GABEI leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. The shit that happened a few weeks ago burned into my memory as I watched Arianna beat Mirabella senselessly, and Gregory standing there with a cruel smile. My jaw tightened. I had the evidence–proof of their true nature. But what now? Exposing them would definitely bring a fallout, but the thought of protecting Mila outweighed the risks. With a deep breath, I clicked send, forwarding the video to Mila. The ball was in her court now. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. He expected more paperwork, another demand that Gregory had over the transition of the company. With the recent investigation over Alpha Frank’s dealings the board made an unanimous vote to make me the face of the company. Though I knew Gregory needed a safety net to place all his holdings with me and keep the council from seizing it. The door opened and Laura walked in. Her eyes scanned the room before settling on me with a knowing look.“Laura,
MILAA sharp beep woke me up in the middle of the night. One of the many computers I’ve been watching lit up. The motion detector feed from the cemetery flickered to life. I watched the screen until a scrappy figure moved towards the tombstone. The shape was unmistakable.Him.“Got you.”I geared up before leaving, making sure I had everything to keep my presence concealed. Couldn’t have Zeke or Tom or any of the patrols knowing I was there. Then there was Gabe. I hadn’t seen him since that day. I shook my head. No time to think of him.Moments later, I found myself at the cemetery, moving towards my faux grave. Just as I hope there he was, blending with the shadows before settling on the two graves.Frederick.The man who cradled me as a child. Who once carried me on his shoulders, feeding me cotton candy. The man who mourned a fake daughter as I did a fake father. The necklace around his neck glowed as he placed more flowers on the grave.Flowers for his mate.Flowers for me.The ac
MILAThe sweet scent of sweat and sex hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint, lingering traces of pine and earth drifting through the open window. The warm breeze did nothing to cool the fire raging beneath my skin. If anything, it only stoked it.A muffled sound pulled me back to the moment. I glanced down to see Tyler shifting beneath me, his wrists tugging against the bindings securing him to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Right. I had come here, needing a release. How long have we’ve been at this? I wondered. I straddled him, my skin slick with perspiration, but the fire in my veins refused to die down. My heat clawed at my insides, demanding more. “It won’t stop until he accepts our rejection,” Rayne voiced inside my head, edged with frustration. “You know this.”I bit back a growl. I knew. Goddess, I knew. Fucking Gabe. Even thinking his name made my chest tighten with something that was equal parts anger and longing. My body burned for his touch, for his scent, for
TYLERI played with the egg yolks on my plates, the fork scraping softly against the porcelain. My appetite had long since disappeared, replaced by a gnawing ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Mila out of my head. The heat of her skin against mine, the way she compelled me to bid her every command, the way her touch trembled with a desperation neither of us could name–a fire that burned between us but never seemed to satisfy her. I knew it was because of her bond with Gabe. It was always him.Even with me, she was still tethered to him. But if she kept coming to me instead of him, didn’t that mean something? I clung to that shred of hope like a fool, convincing myself that maybe–just maybe–she was waiting for me to prove I was the better choice.Then her words came back, slicing through my fantasy.“If I ever become someone’s Luna… it will be with someone who doesn’t cover up other people’s messes.”My jaw tightened. The mem
ARII could see everyone’s eyes on me. Once Tyler left, Emily moved us to the Alpha’s office. Troy sat in the chair with Emily standing behind him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she looked between us.I sat in one of the chairs as Gabe stood by the door, his jaw set tight, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window. I knew this moment would come, I was hoping for it. Maybe his parents could talk some sense into him.“Gabriel,” Emily finally broke the silence, her voice carefully controlled but trembling at the edges, “surely this is something we can talk through? Divorce is… drastic. Unnecessary.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Yes,” I added quickly, stepping closer to Gabe. One look from him made me stop. “We can fix this. I can fix this. Gabe, please.”His expression was blank. He didn’t flinch or soften. “No, Arianna. This isn’t something to fix. It’s over. My decision is final.”Final.The word echoed in my mind,
MILAI leaned back in my chair, tapping a pen against my chin as I studied the sketches laid out before me. The designs were flawless, innovative–exactly what will impress Deveaux. Yet, none of it would matter if I didn’t have the right model to bring them to life. Good thing, I had the perfect person.“We have a problem.” Camila rushed into the room, tapping away on her tablet.“You say that like it’s something new.”Camila laid the tablet in front of me. The screen cycled through different news outlets of my past work with many models.“Why are you showing me pictures of my past work?”“Because of this, Amira backed out and now.”Camila tapped the screen and pictures of Amira and Arianna popped up everywhere. She was working with Arianna now.I dropped the pen onto my desk, looking at Camila. “What?”“The contract we sent failed through.” Camil crossed her arms, a mix of frustration and concern in her eyes. “Word got to her that you once chose Zuri over her a few years back. Amira
