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43. Play
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2024-10-29 19:42:56November 2026,
Scars Bay, USA
Alyanna
Katerina had been painfully silent while we waited by the car for Dimitri to come out.
Of course, she was. Dimitri had made a show of displaying his supernatural speed and strength in there. Katerina was in shock.
I didn't know what to say to make it better so I remained silent.
After what felt like forever, Dimitri walked out with...Caleb? They were followed by over a dozen men - some fine, some injured but all holding on to guns.
What the hell happened in there? What was Caleb doing here? Did that man end up calling him after all? Was it truly a misunderstanding?
Kate stiffened when she spotted them but made no indication of what she was thinking otherwise. Dimitri grew visibly disappointed when he saw her lack of reaction.
Caleb, unaware that I was alive, looked at me in bewilder
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November 2026,Scars Bay, USADimitriAfter Andrei dropped off Alyanna at Jayden's, Katerina asked him to drop her off at her apartment complex.So naturally, I got off with her too.I thought she would get annoyed by that or tell me that she needed space but she didn't even react to my presence. That stung more than I thought it would. Anything would have been better than being ignored. Her silence was deafening.We rode up the elevator and she marched straight towards her apartment. I stood there, watching her punch in the code to her apartment, unsure if she wanted me to follow her or let her be for a while.She entered and then slammed the door shut after her.My heart stopped. I really thought she would keep the door open and gesture for me to come in after her or ask me to join her. It was something we did with the bathroom door when we wanted to take a sh
Pause, Rewind, Play Characters
Alyanna Rosellini (Human) Parents - Alaric & Darla Love Interest - Jayden Carlton Jayden Carlton (Human) Cousin - Ajax Love Interest - Alyanna Rosellini, Stella Katerina Van Acker (Human) Parents – Benjamin & Eleanor Brothers – Konstantin & William Love Interest - Dimitri Volkov (Ex – Ajax, Felix) Prince Dimitri Volkov of Soare Luna (Lycan) Family – Prince Andrei, Prince Mikhail (Sofiya, Max, King Nikola & Queen Avalyn – not mentioned) Love Interest - Katerina Van Acker (Ex - Althea) Prince Andrei & Mikhail (Lycans) Family – Prince Dimitri (Sofiya, Max, King Nikolai & Queen Avalyn – briefly mentioned) Konstantin Van Acker (human) Father - Benjamin Siblings – Katerina, William Wife- Cassandra William Van Acker (human) Parents - Benjamin & Eleanor Siblings – Katerina, Konstantin Stella (human) Love Interest - Jayden Carlton
Pause, Rewind, Play 1. Wilde
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden "Thank you for your service," I said as I fastened my belt and opened the door of the bathroom stall. My phone rang and my eyes flew to the screen. Kate. Goddammit. I put my phone on silent and slid it into my pocket. "Who is that? Is she your girlfriend?" she asked in a high-pitched, slightly annoyed tone. "She is none of your fucking business." I walked out and began washing my hands, which seemed to aggravate her further. "I had a great time. We should go this again sometime." I would not consider having sex in the bathroom stall of a bar a great time but each to their own. "I'm flattered but not interested," I said the truth without sugar-coating it because frankly, I did not care enough to lie. Oscar Wilde said that everything in the world was about sex except sex. Sex was about power. One of the very few quotes of his that I didn't agree with. I thought that sex was a means to an end. A thing to cross off my week's to-do list so I didn
Pause, Rewind, Play 2. Man of Honour
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden "She's quite persistent," Alyanna commented after Stella left. I took a breath in relief. Finally, it was just the two of us. I turned to face her and smiled. She was back. "She is." I patted the pillow on my lap. "Now, where were we?" Alya pursed her lips and ignored my invitation to lie down in my lap again. "She seems nice. Why do you want to break up with her again?" I released a breath. "She's annoying." "She was there for you when you needed it the most," she said, referring to the time after she was gone and I had begun acting out, so much so that I was impossible to be around. That was the time most of my 'friends' realized it was best to leave me on my own and gave up on me. I was better off without them anyway. I didn't need them. Or anybody else. Only Alyanna. "For which I am thankful. But I can't do this anymore. I tried to love her but I couldn't. She doesn't measure up to you!" I was frustrated that she was taking Stella's side.
