," Antonia nodded as she continued to bite into her meat, “but that doesn't mean we have to fight along with them." Emma looked back at me. I nodded, “Antonia isn't like the rest of the bloodsuckers. She's very understanding,” I added. I trusted Anto
Emma.I woke up to the smell of bacon and chocolate. I didn't have to open my eyes to know where I was. I'd barely slept for the past night as Derek did all unspeakable things to my body. Bliss. That's what I felt. Total and complete bliss. I didn't want to be anywhere else but right beside him. “Stay a little longer," I nuzzled closer to him as I felt hands wrap around my waist. Derek was insatiable and I had barely slept for the past hours. He turned at every minute and he wanted more. Tasting me, fingering me, just letting himself inside me for as long as I could stand it. I didn't know where reality started and ended. I was completely lost in him. Lost in his warmth, lost in the ferocity of our passion. “Haven't you had enough already, you minx," he whispered in my ears. I smiled but didn't pull away. He was hard and yet smooth in all the right places and I wanted to stay beside him forever. Again, I could smell the bacon and I cracked open my eyes to stare. "Food?” I cou
Emma. The world crashed around me. I couldn't feel anything. My feet wobbled and all I could hear were Daniella’s words. “The baby is gone." I didn't know when the words slipped out of my mouth, but it did. “Violet?" Derek asked. But it only upset me. Which other baby did he know of? My baby was gone. A vivid darkness flashed before my eyes and for a second, I could see Violet's blue eyes, big and shiny, staring right into my soul. My baby would be hurt. My baby would be scared. My baby needs me. These thoughts blinded me and for a second, I couldn't breathe. I felt my knees buckle below me and I fell to the ground. But Danielle was already by my side, holding me up, “Miss Emma,” she called out. But my eyes were darkening. My child was hurt. The thought played through my mind like a record on repeat. I couldn't see anything else but Violet's scared. Without thinking, I raced from the porch into my bedroom where I'd left Violet on the cot. Daniella had to
Emma.I stood at the doorway, staring at Antonio who seemed shocked at my words. She looked me over and then turned to Derek. “She doesn't look like a vampire." She said to Derek. Derek too was a little surprised, “You'd said you were a hybrid. If your brother is a vampire, then a werewolf bite could kill you, you wouldn't survive it." It was a long story. But clearly, my past was catching up with me. No matter where I ran, there would always be the smoke of my past hovering. “He's my adopted brother. I never knew of what he was until it was too late and he tried to turn me into one. I was lucky because I was saved by a werewolf bite and then I turned into a hybrid,” I sighed heavily, “I didn't know what I was until the doctor told me of the pregnancy.” Antonia nodded, "So, you're like my aunt? My sister?” she chuckled, "Since Alec is now my dad and I still want to fuck him, does that make you my sister inlaw or my aunt?” She laughed at her own joke. But it wasn't funny. My brot
Emma.I felt the tears drop down my eyes before I could stop them. Daniella was a traitor. She'd betrayed me. Betrayed my trust. Given Cathy up to be taken and also given my child to a psychotic man that had done nothing but hate me from the moment I stepped into the Coastal Moon pack. Cathy had been right. Daniella was too perfect. She was too nosey. she'd wormed her way into my heart and now she'd crushed it with a single blow. “Madrid took my child," I said, my voice was cold and almost unrecognizable to my own ears. "He made me do it, I swear! I didn't know,” Daniella argued and wept on the floor. But all I heard was the same voice that had told me my baby was gone. "You took her, you took my baby to a mad man and watched him take her away.” It wasn't a question. It was a statement and it hurt like hell. Daniella shook her head, she was weeping but I couldn't believe her remorse. There was no way she was remorseful. Antonia had exposed her lies. She was never going to say i
Emma.The air in the conference room felt charged, every revelation tightening the invisible threads of tension between us. Marcus’s words echoed in my mind, unraveling the very foundation of everything we believed about supernatural history."So the segregation of species," Tara repeated, her voice a careful whisper in the heavy silence, "the whole hierarchy of werewolves, vampires, witches… it’s all artificial?""Engineered," Marcus confirmed. He reached into his worn leather bag and pulled out an ancient journal. The weathered cover bore faint traces of intricate designs, symbols that seemed to hum faintly with power."The original families didn’t just create supernatural beings," Marcus continued, carefully placing the journal on the table. "They deliberately kept them separate. They manipulated evolution itself to ensure that no one would rise beyond their control."Mom leaned forward, her fingers brushing the journal’s cover reverently. Her eyes shone with a mixture of pain and
Emma.The training room echoed with the rhythmic thuds of combat. I stood on the observation deck, arms resting on the railing as I watched my mother take down three seasoned fighters without breaking a sweat. Her movements were a symphony of precision and efficiency, blending the ferocity of a predator with the elegance of a dancer. This wasn’t the same woman who once scolded me for tracking mud onto the carpet or fussed over chipped nail polish.Cassidy’s voice broke through my thoughts as she joined me at the window. "Still think she was just a socialite?" she asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her recovery from recent events was slow but noticeable—some of her old spark was returning."I don’t know what to think anymore," I admitted, shifting Violet on my hip. My daughter’s wide eyes were glued to the scene below, her tiny hands clutching the edge of my shirt. "It’s like I’m meeting her for the first time. Like the person she used to be was just… a mask."Cassidy hummed tho
