I glance back at the house where the music blasts through the open door and windows. I can't believe that Max is such a pervert. The party has not even been going on for more than two hours. What is he on? Just because we are dating, does not mean that he can just do what he wants. Consent babes, consent."Team" by Iggy Azalea plays and I hum while tapping my foot on the driveway to the beat. I remember how all the girls thought they were the shit when this song came out. And not just the girls, the lads too. They would play this song whenever they got the chance. It was one of those songs that made you feel insanely cool. I mean, I'm feeling chuffed right now as it plays. I take the last sip of the gin and stand up. If I want to make the best of tonight, I should get back in there. I'll just try to avoid Max. Plus, it is so crowded in there it won't be a problem. I slowly dance my way back to the house and force my way through the door. I didn't think that so many people would show
"Why the fuck would you do that?" I ask with frustration, the music still booming in the background. This was not in the original story. I pace back and forth in front of Max.Max and Kate stayed together for the whole story, or at least until where I read. I stop right in front of Max with my arms crossed across my chest. He leans back in the leather seat."You didn't want to do anything," Max mutters, struggling to talk properly. I laugh in disbelief and walk closer to him. I'm towering over him, my nails digging into my arms. I can't believe the nerve of this twat. "You drugged my friend, forcing her to the bedroom because-" I stop to take a deep breath. I cannot even begin to process his thought process. "Because I didn't want to "satisfy your needs". So you force yourself on an innocent girl, Allison, because what? No one will believe her? She is an easy target? You are a fucking horrible person. I hope you burn in hell." I unfold my arms and give a step back. I don't want to be
A sharp noise rings in my ears and I shoot up. What time is it? I feel around on the bed for my phone and see that it is my mother calling. Why would she call at half past four?She might be testing to see whether I answer or not. If I answer, it will look suspicious and she can use it as proof that we were partying. But it could also be an emergency. Her number appears as a missed call and I open my messages.We are coming home earlier. We will be there around 10:00. Hope you behaved yourselves.Shit, we still have to clean up. I kick my shoes off and throw my hair into a loose bun. I can recall that Kate and Oliver were caught by their parents because they didn't clean the mess they made. I do not want to spend the rest of my time here grounded.I tiptoe past my room toward Oliver’s room and knock on his door. There is complete silence.I knock again, but the lights are off and the door is locked. I am going to kill him. With a defeated sigh I make my way down the stairs.Cups and
I try to open the front door of Ally's house, but something is blocking it from opening all the way. With a struggle, I manage to squeeze through the small opening with Ally in my arms. Jake offered to carry Ally to her room, but I know she would not feel comfortable with that. I glance over my shoulder to the car where Jake is waiting for me.I close the door and see what was blocking the door. Ally's mother is passed out on the floor in front of the door. Looks like she also had a fun evening.I walk with Ally to her room and I place her on the small bed. She groans again and rolls over, almost falling off her bed. I catch her and put her in the middle of the bed. I pull a blanket over her before slowly heading back.As I step out of her room, I notice for the first time the condition of this house. Wine bottles and beer cans are spread out on the floor. The couch is occupied with even more bottles. How does Ally live in such a mess? In my attempt to walk through the bottles, I rem
Let me tell you, I didn't even stress like this when I had to write the entrance exam. I have been thinking about this since Sunday and now that I'm here, I am freaking out and there is nothing that I can do.I glance at the door from my seat in Art class. Jake hasn't arrived yet and I'm a complete mess. I need to return his jacket without making it awkward, but it might not go as planned. I clutch my stomach and rest my forehead on the table, forcing myself to take deep breaths. Why am I feeling so anxious about this? It is nothing important to worry about. The image of him flinching away has been on replay in my head since it happened. I still feel stupid. Ugh. I tap my forehead against the table with a soft sigh."Are you okay?" I whip my head up when I recognize the voice. Jake sits next to me and stares at me in concern. I force a smile and nod."Yeah, I'm fine," I lie and try to control my breathing. He lifts a brow and his eyes travel to my arms, which are still clutching my st
I groan with a mouthful of food. I ignore him when he appears next to Ally."Sup?" He falls next to her and puts his plate on the grass in front of him. So he is sitting with us now? Great, there goes my peace and serenity. This, this right here, is my thirteenth reason. I continue eating my sandwich and keeping my eyes glued to the grass. I do not want to look at him. More footsteps approach us and Jake sits down next to Tyler."Hey," he greets us and digs into his food. He appears to have recovered from whatever happened in Art. I click my tongue when I realize that I don't have my bag with me. I will give him his paper later.Ally looks like she is about to explode with excitement. I sigh and cross my legs, placing my arm on my leg and resting my head on my hand. Before I can take another bite, Oliver's voice blares through the air. I snap my head in his direction and see Cora walking next to him. Fuck me! They also walk toward us and Oliver sits next to me. Cora pats the grass, fee
