After that day, everything changed. I hardly ever saw Kieran again, and when I did, I acted like he was a ghost I couldn't see. Sadly, Esme continued acting strange, and she became distant. She was always going somewhere, and sometimes, she wouldn't be back for days. Somehow, I was the only one who noticed since everyone else was always busy, too. I tried to talk to Esme about it once, but it didn't go too well."Esme, is something wrong? you've been acting strange, and I hardly ever see you these days." "Yes. I'm just busy." Esme wasn't schooling, and to my knowledge, she didn't have a job. She wasn't even interested in getting involved in the family business along with Kieran. So I couldn't figure out what could possibly be keeping her 'busy'"I'm actually kind of worried about you. You know you can always talk to me, right?" She snapped when I said that, and she got defensive. "Don't try to lecture me, Eva. I'm fine, just because I'm not trying to become a doctor doesn't mean
"Good morning." That was the first thing anyone said to me that day, and it was very early in the morning. "Happy birthday. It was also unexpected because it wasn't the first voice I thought I'd gear that day.I knew Esne had planned my party along with Talia, but seeing her early in my room that morning and with a breakfast tray just felt strange."Thank you," I replied, and I sat up in my bed."It's your big day! Eat up. We've got much to do,""What time is it?" I asked groggily as I picked up my cutlery."9am," Esme said cheerily, "I want to go back to sleep. I don't need to be awake, do I? Just come get me when the party's starting" "Nice try. Have breakfast. I'll come back later," I grudgingly did as Esme said. Thankfully, I was famished, and the food tasted delicious for a change. Esme did drag me out of bed early noon, and Talia was already around, working with the help to decorate. "Okay, this feels a bit much... How many people are coming again?" I asked as I noted all t
The room had gone completely silent after the doctor's revelation."She's pregnant." What an appropriate way for everyone to find out what had happened between me and Kieran. Although I still couldn't believe it myself. I was pregnant! Everyone stared at me in shock as the realisation of the matter seemed to hit them all."Are you sure...?" Esme asked, the doubt was clear in her voice. I could tell what was running through everyone's minds. When did Kieran and I get that close. A party of me wondered if anyone doubted the baby was even Kieran's. My head was spinning, and all I wanted was to rest. "Yes. I'm positive. She's five weeks pregnant." It was then I realised my period was almost a month late, but I'd been too occupied to pay any attention to it or worry. I was really pregnant. "When did... I mean how...?" I knew exactly what Esme was trying to ask, but it wouldn't be polite, especially not in front of so many people. I already felt hot and anxious under the spotlight. "I
My first trimester passed in a flash. I'd already stopped going to school, Esme had made arrangements for me to write any tests or exams online after I'd insisted. I didn't want to feel inhibited in any way so I wouldn't grow to resent the child. Talia had been staying with us since and of course no one had any problems with it and even if they did, I wouldn't care. Kieran became slightly less of a pain, and he made sure to check up on me or rather the baby every day. I never pictured Kieran to be the father type, but he seemed genuinely happy at the prospects of having a kid. I couldn't be sure that it wasn't just because of what the child would mean to his kind. I remembered the day Esme was in the room with me, and she was talking about how she could probably hear the baby's heartbeat already if she tried hard enough, and Kieran walked in. "If I tapped into my wolf senses, I'm pretty sure I could," She said, and then she spotted Kieran. "Oh, perfect timing, for once. Come here."
"Eva..." "Leave me alone, Kieran. I don't want to talk to you or even see your face right now. Congratulations, you got what you wanted, and I'll be out of your hair soon." A feeling a hurt crossed his expression, but it was only temporary. "I'll leave if that's what you want.""Yes. It is" He nodded his head and then left. I closed my eyes because I told myself I wasn't going to cry or break down again. I would just add it to the list of all the bad things Kieran had done. He was beyond redemption.There was no point trying anymore.That night flashed through my mind again, but it was no longer warm, and it didn't bring a smile to my face anymore. It was dark and cold, and all I wanted to do was forget it. I placed my hand on my belly. I wasn't going to hate the baby or let it grow up without its mother. I knew what it felt like having just one parent. Kieran had lost his mother too. We were both too damaged to raise a child alone. I wouldn't let my baby pay for the sins of its
"And remember this child, not all of them can be trusted." Mrs Danbury’s final words to me as I left echoed in my head. How would I cope if I didn't even know who to trust? Was someone I trusted going to betray me? Who wanted to hurt my baby? I'd gotten lost in my thoughts, and I ended up walking all the way to town. I was so carried away that I didn't notice a vehicle coming towards me at full speed. By the time I realised it was too late and I froze in a spot waiting for the worst. At the last minute, someone came and pushed me out of the way.We both landed on the floor, but thankfully, I'd landed on my back and mlt on my belly. I only saw the back of the vehicle as it sped off. That didn't seem like I accident, my subconscious told me. "Eva! are you okay?" It was James who had paused me out of the way in time. He'd saved my life again. "Oh James, thank God" I sighed as relief washed over me. "What were you thinking Eva!" He exclaimed. There were only a few passers by and the
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
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
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