Novel-novel oleh Essie

-Eve-I’d heard of dark family secrets, twisted affairs, things best left unspoken. But a hidden sibling? That was something I never imagined. A sister.Suddenly, my world felt a little bigger. And I felt curious. Clueless.I shook my thoughts away and focused on the bookstore. My mother’s old books were stacked neatly at the counter, and I handed them over.“Miss,” the clerk said, snapping me back, “We can only exchange these for store credit at this time.”I nodded, taking the small slip of credit in my hand. Good enough. I wandered through the aisles, letting the quiet hum of the store pull me away from the storm in my mind.Romance. Billionaire drama. Steamy fantasies I’d never admit to anyone. That would do.I pulled a paperback off the shelf, “Penthouse Rules” by Lola Noir. I thumbed and flipped through it, letting the over-the-top, steamy paragraphs fill my head. It was just enough to put Dom’s audio aside for a wihile.Just as I turned, I collided with someone. I bent to g

-Eve-I let out a tired sigh as we reached the second floor of the apartment complex my mother lived.I’d taken a day off work, claiming I needed to care for my sick mother. In reality, I just wanted to clean her apartment. Somehow, after all the days I’d already missed, it was still approved.“Sal,” I breathed, “slow down.”The elevator had been out of service for God knows how long.Sal didn’t respond, instead, she carried the equipment through the next flight of stairs like there were merely paper. She was overly energetic when it came to cleaning.“You know your mother is starting to think you’re avoiding her.” She called out.I let out an exasperated, barely following behind. “I’m not. I’ve been busy with work—”“It’s been days since you sat outside her door and left.”How can she not be tired?“Look, can we talk about this when we’re not on a literal uphill climb, gravity hates me.” I said in between breaths.We were quiet after that until we reached the fourth floor where she l

-Dominic-I was at the dinner table with my mom when my phone buzzed with a notification from an unfamiliar number:Good evening, sir. Thank you for calling Sal. I really appreciated it.I smiled, I could tell it was Eve. Somehow, Mom noticed immediately.“Who’s that?” she asked, eyes narrowing playfully.“Oh, just someone reminding me I’m helpful,” I causally said.She laughed, shaking her head. “Helpful, huh? That’s a stretch.”I chuckled. “Barely.”My mind went to last night. The mortified expression on her face, I knew she’d misunderstood.I barely held the thought before laughter drifted in from the entrance, loud and uninviting. I knew those voices, it was my father and his damn brother.Storm clouds gathered and I stilled.Mom reached for my hand, her expression apologetic. “Dom, I swear…I didn’t know Jonathan was coming with him.”He didn’t care enough to inform her.As we sat, I heard my father’s hurried footsteps echoing on the stairs, till it faded. Of course he’d avoid us.

EveI was sitting outside my mother’s hospital room, reminiscing how the day had gone.Right after Alex and I exited the stairwell, he walked to our floor and announced to everyone that there was nothing between us, threatening to suspend anyone spreading false rumors.Even though it made me uncomfortable, the approach was effective. There were no whispers or gossip for the rest of the day…and now, I felt indebted to him.Then Dominic’s uncle took over the launch, and Dominic didn’t show up.At that moment, my mind went to the lady from yesterday—maybe she was the reason he didn’t come. Maybe she was that important?Just then, Sal walked out of the room, surprised to see me.Her brows furrowed as she walked over and sat beside me. “What’s going on? Why are you sitting out here?” She began with concern.My mouth twisted in guilt. I knew exactly why I was out here.I was avoiding my mother.“The truth is…I am—I’m upset—not because she’s alive,” a small sigh escaped my lips. “We can’t j

-Dominic-“Come on, Storm, one more lap,” I muttered, gripping the reins tight. The rain drenched me, pouring down my face, but I didn’t care I needed this.I had been out on the estate since dawn, riding Storm through the rain. It was the only way to shake off the anger left over from last night, I had barely slept.James approached from the main building with a large umbrella, but I ignored him, making sure I took a final lap before I called it quits.“What do you want, James?” I shouted over the rain. Storm neighed loudly and tossed his head. I pressed my leg against his side, steadying him.“Sir, you’ve been out here all morning, you’re going to get a cold—”“That’s it?” I exhaled, as the cold acutally stabbed my ribs.“Also, your mother wants you to have breakfast with her.” He quietly added.I rode closely to him, deliberately kicking the umbrella from his hand. “Is that prick still at home?”James cleared his throat. “If you’re referring to your father, sir, he left home since

-Eve-I woke up to the sound of thunder crashing outside. I had cried myself to sleep last night.I turned to my mother. Her chest was still heaving—she was alive. A sigh of relief escaped me. Yesterday had been really hard on both of us.My stomach rumbled with a warning, then I remembered I had skipped dinner last night. The bags from yesterday still sat on the table, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat them any longer.As if on cue, the door slid open and Alex walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers in a small vase, and a paper bag.My heart skipped. What was he doing here?Before he had the chance to say a word, Sal burst in, pushing past him as she ran up to my side.“Oh my goodness, what happened?” She breathed, pulling me into a tight hug, “are you okay? Is she okay?”I smiled at her concern and nodded. “I’m alright, she seems fine too.”She let out a small sigh, “I came as soon as I heard,”My brows furrowed, “As soon as you heard?”She nodded, “Mh-hm, Dominic called Theo last

