The mate bond worked in very perplexing ways, but we werewolves as a whole never truly sought to question it. After all, It posed a blessing from our goddess, who sought to give us comfort in a world that would reject us, and you’re not meant to question blessings. One mate existed to be another functioning part of you, a part of your soul molded outside yourself but made of the same thing. The connection between two wolves fated to be with each other was special, and it allowed certain things to exist between them, including the pain of their rejection. I would know that because despite Higan rejecting me, I could still feel the pain of his actions every time he became intimate with another woman, and the same applied to him. He would feel it if I ever got intimate with a man that’s not him. So, reading his messages opened a Pandora's box of fear and panic I never thought could be triggered in me. The most sickening dreadful idea was sinking in and worse, It would make s
The question echoed loudly in my mind, insistent and relentless in its search for an answer. The kiss felt faint like the leftovers of a dream slipping through my grasp. I hoped for a face, a voice—anything to make some sense out of it but came up with nothing. Was it Higan? No… it didn’t feel like him. The kiss in my memory was raw and consuming, driven by something more profound than desire—a connection that transcended reason. Higan and I did not posses that. Did I dream of it? Was it another dream like the one I had with the white wolf tearing my gut out? Frustrated, I rubbed my temples and let out a groan. My pulse still raced from the phantom sensation. Was this another trick of my scrambled mind, or something real I have long forgotten? The afternoon dragged on, and despite my best efforts to stay awake, exhaustion eventually claimed me. My eyes grew heavier with each passing second until I finally surrendered to sleep. I knew what was coming and it did come.
“I’m not an omega,” the words left my mouth in a weak whisper. Though, the haze of my dream was fading fast. Everything around me turned dark as the rustling trees dissolved into the sharp, rhythmic beeping of my heart monitor. “No, you’re not,” a woman’s voice danced through my thoughts. I tried opening my eyes, but the effort only made my eyelids feel heavier. Panic bubbled in my chest, seeping into every nerve as my body refused to move. "Relax, darling. Just keep dreaming. It’s better that way," the lady cackled softly. Her voice slithered through my mind like a taunt, doing little to comfort me. What kind of sick nurse would play tricks like that? Summoning every ounce of strength, I croaked out, "Nurse?" The word barely escaped my lips before my body betrayed me again, and exhaustion dragged me back down. For a few long, suffocating moments, there was nothing but silence. Then I heard it—a wet, choking sound followed by a heavy thud. My breath caught in my throat a
I turned, startled, as Khalid approached us in hurried strides. My stomach tightened, confusion flaring hot in my chest. "What is he doing here?" The question spilled from my lips before I could stop it. “I’ll explain on the plane Harlyn, but you have to come with me now,” He grabbed a bag from my mother I hadn’t realized she was holding. “Here are some of her things, I trust you can get her more when she needs them,” My mother stated. “My things?” I shrieked in disbelief. “Harlyn, this is serious,” my dad stepped in. I turned to look at him, but his face, illuminated under the moonlight, revealed injuries I hadn’t noticed before. “You’re hurt?” I reached to glaze over the bruise on his nose. Who hurt him? What was happening? I was starting to feel my panic rise at the sudden events, my eyes tearing up. This must be some continuation of that silly dream. They’re just trying to emphasize how my life’s in danger, this couldn’t be real. “Harlyn, you need to go!” My dad or
The road stretched endlessly before us, a ribbon of asphalt snaking through the darkened countryside. The headlights from the van lit the occasional tree or sign, casting passing shadows along the path. The van was silent. It was a chilling sort of silence that only comes after something major has happened and nobody knows what's left yet. I sat there, staring at the floor, my mind replaying the things that happened mere moments ago, most especially, the Melbringer. I heard they rarely came into contact with land owned by werewolves, so why was she there? A warm feeling still crept around in my chest when I thought about her and the image of her gaze searing through me. My heart felt hollow in a way as if it had stopped beating in that instant, yet I was still alive. I wondered if I was overthinking it—her eyes and the pain in my chest. Was it a coincidence or truly an attempt on my life like I felt? But why would she want to kill me? I'm not particularly anyone inte
