TANA'S P.O.V.
It's been three days since the incident in the church, but I couldn't do anything but cry in my bed all day. My mother had knocked on my door several times, hell she had even threatened to break the door down, but I didn't pay any attention to anything she said. I looked at my father's photo and the pain in my heart increased. We were mates, we loved each other more than anything, what the hell was Veronica doing that Philip was memorized by? I thought that everything I had done just to keep Philip with the wedding was the key for us to be marked and mated to one another, yet the wedding was easily broken off like it didn't matter at all. "Are you still grumpy?" I heard a familiar voice and without thinking twice I flipped the blanket off me and unlocked the door, revealing Jennifer, "… Jeez! You look…" I wrapped my hands around her neck as I hugged her while the tears continued to pour out. "I can't do this anymore" My voice was cracked as she walked inside the room and I heard the door close "I don't think I can hold your weight any longer" She mumbled and dropped my legs on the floor still holding on to her, "… Tell me, what happened?" She whispered in my ears and I gently pulled away as I wiped away the tears.Jennifer could attend the wedding because she wasn't in the pack, and she wasn't even aware it was going on, but she's the only friend who could look me dead in the eyes and know something was wrong "It's Philip" "Philip? Did he… Did he reject you?" She asked with her eyes widened, and I could see the fear in them. "No, that's not it. I'm sorry I couldn't inform you because you were far away, but I was meant to get married three days ago but…" I trailed off as I took a deep breath, "… But at the wedding, Philip refused to say his vows, and suddenly Veronica made a fuss about her and Philip being in a relationship and being pregnant" "That's impossible, you and Philip love each other" "That's what I thought, but it didn't seem like it" She wiped the tears from my eyes as she looked at me in the eyes and put a hand against my cheek "I know you and Philip truly love each other. Veronica is up to something and I don't understand why she acts like a sister sometimes and suddenly changes, but you need to fight for your mate, no one should be coming between you both. Come on, get dressed" She pulled me up and pushed me towards the bathroom, which made me smile. She was right Giving up Philip for Veronica was not an option, if Veronica wanted to be stupid and think she could take my mate away from me, then I had to teach her a lesson, pregnant or not I immediately freshened up before getting dressed in the clothes she picked out, and I headed towards the alpha's home, I knew Philip was home, moreover, he barely goes anywhere "Win him back, no matter what" Jennifer hugged me before walking towards her home, while I walked into the mansion I noticed the look people were giving me around the house, but I wasn't concerned about that, he was my mate, and I wasn't letting him go with my step-sister no matter what. I walked towards his office and opened it, but I was stunned to see Veronica sitting on the couch with a frown on her face. "What the hell are you doing here after what you've done?" I looked at her in disbelief as I shut the door. "What have I done? Veronica, I have no interest in you or whatever you wish to do in your life, but Philip is my mate. You dared to interrupt my wedding because you slept with another woman's mate, and then you got pregnant! That shows how much of a whore you just are…" "Don't you dare…." "But of course! It's Veronica, she's the sweet little daughter of Beta Andrew. No one will see her fault, but you need to know that I'm also our father's daughter!" "I'm a child from the mate bond between him and my mother, but you are nothing but a replacement" I looked at her curiously and I could see she wasn't going to give up "You are not…" A slap across my face made my mouth shut within an instant and when I raised my hands she caught it and twisted it which made me scream. "Do not be so naive, Tana. I'm far stronger than you!" She growled at my face, and she pushed me to the ground, and out of the blue I felt a whip against my back which made me scream more. "You will not…" She punched me in the face and my vision became blurrier than before, I couldn't keep up with her throwing things at my face. I grabbed her hand as she tried to punch me again and pushed her away from him, and she suddenly pulled out a dagger which made me gasp, there was no way I was going to escape from this place, she was against the door, and blocking my exit "You might be his mate, but you are nothing but a cheap side chick, I bet you claimed to have the best night of your life before the wedding but sweetie, it was all planned" My eyes widened as I looked at her in disbelief "You weren't the one in bed with him, so you have… Have you lost your mind!" I watched as she cut her arm with the dagger and fell to the ground. "Not really…" She began to cry, and the door opened revealing Philip and I realized it was a trap "... I told you I wasn't safe anywhere close to her and now look what she has done to me" Philip looked at me and I could see the clear anger in his eyes. "Get the hell out of here, Tana" "She's lying she did that…" I was suddenly pinned against the wall by him and I struggled to breathe "... Philip… Please" "Silence!" He growled in my face, "... I've had enough of you and from now henceforth, you are forever banished from this pack and I reject you as my mate" He