LUCY'S POVMy heart skipped a beat as the bag fell from my shoulder, the blood bags which I had stolen from the pack clinic sprawling on the floor. “Oh my God! Caine!” I exclaimed, trying to hide the guilt as I started linking them up with a rush. I tossed them into the bag, not paying attention to whatever he was saying.“Lucy, I asked a question!” He pulled my shoulder, sending me to the floor. I fell on my butt, wincing in pain. “Oh my…Luce, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to,”“Stay away from me,” I yelled, stopping him with an extended palm. I took my time on the floor, thinking of what lie to give to him so he wouldn’t go asking questions. “Lucy…I didn’t mean to hit you in that manner,” he apologized, taking further steps closer to me. I burst into tears, burying my head in my legs. That was the first excuse I could garner from my thoughts, just so I’d have enough time to think. “Don’t touch me, Caine,” I whimpered, sobbing into my palms. “You almost ruined it all. My efforts. My har
LUCY’S POV “Whatever this is, Luce, it’s not normal,” Bryan said, inching closer to me. I sighed, falling back on the wooden chair behind me. We stood for almost ten minutes, waiting for Adrian to finish up with his meal. When he was finally done, he crept out from the darkness, the red eyes still glowing as he made himself visible. I felt tears brewing in my eyes as I stood up and tossed a jacket to him. “Put these on”. “How long has he been this way,” Bryan asked, helping me with the empty blood bags. “A month, two or three weeks. I can’t really tell. All I know is that there was something wrong with him the last time I went home,” “There’s nothing wrong with me,” Adrian interrupted, walking out of the darkness completely. He exhaled, slowly opening his eyes. The red was gone, likewise the rage. “Dad did something new, and for the first time it worked,” “For the first time?” I asked, trying to process what he meant. “Have there been other trials, Adrian?” “Yeah…they all
JASMINE’S POV “Can I have a word with you?” I asked, stealing glances at Bryan who was looking out of the window. Caine was still answering a call at the garage while I pulled Lucy to a corner. “That’s him,” I blurted. “Him? What do you mean by him?” “My ex, Lucy, Bryan. That’s him,” I clarified. My heart raced, my blood boiling as I mistakenly looked into his eyes. He looked away immediately, and I knew that guilt was eating him up. “Your…ex? That Bryan?” “Yes, Lucy, that's Bryan,” I answered. “Okay, chill. He’s been my work partner for a while now. I never knew he was the Bryan you were talking about,” Lucy snapped. She noticed that wasn’t going to get me calm, so instead, she took my hands and pulled me closer to her. “Hey, nothing is going on between us, he’s just a colleague. I am with Caine, remember?” She asked. I didn’t want to give her a response, but the way she looked into my eyes demanded one. I nodded consecutively. “Yeah, yeah,” I breathed. “An
JASMINE’S POV The training field was dark, except for the soft glow of the moon and the lecterns that surrounded the field. Caine stood a few feet away, watching my every move with a sharp gaze. I was dressed in loose joggers and a tank top, my hands wrapped with a cloth to protect them during sparring. “Again!” Caine barked. I threw more punches at the dummy before me, kicking and hitting every part just as he’d shown me. We had gone almost an hour with the same routine. Sweat dripped from my forehead as I stopped to catch my breath, my knees supporting my hands. “Do you think Harper and Spencer will give you time to catch your breath”. “Why do you even care if I win or lose?” I asked, frustration eating me up. I was still trying to understand what made his father just fix a match between the twins and me, not considering the difference in our ranks. Caine walked up to me, his dark eyes piercing through the night. “I made you a promise right? I made my father a promise t
JASMINES POV “Dad,” I blurted, my gaze fixed on him as I followed the guards further into the arena. I didn’t notice they had stopped until I bumped into one. That drifted my gaze away from my dad, back to the ring and the wild guards were now facing me. “You wait here until the trumpet goes again,” one of them said, staring at me through the holes in his helmet. I swallowed the fear that crawled into my throat the moment the gates at the opposite end lifted from the ground. Spencer and Harper walked into the arena, their pride written all over their faces. To them, I was a done deal, and they had every reason to show me no mercy because I hurt their sister. The crowd cheered as they made their way in, bare-chested and armorless. “This won’t take long. We’ll just hang around the lines until they’re done with her,” one of the guards nudged the other, a soft chuckle escaping their shielded faces as they walked away. “Ladies and gentlemen,” a loud voice boomed over the microphone.
JASMINES POV When I stirred, I could feel the cold, hard ground beneath me and a metallic taste in my mouth. My eyes fluttered open, hit by the bright light coming from the sun. All of a sudden, everything became dark again. “Awake, finally,” a voice said, drawing my attention away from the once lighted window. Chills ran down my body, sending my heart into a race. I turned my head to find Adrian standing in the shadows, his eyes as red as blood. “Adrian? What’s going on?” My voice cracked, confusion and fear swirling inside me as I struggled with the chains that bound my hands to the wall above me. “Shhh…we wouldn’t want to let the cops know we are here,” he silenced me, quietly walking out of the darkness, into the light which hung above my head. I listened carefully, and that was when I heard the blaring sirens of the cops. “Where am I?” “You’re safe…for now,” he said, crouching beside me. I was about to ask what happened to his eyes and why they were blood red when they fl
CAINES POV Pain shot through my neck as Adrian’s fang tore into my flesh. It burned an unnatural heat, spreading through my veins and weakening me faster than I could comprehend. My wolf howled in agony, struggling to take control. But something in Adrian’s bite dampened my connection to him. I felt my blood leaving my body with speed, and with the strength I had left, I pushed Adrian, crashing into the window. I staggered to the wall but fell before I could get to Jasmine. “Caine,” I heard her voice, faint and muffled. “It will take a while before you will be able to use your legs,” Adrian said, walking out from the pieces of glass that broke after his crash. He carefully extended his hand into the sun's ray and withdrew it immediately after getting burned a little. “What…are you?” I stuttered, the pain seeping deep into my nerves. I fought to get my feet again, but I again, this time face flat on the floor. “Stop fighting the venom. It will only get worse if you fight it.
LUCY’S POV A FEW HOURS EARLIER… “Adrian, no!” I yelled, racing to where he was. But before I could get there, he knocked the air out of Jasmine and zoomed off. “No!” I yelled, scanning the arena which erupted in chaos. There was no sign of them, only the dust that had risen due to the speed Adrian used. “Find Caine,” I told Imani and quickly ran out of the arena. I went through an alleyway at the back of the bridge, making my way to the alpha's office. There were still a few guards on duty, but they didn’t seem like a problem. My father and mother wanted a book from the Alpha office, and a stone too. She called it a Firestone, the last of its kind. I’ve been her little spy without results to show for it, but after seeing through had taken things further with Adrian, I knew this was my time to step up. I let out a heavy breath, arranged my clothes, and walked out of where I was hiding. “We can’t let anyone in,” one of the guards stopped me from crossing the black gates. “C
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