ROSE Mrs. Hook didn’t show up for dinner. So I ate alone in my room. Potato stew with boiled carrots—at least that’s what I thought it was, based on the grainy texture, the starchy taste and the orange bits floating in my wooden bowl. The room was as large as Rum’s bedroom back at the penthouse, which gave me a cozy feeling and at the same time anxiety and worry. I still wasn’t sure if Rum would come back for me. I’m in a world completely new to me. Though I learned a few things from Rum, they weren’t complete. And his absence made me feel more like a speck of dust in a giant world; I have absolutely no idea what’s gonna happen or how I’m supposed to act to keep myself safe; I have zero control over my circumstances and my future, being blown around wherever suitable for the others. Even the slightest breeze could blow me away. Fuck. I turned from the moon outside the window and stared at the queen size bed, the wheels in my mind churning. I can’t stay here and do nothing.
ROSE Umberto grabbed hold of the chair. “Miss Rose! Let go now!” “NO, YOU LET GO!” I cried and pushed forward. How much of a failure can I be! Slam the chair onto the werewolf when he crashed through the door, it’s that simple. Yet, the second I swung the chair down, the werewolf caught it before it hit his head. Goddamn it! “The Luna says you need to rest! Goddess blast it, Miss Rose!” He tried to pull the chair out of my grasp. “Let go! This thing’s too much for you!” “I’m not a fucking wimp, you asshole!” I shouted back. But I knew he was telling the truth—if he weren’t holding onto the chair, I wouldn’t be able to carry it for this long. My neck is starting to feel a bit sore. “You let go!” I screamed. “You can’t carry it!” Umberto roared. “You’re hurt!” He could yank it away from me—but I could tell he was afraid that doing so would make me pull a muscle too. ARGH! Fine! I failed. I let go and he lifted it like a weekend bag and replaced it on the ground. The
ROSE “It’s just a bruise. I’ll get you a neck brace. Don’t strain your neck too much and the bruises will go away in a day or two.” The doctor closed his bag. “Are you sure?” Rum pointed at my neck. “One of her vessels ruptured!” And the doctor cast him a deadpan look. “You’re welcome to get a second opinion. All her vessels are intact. Her throat looks fine—.” “But you didn’t even use those machines to scan her throat!” “Look here, buddy. You need to start extending your trust beyond machines. I've done a thorough check on her: her throat isn’t swollen; her voice is weak but solid; she can talk without any sign of pain or discomfort. So her neck is well." Just as Rum opened his mouth to rebut, the doctor swiftly added, "Except for the bruises, of course. So a neck brace is my prescription.” The doctor maintained his frown at the displeased superstar. “Regardless of what you think, your assistant is in no life threatening danger.” With that, the older man disappeared behi
ROSE The sound of a fabric tearing—and my panties were ripped off. A sense of thrill shot to my throat as my knees were pushed wide apart. I propped on my elbows, my breathing heavy, and a handsome gaze was fixed on me, its striking blue shade in the same intensity as what I saw earlier, at Crystal Valley. “Here’s what I’ll do each time you look at another guy—.” And his face disappeared between my thighs. Then, I felt something moist and warm—his lips! “Rum!” A tingly feeling shot up my spine like a needle. “Oh shit!” He was kissing me down there. Kissing and sucking and licking. Oh God, his tongue….. This isn’t right. But it felt… goddamn good….. A wave of bliss seized me and I came hard screaming his name. Before I came down from the extravagant feelings, I felt his gorgeous lips again, and it started all over again. ***** “OH FUCK!” I convulsed for the third time, spasming like a fish out of water, gasping for air as though there was none. I clutched the sheets ha
