I spent most of my drive to work thinking about Killian. His childhood explained a lot about him now as an adult. As Christine had pointed out, not having a stable home or a real pack while growing up, made him fiercely protective and loyal to what he had now. And his consideration of me as a new member of the pack made sense too. How many times had he experienced that awkwardness, moving somewhere new and trying to fit in? Then there was his speech about ‘moments of great disappointment’. I kept coming back to that, but it could have any number of meanings. At one time, I thought it might have referred to Josephine, or it could be about his brother turning on him, but now I wondered if it was his mother leaving him behind, or possibly even his whole childhood. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Killian was a very complex person, with one foot in the past, dealing with the ancient traditions and animal instincts of a male werewolf and pack Alpha and the other in
When one o'clock finally rolled around, I breathed a sigh of relief; my shift had been a busy one and quite the unexpected one. I had met the famous billionaire CEO Caspian Edgar. He wasn't what I quite expected, he seemed too....open with a rather childish attitude. Albeit he appeared nice and forthcoming, there was something off about him. Almost as though his nice guy persona was simply an act. Now I could understand Christine's and Linda's point of view about him. The man was an enigma. Shaking off the thought I took off my apron, hung it on my hook and grabbed my coat, thinking longingly of sitting somewhere quiet and putting my feet up.As I rounded the corner towards the door, the sight of a tall, sandy-haired man brought me up short."Stephan!" Joyfully, I launched myself across the remaining few feet and jumped into the open arms of my childhood friend. "Hailey!" He spun me around and then kissed my cheek. "It's so good to see you." He smiled down at me, his hazel eyes war
"I'm relieved now that that's off my mind. After you left earlier, I did a lot of thinking and... Well...” He hesitated and then spoke in a rush. “After seeing you again today, I’ve come to realize that while I still love you, I think it’s more of a brother-sister kind of love. We’ve known each other all our lives and we drifted into a relationship but after you left, I found that I wasn’t as devastated as I thought I’d be.” Stephan seemed to be apologetic and was holding his breath, waiting for my response. I blinked. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting at all and yet it mirrored what I’d been coming to suspect. A self-deprecating laugh escaped me. Here I’d been thinking he wanted us to run away together and instead he was letting me down easy! “So you’re basically ‘breaking up’ with me?” I smiled at him so he’d know I was teasing but even still, he squirmed looking uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess I am. Have I hurt your feelings?” “No. I was coming to the same conclusion myself.
Warning this chapter contains scenes of torture, readers discretion is strongly advisedHe woke up from his slumber with a thudding headache, eyes closed against the dull pain. The back of his skull throbbed like a whore's heart; he bit out a curse and moved his hand to inspect the damage except that it didn't move.Something was restraining his arms. His legs, too, were immobilized, as he noticed when he tried to get up. To get up... so he was lying prone. He couldn't recollect how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was having launch at a local restaurant when he had suddenly collapsed.The violent hum of electricity streaking through the air assaulted his battered head, calling forth a grimace of agony. A steady dripping echoed all around him, but it seemed to come from a single source.A runny tap, or a leak in the roof.How long had he been out cold? His lips were parched and hunger growled in his stomach. He cracked open his eyes to better perceive how deep in shit
"Mr...Caspian, it's... it a surprise, I wasn't expecting to see you here so early," Dr. Barret said with a forced smile while his assistant nurse trembled at the sudden visitor. "Do I need to announce my presence to an establishment that I built?," Caspian titled his gaze with a creepy smile."Of..of course not Mr Caspian," Barret smiled, "Your presence is always welcome in this fine establishment,""Good," Caspian nodded, "So any development?" Caspian asked strolling towards to table where a Lycan lay lifeless with his mouth open and his skull melted. It was a horrific sight, however not to Caspian who seemed to enjoy it breaking a callous smile across his face."Yes Mr Caspian, we are a step closer to perfecting the serum, we are already in the trial phase and the subjects are showing promising results," Dr barret boasted with confidence"Hmm," Caspian nodded, "That's a relief," He added trailing his hands across the corpse stopping at its manhood. Dr. Barrat winced at the sight. H
I hummed to myself, thinking about how nice it had been to see Stephan again and to have things worked out between us. The confusing feelings I’d harboured for him over the past few weeks were finally straight in my mind, allowing me to focus on Killian without any guilt or ambiguity. Killian was my future and I'm pretty sure I'm beginning to love him. Yes, I thought I loved Stephan, but this is totally different. Hugging Stephan had been familiar and comfortable, while being with Killian gives me a sense of security and completeness along with an interesting, tingly excitement that just feels…right. Stopping at a traffic light, I glanced down at the dashboard and grimaced. That warning light was on again. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I altered my course and headed towards the nearest garage. Thankfully, it wasn’t too late, and the mechanic was still on duty. He took the car back into the service area to check it, while I sat waiting in the front office. It wasn’t the cleanes
