KRISTINA'S POVOnly the faint sounds of animals moving around could be heard from behind the walls and fences on both sides of the streets. Suddenly, another car honked loudly. It was coming closer. Our new ally looked behind us, his expression worried. He quickly scanned the area before grabbing hold of my hand and dragging me down into a small alleyway, forcing us behind the wall that surrounded the shops we passed. He pressed himself close against my back and pulled out his gun as I did the same. I gripped his arm tightly, holding him in place. Just in case. I took slow deep breaths through my nose, listening attentively for the telltale footsteps of whatever was approaching. Suddenly, we saw someone emerge from behind a building across the street. The stranger cursed under his breath. Even from several yards away, we could tell that the person was male. His hair was cut short and messy. His clothes consisted mostly of jeans, t-shirt, and jacket. Although we couldn't make out h
KRISTINA'S POVHe needed me, and I needed him. And I loved him, too; it was impossible not to. I knew that if he wanted, he could run far away from here, leave me in this dark alley surrounded by shadows, and disappear forever. It would be better for both of us. Better for me, because I could continue on living the life I enjoyed and I'd forget all about my past. For him, however, it would be hard enough to escape the past, but to abandon me? Never. I was the only one he needed. And I refused to let him go. I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, and pushed open the door to the house. There was only silence. A sudden burst of light startled me awake. I opened my eyes abruptly, instantly waking up as soon as consciousness came back to me. The lights in the room were bright and glaring. I instinctively covered my eyes to shield them from the harsh glare. I blinked several times and rubbed my tired eyes, trying desperately to wake up. My head spun dizzily as it struggled to focus. I
KRISTINA'S POVShe was still shaking from the adrenaline rush.I pulled her close again, letting the comforting embrace bring me back to reality. She seemed smaller than usual without her blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders and her hair mussed from sleep. "Did you have a bad dream again?" I asked, brushing her hair back with one finger. She nodded silently. She didn't need to speak. I knew what she meant. "Do you want to talk about it?" Her bottom lip trembled slightly, her mouth hanging slightly open. Her lower lip quivered and I held in a groan, waiting patiently for her to speak. She glanced up at me briefly and swallowed audibly. Then, finally, she spoke in such a quiet voice that she barely got the words out. "Who is he?" "Whom?" She paused for a beat. "The Alpha of Crimson Snow Pack– our father." She whispered, looking down. "Or... your ex–" I froze, staring at my child blankly for several seconds before responding. I cleared my throat and forced out a smile. "I d
KRISTINA'S POV"Not now that I know about the Alpha. It doesn't matter that you're here, she needs protection. Maybe even legal guardianship. Or, better yet, a family who has no knowledge of the situation. Like us," I added, glancing back at him quickly. He didn't react. I pressed on, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Someone who knows that she's safe here." His expression hardened ever so slightly at my suggestion, and I sighed. "Please let her stay," I pleaded quietly, my eyes pleading with him. "This is my fault. Please, don't make me lose her to the consequences of my mistakes…" He shook his head once before stepping closer to me. His hand reached out to take hold of mine. His grip was surprisingly gentle. I looked up into his gray eyes, searching for answers, hoping to find compassion or remorse, but there was none. "You know I can't agree to that. Their father made this decision, whether you like it or not. Your children don't deserve to suffer because of their parent's mis
KRISTINA'S POVMy mind spun around in circles, trying to avoid what I already knew lay in wait for me. I knew that if I went to bed now, I would wake up tomorrow and realize that it had all been a dream. And I could do nothing to stop it. But if I didn't try, I wasn't going to feel any different. I was going to continue living this miserable existence, wondering what was going to happen next, always expecting the worst. I wasn't going to be able to live like this. I wasn't going to be able to continue to pretend that everything was going to be okay, when it really wasn't. I wasn't going to continue to put on a brave front, knowing that everything that I was doing was wrong. I sighed heavily, dropping my hands from my face to rest them in my lap. The room was bathed in darkness now, save for the small window in the far corner of the room. From where I sat, I was able to see a sliver of moonlight creeping in through the small crack. Moonlight. I wondered what time it actually was, b
KRISTINA'S POVNathan didn't give up. He seemed to understand. Of course he did. This was how he dealt with all the things that bothered him. All the things that made him question everything he thought he knew. The more he understood, the more he wanted to help people. Nathan always believed in helping everyone, no matter who they might be or what they may have done. And that meant he would fight until he found the truth. Because, well... that is what he believed in. But Nathan didn't just believe. He acted. And sometimes, people needed saving. And that was exactly why I was here. Why I was now sitting opposite two of the most important people in my life. What could possibly justify such a drastic act? I sighed. How should I answer this? "Well, the thing is–" "What kind of thing is that, Kristina?"Nathan jumped forward in his seat, startling me into silence as I tried to find the right words to explain my decision. How was I supposed to tell the story of my actions without making
KRISTINA'S POVOh yeah. The best friends are the ones who stay calm during emotional moments, right? No one ever wants their girlfriend or husband stressed out while having feelings for them, right? But it's okay to feel things sometimes. So then why was it so hard for me to decide on a course of action? Why was it so hard to accept that someone else had the best intentions? That they cared enough about us to offer to help when we needed them to? Because I knew I couldn't ask anyone else to do it for me. They were my family, after all, and I loved all of them equally. Which meant that, even if I told Nathan to go home, he'd probably insist on staying here, too. Just as stubborn as me. So there was no way I could ask him to leave, which meant that my only option was either letting him stay here indefinitely, or accepting this help for myself. There really wasn't anything else left for me to do, was there? No, there isn't. Nathan's words echoed in my head. My eyes widened as my mind
KRISTINA'S POV"Not yet," I replied, smiling faintly. His face fell for a moment, before he sighed, rolling off of me and lying flat beside me, his head on one hand, the other propped up next to him. I smiled as I stared up at the ceiling, trying not to notice how attractive he looked lying there looking tired and disheveled. "But we'll have to hurry. We only got until the sun went down." Nathan frowned. "What do you mean by that?" "You heard me." I leaned over, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "It's tradition to light your fire when it gets dark." "Oh." Nathan ran a hand through his hair, pushing some of the messy curls out of his face. "Well, if that's what we have to do, then I suppose that's fine." And with that, he flipped over, crawling across the floor towards the fireplace. I laughed. It wasn't long before the two of us were surrounded by the warm orange glow of the flames. We sat side by side, watching the dancing heat rise up from the grate as we relaxed together. It