Is that what you call a kiss?
The morning is freezing. Like, “I can see my breath” freezing. The air is biting through the mansion like it has some serious business to do. I swear the walls of this place are colder than my ex’s heart. Today’s the day Lilly gets married to Luis. Yippee. It’s the grand event I’ve been looking forward to... not really. The whole thing feels like one big, fancy drama. I’m just supposed to be there, smiling and pretending everything’s fine. Like I’m not the one who’s about to start crying in the middle of the ceremony. So, yeah, no pressure.As I walk down the hallway, I can hear people laughing and chatting. I’m like, “How are they so happy? What’s going on here?” The guests are already piling in with their shiny dresses, sparkly jewelry, and that fake joy that screams, “I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I’ll act like I do.” I try to relax my shoulders and not look like I’m about to cry or throw up or both.“Agatha!” My mom’s voice stops me in my tracks. She’s standing by the firep
The Vanderwilson estate tonight looks like it jumped out of a luxury catalog. Everything screams, "We’re rich, we’re powerful, and we’re going to rub it in your face." The chandeliers sparkle like they’re in competition with the stars, and the floral arrangements are so perfect they make you want to apologize to your houseplants.But the atmosphere? Oh, it’s tense. You can practically cut it with one of the fancy butter knives on the tables. The reason? Rogues. Those pesky rogue wolves are the uninvited party crashers no one wants but everyone is secretly expecting. Even the guards stationed at every exit look like they’d rather be anywhere else—maybe hiding under a table.I’m trying my best to blend in with the crowd, which, to be honest, isn’t hard since I’m wearing a dress so tight I’m one deep breath away from becoming a headline. But the real show tonight is Lilly and Luis. They’re doing their best impression of a perfect couple, all smiles and tender touches. Luis even has his ha
With just a week until my 21st birthday, I’d braced myself for a quiet countdown to inevitable disappointment. Instead, chaos has taken over my life, thanks mostly to Matt.Luis’s younger brother has turned out to be a walking sitcom. Spending almost every day with him after school has been like starring in my own comedy series. We escape the grandiosity of the Vanderwilson mansion and stumble into moments that feel stolen from a rom-com blooper reel. The kiss after Lilly’s wedding night? It still hangs between us like an awkward third wheel. Matt pretends it didn’t happen, though his lingering looks tell a different story. I’m just grateful he hasn’t brought it up because I might combust from embarrassment.School, which used to feel like a prison sentence, has morphed into something out of a buddy comedy, thanks to Matt introducing me to his friends.First, there’s Sarah. She’s the kind of person who’d laugh at her own jokes before she finishes telling them. Her wild blonde curls mat
I stare at Luis, questions swirling in my mind like a tornado, but none of them escape my lips. My anger fizzles out, replaced by a hollow dread. Great—now I’m not just mad; I’m miserable and confused too. What a winning combo.“So, that’s it?” My voice cracks like a twig. “You married Lilly because it was necessary… to protect the pack?”He nods, looking like someone stole his favorite snack. “My father insisted. He believes it’s the only way to strengthen our position. He won’t risk the pack being vulnerable again.”Oh, perfect. A noble sacrifice. A Romeo and Juliet drama, except I’m not Juliet, and no one’s bringing me flowers.His words hit me like a heavyweight champion. This isn’t just about me, Lilly, or Luis. It’s about a world I don’t even fully understand—a world of political chess moves, power plays, and alliances bigger than my personal heartbreak. And yet, even with that realization, I can’t stop feeling hurt and betrayed. It’s like knowing the shark bit you to survive doe
I doubled over, clutching my sides, feeling like I’d swallowed a firecracker. My insides twisted, snapped, and popped like someone had decided my skeleton needed a remodel. Spoiler: they were right.“Oh no. Oh no, no, no—this isn’t happening!” I groaned, my voice climbing several octaves. My bones felt like they were having an argument about where they should go.“What’s happening?” Nick’s panicked voice broke through my haze of agony.I gasped, my vision swimming. “I’m...shifting!”Nick stared at me like I’d just sprouted antlers. His hands flailed uselessly in the air. “Can’t you, like, not do that right now?!”“Gosh, Nick,” I snarled, feeling my teeth sharpen mid-sentence. “What a fantastic idea! Let me just cancel the werewolf apocalypse happening inside me!”Luis didn’t say a word. He just stood there, tall, stoic, and annoyingly calm, his golden Lycan eyes locked on me like he was waiting for me to finish embarrassing myself.I looked up, locking eyes with him. And for a split se
I move into my new dorm room with the bare essentials. The university feels distant and unfamiliar after all that happened back at the mansion, the cold reminder of the attack still clinging to me. It wasn’t long ago that I’d looked forward to the quiet of these halls, the endless nights of study sessions, getting away from my old pack, getting away from Nick, the carefree laughs with friends, and the steady rhythm of a life separate from the Vanderwilson pack.But now? Everything is different.Caroline, my Lycan, is quiet this morning. It’s odd since she’s usually chattering or throwing sarcastic comments my way. Ever since she arrived, she’s been a shadow I can’t shake off—and surprisingly, I wouldn’t want to.“Oh, come on. Just because I like to talk doesn’t mean I’m a shadow. Besides, admit it—you’d miss me if I went silent.” Caroline’s voice is a playful hum in my head.I let out a soft laugh. She’s right. In an odd way, Caroline’s presence has been my lifeline, especially sinc
