*BRIANNE’S POV*“You will no longer go out there to train,” He decreed, his voice firm and authoritative. “Not until you’re fully recovered,” He said.I flared up at the command, my instinct rebelled against his attempts to control me. “Who says I’m not fully recovered?” I asked him. Obviously, he wanted a reason to keep me captive, because he could clearly see that I was healed completely.His stone cold gaze roamed over me, ravaging my body before finally resting on my face, “you know I could lock you up here and your parents won’t be able to do anything about it” He threatened. The air seemed to vibrate with tension as we engaged in a silent stare-down.His threat did something to me, it wasn’t fear that I felt, but a thrill that ran through my veins like a spark of electricity. The way his eyes traveled my body as if claiming ownership, made my skin tingle with a sensation I couldn’t quite explain. He has a way of shutting me up every time, rendering me speechless with just a gla
*BRIANNE’S POV*I got back to the pack house, ready to go back to training even though Alpha Jordyn had told me not to train.I went straight to the arena, hoping to see another fight going on, but what I saw was— everybody standing erect in an organized formation.‘What were they doing? Is this also some kind of exercise?I sneaked into the arrangement, trying to blend in and avoid drawing attention to myself.“Alright!!” A female voice resounded in the open space. “I’m gonna tell y’all why we’re doing this,” she said, standing in front of the crowd.“I got orders from above” she continued, her eyes scanning the crowd before finally landing on me. “We’re going to start the basics of combat training,” she said, her voice firm and authoritative.The crowd murmured, the complaints visible on their faces.Some people turned to me, which made it even more awkward. It was as if they were blaming me for what the instructor just said.“Silence,” The instructor yelled, tuning down the murmuri
*BRIANNE’S POV*My facial expression must have been absolutely priceless because she suddenly giggled, a joyful sound that was like music to my ears. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and her lips curled up into a playful smile. I couldn’t help but laugh too as I took her hands.She seemed more friendly than she looked.“You must be Brianne,” she suddenly said.This caught me off guard, how did she know my name? I stared at her, my eyes wide with surprise, hoping she would answer my unspoken questions.She let out a soft giggle, “are you surprised?” She asked with a playful voice. “Of course, I know you,” she said, her smile growing wider.“But…” I stuttered.“Everybody knows you,” she chuckled. “The girl who made my brother stop an ongoing training?” She said, her eyes glinting with teasing.Her brother!? “Alpha Jordyn is your brother?” I asked in disbelief.I watched her with amusement, I didn’t know Alpha Jordyn had a sister. And she was stunning! Her beauty and elegance took my b
*JORDYN’S POV*“Jordyn…call me Jordyn when we’re alone,” I said, my voice low as I gazed into her eyes. The look that flashed across her face was a mix of surprise and discomfort. I could sense her hesitation, I knew she was going to decline, her lips were already parted to protest, so I added,“It’s an order,” My tone was firm but gentle, a subtle reminder of my authority without being overbearing.Her expression was a picture of discomfort, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed, as if she was struggling to come to terms with my request.It was adorable and I found myself fighting back a chuckle. Her expressions were always funny and entertaining.Just as I was enjoying the sight, she turned to look up at me, and I quickly wiped the smile off my face, attempting to fabricate a serious expression.I breathe a silent sigh of relief, feeling grateful for the opportunity to walk with her, to simply exist in her presence.The pleasure of strolling side by side with her was undeniable.
*JORDYN’S POV* I walked into the bar with Josh and was immediately dismayed by the familiar faces I saw sitting there.“If I had told you, would you have agreed to come?” Josh said, shrugging sheepishly.He had invited other friends…people I didn’t want to see.I glared at him, my side eye deadly. “I hate those guys,” I hissed.Josh downplayed my concerns. “How bad can it be to just sit there and ignore them,” He said. “I only wanted to liven up the place.”I sighed, not buying whatever liveliness those guys had to offer. Josh waved at the unwanted guests, announcing our arrival.As we approached the table, one of the guys, Ivan, greeted us with a cheerful smile.“Oh, what’s up dudes?” He asked, exchanging a friendly handshake with Josh.“can’t believe our almighty Alpha Jordyn stepped out for a drink” Another guy, Edward chimed in.I glared at him, my eyes warning him to tread carefully.“Come on Edward, don’t talk like that,” Josh rebuked him playfully. “You know how hard it is to
*BRIANNE’S POV*I slid into the passenger seat, my eyes widening in surprise. “How did you know where I live?” I asked.Janette flashed a playful grin. “I have my ways,” She teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “But how did you…”Janette interrupted me, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “My brother is your personal GPS, apparently,” She said with a chuckle.My eyes narrowed, intrigued. “Your brother?” I repeated.“He asked me to swing by and pick you up, take you back to the pack house” She nodded.“What!” I exclaimed, my voice echoing in the car. Alpha Jordyn could be so unbelievable, why would he even bother to do that?Janette’s expression remained serene, her eyes fixed on the road. The silence that followed was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft hum of the engine.Then, without warning, Janette spoke up, her voice gentle but probing. “Brianne” She called out, her eyes flickered towards me.I turned to her, urging her to continue.“What i
