EDWIN POVAs my father outlined his plan, a knot formed in my stomach.He wanted to poison Kendrick.Poisoning Kendrick seemed extreme... even for us, but as he continued to lay out the details, I couldn't deny the appeal of finally taking control of the family business."But isn't that illegal?" I interjected, voicing my concerns. "What if we get caught?""Don't be silly, Edwin. We won't get caught.""But how can you be sure? Kendrick always has security personnel around him at all times."My father chuckled, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "Leave that to me, Edwin. I have everything under control. We'll make sure Kendrick doesn't suspect a thing."His assurance did little to ease my growing sense of unease. "But what if someone finds out? What if we're caught? The consequences could be catastrophic.""We won't be caught," he repeated firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "Besides, I'll take full responsibility if anything goes wrong. You won't be implicated."His confidence was both
Two to three months had swiftly passed since I first stepped foot into the palace for my training sessions.The routine had become almost second nature to me now, each day blending seamlessly into the next as I honed my skills under Prince Alexander's watchful eye.Training had been going well.Despite occasional appearances by Dr. Mills, his presence no longer filled me with the same unease it once did. Lucas and I had grown accustomed to his sporadic attendance, even if it left us puzzled at timesProfessor Black was never able to find much more information on him... which made me feel nervous at first, but once I saw that Dr. Mills wasn't a threat, I began to ignore his existence.I truly believed he was just there to make sure nothing went amiss. He was a doctor after all."Isn't it strange?" I mused to Lucas one day as we exited the training grounds together. "Dr. Mills seems to come and go as he pleases. One day he's there, and the next he's nowhere to be found."Lucas shrugged,
As graduation day approached, excitement buzzed through the air like electricity, filling every corner of our lives with anticipation and nervous energy.I hadn't been training at the palace for a few days now, and strangely, a small part of me was missing it.Mostly, I think I just missed Alex and his humor.We had become friends over these past few months, and he's taught me so much about myself and my strength. Not having him around or seeing him on a daily basis made me feel off.But school has done a good job of keeping me distracted. These were moments I should've been soaking in and celebrating, and I wasn't taking any of it for granted.Lucas and I had been busy preparing for the big day, from choosing our outfits for the graduation dance to making sure we had everything we needed for the ceremony.Shadow High held a graduation party every year for it's graduating class, and this year it was finally our turn. It was one last way for us to be together before going off into the
Lucas and I headed back to Grandma Jo's house after spending time with James and Victoria. I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment.It had been so nice catching up with our friends, laughing, reminiscing about the past, and sharing our thoughts of the future.Hearing them talk about their plans left me feeling a bit... out of place. On one hand, I could relate with them and on the other hand I couldn't.Their plans for the future were clear and purposeful, each step carefully mapped out. But for me, uncertainty loomed like a shadow, casting doubt on where my path would lead.I couldn't share my aspirations, my dreams, or the complexities of my life with them. They had no idea about the responsibilities I now held as the White Wolf, and as much as Lucas was there for me, he couldn't fully understand it either.I felt torn between two worlds, struggling to reconcile the ordinary with the extraordinary, the mundane with the extraordinary. My life was a delicate balancing act, a c
The sun was still shining brightly as Lucas and I stepped out of Grandma Jo's house, dressed in our graduation attire.Grandma Jo stood on the porch, a proud smile on her face, as she snapped pictures of us with her old camera."Smile, you two! You both look so grown up," she exclaimed, her voice filled with pride. "Who would've thought that the two of you would be graduation together after all these years?"I smiled as I looked up at Lucas, wondering the same thing. Lucas sensed my eyes on his and looked down at me."Oh! That's a good picture!" she cheered, snapping away on her camera. "Don't move!""Grandma Jo, how many pictures are you gonna take?" Lucas teased, grinning at me."Just a few more, dear," Grandma Jo replied, not missing a beat. "I want to capture every moment of this special day!""Shana's gonna have more photos than the entire yearbook at this rate," Lucas joked, nudging me playfully.I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but laugh at his comment. "Hey, at least we'll
We tried our best to keep our backs turned from the reporters as we continued talking, trying to ignore the flashing cameras."You guys won't believe it," Victoria said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I received my parents' forgiveness right before the ceremony.""What? Really?" I asked, my eyes shifting to James who looked equally as excited."Yeah, after we all had that conversation I decided to go speak to my parents. We argued for a long time and my parent's were being super stubborn about the whole thing. When I reminded them that I would basically be dead if it weren't for James, they started to listen."That's amazing, Victoria!" I exclaimed, genuinely happy for her. "I'm so glad to hear that your parents finally came around."James gave Victoria a proud smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "See, I told you they'd come around eventually. They just needed some time to see things from our perspective."Victoria smiled, leaning into James's embrace. "Thank you, both of
Caught in the whirlwind of flashing lights and probing questions, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of uncertainty. My mind raced, trying to comprehend the enormity of what had just been revealed to the world."Is it true?" one reporter shouted over the din. "How do you feel about being the White Wolf?"I struggled to find my voice amidst the chaos, my thoughts jumbled and disjointed. Lucas's hand found mine, offering a small but steadying anchor amidst the storm."Shana, are you ready to embrace your destiny as the White Wolf?" another reporter pressed, their microphone thrust uncomfortably close to my face."I... I don't know," I stammered, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the weight of expectation bearing down on me."Get away from her!" Lucas shouted, pulling me close to him and away from the swarm of reporters. He looked to our dean and shouted, "Do something!"The dean hurriedly stepped forward, his expression grave as he tried to restore order. "Alright, everyone, that's enough
With James leading the way, we managed to get out of the school safely and undetected.The four of us rushed to our parked car, trying to make it out before anyone spotted us.Lucas got in the driver's seat while I took the passenger. James and Victoria hopped in the back. Once Lucas made sure we were all inside safely, he took off.The tension in the air was palpable as Victoria and James immediately bombarded us with questions, their shock and disbelief evident in their expressions."Now that we're finally safe. Shana, Lucas, what the hell is going on?" James demanded, his voice laced with urgency. "How long have you been keeping this from us?"Victoria's eyes bore into us, her disbelief mirroring James's. "I can't believe you never told us about this, Shana... You're the White Wolf? And you've been visiting the palace... or you're going to be visiting the palace?"I tried to find the right words, to explain everything from my first shift on my 18th birthday to Kendrick's involvemen