Willow. I clutched tightly to my purse, almost like my very life depended on it. In a way, I guess you could actually put it like that, because in the last couple of days I was so I was losing my grip on reality and maybe holding on to my purse would give me the satisfaction that I still had something under control, even though it was just a facade. “Willow?” Someone's voice by my side was all it took to pull me out of my thoughts. A quick glance at my side showed the owner of the voice to be none other than Carter. “Are you okay?”“Yeah.” I was lying through my teeth, but he didn't need to know that. “I'm fine.” That was all Carter needed to know that the conversation was over, and thankfully he didn't push it any further. When he'd come to pick me up this morning, he was all smiles and I couldn't help but feel infuriated. How could he show up at my place just like that, almost like he'd forgotten about the events of that night.The night we fucked. For hours on end, I coul
Willow. I swallowed as Carter walked towards us. He was still a good distance from us, but it wasn't enough to dull the rage that radiated from him. His eyes held nothing but fury in them and for a split second, I wondered who it was trained at. Me, or Asher. I snuck a glance at the man by my side. He didn't look at all fazed by Carter's mini outburst. If anything, he looked more relaxed, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, almost like he was expecting Carter to do something. Something tugged in my mind and I glanced at my waist. Asher's hand was still wrapped around me. I froze, but peeled his hand from my body almost immediately, but it was too late. Carter had already seen it and from the looks of things, he didn't seem very pleased. I shifted awkwardly on my heels as I waited for Carter to walk up to us. In nothing less than three strides, hr was standing. Right next to Asher and I.“Carter.” Asher spoke up first. His voice was low, dangerously low if you asked me. “It's
Willow Wait, what?I stared at Carter with wide eyes, but no matter how long or hard I stared, it didn't matter, because he didn't even acknowledge it. I felt Carter's skin thrum with more rage than I'd seen from a normal person. Growing up, I always knew Carter had a bit of temper, but this, this was extraordinary. Why the hell did he have to blurt that out? Did he not know this was Asher's coronation ceremony? So what the hell did he do that for?If I had thought I was the one who was shocked by Carter's interruption, then it was safe to say I was delusional. I was still on my seat, but that didn't mean I couldn't feel the stares of literally everyone gathered on me. I was here with Carter, so by default we were going to have to share in the spotlight, even if that was the last thing I wanted. I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me a whole . I already felt like a fish out of water, and now this? Even Carter's shenanigans had caught the attention of
Willow. My footsteps echoed in the hallway, the click clack of my heels bouncing off the walls as I roamed the mansion aimlessly. I had no idea where I was headed and it didn't help that I could be heard from a mile away. If I was being really honest, I didn't care. Maybe if someone actually heard me, they would lead me to the one person I was actually looking for. Carter.His name tasted like bile on my tongue and I wanted nothing more than to rinse it out. I never knew Carter to be like this. I always thought he acted the way he did because he was the alpha's son, but now, I was beginning to think he has some serious mental issues to attend to. I peaked into a room that showed up at my side and a groan slid past my lips when I realized it was empty. This was the third room I'd walked into since I got here and they were all empty. Wasn't Carter supposed to live here? So why wasn't anyone home?The mere thought of his name was more than enough to stir a mix of emotions in me. Ne
Willow Each step I took in the hallway echoed around me, the click click of my heels bouncing off the halls. It was dark, with barely any source of light at all. Occasionally, I came across some light bulbs, flickering on and off. A whole lot of them were broken or spoiled, but somehow still worked. An eerie feeling hung in the air and I shivered at how cold it was, still I didn't stop walking. Not when I'd come this far. It was a miracle how the guards had actually allowed me through here. Ordinarily, no one could visit the dungeons unless you were royalty or you had a written permit from any member of the royal family. Right now, I had none and somehow I was still granted access. All I had to do when I arrived at the gates was mention Carter. Apparently, a handful of them had spotted Carter and I together at the event earlier today. That, and the fact that since it was late, they were probably exhausted from the day's work. No one would notice a small slip up that happened in the d
Willow My footsteps resonated in the room with each step I took. I was in nothing but my fluffy bunny slippers, but I could still hear how they slapped against the tiled ground. The irony of it all was the fact that the bunny slippers weren't exactly that loud, my ears were just overly sensitive. Why? I was worried. Overly worried.I bit down on my lower lip, but it did nothing to calm me down. Instead, it only heightened the anxiety I was feeling and no matter what I did to try to calm down, it didn't work. I settled on to the stool in front of my vanity and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was shocked for a moment, because the person I saw in the mirror looked nothing like me. Dark circles layered the spot underneath my eyes. It was late but I could still see how pale I was. In summary, I looked like a ghost that had just resurrected from the dead. Oh goddess.A sigh slid past my lips as I gazed at the mirror. I had no idea what I was doing, all of this was just a
