FAYE The portrait of the black rose hanging in Nathan's study was not nothing. It was definitely not for mere aesthetics. The black rose was the black saints symbol. I tried to shake off everything, but my head was pounding and I still couldn't breathe properly. The air in here was stifling. I stood up on watery legs, turning to go get some fresh air outside. I heard Lannon ask something, but I ignored his questions as I walked shakily out of the large hall. Immediately I stepped outside, I took In a burst of fresh air, my throats clearing up as I swallowed. I immediately felt better, out in the open area. The number of reporters had reduced. They were probably inside now, making sure they didn't miss any juicy moment. I walked towards the parking lot, wanting the privacy the cars would give by shielding my form. I stood in between a couple of them, not daring to lean against one, before it would start to horn loudly in warning. I breathed in deeply for a few more minute
FAYE"It's always a pleasure helping old friends, Joseph."My brain dulled down to a slow whir. After years of being called dumb by my father and his little family, I was finally considering that I really must be dumb.I stared stupidly at the both of them. Trying to make sense of what was going on.What the hell was going on here?A disgusting grin spread across my father's face as he nodded."In the future, I hope we can continue to work together, Joseph. And if you're ever in a bind," he paused, chuckling without a trace of humor, " reach out to me. I'll certainly help in any way that I can."I was work? "And the girl? What will you do with her?" He asked again, and I sagged like a limp noodle in my father's grip, my wails growing louder. He was supposed to save me. He was supposed to shield me from my father. That's what he promised me. "For the troubles, I'll have to punish her. Such willful disobedience and lack of respect are what I hate. She is everything I detest and abho
NATHANI watched Rhea from across the table as she made more flirty remarks, all but naked in her deep plunging neckline dress. I sat back, expressing interest in whatever the heck she was saying. I needed her to keep talking. Which she did. A lot of endless chatter. And not once did she let slip what I needed her to. Rhea worked as a bar attendant just for the fun of it at night. Her father was a highly respected councilman, but she'd never taken to any other means of earning a living. She lived off a plush trust fund, and worked at the underground bar, Phantasm, where our kind hung out, mostly for the free drinks.The bar was a playground for creatures of the night. And it was one of the special ones. You only got in with special access. Our investigations on Jordan's death had yielded the tiniest bit of information. Some witches had messed with the packs around. Newly turned wolves precisely. I hadn't cared when I'd heard witches were causing trouble for the other packs, but
FAYEI drifted in and out of consciousness. My entire body burned with the pain. My ribs ached when I coughed. The blood had caked around my nose, making it harder to breathe. I lay in the little cell in the basement, the chill of the cold hard floor slowly seeping into my bones. I drifted off again. The next time I woke up, I saw I had received a bit of medical attention. My breathing harder because a bandage was wrapped tightly around my chest. The coppery taste of blood in my mouth abated. My ribs still ached. Maybe they didn't want me to die yet. Surely they'd make my death more painful. My eyelids slipped close, weighed down by exhaustion and pain. Something woke me up the third time. A dark presence looming over me. My eyes slid open. I blinked, getting used to the small sliver of light from under the doorway. I looked up at the shadow, staring right into the eyes of the man I loved.His hands hung carelessly over the bars holding me in, gaze dark and grim, he stared down at
FAYEI remained in the dark, damp cell. Time becoming blurred in my mind. Nights blended into mornings and mornings blended into nights. I had no idea how long I'd been there. My eyes became used to the dark and my stepmother brought me a bucket to used to relieve myself. I had to live with the stench of the uncovered bucket after. Still, I was grateful I didn't have to do it on the floor next to me. I became used to the darkness. I'd always known the darkness. It seemed I would always belong to it. I hadn't had a bath in days and all they ever brought me to eat was bread and water. I ate that with gratitude. They hadn't forgotten someone was down here. I shimmied closer to the bars of the cell, hoping to get away from the smell. It didn't make it any better.The basement door drew open, filling the place with a burst of fresh air. I breathed in deeply, thankfully, even if it was just that one breath of fresh air I got to take. I didn't have the energy to check who it was. So I j
NATHANI got out of the sedan we'd come in, walking with Lannon to the front doors of the club where we went to find more clues on Rhea was busy.The music blasting from the speakers shook the ground beneath our feet as I walked through the crowded space. The lights flickered across my face as I moved forward, paths clearing up infront of me as I made my way to the bar. Lannon right beside me. It was late, way past midnight, when people started getting together and getting drunk, which is why I was sure we'd finally get some answers. It had been three days since Rhea went missing. Tip after tip, we had worked at finding out where she was, or who took her. All of our efforts had proved to be in vain. This was our second time now returning to the club to ask around if anyone had heard any updates on Rhea or the witches. I let Lannon do the talking with the barman. We wanted to get into Phantasm, which operated underground, beneath the club. Since the bar was for the supernatural, it
