Kariana.Isabella and Leo emerged from the side of the podium, reaching the two other people. Immediately, the place was bathed in an even louder applause, yet I couldn't hear it over my racing heart as I eyed the corner where they came from.‘Was he by chance also going to emerge?' The thought kept me still.Wasn't it more or less bad luck if I met him twice in a row? Even though I now had this new plan, I still needed time to think.“Kiara?” I swiftly turned to meet Felix's gaze. He looked sheepish as he took a step away.“Hate to break it to you, but even I have a level of grip strength I can handle. This tux has even less." He chuckled, raising the arm I'd just released to show the rumples in his tuxedo.I did that, I realised. I hadn't even noticed myself gripping his arm so badly.“Sorry,” I muttered, eyes darting toward the podium to see that there were still only four people there. No green eyed brunette man in sight.Inwardly, I let out a sigh of relief, turning back to Felix
Karina.My presence went unnoticed amongst the crowd that walked past me.Collecting two more glasses of fruity wine, I found my place in the corner of the festivities, sitting on a chair and table whilst looking listlessly at my phone.I was adept at small talk, at asking for information from people. But outright flirting? Hell no.Flitting through my screen, I furrowed my brows.There was no way I could do this properly. I just had to hold on so I didn't get stranded.As I waited for Cafe Stranger's next text, I swiped up to play a game. It was the only alternative to doing absolutely nothing.I couldn't let myself wander. All other worries aside, I didn't want to stray too far from where Felix would meet me.Anytime he actually came, that was.More time passed, and even playing a game felt like too much work. The phone almost slipped out of my hands from how loosely I held it.I wanted to go home, and the pleading croon from Germaine inside me spoke of the same sentiment.I had no
Karina.Returning back to the pack was akin to a rush of fresh air, literally. I embraced the familiar scents around me the moment we entered the pack area, relaxing at the buildings surrounding us.Felix stopped in front of Gino's home, where I had taken Levi to stay in the meantime. Stepping out, I groaned at the slight ache of my heels.“Of freaking course this will happen.” I cursed out, shutting my eyes.I was used to wearing them when it suited me. However, after months of being in maternity and wearing mostly flipflops and sandals, I decided to wear these to fit the occasion, and here I was suffering the consequences.Pain, it seemed, was a universal price to pay for looking good.It was going to lessen soon enough — the wonders of werewolf healing — but not until a few minutes after I took off the shoes.The sound of the car door closing followed by footsteps nearing me made me look up.“You really got yourself in a tizzy, didn't you?” He asked, placing one of my arms to wrap
Karina.The hallway was too quiet, but that was what I needed.Honing my hearing, there was no indication of anyone else nearby. Isabella was likely at her own job—owning and managing her bookshop— whilst Leo was at work. Aside from the faint and muffled noises that no doubt emanated from the kitchen, there was nobody else nearby.It was the perfect setting.I matched his glaring stare with one of my own, trying to ease my racing heart if its trepidation.‘Stay strong.’ Germaine spoke inside me. I took a step forward.“Connor-”“–Is he the reason?”I stopped short, all the circuits in my brain staggering at his words.What?“Wh…what?” I asked out loud, dumbfounded.“Felix. Is he the reason that you don't want to be my mate?” He asked.Surprise struck me, not just at his words and his insinuation. How did he know Felix's name?“I know a lot of people here, thanks to Isabella." He said as a way of reply. I blinked.Had I accidentally said it out loud or had he simply read my mind?Nev
Karina.His gaze was slightly stricken.Hope gleamed in me. Perhaps this was all I needed to do. Maybe now he'd stop trying to reach me.But he didn't say anything for another set of seconds, and slowly my hope turned into worry.I contemplated not moving forward.“Co- you… are you okay?” I asked. His name seemed too powerful to say.He nodded stiltedly before replying, “Yeah. I am.”I breathed out, all the tension and worry deflated like a bubble.“So… we're okay then,” I said tentatively, hoping that he'll agree.But he didn't say a word, or give any gesture. Instead, he turned away for a moment.“Please just answer this question for me.” He said.I nodded. No doubt it would be a question about whether I cared for him. Even if I did care enough to not reject him, it didn't change things.Liking someone wasn't enough, mate or not. I had seen it amongst the humans already, whether it was the gossip of coworkers or strangers or events that happened in my presence.Like wasn't enough. L
Karina.It was enough grace that the plate I was holding hadn't slipped down my hands. Perhaps it was my instincts, or the absolute shock that caught me at that moment.Though I couldn't move, the urge to smack the dirty plate on my forehead was tempting.First, Felix and now Agathe. It was two too many people who no doubt had hints about what was going on.How would she even know? I wondered, my heart racing beneath my chest.The last thing I wanted to do was confront Agathe.“Kiara? Is it about Lola?”I blinked, first to process her words, and the second in pure disbelief.Isabella's friend… Lola… my boss.She was my boss and Isabella's friend.It was never about Connor.“Sorry dear, I could have sworn I heard something about that before. Was I saying nonsense?” Agathe asked, her voice filled with a light confusion.Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, pushing air into my lungs to wash away the worry.“Nothing of the sort, Agathe," I breathed out as casually as possible, not let
