JASMINES POV My heart thudded as I started making my way back to the Alpha office. He chased after me and pulled me back. “Think your actions through before jumping into them, Janine,” he warned, tightening his grip around my wrist. I still couldn’t get my eyes off the door of his office. My dad was in there with a Seeker, how confident was the alpha to let just the two of them stay in there? “We need to build trust to know before we strike. In the meantime, I want you all to find Caine. I know he’s still out there,” Alpha Morgan said, finally letting go of my hand. He crouched and unlocked the device on my ankle. “You’re…free to go with them. Your father believes you won’t cause any harm, so I want to believe in that too. Dave will join you guys. Find my son and bring him home,” he said, holding my shoulder. He turned to Lucy who was whimpering on Imani’s shoulder. “Hey, come here,” he said softly, taking her into his arms. “We’ll find him, okay? We’ll find him,” he console
JASMINE’S POV The journey back to the pack house was filled with silence, only the heavy breaths of Lucy as she leaned in Caine. When we arrived, my father and the alpha were waiting outside the gates. “Dad,” I ran to him the moment Harper packed the car. His gaze was fixed on the girl who was being led by the twins. “Isha, the last of their circle,” I told my dad. “By circle, you mean family?” My dad asked and I nodded. His face still had doubt written all over it. “But she’s not human,” he said. I shrugged, leaning closer to him. “I believe there’s a story behind that. I’m just glad you’re okay,” I gave his arm a gentle squeeze and rested my head on it. “What happened when we left?” “The seeker?” He asked. “Come see for yourself”. He led me to the same room where I was locked a day ago. The lady was sitting in the glass box, playing with her hair. She looked sad when we walked in, but after seeing us, she had some kind of mood swing, her smile growing wild as she stood up
JASMINES POV The next time I opened my eyes, I found myself in the brightly lit room. My chest felt like a heavy weight was lifted off it as my consciousness slowly kicked in. My body was sore, and my head was pounding as I tried to recall what happened. Distant voices pulled my attention towards the other end of the room, and once again, I recognized the voice. It was my dad's. He was talking with Alpha Morgan again, but this time, there was a feminine voice in their midst. “You’re awake,” Caines’ voice drifted my attention from the conversation being held at the door. I tried to sit up but my head fell back to the bed after I felt a sharp stinging pain in it. Caine rushed to where I was and assisted me. I hesitated for a while finally giving in. “Hi,” I muttered, leaning against the wall. He sat in the chair opposite me and pushed a table containing a steaming cup of tea. “Hi,” he returned, eyes away from me. “This would give you some energy,” he passed the cup to me. W
JASMINES POV “Where do we start from?” I asked Natalia, slowly walking to the glass while I maintained eye contact with her. “Trust,” she blurted, standing up and walking to the edge of the glass. I halted in front of her, a smile crawling up my lips. “Trust is the last thing you could ask for from me,” I replied, holding the gaze until he nodded with her hands going up in the air. “I’d understand. I mean who would want to trust me after going through that betrayal from her mother,” “She did it to keep me safe,” I defended my mom despite how it hurt me to know about all this. But I guess Natalia could see beneath my words of defense like she knew I was broken. “Did she? I mean…look at the damage she has caused you. She’s made you look weak…you’ve become a mockery…so much for someone who falls under…” “Answers,” I interrupted, holding back the tears in my eyes. The lock of the door clicked from outside, and I quickly took a glance at the key hanging in my trousers. Someone el
JASMINES POVThoughts. More thoughts. Extra thoughts. All night, that was all running through my mind. A brother? I scoffed, turning to the other side of the bed. That was when I realized the sun was out. I’d spent all night pondering on Natalia’s words. I wanted to come down from my bed and feed my thirst, but my body isn't encouraging. I needed rest, even if it was for an hour or two. I shut my eyes, hoping to sleep this time. And just when I thought I was drifting into sleep, a knock came on my door. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up on the bed. The door opened, it was Caine. “Long night?” He asked, walking into my room. I sighed, collapsing on my bed. “How’s Jerry?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. They were beginning to feel heavy with sleep, but with Caine in my room, I knew my day had just begun. “He’s recovering well. Just the…you know…” he said, helping himself to a chair opposite my bed. I sat back up, holding my banging head with both hands. “Cool,” I dragged. “I came t
CAINE’S POV“Get off her!” I raced past Jojo and Imani, almost knocking them down as I made my way to Jasmine and Isha. I pulled Isha off her and flung her to the feet of her brothers. “Keep your eyes on her!” I yelled at them. For a second, I thought I saw the disappointment in their eyes. They helped Isha up, holding her still despite her aggressive kicks to be set free and yolk her into the living room. “Are you okay?” I extended my hand to help her up. “Yeah,” she coughed, almost falling back on my shoulder. Lucy stepped in between us. “I’ll take her from here,” she said, pulling Jasmine away from me. We all went into the living room but were divided. Jojo and Lucy were with Jasmine, while Harper, Spencer, and Imani were with Isha. I could already sense trouble coming hard at us. “She killed them,” Isha cried, sobbing in the arms of her brothers. “We’ll deal with that later, Isha,” I tried to keep her calm, but that made her angrier. Her blood-red eyes shot angrily at me, sn
JASMINES POVI pressed my hand against my chest, leaning on the side of the wall as my mind spiraled out of control. Thoughts flew in like my mind was a passageway for them, causing my breath to come out ragged. A lot had happened in just what?—three days? And yet there was still someone downstairs calling me a murderer. How was I supposed to face all these while trying to focus on what wolf I would train? Not to speak of my father's deal with Natalia. I heaved a sigh, halted before my mirror, and ran my hands down my hair. The echoes of laughter and muffled sounds of music traveled into my room, it was a room party which I was informed about but declined. But I couldn’t stay in my room, not with all these thoughts running into my head. I needed a distraction, and the room party just seemed like it.With a little touch on my face and hair, I made my way to the room. Room 27. I knocked twice and the door flung open almost immediately, revealing an unfamiliar face. “I know you,” he
JASMINES POVI was too wasted to act. I just sat there, letting the chaos around me do its thing. My head fell to the chair, watching as the ceiling traveled in circles. I thought I saw some runes on them, calling into me with its blue glowing light. They looked pretty, and I extended my hands, wishing I could float in the air and know what they felt like. But the music in the room died down, cutting my solemn moment short.“Let’s go, Jasmine,” I heard Caines voice. He sounded muffled, and I couldn’t see his face. “You’re drunk, how much did you have to drink?” He asked, throwing my hand around his shoulder and grabbing me from the waist. I knew what was happening around me, but at the same time, I didn’t. For a second I thought I was levitating, but then whenever I looked at Caine, that hope was gone. I didn’t feel sad or anything, just…empty. For once., nothing bothered me. Caine led me out of the room, and to stop my eyes from hurting, I closed them and rested my head on his sh
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