As I stared at the picture in the locket, I realised it was the first time I'd seen anything relating to my dad in years. Why now? Why did mum suddenly decide to bring him up now? What had changed?“This, was the last picture we took as a family before we lost your dad…” Mum took a pause to refrain from tearing up, “I had decided to give it to you when you were older, and I think it's long over due. I was just scared to talk about him again especially in the past tense…”She placed the locket in my hands and covered my hand with hers. “I want you to keep it with you at all times, it'll be like having a piece of him with you. I know you don't remember much about him and that's partially my fault, I should've spoken to you about him more, and I will when it's time. But for now, I want you to know that he loved you so much and I do too. I want to try to make up for lost time, so I'll try to be around more henceforth”Mum took her hands away, her gaze never leaving me. I was at a loss fo
Esme and I arrived at school early enough. James was nowhere to be seen yet. It was sad that we couldn't all talk about these issues together. It was clear that we all had our individual secrets and we only shared what was convenient. So far, James was the only one that hadn't kept anything from me.We decided to wait in one of the empty classes till the first period started. As we sat inside, two girls passed by the classroom and stood by the door to keep conversing. Both of them were dressed in short uniforms and they had ribbons tying up their ponytails. Cheerleaders, I thought. One was blonde and the other a brunette. I didn't know their names, although I was sure they'd be quite popular. “I heard it was just a random decision, like no warning at all. Like why would they just ship him off like that?” The blonde spoke.“They said he went to some military boarding school in Germany. He could've at least finished high-school first” “Oh please, Adam already repeated 10th grade twic
It had been 3 months since I learnt about Kieran's secret but it felt like just yesterday when I stood in his room in nothing but an oversized sweatshirt, staring him in the eyes as his face twisted and contorted into something beastly. A lot had changed since then. Slowly I'd become more involved in discussions of the supernatural. Things like that no longer surprised me, and in all that time my stalker hadn't returned. Perhaps she had gotten bored of toying with me. A part of me still wondered who she was. Since Jayden went missing, about 4 more cases had been reported, and unlike Jayden, these people were never found.Eventually, the mayor's office issued a curfew to keep people save. Everyone who'd gone missing was between the ages of 15 and 25 and they were all male. We were still trying to get leads related to Adam or the missing people but they'd all seemed to disappear without a trace.Mum was still barely at home during the week but she made up for her absence during the we
James stood in front of me with a lovely bouquet of flowers asking me the most unexpected question. I just stood looking at him speechlessly. Talia was right, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it.“I know you probably weren't expecting any if this… but I've been meaning to ask you for a while now and I just thought I'd at least make it special”“I… I don't know…”“It's okay, you can take your time. You don't have to rush into giving me an answer right now”I looked around me at everything he'd done. It was probably the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me. How could I say no to him?I reached out to collect the flowers.“I'll go with you” His face lit up with a smile and he wrapped his hands around me.“Thank you”“Well don't squeeze me to death before you get to take me to prom” I joked as he pulled away.“When did you do all this?” I asked, turning around.“While I was waiting for you. It's not too much is it?”“No… it's really thoughtful. Thank you”I cut a slice of
He had taken me by surprise. I considered taking his hand, but I knew he had a reason for asking to dance out of the blue.“Why?” I asked “You see those girls there?” I followed his eyes to a group of girls all lobbying in a corner with their eyes fixed on Kieran. “They were no doubt going to ask me to dance with them, and I'm not in the mood to be nice and chivalrous”“So you'd rather dance with me”“Yes, because you know that I'll actually snap your head off if you provoke me”“We both know you wouldn't do that, because you need me”“I'm sure we'll manage fine without you” He smirkedI rolled my eyes as I accepted, placing my hand in his. He placed his hand at the small of my back as he led me to the dance floor. I could feel my body tingling with excitement. I had never danced before so I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to do. “I don't know what to do,” I admitted timidly.Kieran didn't say a word as he placed both my arms around his neck and he put his own hands around
After briefing us, Kieran left to put a call through to Alaric. I wondered how they would manage to pull it off, they'd basically be abducting the boy. The cops let us go once it was bright enough and the school management briefed our parents on what had happened. Kieran took Esme home while James dropped me at my place. I knew mum wouldn't be home till later that evening so I was glad Talia was around. “Eva? Is that you?” I heard Talia call out as I walked in through the door”“Yeah”“Oh, sweetie, aunt told me everything that happened. Must've given you quite the scare. How are you feeling?”“I'm okay, just tired”“Go have your bath and I'll make something for you to eat, so you can rest”“Okay”I felt better after a warm bath. I felt all the tension ease out of my body and I relaxed in the bathtub. I wondered if Kieran's plan had worked and if they'd successfully gotten the boy. I would just have to wait to find out. I wrapped a towel around my body as I left the bathroom. I thre