“So, how are we going to keep Killian from finding out about this guy?” Josephine's question jolted me back from my imagined encounter with an enraged Killian. “Umm... I’ll grab a quick shower.” “No time for that. Killian will be home any minute, and besides what about your clothes? Even stuffed in the laundry basket he might notice. I suppose you might have time to get them down to the laundry before he gets here, but what if you meet him on the stairs?” “Then I’ll just...” “Hailey, you are so lucky that I’m here to help you out. Here’s what we’ll do. Do you remember how I gave you some perfume about a week ago? Have you used it yet?” I shook my head unable to recollect ever using the perfume “No. Why?” “Okay, well put some on...quite a lot actually. It will help mask that scent. If you use it, Killian will have no idea that you’ve been near anyone else. And if you see Stephan again, use it then too. What Killian doesn’t know won’t hurt him and it will save you from his temper,
When we finally made it downstairs, dinner was over and everyone had gathered in the game room. I apologized to Christine for our absence at the table, but the older woman smiled knowingly. “Don’t worry about it, Hailey. There’s some leftover pasta in the fridge, despite the best efforts of those two,” she nodded towards the group who were circling the pool table. “Thankfully Lucius and Michael didn’t eat us out of house and home this time.” The two young men in question grinned and Lucius called out, “We’re growing boys. We need our food.” Susan, who was also there, simply rolled her eyes, and resignedly shook her head.“Are you sure you want to be bonded to this one, Susan?” Killian asked from his position leaning against the doorframe.“I ask myself that question every day.” She responded dryly. Lucius affected a wounded pose before turning back to his game. Natalia was standing in the corner observing the others and being her characteristically quiet self. When the girl glance
A week later, the world felt a little flatter. The police had finally wrapped up their investigation. It was a random act of violence, they said. Lucy, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. A stupid, pointless loss. The idea that Aldrich wouldn’t be blamed for anything grated on me, but I knew involving him would open a can of worms I wasn’t ready to deal with. It wouldn’t bring Lucy back anyway.We brought her home, to Stump River. The town was in mourning. Armand was a shadow of himself, the twinkle gone from his eyes. He disappeared for days after the service and I wondered if he’d turned into a bear and wandered off to grieve in the woods. Were his emotions as raw when he was in animal form? Or did he spend his time scratching at trees, trying to claw the pain away? When he finally reappeared, he looked haggard, but there was a strange kind of peace in his eyes.Beth and Josh went all out with the newspaper article. Pictures of Lucy, smiling and laughing, filled the pages.
Morning. I reclined in the seat as Viktor slowly drove the car out of the parking garage. We’d talked on and off throughout the night and I’d finally accepted the truth of what he’d been telling me. I was becoming a werewolf. There’d been anger and tears; he’d apologized, even though forcing my transformation hadn’t been intentional. Eventually, I’d come to a sort of numb acceptance of the fact.However, my whole life was changing now. I wasn’t just Adriana Watson, waitress and journalism student. Now I was Adriana Watson, secret werewolf. From what I could gather from Viktor's ‘crash course in wolves,’ they were social creatures and lived in packs. There was an Alpha who kept everyone in line and made the important decisions, though pack meetings were held to discuss options. Full moons were a time to party and, if you were new to the whole werewolf thing like me, you had no control and transformed once a month. Older wolves could fight the effects if they wished, though most didn’
My heart pounded like a trapped animal as the lycans closed in, their red eyes burning into me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. These creatures were straight out of a nightmare."Adriana, get behind me," my voice was frantic as I shoved her aside, preparing to shift."Vik..." she whispered, clinging to my arm."Don't worry, Everything will be alright, just need to handle a few stray dogs that's all" I managed a reassuring smile, and then I charged. A towering black wolf replaced me, my fur bristling with tension.The air was thick with the metallic taste of blood and the sharp scent of fear. My senses were on high alert, every hair on my body standing on end. Dozens of pairs of eyes, glowing like embers, focused on me. A massive red lycan charged, but I was faster, slipping beneath its snapping jaws. I countered with a swift attack, his teeth sinking into the lycan's flesh.A deafening howl filled the cavern as the red lycan bucked me off, sending me crashing into the cold, damp
