I scrambled inside, escaping the cool air and taking comfort in the smell of Aunt Mara's cooking. "You're home earlier than I expected," she announced as she poured herself a glass of wine in the kitchen. "And I didn't tell you I would be home for dinner..." I said glumly as my stomach rumbled. "Well, it's your lucky day. I'm making chicken pot pie and it's probably impossible to make it in a single serving," she explained with a smile as she took a sip from her glass. I was filled with gratitude as I kicked off my shoes, leaving them neatly at the front door. Aunt Mara went to settle in on the sofa and I headed over and took a seat beside her. "How was your day?" I asked as I slumped back in my seat, staring at some cooking gameshow that played on the TV. "It was fine," she sighed, sounding exhausted. "I had to deal with a Karen so that kinda sucked. But I think I managed to get her to see reason eventually," she explained, her tone one of relief. "Oh yeah? What did she do?" I a
My phone buzzed again and I saw that it was Tyler this time. I smiled like an idiot as I opened his message.Tyler: I've had such a crazy day and it still isn't over. They've started me on Physical Training classes at night too, so that's where I'm going now. I wish I could have seen you for longer today. I smiled a sad smile wishing the same thing. I couldn't wait for the weekend so that I could see more of him. Thinking about it, I figured that maybe it was kind of better this way. If I could see either of them any time, I'd probably feel guilty having to pick, but because their schedules were predetermined and very strict, Tyler's in particular, I was forced to see them based on their availability. I didn't get to pick favorites, I had to take what I could get. Despite the realization, it still sucked. "Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?" I asked Aunt Mara as she set the plates down on the table. I got up and grabbed a napkin for each of us from the holder on the c
Sleep found me, but so did dreams. Wild and crazy dreams that made me question my sanity. I was in the Valentine house, standing in the kitchen where I'd made pancakes with Ryder earlier. But the room was dark and I was alone, so I found my way out and wandered down the hallway, tracing my hands along the walls as I looked for either Ryder or Tyler. "Ryder? Tyler?" I called out, hoping one of them would answer me. But no one did. I made it to Ryder's bedroom door first and heard voices inside. It sounded like he had a girl in there and she was laughing and giggling. A surge of rage and jealousy coursed through me and I shoved the door open, wanting to see what the fuck he was playing at. The room was dimly lit, the bedside lamp the only source of light, but it was clear that a man and a woman were lying on the bed in a tangle of limbs. They were obviously too distracted to even hear me open the door because neither of them so much as glanced up to acknowledge my presence. He was
The world around me seemed to bend and stretch and I found myself sitting bolt upright in my dark bedroom. My breathing was shallow and ragged and my heart thudded with the remnants of desire. Reaching out for my lamp, I flicked the switch and my room was bathed in its warm, golden glow. I noticed that my hand was trembling a little as I swung my legs off the side of the bed and buried my face in my hands. My purple hair fell around me like a shroud as I tried to steady my breathing and regain my composure. With a final deep breath, I ran my fingers through my hair, raking it back, away from my face. Nothing seemed strange or out of place, nothing seemed weird or off. Everything around me looked absolutely normal, but I felt like something had changed and I couldn't place what. My message tone ripped me from my thoughts and caused my already-on-edge heart to skip a beat. Reaching out towards the blinking light on my bedside table, I noted 2 new messages. One from Tyler, receiv
After Aunt Mara's hasty departure, I sat back and sipped at my coffee, the caffeine slowly beginning to perk me up for the day.I decided not to mope around waiting for Ryder all day. My plan was to go to the library and do some reading. I usually spent a lot of time reading, but since meeting the Valentine boys, that had sort of taken a back seat. Now that I thought about it, I was actually grateful for the free time to indulge in one of my passions.With a shift in my mental attitude, I decided to embrace the day with a smile and make the most of it.I rummaged for my phone, trying to find it between my crumpled blanket and the couch cushions. After much frustration, which really set me off on the wrong foot after deciding to embrace the fucking day, I found it UNDER the couch.I messaged Tyler first.Me:Morning 🌞 I hope you slept like a baby after all that extra training last night.I'm going to the library this morning, but might go to your place later this afternoon. If you're
I was playing a puzzle game on my phone when I heard Ryder's car, then saw it approaching over a hill just down the street. When he stopped the car, I rushed over to the passenger side and pulled the door open."Need help getting in?" he asked, knowing that it was a climb for me, but I shook my head and pulled myself in eagerly, closing the door behind me.Before he could complain or scold me for not answering my messages, I leaned over and kissed him. "I'm sorry I didn't see your messages," I apologized, trying to beat him to the punch."It's okay," he assured me. "I was just worried. Seems a little stupid in hindsight... It's not like hours and hours had gone by," he chided himself, feeling a little embarrassed now for what he probably deemed was an overreaction."No, we had plans. I should have been more aware of the time," I apologized again. It felt reassuring, knowing that he cared enough about me to be worried."Anything specific you wanna do then?" he asked as he pulled off.I
Ryder scoffed and rolled his eyes, but made no objections as I stretched out like a cat, my socked feet resting in his lap. We watched in silence a little longer when my curiosity finally got the best of me. "Do you believe in stuff like this?" I asked with genuine curiosity as I gestured with a nod toward the TV. "What? You mean ghosts?" he asked, seemingly a little surprised by the question. I nodded. "Well, yeah. Like ghosts and paranormal stuff," I clarified, interested to hear his answer. "Well, I mean, I believe in werewolves," he joked, eliciting an exasperated eye roll from me, but then he went on more seriously. "I'm not sure. I've never experienced anything that's convinced me, but I'm not against the possibility of it being real. Maybe I'm just waiting for proof. What about—" He was cut off by the harsh buzzing sound of his phone vibrating on the wooden coffee table in front of us. Watching him reach out for it and pick it up, I could clearly see the word, 'MOM" emblaz
"Do you think you'd ever reconsider?" I asked with a thoughtful expression. "I mean, do you think you might change your mind and wake up one day thinking, 'Shit, I feel this big hole in my life because I didn't fulfill the task I was made for'?" I clarified, my gaze set on him with curiosity."That sounds like an issue for future Ryder. Right now, I'm happy with my decision," he stated firmly, his conviction unwavering. "I'm not the leader. I'm not the role model. I'm a fucking write-off and I would never deserve the title of Alpha anyway. Tyler was made for it, and I'm okay with that," he finished, seeming to resign himself to these self-proclaimed facts."You aren't a write-off," I asserted with a scoff, giving him a stern look.He shrugged, uninterested in arguing the point.I shook my head and sighed, seeing that he was shutting down and becoming apathetic. Deciding not to push him any further, I leaned in closer to him, resting my head against his shoulder in a gesture of support