threw me out of the room as pain pierced into my heart.Tana's POV.I couldn't hide the disbelief look in my eyes as he stared at him in utter shock. Shaking my head in disagreement, I parted my lips to speak. "please, Philip. Don't… do this," I could barely breathe as I gasped in pain. My throat felt like it was on fire, an unquenchable fire. He growled, and his eyes darkened as he tightened his hold as if he were still being lenient.Behind him, I could see Veronica smiling ruefully. She seemed quite pleased with the sudden declaration. I wanted to beg, but I could barely breathe and the blood in my body slowly turned cold, and my heart beat faster within my left breast.Fear grasped my heart and tears stung my eyes as I tried to wiggle free from his stronghold but it was obviously impossible to break free from him. However, how could I overpower an alpha?I knew she wouldn't bother to interfere, as she derived joy from the pain I felt. My vision slowly became blurry and my fear increased. I was scared to die, I couldn't die this way.J
Tana's POVI dragged my feet through the thick forest covered with snow. Looking up, I stared at the sky as snow fell down gently. My gaze moved to the wilderness before me. My body was burning from the pain, and the pain shot deep within my body. I tried to fight it, but my attempt was futile, and slowly I fell to the ground, groaning in pain.My heart felt like it was about to explode as it beat two times faster than it was supposed to. I tried to pull my weak body up into a standing position, but every time I tried, I fell back on the ground weakly. My vision became blurry and I finally resorted to crawling on the rocky ground, my knees bled from the continuously cutting from the rocks and branches.If this was my punishment for my wrongdoings in my previous life, then I would willingly accept it unquestionably, but I promised not to let them win, Philip and Veronica would never get the satisfaction of hearing of my death in this cold wilderness.I groaned again as I felt something
Jackson POV.I sat among the ranting crowd with a frown, feeling an immense pain in my head. It felt like the more I stayed here, the more the intense pain increased. I tried to strain my ears to know why they were ranting."So what we're saying is that this pack needs more protection. We're safe and the only advantage we have is the experience we've gained." One blurted out in sheer anger."I don't see any problem with what you say but what about the economy? I'm sure you've been paying close attention because if you were, then you'd know how fast the economy is dropping and how hard it has become for us to survive every passing day without much food." Another chimed."Why are you making it sound like everything is over. We're still doing our best and if the economy is dropping, then I'm sure the alpha can't really do much. It isn't as if you expect him to fight our neighboring pack and claim their place." Another reasoned, but everything suddenly became quiet as his last words seeme
Tana's POV. I stirred in my sleep, feeling discomfort and pain. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. A frown settled on my face, seeing the unfamiliar ceilings. Slowly pushing myself up while biting my lower lip, I tried to fight the pain from my aching body. I groaned when I put too much pressure on my wrist. I sighed, lifting my hand to check the wound on my wrist, which I clearly remembered, given the fact that I inflicted that myself. There was a bandage on my wrist and every jury on my body was already dressed. How come? I wondered inwardly as I took my time, looking around the unfamiliar room. I swung my legs down the pain, trying to walk to the door, but I failed in my attempt. My legs were hurting with marks caused by my rocks. I slumped to the ground the moment I tried to balance my weight, and just then a knock resounded. Glancing up, I stared at the closed door that was suddenly pushed open and someone stepped in briefly. My eyes scanned the lady quickly,
Jackson's POV.I scanned her length the moment she stepped into the room. Her eyes were down as she greeted, clearly unaware of the time of the day. She looked stunned when I corrected her. Her eyes snapped towards me, but she held her breath the moment our eyes met. I could feel a spark at the moment. Her mouth fell open in awe as she stared back.She quickly came out of her shock as she cleared her through, which confused me. Was she just in shock and didn't actually feel something?Because I could feel the strong connection with her and I noticed how close we stood, something she didn't realize even after looking around for a seat. I could barely take my eyes off her, but she could do it freely without any delay, which made me question everything. The unknown feelings I had towards her and the connection that only I could feel. Why was she the only one oblivious about it?After gesturing to a chair close to the table in my office, I walked around to sit in front of her.Caroline. H
Caroline's POV.I frowned seeing the numerous bodies that lay dead on the floor with a little chance of them surviving, and the frown deepened on my face with just the thought of it. How could this happen to them? Who did this to them?My gaze searched the place, and suddenly, I stopped instinctively, smelling a particular scent that could only belong to one person. My heart sped up in fear as my gaze finally landed on a toy that looked oddly familiar. I remembered my father got me that when he was still alive.My legs instinctively moved towards it curiously until I reached it and leaned over, my heart sank, seeing the unrecognizable body of my mother.My legs trembled as I crouched down to inspect her face, but after looking further I became sure that it was my mother lying about the group of dead bodies.I covered my mouth in utter shock as I stared with a tearful gaze. "M-mum. What happened?" My voice broke while I slowly reached for her almost cold hand. I could barely believe it
