AUTUMN:Focus, Autumn!Your goal right now was to escape the alpha. Not to admire him at all.I was not admiring him!You were always observant when he was around. Wake up, Autumn! Now is not the time to lose focus.I put both of my hands in front of his rock-hard chest and tried to push him away. He would not even budge. Damn it.Lifting my gaze, we stared at each other’s eyes.“Why are you doing this, Alpha Hugh?”“Since we will now date, you may call me by my name when we are alone together.”“Did I say I will date you?”He smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth. Despite the absence of his dimples unlike Eric, he was still handsome.‘Nothing surpasses his looks in your eyes,’ Trisha teased inside my head.‘Shut up. I did not even think about that,’ I scolded. ‘Would you leave me alone?’She rolled her eyes and was suddenly gone. Remembering I was still trapped in the alpha’s arms, I asked, “What’s the use of dating me?” When do I plan to reject you a few weeks from now? This
AUTUMN:My eyes widened, feeling the Alpha's lips pressed on my own lips. It was warm like him and it felt like when we were children, harmlessly giving each other kisses on the lips without any malice at all. Just innocent children who treated each other as kids. Get a grip, Autumn! This is not a friendly kiss! This is a kiss between a grown man and a woman!To validate my statement, Alpha Hugh started moving his tongue, licking my lips. I almost moaned and stopped myself before I could embarrass myself even more. The alpha did not think any more of the possibility of us being seen by his mom. His hands started moving on their own and reached my breast and slowly massaged it. A gasp escaped my lips, and I used the opportunity to shove his tongue inside my mouth. And I said that this kiss was a friendship kiss? There was nothing friendly in this! Though I admit that his kisses were nothing but sweet and slow at the same time.His kisses made me forget the cold. What I felt was a
115AUTUMN: “Mom! That’s enough disrespect!” Hugh exclaimed, his voice echoing across the four walls of this room. “Slave or not, you should treat people with respect. I will never tolerate any of this. You know I always treat my people with the same respect I give you.” Luna Joy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re raising your voice at me now. All because of that woman? Was she good in bed? Did that woman bewitch you?” “Nothing of that sort happened, Luna Joy. I did not know any kind of witchery,” I explained. She pointed her fingers at me and snarled, “Don’t talk when you were not asked to! Hearing your voice will only make everything worse. I hate it. I hate everything about you.” My heart felt like it was being ripped apart.Of all the women I know, Luna Joy was the only one whom I expected as someone who would understand me. But now. It did not happen. She was the first one who did not understand me. She was full of judgments. We just kissed. Twice, but I was already a whore in he
AUTUMN:You want Hugh to stop defending you, yet you dared to be hurt all because he said you two are friends? You’re confusing me, Autumn, the other part of my mind said. “She's my nanny, Grandma, and Miss Autumn is the best nanny for me,” Gabriel declared while kicking his legs under the table. Crumbs of bread were all over his face. I grabbed some table napkins and wiped the smudges on the corner of his lips.“See that, Grandma? Miss Autumn always takes care of me. I like her so much.”My hand stilled.I did not intend to act as if I were a loving nanny in front of Hugh’s parents. It was never my intention to make them believe that I was a loving nanny. I continued wiping his mouth and made a mental note to just let Gabriel dirty his face. The luna will only think that I was acting anyway all because they were watching me. “Please sit beside me, Miss Autumn,” the child pleaded. “Where have you been, Miss Autumn? I haven't seen you.” He pouted. “Please?”Luna Joy looked at Gabrie
AUTUMN:Beta Maddox was oblivious to the tension inside the dining room. He went straight to the refrigerator, opened it and grabbed a bottle of cold water.He entered the room as if he was drunk, and could not even walk straight. Groggily entered the room and did not even see that we were there. Was he that oblivious? Or was he that sick? I found myself on the verge of standing and helped him, but then realized I was in the presence of Hugh’s mom. Which reminded me that I forgot to send him any food at all. How could I eat right now, without even remembering that he was also hungry? Maybe he was only forced to enter the kitchen all because he had no one to order.Damn it.Despite the kind of relationship we had, I could not fathom leaving him alone in his room to die. Still not seeing us, he returned to where he came from, back to his own private room where he could rest again.When everyone was no longer in shock at the beta’s sudden arrival, Luna Joy called him, but it seemed
AUTUMN:My heart leaped at the beta’s confession, which he rarely does in this lifetime. I, myself, was also shocked about it, though the beta and the alpha were always vocal about their feelings towards me when we were children. Damn.Sometimes, I wished we were still children. “You have a crush on me?”“When we were children. You also know about that. Don’t act as if you are surprised.”“I am surprised.” “Don’t give me that shit.”“Well, don’t also give me that dirty talk or I might staple your mouth,” I threatened.He glared at me, but that was only what he was capable of doing right now. Glare. “Let’s not fight, Beta maddox. You should focus on your recovery, you know.”“If someone like you keeps on visiting my room, no one will recover right away.”“If this someone stopped visiting you, do you think you got the chance to heal right away? You will not, Beta Maddox. Going back to the topic earlier, may I know what you liked about me?”He grabbed one pillow and put it on his lap
