-Corrine-“Let’s break up.”The bass of the EDM music thumps through the speakers. Its voice was so booming I wasn’t sure what Daniel Harris, my boyfriend, was saying.I frowned while giving him an awkward grin. “What did you say, babe?!” I asked, half shouting.Daniel didn’t smile with me. His expression was so serious that I felt stupid with my attitude. His nostrils flared for a moment before he snorted. “Let’s break up, Corrine Harmon!”Daniel shouted so loudly, together with a pause of silence before the music changed.Everyone at the prom tonight turned to glare at us and I felt heat radiate from my neck, and spread to the veins in my face.“What?” My voice was squeaky like I was choking. I was still trying to laugh and thought Daniel was just joking. I took his arm and wrapped mine around it, then laughed as I pulled him off the dance floor.My friends were still following me and Daniel with their gaze until the music started again and they got distracted.Now we’re standing in
-Corrine- I really hoped last night was just a dream.But when I woke up this morning, my eyes and throat ached, proof that I cried a lot last night.“Corrine, wake up!” My mom knocked on my bedroom door and tried to open it, but I locked it last night in case someone came in and saw me cry.“I heard it from your brother! He dumped you, that bastard!” This time it was my father who spoke, and I rolled my eyes, then pulled the pillow up to cover my face and I groaned.One more lack of Trevor. He couldn’t keep secrets from Mom and Dad.“We won’t stop pounding on this door until you answer our call, Miss!” my mother nagged. She always found a way to get me out of my room.“Okay, okay! I’d wake up!” I shouted after throwing the pillow aside and sitting up.A jolt of dizziness hit me as soon as I lifted my head. I massaged my temples with one hand while my other hand brushed away the blanket wrapped around my legs. When I opened the door, my parents stood behind it. Their arms folded over
-Corrine- Trevor unloaded my luggage from the trunk of his car and then caught up with me beside the car. I looked up at the four-story high red brick building that will be my home for the next few years. I officially started my life as a student at Golden Valley University.“You know, your college isn’t that far from Wesgrove,” Trevor said. “I can drop you off and pick you up every day—”I glanced sharply at my brother. “Stop it,” I grumbled. “The distance isn’t the only reason I moved here. You know it better than anyone.”“Jerome will change his mind once he meets his mate. I’m sure about it.”“Yeah, and neither of us knows when he’ll meet his mate, or if he’ll ever meet her someday,” I replied. “And as long as that doesn’t happen, he will continue to chase me.”Trevor looked at me for a moment, then sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”My heart melted in an instant. The guilt that Trevor always expressed every time he couldn’t do anything to get rid of Jerome from my life t
-Corrine- He was her older brother?What?I looked at Eva and Andrew in turn. They didn’t look alike at all. And one of the most striking things was that Andrew was clearly a werewolf and Eva was just a human.“Should I give special treatment to people who never even come home to meet his family?” Eva replied.She folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin, showing defiance towards her brother.I wanted to pull Eva away from Andrew because I was afraid Andrew would do something terrible to her. Because he seemed to have a penchant for violence.Andrew raised a hand and extended it towards Eva. And I, who had been standing in an alert position, quickly grabbed Eva’s hand and pulled her towards me. Eva was so surprised that she jerked the air from her lips while Andrew’s hand hung in the air and he glanced at me, then he smiled crookedly.“What do you think I will do to my sister? Hmm?” he asked me.I glared in panic. I didn’t think my actions would attract his attention.“Uh—
-Corrine-Since that day, I can’t get Andrew out of my mind. But I haven’t seen him since the party at the sorority house and judging by the way Eva talked about him, they didn’t get along well. They’re not like me and Trevor. So it is very unlikely that I will meet him again.Even though Andrew asked me to return his jacket, but I couldn’t find a way to return it. I didn’t want to ask Eva for help because, well, she definitely didn’t like it, and to be honest, I wanted to see him again. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t just ignore him. The jacket is now stored neatly in my closet after I washed it.“You also have an older brother, right? Is he as annoying as Andrew?” asked Eva, after we finished our morning class. We continued our talk from last night when we couldn’t sleep and started talking about each other’s families.We walked towards Houghton Commons, the building where students gather for lunch. It is about a five minutes walk from the lecture building. I enjoyed every little t
