[--Kaiser Volkov--]She’s happy. Truly happy, and it shows in every little detail—the brightness of her face, the sparkle in her eyes, the way her laughter seems lighter than usual. It’s like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, one I’ve seen her carry for far too long. Watching her like this, standing under the wide open sky with the stars beginning to twinkle above, I feel a surge of warmth in my chest. There’s something so pure about seeing someone you care about rediscover a moment of joy, especially when you know what they’ve been through.She’s really beautiful when she smiles. A deep voice says in my head. I shake it off. Sometimes the beast within can speak to you.... unless that’s just me. But I’ve been able to hear my wolf. It’s interesting. He rarely speaks. He translates through his pheromones and more.I finish setting up the tent, making sure it's secure and comfortable. I take extra care with the sleeping bags, tucking them in just right, ensuring the space feels
[--Esmarie Cruz--]“Kaiser!” A female called from across the park. Kaiser and I both looked in that direction and he cursed.“Who is that?” I inquired as I eyed up the girl with dirty blonde colored hair and low jeans hanging onto her hips. A very slim waist, a crop top showing off her stomach piercing, and what seems to be a tattoo leading into her pants. Her eyes are a sharp color, from here I can’t tell what they are. People in the pack only glance at us, their eyes narrow at me with curiosity and suddenly I feel like I’m being judged.I remember that Kaiser sleeps around, do they think I’m one of the many notches on his bedpost?I hope to god that they don’t, but I try to keep my panic at bay. Focusing on one thing at a time. And at the moment, I am focused on the girl as she gets closer. Kaiser finally answered my question.“That is Sam.” the girl who called the house? His hook-up buddy?My lips suddenly tingle as I remember that he’d kissed me on the couch. What has he done with
[--Kaiser Volkov--]The night started off well, and it ended roughly. It’s quiet in the tent. We called it in after two movies. The silence and tension were annoying to me. I’ve never been ashamed of my habits. I’ve been fine with what I do. I don’t really care about what people think. As long as they don’t know about my past, Sam went too far. It made Esmarie uncomfortable.I sighed. I can’t sleep. The sleeping back next to me moves, and I turn my head to one side to see Esmarie as she rolls over to look at me.“It’s weird right?”“Yeah.”“There are others like her?”I chuckle. “No, the others will pour a drink in my face, or warn you to stay away.”She raises her eyebrow in surprise. “I figured you were good in bed, maybe I was wrong.”I coughed. “It’s not about my bed skills- which by the way are amazing. They want commitment, or to fuck again and I don’t do either of those things.”She sat up quickly. “You don’t sleep with the same person twice.”“Yeah, at least not sober. But whe
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Camping was nice. Due to that, I felt more motivated to step out. Obviously, I went nowhere but the backyard but I could do it without Kaiser. It felt nice to walk around his house without fear in my throat. Making me feel like I can’t achieve anything. Fear is a strong killer, it’s the kind of pill that you can almost never recover from.But.... I got to learn certain things. So two days later when Martha invited me to join her at her bakery I actually said yes. Kaiser has been busy, I’m guessing he’s either working or trying to avoid me because I asked him to teach me about the pleasures of the body.Ugh, what an awkward night that was. I remember feeling his skin, scratchy, and torn. I never noticed how Kaiser wore more and more clothes with each passing year. The abuse was happening right under the noses of everyone. Well with how I was treated I know the pack doesn’t pay any attention.But that is not the topic for today. My focus is on trying to make sure I ke
[--Esmarie Cruz--]She ate really slowly and my eyes kept moving towards her form because it was strange. Then Martha came out with more pastries and we arranged them in their respective places. She told me she needed some more ingredients, she was out of eggs and flour. So I was asked to hold down the bakery while she drove to the nearest supermarket to get those things.The moment she left, something went crashing to the ground.“Server, come clean this shit up.” Aren't we too old for bullying? What is wrong with this girl?I glanced over the counter to see the mess, the good scones that someone nicer could have eaten, on the floor with the plate it had been on. I grabbed the broom, and dustpan then headed towards her table. Crouching, I swept the pieces of food and ceramics onto the dustpan.“Ouch!” I hissed as something dropped on my head. It turned out to be the cup of coffee but my mounds of hair prevented it from breaking on my head. The warm liquid pours over my face, and the
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Will doesn’t need me to overlook the gates, the men building the compound don’t need me breathing down their necks. So when Martha calls to tell me that her next-door neighbor needs someone to drive her to the hospital and asks if I can help her buy some eggs and flour since she can’t do it anymore, I obviously say yes.It’s also a chance to check on Esmarie who is working at the bakery for the first time. I buy the items, and head to the bakery. I hopped out, deciding to step in and see if I could get Esmarie to help me with the eggs because I had a lot of eggs. Instead, I find her passed out on the floor in vomit with no one in sight. I panic immediately but what gets to me the most is the sound of her twins crying.I had to make a choice so I grabbed her, taking her to Martha’s office which has a bathroom. The twins are set up in a nice crib there, they’re the first thing you see when you walk in. I took Esmarie to the bathroom, to wash her face and help her wak