FAYEI must have paled a little as I stared at the black rose. The first time I'd seen it, I'd thought it was because of the trauma to my head. That cursed day when I met Nathan.Now I knew for sure that I truly hadn't been seeing things.The burly man headed towards the front doors, climbing the stairs leading up to the foyer two at a time. He motioned for me to follow. Obviously not a man of many words. The huge double doors leading into the mansion opened, and I shuffled inside, holding my arms to my sides. The chatter and conversation paused as I stepped into the crowded living room. I put my head down, suddenly looking at the intricate designs of the mocha wood flooring. This was his pack grounds. I could tell from the large amount of werewolves milling around.Why was everyone looking at me like that?I looked up at the expression of one of the female werewolf. Pity. That was what I saw in her first expression. Then it shifted to nonchalance. In a thought she had decided she
FAYEIt was almost suffocating being surrounded by so many strangers, not to mention all the eyes on me. It made me squirm. I sat at the long and massive dining table looking forlorn and alone. The black saints' pack was really tight knit for them to have meals together.The thought ran through me as I sat at the space offered to me. I bit at my nails as anxiousness gripped me. Nathan had to be on his way here. How could I suffer through dinner time in the man's presence who'd broken my heart, seating and being expected to actually eat and swallow the food without choking on it?I looked at the plate settings on the table. Over twenty of them. The omegas of this pack sure had some work on their hands preparing all meals for the day.I badly wanted to ask questions about the pack hierarchy and order. I wanted to know what the norm was, but mostly I wanted to stay out of everyone's way. I knew that would be impossible once Nathan was around. And hence the cause of my fretting.There w
Faye"Yvonne, this place is too much." I glanced around the fully decorated condo, my excitement simmering with the idea of this space being mine to do with as I please.The place is amazing. More than I could have hoped for, and I’ve only made it to the living room. There is a huge fireplace and a big soft gray sectional sofa that looks fluffy and comfortable. Big pillows line most of it and it looks so cozy. There is light everywhere, shining in from the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Vegas."That place is perfect." she told me on the phone."The security is top notch.You can order food whenever you want and they have a gym and a spa downstairs. Everything you need with only a call.""It’s safe," she pushed. "You could come stay with me if you’d prefer. I’d love to have you at home, but I thought you might want your own place."I'd started my post graduate studies, this time nearer to home and I'd gotten a whole condo to stay in for the duration of my studies. Staying wit
TWO MONTHS LATERFAYEI sat in front of Yvonne as she explained the dynamics of our business relationship with some other company.I wasn't listening to her. I was mostly just nodding, so she could continue to speak. "Faye? Faye? Are you listening?"I sighed and nodded, not knowing how to tell her what bothers me. "Faye tell me. You know you haven't spoken a lot about what happened in that forest with the Black Saint. I can't believe you went in there without letting me know." She still spoke of it frequently with anger l, but she was beginning to forgive me. It wasn't everyday a person's niece went to the forest of lost souls and made it out alone. I sighed again and she scolded me angrily."That's the fifteenth sigh today, fifteenth, and it's not even mid morning yet. Why do you sound like you lost a loved one, my dear?""Maybe cause I did lose a loved one?"I told her, my face falling as I remembered said loved one again. "Is this about Nathan?"I looked at her and nodded. I c
NATHANThe witch died how she had planned for me to die. A fitting end for someone who'd come with the sole aim of destroying me. Faye massaged her wrists where those damn fools must have tied her up before. I moved to her and held both her wrists in my hands, caressing them softly, so that the ache could go away.She wasn't responding to me. She just stood there, stiffly by my side. I looked into her face and I couldn't read anything.I missed the days when I would look at her face and see what she was thinking, what she was feeling. "Won't you go after him?" Faye asked, pointing in the direction Axel had run in. I shook my head. "Lannon will take care of him."Her mouth dropped open. "Lannon is here too?""Yes, Queeny. He entered the forest the night before we did.""I can't believe you have been lying to me this whole time. About everything!" She screamed in a hurt tone, stepping away from me. I rushed to her, brushing her still wet hair from her face and cupping her face in