Chapter 20: Ghosts of the PastThe air feels heavy, suffused with an intensity that makes every nerve in my body stand on edge. Luis steps in front of me, his shoulders squared, his Alpha aura rolling off him in waves as he faces the eight rogue wolves standing in the middle of the quad. Their presence feels like a scar torn open, bleeding memories I’ve buried so deep I almost convinced myself they weren’t real.But now, the edges of those memories are fraying, unraveling in my mind like threads I can’t grasp.Caroline growls softly in my head, her voice sharp and protective. “Stay alert. Something’s not right here, Agatha. I don’t trust them.”Neither do I.I watch them carefully, trying to process everything about them. The woman with snow-white hair stands out first, her long, straight locks gleaming like moonlight. Her blue eyes are cold, distant, as though she’s weighing the cost of standing here. Next to her is a woman with copper-colored hair that cascades over her shoulders, he
The words from the note echo in my mind: You’re not who you think you are.My hands tremble, the envelope slipping from my grip and floating to the floor like a feather, though it feels as heavy as a boulder in my chest. My breathing becomes uneven, a shallow rhythm that does nothing to quell the rising storm within me.“What does that even mean?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.A chill creeps down my spine, and my thoughts scatter in every direction. Who sent this? One of the rogues? But why? What do they know about me that I don’t?I begin pacing, the four walls of the dorm room shrinking, closing in. My chest tightens, and it feels as if I’m suffocating. My fingers claw at my neck instinctively, but no invisible rope is choking me—it’s just panic taking hold.“Agatha, calm down,” Caroline’s voice cuts through the chaos in my head. It’s firm, but there’s a sharp edge to it. “Your emotions are all over the place, and it’s making it harder for me to t
Lilly's lungs burned as she tore through the shallow woods, her feet pounding against the cold earth, heart slamming against her ribs like a war drum. She didn't dare look back. The men from the Winterfall mansion were on her tail, and their footsteps sounded too close.“Faster, Lilly, faster!” she practically screamed at her own legs, begging them to move even though they felt like lead. The branches scratched her bare arms, but she didn’t care. Pain was better than getting caught.“We can’t let her get away! Do you understand me?” one of the men growled behind her, his voice low but urgent.‘Yeah, well, good luck with that,’ she thought, a wild grin flashing across her face despite her fear. She was fast—always had been. And if she could make it to the deep part of the Winterfall woods, she could lose them for sure.She pulled her gun from her waistband and blindly fired over her shoulder. The loud pop-pop shattered the stillness of the forest.“Ah!” A man screamed in pain, and she
Lilly crouched on the thick branch of the old oak tree, her fingers gripping the rough bark as she steadied herself. The Winterfall mansion loomed before her, its darkened windows staring back like hollow eyes. A cold breeze rustled through the night, sending a chill down her spine, but she ignored it.She hadn’t been here in years.Not since the night she left.The memory was fresh, like an old wound reopened. The cold corridors, the heavy silence, the unbearable weight of her father’s death pressing down on her. She had escaped that night, vowing never to return.Yet here she was.With a heavy sigh, she reached for the familiar window on the east wing, pressing her fingers against the frame. It was still loose—just as it had always been. With a careful push, she eased it open and slid inside, landing on the wooden floor with a soft thud.The air inside was stale, thick with dust and memories. The east wing had been off-limits for years—her father’s private space, filled with history
Amelia stared at the sun through the window, barely registering the monotonous drone of the lecture in the background. It had been three days since Agatha and Luis had vanished without a trace. This morning, whispers spread that Lilly—the soon-to-be Luna—was also missing from Vanderwilson. Their mother was worried. Even their usually unshakable father seemed tense. But Amelia? She couldn’t care less. The only thing consuming her thoughts was the most efficient and agonizing way to kill Agatha. Nick had given her the order, but she hadn’t needed much convincing. Hurting people, watching them writhe, seeing the light flicker from their eyes—it was a high unlike anything else. And Agatha? She was the perfect prey. The odd lycan child, the winter fall princess who came to Vanderwilson as nothing but now has everything, walking around like she wasn’t the biggest threat to everything Amelia held dear. A smirk curled Amelia’s lips as she scribbled absentmindedly in her notebook. Beside he