MILA Sophomore Year“Hi! I’m Mila Davis. I am a strong, beautiful, black girl and I don't need…” I looked down at the text message from my friend, Gabe, who hasn’t been to school all week. Affirmation for the day he texted. I cleared my throat and looked back into the mirror. “...and I don’t need validation from anyone but myself.”Don’t get me wrong. I think I was pretty cute. Frizzy afro that I have given up on taming, pleasantly plump cheeks that grandies loved to pinched and small freckles that I think added a little flair to my face. Framing my face were thick, rounded glasses that magnified my light brown eyes, and honestly made me look smart. Who didn’t want to look smart? I took pride in dark brown skin, not a single blemish in sight. Well aside from the vitiligo in certain spots, but those spots were in places that only my beloved would be able to see. Still, despite societal stereotypes, I was determined to be seen. Just maybe after I graduate highschool.I took a deep brea
MILA“Hi, I’m Mila Davis. Welcome to Grand Mountain High.” I turned to my classmate, Jenna. “How was that? Too preppy?”“Does it matter?” Jenna sighed heavily at my concern. “No one cares about high school. They’re all the same and everyone is just trying to survive long enough to graduate.”I brushed it off, knowing the importance of a first impression. I continued to fix my unruly curly afro in the mirror, frowning when the hair tie popped out of my hand. I walked to retrieve it from the floor.“I know Jenna, but I’m part of the student council, and things like this matter when you need references for college. Besides, if I do this, it could get me closer to getting the Aliz Women in Arts Scholarship. They only give it to one student a year, and it's going to be mine before I graduate.”“Slow down, Mila,” Jenna urged. “You’re a sophomore. College is so far away and besides I think everyone should take the first year off to decide if they really need unnecessary debt.”“I can’t afford
MILAI leaned back in my chair, tapping a pen against my chin as I studied the sketches laid out before me. The designs were flawless, innovative–exactly what will impress Deveaux. Yet, none of it would matter if I didn’t have the right model to bring them to life. Good thing, I had the perfect person.“We have a problem.” Camila rushed into the room, tapping away on her tablet.“You say that like it’s something new.”Camila laid the tablet in front of me. The screen cycled through different news outlets of my past work with many models.“Why are you showing me pictures of my past work?”“Because of this, Amira backed out and now.”Camila tapped the screen and pictures of Amira and Arianna popped up everywhere. She was working with Arianna now.I dropped the pen onto my desk, looking at Camila. “What?”“The contract we sent failed through.” Camil crossed her arms, a mix of frustration and concern in her eyes. “Word got to her that you once chose Zuri over her a few years back. Amira
ARII could see everyone’s eyes on me. Once Tyler left, Emily moved us to the Alpha’s office. Troy sat in the chair with Emily standing behind him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she looked between us.I sat in one of the chairs as Gabe stood by the door, his jaw set tight, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window. I knew this moment would come, I was hoping for it. Maybe his parents could talk some sense into him.“Gabriel,” Emily finally broke the silence, her voice carefully controlled but trembling at the edges, “surely this is something we can talk through? Divorce is… drastic. Unnecessary.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Yes,” I added quickly, stepping closer to Gabe. One look from him made me stop. “We can fix this. I can fix this. Gabe, please.”His expression was blank. He didn’t flinch or soften. “No, Arianna. This isn’t something to fix. It’s over. My decision is final.”Final.The word echoed in my mind,
TYLERI played with the egg yolks on my plates, the fork scraping softly against the porcelain. My appetite had long since disappeared, replaced by a gnawing ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Mila out of my head. The heat of her skin against mine, the way she compelled me to bid her every command, the way her touch trembled with a desperation neither of us could name–a fire that burned between us but never seemed to satisfy her. I knew it was because of her bond with Gabe. It was always him.Even with me, she was still tethered to him. But if she kept coming to me instead of him, didn’t that mean something? I clung to that shred of hope like a fool, convincing myself that maybe–just maybe–she was waiting for me to prove I was the better choice.Then her words came back, slicing through my fantasy.“If I ever become someone’s Luna… it will be with someone who doesn’t cover up other people’s messes.”My jaw tightened. The mem
