RaelynnI opened my eyes to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains, and for the first time in what felt like forever, a strange but exhilarating emotion coursed through me: excitement. The kind of excitement that makes your heart race, your mind buzz with anticipation, and your body spring out of bed like you’d just been jolted awake by an electrical current. Today was the day.I’d never been much of a morning person, but today felt different. Today was the day we’d put our plan into action, the day Alison would brew her potion and save my internship dreams. For once, I wasn’t waking up with a heavy heart, dreading whatever lay ahead. Instead, a surge of energy rippled through me as I kicked off the covers and jumped out of bed.“Time to get this show on the road,” I murmured to myself with a grin.After a quick stretch, I hurried to the bathroom to shower. I couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at my lips as the warm water cascaded down my skin. My mind raced with thou
RaelynnThe door creaked open, and I turned to see Alison strolling in, her steps light, yet filled with purpose. She was always eccentric, but today she seemed especially... animated. She swung her tote bag onto the lab table with a satisfying thud. I had seen her enter this room countless times before, but never had her bag been this heavy. I raised an eyebrow, watching with growing curiosity as she began to unload its contents.“Is that... supposed to be empty?” I asked, eyeing the bulging bag.Alison shot me a sly grin. “You’ll see.”She reached into her tote and pulled out several mini bottles filled with strange, glowing liquids, along with a few other odd items…dried herbs, powders, and even what looked like small bones. My eyes widened. I half-expected her to pull out a cauldron and start mixing roots and flowers, just like those stereotypical witches in the movies. But no, this was Alison. She didn't conform to any traditional methods.“Are you sure you’re a witch?” I quipp
RaelynnThe morning sun filtered through the blinds of my small room, casting streaks of light across the floor as I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It was the day I had been anticipating…and dreading. My first day at the D.S.I.R. internship. For the past week, it had just been Alison and me in our room at the academy, going through the usual grind of preparing for this opportunity. Ashley had left to go back with Xavier, and though I had tried to be understanding, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. The three of us had formed a bond over the past weeks, and now it felt like a piece of that bond was missing. It was funny how quickly you could get used to having people around, even in the most unexpected of circumstances. Despite the chaos of witches, potions, and an ever-looming sense of danger, I had grown comfortable with our strange little trio. Having Alison as my constant companion had been nice, but I missed Ashley’s calm energy and how she always managed to d
RaelynnThe woman led us down a long, sleek hallway lined with metallic panels and soft, ambient lighting. Her heels clicked rhythmically on the polished floor as we followed behind her, dragging our suitcases with us. Everything about this place…the gleaming walls, the sharp scent of disinfectant lingering in the air, screamed efficiency. I wasn’t sure if it comforted me or made me even more anxious. The silence between Alison and me was almost deafening, filled with the weight of our nerves and anticipation.Finally, she stopped in front of a set of gray, industrial-looking doors and turned to face us with a polite but distant smile.“These will be your living quarters,” she said, her voice even and professional. “Please settle in. I’ll return in thirty minutes to take you through the rest of your registration process.”With that, she turned on her heel and left, her swift footsteps fading down the hall. Alison and I exchanged a brief glance before focusing on the doors in front of
RaelynnThe morning sun was already creeping through the half-drawn curtains when my alarm jolted me awake. My heart thudded in my chest, more from excitement than anxiety, as I scrambled to silence the persistent beeping. Today was the first day of the internship. It was the moment Alison and I had been waiting for — the beginning of something new, something that could shape the rest of our lives. As I slipped out of bed, I could hear the soft rustling of sheets from Alison's room next door. She had been up even earlier than I was. The energy radiating through the apartment was contagious. This was no ordinary day.I grabbed my clothes…a plain white blouse and black slacks…something simple but presentable. I couldn’t help but feel that no matter how prepared I was on the outside, my insides were still a swirling mess of nerves and anticipation. After brushing my hair and tying it up in a neat ponytail, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. As soon as
RaelynnThe evening air inside the building was a strange mix of anticipation and exhaustion. The first day of orientation was behind us, but the weight of everything we had learned lingered in the back of my mind. As Alison and I walked out of our rooms, ready to make our way to the cafeteria for dinner, I couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit overwhelmed by the day's events. Still, a part of me buzzed with excitement, eager to see what tomorrow would bring."Ready for some mystery meat?" Alison teased, nudging me lightly as we made our way down the corridor.I chuckled. "As long as it’s edible, I’m not complaining. We’ve earned it today."As we reached the stairwell, I noticed a familiar voice echoing from around the corner. It was Storm, the girl with a reputation for being intimidatingly blunt and sharp-tongued, standing in the hallway with her back to us. Her voice was raised in what seemed to be a heated conversation with someone we couldn’t quite see.“Storm’s at it again,” A
RaelynnMy internship at the D.S.I.R was turning out to be everything I hoped for and more. It had only been a week since Alison and I arrived, yet every day was a new adventure. The labs were incredible, the people here were some of the brightest minds in their fields, and the research we were exposed to felt groundbreaking.I couldn’t believe I was actually working in the biochemistry and genetics unit…my dream.Being a genetics major, I’d always been drawn to the mysteries of DNA, inheritance, and how everything was connected on a molecular level. The opportunity to study alongside experts and get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies was the chance of a lifetime. As I walked out of the lab late that Friday afternoon, the excitement was still buzzing through my veins. It had been a long day, filled with sequencing, coding, and analyzing genetic markers, but I didn’t mind the fatigue. I’d learned more in these few days than I had in an entire semester at university.