I lean against my locker with my arms crossed, watching the other students rushing to the information board in the main hall. A large group has bundled together in front of the board and the atmosphere is tense. I inhale shakily to get my nerves under control.The school announced that the lists of names who made the team will be placed on the board. Everyone is dying to see whether they made the football, cheerleading, or volleyball team. I have to admit that I am stressed out about this and I am quite sure I made the team.The cheering of some students gets my attention and I smile at their enthusiasm. We are not a lot of students in this school, so the odds are in your favor to make some team. I am waiting for the crowd to disappear before taking a look. I shift my weight from one foot to the other and uncross my arms."Yes, I knew it! I don't know why I even worried about it." I hear Greyson say with relief. He starts a chant and the other jocks join in as they head out of the buil
I look at my watch with a frustrated sigh. My leg bounces in anticipation while I glance around, waiting for Ally. Where is she? She should hurry up, otherwise, we are going to be late. I stand up from the sidewalk near her house and pace in front of her house. I pull out my phone to check whether she has sent a message. Nothing.The front door opens and I smile, but it falters when I see Ally's mom. She looks quite terrible, no offense. Where is Ally? Did something happen to her? I walk closer to the woman with furrowed brows."You here for Ally?" The woman sounds like she has just woken up. I nod my head and she walks to me with a slight limp. When she stops in front of me, I smell the alcohol on her and I have to prevent myself from scrunching my nose in disgust. She pulls me in for a hug. I don't want to be impolite so I put my hands on her back, tapping softly."She left with a guy earlier this morning," she says after she lets me out of her grip. I bite my lip and take a look
I trace small patterns on Jake’s arm, my head resting on his shoulder. His hold around my middle is firm, reassuring, his body pressed against mine like an unshakable force in the chaos of my emotions.The tears have not stopped. They keep coming, each one dragging more guilt to the surface. Jake’s arms tighten around me as if he can somehow keep me together when I feel like I might shatter.I focus on the steady rise and fall of his breathing. I try to anchor myself in the warmth of his presence. As I cry, my heart aches for him too. He has suffered because of me, endured so much because of the choices I made. Each sob makes me want to apologize over and over, to take it all back, but I know I never can. The damage is already done. And yet, here he is, holding me, staying with me, despite everything.Something shifts in that moment. For the first time in months, I don’t feel completely alone. Jake’s presence helps me breathe through the pain, grounding me in the moment.Time stretc
My eyes flutter open as I wake up, a soft groan escaping my lips. My body stretches out against the sheets, actually rested. It has been quite a while since I felt this rested. The light seeps through the curtains and covers the room in a muted glow.I blink at the clock beside my bed. The numbers blur together before they finally click. Oh shit.A jolt of panic shoots through me as I sit up too fast, my heart pounding. I’m late. Way too late.Adrenaline kicks in and I scramble out of bed. I yank on a loose hoodie without bothering to check the mirror. My shift at the diner. I was supposed to be there hours ago.I hurry down the stairs, my feet stumbling over themselves while I try to shake off the grogginess. When I reach the kitchen, I freeze in the doorway.Jake is sitting at the table, a plate of breakfast in front of him. My mum is chatting away, smiling like she has not seen him in years. Well, she has not seen him in months. My stomach twists, a strange mix of guilt and grati
The shrill beeping of Kate’s alarm jolts me awake. I groan, my hand fumbling for the offending noise. I finally find the button and silence it. She does not even stir, still tucked into the blanket like she does not have a care in the world.I roll out of bed, rubbing a hand over my face before glancing back at her. Peaceful. Oblivious. Shaking my head, I grab a shirt from the floor and throw it on before stepping out of the room.The faint smell of coffee hit me before I reach the kitchen. Her mom stands at the counter, humming quietly as she flips through a magazine. When she sees me, her face lights up.“Jake!” she says with a warmth I have forgotten. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.”She crosses the room in a few quick steps and wraps me in a hug. I stand there awkwardly for a second, then pat her back.“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Lauder,” I say, managing a small smile.“Oh, stop it with the ‘Mrs. Lauder.’ It’s Ellie.” She pulls back with her hands on my arms as she beams up at m
