My chest felt tight with anger and embarrassment. I had one thing to do and I failed at that, I had one shot at leaving this godforsaken pack but I failed to even do that. I could never do anything right. There was no escaping this place by running and there was no escaping by asking. I wiped the tears of frustration from my face and kept on pacing while trying to wrap my mind around the events that had occurred.I had built up my courage and walked into a death trap with a flicker of hope burning within me. I had hoped but I knew that I was being stupid. He would never have allowed it. Now that small burning flicker of hope had been put out and I felt stuck. What was I supposed to do?My sanity was being questioned. The more I stayed in this pack, the more brain cells were dying. I knew that I was not going to find my home in the same shape as I had left it but being surrounded by people who I had grown up with sound better than being stuck in one of the most dangerous packs and with
I very well knew that angering an Alpha was calling your own death. I had constantly held myself back just so as to avoid angering the man who had made my life a living hell. I could not continue holding up and act like everything was fine. I could not act like my life was moving at the same rate when it had slowed down and my wounds were not healing. I did not know what state my pack was in. I knew that they were probably bouncing back since I had spent a valuable amount of time in this pack. I knew that they thought I was dead, along with my parents. The thought itself made the insides of my stomach churn and turn. Tears were threatening to come out as I remembered the events of that night. I stared at the damage I had done. It was not almost half as much as I felt or wanted to do. I wanted to bring down the very existence of this house. The feeling of anger was surging up in my veins and I could hear my own blood pumping. I was seeing red and my head was hurting. Everything seem
I struggled to correctly perch the dark-rimmed glasses on my nose. They looked too big for my face but I did not complain. I let go of the bridge of the glasses when I was satisfied that I was wearing them correctly and comfortably. A sigh passed my lips when I looked across the room, everything looked the same, maybe a bit darker but the same nevertheless. "That should help you avoid the itching." The doctor glanced over at me before placing the retinoscope back onto the stand that had her other tools.The doors opened immediately when she turned back to me. I looked up at Alec and Cora as they entered the room followed by Danielle and Taylor, filling the room. I looked back at the door hoping to see another face but when I saw Alec shake his head, I knew. I felt stupid for even thinking that he could be waiting for me to get discharged. It seemed like I had become a close ally to the white surroundings ever since Jaxon, white wall...white lab coats...too many blondes. Why were mos
"What do you mean?" I rested my head on the counter and looked up at Cora.Nothing made sense to me. Nothing at all, especially the fact that the doctor did not disclose much about why I was in need of another pair of eyes. The doctor had simply termed it as irritation and possibly genetically. True, most of my father's siblings wore spectacles and some of their kids did too. Not to forget they had color blindness as a hereditary thing, my father had it too but I was among the lucky few who survived the need for spectacles.I had never needed spectacles and I did not need them now, the itch would subside. Maybe it was simply an irritation and stimulus to the new environment. I was probably going to have to get rid of the glasses after a few days. I had convinced myself over the last week that I did not need them and I only wore them when the sun was high in the sky. I was glad that the doctor had at least taken the privilege to give me better "more in fashion" glasses...well after I b
I knew that I looked stupid but I did not give care. I did not think that I would be seeing any of my pack mates soon. A part of me had started accepting that I would never see them again, including Vera like the way I had accepted that I would never see my parents. A crippling feeling always came to me when I remembered my pack. Was it the same after...? I had yearned for my home. Even if it meant looking into Lucas' annoying blue eyes if that was what it meant to be back home. I knew that people probably thought I was dead or that I ended up as a prisoner. Either way, no one was coming to save me. The blood-stained Alpha would definitely kill them while they were at it.I unbelievably still had the hope of running away someday, I constantly eyed the roads when no one was looking. No one was coming for me so I had to make a way for myself. I had decided that if I were to run off, I was not going to run back to my pack. That was the easiest bet, Jaxon would have probably sent his war
TWENTYMy eyes were temporarily closed but I could feel sleep slowly creeping in. Everything was tiring, the day had been nothing but exhausting. I slightly opened my eyes and looked up at Vera who was still eyeing the room and asking random questions that pooped up in her mind. I was able to answer all the questions she had thrown at me until now..."Is Jaxon Ryker your mate?" I squeezed my eyes shut again. "Yes," I replied. "He doesn't act like it." She spoke up."It's simply because he's a jerk." A sharp knock on the bed made me raise my body. I stood up from the bed and went to open the door. I had to be cautious with who entered my room now because I did not want someone to come and grab her. I did not trust Jaxon, he was not happy about having to leave Vera unpunished. I opened the door, only leaving a small creek for me to see who was knocking.I sighed when I saw Cora. I opened the door wider and let her in, she was followed by Danielle closely behind who was holding a tray
