[--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
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Kaiser had perfected the art of suspense in a way that was almost maddening. It wasn’t in his nature to rush, and tonight he seemed to take particular pleasure in delaying whatever conversation or confrontation awaited us. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room—the box of inappropriate things that still sat innocuously nearby—he opted to spend his time with the twins. Waking them gently from their slumber, he slipped into a new persona altogether: one of a doting, playful caretaker. His gruff demeanor softened as he cradled them in his arms, his voice a low, soothing hum as he began to tease and interact with them in a way I had never quite seen before.It was mesmerizing.For two whole hours, I sat back, silently observing from the sidelines as Kaiser dedicated himself entirely to them. He tickled their small feet, eliciting high-pitched giggles that filled the room like music. He bounced them in his arms, playing an improvised game of hide and seek around
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Her passing out wasn’t something I anticipated, but I didn’t panic. Nor did I rush to catch her. The carpet beneath her was thick and cushioned, and a bean bag had conveniently broken her fall, cradling her unconscious body with its softness. For a moment, I stood there, merely observing the stillness of her form, the way her body had gone slack, her limbs limp like a puppet with its strings cut. There was a serenity in the scene that felt almost out of place as if she had chosen this exact moment to surrender to the world.I rolled my eyes, not out of indifference, but more out of a quiet amusement at the unpredictability of it all. This was far from what I had imagined would happen. Still, I wasn’t overly concerned. After all, fainting wasn’t exactly life-threatening, and I knew she’d come to her senses soon enough. With a sigh, I redirected my attention to the task at hand. There was a box of items meant for her training, a collection of objects she could use to
[--Kaiser Volkov--]A relaxed woman is something to behold. I don’t do this to the girls i sleep with though. My trick is fucking, and not letting them stay for a meal or a shower. Why? Because those things could lead to conversations and seeing as I’d forget their names the moment they leave the house having a conversation is something I try to avoid.“Lose the shirt.”She glances at me, then she moves to grab the bottom of her shirt. I wait, a smile on my face. Esmarie is like a work of art. She barely lifts the shirt before she comes back to her senses and watching her face morph from contentful submission to shock almost forces me to break and laugh. God this is a weird deja vu.What is the opposite of deja vu? Cause that’s what I was going for.“I am not stripping out of my shirt you pervert. No!”“Okay, well I want to you explore your baby feeders-”“Never say that again. First, you call me a spider, and now you can’t even give me the dignity of saying breast? Am I not a woman t
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I lit a cigarette and leaned back on the chair as the three alphas attempted to intimidate me. What a bunch of losers. They can’t affect me with this macho BS.“You know we have a rule against vampires.”“I know it’s borderline speciesism and I don’t have to blindly follow your family’s rules. The vampires I’m meeting happen to hate you, hate big dumb and stupid over there, and I’m sure they’ll come to hate Berney and his ugly face soon enough. But they don’t hate me. I’m the new guy, I’m nice, I’m a kiss ass to them. And I can get alot of resources to expand my sectors. While you’re forming enemies I am trying to think bigger than the picture laid out for me.”Elias slams his glass down, and I puff out smoke. Clipping the cigarette between my fingers.“You... what the fuck is speciesism?”“Speciesism refers to the idea of discrimination based on species, where one species sees itself as superior to another.”“That is not what is happening.”“Oh really, then tell m
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Why did I listen to Kaiser? For the rest of my life, I might be muttering those words, shaking my head in disbelief at my own stupidity. Kaiser is a special breed, and he spends every single second of his life making sure the rest of the world knows it. He thrives on chaos, he swims in it like it’s his natural habitat. There’s never a dull moment with him—though that’s not always a good thing. He has this aura of authority as if the rules don't apply to him, and somehow, when you're around him, you start believing that they don’t apply to you either.This time though... okay, I didn’t follow his instructions to the letter, but in my defense, it felt weird. “Take it slow,” he said. Fine, I heard him. But goddamn it, I got curious. Anyone would have, right? The remote was shaped like a bunny, for crying out loud! It was cute, all soft and innocent-looking. It made these adorable little beeps when you turned up the vibration. I mean, who wouldn't be curious? It was sma