Carter My footsteps echoed with each step I took down the hallway. A stream of the sun's rays flooded the place, but it still didn't do anything to lift the dreary feeling that lingered in the atmosphere. It was suffocating to say the least, and if I had the chance, I would be nowhere near here. But being the current alpha’s son and the next heir meant I had to make some sacrifices, whether I liked it or not. The entire place was quiet. The prisoners knew better than to make so much as a sound in my presence. You could call me evil for enforcing such principles on them, but it was those same principles that prevented a lot of mishaps from going on.“I do hope you're enjoying your jail time.” Were the first words I let slip out my mouth the moment I'd arrived at the cell I had in mind. “If you're not, I personally think seeing it as a sort of time out would help soften the blow.”Silence. Silence stretched into the day as the man on the other side of the bars said nothing. He had
Carter I pumped my fist by my side, hoping it would help calm the anger bubbling inside me. While I did that, I inhaled and exhaled, hoping it would help calm my nerves and help me relax, but I couldn't be wrong. In fact, it felt like everything I did seemed to worsen my current situation. With each step I took, I wanted nothing more than to throw my fist into someone's face, or better still, hurl something to the ground. Maybe if I was alone or going to be alone for the next couple of hours, I had my punching bag and a few spare mugs I didn't mind if they were broken I had to spare. But right now, that was a no no. I was on my way to see someone. Someone who would help me get rid of the bastard who'd dared to threaten me. “Or are you going to find a way to cover your secret”. Asher's words played vehemently in my head. “ I would probably do the same if I were you, but you should probably know that you can't hide it forever.”What did he mean by that? And how dare he switch it up
The night was dark, with only the gentle light from the moon shedding and casting its warm glow over the earth. Stars littered the night sky, and against the pitch black backdrop of it all, the scene above looked nothing short of a beautiful painting. The sound of leaves crunching underneath someone's feet cut straight through my thoughts. Immediately, I turned to the side, and standing a couple of feet away from me, was a black wolf, tall and mighty with its beady eyes staring down at me. A couple of moments passed as we both stared at each other, none of us daring to move. Something swirled in the pit of my stomach and before I could make sense of all that was happening, I found myself transforming back into my human form. My fear heightened when I realized whoever it was, was still in its wolf form. I didn't have to think too much because I'd barely mumbled the rest of the questions, before the wolf morphed into his human form, and the moment he did, a huge smile made its wa
I gently pushed the door to my bedroom shut. When a small click reached my ears, I heaved a sigh of relief. I had no idea why I'd just done that. Mum was probably halfway to slumber town now, so why was I so worried that I would have woken her?I sighed again, before gently clasping my hands together. A slight tremble rocked my fingers, but I kept them together, going they would stop soon.Luckily for me, it didn't last long. The moment I witnessed the last of it, I headed to my study desk in the corner of the room and pulled out my books. I had a test in the morning, and AP Chemistry, isn't something you just waltz through with an empty brain. I knew there was trouble the moment I read the first line and was unable to grasp anything. After trying for the second and third time, and still nothing had changed, I just knew I was cooked. There was no way I could focus on studying, not when there was something on my mind. No, not something. Someone.Zayn.No matter how many times I t
Silence filled the air, except for the tip of my fingertips drumming against the steel table in front of me. I had no idea why this man, Shadow, had gone with steel tables. Did he not have any class? I understood that he ran an underground business and was trying to keep things tough and scary, but who said the affairs of the underworld couldn't be spiced up with some class?Take for example. I was a perfect fit Or perhaps the steel table wasn't such a bad idea. Now that I thought about it, it wasn't exactly useless. Let's say Shadow's warehouse happened to get raided by a rival group right now, this steel table could actually come in handy. Just by flipping it over, it could actually give Shadow ample time to bring out his gun and attack. “Why don't you take a picture?” I let out suddenly, causing Shadow to flinch. I watched as he blinked back a couple of times, obviously trying to readjust his eyes to his surroundings again. A sly grin made its way to my face immediately a