TWENTY-ONEI would have loved to say that Danielle's hair was the reason as to why my eyes were fluttering or that her skin was shining too much for my eyes but that was not the reason. I really wished so and I wished that I was not stuck in this position. My eyes opened and closed as I looked ahead. I had decided that I simply needed my glasses and I should not have dumped them.Come to think of them, I did not remember where I had dumped them. I did remember complaining about them to Cora and then everything that went down after that, Vera, Alec and Jaxon. Suddenly, the sun's rays shone harder as I looked through the windscreen and squinted my eyes. The doctor had told me that I should make sure to have my glasses when I was moving up and about.I hated to admit that I actually needed those damned glasses. I could actually feel a pounding to my head and I felt a sudden urge to lie down and forget about my problems. I had no idea what the devious people around me were planning but by
TWENTY-TWOI was scared, to say the least. I had surely stood up for myself before but something told me not to even try at that moment as Jaxon's eyes glared at Johnny. I was more scared for Johnny's life than mine, he was a really good guy. Jaxon's eyes were dark and those red specks were sparkling in them but he would close his eyes and then they would disappear, only for the specks to appear again. He was fighting for control.My eyes widened when his hold on me tightened and his eyes were that unrealistic colour, black and specks of red. More vibrant and staring down at me. He was no longer staring at Johnny as if he wanted to snap his neck off, he was looking at me. And it affected me that I could not read his face when he looked at me. I could see the anger when he had looked at the other male but I could not make out what was going on in his mind when he stared at me with his jaw clenched.His eyes fascinated me and made me wonder. Some werewolves' eye colours are known to cha
EPILOGUEAnabelle had Jaxon's arm around her, it was the comfort that she needed at that moment. His scent was what she needed more than anything. Everything around her was dull and dark just like the clothes that she was wearing including the weather. Jaxon tightened his hold around her waist and looked down at her because he could feel every emotion that she was feeling. She looked at the graves of the fallen members and guilt and pain swallowed her. How did the loved ones of all these people feel? "It's okay, my love" Jaxon whispered to her and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile before walking away and going towards Adam's grave. She could not believe that he was gone just like that. He was so young and had not even experienced the joy of having a mate but Anabelle was glad that he had not found his mate because if he had they would have been disappointed and in pain over losing their mate. She remembered how hurt Micah looked and she wished
EIGHTYTAYLOR'S POVIt was like the sky knew of our loss, it was completely dark and the rain was heavily pouring down and hitting the roof. I could hear the strong wind blowing on the leaves of the plants as I looked outside through the window of my and Danielle's room. The turmoil in all our hearts was almost the same as the gloomy weather that swept everything away. I looked down at my fingers and curled them up, trying to keep warm. If only things had turned out differently. My heart clenched with every memory that rang through my head. Her laugh, and those shiny green eyes, haunted my dreams every time...when I slept and when I was awake. Every thought of mine always trailed back to her. Whenever I cooked something I thought about what she would think about it. When I said something I wondered if she would agree with my words. If she were here with me, would she wake me up and tell me that I was having a horrible nightmare because it sure felt like one?The rain poured and swept
SEVENTY-NINEAnabelle could not comprehend what she was looking at. Bodies were lying everywhere, it was a terrible massacre. She could tell that Amaris was no longer holding back and was indeed doing what she promised to do, to wipe off werewolves. The smell of blood was heavy in the air and the number of bodies only seemed to increase as they drove to the pack house. Amaris had attacked the pack's centre and killed anyone she spotted. Guilt ate at Anabelle as she looked at the cadavers of people that were once so alive. 'Ana, where are you? I've tried to evacuate as many people from the pack house as I can but Amaris is killing the warriors that are trying to hold her off like they are mosquitoes.' 'We are almost there,'Cora's words haunted her mind, Amaris was on a killing spree and she would not stop until she killed the last werewolf. Her leg started moving and she constantly chewed on her bottom lip as they drew closer to the pack house. Anabelle gasped when the house came in
