The last festival I went to was like, what, two years back? I was around eighteen then. Wasn't really my thing, you know? 'Cause, well, there was this guy I kinda had a thing for, but he was already has a mate. Didn't want people gossiping, and saying stuffs like I was going to turn out like my mom. It's not cool when people think that way about your mom, especially when they call her names. They didn’t know her like I did. She was just unlucky in love, that’s all. Anyway, I didn’t want people saying she raised me wrong or that I’d end up just like her in the bad ways. So, I kept my crush to myself.I didn't wanna go to the festival also 'cause I wasn't ready to meet my mate, even though deep down, I knew that's what me and my wolf needed. But, like, I just couldn't. Couldn't bring myself to go looking for my mate when I still had feelings for someone else. It's like my heart was stuck in two places at once, so, I decided to sit that festival out, didn't wan to mess things up even mor
Cecil came down to join me on the carpet as I picked my phone out of my purse to check the cause of the vibration. It was a message from both Victor and Damon. Damon was asking me to hurry up because he wanted to get the speech over with and have a fun night, and Victor was telling me I looked gorgeous, probably killing any men who saw me on my way here.I tried to fight the smile and blush as I looked up to the rooftop. The fairy lights strung across the edges of the building illuminated their faces as they were both on the rooftop, holding a glass of wine each and staring down at the peopleI avoided looking at Victor because I know I might just burst into a blushing mess, so I just gave Damon a curt nod and turned to Cecil.”Who's making you blush?” Cecil teased, peering over my shoulder.“No one,” I quickly replied, slipping my phone back into my purse.“Lover, huh?” She smirked. “You should have seen your face.”I nudged her playfully. “Damon is about to have a meltdown. We'll be
I watched as he walked away, and only when he went down the stairs did I turn back to glare at Penelope. Her nonchalant expression made my blood boil. “The next time you try that shit again, I’m throwing you off the building. Keep your distance, Penelope,” I said, my voice low and threatening and I liked it, I wanted to sound as cold-hearted and not-caring as I could and I knew I aced the expression when I saw Victor from my peripheral view smiling smugly.She opened her mouth to reply, but I didn’t wait to hear whatever excuse or retort she had. I spun on my heel and walked away, feeling Victor’s presence close behind me.As we moved down the stairs and through the crowd, my anger started to simmer down. The music was loud, the lights were dim, and people were dancing, oblivious to the situation around them. Victor just stayed silent, letting me cool off. We made our way to a quieter corner of the venue, away from sobber prying eyes and curious ears. I leaned against the wall, taki
Victor begrudgingly sat up, rubbing his eyes. I stood between his legs and began to unbutton his shirt, he took of his watches as I did so. The room was a bit warm, and I hoped that taking a little nap would help him recharge fully.As I unbuttoned his shirt, I noticed a flower tattoo that sprawled from his abdomen to his chest. It was a couple of black roses with red highlights, and it was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't resist running my fingers over it, wondering if it felt just the way it was. “It's amazing,” I muttered softly, tracing the petals with my fingertips. It was really beautiful.He smiled, watching me with a hint of amusement in his tired eyes. “I got it last night, You like it?”“I love it,” I replied, still marveling at the artwork. As I looked closer, I noticed tiny letters in faded red inside each flower. They formed my name. I looked up at him, a mixture of surprise in my eyes.Really...?..Did he...?.“Is this...?” I began, but my voice trailed off.He nodded,
I wondered if something had gone wrong somewhere. Or was it the period?Cecil still ignored my questions as she climbed up the stairs with her drink. She wouldn't stop no matter what I said, so I just kept quiet and followed her into her room.She almost slammed the door on my face, and that was when I lost it.“Can you please fucking answer me? Did I do something wrong? What did I do?” I slammed the door shut behind me and turned to see her glaring at me.“When were you going to tell me about you and Alpha Victor?”I felt my heart drop to my feet."About me and Alpha Victor?"“Yes, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” she snapped, her eyes blazing with anger and I could already feel my heart trying to slip out.She knew?How the fuck did she know?I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Cecil, uh... Why do you think Victor and I are a thing?”She scoffed, downing another shot of vodka. “Oh, please. Do you think I’m blind?” She sighed. “When I got tired of st
After Cecil and I made up, we shared the last bit of vodka from the bottle. It burned a little going down, but it was a good kind of burn. The kind that made you feel alive. She gave me a tired smile and then headed downstairs, probably to rejoin the party and forget the drama for a while or maybe search for her mate.I stayed back and pulled out my phone. I texted Zara to check who the occupants of the other rooms were and I was sure she understood the tasks. She replied almost immediately, saying she was on it. Once that was done, I headed back into the room where Victor was. He was awake now, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. He was still shirtles.“Hey” I said softly, not wanting to startle him, which was a very absurd thought, knowing he must have heard me coming.He turned his head to look at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “Hey.”“Feeling better?” I asked as I gently closed the door and walked over to the bed.“Yes,” He admitted, sitting up slowly. "I didn't mea
