|--Esmarie Cruz--|I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and immediately sorted out my children. Thankfully, it was all in my head. They were still in place, but I could no longer go back to bed. I got up and left the room. I left the door slightly ajar so I could hear them if anything happened. Sure, I also took the baby monitor with me. I’m freaking out. I know.I’m making this whole thing seem like it’s the end of the world. And it is. But Martha, that sweet old lady helped me so much. How did she ever get involved as a mother figure to that jackass? He thinks he’s tough shit now, carrying around the same attitude his brother had.The difference is if he hits me, I will smack him over the head with my shoe. I checked the hall before I went into the chicken to grab a can of soda. I picked a fruity canned punch instead. My legs were hurting from the angle at which I’d been sleeping.The floor is not comfortable, no matter what carpet is placed over it. I took my place
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Another day cleaning up the messes rough packs were trying to make. I ran my hand through my hair, and Will watched me with a weird eye. Trying to gauge why I was being quiet instead of making jokes or checking out some hot girls who offered to help us out.Mostly to get hit on by me, but I couldn’t do it. Imagine being compared to your older, creepy, rapey brother simply because you chose to be free. I need to drink alot tonight. Esmarie is such a bitch. I know it’s rude to say that but I’m not some savior so she has no right to be angry.I didn’t do anything to her on purpose.Which is why I don’t understand the guilt currently taking over my mind and killing me. Fucking hell, that woman. And to just have such a nice body to go with that attitude- I need alcohol. That thought was very wrong. ew.Geezus.“Okay, I will ask the question that has been plaguing me. What is wrong with you, Kai? You’re not flirting, you haven’t talked about drinking, and you’re being al
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I fell asleep with the twin babies on my chest, their small bodies nestled against mine as I lay uncomfortably on the couch. Was it comfortable? Absolutely not. My back ached from the awkward position, and my neck felt stiff from the angle at which my head had been resting. I would have given anything to be in my own bed, sprawled out with a pillow that didn’t dig into my spine. But I was trying not to be the douchebag who complains about a couple of infants. After all, they didn’t ask to be here, and it wasn’t their fault that I’d been roped into this makeshift bed-sharing arrangement.Somewhere in the dark, I awoke, blinking groggily as I tried to remember where I was. The house was silent except for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the next room. I shot a glance down at the babies still resting on my chest. They were adorable—I’ll give them that much, even if I wasn’t particularly fond of children. Elijah, the boy, was sucking on his pacifier, his eyes tight
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I showered quickly, or at least I tried to. The warm water cascading against my skin felt like a recipe for relaxation, melting away the tension from my muscles the moment it touched me. I had intended for it to be a fast rinse, but the sensation of the heat working its way into my body made that impossible. It was like my body needed this—more than I’d realized. As the steam began to fill the bathroom, swirling around me in gentle, hazy clouds, I tilted my head back and let the water pour down my face, soaking my hair completely until the curls grew heavy with the weight of the water. I could feel my breathing slow as the tension ebbed from my shoulders, the constant buzz of stress that had lingered in my chest now dissolving, little by little, into the heat.I reached for the shampoo, squeezing a generous amount into my palm. I massaged it into my scalp, working it into my tangled curls, feeling the lather thicken as it spread through each strand. The sensation of
[--Esmarie Cruz--]“Marie, wake up."The voice broke through the fog of sleep, pulling at the edges of my consciousness, but I groaned softly and rolled over, burying my face deeper into the pillow. It was a voice I recognized, one that had haunted me for years, but I was too exhausted to let it pull me from the fragile comfort of sleep. I could hear the steady rhythm of my own breathing, and feel the weight of the blankets cocooning me, and all I wanted was to stay there, wrapped in the momentary illusion of peace."Marie, wake the fuck up! Did you really think you could keep my children from me?!"Before I could even process the words fully, I felt rough hands yanking me up with brutal force, tearing me away from my dreams and sending me crashing to the cold, unforgiving floor. Pain shot through my body as my elbows and knees hit the hard surface, the jolt ripping a gasp from my throat.My eyes flew open, wide with shock and terror, as reality slammed back into me. I was sprawled on
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I thought I was fine with the phone call for a good fifteen minutes after what should have been peace. I turned into a snarky person.This isn’t jealousy. It’s pure, unfiltered anger. A rage that simmers just below the surface, threatening to boil over with every second that passes. Why does he get to live his life at all? Why does he get to move freely, without the weight of guilt or consequences dragging him down? He walks through the world as if nothing matters, as if no one else's pain is real, as if the destruction he's left behind is nothing more than a faint memory. And me? I'm trapped here, stuck with the aftermath of everything—everything he and his brother did.Because I was so mad, and the twins could feel it, I had to devote my whole day to taking care of my twins-- extra style. The cutest babies in the world, and they're mine. I played with them, fed them, changed them, rocked them to sleep, and put them down for naps twice. Twice! Let me tell you, the