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Kaiser sleeps through to the next morning, which is shocking. But I’m feeling productive the next day, blame that on whatever you want to blame it on. Pleasure or the fact that last night I deliriously considered Kaiser to be my vice.I shudder at the thought, but I’m going to blame it on the cold. This morning the twins are well fed and listening to a cute ten-hour video about the best kiddy songs invented. They play each song, so yay me. But I’m not sitting there in the living room with them.I decided to show more progress by taking a walk around the compound. The large gates are interesting. I don’t have to worry about what’s on the outside. Martha should be coming over this afternoon so we can bake together. I’d also like to go to the beach.Or a lake. Those are the types of places Kaiser and I used to meet. God, there’s so much room in my head now that I have hopes and dreams and I’m not trying to focus on simply surviving. This is life!A honking sound drags
[--Kaiser Volkov--]“We need to talk, martha. It’s important.”Martha looked at me, her brows furrowing with worry, the lines on her face deepening as though they carried the weight of years past. She had always been my anchor, the one who kept me tethered when the rest of the world felt like a storm trying to drown me. But this conversation, this moment, was inevitable. I couldn't avoid it any longer, even if it felt like cutting through something sacred between us.I inhaled deeply, steadying my voice. "Martha, you’ve always been there for me when no one else would. When everyone else turned their backs, you opened your arms. You gave me a home when all I had was fear. You gave me hope when my own family left me with nothing but scars—on my body and in my mind." My throat tightened as I spoke, but I pressed on. "I owe you so much, and I’ll never forget that. But right now, I need your complete honesty."She straightened in her chair, her hands clasped tightly together, as if bracing
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I drove down the familiar streets that led to the heart of the festival grounds, my thoughts swirling as I gripped the steering wheel. The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. The events of last night lingered in my mind, a weight pressing down on my chest. The attack had shaken everyone, and I couldn’t blame them. But today, I had a responsibility to remind them of our resilience, our strength as a pack. This festival meant more than just celebration; it was a symbol of unity. Still, there was another matter pulling at my focus. I needed to speak with Martha. She should be at her booth by now, setting up like she always did, rain or shine, crisis or calm.As I approached the festival grounds, the sight before me gave me pause. Despite the lingering fear, the area was bustling. Booths were being set up, vendors were unloading their wares, and people moved with a mixture of determination and unease. It was quieter
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After dropping us off at the house, Kaiser barely paused before rushing through his usual post-mission routine. He took a quick shower, his footsteps echoing through the hallway as he hurried to get dressed. Within minutes, he was out the door again after giving me a kiss to the cheek, muttering something about “cleaning up loose ends” before disappearing into the early morning haze. I didn’t press for details, partly because I knew he wouldn’t offer any and partly because my own thoughts were already spinning with plans of my own.I turned my attention to the twins, who had been unusually fussy since the chaos of the day before. The attack at the festival had left us all shaken, and while they were too young to understand what had happened, they could sense my tension. I scooped them up one at a time, changing their diapers and dressing them in soft, matching onesies. Their tiny giggles and occasional protests grounded me in the moment, offering a brief reprieve fr
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I spent the entire night in the office with Esmarie and the twins. We’d set up a little makeshift haven amidst the chaos of paperwork and a space I usually reserved for stress and solitude. But somehow, with them here, the room felt different—warmer, alive, and strange in a way I couldn't yet put into words. The twins had dozed off in their little portable cribs, Esmarie curled up on the couch, her face softened by sleep. I sat at my desk long after they'd drifted off, trying to make sense of everything in my life that led to this moment.When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the quiet hum of morning light filtering through the window blinds, painting everything in muted golds and grays. Then I heard them—the soft, bubbly sounds of the twins babbling to each other. It was like their own secret language, words that only they understood. I turned to see them wide-eyed, tiny fists waving as if they were solving the mysteries of the universe.And when they saw
