ROZETA:"Stay with me, please!" I plead over the already lifeless body of Jax. I wasn't feeling the connection that I supposedly shared with him and it shattered my heart into many pieces.I scream my lungs out, my voice exuding pain. Endless tears flowed down my eyes as I breakdown on the ground. I didn't want to accept the truth but there was nothing I could do to change it.Jax is dead. He's dead. He was murdered and it happened right in front of my eyes.I was still in denial even though I should be admitting to myself that it has happened. My system was in contrast and even the whole of my being.The amount of rage that suddenly filled my entire being was out of this world. I couldn't explain it but I felt it all over. And I don't know when I let it take control of my entire state of mind.It felt different. My mind was like a flow of reality on its own when I was still in the real world. I cannot even begin to decipher what was going on with me but then it was all happening all
ROZETA:Pain. Pain. And more pain. That was what I felt as whatever I turned into left me.The aftermath was worse than the beginning. It felt like everything that I just went through was a phase of pain itself.I had to walk up to a tree to have a balance. My legs were weary from running back in that beastly form. It was at that time that I realized I didn't have my clothes on anymore. To say I can explain what happened to my clothes would be a lie.I wasn't practically worried about being nude out in the open. I was worried about knowing that I have just gone through a phase of being alone for probably a long time.The realization of the death it Jax dawned on me and it gave me complicated feelings. Instantly I was pushing myself forward to get to his body. I still had this straw of hope that he wasn't fully dead but then that was only going to be through a miracle.Eventually, I arrive at his body. It was in the same position I left it and seeing that nothing has changed got me wea
ROZETA:I try to scream but nothing comes out of my mouth. The act came as a result of a bad dream, forcing my eyes open from the slumber I fell into. Though I was sitting up in no time to realize I was not in the woods anymore.Asides from being in a room that I have no idea about, I was fully clothed. Not necessarily in full clothes because what I have on looks like a hospital robe. A bed sheet was also over my legs but I take it off as I get off the bed to sit on the edge.This has seemed to become a routine whenever I collapse somewhere. I always end up waking up in an unknown room with my body almost fully treated or being healed from whatever I went through.It has always been that way since my first encounter with Jax and it has always been him waking over me. But this time it can't be possible. He couldn't make it out of the woods with me.The thought of that ignited an aura of sadness in me. I was moved to tears already because I couldn't bear the thought of losing Jax. Despi
JAX:"How are you still alive?" she asks me as I lay her down on the bed.She looks all fragile that even the tone of her voice sounds forced. I try not to focus on that as I make her comfortable on the bed instead, my touch on her gentle."Don't worry about me, Rozeta," I say to her, putting over her the bedsheet to make her more comfortable."But I want to know," she insists. "You died in front of my eyes. Or am I dreaming?"My finger makes its way to her lips, hushing her in the process. "It's not a dream," I say solemnly. "Just sleep. We'll talk about this when you're awake,"I notice her eyes start to get drowsy and it was my cue to let her be. But she grabs my arm before I could put it to my side, holding on to my wrist tightly."Don't go... Jax..." she mutters. "Stay with me."I push her hand into mine, caressing it affectionately. I made sure my touch on her was too gentle to ensure that she feels okay.She falls asleep in no time while I watch her face. There was a scar on it
ROZETA:The only thing I could do now was sit and wait comfortably for her to wake up from her sleep. I expected her to be restless but she hasn't looked that way ever since I got into the room to check on her.Her hair was still a bit tattered and would surely need a bit of attention after she was up from there. Her facial expression did not really denote anything of importance but I could say that it exhibited enough calm.I watched as her chest heaved constantly in correlation with her breathing. It gave me a sense of calm to know that she wasn't all tensed up in her sleep. I don't know if I would be able to cope with seeing her in such after everything that has happened.She deserves a bit of rest. Enough rest away from the troubles she has been facing recently.I put my hand up to my chest after feeling pain around there. I didn't need to be told that the pain came from the sword driven through my chest. I shouldn't be feeling this way due to the number of days between the event
ROZETA:I found myself craving Jax's attention more than ever. It was like something I never knew I wanted but then it was now a part of my existence.Since the day I woke up and had a conversation with him, I realized just how much I needed him around. A part of me was telling me that I was acting this way out of guilt but I was convinced that it wasn't that. It was more than that. Perhaps I must have grown an affection for him.It sounds stupid that the man I should hate or even hated that much before could suddenly begin to have an effect on me like this. The time around him has grown on me and it was already messing my mind up in some way.He hasn't seemed to oppose of my sudden clinginess yet and I'm glad he hasn't because I won't be able to deal with the after feeling that comes with being told off.At the moment I have my head resting on his shoulder as we both sat outside the cottage given to us by the pack to stay in until Beta Zeke comes back for us.We were supposedly enjoy
