[Fake Friends]SIERRAI sat up in bed, a throbbing headache attacking my brain as the sunlight seeped into the room, bringing light to every dark corner. I ran my hands over my face and rubbed my eyes, straining to remove the sleep lurking over my tensed muscles. My body was paying the price for not getting enough sleep last night. How could I sleep when all I did was cry? I cried all night, weakening my already exhausted state. All my life, I fancied a contented home with a loving husband, two beautiful kids, and a house to call my own—just like my parents had. That fairytale concept with the white picket fence was never something I cared to want. What I cared for was happiness, fulfillment, and love. However, assuming Jensen would have been the one to give me that future or believing he wanted the same thing as I did, was my mistake. One I wouldn’t make again.Instead, my reward was betrayal by the two people I thought meant more to me. Neither of them cared about me. They didn’t
[Second Mate II] SEBASTIAN About forty-five minutes after coiling my pain with a run, I returned to the packhouse to find Rory sitting on the step. His face showed worry, not anger, which I imagined he would prefer to feel toward me. “I’m not in the mood, Rory. Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself.” I knew how determined he could be, especially when the situation was urgent. Rory wasn’t the sort of person to keep his thoughts to himself, and considering what Sasha said, that made him even more persistent. With an urging tone and a frustrated countenance, he stated, “As your trusted beta and best friend, I advise you to listen to reason.” I pivoted on the balls of my feet and glared at him. “Since you want to pull rank. As your Alpha, I command you to stay out of this.” I walked past him and headed up the stairs. My chest heaved with anger, and my hands balled into fists, edging to punch him square in the jaw. Yet Rory still wouldn’t give up. “I’m afraid I can’t do that
[Mysterious and Handsome] SIERRA “What’s his problem?” I clutched the tray under my arm, watching as the man stormed out of the bar, his face contorted with anger. Everyone else’s eyes followed his trail, and a few conspicuous glares caught my eye. “Girl troubles, if I had to guess,” answered Johnny. “A man as handsome as he undoubtedly has women vying for his attention.” I shook my head at Johnny’s comment. If anybody knew about girl troubles, it would be him. Howie chuckled. He also knew what I was thinking was the honest-to-God truth. Since I started working here, Johnny had not come into the bar one day without an issue with his wife. Each day was always something new. Yet, no matter how often she threw his ass out, he would always crawl back to her with apologies and sappy romantic gestures. “You will know, won’t you, Johnny?” I laughed and grabbed the drinks to distribute to the tables. Johnny responded, “That’s because you won’t give me a chance to show you what I can
[The Seer] SEBASTIAN Moon Goddess, what sort of twisted game was this? Not only did you give me a second mate, which I never wanted, but you gave me a weak human for a mate? How would she protect herself from danger? How could I even love a human who knew nothing of my world? It was like you were hoping I would lose her too. I screamed in my head. I had to leave the bar, and as much as Atticus screamed in my head to follow my mother’s orders and take her back to the pack. I needed to put as much distance between us as possible. For her sake and mine. These thoughts about wanting to kiss her among other things already invading my head. Her alluring beauty and hypnotic scent. It was all driving my senses crazy. Neither of us needed past mistakes haunting our lives. I, for one, didn’t need that kind of stress upon everything else going on in my life. She could easily find a human husband, have children, and live a long and happy life without me to bring the dreadful events of my past
[Werewolves Are Real I] SIERRA Ten minutes after entering our silent yet blackened home, I kicked off my shoes and jacket. I heaved a sigh of relief at finally being home after an eventful night. Undoing my braid, I ambulated into the kitchen for a drink of water. Working at the bar always left me feeling dehydrated after a shift. Almost as if I spent the night burning my throat and stomach with alcohol. After my drink of water, I headed off to my room. Showered and dressed in my pajamas, I crawled into bed. Whether I liked it or not, my mind was still reeling from that encounter earlier with that Blue-eyed man. Then there was Sebastian, handsome and mysterious. I regretted running from him but after Howie’s stern warning to run and not look back, what other choice did I have? *** When I finally arrived outside Howie’s office, I knocked once. “Come in Sierra.” His voice sounded. I did as he said and before I had a chance to breathe, Howie stood from his seat and approached me,
[Werewolves Are Real II] SIERRA I was either losing my mind or I’d heard him incorrectly. I started pacing. If only to wrap my brain around what he said. It wasn’t working. This had to be some sort of prank. There was no way what he stated could be true. It couldn't be, could it? Werewolves were made-up bedtime stories told by parents to terrify their children into being good little boys and girls. "I'll admit, what I said sounds far-fetched, and had I not been one, I wouldn't have believed me either. But werewolves are real. We exist and have for centuries." "Listen, Sebastian," I turned to face him, "you seem like a decent enough guy. I don't know how much you had to drink last night or if you had been sniffing on something, but there is no way I'm going to believe a word you said—" "You don’t believe me, and that's understandable. On the occasion that you did right off the bat, that would've been cause for worry," he said as if it was the most natural thing to escape his lips