[--Kaiser Volkov--]The website was set up as a front to buy cupcakes, but they didn’t hide anything. The moment you scroll through the first page, you can immediately find a tag asking if you want information about me. There’s a place to leave reviews. I didn’t leave one; I know a good hacker. Unfortunately, that person happens to be Sam. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to talk to her again.I chucked that conversation up to tomorrow and brought my attention back to Elias. I rubbed my face, my head pounded. What else can I say to him? I want to hit him, over and over again, until there’s nothing left of him but a pile of pulp on the floor.“Get comfortable, boys. You’ll be sleeping here throughout the night.” I gave them my best smile before waving goodbye and leaving the room. They were still tied to the chairs, so this would be an uncomfortable night for them.With nothing else to do, I went up the stairs to my office. As expected, esmarie was wide awake. I should have asked her some
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I was pissed, I don’t think I can even explain what being pissed means. Someone is dying tonight. No, no, that is the wrong mentality. I pulled on the spare clothes Will had brought on and told him to go with Jackson to the hospital. That man did a good job defending the pack, so it is me... and some of the wolves who drove Elias and his men here.I had to count to sixteen to remind myself that violence is never the first option. Yup, that’s as far as my mind can go. I headed into the room where they were being held. I know Will is not happy with how bruised Jackson was but he looks alot better than these fuckers. I actually felt like I was about to laugh.“Give us some alone time, boys. Go back to your wives. Enjoy the rest of the precious festival. Then vet the whole place and everyone. I’m gonna find out how they got in here even if it means I murder a Domeros.”Elias cut me a glare but I wasn’t fazed by that stupid attempt to threaten me. The alphas didn’t argu
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I kept myself firmly between the two massive wolves, feeling the weight of their power pressing against the air. The energy crackled, sharp and threatening, like the moments before a storm unleashes.“Elias,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline racing through me, “you’re breaking the rules. You don’t step into another alpha’s territory without permission. So, here’s the deal—I need you to tell your men to stand down, right now, before Kaiser humiliates you by making you the newest bitch on the block.”Elias’s wolf froze, his molten gaze locked on me, calculating. The sharpness of his fangs glinted in the moonlight as his lips twitched into something between a snarl and a grin. It was clear he was considering my words, and weighing his options, but he was taking too long.The sound of approaching paws thundered through the clearing as more wolves arrived, their growls low and steady. The festival, after all, had drawn in more wolves than this territory had
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I made a split-second decision since none of the options in my head sounded right. I pulled out my cellphone, and quickly took a video of the Elias lookalike while he was still distracted before ducking into the nearest booth. Which turned out to be a photo booth, with a long curtain so thank goodness.I texted Kaiser the picture then I waited for him to call me. After five minutes I peeked out between the curtains. The Elias guy was still there. Looking at everyone. I took a photo before he could turn his head, then I ducked back in. This time I dialed kaiser.He’s a busy guy, I can’t expect him to look at every notification he gets.“I just saw your message. What the fuck is Elias doing in my fucking pack?”“I... don’t know,” I whispered.“I texted Jackson, he’s nearby. He will handle it. Where are you?”“I’m at a photo booth.”“Jackson will get you once Elias has been brought to me. Stay where you are. Don’t move an inch.”“Okay.”Kaiser hung up, leaving me in th
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The next few days of the festival went by quicker than I expected. The end of the first week was exciting, and I even won one of their games. I won two unicorn teddy bears for my children, the amount of freedom I felt being here was enough to silence the the nightmares that normally plagued my mind.And Kaiser, he was different. It was kind of scary how nice and charming he acted towards me. Today was like most days at the festival: lively. In fact, I think the number of people here has tripled. The second week was kicking off with a banger.Martha’s booth was closed today as she wanted to mingle and chat as much as she could with people. I walked around, tried some new food, and finally came across a booth I’d seen on the flyer: Ralph’s fortune-telling booth.I don’t believe in fortune tellers, but this could be fun. I bought a ticket and went in. The aura inside was .... strange if I had to be honest. It felt like I was walking into a whole new world. Someplace th