StaceyThat was a bitch!I immediately shift back to my wolf as pain wreaks every part of my body. What on earth would he put this in here? If I was out in the woods and fell down into some cavern, I wouldn’t be half as pissed as I am now. Knowing this is purpose-built for the sole reason I’m experiencing now … it’s hard to stop the rage bubbling up in my chest. It helps to be honest, pulling my focus from the jagged cuts and possible broken bones I have sustained in my fall.All I can see is the glimmer of light up above, otherwise I’m surrounded by the pitch black darkness. I see the swish of Felicities tail before she leaves me here, clearly I’m no longer a threat as she hunts down after Gemma.A pang of worry for my best friend sparks in my chest as haul myself up to help her. The audible groan leaving my lips as I attempt to stand. Stand might be an understatement. I’m currently looking more like Quasimodo with my hunched back and crooked legs. Everything hurts, parts of my body I
Jaden“Fuck Jaden, we can hardly see why did you make it so dark!” Teddy complains as I roll my eyes. We are shifters we can all see perfectly well in the dark. Or most of us, as some are still sporting beaten up faces and bruised eyes. “Well then, you shouldn’t have pulled a fit and you would be able to see better,” I remind him as he starts to grumble muttering under his breath all of them are just sitting on the floor Hunter has clicked on some of the screens so you can see the girls scores. It’s all pretty close, much to my annoyance.There are only one or two points between them. Stacey is in the lead, thank fuck. I can feel her emotions through the bond we now share and, whilst she is understandably pissed about being back here, it had to be done. I recline in my chair, seeing her sleek grey wolf prowl through the brush. Her wolf is beautiful with those bright silver eyes that glow like diamonds. She really is one of a kind, and she’s mine.She’s graceful and light on her feet as
StaceySpiders. Ive always hated them. There is something about those creepy crawlies that makes my skin crawl. Even as a young girl, I never liked them. Aurora once challenged me to eat one as a kid. We were playing dares, and she knew how much I hated spiders. I refused. She didn’t. I watched as she ate it for me; I don’t think that girl is afraid of anything. She laughed the entire time, watching my face as it drained of colour. I still can’t believe she did it, even now. I’m not sure if it is the legs, the eyes, or how they hunt and kill their prey, or what it is that terrifies me so much, probably all the above. But I hate them.And right now, as I stare around the darkness, my heart hammering like a drum as my blood runs cold. I realise what it is that’s living down here. The fact that I walked through its web means unlike the ones I have come across before, the largest being the size of my fist. I have never been entangled in a web. At least not my entire body, perhaps my hair o
StaceyThe thudding of footsteps echoed around me, a stark contrast to the soft rustling of leaves. I whipped my head to the side, my breath catching in my throat as I saw a beige-coloured wolf charging towards me. The scent of damp earth and moss filled my nostrils as I shuffled further onto the bank by the cavern’s lip. My gaze dropped downwards, and I felt a jolt of fear as I saw the arachne climbing the sheer cavern wall, its many legs clicking ominously against the serrated stone. Fuck.A light sheen of sweat covered my body, mingling with the earthy scent of the forest floor. I shifted into my grey wolf; the transformation filling me with a rush of raw power. My claws dug into the soft soil as I charged towards Felicity. Despite my disdain for her, I couldn’t let her be devoured by the giant beast. No one deserved that fate. For a brief moment, the musty odour of the cavern made me wonder what Jaden had been feeding it and when he acquired it. Surely, we would have noticed an eno
Jaden“Where did she fucking go?” someone cries, but all I can focus on is the lip of the cavern, waiting for Stacey to emerge. My pumpkin. My stomach twists as I feel her fear ratchet up another notch through the bond. I’d promised her I would always protect her from spiders. I’d promised her a lot of things, and in my anger and spite, I had used everything I knew about her against her.Would she ever forgive me?My hands grip the worn leather seat in the observatory. The scent of sweat fills the air the tension palpable in the room. My eyes strain for a hand, a face, something to tell me she will make it out. The dim light casts eerie shadows on the red walls, and the cool, musty air feels thick as it fills my lungs. I can feel both Hunter and Paxton’s stares as I try to remain calm, my body rigid and face expressionless.“What’s down there?”“Are there any cameras?”“Can we see what’s going on?”Voices blur as I wait, my heartbeat loud in my ears, each thud sending shivers down my s
StaceyBright lights burst behind my eyelids, blindingly white and relentless, as I hear an earsplitting beeping noise. Wherever I’m laying, it feels like it’s moving, swaying slightly beneath me. The smell of antiseptic fills the air, sharp and medicinal, mingling with the faint, metallic scent of blood. I can hear muffled voices, tense and frantic, their tone heavy with urgency. None of them sound happy. Do they have to scream so loud?I slip back inside my mind where it’s quiet and nothing hurts. Even with my shifter healing, my body aches as if I’ve been hit by a bus. Every muscle throbs, and there’s a deep, lingering pain in my leg. Then, images worse than my nightmares flash between my eyes—shards of horror that make my stomach churn. With a jolt, I sit upright, my heart racing as the images fade away, leaving me breathless and disoriented. Only they weren’t nightmares, they were real.I blink, still bleary-eyed, as I scan the room around me. It isn’t my bedroom at home or at th
JadenIt was one of those moments where everything went by in slow motion but in the blink of an eye. By the time I had dropped Gemma off at the underground hospital and rushed back to help Hunter, the arachne was already down, its massive, hairy legs twitching in defeat, and Pax had lifted Felicity out of the arena. She was conscious and screaming, her voice raw and piercing. The look she gave me—a mix of terror, betrayal, and pain—was one I wouldn’t forget in a hurry.Then, after the pack doctor came down and allowed us to give the three girls some meds to help stabilise them, they were brought to the pack hospital. The antiseptic smell of the hospital filled my nostrils, and the sound of beeping monitors created a constant, unnerving backdrop. One of the pack guards let me know Aurora and Kara had arrived with their mates, and Gabriel had been sent in to check on them. I had notified both Gemma and Stacey’s parents that there had been an incident and that their daughters were curre
JadenAfter Stacey all but kicked me out of her hospital room, I waited outside, keeping her in my sights. The antiseptic smell of the hospital clung to my nostrils, mingling with the faint scent of fear and uncertainty that hung in the air. I kept seeing her eyes find mine from time to time through the glass window. Was she checking if I was still here? Did she want me to leave? My wolf and the bond wouldn’t let me, even if wanted to - which I didn’t. Every cell in my body was screaming to stay close to her, a desperate ache pulsing through my veins. Did she feel it too?I lit up another cigarette, the flicker of the lighter briefly illuminating my face. The smoke billowed around me, curling and twisting like my thoughts. The acrid taste filled my mouth, offering a bitter comfort. I could see Todd hovering close by, his presence an annoying itch at the edge of my consciousness. He didn’t dare go in to see her while I was here. I caught his eye, seeing him blanch as I gave him a cruel