RUM What the fuck is so funny about what I just said? Jesus Christ… can she leave now? Rose is alone with Ambrose and I can't focus on what they were saying because of the yapping inside here. "Are you sure you don't want to use my team of specialists? They can do a much better job. I mean, they're medical specialists. Highly regarded in the field." The heiress smiled sweetly. Fuck. Now she wants me to go back to work? Didn't I just say that it's nice to take a break? I smiled back with the same sweetness. "I'm good, Miss Sparks—." "Goldie!" She screamed, her eyes spitting fire. And I went silent. Goddamn it. This is all Dan's fault. Why did he even agree to this? This bitch is crazy. Money. It's all for the sake of the fucking money. Deal with it, boy. That old geezer's voice echoed at the back of my mind. ARGH! I want a morning with Rose—not this… fucking hyena! "Goldie," I began, mustering a nice smile. "I hope this break gives me all the rest I need. I'll giv
RUM “I told you not to speak, you fucking witch!” The princess was shrieking her highest and angriest. Panic seized me. Rose! Jesus Christ! Can't the princess pick a better place and time for a catfight? I should’ve sent Rose away earlier. What if she hurt her neck again? I tried to appeal to the Alpha of the White Crown pack. “Ellis, I need to get to Rose.” But Magnus quickly lunged forward, wanting to grab me. And I backed away further to the bathroom, jerking up a hand to call for a truce. “Alright! Chill. Everyone, please! I'll stay. But let Ambrose go. Let him check on Rose. And we’ll talk in here.” The Alphas exchanged glances. Then, carefully, Ellis released his hostage. And I muttered to the recovering Delta, “Make sure she doesn’t hit again. Make sure Goldie doesn’t come in here.” Ambrose nodded with a grunt and left. “Close the door and lock it.” I looked at Ellis. And as soon as the Alpha did, the other one came for my neck. But I—PHWOOP!—and pounced out
ROSE ‘Ambrose?’ A giant wolf of the blackest night shot out from the side of the window—its blue eyes in the sharpest glow… of anger. ‘Open the fuck up,’ a deep voice growled. As soon as I did, it pounced in and—PHWOOP!—turned into the most gorgeous man in the U.R.T., whose head is almost touching the ceiling of my room. ‘Did I ruin your rendezvous with him?’ He stepped closer. In the glow of the moon, he looked twice as sexy—that damp hair combed back, some loose strands falling carelessly over his angry forehead—those thick brows knitted in fury—the white shirt sticking to his biceps and chest, its collar wide open for me to feast upon the form of his muscles, forcing me to recall the feel of them underneath my fingertips…. ‘Answer me, Rose,’ he demanded in a jealous rage that made my heart flutter like a crazy butterfly. ‘Are you having a secret meeting with Ambrose?’ ‘No.’ I held his gaze. ‘Don’t you dare lie to me.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘I’ve warned you… if you e
ROSE He pulled out slowly—a little—then slammed in. ‘Mmm!’ I turned and saw my desk before my eyes shut, squeezing so tight that they were starting to tear. ‘Open your eyes, Rose….’ coaxed that deep voice, strained with bliss. I can’t! If I do, I’ll scream, for sure. And Joy will know that you’re here, and you’re in my bed, and everything will be—-FUCKED! He rammed into me again, hard and strong, hitting that delightful spot. Strong sensations coursed through me, tightening my muscles, lifting my thoughts. ‘Mmph!’ My moan could no longer be stifled. ‘Open your eyes. I want to look into them when you come….’ Why? He spread my knees wider and sank in deeper, rubbing against my insides, making me feel even more, and my eyes flew open. In the dimness of the room, his eyes were glowing like glow sticks, only they were blue. Deep, passionate blue. And they were fixed on my face. His strong chest grazed mine and he pinned my hands above my head and drove in another inch. ‘
ROSECarefully, I picked up my iPad and the impatient phone and turned towards the exit of the office. I thought to answer the call once I’m outside, but it stopped buzzing. So I moved cautiously towards the elevator, when it arrived just as I halted to push the button for it. The doors opened and my handsome Alpha King appeared, worried as hell. ‘Why didn’t you answer my call?’ he demanded.I rolled my eyes. ‘Because I’m getting through a door with this.’ I pointed at my huge belly. He was about to carry me like a bride when I slapped his hands away. ‘Stop it!’ I hissed. ‘You want everyone to know?!’ ‘Wheelchair. If you ever missed my call again.’ He stepped aside for me to enter the metal carrier. ‘Alright, alright…’ I chuckled. ‘So how was it?’ He asked, glancing at my iPad. ‘Did she approve it?’ ‘No.’ I sighed. ‘It’s too extravagant. The actress specifically asked for more grounded styles. She wants people to relate more to acting than her beauty.’ And Keithen scoffed. ‘Goo
