"Are you the one responsible for Matt's injury?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I'd intended. The pieces had fallen into place, and Deric was the only explanation that made sense. Why else would both of them be in the forest, bloodied and bruised? Deric bore scratches and claw marks across his face, but they paled compared to Matt’s injuries. If they’d fought, the victor was clear. But why would a vampire and an incubus fight? They rarely interacted, even in school. Creatures stuck to their own kind."Why are you worried about someone else?" Deric smirked, stepping closer. His predatory aura made me want to step back, but I stood my ground, refusing to show fear."You should be worried about yourself, little Red. Even if you scream, no one will hear you.""You can't do shit!" I snapped, my voice firm despite my hammering heart. "If you were responsible for Matt, I’ll call the police.""Feisty," he chuckled, dark amusement flickering in his eyes. "But unnecessary. Call them, and not
"Silas! Open up," I yelled, banging hard on my stepbrother's door. I could hear him curse, probably mad at being interrupted in the middle of... well, that! But at the moment, I didn’t give a damn what he thought of me. Usually, I would choose to ignore something like this—I didn’t like to get involved in Silas' casual flings.I had known right from the day we met that he was a playboy. And why wouldn’t he be? He was the most attractive guy in his college, with a wealthy father to support him, and girls tripping over him. But boy, did he have bad taste! Why would he choose to go back to Tammy after what she had done? I had at least thought he was smart enough to learn from his past mistake. Tammy wasn’t a good girl—why couldn’t he just stay away from her?In my anger, I didn’t even wonder how I knew Silas was with Tammy. Maybe it was the scent; that girl wore way too much perfume! I didn’t stop banging on the door until I heard shuffled footsteps approaching. The door was yanked open,
"Matt, what are you doing here?" I asked, startled."I'm here to ensure you’re okay," he replied calmly."Right, but I’m not the one who almost got beaten to death today. I think you need to take care of yourself first." Despite my words, I found his gesture sweet. Still, it wasn’t like I needed to be taken care of. I walked toward the bed and hastily snatched something—a piece of stray underwear—shoving it into my drawer where it belonged. No one ever came to my room, and I didn’t have friends dropping by, so I rarely cared about leaving things in the wrong places. But seeing the amused glint in Matt’s eyes made me feel deeply embarrassed.I sat on the bed next to him, suddenly unsure of what to say. Matt just watched me in silence until the noises from the room next to mine became impossible to ignore. Silas was back at it again. You’d think he’d at least try to be quieter, knowing I was still in the house. I couldn’t help but wonder when my brother had become so shameless. It was f
Silas was exceptionally good at this. I was writhing and moaning from just his kisses and the way his mouth moved against my neck. But I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised—he was one of the hottest guys in town, and everyone wanted to be with him. He must have had plenty of opportunities to practice his skills. The thought annoyed me. This guy, who always claimed to love me, never passed up a chance to be with someone else.But why did that even matter now? What I should care about was that I was currently in bed with a guy whose dad was married to my mom. It was weird as hell, but I couldn’t deny it—I was greatly turned on by this. There was definitely something wrong with me. Maybe Silas wasn’t the weird one after all. Maybe it was just… me.Silas leaned in and kissed me again, claiming me entirely in front of Matt, who, for some reason, preferred to stand to the side and watch. Silas’s fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing lightly as his mouth moved against mine. He was ro
I called Carter again, but just like before, he didn’t answer. My chest tightened as I stared at my phone. Why did this make me so nervous? I knew he was with Emily—maybe something had happened, and she needed his help. But still… there was no reason for him to ignore me.I told myself, over and over again, that there was a reasonable explanation for everything. Carter wouldn’t just ignore me for no reason, especially not to spend time with Emily behind my back. Emily—my best friend. Carter’s ex.“Stop overthinking,” I muttered to myself. “It’s nothing.”But my gut refused to believe it.---The cab driver dropped me off at the side of the road, and I had to walk the rest of the way on foot. The path leading to Elthon Hillside was quiet and shaded, weaving through the dense forest. Thankfully, it wasn’t completely dark yet, so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Still, I was careful as I moved, avoiding sharp branches and loose rocks along the way.As I got closer to the spot C
I went back home, hoping more than anything that my mom would be there. I needed her now more than ever. But it wasn’t surprising when she wasn’t around. Earlier, she’d texted to let me know she was at Bill’s company—he’d said he needed her for something. Of course, he always needed her for something. And between him and me, she was always there for him. Love makes people selfish. I understood that.I was still reeling from everything that had happened. I sat on my bed, staring at my phone through blurry eyes. My face was soaked with tears, and I was trying to be strong, but I kept breaking down. Emily’s actions hurt, but Carter not even giving me a reasonable explanation hurt even more. He told me he loved me—as if that was suddenly going to fix everything. Emily had spoken terribly about me, and Carter hadn’t even tried to defend me. He let her kiss him, and he kissed her back. Now I was wondering if kissing was all they’d done back there. They might’ve even slept together, and I wo
