Arya“Arthur,” I mutter, his name leaving my lips like a plea as I shift around in his bed. I know perfectly well that I’m sleeping, but I also know that even in this state, Arthur is still the one in my mind. My Lycan, my mate, my love. Even though I know consciously that our relationship is in jeopardy because of his choices, I still want him, and he’s still the face I long to see in my dreams.And in my dream, I see him getting dragged away by the Rogues.“No!” I yell, but in this dream world, I’m voiceless. I’m powerless. All I can do is stand there while my mate gets clawed at by the dirty outcasts. All I can do is watch while he screams for me.“Help me, Arya!” His voice rings out in the darkness of our background. “Don’t let them take me!”He holds out his hand to reach for me. I extend my arm to get him. However, he’s already too far. He’s already too close to the mouth of the dark tunnel they’re taking him to. One of the Rogues, seeing that he has his hand outstretched, kick
LeviI was locked in a constant state of dreams and uncomfortable thoughts when they were operating on me.Part of me was conscious, but a bigger part of me just wasn’t. It was constantly floating in a state of blankness and anxiety, just a mish mash of things that shouldn’t go together. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of my parents and my childhood. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of my teenage years and my short days as an Alpha.But most of the time, I was dreaming of Arya.However, when I was about to wake up, I was dreaming of something else entirely. Something that resonated with my fear, the reason why I thought about bringing down the whole arena instead of participating in the fight that Connor and Lauren wanted to see.* * *In my dream, it was nighttime, and the lights in the arena are almost blinding me. My heart is pounding so fast that I feel like it's going to give out any moment. There are so many people around us. Too many, in my opinion. And they're all looking at
LeviMy heart nearly gets stuck inside my throat. I want to scream, but I find that I can’t. The pain in my chest is still much too great for that, and I hate that I’m not even sure I’m seeing the right thing.Is Lauren really here, or am I just manifesting the stupid dreams and thinking that I am seeing her?I blink rapidly to see if she is indeed there, and to my horror, the image of her smiling in the corner doesn’t vanish. She’s walking close to the bed I’m lying on, but Gammie doesn’t even move. She doesn’t even flinch. I know for a fact that she’s a very sensible old woman who can practically feel everything, so this worries me.I look at Lauren again and see that she's getting closer and closer, and as though to confuse me further, she touches the side of Gammie's shoulder.And the woman doesn't flinch.Is Lauren real right now? Because I can hear her footsteps. I can smell her scent. I can tell that she's getting closer to me and she feels very much solid right now.Could this
LeviI tighten my hands around Lauren’s throat, feeling it pulse under my touch. There’s the level of satisfaction to that that I can’t explain.It's dark and it's something that I don't even want to acknowledge, but I would be lying if I say that it doesn't feel good.As I watch her eyes grow bigger with alarm, I feel more and more determined to end it this way. With her right under my hands, trying to fight off the force of my strength around her neck.I hate her, I realize as I try my best to finish her off and get this over with forever. She might just be an accomplice to her shitty brother, but she knows what she's doing.And if tonight is proof, I would say that she's not as innocent as she pretends to be. She's perfectly capable of making choices that would fuck other people up even more. She knows what she's doing.I still want to know so many things, like how she got to copy the scent of Arya and why she needed it anyway, when I can just tell completely that she's not my mate
Arya“You look wonderful, my dear.”Dad’s sudden compliment as he meets my gaze through my reflection in the mirror makes me smile. My hair is up in elaborate braids, and my makeup is done immaculately, even though I have to say that it’s my first time doing it.Happiness is radiating off me, and my blue eyes are sparkling with joy.He was right. I do look perfect.And why would I not be? Tonight is my eighteenth birthday party. Everyone outside our house are already setting up outside. My excitement is through the roof, especially when I remember what was promised to me.Tonight, my boyfriend Levi, the Alpha heir of the Shadow Moon Pack, will claim me as his Luna.“Are you ready now?” Dad asks, sitting next to me and watching me.“Not yet,” I tell him gently, and as if on cue, Mom comes in with my shoes. I put it on excitedly, facing them. “So what do you think?”Dad gets up to survey me, standing next to my Mom. Tears both brim their eyes, but I can see nothing but pride in their ga
LeviIt was the right thing to do, rejecting Arya. But why does it feel like I made a huge mistake?I begin to second-guess myself the moment I step out of her room. A part of me wants to go back and apologize more, but a bigger part of me is relieved that the job is done. I’ve been dreading this night since I found out, but I can’t have it hovering above me any longer, so I just walk back to our palace.“Master Levi,” our maids greet as I enter the doors, and I really wish they didn’t do that because that alerts my dad.My dad. The great Alpha Mathias.“Levi,” he calls out to me, appearing at the hallway. He’s also in his suit but his hair looks undone yet. The scar on his left eyebrow is shining under the light. “Where have you been? I was looking for you.”“What for?” I ask. “I was just out to check how the birthday party is being set.”He and I always had a strained relationship. He wants a strong heir, and a strong Luna to come with it. That is exactly why I had to break it off w
LeviNo. This can't be.I blink a couple of times to make sure I'm seeing the fabric correctly. My pulse is racing so fast that I have to pant just to catch my breath. I want to reach down and take the strip of fabric, but it's too far down.Which only means one thing.Arya jumped off this cliff.My hands start to shake. I fall to my knees, the pain in my chest too much to bear.This is all my fault. She jumped because I didn't take it easy. Because I didn't bother to explain. I just told her what I thought she needed to hear, with no regard to her feelings. Even though she's been my friend for the longest time. Even though she's my mate.But maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe she's still here somewhere and my human form isn't doing its best in tracking her scent.I step away from the cliff and take a deep breath, channeling my wolf, Thunder. Slowly, he takes over, transforming my body into a majestic black wolf with golden eyes.We can track scents better as wolves, and we have the ability to
Arya“So she’s finally back?”“I guess so. The Lycan King says it’s her, and who are we to question him?”“She does look like the girl in the pictures. . . .”The voices of the two women talking pierce my consciousness. I can’t recognize the voices and I know I should be in a state of panic right now, but my body is too weak to respond. I relax and try to allow myself to fall back asleep, but then I remember the man who called me his daughter.I lie there, trying to remember something beyond that. Where I was from, how I ended up here. But I got nothing. Blank. My mind is empty.Panic floods my chest. I try to open my eyes, but they feel glued together. I want to sit up and move, but I can only feel the soft mattress under my body. I feel paralyzed. Helpless. I struggle to get out of this haze, but then I feel two pairs of hands on my shoulders.I shudder awake, gasping for air and grasping my chest.The first thing I see is white. All white. The walls, the sheets, the floor. . . .Ev