Chapter 2
Carina's pov
“Carina…,” my mother's text came in, my phone going alive, lighting up to reveal her text.
Up until yesterday, I've never held any feeling towards that name until now. Thanks to my lovely mother who loved surprising me with things I least expected, I had been forced to listen to the meaning of my name get attached to a derogatory sentence.
“Yes mother,” with a slight huff, I pulled the covers of the bed away from me, typing back to my mother. Not that she needed my reply, because, either ways, she was still going to say whatever it was she wanted to. For once, I held the hope that my mother was going to wish me a happy birthday but I seemed to have expected too much when her text came in like a bomb.
“Please try to look presentable this evening. I'm coming back with my new husband who would be your stepfather. His sons are going to be there too, for the introduction,” her text read and before I even had the chance to digest this information, she went offline like always after saying her piece. Gobsmacked, I remained on the bed, trying to process this new piece of information I was only just getting to hear.
My dear mother had been in the United States, apparently on a vacation and not caring about her only child who was about eighteen today. Every other parent would have been excited, even going as far as preparing their child in hopes of seeing their mate but none of this concerned my mother. My mother's nonchalance towards me reminded me of the betrayal of Henry, causing my chest to throb in hurt but just as fast as it came, I pushed it back down.
Grumbling profanities to myself, I was glad today was the weekend and I didn't have to be in school to face the bullies nor the students who also cheered for them. Sleep came knocking on the door of the hotel room my mother had dumped me in before she went on her vacation. I didn't have to text her about the location of where she wanted us to meet since I knew I was going to find it there once I was awake. Ignoring the nagging feeling at the back of my head, I let the sleep swallow me and by the time I stretched awake, it was already evening, twenty minutes before the time my mum had asked to meet her.
“F*ck!” I cursed, hastily picking up my phone to find the address of the place we were to meet already in my inbox. Seeing the address, it pleased me to realize that it was just the second floor of the hotel, known to be reserved for special occasions. This thought had me snorting in distaste but it didn't stop my legs from moving. As fast as possible, I didn't have to pour out my unavailable excessively large clothes since I only owned a few good pieces.
A knee-length blue gown that matched the strand of blue hair amongst my other brown wavy hair, paired with black stilettos did the trick for me. Checking the time, I realized I had just one minute and as fast as I could, I took the elevator to the second floor.
On the way, my heart drummed fast in my chest, holding my breath not knowing what I'd see. Right then and there, my bladder chose this as the perfect time to cry out to be freed.
“Sh*t!” I cursed again for the tenth time, just as the elevators opened to reveal the beautiful space of the second floor. Unfortunately, that wasn't the least bit of my concern since I cared more about my bladder. Tugging a waiter on the sleeve, I caused him to stop, turning to look at me.
“Yes ma'am? How may I be of help to you?” He asked politely but the frown on his face told me he didn't appreciate my actions.
“Please can you tell me where the washroom is?” Forcing a smile I asked and attentively, I listened to him describe it. With a ‘thank you!’ I headed straight for the direction he described and I was thankful to find it without getting lost.
Emptying my bladder had never felt so good as it did now and once done, I gave the washroom a goodbye kiss, sprinting out of there to meet my mother. As fate would have it, I bumped into a wall but more like a person.
“I'm so sorry,” I apologized, raising my head and the familiar face of one of the bullies had my eyes widening in horror. The other two all stood beside him like tall, strong walls and scared for my life, I headed straight for the tiny space they left out, running for my dear life while ignoring their calls for me to stop.
“Carina!” Was the last shout I heard before disappearing from the corner that led to the washroom we all had been in.
“Carina, you're late,” was the first thing my mother said as soon as I walked into the private room I had been directed to.
“I-,” I began but was cut off once again as always.
“Anyways, meet my husband, Isidor. Isidor, meet my daughter, Carina,” giggling like she had just told a joke my mother said while smiling at the man who was sitting beside her.