Karina.A wolf stood at the distance, green eyes penetrating mine. I wouldn't let him near me. I couldn't.I opened my eyes, greeting the sunlight with squinted eyes. Instinctively looking at my phone, I spotted the time.Less than a week. A few more days and less than 24 hours.I was more than thankful when I received yet another text from Lola and Willa within the same hour the next morning.Lola's text said: ‘Don't come to work. See you at Bella's wedding. Greet Levi for me 'On the other hand, Willa's text said:‘Lola just told me the news. So lucky of you. I just heard about the wedding from her and Penny. Thanks for keeping it a secret.'I rolled my eyes at the visible sarcasm in the last sentence. Penny, in fact, was her best friend from the Red Eclipse pack. Although I'd never seen her in the flesh, I learned it was one of the reasons why she knew of werewolves and packs.Looking at the text however, filled me with relief. It meant that there would be no need to work in the ci
Kiara.“I don't have anything else to do today,” I spoke to Levi, curled within his sheets and went to the world.Isabella and Leo's Mating ceremony was merely a day away.There was still plenty of time. The rest of the next day when the sun is up will still be considered time for the preparations. The ceremony ensued at night after all.However, with every ticking second that passed, I felt the minutes waste away, dragging us closer to the moment.It was strange, after the strains of exhaustion I'd borne, I found myself too restless to sleep on my free day.Standing up, I took one last look at Levi before aiming for the door.He was asleep and would be safe even without me present.Taking in the cool night air, I blinked at the plethora of decorations and hangers made to the entire pack.People walked around without a care, children running and waving through the decorations as they went. Stepping down, I spotted a few of the other pack members walking around and tensed slightly. Wa
Connor‘Alpha? Alpha!”I snapped back to reality to face Fallon who looked at me with a mix of worry and confusion. Rightfully so, considering how I'd just acted. Had I spaced out for that long? I wondered. Shaking my head I gave him a terse smile.“I'm sorry Fallon, but I'll have to talk to you later. Tell the others not to worry, I think I have the solution but I can't give much details yet.” I said, patting his shoulder firmly to affirm myself.He didn't look too pleased or assured despite it all, but I fully understood.“Why don't you guys take a break for today? You can get drinks at Aunt Abby’s place, my treat.” I smiled, encouragingly at him.I could tell how the idea circled his mind temptingly by the way his frowning eased slightly. It was a good idea on both ends to relieve stress and boost morale by a little bit. They had been working hard nonstop since I proposed the project and I had to help them now.Finally he conceded, nodding.“Okay then. I trust you Alpha.” He said.
Chapter 227Elizabeth's POV I woke up later that day and realized that I was in a different room. It was all white and had a window that led out to the hospital courtyard. I got up from my bed and stood by the window looking out at the garden and watched as the wind blew the leaves of the plants gently. I had to admit that the garden was beautiful.As I continued to gaze at the scenery, I heard a knock on the door and I turned around to see who it was. It was Winston."You're awake" he said as he came to stand beside me."Hi" I smiled at him and he smiled back. "Hi""I'm so glad to see you looking much better," he said and I nodded."I'm also glad that the surgery was a success. How is Tiana doing?" I asked and he gave me a genuine smile."She's doing so much better. The doctors say she's progressing very well" he replied and I heaved a sigh of relief."That's good to know. When can I go see her?" I asked eagerly. I was eager to see how she was doing for myself."The doctors say that
Karina.“Hi.” I blinked in surprise as it wasn't only my voice but his. Concern was all over his face as he closed the door behind me. And despite everything that I thought could have gone wrong between us all these while, I still couldn't believe that he would be surprised by everything that was going on. But then again, it was not just him that has been surprised by it all. I also have been.“You seemed strange in the dining room. Did something happen?” he asked. I could read two expressions on his face as he asked the question.One was that of curiosity, the other was that of annoyance. And maybe a hint of worry was etched on the sides of his face despite how obvious he tried to make it appear like it wasn't so.But then again...Oh the irony. I had asked him that same question once before. I shook my head in negative.“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked. It made me huff in response. Small talk, that was what we mostly went for now. I was already getting tired and bored of stu
