CAINES POV The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, whispers and dares. I was careful enough not to get drunk, despite how many times I was made to drink after refusing so many dares. By the time I rested my head on Lucy’s shoulder, I was already feeling light headed. Even in that state, my mind still tethered to the dare Lucy had given to me. That was the only dare which stretched over weeks, and it was one the group wouldn’t forget in a hurry. To me, that dare wasn't just about Jasmine. It was Lucy’s way of treating my loyalty to her. I noticed the way she always stared at jasmine whenever she was looking away. Everyone had taken in the new her, but I knew how difficult it was for Lucy. Just when I thought the night was over, drunk Jojo pulled my hands, dragging me out of the chair. “Down to the club!” He sang, parading and jumping like a child. The club? “We’re not going into club 9. We shouldn’t be seen in there,” I tried to warn them as they marched forwar
CAINES POV A sharp throbbing pain shot at the back of my head as I stirred awake, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth. My ears buzzed with the distant echoes of screams and shattering glasses. It took me a while to realize where I was—the men’s restroom, sprawled on the cold floor with my blood smeared around. I helped myself up, first meeting with my reflection on the mirror above the sink that was cracked. Blood trickled down my forehead, dripping onto the floor with steady beats. My wolf growled low within me, snapping me out of my pain and urging me to find her. The last thing I remembered was Lucy’s scream. I had no idea how long I’d laid on the floor, but I wasn’t going to let them leave the club with her. Dragging myself out of the restroom, I staggered down the stairs, holding my head in pain. I could still feel a piece of glass hiding beneath my head. I wiped the blood from my face with the back of my hand, forcing my vision to focus on the stairs which looked
CAINES POV The metallic scents of Jojo’s blood filled the air as I placed him on the table, applying pressure on the wound by his side. His breaths were shallow, his face pale and the blood gushing out from his torso wasn’t slowing down. Imani hovered around us, her hands wringing in the air. “What do we do? He’s losing so much blood! I don’t want to lose him,” she cried, sounding like she was about to have a panic attack. “Harper, get towels, Imani, boil some water!” I barked, my alpha instincts kicking in. For once, they didn’t question me or argue. They rushed off, doing as I instructed. Jojo groaned, his head tilting to the side. “It’s okay…I’ve seen worse. Just let me…” “Shut up!” I pressed harder on the wound, causing him to scream in pain. He ended with a chuckle, grabbing my hand as he shone his blood-stained teeth in a smile. “It’s too late,” he whizzed, coughing more blood on me. “No, it’s not,” I whispered. Not like I knew what I was doing, these were things I
JASMINES POVThe crackling of flames and the distant hum of laughter pulled me out of my haze of unconsciousness. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself sprawled on the cold forest floor. The sharp scent of burning wood mingled with the aroma of the trees. Shadows danced across my vision, and for a moment, I thought I was alone. But I wasn’t. “Rise and shine, beauty,” a masculine mocking voice called out, followed by a chorused laughter. I winced in pain, holding my head as I sat on the ground. “Who are you?” I asked the most relevant question. It was obvious we were in the woods. But doing what? Caine has mentioned how unsafe the pack was. So why would I be in the woods with strangers who stole me from bed?One of the boys walked up to me and offered to help me stand. I hesitated, but took his hand in the end, “You abducted me from my bed…” I queried, glaring at them one after the other. But they were unfazed. The once distant laughter and chants were now audible. I recognize
JASMINES POVSnarls and growls echoed through the dark woods, a primal battle unfolding before my eyes. Eric’s wolf was nothing compared to Caine’s. My heart hammered as I watched the two wolves clash, their sharp teeth snapping and claws tearing into each other. For a second, they vanished from my sight. Moments later, I heard the don’t rustle of leaves ahead of me. Caine emerged from the down part of the hill. His clothes were torn, body was covered in black smoke and sand. “Let’s go,” he said to me. I was numb until we arrived at the car. The glimpse of his chest which I caught before he walked past me registered in my head, refusing to accommodate any other thought. The journey back to the pack house was a silent one. I kept reeling through the thoughts of what happened back in the woods when Caine broke the silence. “Did anyone harm you?” He asked, stealing a glance at me. “No, I’m fine,” I answered. I had questions for him too. Like how he knew I was in the woods and that I
