I trudged along the hills, my every breath getting labored after the next. I pulled out my cell phone and tried powering it on but the screen stayed blank, I sighed. No battery life left, my backpack felt heavy on my back and for a moment I considered dropping it but I breathe in deep and tried gathering strength.
‘Come on Reyna, you can do this ‘ I said to my self and took a step forward and grinned when I saw civilization. I put more spring to my steps and hurried down the hills shouldering my backpack carefully not to let it slip off my tired shoulder. The sky rumbled and lightning flashed in the sky. ‘Please don’t rain’ I begged the universe, but it seemed the universe was in no mood for prayers because as soon as I said that in my head, the rain poured heavily without warning and in seconds I was as drenched as a sewage pipe rat. I managed to reach the restaurant and I rushed in soaking wet, the restaurant was devoid of customers and I thanked the universe again. A waiter placed a menu and I ordered and sat waiting, he served me hot scalding tea and without hesitation I downed it in one gulp. The rain continued pouring harder and I sighed as I drank the last of my tea. I couldn’t stop now, this was my third day roaming after my own father had sent me away for being “useless” as he put it. I dropped the empty ceramic cup and got to my feet and headed out of the restaurant, the rain poured harder and I stepped inside it, pulling my sweater around me. From the corner of my eye, I could make out five huge men stalking me as I turned one swung a club, my reflexes kicked in and I dodged. Another backhanded me and I went flying but as he came again, I tripped him and slammed my fist into another face. I didn’t turn in time to see one raising a club and he whacked me in the back with it, I collapsed to the floor “We are gonna take you things and do as we like with you, pretty……” his voice was cut short as a blur went past and his head flew from his body, the other dudes stared in shock then from the shadows a tall very handsome roguish looking man emerged from the dark and he scowled. “You shouldn’t be attacking a lone lady” he said, his voice was dangerously deep and ice cold and it gave me chills. These guys obviously knew him because they literally trembled. “We didn’t think off that” one said and stepped back. “Please forgive us” he begged but the stranger only smiled, a dangerous smile and he stepped closer and in the blink of an eye extended his claws and stabbed them in the heart and they slumped to the floor unconscious, the rest tried to run but he whipped out a gun and shot them both in the head, he turned back to me and I cringed. “You are okay?” He asked nonchalantly as if he didn’t really care that I was, he pulled out a small bottle of brandy and opened the lid and drank, he offered me to drink but I shook my head. “Am I free to go” I asked and he stared at me for a while then he burst into laughter and shook his head. “Free to go? So this fellas can catch you again” he grinned then he scowled immediately, “Nope, you are coming me with me” he said and I backed away. “No” I said and he turned sharply. His green eyes looked like marble. “No?” He said dangerously and I backed away until my back was to the wall. “How can I trust you?” I said and he tilted his head and threw away the now-empty brandy bottle. “You can’t trust me” he replied honestly, “So it’s better you come with me or I knock you out and carry you myself, you don’t want that do you” he said and stared at the sky that threatened to pour out more rain. “Why?” I asked and he pushed back his long dark hair. “You are a fucking lone werewolf, you can’t survive” he said and I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know that I am a werewolf” I asked and he scoffed. “I can literally smell it in you, stupid. Now if you don’t mind let’s go before I knock you out” he grabbed my arm and pulled me forcing me to follow he stopped in front of a car and roughly pushed me to the other car door. “Get in” he said and I slipped in the back. “Where are we going?” I asked and he started the engine. “Home” he said and the car lurched forward. _______________________________________ The stranger pulled up in a beside a large grey house and he came down, he didn’t even make any move to open the door for me, the door opened and from the house emerged another dark haired guy who looked somewhat like him, I guess they must be brothers. “Jake, where are you manners. You should have opened the door for her” he said and help me opened the door, he smiled at me. “Pardon my brother, he is a bit rash sometimes” he said and Jake turned he smiled slowly. “A bit rash? No John. I am rash” he said and smiled and walked off. I stared at John and offered a smile. “Thank you” I said and he nodded, he took the backpack from me and slipped it on his shoulders. “Come in, Selena was just whipping up something when