ROZETA:His sudden change in behavior pushes me to reverse my attitude toward him. I was boiling about the fact that he pulled for yet the second time during an intimate session with me. However, without getting anything from him yet, I knew already that his change of act was not directed at me."What's not right?" I ask, trying not to sound as annoyed as I portray to be.He looks around for a while before saying to me, "I can't feel a connection with my pack anymore."That sounded like something that would call for alarm. It didn't just feel like an elaborate situation, it was something that needed to be treated with urgency."Is it like damaged or something?" This time I was genuine with my words. I have to be in line with him if I need to understand his sudden demeanor.I watch as he gets lost in thought for a long time. Even though I wasn't fully embedded in the ways of the wolves, I knew that he wasn't standing there for standing's sake.Definitely, he was still trying to get in
JAX:Rozeta wasn't the only one tensed. I was too. The only difference between both of us at the moment is that I was hiding it while she wasn't.She made it clear all through as I held her hand and pulled her through the woods of the pack harboring us. She called it a bad idea that we were even attempting to exit the pack but I told her that she had nothing to worry about because I already ransacked through the area. But did that work? Definitely not.The only hope I have right now is that we make it out through the woods with fewer complaints than what we started with. To be honest, I won't be surprised if we end up encountering any of this pack's warriors. It would be the height of it but I can't rule that out."This is such a bad idea," she laments for the umpteenth time. To be honest, I was getting tired of it.I ignore her. I have tried my best to convince her so saying anything this time around would be me patronizing her. Would she want me to just leave her in the pack? Or wou
ROZETA:I went through a lot before getting here. Had to deal with some pests that threatened to cut short my existence.Even right now, I was feeling the impact of having to go against a lot and it was that little energy I carried along with me until I arrived back at the scene where it all seemed to be going down between Jax and Manuel.However, I was too late. The one thing I tried to prevent happened. And it just had to happen right about the time I arrived on the scene.The slice through the air, and the little grunt that followed it told me what I needed to know. Jax has just clawed through Manuel and that was the end of it all.I did try to stop Jax just in time by yelling out a loud 'No' but then it didn't seem to have an impact. Instead, it only rained in the air before it did happen.I should be happy, shouldn't I? Jax has just gotten rid of the biggest threat to the both of us. And that was fine because walking on the face of this earth with Manuel still in it wasn't worth
MANUEL:For a moment, I was disoriented. I couldn't make sense of what I did. It was as if everything was happening so fast for me.I let go of the being in my hand, dropping her to the ground as I turn my full attention toward the area that I just shot at. And the only question I keep asking myself repeatedly is: Why is Beta Zeke on the ground instead of Jax's wolf?I know what I shot at. I know who I shot. I know who my target was. But why am I seeing something different?Have I just ruined everything with my hands? Did I just make a mess of a plan that has been coming together for such a long time? Why in the world is this happening?I have to take a look at my hand that had the gun in it. It's something I've known how to handle since I was little. A survival training, it was. And that meant I should be able to have a grip on myself whenever I shoot at something.Did the bullet deviate? Did it take a turn on its own? How did it end up meeting the wrong person?I wasn't even given a
ROZETA:I could feel my heart beating against my chest as I stared into the eyes of the man determined to end my life. Imagine being this close to death and knowing just how inevitable it was. Well, that was my situation at the moment.I've never been this scared all my life. Maybe I have but I don't think any other way I've ever felt could be compared to this one.Perhaps to taunt me, Manuel clicks the trigger, making it seem like he was going to shoot me. I shut my eyes the instant I hear the sound, expecting a loud bang but nothing comes out of it.The only problem was my heart beating even faster and I found satisfaction on Manuel's face when I open my eyes to look at him. He was apparently enjoying my predicament and I wasn't even sure what to feel about that."You've always interfered in everything that concerns this mission I started years ago," Manuel starts to say. "Now I don't know what you have to do with all of this especially when it was me who got you linked with all of
