NATHANI left the Eclipse pack estate feeling a deep satisfaction I hadn't felt in forever.How could one night with her make everything better, different?I'd heard her heart race and I'd felt her soft silky skin against mine. And her moans. They'd been music to my ears. A balm to my aching soul. That last thought made me pause.What the hell was wrong with me?A little bit of sex and I was all up in the clouds?I grinned, feeling the lunacy fully take over me. This wasn't just some sex. It'd been fucking amazing and I couldn't wait to do it again.But I wouldn't get ahead of myself.That little minx had been having a fight with Axel by the time I'd been in her house.She probably thought I'd snuck in after their row. I'd been there way before that. On her balcony, just waiting for the hovering dick head Axel to leave.To think that weasel hung around her so much made me feel the need to hit something. Preferably said weasel. He'd be taken care of. After I'd handled my own faili
NATHANIf he wanted to rob me, he really should have tried harder to hide what he'd stolen.I stared at the wide open space, with the cartons of the smart watches stacked at one end.Over a thousand small cartons, they were at least stacked neatly. I turned to Daniel. "How'd you find it?""With my savvy skills and expertise of course." He said with a wide grin. Someone's spirits were high again. "Come on, Daniel.""Had a police friend of mine track the two men we caught on camera through the system. One of them has been in for something before. It wasn't too hard to find him and get him to revealed where our stolen tech was."The workers trooped past me, carrying the boxes and loading them into the trucks outside. He wasn't nearly as smart as he thought he was, hiding them close to me so I wouldn't think to look here."Where's the thief? Did you get the second one?""Yes. Eventually we found him too.""Anything about why they robbed us?""They insist it's because they wanted to sel
FAYEHeart racing and pulse thumping, I went through the flood of reporters as Axel pushed through them, trying to get me to the car. The reporters pushed at us, mercilessly trying to get at me, shoving cameras and mics in my face. Yelling questions at me. Demanding that I explain my disappearance. Every single one of their questions was about Nathan. They threw the questions in my face, suggesting that it'd be better I address them now, instead of running. Like I was afraid of them or something. The two wolves by my right waded through them, creating a path for us. Damn Nathan for doing this!The award ceremony hadn't even been over when the reporters had spread the word to the rest of the freaking city. Throngs had gathered outside and it had been apparent I had to leave early. Axel had called the car around and we'd hurried out, but they had beat us to the car. They were still shouting after me, calling out some questions that I couldn't make out.As I got into the passen
NATHANThere was a wide grin on my face when I saw the newspapers at work the next day.The picture of both of us standing closely together at the award ceremony is absolutely clear. Captured the tension between us in a way that made us look intimate. The story underneath the picture was about Faye, her disappearance and the link between the growth and continual success of Crist holdings and Carver Tech. It was not a far-fetched idea for people to think that I was at that party because I was in talks with the board members of Crist holdings for a partnership. There was already a boost in sales and my company's shares were back up again. I picked up a second paper, just to find the same picture of us from a different angle on the very first page. 'Power couple or Power struggle?'I had to give it to them. Their headlines were superb. The newstory was on Faye. There were speculations about where she'd been for the last five years and why she was not currently by my side, being my
FAYEPapers were strewn about in front of me on the round table. The serious faces of the council elders stared back at me, waiting for an answer to their question."What was my plan to salvage the situation?" They had asked. They wanted to know what I wanted to say to the press, and how I was going to address the situation basically. Cause this was affecting the pack in a negative way. And if left for too long would damage the companies reputation and that of my late father as well.All things I could not allow to happen. I stared them in their eyes one after the other, letting them see that I was resolute and unshaken by the media harassment.I had a plan."I'm going to have a press conference. As of what I will tell them, I plan on revealing that I am Maximus Crists only daughter. I'm going to explain the fact that I've been away for the five years to complete my education. I'm back now and it was necessary that I take over the family business.""And your husband?" Brenda asked
FAYEI had a full schedule today and I planned on executing everything on the list before the day was over.I put a call into my driver and went outside to wait for him to bring the car around. I'd dressed down today, hoping that I would somehow look like the girl that Patrice had loved and cared for.I hoped she didn't turn me away. The car stopped a few feet away and I made my way to it, pulling the door open to enter when I heard someone call my name.I shut the car door and turned around to find Yvonne watching me. Damn. I'd hoped to leave without hee seeing mw. I wasn't heading into the office today and i knew she would undoubtedly have questions when she found out I was absent at work. Now she'd know I'd gone somewhere else. And she'd be right to think it was somewhere i had considered more important than work.Problem was when she finally asked, like i knew she would, i wouldn't have any answers for her. She can't find out what i and Axel have been up to. I smiled and wal
FAYE"I've been waiting for you to ask me that. I always thought you would never get your courage up enough to ask." She looked at me with an intrigued expression on her face. "You've not only changed, you've grown.""But before I start, we will need something to drink. This is going to be a long one.""I don't need anything to drink."I informed her, trying to get her to start talking. My curiosity was already killing me. It was like now that I was on the verge of hearing about Nathan's life before me, I couldn't wait any longer."No Faye. You must have something to drink. I myself need something to wet my throat occasionally, for this is going to be a long talk."I let her go, swallowing any further words of protest. My eyes went over the milk couches placed in the living room to face each other in a square, and the brown stained coffee table in the middle. The throw pillows were all a soft yellow colour, to match the pale tones of the yellow curtains over the windows. Her livin
FAYEI tried, but it was hard for me to understand what she was saying.Was it maybe because this narration of events she was giving me differed from what I'd heard before?From what Maya had told me. That lying bitch. "You don't seem to understand, my dear.""I'm having a little of trouble following everything."I folded my hands before me, eager to understand what she was sharing, yet wary of the fact that Patrice might just paint Nathan the wronged one in all this, because she cared for him."How about I tell it like this? The Alpha of a pack and his right-hand man made a deal. That one day their first children would marry. They made sure this happened, even though the two were not in love with each other.""The boy felt the need to carry out pack obligations and the girl really did not have a say. She was not so happy in life, and who could wonder with the father she had? Soon after they were married, they had a son. But the girl suffered from postpartum depression."I nodded occa
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