[Alexander]*Two Years Ago*We followed the Alpha through the woods as we left our den and made our way towards the mountain. Mount Diablo - the mountain of the Devil - had become a significant spot for when we needed to gather beneath the full moon. To us, we stood upon the devil - he was at our feet, or paws in this case - as he brought us closer to the moon, carrying us forward as if he was our slave.Our monthly prayers consisted of drinking the holy spirits in our human forms as we circled the sacred scalp in the den, then taking on the form of our werewolves and climbing to the top of the mountain to howl out our thanks to Moon Goddess Selene, and ask for further protection as we protected our land from the likes of witches and vampires. The bloodsuckers had left our part of the country long before I was born, settling in Venice where their immortality couldn’t be noticed by those who didn’t know them. It would stay like that for a few years, until they found another country to s
[Valerie]*Just a little over a year ago*“Did you check your phone? Garrett called a meeting for tonight.” Sophia dumped her weight on my bed, her eyes glued to some video she was watching on her phone.“Great.” I huffed, lowering my glasses to my nose and trying to catch a glimpse of what she was watching.“You don’t sound too excited.” she pointed out, directing her screen to me so I could get a better view.“You don’t say.” I rolled my eyes, also because she was watching cat videos again.“Come on Val! I thought you liked the guy.”“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”I turned my face back to my laptop and went about typing out my literature review, praying she didn’t see how red my cheeks became. Of course, luck was not on my side, and Sophia poked my cheek with her finger.“This right here is enough to say it all. Can’t blame you though - Garrett is a snack.”“An unavailable snack.” I corrected her. “He’s dating Isabella, remember?”Sophia clicked her tongue in disgust, “It’
[Alexander]*One Year Ago*“There’s a lunch meeting at one with the health and safety inspector, and another meeting at three with a potential investor.”“Who is it?”Melissa, my secretary, read from her journal, “Mr. Gasser. He’s from a Swiss jewellery company called Majestic Jewels. They’ve opened up a store here and want in on the mining side of things.”“Can you get me some stats on Majestic, just so I know what I’m dealing with?”Melissa beamed, pulling out a file from under her journal, “Already did.”“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I took the file while staring at Melissa in awe.“You’d be just fine, Mr. Young.” Melissa winked before leaving my office.I watched her as she took her seat behind her desk in reception, and wondered how I’d juggle work and wolf matters if it wasn’t for her. Melissa would make an excellent mate, I thought, if only she was a wolf. It wasn’t unusual for an Alpha to take a human as a mate, but I heard that childbirt
[Valerie]*One Year Ago*Everyone left me behind, charging towards their prey. I had just survived another painful transformation, but as much as it hurt, I welcomed the pain this time. I didn’t bother to keep up with my pack as I watched some of them seize their targets. My wolf was hungry, but my soul was exhausted.Still, I trudged through the mud, my feet feeling heavy. It was almost as if the clouds opened up to welcome me, raining down and covering the earth with the misery I was feeling. In some ways, it made me feel less lonely, in others, more so as I watched the pair share a deer, the Alpha snarling at anyone who dared to come near and steal a piece of their sacred flesh.The sacred flesh was not limited to the animal laying on the ground. Sophia wore the mark on her neck proudly, like a precious gem only Garrett could afford to give her, and she was the only one worthy enough to wear. My feet were as reluctant as my soul to go anywhere near them,
[Alexander]Adam called me back as soon as he got my text. I was just about to enter my car, when I answered the phone.“What problem are you talking about?”“I’m on my way to you right now. Tell Amelia she needs to hear this too.”“She’s feeding the baby right now, but I’ll tell her you’re coming.”I cut the call and drove through town, all the while thinking about Valerie’s betrayal. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. When I stopped, I clutched the steering wheel, feeling the rubber break off under my palms, and screamed into the void.Once I seemingly got it off my chest, I took a few deep breaths and stared at the broken rubber in my hands. I’d have to get that fixed in the week.Adam was already waiting outside when I walked up the pathway that led to their house.“Please keep it down. She just got Ava to sleep now.”“Do you mind if w
[Valerie]The young witch with delicate hands who guided me into the witches’ home was ordered to take care of me. According to their leader, Elena, I was to be treated like royalty. It was only because I had chosen to give up the Alpha of my pack, the Shadow Hunters. It was barely a choice when my life depended on it, but the promise of revenge and respect - two things I wanted the most - intrigued me.The young witch took my hand and led me into a bathroom where more candles burned on the ledges of the windows. She squatted down next to the bathtub and turned the tap on. “Elena seems to like you.”I shook my shoulders, “Like me?”“The last time a wolf came to her, she threw them in the dungeon without food.”“Maybe they didn’t have anything to offer.”“Maybe.” the witch waved her hand through the water, feeling the temperature. Satisfied, she stood and faced me. “You’r
[Alexander]Dad always told me how important my mother’s role was in our family. I think it goes without saying that a mother plays a key part in her family’s health and happiness, but my mother was more than just a wife and mom. She was the Luna of Mystic Moon, and the love of the Alpha’s life. She was also the bearer of an Alpha child and a healer to the pack.My childhood was fairly easy. I grew up being the apple of both my parents’ eyes, and when Amelia was born, I was trusted with the responsibility of protector of my little sister. I didn’t mind - I always felt the need to protect something or someone in order to feel accomplished. And I knew, whenever my mother looked at her family with love in her hazel eyes, she saw her own accomplishments, and that’s what gave her real joy.I never imagined that my life would become what it is now. I always looked at my parents and saw the life I wanted to have, with a woman who was as gr
[Valerie]Layla left me alone in the room - to rest, she said. But it’d been almost three hours, by my calculation, and sleep never came.It was sometime around three a.m, when the wind that blew outside assisted the spirits in getting to their respective destinations. My mind and body felt exhausted, but the urge to throw up was nagging my insides again, so I tiptoed to the bathroom and waited. Nothing came up, except my own saliva and a fiery feeling in my throat. I washed my face with cold water, and dabbed it dry with a hand towel.The woman who stared back at me looked different somehow. Her brown eyes were lighter, her jaw more prominent, and hair fell in waves instead of curling. I’d always remembered my face being rounder, lips smaller, and eyes blank and forgettable. This woman was different.While I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked down at my belly, my hand moving on its own accord as I tried to feel what Layla had felt. I was always