-Corrine-I woke up to a groan and a jolt of pain.It took me a few seconds to realize that the groan was coming from my lips.My eyes slowly opened and the first thing I saw was Andrew. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on me.“Where am I?”“My room.”He helped me sit and let me catch my breath, feeling the presence of all my limbs.“I thought I was dead,” I muttered as I raised my hand and examined my fingers. I winced as I moved my shoulder and then I glanced at it. That’s when I realized I wasn’t wearing any clothes. I could see a pretty wide scar there.“Leana hurt you pretty bad,” Andrew murmured, following the direction of my gaze. “I thought it would never heal.” He reached out and grasped my hand. “I thought you would never wake up again.”He lifted my hand and brought it to his lips, then kissed it as he closed his eyes.I felt that what he was doing was overly dramatic, but I didn’t understand why he was acting like that. “I’m not dead,” I grumbled. “Sto
-Corrine-As soon as I heard my parents being dragged into this conversation, I sat up. “What?!”Andrew, sleeping next to me, was startled, and he woke up with a wide-eyed look. “What’s wrong, baby?”I ignored him and continued talking to Eva. “What else did he say?”“Um—he said that you should read the letter and contact him as soon as possible.” Eva cleared her throat. “Is everything okay? Are your parents in danger?”I wanted to say that my parents were fine, but I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t impossible for Jerome to do something to them, and Trevor couldn’t do anything if none of the pack members defended him either.The news about me running off with a lycan must have spread within the pack and I was sure they all hated me now instead of sympathizing with me because I had found my mate.“I don’t know,” I said then, trying to be at least one bit honest with Eva. “I’ll come to pick up the letter. When do you finish classes?”After Eva gave me her schedule for today, we ended the convers
-Corrine-Daniel’s mouth opened and closed before he exclaimed, “It’s—it’s for your own good!”I was too angry and shocked to speak. No words came out of my open mouth, because—damn—Daniel’s behavior left me speechless.“Who do you think you fucking are?” The audacity of him for interfering in my life after he dumped me frustrated me.I poked his chest with my forefinger. “The day you dumped me was the day you should have stopped interfering with my life! You dumped me, Daniel! Did you forget?!”Daniel caught my hand, and I winced in disgust at his touch. I quickly shook off my hand and stepped back. I wanted to spit at him, slap him, shout curses at him.But all that anger came out in the form of crying, which felt suffocating to my chest.Fuck. I didn’t want to cry in front of him.“It was a mistake,” Daniel whispered in a choking voice. He shook his head, guilt flickering in his eyes. “Dumping you was a mistake, Corrine. I’m sorry.”“You’re sorry?” I snorted.Even though he looked
-Corrine-“Aw, aw! Andrew! It hurts!”Andrew continued to squeeze my hand for a few seconds before releasing me. I ran away, then turned around and set up a stance. My hands were clenched, ready to hit him.“Your enemies won’t let you go when you scream in pain,” he said. “Instead, they will continue to twist your hand until it breaks.”My jaw tightened. “I know,” I said, unsure of what Andrew was trying to tell me.“You’ve always said you know but never experienced it firsthand.” He glanced at my hands, clenched into fists and pointing forward. “Lower your hands.”“No,” I refused firmly. “You’re going to hurt me again.”He stared at me and then smirked. “Smart girl.”Then, with a speed that barely caught my eye, he darted and, before I knew it, he was standing behind me. His hand clamped around my neck and he whispered, “Dead.”“I still can—““I can twist your neck in less than a second and you’ll be gone.” Then his other hand slips under my T-shirt, creeping along my back and stoppi
-Corrine-What I went through today left me physically and mentally exhausted. I didn’t know when Andrew would be back after he left me in the bathroom and I was too tired to wait for him to come home.I fell asleep after finishing the dinner delivered by a maid, and when I woke up the next morning, I found Andrew already beside me. He was sitting cross-legged, staring at me with his deep, yet gentle, eyes. “Good morning, baby.” His voice was soft and husky.My eyes blinked slowly. “Morning.” I cleared my throat to get rid of the hoarseness in my voice. “Where have you been last night?”“I had some business to take care of.” He reached out and ruffled my hair. “Get up. I’ll take you somewhere.”“Hm? Where?”“I’ll tell you on the way.” Then he motioned his head towards the wardrobe. “I’ve bought some clothes for you.”After that, he bent down to kiss my forehead. “Come on.” He extended his hand, and I took it, and then he helped me up.I was stretching while yawning and rubbing my eyes
-Corrine-I almost choked at his question.“Of course!” I exclaimed. “Is that even a question? Why did you even mark me in the first place if it wasn’t for forever?”“I feel your hesitation, Corrine.”As for this statement, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I should have denied it outright, saying that not for a second did I doubt my decision to leave my family and go with him.But the thing was... he was right.My family were the people I trusted the most in this world. They always supported me, stood behind me, and protected me. They were my shelter, my home.They were my safe place.But now...“Am I right?” he continued when I said nothing. “Maybe I do exist in your future, but is there a future where there’s only me without your family? Because it’s very possible, Corrine. In the end, you have to choose.”The beauty around us no longer captivated my eyes and calmed my heart. This conversation made me uneasy and made me question my decision even more.I thought back to what my father,
