A few weeks had passed since that incident, and luckily, I hadn’t run into William again since then. Annie and the band had been going out a lot lately, hitting up parties I wasn’t invited to, so I spent a lot of time at home finishing the songs for my next album.Marcos, my manager, was thrilled when he found out Lisa was coming back. He was already making all the arrangements for recording the new songs. Soon, I’d need a special permit to go out and record, but I’d deal with that when the time came.Right now, I was in P.E. class. The teacher wanted to go over some exercises to assess the students’ speed and endurance, so I started warming up. Annie was right beside me, mimicking my stretches. With a clipboard in hand, the teacher called a few girls over to the court for a race. My name was on the list for the first round.“You’re gonna eat my dust!” Lorraine sneered next to me. The other girls around her laughed as they got into position.“This is our chance!” I thought.“Show them
I got a ride with Liam and Annie. After parking downtown, we joined the others for a stroll, checking out our options for a place to eat."Let’s try that new restaurant" Annie suggested, pointing to a big house with a glass facade. "My mom said it’s really good."I studied the sleek, modern exterior. It reminded me a lot of the restaurants I used to go to while on tour."Who did she hear that from?" Jonathan grumbled. "I heard the food there is way too expensive. Just a student like me can’t afford that.""Let’s go for it!" I said confidently. I missed the more refined dishes I used to eat in the city. "It’s on me!""What? Are you serious? Can you really afford that?" Maxsuel asked, looking stunned. I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He wasn’t the only one who looked embarrassed about accepting the offer."No way! I’ll pay!" Nicolas jumped in, trying to be chivalrous. I immediately shut him down. "You guys are invited to another birthday celebration this weekend, aren’t you?" Another
It was a cloudy Sunday. The day was at its peak as I ran through the forest, shooting arrows at fixed targets. Today was Eliza’s hunting day—a preparation for the championship that would take place in fifteen days.I kept running until I spotted a rabbit and quickly shot an arrow before it had the chance to escape. Bullseye! Lisa was annoyed, itching to come out.“I want to train too!” she kept insisting.I hung my quiver and bow on the side of a tree and started taking off my clothes. Folding them neatly, I placed them inside my backpack and hung it on a lower branch, close to my bow. Initially, I wanted to test how rusty I had gotten, considering I hadn’t been practicing as much as I should. But the accuracy of my shots told me I was ready.Shifting into wolf form, Lisa grabbed the rabbit in her mouth, and we ran freely—until our fur stood on end. A clear sign that a strong predator was nearby. I couldn’t pick up its scent, which unsettled me. Trusting my instincts, I dropped the ra
My eyelids felt unbearably heavy, begging for sleep, but I couldn’t afford to give in. Meanwhile, my phone battery had already died, and if William didn’t show up, I wouldn’t be able to call for help anymore. Had I made the right choice by calling him?I dragged myself forward a few inches, forcing the wound to throb with pain again. Pain was the only thing keeping me awake. The wind had begun to turn cold, a sign that afternoon would soon give way to another dark, freezing night.Just as my eyes started to close again, I heard footsteps approaching at high speed. Before I could react, a massive wolf with reddish-brown fur appeared before me. My heart pounded in my chest, snapping me out of the daze I had been sinking into. A mix of emotions churned in my stomach, making my anxiety spike.I lifted my gaze, and the moment our wolves’ eyes met, he dropped the bag he had been carrying in his mouth. His scent in wolf form was even stronger, sending a jolt through me because of this damned
It was warm and cozy. I pulled the blanket closer, refusing to open my eyes as someone poked me."Eliza, wake up. You need to take your medicine." A gentle, soothing voice spoke calmly to me. I immediately opened my eyes and sat up abruptly as the events from earlier rushed back. I should be in a forest, not in a soft bed in some unfamiliar room. The only light in the room came from a lamp on a nightstand beside where Annie was sitting."Ouch!" A sharp pain shot through my stomach from the sudden movement. I looked down at my belly and noticed I was wearing a pink nightgown."I cleaned you up and got you dressed," Annie explained, noticing the confusion on my face. "What happened to you?""Didn't William tell you?" If I was with Annie, he must've explained something."No." She lowered her head, looking sad. She seemed worried. "He brought you in late last night and asked me to take care of you and give you your medicine on time. He told me you were the one who needed to explain what h
