Malia’s POVI sat watching the maids run around for chores, and then I spotted Dexter. He gave me a wink, and I felt this urgent need to run. I knew the longer I stayed in this pack, the more dangerous it was for me. I knew I had to leave. So I plotted my escape.The pack guards always went on a shift by 11 p.m.They had dinner together. That would be a perfect plan to run off, but then again, I needed the approval of the matron to stay outside past my bedtime. I decided to put the plan away for a while."Wake up everybody!!!!!!” I heard the cook scream as she threatened to pour us water. We, the maids of the Blood Moon Pack, slept in the smallest rooms in the mansion. The rooms were just like match boxes. In fact, the fish in a sardine can get a lot more space than us in that room. We slept like sticks. No one moved for fear of stepping on someone else.As I still tried to keep sleeping, I felt something wet and extremely cold on me.“Oh my God! Cook, do you have to do that?” I whined
Michael’s POVI woke to the sound of birds chirping. The sun was directly in my face as I tried to get up. This in turn made me squint like someone who was sensitive to light."Morning, brother,” Hercules said. He was in a sitting position.“Don’t tell me that you were watching me sleep,” I said as I stretched.Hercules scoffed. “You wish.” I gave him a small kick, and he chuckled. I sat beside him on the rock. “So what happened?” I asked.“You don’t know?” Hercules stared into my face with wide eyes. I chuckled.“Stop doing that; you are making me feel like I was drunk," I stopped midway as everything began to dawn on me. Last night I was in the woods with Hercules. We were making jokes, and suddenly he announced that we would go home, but I told him that it would be nice if we stayed back. Then, as we roamed the woods, we came across the soured fruit, stern. I hated it. It always made me drunk, and I didn’t know why. Back then, in high school, when I first tasted it, it made me drun
Michael’s POVI walked up to them.“What the hell are you doing here, Jake?" I glared at him.“He is here to see me," Nora said without a trace of a smile on her face. I looked from Jake to Nora. There was something going on. Their body language was one. Anger. It felt like Jake had done the usual. I didn’t even have the time to realize that Nora had spoken to me in a raised voice. She had never done that.“What did you do?” I growled at Jake. He looked away and tapped Nora.“You see what I was talking about,” he said in mock fear.“What were you telling her, you traitor?” I walked closer to him, but Nora was in the way."Michael, did you or did you not visit Jake at his pack?” Nora said. My eyes widened at that statement. I knew at once that the question was a trap.“Answer me!” she shrieked.In the depths of the sea, I recalled a moment Jake set me up when we were younger. It was when he was in my clique. It was when I moved to the human world and was adopted by a rich family. Jake
Chapter 65Nora’s POVI watched as Michael stood still. Like candle wax, stuck to a spot. At that point, I hoped that all Jake had told me was wrong. His gaze was fixed on Jake at first. He glowered. I could see the invisible anger exuding from his eyes. At that time, I wondered if Michael’s eyes were a gun. Was he going to kill me? Then he turned his gaze to me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I saw a ghost of sadness flash through his face. But when I looked to be sure, it wasn’t there. Michael didn’t say a word. His face was expressionless. At some point, I began to regret asking him that question. Maybe I should have spoken to him personally.Then he walked out on us.“Michael!” I yelled, but he didn’t turn around. It was like he had no ears.“You see what I was talking about?” Jake tapped me, and I nodded. “It was as if we had caught him in all his wrongdoing, Jake said.“I guess so,” I said sadly. "Come, let me see you at the gate,” I said. As we walked, I began to wonder
Nora’s POVThere was no work for me today. That I knew was a certainty the moment my eyes fluttered open. A weird part of me wanted to lay in bed, sit still, and not breathe. Maybe if I did just that, all the heartache would go away. I would not have to think about Michael and his sinister plans. It was stupid of me to think that Hercules would side with me. I was outnumbered, too. I don’t think Mia or Zen would be on my side either. That was why I needed to talk to Claire. But then, when I began to lose my breath, my eyes watered. I had no other option but to snap out of it. Obviously, it wasn’t working.I sat up. Running my hands through my hair and wincing at the pain. I should not have slept with it yet, but the memories of how I went to bed yesterday remind me of a zombie doing her nighttime routine. I flipped around and grabbed my phone. Claire had left me three missed calls. I snorted. I mean, she had practically been blowing up her phone all night. I might as well have given h
Zen’s POVIt’s 9pm. I was awake from a late-night nap and getting ready for a run. The friction in the house is so palpable that I can taste it. Michael has not been attending any of our meetings since we came back from the woods. This time was not like the last time when he was snapping out of everybody. He was in the house and did not make a move. I spoke to Hercules. He said that Michael did not want to speak to anyone. As for Nora, I haven't seen much of her around.I didn’t know what to think about the issue because the two people involved treated me like family. I wish they could just settle their issues. As I took one last look at the house before I leapt off, I shook my head. A few days ago, Michael had the biggest smile on his face.Now he doesn’t want to speak to anybody. The problem had made me forget my grieving heart.I leapt off the mountain hill. The moon hung low like a pale lantern in the sky, casting a beautiful glow over the forest.With furs and claws on me, I stoo
Zen’s POVI looked at her, deadpan.“I took them off.” I paused as if to let that sink in. I could hear her audible gasp. “Your clothes were dirty and soggy from the sweat—as if instinctively she turned to her right and stared at the towel at the top of her head—if you were heating up."Oh,” she whispered. She still had her hands on her chest.I began to walk into the bathroom when I heard her speak.She started speaking loudly, then her voice went low. “So where did you sleep? “she fiddled with a loose thread on the blanket. She was looking everywhere but at my face. My lips spread into a slow smile. She wasn’t going to give up on this, huh? As I stared at her, a devilish idea reared its head in my mind.I smirked. “On the bed,” I said with no trace of humor on my face. This time she didn't only gasp; she clasped her hands to her mouth. The horror in her eyes, I bet, could be evident to the blind. Her eyes went wide, like a security guard’s flashlight. I fought the urge to laugh so m
Zen’s POVDays turned to nights and nights. It’s been a week since I met Malia.She didn’t stop at just making me warm meals; she made me happy. When Michael began to notice me smiling absent-mindedly,.That evening, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from Hercules. I called him up.“Hey bro, what’s up?""Hi, donut head,” Hercules said, and I chuckled. It was the new name; he had been on it lately. "Do you want to come out for drinks? Michael is coming.”I looked at the clock. It was a sharp 7. It was the perfect time for an evening out.“Hell yeah,” I said.“I’ll meet you at the bar,” I added. So I went off the phone and began to look for a pair of jeans.“Malia!” I yelled."Yes, babe,” she replied.“Have you seen my jeans?” I yelled."Wait, I’m on my way,” she yelled back from the kitchen. She walked in with her hands on her butt. She dried off the remaining water from it.“I can’t find my trousers,” I said as I gestured to the mess I had just made in the drawer. She chuckled.“