Pause, Rewind, Play 3. Warrior
August 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterina"Mr Leadfield is here, Ms Van Acker," my secretary said through the telephone."Let him in, Penny," I told her and braced myself for the worst. Leadfield walked into my office and I looked at him expectantly."Please tell me you have good news.""I'm afraid not, Ms Van Acker," he informed me and placed the file on my desk. "My team and I went through the contract several times. It is airtight."I had expected it. I had gone through it several times myself and couldn't find any loopholes. I thought that an experienced team of professional lawyers might find something I missed. Apparently not."I don't understand how this happened, Ms. Van Acker. We couldn't have missed it while we vetted the contract," he said. "I daresay that they somehow tricked us.""I know. But we have no proof." I knew we were tricked. I just couldn't figure out how. "Thank you for your services, Mr Leadfield. I will call for you if I need you."He nodded. "Of course. It was my
Pause, Rewind, Play 4. Second First Kiss
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden I paused at the doorway of my old bedroom. I hadn't been here in a while. It was filled with memories of Alya. The mini library reminded me of the hours we had spent building and curating the perfect collection of books - ones that both of us loved. The shelves full of trophies, medals, and framed certificates reminded me of the years we had spent playing sports and competing for awards. The desk reminded me of our study sessions. After we started dating at the beginning of our senior year of high school, most of those study sessions ended up with us in bed. I walked in and sat on the bed. Those memories felt like a lifetime ago and yet, I remembered them like it happened yesterday. It was weird to be in here again. My eyes fell on the side table. I picked up a picture frame of Alya and me. She was smiling so hard that I could see most of her teeth. Her blonde hair was tucked behind her ear on one side and her cheeks were red. And I was kissing
Pause, Rewind, Play 5. Pause
August 2026,Poziarne, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaThere are some memories in life that we remember more vividly than the rest.I looked at the painting in front of me.This was a face I had painted several times in the last five years. Each time I did, I realized that time had done nothing to dull my memories of him. I still remember how his blue-grey eyes turned bluer when he looked at something he loved—when he looked at me. I remember the angle of the bridge of his nose, the exact shape of his lips, and the slight indentation beside his cheeks whenever he smiled. I remember the sharp angle of his jaw so vividly that I could draw it in my sleep. And that one lock of hair that curled on his forehead whenever he didn't style his hair after a shower.Damn that lock.It hadn't taken me a lot of time to complete the painting. Just a few days. But they were on
Pause, Rewind, Play 6. Rewind
August 2026,Imporia, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaMikhail sat on the couch in front of me, looking more serious than I had ever seen him. He set a recorder on the coffee table in front of us and picked up a notepad and a pen. He seemed calm and collected while I felt out of place. I had never seen him in work mode. It was weird."You seem nervous," he stated."No, I'm fine.” I was nervous. I didn't particularly enjoy talking about the life that I had lived and was forced to leave. The life that I was desperate to get back to. It had been so long now. Too long. Too many things had happened. Changed. I wasn't a fool. I didn't think that going back would magically make everything okay. But it would be a start. Even that seemed like an unattainable dream right now.That didn't mean that I would give up. "Let's just start.""Okay." He nodded. "I've gone through Remi's
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Pause, Rewind, Play 44. Supernatural
November 2026,Scars Bay, USADimitriAfter Andrei dropped off Alyanna at Jayden's, Katerina asked him to drop her off at her apartment complex.So naturally, I got off with her too.I thought she would get annoyed by that or tell me that she needed space but she didn't even react to my presence. That stung more than I thought it would. Anything would have been better than being ignored. Her silence was deafening.We rode up the elevator and she marched straight towards her apartment. I stood there, watching her punch in the code to her apartment, unsure if she wanted me to follow her or let her be for a while.She entered and then slammed the door shut after her.My heart stopped. I really thought she would keep the door open and gesture for me to come in after her or ask me to join her. It was something we did with the bathroom door when we wanted to take a sh
Pause, Rewind, Play 43. Play
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaKaterina had been painfully silent while we waited by the car for Dimitri to come out.Of course, she was. Dimitri had made a show of displaying his supernatural speed and strength in there. Katerina was in shock.I didn't know what to say to make it better so I remained silent.After what felt like forever, Dimitri walked out with...Caleb? They were followed by over a dozen men - some fine, some injured but all holding on to guns.What the hell happened in there? What was Caleb doing here? Did that man end up calling him after all? Was it truly a misunderstanding?Kate stiffened when she spotted them but made no indication of what she was thinking otherwise. Dimitri grew visibly disappointed when he saw her lack of reaction.Caleb, unaware that I was alive, looked at me in bewilder
