My job was my life.It was interesting work; my clients ranged from singers to actors, even unemployed rich women stopped by. Each had their own charm, and I treated them all equally with respect and patience. This approach had already earned me a fat sales commission and a lot of tips in the last two weeks, much to the annoyance of my colleagues. Their haughtiness didn't seem to benefit them much; customers were turned off by their unkindness and headed straight in my direction instead.My work had not only become a well-paid job for me but also a passion in which I fully indulged. It was very satisfying to see women and children leave the store much happier than when they entered. We received few male customers; it was often the women who did the shopping for their partners. Our online sales to CEOs and other influential individuals were also growing steadily.Mr. Sims, the branch manager, called me into his office today. I stood outside his office, knocked on the door, and entered
"And how is Zane reacting to your new job, Becca?" Marelva's question pulled me out of my thoughts, but it didn't cheer me up when I thought about my relationship with Zane, or what was left of it."Absolutely down," I told her. "We hardly ever talk anymore. He came home late, left for work early in the mornings, didn’t eat at home, nor did he sleep in our room any longer," I added sadly. "I didn’t think he would take this so seriously. It’s like I don’t exist to him now. I miss him so much, but I'm not sure how to fix this situation. I love my job, it's something that I've grown to feel is essential in my life and can't give up easily anymore, but losing Zane really hurts too." Tears were closer than laughter these days.What I told Marelva was absolutely true. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Zane since our argument. He ignored me as if I wasn't even in his house. He hadn't taken back the credit card that I left on the table. Now that I was working, I no longer needed it. I'd alread
Why did I feel like this was the worst decision I had ever made in my life?'Because it really is BAD!' Era growled angrily in my head. 'How do we go on without him? He is our mate, stupid human!'I expected this reaction from her. I thought living so comfortably in someone else's house had made that wolf of mine somewhat lazy. Maybe she was starting to adopt humans' bad traits, and materialism was becoming more important to her than self-esteem.'That is not the case, Becca,' she grumbled. 'You're trapped in self-neglect.' ‘You are afraid of your own feelings, in other words, you are a coward,' she continued.With a jerk, I stopped. Being insulted by your own wolf was a painful thing to deal with. Shouldn't my wolf always be on my side, supporting me in all my decisions? I mused.'Yeah, but not the stupid ones like this, idiot! You're now leaving your fine man prey to other women. That Margey must already be throwing herself at him. How stupid can you be?' Era raged on. Being called
It had been two weeks since I left home. My new relationship with Zane was developing amazingly well. Every day, we woke each other up, texted during lunch, and had long conversations on the phone in the evenings. I now knew him much better, I'd learned new things about him and could judge his character better. Last night, he told me about his first crush, a dazzlingly wealthy fellow student who loathed him because he belonged to the middle class at that time. His father was working hard to set up a company while his mother was employed by the government.The girl was blonde and leggy, the ideal type every boy dreamed of. When he asked her to the prom, she insulted him in front of all the students. Loudly, she exclaimed that she couldn't believe a middle-class boy would dare ask her out and mocked whether he could even afford to buy enough fuel for his old truck. Her expensive designer dress certainly wasn't going to get dirty from the mediocre interior of his clunker.In shame, he ha
The most amazing dinner experience I'd ever enjoyed.Zane embodied the essence of a classic gentleman, and he exuded so much kindness. He had ordered all my favorite dishes, and I found myself lost in his mesmerizing eyes. I was going to hold onto this wonderful man, I swore to myself.A fresh breeze stirred through the cabana as Zane and I remained completely focused on each other. We shared laughter and touched frequently, losing sight of everything else around us. Zane now lay at the center of my universe.It was the early hours of the morning when we finally decided to leave. He gently took both my hands in his."Becca, please come back home. I promise to open up to your ambitions and respect your wishes. All I want is for you to be with me so that I can see and hear you every day. The house feels so empty without you. I miss you like hell."A smile stretched across my face."I want nothing more. Being without you is hard for me too. We'll find a way to overcome what keeps us apar
I managed to get just three hours of sleep.Era, the wolf, was roaring fiercely in my mind, giving me a splitting headache. "What's going on with you, girl? My head feels as heavy as a stone. Can't it be quieter up there?" I kept asking her.I was in the shower, trying to clear my mind. But with all the noise, it was nearly impossible. All I heard her screaming was 'kill the bitch, kill the bitch!' and I just couldn't understand what it was all about.'ERA!!' I attempted once more. 'Could you clarify your meaning, please? What's happening? Who do you want to kill?' There was still no response. I took a bath, headed into the closet, and pulled out several bags. Sighing deeply, I began to slowly remove clothes from hangers and pack them into the bags. Zane was correct, it would indeed require two trips back and forth to move everything out of here.After filling three of them, I decided to get dressed for work. Even though I wasn't in the mood, I needed to go in to talk about taking tom
