Silence fell like a heavyweight after my question. The tension in the air seemed to shift as all eyes turned to rest on me. Abigail’s dark gaze flashed with surprise and a bit of irritation, while Caleb and his twin stared at me as though I’d grown a second head. Khalid on the other hand was nowhere to be found. But it was Ethan’s reaction that hit me hardest. His perforate green eyes locked onto mine, unreadable but persistent in their intensity. It felt like he was searching for something beneath my defiance. His jaw tightened for a brief moment before he finally spoke. “You don’t have a choice.” The bluntness of his words flared a spark of anger in my chest. “Excuse you!” I retorted. “Of course, I have a choice. I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be dragged out here, to be tossed around like someone else’s problem. If I don’t want to go, I simply won’t go.” Ethan stepped closer, his footsteps measured, almost seemingly in a manner that suggested he was approac
I whirled around just in time to see Ethan step into the room, his tall frame casting a commanding presence. My pulse was still hammering at the sudden intrusion. His eyes closed onto me instantly, narrowing as though he could sense the fluttering in my gut. I clenched my fists, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. “Do you mind knocking?” I snapped, immediately hating how breathless I sounded. He didn’t flinch. “We’re taking off soon,” he said evenly, his gaze fixed. “I came to check if you were ready.” “I’m almost done,” I bit out, tugging the hoodie over my head to hide my flustered expression. The kiss... the memory remained, making my chest hurt in the strangest softest way. For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The space between us seemed charged, like something unsaid was hanging there, heavy and unresolved. I waited for him to say something as I had nothing to say. Ethan’s eyes softened just a fraction, his voice dipping lower. “You looked... distracted.” “I’m fin
The temperature in the room seemed to drop for me. Ethan's posture stiffened, a flash of something unreadable crossing his face as Khalid jerked his head toward the far end of the plane. “I appreciate the subtlety,” I quipped sarcastically, pushing my hair back. After all, It was difficult to stifle my curiosity as I was well aware of being the topic of discussion. “Watch her,” Ethan ordered, to who exactly I didn’t know but he was already moving toward the back with Khalid for me to guess who he spoke to. Caleb followed silently, his face grim. I watched them disappear through a reinforced door, my stomach twisting with unease. They were talking about me again. I was not surprised, merely irritated. It felt like everything about Ethan and his friends held secrets. There was a secret in every glance, every exchange, everything said, and everything unsaid. They knew something, that was news no more. However, I would be spending time with them, meaning I would get the chance to
“Alright, time to take off,” Ethan announced, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Buckle up, everyone.” I gaped, my nerves crashing over my gut. It was quite anti-climatic. Why? Because I guessed whatever they discussed would be passed on to me considering I was the topic of discussion. I scoffed to myself. As I thought, I'd have to fish out information myself. I miss home already. No matter what my family could have been hiding from me, at least they made sure to let me feel loved in the middle. Right now, I felt like a chore. Everyone was having a hard time figuring out how to start. The sound of seatbelts clicking into place echoed in the cabin as I did the same. I didn’t know if it was the fact that they were all hiding something or if it was just Ethan’s unsettling presence, but I was feeling dizzy with anxiety. The plane began to rumble as it started its ascent, and my stomach churned with the rising motion. A sense of vertigo settled over me as the air grew thinn
When I stirred, the room was still. The low hum of the plane engines first reached my ears. My body felt surprisingly rested, and the exhaustion from earlier reduced to a faint ache. The blanket I didn’t remember pulling over myself rested snugly against my shoulders, providing warmth against the cool cabin air.But something was off. A sharp, ragged inhale broke the stillness again. I definitely wasn't imagining it.I sat up abruptly, my senses clearing out their sleepy fog to pay attention. Across the bed I lay on, Ethan was hunched over by the wall, his fingers clutching the edge of the armchair. His fingers were deep into the leather like he was holding on for dear life.His broad shoulders trembled, muscles visibly strained beneath his black shirt. His breath came in slow uneven gasps, and despite the muted light, I could see a faint shimmer in his eyes. Not the usual stormy green but a wild, unnatural gold that pulsed like a heartbeat.I gasped. “Ethan?” I called out in a hushed
“Don’t,” he ordered firmly with a low growl but the gentleness in his words was unmistakable. “Never think that. It holds no truth in it and never will.”I blinked, stunned by the intensity in his eyes and the honesty in his words. My cheeks grew warm under his scrutiny and my gut twisted in tingly knots.“I’m not in pain because I’m repulsed,” he whispered, his thumb brushing my cheek with aching tenderness. “It’s because being near you makes it impossible... to suppress what I’ve been feeling... what I feel now.”My breath hitched, heat creeping up my neck. There was no lie in his voice, no hesitation in the way he looked at me like I was something precious, something his. Yet the idea was too unrealistic to fathom.In what reality would anything he said possibly be true?Slowly, cautiously, I reached up to hold his hand that rested against my cheek. His touch was making it hard to think and it felt like I was falling thoughtlessly into his essence.But then, it played right in my e