LUCY'S POV The blindfold that was wrapped around my eye was slowly taken off, permitting the hot rays of light to hit my face. I groaned, adjusting as much as I could to get a better posture on the chair. “She’s awake. Call her,” the distant voice of a man said, his footsteps withdrawing further away from the room. My eyes fluttered, fighting to open. But it was too weak to take the light coming at it. “You slept for too long, little one,” a second voice, which I didn’t know was close to me, said. His phone noisily dialed a number and it rang twice before a familiar female voice answered it. “What?” “Your daughter is awake,” the man said. My mother? ***** The screeching of tires sent the man beside me hurrying toward the door, and I didn’t need to see her before I knew she was the one. The door burst open, my mother strutting in line the older bitchy me she was. She halted mid-way and took off her shades, disgust etched on her face. “Who amongst you tied my daughter to a c
LUCY’S POV “What did you do to him?” I followed my father behind, throwing questions at him as he and my mother helped Adrian to his bed. He passed out in the front yard after undergoing a terrible shock. “Dad!” I yelled, trying to get his attention. But they were so focused on Adrain that I felt invincible. After successfully placing him in bed, they decided to give me an answer. “You have nothing to worry about. Adrian is fine,” “A wolf doesn’t move as fast as that,” I objected, refusing to let go of their trail. I followed them back to the dining room where they went to their meal which they abandoned to help Adrian. I checked the time, it was almost nine. “If you won’t give me answers then let me leave. The swearing-in begins at ten,” I protested. They paid deaf ears to me, quietly eating their food. The doors were locked, and the huge guys who captured me at the party were positioned at the front exits of the house. No doubt the back was guarded too. “Go to your room
CAINES POV “That’s too tight,” I told the guy who was getting me dressed. It wasn’t something I enjoyed but had to permit it because my father said it was protocol. He took off the first vest and replaced it with a better one. “Thank you,” I said, adjusting it. He left the room, leaving me all by myself staring at my reflection in the mirror. My father's words rang in my head, reminding me of how much he expected from me tonight. But before that, I needed to do something. I made my way to my father's room and went in after no one responded to my knock. It looked empty. And I began my search for it. “Caine?” My father's voice startled me from the door which I forgot to lock. “What are you doing in my room?” He turned on the lights and began walking towards me. “The…the programme for tonight. I was searching for the program for tonight,” I lied, studying his eyes to see if he bought it. He stared at me with doubt for a few seconds before proceeding towards his bed. “I t
JASMINES POVThe sound of Lucy’s car pulling up at the curb was a type of relief I hadn’t felt in some time. Brendon and I crept out of our hiding, racing to the black sedan that came to a halt. The door flung open, revealing Lucy who was sitting in the driver's seat. “Get in!” She hissed. I dragged Brendon along as we darted into the car. She didn’t wait a second for us, hitting the accelerator as the car sped off. The force closed the door, trapping us in. The car was silent for a few minutes, Lucy and I stealing gazes at each other from her mirror. She made a turn at a familiar road and hit the break.“Where have you been?” Her voice thundered with a mix of concern and anger. “I…” I opened my mouth to explain, but my words went missing, letting out only a sigh. “Where the hell have you been, Jasmine? Everyone in the pack was worried. Alpha Morgan couldn’t leave again because you went missing…”“I didn’t go missing,” I chirped in, lifting my face from where it was buried in dis
JASMINES POVThe wolves snarled, their teeth bared and glowing under the morning light. I scrambled to my feet, pulling Brendon to my side. He was strongly rooted to the ground, his eyes fixed on both beasts like he was analyzing them. “Brendon, it’s them. We must leave now!” I urged, pulling his arm.“Wait,” he whispered, his knees taking a slow bend as he assumed a defensive stance. His claws snapped out, and he started moving closer. The wolves that were once charged with ferocity started moving backward.I stood behind him, trying to understand what was happening. Were they scared of him? Or was there something he was doing to them that I couldn’t see?“Brendon, what’s going on?” I whispered.“Stay close,” he returned, keeping up with his pace. I tugged behind him, holding the dagger in my left hand, with the right grabbing his shirt. “What’s going on?” I asked, watching as the positions reversed. The first wolf turned immediately and ran into the woods, while the second took it
JASMINES POV “You can’t? Why?” Curiosity grew in me after he gave his unexpected answer. He shook his head, adjusting on the log of wood where he was resting. “You just bumped into me, how sure are you that…” “I can trust you?” I interrupted him. I sighed, moving away from where I was sitting and taking up a space beside him. “I never said I trust you, Brendon. All I said was…you saved me, and might as well help me save my friend. Instead of staying in the middle of nowhere, you could meet new people,” I corrected him. That still didn’t give him the satisfaction I’d expected. His eyes still bore some kind of doubt that lingered as I stared into them. He shook his head, turning away from me. “What if I don’t want to leave?” I didn’t respond to him immediately. I let his decision sink and settle at the base of my head before I shrugged. “Fine then, I’m used to surviving on my own. I’ll go alone,” I said, not waiting to hear what he had to say before I returned to his tent.
