KAYLA.My father’s room was as silent as a graveyard.He laid unconscious across the bed with his hands connected to the fluids that pumped through his body. I made my way into the room as quietly as I could, settling down on the chair beside him.Archer seemed so peaceful while he was asleep, but he also looked just as miserable. I wouldn’t wish being striped off one’s Alpha title to become next to nothing upon my enemy but this man wasn’t my enemy.He was my father.And that was the only reason I still felt connected to him, our bloodline was the only reason I felt sympathy for Archer. He once treated me like trash and a slave, and I could just as easily do the same but I could not bring myself to.He was still my dad and he was all I had left.He was the only link that I had to my mother so when I feared he’d died, my heart sank so low into my chest. I watched him asleep for the next few hours and reminisced on what could’ve been. I didn’t think Archer had an idea that we’d reloc
RAFAEL.She didn't mean it.There was no way in hell that Kayla meant the words that came out of her lips. I stood there, trying to comprehend the last few minutes and it was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do—the hardest pill I had to swallow."Kayla" I called her name as soon as she said it but when as I took a step towards her, she fled down the hills in her wine dress. I heard the echos of her sobs come from a distance and it was obvious that she was crying. It was obvious that it was just as hard for her as it was for me.But I couldn't bring myself to understand why everything had changed so suddenly. Maybe it was my fault, I'd let Veronica stay so much longer that she began to have her doubts. But Kayla needed to understand that everything I did was for her.That keeping Veronica around was so she'd stay too.There was no way I would let anyone or anything harm her. As a hard lump barged down the back of my throat, my eyes jerked out a few tears and I slipped my hands into my
VERONICA.From the moment Rafael walked in through those doors, I could sense how on edge he was. He reeked of gasoline and had dirt fill the lines of his face. My eyes met Gerald's when he came to a halt and that alone told me something was wrong.“Veronica can I talk to you?" Rafael briskly walked forward and grasped my arms to follow him up the stairs. "Sure—" Caught my surprise, I stuttered, having no other choice but to follow him.His grip around my wrist was tight and his whole countenance was deeply rooted in the fact that he held something back. "What is it?" I asked him, hiding my anxiety in my shrill voice. Rafael walked into our room and closed the door behind him.He then freed me before his hands fell to his hips."Rafael" I called, when for the first few seconds, all I heard were the sounds of his deep breathes. "You wanted to talk to me?" I continued and when I tried to inch closer, he sharply turned around. "You should sit down" He urged and it was like a blow hit m
KAYLA.As I sat by the windows with tear-filled eyes, watching the gloomy dark clouds fill the skies, I realized the reason it hurt this much was because rejecting Rafael was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life.My body felt limp and I had cried so much until the tears could no longer fall from my eyes—they just stayed in there. It was as if I lost a heavy piece of myself and my wolf, Isla was already facing the repercussions of it. I hurt her the most unimaginable way.People like me rarely ever got a second chance mate not only because I was an ordinary omega but because this decision was solely mine. No one but me could understand the pain of being alone, and from the moment I met Rafael, everything changed and it scared me for a fact.Because I started to question not only when it will end but how I will end up. I would return to same old Kayla, alone and hurt, broken. That was a lot more pain that I couldn’t subject myself to. So rejecting Rafael was an out, it
KAYLA.The rituals were commenced by a deafening howl shot through the skies.The sound pierced through the walls and summoned everyone's attention, including mine. It was time, I realized as I made my way down the stairs. I had grudgingly thrown on a leather jacket on a pair of combat pants with the necklace Rafael had given me hanging loosely around my neck.I couldn't explain it but there was a strange feeling of safety whenever I had it on and besides, it tied the whole look together as well. I figured if I put all my attention in my clothes, I might forget what was really happening that night and that if I wore so much makeup, it would be harder for me to cry.I was still in denial, all through the day and I forced myself to act like my heart wasn't breaking with each step I took until I came out of the castle. There was a crowd of both packs merged into one, facing the northside of the field where there was a large bonfire. The winds swayed my hair and I crossed my arms over m
KAYLA.The forest was shaken by my voice and as I breathed heavily from my lips, I was finally relieved. When I settled right beside the tree I used to mark where Sarah was killed, I was now completely shifted into my wolf form. It was the second time ever, though the first was vague in my memory but Rafael explained it all to me.It felt strange being alone out here like this. And as the winds blew against my fur, they danced back in response. I was a white wolf to the extent which I could see but there was a brownish spot running along the nape of my neck. My tail wagged and there was this freeing feeling that came upon me.I appreciated the quiet and the sounds of nature as I crouched low to the earth, burying my snout into my forelimbs. I felt different in that moment maybe it was because I was different. I didn't feel like Kayla neither did I look like her.This was Isla and she seemed so goddamn powerful. She wasn't a slave, neither did she have the million scars from years of