you came” he said and walked in. I stopped in front of the house and looked around for a second and sighed. Here I was entering another pack again, hope I feel at home here and hope the pack members were as nice as John. Let’s do this Reyna I took in a deep breath and walked in“You’re okay?” John asked. I nodded and sipped the hot tea nearly sighing as it warmed my body, John sat at a respectful distance beside me and I noticed him watching me keenly at a far corner. Jake stared at a fire sipping from a glass of liquor looking lost in his own world. “What happened” John asked and I sighed, his dark eyes roamed my face and I noticed how handsome he was. “My father, chased me away” I said and his eye darkened even further, he looked annoyed. “That’s wickedness” he said and I nodded, the tears I have been holding and promising myself not to shed started pooling in the corner of her eyes. “I am so sorry” John said and I nodded. The tears dropped and he tentatively wiped them away and I stared at him in surprise. “Thank you” I said and he smiled. Jake stood and dropped the book he was holding “I am outta here before you two kiss and talk in love” he said and I reddened, John looked embarrassed and he shot his
“Where is Jake?” I asked and John shook his head, “He doesn’t like parties” he said loudly over the loud music, around us werewolves danced to loud hiphop music, John twirled me around and I danced coming close enough to stare into his eyes and kissed him, ever since the day we kissed, we had become more exclusive and I learned werewolves males were very jealous with their woman and John certainly was, his hand held my waist possessively as if afraid I would wander off. “I won’t wander off” I said and John grinned and kissed my check. “Never trust when a lady says that” he said and I gasped playfully. “John! Ouch! So you don’t trust me” I said and he grinned. “One bit” he said and I punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Kidding” he said and we walked to a bar and he poured wine for me. “Cheers” I said and he smiled at me. “To what?” He asked and I shrugged. I flunked my glass with his and we drank
“Come on you dumb ass shit” Jake yelled, “One more” he said and with every once of my strength I pushed myself up and then collapsed onto the grass. Jake made no move to help me up, instead he circled me and scowled. “You are fucking weak” he said and I scowled at him, he grabbed my arms and roughly force me to sit. I smacked away his hand and he growled angrily. “Don’t ever touch me” I snapped and he nodded. “Good, I want you to be angry. Now channel that rage at me, think of everything you hate about me. Our power are mostly at their peak when we are in rage now punch me” he said and I hesitated, even though I probably detested him, for some reason I didn’t want to punch him. “Come on, don’t be such a wimp you idiot” he said and I scowled and charged for him. I punched him right in the face, and he stood there and took it without blinking, bleeding from the mouth. He threw back his head and laughed then he grinned at me. “T
I opened my eyes slowly and sat up, I suddenly remembered yesterday and peeled back my shirt and stared at my shoulder. It was perfectly fine and with no trace that I had been stabbed there. “You are good as new” came Jake’s voice and I turned to see him in the doorway, looking handsome, his long dark hair fell to his forehead enhancing those roguish good looks of his. I scowled at him and he smiled. “You stabbed me” I said and he grinned as if he enjoyed the moment. “You asked dear” he said with mock sweetness and I rolled my eyes. “And you still stabbed me” I said and he grinned and grabbed my hair brush and swung it like a sword. “I couldn’t miss that opportunity” he said and plopped on the bed beside me. “You’re a beast,” I said and he smiled. He extended a claw and grabbed my teddy and stabbed it in the heart. “Hey” I complained and he grinned and tossed me the teddy. I hid the teddy behind the bed and h
“What do we do?” I asked and Jake eyes darkened like he didn’t like the situation he was in, I didn’t either. He shook his head like he couldn’t believe I was asking that question. “What do you want us to do? have sex?” He asked and my cheeks reddened and I glared at him. “Do you have to say that?” I asked and he shrugged and grabbed a bottle of tequila and drank I watched as his throat bobbed as the drink went down his throat. “Yes” he said. He regarded me and smiled like he had an evil plan. “We should tell John” he said and my eyes widened. I still liked John and didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “What? No” I don’t exclaimed and he grinned like that was the reaction he was waiting for. He offered me a glass and I shook my head he frowned. “Take the damned drink from me or I’ll tell dear brother that you are my one true soulmate the one I get to bang” he said with a mock smile and I scowled.
