Valentine walks with an air of determination, his every step purposeful, though his heart is far from settled. His thoughts are a turbulent sea, roiling with emotions he scarcely knows how to control. The creature that looms on the horizon, a threat to all they hold dear, barely registers in his mind. It is the thought of Selena, only Selena, who occupies the landscape of his complicated mind, his heart—his very soul.He arrives at Selena’s home, a modest yet inviting cottage nestled at the heart of Laketown. Mrs. Robinson greets him at the door with a warm, knowing smile. Her eyes, however, hold a trace of concern as she surveys the young man before her, sensing the weight he carries.“Good morning, Valentine,” she says, her voice gentle yet probing. “What brings you here so early? Selena’s already at work.”Valentine nods, though disappointment flickers in his eyes. “I wanted to see her, but... perhaps it’s better this way. May I speak with you for a moment, Mrs. Robinson?”She step
“Wilson...” Selena’s voice is barely above a whisper, her heart sinking as she realizes what he’s overheard.Wilson’s eyes, once warm with affection, are now as hard as stone. Without a word, he turns and walks away, his broad shoulders stiff with the effort of containing his rage.“Wilson, wait!” Selena calls after him, panic rising in her chest. She starts to run after him, but Valentine grabs her arm, desperate to keep her from leaving.“Let him go, Selena. He’ll come around.”She glares at him, fury blazing in her blue eyes. “You don’t understand, Valentine. You’ve ruined everything!”With a surge of strength, she shoves him away, sending him crashing into a parked car with such force that the metal crumples beneath him. A commotion erupts in the parking lot as people rush to see what’s happening, but Selena is already sprinting after Wilson, her heart pounding in her chest.Valentine lies on the ground, the breath knocked out of him, the taste of blood in his mouth. He watches hel
A little while later, almost lost in the reverie of his flummoxity he hears footsteps outside the door and his heart skips a beat as the scent of jasmine reaches his nostrils. Selena. The very thought of her name sends a fresh wave of conflicting emotions crashing over him.The door creaks open softly, hesitantly, and Selena steps into the office—her presence immediately filling the room with a strange, almost oppressive tension. Wilson lifts his head, his expression dark and unreadable as he looks at her. There’s no warmth in his eyes, no relief at her presence—only a cold, distant anger that makes her heart clench with fear.“Wilson…” she begins, her voice tentative, trying to gauge his mood. But he cuts her off with a sharp wave of his hand.“I don’t want to talk about it, Selena,” he says, his voice flat, devoid of the love that once colored every word he spoke to her. “I can’t even look at you right now.”Selena flinches as if he’s struck her. She knew this confrontation was inevi
Jason storms through the dense forest, his heart pounding in his chest as the trees whip past him. His mind is a whirlwind of anger, betrayal, and a thirst for vengeance—vengeance for his Alpha… that burns hotter with each passing second. The thought of Valentine daring to steal Selena from Wilson—his Alpha, his brother in all but blood—fills him with a rage that he can barely contain.He knows where to find Valentine. The son of Percy isn’t hard to track, especially when he’s been sniffing around Selena like a dog in heat. Jason’s thoughts turn dark as he imagines how he’ll confront the arrogant bastard, how he’ll make him pay for the pain he’s caused. Blood for blood—that’s the law of the pack, and Jason intends to see it through.When he reaches the edge of the lone forest, around where the Adam mansion remotely sits, the moonlight casts a pale glow over the small clearing where Valentine stands, as if he’s been expecting someone’s arrival. He’s leaning casually against a tree, his
Jason stumbles through the forest, his body battered and bruised from his encounter with Valentine. His mind is a whirlwind of thoughts—of the fight, of the darkness he saw in Valentine’s eyes, of the howl that still echoes in his ears.The sound of that howl sends chills down his spine. It was no ordinary wolf’s call; it was something far more ancient, far more powerful. It was a warning—a sign that something terrible is coming, something that could tear the pack apart.He pushes forward, his body screaming in protest with each step, but he refuses to slow down. He has to get back to Wilson, has to warn him about Valentine and whatever dark force he’s aligned himself with.As he nears the edge of the forest, the pack house comes into view, its silhouette a dark shadow against the fading light of the day. Relief floods through him at the sight, but it’s short-lived as a figure steps out from the trees, blocking his path.Jason freezes, his heart hammering in his chest as he recognizes
Wilson, though shaken, masks his turmoil with a hardened resolve, his gaze narrowing as Chloe’s words echo in his mind. The revelation she delivered cuts through him like a cold blade, unsettling yet undeniable. He nods slowly, his agreement reluctant but necessary. "Tell Dr. Percy to come see me," he mutters, his voice laced with an undercurrent of unease. "We really need to talk."Chloe, understanding the weight of his command, meets his gaze with a solemn nod. Without hesitation, she scoops Valentine into her arms, her movements fluid and precise. Then, in a blur of motion, she vanishes into the forest, her departure as swift and startling as a bolt of lightning. The trees seem to shudder in her wake, the air crackling with the energy of her exit.The once-chaotic symphony of the forest fades, replaced by an eerie stillness that clings to the air like a fog. Every rustle of leaves, every distant cry of a nocturnal creature, seems to have been swallowed by the silence, as though the
The dawn breaks with a reluctant light; the morning sun rises reluctantly over the mist-laden forest, casting long, serpentine shadows that slither across the ground like malevolent phantoms—the sky bruised with the remnants of a night that had been anything but peaceful. Selena steps out of the pack house, her eyes heavy with the weight of sleepless hours. The morning air is crisp, biting at her exposed skin, but it does little to dispel the shadows clinging to her thoughts. The remnants of last night's chaos cling to the atmosphere—a palpable tension that refuses to dissipate. Her pulse quickens as memories of the encounter between Jason and the possessed Valentine haunts her, replaying in her mind—each memory a fresh wound… each image seared into her consciousness like a brand. As she makes her way to the inn, the streets of Laketown seem unnervingly quiet. The usual morning hustle is absent, replaced by a thick silence that presses against her ears like cotton. The chaos at the
The evening sun hangs low in the sky—almost at the end of the horizon where it meets the earth in a mocking embrace—casting long, ominous shadows across the city as Selena and Demika make their way to the designated meeting spot with Chloe. The atmosphere is tense, charged with the weight of the secrets they carry—the streets are deserted, the usual hustle and bustle replaced by an eerie stillness that makes every sound seem amplified—the crunch of gravel underfoot, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the distant hum of traffic.They arrive at the old mill on the outskirts of Laketown, a place long abandoned and forgotten by most. It’s here that Chloe suggested they meet, away from the prying eyes of the pack and the ever-watchful gaze of those who might wish to keep the truth hidden.Chloe is already there, waiting in the shadow of the crumbling structure. Her expression is grave, her usual confidence tempered by a deep unease. As Selena and Demika approach, Chloe steps forward, her