"Just answer the question, Isla. What were you scared of?" Harry's voice booms from behind me, and I'm shaken.I quickly turned around to see him leaning against the doorpost. How long has he been standing there? Did he hear anything? The venomous look he regards me with tells me everything I need to know."I—" I try to speak, but it's like all the words are mushed inside my throat, and I have nothing to say. I've been trying to explain since Jeremy dropped the bomb, and now that he's actually here, I don't think I'm in the right mindset to say any of them.Why can't I speak? He's waiting for me to say something. Anything. But I stared at him, wide-mouthed and teary-eyed, without saying anything. I'm an idiot."Mom, talk. What are you afraid of?" Daniel pesters me, and the tears in my eyes threaten to cascade, but I suck them in. Sniffling aloud by mistake and alerting them to my teary eyes"Mum, why are you cry—?" Before Dylan is able to finish asking his question, I'm already standi
His question causes me to go into an existential crisis. I take a step back, clutching my chest tightly as I attempt to look for the right words to answer him.I would've told him about the kids eventually. But eventually, it would've taken a long time. What is wrong with me? Why did I do this to him?I can see as he watches me, hoping that I have a different reaction to his question than this, but what can I do? I can't lie to him anymore, so I let out a sigh, blink every single trace of tears from my eyes, and swallow a deep breath."I don't know." I answer him quietly, and the wind whistles around us. It's like the world knows my mate and I are at odds, so it technically pauses for us.It's like we're frozen in time. At least that's how I feel as I watch Harry's reaction to what I just said, which is absolutely no reaction at all. I think I broke him. I look at his chest to see that he's still breathing, but I can tell that his mind and soul aren't here.With me. They're elsewhere.
"Are you okay?" Sandra asks me, as she notices that I haven't been flowing with the current conversation that she has been leading.I let out a sigh. "I wish. I wish I was okay, but I'm not. And I'm not sure that I'll ever be." I say in a very depressed voice, and she slouches her shoulders as she stares at me, thinking of something to say to me that'll lift my spirits.It's how it's been between the two of us for almost a week now. I was sad and depressed about everything, and she was trying to make me feel better. Though she hardly ever succeeds, yep, I'm one incredible tough nut to crack."Isla, it's going to be fine. You can wallow in sadness for the rest of your life, and you're going to have to deal with it soon. And by soon, I mean by tomorrow." She says, and I snap my attention to her face.Well, that's new. She normally leaves me to my devices with all the ‘it's going to be okay', 'don't worry', 'I'm here for you', and ‘we'll get through this' talk. She's never actually told
Wait a second. Why is my daughter behind a tree with that troublemaker? As I get closer, I see him leaning towards her, and Lilah's cheeks are tinted red.My jaw drops at that little rascal. Before I can get close enough to pull him off her, he places his lips on my daughter's. It doesn't last more than a second before he's wretched away from her furiously.I'm only less than five steps away when I see that Harry is the one who jacked Simon off of Lilah. My lips parted as I watched him make a fist of the boy's shirt. Oh, heavens, this mate of mineI know how well he didn't like Simon in the first place, and now this. I'm sure that all hell is about to break loose."You little piece of shit, how dare you place your slimy lips on my angel?" Harry questions the boy in a pissed-off tone, and Simon scoffs, puffing out his chest as he places his tiny hands on Harry's own and tries to get it off his own."She likes me, and I like her. What's your problem, old man?" Simon says in a gruff tone
"Get your hands off me." Harry's voice comes out like a slow poison that first hits my nostrils, then slides into my mouth and makes its way to my heart to spread around it, causing the organ to shrivel and die.I don't know how, but my fingers slowly crumpled on Harry's chest, forming a loose fist and then sliding down from his chest. I breathed in rushed pants all throughout, trying so desperately to calm myself down but to no avail."I'm sorry," I force out of my mouth in a strangled tone. I summon up the strength to keep on looking deep into his piercing, emotionless eyes.He wants to say something; I know he does, but I know that whatever he has to say would kill me and bury me right where I stand. So instead of waiting for him to speak first, I open my mouth and let stupid words spew out of it."You shouldn't have regarded Simon like that. He's just a kid, a stubborn one at that, but you threatening him and his parents all over the place was wrong." I make my point, and from the
Sandra came bright and early to get me ready for the trial today. She might not be working as a maid anymore, but she still sees it fit to dress me up because she thinks that I can't get ready on my own.I can, but I just don't want to. She forces me into a black power gown with ruffles at the rim, but not so much that it's weird. It's fitted from my neck to my waist but free downwards, and it has a square-shaped neckline that's not afraid to show the top of my breasts.I wear my hair up in a messy bun with jewellery draped across my open neckline and shoes that fit comfortably under my gown. Sandra stares at me in pride when she's fine, but I frown deeply at her efforts."It's a trial, not a ball." I say in a dry voice, and she rolls her eyes, spinning my dressing mirror chair so that I can face her directly. Then she rests both her hands on my shoulders and wears a happy smile."You're the Luna. You have to look like this for either occasion. Besides, everyone there would be dressed