The weight of my thoughts lingers as I lay there, staring at the ceiling. It feels wrong. It feels so wrong, being here, tangled in memories, in confusion, in pain. But I can’t leave. Not yet.My phone buzzes and I glance at the screen. Wes.I swipe to answer, the coldness creeping into my chest. “What?”“Where are you?” Wes asks, his voice steady, but I can hear the undercurrent of concern.I sigh while rubbing a hand across my face. “Kate’s.”There’s a pause, too long. “What are you doing at Kate’s house?” His voice is sharper.I feel the heat rise in my chest, anger flaring at the mention of her name. “Why do you care where I am, Wes? She’s the reason four of our pack is dead. She’s the reason you and I were shot. She’s the reason everything’s messed up.”Wes sighs deeply on the other end of the line. “It’s a long story, Jake.”“I’ve got time.”Wes breathes out, and then reluctantly, he begins.“When the bullets were flying, when we were under attack, Kate came crawling to me,” he
Her breathing is soft and even, the sound hypnotic. I lie stiff beside her with my body angled away, but my eyes? They are locked on her face. Peaceful. Unburdened. It pisses me off because I know better.Kate’s betrayal plays on repeat in my head. I see it every time I close my eyes. That bastard hunter leader throwing his arms around her, smiling as if she was making him proud. And Kate? She did not fight it. No resistance, no denial. She stood there, complicit.The rage I’d felt that day... hell, it still burns. My vision tunneled, my wolf practically tearing at the seams, demanding blood. But I did not move. Not fast enough, anyway. The gunfire cut through the chaos first.Two of my packmates dropped before I could even process what was happening. The sound of their bodies hitting the dirt, the coppery stench of blood. It’s still fresh, like it just happened yesterday. The other two... we lost them later. Their injuries were too far gone, too much for even our strongest healers.F
The engine hums to a stop, leaving us in thick silence. My hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white as I force myself to take a breath. I can feel her sitting beside me, her presence like a weight in the air—one that suffocates and comforts me all at once. I should say something. Anything. But I don’t.Instead, I shove the door open and step out into the cool night. My boots hit the ground with more force than I intend, the sound breaking the stillness. I don’t look back as I head to the truck bed. I lower her bike carefully with automatic movements.“Here,” I mutter, placing it down more gently than she probably deserves. “Your bike.”“Thanks.” Her voice is distant, detached, and it cuts through me sharper than any knife. She takes the bike and heads toward the garage without looking at me. I watch her retreat, torn between wanting to follow and wanting to get as far away from her as possible.I hate her.I hate her for the blood on her hands. For the four pack members I’ll ne
The diner is eerily quiet, the kind of silence that presses down on me as I step inside. The lights are dimmed. The faint scent of grease and coffee linger in the air. My footsteps echo faintly against the tiles as I head to the counter, stopping just short of the counter. From the kitchen, I hear movement. There is a shuffle, the clang of dishes, and then her voice.“We’re closed,” Kate calls out, her tone firm but weary.I do not move. I just stand there, staring at the swinging door that separates us.When Kate pushes through the door, wiping her hands on a towel, her breath catches in her throat. Her eyes lock onto mine. There is a fraction of fear before resignation flickers across her face. Resignation or Acceptance. I can’t tell.“Kate.” I hear the hate in my own voice. It sounds like I want to kill her. I kind of want to.She looks exhausted. She has given up. On herself, on life. On me.I stride forward, crossing the distance between us in two long strides. My hands grip her
The familiar hum of the diner’s lights buzzes faintly against the backdrop of clinking dishes and quiet conversation. I lean against the corner of my truck, parked just far enough from the diner to remain unseen while I watch through the glowing windows as Kate moves through the space like she belongs there. Her apron is tied loosely at the back and her dark hair is in a messy braid. She smiles at a customer and my chest aches in a way I do not want to admit.I had followed Wes straight from Kate’s house, adrenaline buzzing through my veins. My thoughts were chaotic and loud. Seeing Wes give Kate a hug before leaving had been the final straw. How could Wes, someone who had been shot because of her, stand there and act like nothing had happened?Cornering Wes had been impulsive, but I was not in the mood to think twice.Wes did not even flinch when I shoved him against a tree next to the road.“You’re getting real comfortable at her place, aren’t you?” I felt my wolf fighting to take o
When he pulls up to my house, the engine quiets, but neither of us makes a move to get out right away. The moment stretches and just when I think Jake might say something, He opens his door and steps out. Without a word, he walks to the back of the truck and carefully pulls my bike off.“Here,” he says while he places the bike down. “Your bike.”“Thanks,” I say, my voice a little more distant than I intended. I take the bike from him and head to the garage, the weight of the day still hanging heavily on my shoulders. I step into the garage and place my bike against the wall, making sure it’s safe, but the act of doing something small is hardly enough to shake off the anxiety gnawing at me.I feel Jake’s gaze burning into me while I walk back from the garage. I come to a stop, taking a breath before turning to face him.Jake stands there with a rigid posture rigid but his eyes are softer than before. There’s a hesitation in him, something almost human. It makes me feel a little less