Carter. My footsteps echoed all around me as I moved from one side of the room to the other. I was pacing, and I knew it wasn't going to solve anything, but could I bring myself to do anything about it? No. A big fat no. I clenched and unclenched my fists by my side. Ever since the guards walked out of here, the urge to break something was growing and increasing by the minute, and I didn't want that. Relax Carter, relax. I inhaled and exhaled a couple of times, and surprisingly, it worked. At least, with a clearer head, I would be able to approach the situation rationally and not make hasty decisions. What distinguishes an alpha from the common man, is their mind. Dad's words echoed in my ear. Whenever I was overly mad about something, he always said it out loud. Even as a child, I'd committed that particular memory to mind and if I was being honest, it had actually helped me out of a few uncomfortable situations. Why was Willow even there in the first place? What could ha
Willow I gulped, hoping it would do something to ease the anxiety crawling around in the pit of my stomach, but I couldn't be any more wrong. Instead, the more I tried to calm myself down, the more my anxiety levels spiked and the worst part was that, it had barely begun. And by it, I meant Carter's wrath. I didn't need a soothsayer or an incredibly high IQ to know that I'd gotten Carter pissed. The moment the guards had arrived with a message that Carter was looking for me, I just knew it was all over. I'd wanted more time, some more time to try and find Asher. He couldn't have gone too far, right? But that didn't matter, even if it did, there was still no way I would have been able to catch up with him. Asher was a beta, one of the strongest ones I'd ever seen, so how could a lowly omega who could barely shift run after and catch him? It wasn't just impossible, it was literally madness as its peak. I played with the invisible dirt wedged in between my fingers. There was no
Carter I marched forward, ignoring the red spots that clouded my vision. Even the lamps that hung on the walls must have caught the gist that I was furious, because the moment I approached them, the lights in them flickered our, just to come back on again the moment I had passed. I balled my hands into fists as I trudged on. That was the very least I could do to stop myself from punching the nearest wall. If I lost my temper and did that, I knew for a fact it wouldn't sit well with my father. Dad. I was heading towards his office, and why I hated rubbing it in people's face when I was right, there was no way I could let this slide. Right now, he was just going to see how much of a mistake he'd made trusting Asher. Asher. The mere thought of him was more than enough to make my blood boil. No matter how hard I tried to get rid of him, he always found a way to get under my skin, either directly or indirectly. I guess I had only just realized it now because I had something that
Destiny's POV With a loud groan, I stirred awake, but the moment I peeled my eyes open, I almost wished I kept them shut, even if it was for a little while. Excruciating pain spread through my eyeballs, almost like they were on fire. I blinked back as many times I could, hoping the little gesture would go a long way in bringing some relief. After some minutes of batting my eyelids like some blind random person, the hotness slowly gave way into a full throbbing.My head ached and my throat felt parched. I felt like a complete mess and I wasn't even surprised, because I was expecting it. What else were the results of sobbing all night long and crying myself to sleep? I sighed as I sat up, before pressing my back to the wall behind me. Even though it was dirty and stinky, I ignored it, focusing only on the cool feeling it spread throughout my body. An itch climbed down my neck, and I was just about to scratch it when something pulled me back. The chains.I pressed my eyes shut ag
Destiny's POV There was no way this was happening. It just couldn't be. In the split second before everything would go sour, I took my time to think about it and take it all in, even though time was the one thing I didn't have. And luck apparently, I was lacking in that aspect too. I'd been holding my breath since Ines met those string of words slide past her lips. How could she even say that? Did she really mean that, or was she trying to play some kind of joke? No matter what it was of what her intentions behind it were, it made no sense, and thanks to her loud mouth, I just might have landed in another round of trouble. Shit. Fucking thanks, Ines. I stole a couple of seconds to take a good look at her. She wasn't an eye sore, but she wasn't the prettiest either. With just one glance at her tired face, you could tell her job was taking a huge toll on her, and the only thing keeping her awake and probably energetic, or alive even was lots and lots of caffeine. With her short
Destiny's POV The room was quiet, save for the almost non-existent clanging of cutlery against the tableware neatly arranged in front of us. While I always preferred my privacy and would always pick somewhere quiet over the usual hustle and bustle associated with people, I didn't like this silence. It was suffocating and far from genuine, but that wasn't the worst part. Thar section was specially reserved for the fact that no matter how uncomfortable the silence was, I couldn't bring myself to leave, not now, nor in the next thirty minutes. No matter how long had passed before I decided to leave, it still wouldn't be overlooked that I was being rude. That, an the fact that something else was on my mind. Or more specifically, someone else. Ines. I never liked judging people on the first day, or by their appearance, but unfortunately that was the first thing I'd done the moment I'd laid my eyes on me a couple of days ago. I wasn't sure how her sense of humor ran deep, but I was su
Willow The world around me blurred immediately. I blinked back a couple of times, but it did nothing to ease my vision. instead, the more I blinked, the more blurry things got. I pressed a hand to my forehead. A dull throb was beginning to form and it was well on its way to spreading throughout my forehead. It hurt, but I didn't think anything could top the news I'd just heard right now. "If you so much as fail, then consider yourself no longer a part of this family." Clara's words echoed in my head, and the more it did, the more the weight of everything rested on my shoulders. Why did I have to go through all of this? Was this all some kind of a test? if it was, was the result worth it? Because there was no way I would be going through all of this and not get anything worthwhile out of it. It wasn't a secret that the circumstances around my marriage to Carter weren't ideal, but that didn't mean I wanted to be chased out. I was literally all alone now. My hopes that Asher
WILLOW“Could you move that a little to the right, please?” A frown made its way to my face almost immediately. They’d done what I asked them to do, but it wasn’t looking how I’d pictured it in my head. Gesturing to the vase, I motioned to the left. “No, take it back a bit. Yes, a little to the left.”I stifled a groan the moment they were done. It still wasn’t right. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the perfect position to keep the vase. “That’s fine.” I sighed, finally giving up. The nerves were getting to me. “Just leave it as it is and make sure everything else is perfect. Nothing must go wrong tonight. Do you understand?” “Yes, ma’am.” The maids nodded in unison before dispersing to get everything else done. “You.” I pointed to another maid. “Make sure these glasses are sparkling before I get back.” I ran my thumb over the rim of a glass nestled on the buffer table. From where I stood, it looked clean enough, but I wanted everything in there to shine. Tonight must be
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