Sebastian'I love you'—Her words echoed inside of my head over and over again in a continuous, never-ending loop, wiping any traces of sleep away from my eyes, keeping me wide awake for obvious reasons I tended to avoid.It felt weird to hear those words in repeat.Why did she love me after everything I have done to her? How could she still try to love me and bring me back from where I preferred to stay?I wanted the darkness, then why was she trying to drag me to face the light where she hoped would prevail an escape for both of us? It was hate that she was supposed to feel for me, not the love she was surging over me every day and every second.I glanced down at her, hearing the faint sound of her relaxed breathing as she slept on top of me. I knew she was sleeping because the only time she remains this unguarded was when she was asleep, other than that, it'd always be her trying to stay careful with every little thing, every small movement she makes or even breathing and making a s
AthenaWhen I woke up, I found myself tucked under the duvet.Yawning, I stretched my hands over my head and sat up. A sudden invisible force attacked my head from all sides, forcing my body to fall on the surface of the bed, however, that did not happen as the memories from last night came flooding inside of my mind like a tsunami but somehow inexact and glitched.I'd gone to the party with Sebastian...But what happened after that?The glitched memories kept flashing in front of my eyes until my mind acknowledged the entire event.I almost got raped yesterday...Chills of terror ran down my body, I felt sick to my stomach even at the thought of that guy being near me.Calm down. You are safe, he saved you.I blew out a sigh of relief when the thought of Sebastian murdering Chris crossed my reminiscence.For the first time, the thought of somehow being dead was providing me comfort; Made me feel safe and secure.My eyes glanced around the room in search of any sign of Sebastian but n
Sebastian"Show me the CCTV footage of yesterday," I told Pete who immediately ordered one of his guards to bring his laptop.They worked fast, wary about their movements as I have already let them know that I was more than willing to kill them if they fail to give me the right information. So, it was either do or die for them, although my situation was not so stable as well. The argument with Athena has left me and my beliefs shaken. She fucked me up pretty badly, and my last statement before I exited the room, did the same thing to her in return. I'd seen it in her eyes— I have broken her."Alpha, here's the footage." David opened the video, connecting the laptop to the big monitor for a better view."Speed it up." I barked, tapping the ash of the cigar on the ashtray beside me as I fixated my eyes on the screen, to be very specific, my mate.There was no question that a werewolf's eyes will miss any of the odd changes or even the slightest movements that did not go with the situat
CelineI waited for the phone to ring for a solid twenty minutes until it finally rang, breaking the burdening silence of the room.I quickly received the call, hoping to hear the news I have been waiting for, "Hello. Has he left yet?""It took a bit of work, but yeah, he left." The response from the other side made me finally release the breath I did not know I had been holding on to for so long.Finally....It was a relief that the plan was finally working and he was coming out of his cold facade. Although it was still not sure if this change of one night was going to be permanent. Sebastian was absolutely capable of holding himself together till the last bit, nothing could be comparable to how strong he was when it came to pushing away everything he has, to hold onto something he doesn't want to let go.If there was anything he truly treasured from the bottom of his heart, that was his curse and now, perhaps, it was Athena who undoubtedly held more importance to him."He's coming t
AthenaHe slowly closed the door, surprisingly not with a loud slam like all the other times. Something about him felt strange, at first, I could not identify it but when the smell of strong liquor hit my nose I finally realised why his movements were slightly unsteady. He was drunk. Alcohol and cigars were a part of his daily life, it was no surprise for me to smell alcohol from him, however, today he looked a bit too consumed by the effects of the liquor.His movements were barely collected. Deep down I was expecting the worst. Sebastian's arrival has never brought any good news for me. From the very first day, he stepped into my life, everything has been a living nightmare for me, that I wanted to escape so badly but failed every time.Perhaps, if someone else had brought me from the auction, things could have been even worse than this but, at the very least, I wouldn't have to live with the fact that it was my own mate who left no levels to stoop in order to hurt me, put me thr
AthenaHe kissed me as if his life depended on it, within every caress of his tongue against mine, he was awakening some new within me. I didn't know the start or the end, all I was aware of was the fact that I was absolutely engrossed in everything he did. I truly loved this man, and yes, if it did make me pathetic for being in love with the man who has left no bounds to hurt me, behaved like a monster and was a heartless being who did not care about anyone but him, I did not care. I was not in the state to consider anything at all.Sebastian's one request has thrown all my beliefs, my decisions, my hopes and dreams, every negative and positive thing in my mind here and there, like a cluttered mess which I couldn't gather whilst my eyes were locked with ones. And the result? Here was I, under his captive like all the other times but the mere difference was, today, he was not here to cage me; He was here to free me from the same cage he'd put me in, and constantly build a new wall ar
