LOGINFreyeThe apartment I found for Gwen and her father was small and humble. It was meant for the mill's workers. It was only big enough for a full-sized bed, but they graciously accepted it. I was able to secure a janitorial job in the mill’s administrative offices for a few hours each night. It didn't pay that well, but at least it gave them some money in their pockets while we figure things outIt also made their stay plausible. In the meantime, I personally ensured their fridge was stocked with groceries and that all their utilities were covered. As expected, nobody paid much attention to them. Most of the mill workers came for only a single season and then left again, so having a couple of strangers in the midst wasn't a big deal. Since I had no real function in the pack, I found myself wandering over there a little too often. At least until Gwen got bold enough to visit the pack house by herself, I know she liked me, and her eyes always lit up with appreciation whenever I showed
Hades What the hell do you mean by that? Community service? Was that what I asked you to do? I growled at Gerald. He did not cower the way I expected him to at my raised voice, but I guess he was too stupid to realize how pissed off I was. In fact, he had a smug look on his face and a strange, unusual confidence.“Yeah, I was talking to the Luna, and we thought since the boy is a minor and this was also his first offense, we needed to temper justice with mercy and give him a punishment deserving of his age.”I sighed and rubbed my temples, “How many times do I have to tell you that Amelia is not the Luna?”“You’re right, Alpha, but Luna has identified people in the pack that need urgent help, and old Mrs. Isadora is among them. She has a broken ankle,” he went on, as if I didn’t just correct him. “You remember Mrs. Isadora from the pup creche?” He asked, “She was a total hardass. I have no doubt she’ll keep the boy in check. He would end up coming back with good manners.”Well, now t
Amelia I decided to set up my study on the first floor of the castle. I was not sure what the chamber was originally meant for, because it had a weird shape, a window overlooking the forest, and enough room for a small desk and a couple of chairs. I placed my laptop and a new printer on order from the office supply store. It wasn't much, but it was better than trying to work while lying in bed. I had moved a small sum of money from my savings into a separate account so that I could initiate the benevolence fund without any assistance from Hades. I had drafted a set of guidelines to determine who could receive assistance and under what conditions. It was a humble start, but at least I could offer a week’s worth of groceries or pay for medical checkups for the poor and elderly. I started compiling a list of all the local businesses, and perhaps I would be fortunate enough to find sponsors willing to donate cash, products, or services to help the community. I opened a spreadsheet on
Amelia Lady Isadora’s kitchen was small but impeccably clean and cluttered with all sorts of antique-looking trinkets. There were shelves of ornamental teapots, fancy teacups, random figurines, and an entire cabinet filled with pastry tools. It took a bit of poking around before I found a functional teapot and a box of chamomile.I was just trying to figure out how to light the gas stove, when Hunter barged in, scowling dreadfully.He gently pulled me aside and showed me how to pull the lid of the stove and manually light the burner. Then he quickly moved as far away from me as he possibly could in the cramped kitchen space. I wasn’t sure whether to be offended or amused but I chose the latter because I knew he wanted me and just didn't want to accept the truth. I reached for the sugar jar and intentionally brushed my body against him. Immediately I felt that weird exciting sensation travel down my arm and shoulder where our bodies connected. It was strange to me, how I was always e
Hunter I looked around the new gym space with my bleary eyes. The renovation was coming together and I had to give it to Hades, despite recent events he did seem to have a natural flair for interior design. The added square footage, the new lights, and the placement of mirrors made the space bigger, brighter, and beautiful. If only he could have chosen a different path, maybe he could have excelled in a more art-oriented career. I began to cast in the air about the possibilities of seeing an alternate reality where it was Hades working with Gary instead of me. I got stuck when I wondered where I would fit in that picture. I pulled out of my reverie when I saw Gary buckling his tool belt around his hips. He looked at me a little too knowingly and set me on a course. “Why don’t you start by cutting those moldings,” he instructed, pointing to the pile on the floor, “While I work on the wiring.” “Sure thing, boss man.” I tried to joke, but it felt dry and I went to the stack of decorat
Amelia That puny of a man Hades thought he could put me on house arrest? What a fucking joke! The young warrior who came to deliver the message couldn't even look me in the eyes. I patted the young man on the shoulder and continued on my way back into the pack grounds, veering left off the main drive to Gary and Tania’s house. The guard did not attempt to stop me. Tania’s kitchen smelled like home-baked yummy goodness as usual, and I noticed some pies cooling on the back of the oven as she ushered me into the kitchen. This time she didn't even bother to offer me coffee. “It’s so hot today, how about some iced tea or chilled lemonade?” She opened the door to her refrigerator and poked around, “I’ve also got some hibiscus tea but it has gone stale.” “Chilled lemonade sounds great,” I said, taking my usual chair at the table. “So I heard there was some exciting tussle at the pack house yesterday?” She said, sliding a glass of lemonade across the table to me. I took a long drink bef
GwenSomething was wrong with Luna, I could feel it. I guess the whole pack felt it too. Ever since she came back from her Dad’s pack, she seemed di
Amelia Hunter and I agreed that we would handle the heat incident like it never happened. We would assume our normal roles in the castle and treat each other as nothing more than a friendly relationship. Though we both showered with parsley, sage, and rosemary to remove the mingled scent from our
Hades The sky was a bruised purple matching the mood in the dining as the scent of roasted shrimp and lasagna wafted around. I sat down quietly relishing my meal and expecting Amelia to come crawling and begging me to relieve her of the pain. According to the reports I have been getting from Gwen,
Gwen I knew he wanted to hurt her by using me, and also hurt me in the process by letting Luna find out who I was to him. I pulled out a tray from the rack and started arranging her breakfast. I arranged some sausage, bacon, waffles, and a carafe of ginger tea. Upon remembering her heat, I filled