JAX:"What are you doing?" I hear Rozeta's desperate voice from behind but ignore it, my mind only focused on getting back to where I got her out from.I didn't even care about the wound on my arm or the pain that I felt radiating from it. I just wanted to do things my way from now on. And that starts from the mess that had caught up with my pack.I feel a strong grip on my arm, putting me to a halt. Actually, an impulse took over, resulting in me turning around to challenge the one who just halted my movement.I restrained myself from doing anything drastic. Instead, I snap and I sure as hell regretted doing that after."What?" is what I say out. And that mere action makes Rozeta tremble as she supposedly was the one who stopped me.She lets go of my arm, taking two steps backward to keep her distance from me. It was at that point that I realized what I just did and I instantly hate myself for it."I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," I tell her, apologizing for my ill attitude. S
ROZETA:Was I sure about what I heard? Was I even sure it could be linked to my assumption? I couldn't say. But there was this conviction that I just might be right.The Beta looked like he was in a tight position. It was as if I just accused him of the most grievous offense and for a moment, I thought I didn't hear right.However, everything was pointing toward what I heard. The eye contact with Manuel, the partial look of guilt, the cold silence that ensued... I know I was right for accusing the Beta."What are you talking about?" the Beta says, letting out a dry laugh as he says that. "Who am I with? Him? Don't be ridiculous.""If you're not with him, then why did you tell him to kill me already?" I ask in return, standing up in the process.For a second, I notice the look of bewilderment flashes on his face. It was only for a second and certainly enough for him to act like it was all good. But I know what I saw."Where did you hear me say that? Did becoming an ill-bred turn your b
ROZETA: All of a sudden I was uncomfortable. And, no, I wasn't suffering discomfort from seeing Jax's old friend around. I can't fully pinpoint where the uneasiness was coming from but I was going to rely on it because it felt like something I had to hold on to. This was the point where the cuffs had to be taken off our arms. Jax and I were about to be caught in the middle of a confrontation between the warriors of his pack and the one who has a thing against them. Although he came out alone, all the warriors had their weapons pointed toward his direction, all active and ready to attack. This could get messy and it is one of the reasons I shouldn't be here. Neither should Jax. I notice as Manuel's eyes linger until it lands on Jax standing beside me. And the way he looked at him, it seems he has something against him. "You just wouldn't leave, would you?" is what he says. It wasn't loud enough but certainly enough for me to gauge something. "And you just can't quit, right?" Jax
ROZETA:It was weird, but I felt an instant connection the moment Jax and I arrived in front of a gateway similar to the one we exited from.I couldn't help but ask, "This is it, right?" My eyes were up as I looked toward him, anticipating an answer that way.He looks down for a brief second and instead of saying anything, just nods. At least that was confirmation of my question.After all the travels and trials I've been through, I was finally in front of the Silver Falls pack. The pack where I should be called a member but then I was placed on a death radar due to unforeseen circumstances.Anxiety begins to eat me up almost instantly, especially when I figure that we are this close to getting in. Okay, this might sound stupid but I want to go back already.I don't know if Jax was feeling the same way I was feeling. Looking at him, he looked more relaxed than ever. It could be a fake because he was certainly good at hiding his true emotions. So until he says to me that he was indeed
JAX: I couldn't help but plant a kiss on her forehead moments after waking up. It didn't do anything to disturb her sleep but she must have felt that because she winced in her sleep. I couldn't lay a decent explanation for how I was feeling now. A lot of complications radiated through me. But one thing for sure is that I was excited. How was she going to convince me now to take her to the Silver Falls pack with me? Does she expect me to fall into a well of depression now that I was certain of my stand with her? Hell no, I can't. I just can't. As crazy as it sounds, one thing went through my head during my intimate moment with her. And that was to mark her fully as mine. I'm surprised my fangs didn't even elongate during the process. It would have been a bit of a stupid idea to make use of that momentum to do something as huge as that but I was not thinking straight when the thought first went through my head. Now I'm not even sure if it was right that I even let it into me in the
ROZETA:Being wrapped in the arms of a man is not how I pictured waking up in the woods. Even with how unplanned it was, it still felt therapeutic enough for a lost soul like me.As my eyes become clear enough, I try to gauge my environment. It didn't take me long to discover it was where I slept off and the supposed man who had his arms around me was Jax, judging from his particular scent that has come to make an impact on me.My head lay on his broad chest, giving me a direct connection with his heartbeat. It was soft and almost too calm for me that I find myself craving more of it often.I have to gently shift back to give me space to check his face. He could still be sleeping so I pushed back with ease until I had enough space to look up.As soon as my eyes linger up, it goes back down at the same time, with my heart almost going into a frenzy. This is because Jax was fully awake with his eyes looking down at me.I didn't expect him to be awake. Neither did I expect that he would