Cynthia Dion: I didn't know what to cry about - losing my first mate or having to interact with him every day while carrying the shame of breaking into his sister's house and even taking her partner? Or was it the fact that Atticus, my own partner and the one who had kidnapped me, was now passing judgment on me for marrying his brother-in-law to save myself from further humiliation?"Take a deep breath, Cynthia," Mr. Holt said gently as he helped me settle into the bed. I had been sobbing and hiding my face in my hands the entire time. Why was I feeling so vulnerable when I didn't want to be?"It will all work out perfectly. I've been taking care of the company for them, so they can't force us out," Mr. Holt whispered, attempting to hold my hand and speak softly. But I discreetly pulled my hand away from his. He might not have realized that he was a significant part of why I felt so upset in that moment."Did you know," I asked him quietly. To see him clearly, I had to keep wiping th
Cynthia Dion: I didn't want to upset him; after all, he was my sister's ticket to happiness and financial security.He persisted, and I couldn't help but feel nauseated. Internally, I was screaming in agony as he continued, and the revulsion I felt brought tears streaming down my cheeks. He had turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life, and unfortunately, I was now trapped in this situation."Maybe Maleeka was right," he groaned. "I shouldn't have spoiled you, ahhh!""So, you wanted to use me as security without giving anything in return?" He grumbled and made snide comments throughout. "Luckily, I know how to settle debts," he remarked. I wished I could pass out from the disgust because those were the longest and most repulsive minutes I had ever experienced."Do you want to swallow?" Suddenly, he left the decision up to me. When I shook my head, he did what I hoped for - he stopped and withdrew, releasing only onto my cheeks."Ahhhhh!" His final moan pierced my ears, sending
Atticus Snow:"So you let her go. But do you think that will be enough to stop her from pursuing him?" Enzo asked me as we both sat down on the grass and watched the sunset. I hadn't been able to look myself in the mirror but what I did was something very important for me. I couldn't see my sister crying every day. Despite me warning Cynthia to stop seeing my brother-in-law, she wouldn't comply.I didn't have an answer to his question, but I knew that I was hurting deep down inside. However, Cynthia's betrayal had left me with no choice.I did what I had to do to prevent her from going after that man. I wished I could solely blame that man, but Cynthia was also at fault."I don't know, and I don't want to dwell on it anymore. I'm pretty sure she won't return to school, and I suppose that will help me stop thinking about her," I said, avoiding Enzo's gaze."What do you think will happen to her now that she's back in her neighborhood with that mark on her wrist?" Enzo asked, studying my
Cynthia Dion: My body felt like it was floating, supported by his hands, and I could barely stand upright."Ho-me," I nearly whimpered, struggling to stay conscious but failing as I started dozing off."Cynthia? What happened to you?" His grip on me weakened, and his voice turned more concerned.He gently placed me down instead of pulling me up, and I didn't even flinch."Cynthia!" He softly slapped my cheek to rouse me."What did he do to you?" The slight concern in his voice brought tears to my eyes. They had pushed me to the point where every little thing mattered deeply to me. His fingertips then brushed against the mark on my neck as he turned my face to the other side. "You're having a reaction to the mark," he grumbled, and soon, the concern in his voice faded away."Huh!" he scoffed when he realized it was merely a reaction to the mark Mr. Holt had inflicted on me against my will. As I heard his footsteps leaving the room, receding into the distance, a warm tear rolled down m
Cynthia Dion: "Come on, don’t be such a buzzkill," he muttered. "Why is my mark getting infected?" I asked persistently when he continued to ignore my question. "What do you mean by it being infected?" he scoffed, feigning ignorance about my concern. "I had a fever today and I blacked out because of it," I recounted the day's events and simultaneously quizzed him. "Once your wolf awakens, you'll be fine. It's because you lack a wolf," he confirmed my suspicions, but I remained uncertain about trusting him. "You knew this would happen if you marked me without my wolf? Why the heck did you mark me then?" I rose from the bed, my voice laced with frustration as I confronted him. He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I didn't know," but his eyes betrayed the truth hidden behind his words. "How can you not be aware of these things when you're in charge of an academy and a professional trainer?" I pressed, my anger and frustration mounting as he continued to blatantly
Cynthia Dion:After Atticus remained silent and Maleeka shot Zeon an angry look, Mr. Holt shifted his approach."What if he changes schools? It might be easier for him to adapt," Mr. Holt proposed. He reclined back in his chair, gesturing repeatedly at Atticus, who sat upright, his face lowered, and his breath quickening."He's the Alpha King. He can't leave his pack," Maleeka countered, observing Mr. Holt scrunch his nose.The argument was becoming excessive and absurd at this point. Even Atticus appeared worn out by it all."It's fine! Nobody needs to change schools. You two can stop now," Atticus put an end to the argument with a grunt, his eyes shifting to me, implying that this whole conflict was because of me."Ah! The food is here," Mr. Holt cheered like an excited child as he glanced at the dishes."Cynthia! Fill your plate now. You've probably never seen this much food before," Mr. Holt's remark drew Maleeka's attention. If she thought we were a happy couple, she would now wi
Cynthia Dion:I glared at the person standing before me, a mix of defiance and fear in my eyes."What do you think you're doing? Why are you in my room at this time of night, Atticus?" I pushed my anxiety aside and demanded an explanation. He was acting so domineering and overbearing, ignoring the fact that he had coerced me into ruining my life."Why? Were you expecting your husband, your second mate, to come tonight?" He smirked, slamming his hand against the wall, blocking my way."It's none of your business what I do. He is my husband, and you mean nothing to me anymore. So, get out of here," I asserted. When I told him to leave me alone, I made sure to maintain eye contact, but the tension in his jaw indicated that I had only infuriated him further."Really? You're going to give me advice on what to do in my own mansion?" He leaned in close, glaring at my face and clenching his teeth. "Perhaps you're forgetting that this is my mansion, not your husband's. You settled for less," h
Cynthia Dion:I heard Mr. Holt open the door and quickly survey the room before leaving again. That's when I realized he had a spare key to my room.After that, I tried to go to sleep, but I was feeling extremely uneasy that night after learning the source of Atticus's long-standing animosity toward me. He believed I had targeted Mr. Holt because of his wealth and his potential to help my father and me. He might have thought I was a gold digger, which is why he started disliking me. Then he kidnapped me, thinking that Mr. Holt would never marry me due to the damage to my reputation. But despite his diabolical nature, Mr. Holt had still married me.It troubled me that Mr. Holt was doing my family many favors while simultaneously mocking me because of our circumstances.The thought of having to face everyone at school made me incredibly grumpy as I woke up that morning. It felt like I was preparing for a battle that day.I didn't have a phone, so I had no idea if Mara had tried to reach