I stood rooted in my spot, my blood boiling. I didn't even bat an eyelid when the sound of Alessandro's car driving out of the compound reached my ears. My mind whirled with a million questions and a thousand more thoughts. How dare he? How could he even do such a thing?I'd always perceived Alessandro to be a heartless and ruthless monster, but the last thing I expected was him bringing a little boy into the equation. Leo was still a little child for fucks sake!I pressed my eyes shut, and the moment the darkness engulfed me, I regretted it immediately. Leo's bruised back and face filled my vision, his wounds taunting me. I shook my head as I imagined his wails and sobs.Leo was a delicate boy, the best kid in the whole world. He didn't deserve any of that and that wasn't even the worst part. The part that made my blood boil and crack at the same time was the fact that it wasn't his fault in any way. I'd brought this up on him. Me, I did that. Strip. Alessandro's authorita
My heart leapt to my throat as the sound of something scurrying along the floorboards reached my ears. I sucked in a deep breath as I sunk deeper to the edge of the wall, my back coming in contact with the bed's fluffy headboard. As I hugged my knees, I rocked back and forth, hoping the little gesture would calm my thumping heart and calm me down a bit, even if it was in the tiniest of ways.It didn't work. It wasn't working. Not at all. Not yet. I sucked in a deep breath as I allowed my heartbeat to return to its steady pacing. I heaved a sigh when it finally stabilized. I was tired, tired of living like this. But did I have any other choice? I wasn't sure. I didn't think so. It'd been two days since I walked out on Alessandro. Tao days since I'd locked myself in my room and refused to come out, and even as time ticked by, I still wasn't sure if I regretted my decision. A frown appeared on my face at the thought of a sour memory. No matter how hard I'd tried to forget a
Fear raked through my body as my heart steadily picked up its pace. Cold chills raced up and down my spine as I stared wide eyed at the scene in front of me. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if I was cursed or something. Cursed to always find myself in situations like these. But that wasn't the part that bothered me. A little curse here and there never hurt anybody. Hell, maybe I'd even cursed myself. I did have a knack for messing around with Ouija boards and all when I was little. The part that bothered me was how I always managed to find myself in situations like these, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it. After Dagger had dropped the bombshell and given me an ultimatum, I was stumped. I went blank. He couldn't get my attention until he poked me with something. I didn't think much of it, but now that I did, I couldn't shake off the feeling he'd done something. Ejected a tracking device or chip into my body maybe, or perhaps he'd even poisoned me. The ideas were end
I watched as the blue flames lit the tip of the cigar that was tucked in between my fingers. As I pushed the flames closer to where I wanted it to be, something caught my eye. How the hell I was able to notice it was strange to me, but now that I'd seen it, I just couldn't ignore it. Just in between my fingers where the cigar sat, Red hue tainted my skin. I wasn't exactly sensitive and I barely bruised, so this was definitely a discovery. A sly smirk made its way to my lips. I didn't even have to think hard to figure out why the skin in between my fingers was pink, or better still, turning red. For the past hour, or more, I'd been replacing rolls and rolls of cigars the moment I exhausted the last one. At some point I'd lost count of how many of the smoke machines I'd inhaled, but I knew they were a lot. I was pushing myself and maybe if I didn't hold back, I would finally know my limit. If I actually had one, that is. I exhaled a huge puff of smoke, after inhaling for a coup
My mind reeled with a million and one things all ar once and I swear if I didn't find a way to stop it, I just might run mad on the spot. I'd just told them I knew Alessandro. Shit. If I was being honest, I had no clue if I'd done the right thing or not. I suspected foul play the moment I realized I wasn't Alessandro’s captive. Who else knew of my existence? Papa had taken a wide step back from indulging in businesses that were a norm in mafia families, so there was no way I could be in someone's radar. But the moment he knew I recognized Alessandro, I just knew I was in deep shit. I hated Alessandro, literally everyone did, even Antonio. But as I stared at the murderous glare my captor wore as he arranged an array of weapons I didn't recognize, I quickly came to the conclusion that there were more people that hated the man. Even more than I did. And it shocked me to the bones.Who the hell was he? Was he working alone? What was his relationship with Alessandro? And what
Chapter 82Destiny's POV I was anxious, and literally nothing I did was calming me down. Instead, the more I tried, the more I failed woefully at it too. There wasn't any technique I hadn't tried. I had tried counting to ten and back again, and even making a conscious effort at trying to regulate my breathing, but it just wasn't working. It was a surprise how Carter hadn't noticed how fidgety I was. Or maybe he had, he has just decided that he wasn't going to comment on it, and even that didn't sit right with me.My stomach churned, pulling me out of my quick monologue. Before it could let out another sound, I folded my fingers in front of my belly. I wasn't exactly sure it was going to do anything, but it was too late to try to take back what I'd just done. So instead, I fixed my gaze as I tried to remove the invisible dirt that had found their way underneath my nails. The car was silent, save for the gentle hum from the engine. The civilization that whooshed by also seemed to