SebastianThe two positive lines on the test left my entire world shaking.For a whole long minute, I just stared at the test. I didn't know how to react. There was a strange silence spreading peril throughout my veins. In my mind, there was a rigid darkness that led me to nowhere.The answer that this test could lead me unnerved me.All the speculations done inside my head only pointed in the same direction I saw in front of my eyes the moment I'd taken a look at this test. This room was mine, beside me the only person who was allowed to stay here was her— So this could only mean that this pregnancy test was hers."Athena's pregnant?" The question left my mouth on its own, knowing that there was none to help me find the answer except for myself.No.How could she be pregnant? She didn't have a wolf so it was not possible for her to carry my child."If she's not pregnant then what does this test fucking means?!" I began hyperventilating, all I could see was black and this time it was
AthenaI could not believe my eyes at first. The sight of the bloodthirsty wolves who screamed nothing but rogues made a chill of terror run down my spine."What in the damn hell...." Aaron's low voice was the only thing that cut through the silence of the car, except for the teeth-clattering tremble of the driver who looked dead before even being touched.However, it surprised me that Aaron's eyes were not looking at the sight of the disgusting wolves, they were looking at the view behind the car-- Julia and that unknown guy with her.I did not get the time to register anything, what was happening was strange and totally out of the blue. Yes, I had been anticipating Julia's arrival but not in this way that terrified everyone, including me.Hurting someone in order to escape was the last thing I ever had in my mind.And before I could have the time to utter a simple reaction, I saw the man behind the mask, raising his hand and counting from one. One....I saw him slowly raising his i
SebastianHer face turned blue, her veins began to collapse underneath my hold, from her struggles to breathe to not being able to breathe at all— It gave me an intense amount of satisfaction to see this deceptive woman slowly falling into the arms of death. I was not sure if I actually wanted her dead, but my mind wasn't really in the state to decide between what was wrong or right.I have killed enough in my life, one more death wouldn't add anything to the sins I have already gathered.But leaving her alive would make a difference.Was I willing to spare her life? Was making a difference anyway near my intentions?What was my intention anyway? What would her death get me?My hold around her neck began to lose on its own, giving her scopes to breathe and something flicked in her orbs. Perhaps, it could be her hopes to live rising to the surface again as her collapsing began to get a taste of air once again.However, as my intentions began falling weak as well as my urge for vengeanc
Sebastian 'She did not want me to know about our child.....''She thought I'd put our baby through the same tortures Elijah put me through and make them the same as me.'Every time the truth crossed my mind, somewhere in the depth within, I was pulling away from the shield of my curse that I'd thought of as my saviour. I slowly began to realise that the tough seal was already no longer there— The warmth of Athena's touch had weakened the grip long ago but it was me who had held onto it.There was an abrupt rise in my pulse rate, my loudly beating heart fought hard to get through the retraction of the curse, my lungs were on the brink of collapse and my eyes looked everywhere despite knowing that she wasn't here— I was dying.Or maybe, this death was not mine. It was of the person who I had made myself. Either way, the pain was mine to bear. The fight was mine to fight and win.But my Athena has already gone far away from me. She detached me from her heart, shut the doors of her light
Athena"Julia! Make it stop right now!" I shouted as soon as I stepped outside of the car, my eyes constantly taking glances at Aaron who fought with the group of rogues continually attacking him.This was a fight for survival where he could lose at any time if by any chance the situation fell heavy on him.I knew their sole intention was to kill him, the injuries they were giving him were not light enough to make me believe that they only wanted to prevent him from saving me or make a way for me to safely head to the Jeep.There was something I did not know or perhaps, couldn't see."Athena, it's not your duty to worry about it. Just get in the vehicle right now." Julia spoke.She sounded as if she did not give a fuck about the lives of these people who had no fault in any of this mess at all.Her careless demeanour bugged me—It made me wonder if she was the same woman I talked to, whose eyes were drenched in tears whilst telling me the story of Sebastian and his curse."Athena, get
SebastianMy wolf did not mistake the scent. It was indeed Athena's— The warmth and touch of roses and honeysuckles, the sweet touch of it against my lungs as I breathed it in every second I advanced towards where she perhaps was, told me that this heavenly smell belonged to none but her— My Athena.I did even care about the words I had given her to meet her again. Her life was in danger and I'd do anything to save her even if it makes her hate me even more.The thought of her getting hurt shook me to my soul. It always had even the time when I had my curse shackling my heart and spirit, even when I had no morals and no intentions to change.But that was only a thought....And today it was an actual possibility.Hurting her was the least a man like Vincent would do. He'd try to take revenge— For everything that happened in the past.I ran. The paws of my wolf collided against the ground, the air against me fought to lessen my speed, the silence around prompted a sense of something omi
AthenaWithin a few minutes, we had already crossed a distance of ten miles. This was what I wanted, wasn't it? Disappear from Sebastian's life forever and never look back—I considered it my ultimate destination. But now as I was seeing it come true before my eyes, as we crossed each mile in a matter of less than a minute, everything felt fucking wrong.I was restless, concerned, and oblivious of where these two people who were complete strangers to me in a way, were taking me. But at the same time, too consumed in my thoughts to ask them what was the place that we were actually heading to.The concern of Sebastian Beta and the driver whom I left there trapped in the midst of the rogues, bugged me. I did not want anyone to die because of me— I had seen enough deaths, starting from the death of my own soul, my happiness and my hopes. And whilst I suffered in my silence, it made me question my decision that I hadn't gotten to consider twice before the circumstances forced me to walk i
AthenaThere were different voices sounding around me—A convolution of the discussions with words I could barely register. My head was aching as if there was a massive weight someone has permanently put over it. The voices spoke amongst themselves, the conversation sounded distant even though I could feel the presence of the speaking individuals around me as if I was at the centre of attention.It was a struggle to open my eyes. They felt heavier than stones. I could feel the sweat coating my forehead and my palms, the skin on my wrists burned for some reason and as I made an attempt through my awakening consciousness, I recognized the restraint that tied them together— Ropes. There were ropes around my wrists that kept my hands locked behind the chair that supposedly was made from wood— At least, that's what the cold surface of it told me so.At first, there was solely nothing in my mind other than the urge to open my eyes and see where I was because the memories of what happened a f
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.