For a moment while in the air, I wonder how many bones I’ll be breaking from the fall. But I land firmly on my feet, spraying sand in all directions; I feel only slightly affected by the impact. The sand here is darker and feels sinister as I take steady steps towards the trees. The silhouette stands still as though alerted by my presence. I don't take my eyes away from it, feigning confidence, but my heart hammers louder with each step that brings me closer to the spirit of the rogue werewolf I’m about to confront. Or so I believe. When I'm close enough to see her face clearly, I feel the urge to stop but I don't. The woman in front of me stands with her hands clasped together, wearing a plain dirty gown. She bears a solemn look on her face that's scarred—a long healed gash running from her left eye to her right cheek across her nose. Her matted hair reaches beneath her knees and she smells terrible. But I had expected her to be old and a spirit. The one I see appears only to be a
Several minutes later, I stand outside the Blood Moon packhouse, gaping at its enormity. I'm already out of breath from running in the night as I wanted to get there as soon as possible. Whatever Melony had done to me—causing the nose bleed and the burning ear pain—had left me weakened. But as I take every step closer to Jordan, my body is slowly gaining strength. What am I going to say to him? I had called Jordan on my way to get the location of the packhouse. It was protected by the same magic that kept humans from finding the Luna’s temple. Only werewolves could locate the place. I had been eager to be there but now as the three-story concrete and glass house stands boldly in front of me, I feel hesitation rise in my chest. My thoughts are interrupted by the sudden opening of the double door entrance, guarded by two betas of the Blood Moon pack. The duo moves aside, giving way for Jordan to come out. The moment our eyes meet, I hear him sigh, and his tense shoulders immediately
Long after, Jordan and I are still lying on the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. It’s still dark outside and cold, I think to myself, glancing out of the window, but the warmth of the fireplace and my mate are comforting. “How much has changed in so little time,” he comments, his fingers lightly brushing up and down my arms. “I’ve lost so much and gained too.” I watch the side of his face intently, but my mind wanders. A frown forms on my face, despite not wanting to let myself get hurt at the moment. “I’m not going to let them take anything more from me,” Jordan continues. A sigh leaves his lips as his head turns to look directly at me. “I should’ve told you earlier. My dad didn’t die in an accident. Hunters murdered him.” That shakes all the senses out of me. I gape at him. “What?” “I know it sounds crazy. I didn’t know before. My mom told me the truth the evening we found the man at the beach. They found my father staked in the heart with silver. But I still have no idea why
A rancid stench in the cave forces me to open my eyes. It’s not the first time I’ve done that, but based on how my body feels, it could very well be the last. The notion of death scares me. And that, in turn, makes me angry. I’m yet to avenge the death of those I’ve lost. Dying is not an option. Nor is being scared. My eyes always have the same view—a hunter looming over me, holding a silver stake in hand; spitting mocking words if it's either Megan or Dan. If it’s Cole, then the words are more threatening; he never fails to call me darling. Carol, however, needs no stake. All she does whenever I regain consciousness is twirl her fingers in the air. I know I hate nothing else more than what follows that action. But this time when I open my eyes, I see something else. Someone else. Riley. The human holds no silver stake in her hands. In that state, Riley is as harmless as an infant, lying too still across me on the wet floor. With a sniff, I raise my head—something I haven't manag
“Thought you weren’t ready to kill her. Like ever,” Carol confesses in a mocking tone. Cole regards her for a moment. “You want me to be honest? I’m not. Look at that face,” he says, pointing at Nessa with the sharp end of the stake. “If she’d sided with us, we could’ve made a great team. Too bad I never asked her.” Carol rolls her eyes and looks behind her, a frown starting to form on her face. “Where are Megan and Dan?” “Guarding the cave entrance.” “They don’t need to guard it,” she hisses. “My spell will keep it sealed.” He gives her a wide smile that is in all ways fake. “They might be screwing each other for all I care.” Carol crosses her arms, taking a step forward. “They should be here for the big end.” “Darling, this is only a small start,” he claims, and I understand they have forgotten me for the moment. The siblings like to ramble on and on. If anything, I want to be done with this so I won’t have to hear their voices again. “What do you think Dad will say when we fi
*Five weeks later* Nessa woke up to a start, gasping for air. Her fists clenched the bedsheets in a poor attempt to calm herself. A moment ago, she was falling from an enormous cliff into an abyss, but that was just another nightmare. She had woken up to a reality that was far more miserable. Perspiration lined her body and her arm was bleeding again, the blood soaking into her white bed sheets. She ripped the useless bandage apart and gave the bullet wound a brief look before getting up. Outside, the world was still enveloped in darkness. Bellpond was quieter now than it had been before and one could smell the despair with every breath. Nessa found remnants of the herbs in one of the chest drawers. Hastily, she rubbed it over the wound. A hiss left her lips as the wound sealed itself, burning as if in contact with acid. There was no more left. That meant she'd need to see that wretched hybrid once more. Pulling a hoodie over her head, Nessa jumped out of the window and lande
If she knew before that this day was going to be her last, she would have appreciated her last moments with her mate a little more. She could not remember the last words she said to him but she remembered what she felt just right. Embraced in his arms, huddling against the warmth of the burning wood—she remembered she was happy. Happier than she had ever been. She didn't remember telling him how she felt, maybe she did not because she was too involved in enjoying the moment. She remembered the way his eyes glistened against the fire, holding hers—his scent, calming in a way and at the
"Psst. Nessa? Ness! You shouldn't be staring at him," Riley, my bench mate tells me in a rushed whisper, trying but failing to be discreet. Her thick brows are raised and knitted together, even though her eyes look straight ahead at Mrs. Robinson — our biology teacher — who is blabbering about frogs. Ew She places her hand over mine, trying to grab my attention. But I ignore her. Despite her continued whispered warnings, I don’t take my eyes away from him. I want to, but I just can’t. Not today. I don’t see it, but I know Riley's bulbous eyes are widening as her voice grows restless. She sounds surprised. Riley isn’t a friend — even though we sit together in every class we share and she hangs out with me and my boyfriend, Niall. I can’t label her as an enemy either. She’s just a human cousin that I have to tolerate since we were born in the same year on the same island, Bellpond, which is isolated from the mainland by a long, wide bridge. "Why are you staring at him?" she asks