My eyes landed on him and upon seeing him, I knew right then and there how f*cked my life had become. “Kowalski Isidor,” I whispered softly, the name like a nightmare.
“Oh, it seems like you know me, soon to be daughter,” smiling at him, the middle aged man with hazel eyes laughed but nothing about all he was saying was funny. The sound of the door opening interrupted our conversation or more like my beginning of depression.
“They must be your sons,” not so subtly, my mother whispered to Isidor, her brown orbs that were just like mine shining brightly.
“You three, come say hi to your sister,” Isidor said while my back remained to the newcomers.
As they passed my side to stand beside their father, their scents wafted into my nose like a never ending breeze. My mouth watered, my wolf stirring to life, crying out softly, “Mates!”
“Meet Rodrigo the green eyed son, Arnaldo the blue eyed son and Leonardo the hazel eyed son,” Isidor introduced but I already knew them all.
Smiling, they faced me while I was still trying to come to terms with the bomb fate had chosen to drop on my fucking head. “Oh, Carina. It's nice to see you again,” Rodrigo said but soon, I noticed his expression stiffen, staring intently at me before exchanging looks with his brothers.
“Mate!” I noticed them mumble at the same time, a certainty of how interesting my life was about to become. How wonderful was it for me to be mated to the same ones who humiliated me in front of the whole school.
Chapter 3 Carina’s POVMonday came as fast as it left and I was sure of it being another terrible day in school. The mocking laughter that had all been directed at me since I stepped my feet onto the school grounds this morning only reminded me of the shameful thing I had been forced to do. I've always believed my mate was going to be someone I'd love no matter what he did but instead, the memories of all three of them urging me to wipe my tears with a degrading cloth like a slut didn't get erased from my head as easily as I thought. “Look at her. Why don't we ask her to come clean us up with her mouth when we are done in the washroom? We don't have to use the cloth again. She would be out of new clothes,” one of the male students laughed, giddily slapping the neck of his friend who also laughed along. I bowed my head further in shame, heading straight to my locker. All I just wished to have at this point was a peaceful day like it had been in the past. “Hey, Carina!” A familiar
Carina's POVWith my bag slung over one of my shoulders, I sighed for the nth time this evening, my thoughts mainly about my mates. I had no one to talk to about my predicament and had no one to give me advice on what to do. Rodrigo, Arnaldo and Leonardo had all successfully done well in having me confused. First, they treat me like a slut and now, they help me out. It was surely not the twist I was expecting. Finally, I arrived In front of the hive building painted in white and gold and with a sigh, I made my way into the compound. Once inside, their combined scents seemed to have a mind of its own, making its way straight into my nose and causing a part of my senses to tingle. “Why do they smell so delicious?” I mumbled to myself, dropping my bag to the couch while following the trail of their scent. Oddly enough, their mixed scents only seemed to be leading me to my room that just happened to be on the other wing of theirs. “What are they doing in my room?” Was the only questio
Carina pov"Disgusting little brat!" my mother spat, her fingers still gripping my ear like a vice as she dragged me through the hallway. "I can't believe this—how did I end up with a daughter like you? Such disgrace!""Mum, please, listen to me—" I tried to protest, struggling to keep up with her angry strides."Shut up!" she snapped, her nails digging into my skin. "Do you even hear yourself? Lying to my face, trying to blame your brothers? Your BROTHERS, for heaven’s sake! How shameless can you be?""They’re not telling the truth!" I cried out, the tears flowing freely now. "I didn’t do anything wrong. You have to believe me, please!""Believe you?" She stopped abruptly and spun to face me, her sharp gaze cutting through me like a knife. "You’ve already humiliated this family enough, and now you expect me to take your word over theirs? You must think I’m a fool!"Her voice echoed in the grand hallway, making the maids and a few passing servants stop and glance at us nervously befor
