I flinched with a gasp, raising my hand to my chest at the show of hate written on her face. Her usually lovely countenance was twisted into something cynical and angry.“After years of being suffocated!“ She screeched, her hair straightening sharply, shooting into the trees. “You still haven't called for me!“ “Wh-what do you mean?“ I stammered, holding my chest as it slowly began to hurt.“You reached for the mutt instead of me! I'm part of you too, you know!“ She seethed with a boom as her hair crashed into trees, biting down on her teeth. Her body hummed with light and will-o-wisps of onyx and purple.“No you're not!, you're a figment of my imagination,” I countered her words. Her claim sounded ridiculous.Was my dream spiraling because I was? Nothing was making sense. Sure she looked like me but there was no way she had much to do with me. She was a mere manifestation in my head to cope with whatever changes I've been experiencing for the past weeks.She had always been somehow h
I gasped awake but the minute I inhaled deeply, I choked on my pain.The entirety of my body hurt to the point I was momentarily convinced I was being torn apart. Every muscle and joint ached as though I had been beaten from the inside out.My chest heaved in and out. The dry air felt thin and foreign as it rushed into my lungs. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the agony would subside. It didn't.Blinky rapidly, I slowly managed to push away the fog in my mind as the clarification of my situation settled in. As the pain simmered in, I became acutely aware of the cold sensation beneath me, pressing into my bare skin.“What the,” I uttered a groan involuntarily. I was lying on the floor, completely naked too. Shards of dirt clung to my pores, stinging softly.A wince eased out as I struggled to sit up. My body was protesting and my hands trembled as I tried to push myself upright.I wasn’t in the forest. I wasn’t in the dreamscape. I was back in the den. Looking around, I found myself to
I peered at her with squinted lids, my fists trembling at my sides. Anger surged through me but guilt trailed closely behind. She was part of this, part of the lie that had kept me in the dark. But I had murdered Khalid in cold blood. That fact loomed over me, a weight I couldn’t shake, no matter how much I wanted to rage at her.Still, I couldn’t stop the venom in my voice as I hissed, “Sure you don't want to lock me up more for the kick of it?“Abigail’s eyes flicked to mine, but she didn’t say anything. She simply turned on her heel and walked out of the den without another utterance.My hands trembled as I pulled on the clothes she’d thrown at me. The hair on my skin was standing, and my heart was pumping faster than necessary. There was so much going on.Was I really part Melbringer? How could that be possible? Why did my parents leave me with Ethan? What weren't they telling me? The secrets were everywhere, tangled and suffocating.And to top it all off, the image of Khalid’s li
"No. That's impossible. I saw you. I felt you..." I stumbled back in a hurried manner. My knees threatened to give way but I stood still regardless as I clutched my chest.My mind reeled as the scene of Khalid's lifeless body replayed against my will in my head. The feeling of his hair between my hands when I held his head, the sound of his neck snapping, and the loud thud when the weight of his body met the floor. Had I imagined it? Misread the signs?“You’re alive?" The words weakly left my mouth in half a gasp and half an accusation. My brows were heavy as they wrinkled tightly. Relief flooded my chest the second it clicked in my head that I didn't kill him but confusion swamped my thoughts.I stared as he stood but Khalid simply reached to scratch the back of his neck. It was off-putting, the way his lips twitched into a nervous half-smile like he wasn't dead hours ago. “Yeah, surprise?”“You’re alive," I uttered again but it was more of a pointed accusation. Whatever sense of gui
My brow furrowed as his words sank in, confusion hardening further into frustration. “A threat? How does that even—”“They broke the laws of both worlds, Harlyn,” Ethan interrupted. “Werewolves and sorceresses aren't meant to mingle, talk more of procreating together. You were born of an unnatural union, and the supernatural world doesn’t take kindly to new things it can’t control.”Abigail stepped forward, her voice softer but firm. “Your father died protecting you, Harlyn. And your mother… she made a deal with Ethan.”I snapped my head toward Ethan, my jaw tightening. “A deal with you? You said, my mom,” I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat, “made a deal with your father.“Ethan exhaled, his shoulders stiffening. “That's where the other secret comes into play.“ He coughed before folding his hands behind his back.“There's a peculiar trait with original werewolves born in the bloodline when they,” he stepped forward before he continued, “ when we shift.“I didn't think my frown
