LORRAINE'S POVThe smoke in the house was thick and suffocating. The flames were almost everywhere. I could barely see a thing. I held Alex closer in my arms as I tried to go through the fire and debris. The crackling of the flames and the falling of the house’s structure were loud. "Mom, I'm scared," Alex whimpered. "I know, baby," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But we're going to get out of here. I promise."We turned a corner, and a beam crashed down in front of us, blocking our path. The heat was unbearable. I could feel the sweat trickling down my face. I scanned the room desperately, trying to figure out a way to escape. Luckily, my eyes landed on a window not too far away."We have to get to that window," I whispered to myself. As we reached the window, I opened it with all my strength. I positioned Alex on the ledge."You're going to jump, okay? I'll be right behind you," I assured him.He nodded. I helped him climb out, and he jumped, landing safely on the grass
LORRAINE'S POVMoving into our new home was both a relief and a challenge. The fire had taken everything from us, leaving only material losses and memories of what we once had. Slowly, we settled into the house. Luckily, the boys loved the place. Things were hard for me mentally. I kept thinking about all that we had lost. I practically had to start all over again. Anyway, I tried to focus on the positives. We had a roof over our heads, and we were together. That was all that mattered."Mom, do we have to go to school tomorrow? Alex, asked as I unpacked his clothes. I forced a smile, trying to hide the exhaustion that I felt. "Yes, sweetheart. It's a new beginning for all of us. But that doesn't stop you from going to school."Aiden looked up from his toys "Will we be okay here, Mom?"I smiled at him, ruffling his hair. "Yes, my love. We'll be okay. We're strong, and we'll get through this together."Despite my words, I didn't feel that way on the inside. The truth was that I was t
LORRAINE'S POVAs the door closed behind me, I leaned against it for a moment, trying to steady my breathing, but the tears that had been threatening all day finally broke free.I sank to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I let the sobs wrack my body. The memories of the assault in the manager's office replayed over and over in my mind. It was overwhelming, suffocating, and the tears flowed uncontrollably.“How did this happen?” I whispered to the empty room “How did everything fall apart so quickly?”The trauma of what happened in the manager's office was still fresh in my mind. I replayed it over and over. I remembered how helpless I felt. I didn't want to think of what would have happened if I hadn't escaped. Even through my tears, a tiny voice inside me whispered that I couldn’t break down completely. I had to be strong for my boys. They depended on me. Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand.Later that evening, I forced a
LORRAINE'S POVLater that week, I managed to get a job as a receptionist at a small office downtown. The pay wasn’t great, and the hours were long, but it was better than nothing. My first paycheck went straight to getting new clothes for the boys. Seeing their smiles when they put on their new outfits made all the exhaustion worth it. Something strange was going on in the mansion next door. I kept hearing strange noises coming from there, like someone crying and calling out for help. I ignored it most of the time but lately, it was becoming more disturbing. Every evening, as I prepared dinner, I heard it—it sounded like something, or someone, being beaten. I felt goosebumps down my arms every time the noises started, but I tried to push it out of my mind, focusing on the things I had to do. One evening, as I was stirring a pot of stew, the sounds became louder. "Mom, what's that?" Alex asked me. He seemed bothered by the noise. Even Aiden looked worried. It meant I wasn't bein
LORRAINE'S POVI woke up on the morning of my eighteenth birthday with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't explain the flutter of excitement in my heart. Today was a significant day. It wasn't just my birthday. It was a day that marked my transition into adulthood. Now, I'm a woman in the eyes of the werewolf community. Turning eighteen meant that I was now of age to sense my mate. This was the part that made me excited. I always wanted to find my mate. The thought of finally finding my soul mate filled me with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I always wondered what he would be like. Would he be nice to me? This was the most important thing. Physical looks never really mattered to me. I was more bothered about what people had inside their hearts. That would determine if we would have a happy life or not. I sat up on my bed and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, sending a silent prayer to the moon goddess. "Dear moon goddess" I said "I ask for your guidance and blessin
ALPHA KYLIAN'S POVI sat at the head of the table in the grand conference room of my palace. I felt the weight of responsibility heavy on me as I looked at my trusted advisors, Oscar, the palace butler and Yaz, my beta. Even though Oscar was a butler, his advice meant a lot to me. He took care of me ever since I was a child. He was like a father to me. In fact, he was the only father figure I ever had in my life. Yaz and I had been friends ever since we were kids. He was basically my brother. Yaz and Oscar are the only two people I trusted. They both stood before me. Their expressions were so serious that it irked me a bit. I hated how tense the atmosphere was. What I hated even more was the topic they came here to speak of - the idea of me finding a mate. They always talked about it. They were bothered about the growing threat to my claim to the throne."Alpha Kylian" Oscar started "You already know the reason we're here" I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Enlighten me, Oscar"
LORRAINE'S POVWhen I stepped through the grand entrance of the palace, a sense of awe washed over me. I stepped into a place of beauty unlike anything I had ever experienced. The sight of the surroundings alone took my breath away. I had never been to the palace. Not a lot of people had the privilege to come here. You could only see the tall golden gates from the outside. I always wondered and imagined what the inside would look like. The sight before me beat every single bit of my imagination.When Wes gave me the ticket, I wasn't too enthusiastic about coming on the tour but as I gazed on the view, my mind changed instantly. "Welcome to the palace" the tour guide told us. She was dressed in a pink corporate gown with heels. She had a huge smile on her face."My name is Sheila" she continued "And I will be your tour guide" There were five of us on the tour. I was the only palace local here. The rest of them came from another pack to ours on a tour. From the looks of excitement on
LORRAINE'S POVI sat on the cold tiled floor of the restroom. I checked my watch for the hundredth time. I had been here for close to an hour. Exhaustion seeped into my bones after what felt like an eternity of being trapped. The air in the small room was stale and the silence was enough to make me frustrated. I tried to open the stupid door several but it just wouldn't budge. The worst part was that I had missed the tour. They'd most likely have finished. The sounds of footsteps outside caught my attention. I heard a woman's voice in the hallway. "Where is this girl?" the voice asked. Could she be looking for me? Maybe one of the tourists noticed I was missing then sent someone to look for me. My heart leaped with hope. I got up and banged on the door. "Help!" I screamed "I'm in here!" In less than a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing a woman standing before me. She was dressed in all black from her head to her toes. She had a stern look on her face. "Oh dear" she said