A loud scream ripped from my heart past my lips. The pain was terrible, unbearable."Zane!" I screamed with everything inside me. His head slowly turned languidly towards me, his eyes flickered with a brief spark of recognition, and he reached out a trembling hand towards me. His once vibrant blue eyes were now dull, a shadow of their former brilliance. He tried to say something, his lips parting, but no sound emerged.I stood there, frozen, tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. "No! This can’t be happening," I whispered, with a shaky voice.Then I looked up to Marelva. On her face was a triumphant, devilish look, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. I needed answers."Why?" I demanded, my voice raw with desperation.She grinned, a cold, wicked smile, and lifted an eyebrow. "Why not?" she mocked, her tone dripping with malice.Her words cut through me like a knife, and the casual cruelty in her voice made the blood rush to my head. I clenched my fists, anger and helple
The nurses accompanied my mother as they left."Becca, it's Era. You don't need to search for me; I'm always with you," I heard a voice in my head saying.I blinked several times, attempting to concentrate on the voice.'Your father has given me enough energy to recover,' she said sadly. 'That blonde you're talking about is our human mate, Zane. He cares for us but has been reckless. We need to leave before they return.'My eyes snapped open.I wondered how we'd manage to leave with so many people walking around here.'You're a werewolf, climbing comes naturally to us!' she scoffed. 'Have faith in yourself, girl. Your physical wounds are healed, so there's nothing wrong with you physically. However, we're going through emotional turmoil that won't improve while we're here, and we prefer some distance from our mate for the moment. We need time to heal mentally.''Where can we go, Era?' I asked her desperately. 'I don't know how to handle this. Do you have any ideas?''Once more, Becca,
Becca’s Point Of View Still"Do you still want to visit Zane?" I heard Johnston ask.I jolted out of my haze and back to the present. There was a moment of silence in the car as both of us were lost in our thoughts."What's left to discuss with him?" I replied bitterly. "I'm not going to embarrass him by demanding an explanation about how he got my friend pregnant. I was there myself, remember? So there's nothing more to say."The words hung heavily in the air, a painful reminder of the betrayal that had shattered my world. I felt a lump in my throat as memories of Zane flooded back, each one tainted by the revelation of his deceit. The nights we spent dreaming of a future together and the promises whispered when I was in his arms all now felt like a cruel joke.Johnston's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.I could sense his frustration and helplessness, as he wanted to protect me from all this but knew he couldn't change the past. The reality of my fall
"And by the way, I have some news for you. I am pregnant with Zane, we are expecting our first child in seven months."A stab of pain shot through my heart, causing my breath to catch and tears to stream from my eyes."No," I whispered brokenly. My knees gave way beneath me, but before I could reach the ground, Johnston caught me and pressed me against his chest. I screamed, the pain was too much."Get a grip on yourself, Becca, please," I heard Johnston from afar as he stroked my hand. "Everything will be fine, I promise you." How could everything turn out all right? I thought to myself in despair. I had lost Zane too, that was far worse than when Elyon rejected me.It was only then that I realized Zane was the man of my life, my breath. However, Marelva’s statement hit me like a punch to the gut. It was too late, he was out of my reach forever. Maybe I had pushed my luck too far by going against the grain. I should have listened when he urged me not to go out to work and instead set
"Some men just don't learn," I heard Johnston mutter beside me. His face was stormy, and his fingers were clenched on the wheel. We were in the car, but he still hesitated to start the engine, struggling to control his temper.He adjusted the shades on his nose and glanced back at the terrace where we left Elyon. With mixed feelings, I glanced in the same direction, but thankfully, the couple was out of sight. After taking a few deep breaths, he turned on the switch, and we were on our way to Marelva to pick up the rest of my belongings.Johnston suddenly faced me. "Becca, I have a friend nearby whom I would like to visit. He owns a fabric shop, maybe you can buy something there for your parents too."That was a perfect idea. I nodded happily, and we entered a business street. Parking seemed to be a big problem there. With great difficulty, Johnston squeezed his robust truck into a narrow space."That's craftsmanship. Not everyone can handle such a huge pickup in such a small space,"