I broke Tyler's neck.He will be fine given if Ethan was telling the truth about them being Immortal but the weight of what I had just done threatened to swallow me whole.However, My legs didn't give me room to breathe, survival screamed louder. The others would be coming, I had to move. So, I spun on my heel and bolted down the stairs, the large doors clear in sight to run through. I headed right for it but I hadn’t expected my unnatural speed.The world blurred into slithery beams around me as I tore through the mansion past the lingering silhouettes of Abigail and Caleb. I didn’t stop to register their expressions, I only had time to acknowledge the thunder of my own heartbeat.I was fast. Faster than I had ever been.The wind rushed past my hair as I shot through the estate’s iron gates, my feet barely registering the pavement under my soles. My muscles hummed with an electrifying energy, each stride propelling me forward at an inhuman pace.It was exhilarating.For a quick momen
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
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
“Pray tell mutt,” Ethan spoke in a measured resonant growl, stopping right in front of Higan. “Why shouldn't I end your misfortune-stricken life right now?“Higan’s shoulders twitched, his fingers flexing like he was considering something reckless. Then the groans got louder. I frowned, darting my gaze toward the source of the sound.I couldn't feel it myself but I knew somehow. Perhaps from the way my body hummed, or from the growing urge to touch Ethan, I knew. It was another pulse of authority.Higan’s breath hitched, and I watched, stunned, enthralled, terrified, as the weight of Ethan’s presence pressed him lower. I sucked in a shallow breath, my gaze darting from one to the other.“That's your defense? More thoughtless recklessness?“ Ethan mocked.I couldn't see the face he was making, all I could see was his back and his head tilted down as he looked down on Higan.The moment stretched, a battle of will and submission, but there was never a real fight. Higan never had a chance.
"Leftovers, that's what you are! Get that through your thin-molded skull," Higan’s voice was gruff and serrated as his words gutted me open.My gloves had frozen solid from my nerves exploding, I couldn't even try to defend myself with them in the way. I desperately wanted to freeze his hands off, to get him off me but I was stuck tight between his hold.His grip on my arms was anything but gentle as his fingers pressed deep enough to bruise and it did. My skin stung under the fabric of my sweater. I winced out loud, grimacing from the growing pain.I tried to find my voice, to tell him off but my words fell apart on my tongue. It lacked the spine I wanted to display.Yet, a strange form of violence was brewing in my blood. I recognized the rage. It was my wolf's. She was pushing for control, she wanted to fight.As much as I'd love to let her, I was at the mercy of his pack grounds. He was still the alpha and I could get killed even if it was self-defense.I was helpless. The realiza
He leaned leisurely against the far end of the wooden fence, half-shadowed by the yellow garden lights. A cigarette burned lazily between his fingers, the ember flaring as he took a slow, unhurried drag.The smoke curled past his lips, dissipating into the cold air like a ghost slipping through the cracks of reality. It was a haunting sight. Like I'd met the devil during his smoke break.His hoodie was pushed back slightly, his dark hair stark against the night. He looked untouched by the cold as if winter had decided he was too untouchable, too distant to claim.I had no idea how long he’d been standing there. Watching. His black eyes flicked to me, amused yet seemingly unbothered like he was expecting this.Something sharp and ugly twisted in my stomach. Fate was being cruel bringing us together. That was another messed up manifestation of our bond. Mates will always find a way to meet. It applied even when I didn't want to.Higan exhaled another slow breath of smoke before finally
The Stark mansion had been quiet. My room had been quiet. The kind of quiet you tell yourself is good but it still settled deep in your bones, heavy and suffocating. This place? The opposite. The towering wooden cabin downtown loomed ahead as Caleb drove closer to the crammed makeshift parking lot. Colored lights spilled from the building's tall windows, illuminating the sea of people sparsed onto the porch and yard. The air pulsed with bass-heavy music, I could feel it despite still being locked in the car. It almost marched my thundering heartbeat. Thank goddess for gloves or the entire car seat would be as frost-coated as the trees. I was unraveling. “Let's get the Christmas debauchery started,” Tyler quipped as he swung the car door open from the passenger seat at the front. “They're teens Tyler, not minx strippers in Vegas,” Caleb threw the concerning comment. I ignored it. “Thanks,” I muttered to Tyler who'd taken it upon himself to open my car door. Perhaps he sensed