SEVENTY-EIGHT"We lost three men, and if we include the library caretaker, Mr Cray...then we have lost four pack members." Alec gave the report to Jaxon and sank back into his seat. "We were able to retrieve the bodies of the warriors, they were horribly scorched because of the fire but hopefully we can give them proper burials.""And the witch, Mr Cray's sister?" Anabelle asked."Well, that is none of our concern. She was banished from the pack for practising dark magic and we are not responsible for her as a pack, we have certain customs to follow as a pack." Alec replied and shrugged at the end.Anabelle wanted to argue with that decision, surely the woman deserved a proper burial too. Despite being a witch she had also been killed by the person that killed the men of Blazepelt. Anabelle wanted to speak out on what she thought but Jaxon held her hand and when she turned to look at him he shook his head. She understood from the look in his eyes that she should not argue, his eyes pl
SEVENTY-SEVEN"Are they actually having sex?" Adam whispered horribly next to Danielle's ear. Danielle turned to look at him and hit his arm."What do you want them to do? It's a man and a woman in the same room and they are mates by the way." Taylor looked up at Adam from the pan. "This day has been quite eventful and despite the time no one knows how long it is going to be night," she added and continued stirring the food that she was preparing. With the Alpha and the Luna in the pack house, she had to include them too in the meal plans, not to forget she had hungry warriors waiting to be fed. "They've been going at it for quite some time now," Adam commented and looked up at the stairs. "You will not be able to get enough of your mate when you find her and then maybe you will understand." Micah joined in the conversation and took out a seat around the kitchen counter. He was finally in clean clothes and had washed off what had happened earlier. "Thank you," Taylor smiled up at M
SEVENTY-SIXAnabelle was crying hysterically and kept on shaking Jaxon's body to get a response from him. Even a twitch of his fingers would have been enough for her. The temperature was getting higher as more trees caught the fire that Amaris had started and the fire circled around them. She could see the others trying to fight against the flames, trying to find a way to get everyone out safely. Two men had come to her and told her that they hard to get out of the place, they wanted to carry Jaxon but she could not let go of his body. She kept crying and wailing because she felt empty without him, if this was how Jaxon had felt when she was unconscious then he was strong. She already felt like she could not live anymore but he had dealt with her going into and out of unconsciousness. She pulled him closer to her and hugged him to her body, his head on her chest. She could hear the beating of his heart but she was so worried because Amaris had cast a spell on him. What if she had don
SEVENTY-FIVEAmaris knew that he could win with one move but he decided to let Anabelle have her fun. In the end, whether he won or "lost" he would continue with his plans, nothing could stop him. He considered this fight as a little treat before the actual meal, it was a way to pass the time as his mind came up with more ways to end Jaxon Ryker and the werewolves. He could defeat Anabelle with his eyes closed, he was her after all. Whatever she knew, he knew...all the knowledge of fighting that she had gained from those two warriors. He was definitely better at fighting compared to her because he had learnt over the years of roaming the mortal world. Anabelle and Amaris had been going at each other for quite some time, and none of them was yet to land a hit. While Anabelle was the one throwing all the attacks, Amaris continued to easily avoid her hits smoothly. It seemed to everyone that was watching that Amaris knew Anabelle's moves more than herself. Amaris was smiling while Anabe
SEVENTY-FOURVera's leg was shaking nonstop, the heel of her shoe making noise and her arms were crossed in front of her arms. Millions of thoughts and possibilities were going through her mind. She knew that if Anabelle had been in her place she would have been the first one to fight for her, she would not be seated and waiting on news as she was. Anabelle would not have been in this room like her, she would have risked everything to save her. She was angry at herself for staying back when her best friend needed her. She should have guessed before that either Jaxon or Alec would try to stop her in some way or another. Alec had called Milo to look after Vera and that meant not letting her out of his sight. Vera could not blame Milo as he sat on the bed eyeing her, he was only carrying out the Beta's order and keeping his mate safe. She was angry at him because he did not understand a word she had said since he locked her in this room. Milo kept on saying that he was doing it in order
SEVENTY-THREEJaxon wanted to plunge his claws into Amaris, he had felt anger before but he was livid. All his life when people angered him there was no Anabelle but now she was there and this person had dared to mess with his mate. He glared at Amaris and growled, a loud and vicious growl filled the air. Amaris only smirked more when he knew that he had angered Jaxon. Everything around him was starting to blur and the only thing he could see was the glowing person in the air, his anger had fully clouded his sense of judgement. He was about to stand to attack when he realised that there was a weight in his arms, he looked down and his anger dissipated when his eyes fell on his mate's beautiful face. Jaxon knew that he could not afford to lose his cool, although he did not trust any other person except for himself to protect his mate he carried her and ushered her into Micah's arms because he was the closest to him. He turned back to face the threat while Micah knew what he had to do