Becca’s Point Of ViewTwo weeks later, I realized I couldn't dodge the inevitable any longer. I needed to come out of hiding and get my life back on track. First, I had to address my past. Johnston had offered to help me retrieve the rest of my belongings from Marelva’s apartment, and then accompany me to Moon Shine for a visit with my parents.Yes, I was going to spend an entire afternoon with my parents in my pack and do everything I could to avoid Elyon and his mate. I just wanted to feel the warmth of my parents in my old environment again, that's called re-energizing in modern terms. I was especially looking forward to that. In the evening, before I returned to the cabin, I would face Zane.Not that I was really looking forward to meeting him. The pain of loss was still fresh. I mentioned heartbreak a few times, but I wasn't sure if I was truly in love with Zane. It was more the betrayal that hurt. What I did know was that if things had turned out differently, I'd have been willi
Standing speechless before Alpha Alex, Johnston was still trying to make sense of what he had just heard.As Alex's Beta and best friend, he knew him like no other. Alex was a tough nut to crack, unapproachable and not particularly capable of showing affection. He had always been fiercely independent, valuing strength and loyalty from those around him above all else. Johnston noticed that Alex's walls went up higher and thicker after the death of his parents, causing him to become even more emotionally distant.But he bet on the strength of the mate bond. Maybe it could magically change his friend’s attitude and make him capable of being a caring and loving mate to Becca. He had witnessed the power of this bond with others; it was a force so powerful that it could mend even the most shattered souls. Maybe, just maybe, Becca could be the one to break through Alex's barriers and bring out the softer side he kept buried deep within."If Xan acknowledged her, what are you up to? It looks
I had been in the cabin for three weeks now, which was far overdue.Yes, I knew the deal with Johnston was that I would stay there for only a week, but I wasn't ready to face the harsh world yet. So, I continued hiding in this secluded hut deep in the jungle like a coward.My parents kept me updated every day through our mind link, informing me about everything happening in the pack and beyond. They told me that Zane called them almost daily, desperately asking when I'd be ready to talk to him. He begged them to disclose my whereabouts, pleading for a chance to explain. He told my mother that we were in the midst of a big misunderstanding. He didn’t go into details, probably because he was too ashamed of what happened or feared my parents' judgment.Johnston visited me every day for a few hours. He had become a good friend, and we had a lot of fun together. Sometimes we cooked and ate together, roasted some meat on a self-made barbecue set, or just chatted about business on the verand
Becca’s Point Of ViewIt was nearly midnight, and I was lying on the bed with my hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling. I reflected on the most challenging moments of my life. My wolf had already helped me recover swiftly from the injuries sustained in the car accident, but it was my heartbreak that still needed mending. The pain I felt when I saw the man I loved naked under the woman I took for a friend was still raw. It pierced my heart even more deeply than anything Elyon had ever done to me."Don't jump to conclusions," Era's warning voice reminded me again. "Talk to him first. Hear his side of the story," she urged.I was uncertain if I would be able to do that. We had intended to spend that day together, taking our relationship one step further. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. If only I had stayed with him the night before the accident! But we were hoping to have uninterrupted time for each other at home, without work on our minds or other things getting in th
Johnston's Point of ViewIt was already the early morning hours, and I was still sitting in the conference room of the pack, tired and irritated. That Alpha of mine didn't seem to really know which direction to take with this meeting. He changed the conditions for the collaboration in the draft contract with the Department of Justice in Human Town every few hours.The execution process and the list of materials required for the joint operations, as well as the projected goals on the human side and more, had been revised over ten times in the past two hours. We weren't making much progress, and all I could think about was going to my bedroom for a good night's rest.Later in the day, I needed to return to the sheriff's office with a signed agreement. However, that didn't seem to work. At this pace, nothing would come of the contract. And then he constantly slid closer and sniffed me.What the heck?!I was sure he didn't have any gay tendencies, but his behavior was highly odd. I couldn
"But you haven't told me where to go yet," Johnston reminded me.The atmosphere in the car was relaxed. In the short time we had known each other, we had chatted as if we had been acquainted for years. I relaxed, thinking nothing could happen to me in the company of a Beta, right?"I was on my way to the forest. My wolf says we can stay there for a week before going back. We need some time alone."Johnston's face became serious now. "The forest is not safe for a woman alone. We haven't seen rogues in the area for a long time, but you never know," he said with concern. "Why do you want to be in the forest? Coping with heartbreak?"I nodded and looked out the window. I now knew what led me to the hospital, and I completely agreed with Era that we needed some space to process what we had seen.She persuaded me not to despise Zane until I had all the facts. Her voice was a mix of desperation and hope, indicating that she truly loved him. She solely blamed Marelva for what happened, clingi