What's a party without a little bit of fun. Let's see what Ari has in store for our Mila.
TYLERAri was the most conniving, manipulative person I knew, and I loved it. I’ve never known someone who could always find a way to get people to do what she wanted. Her ability to twist situations to her will was mesmerizing. The moment I saw Mila walking over, I knew this was what Ari was planning for. A part of me just hoped it wasn’t crazy. “You’ve been working so hard,” Ari said, placing her hands on Mila’s shoulders, while glancing at me. The mischievous look on her eyes was a clear signal of her intentions. “So, how about you take a break and play a game with us?”“What kind of game?” Mila asked, her gaze drifting from Ari’s to me, uncertainty plain on her face.Declan perked his ass up like he won a prize or something. Simping mutt. Not that I was any better. Even after rejecting her and taking it back, the bond between us felt even stronger. She was only inches away, and I sat there spellbound by the way her lips moved when she spoke, wishing I could capture her words with
TYLER Mila laughed nervously. “Maybe we could play the version with Truth instead? I can start–” “Dare or drink?” Ari asked again, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her hands under her chin. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, clearly relishing the moment. “I think she’s had enough to drink,” I felt myself say, trying to defuse the situation. Mila looked so uncomfortable, and Declan was pacing inside my head. “Come on, now, Tyler,” Ari said, standing up and facing me. “The girl joined the game just like everyone else. It’s time for her to play by the rules.” “It’s no fun when the girl is sloppy drunk,” I argued. “And she’s about as sloppy as a girl can get.” I didn’t expect people to laugh at something as stupid as that statement, but they did, and Mila looked even more embarrassed than before. I was making things worse. “You’re fucking this up,” Declan grumbled. “Just shut up. I know,” I said back. “That’s okay,” Ari said, picking up the empty tray. “We’re out of
MILAThe entire party was so quiet I could hear a pin drop. I wiped my mouth and took a step away from Ari, who was wiping vomit from her face. She heaved a few times before glaring at me, her eyes blazing with a mix of shock and fury.I am officially dead. I can’t believe I just did that. Not once but twice. What the hell, Mila!“You mean, fuck yeah, Mila!” Rayne exclaimed with glee. “She did this on purpose. She put something in your drink.”She what! I felt anger rising in me. No wonder I felt sicker than usual, my body felt like it was on fire while the others around me looked completely fine. I closed my eyes, wishing I could just disappear. Then I saw her– a flash of white fur before it disappeared. “Rayne?” I called out, my voice barely a whisper.“Keep going, MIla,” Rayne urged, her voice sounding stronger as it resonated in my mind. “I am almost there.”I didn’t understand what she meant about ‘keep going.’ Keep going at what? I could feel her moving inside me like she was it
MILA“Fight back!” Rayne growled inside my head. This was just my luck. I didn’t want to be here serving these snobby people and playing their stupid game. The moment I heard Ari whisper to everyone to make me drink, I should’ve stopped there. But no, I wanted to join in the fun and now look at me.I looked down at the knife I was holding in my grip. I didn’t know how to use it, but it was better than nothing. Still, I only saw death in Serena’s eyes causing fear to overcome the small amount of confidence I just had. I ran for the pantry, knowing Serena wouldn’t be able to squeeze in there. This wasn’t my fault. My hand paused over the pantry handle.“This isn’t my fault!”I felt my anger rising, or maybe it was the acid building up in my stomach. Whatever it was, I used it. I turned around to see Serena coming for me and I screamed. Okay, I actually tried to scream but ended up throwing up again. Well, I did have a big lunch to prepare for all the work today, so it was understandable
MILAI could hear Tyler’s voice trying to get through, but Rayne didn’t care. She looked down at Serena, who was struggling beneath her powerful jaws, and felt no pity. I pleaded with her in desperation.“We are not killers,” I said, my voice trembling. “Let her go.” Serena whimpered and I knew she realized the battle was over.“Why not? She was going to do the same to you,” Rayne retorted, her teeth digging into Serena’s neck. “She has bullied us, beaten us, and drugged us. She doesn’t deserve to live.”Just as Rayne was about to deliver the final blow, a massive black wolf barreled into her, knocking Rayne off balance and sending Serena to the other side. Tyler and Declan. Declan stood between Rayne and Serena, his golden eyes pleading with Rayne. Rayne growled, her instincts urging her to finish the fight, but Declan seemed to capture her presence. He walked around her, his fur brushing against hers. Suddenly I felt hot all over and my heart raced. Rayne quickly moved away feeling m