AthenaSo many thoughts were running in my head. Some that made me want to forget everything, and some that pushed to the same dark pathway that I wanted to escape. I was afraid that this moment would end just like every other good thing that only comes once in a lifetime.My hands froze right after opening the third button of his shirt.When the sun would go up and the effects of the liquor would vanish, Sebastian won't be the same anymore. He'd put his same mask on, and get set on his mission to make me loathe him at any cost. He'd not show me this smile anymore, he'd not behave like this anymore, he'd simply not be the same person anymore instead he'd pretend to be the Sebastian who was a living nightmare for me and only intended to show me the worst.Perhaps, it was beyond my capability to understand what picture he had in his mind, what was his view about this world, what fears was stopping him from letting go of the curse which he considered his escape from the reality and if it
Athena"I can die for you, but I wish I could live for you."— His voice echoing in my mind in the thick fog of darkness draped over my eyes brought me back from my deep slumber. My heartbeats went erratic, all my thoughts tangled into a big mess, the need to watch him crawled up my skin, and the neglection of this unfulfilled desire of mine made a weird burning feeling spread throughout my body.My eyes flew open, and my body shot up to sit straight at the realization of his absence—He was nowhere to be seen but his scent still lingered on my skin, reminding me of all his gentle caresses and sensual touches from last night.Where was he?I glanced at the bathroom door, hoping to hear any sound that could indicate that he was there, however, the heavy silence existing in the room made it very evident there was none else's presence in the entire room except for me.His absence was the last thing I wanted to face today when all my questions were bombing inside of my head, leaving me deva
Sebastian"Sebastian, you have to talk to Vincent. Enough is enough; I can't handle him anymore," Athena walked into the room, her hair cascading down her waist, her skin flushed with frustration, "Moreover, we don't even have enough room for toys and dresses now. There are still hundreds of things that Asher hasn't even tried yet, but he just dropped off more than ten bags full of outfits, just now! Asher's growing so fast; he won't even get to try all of it. It's all going to be a waste. God, I can't take it!"She threw her hands over her head. In her flowy white maxi dress, with no bra on, she did indeed look tempting. It might make me seem like a complete jerk, but I wasn't paying the least amount of attention to her words compared to what I was paying to her body now.Oh, how I would love to tear that dress off of her and have her on the bed, clutching onto the sheets with her silky hair sprawled all over the pillow while with each thrust, I'd drive deeper into her—it'd be a deli
Athena"Luna, there's someone who wants to meet both of you," the maid informed us."Who is it, sweetie?" I asked as I gently placed Asher in his crib. This was his second nap of the day, and in his soft snores, there was a hint of Sebastian. He had definitely taken after his father in terms of looks and a few habits."He says his name is Tristan Perez.""What, Tristan?" I asked, my brows rising in surprise, and Sebastian's reaction mirrored mine as he immediately closed his laptop."Bring him in," he said, “Right now."The maid promptly left the room.It had been four months since that fateful day when Sebastian, after apologizing to Tristan, me (even though I was unconscious at the time), and our newborn baby, disappeared. He had promised to return the following day, but Tristan had vanished without a trace. No phone calls, no visits, no messages, and no news. Cora had been devastated, but she eventually found the strength to move on, accepting the possibility that he might never re
AthenaFour Months Later"Sebastian, Vincent, I need to feed Asher. You two need to give him to me, right now!" I yelled for the second time, standing at the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest."Do you want to go to Mama?" Sebastian asked, planting soft kisses on Asher's cheeks, eliciting a chorus of giggles, "We don't think so. He's happier with Daddy and Uncle Vince.""Yeah, our little fighter is happier with us than with you, Athena. You seem to bore him all the time," Vincent chuckled, gently taking Asher in his arms and playfully nibbling on his ear, "What a big boy you are, huh?!" He planted a loving kiss atop Asher's head."Yeah, Mama's boring," Sebastian joked, pretending to lie down across Asher's lap. Asher, ever the daddy's boy, leaned in and gave Sebastian a kiss of his own, complete with a cute but slobbery open-mouthed smooch. That was his way of kissing."See, even Asher agrees with us," Vincent said with a proud grin.Goodness! When I had Asher, who could have