Jackson's POVSeeing her devastating state and how she cried over one of the dead bodies was disheartening. I walked over to her after inspecting the bodies carefully. I had a hunch that something was behind this. Kneeling on one knee, I drew her close into my arms, trying to comfort her, and she didn't object or try to pull away.I felt her body weaken in my arms as she went unconscious. I quickly carried her in a bridal style, but I paused when I felt someone walking towards me. The atmosphere became tense as my gaze searched for the course until they landed and the man walking towards me, who I recognized immediately with a glance.He looked furious, but what baffled me was the aura about him. I could sense something bad from him, and it made me alert as I watched him with a suspicious gaze. Someone was beside him and the person kept glancing around, noticing the dead bodies."What are you doing here?" I asked when he walked a bit closer.He narrowed his gaze at the lady in my arms
Caroline's POVI blinked in surprise as I tried to absorb the shock that he knew Tana, but how? I knew I hadn't seen his face before, and I doubt he was from the middle forest too, so how then did he know of Tana? But what caught me off guard was the sadness on his face when he told him that she was dead and long gone.Besides to me, Tana was indeed dead, killed by those monsters and gone with my mother's spirit and the one left is the lingering spirit that was set to take revenge for the innocent side that was oblivious of the world around her. I would never make that mistake of being fooled by the people I trusted. I've learned from my pain and past.However, this man confused me with his sudden question. I tried to read his expression, but he turned his face to the other side. His attempt to hide his expression only baffled me further, and I stared at him with a perplexed expression.I lowered my gaze as I got buried in deep thoughts. It was just so confusing, and I could barely be
Jackson's POV"What do you mean not yet?" She raised her brow."That's because you've been frowning whenever you see me, but surprisingly, you seem pleased when you're looking at someone else," I retorted."You can think whatever you want to think. I won't frown at you if you always wear a smile on your face often," she replied."Fine. I'll do that after you stop laughing at any random joke you hear," I said, turning away from her. She stared at me with a shocked expression."Wait, are you jealous ? Come to think of it, you've been on your period ever since Bruce started hanging around me. Is that probably why you're always bitter?" She asked to confirm, but I simply ignored her.She sighed, looking exhausted. "What on earth do you want from me?" She finally asked, looking defeated.Slowly I turned to look at her as I stalked closer, while she backed away, feeling alarmed by the sudden tension in the air. "What are you doing?" She asked, and her back hit
Jackson's POVI could only sigh in defeat. I still didn't know how to tell him that I was having a hard time having a normal conversation with her. She was really too busy to care about sharing a moment with me, so how was I going to tell her about what was bothering me."I'll talk to her after dinner," I told him and just then I remembered that I had to eat dinner with her, but the excitement died the moment I remembered that Bruce would be there as well.My lips twitched in frustration before I excused myself and went to the dining room, but upon reaching there, I was stunned to hear the voices and laughter in the dining room. I found Caroline there already and Bruce was sitting closer to her with a smile. If only this boy wasn't from the pack, I would have kicked him out instantly."What took you so long?" She asked, noticing my presence."You had to speak with Liam," I said briefly, and she nodded with a convinced look. Soon we started eating, and w
Jackson's POVI had been silently watching Caroline train every day and she seemed reluctant to give up, especially with her new determination to rescue her pack. I was just taken aback when she came to inform me about the letter she received. It was quite audaciously that someone would want to betray their back just to save their face."Alpha, there's something that you must know," Liam, my beta, said with a deep frown."What happened?" I drawled, not actually that interested in what he intended to say.He looked worried. "Bruce is following the Luna around, and he is even trying to get her attention. He also wanted to train with her. I think you need to do something about it. Although at first, it seemed like a harmless attempt since we believed that it might be infatuation. But don't you think he is taking it too far already?" Liam asked, seemingly worried about the situation.I had to admit that I was the least surprised about what he just said. At