"I want them banished from the Blood Moon pack." I say in a calm and firm voice, evoking gasps from all around me."What?" Harry asks me but doesn't even give me the opportunity to answer. "You just want them to go like that? No punishment, just to banish them? Are you even thinking straight right now?" Harry tries to keep a calm voice, but by the time he continues speaking, his tone escalates, and he raises his pitch as I see his wolf eyes flash."Harry, I—" I want to explain my side to him, but he cuts me off before I even get to say anything on the matter."You what? You feel sympathy for them and believe that ending their lives immediately would be a waste. Surely, you must be aware that they launched an attack on MY pack," he says, using the word 'my' like the pack belongs to him alone and I'm not even part of it. "They helped my psycho brother target my kids, and they had the audacity to deceive me." Listing their crimes like that does sound terrible."Sorry, Isla. But they're n
Harry is the only one present at the funeral, for obvious reasons. I don't think any member of the pack would even be comfortable here with the conditions Jeremy put them through.It's going to take a while for the fear people have to fully subside. He put a memorable dent in their lives, literally. As werewolves, our funerals aren't as straightforward as human ones. For humans, they either cremate their loved ones and keep the ashes with them or spread them in the ocean.Or they bury them the old-fashioned way, six feet deep. For werewolves, it's different. More ceremonial, if that's the word. For respected and high-ranking members of a pack, they are buried on ancestral grounds with the oldest member of the pack, who blesses their remains. For normal members of the pack, a cremation ceremony is held, where the eldest in the family carries it out and blesses the soul of the dead.But for the scorned and shamed members of the pack, their remains are cremated and cursed into the soil f
"Isla, you look so pretty.” Sandra says to me, and I look at myself through the mirror.I do look pretty. I look beyond pretty. My cheeks look higher than they've ever looked before, and where my freckles are supposed to be, they seem spotless. I'm glowing; my hair is glowing; my aura is glowing. Every single thing about me is literally glowing.Why wouldn't they? It's my wedding day.Yes, Harry and I are finally getting married. We can’t keep living as co-parents and mates for the rest of our lives. We have to get her married. It took us three years to finally agree to it.Sandra and Denise are here in the room, helping me get ready. I was very much against the idea, but the two paid me no mind as they made up some speech about best friends always being there for each other and whatnot. stuff like that.Now they have to deal with my moodiness and awkwardness. I effing love them so much. "Thank you. I really appreciate this.” I say to the two of them in a very honest tone. They manage
"What do you mean by what? You guys want a day off, but we can't get any time off? That sounds awfully unfair.” Oliver crosses one arm over the other, and I huff."It's not unfair. We're girls, and we need breaks.” I stomped my leg on the ground."Oh wow. What a theory! So boys don't need breaks, right? That's what you're trying to say?” Harry speaks up, and I nod."Exactly!" My girls exclaim at the same time, and I nod my head."Well, I'm the alpha, and I decide what's what.” Harry says, and the boys hoot and holler in his favor. Lilah rolls her eyes, crossing over to where me and the other women are standing."Boys drool, and girls are cool.” She says in a pouty voice. Dylan laughs at her face."Sure. Like you're not the one drooling right now.” He says, and Lilah's palm instantly finds her mouth as she checks for drool. She doesn't find any. What she does find is a squad of men laughing at the obvious prank.Her eyes narrow into slits as she folds her arms together. "You're going t
Everyone is excited. Harry, being the person that he is, never thought to replace the once-councillors that he had slain for some kind of reason.I'm Luna, and even though I love Harry and his weird methods of doing things, I can't let things go like that. So that is why I suggested we form a new council.We can't keep ruling on our own. We need a council. Harry always seems to think the opposite of what I'm thinking. He prefers it this way. Says there is a lesser chance of getting betrayed by another council member if there are no more council members.incredible flawed logic, but I love the man anyway.Everyone is gathered in the courtyard, and they are all aware of what's going to happen today. Harry makes a show to attend at the last minute with a frown on his face to show how much he doesn't appreciate this.Yet he finds his way to me and settles down in the throne-like chair next to me. "Hi," I mutter to him, and he grumbles under his breath.“Hey.”After that, the ceremony comm