Carina povI walked into school with my hood pulled low over my head, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The makeup I’d hastily smeared over the black bruise beneath my eye wasn’t doing much to hide it. My reflection this morning had been nothing short of a train wreck—swollen eyes from crying, pale skin, and that nasty black-and-blue mark mocking me every time I blinked.Even the thought of stepping through the school gates had been unbearable, but I couldn’t stay locked up in that house anymore. Between my mother’s scathing remarks and my stepbrothers’ taunts, every corner of that place reeked of suffocation.As I slid into my seat in the classroom, my fingers shook slightly. I kept my head down, hoping no one would notice me.“Hey,” whispered a voice next to me. It was Sarah, the closest thing I had to a friend. “What happened to your eye?”“Nothing,” I muttered, avoiding her gaze.“It doesn’t look like ‘nothing.’ Did someone—”“I said it’s nothing!” I snapped, immediately regrettin
Carina povI tossed and turned in my bed, the weight of the day pressing heavily on my chest. Sleep felt like a distant memory, something I might never experience again. Every time I closed my eyes, the sneering faces of my stepbrothers or the whispers from school haunted me. My body ached, not just from exhaustion, but from the bruises, both visible and invisible.A sudden knock on my door shattered the fragile quiet.What now?“Who the hell is it?” I growled, sitting up abruptly.There was no response, just another knock—louder this time.“For crying out loud!” I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. I stomped to the door, the anger bubbling over. Couldn’t they just let me have one moment of peace in this damn house?I yanked the door open, fully prepared to yell at whoever dared disturb me, but my words died in my throat.Standing there, smirking like they owned the place, were my stepbrothers.“Ugh. You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Can you all just leave
Carina’s POVThe session had just wrapped up, and everyone couldn’t stop talking about one thing: the part my stepbrothers Antonio, Miguel, and Rodrigo hosted. I’d spent the entire evening dodging conversations about them and their "charming antics," as the girls at school loved to gush about. It was infuriating.Tuesday morning was already off to a bad start. I came to school late, thanks to my mom, who had decided that morning was the perfect time to scold me for a situation my stepbrothers had clearly set me up for."You’re irresponsible, Carina! When will you take things seriously?" Mom yelled as I tried to eat my breakfast in peace.I groaned. "Mom, I didn’t even do anything. Antonio borrowed my notes and forgot to return them, and now my teacher thinks I skipped classwork!"But my words fell on deaf ears. "Excuses! You’re too lenient with those boys. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you’ll always get in trouble for their mistakes," she snapped.The irony. How could I stand up
Carina’s POVRING! RING! RING!The bell finally blared, signaling the end of my second-to-last class for the day. Relief flooded through me as I sank back into my chair."Thank God," I muttered under my breath. "Just one more to go. I can survive this."The day had already been a disaster. Between Mr. Willis and Antonio, Miguel, and Rodrigo acting like... whatever they thought they were, I was officially done with everyone."Carina, you okay?" Sofia, my seatmate and probably the only sane person in my life, leaned over with concern."Just tired," I said, forcing a weak smile.Sofia frowned, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "You’ve been off all day. Did something happen?""Where do I even start?" I sighed."Uh-oh, spill." She leaned closer, her brown eyes wide with interest.I hesitated, glancing around the classroom. The other students were either chatting in groups or packing up their things. "It’s a long story.""I’ve got time," Sofia said, her tone teasing but her
Carina’s POV"Nothing," I said quickly."Doesn’t sound like nothing," Rodrigo said, leaning forward."Drop it," I snapped.The car fell silent again, but I could feel their curiosity simmering beneath the surface.*****When we finally pulled up in front of my house, I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough."Thanks for the ride," I said quickly, opening the door."Wait," Antonio said, turning off the engine.I froze, half out of the car. "What now?""Get some rest," he said, his voice unusually serious. "And if you start feeling worse...""I’ll be fine," I interrupted, stepping out.Miguel leaned out his window. "You say that, but you look like you’re about to keel over."I glared at him. "Goodbye, Miguel.""Call us if you need anything!" Rodrigo called as I slammed the door behind me.I didn’t bother looking back as I headed for the front door, their voices fading as I shut the door behind me.As soon as I stepped inside, the exhaustion hit me like a truck. I leaned against the doo