AUTUMN:I was expecting that the beta would give his rebuttal. That he would say it will never happen. That he will never regret rejecting me. But instead, he looked away."Will I?""I was only teasing you," I said, taking back my words when I saw the expression on his face. It seemed as if he regretted everything he did to me. Or maybe I was only delusional. That might be the best explanation. There was no way he would regret rejecting me. "Of course, that won't happen. You love your beloved Sabrina. And when you marry, the love you feel for each other will deepen even more.""Is that how you look at it?""Yes. That's what will happen shortly since you chose Sabrina over me. You should make sure that it will be worth it,” I pressed and waited for his reaction. He heaved a sigh and met my gaze. "I don't really know."I chuckled. “Don't tell me you're in doubt after everything?" Beta Maddox did not join my happiness.To hide the awkwardness, I laughed out loud.Damn it. Why don’t you
ALPHA HUGH:Autumn was nowhere to be seen. Mom and Dad were already bidding their goodbye, but she was not around. I was not the only one who noticed her absence. Mom, too. Her mood did not even get better. It turned worse seeing that Autumn was not here to send her off. "See you around, Grandma."Looking down, she smiled at my son. "See you too, Gabriel. Be a good boy. Be healthy and inherit your Dad's position in the pack. You have to become the alpha, okay?"With pure innocence, my son nodded.But I will never force him to do something he did not want. "Alright, Grandma. I will become strong so that I will protect Miss Autumn and you."Her smile disappeared from her lips hearing Autumn's name. "Speaking of that woman, where is he? Isn't she supposed to be Gabriel's nanny? Hugh. You explain why she’s not here.""I sent her an errand, Mom," I lied, hoping that Mom would not catch my lie, which she always did. I could not hide anything from her. "You're always sending her to an e
AUTUMN:The beta’s shout of pain continued to explode like wildfire shattering the silence of the hallway.As much as I did not want to feel any worry for him, I could not help it. His shouts seemed like he was being skinned alive. No wonder Beta Maddox does not want to get treated by Mika. It was because of this.“Hey. Tell me the success rate of healing the beta?” I asked.“You’re worried for him,’ he said matter-of-factly. “Alright. Fine. Yes, I am worried even if I should not be feeling it right now. I hated him. I hated how he rejected me, but dammit. I am not that heartless. I still feel sorry for him right now.”“Maddox had the same reaction when it came to this. But we can be rest assured that he is fine in Mika’s hands.”“Are you sure?”“I am sure.”“You seemed to trust that woman a lot. Is there something going on between you and her in the past?”He glanced at me while his eyes narrowed. “Is that jealousy I hinted at in your voice?”“Of course not! I would never get jealou
AUTUMN:Maddox’s changing his mind about me? That was the most ridiculous thing that I ever heard right now. Why would he change his mind? What happened that I did not know at all? Using the shoes of my heels, I pointed it on the floor. “Tell me. Did he bump his head or something?”“No.”“So that’s the answer, Hugh. Beta Maddox did not change his mind. Maybe…I did not know.”“Then how would you explain how he changed his mind? He did not want to sever his bond. Which might only meant one thing. He changed his mind. Maybe his feelings when we were children returned.”I threw back my head and laughed. “What the fuck, Hugh?” I asked if I was done laughing. “If you’re going to say something, at least you should anchor it to reality. Maddox never changed his mind.” Making my expression serious, I said, “Let’s forget about this and focus on his healing. Let's waste our energy on that. You needed Maddox on the pack while I don't want to continue visiting him anymore.”It would only give
AUTUMN:With all eyes on Hugh, it seemed that his tongue had retreated. Then, a couple of minutes passed, and he answered, "Yes. I will be shouldering the expenses. Charge everything to me."Mika narrowed her eyes. "Why? Are you her second chance mate?"I coughed and said to change the conversation, "Now, now. It's not about me, but Beta Maddox. Why don't we return to our previous conversation and start healing the beta? So that he could return to the pack house? A lot of warriors might be missing him."Mika clapped her hands. "Alright. I agree. We lost so much time. Beta Maddox, can you handle the severing of your bond?"Secretly, I sighed in relief. "How will you do it?" I asked, plainly curious. Mika smiled. "It's not that simple. I will cast a spell. Others use a potion, but the chances of success are slim. If you want your money not to be wasted, let's go work on casting a spell. But I want to make it clear that there would always be a risk.""What kind of risk?" I asked, sudde