I stood frozen from the stair case. John was back but he wasn't alone. He had come in with someone else, a lady. I was sad, and I couldn't hide it.“Brother!” John shook hands with Jake. “This is Stephanie.”I swallowed hard, wondering what he was doing with this lady whom he had introduced to Jake as Stephanie.I felt threatened by her striking beauty. She wore a ponytail and she had a smile that made me feel she was having something with John.“Steph,” Jake grimaced. “Where did you meet her?”“I'll tell you all about it later, but for now she'll be staying with us.” John brushed past Jake. He was yet to notice my presence, and I was waiting for him to ask after me.“Where's Ryena, and how's her training going?” John finally asked. “She's pathetic!” Jake’s reply didn't come as a surprise to me. I stepped down from the staircase, and I noticed the smile on his face. He closed me in a warm embrace, pressing his lips against mine.“I've missed you,” I whispered into his ears, and he s
I woke up to find Jake seated by my side, making me to wonder what had happened and why he was the one by my side instead of John.“Where's your brother?” I tried to sit up but felt too heavy to do so. My head was spinning and I felt a sharp pain.“You're finally awake,” I heard John say as he walked towards me from the door, accompanied by someone else.Jake stood up without a word and John took his place, sitting beside me on the bed.“How're you feeling now?” He was soft spoken and the tenderness in his voice said a lot.“I feel dizzy,” I looked at Jake and he looked away.“You're going to be feeling that way for sometime,” the man who had come in with John announced. “It's your wolf form trying to find expression,”“Huh?” My eyes opened wide in disbelief. That didn't sound nice. I knew exactly what I had gone through just before I passed out, and I didn't want it to be a recurring thing.“Thank you so much Seth,” John greeted the man, as he stood up from the bed.Jake had refused
Chapter nine Jake's POVThe night was soft and serene, with the soft glow of the moon casting a silvery sheen over the pool. The water gently rippled, reflecting the stars and the surrounding trees swaying lightly in the breeze.There, I sat alone, my legs dipped in the pool, staring at the stars, with a bottle of whiskey by my side, my loyal companion whenever I felt I neded to be alone.The memories of how I had lost my mother came back to me that night, a night that whenever I remembered, always reminded me of trusting too much.“You seem lost in thought, what's wrong? What's the issue?” Seth asked, coming to sit next to me as he dipped his own legs in the pool. Seth was the only one who really understood me. He taught me everything I knew as far as being a werewolf is concerned, and I would be forever indebted to him for that. "Thinking about what happened five years ago? When will you accept the fact that it's not your fault?" Seth said, patting me gently on the shoulder."It
Jake's POV The air in the dungeon was thick with the stench of damp stone and decay, the kind of smell that clung to your skin long after you left. I barely noticed it. My focus was locked on the metal door in front of me, the one separating me from Diane.The guards stepped aside as I approached, their expressions unreadable. They knew better than to question why I was here. Everyone knew what Diane had done, the pain she had caused.I pushed the door open.Diane sat in the corner, shackled to the wall. Her once-perfect appearance was in ruins,her hair tangled, her face streaked with dirt and dried blood. She looked up at me, her eyes narrowing before shifting into something unreadable.“Jake,” she murmured, voice hoarse. “Here to let me go?”I let out a dark chuckle before slamming the door shut behind me. “You think this is a rescue mission?”She smirked, though I could see the flicker of doubt in her gaze. “You’ve always been the reasonable one. The quiet one.” She tilted her hea
Stephanie's POV The silence between us wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t awkward or tense. It simply… was.John and I sat side by side on the fallen log, the cool night air wrapping around us. The moon was high, its light filtering through the trees, casting silver threads over the clearing. I focused on the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, on the distant hoot of an owl. Anything but the way John’s presence made my chest feel tight.I wasn’t used to this.Silence, yes. I had spent years locked inside my own head, drowning in the absence of words. But this wasn’t that kind of silence. This was different. This was… safe.I stole a glance at him.John was watching me, his eyes darker than usual under the soft glow of the moon. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in the way he looked at me that made my skin prickle. Not with fear. Not with unease. But with something I wasn’t ready to name.His lips parted, and for a moment, I thought he might speak. But he didn’t. Instead,
John's POV I caught the scent of her hesitation before she even moved.Stephanie’s hand hovered over the doorknob, her shoulders tense. Her breathing was steady, controlled,but I knew better. She was about to bolt.In a flash, I moved, cutting her off before she could step inside. I wasn’t even sure why I did it,only that letting her slip away didn’t feel like an option.She gasped, her eyes widening in shock. “What the hell, John?”I crossed my arms, blocking the door with my body. “Were you planning on running away?”Her lips parted, then pressed into a thin line. “I wasn’t running.”“Then why did you freeze up when you saw me?”Stephanie huffed, crossing her arms. “I wasn’t expecting you to appear out of nowhere like a damn shadow.”I smirked. “Werewolf speed has its perks.”She rolled her eyes and tried to step around me, but I shifted, keeping her in place.She let out a frustrated sigh. “Move, John.”“No.”Her brows knitted together. “Excuse me?”I leaned against the doorframe,
