š¤š¤š¤
~Justin~ Two days had passed since Josephine's birthday party, and the excitement still lingered in the air. We all pretended not to know they were fated because somehow I figured Josephine would not forgive Liam for keeping her in the dark, but it was okay. There was too much gloom in our world, and spoiling what the two love birds had would be unwise. I knew Oliver and Elaine would be tying the knot by the Bluemoon, and even though I felt it was a bit too soon, I supported them. Oliver and Elaine had shown they weren't going to wait for the mate bond and get on with their lives. Somehow, I believed they would be alright. Maybe if I had found someone I cared about and the feeling was mutual, I might have done the same. But I had given myself time, and thirty was when I would stop waiting and try to build a connection with someone that gets me. For now, I needed to bury my nose in the job and get it done. The whole issue with the criminals had lingered too long, but we knew we woul
~Harper~ Adrian lay in bed next to me. He would be going back to Lumas today. Two days had passed since Jo and Elaine's birthday, and the house still seemed in celebratory mode. I wanted him to stay a little longer, but Jacob had called him for a job, and he could not defy his Alpha. Adrian got up from the bed, and I scrunched my nose in annoyance. "What's the matter, princess?" he teased me. He looked really hot with his ribbed muscles, abs, and sharp edge. He made me feel all kinds of things when he's close to me, feelings he was clear we weren't going to explore. I liked to tell people Adrian and I were okay, but we weren't. He hadn't touched me, and I knew he was contemplating rejecting the bond. He still saw himself as bad news, which was why I was desperate to prove otherwise. He still did the things I wanted. Visited Grizlo every time I wanted and stayed in my bed whenever I asked. Last night was the first time we made out, and it drove me wild, but he was able to control
~Harper~ I lay on the bed and held Adrian's pillow. All I could think of was he should be with me, or I should be with him. The situation we found ourselves in was fucked up, thanks to that Racheal bitch and her family. My tears had ceased by now, but I was still broken. I had missed breakfast and doubted I would leave my room anytime soon. There was no way I could hide my hurt, and the people in the house were so happy right now that it would be wrong for me to trouble them with my emotions. Knowing I wouldn't be seeing Adrian anytime soon was scary. How he said he shouldn't have come here made me know he meant it. He meant every word. I had gambled and lost. His reputation did not mean anything to me, and I was willing to stay with him and love him regardless. We could live in Lucland or Grizlo together, and no one would care. Yes, they would gossip, but no one would dare confront us about it. Still, he was an Alpha from a prestigious family, so his reputation would matter to him
~Adrian~ I had thought I could live with the consequences of what happened at the after-party. I had thought it was okay that my cousin was Alpha; at least it remained in the family. I had thought it would be okay, but having to walk out of Harper's bedroom showed me how fucked up my situation was. From the moment I saw her outside the restaurant, I knew I couldn't live with what I had been living with any longer. If not for anything but for her sake. I would have let her go that night. As hard as it would have been, I would have let her go to spare her the heartache and the shame, but I couldn't. Not because she told me not to but because I couldn't hurt her and hurt myself. With all the clouds in my life, Harper was the only sunshine, the only good thing that had happened to me in a while. But it seemed holding on to her would be unfair. I walked out of the Grizlo packhouse, broken and destroyed. I told her it was a mistake coming there; I told her I wouldn't come anym
~Adrian~ Jacob was there, entertaining the Lord. His hair was as white as Amelia and Elaine's. I had never seen him in person. This will be the first time. I knew he was their uncle, but I wondered what he was doing here. Jacob looked at me, and he seemed a bit pissed. I could see he was mad that I was late. "Maybe if you had sent a driver to pick me up at the airport, I would have arrived here faster," I linked him and furrowed his brow. "I did," he protested, and I let it drop. I bowed to Lord Newton, and he looked in my direction. "Alpha Locke, you finally grace us with your presence," he said. I felt a bit uncomfortable as it was disrespectful to Jacob. "I am the beta now," I said quickly, and he chuckled. "Nonsense. To the council and Royal family, the Lockes still own Lumans and will always own Lumas. Jacob position is not recognised by the council and will never be," He said, and I was silent. "Lumas might be small, but the Locke Family are noble and prestigious. It is
~Josephine~ I was heartbroken and angry when I found Harper the way she was in her room. It was obvious that she had been crying, and I did not need to guess why. I also did not need to tell her I could see it. Her swollen eyes and sadness-stricken face told me all I needed to know about the state of her heart. Heartache was something dreadful to deal with. I should know because I secretly dealt with it for a while until things changed. I had seen and observed how Adrian looked at her, and it was obvious that she meant the world to him. His feelings might be the reason he was holding back. I could understand his angle, and I could understand Harper's angle. It was wrong to condemn people for their past, but unfortunately, our society was messed up like that. I did not expect her parent to change everything. Judging from our history lessons, it was clear that the King and Queen, along with the lords and current council, had done so much to improve our world, but more still needed t
~Josephine~ I arrived at Justin's office, and I was right to suspect Rachael would be there. She was wearing a tank top with a long Caribbean skirt that had a very long sit that left little to imagine when she crossed her legs. She was a fine woman. I would give that to her, but she was trying too hard. I could see why Charlotte and Harper disliked her. I was indifferent, but seeing what her action had done to Adrian pissed me off completely. "Hello, Rachael," I said to her, and she smiled and waved at me. She had visited a few times, but I was too busy with Liam to take my time getting to know her. If it weren't for Harper, I wouldn't have bothered. "Justin, tell your girlfriend to hang out with us. You are busy," I said, and Justin looked at me a bit pissed. I knew what he was going to say, but her eyes shined brightly when I said girlfriend. "I have something to discuss with Rachael, and it is important," He said, and I looked at Rachael, knowing precisely what Justi
~Harper~ The look on Justin's face when we said we were going shopping with Rachael showed that he suspected we weren't being honest about our intentions, but I didn't care. I was a desperate woman, and I needed answers. "Do not do anything rash, Harper," Justin told me when we left the dining table, and I balled my fist as I ascended the stairs to prepare for our shopping mission. It was easy for him to say. I wondered if he would think the same if he were in my shoes. How could he be looking out for her? He is supposed to be on my side. "Will you get me the information I need?" I linked him, and he was silent before responding. "I am working on it. I am sure she will open up," He said, and I knew he would be gentle. He liked to abide by the law, never towing the dangerous line like the rest of us. But he had no stake in the matter, so it was normal that he would try to be logical. Liam was willing to break the rules and endanger lives for the sake of Sophia. We all thought he