ROSEI rolled myself onto him, loving the way my skin rubbed against his, feeling his warmth and heartbeat against mine, as well as the vibrations of his chuckle. He swept the sticky damp strands off my face, hooking some around my ears, then combed the rest to the back of my head with his fingers, and all the time, I had my eyes closed, savouring the moment. And he chuckled some more. ‘You want another round?’ he whispered. My eyes burst open, and his arms squeezed my bare waist as he laughed. ‘I’m hurt, cub. You look like a car was about to hit you.’ I shifted closer to his face—my breasts scraping his hard chest, and he grunted a little—and kissed him on the mouth hard, delivering all my passion, all my apologies. Immediately, his mouth opened and he shifted to push me forward, so that his tongue could dive in a little more, consuming me breathless. Just as the familiar desires stirred inside me, I pulled back, tore my lips from his and captured his face with both hands, tryi
ROSEI’m a werewolf, aren’t I? Okay, not entirely. Just half wolf, half human. But that still counts, right? There’s still some wolf inside me to make this work! This has to work! Concentrate. Focus, Rose. Think of the gate. I could be at the beach, or the back alley. Does it relocate to the same place twice? Or does it choose a new place each time? ‘Rose, are you having a headache?’ asked Joy. I opened my eyes and evaluated my best friend for a while. Then, I made up my mind. ‘Joy.’ I grabbed her shoulders. ‘I’m about to tell you something that nothing in Science can ever explain.’ ‘O…kay?’ I could see the wheels of her mind churning to come up with the plausible reason for my sudden strange behaviour. ‘Is it Harry Potter kinda something?’ I nodded firmly. And she mouthed ‘O’, with a knowing gaze. But behind that gaze, I still caught her disbelief. ‘It’s alright to not believe me. Just promise me that you won’t tell a living soul.’ I was staring at her so hard, I could almost
RICHARDA video showing Richard in his midnight blue shirt with his arm stretched across the desk. The files shifted and a sketch of a female figurine in a puffed up flowy gown with petals in her hair and on her lashes and lips. Richard was flabbergasted. He turned back to the CEO, his mind churning furiously to come up with the best excuse to save his ass. ‘When Rose brought me that design, I thought to myself: this is something that ambitious Annie would use. It’s extravagant and flamboyant. Wouldn’t it be nice to distract her with this, so my precious gem can focus on levelling up her skills? She can’t be stuck in the B.A.D. crap all the time.’ Richard felt deflated. His world was crashing down into dust. ‘Y-You set me up.’ The CEO laughed heartily. ‘You flatter yourself too much, Richard. Set ups are for my equals. This is just a test. But you scored full marks.’ The young rising star slammed his palms on the desk and glared at the CEO—the woman who had previously doted on hi
ROSE‘... the winner of this styling face off is—.’ The emcee’s eyes rolled left to right repeatedly as he read the card. His brows knitted as a mutter of disbelief spilled from his mouth, ‘Annie from B.A.D.’ My insides sank to the deepest parts of my spirit. ‘YES!’ Annie shrieked out victoriously. With a smugful grin, she cast a look of condemnation in my way. ‘I told you she’s a fake! She can’t style at all! Extraordinary—ha!’ That was… … unexpected. I thought I had a good chance. I really did read Miss Jewel’s comments wrongly. ‘Oh! The main judge has something to say!’ The emcee shoved Annie aside to make way for the retired supermodel, Jinda Avengelistford, who gracefully took the centrestage at an astounding height of six feet. ‘Based on the styling standards, Miss Annie has met every single one.’ She turned to the head of B.A.D.’s styling team and flashed a warm smile. ‘It was exciting—your unexpected. There is still a difference between professional and personal styling.
