It was impossible to breathe in this airtight van. My nose was stuffed with the thick scent of blood from the bruise on my cheek. I could feel the warm wetness of sweat trickling down my face and neck like water and the taste of iron clung to my tongue.My heart burned with sorrow and wild grief. This was punishment for becoming very relaxed and exposing myself to the public. Two of the abductors sat in front and the third one sat beside me at the back. The driver turned up the van's cassette player, whistling and nodding his head to some noisy metal music that added to the headache that threatened to burst my skull.It didn't help that the bastard over me was so messy, littering the back seat with wrappers and soda cups. I put my hands over my ears and pressed against the window in hopes to block out the thoughts in my head. My irritation grew, but what could I do? I sat there, numb and tried to focus on breathing through my nose and keeping calm.But when the scent of Lycan energy
My father's housekeeper, whose name never stored in my memory, was a middle-aged male. He burst through the door, and the abductors pushed me forward."Look who decided to return to the nest. Princess Ashanti has graced us with her presence, though she needed a bit of... persuading," he said, his jaw slackened in shock, while the house helps behind him whispered among themselves. The housekeeper regained composure before speaking."The king has been quite clear about not wanting any disturbances. But this, this will certainly brighten his day. Good, take us to him, let him see the little runaway we brought home," one of the abductors instructed.The housekeeper had the guts to smile at me and say, "Princess, we've missed you dearly, your return is—" My response was sharp. "In your miserable life, don't you ever use that term on me."The poor guy was shocked at my response but remained quiet. Overhead, abductors laughed at my overreaction.The closer we got to the study, the more my fe
ChadwickHaving no choice but to report to the police, I drove to the station, experiencing a deep and painful sorrow, and hoping that I could get out of this mental fog and find Kira. In the lobby, a glass partition stood before me, creating a barrier between me and the stoic officer who didn't look like he loved his job.I wiped the sweat trickling down my neck with a handkerchief, anxious as fuck."Excuse me," I began, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic gnawing at my insides. "I need to report a missing person. My girlfriend, Ashanti, has gone missing."The officer looked up, his face mildly inconvenient. "Missing, you say? How long has she been gone?""Six hours,” I replied, my trembling fingers gripping the edge of the desk."Six hours, huh?" The officer drawled, finally setting his magazine aside. "And you're just now reporting this?"I bristled at the question and glared at him with burning reproachful eyes. I knew that losing my temper now was very dangerous so I
AshantiLike a bad joke, Seth Darkwood's second attempt at marrying me was inching closer. The festival had spun for two days. The house was decorated elaborately and the feast could feed the whole Lycan pack. My extended family was here for the traditional pre-wedding party. The maids adorned the hall with marigolds and jasmine. My aunties' outfits were embroidered with gold threads and my uncles were dressed in long togas and joined the feast as the dancing group performed choreographed dances, entertaining the guests. I was dying inside and didn't know what to do. Now that all eyes were on me and security was extra tight, there was no hope to escape. I watched my family and the top members of the Lycan community devour spiced lamb kebabs with biryanis infused with saffron, and an array of dishes and desserts. Everywhere buzzed with excitement and activity. My bitterness grew so big that it almost exploded as I watched everyone have fun. Uncles gathered in the courtyard, playing
Ken Walking into the office building ever since Chadwick hired Carmen was war. Every time I glanced across the corridor to Chad's office, she was always there.She was a natural. I noticed how she organized Chad's calendar with meticulous care, how she fielded calls with a pleasantness that seemed natural etcBut seeing her in my space brought an uncomfortable tightness to my chest. Our fallout had been messy and to date, I still felt guilty for what I did to her. I was an asshole for sleeping with the best friend of someone infatuated with me. Chadwick might have not had any ulterior motives for agreeing to bring her on board, but I didn't foresee this crazy discomfort I felt. Unlike Ashanti, whose presence I was extremely comfortable with and even enjoyed it, Carmen made me feel like shit. At first, after Chadwick went on the quest of looking for the Lycan pack, I thought I could cope with this adjustment, but he's been away for three days and my head wasn't in a good and bad pla
AshantiI sat across from Aunt Sasha in my bedroom while I listened to her make some calls to some uncles, subtly wanting to know where my father was. She leaned closer with a satisfied smirk on her face after making the latest phone call. “I've got good news.”My heart raced and goosebumps itched my bare arm. “What is it?”“Your dad and his useless friends are at the whore’s den. It's where they go every Friday night. They eat, drink, fuck their concubines all night. Heard it's a bloody orgy down there.”A disgusted gag escaped my lips while I waited for her to get this information over with because imagining my dad in various sex positions with different women was gory. “All I'm saying is that this is our opportunity."I stared at her like she was crazy and despite knowing the answer I went ahead and asked, “Opportunity for what?”She rolled her eyes. "Surely you're not that daft. An opportunity to sneak into his room and find the signet ring of course. He is surely going to com
ChadwickFor over five hours, I'd been driving along an endless open country road, the miles stretched out endlessly before me. The landscape blurred into a blur of green and brown. I was extremely tired. Praying silently, I hoped she was still alive out there somewhere. The thought of her being dead made my throat constrict. I couldn't shake the fear that her father might have already hurt her.I heard a loud thud followed by the unmistakable sound of rubber tearing against asphalt. Dammit it, this was the worst place and time to have a flat tire. Cursing under my breath, I pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed the spare tire and the necessary tools from the trunk. I had to fix this quickly—I was in the middle of nowhere, and time was not on my side.The second I knelt by the side of the road, the heavens opened up, unleashing a strong downpour that soaked me to the bone within seconds. Great! Super great!Raindrops best against my skin and it became stronger to the poin
AshantiI sat patiently as my aunt applied makeup to my face and transformed me into someone unrecognizable. I now looked like Aunt Aurora and her minions. The black pixie wig was carefully placed on me after my natural hair was tucked in. When I glanced at my reflection in the mirror I laughed. She handed me a long green dress and a transparent veil. “I need you to lie in bed and face the wall. I don't want anyone to see you,” she said while calling for a maid. I swiftly turned to face the wall, positioning myself on the bed to appear like I was asleep. The maid made her entry and I remained still.“How long have you been serving in this house?”Aunt Sasha asked her. The maid didn't answer immediately and I could tell she was suspicious. “Four years now, madam.”“Why do you sound like I'm some stranger? I'm, after all, the King's sister.”The silence that followed Aunt Sasha's words was awkward before my aunt spoke again.“I heard there's a dungeon somewhere in the house. Could y