JASMINES POVMy breath hitched as the glint of the gun caught the light. The dining room’s tension turned suffocating, and every sound—the clink of utensils, the faint hum of the building—faded into silence.“Ezra!” I screamed, my voice trembling as I rose to my feet, the knife I had hidden now gripped tightly in my hand.My mother froze, her tear-streaked face pale with fear. Her lips quivered, but no words came out. She simply stared down the barrel of the gun aimed at her.“You left me!” Ezra bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. His hand shook slightly as he held the weapon, his face contorted with a mix of rage and pain.“You left me when I needed you the most! You abandoned me like I was nothing! And now you sit here, pretending to care?”My mother’s chest heaved as she tried to steady her voice. “I… I know I made a mistake,” she stuttered. Her eyes left Caine, staying planted on her plate. “So if you’re going to shoot me for a mistake…then go ahead. After all, you are p
JASMINES POVThe elevator doors slid open, and my father, alongside Rican—my mother’s new husband—stepped into the room. Relief flooded my chest as their imposing figures filled the space. Ezra’s smirk faltered, his grip on the gun tightening as he registered their arrival. “Oh…great. The perfect party. Old father, new father, what a lovely way to get the dinner going,” he smirked. It’s been years since I saw Rican though. I almost didn’t recognize him because his one scanty goatee was now full and spread to the sides of his face. He looked more muscular than the last time we spoke, and I saw reasons why my mother wouldn’t leave him. “Come this way,” my father extended his hands towards me. I grabbed my mother's hand too, and together, we crawled out of our hiding. “Hey,” Rican hugged her. I saw the desire in my mother's eyes to know how they linked up, but this wasn’t the right place or time. “I came late, I guess.” Rican blurted, as his claws extended. “You arrived just in tim
JASMINES POVThe morning light streamed through the blinds, streaking my walls with rays of soft orange. My body felt heavy, weighed down by the aftermath of last night’s chaos. The tension, the blood, Ezra’s chilling words—it all played in an endless loop in my mind.I stayed in bed longer than usual, staring blankly at the ceiling and willing my racing thoughts to quiet down. My hand instinctively drifted to my belly. The life growing within me was a fragile reminder of everything I had to fight for, of what I couldn’t afford to lose.By the time I finally emerged from my duvet, the house was quiet. The silence was different from last night—not tense, but somber. I could hear faint murmurs from the kitchen, likely my mother and Rican. I hesitated at the thought of joining them, but I wasn’t in the mood for strained smiles or forced small talk.The aroma of whatever she was preparing sizzled into my room through the holes above my door, stirring me out of bed. I washed up, got chang
JASMINES POVI didn’t know if I should walk up to him or stand by and watch where he was going. It felt awkward, seeing him him here. He made a turn to the left, leaving my sight immediately. I attempted to go after him but froze mid-way. “We probably shouldn’t be seeing each other at this moment…” I thought. I retraced my steps back to Caine’s room. With a deep breath, I pulled the knob and strode in. I froze at the door when I spotted Lucy. She was sitting at the edge of the bed, tendering to his legs like she owned that part of his body. “Lucy,” I called with a heavy breath, forcing a smile to hide the gut-wrenching pain that struck my heart. “I didn’t expect to see you here,”“Jasmine,” she called in return, slipping out of the bed, being careful enough not to wake Caine. He looked so peaceful at sleep, and I wondered what must have gone down the past two days of my absence. Lucy’s eyes darted to the flask in my hand, and she smirked. “Figured someone had to take care of him
JASMINES POV The ride home was silent, with my father occasionally glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I kept my gaze fixed on the passing scenery, replaying the scene at the hospital in my head. Caine’s words, or rather the lack of them, echoed painfully in my chest. “Caine’s gone,” I’d said to my father earlier, but now that reality was sinking deeper, it felt like a knife twisting in my heart. When we finally arrived home, I went straight to my room, dropping the untouched flask on the bedside table. My wolf growled softly in my mind, restless and agitated, but I silenced her with a deep breath. I couldn’t let my emotions spiral out of control—not yet. I stared back at the flask, wondering if I shouldn’t have left. Maybe I should have stayed back to fight for what rightfully belongs to me—to fight for Caine’s love. But to what end? Even when he was still with his memory, he didn’t love me as much as he said. And now, with his memories gone, what difference would it m
JASMINES POV I sat in silence at the back of the car, my eyes fixed on nature's scenery outside the window as the car drove down the road. We passed the pack house, heading for the alpha mansion. Even with my gaze fixed outside the window, I could still feel the sheriff's eyes on me. The one time I stole a glance at the rear, I caught him staring. He didn’t even care if I caught him, his eyes didn’t waiver for the slightest second. The air was getting tight and thick, making the car space uncomfortable for me. I shifted uneasily in my seat, trying to ignore the intensity of the sheriff’s gaze. My wolf growled faintly in the back of my mind, sensing my unease. The car finally pulled into the long driveway leading to Alpha Morgan King’s mansion. The estate was as grand and imposing as I’d heard—tall iron gates, perfectly manicured lawns, and a towering structure that seemed to loom over everything around it. As the car came to a stop, the sheriff stepped out first, opening the do