RaelynnI couldn’t shake it…the sound of those voices. They haunted me all day, whispering at the edges of my mind like a persistent ghost that wouldn’t leave. It wasn’t just the words I overheard; it was the urgency, the fear in their tones. Something was wrong here at the D.S.I.R., and I couldn’t pretend otherwise.Alison could tell something was off. She always had this way of reading me, even when I didn’t say much. After all, she was more than just a friend; she was my lifeline, my rock when everything felt like it was crumbling. It was evening now, and we were back in our room after another long day. The lab work had been grueling, and our bodies were exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t let me rest."Rae, you’ve been out of it all day," Alison said as she stretched out on her bed, giving me a concerned look. "Is this about what you overheard?"I nodded, my arms wrapped around my knees as I sat cross-legged on my bed. "Yeah... I just can’t stop thinking about it. It didn’t feel rig
RaelynnThe sun shone through the thick velvet curtains of our room and illuminated everything with a warm, golden light. The warmth of it kissed my skin, reminding me that this was no dream...this was my reality.A reality that only a few years ago, seemed like a world impossible to conceive, completely shattered into pieces that I would never be able to pick up. Yet here I am, so much stronger and smarter and more at peace than I have ever been in my life.As I lay in bed, listening to the soft rustling of the leaves outside and the distant chirping of birds welcoming the new day, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far I’ve come. The memories of my past, once sharp and painful, now seemed like faded shadows in the back of my mind.The pain of loss and betrayal, the paralyzing fear that I experienced during those days of darkness seemed like a dream…a nightmare that I had finally woken up from.My life had changed so much since those days. I thought of the darkness that had so nearly
Alpha LorenzoI wait outside the door to the dungeon the cold stone walls closing in around me. My hear beats faster the rage just below the surface.I need to do this. For Raelynn. For my pack. For all those who have been tormented by the life of valentine and his warped disciples.The door squeaks and I enter the somewhat dark hallway. It is damp and musty in there, with the drip of water bouncing off the walls.The guards nod their heads to me, with a very serious look on their faces. They know why I’m here. They know what I’m about to do.Valentine's cell is all the way at the end of the dungeon, away from all the others. I would have wanted him alone, removed from the rest of his nasty little gang. The man deserves no comfort, no company. Not after everything he’s done.I stand before his cell holding the cold iron bars. Valentine sits in there, perched on a little bench with his hands cuffed together in front of him.The look of pride and arrogance is no longer there, but instea
Alpha LorenzoWe step outside of the building and the heat from the fire engulfs us, and at that moment, I feel Raelynn's body drop from my arms. She's out of breath, out of energy, and I pick her up and carry her the remainder of the way.“Conan, take care of Valentine and his scientists, I shout over my shoulder as we make our way to the waiting SUVs. “Round them all up. No one gets away.”Conan nods, his expression grim. “You got it, Alpha. We’ll make sure they pay for what they’ve done.”I nod, my focus on Raelynn as I lay her gently in the back seat of one of the SUVs. She’s unconscious, her breathing shallow, and I feel a surge of panic. I can’t lose her. Not now.“Go! I shout to the driver, and the SUV speeds away from the burning building, the flames reflected in the rearview mirror. I cradle Raelynn in my arms, my heart beating hard against my chest.“We’re almost there, I whisper, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Just hold on a little longer, love. You’re going to b
Alpha LorenzoSo I pound my fist on the aluminum door as hard as I can, and I keep pounding and the door starts to cave in. Every hit vibrates up my arm, but I bite down on my tongue and continue. Raelynn is on the other side. I can feel her presence through our bond, faint but unmistakable.My entire body is on fire from the exertion, beads of sweat drip from my face into my eyes, but I will not give up. I can’t. Not when I’m this close. The dent in the door is minor, almost unnoticeable, but it is there. So I put all of my strength, and my anger, and my hopelessness into one last punch and I hope that it is.Then, without warning, a rush of warmth washes over the door. I yank my hand back, startled. The metal is red hot and I have to back up so I don't get burnt.I stare in disbelief as fire dances around the border of the door and the metal contorts and melts like some unseen force is wrenching it asunder.“What the hell…” I mutter, my eyes wide. This isn’t just fire; it’s somethin