-Corrine- The question didn’t surprise me. He must have known my identity as well as I knew his.“I could ask you the same thing,” I said.Andrew smirked. “Smart girl.” Then he leaned in towards me and looked at me closely. “You know? I like smart girls.”I returned his smile, putting on my best arrogant face, and said, “Too bad. I’m not into bad boys.”He pulled back and leaned against the sofa, the smile still on his face. His reaction made me feel embarrassed. I had hoped he would be upset, but it was the opposite.“Are you Eva’s roommate?” he asked later.I thought for a moment, considering whether to give an honest answer or lie to him. Then I decided that providing information like that was not dangerous, and hopefully, Eva wouldn’t be angry with me for it.“Yes,” I replied. I glanced towards the restroom. There was no sign of Eva yet. “Seems like she hates you,” I said bluntly.I was quite surprised when I saw Andrew’s eyes change to sadness, even if it was only for a moment. H
-Corrine- “You’re daydreaming again.”I jumped at the sound of Gary’s, my classmate, voice. I blinked and turned towards him, then returned his smile. “Busted,” I murmured.“The lecture’s over.” Gary nodded towards the front, letting me know that the professor had left the classroom.“Oh...” It took me a few seconds to realize what I should do. Gather my books and stationery. “Oh!” I exclaimed.I bent down to grab my bag from under the desk and placed it on my lap. My movements paused when I saw what was inside.Andrew’s jacket.Yeah, call me a pervert. I have been carrying that jacket for the past week. Ever since I met him at Houghton Commons, I thought I would meet him again. Maybe he would show up at the same place, or he could suddenly appear in front of my dorm room.Who knows?“Nice jacket,” Gary said, peeking into my open bag.Reflexively, I closed the bag and grimaced at him. “Not mine,” I muttered.Gary withdrew and gazed at me. The gleam in his eyes radiated curiosity.“Boy
-Corrine- We stopped after leaving the department building. I turned around, slinging my bag over one shoulder, and pointed at him. “You made me skip class.”Andrew cracked a smile. “Between you and me, who dragged someone and took them out of the classroom?” After that, he perfectly arched one eyebrow.Hearing the word “drag” made me realize that I had still been holding onto his arm. I quickly let go and clasped my hands together.“What do you want?” I asked, turning my face away."Haven't I already told you?" Andrew tilted his head. That annoyingly sexy little smile appeared again. "You.""And what exactly do you want from me?" I pressed."I want to spend time with you.""First things first," I shot back. "If you're trying to seduce me, you’re really suck at it.""There's no harm in trying," he shrugged. His expression showed that he found my behavior amusing, and I felt like a helpless child in front of him.I glared at him, telling him to shut his mouth, and continued speaking. "
-Corrine-When I said that almost all of my problems were solved, this was the one that remained unresolved. I didn’t know why my mother suddenly wanted to meet me and Andrew after everything she had said and done to us, but I hoped this was a good sign.For everyone’s safety and comfort, we didn’t meet at Moon Dust or Andrew’s mansion, but instead in Golden Valley.Andrew and I arrived first and headed straight to Houghton Commons. We chose a quiet spot outside, near a large shady tree. The weather was quite windy today, so most people preferred to sit indoors.I pulled my jacket tighter around me and waited, occasionally glancing toward the entrance.“You seem nervous,” Andrew said. I turned to him and frowned, trying to see his eyes behind the sunglasses he was wearing.“Are you not?”“Why should I be? She’s your mother, not mine.”“Right. But she’s going to talk to us, not just me. You still remember how much she hated you—so much that she even worked with Jerome to—”The distant
-Corrine-The next morning, when I opened the window and looked at the clear blue sky, I still couldn’t believe that it was all over.All of my problems were solved—well, most of them—but the danger had passed, and I could finally live in peace.I stretched out my hands and inhaled the fresh scent of the trees, closing my eyes and letting my body soak in the warm sunlight.I smiled, and my smile turned into a wide grin when I felt Andrew behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing the crook of my neck.“Morning,” he whispered in my ear before giving it a soft bite.I rested my head against him. “Morning.” My voice was hoarse. I closed my eyes and took in the scent of his shampoo lingering in his messy hair. “Did you finish your business yesterday?”Last night, after dropping me off at the mansion, Andrew had left to return to the forest. He wanted to make sure everything was truly settled, including mobilizing the lycans to search for Gary’s body. Andrew wanted to see wit
