-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
-Corrine-The scream froze everyone in place, and together they looked back and forth between me and Andrew.“You cheated!” accused the teenage girl. “You deliberately distracted us by accepting this fight, and then you had your friends create chaos, didn’t you?!”“No!” I yelled. “I would never use such a cheap trick!”“You are cheap!” the girl shrieked.Rage boiled in my chest. I had been holding back, tolerating her insolent attitude, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I dashed to her and slapped her cheek as hard as I could, making her stagger and nearly fall.“Did your parents not teach you any manners?!”I still wanted to hit her again, but a few people ran toward us and separated us before the fight escalated.“That’s enough, Abby!” shouted Harry, who held the teenage girl back. I remembered her now. Abby. She had always disliked me because Jerome paid more attention to me.“We should have killed her!” screamed Abby as she struggled in Harry’s grip. “She only brings trouble to this
-Corrine-Believe it or not, the first fight was won by me.I had just defeated one of the strongest warriors in Moon Dust. And it wasn’t just me who was surprised; all the pack’s members who were present there were stunned, watching as Sam was thrown to the ground after I landed a fatal blow to his chest.Harry counted to ten, but he didn’t get up.“The first fight is won by Corrine!” he announced, and only Andrew clapped and cheered.“Five minutes break for you, Corrine. After that, you’ll face another candidate,” Harry said then.Sam had returned to his human form—he was still breathing, thank the Moon Goddess—and some people pulled him out of the arena.I walked over to Andrew at the edge of the arena. He unfolded a robe for me, and quickly wrapped it around me the moment I turned back into my human form.“That was awesome, babe,” he praised, grinning.I returned his grin weakly. He told me to sit down, then handed me a bottle of water, which I chugged in one go.“He was a tough o
-Corrine-Even though I didn’t want it to, the day I dreaded the most finally came.My heart raced faster as the car carrying me entered Moon Dust territory. Harry and the pack members were waiting for me in the front yard of the Alpha’s house. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a welcoming party, since no one smiled when they saw me step out of the car. Even Harry looked more tense than I was.“Dad,” I greeted softly, nodding my head. My eyes instinctively darted to his side, and my heart sank with disappointment when I didn’t see my mother there.“Your mom is not feeling well,” my father said. He knew who I was looking for.I pursed my lips and exhaled. I didn’t ask further about her condition because I didn’t want to hear the reason why she was unwell. I’d bet my life it was because of me.“So… who are the challengers?” I asked, scanning the warriors and pack members surrounding me.My father shifted awkwardly. “Most of them wanted to challenge you, but—”I swallowed hard. *Most of t
-Trevor-“Shit,” was the first word that escaped my lips. The next thing I did after cursing was to push Leana off my body. I got up as quickly as I could and ran out of the arena to chase after Eva.My eyes stayed focused ahead, searching for Eva. I could see her back in the distance. She was half-running down the corridor, heading toward the main mansion building. I quickened my pace and caught up to her.“Ev—” I said after grabbing her wrist and pulling her, forcing her to turn toward me. “Ev, wait. Listen—”Eva yanked her hand away and grasped her wrist with her other hand. Her gaze was vacant as she looked at me, and her lips curved into a bitter smile. “Congratulations, Trevor,” she said, her voice trembling.I spread my arms in confusion, frowning. “Congratulations for what?”“For dating the hottest girl in the alliance.”“We’re not dating,” I denied, my tone too insistent, making it sound like I was hiding something.Eva crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. “Oh, so you
