DAKOTA Denial cannot get me out of this mess. At the moment, my mind has gone blank. "Cat got your tongue?" Dashiell says, a smug expression on his face."I...I..uh""Shouldn't you be happy? You said you have feelings for me. So, why did you keep it from me?" Dashiell is smart. If he knows that there's something I'm lying about, he won't hesitate to behead me."Alright, guys. Can we go somewhere private to talk? You're already attraction attention to yourselves" West comments. Dashiell and I turn away to look around. Sure enough, there are students eyeing us with curiosity. Desperate to somehow sneak away, I begin to rush towards the opposite direction. When I realize that he isn't following me, I quicken my pace until I get to the park. Heaving a sigh of relief, I take a seat on one of the metal benches. "That was a close one" I mutter, closing my eyes. "Who said it was over? Did I?" My blood runs cold at the sound of Dashiell's voice. My eyes shoot open, our gazes clashi
DAKOTA Scarlett, West and I are awkwardly sitting on a bench under one of the trees in the school park. Needless to say, I didn't think something like this would happen. "So, who's your friend?" Scarlett asked. "His name is West. We met at the hospital" It is the first thing that comes to my mind. West eyes me with displeasure. But, the thing is, it was in the spur of the moment. There's no time to think. "At the hospital?" Scarlett asks, her eyes filled with concern. "That's right. West has leukaemia" I tell her. West glares at me and Scarlett's gaze softens."I'm so so sorry, West. If you're friends with Kota, you must be a good person" she utters. West gives her a smile. "I try to live rightly. Besides, I don't have a lot of time left. It's hard but I'll get through it" West plays along with me. Scarlett places a hand over his and squeezes gently. "If you need anything, I'll gladly offer my help if it is within my capacity " "Thank you...uh..""It's Scarlett. Scarle
DAKOTA "What are you talking about?" I say, moving backwards out of Hunter's grip. Sweat rolls down my spine, my heart pounding against my rib cage. Hunter is barely containing his rage, it is written all over his face. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?!" He rages, his nose flaring.He's not going to hit me, is he? I can't help but think. If I failed to find a way out of this mess, the situation could spiral out of hand. Dragging in a shaky breath, I gaze up at Hunter with the most sincere expression I can muster. "Calm down, Hunter. This is probably as a result of my near death experience," I tell him.His frown deepens, confusion written all over his face."But-""You don't trust me. Why?" I breathe, pushing my hair away from my face.He lowers his gaze, his frown fading."I'm sorry. I've been on edge. I shouldn't have-"Again, I cut him off."Forget it, Hunter. I just want to get some sleep. I want to be alone " I say, turning away from him. "Kota, I'm really sorry-
DAKOTA "Who hurt you?" Dashiell's question snaps me out of my daze and I pull away, diverting my gaze from him. In the pit of my stomach, bitterness brims at the thought of the fact that this man who is standing in front of me, is the person responsible for the situation I've found myself in. He deserves to die. "Dakota?" He whispers, reaching out to touch my shoulder.It's true that in this moment, I do wish to drive the blade of a knife through his heart. However, I can't do that. The mission comes first.Mustering some strength and courage, I take a deep breath and look up at him. This is my chance. I must seize it."Dashiell, would you do me a favour?" I ask, feigning an expression of desperation. He furrows his brows and in the depth of his uncovered azure eye, I can see his concern for me. "What is it?" He asks, keeping his umbrella above our heads. "Let me stay with you in your house."For a moment, silence settles between the both of us and he stares at me, now
DAKOTA Lowering my gaze to look at the rose necklace I'd just picked from the floor, I straighten, placing the necklace on Dashiell's desk with shaky fingers. He stalks towards me, his brows furrowed. I'm panicking inside, but I won't let him see it. "Give me an answer, Dakota," he drones, stopping in front of me."I... looked through the drawer. I was curious... that's why I took it out," I tell him with bated breath. He stares at me for a moment, stoic and unblinking. Then he silently takes the necklace from me. "I shouldn't have done that... I'm sorry," I breathe.With his shoulders slumped, he returns the necklace to its original position and turns to stare at me. There's a crease in his brows, and his eye seems to have lost its shine. Unable to hide my curiosity, I decide to take the bull by the horn. "Does it belong to your lover, perhaps?" I ask. His frown deepens."Why do you think so?""I mean...it looks like a woman's jewelry," I tell him. Heaving a sigh, he sink
DAKOTA "Are you alright?" Dashiell asks, his brows creased. Still shaken up, I nod in response. He lowers his gaze and reaches out to gently touch my throbbing ankle. "Get on my back," he says, and my eyes widen. With Ocean's help, my ankle would heal in no time. Dashiell is probably unaware of the fact that I have a wolf now. "You don't have to..."He cuts me off as he turns away from me, his broad back facing me. "I want to. Now, do as I say."Defeated, I move closer to him, and he scoops me off the ground as he straightens, my legs locked around his hips. The pain around my ankle fades as I find myself relaxing. His warmth and scent are soothing, and no matter how hard I struggle to stay awake, I eventually drift off into slumber. When I finally awaken, I sit up with a jolt, my eyes wide."I'm...in bed?" I mutter, my gaze scanning the unfamiliar, spacious bedroom with monochrome designs. It looks different from the room Dashiell had allowed me to stay in. More importantl
DASHIELL Dakota's pleading gaze does not falter as she questions my identity and intentions. She's desperate, I can see it in her eyes. But, I believe that she's better off not knowing the full details. If she knows everything, she definitely won't stay still. She would end up in trouble in no time. I really want to avoid that."Why aren't you saying anything? Dashiell, I'm your mate. I don't know anything about you, and I feel like..."I cut her off, bringing her to her feet. "Why are you curious about me? Don't tell me it's because you want to know more about your mate. What's your real reason?" I ask. She stares at me for a moment, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I just...I feel like I won't be able to protect you if I don't know what's really going on," she tells me, and I gape at her, stunned. She wants to protect me? How's she going to do that? As it is, she can barely protect herself. I want to do the protecting. I'm strong enough to protect the both of us.