-Corrine-I wanted it. I really, really wanted it. And I knew Andrew wanted it, too.But I didn’t want to do it like the last time we did. I wanted it to be slow, sweet, full of lust yet somewhat filled with affection.“I want it,” I whispered on his lips when he touched mine with his, but he was not yet to kiss me.“But?”He knew the tone I was making and I was happy because I felt that he understood me better than before.“But this time,” my hand crept on his broad shoulder and slowly down to his chest, “I’ll take the lead.”His eyes sparked with excitement and his reaction made me confused. “You… look so happy.” Doubt built up in my stomach. Did I say it right? I didn’t sound like a slut, did I?“Of course I am.” He propped his hands beside my head, holding his weight so he didn’t crush me. His dark blue eyes gazed at me like I was the only beauty in this world. “This dominant side of yours—“ he brushed my nose with his, “—I can’t wait to see it.”He slowly retreated and positioned
-Corrine-Daniel?What did he have to do with all this?He didn’t even know about werewolves. Why would his death be such important news to Andrew and his alliance?Did his death involve werewolves?All the way back to the mansion, my stomach was churning from the way Andrew drove the car and from my anxiety that was growing and gnawing at me.Even though I didn’t really care about Leana, I still wanted to know what happened to her and what her relationship with Daniel was.We arrive at the mansion and head straight to the treatment room. It’s just a regular, larger room with a few beds lined up.From the doorway, I heard Leana’s moans of pain and several voices trying to calm her down.“Andrew!” exclaimed Bent, who seemed to have been waiting for Andrew’s arrival.Another turned to us—Leana’s uncle—and roared when his eyes met mine.“What is she doing here?! Get out!”“Edy!” snapped a woman I didn’t recognize. It looked like she was serving as a healer. “Don’t yell in here!”“How cou
-Andrew-Bent dropped me back at Trevor’s house before noon, and honestly, I was a bit disappointed that no one was waiting for my arrival there. I expected Corrine to greet me and cry in my arms, worrying about me. What a stupid thought. After making sure there was nothing suspicious, no sign of an attack or anything dangerous, I walked to Golden Valley. Maybe Corrine was on campus, going to classes as usual, and she’d probably nag me when we met later. At first, I thought about contacting her through the mind link, but I decided against it. I would wait for her at Houghton Commons while having brunch. I reached into my pocket, glanced at my phone, which was dead because the battery had run out, and then put it back. For some reason, the weather today felt unbearably scorched, and it made me annoyed. My frustration grew when I found Houghton Commons crowded, and I could feel curious stares from the students there. Some of them whispered while glancing at me. Girls I didn’t know
-Andrew-The rogue attack forced all the werewolves out of their homes. I had no choice but to join the chaos. Along with the Moon Dust pack, I attacked and tried to drive the rogues away.“There are so fucking many of them!” Bent shouted amidst our fierce battle with several rogues. We were trying to stop them from destroying the houses in the territory.Bent was right. The waves of rogue attacks seemed endless, and I was almost certain this fight would never end.Then, just as I finished thinking that, suddenly all the rogues ran away as if someone had commanded them to retreat and disappear into the darkness.“What the fuck?” I muttered as I shifted back to my human form.I kept observing the forest behind the settlement, trying to spot any sign of them. But they had vanished, swallowed by the night.Not long after, Harry came up to me. His hands and face were stained with blood, but I couldn’t tell if it was his or the enemy’s.“You better go,” he said.Instead of obeying his comma
-Andrew-I saw Harry’s Adam’s apple move nervously as he swallowed. His eyes flickered, assessing the situation for a few seconds before he said, “Please arrest them.”My grin grew wider.I walked across the front yard of the Alpha’s house, my eyes locked on the three teenage girls still trying to run from me. They shifted midway, and that’s when I was sure they were the werewolves responsible for the attack and terrorizing Corrine.I recognized their wolves and remembered their scents. Rotten, like garbage.My steps quickened until I broke into a run and shifted. With one big leap, I soared through the air, jumping over the three wolves and landing right in front of them.The sound of their frightened and shocked howl was music to my ears as they realized I had caught up to them.I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. “Going somewhere?”They stood their ground and growled, then, one by one, crouched on their hind legs and leaped at me. Honestly, when I knew the culprits behind the at
