Dinner continued, but my appetite had vanished. The rest of the family seemed to accept Catherine’s announcement with minimal fuss, of course they would, it their sister and it's Damon's mother, continuing their conversations as if nothing significant had happened. I took another gulp of wine.---Penelope stared at the bloodied letter on the desk in the middle of her sitting room, chewing on her nails and drowning out the angry, cursing voice of her mother upstairs. Just what kind of mess had she gotten herself into? She wondered, sniffing. Just what did her greed get her into?The ping from her phone pulled her out of her sad reverie. With shaky hands, she picked it up from the table, careful not to drop it. It was a message from ‘X’ again, with threats to keep her mouth shut. The familiar wave of fear washed over her, making her heart race. Suddenly, a loud shatter from behind startled her, and she could swear her heart almost jumped out of her chest. All her attention had been o
I stared out of the window from my room that overlooked the back of the house, wondering if my senses were glitching. It wouldn't be a surprise if they weren't, though, because lately, Penelope had been on my case and tail. The scent I had perceived a few minutes ago was definitely hers. It had to be.The full moonlight cast a soft glow over the backyard, highlighting the trees and gardens. It was full moon, soon you'll hear the men going out for hunting like they do.I sighed and turned away from the window, pacing my room. My thoughts kept circling back to Penelope. The last few times she came to me, she seemed on edge, constantly looking over her shoulder. I knew she was hiding something, that something was wrong, but whatever it is, it was her mess, her problem, and the last thing I wanted was to get involved with her, ever again.The last time I did, I left with my heart in my palm, so no more trusting.A sudden tap on the window startled me, making my heart race. I turned back q
I woke up the next morning feeling weak. My body ached, and the lingering effects of the nightmare made it hard to shake off the dread that clung to me. With effort, I dressed and got ready for work.As I went downstairs, I noticed something strange—no one was at home. Not even Zara, which was weird because Zara never left the house before me. The absence of the usual morning bustles and yells made the house feel empty and eerie.I weakly did everything I could to prepare for the day. I could only manage to make a sandwich for breakfast. My hands trembled, and I felt dizzy, but the fear of falling asleep and having another nightmare kept me from going back to bed. The entire house was empty, and the silence scared me a bit.Catherine was a full-time housewife and never left the house, even when she was with Victor. She was always around, making her presence known in one way or another. Damon was an exception; he wasn’t always at home. The other women must have left with Catherine, but
The sound of the doors being pushed open with force sent a jolt of fear through me. I could hear them entering, their footsteps heavy and deliberate. My heart pounded in my chest as I darted into a small storage room, barely big enough for two people. I pressed myself against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible.The clanging sounds of weapons hitting metal echoed through the warehouse, each strike making me jump. The noise was terrifying. I could hear them stalking closer, their movements methodical and unhurried, as if they were enjoying the game.My hands shook as I fumbled with my phone, dialing number after number. I tried calling everyone I could think of—Victor, Zara, Elizabeth, Jennie, even Damon—but every call went straight to voicemail. My heart sank with each failed attempt. "Please, someone answer," I whispered desperately, but there was only silence on the other end.I furiously prayed to the moon goddess, begging her to wake me if this was a nightmare or
I soon tried to crawl away, but my limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. My head was spinning, and I couldn't focus. Suddenly the bulkier intruder's footsteps echoed in the small room as he approached. The other three blocked any possible escape route, their menacing figures casting long shadows in the dim light, was there even light? I could barely see a thing at this point.The bulky intruder reached down and grabbed me by the arm, his grip like iron. He yanked me to my feet, and I cried out in pain. My vision blurred with tears, and I felt like I was going to faint. "Shut her up," one of the others snapped. The bulkier man raised his hand, and I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, he shoved me against the wall, holding me there with one hand while he brandished the axe with the other.My mind raced, trying to think of anything that might save me. I couldn't shift, I couldn't call for help, and I couldn't fight back. The panic was overwhelming, and I could barely
Victor rolled on the bed a few times restlessly and suddenly sat up, sweating. He groaned and rubbed his face, trying to shake off the uneasiness. He glanced at the white clock on the wall. Four PM. He was quite surprised. When did he fall asleep, and how long had he been out?He remembered working out in the gym that morning. He had pushed himself hard, trying to clear his mind, when he almost dislocated his elbow. When it didn’t heal right away, he was shocked. The pain lingered, unusual for him. Normally, his injuries healed quickly. He had come into his room to make a call, wondering what was going on. He sat on the bed and picked up his phone. That was it. He remembered nothing else after that.What happened? Why didn’t his injury heal like it was supposed to? He was quite confused. He picked up the phone that was just beside him and switched it on. Almost immediately, notifications bombarded his screen. His frown deepened as he saw the number of missed calls from Anastasia. Twen
Victor rushed out of the warehouse, his heart pounding with a pure rage. He got into his car and began to drive around the entire pack territory, desperately trying to trace her. Her scent, which had been so strong inside, was now faint and disappearing. The trail of blood that had led to the outside of the warehouse was gone, leaving him with nothing to follow.He drove in circles, his eyes scanning every street, every corner, hoping for a sign of her. But there was nothing. No trace of her anywhere. Panic began to set in, making his chest tighten with each passing second.After what felt like hours of fruitless searching, he pulled over to the side of the road. He ran his hands through his hair, frustration boiling over. With a sudden, uncontrollable rage, he banged his fist on the steering wheel, creating a little dent in it. He growled, the sound deep and feral.At that moment, he wanted to tear himself apart, tear everyone apart until he found her. The helplessness he felt was ov
Ana groaned as my eyes fluttered open for the third time. It felt like there were thousands of construction workers inside her head, each one hammering away relentlessly. She swear she could hear them. Her entire body ached, and every breath felt like a chore.Or maybe not. As her vision slowly came into focus, she saw someone pounding on something inside a miniature mortar. The man, wearing a black or grey shirt, pounding with urgency. Her head throbbed, making it hard to concentrate on anything else.“Vee?” She croaked, her voice barely above a whisper. She could see him now, standing at the edge of the room, his back turned to her as he worked on something. The sight of him brought a sense of relief, but it was quickly overshadowed by the pain and confusion.He turned around quickly at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening in what looked like relief. “You’re awake” he said the obvious, rushing to her side.She tried to sit up, but her body protested with a sharp pain and she wi