RaelynnI’ ve been planning this for weeks. The smallest mistakes could cost me everything, so I’ve waited, watching, studying every guard’s routine. I’ve observed their movements, noted their shifts, even the way they carry themselves when they think no one is looking.One guard, in particular, caught my eye…small, unassuming, always on edge as if the very walls were closing in on him. I could see it in his eyes, the fear, the sweat above his brow whenever he was around me. And that made him my target.Well, this morning he was on walking post by my cell and I just knew it was time. He did not even realize how easily he was being played with.The shadows that had been my friends in darkness reached out to take his thoughts, pushing his focus away. A ripple of my fingers and the shadows told him of distant cares and his mind floated just enough for me to move.I moved silently, my fingers deft and quick, slipping into his pocket as he turned away. The cold metal of the key against my
Alpha LorenzoI can't remember the last time I was this tense. The past few months have been a nightmare, each day worse than the one before. I can barely sleep, my thoughts constantly consumed by Raelynn. My mate. My Luna. She’s out there, somewhere, suffering God knows what, and it’s my fault. I let her down, failed to protect her. And now, I’m desperate. Desperate to make things right, to find her, to bring her home. I’ve spent every waking moment planning, strategizing, preparing for this. There’s no room for error. Not this time.We’re in the war room, a dimly lit space in the pack house that’s become our headquarters for this mission. Conan, Alison, Ashley, and I are huddled around a large table, a detailed map of the Dawn Scientific Institute for Research spread out before us. The DSIR is an imposing fortress, heavily guarded, and getting in won’t be easy. But we have no choice. Raelynn is in there. I can feel it in my bones. “Alright,” I say, my voice steady but hard. “We
Alpha LorenzoI can't remember the last time I was this tense. The past few months have been a nightmare, each day worse than the one before. I can barely sleep, my thoughts constantly consumed by Raelynn. My mate. My Luna. She’s out there, somewhere, suffering God knows what, and it’s my fault. I let her down, failed to protect her. And now, I’m desperate. Desperate to make things right, to find her, to bring her home. I’ve spent every waking moment planning, strategizing, preparing for this. There’s no room for error. Not this time.We’re in the war room, a dimly lit space in the pack house that’s become our headquarters for this mission. Conan, Alison, Ashley, and I are huddled around a large table, a detailed map of the Dawn Scientific Institute for Research spread out before us. The DSIR is an imposing fortress, heavily guarded, and getting in won’t be easy. But we have no choice. Raelynn is in there. I can feel it in my bones. “Alright,” I say, my voice steady but hard. “We
RaelynnDarkness. It has been my constant companion for what feels like an eternity. My sense of time in this cold, damp cell is lost, days and nights running together in one continuous void of nothingness.I have no idea how long it’s been since I was tossed into this hell, since I was deprived of my dignity and my wolf. I don’t even know if it matters anymore. This place, this emptiness, it consumes you.I resemble now and again when the guards bring out their needles I test myself to see if I can remember what I was like before all this. I try to remember what it felt like to be free, to be whole.But those memories are as fragments of a dream. They are so beautiful and so elusive, and they dissolve before I can catch them. I have nothing but the pain to grasp on to. It’s the only thing that feels real anymore.I roll over on the cold floor and the chains that bind my wrists and ankles rattle. My body hurts in places I never knew I had.They don't feed me very much. Enough to keep
Alpha LorenzoIt's been a week since Alexis was incarcerated and I discovered the truth. A full week of searching and scouring every inch of our territory, and then some. The feeling of desperation claws at my insides, a gnawing ache that won’t go away no matter how many leads we chase, no matter how many faces I growl at in frustration. Every day without her feels like an eternity, every moment a fresh wound reopening. Max is restless, prowling just beneath the surface, ready to break free and tear apart anyone who gets in my way.I shouldn’t be here, pacing in my study with my phone clenched in my hand. I should be out there, tracking her down myself. But even alphas have duties, responsibilities, and meetings they can’t avoid. Today, it’s the damn council meeting, and if I don’t show up, there’ll be more questions than I’m prepared to answer. I need to keep up appearances. I need to make them believe everything is fine, that my world isn’t shattering around me piece by piece.“E