John's POV The hum of the engine filled the silence between Jake and me as I drove through the dimly lit streets. The city blurred past, a mixture of neon lights and shadows, but my focus was elsewhere. Something in my chest felt… off. Like a weight pressing down, not painful, but present. An awareness I couldn’t shake.Jake sat beside me, lost in his own thoughts, his fingers drumming against his knee. I knew what he was thinking about,Reyna. The need to get back to her, to see her safe with his own eyes. I understood that kind of devotion. Or at least, I thought I did.But something had shifted in me.I gripped the wheel tighter, staring at the road ahead. Reyna. The woman I had fought for, bled for, almost died for. The woman I had sworn to protect.Yet, something was missing.The bond, the pull I used to feel toward her, was dull, faded. Not gone, but distant—like a song played from another room, recognizable but no longer mine to claim.I inhaled sharply, forcing my mind to focu
Reyna's POV I woke up to the soft glow of the bedside lamp, my head still throbbing but lighter than before. The scent of fresh linen and antiseptic filled my nose, and as my vision cleared, I saw Sarah sitting beside me."You're awake," she breathed out, her voice laced with relief.I blinked a few times, my body still sluggish. "Where…where am I?""A safe house," she answered, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "You've been unconscious for two days. We were so worried."Two days? My mind struggled to catch up. The last thing I remembered was pain,Damon, Diane, and chaos. I swallowed, my throat dry."Stephanie?" I croaked.Before Sarah could respond, the door swung open, and there she was."You're finally awake." Stephanie strode into the room with her usual confidence, but her eyes softened as she looked at me."Steph," I whispered.She crossed the room in seconds and wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was strong, grounding me in the present. For the first time in days, I felt s
Stephanie's POV Jake and John exchanged a look before turning to me."Don't worry," Jake said. "We'll go outside and see what Marcus wants."John nodded in agreement. "You and Sarah get Reyna out of here. We’ll handle things."Sarah scoffed. "We already know what he wants me." Her voice was steady, but I could hear the edge of fear beneath it. She lifted her chin defiantly. "But he’s never getting me back. I left his hold, and I’m never going back."Her determination made me proud, but we didn’t have time to argue about it. We had to move.Without wasting another second, we slipped through the back gate, where a black car was already waiting for us.“Get in,” the driver said in a low voice, his eyes darting toward the front of the building.Sarah climbed in first, pulling me along with her. As soon as the door shut behind us, the car sped off, leaving Jake and John behind to deal with Marcus.The tension in the car was thick. Sarah sat stiffly beside me, her fingers clenched into fis
Stephanie's POV A slow smile spread across my lips as I caught the flicker of fear in Damon’s eyes. He tried to hide it, clenching his jaw, standing tall, but I saw it I felt it.“What’s wrong, Damon?” I taunted, tilting my head. “I thought you were the most fearless werewolf. A rogue with nothing to lose.”His fists curled at his sides. By then, Jake and John had started stirring, groaning as they slowly regained consciousness. Damon’s gaze darted to them before snapping back to me.“You’re a damn psycho,” he spat. “How the hell did you cut off Diane’s hand?”I twirled my blade between my fingers, feigning boredom. “The same way I’ll take something from you if you don’t release my people.” My voice was calm, steady. Deadly.Damon scoffed. “Diane was weak. I don’t really care what happens to her.” His lip curled into a smirk. “And I’ll do whatever I damn well please.”I chuckled. “Good,” I murmured. “Because Reyna is safe now, and that means I get to enjoy this.” I lifted my gun, my
Stephanie's POV I moved swiftly through the corridor, my grip tightening around the blade in my hand. Sarah had given me the map, and I followed it exactly, weaving my way toward the cellar. Every step I took, every breath I exhaled, only solidified my determination. I would get Reyna back.The bodies I left behind didn’t faze me. The guards had barely been a challenge—quick, clean kills. Their lifeless forms littered the hallway, but I had no time to care. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the small vial of wolfsbane. Its dark, pungent scent filled my nostrils, sharp and intoxicating.A scream echoed through the cellar. My chest tightened. Reyna.I didn’t hesitate.I crouched, pouring the wolfsbane over the fallen guards. The second it made contact with their bodies, flames erupted, consuming them in an instant. The fire crackled, an eerie glow dancing against the stone walls.Perfect.If Diane was here—and I knew she was—this would lure her out.A slow smile curled my lips when
Diane's POV I storm up the stairs, my boots heavy against the wooden floor. There’s no time to waste. I shove open Reyna’s door and find her sprawled across the bed, her eyes barely open.Before she can react, I grab her wrist and yank her up.“What the hell?” she mumbles, still groggy.“We’re going for a little ride,” I say, my grip tightening.Reyna’s lips curl into a smirk. “A little ride?” she repeats, tilting her head. “Or did Jake and John finally show up to save me?”I slap her before she can say another word. The sound cracks through the silence.“Shut up,” I snap. “Or I’ll ruin that pretty face of yours. Then no one will bother looking at it.”She blinks, then lets out a chuckle. “Even if you ruin my face, even if you kill me, what makes you think Jake and John won’t do the same to you?”I drag her toward the hallway leading to the back exit, my nails digging into her arm. “If you survive tonight, you should be grateful,” I sneer. “Because I don’t think Jake and John stand a