Lilly double-checked her duffle bag one last time, ensuring she had everything she might need for her journey. Clothes, makeup, pads, skincare, a brush, lots of bullets, a knife, a flashlight, snacks, water, and her most important tool—a silenced handgun. She wasn’t taking any chances, especially not when she had a hunch that her little sister, Agatha, was tangled up in something dangerous. For the past few days, Lilly had been riddled with anxiety. First, there was Alexander and Nick’s cryptic conversation that she overheard, a conversation that seemed to hint at trouble for Agatha. Then, there was Agatha herself, mysteriously vanishing with Luis. If there was one thing Lilly hated, it was being left out of the loop, especially when it involved family. She adjusted the strap of her duffle bag and glanced at the clock on her phone. 1:14 a.m. Perfect. Everyone in the mansion would be fast asleep by now. Luis’s family, the nosy pack members, even the night patrols—no one would suspec
Agatha was in a mood. Not a full-blown, ready-to-bite-someone’s-head-off kind of mood—though she had been known to channel that energy—but a simmering, slow-burn kind of irritation that made her mutter to herself in ways that made people question her sanity. Matthew, their self-appointed guide, was the primary cause of her irritation. All they’d managed to drag out of him was a first name. No last name. No backstory. Just “Matthew.” “Who introduces themselves with just a first name in the middle of a forest while claiming they might know something? Suspicious people, that’s who,” Agatha grumbled mentally to Caroline, her wolf. “Very suspicious,” Caroline replied with an exaggerated sigh. “Probably something embarrassing like Matthew Butterbean.” Agatha snorted. Out loud. Luis, walking a few paces ahead of her, glanced back briefly, his brow furrowed. She waved him off like she’d just sneezed. Luis was another problem altogether. Or, more accurately, the problem was the way her h
The air in the classroom feels heavy, a mix of fear and anticipation thick enough to choke on. Every pair of eyes is glued to Amelia and her friends, Mei and Lee, as they stop in their tracks. The professor, oblivious to the storm he’s summoned, busies himself gathering the shattered remains of his glasses from the floor.“Insolent brats,” he mutters again, this time louder. The words hang in the air, daring anyone to challenge them.Amelia’s sharp green eyes narrow, her lips twitching as if suppressing a smile. Mei and Lee exchange a quick glance, their expressions darkening with anticipation. The temperature in the room seems to plummet as the tension crackles like static in the air.From the back of the
Amelia stared blankly out of the large windows of Vanderwilson University, her thoughts spiraling into a confusing mix of suspicion and irritation. Sure, she didn’t like Agatha—never had, probably never would—but the girl did save her from those rogue werewolves on campus a few weeks ago. That had to count for something, right?But then there was Nick, her stepfather, a man who seemed to thrive on paranoia and bad vibes. According to him, Agatha wasn’t just annoying; she was dangerous. And maybe Nick had a point. Agatha did spend an offensive amount of time with Luis. Amelia’s lips pressed into a thin line at the thought. Luis was her brother, and she loved him, but she’d learned long ago that men could be clueless about scheming women. Agatha? Scheming. Definitely scheming. Even their dad couldn’t stand her and had been on edge since Luis brought her back.“Miss Amelia,” a voice boomed from the front of the hall, yanking her out of her spiraling thoughts, “if my class is that boring,
Nick strolled down the marble corridor of the Vanderwilson mansion, his polished shoes clicking against the floor. He had just finished an intense meeting with Alexander, the former Alpha of the pack and Luis’s father. While the conversation had left him rattled—Alexander always had that effect—Nick’s confidence quickly returned. He had a plan. A ridiculous, morally bankrupt plan, but a plan nonetheless.Stopping in front of a familiar door, Nick smirked. Amelia’s room. The youngest daughter of Alexander and Luis’s half-sister. Nick had always known how to pick his marks, and Amelia was perfect: young, impressionable, and desperate for attention.With a swift glance down the hallway to ensure no one was watching, Nick turned the knob and slipped inside.The room was a riot of pastel colors, fluffy pillows, and an overwhelming number of stuffed animals. Nick wrinkled his nose. It was like walking into a sugar-coated fever dream.Amelia looked up from her desk, her face lighting up the
Lilly paced the length of her lavish bedroom, her steps brisk and uneven. The grand space, adorned with gold accents and rich, dark wood furniture, suddenly felt suffocating. She had barely slept the night before, her mind gnawed by insecurities and half-formed suspicions.Her Lycan's voice slithered into her thoughts, smooth yet insistent. “It could be someone you know.”She froze mid-step, her hands gripping the silk sash of her robe. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head as if to ward off the idea. “Luis wouldn’t—he couldn’t.”“Men can be foolish,” her Lycan continued, a bitter edge creeping into its tone. “Even the strongest can stray. And haven’t you noticed how distracted he’s been lately?”Lilly’s jaw clenched. She had noticed. How could she not? Luis, once the epitome of attentiveness, had grown distant. His eyes often seemed far away, his thoughts tethered to something—or someone—else.Her fingers itched to confront him, to demand answers, but she wasn’t ready for what those