>Zoe and Xavier walked into the dark hallways that seemed to be endless."I thought that bastard said we were in the Simmons house. Simmons house was not this big." Xavier groaned as he tried not to lean on Zoe too much since she was just as tortured if not more, but he knew if he let go, they'd both be on the floor. They were exhausted and pumped full of poison. Zoe more than Xavier, but that meant they were equally exhausted and needed time and a safe space to heal undisturbed."I see a light," Zoe said as she tried to move faster.They went from one hallway to another. There were blood stains and claw marks on the floors and walls. It made them wonder what the humans had going on there. They saw stairs and Xavier wondered out loud, "I thought Simmons house was one story.""I think we are under the house," Zoe replied and they both stumbled up the stairs groaning with each step as pain coursed through their not-yet-healed wounds."I have never hated stairs more," Xavie
>Zoe and Xavier hid behind the wall as they saw a man and boy change a flat tire. It was going to take them a while. But time was of the essence.So, while the two were busy, Zoe and Xavier dragged each other to the back of the truck and hopped in. They got to the back and hid behind the crates to wait for the tire to be changed and get out of the Goddess-forsaken village before it was too late.Zoe and Xavier walked into the dark hallways that seemed to be endless."I thought that bastard said we were in the Simmons house. Simmons house was not this big." Xavier groaned as he tried not to lean on Zoe too much since she was just as tortured if not more, but he knew if he let go, they'd both be on the floor. They were exhausted and pumped full of poison. Zoe more than Xavier, but that meant they were equally exhausted and needed time and a safe space to heal undisturbed."I see a light," Zoe said as she tried to move faster.They went from one hallway to another. There wer
>The couple walked on cautiously, barely being able to stand on their feet. Before being able to let their guard down, they had to make sure that the owner of the cabin was not a threat to them. So, despite desperately desiring a drink and a dip in the stream, they headed for the cabin.Xavier asked Zoe to keep watch as he looked through the windows first. The curtains prevent him from seeing anything for certain. So, taking a chance, he knocked on the door and waited. There was no smoke coming out of the chimney which could mean that the cabin was currently uninhabited. After a couple more knocks and waiting for a couple of minutes, Xavier mind-linked Zoe, "I'm going in. I don't there is anyone here.""Wait, what if it's a trap?" Zoe said as she went to stop Xavier."Too late, already in," He replied, "I was right. Seems empty.""Xavier! We cannot afford to be reckless," Zoe scolded as she caught up with him."What do you mean, there is nobody here, as I said there woul
>Xavier and Zoe had a choice. They could either walk out of the cabin before the owner returned and spend the cold night in the woods. Or, lock themselves in for the night, hoping that the owner either returned by the day and could be reasoned with or didn't come at all until they were ready to leave. After all, they weren't going to stay there forever. They just needed a place to lie low for a while and let their torn-up bodies heal as their animals felt better too.One look at the cold, dark woods and they instantly chose the second option, praying to the Moon Goddess that the owner wouldn't come during the night at least. They were tired of sleeping in random places during their time on the road. For once, they wanted a real bed without worrying about what the next morning might bring.After the warm, hearty dinner, the two glanced at the hammock and the night spent at Xavier's cabin flashed in both their heads. Zoe closed her mind space before Xavier got any ideas. S
>Zoe glanced at Xavier alarmed as if asking, 'Did you smell that too?'Xavier, on the other hand, was looking around anxiously searching. He quickly got out of the water and got dressed as Zoe rushed to him, "I think the cabin owner's back,"But Xavier wasn't hearing anymore.He picked up his pace toward the source of the scent making Zoe worried and ask in mind link, "What are you doing? We can be seen."But despite her doubts, she still picked up the backpack Xavier had left and jogged after him."Luca, please tell me it's you, man," Xavier called out to the woods at the edge of the clearing where the cabin was.At first, nothing happened. Only the regular sights and sounds of the forest answered back.Zoe caught up to him and asked, "Xavier, what is going on?""Alpha?!" An uncertain male voice sounded from the trees before a hermit-looking man with a big beard and long hair jumped from a tree. Who knew how long he had been watching them from up there?Xavier stilled. It
>As Maisie and I stopped at the safe house, I knew I had to follow protocol and sweep the area.My mistake was not arming Maisie before I left. But, by the time I found myself surrounded by werewolves more powerful than Alphas, I knew it was too late. I had a choice to fight or to flee. It was one against two dozen. I chose to fight. If I fled, who would protect Masie? I had to make sure nobody got to her.The way they were standing, it was clear that they knew the bare minimum of combat. They were all muscle and no technique. So, I fought. But damn those muscles. I am sure now that those werewolf thugs were magically enhanced. There is no other way that a common werewolf would be able to uproot a full-grown tree on a mountain terrain.Before they could kill me off, I decided to run hoping that they would follow me to finish me off and give Maisie time to realize that something was wrong and run away to save herself.But I was only partially right.Those men split up. So