"I want to do it again.” Harry says in an awfully serious voice, and my jaw drops."Wh-what?" That was not what I was expecting him to say. Not what I was expecting him to say at all.He wants to kiss me again. I thought he would say something like, ‘It was a mistake, and we shouldn't try it again.’"Isla, let's make this easier for ourselves. Let me kiss you, please.” He says in a desperate tone as he cocks his head to one side and leans down."But you're mad at me," I whisper against his lips. He's literally the one always glaring at me through the hallway with piercing eyes, as though he wants to kill me or get rid of me entirely.I'm still not sure what provoked the bathroom incident, but I'm sure as hell that he can't be serious about kissing me again. Right? He can't be. "Can't I be mad at you and still want to fuck you senseless?" My breath hitches as words refuse to come out of my mouth in that second. Even if any word were to escape from my mouth, it would probably sound lik
Everyone turns to face the loud interruption. We see Sir Smith with an amused expression on his face, contrasting with the assertive tone that he used seconds ago."What is it, dad? Harry asks his father in a harsh tone. I notice how detached he's been from Sir Smith all throughout dinner. Like he's repulsed.I don't think it was the embarrassing tales or condescending remarks that Harry got from his father tonight that caused him to act so hostile towards him. I think it's because of the thing with Jeremy.One thing I know about Harry is that it's incredibly hard for him to go past things, especially lies and betrayal. I know that firsthand since I'm not really sure he's forgiven me. He loves me; of course, I know that.But the matter is trust; will you be able to trust me again? And has he forgiven me for breaking his trust? Probably not, or maybe. I'm not sure.And Sir Smith lied to Harry for years, looking at him face-to-face and still continuing to lie to him. Harry thought his b
By the time Harry and I finish our illicit deeds and head back to the dining table, I can tell that everyone knows what happened inside the bathroom. More like what didn't happen.We only kissed before we broke apart, and I helped him wipe dry his pants, and we both left the bathroom. I wished that something more would happen, but then again, I'm also afraid that I won't be able to handle it.Does that make sense? I bet it doesn't, but that's actually the reality.We settle down once again, and I dish out the desert for everyone, mostly for Harry because he didn't get to finish his meal because of the water incident. Remember that?"So..." Sir Smith continues in an awkward tone, and I thin my lips into a firm line. This man is as much a rascal as Dylan is. "Lilah here was telling me about how you almost beat up a six-year-old kid." He refers to Harry, and I stiffle with laughter.Harry grimaces. "The little fucker had the guts to kiss my girl." Harry defends himself in a gruff tone, a
This. This is what I've been afraid of for so damn long. This anger of his. He can be calm and laughing and all jokes one second, but the next, he turns into a beast. His wolf pull is so strong since he's an alpha.Even more so than Sir Smith. He's never been able to control it, and half the time, his wolf makes his decisions for him. That's why I'm so scared of how he'll be with the kids.He could lose control of one of them one day and... I don't even want to think that far, but I know that it's inevitable. These kids can make someone pull their hair out of their head.A person has to have real patience when dealing with them, or else things could really go to shreds. I don't want my kids to get mauled by their father. I don't think any sane person would ever want that.Time stills as Harry's amber eyes glow. I'm not sure the kids understand what's happening. They think that the show of eyes is cool because the three of them are fawning over it.Only we, the adults, know what's trul
Harry is here. At my family dinner. Why is Harry here? And why is he all dressed up? Like his father, he's also dressed in a suit, but it's a bit more subtle and doesn't give off show-off vibes. A suit is still a suit.Dylan leaves me and runs to his father, just like Lilah and Daniel. Harry crouches down to their level to speak with them."Daddy! You're here!" Lilah says in excitement, and I roll my eyes. When did he become their dad? And why am I so jealous of the relationship that he's formed with them in such a short time?"Of course, your mom invited me." Harry answers, and Dylan whispers something inside his ears. Harry laughs a bit, then goes to fetch something from inside his pocket.A wallet? He carries out his wallet and hands them cash. My jaw dropped wide at the scene before. Dylan! He's behind this."Hey! Return the money back, you naughty kids!" I yell at them, and guilty expressions form on their faces. I snap my fingers, "Now!" I bark.The three kids turn to Harry with
I make my way to see Sir Smith. Over the last few weeks, I've been visiting him constantly, and he's gotten better. Way better, but lately, whenever I see him, I'm reminded of what he did to Jeremy.I admit that he made a mistake—a misjudgement of character. If only he had listened to his son and acted on his fears, then maybe some things would have turned out differently. But instead, the second he found out his son was having fears and opinions, he boxed him up and sent him to the first rehabilitation centre that came calling.Because of that, there's a certain grudge I hold against the man, though the one I hold against myself is bigger. Now, with the threats eliminated, I didn't think there was any reason to have Sir Smith's door guarded 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Now, the man is as free as a bird, and sometimes he takes walks around the hallway with no one to force him back to his room for rest. I step into the room, and I see that he's just making his way out of the toil