*BRIANNE’S POV*The girls chatter filled the air as we made our way through the woods, their excitement for the party or gathering was palpable.As we walked further into the woods, the trees grew taller and the shadows deepened. My unease began to creep back in, but the girls kept chatting and laughing, distracting me from my worries and putting my mind at ease…a little bit.Suddenly, they stopped at a clearing—an empty space. I expected to see a crowd of people, music, and lights, but no one was there.Where was everybody?I turned to the girls, my confusion and concern evident. “where is everybody?” I asked, my voice croaked with a hint of unease.“Surprise!” Sophia exclaimed as she ran childishly to the middle of the open space.I watched her with confusion etched on my face. What surprise? They brought me all the way for this?“I thought you said everybody was going to be here,” I said again, trying to get answers from them. My instincts were starting to scream warning but I didn
*BRIANNE’S POV*I shut my eyes tight, bracing myself for the pain, but nothing happened. I opened my eyes slowly, peeking to see what was stopping Sophia’s attack.And that’s when I saw him, Alpha Jordyn, standing right there. How did he find us?His eyes were fixed intently on Sophia, exuding a mix of anger and authority.The hands that held my arms suddenly released them, and the girls moved away from me, fear evident in their eyes. Sophia’s claws retracted, and she took a step back.“Al…Alpha Jordyn… what are you doing here?” Sophia asked in a trembling voice.I stood there, wondering how he knew I was here or how he even found us in these deep woods.‘My brother is your personal GPS’ Janette’s words echoed in my head.“Alpha Jordyn…we were just showing Brianne around,” Sophia said again, smiling awkwardly.His look gave the impression that he wasn’t buying whatever Sophia was saying.He stood in the trees, his gaze resting on me, he didn’t pay any attention to the three girls sta
*MARY'S POV*It had been one of those days—the kind where you’re running around so much, you forget to breathe. Between errands, Brianne’s endless chatter about wedding plans, and my job commitments, I was exhausted.By the time I got home, I flopped onto my bed, glaring at my phone as it buzzed.Josh: “What’s the probability of you burning dinner again tonight? Asking for science.”I snorted, my fatigue momentarily forgotten.Me: “Zero. I ordered takeout. Bet you didn’t see that coming, Mr. Assistant.”Josh: “Well, well, look at you. A true culinary mastermind. What’d you get?”Me: “Sushi. But not sharing, so don’t even ask.”Josh: “You’re cruel.”Me: “But I’m cute, so it balances out.”Josh: “Debatable.”I rolled my eyes, tossing my phone onto the pillow beside me. Even when we weren’t together, he had this way of sneaking into my day and making it better.***Later that evening, as I lounged on the couch with my sushi, my phone buzzed again.Josh: “Let me guess. You’re in your PJs,
*MARY'S POV*Josh was fine. Of course, he was fine. I should’ve known better than to take his text seriously.“You’re really milking this, aren’t you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.“Maybe,” he said, that signature smirk tugging at his lips.I huffed and crossed my arms. “I should’ve just ignored you.”“But you didn’t.”That smug grin of his—it was equal parts infuriating and charming.Later that day,Josh insisted on taking me out. "It’s not a big deal,” he said, his smile disarming. “Just trust me.”When I showed up that evening, I half-expected another casual hangout. But he surprised me. Instead of his usual playful demeanor, there was something different about him—something deliberate.“Ready?” he asked, offering his arm.“For what exactly?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.“You’ll see,” he said, leading me outside.The walk to the secluded spot took a while, but when we arrived, I was speechless.Josh had set up a cozy little space right on the beach, with lanterns lighting the
*JOSH'S POV*The next morning, I woke up early, my mind already buzzing with ideas. I couldn’t let this be a one-off thing. If Mary thought last night was romantic, I’d have to step up my game. She deserved more than just dinner under lanterns.But first, there was pack business to deal with.I sighed, pulling myself out of bed and heading for the shower. By the time I was dressed and on my way to the pack house, the warm glow of last night had been replaced with the usual weight of responsibility.When I arrived at Jordyn’s office, I found him already buried in paperwork. He barely looked up as I walked in.“Morning,” I said, dropping into the chair across from him.“Morning,” he replied, not missing a beat as he flipped through a file.For a while, we worked in comfortable silence, the only sounds the scratching of pens and the rustle of papers.But, of course, Jordyn being Jordyn, he couldn’t let me off that easily.“So,” he said, leaning back in his chair and giving me a pointed l
