Luke and Ethan had taken the fight outside. And although Ethan had transformed into his wolf form, I know Luke is strong enough to defeat him. Or at the very least, I hope.There is silence in the wrecked living room.Then two armed men step out from a corner.They are different. Mercenaries, yes, but they wore no masks, and their expressions are that of pure cruelty.In the florescent glow of the living room, the tension hangs heavy in the air like an impending storm. The scent of leather and old books mingles with the acrid tang of fear, blood, and dust. My heart thunders in my chest, each beat a reminder of the stakes at hand. They had come for me, but I’m not going down without a fight.I’m not going down at all.The two men stand before me, their faces tainted with arrogance of the victory to come. The glint of gunmetal catches the florescent light, their weapons poised with deadly intent. My palms are slick with sweat, and I can feel the weight of the silver knife hidden in my w
I freeze.I know that laugh. It has haunted my nightmares. It’s the sole reason for all of this destruction. All of this madness. I look up towards the main entrance of the house, just as Lucien and about seven of his men enter through the splintered doorway.“Well, well, If it isn’t Isabel and her prince charming.” Lucien chuckles, smoothing down his beard. The military shirt and black slacks he’s clad in are crisp and clean, like someone ready for the runway.I shield William with my body, turning completely to face Lucien. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.” I spat, seething.He grins, the lit cigarette in the corner of his lips glowing with red embers. He takes a puff, then flicks it away and stubs it with the heel of his Italian loafers. “You should have.” He agrees, nodding his head. “Cause now, I’m going to kill, you.”Seven men.Lucien himself.There’s no way I can take them.But we have to try. We have to try. A voice in my head snarls; we have to try. Suddenly, I
Bingo!The lights go out.I kick out my legs, jamming my foot into Lucien’s knee. He goes down with a grunt. The gun skitters out of his hand and I lunge for it, the darkness ebbing at my vision.I hear the ring of a thin blade drawn as fast as lightning, the sound of bodies dropping, and then the lights come back on, flooding the room.I gasp.Mom.Still in the hospital gown, mom is standing with a drawn katana that drips blood on the floor. The rest of Lucien’s men are bleeding out on the floor. Her braids have come undone, sweat making her short brown hair stick to her forehead. She grins at me, panting. “Surprise.”I’m too stunned to even speak.Exhilaration and relief and shock floods my system all at once, and I can only stare at her in disbelief, my mouth agape. I’d seen and felt Wilma’s presence creeping towards the light switches, but I thought she turned off the lights to give me the advantage.But no. She’d turned them off for mom.Mom, who’s awake, standing before me with
Luke Ravenstone looks to me, and a silent agreement transpires between us. I understood what is about to happen; the price Ethan and Lucien have to pay. I’ve already crossed a line. I give him an imperceptible nod. His gaze falls to William, in a deep, unnatural sleep on the floor, and a heavy sadness settles underneath the stone cold expression etched into his face. And then he glances towards Mom, attempts a polite smile that comes out as a grimace. “I’m pleased to see you’ve awoken, Mrs. Caillou.” He states, sighing.Mom nods back at him, a little bewildered. Normally, she’s more chatty than this, but I’m sure the events of the night have taken a toll on her. It has taken a toll on all of us. She’s clutching my arm, and I keep a reassuring hand around her shoulders although I’m so tired it feels as if I might slip out of consciousness.Luke clears his throat. “I need two chairs, Wilhelmina.” He requests, crossing his arms. “From the kitchen. And a bottle of vodka.”Wilma jumps at t
I slowly open my eyes, the room coming into focus around me. It's as if I'm emerging from a deep, heavy fog. The world seems still, peaceful. I blink a few times, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. I realize I'm lying in my bed, the somewhat familiar surroundings a comfort to my weary body. My head throbs gently, a dull reminder of the exhaustion that had finally taken its toll. And of last night. Memories rush back to me in unpleasant waves. All that blood, all that violence, that had happened just last night feels like a nightmare, like a recollection of events that have happened ages ago. But with it comes relief. A soft groan escapes my lips as I attempt to sit up, my head throbbing slightly as I move. Movement to my side catches my attention, and I turn my head to see Mila and... wait, my eyes widen in disbelief, is that really Bibah? My heart skips a beat as I take in the sight of her, in the flesh, sitting on the edge of the bed with a wide sm
By the time I’m done brushing my teeth and my hair in the bathroom, the dull pain in my head is gone. However, my limbs still feel heavy, and a stinging sensation continues to radiate up my arm. I wouldn’t mind a few more hours of sleep -in fact I feel like I actually need it- but I don’t think I can rest easy without checking up on William.The ruckus of renovation invades my senses the second I open the door and step outside my room. Each hammer strike resonates through the walls, jarring my headache, stoking it’s dying coals back to life. The relentless drilling seems to pierce the air, disrupting any semblance of tranquility the bedroom walls had offered me.Mila was right.It’s definitely not an ideal place of ambiance.I close my eyes and attempt to block out the cacophony as I make my way upstairs to the third floor. My footsteps are swallowed by the soft carpet in the hallway, and as it stretched ahead, bathed in a soft, dim light that cast delicate shadows on the walls, I pay
After spending one more night in the Ravenstone estate, Bibah leaves for Sohdan the following morning, after extracting a promise out of me that I will visit her as soon as I can.As I watch the limousine arranged by Mila to take her to the airport pull out of the double gates of the pack estate, my mind returns to William, and a gnawing worry settles within me.The doctors have been placing him on heavy sedatives and monitoring his brain activity, all in preparation for the surgery. Since the last time he’d told me about his decision to go through with it, I haven’t had much chance to be by his side.At least not when he’s awake.I sigh and pull the cardigan around me tighter against the slightly chilly morning air. Although all the renovations are done, I don’t exactly feel like going back to my room, so I take a path through the gardens, checking my phone to take note of the time when Mom and Wilma will be leaving for our pack house in Deveras. Without me.More than anything, I wan
Three days pass me by in a blur, engulfed in anxiety, uneasiness, and anticipation of what is to come. When I can’t stay glued to William’s sleeping form, I go on long walks to clear my head and try to envision everything going smoothly.Most of the time, I’m out of luck.On the morning of the surgery, I wake up early and get ready, throwing on a black cardigan and a white maxi skirt. The weather here is starting to get colder.Soon, winter will roll in.I move to the large windows and gaze out to the view, sighing.Outside the window, the serene garden unfolds like a painter's masterpiece. Lush emerald grass stretches like a velvety carpet, adorned with an array of vibrant flowers that dance in harmony with the gentle breeze. Sunlight filters through the leaves of ancient trees nestled into far corners of the estate buildings, casting intricate patterns of dappled shade upon the scene.The closer I look, the more beautiful it gets.I try to allow it to clear my mind of its worries.A