I could only gape at him. His confession clung to the air like a cold moist fog and it settled on me uncomfortably. A mark. A soul bite. My mother’s request. Me. The narrative made no sense the minute I'd brought myself into the mix.There was no way this was about me. Or so I wanted to believe but I couldn’t deny the oddities in my upbringing and the recent events occurring in my life so far.“Sit down,” Ethan said softly, gesturing to the bed. I followed through, watching him closely. His expression looked haunted in a way I couldn’t understand. “You need to hear this properly.”My skepticism lingered yet I moved and sat, locking my hands in my lap. He remained standing for a moment, as though gathering the courage to continue.“About twelve years ago, your mother brought you to me.” He began, before settling right beside me on the bed. “She came to my father actually,” he corrected himself and I frowned.“You were just a child, but your powers manifested from your original bloodlin
Turning away, I climbed into the bed and curled into a tight ball, feeling more lost than ever. My head throbbed with the weight of it all—my mother’s supposed actions, Ethan’s bond possibly overriding Higan’s rejection.Was it true? Could I afford to believe it?“No!” I exclaimed out loud, sharper than I’d intended. With a groan, I held my head. Thinking so much was hurting.Sleep claimed me before I could fight it, dragging me into an inky darkness. I tried not to groan again. I slept so soundly before I thought I was getting a break from the dreams.Opening my eyes, I figured out where I was immediately. Moonlight spilled through twisted branches, illuminating the familiar dream forest where shadows whispered secrets. The cold air pricked at my skin, and the mud stained my bare feet. I wondered if I could give myself a wardrobe change.I stood where I was the last time I talked to her and the white wolf so I slowly turned, waiting for either of them to show up.A figure emerged fro
“No.” My voice was hoarse but firm.Ethan's gaze snapped back to mine with a frown. I could feel the tension in the way his body coiled, ready to strike.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe past the lingering haze of pain. “It wasn’t an external attack,” I whispered.Silence followed once again. I let it linger because how exactly was I supposed to explain that my sorceress side had manifested as an entity in my mind and it was strong enough to harm me physically?Ethan’s grip flexed, his control razor-thin. I could see it in the way his jaw tightened, in the flicker of something unreadable behind his dark eyes. He was anxious.I licked my lips, forcing the words out. “It was me,” I admitted. “It happened in my dream.”The weight of their gazes pressed in on me.“Explain,” Ethan ordered, biting down on his Jaw.“I've been having certain dreams for a while where I sorta talk to my wolf and this girl,” I paused, twiddling my thumbs.“What did she look like?“ Khalid headed toward
The moment my bare feet met the moist grass of the forest in my dreamscape, I felt it.A sentient shift in the atmosphere.The air felt denser and fully charged with something electric and violent. The trees rustled as they trembled and recoiled from a storm brewing. The usual scent of petrichor and pine was tainted with the acrid burn of unnatural.And there they were.My wolf, white fur stained with mud and an onyx liquid, her eyes burning with molten golden fury.And her opposition. Me.Or rather, the version of me I had come to fear. My doppelganger, the Melbringer. The last time I'd encountered her in my dreamscape, she nearly killed me with her wrath. It looked like my wolf had now taken my place.She swung around wreathed in smoke and tresses, flickering between substance and shadow. Her pallid eyes squinted sharp with amusement with lips curled in a delighted smirk. Whatever was happening, she was relishing it.An opaque filmy force coiled around her fingers, twisting through
I rubbed my palms together before holding them to my face. The thrill rushed through me, bubbling up like a spark catching fire. I would see them pretty soon too.I was going home to my parents, to my mom, to my dad, to Becca, and the rest of Springville.A tightening sensation pulled at the tips of my fingers as my body slowly began to run cold. The rest of Springville? My hands dropped to my sides. To Higan, my mate who had rejected me?My gaze fell to the ground as my body ran colder. I had somehow forgotten about a huge chunk of my life in Springville. The bullying, the rejection, the ostracizing.What would happen when I returned? I proposed that my parents let me stay the rest of the school term at home and my mom agreed but what about college after? Summer break? I would still be in town, under The rule of Higan Sinclair as the Alpha.“Harlyn love?“ Tyler shook me lightly by the shoulder, his voice dipping light with concern.I blinked quickly, forcing a smile. “Sorry, I just g