TYLER **Sexual Intimacy Ahead** Those bastards were still out there, pacing outside the cave entrance. Glowing eyes surrounded us but no one dared to enter. Declan’s growls gave all of them a promise of death if they tried to get closer. Mila’s scent was getting stronger by the second and if I didn’t claim her properly, no telling what they might do. Though, maybe that would be good for us, right? If someone else claimed her, she would be their problem and it would finally break this stupid hold she had on me. “She is OURS TO CLAIM,” Declan bellowed inside my head. “We’re not doing this again, Declan,” I snapped at him. “We will guard her until her heat passes. I’m sure whatever Ari gave her is temporary then we will–” My words caught in my throat as the sweetest scent filled my nostrils then a scream came from behind me. I growled thinking someone had got to Mila and when I turned around, I froze. It took a moment to comprehend what I was seeing. Mila, laying on the ground, one h
GABE“Gabe!”Mila shrieked with joy as I picked her up and spun her around in the busy school halls. Students glanced our way, some smiling, others(mainly Arianna) looking envious, but I didn’t care. I’d missed her so much. The past few days had been a blur of obligations, visiting Alpha’s Gregory’s pack with my parents. I wasn’t sure why they needed me to go but my days were filled with tours, meet-and-greets, and endless conversations had filled my time. I think I even heard someone call me Alpha, but Alpha Gregory just laughed it off. I knew he only had girls and wanted a son to take over his business, but I also knew he wasn’t ready to give up his title. The whole ordeal was kind of strange but I figure it had to do with my Beta duties. Anyway, I was glad to be back. Staying at the MoonCrest pack only reminded me that I was connected to Arianna and her scent was everywhere. I even found myself in her room, courtesy of Spencer.Despite the momentary distraction, my thoughts had con
TYLERThe tension in the room was palpable as my mom rushed over to pull Gabe off of me.“What the hell are you doing Gabriel?” my mom asked, her voice trembling with anger, but Gabe barely acknowledged her. His eyes followed me as I got up, cautiously watching him in case he decided to blindside me again. I sat behind the Alpha’s–well, my—desk, nursing the busted lip my brother just gave me. He must’ve found out about the party from Mila. Of course she would tell him the truth. It was the only reason I didn’t fight back. “You should ask him,” Gabe growled, pointing an accusing finger at me. “Ask him what he did to Mila–”“Mila?” my mom harshly cut him off with a quick swipe at his shoulder to shut him up. “You’re telling me she’s the reason for this violence? You’re fighting your brother over some… girl? That is not how I raised you.”I laughed at the fact that she believed she raised us. We had our fair share of nannies over the years while she focused on building the business with
GABEThe door to my office swung open, hitting the stack of boxes I’d neatly lined up along the wall. A couple toppled over, spilling the contents onto the floor.“What’s with all these boxes?” Arianna complained as she stepped inside. She didn’t so much as glance at the mess she’d just created. “Are you moving to a bigger office or something?”“Why hello to you too, babe,” I said, not bothering to look up from the paperwork spread across my desk.Noah, sitting in his play area, looked up at the sound of her voice. His face lit up, and he scrambled to his feet, his toy truck clutched in his hand as he ran toward her.“Mommy!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide to hug her. But Arianna took a graceful step back, halting him mid-stride. Her perfectly manicured hands smoothed the front of her designer dress as if his touch would leave a permanent mark.“Noah, sweetie,” she cooed. “What did Mommy say about touching her clothes, huh?”“Don’t get Mommy’s clothes dirty,” Noah answered obedi
MILAI felt his presence before I could fully register Tyler standing next to Leo. He gripped the wrist that held the knife with an iron grip. The tension in his muscles was visible, flexing beneath the tight fabric of his black button-down shirt. The sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal forearms corded with strength, and the shirt hugged his broad chest. His black pants and suede shoes completed the ensemble, along with a suit jacket draped casually over the other arm.The look was casual, but there was something very dominant about it. His jawline was shadowed with a light stubble, and the sharp cut of his golden eyes sent a shiver down my spine as they flicked to me for just a moment before returning to Leo. My legs seemed to wobble from the weight of his commanding presence.“Hot, holy hell,” Rayne purred her approval. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from vocalizing a similar sentiment, but damn, she was right.“Control yourself, Rayne.”“You first,” she retorted.Tyler
MILABack at the hideout, we poured over all the data we had on everyone.“I still don’t get why Gregory would have Arianna send someone to attack Jenna if he wanted to abortion from the start,” I wondered out loud.“Maybe he didn’t believe her,” Camila guessed. “Or he wanted to get rid of her too?”“This is all too frustrating,” Laura complained. “Can we just take them down already?!”Alex exited one of the rooms where Jenna was resting. We decided to move her here to keep her safe and keep any eye on her.“I’m with crazy eyes over here. What’s the move?” Camila asked, staring at the screen on the table.“I want to hit them from all sides,” I said, holding