KEITHEN ’CUT!’ The director’s frown was as clear as the blue sky outside. I could tell that he’s been trying to hold it in. But the shit’s about to explode. ‘Rum.’ He forced a smile. ‘Are you sure you’re not unwell?’ I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said this: ‘I’m fine.’ ‘Then what’s the problem?!’ The older guy grabbed his hair, about to go crazy. I stared at the line of the script that was shoved into my view. Instantly, the clog in my throat grew real. As real as the reality I’m about to face in an hour’s time. ‘Maybe Rum’s upset that this is all going to end for him soon.’ I looked up and a pair of kind eyes smiled back at me. Sherry patted my shoulder as that sweet smile turned into a sympathetic one. ‘I bet he misses all this. Don’t you, boss?’ I chuckled dryly and looked down again. ‘I’m not your boss, Sher. I’ve said it many times.’ That’s it. No matter how hard you try. You can’t fight reality. You just can’t. You can stay hidden around her. It won’t ma
RICHARDA day before the styling competition… ‘Go right in. She’s wrapping up the conference call,’ said the lovely PA of Miss Jewel. The young man in his stylist’s midnight blue shirt and grey bubble pants grinned sweetly and nodded. ‘Thank you, Celia. You look lovely today.’ And the PA gave her usual polite smile. Richard entered the glasshouse of an office and settled himself in the same chair he’d always been in whenever he’s here. A minute turned to three… and then it felt like ten. Richard’s fingers began to tap with impatience. He thought of checking his phone for an update from the private investigator he’d sent to tail Rose. The thought of Rose brought a grin to his glossed lips. Miss Jewel must have called him in to talk about Rose’s resignation, and he was prepared to sacrifice his precious time and help the agency convince Rose to retract it. There is no way the CEO wouldn’t agree to his one and only condition: that Rose stays as his stylist for as long as he’s wi
ROSEBANG, BANG, BANG!I stared at the door, unable to breathe. Unable to stop the tears. Unable to shut him out. ‘OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, ROSE!’ thundered the Alpha King. ‘YOU BETTER GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION RIGHT NOW!’ Hands clamped my ears. My head kept shaking in disagreement. My chest screaming: go away! Please, go away! ‘I know you’re in there! Open the fucking door!’ The banging continued. The same hands now clamped my mouth. To stop me from telling him to stop. Stop the noise, or someone will report him to the police. You’re a fucking celebrity! Stop it, Keithen!‘I’m counting to three. No open door, and I’ll fucking shift right here! Hear that, Rose? Footsteps! People are coming out. They’ll see me—.’ The hands were back on my ears. Shutting out his voice. My feet shuffled back, away from that enraged door. Hide. Go and hide, my mind told me. And I did. I scampered back to my room and slammed the door shut. Locked it. Then backed away, towards my bed. The second my calves bum
RICHARD‘I told you it’s not going to happen!’ the young man hissed into his phone. The female voice at the other end of the line screamed curses. ‘Everyone’s been talking about your peach silver outfit—more than mine! What happened to the black jacket! You said you’d wear it.’ Richard Black rolled his eyes at his reflection in his bedroom mirror. ‘She wanted to change it. What else can I do? Say no? Has your precious Rum ever said no to you regarding his outfit?’ ‘I can’t let her win that competition,’ chanted Annie. ‘Dan’ll have my head!’ ‘I’ll get you a chopping board then.’ ‘You lying son of a bitch! You didn’t keep your end of the deal—have you any idea the sacrifice I made for that article?’‘Sleeping with a reporter instead of some big shot? You call that a sacrifice?’ Richard scoffed. ‘You’re a whore, Annie. Everyone who knows you knows that. The models—they talk. A hell lot.’‘And you think your Rose is a virgin?’ ‘SHUT UP!’ Richard shouted back, and the ugly chuckle r