I adjusted the silver ribbons on the black stair hands before stepping back slightly to assess my work. The mansion’s grand staircase shimmered with strands of warm twinkly lights, and a small tree stood proudly in the foyer waiting to be decorated."Too much, too soon?" I asked with a soft hum, peering at Khalid, who shuffled by the railings hanging garlands in an ugly beige Christmas sweater and denim.He shot me a playful crease of his nose and a smirk. "No such thing. It’s December."My lips quirked up faintly before I exhaled, my fingers lightly tracing the pine needles. The scent of wine and pecan pie wafted through the room with the gentle rhythm of the perky holiday playlist Khalid had insisted on.Boxes of decorations were sprawled across the floor, and tangled vines of mini light bulbs snaked over the furniture like rebellious ivy.It was a heavy contrast from the sight at home when it was just me and my parents. We always made early preparations but none of it rivaled the g
I inhaled deeply, swallowing down the knot growing in my throat. Shaking the lingering tension from my limbs, I shifted my stance and prepared myself.Ethan’s movements remained measured, and deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world to wear me down. And he did. After a while, I was running on fumes, my breaths had grown short and my muscles ached beyond possible redemption. Or so it felt.But I still had enough in me to show I hadn't been playing around in the time that had passed.I pushed forward, my fists tightening as I launched myself at him, aiming for his side. He dodged swiftly, effortless as ever, his body shifting with a frustrating smoothness that made it feel like he was barely trying. Again.I didn't have the energy to dwell on the difference in experience. I simply twisted my heel to strike again. As expected, he caught my wrist mid-swing, his grip firm but not bruising. My pulse lurched, heat and ice warring in my veins.His dark emerald eyes flickered with so
Dressed in the same dark bodysuit as Caleb, Ethan stood in the center of the room with an air of composed authority as he adjusted his digital wristband. His hair had been trimmed shorter and he seemed to have gained mass in some way.What had he been doing? Why was he here in particular? His presence was an instant, unwelcome disruption to the fragile sense of calm I had built over the past weeks.I immediately stiffened, my fingers curled into my palms as I stopped in my tracks and my lips curled in distaste.Caleb, for his part, didn’t seem surprised. He merely gave Ethan a curt nod before turning to me. “I’ll leave you two to it.”He was in on it, of course. I scowled but said nothing, watching as Caleb exited the room, leaving me alone with the one person I least wanted to see.Ethan finally looked up to meet my eyes, my heart pulsed with gentle tremors. It only irritated me further. I hadn't seen him in so long and all he was doing was staring.He seemed to be studying me with a
He studied me for a moment, his tone even. “No offense Harlyn but you're not that formidable to insight much fear in any one of us. We've been around for quite some time, we've dealt with plenty of things, not much counts as scary anymore.”I blinked in surprise. “Okay?“ I flushed from embarrassment, scoffing, “So what's the problem?“From my doppelganger's speculation, they were supposed to be scared of me. Not that I was hoping they would be but that would be the only logical explanation as to their distance.“They don’t think you like them,” he cut straight to the point. “We have played a certain part in your life so far that you've voiced to be infuriating. They believe you dislike them for it and technically you're the one avoiding them.”I had resented them in the heat of my shift but it was for what they had taken part in, keeping me here, hiding things from me, and following Ethan’s orders like my life was something they could dictate. My resentment wasn’t actually for any of
The air carried a subtle scent of pomegranates I suspected was from the new shampoos Khalid bought me two days ago after I got myself a new hairdo. The room was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of pages as I flipped through yet another book on self-control.I wasn’t sure how much good they were doing.Somehow the last conversation I had with Ethan two weeks ago still made a point to play in my mind in unshakable echoes. His explanation about the original werewolf bloodlines, his tales of meeting my apparent mother, Gaiyetre, the mark, and then the warning.'...now that you’re aware of it, you might start waking up parts of yourself that have been dormant this whole time... your real abilities could start manifesting. Things beyond just speed or heightened senses...'To my dismay, he wasn’t wrong. I had been feeling it. Every day since my shift. Some force inside me had been shifting and stirring uncontrolled.The energy in my limbs felt heavier, and denser, like I was carrying a
I dropped my hands to catch what was happening. Out of the corner of my eyes, I picked up the sight of his hands retracting into his pocket, cradling a syringe.“He-he injected me with…” my words slurred, failing to ring out loud enough for anyone to hear over the growing commotion.Before I could try to say more, my legs gave out and I fell.“You'll be fine,” I heard the blue-eyed man whisper to me. It wasn't particularly menacing but I was still terrified.My entire body protested against giving in to whatever liquid was pulsing in my veins at the moment but I couldn't help it, I was fading away.Why wasn't my body countering its effects? That was my last question for the night before I passed out.xxxI was startled right awake sitting atop a soft plushy surface. With a casual feel under my fingers, I quickly realized it was a bed.“Huh?“ I uttered in confusion recognizing the pale green lily lace pattern on the sheets of the bed.It was the same in my room given to me by Ethan. A