DAKOTA The sound of Hunter's voice jolts me awake from my peaceful slumber. Opening my eyes, I sit up in bed, concentrating on the direction where his voice is coming from. Stepping out of bed, I hurry out of my bedroom and rush down the stairs. I make it to the sitting room, just in time to catch sight of Hunter slamming Dashiell against the wall, his fingers locked around his throat. It's strange that Hunter had figured out where I am so easily. With my heart in my throat, I quietly watch them from the monitor on the wall of the sitting room, just by the front door. Although Hunter's rage is evident, Dashiell doesn't look bothered at all. "Get your hands off me while I ask nicely," he tells him, a blank look on his face. Hunter tightens his grip on Dashiell's throat as he bares his fangs at him. "And if I don't?!"Dashiell sighs, shutting his eye for a moment. When his eye falls open, he brings a hand to Hunter's chest and gives him a slight push. My jaw drops when Hunt
Thank you for giving this book a chance, you're such a darling!!!I've been writing this book since last two years and finishing it has been such a task. I've been super busy, and at some point, I had writer's block. But, I really wanted to finish it. If you have questions about the characters, please ask away. I'm also thinking of writing a book based on West and his new love interest. If you also want this, please indicate. Thank you once more for taking the time to read this book. Please check out my other books if you have the time.Much love!Mwaaa!
DAKOTA I stare at the double line on the pregnancy test strip in my grip, my eyes widening. My mind is reeling, and I'm yet to wrap my head around this new reality."I'm pregnant," I breathe, lowering myself onto the closed toilet, my heart thumping faster against my chest. A smile tugs at my lips and happy tears fill my eyes. I've been married to my husband for barely a year and he has always wanted kids of his own. Due to the trauma of how I'd died without getting to see our child, I'd dismissed the thought of getting pregnant, every time it came to my mind.The knock on the door startles me, and I flinch, nearly jumping out of my skin. The door creaks open, and Dashiell pokes his head in, with a longing look on his face. "You've been in there for way too long. Will you come to bed now? I already miss you," he whispers.Unable to fight off the smile coming on, I quickly rise up to my feet, making a quick attempt to hide the pregnancy test strip from him, in a bid to brin
DAKOTA Dashiell lets out a groan, tilting his head to the side to stare at Madam Noir. Slowly, his gaze trails downwards, resting on the black restraints around his wrists, torso and feet. "What is this? Were you not thinking when you tied me up this way?" He asks, his voice thick with disbelief.She shrugs, a smug expression on his face."It doesn't matter. You can't move. I made sure you wouldn't be able to," she drawls, and a frown creases Dashiell's brows. He turns to look at me, his gaze softening."Why is she here? I'm the one you want," he states. "Isn't she so perfectly made for you? With her power, we won't need the rest of the seals to create more seals," Madam Noir says, and I glare at her."I won't let you touch him," I hiss, and she chuckles."That's adorable," she replies. Dashiell releases an exasperated sigh and lowers his head, his gaze pinned on the floor in front of him. "Leave her out of this... please," he rasps, and Madam Noir's expression darkens with
DAKOTA It hits me like a storm. Sitting in Hunter's living room with no clue of how I'd gotten here in the first place, I try to sort out my thoughts. Bits and pieces of my memories finally return to me, and I wince at the memory of throwing a mug at my own mate. Hunter walks in with a cup of coffee and beams at me. His smile fades when he notices that I'm standing in his room awkwardly."What's wrong?" He asks, his voice tinged with uncertainty."I want to go home," I tell him, and he furrows his brows at me."I guess the spell wore out," he mumbles, and I frown at him, puzzled."I liked you better when you were under the spell," he tells me, lowering the cup of coffee on the nightstand. I move backwards, glancing at the door behind me. "Not so fast, princess."I freeze at the sound of Madam Noir's voice at the entrance of the room. She walks in and smacks me on the back of my neck. Instantly, my knees go weak, and she drags me further into the room with Hunter's help. Pl