FAYE"Briggs was my sister and you killed her!" she yelled, her voice rising on each word until my ears felt scraped by her shrill tone.Nathan looked bored with the whole thing. He didn't look as bothered by the fact that we were in danger, surrounded by our enemies who had upper hand."So that's why you want to destroy my pack so bad. Well I can't say I'm sorry, Vera. Your sister messed with the wrong pack, just like you're doing now, and she got what she deserved, just like you will." He said, with finality behind his words. She growled and screamed unfamiliar words at him, her magic sending him flying into the concrete wall. I winced as he landed with his arm and felt myself go weak for a second.I was still finding it an ordeal watching Nathan get hurt. It was a lot. "I guess we're done here."Axel said and shifted back from Vera."You can take care of them sweetie, do whatever you please."Vera smirked and strolled around to me.I saw Nathan's body tighten and get ready for a
FAYEMy heart broke at his words and I felt like a sham at his words. I'd believe I could be Luna because both Yvonne and Axel has stood by me and encouraged me. And now he said this?"Imagine my surprise when after years of devotion to the pack, Yvonne went in search of a daughter I had never heard about. A daughter that had never been around. I was passed over for you?" He said like he still couldn't believe it. "It's a fucking joke, my sweet." I felt sick at the stupid endearment.Tears formed in my eyes and I pressed them closed tightly.I knew Nathan's focus was on me, he would go ballistic of I cried. I wanted to hear all of it.No, I needed to hear everything."I didn't want Yvonne to go looking for you, prayed to the moon goddess that she didn't find you, but guess what? She did. Because this dumbass Buffon,"he said, pointing at Nathan, "threw you out. He couldn't even love you properly then and you still went back to him when you returned home. After all I'd done for you.
FAYEI was sitting in a chair with my arms tied down to the arms of the chair when I came to.The black bag over my face was still there, but it wasn't tight around my face anymore.I tried to look through it but all I could see was little light, peeking at me through the bag.All of a sudden the bag was yanked off my head and I found myself looking at Axel. I felt elated that I'd found him, but I also felt angry about what he'd done. And why did he send people to kidnap me?"Axel," I started.He raised a hand, cutting me off. "it's not just you I need to talk to. I want to talk to your lover too. I wonder what could be holding him back. Does he not love you as much as you think he does, perhaps?"I snorted and his gaze flashed with annoyance."Or maybe he's content to abandon you here. Not even bother coming to get you."I glared at him and said nothing.Axel laughed. "Well, either way, we've got more than enough time together. But first, I think your friend is going to want to mee
NATHANThere was a tinkle of laughter in the air when I woke up.The sound was pleasant to my ears and made me ache to find the owner of the laugh.My eyes slid open and rested on Faye. Something was making her happy this morning.I could relate too, cause I felt really happy too. Despite everything that had happened yesterday, it was great to see that we were okay.In fact, we were more than okay. We had finally talked about the part of me that I'd always locked away, never wanted to talk about with anyone, or show anybody.She giggled again, looking up at something I couldn't see and I had to ask her. "Heyy, Queeny." I said, wondering how she'd react this time to the nickname she was always irritated by. "Heyyy." She replied, not really paying me much attention. There was an excitement to her movements though, and a wide smile on her face. I could watch her smile all day, or just listen to her laugh and feel good when the day ended. "What are you doing?" I asked her.Not to
FAYEI held his bandaged hands in my hands. He'd scared the hell out of me when he had run out on me like that. I couldn't believe what I had heard. He'd said Dad, and then he'd started calling out mother.I didn't know what he'd been seeing but it sure felt very intense from where I had witnessed it.There was no one else in the forest except for me and Faye, everything else was false. I told myself repeatedly, trying to quell the worry I had now. What if I was the problem that needed to be stopped?What if I saw things just as clearly as Nathan had?I shook my head and refused to fall for it. "We need to keep moving." Nathan said to me and I agreed.We had to leave that area. We had both taken a drink of the potion now, and nothing more could happen to us for a few more hours.It was getting dark now. I didn't know if this was an effect of the forest magic or something else but we had to rest. We stopped and collected wood for a fire together.We stacked the wood and then s
NATHANI'd scared her badly.For her to have cracked and spilled those tears in front of me.She was so icy now, I doubted she ever cried infront of anyone.I had felt something change between us. She wasn't saying anything now, just walking stiffly beside me. I looked ahead, raising tree branches that hung low so that both of us could make our way through.We trudged on, the low bushes and weeds brushing against our thighs and lower legs.The roots that were off the ground were not easy to spot, and almost brought her down twice, with me reaching out to steady her and getting rebuffed each time.I could take that.For now. I would take it until she didn't want to throw me off anymore. Couldn't reject me.I walked around a tree and her eyes followed me sharperly, showing me she was watching me, even though she pretended not to be. I chuckled to myself, coming out onto the path we were walking.Something felt eerily quiet about the forest.It wasn't just that I already knew it was