[Mine] SEBASTIAN While she battled with that, I looked around her room. It was quaint, not overly spacious but not small either. Somehow, it suited her. She had a queen-sized bed, an antique writing desk, two bedside tables, a rug that covered most of the wooden flooring along with a small bookshelf above her writing desk. As I said, quaint. I imagined her sleeping on the bed, wrapped in her blankets when it was chilly outside, or kicking at it during the warmer nights. Mesopotamia was famous for its frigid winters, but the hot days were no laughing matter. "Hypothetically speaking, assuming I believe any of this, which I don't. What's going to happen next?" she pondered, rummaging through her closet. "Hypothetically speaking," I motioned, quote-unquote. "It indicates we'll return to my pack and perform the Luna ceremony." "Suppose that's not what I want. To be your mate, or become your pack's Luna. What then?" She persisted. "I can't and won't compel you to do anything you d
[Truths and Secrets] SIERRA Everything in my head urged me to push him away. Even the voices warned me it was perilous to want this man. Nonetheless, the longer we kissed, the more I craved. Kissing him was like an insatiable hunger I never knew I had. It was unlike anything I ever felt with Jensen and despite my fear, I refused to loosen my hold on him. Who knew kissing could arouse such carnal yearnings? Sebastian pushed me up against the wall, his hands and lips synchronized to electrify my body with sparks, making me want to fuse with his. How did I not know this sort of bliss existed in the world? Had my love for Jensen clouded my mind so much I didn’t know I deserved more? Pain gripped my temples unexpectedly, and I whimpered, which sounded more like a moan. As the pain coursed through my body, I winced, gripping Sebastian’s arms. Strangely enough, Sebastian's body heat seemed to amplify the throbbing in my head. I wanted to break free from his grip. The pain was unbearable
[This Is Not The End] ARIELLA It took us a while to get there, but it was a pleasant walk. The trees were all in full bloom, and it smelled delightful. As we walked, I started feeling a little better. I felt lighter and happier. He was right, though. I didn’t need to worry about him. He was fine. And if he wasn’t, I would be there to take care of him. We reached the stream, and it was gorgeous, surrounded by a ring of tall redwoods and the sun setting behind them. The water glistened in the light. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured. “Yeah,” I agreed. I sat on the edge of the stream, watching the ripples in the water as the gentle breeze stirred the surface. Malik lay on his back next to me, his eyes closed and a contented expression masking his features. “I could get used to this. The tranquility here is unlike anything I’ve felt in a long time.” I rested my chin on my shoulder, watching him, feeling the butterflies flutter with glee in my stomach. Immediately, I felt better than I
[Memories] ARIELLA “I have a better idea,” I murmured as I studied the guard. “Instead of repeating everything to my father, why don’t you tell him yourself? Or, even better, have my mother look into your memories.” “Look into my memories?” Malik’s brow quirked in question. “How is she gonna do that?” I flashed him a smile, confident in my plan. “Here’s what hunters don’t know about my mom. Unlike the other wolves, my mother was born a witch from another realm. A realm where only witches, wizards, and mages existed.” “That’s, uhm... that’s something,” Malik acknowledged, the wheels in his head clocking overtime as he processed the information. “Yeah, so recently I learned my mom has this cool ability to see people’s memories,” I explained. “Lucky for me, I was born with a similar power. Mine is to see the outcome of major events. At least that’s what I think. Which was how we had known to expect another attack.” “From the moment we met, I knew there was something special about y
[A Favor] ARIELLA “All right, I can do that. I’ll tell you everything once you promise to do something for me in return.” He nodded, continuing to eat. “What will that be?” “I just need to know my family is okay. My cousin Amanda, the one I was here with recently, is pregnant. My mom is sick and—“ “Say no more,” I chimed in, cutting him off. “It is mainly my fault you are in this cell. Had you not been my mate—although you could’ve died in battle—you wouldn’t have been here.” He stopped chewing, looking at me with intense curiosity. “Are you sure you don’t want to know what I need you to do for me or the time to think it over?” I shook my head. “I doubt it’ll be worse than you locked in a cell.” “Okay.” He gave a brief chuckle. “I think this will be the first time I ever requested a favor from a wolf—a favor for a former hunter.” “A favor from your mate,” I corrected, which made him smile. “I will check on your family, Malik. If they’re okay, I’ll come back and tell you, an
