Almara’s PovArthur is acting weird. The school has been open for a month and we’ve been going out to lunch together every day since, except when I asked him today he gave me some lame excuse about having too much work to do.I only asked out of courtesy, I wasn’t actually expecting his usual answer to change. Even when I asked him if I could pick us up lunch and sit in his room with him while he worked, he got very fidgety and said that he had to run out to an art store. Which is also completely out of the blue.
Almara’s Pov“Before you say anything, there’s more,” Arthur says, his eyes excitedly searching mine though I have no idea what mine are conveying back.Arthur bought this house? Beneath the complete shock and awestruck beauty of the house is the nagging question of why he didn’t talk to me about this first. The old Arthur certainly wouldn’t have and would have done exactly this to swoon me- and it would’ve worked.The Arthur that’s devel
Almara’s PovGrace loves her new home. We all do. It only took a few extra months working with the interior designer to get the house of our dreams all set up and now it’s ready to show our friends and family.“Almara, where do you want the charcuterie board?” Arthur asks and I turn from placing sunflowers in a vase and point him in the direction of the sunroom.“I think on the glass table, next to the family portraits, would look nice,” I tell him.
Almara’s PovI shouldn’t have had that last vodka shot. Unfortunately, it’s too late now so I might as well go with it! Where is Arthur? I lean against a wall in the living room and try to think through that last shot. Why is the wall moving? Oh wait, that’s just me. I laugh at myself.Wow, I haven’t been drunk since . . . I don’t know. Where is Arthur? I count off the original guests in my head, this is how I’ve been checking in with myself. If I can recall the original guests and our last encounter then I&
Almara’s PovI definitely shouldn’t have had that last shot. I lean over the toilet and vomit nothing but bile. Chills run up my spine. The cold tile of the bathroom floor cuts right into my bones, causing me to shiver.It’s 10:00 am and I’ve been hugging the toilet bowl since seven this morning. I haven’t even seen the downstairs yet. I don’t even know if I want to.“It’s hard being mad at you when I also feel really bad you’re so
Arthur’s PovDownstairs the kitchen is sparkling, you’d never guess there was a raging party here. “Thanks, Clarice,” I say to the maid who bows in respect as she passes by carrying a rag. “Did you bleach that one spot I told you about?” I ask, referring to the spot where Robert and that random girl were lusting over one another.“Yes, yes. All clean,” She responds and I nod a thank you. As uncool as it was for Robert to invite over my old friends without first talking to me or Almara, which of course would inevitably lead to more and more people finding out, it was a pretty fun party.Except for the part of Almara accusing me of something that I would absolutely never do. On one hand, it was pretty hot seeing her get jealous and protective, something primal in me got stirred. But on the other hand, she has to know that I would never betray her like that.I reach up in the cabinet to grab the kettle. I guess I’ll have to prove to her that I'm better than she gives me credit for. Just
Almara’s PovI wish Arthur told me a war was pending. I would’ve held off on showing him the pregnancy test I bought. Then again, I really didn’t want to take the test by myself, only to get a positive result also by myself. I can’t believe we’re having another baby. I’m ecstatic, truly and I know Arthur is too, but what we’re not admitting is how terrified we are. Tension between the Vampires and the Wolves has been growing and it seems inevitable that a war is going to start.All the major media platforms are reporting on this and it’s all anyone can talk about. Apparently, the Vampires have come into some kind of new power and are eager to flaunt it. At least that’s how it appears.I am two months pregnant now and the morning sickness is keeping me bound to my bed so all I can really do is flip through the T.V channels or scroll on my phone which is slowly driving me crazy.My phone also hasn’t been the same since it’s been hacked, and apparently, I’m not the only one. Across the
Author's PovI dig my claws into the ground and crouch down low. The cold slanted rain hits my back, dampening my fur, and through short hot exhales from my snout I can see my breath. Nothing else moves, no sign of life seems to exist anywhere on this barren land until something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye.By the scent, I know it’s Robert. “I told you to stay back,” I growl making sure to keep my voice as low as possible.“It’s time to move in deeper,” Robert says back. At least he has the common sense to keep his voice down.“As your Alpha, I’m giving an order,” I snap. Robert is only beta because my father turned him back into a werewolf when the petty attacks by the vampires kept persisting. He’s technically family and born into it.I only agreed for him to be beta because he was also once a vampire, he knows how their twisted minds work. Now that he’s full werewolf and the oldest, he thinks he should be the Alpha and after this war, I’ll fight him to the deat
Almara’s Pov5 Years Later“Cheers,” Arthur sys clinking his mixed drink of vodka and lemonade with my non-alcoholic lemonade. I’m pregnant, again. This pregnancy is completely different than my first two, I actually get to relax. Which is exactly what we’re doing in the manicured garden of our backyard.We sit stretched out on zero-gravity pool chairs, sweat
Almara’s PovAfter a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.Even though he suffered his own inju
Almara’s PovFinally, after several journeys back and forth from our homeland to the enemies we come to the final steps. We saw plenty of wolves making their expedition back home and there was a unspoken agreement that what everyone needs right now is peace.Thankfully, no one came up to us with questions, grief, or comments. It’s like we have this new kinship with the gammas in our world that we didn’t before. We seem to understand each other, or at least truly see one another.
Almara’s PovOn the way home we make a pitstop to a very special place. “Why are we seeing more dead bodies?” Grace asks, her tone telling me we are nearing a full-blown tantrum.“This body belongs to someone very important in our family,” I tell her calmly and hike her up on my hip. I’m not sure if my words got through to her, or maybe it’s her father's serenity as we ascend up one final hill to where Bess lays.Bess’s gravestone is set apart fro
Almara’s PovWith the vortex closed off and gone, the air becomes breathable again and the storm lessens. Still, my paws squelch in the wet terrain.Unfortunately, as I look around at the battlefield and see the piles of bodies slumped over one another, I think it’s more than just mud causing the stickiness.I try not to look down at the innocent blood shed on the ground. As I take careful consideration to step over and around the bodies, I tell myself they chose to come out and hel
Almara’s PovCathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.
Almara’s PovI’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.
Almara’s PovI awake to a familiar beeping sound. It’s faint at first, like a distant call from far away until it’s suddenly blaring in my ears. My eyes shoot open and the blood in my body rushes to the important organs and I sit up with a jolt.“Where’s Grace?” I ask before I can make out anything else. “Arthur? Robbie?” I call out, hoping the sound of my distressed voice will cause Robbie to cry back.“Shhh,” a gentle voice says with
Almara’s PovArthur flings open the door, this time it breaks off the hinges. I guess there’s no changing our mind now. I keep Robbie wrapped up in both my arms and under my shirt.Arthur uses his body to guard mine, outstretching his arms and a puffed-out chest as he keeps his eyes zeroed in on every moving body around us all while moving us forward and falling in exact pace with each of my steps.We fight through sideways rain and vicious winds, it dawns on me that this storm isn&