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November 2026,Outskirts of Scars Bay, USADimitri"If only you had listened to me and stayed at the safe house, this wouldn't have happened. But you couldn't follow a simple safety protocol because you care more about beingniceand letting Katerina do whatever thefuck she wants," Andrei growled. “Might as well lick the dirt off the bottom of her fucking shoes while you let her walk all over you.”My grip on the steering wheel tightened and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from saying anything.He was right. This was my fault after all.I agreed to let Katerina and Alya leave the safe house. I went with them to the manor. It was my job to protect them. I never should have left them alone. It was stupidity on my part to think that they would stay there because they had no motive to go. But they did have a moti
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November 2026,Outskirts of Scars Bay, USAKaterina"Stella?"Stella's eyes widened when she saw me. She glared at one of her men. "What the hell isKaterina Van Ackerdoing here?" she hissed. "I asked you to only get-" she exhaled sharply. "Incompetent shits," she spat and turned towards us again."Stella?Youdid this?" I asked, still in absolute disbelief.Why the hell would she do this?Stella -Jayden's girlfriend Stella,had been the one who had us kidnapped. She had been the one who paid Caleb to do it for her.Even the thought of his name fuelled the fiery hot mass of anger in my chest. I couldn't believe he would do this to me but the evidence was undeniable.Earlier, I could chalk this up as a mistake but now I knew that it was anything but. Caleb betrayed me. For
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November 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterinaI walked into my bedroom only to find it empty.Shit.Where the hell is she?I ran into the bathroom. Open and clear.I rushed to the closet. Empty.Where the hell is Alya?I knew she wouldn't be inside the manor. Someone would immediately spot and recognize her. She wasn't dumb enough to do that. Which means she left. She was definitely dumb enough to do it with the right motivation.If she left, there was only one route she'd use to leave. So, I ran.Why the hell would she leave? Did something happen? Was she upset?Of course, she was. With the night she'd had and after I broke my promise of cheering her up, I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to leave. But if she wanted to be left alone, she could have just locked the be
Pause, Rewind, Play 39. Promise
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaIt was still a couple of hours before sunrise so none of the house staff were out and about. Quickly and quietly, I navigated my way out of Kate's bedroom and to woods from around the gardens.I knew my way around the property very well, courtesy of Kate. Sometimes, she managed to drag me to parties with her that we had no business going to. To hide from Kon and her dad, she figured out a way to sneak out of her bedroom and pass through the grounds withoutbeing noticed or getting caught on camera. She also managed to create a way over the mostly impenetrable property walls. Kate was an unstoppable force when she put her mind to something.The route I was taking was the same. I, too, would pass through unnoticed if things had remained the same in the last five years. And I hoped I did. Because, I couldnot afford t
Pause, Rewind, Play 37. See You Soon
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaKate opened the door to her bedroom and we walked in."BOO!"I jumped in shock and my hands flew to my chest.The lights turned on and I came face to face with a grinning William. "Gotcha, Squirt.""Helliam!" I admonished, but I couldn't stop my lips from lifting up in a smile.This wasn't the first time this had happened. When we were kids and Kate and I had sleepovers, Will would sometimes crash them - much to our annoyance - and we'd spend the entire night talking and hanging out or doing sometime crazy. When we grew up a little, Kate and I would catch Will sneaking into the house in the middle of the night, drunk, and looking back on it, probably high on drugs. We'd take care of him and put him to bed or if he wasn't in the mood to sleep, we'd stay with him and give him company. When we beca
Pause, Rewind, Play 36. Empty
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaCold water hit my face and cascaded down my body.'He didn't have the luxury of hope of a future together like you did.'Tears welled up in my eyes. Heartache formed a ball in my throat, choking me up.How could I have not thought of it? How could I have been so callous? How could I have been so self-centered in my misery that I failed to see how it would have affected the one person I cared about the most?I had hurt Jay more than I could have even imagined. I had hurt the one person I love with all my heart. The one person I never wanted to hurt. The one person I stayed away from by telling my broken and bruised heart that while he might be hurt, he was at least safe. Alive. But it seemed like he hadn't done much of living. Just like me. He had been hanging on to the past. Just like me. But unlike
Pause, Rewind, Play 36. One Chance
November 2026, Scars Bay, USA Katerina Alya was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, her back against the bed and a drink in her hand. With her other hand, she played with a ring hanging off the necklace she was wearing. She looked up and her teary, red-rimmed eyes met mine. Oh no. I walked over to her, wanting to take a seat beside her but my dress wouldn't allow that. So with a bit of difficulty, I took it off. Only in a pair of panties and a bra, I lowered myself beside her. She looked over at me, her gaze lingering on my face, neck, and then chest before she looked away entirely. What was that about? "You should wear some clothes. It's winter," she whispered. "It's warm in here. I'm fine; you don't need to worry about me." I took the glass from her hand and placed it aside. "I was d