MILAThe sweet scent of sweat and sex hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint, lingering traces of pine and earth drifting through the open window. The warm breeze did nothing to cool the fire raging beneath my skin. If anything, it only stoked it.A muffled sound pulled me back to the moment. I glanced down to see Tyler shifting beneath me, his wrists tugging against the bindings securing him to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Right. I had come here, needing a release. How long have we’ve been at this? I wondered. I straddled him, my skin slick with perspiration, but the fire in my veins refused to die down. My heat clawed at my insides, demanding more. “It won’t stop until he accepts our rejection,” Rayne voiced inside my head, edged with frustration. “You know this.”I bit back a growl. I knew. Goddess, I knew. Fucking Gabe. Even thinking his name made my chest tighten with something that was equal parts anger and longing. My body burned for his touch, for his scent, for
MILAA sharp beep woke me up in the middle of the night. One of the many computers I’ve been watching lit up. The motion detector feed from the cemetery flickered to life. I watched the screen until a scrappy figure moved towards the tombstone. The shape was unmistakable.Him.“Got you.”I geared up before leaving, making sure I had everything to keep my presence concealed. Couldn’t have Zeke or Tom or any of the patrols knowing I was there. Then there was Gabe. I hadn’t seen him since that day. I shook my head. No time to think of him.Moments later, I found myself at the cemetery, moving towards my faux grave. Just as I hope there he was, blending with the shadows before settling on the two graves.Frederick.The man who cradled me as a child. Who once carried me on his shoulders, feeding me cotton candy. The man who mourned a fake daughter as I did a fake father. The necklace around his neck glowed as he placed more flowers on the grave.Flowers for his mate.Flowers for me.The ac
GABEI leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. The shit that happened a few weeks ago burned into my memory as I watched Arianna beat Mirabella senselessly, and Gregory standing there with a cruel smile. My jaw tightened. I had the evidence–proof of their true nature. But what now? Exposing them would definitely bring a fallout, but the thought of protecting Mila outweighed the risks. With a deep breath, I clicked send, forwarding the video to Mila. The ball was in her court now. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. He expected more paperwork, another demand that Gregory had over the transition of the company. With the recent investigation over Alpha Frank’s dealings the board made an unanimous vote to make me the face of the company. Though I knew Gregory needed a safety net to place all his holdings with me and keep the council from seizing it. The door opened and Laura walked in. Her eyes scanned the room before settling on me with a knowing look.“Laura,
TYLERI swear I could feel the coldness from Arianna’s stare from the other side of the room. She leaned into Randall, whispering something before casting another glance my way. A knot in my stomach. Were they plotting something against Mila? I needed to stop them before they had a chance.“Right, Tyler?”Mila’s voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked, realizing I had completely turned out of the conversation. Desperate to cover my distraction, I said the first thing that came to mind.“Of course, anything you say.”Laughter rippled through the press around us, an inside joke I wasn’t in on. I turned to Mila, silently asking for an explanation.“I told them you’d say exactly that if you weren’t listening and that’s how I get my way,” she said with a knowing smile.I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “Caught me. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”“I bet,” one of the press members said. “I hear you’re in for some serious competition now that your brother is taking over the Mora company
ARI“Arianna!” I blinked, noticing my stepmother looking at me with confusion. “Snap out of it. People are always watching us, and I can’t have both you and your sister looking like asylum escapees.”I looked around, briefly remembering where I was–another charity event for a cause she neither knew nor cared about.“That would be an upgrade,” Gregory scoffed, his glass of whiskey swirling with a slow, measured agitation. The man was just never happy. Even after I’ve done everything he asked me to, somehow he was still disappointed. I glanced over at Amber, who was sitting, staring blankly into the distance. She hadn’t been the same since Frank’s sudden departure. Even her husband, Harry, called it quits. Apparently someone leaked the photos of her affair and he had divorce papers wired to her the next day. Francesca had all but drugged Amber into compliance, upping her meds until she was little more than a shadow of herself. I watched as her fingers toyed with the edge of her napkin
ARIThe tires of my car crunched over the loose gravel as my driver pulled over to the desolate warehouse. My father’s voice over the phone echoed in my mind–cold, clipped, and commanding. Get here. Now.He offered no details, but he didn’t have to. I knew that tone. The same tone he used whenever I stepped out of line, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of what I did this time. I absentmindedly touched the diamond necklace Gabe gifted me as an early birthday present, though it wasn’t until next month, but at least it was calming. At least I had him in my corner. I got out of the car and walked through the heavily guarded door. My stomach was in knots when I entered the open space and the echoing sound of fists meeting flesh guided my gaze.Father stood in the center of the warehouse, his knuckles stained red as he drove another blow into the face of a man bound to a chair. I stopped walking when I realized it was Alpha Frank. He was barely recognizable.Blood streamed from his