>After Kieran recounted what had happened with Jace, he stood to his feet while I remained folded on the bed. I officially had a bounty on my head.“What's the worst that will happen if I die?” I asked. Perhaps it was better to just end it all. Save ourselves the trouble.“The plague will come with or without you. This union between us is the only thing we have to stand against it”“Yeah, but how? How is us being together going to fight this thing? What's the catch? I know you haven't been completely honest with me and I know there's more to all of this. You need something from me specifically, so tell me what it is”“You shouldn't worry yourself with that now. In due time you'll know”I knew arguing or protesting wouldn't get me anywhere but it still hurt.“It's not fair keeping me in the dark like this…” I muttered beneath my breath.He didn't reply to that. Instead he said, “Don't go anywhere without informing me or Esme first”“Okay” I agreed willingly. “I'll take
It was the week before summer break ended. The week when it all went wrong. It was the beginning of bloodshed and Chaos in Oakville. The wolves went on a rampage. Killing and turning everyone they came across. No one was safe. “We can't stay here anymore. For your safety and your protection we need to leave” Esme told me over the phone. “You said I had till summer break ended”“Yes… that was before the wolves went crazy. Honestly, I don't know what their gameplay is anymore. Now it feels like they're just killing for the thrill of it.“I just want the rest of this week. That's all I'm asking”I could hear Esme's deep sigh through the phone. “Okay fine. But I'm not promising anything okay? My parents could still call for us to come home, and in that case we don't have a choice”“Yes, I understand. Thank you”“Just don't leave the house, stay inside and start packing. Have a suitcase ready. Have you spoken to your mum yet?”“No I haven't been able to”“You have to tell her the choice
Just then, James returned with his dad. I peeled my eyes from the woman, focusing on the reason I'd come."Sheriff Smith, good afternoon.""Eva, how you doin', James here told me you needed some news articles for a uh, an essay?""Yes, sir.""Okay, you can check our old records, James will take ya,""Come on," James nudged me, and I followed him down the corridor and into a small office by the left. The room was filled with shelves. Stacked on each shelf were books and old news articles. The room wasn't dusty, a sign of regular cleaning. The only furniture in the room was a desk and two chairs on opposite ends of the table. They still looked brand new. Perhaps no one was actually posted in the office. "This is the storage room. Well, one of them. This place is accessible to the public under the right circumstances. The main storage room for sensitive information is elsewhere." I looked at all the work before me. As I advanced further into the room, I saw that the files were properl
Just then, James returned with his dad. I peeled my eyes from the woman, focusing on the reason I'd come."Sheriff Smith, good afternoon.""Eva, how you doin', James here told me you needed some news articles for a uh, an essay?""Yes, sir.""Okay, you can check our old records, James will take ya,""Come on," James nudged me, and I followed him down the corridor and into a small office by the left. The room was filled with shelves. Stacked on each shelf were books and old news articles. The room wasn't dusty, a sign of regular cleaning. The only furniture in the room was a desk and two chairs on opposite ends of the table. They still looked brand new. Perhaps no one was actually posted in the office. "This is the storage room. Well, one of them. This place is accessible to the public under the right circumstances. The main storage room for sensitive information is elsewhere." I looked at all the work before me. As I advanced further into the room, I saw that the files were properl
Esme hadn't returned to the mansion after almost 2 weeks and at that point, everyone was worried. She was practically missing and none of the calls to her phone were going through. Mine and Kieran's mating ritual was happening soon too and it wasn't something that could be postponed. Everyone hoped that she would return before then.But there was no luck. It was the night of the ritual and Esme was still missing. "You look beautiful, Talia told me as she prepared me for the ceremony. I still didn't know exactly what was meant to happen. Esme was supposed to tell me and I never got the chance to ask Kieran. So I was basically going there with no clue of what was supposed to happen. "I'm so nervous" I admitted."Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do great.""Thanks Talia"She smiled at me before she led me outside the mansion where the ritual would happen under the light of the full moon. She escorted me like a brie going down the alter and like a groom, Kieran was waiting at the e