Carina’s POV A few months back, my dad’s shipments were being raided by rogue wolves. It was getting too much. He told me and my brothers, and we swung into action. We made sure we traced where these rogue wolves were from, and when we found them, we attacked. Eliminating every living person in their pack.The Black Moon Pack.Like every single person.I knew we weren’t supposed to. Just those that raided my dad's shipment were meant to be gone. But… nah. I couldn’t stop. Out of anger, me and my brothers did this. Now, I think they are back.I was very surprised. Or did any of them survive?Is Henry one of them?All these questions just filled my head. For them to even have an idea to follow us, to keep track of Carina, to kidnap our kids… this person must be really good. Really calculated.I was so angry and pissed that, even as I drove, my wolf almost took over because of the rage. I just had to keep on suppressing it. My grip on the steering wheel was so tight, my fingers were goi
Carina’s POV I didn’t know why I had such a strong rage when I heard the news. It was like fire had been set loose in my veins, burning everything in its path. The fury inside me was so high as I sped in my Benz, heading straight to my father’s pack. It had been a long time since I felt this kind of rage.All in my head now was Henry. I had to find him. And when I did, I was going to use my own hands and snuff the life out of him. My grip on the steering wheel was tight, my knuckles turning white as the thoughts in my head grew darker.Ever since I met those kids, I felt something different, something I couldn’t explain. A connection that ran deeper than just Carina’s kids. I didn’t know why. Maybe I did, but I just didn’t want to say it out loud. Carina had never told us who their father was. She avoided the topic like the plague, dodging every question, every hint. But deep down, I knew the truth. We all did.They were ours. Mine, Miguel’s, Antonio’s. Our blood, our heirs.And I wo
Carina’s POVMy voice was shaking, my whole body trembling. My legs felt weak, like I was going to collapse.The driver groaned. “Black… van… masked men…” He gasped for air. “I… I couldn’t…”I didn’t wait. I shot up and ran toward the car. Maybe they were hiding. Maybe it was some cruel joke. I pulled open the back door so fast, my hands hurt.Empty.No backpacks. No lunch boxes. No tiny shoes. Nothing.They were gone.I let out a scream. A loud, painful scream that shook through my entire body. I felt like something had just been ripped out of my soul.“No… no… NO!!!”Ethan was behind me in an instant. “Carina, listen to me, we’ll find them.”I turned on him, eyes wild. “FIND THEM?! ETHAN, MY KIDS WERE TAKEN! SOMEONE TOOK MY BABIES! DO YOU GET THAT?! DO YOU?!”Ethan grabbed my shoulders. “Carina, look at me. LOOK AT ME.”I was breathing too fast. My chest was tight. I felt like I was going to pass out.“I swear to you,” Ethan said, voice firm. “We will get them back. But you have to
Carina’s POV I won’t lie… at this point, I was really pissed. The main reason I left my stepbrothers and my mom was because I wanted to be away from them. I fucking literally saw these guys a few hours back before I left my mom’s house. Like, how the fuck do they just want to come into my life by force? Can’t they just leave me alone?All these thoughts were swirling in my head, making my blood boil. I just wanted to be calm, to not overthink it. So, I sat down, trying to steady my breath.Ethan, being Ethan, got up and walked over to the kitchen. I could hear him moving things around, then he came back with a glass of water, sitting beside me. He handed it to me, his voice gentle.“Drink up.”I looked at him, then at the glass, then back at him. “No.”He sighed, shaking his head dramatically. “Carina, you need to hydrate. You look like you’re about to combust.”“I don’t need water, Ethan. I need peace.”“You need water more.”“I’m not drinking it.”“Wow.” He leaned back, studying me