Adriana's povThe metallic tang of blood filled the air, thick and suffocating. Viktor and I stood frozen, our gazes glued to Aldrich's lifeless body slumped on the floor. A single, neat bullet hole marred his forehead. What the hell just happened?The echo of Mr. Greyson's voice shattered the stunned silence. "A pleasure to finally meet you both, Miss Watson and Viktor Donovan... or should I say Viktor Dominique?"My head snapped towards Viktor, relief flooding my chest at his presence. According to him, he was some kind of werewolf. Maybe, just maybe, with him by my side, I had a fighting chance.A nagging worry gnawed at me. If what Viktor said was true, then did that mean I wasn't entirely human? I shoved the thought aside. This wasn't the time to unravel my existential crisis. Getting out of this place alive was priority number one. Viktor could explain everything later.Viktor narrowed his eyes at Greyson, his voice laced with suspicion. "How'd you figure out my real name?"Grey
Viktor's povFollowing a hunch, I hailed a cab and rattled off the address for Greyson's estate. The city was a chaotic mess, a constant symphony of honking horns and shouted insults. I tuned it out, my gut churning with worry. My wolf whined its primal need to find Adriana, to know she was safe.The thought of her alone, grappling with the Change with no guidance, tore at me. Would her body and mind accept this forced transformation? Or would she fight it, a resistance that could be fatal according to Nadia? The icy grip of fear tightened around my heart.But then, a chilling logic surfaced. If she'd spilled the secret, if the wolves knew, she was already a dead woman walking. Was a swift death from the Change preferable to one at my hand? Could I even look her in the eye, deliver the killing blow?Alpha. Duty. The words echoed in my head, hollow and meaningless. Images of Adriana flooded my mind her warm brown eyes, the defiant lift of her chin, the way she'd make me laugh with her
Panic clawed at my throat as Lucy's ragged breaths became uneven. Her pale face, framed by blood-soaked blonde hair, sent a jolt of fear through me. My fingers trembled as I brushed her cheek, whispering her name, but there was no response. A string of curses ripped from my lips. This wasn't right. She shouldn't be hurt, possibly dying. This wasn't her mess. Lucy was pure sunshine, always radiating warmth and kindness. Guilt gnawed at me, reminding me of her playful teasing, the way she'd sashay around with a tray of drinks and a witty comment on her lips. I blinked back the moisture stinging my eyes. Steeling myself, I rose. Moving to the sofa, I sniffed where the unknown male's scent lingered. A scent and a maybe-name –l meager scraps of evidence in a city this size. The scent would be impossible to track, and "Greyson" meant nothing to me. What the hell was I supposed to do? Sirens wailed in the distance, a sharp reminder of the need to leave. Being caught at a crime scene would
The door suddenly opened and I was forced to abandon my conflicted thoughts. Jumping to my feet, I turned to face an obviously surprised Lucy. “Viktor, what are you doing here?” “Hi, Lucy. I… um… ” She walked up to me and kissed my cheek, before moving to take her coat off. “Never mind. I know the truth." “You do?” He stiffened, assuming the worst. “Of course. You’re sorry for your fight with Ria and came here to make up.” “Uh… Right. That’s it.” I latched onto the lifeline she’d unknowingly handed to me. “I’m here to make things right.” Lucy nodded, glancing at Adriana lying on the sofa, her face quickly changing from a happy to grin to real concern. “Oh, is she sick again?” “Yeah. She fainted coming into the building and I carried her up here. She has a fever. I was just going to give her an aspirin." “I’ll get some from the medicine cabinet.” Lucy turned to go. “No. I already checked. There isn’t any. Um… why don’t you sit with her and I’ll go to the store.” I f
I didn't know where she was. Just be quiet, I ordered myself, clenching my jaw. Creeping past the doorway, I peeked into the first room the bedroom. Clothes were strewn everywhere, a mishmash of Lucy's floral patterns and my own dark t-shirts. Her scent lingered, a familiar mix of lavender and something distinctly... her. The bathroom was empty, the towels abandoned in a heap. Back in the living area, a few papers lay scattered on the counter. Junk mail, bills, nothing interesting. But then aha! On a nearby table, Adriana laptop glowed, left open. Sitting down, I scanned the screen, my stomach tightening. My name stared back at me, bold and accusing, next to a picture file I knew for a fact I'd deleted. That little...! Somehow, she'd gotten more copies. Fury surged through me as I clicked on the document titled with my name. The more I read, the deeper my scowl became. By the time I reached the final paragraphs, I wanted to hurl the damn machine across the room. There it was, in bl
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Lucy stared at me with a frown. “You still don’t look so good.” We were leaning against the kitchen counter sipping coffee and preparing to start our day. I, however reluctantly, had to head off to meet with Aldrich, while Lucy was going to spend the morning taking a bus tour of the city that I had recommended. Rolling my eyes, I reassured Lucy, yet again. "Honestly, I'm fine. The fever broke last night. My arm's not as sore. It's just a lack of sleep and nerves over this meeting that are making me look less than prime. I'll go see Aldrich and give him this report while you take a tour of the city. Then we'll meet back here for lunch and go shopping." "Why don't you just e-mail the report and come with me?" I sighed. "I wish, but Aldrich hates e-mail. He wants face to face contact. I think he likes to watch people squirm." Seeing Lucy's concerned expression, I added a light laugh. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." "Well… if you're sure." "Go." I