-Andrew-Bent arrived just as I reached the end of the street. He pulled over and greeted me as I got in, and the car smoothly glided back into the night.“Where to?” he asked.“Moon Dust,” I replied. “They need a little reminder not to mess with my girl.”Bent had known me long enough to understand when to ask further questions and when to stay silent. Though he often acted tough towards me, he still respected me and knew his boundaries.The empty streets made the drive to Wesgrove faster than usual. The car turned into Moon Dust territory. There were two warriors standing guard at the entrance. Now that the war between us was over, they didn’t need to be overly vigilant. Our threat was now the same: the rogues. But compared to the lycans, the werewolves were more vulnerable to rogue attacks.The two warriors stood still as they saw me and Bent. They didn’t greet us, but they didn’t block our way either.I told Bent to stop the car beside them, then I rolled down the window.“Who’s i
-Corrine-No way.I almost screamed out Eva’s name, but I realized I was in the middle of a sorority house complex. Even the slightest commotion would draw people out, and they would see two giant werewolves, a young woman who might be dead, and me.My heart was pounding so hard it made my ears ringing.One of the werewolves growled at me and started to walk closer. Under the streetlight, I saw the flash of its fur. Reddish-brown. The same color as the fur of the werewolf that killed Daniel.I was too stunned to know what to do. In this situation, I remembered Andrew’s words about me not being able to take care of myself. It seemed he was right.This wasn’t because I was incapable, but the image of Jerome’s death—his blood on my hands—was still haunting me in my subconscious.The werewolf was now charging at me with its jaws wide open. It moved so fast that at that moment; I was sure I would be torn apart by its sharp teeth.“Corrine!”Trevor’s shout startled me, and only then did I c
-Corrine-“Hotel room, my ass!”My argument with Andrew made me forget about Trevor’s presence. Apparently, he had finished talking to the tow truck driver and was now listening to our conversation.Trevor put his arm around me while glaring at Andrew. “If she doesn’t want to stay with you, then she stays with me. Period.”“No can do,” Andrew shook his head. “She’s with me.”“She’s my sister!”“And she’s my mate.”“Fu—” Andrew then turned to me. “Tell me, my sweet, pretty little sister. Who do you want to stay with? I bet you’d choose me—”“I want to stay in the dorm.”I took this middle ground because if I chose one of them, the other wouldn’t stop complaining and pressuring me to change my choice.“I’m a werewolf, in case you forgot. I can protect myself and—”“No, you can’t,” Andrew cut in. “You didn’t even shift until I reminded you earlier.”“For fuck’s sake, Andrew! I was panicked, okay?! It won’t happen again.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. “And stop making decisi
-Corrine-I opened the door just as the car’s windshield shattered. The attack separated me from Andrew because we jumped out in different directions.Right after destroying the car, the werewolf turned its attention to me. It bared its sharp teeth and fangs, growling before leaping at me, not giving me a chance to shift.I jumped to the side and rolled on the cold asphalt. As I stopped, lying on my back, the werewolf was already close, opening its jaw wide, ready to bite me.That’s when Andrew arrived—in his lycan form—and struck the werewolf so hard that it was thrown several meters from its original position.Shift,’ he said through our mind link.“I’m fucking trying to,” I grumbled. “It’s not that I don’t want to shift or—”‘Watch out.’My grumbling wasn’t finished when the werewolf got up and charged at us. This time, I successfully shifted. Standing on four legs, I held my ground as the werewolf attacked me, though Andrew didn’t allow it to touch me. He delivered a solid punch t
-Corrine-I left the box on the bench, but I put the letter in my jacket pocket as evidence. After that, I went back into the convenience store.The clerk inside looked at me, probably wondering why I returned, and I just glanced at her briefly before walking to the refrigerator to grab a cold drink.My hands were shaking as I reached for a drink, and I nearly dropped it. I stood there in front of the fridge, staring blankly.Who was it? Could it be—my mom—oh, by the moon goddess, I couldn’t imagine if it really was my mother.I swallowed, feeling something stuck in my throat, and my breath was heavy as if the air was no longer as light as it should be.“Are you okay?”I jumped and screamed. The bottle slipped from my hand and rolled to the feet of the convenience store clerk. She frowned as she looked at me before bending down to pick up the bottle.As she handed it to me, she repeated her question. “Did something happen? You look pale. Are you sick? Do you need to call someone?”Rig
-Trevor-Although Corrine had told me that Andrew was loaded, I was still shocked when I arrived at his house—it wasn’t a house; it was a fucking mansion—and even more astounded when I entered his garage.“Fuck you,” I muttered to Andrew, staring at the rows of expensive cars he owned.“Thanks,” Andrew replied casually. It seemed like he was used to getting this kind of reaction.We descended the stairs and headed towards a black sports car near the steps. “What’s the point of having so many cars?” I asked as Andrew opened the hood.Andrew glanced at me and then chuckled.“What?” I asked, frowning. “Something’s wrong with me asking?”“No. It’s just… you sound a lot like Corrine.”“What can I say? We’re siblings.” I shrugged.“Yeah. And I know she cares about you a lot.”A moment of silence. “Was that the reason why you didn’t attack me when my pack captured you that night?”Andrew gave me a glimpse of a meaningful look. “If I hurt you, I’d hurt Corrine. And I don’t want to hurt her.”