Carina’s POV "Welcome, ma'am," Lina said as I pulled up to my house.I'm finally home. As I drove in, that feeling of comfort just filled me up. The fact that Lina was here shocked me. I thought she would have already left. I parked my car where I always do and got out to stretch my tired muscles. Lina came up to me with a smile on her face. "Hi, Lina. "How are you?" I asked, shutting my car door. "I'm fine, ma'am," she answered sweetly. "Welcome home, ma'am." "Thanks," I said, giving her a small smile. "What brings you here this early? I wasn’t expecting you." "Ohh… nothing serious," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "Sir Ethan said you would be coming back this morning, so I thought I should come and greet you personally." "Aww… that’s really sweet. Thank you so much," I said truly as we started walking towards the house. Lina followed closely, and as we stepped inside, I turned to her. "So, how was work?" She instantly brightened up, her eyes sparkling with joy. "It’s b
CHAPTER 84Chapter 84: My Bullies, my Stepbrothers, My MatesCarina’s POVI just stayed quiet and walked out of the house. My bag’s wheels thudded against the ground as I made my way to my car. I wasn't going to allow any of them to change my mind on this. "I’m done," I said aloud, my voice strong even as I pressed the key to pop the trunk open.The sound of the car beeping gave me a small sense of pleasure. At least something in my life still worked as expected. I threw my bag into the trunk with more force than necessary, then slammed it shut. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I sighed deeply. My hands shook slightly as I gripped the driving wheel. I wasn’t worried. No, this was excitement. I was doing the right thing. I had to tell myself of that. As I put the key into the ignition, my eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror. There she was. My mum. Standing on the balcony, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, her face a mask of forced calm. But I could see it—the sadness in h
CHAPTER 83Chapter 83: My Bullies, my Stepbrothers, My MatesCarina’s POVI'm off now," I said, even as I rolled my bag down the stairs. The sound of the wheels bumping against each step was the only thing keeping me from totally losing it."Wow, so you were serious," my stepdad said, his fork stopping halfway to his mouth. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a plate of pancakes and syrup in front of him. He looked amused—or maybe angry, I couldn’t tell."Yeah, I have to leave. Liam and Leo have really missed me, and I have work to attend to," I said sharply, directing the last part at my mum as she appeared at the top of the stairs.Her face was a mixture of anger and worry. "What is your problem?" she snapped, descending the steps quickly. "Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re going into? Your dad is an Alpha! Let him tell you the best way you can stay safe!""Mum!" I shouted, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. "I will be fine. Don't act like you care ri
Carina’s POVI entered my room and sat down on the bed, my hands shaking as I attempted to gather my thoughts. I was trying to get organized. In all honesty, I had no idea why all of this was taking place. My life had been great, or at least as near to perfect as I could make it, until just a few days ago. I had a secure career, a small family of my own whom I really adored, and I was at peace. And what about now? It was all because I had come to attend my mother's party that everything began to spin out of control.My chest tightened as I stared at the wardrobe that was hanging on the wall, and memories began to come back to me. That closet was more than simply a piece of furniture. It was a representation of the grief and loneliness that I had been harbouring for many years. I could still hear Mum’s voice, icy and piercing, as she shut me inside for hours. She had termed it punishment. I had termed it torture. “Funny how life works,” I mumbled sadly. “One day, you’re a scared littl
Carina’s POV“I have put the necessary security in place,” he said, his dark eyes“I have security all around the premises now. I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”I nodded, unable to muster anything more enthusiastic. “That’s really thoughtful of you, but honestly… I just came back to honor my mum’s request. I don’t belong here anymore.”“Don’t say that,” Mr. Kowalski replied, stepping closer. “This is your home. Why would you want to leave?”“Because I need to,” I said, my voice steady and calm. “I have made up my mind. This place is not mine anymore.”He frowned slightly, clearly not understanding. “Is it because of your company in the other city?” “No, that’s not it,” I said. “I’ve built a life there since I ran away. I love it there. I want to stay there.”Mum stepped forward, looking between us. “Carina, please. We want you to stay. We can work things out together. You and the boys have a family here.”I took a deep breath, pushing back the frustration. “No, Mum. You do