KAYLA.I cowered my head into the toilet to throw up.This time, there was a migraine that pierced through my head as I vomited everything I’d tried to eat since last night. A callous, breath of relief escaped my lips as I lifted my head out. My knees dug into the floor and my back was against the wall—I felt so miserable and sick and I had no idea why. I’d only ever fallen ill like three times in my whole life that wasn’t as a result of the abuse or assault. But over the years, my body had accustomed itself to pain and torture.But just when I thought I was immune, today struck.Beads of sweat trickled down my skin but my whole body was hot. It didn’t help every time I thought about Lucien and what happened the last night—or perhaps, what almost happened. Because then my stomach would tighten again and it would send a shooting pain through my body.Nausea would strike and the next second, I would have my head buried into the toilet again. I breathed heavily from my lips as I sat wit
RAFAEL.There wasn't a single moment that passed that I didn't think about Kayla.I knew she was angry and she had every right to be but what she didn't know was that every second that I was away from her, it hurt me just as much as it hurt her. Veronica, just like everything else would pass and I really wanted to tell her that day.I've wanted to tell her ever since but most of all, I’ve wanted her to trust me. After the ceremony, I did go after her but Kayla had disappeared to only God knew where. I could only imagine what went through her head as she watched both Veronica and I. I'd succeeded in doing to her the last thing I ever wanted to which was hurt her. And I've found it hard to forgive myself ever since.As I sat behind the desk with my arms folded, all I could think about was her and finally making everything right. My mind was unsettled, roaming around with a million thoughts. I needed to speak to Kayla, if only she was willing to even look at me.But then suddenly, there
KAYLA.SIX MONTHS LATER. The sweet scent of the morning tickled up my nostrils as I opened my eyes slowly. His arms that wrapped around my waist clinched me closer to him into a tight cuddle and Rafael decorated the lines of neck with soft, delicate kisses. His heated breathes nourished my skin and I chuckled.He was used to that, kissing the part of my neck he’d marked a few months ago. He didn’t miss that each morning and now, it served as the best erogenous zone in my body.“Good morning beautiful” He whispered, biting the tender lobes of my ears while slipping his hands through my nightwear and I clinched my head to him, a soft chuckle escaping my lips. And it took everything within to withdraw my whole body from him.“Come on, Rafael” My eyes fell to the clock before they widened. “We can’t” I shook my head and he pouted his lips. “Shit we can’t be late to our own wedding” Both of us chuckled and before I grasped the silky nightwear, I leaned into him.His hands framed the corn
KAYLA.My heart jackhammered inside of my chest as I arose, standing still for a moment. The wind was in the trees and even though the moon was out, the trees shielded me from it, leaving me in utter darkness. Immediately I opened my eyes, it was as though I was in the nightmare which had taunted me for months.Only it was no longer a nightmare. “It’s real,” I muttered to myself. “This is real.”The whistling clusters of the leaves overshadowed my voice as I took the first step forward, throwing my head over my shoulders. I could almost sense her, Veronica like she was close and my body tensed. Immediately I heard a thud from a distance, I picked up my pace.It all happened so fast, the dash and myself speeding into the forest. My hair danced across my shoulders as I took to my heels, straddling along a dark path. The only path. When all of a sudden the earth began to quake like it all was about to fall apart in the next second. I closed my eyes, whimpering beneath my breath but I d
KAYLA. There was some red between dark clouds and a pungent scent of smoke that filled the air. My hands rested against my chest and I could feel it pounding, as it'd done all through the day. But finally the time was nigh.It was now.As everyone chanted for the two brothers to walk through those doors and into the fields, it dawned on me that everything had led up to this very moment. My hands grasped the amulet and I heaved a deep breath."Are you okay?" I didn't even have to look to recognize Brenda's voice. My eyes remained fixated to the fields, hoping for one of them to come and maybe say they changed their mind or that there wasn't any battle.A million possibilities filled my head but might I add, unlikely possibilities.Something that Gerald had said stuck with me in moments like these, about how deep rootedly, being a Lycan was being a beast. And I didn't have to understand every little thing but if this was the prophecy, how long would we spend trying to avoid it.My bigge