I absorbed what she had said, trying to grasp the enormity of it all. A part of me wanted to ask more, but something in Abigail’s expression told me this wasn’t the time for a deep dive. The van finally came to a stop, and we reached the small, secluded airport. The reality of what was happening started to settle in. A sudden unease spread through me. I hadn’t imagined in all my years that I'd be lunged into this strange world of Melbringerand unspoken secrets. But now, it was clear that I was being pulled deeper into something I wasn’t sure I understood. Abigail, Khalid, and I climbed out of the van, and I followed them to step closer to the large black plane waiting for us. I didn't want to wonder whose plane it was and why it was being used to smuggle me out of the country against my will. I had enough questions to ask. The air felt cool against the skin of my exposed legs. I looked down at my sandals. I remembered then that I'd barely been able to change. My cheeks
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
Snickers trickled from some groups like a leaky faucet. The spectators around us perked up with thinly veiled curiosity, whispering behind their coffee mugs.“I told you it was her, she just looks different.““... thought she died in the attack.““... returning is so brave.““That's cruel, she's already an omega.“The chattering was incessant. My panic grew. I hadn't lived through any of these humiliating episodes in the months I'd been gone yet one encounter with Tess and I was here all over again. The subject of ridicule.My jaw clenched as I stared down at my thighs, my eyes shimmered with tears of frustration. I felt it. Those old stings behind my ribs, right under my lungs, right at my heart. The bruises pressed too many times.My hands curled around the rim of my mug, fingers tingling with desperation to do something. Why didn't she just leave? Why did she have to do this here?“You really should’ve stayed wherever you disappeared to,” Tess cooed. “But I guess trash always finds
I almost laughed. Almost. Because despite the comical manner in which she said it, there was some truth to it. I would have graver things to worry about. With that in mind, I shouldn't think so much about it.So in the meantime, I settled for enjoying my coffee in my favorite coffee shop like a normal teenager. With the way things were headed, I wouldn't be getting more of those moments anymore.The entrance bell above the door chimed sharply and my gaze darted to the spot out of habit. A gust of wind swept in with it, slicing the warm cinnamon air in two.And just like that, the atmosphere cracked open. Tessandra Harris. She struted in casually, wearing her pride boldly. With her usual entourage of seasonal clones in short skirts, cashmere, tights and jackets, she cut through the shop with her presence.Her gaze sliced the room like a blade looking for someone to gut while her lips were in that perfectly upturned grin that confessed to a false kindness I'd yet to witness.And then, a
Mug shots was one of the few open shops I usually visited when I could. It was smaller with less traction than the popular coffee shop at Town Central. However, it seemed like that had changed. It was peculiarly filled up.As I stepped in, I'm greeted with a wave of cinnamon warmth and curious glances. A glaring contrast from the silence and the occasional texting notifications of the bored barista.The frequently steady hiss of steamed milk and the low murmur of conversations weaving into the hum of Christmas Jazz was not the setting I pictured having a conversation with Becca.But then again, my plans to interrogate her had long been soiled by Abigail's presence.“Quite the hotspot,” said Abigail herself as she swept her gaze through the coffee shop. Many looked away as they met her eyes. Some, albeit dumb boys, threw a few suggestive glances.I tried not to shudder given I'd recognized them from school. “Oddly enough,” I breathe out.“Here,” I blurted, stepping forward to lead. I h
I opened my mouth to argue, but Ethan cut in. “Your mom is right.”I turned sharply toward him, eyes wide and surprised at his agreement. What happened to his initial support yesterday?He exhaled through his nose, clenching his blood-stained fingers. His dark gaze was piercing, locking onto mine with something scrutinizing. “Whatever happened just now, whatever you pushed yourself into, it hurt you. You don’t just bleed from using an ability unless something is pushing back.”He knew there was something more to it. But surely he could tell, I wasn’t going to stop.I forced an easy shrug, running my hand through my hair. “It wasn’t that bad,” I interjected smoothly. “I just got a little too carried away. It won’t happen again.”A lie. One I could tell Ethan didn’t believe for a second. But he didn’t argue anyway.Everyone else watched me for a moment longer as if weighing whether to push further. My dad had long settled down. He had opted to intensely stare at me like he'd always done