Third Person's povNonetheless, she could barely care about that. All her mind had been on the letter and if he had received it. What was going to be his reply to it and finally, his response to her letter came. She was beyond excited when she got the response she wanted. He agreed to meet her but to be careful, he had agreed that the meeting spot should be in moon hunter territory, to which she agreed without hesitation.She wasn't concerned about the venue, just as long as she was willing to help her. Staring at herself through the mirror, she wore her cloak and finally stepped out of her room and headed to the agreed location.She stood there in his territory. The roses bush around her made her stay alert. Finally, she saw him coming towards her. His silhouette was the first thing she saw as he walked closer and stood in front of her."What a sudden visit. I wondered why you suddenly wanted to see me. I don't remember having any unfinished business with
Third Person's povVeronica chuckled. "You really are something. What's with this stupid question? Why are you asking unnecessary questions? I don't owe an explanation to why I am here and if you're here, then you also have your reasons for coming as well. Don't let it look like I am the only one here for the sole purpose of meeting and interacting with people." She snapped with a deep frown.The woman snorted indignantly. "Is it really just that, or do you have another motive?" She asked almost immediately, causing Veronica to take a step back with a perplexed expression."What are you doing about it?" She asked and Rechel laughed dryly, drawing more attention from the crowd as the onlookers watched with a deep frown settled in their faces, trying to comprehend what the women were talking about."You think I don't know about your trick and how you use a potion to attract them and get them to love you," she accused, causing a few people to gasp in shock.
Third Person's povA few days back, Veronica stood in front of the full-length mirror, appreciating the dress she wore. She loved how the dress captured every curve of her body, and seemingly pleased by the sexiness she exuded. A knock came and she looked at the door."Get in," she ordered with a voice of authority, and the maid stepped in without delay. "what happened?" She asked, and the maid trembled slightly."The alpha said he wouldn't be joining you in the event, but you should extend his greetings to Marcus if you meet him at the event." She informed him. Veronica smiled at her ruefully, pleased by what she just heard."Good then you can leave…" she says hut suddenly turned to the lady, changing her mind. "Wait, what do you think about my dress? Do you think it fits the dress code?" she asked, and the maid looked at her, scanning her from head to toe. She saw how provocative the dress was with the deep cleavage and the slit at the side of the dress.
Caroline's POVHe suddenly pulled away and swung his legs down and opened the drawer before he reached for something inside the drawer. He passed it to me and I quickly moved closer to him."That's just a new detail of the data, but you can still understand a little from it. I know you can help with that, but I want you to get more acquainted with your role before pushing work on you. We can take things slowly," he stated."How do you feel, always having to deal with everything concerning the pack alone? I'm sure you also get exhausted and bored, so how do you keep doing it?"He chuckled. "I am the alpha and that is my responsibility. I knew that before getting this position. Thus I don't expect less or expect others to do the work for me when I could do it myself."So you don't actually feel sometimes suffocated with the toxic community and especially with depressing issues?" I wondered because I hadn't seen this man looking like he was tired or bored
Caroline's POVI almost scoffed at him. Was he expecting me to start blurting out secrets about the pack with just one encounter?"There's nothing to share about the pack, and if anything then I should be the one asking you about your pack. I heard you're the youngest and not the favorite," I drawled, and I could see a muscle tick on his jaw."Well many people have their opinion concerning that rumor," he quickly said in his defense."Oh, so it is a rumor," I beamed with raised brow. I was expecting him to tell from the tone of my voice that I wasn't really interested in whatever he wanted to say. I was solely here just to honor his invitation."Yes, I don't really think being the favorite actually matters too. I think what matters is the actual heir," the way he said it sounded wrong, as if he were thinking of something sinister."And you think you're the rightful heir? That's incredible, given that your brothers would probably go after the position as well," I stated the obvious.He
Caroline's POVHe looked at me for a moment, speechless and stunned, before he threw his head back with a sigh. "Fine. I guess you deserve to know the truth then," he finally responded. I stared at him patiently. "The truth is, I have a curse and I need my physical contact to escape that phase," he explained, startling me.I gulped deeply. "Wait, this physical contact, is there a specific person you must share it with? Like me probably?" I asked, but he was quiet.I parted my lips to ask again, but he finally replied. "my mate," he said, and I was shocked.He required his mate physically before he could go through his phase. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry to hear you're finding out this way," I raised my hand to stop him before rushing out.I had too many questions swirling through my head. If he required his mate, then why was he holding me instead?I didn't see him throughout the whole day until the day we were supposed to attend the Luna ball together. I realized that I c