[--Esmarie Cruz--]So we can all agree that yesterday was a heaping disaster. And I refuse to step foot out of this house ever again. Kaiser is acting weird, like a prowler. He seems to be everywhere, and he seems to suddenly be interested in my entire life. It’s weird. I swear he smells funny too. Sure, it’s only been one day, and even when I explained everything to him he looked so calm but I could smell the strong pheromones he was giving off. Like a deadly man.A man hungry for blood. It’s like another side of him was revealed. I think, and I know this might shock some people, but Kaiser might be mentally unstable. I finally got why he didn’t want me here. This careful playboy facade he has built is crumbling. And I take no blame. It’s not my fault he was friends with a psycho.Is that how people in love act? Fuck, I really hope that never turns out to be me. Mentally, I need to be hospitalized. Physically, I need to be restrained. Spiritually, I need to be prayed for. I don’t eve
[--Esmarie Cruz--]“Do you remember those old cliche stories of vampires hating werewolves and werewolves hating vampires?”I nod, giving him my whole attention.“yeah well, it was a cliche at the four regions until Elias’s family became the top dogs. They may appear like they only run their region but they’re liars. They make rules for the rest of us and expect us to follow them blindly.”Huh, that explains why he says I don’t know Elias. But the man was kind enough to help me, and I have to appreciate that.“A couple of years ago, before we were born, vampires were allowed to visit the regions. I mean we’re the one part of this big blue earth that contains most of our wolf population. We’re massive, different breeds of werewolves all in these parts. And surrounding us are more wolf packs so naturally vampires want to explore and visit. The first group to visit were almost royals, wealthy, affluent, and valuable to the world of the bloodsuckers. Elias’s family doesn’t like blood suck
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I'm not entirely sure when Esmarie and I rounded off our conversation and made our way back into the house, but we did. It felt like one of those surreal moments where the world fades into the background, and for once, everything just clicks. I couldn’t stop replaying her words in my head, letting them wash over me like a balm to wounds I didn’t even realize were still open. The thought of being allowed to have a relationship with her—being given that chance—made something in my chest tighten in a way I wasn’t used to.It was all part of my grand scheme to seduce her, and it worked out well.Tch. Part of me wanted to punch the air, another part wanted to groan because I could practically hear my wolf laughing at me. There wasn’t some master plan to seduce her. I hadn’t been sitting around with a blueprint labeled Operation Win Esmarie’s Heart—but here I was, somehow making progress despite myself. Despite the universe actively choosing to expose all of my darkest
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After the festivities of the evening, watching the vibrant fireworks and basking under the serene glow of the blue moon, Kaiser drove us back home. The ride was a quiet one, the kind of silence that feels natural after a long and eventful day. I felt a sense of peace, mixed with exhaustion and a tinge of happiness. The twins were snug in their car seats, their soft breaths barely audible but enough to remind me of their comforting presence. Kaiser seemed at ease as he drove, his usual stern features softened by what I could only describe as contentment.There wasn’t much to say between us, and the silence stretched comfortably. I found myself lost in the hum of the car’s engine, my thoughts wandering back to the festival. The glow of the moon, the music, the laughter of the crowd—all of it replayed in my mind like a pleasant daydream. Every now and then, I would glance at Kaiser, trying to decipher his thoughts, but his focus remained on the road, his expression unr
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I sat at Martha's booth, working alongside her and spending the majority of the day helping to feed people. It wasn’t something I had expected to enjoy, but as the hours went by, I found myself actually looking forward to it. The rhythm of chopping, stirring, and serving felt comforting in a way I hadn't anticipated. The people who stopped by were all so kind, and their smiles after tasting the food made it all the more rewarding. Each compliment was like a small victory, and by the time the afternoon began to fade, I was proud of what we had accomplished. The booth was buzzing with energy, the air filled with the mingling scents of freshly cooked dishes. But underneath the pleasant hum of conversation and laughter, there was an underlying current of nervous excitement in me. The twilight ceremony was only a few hours away.I was both nervous and excited. It was my first time experiencing the twilight ceremony. The anticipation, the magic of it all, stirred somethin