It wasn’t until hours had passed that the doors opened to Rafael and by that time, I was sitting by the edge of the bed, already waiting for him. “Rafael” I called his name and the moment his eyes locked into mine, the silence that fell between us was almost deafening but his eyes—those stormy grey eyes which was so full with emotion spoke a thousand words.“Rafael, I’m sorry” I whispered.“My brother?” Was all he said and I couldn’t have felt more worse in that moment. “It just happened—“ I stopped myself, cowering my head knowing full well that there simply was no excuse. Not the fact we weren’t speaking or that he was away and Lucien was there for me in such a tough and complicated time.Not that.Because then it would make it seem as though I just used Lucien selfishly for myself. But it wasn’t the case, the case it was however didn’t slip out of my lips even as it fell wide open. And so we both just stood there with tears brimming at surface of our eyes and I whispered for the
KAYLA. I saw Lucien from a distance and my heart dropped into my chest.I took a step forward and then came to a halt because of how afraid I was to face him after everything but I knew I had to do this—I knew this was one my chance to tell him the truth. “Lucien” Even before his name escaped my lips, he turned around and there was a slight exhaustion that washed across his face. “What do you want?” He rolled his eyes to the back of his head.“I want to talk to you.”“Well I don’t want to talk to you” He tried brushing past my shoulders but I instinctively held him back. He stopped in his tracks, slightly taken aback by my words.“Well I want to talk to you!” I yelled. “Lucien you can’t go through with the fight” I muttered, only when he met my eyes and then he turned around. “I’m serious!” I made my way around him as well, halting in front of him.“Do you know what will happen? I’ve figured out the prophecy after so long and that is one of you must kill the other for the crown and
RAFAEL.My hands clinched around the railings of the balcony as I looked over the castle gates. The winds that gushed into my face was fresh but cold. By this time every other year, winter would come and there would have been so much snow that it would hard to see any ground surface.But alas, that was the one of the many things that had changed around here. Heaving a deep breath, I had come to accept that Black Mountain isn’t what it used to be and this year would be our first time without a Mountain Ball. It should have been today but with everything that had happened, it wasn’t really feasible.Not that the decision was up to me since I was one leg in and another out with the whole Alpha title. There were still so many questions but there was no way we could have the ball knowing Veronica was out there.She had already hurt one of us which means she was still waiting somewhere, for perhaps the right time to strike. And it was so difficult knowing some part of me was to blame for th
GERALD.I staggered out of bed that fateful day, taking a moment to heave a deep breath. Fateful, it sounded like a bespoke understatement. Today was a gruesome reminder of the accident that took Lydia’s life. Or as some people would call it—an anniversary.It had been nine years now, but somedays it feels like it was yesterday. It feels like I’d only started grieving and the hurt would hit more on those days. I could never see it as an anniversary because whilst everyone else was preparing for Christmas or the Mountain Ball, I was reminded of my need to mourn.But this year, it was different. It was also worse. “Can you do it?” Rafael stood at the door as I tried to stand amidst the bandage across my healing chest. He helped me up but asked again. “Are you sure you can oversee the execution?” He added.And her face was all I saw behind my eyes—April. It was today, her execution was today. I knew Rafael didn’t remember what today was and honestly I’d like to keep it that way. I could
KAYLA.In the dead of the night, I jerked from my bed, sweaty and gasping for breath. My vision was clouded and my entire premise, disoriented—I had just awoken from yet another nightmare.Reaching to my nightstand, I grasped the necklace in my hands before clicking it around my neck. Of course I knew that without wearing it, I’d once again be whisked the bad dream. I didn’t forget it, it was intentional.It’s what happens when you’re backed against the wall.I was between trying to feel something other these overwhelming emotions that stemmed from Lucien and trying to find out more so I’d be able to prevent it if it truly was the future. But neither had worked, not only was there not a new development but waking up, I felt just as miserable with everything that happened clinging to my memory like a troubled past. I knew it would take more than just sleeping it off but I’d give anything to feel a little better.By the next second, my face was palmed in my hands and though it was just
KAYLA.“What exactly happened out there?” Pushing through the doors, the first person my eyes landed on was Gerald and he was laying almost unconscious across the clinic bed. Rafael was right beside him, a finger stroking his jaw and it didn’t take me a second to notice the tense air. “Oh my God what happened to him?”“He was shot” Christina found her way next to me before folding her arms. She was trying to hide her nervousness but her glassy eyes gave her away. “Shot?” I echoed in shock.“Has the search party been called off?” Rafael asked and it was Sebastien who stepped forward this time. “Everyone is back and the doors are closed per your order” He took a bow and this was usually Gerald’s line but seeing him across the bed, he was barely conscious.“Rafael what happened?” I urged and he pushed a hard lump down his throat. “It’s Veronica—Gerald thinks he saw her in a flash by of a second he was shot. “She was the one who pulled the trigger so that doesn’t just mean that she kne