JASMINES POVI stood at the base of the stairs, watching Livy ascend with her legs shaking with every step she took up. A feeling of relief coursed through me, at least she’d get a draw for what she did—or what she was doing. I still couldn’t quite understand how or when she became this person. Yes. I’d seen signs before, but I overlooked them, believing she was doing it intentionally. “I’ll see Jasmine off,” Caine’s brother said, attempting to walk past them. “I can walk by myself. I’ll find my way out,” I muttered, slowly turning around and walking away from the building. I fought the urge to glance back at what was going on until I was outside the walls of the alpha mansion. The car that was supposed to drive me back home was already waiting at the front of the building, with the back window winding down. I glanced at the driver, whose expression was screaming at me to enter the car and stop wasting his time. I moved to his side of the window and knocked. “I’ll walk,” I said a
I quickened my pace, my heart racing in my chest. The narrow street stretched ahead, dimly lit by flickering streetlights. The sound of my footsteps echoed off the walls, and so did his. My mind raced with panic, trying to figure out what to do next.I glanced over my shoulder again. He wasn’t even trying to hide it now—his eyes locked on me, his pace deliberate and steady. My stomach twisted in knots as I realized I couldn’t outpace him like this.I ducked into an alley, the shadows swallowing me whole. My breath came in short, shallow bursts as I pressed my back against the cold brick wall. I strained my ears, listening for his footsteps.There they were. Closer now.“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath, bursting into a race. I reached for my phone mid-race, but I couldn’t get a view of my screen with the amount of wind seeping into my eye. It slipped out of my hand and fell, bringing me to an abrupt halt. One mistake I made. As I bent over to pick up the phone, he caught up with me,
JASMINES POVI stood before the mirror, staring at my reflection. Time had passed since the last servant came to inform us that the car was waiting. I’d completely lost myself in my reflection. The woman staring back at me was different. Someone I’d long admired to be. I let out a sigh, taking the veil off my face. “Are we ready?” I asked Alyssa who was still gathering a few things from her bag. “Yes…just these little things I have to get them we’ll move,’ he said.I didn’t mind, because I felt like I had all the time in the world. I was willing to stand before the mirror, simply staring at myself and the baby bump that was evident from the white gown I had on. Two knocks landed on the door, and it creaked open. From the mirror, I saw my mother. “Mum,” I called under my breath. She told me that she wasn’t going to make it because she was still taking care of her husband. Seeing her here sent chills down my spine. I strode hurriedly across the room, but she covered more space tha
JASMINES POVI walked into the cemetery where Lucy’s body was buried. Carrying my flowers in one hand and holding Caine in the other. It was a month after her death, and as much as I tried to deny it, I could feel the void in my heart. She occupied somewhere in my heart, despite the betrayal and hatred, and I just couldn’t bring myself to deny that fact. Caine wasn’t in support of my going to visit the cemetery, but I insisted. I had to remind him of Lucy’s parents whom they locked up and weren’t able to pay their daughter a visit at her grave, nor did they have a chance to see them lower her into the ground. She was a villain, yes—but also a human being. “I’ll wait out here,” Caine said. I didn’t argue. We disconnected our hands, and he kissed me before letting me off. Caine was still a work in progress. He was taking on a new personality, one that was completely in contrast to who he was before the accident. His memories were not completely back, but each day, with my presenc
CAINES POVThe next time I woke up, I couldn’t move my hands or legs. I scanned the room area after getting a clearer vision. The smell of wolf’s bane was strong in the air, and that explained why I felt weak. “You’re finally up, welcome to the party,” Lucy drew my attention to her. She was crouched beside Jasmine, and something about that position upset my wolf. He wanted to defend Jasmine, to stand up for her. But our strength was sealed. “Get away from her. Who are you?” I gritted.“It’s so sad that it had to be your memory that was lost. A part of me wished you died that night,” she blurted. “What?” I asked. Then I understood what she was talking about. My accident. “That girl…Elara right?” She chuckled. “She was this close to figuring out. If only she’d been smart,”I groaned, pulling against my restraints. “You killed her!” I yelled. But only a sinister smile played on her face as she moved from Jasmine to me. “You can’t do anything, Caine, not even now. You couldn’t even