“I swear, if I find out you're joking, I'm going to kill you. Like, really kill you,” Cecil said, swirling the reddish hangover liquid in the ceramic bowl, watching me with a suspicious eye.She’d woken up about eighteen minutes ago, demanding to know what had happened and how she ended up drunk with a very non-human alcohol. I had brought the bottle with us to show her when she woke up. I wanted her to see how careless she’d been.“I have to make lunch, Cecil. Stop keeping me here,” I groaned, uncrossing my legs and crossing them again.“Well, the story doesn’t line up,” she said, placing the bowl on the counter. “I got really, seriously drunk, and somehow you found me in the car of this insanely hot redhead who said he is my mate, right?”I nodded.She continued, “And then you took me away from him with a promise that you were going to set up a date for both of us to meet since you didn’t trust him that much. And you collected his number. Then he helped you take me into the Parkhous
I knew it wasn’t right to worry someone who was on a date, so I grabbed my bag and the rest of my essentials and bolted out of the house the moment I got a call from Victor. He told me to come to Hatty's Hospital immediately.A bloody fight had broken out between two women. The offender was found dead—or in this case, she was too weak to heal and died halfway to the hospital. The victim suffered traumatic brain shock, internal fatal trauma, and third-degree burns all over her body. The burns were caused by wolfsbane and may have been the main cause of death.**1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES AGO**Cecil twirled in her dress in front of the mirror, giggling while I packed all her makeup and put it back in the boxes. And people think a Luna gets more respect and rest. “Okay, seriously, you need to go. Haven't you heard of the saying; if you keep staring at your reflection, you're going to be ugly. You haven't heard of it?” I pushed the boxes under her shoe shelf since I wasn't tall enough to put
Leo’s POVShock couldn’t even describe how I felt when Michael and Greg were in the same room as us. It was hard not to show my displeasure as I watched them sit eagerly, rubbing their palms at the delicacy presented to them. While Michael was just interested in whatever this was, Greg cast furtive glances at me, but I paid him no attention.The least he could have done was to have informed me beforehand that my best friend had offered him an invitation to have dinner at the house. I could have told him to decline. If he had, Michael would have done the same, and I wouldn’t have had to watch Lila so uncomfortable.She squirmed in her seat, not looking up from the table. Her plate was empty, as she had yet to take what she wanted. But she had already been accosted, so I doubted she was interested in whatever was in those dishes.“This is amazing,” Michael gushed like a child who had just been handed his favorite candy. “I’m sitting in the same room as Leo and Armani. I can’t wait to te
Ana stepped into the pharmacy on her way to Victor's, with a sense of urgency. She made her way to the counter, her eyes scanning the shelves until she found what she was looking for. Birth control pills. She grabbed a pack, paid for it quickly, and left the store, her mind already focused on the night ahead. Hoping no one's attention was in her.Once outside, she took a deep breath and fished the packet out of her bag. She popped a pill into her mouth and swallowed it dry, anticipating her arrival at the mansion. She could feel the excitement building, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she imagined what was to come.Arriving at the house, she let herself in with the spare key he had given her. The house was quiet, save for the soft hum of voices coming from the dining room. She walked in and found him sitting at the dining table, engrossed in a live Zoom call. His laptop was open in front of him, and two businessmen were visible on the screen, discussing some important matte
After getting the things he needed at the store, Carlos' uncle, Frances decided not to drive straight home if maybe not. Instead, he took a detour to a dimly lit tea shop. He parked in front and walked on foot to a bar a bit farther away. It might be calculated move on his part, a way to throw off anyone who might be following him.Entering the bar, he found a secluded corner and settled in, ordering a few less alcoholic drinks. He knew he needed to stay awake, and nit get drunk. As he sipped his drink, he kept an eye on the door, waiting for his contact to show up. He was told this bar sold cookies, and despite the unusual setting, he couldn't resist ordering some.An hour passed, and there was still no sign of his contact. He ordered another drink, more out of a need to maintain his cover than a desire for alcohol. The bar was a typical dive, with dim lighting and the smell of stale beer hanging in the air. He tried to stay calm, but the wait was beginning to get to him.After wait