His eyes flicked over me like he was peering right through my excuses. A quiet, knowing pause stretched between us before he finally spoke. “Surely you're not hiding in this room for their sake, right?“I blinked at him at his tone. He'd become too serious too fast. I clenched my jaw, looking away. My fingers itched so I gently played with my fingertips. “I’m not hiding.”His boots thumped closer and I looked right at him as he stood next to the bed. “Come then,” he challenged with a tilt of his head.“You should go.“ My wolf urged, her voice dancing through my thoughts. It felt like she'd accepted his challenge. I wasn't sure what to feel.On one hand, I hated to admit it but I was hiding and if I continued like this, it'd take longer to leave the house. On the other hand, I wasn't sure it was right to confront them all.Though, I did want to see someone. Becca. I hadn't heard much about her since I returned and I owed her an explanation for my disappearance. But I was hoping it woul
Things had surely been awkward for a while but I was really working toward moving past that and forward to whatever new thing would surely soon be sprung on me.I climbed down my bed and my feet met the chilly floor. The room must have dropped in temperature again when I'd slept. I was starting to get used to it, the sudden chill that clung to my space. It helped that December had settled in, and snow had begun its slow descent over the town.A week went by too fast, caught up in the process of my parents moving into the Stark mansion with whatever remained of our things. I thought it was odd that our old house was left empty until I found out that the Melbringer had crashed the building in search of me.I was sure the town was filled with gossip now about the Sage family moving in with the small mysterious pack of teens at Eldrood Street. But I wouldn't really know, I haven't stepped a foot out yet.That was a lie. I'd been using my sight and hearing, stretching it past the house to
“Harlyn.” My mom reached for my hand, but I pulled away faster before she could touch me. It wasn't necessarily on purpose, it was more an instinct to reject whatever she wanted to tell me.Her eyes widened in surprise before her face crumpled, but I looked away. I didn't have it in me to care even if I didn't mean to hurt her.“Parenting you was the last order given to us by our Alpha,” my dad said finally. His voice was steady, but I caught the way his fingers tensed against the dresser. “Your father. Alpha Torren Lockwood of the Moonstone Pack.”His words settled over me like frost. I let them sink in. Let them claw their way inside me and burn me cold. I shivered.The last order. It was an assignment. A responsibility handed down by some dead Alpha I’d never even known.My heartbeat was a dull thud in my ears. “So when he died, I technically became your problem.”“No,” my mom whispered, her voice cracking. “It was never like that.”“Then how was it?” I snapped curtly.My dad stood
A knock resonated through Ethan Stark's office study and I'd never been so grateful to be interrupted.Ten minutes ago I'd been sat on his desk as he ravaged me with his mouth but he'd quickly rejected another round of a makeout he initiated and I was feeling pretty silly.“I should go,” I rushed right for the door, ignoring the pounding of my heart against my chest and the lingering sensation between my legs.“Your mom's asking for —” I walked right past Tyler as he spoke, not in the mood for whatever reaction he'd give to my apparent state.I shouldn't let anyone see me like this. No one that mattered anyway.Running my hand to smoothen my clothes, I walked back to the living room to look for my parents. With the authority off, they should be able to look me in the eye and hold me perhaps without feeling like they're crossing a line.They were gone and my heart sank further. I listened in for them, trying to catch their heartbeats in the passing wind. I did. They were upstairs, in m
“I know,” he whispered back, his warm breath fanning my face.His heavy musky sandalwood scent had found its way to my nose, and the heat of his body made me hyperaware. We weren't touching, but even the slightest movement could change that.“Relax,” he ordered harshly, but it sounded more addressed to himself rather than me. He was really pushing himself, or so it seemed to me.“I am relaxed, are you?” I retorted sharply, resisting the urge to swallow the torrents of butterflies raging through my gut.“You're icing the table,” he tilted his head to his right, his hair shifting slightly to cradle his forehead.I was? As if to affirm it, my fingers itched with a familiar icy feeling. “You didn't answer me,” I shot back in defense, keeping my gaze locked with his deep-pooling amber pair.“Turn it off,” he insisted.“I can't,” I told him honestly.“Please,” he faltered, leaning in closer to rest his arms by my side, his head hung low by my left shoulder. Both his palms were against the t