ALPHA KNOXX:Why am I doing this? Why am I guarding someone instead of thinking of ways to push the peace treaty between the rogues and the pack? I asked in my mind. Looking at the sky, I shook my head while sitting on the big rock. I should be with Dante, searching for any lead. But when I told him about it, he said that he could do it and I should focus on protecting Sunshine. Sunshine. My stubborn little stepsister with a fiery temper. And irritating. Her character development was beyond recognition.In the past, she was nothing but a lamb who could not even hurt a fly, but the next time, she became a tigress. This woman did not need any protection. She could fight. I admit that her fighting skills were one of the best that I saw among the women. A little polishing and she could become one of the finest warriors in the pack even if she only learned based on the observation. The woman had a talent.But Dante insisted that she was still a woman and Alpha Ezra would be disappointe
SUNSHINE:I hid my disappointment. Knoxx was so close to giving in, yet he won't give in. He was fighting my temptation. And instead of getting offended and irritated by it, I was amused and admired him. If only men were like him. Then no one would be crying because their partners cheated on them. He was not like Jericho who was easily swayed by a woman stripping in front of him.I was practically offering him my body but he would not take the bite. I felt offended. Slight. But I was happy at the same time. A cheater partner was not something I wanted right now. But Knoxx did not want you, another part of my mind said. He might not want me right now, but he will as the days go on. I vow it. "This is wrong," he said absentmindedly. "Wrong."What part was wrong here? He was single. As well as I. We were not in a relationship. Knoxx was the most stubborn man I ever encountered in my entire life. Jericho was not like this. A little seduction and we two would be fucking. But not Kno
SUNSHINE:I laughed sarcastically because that was the only thing I could do. But his words carried so much weight, making me question myself again. My worth. And everything about it.Jericho was a devil who would spout negative words into your mind, shattering your dreams and confidence as well as the worth you've had so far.Don't listen to him, another part of my mind whispered.It was easy to say, but difficult to do. "Have you thought about it, Sunny?" Jericho pressed. "I promise that you won't be hurt again. We forget the past and move on. What do you think of that?" Jericho was so full of himself. So what if no one wanted me? "Fuck off, Jericho. That's no longer your concern. My heart is stable as of the moment and it did not want anyone, especially jerks like you.""That only means you admit what I said," he said cheekly. "Sunny. I'm only your last bet. No one would accept you. Only me because—"Thud!Jericho and I glanced at the back and found the basket where there were a
SUNSHINE:I have a mate.The words kept on ringing in my mind a couple of times, giving me false hope. It was wrong of me to think that Knoxx wanted me now because from what I did earlier (the seduction I mean), I failed.I didn't even get a kiss from him.Dammit. I was back to being desperate for a man's validation. "Who is your mate?" Jericho asked. My heart hammered against my ribcage, as the other part of me wanted Knoxx to tell them the truth. But that was one of the most impossible things to expect. Knoxx would not dare to do that. He just could not. He was embarrassed that people would laugh at him for having a mate who was his stepsister. "Yeah, Alpha Knoxx. All the town people know is that you're unmated. Would you be willing to tell us who your mate is? I would love to meet her."I am already in front of you, the other part of my mind said. I gritted my teeth as my breathing became shallow. For a moment, Knoxx and my eyes met, but he easily looked away as if he was gui
SUNSHINE:If Brody became a rogue alpha, that meant he became more powerful. More powerful than we could ever imagine. He already met the different rogues from the other places and had a meeting and they appointed him as their alpha. Rogue alpha.I liked him sometimes, but obtaining powers like that…I did not know what he was more capable of doing. My stomach twisted.Fuck. I think I'm going to poke.Right now, all I wanted was to go back to the coffee shop and tell Knoxx about this.If Brody had acquired more power, how would we settle this dispute? Brody would no longer believe that a peace treaty would be the solution to this unending conflict between the rogues and the Heartstone Pack. He would think that this place no longer needed to be signing an agreement between the pack and him.Images of blood covering the whole ground flashed in my mind. I didn't want it to happen. Knoxx. What are you doing? Are You even doing something at all?I tried to reach out to his mind but sto
SUNSHINE:My heart skipped a bit as I forced myself to look at Brody. Be still, my heart. He was only bluffing so that I would tell him the truth and he would use the truth against Knoxx, thinking I was the alpha's weakness. Dammit. If Brody only knew the truth that I meant nothing to him, then he would not do anything at all. Probably. "W-what did you say?" I asked, forcing myself to control my breathing.Inhale. Exhale. No one should know the truth. But until when will I be able to keep the truth among ourselves? "The alpha and you are mates," he repeated. "I am a hundred percent sure about it."I was right. I was not hearing things. However, how did he know? Knoxx and I were not that close or sweet to each other. I forced myself to make my expression neutral. "Mates?""Yes, mates."Mates. My hands went to my stomach and then, I laughed it out and asked, "Why would Knoxx and I be mates? You can see that the alpha hated me so much. It showed how he looked at me. So please st