>Neil straightened up when the door handle twisted and I could feel his respect and fear for the incoming doctor emanate from him. I still couldn't move a single muscle below my neck and that was reason enough to panic but I had to continue my acting of an amnesic patient. The doctor walked in with a file under her arm as she unwrapped a bright yellow candy, popped it in her mouth, and gave the wrapper to Neil who took it like it was his honor to be her trash can. The woman did not look a day over thirty human years, but since they hadn't freaked out over my healing I knew they were just as supernatural as I. The doctor walked with an air of authority added with a perfect mixture of nonchalance. But, the way her green eyes swept the room and took me in, I knew she was reading the details the way our military training had taught us to. No commoner would be able to know what had happened but I did.I knew I'd have to pretend harder to convince her of my amnesia than Neil
>"Trich, prep patient 201," Doctor Candy ordered before walking over to a working desk full of papers, files, folders, and a laptop.It took me a moment to register that I was the patient 201 who needed to be prepped when a young man in a lab coat with his short hair died green, approached me with, "This way, Sir." "What am I being prepped for?" I asked but instead, I overheard Doctor Candy tell Neil, "Make sure he doesn't make a mess," and Neil was beside me the next instant with the fakest smile I had ever seen. And I had been Claire Devereux's friend once. Now what would make me want to cause a mess? I was led towards an ordinary chair as Trich pulled my sleeve up before getting an injection ready."What's that? What are you injecting in me?" I asked expressing some of my suspicion. It wasn't out of character, anyone who had lost their memories would be suspicious of people who claimed to be helping but never allowed a moment of privacy. "I thought you said you
>“So, where did you learn how to cook?” Lady Shaw asked as she stirred the boiling pot of soup I was making for dinner.“Mostly my Dad and Aunt Julie. She was Dad’s cousin, used to live with us. Some I learned from experimenting with MJ,” I was instinctively going to add that some I learned for my ex John because he preferred home-cooked meals, but that asshole did not deserve a mention.She took a small spoon and tasted the soup. Subconsciously, I held my breath waiting for her reaction. She took her time and the knife in my hand hovered over the fresh coriander that she had brought.“It’s good,” She smiled in affirmation, and I let out a tiny sigh of relief. Her approval was important to me for some reason. I didn’t know if she knew that I was Xavier’s mate or not, but this was the second time I was meeting her and I did not want to disappoint her. I did not have many special skills but I knew I could trust my cooking and self-defense.“It’s Dad’s recipe,” I couldn’t ke
>Talking to MJ had not only brightened my mood and given me something to think about, it had also lightened the weight off of my heart. I was still troubled, but it had given me a morale boost that I desperately needed. Especially after having Dahlia locked up for a night.She had given me a new perspective on things. She was more courageous than me. After all, we were in similar predicaments, on the run, hiding from powerful, evil people. But she was stuck in a shabby, questionable place. In that sense, I was better off than her. And yet, she had the strength to laugh about everything like it was just a big joke that life was playing on us.Telling her about everything had rejuvenated me and the conversation had left me energized and ready to tackle my problems again. I had a lot of work to do. There was stuff left by Mom and Aunt Julie, not to mention, that mysterious journal we had retrieved from our Riverwoods torturers along with that weird key.Thus after my early m
>"Speculum magicae plenum excantatum, ostende mihi unum ex altera parte," I chanted after I had dropped a droplet of my blood on the back of the silver embossed hand mirror.Instantly the mirror started moving as if I had poured water on it and started rippling in circles. While it did its magic, I had a thought, "Dahlia?"'Uhuh,' She called out watching the mirror with more attention than me."How did the barrier break? I thought I'd feel something like that but I didn't. I mean I felt the silence when it was created." I mused.'Yes, you did. You were just so preoccupied that you didn't realize it immediately.' She confirmed and I was confused."How? When?"'When you were by the lake.' She answered as if it was obvious and then explained, 'Agitation creates barriers, tranquility breaks them down.'I realized then that when I had felt the wind blow through me, it was more in my head than in real life. My mind space was whole again."Wait a minute," I said to her, "If you