CAINES POVThe call dropped.I yanked the phone from my ear, staring at the screen as static hummed in my ears. The connection had been lost.Jasmine’s voice still rang in my head, breathless and desperate.I’m pregnant—with your child.I shot up from my chair so fast it clattered against the floor. My wolf was raging beneath my skin, demanding action, demanding I find her.Just then, a car drove in. I moved to the window to see who it was. Lucy. My eyes drifted to the clock, and it was a few minutes past twelve. The sky was completely dark, and the moon was hanging with a moonlight under the cloud. “She sounded scared…and urgent…” I thought. All of a sudden, my wolf was full of rage. The fragment of memory that I had tried to remember felt like it was fighting its way up. But distractions. Lucy was coming up, and I had to confirm my suspicions. I reached for my phone and sent a text to Beta Joseph, telling him to track my phone and find me if anything happened. I sent the same
JASMINE’S POVThe moment the door shut behind them, I let out a shaky breath, my body sagging against the chair. My arms ached from the restraints, my head pounding from exhaustion, but none of it compared to the sharp pain radiating through my stomach. The warmth of my blood soaked into my dress was a terrifying reminder of just how much danger I was in.I glanced at the table where Lucy had tossed her phone. It was my only chance.My eyes drifted back to the door after I heard a sound. I thought they were coming back, so I curled back into my tears. After a few seconds of waiting, and no one came through the door, I let out a heavy sigh, staring at the phone. Desperation fueled me as I forced my body forward. I fell from the chair and crashed my face on the floor. Shock coursed through my face, sending my head and my brain pulsing with the taste of blood that circulated in my mouth. I ignored the pain, keeping my eyes focused on the phone that lay on the table. I started crawlin
LUCY'S POVI slammed the brakes, drifting the car out of the garage. I saw Caine standing at the edge of the hallway through the rear mirror. His gaze was fixed on the car, his body still as I drove off. I knew he was getting suspicious, and it was only a matter of time before he came searching or digging for answers. I drove into the silence that filled the night, a clear contrast to the storm of thoughts that raged in my mind. I’d asked for dinner with them because I started noticing the low murmuring when I wasn’t looking. They were getting suspicious, questioning my whereabouts and my lateness to the events and important meetings. I also noticed how distant I had become due to the plans Bryan had and the hitches we experienced over the month. Recently, a few days back or so, Adrian went on a hunting spree, killing tons of humans and werewolves. According to my parents, he was facing the likelihood of the breakout of another disease all because he hadn’t found someone who was
CAINE’S POVThe silence that filled the room was suffocating. The way all eyes drifted to me, I knew I shouldn’t have uttered those words. I took a little drift away from Lucy’s stare, traveling my eyes around the room. The eyes of others carried a heavy weight, like a secret, lurking behind them. I made sure I observed all before returning my gaze to Lucy. Unlike others, and unlike the first time the question was asked, she was smiling. What changed?Wasn’t she curious to know what changed?”“Go on, Caine. Why don’t you tell us? Are we supposed to be expecting someone else,” she asked again. The rest returned to their meal, the forks clanging softly against their plates. Even their eyes were buried into their plates, and it felt like they were expecting some kind of outburst of something—a quarrel perhaps. “Are you okay mate?” Harper nudged me, Snapping me out of my zone. I forced a smile, nodding hurriedly.“Of course. I just didn’t spot Joanne in time. My sight I guess.” lie
JASMINES POVThe light shuffling of feet and the muffled voices stirred me up from my sleep. Standing at the edge of the room Bryan, talking with Adrian. They were discussing in lie tones, but Bryan seemed to be angrier. “You led them here!” He yelled, pushing Adrian. For reasons best known to Adrian, he wasn’t getting angry just like Bryan. He maintained his cool, taking the blows and the blame. “Deal with it,” Bryan snapped. “It’s already been dealt with,” Adrian said finally. My vision blurred for a few seconds, and I blinked several times to get a clearer view. Silence fell in the room after Adrain spoke, safe for Bryan’s heavy breathing. “You what?”“They’ve been dealt with. And Lucy drove off with their bodies to bury them somewhere far,” he explained. With the I saw things, Bryan wasn’t in support of that. He took two steps forward, and the third step placed him directly in front of Adrian.“You killed the cops?” My breath hitched after hearing what the offense was.
CAINES POVIt was the second month since the arrest of Lilian. My father has been silent on the progress being made by my uncle and the rest of the investigation team—that’s if progress was being made. On the other hand, Natasha has been nothing but helpful. For reasons best known to her, she only let me discuss things I’d planned for and my father eventually left. She stood in as my therapist. On the other hand, Lucy is awkwardly absent from the house. She leaves so early and comes back really late at night. When I asked, she attributed the return of her parents and her brother whom the police department was after. I walked out of bed, moved to the mirror, and ran my fingers through the bandage on my head. Two months had come, and gone, yet I still couldn’t get an answer to the most bothersome question in my mind.Why Jasmine?A few days ago, I asked my father. I wanted to know why she was the only name that kept recurring in my head. I noticed the way he tried to avoid the qu