“How did you defeat the monster?” he asked me for the tenth time, with endless patience. I refused to answer him again, but it seemed like he was willing to spend the entire day doing this.“How did you defeat the monster?” he asked again a few more times before my patience finally ran out. I decided to play along and see where this would go.“By ripping its head off, of course!” It was an obvious question since that was the only way to kill a shadow monster. He smiled, knowing he had won this round, and kept going.“And how did you manage to do that?”“By biting down hard and tearing it off, obviously!” I gave him a sarcastic smile.“I’m in no rush. Let’s try this again, shall we?”“It’s just a matter of observation, planning, and moving quickly at the right moment,” I explained before he could repeat the question. “The fight didn’t even last a minute. Monsters can be incredibly strong because they show a certain level of intelligence, adapting to our movements and learning to defend
"I think you were a little harsh on him," my wolf whispered inside me. How could she pity that idiot? She should be worried about me!"I can’t stand him!" I shouted, releasing some of the anger and pain that were consuming me. I was still in tears when the door opened again a few moments later. It was Marta, holding a tray of food in her hands."Sweetie, what happened?""Marta, please get me out of here!" I begged between sobs."Sweetheart, I can’t. I have to follow orders. Did William hurt you?""Kind of..." I didn’t want to talk about it with her. It wasn’t like she was going to take my side anyway."Well, I was told to bring you a meal and make sure you eat.""And how exactly do you expect me to eat like this?" I was lying down, my hands cuffed to the headboard. Marta walked closer and gently adjusted the pillows, allowing my head to be slightly more elevated."Sorry, this is all I can do for now." She placed the tray on the nightstand, picked up a bowl of soup, and brought the spo
Annie snuggled up beside me on the bed, searching for the right words in her mind:"I met Liam in middle school. Even though I had good grades, I wasn’t very popular. One time, I absentmindedly bumped into him, and he kindly reached out his hand to help me pick up my books from the floor. When I found out Liam was part of the music club, I signed up just to be around him, even though I wasn’t very good. We ended up becoming good friends.In our last year of middle school, Liam got it in his head that he wanted to start a band, so I supported him and helped however I could. But we were missing two members—someone who could sing well and someone who was good at playing guitar.""And Nicolas fit both requirements," I guessed."Yeah, but convincing him to join wasn’t easy. I’ve known Nicolas since we were kids, and he’s always been really reserved. When he was little, he used to come to this house to play with William. But William has always been outgoing and friendly, so as he made more
I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears, and walked over to the drink table. Even though I was underage, I felt an urgent need to keep myself from crying, and since people say alcohol is good for drowning your sorrows, I figured it might do the trick. I filled my cup with punch, and just as I was about to down it, someone grabbed it out of my hand. I looked to the side and met Nicolas’s eyes. He looked like he was trying just as hard not to cry.“Does it hurt?” I asked him. I wasn’t talking about our bond—I meant his arm, which was bandaged up. Without a word, he set the cup down on the table, turned around, and walked away. I stood there, unsure of what to do. Should I follow him or give him space? “Nicolas, wait!”He heard me, but he didn’t stop. It was clear he didn’t want to talk to me. So I gave up on the idea of drinking and tried to drown my sorrows in food instead while I waited for the performances to start. Every now and then, I found myself scanning the crowd fo
I passed by the hospital front desk and paid the entire bill in advance, leaving some credit for any unexpected needs. Then I slowly walked down the road as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon.I wandered aimlessly for a while, completely lost. I couldn’t remember where the little house Veronica had taken me to was. I reached into the pocket of my jeans, looking for the key. I was planning to track the house by its scent.“You forgot the keys!” Lisa said in my head. I smiled softly, hearing her voice in my mind again. She was right—I suddenly remembered I’d left the key on the bed and had only grabbed my wallet. I hadn’t even closed the front door.“We’re going to be okay,” I promised myself. I needed to believe that—to believe I could fix everything.“I’m starving!” she said the moment we passed by a café that had just opened. The smell in the air was irresistible. I stepped inside and picked a table to sit at.“Whoa!” the girl at the counter exclaimed when she saw me.