*JOSH'S POV*She was frozen, her eyes wide and glistening under the lantern light.“I’m not asking for forever—at least not yet,” I said, a grin tugging at my lips. “But I am asking you to be mine. Will you be my girlfriend?”Mary blinked, her expression shifting from surprise to something softer, more tender. And then she laughed, shaking her head.“You really went all out for this, didn’t you?” she said, her voice thick with emotion.“Is that a yes?” I asked, still kneeling.She stepped closer, pulling me to my feet and into her arms. “Yes, you idiot. Of course, it’s a yes.”Relief and joy washed over me as I held her, the weight of anticipation lifting from my shoulders.“But,” she added, pulling back slightly, her lips curving into a smirk, “you didn’t have to go this big just to ask me to be your girlfriend.”I grinned. “I wanted to make sure you couldn’t say no.”“Like I ever could,” she whispered, leaning up to press her lips to mine.The kiss was soft, lingering, and full of p
I could still hear Mary’s voice in my head, teasing me about how I owed her a proper date. It played on repeat as I sat on the couch, flipping through ideas for something special. I wasn’t the type to go all out—fancy dates and grand gestures weren’t really my thing—but for Mary, I wanted this to feel different. She deserved different.The past few days in the clinic had been torture, not because of the pain, but because I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The memory of her hand in mine, the way her cheeks flushed when I’d asked her to be my girlfriend, was burned into my mind. She’d told me to wait, to get better first, but that didn’t stop me from imagining her answer.With a plan finally forming in my head, I grabbed my phone and sent her a quick text.Me: Don’t forget, Friday night. Dress fancy.Her reply came almost instantly:Mary: It better be worth it.I laughed under my breath, shaking my head. She always knew how to keep me on my toes.*** Friday rolled around faster than I
*MARY'S POV*I stood outside Josh’s room in the clinic, the door slightly ajar. It had been two days since the accident, and though his wounds were healing, I still couldn’t shake the image of him lying unconscious and bloodied. I’d barely slept since Brianne called me with the news. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him in that state.The sound of his voice pulled me from my thoughts.“Mary, you planning to just stand there, or are you coming in?”I pushed the door open, trying to mask the relief that flooded through me at seeing him awake and smirking. Typical Josh—always ready with a grin, even when he was banged up.“How long were you watching me?” I asked, stepping in and closing the door behind me.“Long enough to see you pacing like a worried mom,” he teased, his voice hoarse but warm.I rolled my eyes, pulling the chair closer to his bed. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”“And yet, here you are.”I couldn’t argue with that.*** *JOSH'S POV*Mary looked tired, like she ha
*MARY'S POV*Walking into the room, I felt my chest tighten at the sight of him. Josh was lying on the bed, his face pale, his breathing steady but shallow. Bandages covered his arms and chest, and there was a faint bruise along his jawline.I pulled up a chair beside his bed, my eyes welling up with tears. “You idiot,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “Why did you have to be so reckless?”He didn’t respond, of course. He was unconscious, his body working overtime to heal itself. I reached out, hesitating for a moment before taking his hand in mine.“You’re going to be fine,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. “You have to be. I’m not done yelling at you yet.”*** Hours passed, though it felt like days. Brianne came in to check on me a few times, offering food or water, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Josh’s side.As the first rays of dawn filtered through the window, I felt a slight movement in his hand. My heart leaped, and I leaned forward.“Josh?” I whispered, my voice ba
*MARY'S POV*I groaned again, burying my face in the pillow. “Why am I like this? Why can’t I just enjoy it and move on?”It wasn’t like I hadn’t been with other guys before. But with Josh, it felt different. There was a connection, something deeper that I couldn’t quite put into words. And that scared me.“Do you think I’m falling for him, Mr. Fluffy?” I whispered. The teddy bear, of course, didn’t respond, but I could almost imagine him giving me a knowing look.I laughed softly, shaking my head. “No, no, no. This is just… it’s a phase. A momentary lapse in judgment. I’ll get over it. I mean, it’s Josh. He’s annoying and cocky and—”My phone buzzed on the nightstand, cutting off my train of thought. I reached over to grab it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw his name on the screen.Josh: Hope you’re not overthinking last night. I know I’m irresistible, but try to focus on other things.I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips.Me: You wish. I’m pe
*JOSH'S POV*Mary stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks before her eyes opened. The sunlight caught her hair, making it shine in soft waves, and for a moment, I just stared. She blinked a few times, her gaze landing on me, and a sleepy smile curved her lips.“Morning,” she murmured, her voice husky from sleep.“Morning,” I replied, leaning against the headboard, my arms crossed casually. “You’re not a morning person, are you?”She stretched, groaning softly as she did. “Not in the slightest. You’re lucky you’re cute, or I’d complain about how bright it is in here.”I smirked. “Noted. Next time, I’ll keep the blinds closed.”Her head tilted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Next time, huh?”“Well, that depends,” I said, my tone teasing. “Do I get a ‘next time,’ or was this a one-time deal?”Mary propped herself up on one elbow, her expression playfully stern. “Don’t fish for compliments this early, Josh. It’s too much effort.”I laughed, the sound filling the room