“Rebecca Eevecina Geratine, what a mouthful,” Tess had cackled with her friends holding the new student's schedule outside the principal's office.I'd been doing my best to get through the day being invincible but it didn't exactly turn out great. I'd still managed to have Tess dump mop water on me in the girl's bathroom.But then the new student with the odd middle name offered me a change of clothes and kept me company. But that wasn't the moral of the story. I'd seen Becca's full name.Rebecca Eevecina Geratine.My stomach twisted violently. What business did Becca of all people have with a Melbringer?Pain wracked my head, darkening my vision at the edges. My pulse roared against my eardrums, each beat thick and sluggish as if my body was shutting down.I tried to stay upright, to hold on to that last bit of clarity, but the world tipped sideways. I could feel myself seemingly floating and falling at once.But then I stopped, meeting warm hands on the way. Sandalwood permeated my
My heart stuttered in momentary panic as I recalled that moment of blind irrational rage that had my hands around Khalid's head. The voice in that moment. It felt like it took advantage of my unrest and pushed me to hurt someone.What if it repeated itself in this seemingly innocent spar? What if I blur the lines between learning defense and wanting to hurt someone?I sighed, pushing myself up so I was sitting beside her. “Maybe. It's just.” I hesitated, searching for the right words. “I don’t want to lose myself in the urge to win. I feel like there's a part of me that might take advantage of that and hurt someone,” I paused, looking right at her. “Badly.”Abigail was silent for a long moment, her eyes distant. Then, quietly, she uttered, “Khalid.“I ran my hand through my tangled hair, losing the ponytail it was in. “I never really dwelled on it before but suddenly it's right here being a problem.“She hummed again but it had a contemplative tone to it. “Well, sometimes our brains s
“Come on!” the strained words escaped my mouth as I gasped mouth wide.The air was sharp with the chilling bite of winter. It carried with it the scent of damp earth and fresh snow. The sky above was a pale slate, the sun a cold, distant thing barely peeking through the canopy of frost-bitten trees.And I was on my ass. Again.I sucked in a sharp breath hoping to relieve the impact of my back hitting the frozen ground as it was still vibrating through my bones. A plume of white mist left my lips after I exhaled once again, staring up at the skeletal branches above me.Out of the blue, a figure loomed over me, cutting through my line of sight with arms crossed and a smug grin playing at the corner of her lips. “That makes what, eight times?”Abigail. Her dark tresses were tied back in a messy bun, stray strands sticking to her sweat-dampened forehead. Unlike me, sprawled out dirty on the forest floors, she wasn’t winded. She continued standing with that effortless grace she always car
The room was silent, housing only the fading echo of her words.“I saw you at school. You were attacked by Melbringers.”The words sent a pulse of ice through my veins.“Attacked?“ I stared at her, waiting for some sort of clarification. Some piece of information that would make it make sense. Because it didn’t.Yet the situation felt oddly familiar. Something similar had been said before by her when we first met at the back of my school with Becca.“I’ve seen this before, More times than you can imagine.”A premonition? A vision? Wait, that was ridiculous. Werewolves can't have abilities to look into the future. Right? Even with the little I knew about originals, that would be out of place even for them.But then, I felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, felt the way my parents tensed, the way even Tyler shifted uncomfortably. I licked my lips, trying to push past the tightness in my throat.It couldn't be true right?“I don’t…” I glanced at Ethan who stared straight ahead hoping
The drive back to the Stark mansion was surreal as if the world outside the car had softened at the edges. Ethan had called snow plowing services to clear out our path and from there, it was easy driving.The storm had passed, leaving behind a stillness that felt almost reverent. The sky was a crisp blue interrupted with bits of clouds being pushed away by a desperate rising sun.There were still bits of winter gloom in the ambiance but it didn't feel so to me. I couldn’t stop smiling.It wasn’t the well-measured smile I had grown accustomed to putting on, it was real. Something delightful was bubbling up from deep within me. A first in years.My fingers danced absently over my lips, still tingling from Ethan’s kiss. My whole body hummed with the lingering warmth of him, the weight of his hands, the gentleness of his hold.I had made the choice. And now I sat here, giddy and restless, my heart fluttering like I had swallowed an entire flock of butterflies on a sugar high. Did butterfl