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The next morning, I woke up nestled in Kaiser’s arms. The sensation was disorienting—unfamiliar yet oddly comforting. My first instinct was to pull away, but a part of me hesitated, feeling a strange sense of safety I hadn’t expected. The light filtered through the curtains, bathing the room in soft hues, and I could feel his slow, steady breathing as he stirred awake beside me. His eyes fluttered open, meeting mine briefly before we both groaned in unison. It wasn’t irritation or frustration; it was more of an unspoken agreement to set aside whatever had happened the night before. Without exchanging a single word, we moved apart, a mutual understanding that today would start fresh as if yesterday’s events were a story meant to be rewritten.I slipped out of the blanket- not sure where it came from, the chill of the morning air hitting my skin, and began to stretch the stiffness from my body. Kaiser rolled onto his back, running a hand through his tousled hair, befo
[--Kaiser Volkov--]After Esmarie sobbed into my arms, her body trembling as if her emotions had drained every ounce of strength she had left, I let her stay there, holding her tightly. My shirt was damp from her tears, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to let go, not yet. She needed this moment, and, truth be told, so did I. There’s something about seeing someone you care about break down in front of you that makes you want to fight the entire world to make it right.She said some words to me, but it didn’t really feel like we were speaking about it. She had been focused on me rather than what I had revealed. God, I consider my luck turning. If not, there’s no reason for her to be in my arms instead of across the street screaming bloody murder at me.Once her breathing evened out and her sobs softened, I hesitated before speaking. I knew what I had to say would only add to the storm swirling in her mind, but I couldn’t keep it from her. Not now. Not when I was trying so damn hard to p
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I dropped to my knees, the weight of everything hitting me all at once. My legs buckled beneath me as if they couldn't support the burden of the truth Kaiser had just revealed. I clutched at his arms, fingers trembling as they gripped the fabric of his shirt. My chest heaved with ragged breaths, and I fought to keep the overwhelming emotions from spilling out all at once."I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The words cracked as they left his lips, soft and almost hesitant. He didn’t move to embrace me right away, though I could feel the tension in his arms. His restraint was deliberate, his way of giving me the space I might need to process this. It was so him, but not him at the same time. Sometimes careful careful, sometimes he thinks of me first. And yet, his quietness only made it harder. It made me feel annoyed at myself for not being more pissed off at him.What is this weakness of an emotion?I shook as waves of emotion rolled through me—a
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I didn’t think it was possible for things in my life to go from bad to worse. I honestly didn’t think that was possible.There are a million things I expected to hear from Kaiser in my lifetime, but none of them were the words that just came out of his mouth. My breath caught, and before I knew it, tears streamed down my face, silent but unrelenting. Throughout my years with the Darkwood family, I’d been told that my mother had abandoned me. That she’d disappeared because she wanted nothing to do with me. Barry made sure I believed that. He’d drilled it into my mind that she was cruel and only loved herself and money, that she’d walked away without looking back.While most of that was true, turns out that he’s not just a sadistic bastard but he’s a lying bitch who had always wanted to keep me trapped.Now, hearing the truth—that Kaiser was the one who killed her because they made him do it—it shattered me. Completely. My chest ached, and I could barely see through m
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I drove to Martha's house late in the night, almost midnight, exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin. My bones ached from the day's relentless grind, and my mind was teetering between shutting down and spiraling out of control. As I pulled into the driveway, I spotted the faint glow of the living room lights through the curtains. It didn’t surprise me to find Esmarie awake, sitting on the floor with her twins, who were transfixed by whatever cartoon Martha had queued up on the TV. Their big, drooling smiles and bubbling laughter were a stark contrast to how drained I felt. It was oddly comforting—just for a moment, anyway.Martha’s house always smelled the same: a blend of lavender air freshener and whatever was baking in her oven earlier that day. Which might have been nothing since she cooked at my house. Her place always smells like there’s a new meal in the oven waiting to be brought out.Tonight, it smelled faintly of cinnamon. I stood in the doorway, wat
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I met up with the assassin I’d hired after sending Esmarie home with Martha. The meeting was held in a secluded alley just outside the pack, the kind of place where shadows seemed to linger a little longer and the air always smelled faintly of damp concrete and regret. The man, tall and broad-shouldered, wore a plain black jacket and a hood that obscured most of his face. Not that it mattered—we didn’t need formalities, not in this line of work.When he approached, he didn’t say a word, and neither did I. We both understood the weight of unspoken agreements. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a thick envelope, holding it out with a steady hand. I nodded as I took it from him, a brief acknowledgment passing between us. No gratitude, no farewells. Just business. He turned on his heel and disappeared down the darkened alley, his steps quiet but deliberate.Wolves like him kill for cash—efficient, detached, and dangerous. He wasn’t the type to do favors, but our