JASMINES POV“You can’t? Why?” Curiosity grew in me after he gave his unexpected answer. He shook his head, adjusting on the log of wood where he was resting. “You just bumped into me, how sure are you that…”“I can trust you?” I interrupted him. I sighed, moving away from where I was sitting and taking up a space beside him. “I never said I trust you, Brendon. All I said was…you saved me, and might as well help me save my friend. Instead of staying in the middle of nowhere, you could meet new people,” I corrected him. That still didn’t give him the satisfaction I’d expected. His eyes still bore some kind of doubt that lingered as I stared into them. He shook his head, turning away from me. “What if I don’t want to leave?”I didn’t respond to him immediately. I let his decision sink and settle at the base of my head before I shrugged. “Fine then, I’m used to surviving on my own. I’ll go alone,” I said, not waiting to hear what he had to say before I returned to his tent. It was l
JASMINES POVMy blood ran cold at the sound of her voice. I felt cold beads of sweat trickling down my neck, sending chills across my body. My wolf stirred in me, sensing the impending danger. I backed away from the window, careful not to make a sound as I retraced my steps. “What do we do, we can’t fight them,” I heard my wolf in my head. “What else is there to be done?” I mumbled as my eyes followed the movements in the room. Daria was still dishing out information to Natalia and the other Seeker wolves, and from my view, it looked like Natalia was arguing with her. “Run,” my wolf jolted the fear out of my mind. I turned around, sprinting down the track. My heart pounded like a drum, each beat matching the sound of my boots matching the stony floor. “Faster,” my roof urged. I glanced behind me and found them trooping out of the room. They whispered into the ears of some other wolves who were walking by, and they pointed in my direction. My legs pushed against my will, propel
JASMINES POV“Stealing faces?” My ears still couldn’t believe what they just heard. I sat silently, trying to process and imagine what Natalia said, but none of it still made any sense to me. I turned to her, hesitating on the question I wanted to ask. “Stealing faces?” I asked again. She extended her palm, and I glanced at it with doubt, then at her face. “I’ll show you,” she said. With a heavy breath, I placed my palm in hers and shut my eyes. Her grip tightened, and soon I found myself in a familiar place. The sea we were sitting across. But it was littered with the corpse of wolves, floating on the surface of the water. The flesh on their faces was skinned off, exposing their tissues to the sun. The vultures in the air cawed as they hovered around them. Their flight seemed more aligned when I looked up, and I discovered they were heading towards me, flapping their wings and propelling themselves faster. That was when I saw him.Eric, again. “What are you doing here?”“Jas
JASMINES POVPain surged through my body as Rachel’s energy collided with mine, prying open the deepest part of my mind. I felt like nothing I’d ever felt before—as though she was ripping apart the barriers I didn’t even know existed. I screamed, pulling against Harland’s grip the moment I got myself, but his hold was unyielding. “Stop resisting, you’ll only hurt yourself the more,” Rachel hissed through gritted teeth. But the pain was too much to take in, and my wolf fought against it. She clawed her way through her space, fighting off Rachel’s wolf. “She’s difficult,” Rachel said, not giving up. “Go harder,” I heard Daria snap. “It might kill her if she doesn’t stop fighting it,” “Do it!” Daria pushed. I felt her hand tighten on my head, her energy creating some kind of new path through my body and mind. It circled the rest of my body that I had in control, snatching that hold from me. My body went still like I was dipped in ice, and I felt Rachel inside my head. She tore th
JASMINE’S POVNatalia’s words hung in the air like a sharp sword waiting to be dropped. Why did they sound so familiar? My thoughts reeled back to the missing book Alpha Morgan has asked us to find. He never said the actual name, but with the way he asked about it, and wanted us to find it, it just had to be it. The bone marrows. The most evident part of the missing puzzle lies before my eyes. Lucy’s parents. The thoughts were still patching up in my head, and I found it difficult to concentrate on what was going on before me. “Did you hear what I just said?” Natalia snapped me out of my thoughts. “Yea…yes…you were urm…” I stuttered, my words hanging in my throat after I couldn’t get a hint of what she just said. She inched closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and pulling me in. “You look troubled,” “I’m fine,”“We’re werewolves, Jasmine. I can tell when you’re lying,” she reminded me. I sighed, trying to take everything in. All she revealed to me had me not just ques
JASMINES POV The cold atmosphere seemed deeper into my skin as Natalia and I made our way out of the room. She went towards the direction where the distance drilling of water was coming from, and I tugged behind, ensuring not to miss a thing. “A vampire?” I repeated, breaking the silence that stretched amidst us. “Why?” “He’s hybrid…not entirely a vampire. But he was once a vampire,” she answered. Her first two statements returned my thoughts to Adrian. But the last countered it because Adrian was a werewolf before turning into what he was. “I believe you’ve come in counter with one,” she stopped and turned to me. Her eyes narrowed into mine, and I felt the truth that lay at the bottom of my chest erupt from my mouth like I had no control over myself. “Yes,” I blurted. A smile played at the edge of her lips, then she turned and continued. “We think there’s something wrong, or someone is doing something which he or she shouldn’t be,” Heavy racing footsteps made us halt, an