As soon as Athena was certain she had escaped Diana’s watchful glare, a soft sigh escaped her lips. She paused on the hallway, her annoyance reignited by the guards trailing closely behind her.For a second, she just wanted her former freedom, but the men wouldn’t budge. Just as she turned to make a warning, Travon appeared from the corner, his expression neutral. “That was a powerful speech, Athena.” He said, his voice soft and calm.“Thank you.” She nodded, unsure of what to do, his scent kept messing with her head. There was a sudden shift in her tone as she turned to him and said, “Please tell your men to stand down, I’ve managed on my own for the past five years, and I can very much survive on my own right now.” With that, she stormed away.Travon quickly gestured for his men to stand down as he watched her in awe as she left.She return to her room, pacing back and forth as her mind thought of the next line of action. “What next?” She thought, she had to admit that Lucy was right

The council door swung open, and Aria and her father stepped inside, dismayed to find they were much too late. The council members were already bowing to Travon and Athena, chanting; "The goddess save the Alpha, The goddess save the Luna." At the same time, Kaius noticed the hurt in Aria's eyes, his inner wolf howled in pain, but he couldn't do anything than look away. "I object!" William's voice suddenly rang throughout the room, causing a collective gasp as all eyes turned to him. "This is against our customs." He continued, his eyes set on Travon, as he walked through the rows of elders. Philppa's subtly gave him a look, begging him to stop, but William looked away, damning the consequences of his action. "Athena has not completed the thirty days ritual and yet, here she is, being reinstated as the Luna." He paused, turning to the elders, "Elders, how can you all blindly agree to this, have we quickly forgotten our customs? How can we simply accept her return like this

Athena stared at Travon’s face, her expression unreadable. Her mind reeled from the fact that she could have been dead if not for his intervention. Slowly, she stepped away from him, despite his heroic save, she still considered him an enemy--he had hurt her badly, and one daring act didn’t erase the pain. Sensing her hesistance, Travon maintained his distance, his face etched with pain. With a small sigh, he told her, “My men will escort you back to your quarters, and keep watch till dawn, while I get to the bottom of this.” Athena slowly nodded, eager to escape his presence. Quietly, she bowed her head to show her gratitude, her eyes avoiding his. Then swiftly, she turned on her heels and walked away with the guards hovering closely around her. Travon’s eyes lingered on her retreating figure, his expression filled with a mixture of regret and sadness. His lips parted as if to call her, but he remained silent, respecting her boundaries. Back at her quarters in her bedroom, Athe

"In two days, Athena will finally attain visitation rights," the pack doctor began, his tone cold and measured. "Our faction is growing restless. We can't just sit idly by, cowering like frightened dogs. We must do something." He paused, his gaze locked on William and Aria. William leaned back in his chair with a calculating glint in his eye. "You've made some valid points, Doc," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. Aria nodded in agreement, her expression smug. "But Aria and I have already discussed this," William continued. "We'll stick with our original plan." The doctor's eyebrows shot up, curiosity etched on his face. "You mean, poisoning?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism. William smirked. "Yes," he replied coolly, as if he were discussing the weather. The doctor scoffed, his expression surprised. "Have you forgotten she's currently under tight security?" he asked, his voice rising. William's smile was icy. "That's exactly why it's the perfect plan,"

Travon's room was thick with tension as Kaius paced, his eyes narrowed in concern. "What exactly were you thinking?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration. Travon sighed, rubbing his temples. "I wasn't thinking, Kaius. I just couldn't resist the mate bond. You wouldn't understand since you haven't experienced it." His eyes dropped. Kaius scoffed, "Trust me, brother, I understand much more deeply than you can imagine." A hint of pain flickered in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. Travon's gaze snapped up, curiosity sparking. "What do you mean?" Kaius waved his hand dismissively. "Later. For now, what's your plan?" Travon's jaw clenched. "We wait. The elders say Athena earns visitation rights after seven days. In the meantime, put a trusted maid to watch and report back to you. I don't trust those stuck-up elders." His lip curled in disgust. "And Aria? What about her?" Kaius asked, his tone concerned. Travon shifted uncomfortably. "I've never seen Aria as anythi

Travon sat in the meeting room, surrounded with his mother and the elders, making deliberations on how to handle Athena’s return. However, his mind wandered, clouded with thoughts of Athena. It had been two days since she interrupted his marriage ceremony, but he couldn’t shake off her scent, which had seemingly imprinted itself on his mind. He was growing restless, wanting to see her, wanting answers to his numerous questions, wanting to know how and why. Without another thought, he slammed his hands against the table, sending a wave of silence across the room. He stood up, his eyes fixed on the door, and stormed out. The Sacred Quarters, situated on the estate grounds, served as both a confinement zone and a purification quarters. Travon took hasty strides, his men hurrying behind him, until they reached the quarters, heavily guarded by Epsilons and female elders who catered to Athena's needs around the clock. The elders quickly reinforced their guard by standing in front of the