Ana spent the rest of her morning and early afternoon in blissful solitude. She played games on her phone, The hours slipped by unnoticed, and soon she felt the heavy pull of sleep. Without bothering to change, she curled up on her bed and napped.When she woke up, it was late afternoon. The house was quieter now, the bustle of the morning's chaos having subsided. She stretched and took a moment to reorient herself, then decided it was time to freshen up and shake off the remnants of sleep. She wanted to make the most of her remaining free time before the annual packs' meeting.She dressed up in a casual chiffon dress, applied a little makeup, grabbed her bag and left her room, moving quietly through the house. She tried her best to avoid any lingering annoying family members, not wanting to risk another confrontation or forced interaction, or even an insult regarding her choice not to get pregnant. As she stepped outside, the cool afternoon air greeted her. Smelt like summer was just
The girl jumped, her face paling as she stammered an apology and quickly scurried away. Ana watched her go, irritation still simmering. She put in her key, twisted until she heard a click and then shd pushed the door open, entering her sanctuary. She took a moment to breathe, willing herself to calm down. The last thing she needed was to let anyone down there see her rattled.She freshened up quickly, splashing cold water on her face and running a brush through her hair. She changed into something more presentable, even though the effort felt wasted. These breakfasts were always the same—forced smiles and shallow conversations, or just them plainly trying to piss her off Descending the stairs. Damon was seated at the head of the table, with Catherine by the left, there was someone else by the right and he gestured the lady to move when he saw me approaching.Well, let's just not start on the part where he just acted nice and weird, like he's been doing lately.Victor, predictably, wa
The next morning, Ana lounged in the living room, munching on popcorn while Zara massaged her feet. She watched as Catherine, always the attention-seeker, prepared an extravagant breakfast. As usual, Catherine had invited almost the entire Pierce family for a feast without bothering to inform anyone beforehand. It was such a Catherine thing to do—spontaneous, inconsiderate, and utterly exhausting for everyone else involved.The kitchen was a chaotic mess of clattering pots and pans, the smell of cooking food thick in the air. Selene and the other maids bustled around, trying to keep up with her relentless pace. Ana watched them with detached amusement, knowing full well that any call for help from Catherine would be met with thinly veiled disdain.Catherine, in her own world, directed the maids with sharp commands, her voice carrying over the noise. Ana knew better than to engage. She had learned long ago that nothing she did would ever be good enough for Catherine, and she had stoppe
In the dimly lit warehouse, the men lounged around, a sense of nonchalance hanging in the air. The men were taking a break from their gruesome duties, their faces reflecting a mix of boredom and tiredness and maybe a bit sleepines. The smell of sweat, smoke, and faint hints of blood filled the room."Hey, you got another one of those?" one of the men asked, nodding toward a cigarette as he sprawled on a worn-out couch."Sure," another replied, tossing him a pack. "We're gonna need something stronger if we have to go back to work soon.""Tell me about it," the first man muttered, lighting his cigarette and taking a deep drag. He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling up towards the ceiling. "I’m tired of babysitting that old woman. shouldn't we just clear her. I wonder why she's here.""Seriously man, but orders are orders," the second man shrugged, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Besides, we’ve got that other guy to keep things interesting."In the corner of the warehouse, their other
Ana woke up early the next morning, the soft morning light filtering through her bedroom window, she was driven home last night after dinner by Jules under Victor's order since he refused to let her hail a taxi. She stretched, shaking off the remnants of sleep. Today was the day she would prepare for the annual packs' meeting, an event that required her to be both presentable and versatile. The meeting was a significant occasion, filled with formal discussions and various activities, and she needed to look her best, but to beat the gossips and also build her confidence.As she dressed after freshening up, her thoughts turned to her wardrobe. Many of her clothes seemed dull and uninspired, and so was the ones she bought earlier for the meeting. She decided it was time to update her collection. Grabbing her phone, she made a quick list of the essentials she needed: a few new dresses, some casual outfits, and accessories to match. She also noted that she might need a couple of versatile
Lucas stood up, pondering her words. He exchanged a glance with the leader of the men, who gave a slight nod."You did the right thing by telling us, Maria," Lucas said. "We'll make sure your grandchildren are safe. But you need to understand that if I find out you lied, your grandkids wouldn't be safe in my hands either"She nodded vehemently, tears streaming down her face. "I swear, everything I just told you is the truth. Please, just protect them. They’re all I have left."He gave her a small, almost pitying smile, that to a normal eye would look a bit forced. "Very well then. We'll do our best. Remember, Maria, trust is a fragile thing. Don't give us a reason to break it.""I promise, I'm not lying"As they left her alone in the warehouse, her heart sank into a deep pit of despair, her mind racing with thoughts of her grandchildren. Outside, Lucas walked briskly to his car, which was parked just outside the warehouse. He climbed into the driver's seat, leaving the door open for a