MILAMy stomach twisted in knots as I stood at the foot of the bed, watching Jenna’s chest rising and falling in a shallow rhythm. I tried to heal her bruises, but they wouldn’t. Alex told me we had to wait until the blood transfusion pumps out all the Wolfsbane in her system before I could heal her.A whimpering sound caught my attention as I turned to see Laura fighting sleep. Poor thing was the first one to get to Jenna. Even I couldn’t forget the scene I came upon when I got that night from our mystery hacker.***Unknown: Jenna. Orphanage. Hurt.I raced back, dodging Gabe and the security tail. By the time I arrived, Laura and Camila were already there, holding an almost unconscious Jenna.“Mila, please,” Laura cried. “Heal her, please!”Blood was pooling beneath her from cuts too deep to be accidental. She blacked out with a ring falling from her hand. At the moment I didn’t know if it was important but I picked it up anyway. Maybe there was a reason she was safeguarding it. **
GABEI froze mid-jab, my eyes locking with Mila’s smiling face. Sparring with Mila was… complicated, and far from stress-relieving. Trading blows, getting in close would stir something I’d rather keep buried. Though Spencer didn’t seem to mind the offer.“We could test if she feels the bond too,” Spencer suggested, a little too eager.I chuckled, taking a step back from her. “You sure you’re up for that?”Mila tilted her head, smirked. “I’m the one offering. Unless you’re worried I’ll knock you on your ass.”Challenge accepted. I stripped off my gloves, gesturing to the open mat. “You asked for it.”“Just remember, Gabe,” she teased, her stance loose but ready. ”I don't pull punches for anyone.”Mila moved first–a quick jab to test me. I deflected easily, stepping back to gauge her. Her eyes gleamed with the thrill of the fight.“Come on, Alpha Gabe,” she taunted, circling me. “You’re not just here to dance, are you?”“Dancing burns calories,” I shot back, feinting left and aiming for
GABEAlpha Gregory rose from the table, flanked by his Beta on one side and Alpha Frank on the other, their movements calculated as though this meeting were a choreographed play. When Beta Brian and I approached, Gregory gestured for us to take our seats, his smile wide but hollow.“Alpha Gabe,” he said smoothly, “thank you for coming on such short notice. I know this little meeting was impromptu, but the matter requires immediate attention.” He paused, a practiced grin spreading across his face. “But before we get into it–let’s eat. My father always said, ‘Never make decisions on an empty stomach.’.”The feast materialized as the waitstaff set plates of roasted meats, steaming veggies, and desserts before us. Conversation flowed, but my focus wasn’t on the meal–or the company. I glanced at my watch for the third time, debating an excuse to leave. The truth? I didn’t want to be here, playing nice with Gregory or Brian. One man held Arianna’s career in the palm of his hand, while the o
TYLERDammit! I couldn’t get her out of my head. Everytime I close my eyes, I think of her. Mila. Those sharp brown eyes cutting through me without a word, the way she moved around effortlessly like she owned the place, and the way she looked at me, even anger, like I was… nothing.Her silence after the debacle at her last fashion show was louder than anything she could have said to me. I had failed her, again, and she wasn’t letting me forget it. Not with her avoidance, her cold glances, and her deliberate absence from every meeting I’d arranged.Now, I was walking down the hall, heading towards her office to demand her attention, and froze. Voices carried from behind a partially open door.“...you thought you could keep this a secret, Troy,” said Alpha Gregory, his voice low, but seething with menace.I held my breath, moving closer to eavesdrop. My father’s response was even quieter. “I’ll say this one more time, Gregory,” my father said. “I didn’t tell anyone about your dealings.”
MILASuddenly, a crash could be heard from the front and Leo’s dad screamed to the back. “Leo! We’ve got a problem out here!”Leo stiffened, his hand freezing on the rack before turning around, placing the bags nearby and heading out to the front. I let out a slow breath, silently thanking Laura and her goofy antics. I didn’t have much time, so I moved quickly. I carefully unzipped one of the velvet bags again and pressed a small tracking.“Down with your communist agendas!” I hear Laura scream before slipping out the back door. This whole thing was turning into something bigger than I expected, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were deep in dangerous territory. My phone buzzed with a text.Laura: That was fun!Me: Communist agendas?Laura: I didn’t know what to say, but it worked. Told you I’m good.Me: I’m heading back to office. You both good?Camila: Yeah and by the way you have some sexy company.I looked up to see Zeke leaning on the front of the car, his arms crossed an
ARITRIGGER: self harm ahead“What are you doing in here?”I froze mid-step, my voice trembling more than I wanted. My father didn’t even glance up. Instead, he continued flipping through my portfolio, each page tossed to the floor with deliberate disdain. His silence was louder than any insult, and I could feel the familiar lump rising in my throat.Francesca stood perfectly poised by the window, hands crossed in front of her, avoiding eye contact as if her presence here was merely incidental. And Amber lounged on the couch with a stupid smirk on her face.“Well,” I said, forcing my voice to be steady, “I didn’t ask for this little family reunion. So what can I do to get you all to leave?”My father finally looked up, his sharp eyes cutting into me. He didn’t respond right away but stood, holding several magazines. He dropped them one by one at my feet. I didn’t need to look to know what they were. The covers had become all too familiar—Mila’s glowing face and headlines touting her l