AthenaEverything around me felt too light, and my body felt burdened by an inexplicable weight. I was acutely aware of my own breath, the gentle touch of someone's fingers caressing my cheeks, and the faint, delicate movements of a small figure nestled in my arms.Do the departed continue to breathe? Perhaps in their consciousness, or maybe in a manner imperceptible to the living. Do the dead really breathe?Am I among the dead now? If I am, then why do I still sense that touch, one that seemed to coax my soul to the surface with every stroke? Why do I feel the presence of someone incredibly dear to me, as though a part of my essence had drawn near?Thoughts raced through my mind, clamouring for attention, until one realisation surfaced — my baby.My eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting to the soft, ambient light. The surroundings were unmistakably familiar — our very own home, and our shared place—Our room.So....we made it?"Love," Sebastian's voice whispered beside me, and I turn
TristanI had made a mistake. A great one. One that I couldn’t undo no matter how much I wished.Cora handed me the diary as we all stood outside the hospital. The morning winds were bitterly cold or maybe, it was just the cold within me."This is Celine's diary," she said, her demeanour different today, unlike the times when she used to follow me around in an attempt to make me acknowledge the mate bond I had been denying until now. Of course, I knew the reason—she had seen the kind of person I had become.And who would ever want to be with a man like me? Worthless.I hadn't done this right. I made Athena pay a price she wasn't supposed to pay—all that pain and suffering just to see her child's face once. She had endured too much for my revenge, a revenge I shouldn't have sought in the first place. But what else could I do? I wanted to hurt Sebastian, and she was the only one who truly mattered to him in this entire world.Celine died to save Athena. Had I made her sacrifice go in va
Athena"What kind of sick joke is this?" Sebastian growled. "She can't even breathe, and you're asking her to push? Is this another one of your schemes to put her through even more suffering? Listen, Tristan, why don't you just leave? You've already succeeded, then just go.""Look, I'm not lying. I know I should be the last person you'd trust, but if you want to save her, this is the only way. It had always been this way.""Do you expect me to believe that? You're the one who brought my mate and child to this condition. And now, you suddenly change your mind and say you're willing to show a sick way to save her?""I don't know why I'm doing this, okay?" Tristan shouted. "I still don't know if I'm supposed to save your mate and child and give you a happily ever after when you've ruined hundreds of lives, including the one I loved. I'm not even sure if I won't regret my decision if I save her... but," his voice dropped low, "I don't know if I'll be able to forgive myself if she dies bec
Vincent"Where could it be?!" I scoured every corner of the room that my sister had once lived in. Each belonging I touched, felt like a piece of my soul leaving my body. She had degraded herself into being someone's... object, all to avenge a duty that was never meant to be hers in the first place.I had failed as a brother. First, I couldn't save my wife and child, and then my sister— I had failed as a brother, a husband, and a father. Perhaps, at some point, even as a son, the day I emptied all the bullets in my gun into my mother's body.What else could I have done? She wasn't the mother I once knew, or maybe she never was. She’d become just a wife, a woman consumed by revenge for her husband's death, stooping to any level she could."Fuck, I need to find it!""Do you really think she wrote about it in her diary?" Cora's voice was laced with frustration, mirroring my own. Despite her wound, she'd insisted on coming with me. Seeing her struggle and fight through the pain just to be
AthenaIn just a matter of minutes, perhaps five at most, another howl echoed from the same direction I had just fled. The urgency to rescue my child and escape intensified. The deeper I ventured, the jungle's darkness engulfed me, beyond the approaching dusk, as if the very terrain absorbed my every pawfall.Adjusting to my newfound lupine form proved challenging, despite the profound potential it held. Joy should have welled within me, had circumstances been different. Amid this life-and-death urgency for my child and me, my half-life of hell ended. The ash-hued fur now enveloping me marked my shift – bones realigning, former doubts erased. A single question remained, paramount: Can I save my baby?I did not know but I knew, I had to. No matter what, I had to.Irrespective, I surged forward with unrelenting speed, and the strength in my body grew. But the abdominal ache deepened, sapping my strides. My efforts persisted, each second ticking toward an impending reckoning. My deliver
SebastianThere was no trace of her anywhere. Every search and every query yielded negative results.Fuck this!A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. My heart's rhythm grew louder, each passing second eroding my grasp on composure—I can't forgive myself if anything happens to her or our child. Past mistakes already burdened me, and failing them now would be unbearable."Any leads?"."No, Alpha. No sign of her," came the reply."Then search around! Why the fuck are you calling me without anything to report? Damn it!”"Apologies, Alpha. We'll expand the search."I disconnected and flung the phone away. This situation was maddening. Worry consumed me, and Aaron's tactics, unexpected. I had misjudged his feelings for Athena, forgetting the twisted core that might lead him to harm her for his ego's sake.Damn it! I should've seen this coming. Accompanied her instead of letting her go with Cora.How could I act fucking careless?!I sped up the car, the dark night heightening my fears.