SUNSHINE: Knoxx's eyes were searching for something. That I did not know what. "Am I jealous?" he asked. I reached out the strands of his hair and then, combed them using my fingertips. He sucked in a breath while he watched what I was doing. The most important thing? He was not doing anything to escape from me. "Are you jealous," I inquired back. He closed his eyes, as he clenched his fist. His lips…I wanted to touch them. To kiss them and feel how soft they were. Knoxx did not smoke any cigarettes so his lips were red like strawberries. I wanted to kiss him, I whispered inside my head. The attraction between us was too great, but he was only denying it. He shivered against my touch. His breathing was getting shallow as well as mine. I licked my lips. I thought I had already given up on trying to seduce him. I was not successful last time. So what was my assurance that there would be changes now?I'm already tired of pushing him, yet he won't give in. His willpower was st
SUNSHINE: Those were nothing but the truth and I won't deny that I always told Brody that if only he was my mate. And until now, given this kind of situation I had with my second-chance mate, I still wanted to be with him. One moment Knoxx’s eyes were fine, but the next moment, his eyes widened. “He makes you feel safe?” he asked, his voice dangerously close to snapping out. “You wanted him to be your mate?” “Yes,” I answered without batting an eye. I did not want to lie about that. “I’m telling the truth.” A low growl escaped from his lips while his face turned bright red. “How can you say that even when we kiss earlier? Did the kiss hold no meaning at all?" I still wanted him more than Jericho. But the problem was, he did not like me at all. The kiss would forever be imprinted in my mind and I would treasure it for as long as I lived. The kiss was nothing like I had with Jericho. "That's what I am curious about, stepbrother. Why did you kiss me? What's the point of kis
SUNSHINE:I felt like I was an eggshell when I returned to the pack. My mind was a mess and I did not know whether I should be happy or not at the turn of events. Jericho had just broken the engagement and wanted me to be with Knoxx as if it were simple. It was not. How could I be with someone after knowing I hurt the person who truly loved me?“Sunshine? You okay?”I lifted my gaze after I stepped out of the car. Knoxx was at the garage, washing his car. Good for him. He turned off the faucet and wiped his hands on his pants. He was shirtless and sweat decorated his chest. Or maybe it was the water from the faucet. If I was not in shock at what happened earlier, perhaps I was already licking my lips upon seeing his body. “Do I look okay after seeing you?”“You were already not in a good mood when you stepped out of the car.”A low growl escaped from my lips. “You shut your mouth.”He heaved a sigh. “Have you eaten?”“Why does it matter?” I snapped. “Don't pretend like you care
SUNSHINE:Knoxx loved me. He finally loved me. Too bad, when I already gave up, he came chasing me. Why did it have to become this way? “What do you expect me to say?” I asked. “Do you want me to say that I have feelings too? How many times do I have to remind you that I already have Jericho? Why can't you see that?” I growled.Please don't confuse me, too. I pity Jericho. He was a changed man and I did not want to sin. My conscience won't allow that. “I…I don’t expect anything, Sunshine. I just wanted to tell you my feelings. I don’t…want to have any regrets.”“You really don’t care what your pack would say?”“Anyone’s opinion doesn't matter anymore, Sunshine. This time, I will pursue what I want. I won't stop unless you are already married. I don't want to live in regrets.”I inhaled deeply and pocketed his handkerchief. If only he confessed when I had not accepted Jericho…then maybe…there might be a chance between us. A sad smile spread on my lips. “Is this the kind man you ar
SUNSHINE:“Alright, Jericho. That’s good. Tell me if everything is okay.” I had to marry Jericho so that Knoxx would stop pestering me. I meant he already made it clear that he did not want me. So, I hoped he would stick to that. Sensing that someone was watching me, I looked around and found a pair of eyes watching me intently. Shite. My heart skipped a beat when I caught sight of Knoxx. He was about to enter the hall but stopped upon seeing me. If I stayed here, our paths would always cross. I had to get out of this pack as soon as possible.“I’ll be calling you back later, Jericho. T-thanks,” I muttered, in a hurry. Knoxx's steps faltered. As if he debated on approaching me or not. “Yes. Take care, Sunny. I love you so much. I hope this will be the start of something new. I love you,” he whispered lovingly. My mind went blank. He loved me. Until now? But my love for him had already disappeared when Knoxx entered the picture. What should I say?I bit the inside of my cheek
SUNSHINE: Out of reflex, I stood at the bed and scrambled away, losing my balance and landed on the floor with a loud thud. I gasped when a wave of pain exploded. I cursed loudly. Knoxx was suddenly on my side and asked, “Are you okay, Sunshine?” His voice was full of worry. His eyebrows raised and that was the time when I realized he was clean-shaven and his hair was also cut properly. He looked handsome…that I could not stop myself from thumping loudly against my ribcage. Jericho's face flashed inside my head. Guilt swallowed my heart. How could my heart jump because of someone else? Disgusting.“Do not touch me. Stay away from me. Your touch repulses me.”Knoxx let out a shaky breath. “Sunshine. I’m only checking if you are hurt.”“I’m not that weak. Why did you come here?”My heart continued to hammer against my chest. What was he doing here? Staying in the same room with him brought so many memories. I wanted to run away from him and hide.“I’m glad you're not in pain.”