>I woke up to silence.It was an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling. In recent months, I had gotten used to having Dahlia in my head and commenting on most of my thoughts. I liked her companionship even though we didn't always get along. But I guess that is how most shifters are with their animals.I tried to call out to her once more before giving up and getting ready for my morning run. My mother's letter was still swirling in my head. What could it all mean? Everything felt mysteriously important.As I stepped into the woods, the thought of the dehydrated Claire, starving in the cabin's basement made me stop. I glanced toward the hatch. She had been an awful person even before I knew what she was capable of. But was I the person who lets people get punished worse than animals? But then, I had my hands red with the compound mass-massacre. I had the blood of so many innocents on my hands. I wasn't any better.Just like that the pit in the bottom of my stomach returned. I s
>All I wanted since I was a little girl, was to have my wolf. I just wanted to be included at school and be treated like normal werewolf cubs.But the more I waited the worse it felt when I didn't receive my wolf. I became more and more desperate and impatient. I started losing friends until there was none but Maisie.And when I had accepted the fact that even though I was a beta's daughter, I was a wolfless omega but social hierarchy, Dad died. That triggered my dormant animal whom I found out to be more than a regular wolf. I had a hybrid of a Lycan and a werewolf.After having accepted that I would spend my life alone because wolfless meant mateless as well, I was finally complete. I had an animal and she was powerful and magnificent. Yes, I struggled with her. I was unable to transform at will. I was also finding it impossible to create a mental barrier between our shared mental space to give each other some much-needed privacy from each other. Because even though we
>There was blood everywhere and I was so angry. I could see the corpse of my father laying in the pool of his blood, motionless. It was heartbreaking. But it only made me upset. I had left my home pack. I had tried to build a new life, gotten a new job, tried to make new friends, and hoped to lay low. But then, Xavier Shaw had returned and he had kidnapped me. I know he meant well by showing me what a rotten man Richard Peterson was. But, that had only gotten my father to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.And it had gotten him killed. Richard had killed my dad. Emptied his gun in my Dad's chest. I felt movement behind me and whirled around, only to see that Richard had gotten another gun and was pointing it at me.I saw him through Dahlia's vision, looking down on him. His hands were trembling. But he was ready to kill me to save himself. Just as he had killed my Dad to protect his illegal and villanious business. I took a step toward him and he shot at me in pani
>'We should leave now, Zoe.' Dahlia said firmly.I turned to face Claire once more. She was skinnier than I remembered and had dried blood all over her body. Her nails were broken but her smirk was still there."Ask. You know you are dying to know." She said like she knew what was going on in my head.'Zoe, walk away. We cannot trust a word coming from her.' Dahlia kept telling me. If I knew how to block her, I might've."Xavier loved you. Why did you betray him?" I finally asked."She speaks," Claire mocked.'Zoe,' Dahlia warned."Answer me," I tried to ask firmly."You haven't done this before, have you? Interrogation is an art. You should learn it from your beloved. Xavier knows how to paint a body red." She mused but ended up coughing probably due to her dry throat."He wouldn't have to if you hadn't betrayed him," I replied. She didn't know how much I knew and I intended to keep it that way. But I was barely thinking straight."Oh look at the little fawn defending th
>I ran through the woods, trying to clear my head as always. For the first time in my life, it wasn't working.The feeling of Xavier's lips on my neck, his hands on my body, his presence around me. It was all overwhelming my senses. I could still smell his cologne. When had I started to get so horny for him to start having such dreams?I ran faster and took a U-turn to return to the cabin. Jacob had been very adamant about me staying close to the cabin as much as possible. He had wanted me to stay indoors at all times, but that was not going to be an option for me. So, I was granted a few liberties. I was not going to misuse those.While returning, I decided to take one last lap around the cabin before going in to shower and getting to read my hard work from yesterday, finally.That was when I noticed something different. A certain part of the ground was covered by the bushes more thickly than the rest. If I didn't know any better I would say it looked like an attempt to
>I woke up to knocking on the door. I looked around, I was still in Xavier's cabin. I grew worried. Xavier had been explicit about knocking. Both he and Jacob had keys to the cabin which meant, it wasn't them and thus shouldn't be trusted.I quickly slipped on Xavier's shirt and called on Dahlia to help if it came to that. 'I'm right here, though it would've been better if you could hand me control willingly, rather than me having to take it from you every time things get too much for you.' Dahlia yawned. She had been resting as well.I rolled my eyes, "Yes, how simple it is, isn't it?"'You don't even try,' Dahlia retorted."I am not having this conversation with you when there is possibly a hostile intruder here," I replied and got ready to defend Xavier's cabin.The door unlocked and swung open slowly. My heart was in my throat as I raised the frying pan in my hand to attack the intruder, when I got still in shock."Zoe, what are you doing?" Xavier walked in, dressed