KarinaI sat up straighter at the mention of ‘connor and scrutiny.Was Connor going through anything?I recalled how stressed he previously looked when he was usually at dinner fresh from working. What were the Elders saying about him? Was he going through any problems?Was it something to do with me?She seemed to recognize my worry as she stood up straighter, frantically shaking my head.“Oh no, please don't think too much about it. It really isn't serious, at least from what I heard.” she quickly corrected.“What did you hear then?” I asked She shrugged looking down at her cup.“This talk was here far before you came, and I would hear people talking about it all the time from the moment he became Alpha.”“Apparently the Elders were complaining about how he hadn't found his mate.”‘Oh.’ I relaxed in my seat, now fully understanding.An alpha usually rises with a Luna. “Is that so?” I raised my eyebrows before taking a sip of the cider drink.“It was strange that he hadn't found hi
KarinaI spent another hour with her before leaving.Emma was kind and compassionate. She was willing to meet me with a smile and a cup of whatever new concoction she had whipped up. She also cared for Alya more than anything. There was nothing wrong with her in any way which made me even more incensed that others had simply decided to ignore her.Shed spoken about it on that same day.“I don't think that theyre doing it fully on ourpose anymore. It feels more like, that's how it is now. My parents are old, but they never reached out even though we aren't so far apart. But aside from that, other treat me relatively normal.”“I think I've also come to embrace the solitude in a way.”‘Thats what happens when your pushed into it.’ I thought to myself. I didn't want to think beyond what was necessary, but at the sane time, it felt like I had no other option other than that to do.By the end of the day after I left with a promise to come back my decision was already firm. In the evening I
Karina The air might as well have been sucked out of the room because the silence was too heavy.The more I waited the more antsy I got and the more uneasy I felt. Her fidgety attitude did nothing to ease my worries.Was this some kind of joke? What motives did she have.“Well,” she cleared her throat blinking frantically fro a moment.“I can't hide it. In all honesty I'm..nervous. and afrair.” she said, lowering herr head slightly.‘Of me.’ the unspoken word hung true.“Bevause I'm a rogue.” I deadpanned, waiting for her reaction, she stiffened before shaking her head, but I stood up already. I was thankful I didn't bring Levi here. Leaving would be easy.Standing up, I headed for the door only for a hand to stop me in place.“Wait, please don't leave just yet.” she cried out.I spun around whipping my hand harshly away from her. The hurt look on her face made guilt bubble up.“You really didn't need to invite me out if obligation. I would have done just fine without.” I said icily.
KarinaI laid there in silence. Perhaps it was that exhaustion or the overwhelming events of the day but I didn't know when I fell asleep. I was woken up by Levi's cries in what felt like hours later. The place gleamed a bright orange spelling the evening.I moved to action quickly, patting him and feeding him whilst pacing. It took time to grow fully conscious but after, it was easier to process everything that happened, especially the woman. She had invited me for tea. It was like a fever dream of sorts.After I silently agreed she had given me her directions and told me her name. I listened to it all listlessly, nodding.‘Her name was Emma.’ I noted, nodding to myself.The real question I needed to ask was if I was going. A part of me wanted to reject it, but I didn't want to be rude.Thinking back to the look in her eyes, a part of me resisted. She wouldn't want me to come in the first place.‘Then why would she ask?’ Minutes passed as I patted Levi while he fed from me. There w
My breath hitched as I recognized her. She was hanging on a tree on her own, yet didn't look bothered. About the height.It's dangerous height. How on earth did she even get there?I was moving before I could think, pulling Levi closer while my heart hammered in my chest. Nobody else was in sight. If she hadn't seen her…By the time I reached , she fell and I wanted to scream before Harriet's frame came into view. She'd caught her.Relief instantly flooded me as I came closer. Harriet put her to the ground.“That was dangerous! Where is your mother? Goddess, what if you'd gotten hurt? Goddess.” Harriet was speaking, her voice raised a full octave higher, her hands were threading through her red locks and I could practically feel the panic bleeding from her.The closer I came I could see the young girl clearly. She was staring blankly at Harriet before she caught my gaze. “Miss Karina!” She squealed, quickly recognizing me. Before I could think she ran past Harriet and towards me.As
KarinaAfter that, all the tension from earlier seems to seep away. She didn't speak a word for a moment, but peeked at the bundle in my arms several times.A minute or so passed before her voice came.“Is that Alpha Connor's baby?” she asked.I stiffly nodded, “Yeah.”Another pause came, this time lasting for half a minute before she spoke “Can I ask what his name is?”“Levi.” I quickly replied, nodding slightly. She hummed and looked away. My insides clenched. Maybe I wasn't being too forthcoming.“How old are you?” I finally asked, turning to her.Her head turned towards me and she blinked in surprise.“Twenty years old. I just turned two months ago.” She said tentatively though her gaze glittered slightly. She seemed excited that I was asking her questions.I couldn't fully read her. She was wary at first but turned a complete 180 at knowing my identity. She was young and seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. I couldn't find a hint of ingenuity in her actions.The change I cou