My lips parted. I held my forehead. I felt Gunner lean down to put me on top of him. I didn’t want to, so I moved away from him. I heard him scowled at me, like he was scolding me. He repeated what he did in haste, but I was stubborn. No. I refused to do the same mistake I did several years ago. I wasn’t going to let all of them die here. Not Adler’s fanatic friends. Not Adler himself. I knew the rogue wolves were coming at me. I also saw Adler picked himself up to stop them. My chest was already beating fast and loud. I was scared. Upset. Anxious. I was pained to witness all of this as a remembrance of what had happened when I lose my mother. I winced in pain. Gunner tried to take me with him then, as Adler and his friends try to stop the wolves. The Alpha announced that I’d be his second in command. If these invaders had good informant, they would know by now who I was. That’d probably why they’re coming at me now. “Go, Avalynn!” I heard Adler screamed with rage. I shook my hea
I guess I was still in shock. After the short talk I had with Adler, I really wasn’t able to pick myself up. I was flooded by my inner thoughts. I was in the process of letting what just happened go. Like decoding it. I was feeling all the emotions I felt then, only to completely release it. I was really scared. Though I was also in a risky situation, and I admit that what I did was reckless because if Alice didn’t really return, all of us would’ve been dead all because of my stubbornness, I couldn’t say I regret. If I had allow Gunner to take me, I would’ve hated it more. It would’ve killed me, more than the time I lose my mother because of my incapableness. Because the first time was something I didn’t see coming. I was a kid, unable to make rational and wise decisions. Whilst this was a second time, where I was more adult to do something. I palmed my face and breathed hard. I wonder how Adler’s friends were doing. My eyes widened. I flinched, as a realization hit me. I quickly
I stayed on Adler’s house that night. I didn’t go back home to get clothes I’d use to get change, and Adler just instead let me borrow his. It was weird how it kind of happen because if it was me from a week ago, I would’ve preferred dying than wearing his clothes, but that surely wasn’t the case now. I didn’t even feel weird wearing it. It felt very normal, that I was also wondering myself why I became that comfortable. I mean, since when? Why? We ate together again. He cooked, again. Which I found surprising because he knew a lot of food to cook. He didn’t look like someone who had that skill. I insisted to wash the plates in return, but Adler didn’t let me. I didn’t want to argue with him, so I gave up but I waited for him so we could go to our own separate room together. I figured there’d be no need in sleeping on the same room since Alice was back, and she only need to recover by staying close to Adler and Asmodeous. The next morning, I woke up early. I didn’t bother to wake
Adler and I were forced to get changed to more appropriate and formal clothes. Left with Amelia during that moment, I took that opportunityto get information from her. About what happened, how she was caught, why she easily ratted me and Adler out like that after she said she’d help us. I was agitated, and betrayed. But I wasn’t upset because I knew she’d have her reason. I guess the only thing that comforted me was that it was the only thing the Alpha found. According to Amelia, the moment the Alpha heard of it, he went straight to Adler to confirm— in delight. He was more than glad, and I didn’t know why because he used to be so wary of me before. Or perhaps I knew. She left after that. I guess it’d be harder to form any communication just after she got caught, but that became the least of my concern. Because what I got in my plate then was the marriage Adler’s father spoke proudly about. I had to get ready for it. “I might not be able to save you from this,” Adler told me as he
Two months was enough? My brows met in disagreement. I threw Adler a discontented look to make him know that I wasn’t okay with the time the Alpha proposed. Two months was rush. He should’ve asked for at least a year, or ten months! He said he’ll try, right? Why did he agree right away? “Isn’t two months a bit rush?” I couldn’t help but ask, fakedly smiling. All the eyes were on me. Most were weird look, some were confused. Finally, Adler looked at me. But I had too many eyes watching me to even communicate with him through expression. We would be read then. “Darling, it is a tradition for every heir to marry their fated mate, and claim the throne before they reach nineteen. If anything, two months is still long,” said Bettany with a sweet smile. Tradition? It was a steoretype! The pack was not needing for a new Alpha. Our current leader was doing a good job keeping us intact, safe, and strong. Moreover, Adler was still young! He was still inexperienced! “There’s still a lot of t
Adler’s POV Bond manipulation was a mentally and emotionally manipulation to make your partner submit to whatever you wanted them to do. It was like a compulsion, only it wasn’t by force but by persuation. But of course, it had to meet the requirements needed to work. First, the other party had to trust you. The deeper the trust, the better the manipulation. Second, an intimate interaction that would stimulate them. Third, the actual manipulation. Method may differ, depending on the wolf, and its intention. Mine happened to be on making Avalynn think that marriage wasn’t a dead-end but an escape. She probably didn’t realize that I was manipulating her, but that didn’t matter. At this rate, we’ll just end up breaking ourselves if we try any more staunt. The most wise thing to do was ride the marriage, and get what we could get out of it. Afterall, my father had decided, and we both knew he’ll stop at nothing to make it happen. The marriage was our dead-end, and it was our reality.
“You’re so hard to find these days.” Jade shook her head. “You’re everywhere but in this house.” Indeed. Just sitting in this couch made me want to recall the last time I was here. Recently, I couldn’t even last a day in this house. I was always out. Either for a new trouble, or for Conrad, whom I left hanging because of Alice disappearance. I was all over the place. Crazily enough, I was with Adler the past days and our relationship with each other just mysteriously got better. Who would’ve believe that? “I know,” I replied in a weary tone before I rested the back of my head to the headrest of the sofa. I turned my head to her, and she looked at me like she was still figuring me out. Heh. Goodluck with that. “You probably won’t believe me, but I learned something.” “What?” Jade emptied her glass, before she put it down to walk towards me. “Conrad’s in love with you?” “Yes,” I raised my brows. “But not that.” “I saw you with Adler, twice in a row. Are you in a relatioship?” She s
The marriage was hard to believe, I admit. Beside the fact that Adler and I were mortal enemies, Jade and I knew long before neither of us would rather die than have any sort of connection to him. We hated him. I hated him. He was a fucktard. An asshole whose pride was coming from his connection. He was the Alpha’s son, so we always believed he put himself in a pedestal because he was untouchable. It was disgusting, actually. More so after the Alpha released a statement about Adler inheriting his position. I cried the very same day thinking life was unfair and cruel. Adler was my bully, and after that announcement, I was certain Adler would become more bad and hateful. I loathed, and feared him more. Now, thinking back to all of that, it made me wonder how the fuck I get here. It felt like it was the day before my birthday where his fanatic friends threw me to the water to make fun of me. But now I only have two months before we start preparing for our marriage. How unpredictable co