SUNSHINE:I am going to marry Jericho a month from now. That was our agreement. Jericho’s parents were both excited and I had already told everyone in the family about it. Yes. That includes my stepbrothers as well. Mother was thrilled but my stepbrothers were not. It was as if they wanted me to wait for Knoxx. I sighed and rolled to my side. Leaving this room was not something I wanted to do now even if Jericho and I both agreed that we would be choosing wedding dresses even if the wedding ceremony was only simple. His Mother insisted that we should choose my dress properly for a prosperous life.I did not want a luxurious dress. All I wanted was a peaceful life. A peaceful married life. Marriage. Am I going to do this or am I only using Jericho?He said he was willing to be used, another part of my mind said.He did, but the guilt…If you don’t want to feel that, try loving him so that it will fade.I was not the type to use other people. I would rather be used than to be anoth
DANTE:The alpha was drunk again and stayed at the river, while watching the bonfire, I mused to myself as I hid on the large tree. I wanted to be disappointed, but I also understood why he was acting like this—his youngest brother's death. I wanted to pretend that I did not know what was happening to him, but I did.My heart tightened when he would call his dead brother and sometimes Sunshine when he was so drunk. I looked at the sky which was full of stars. I wished the day would come when Alpha Knoxx would stop blaming himself. He got worse after Miss Sunshine went back to the pack. Did the two have a falling out? If I were the alpha, I would not let anything separate me from my mate regardless of the reason. May it a step sibling or not.Alpha Knoxx emptied the contents of the bottle and put it aside. He already drunk five bottles of beer. There were five more left for him to empty. Still, he continued taking care of his people. Little by little, they accepted him as their
SUNSHINE: Jericho knew he messed up the moment he saw my expression. It turned sour until it darkened. His mouth opened and closed until he fell silent.I clenched my fist and put them on my side. “You think it’s about Knoxx?” That man who left me? That man who never wanted me? “What do you think of me, Jericho?”You liar! How could you lie with a straight face?Isn’t he the reason for all of this? Isn’t he the reason why you could not move on to the present, Sunshine? The other part of my mind asked.Jericho went to the window, pulled out something from his pocket. A cigarette. As if reminded that I hated the smell of it, he grabbed one stick and snapped it into two. “It was him. You loved that man,” he insisted. I lifted my chin, feeling my lips quivered.I was glad that he was not looking at my direction or he would know that he was right. I loved Knoxx. I loved the man who said he liked me but never loved me. At all.My chest went heavy. Fuck.How long will I continue to dea
SUNSHINE:“Mom. You don’t have to pressure Sunshine about that. We did not come to visit here for that,” Jericho declared in my defense. Lifting my gaze, I saw how his cheeks flamed with embarrassment. Cute. Cute?I chuckled nervously, but his mother won’t stop any moment from now. She pinched his son’s side.“Oh, come on, Jericho. Have you been slacking off? How many times will I tell you that you should win her back? I want her as my daughter-in-law!” his mother scolded.Mentally, I sighed in relief. She did not hate me for what I did to their son.‘Why would they when it was Jericho’s fault?’ Helena interjected. ‘It was right to reject him.’‘The last time I remember, you were bawling your eyes out when I rejected him.’Helena sneered. ‘That was all in the past. I want Knoxx to be better.’“Honey. Let’s just let the kids deal with it.”“That’s right, Mom. Right now, Sunny and I are friends.”“Friends?” His mother’s disappointment was evident on his face. “I never said that you two
SUNSHINE:The heart hammered against my ribcage as I walked in the hallway while clenching my fist.How could the beta ask me what would happen to Knoxx if ever I married Jericho when the alpha specifically showed me that he had nothing to do with me? Men. Did they think women had all the time to wait for them? Like the heck!I should seriously consider if I want to marry Jericho or not so that this will stop.‘What will happen to our mate, then?’ Helena asked, whimpering. She had been silently crying in the corner of my mind.‘That is no longer my concern. Knoxx has chosen and it’s time for me to do the same.’“Sunshine. Wait!”I heard footsteps and I did not need to stop to know who it was. Cayden. The rational one among the brothers. And he was also the most sane person who never blamed me for what happened to the youngest brother. How unfortunate we were never given the chance to be closer as siblings. “Sunshine. Can we talk?”I stopped and faced him. Sweat coated his forehead f