-Corrine-I tried hard to hide my surprise because I didn’t want to make Leana happy with my reaction.Even so, it seemed I wasn’t very good at it.“You should get some rest instead of saying nonsense things like that,” I said, forcing a fake smile at her.Her grin grew wider. Even in her miserable state, she was still trying to hurt me and enjoying every second of it. “So you didn’t know? I thought he already told you. Considering you guys are mates and everything.”My chest felt tight. I wanted to yell at her and then run to Andrew and ask him the truth. But I didn’t want to be provoked. I didn’t want to create havoc and give her the pleasure.Bria’s arrival saved my emotions.“Oh, are you awake?” Bria asked when she saw Leana.“Yeah. I just asked Corrine for some water.” Then Leana looked at me again. “Thank you, Corrine.”“No problem.” I smiled back at her, even though inside I wanted to strangle her. “I have to go,” I said to Bria.Bria nodded and thanked me.My feet stepped fast
-Corrine-“Mom? Do you know her?”Eva’s mom ignored her daughter’s question. Her gaze remained fixed on me. Her footsteps slowed down while her hands gripped the banister tightly.“How dare you—”“Mom!”The next thing I knew, Eva was beside her mother, gripping her shoulders so tightly that Mrs. Ashbridge gasped. Her eyes blinked a few times, and her gaze changed. It was as if she had been awakened from something that had been possessing her.I watched as her shoulders and chest rose and fell, looking heavy and tired, as her eyes turned dull.“Eva,” she said softly. There was no energy in her voice, very different from when she first saw me.“Come on, Mom. I’ll walk you to your room.”Mrs. Ashbridge nodded slowly, glancing at me before turning with Eva and heading up the stairs.I just stood still in my spot until Eva returned. She gave me an apologetic look and a smile. “Sorry. My mom likes to act weird sometimes.”“It’s fine.”I was sure that it wasn’t a strange behavior that she wa
-Corrine-Did I hear it wrong?Mrs. Ashbridge caught the expression drawn on my face. Then she sighed. “I knew it. Andrew didn’t tell you anything?”Slowly, I shook my head.“He’s just like his father. Likes to keep his problems to himself.” Mrs. Ashbridge folded her arms across her chest and moved her head toward her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s talk somewhere more comfortable.”*The clink of spoons against cups filled the silence of the night. A dim chandelier was lit above the dining table, where I sat. Mrs. Ashbridge was making tea while I stared blankly at the swimming pool through the large glass doors in front of me.This house was not only large but also beautiful. There was a feminine touch I couldn’t find in Andrew’s mansion. It also gave me a kind of warm tranquility.“Here you go.”Mrs. Ashbridge thrust a cup of tea in front of me, then she took a seat on the other side of the table. We both looked at the pool and the moon hanging high in the sky, perfectly round in the sil
- Corrine -"You didn't greet your mother first?" Rebecca interrupted.I automatically pushed Andrew away, feeling guilty towards Rebecca."Hi, Mom," Andrew greeted her, but his gaze remained fixed on me."How did you know I was here?""I tracked the car." He tousled my hair. "Why did you leave without telling me anything? Is there something wrong? I thought you were going back home and—"There was the sound of a chair sliding, and I peeked past Andrew, finding Rebecca standing up. "Seems like you two need privacy," she said with a smile. "I'll go back to my room.""Yeah, get some rest," Andrew replied.I lightly hit his arm and gave him a look that roughly meant, 'Be nice to your mother'.Andrew then glanced over his shoulder. "Good night, Mom."Rebecca approached Andrew and rubbed his back. "It's good to see you." Then she looked towards me. "Good night, Corrine. Thank you for keeping me company in the conversation.""Anytime, Rebecca," I replied. "Thanks for the tea."After that, s
-Corrine-Immediately after I posed that question, I regretted it.I shouldn’t have cared about Leana and her spiteful mouth. I should have kept that one thing a secret, or better yet, treated it as a lie and then forgotten about it.My hands were clenched in my lap. Fear gripped me.Time stretched long between my question and Andrew’s answer.“Know that I love you,” he said. His gaze was sorrowful. “I know we’ve just met. There’s not much you know about me, but I love you, Corrine.”“So—“ I swallowed hard. “—is it true?”The world seemed to turn upside down as Andrew said, “Yes.”I couldn’t contain my shock. My body trembled, and my chest tightened. “No—“Before I could move or do anything I might regret later, Andrew held me in place. He grasped both of my hands, placing them on my lap. His eyes locked onto mine.“Corrine, please, listen to me.”“I can’t—““I don’t want to blame you, but you asked for honesty from me... and I’m giving it to you. Now please listen to my explanation,
-Corrine-If only Andrew wasn’t my mate, I would accuse him of lying right away and drive him away from me. But I was sure he was not lying, and my conviction made the pain in my chest now even more suffocating.My pack did such a despicable thing just for wealth. There was nothing more disgusting than that, and the worst part was, without realizing it, I became part of that cruelty. Although I didn’t know about this beforehand, I was a part of the pack, which indirectly made me the same as them.It seemed my current condition was weakening my mental defenses, and Andrew could hear everything inside my mind. He touched my hand, releasing my embrace, and then stood up. “It is not your fault, Corrine. You have nothing to do with this.” Now it was his turn to try to calm me down. He pulled me into his embrace and gently stroked my head before leaning it against his chest.“Have you finished avenging them now that you’ve killed them?” I asked, softly. I waited for a few moments before dec
-Corrine-Trevor’s words hurt more than any silver weapon ever could. I stopped in my tracks as he closed his mouth, shifting the hatred from his words to his eyes. I couldn’t believe he could hate me this deeply… as deeply as he once loved me as his sister.“Trevor…” I reached out, intending to touch him. But fear of rejection haunted me, and I pulled back. “I hope you didn’t mean what you just said,” I finally said.Trevor said nothing and turned to leave. I waited until he got into his car, hoping he would look back at me once more, so I could be sure that some affection for me remained in him.But until his car drove out of the parking lot, he didn’t look at me once.I never expected to pay such a high price just to be with my mate.*If I thought my encounter with Trevor was the worst thing to happen to me today, I was terribly wrong.When I finally returned to Andrew’s mansion, the first person I saw was Leana. She seemed fully recovered, standing there arrogantly, staring at
-Corrine-The first thing that crossed my mind when I heard my mother’s scream was to shift and run towards Wesgrove. My hand gripped my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned red and hot. My mind went blank. This was all my fault. Now I had to go and save my mother or—The phone rang again, pulling me out of the dark thoughts that had momentarily misled me. Andrew’s name appeared on the screen.“Andrew.” My voice cracked when I said his name. “Andrew, my mom—”“I know. Eva told me. That’s why I called you.”“I have to go back to Wesgrove and—”“Don’t.”“But, my mom—”“Corrine, listen to me,” Andrew called my name, but I kept talking. He then called my name several times again. He sounded firm yet calm, and I found myself swayed by the mood he created. “Breathe, baby. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”I did as he instructed. I closed my eyes and focused on each breath I took. “Now, will you listen to me?” he asked after we were silent for a few moments.“Yes.”“Good.” I hear
-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.”