Seeing the frown on my face, Silas stopped laughing. Concern clouded his eyes as he stepped closer to me. “What happened? Your principal called and said you left school. Dad asked me to come check up on you.”“Of course he did. I’m grateful.” Bill cared a lot—he was doing his best to be the ideal father, and I loved him for that. But what I needed right now was space. I needed time to think, to decide what to do with myself. I couldn’t do that with my stepbrother here. Silas was a goddamn distraction. Sometimes, I even forgot how to breathe when he was around. And the guilt I felt didn’t help. His words kept echoing in my head: Choose someone who loves you.I thought Carter had loved me. I truly believed it. But now, the truth was glaringly obvious. Maybe he’d been using me all along—to get back together with Emily. He must have known that seeing us together would make her jealous enough to want him back. I was just a pawn in their game. The realization made me sick with myself. How h
The beach house was nestled in a secluded spot, crafted from exquisite fine wood that radiated warmth and elegance. From its spacious windows, I was greeted with a breathtaking view of the endless ocean. The salty breeze felt different here—crisper, more vibrant—and to me, different was amazing. I immediately felt a sense of peace the moment I stepped out of Silas’s car.When Bill had first brought me and Mom here for a summer vacation, my first thought was that my stepfather was loaded. He ran a tech company and could easily be labeled a millionaire if he wanted to be. But Bill preferred a simpler life, choosing a modest home with his family over a grand mansion. This beach house was a rare indulgence, and it reflected his quiet taste for comfort over extravagance.I slung my bag over my shoulder and started up the stairs to the balcony but paused when I noticed Silas hadn’t followed. He was still leaning against his car, arms crossed, watching me with his usual calm expression.“Are
I hadn't been in school for a total of three weeks, and honestly, it was the last thing on my mind. Silas had a job now; he was planning to build a real estate firm from scratch without his father's support. It would take a while before he saw his dream through, which meant Octavia was mostly my responsibility during the day.When I got the call from my father, I didn’t think it would be about me missing classes. I couldn’t help but think, after all that has happened, is that all my dad cares about? He hadn’t come to see me even once since I was brought home. I had a feeling he was avoiding me, and when he finally called me, it was to scold me about missing classes."Are you kidding me?" I asked, anger and genuine shock evident in my voice."I'm serious, Kerina. I know you're dealing with a lot, but school is important. If you want to study something else, we can figure it out.""Dad, school is the last thing on my mind right now.""I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you need to put your life
Kerry's POVIt’s odd. Being a mother was odd—not in a bad way, though. I suppose I just wish I’d had enough time to prepare myself for it, and I wish there wasn’t always a threat looming over my daughter’s head, one I couldn’t do anything about. I could tell Silas, of course, but I had a feeling Asher wouldn’t like that. The last thing I needed was to anger him; he might actually take Via away from me this time.Anyway, aside from the negatives, it was refreshing to look at the world from a different angle. I’d always thought of myself as just human—nothing special. But now I was learning that my lifespan far surpassed that of a human. I had enhanced strength, better vision, and, with enough training, I could grow a killer pair of wings like my dad. It was strange at first, but once the idea stuck, I found that being supernatural wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. Still, I was thankful I didn’t have to stick to just one diet like Silas.“Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think,” Silas had s
Kerry's POVAsher doesn't return, and I doubt he will anytime soon. But his words keep echoing in my head. Something still doesn't make sense. It's hard to believe he would do all this just to get to my daughter."At the end, it's all about you," I say to my daughter with a sad smile on my face. The baby doesn't cry, not since Asher handed her back to me. I would have been worried about this abnormal behavior if she were... well, normal. I worry that she will get hungry very soon, and I have no idea what I’m going to do then. I don't think I can stand feeding her blood; it would freak me the hell out. It was one thing having to drink blood while pregnant, but a completely different case entirely to feed it to my infant child.She looked so human too, except for the unusual crimson eyes. She was a beautiful baby, and there was no doubt she would grow up looking like her father. There would be so many expectations. Asher would come back, no doubt, and he would create more problems for m
