Maxine P.O.V"Maxine, I need your help."The voice echoed in the hollow of my room, a room painted shades of gray, where color did no longer exist. The air was heavy, heavy with oppression, and lifeless. I could see Sarah standing at the edge of the balcony, her eyes wide with urgency."Maxine, hurry," she said once more, her voice rising above the haze. She motioned for me to step out after her, moving toward the open balcony doors."I'm sorry, Sarah. I should have told you I was going to my grandma's," I said guiltily as I made my way to the balcony. Without hesitation I leaped over the ledge, landing softly by her side.But it felt off. Sarah was not looking at me anymore. The smile was there, but it did not reach up into her eyes. The warmth and the familiarity were all misplaced."I don't have time for this. Forget it, Maxine," she said, shaking her head sideways. "Let's go to our favorite coffee shop.""You're not mad?" I asked, confusion swirling inside me. Part of me was relie
Maxine P.O.V The Hampton Pack was dressed in black, standing in a circle as their faces reflected the grief and loss. I never called him "Dad." Not once. And everything I wanted to ask him, everything I wanted to say about how much I appreciated everything he did as an Alpha-for our pack, for us, myself-were never spoken. And with this, as the coffin of Ador was placed on the earth, I felt that finality was like a hook to the stomach.My mother stood by my side, shaking with soft sobbing. She could not accept that. None of us could. It had happened too fast. That is all it was-happening too fast-and now we are left here picking up pieces of shattered reality. I let her cry, knowing no words could soothe the pain. But the truth was, I was just as broken. I couldn't bear it when Ador, the only father figure I ever knew, disappeared into the earth.I turned to Alph. His face was stone-cold. His back was straight as he stared straight ahead. He was dressed in all black, like the rest of
Relon P.O.V.Flashback…"Ador." I looked at him, lying motionless on the bed. His chest rose and fell slowly, the only sign that life still lingered in his body. He was quiet, almost peaceful, but I knew better. The wounds from Alex had left him weak, and the damage from the eclipse's power was too much for even someone as strong as he."You really showed us how good of an alpha you are," I whispered, low, not wanting to wake him. "But it's time now."Erick had just left a few minutes ago in a rush to go attend to the bitten ones: the humans who had no other choice but to join us now. Once bitten, there's no going back. Only pain can be repelled by making them one of us. There's admission into the pack or death-that's the rule. There's no in between.And then, in an instant, I felt Ador's eyelids flutter open. Slowly, agonizingly, his eyes snapped open."R-Relon," he croaked.I reached forward, bent to hear him. "Ador, I'll get the healer." I started to get up to go for help, but his
"Alph, now that you're the Alpha of this pack," Trevor began, slouching in the old leather chair. His sharp eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Why not find your mate?”Alph rested his elbows on his knees and looked straight ahead at the flickering flames dancing in the fireplace. The question was innocuous enough, yet somehow it made him ill-at-ease. His jawline tightened a mite as he considered Trevor's words."Can't just find one," Alph said, his voice firm yet detached. "Leave it to destiny."Trevor raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Destiny sucks. Finding is the easy way to find one," Martin chimed in from his spot on the couch, tossing a small wooden token between his hands. His playful demeanor didn't mask the truth in his words."Easy isn't always better," Alph whispered, standing up and walking toward the window. He needed space. The air inside the room felt too thick, too stifling from the weight of their carefree conversation, which to him was anything but carefree in any
Alph's P.O.V The weight of the pack had fallen onto my shoulders for a while now, but today it felt more absurd than usual-it wasn't even the feeling of being the leader of the pack, like all alphas feel something beneath, building up like a storm about to hit. And I was sitting alone in my room when my mind would continually drift to Leo, who had been gone for some time now. His absence gnawed at me, but there was nothing I could do until we found more leads. I had to keep the pack stable and keep the peace.It took a knock on the door to break my concentration."Alpha, Alph, the Shadowskill pack is coming to visit as of today. They are grateful for the restoration of the path to the wolf territory," Erick told me as he entered the room, standing at attention.I nodded, my head only half on the conversation. "Let them be welcome here.""They will be coming in at 8 PM," Erick added before leaving.As the door shut behind him, I felt another set of footsteps, lighter, closer, more fam
Maxine POV. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, fingers pushing along the hairline of my glasses. The girl looking back felt like a stranger. Fat, with a messy shock of curly hair and skin that broke out more often than not, I felt every bit the outcast I was treated as. Sighing, I shrugged into my one oversized hoodie—the only type of clothing that seemed to hug my body perfectly—as I roughly jammed my school things into my backpack. Living with Coreen was a daily challenge. Every morning, I woke up with the same sense of dread about the new form of cruelty my stepsister might conjure. Coreen was everything I wasn't—beautiful, confident, and popular. She ruled the university, where she was the center of all attraction and glamour as a cheerleader, with the perfect figure and perfect smile. I'm the opposite of her, I was the nerdy stepsister, always an easy target for Coreen and her minions. When my mother remarried a year ago, things start
Maxine POV. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Their chant grew louder, pounding in my chest. I glanced at Alph, who was busy talking to his friend near the counter, completely unaware of the chaos building around us. "Do it, Maxine!" someone teased, making my face heat up. "Show us some action!" another voice called, followed by laughter. Then, cutting through the din with a sharp, provocative tone, came Coreen's voice. "Come on, little sister, show us that you indeed are a big girl. Besides, it would be rude to turn down the birthday girl, wouldn't it?" She gave me a mocking pout; her eyes shined with mischief as she milked the crowd.. I cleared my throat and stepped toward Alph. The murmuring in the crowd around me faded into a buzz of indistinct noise as I advanced. Alph was busy talking to his two teammates, completely unaware of what was about to happen. My heart pounded in my chest, my nerves on edge. I felt every eye in the room on me as I approached him.
Maxine POV. The morning light filtered through the window blinds, casting a soft glow across the room. I blinked awake, groggy from a night of restless sleep. Memories of last night's party still clung to me, a persistent echo of laughter and humiliation. I groaned and rolled out of bed, preparing for another day at the university—a place that seemed just as unwelcoming as ever. At the campus, I tried to keep my head down, my usual tactic to avoid drawing attention. The familiar hustle and bustle of students filled the air, each one seemingly in their own world. As I navigated the hallways, a familiar voice cut through the din. "Hey, Maxine!" I turned to see Leo approaching. He had a genuine smile on his face, and it was impossible not to notice how different his demeanor was from the rest of the crowd. Leo was new here, but he was already making waves with his presence. "Morning, Leo," I said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "Got any plans for lunch?" he asked c