[Debatable] ARIELLA Infuriated, hands balled into fists, nostrils flared, and hatred burning in my eyes, I stormed after my father. “Was locking him away seriously necessary?” I called out, trying to catch up with my father’s long strides. “He proved he was a wolf, yet you locked him away anyway, like some rabid dog.” Ahead, my father stopped and turned halfway towards me, leveling a look that said he’d heard enough. I had crossed the line and was making things worse. “I have to be sure he’s not an imposter, a hunter pretending to be a wolf. It’s like Alpha Declan pointed out. Nobody knows what made him a wolf.” I shook my head in disgust. “Malik did nothing wrong. He’s not some test used to see how well we can protect our pack.” “You’ve got no clue what you’re talking about,” Dad said, returning to his earlier pace. “There’s a lot to do. I suggest you focus on that before you join your mate in the cells.” “Ugh!” I let out an angry growl and kicked a small stone in my path, sen
[Not A Threat II] MALIK The moment I saw her face when I awoke after blacking out earlier, I realized how grateful I was to still be alive, even as a werewolf. Not just that. I also understood the severity of this werewolf bond Owen had told me about. The bond was more than just a physical connection. It was also both emotional and spiritual. It sure would take some getting used to. The love and concern in Ariella’s eyes, despite her efforts to hide it, told me she was also thankful I was alive. She was worried about me and hoped I would be okay. Little did she know how much effort it took not to kiss her then and there. Then, suddenly, the world got quiet. The wind rustling trees, the birds tweeting, and the insects chirping all stopped. Her breath was in my ear. I could feel her heartbeat, fast and steady. For a split second, my body froze, and my heart stopped beating. Just for a second, but once my body registered what was happening, it was everything and nothing like I imag
[Not A Threat] ARIELLA I placed my hand on his chest and willed him to wake up. His skin was warm to the touch, but he didn’t stir. I glanced around frantically, trying to find something to help him. My eyes landed on a large tree branch lying on the ground a few feet away. On my feet in seconds, I grabbed it and ran back to his side. I placed the branch under his arm and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was gushing blood. I had to do something, and fast. Or he would bleed out. Ripping off a piece of my shirt, I tied it around the branch, hoping it would stem the flow of blood. Thank the goddess, it had the desired effect. The blood slowed to a trickle. “El!” Abby screamed behind me, her heavy footfall letting me know she was running towards me. “Over here.” I shouted, never taking my eyes off my mate. I stripped off my belt and wrapped it around his arm, compressing the wound. “Oh, thank goodness!” she said as she knelt down next to me. “What the hell happened?”
[Is This The End?] DECLAN We marched further into the woods, where we came across a small camp. From where I stood, ten clicks away, I could smell the faint scent of death. As I approached, I noticed the bodies of several wolves, burned and bloody, lying in the dirt. I pulled out my bow and approached with caution, trailing behind the group. I held my breath as we stepped over the dead bodies. In an instant, my body grew tense as I scanned the area, trying to discern what had taken place at the camp. My fingers tightened around my bow out of reflex. “Are they all dead?” someone murmured in a low voice. “It looks that way,” I replied, my tone grim. “We have to be careful; whatever or whoever did this could still be out there.” My men nodded and followed me through the camp, their guns drawn. They found the bodies of several hunters, but no sign of what had killed them. A stillness hovered in the air, as if all life had been sucked out of this place. I peered into a nearby tent,
[Waiting Impatiently] DECLAN I set my jaw and drummed my fingers against my leg. You could hear the tension in the air. Over the last twenty minutes, my troops and I had been waiting in my parents’ old cabin for the hunters. I recall my parents taking me here as a child. When things were quiet on the pack lands in the summer, we’d come up here, and I’d spend hours in the lake five clicks north of here. Though I didn’t want to sully those fond memories of them by utilizing the cabin as a hideout during the war, it was the only accessible spot where we would be safe and keep an eye out for the hunters closing in on the pack. Hopefully, my parents wouldn’t be angry at me for using it other than as a vacation home. As the minutes ticked by, I felt my anxiety rise. I felt out of control, waiting for something awful to happen to my pack. I tried to tamp down my fear and focus on what we needed to do. All this panicking had me wondering if this was my last day alive. Since Jasper to
[Betrayal] MALIK I took the western route when Ariella and her companion were out of sight, heading toward the location where I knew the hunters would camp. I needed answers for this betrayal, despite the existence of a treaty between the two species. Trekking over fallen logs and broken twigs, I drew in a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air. I quickened my pace as I drew closer to the location, scanning the forest around me for any signs of movement. My heart thumped as I finally spotted the camp, its tents distinguishable among the trees. Owen emerged from the tent. He dialed something on his cell and pressed it to his ears. “Gil, it’s Owen. Bruno reported he saw four wolves heading your way. He said Malik killed Titus to protect a she-wolf and another wolf.” He said, frowning. “Yeah, I believe it’s her,” Owen answered after a minute, his voice slightly hushed. I froze, my stomach dropping to the ground. He paused, his frown deepening. “I’ll handle it,” he said. “