AUTUMN:I felt weird all over because Mika shed tears for me. She did not know me. She did not know my past, so why was she overreacting?No female had ever hugged me like this. Back in my pack, all they did was either bully me or inflict pain on me. They hit me or kicked me whenever they wanted. Including Sabrina, Beta Maddox’s fiancee. But never like this.Now, as Mika continued crying, I couldn't help but feel…comforted. That someone knew my pain? That someone was able to empathize with me. This witch, hugging me was like giving me some kind of comfort, giving me butterflies on my stomach.I shook my head when I realized something. I should never get accustomed to this. This woman…she was a stranger. "There's no need to hug me," I said and pushed her away. There were tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry for the waterworks. I'm an empath. I could also feel what you are feeling right now. You're heartbroken. I wonder why. Have you perhaps broken up with your lover? Or your mate?"My
AUTUMN:Maddox's reaction was far better than watching the newcomer. From the looks of it, it seemed that the beta did not like the woman at all. Good for him. I wanted him to squirm. I wanted him to be uncomfortable. Just because we had a truce did not mean I was all good to him. On the other hand, the interaction between the two was...how did I say it...interesting? I wondered what was the story between the two?"Autumn."My brows furrowed, realizing there was the alpha standing beside that woman. How come I didn't even notice him?Hugh’s expression darkened as if he was…mad? Again? For staying in the same room with the beta?‘Maddox and I did not do anything wrong,’ I said. ‘You think he has the time to fool around given his condition right now?’ I asked through our mind link, not hiding my annoyance. ‘Why am I even explaining to you? I do not owe you anything, Hugh. Please stop acting jealous because you're not being cute,’ I stated inside his head. ‘Could you blame me? My mate
AUTUMN:I forced a smile even if my heart was breaking apart for some unknown reason.It must be the bond that we shared. This should be cut as soon as possible, to avoid things like this. To avoid getting hurt like this. Again. “Good. So…when will your wedding be?”“Next month,” he said and coughed. Next month. Next month would also be six months of working in this house. Six months of taking care of the alpha's son. “Alright. I will be there at your service, Beta Maddox. I will be happy to be there as long as the price is right,” I declared, forcing my voice to sound cheery as much as possible. The corner of his lips lifted. “Everything should have a price, huh?”I gave him a half-shrug. “It should be. After all, it’s not easy to face Sabrina. I know why she wanted me. She wanted to rub on my face that she’s one lucky woman when you marry her.” I scoffed. “I will never forget what she did to me. Never.”“It’s your right,” he said. I turned around and watched the door when I fe
AUTUMN:Hugh loved me. He loved me? He loved me!The confession shocked me to the core and all I could do was watch him with wide eyes. When I did not say anything at all, he continued, "I loved you, Autumn and I am willing to risk everything to have you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I'm so sorry for taking this too long to say, but now, I am one hundred percent sure of my feelings for you."A confession coming from him was definitely not what I expected. "What about your mother? What about your family? What about your pack? What about Beta Maddox? What about the people around you?” I asked. His brows formed a straight line. "Just because I loved her does not mean I'm going to listen to her when it comes to relationships. You're my mate, Autumn and I will do my best to keep you in my life."A lump suddenly formed in my throat, and what happened earlier was temporarily forgotten.Hugh loved me. My mate loved me. Finally. "You're only confused, Hugh," I said after a
AUTUMN:That woman was definitely Eric's mate. But my question was, would his decision still be the same after claiming that he would still choose me even if he found his mate?"W-what's your next move?" I asked, clenching my fist. If he wanted to save her, I did not have any choice at all.We finally arrived at Hugh's house and pulled into the garage. "What else?" he asked. "I don't know any more about Autumn."He was confused and torn between me and that woman. "Hey. If you....if you're confused, don't choose me, okay?"He glanced at me using the rearview mirror. "What do you mean, Autumn?"I forced a smile. "You know what I mean, Eric. You know what I mean.”Before he could answer, I stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. I heard the driver's seat door open until I heard him call me my name.Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Eric wearing a conflicted look on his face. I pitied him."I'm sorry, Autumn.""You don't have to say that. Like I said, you should think about cho
AUTUMN:Eric had found his mate, something which we did not expect at all, especially him. His eyebrows met, and I could see the visible worry on his face. Worry for this woman.My heart sank, and I bit my lower lip. Dang it. Why did I finally become sad? "Let's bring him to the hospital," I said when he just stared at the woman, completely mesmerized. "Just to be sure. She might have unseen injuries which we did not know at all."His eyes never left the woman, and he did not respond to me right away. I shifted my eyes at the woman. Curly red hair. Oval face and breast that perfectly molded her body. Despite her dirty appearance, she was gorgeous.Eric cleared his throat. This must be the first time he saw his mate. "You're right. Let's bring her to the hospital."Just as he was about to scope her in his arms, the woman's eyes snapped open until her eyes landed on Eric. First, it was confusing. Followed by fear when she realized all eyes were on her. My heart sank.I knew what w