-Andrew-Seeing and hearing Eva say those words to me made me briefly think of Gary. But this wasn’t about some horrible obsession; it was pure desperation.“No,” was the first word I said, a firm rejection that made Eva flinch.“B—but, Andrew… I’d be able to protect myself if I became a lycan like you all.”I shook my head. “That’s not how it works, Ev.”“Andrew—”I pointed sharply at the door, my eyes wide. A flash of guilt hit me as my action startled Eva, but I continued anyway.“You’ve seen how Corrine struggles to live her life as a werewolf, haven’t you, Ev? She was born a shapeshifter, yet that doesn’t automatically mean she’s great at fighting or can protect herself all the time. Becoming like me—like Corrine—won’t magically solve all your problems. You’ll only fall deeper into the dark side of this world.”Eva’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes trembling. She was probably trying to craft a solid argument to counter what I said, but I knew she couldn’t find one.I stood up f
-Corrine-I had never imagined there would come a day when Leana said something like this that she was proud of me.“It’s… kind of weird,” I said, half laughing. “You, out of all people, said you are proud of me.”“I know, right,” Leana laughed along with me. “But that’s the truth. I wouldn’t say such a thing just to please you. So, go out there, meet your pack, and kick their asses.” And then she added, “If you want, we can do two more training sessions, tonight and tomorrow morning.”My brows shot up. “Really? But… how about your condition?”Leana rolled her shoulders one by one and snapped her head to the left and right. “It’s not like I am paralyzed, Corrine. I just cannot shift for a moment. I still can fight.”I grinned. I didn’t know when, but I gradually loved her spirit and her personality. She was a true badass. “Alright, then. Thanks.”Leana returned my grin. “No problem.”*After we finished talking, we walked back into the mansion and straight to the treatment room. Leana
-Corrine-Tomorrow night? Had my father lost his mind? Or was he trying to get me killed?“That’s impossible,” I said, feeling anxiety surge within me. “I—I can’t even beat Leana! How could I possibly defeat those fucking warriors from my pack?”“Corrine—”“I—I think it’s better if I just surrender, Andrew.”“Corrine, listen to me—”Andrew tried to reach for me, but I swatted his hand away before he could touch me. Then I walked out of the treatment room.I didn’t know where I was going, and eventually, I ended up sitting in the backyard of the mansion, on the bench I always sat on whenever I felt restless.I buried my face in my hands.What was I even thinking all this time? Trying to show them I was strong? Who was I kidding?I was born a werewolf, sure, but I wasn’t that strong. Defeating Leana and killing Jerome was nothing but pure luck.“Hey.”I jumped and looked up. “You. What are you doing here? Are you feeling better?Leana gave me a brief, lazy smile. “This is nothing,” she
-Corrine-The deeper we went into this, the more complicated it became.I followed Andrew and Bria down the hallway, to a part of the mansion I had never been to before. There, in a large white room that almost resembled a laboratory, I met several other lycans whose faces I’d only glimpsed in passing before.“Andrew,” greeted a man—he looked to be about Bria’s age—while motioning for Andrew to come closer.Even though Andrew had told me he didn’t want anyone else to know about his family or what we were investigating, that no longer seemed to apply. Not after we had to ask the lycans for help to save Trevor and Leana.I followed Andrew as he approached the man. On the table in front of him were several blue flower petals glowing faintly.“Wolfsbane,” Andrew murmured, studying the petals.“Yeah.” The man nodded.“Larry found something interesting,” Bria said. She joined us, standing near the table and examining the flowers.“What do you get?” Andrew asked.“So, apparently, this flower
-Andrew-A small door beneath the desk swung open when I pulled the knob. Dust flew out, some clinging to my nose, and I wiped it off.There were books inside. I reached in and took them out, frowning as I examined their brown leather covers. These books looked ancient, with pages yellowed and browned, exuding a strong musty smell.“What do you find?” asked Corrine. She bent slightly from where she stood but didn’t force herself to squeeze under the desk with me.“Books,” I muttered, still inspecting them.I crawled out and placed the books on the desk. Standing up, I put my hands on my hips. Beside me, Corrine leaned in to examine the books as well.She reached out as if to touch one, but then hesitated. Instead, she looked at me and asked, “May I—?”I paused before answering, “Yes.”Only then did Corrine pick up one of the books—the largest of the three—and carefully open it. On the very first page, we saw elegant, looping handwriting, as though written with great care.Personal Not