× Trix× I was clearly looking for trouble saying that to her. “Oh, so now I’M the problem?” She throws her hands up, clearly frustrated. “You’re unbelievable.”“No, you’re not the problem,” I say, stepping closer again, softening my tone. “But you make it hard for anyone to get close to you. Even your gran sees that.”She narrows her eyes at me, crossing her arms tighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”I've heard that question so many times my ears ache at the mention of it.“It means you’ve built these walls so high, even the people who love you can’t get in,” I say quietly, my gaze locked on hers. “You push everyone away because you’re scared. And you act like I’m the one who doesn’t belong here, but maybe you’re the one who feels out of place.”The silence that follows is heavy, her lips pressing into a thin line as she glares at me, but I can tell my words hit a nerve. “This isn’t about me,” she finally mutters, her voice wavering just a little. “You don’t know what you’re tal
× Dixie ×I can’t sleep. I thought I could, but the minute Trix fell asleep, I felt it. That weird surge of gratitude creeping through our bond. It’s kind of unsettling.I mean, seriously? Gratitude? From Trix? The guy who’s made my life a living nightmare for years? It’s ironic. It's almost laughable. But there it is, this warmth spreading through me like he’s genuinely thankful we’re sharing the same space.I toss and turn, the sheets tangling around me, feeling restless. All the stuff he said earlier, the way he looked at me... like he SEES me? That’s new. And uncomfortable.I’m not used to him seeing anything other than a challenge in me, and now he’s throwing all this weird, intense emotion my way. It’s... confusing.But then there’s something else. Som
× Dixie דYou wish.”That is all I can say.He grins wider, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Your Gran didn’t seem too convinced. She practically sprinted out of here. Guess she knows when to leave us alone, huh?”“Shut up,” I mutter, crossing my arms and turning away from him.This is the last thing I need. I am still recovering from the fact that I’d just told my grandmother we were having some sort of... couple's moment, and now Trix is making it worse.He stretches, standing up from the couch and walking over to me, still smirking like he found the whole situation hilarious. “What? You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s kind of cute, actually.”I whip around to glare at him. “You think this is cute? My Gra
= DIXIE =Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead as I pushed through the overgrown bushes. Grandma had warned me a million times about exploring this part of the woods, but boredom was a relentless beast. Besides, who knew what cool stuff I might find? Maybe a hidden cave full of pirate treasure… okay, maybe not pirate treasure, but something cool nonetheless.As I stepped into a clearing bathed in an ethereal glow, a shiver ran down my spine. The air crackled with a strange energy, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. It was like stepping into some fantastical movie scene. In the center stood a massive oak tree, its branches sprawling like gnarled fingers reaching for the twilight sky. A strange pull, almost magnetic, drew me closer.Just as I reached the base of the oak, a guttural growl echoed from the shadows beneath it. My heart hammered against my ribs as a monstrous figure jumped out from literally nowhere. It was a wolf, unlike anything I’d ever seen in a cheesy monster
= DIXIE =The pull was undeniable. Like a magnet tugging me back to a scene of an accident, I found myself drawn to the clearing again. Maybe it was the strange energy I felt there, or the memory of the terrifying yet oddly captivating battle between the two werewolves one being Trix (which I haven’t still quite wrapped my head around). Whatever it was, I couldn't ignore it.Grandma would have my head for this, I knew. She'd warned me a million times about staying away from this part of the woods, but sometimes, the quiet kid in me who always followed the rules craved a little excitement. Maybe that's why I was always a magnet for trouble, even if it meant potentially getting mauled by a giant wolf.Sneaking through the undergrowth, I kept my head down and my senses on high alert. The silence of the woods was broken only by the rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird. Suddenly, a guttural growl ripped through the stillness. I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs. A m
= TRIX =The meeting hall went quiet, and Alvera's words hung heavy in the air. Dixie had a mark on her hand that she hadn't seen herself, and it was the same symbol that the rogue pack had talked about—the mark of the Blade. It was the same mark that was on the wolves who killed my brother.The memory of that afternoon pricked my veins. I hate remembering it, I so hate remembering that accursed afternoon. Everything was going well, it was not meant to end that way with my brother’s lifeless body dangling from the ceiling fan of an abandoned classroom, but it did. And I only have the gharry scene imprinted in my head from that afternoon to ever be the last memory of me seeing my elder brother’s face.I took a deep breath.Focus on what’s happening now. What’s happening? Dixie, that green and four-eyed blonde-haired bothersome piglet! With how short she is, I wonder why she always seems to stumble into the wrong places and get the attention of everyone in the room.It happened once dur
= TRIX =The morning mist hung around the trees like a blanket, making me feel as cold inside as the air around me. Sleep had been a stranger the night before as the heavy burden of responsibility weighed on me. The rogues, the attack, the missing Tear - thoughts of them churned in my mind like a wild storm.But another face kept flickering through the chaos – Dixie. The way she looked at me defiantly in the clearing, her eyes filled with fear and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on, it really shook me. Alvera had told me that Dixie disappeared after our last unfortunate and inconvenient encounter. Part of me was relieved – at least she wasn't in immediate danger. Another part, a part I couldn't explain, felt a pang of… concern? It was a foreign sensation, one I quickly pushed down.Alvera appeared next to me, and her constant vigilance always made me feel safer. "Any sign of her?" I asked, my voice lingering in the cool morning air.She shook her head, her expression w
= DIXIE ="I'm not marrying you!" I practically screeched, totally shocked by the craziness of it all. Here I was, back in Grandma's cozy cottage, only this time, the living room wasn't filled with the familiar scent of freshly baked cookies. No, it was filled with tension so thick I could practically chew on it. Trix, looking like a thundercloud in a designer two-piece, glared at me. His right-hand woman, Alvera, stood next to him all serious, not showing any emotion. And there was Jackson, my childhood buddy, who stood beside me with tight fists and eyes full of anger and worry for meTrix shot up from his seat, towering over me with those infuriatingly intense eyes. "Then we're all gonna die, stupid!" he retorted."I'd rather die than marry you!" I fired back as my hands trembled with anger. Marry Trix? The guy who had made my life a living hell, and recently I found out he's some werewolf alpha? Totally bonkers!How the hell did he even find out I was staying there? "There's no