DASHIELL The moment the statement leaves my mouth, regret slams into me, hard. I should know better. My mate wouldn't betray me to be with someone else."It's a long story. I ran into Hunter," she tells me, and I stiffen. "Did he hurt you?" I ask, and she shakes her head, a few locks of her red hair falling over her face."He knows everything," she rasps, and I raise a brow, puzzled."Everything? Including who you really are? You told him?" She heaves a sigh, brushing her hair away from her face."Madam Noir got to him first. I'm not sure if he's just neutral about the whole thing. I don't know if he's on her side. I feel like I'm missing the big picture," she tells me, and lets out a yawn. "You should get some rest, you look exhausted," I say, and her gaze softens."So do you."I crack a smile, and she returns it. "Don't do that again. I understand that you were desperate to find me, but being intimate with another woman just doesn't sound right," she says."I know. I w
DAKOTA "If you make a sound, I'm going to slit your throat. Do you understand?" Hunter whispers in a menacing tone, and I nod frantically, squeezing my eyes shut. My heart thumps madly against my rib cage as I feel him sweep me off my feet, swinging me over his shoulder like a sack. I part my lips to let out a scream, but I decide against it when I feel him align his claws with my spine. He heads down the alley and places me in a car parked down the street. He proceeds to drive off instantly. Too petrified to do anything, I remain silent. He still doesn't know who I really am, and I want to keep things that way. "Won't you ask me where I'm taking you to?" He suddenly breaks the silence while he glances at me through the front mirror. Avoiding his gaze, I direct my gaze outside the window, watching the rain fall on the rough asphalt on the road. "You literally just kidnapped me. How do you expect me to feel?" I retort. "What did he do? He did something, didn't he?" Hunter
DAKOTA My stomach churns with tension as I hold out a trembling hand towards the transparent glass while a strong feeling of nostalgia hits me. The moment the tips of my fingers connect with the glass, a tremor runs through my body, several cracks appearing on the tank. Dashiell stumbles backwards with me in his arms. As if on cue, the glass shatters and my floating body collapses to the bottom of the tank. In that instant, my vision bleeds white and I'm suddenly left with a feeling of bleak emptiness. Terrified, I reach out for my mate's subconsciousness. However, I fail to reach him every time I try. Am I dead? I can't help but wonder. While I ponder on this, I hear Dashiell's voice. He's calling out my name with desperation. He's pleading with me to stay with him. In my feverish haze, a feminine voice fills my head. This voice sounds just like Dakota's.'Go to him. You have my blessings.'With a gasp, my eyes shoot open, and a pair of strong arms pull me into an embrace.
DASHIELL Hearing my mate's voice in my head for the first time in days, spurred me into overdrive. Like a storm, I head straight for the headquarters of the Guild. Despite the large numbers of officials that try to get in my way, I don't hesitate to take them down. Once I'm below ground level, I finally encounter the members of the Six. West had taken his time to get me information on every member of the Six. Therefore, it's pretty easy to recognize them."Do you think we will let you through? Surrender now and save yourself the embarrassment," one of them says to me. I snort in amusement. They clearly do not know what I'm capable of. "Hand over your keys. It's going to save you a lot of trouble if you do," I state, and they all stiffen, exchanging bewildered glances with each other."How do you know about the keys?" One of them asks, and I shrug, nonchalantly."It's none of your business. Now, are we doing this or not?" I've barely completed my statement when two members
DAKOTA I'm freezing. This place, which looks more like a dungeon than a prison cell, has no source of illumination. Therefore, everything is pitch black. Ocean growls in my head, her frustration bleeding into me. My head is throbbing, probably from colliding with the floor when I collapsed. With my limbs firmly tied up, my movements are limited. Even so, I am determined to get out of this place. Even if it means that I'll have to crawl out of it. The heavy door creaks open, and Landon walks in. He halts by the door for a moment, his grey eyes watching me with pity. Slowly, he walks towards me and crouches in front of me, bringing a hand to my face."It's such a pity. I had such great plans for you, but you ruined it all. I believed in you, Mel. You disappointed me. Now, you will have to pay the price for it," he whispers, brushing my hair away from my face.Pulling away from him, I rest my head on the wall."That's quite funny, you know? You claim to have big plans for me, but