Emma.The safe house Ben provided was more of a compound than a house – a sprawling ranch-style property tucked away in dense forest, complete with underground bunkers and state-of-the-art security systems. We'd been here for three days, and I still hadn't explored all of it."More coffee?" Tara asked, finding me in the kitchen at dawn. She looked exhausted but determined, her laptop never far from reach. "I made a fresh pot.""Please." I watched as she poured, noting how her hands trembled slightly. "Have you slept at all?"She shrugged, sliding into the seat across from me. "Sleep is overrated. Besides, you should see what I found in those files we recovered. The original families? They've been manipulating world events for centuries. Wars, peace treaties, technological advances – all carefully orchestrated to maintain their control.""Mom's still going through grandmother's journals," I said, wrapping my hands around the warm mug. "Apparently, the Keepers weren't just fighting agai
Emma.Dust and debris rained down around us as chaos erupted. Through the haze, I caught glimpses of dark figures dropping from above – Ben's private security team, armed with something that made the air crackle with energy. The "original family" members hadn't expected this, their perfect composure finally cracking."Now!" Tara shouted from somewhere behind me. The house's emergency sprinkler system activated, but instead of water, a fine purple mist filled the air. I recognized the mixture – Cassidy's special blend of herbs and mountain ash, weaponized into an aerosol form.The man in the business suit snarled, his human facade slipping to reveal something ancient and terrible beneath. "You dare—""Oh, we dare," my mother cut in, stepping forward with a confidence I'd never seen before. She pulled an antique locket from beneath her shirt – my grandmother's locket, the one she'd never let me touch. "Did you really think Richard was the only one preparing for this day?"The taller wom
EmmaI jolted awake in the rocking chair, my neck stiff from sleeping at an odd angle. The first rays of dawn filtered through the nursery blinds, casting strips of pale light across Violet's empty crib. For a split second, panic seized my chest before I heard her delighted giggles coming from the kitchen, mixed with my mother's gentle cooing."Look who finally decided to join us," Derek said from the doorway, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. His smile was tired but warm. "You were out cold for three hours.""You should've woken me," I grumbled, accepting the coffee gratefully. The rich aroma helped clear the fog from my mind. "Any updates?""Nothing urgent. Tara's still working on those blueprints, and—" He was cut off by the sound of something shattering in the kitchen, followed by Mary's exasperated sigh."Oh, for heaven's sake!" We found my mother standing amid the remains of what used to be her favorite coffee mug, while Violet sat in her high chair, thoroughly amused by th
Emma.The grandfather clock in the hallway struck midnight, its deep chimes echoing through the house. I sat cross-legged on the floor of Violet's nursery, surrounded by maps and documents, while my daughter slept peacefully in her crib. The soft glow of her night light cast dancing shadows on the walls, reminding me of simpler times."You should get some rest," Derek said from the doorway, his voice barely above a whisper. Dark circles under his eyes betrayed his own exhaustion, but I knew he wouldn't sleep until I did."In a minute," I replied, studying the surveillance photos Tara had compiled. "Something about these shipments to the mill doesn't add up."He crossed the room and sat beside me, his warmth a comfort in the cool night air. "Talk it through with me."I spread the photos out, pointing to timestamps and vehicle descriptions. "See these trucks? They're registered to different companies, but look at the drivers." I handed him Tara's enhanced images. "Same three people, rot
Emma.The morning light filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the living room where evidence of last night's gathering still lingered. Empty cups, Tara's half-eaten veggie platter, and Mary's brownie tray – all remnants of a night that had changed everything.I stood by the window, watching as Derek patrolled the perimeter with Ben, their movements synchronized and purposeful. The sight of them working together filled me with a strange sense of peace. My old life and new coming together in ways I never expected."They make quite a team," Tara remarked, joining me at the window. Her presence had become a comfort I didn't know I needed."They do," I agreed, my thoughts drifting to the battle we'd barely survived. "Everything's different now."The sound of Violet's soft cries drew my attention. My mother, Mary, was already moving towards the nursery, her maternal instincts as sharp as ever. It amazed me how quickly she'd adapted to our supernatural reality, accepting
Emma.Emma placed a cup of tea between her palms and settled in the worn armchair located at one end of the living room. The steam curved upwards in delicate patterns, blended with the scent of chamomile, offering momentary relief from mounting tension. The storm had just arrived and Lily was slumbering, unaware of what was happening on their doorstep. Emma took a deep breath and prepared herself for the upcoming battle.Time was passing by her as she looked at the clock. A solid plan was necessary for Tara to deal with Selene, as she had a deadline coming up. Using her notepad, Emma wrote down ideas in bullet points, each one reflecting her commitment to safeguarding her daughter. She was taken aback by the sudden sound of the doorbell. Emma's heart raced. The notepad was wiped clean and put away before she went into the door. Tara stood at a distance with both fear and determination. Tara stepped inside before Emma could answer, "Ah, are you okay?". "It's not that way," Emma decl
Emma.Lucas met my eyes steadily yes they are loyal to the course .”they have seen what drag and Selena are capable of and want them brought down.”I know that feeling satisfied.“Then let's get to work.” I said.As a group dispersed their tax I found a movement of quiet with Derek he took my hand His touch grounding me.“We'll get through this, Emma,” he said, his voice steady. “Together.”I squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his confidence. “I know, but it's not just about us anymore. It's about violet. It's about everyone who believes in us.”He nodded his expression resolute“And we won't let them down.”Hours passed as we fortified our defenses and planned out our strategy and moves for the next day. The safe house became a buzz with activity, everyone was driven by a shared purpose. I moved through the rooms checking on our progress and offering words of encouragement. Cassidy and kucar worked tirelessly, coordinating efforts and ensuring everyone was prepared for the c