Lying on the floor was the same water that had given me directions to the bathroom. He was sprawled out on the floor, covered in his own blood.I let out a scream, but Kieran quickly held me and pulled me back so I couldn't see the body anymore. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. I'm right here with you. Nothing is going to happen." His voice was soothing, and he succeeded in calming me down."Come with me." Kieran led me back outside, and he notified the manager. Soon, the place was filled with cops. They questioned me, and I told them exactly what had happened. "Are you okay?" Kieran asked me while we waited for the cops to let everyone go."They threatened me, and then they used that poor man to send a message. What kind of people play with the lives of other people like that?" "Rouges can be quite brutish in their ways. They'll go to whatever lengths to prove a point. Whoever did that was here tonight, and they probably slipped out before we even saw the body" "That poor man did
Lying on the floor was the same waiter that had given me directions to the bathroom. He was sprawled out on the floor, covered in his own blood.I let out a scream, but Kieran quickly held me and pulled me back so I couldn't see the body anymore. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. I'm right here with you. Nothing is going to happen." His voice was soothing, and he succeeded in calming me down."Come with me." Kieran led me back outside, and he notified the manager. Soon, the place was filled with cops. They questioned me, and I told them exactly what had happened. "Are you okay?" Kieran asked me while we waited for the cops to let everyone go."They threatened me, and then they used that poor man to send a message. What kind of people play with the lives of other people like that?" "Rouges can be quite brutish in their ways. They'll go to whatever lengths to prove a point. Whoever did that was here tonight, and they probably slipped out before we even saw the body" "That poor man did
I was looking forward to mybdate with Kieran. I didn't do anything fancy, especially because I didn't have any nice dresses that could fit my baby bump. Talia managed to find me a cute summer dress that fit perfectly. and she helped me with my hair and a little bit of makeup."It seems Kieran is really putting in the extra effort," She said"Yeah." "I'm happy for you Eva, you deserve to be happy." I smiled at her through the mirror as she helped me detangle my hair. Kieran knocked on my door at exactly 7:40 pm."Are you ready?" "Yes, I am,""Shall we?" He offered me his arm to take, and I did so gladly. "Where are we going? I asked him as he held the car door open for me.""You'll see." I still hadn't seen most of Blackbourne since I mostly went from home to school and back, and the route the took was on the opposite side of the roads I was more familiar with. Wherever it was that we were going, I felt safe knowing that I was with Kieran. We ended up at a high-end restaurant ove
"I'll admit there's definitely something there," I told Alaric. I didn't want to admit just how deep my feelings were. Alaric laughed. "See, I knew it. You could only play hard to get for so long. Eva's a great girl. Treat her right," He said seriously. I knew I hadn't been fair to her since we'd met, but I intended to change that. I made up my mind that once she recovered and woke up, I would take her out on a date. And then I'd confess to her how I really felt. "You know what? I'll tell her. I'm going to ask her to give me a second chance, and I won't hurt her again." "You better not because Talia's told me to break every bone in your body the next time you hurt Eva's feelings. "I won't. Not again." While we were talking, Leah came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. I made eye contact with Alaric, and he cleared his throat and excused us. "What is it, Leah?" "I miss you,""What do you mean? You see me every day.""Barely. You're always with Eva. Just because she
4 months passed, and I was already in my last trimester. Plans were underway for the mating ritual between me and Kieran. The pregnancy had begun to weigh me down more, something about carrying a wolf baby. The doctor said I would only get weaker because the child was taking more of my life force as it grew bigger. I still didn't know its gender because I wanted it to be a surprise. I twisted in bed and let out a grunt."Be careful, Eva," Talia said as she rushed to help me into a more conformable position. "It's fine, I'm fine. Just...""Extremely weak?""Yeah, that." "I'm really worried about you. You still have 2 months before you have to deliver, and you already look halfway dead. The baby is taking too much from you." This had been Talia's Countenance since the doctor first told everyone about the baby taking up my own life force."It's okay, Talia. I already made it this far. I'll be fine, both me and the baby. You'll see" "I'm just worried about you," "I know." I sighed
James' confession and declaration of love caught me by surprise. I wasn't sure what to say or how to respond. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything just yet. I just wanted you to know" He looked out the window, and silence filled the car for a moment before he spoke again"Did you come alone? Do I need to drop you back?" "Oh, umm... no, I'm not alone. I'll just call him now." I brought out my phone, and Damien picked on the first ring."Hi, can you come pick me up at town Square?""You left the woods on your own?" "Yes, I just wanted to go for a walk. Just come now so we can go. I'm tired already. And not to mention hungry." The pancakes had barely done anything to my slowly growing tummy."I'm on my way,""We could grab a snack if you're still hungry. We're right outside the bakery." James suggested "Oh yes, thank you! That would be great. Just get me the best pastries they've got." James chuckled, "Yes ma'am." James was back very quickly, and I munched down on one of the