[--Kaiser Volkov--][FLASHBACK]I sat down by the riverbank, the familiar hum of the water flowing gently in the background, the kind of peaceful sound that usually helped clear my head. But today, it felt like nothing could drown out the noise in my mind. My gaze dropped to the bruise on my wrist, dark and fading, but still there, a stubborn reminder of everything I’d been through. The skin around it felt tender, and as I scratched at it absently, a dull ache shot through my arm. The pain was nothing new—too familiar, too constant. I sighed, letting my hand fall back into my lap, staring at the water without really seeing it."Hey!"The sudden sound of Esmarie’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat, the kind of reflexive reaction that always hit me when I heard her. Esmarie. Damn. I panicked for a second, hastily tugging the sleeve of my shirt down over my wrist to cover the bruise. The last thing I wanted was for her to see that and start asking questions. I p
[--Kasier Volkov--]I marched into her bedroom, and she abruptly ended the call.“What are you doing here? Don’t you know how to knock?” she scowls at me.“You’re talking to Elias. In this pack, he’s an enemy. I’m gonna need you to not do that.”Her eyes roll, and she drops into the plump pink chair next to her bed. “You cannot tell me what to do. And for the record, sleeping with a guy’s fiancee is crazy. That’s a low even for a whore like you.”I didn’t let the anger show on my face. Instead, I let it go. She wants to talk to Elias. Let her. Elias is a good alpha. Just like me. We’re alike in many ways. He doesn’t know my dirty secrets, but I know enough of his. I stepped back and left her room.Continuing my path to the kitchen when I heard her footsteps following me. I pulled out a plate, and some ingredients so I could prepare a nice meal for my breakfast.“That’s it? You’re just going to walk away, you don’t want to defend yourself?”“Why? You don’t like me, you seem comfortable
[--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
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After the speech, Kaiser stepped down from the stage, and the crowd around him buzzed with energy. The sun had set hours ago before he arrived, and the festival grounds were lit by warm, glowing lanterns that cast a golden hue over everything. It was the kind of night that felt endless, with laughter still ringing out in the distance and people lingering as if they didn’t want the magic of the evening to end. Kaiser moved through the crowd with ease, stopping to talk with some of the elders who had waited patiently for a moment of his time.I stayed back, watching him from afar. He had a way of commanding attention without demanding it. People naturally gravitated toward him, and he gave each person his undivided attention as if their words were the most important thing in the world. It was...endearing. And maybe a little infuriating. Why did he have to be so him? Ugh.I couldn’t help myself; my eyes followed his every move, like a moth drawn to a flame. The twins s
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The festival today was everything I hoped it would be—fine, entertaining, and so full of life that it made it hard not to feel swept up in the joy of it all. It was a day to forget everything else, to just breathe and soak in the energy of the pack as they celebrated. The music was loud and cheerful, drums beating in sync with the laughter and chatter that echoed through the clearing. The scent of roasted meats, freshly baked bread, and spiced cider hung heavy in the air, mingling with the floral undertones from the petals scattered all over the ground.At one point, someone pulled me into the center of a circle forming on the dance floor, and before I could protest, I found myself swept up in the rhythm of the music. The twins, who were strapped to me in their carriers, giggled and waved their tiny hands in delight. Their laughter was infectious, and soon I was spinning and twirling, letting the music dictate my movements. People cheered and clapped, their voices a
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I laid down on my couch, fully intending to just rest my eyes for a few minutes, but the exhaustion pulled me under faster than I could resist. It wasn’t a restful sleep—more like thirty minutes of uneasy drifting, filled with fleeting images and vague sensations that I couldn’t quite piece together when I stirred awake. My body felt heavy, as if the weight of the day, the festival I needed to make an appearance at later today, the note on my door, and my sleepless night were pressing down on me all at once. For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the air conditioner and the muffled sounds of people moving around outside.Then my phone buzzed, the vibration cutting through the stillness and dragging me fully back into reality. I groaned softly, fumbling for the phone on the coffee table and squinting at the screen. Doctor Jacobs. The name blinked at me, and for a split second, I debated letting it go to voicemail. Bu
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Elias wouldn’t stop pestering me. Text after text, hour after hour, all asking for the same thing: permission to attend the Blue Moon Festival. The man didn’t just ask—he hounded, pleaded, and occasionally tried to guilt me, then insulted and threatened, as if I owed him anything. But the answer was always the same.No. I didn’t trust him, not with something this important, not with something this sacred. There was a reason I kept him at arm’s length, and his persistence only made him seem all the more suspicious. I could practically feel the tension behind his words, the kind of tension that made you wonder if someone was pushing a hidden agenda. Still, I refused. Firmly. Politely at first, then with less patience. Like telling him to fuck himself in so many words. Even the most cultured terms. Today marked day four of the festival, and if Elias thought I was going to crack, he was sorely mistaken.He couldn’t bully me about other things, so he should know better.