Sera stares at her ex-husband, the man whom she had given her heart to at one point. There were all sorts of emotions going through her, but the one that simmered under her skin and had her storming forward was rage. Pure rage! She felt like killing the bastard man with her own hands!Silas was quick to put some distance between him and Kerry's father before Sera flung a vase at him. The angel evaded the attack, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched Sera reach out for something else to throw at him."Sera, please, we don't have time for this.""How dare you! How dare you show up here after all those years!""Sweetheart, please calm down," Bill, who had been stunned, finally reacted. He moved forward to stand by his wife. He looked at Seth with confusion—Bill didn't know what relationship the two of them had, but he'd never seen Sera this angry before. "Let him talk first.""Do you even know who he is?" Sera glared at her husband. Her vision was going blurry as she teared up. Her
"What the fuck!?" Silas is pissed—scratch that, he feels like fucking murdering someone right now. The only thing that feels worse than his anger is the fear that makes his skin crawl. "I've only been gone for a few hours!!"Bill doesn't say anything. The man hasn't even looked at him throughout the argument, and this only makes Silas more pissed. "I begged you not to do this! I was against this fucking abortion, and yet you went behind my back to do it! Now you have no fucking idea where she is?!""I am sorry, I should have protected her better," Bill says. The regret and shame are evident in his voice. He hadn't meant to let his guard down. One moment, he was by Kerry's side, and they were about to begin the procedure. The next moment, his vision went blurry, and he had no idea what the fuck happened. When everything cleared up, Kerry was gone. It happened so fast that Bill found it hard to believe.He had searched for her, of course. He had hoped that perhaps she had left on her ow
" Lay here, please.""This won't take long, will it?""It depends, sweetheart, but I assure you, you will be fine once this is over," the man says. I look over at Bill, who is standing in the corner of the room."He's an old friend of mine. Nothing will go wrong."I nod my head and push down my anxiety. I get on the hospital bed, the sickly smell of drugs and chemicals making me slightly nauseous. However, I tell myself that this is a one-time thing. Once this is over, I will never have to go through it again.I relax against the bed as the sedatives I had been given earlier take over. Soon, the room starts spinning, but I could swear I see a figure appear in the corner of the room before everything goes dark.When I wake up, I find that I am in an entirely different room than the one Bill had brought me to. I push down my panic, not wanting to overreact over nothing. Perhaps I had been taken to a different room after my... abortion. It’s strange, though... I don’t feel any different
I could hardly sleep that night. It didn't help one bit that Silas had insisted on us spending the night together. I was afraid that my wild thoughts would somehow reach him. Even though he had promised me never to read my mind, I was afraid he might go back on his word, especially in a situation like this. The weight of my decision kept me awake and tense. On more than one occasion, my hand had curled around my stomach. I had imagined how my baby would look, but now I was never going to get the chance to hold him or her in my hands. I had selfishly chosen myself over the innocent child."Kerry?""Hm?" My eyes pried open. I had given up on pretending to be asleep after the first two hours. Silas had simply stated, in an unimpressed voice, how he could hear my heart beating faster; he knew when I was awake or not. Even if he didn't have his enhanced hearing, I'm sure he would be able to tell I wasn't asleep by how tense I was. The room was dark enough that I couldn't make out anything.
Bill and my mom arrived later that evening. The moment I opened the door, Mom rushed in and wrapped her arm around me tightly. "Oh, sweetheart, thank God you are alright." She must have assumed the very worst when I called her on the phone. I kind of felt bad for making her worry so much."I'm alright, Mom," I told her. I helped her with her things. Bill didn't say anything to me; he was saving the conversation for when we were all comfortable. Silas came to greet his dad and stepmom, and he and Bill seemed to be very tense around each other. Silas avoided eye contact with his dad even as he showed him around the house. I was worried that what I had said might have somehow messed up the relationship between those two. The last thing I wanted was to make things complicated. Being pregnant was a hard pill to swallow; being pregnant with a hybrid baby that might possibly kill me was even worse. But once I got over the fear of the danger my pregnancy would bring, I found myself excited at
I felt like crying, but I think I had already shed all my tears earlier that day. I lay curled up on the bed, feeling worse than I ever had in my entire life. To me, no situation could ever be worse than the one I found myself in. I had been hurting so badly for the past week, and to think Silas knew about my pain and chose to keep the reason behind it to himself. Did he hope I would never find out I was pregnant until I was pushing a baby out of me? I thought he loved me and had promised to always protect me no matter what, but now he had decided that he would rather protect his unborn child than me. That was a betrayal on a whole different level.I was mad at him, and honestly, I wish I could hate him enough to just fuck off entirely, maybe move away somewhere I could get my thoughts together. But the thought of how hurt Silas would be at my actions made me discard the idea immediately. I'm such an idiot; I always thought of him first despite everything that had happened. Despite ev