-Corrine-Something held my foot. My body jerked, suddenly stopping mid-fall before swinging in the air.“Corrine! Hang on!”I tried to look up and saw Andrew. As much as I was relieved that he had found me, we were still in danger.Andrew’s hand gripped my ankle tightly. He was using all his strength to pull me up. There was nothing I could do except stay still and let him try to save me.Relief washed over me like cold water, bringing down my adrenaline as Andrew successfully pulled me to safety. He immediately hugged me, repeatedly calling my name.“I’m sorry, Corrine. I’m sorry, baby, I’m late.” His face was buried in my hair, and his lips pressed kisses against my ear and cheek.With trembling hands, I cupped his face and looked into his eyes. “You’re not late.” I smiled weakly. “You saved me.”We stared at each other in silence for a few moments before both of us burst into laughter. Laughter that born from the lingering fear of facing death and the joy of having survived it.“I
-Corrine-Something happened.Suddenly, the moon shone so brightly that its light blinded both of us. I squeezed my eyes shut, and I heard Gary scream in pain.The next thing I knew, he was no longer on top of me, and I was able to move my body. It was as if the potion’s effect had completely worn off.I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings, and then, from the corner of my eye, I saw something—a glowing white wolf across the ravine. Even though we were separated by darkness and distance, I could feel its gaze on me.Use your power.I was stunned to hear an unfamiliar yet soothing voice in my head—a female voice.Was she—?I blinked, and the wolf was gone.“Shit! Shit!”My attention snapped back to Gary. He was rolling on the grass as if he was attacked by some invisible creatures.For a moment, I just stood there, watching him writhe in agony. Faintly, I heard that voice again, and I immediately shifted. This was the power she meant—my wolf. I would fight until the last drop of
-Corrine-As soon as the liquid spilled into my mouth, my body burned in agony. A white-hot pain shot through my throat, and my vision temporarily went blind. I could feel my body shaking violently as Gary’s sinister voice whispered in my ear.“How does it feel, Corrine? I hope you can bear the pain because I need you alive.”I could feel the liquid flowing down into my stomach, and an unbearable pain surged through me, forcing a pained groan from my lips. Then I felt it… and it seemed Gary knew it, too.“It works.” He flashed me his wicked grin. “The mark Andrew gave you. The scent he left on you… it’s all gone.”“No.”“Yes!” Gary pressed my shoulders into the ground while sitting upright on top of me. “I will mark you now, Corrine. You will be mine, and nothing can separate us.”My body weakened again, and I teetered on the edge of despair as I struggled against Gary. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he bent down, pressing his lips to the crook of my neck. He was going to
-Andrew-I didn’t know what had happened, but not long after the rogue attack that disrupted the Alpha Moon Dust’s decisive battle, the rogues suddenly withdrew as if they had been defeated.The Moon Dust warriors lined up at the border of the territory, waiting and watching the darkness with ragged breaths and bodies covered in wounds.“It looks like they’re not coming back,” said Harry, who was standing beside me.I nodded. “They only came to create chaos.”“Let’s continue the fight.” Harry then signaled to some warriors who hadn’t been involved in the Alpha battle to patrol the borders.That was when I realized something was wrong.“Where’s Corrine?”I turned in all directions, scanning the unfamiliar faces around me—faces that looked back at me with confusion and fear.“Corrine!” I shouted.A bad feeling crept up on me. Something wasn’t right. If Corrine were here, she would have come straight to me the moment the battle ended.Or was she helping someone who was injured?“Corrine!
-Corrine-As soon as Gary got me, he blindfolded me and dragged me away from the Moon Dust territory. I knew from the deepening silence that we were getting farther away as I felt my body sway in Gary’s embrace.Thank the Moon Goddess, he didn’t harm me or do anything nasty to me. But I was pretty sure he would—sooner or later. He was just waiting for the right place and the right time.“We’re here, Corrine.” His breath tickled my ear, and I desperately wanted to push him away, but somehow, he made my body go limp. The only thing I could do now was breathe.Slowly, Gary removed the blindfold from my eyes. I blinked a few times, adjusting my vision so I could see my surroundings more clearly.We were now in the middle of a forest. That forest. The one where that stupid glowing plant grew.“Soon, I will change you so we can be together forever. You will become like me.”My eyes darted to Gary, and our gazes locked. He seemed to recognize the question in my head as he said, “Before we ge
-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