I sat on the bed, completely lost. I tried calling my aunt to find out how my grandma was doing, but her phone was ringing in the room next door. In the rush to help Grandma, she’d left it behind.Next thing I knew, it was almost midnight. My mom got back to me with a message. It was short but straight to the point:Mom: My friend will be there soon. Grab your stuff and go with her!Sure enough, not even five minutes later, a blue van pulled up in front of the house. A medium-built woman with long, curly black hair and dark skin stepped out. She was wearing pajamas."You’re Eliza?" she asked. I nodded slightly."Girl, what kind of mess did you get yourself into? Don’t worry, it’s gonna be okay. I’m Verônica, your mom’s friend."She held out her hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to shake it. Instead, I clutched the bag that held my Preciosa even tighter."Poor thing! I’ll help you carry your stuff, okay? Luckily, I had the perfect place lined up for you. Your mom already paid three mont
Everything in my head was just a high-pitched ringing, echoing persistently in the back of my mind. I started struggling to breathe and desperately searched for music. Lisa had abandoned me, and now Preciosa was destroyed. I was falling apart.By the time I started to get even a glimpse of what was happening around me, it was already dark.“How long have I been like this?” My head was spinning. I leaned against the bed and focused on listening for any sounds. The silence told me there was no one home. I pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket. The screen was cracked, but it still seemed to work. There was only one person who could make sense of everything that had happened.After trying over and over, I finally heard a familiar voice on the other end, and it made me want to break down and cry."Mom, it's me!" I said. "Mom, please help me!""Sweetheart, what happened?""I told Grandma about Dad, and she freaked out. I don’t know what to do. Mom..." I started crying again. The pain was j
William had dislocated Nicolas’s arm, and I couldn’t do anything about it because I couldn’t bring myself to fight against my mate. I felt awful. When I tried to help Nicolas, William grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him."William, he needs help. Please!" I begged again, but it was no use."Shut the hell up!" he shouted at me. He dragged me to his car, and as soon as he started the engine, he floored it, tires screeching."William, let me explain, please!""You bitch! Explain? What the fuck is there to explain that I didn’t see with my own eyes? You spend a week with him, and now you’re meeting up with him alone? You think you’re fooling me? You’re fucking worthless!""That’s not how it is, I—""I told you to shut the fuck up!"I couldn’t hold back the anguish and sadness in my chest. Even staying silent, I couldn’t stop myself from sobbing. William pulled over on a narrow street, out on the outskirts of the village. He was breathing heavily."William, your nose is bleeding. A
The day started off cloudy, with rain in the forecast for the weekend. I wondered if I’d still be able to watch the eclipse with Mr. Ghost. It had been over a week since I last saw him. After a full day of rest, it was time to get back to work. I grabbed Precious and started playing my songs, fine-tuning the arrangements. During my lunch break, I ended up thinking about Nicolas and sent him a short audio clip of a song’s chorus along with a message:Eliza: Congrats on your graduation, brother! Consider this audio a sneak peek of your gift!Nicolas: A sneak peek? Are you finally gonna show me the new songs? I should’ve graduated sooner!He replied just a few moments later. As I was typing out a response, my phone started ringing. It was him!“Lisa, we need to meet up,” he said as soon as I answered. I could hear the anxiety in his voice.“What’s going on?”“There’s no one home right now. Can you come over? I really need to tell you something. And while you’re here, you can show me the
The next day, wolf training got real. After getting sidelined with serious injuries from dueling with me, Nicolas and Arthur had to train with each other until John was finally satisfied. Meanwhile, I took a dip in the lake and sunbathed with Kate during two full days off.When they finally called me back to training, they looked confident. Arthur had that revenge spark in his eyes as he teamed up with Nicolas to take me on. It wasn’t a fair fight. Unable to intimidate me, the beta joined in, turning it into a three-against-one brawl. They snarled around me, circling, looking for any opening to strike. No matter how strong you are, when you're outnumbered, it takes more than skill to win. I started dodging defensively, avoiding hits while my mind raced to come up with a strategy. A few times, I had to shift into semi-human form to fully dodge the attacks and hit back. Eventually, I decided to cut down the numbers—starting with the weakest link.I aimed for Arthur, but mid-air I change
The real training was about to begin. A fight between two wolves was way more intense—and brutal. I felt awkward as I undressed and slipped on the robe they gave me.“No need to be shy, sweetheart. I’ll help you through it, okay?” said Kate, who was in the room with me, trying to reassure me.I walked barefoot out onto the backyard patio, with Kate right behind me. John and his sons were already there, standing at attention. The way they all stared as I approached made my face burn with embarrassment, and I ended up lowering my gaze.“Well, well… doesn’t look so tough now,” Arthur took the opportunity to tease me.“Since we know you’re a shy little wolf, we figured this was more appropriate,” John said, referring to the fact that his sons weren’t naked—they were wearing men’s robes.Wolves were used to running in packs, so nudity wasn’t a big deal for them. But for a lone wolf like me, it was a bit much. I was genuinely touched that they had considered how I’d feel.John went over a b
I took care of my hygiene before heading to my room and setting my alarm for the next morning. When I woke up, I felt completely refreshed and even helped Kate set the table for breakfast. When Nicolas and Arthur showed up, they looked like a pair of zombies."I'm dead. Do I really have to train today, Dad?" Arthur groaned."More than anyone," John replied. I could feel Arthur shooting daggers at me with his eyes, but I pretended not to notice. "Today and tomorrow, you’ll be doing hand-to-hand combat in human form. Eliza will be your opponent, and I’ll be supervising the whole thing."“I get to fight Eliza? Can’t wait,” Arthur said with a sly grin.“Should I tell him or do you want to?” Nicolas whispered, barely holding back a laugh.“Let the kid enjoy the moment,” I whispered back.“Just go easy on me, okay?” Arthur asked. I gave him a nod as I finished my breakfast.I stopped by my room to grab the training outfit they’d given me, then headed out to the garden. I started warming up