Valerie I spun around, startled by the voice only to meet an approaching frame. It was Katrina. Her frame was in full view, the spring green dress has wore fluttering to compliment the greenery. As she approached, my shock melted into something relaxed. Despite only meeting her once, she had done too much for me, saving Tristan and my pack. That was a debt that I couldn't repay. But there was also something else about her that I couldn't put a finger to. From the first time we'd met I'd seen it; a familiar sense of knowing that I couldn't piece together. When she reached me, she rested against the same surface I was on, staring forward. “These gardens are always relaxing to be in when there's a need to get away. It made sense to come here.” She continued, before she turned to me, “You look well. I asked about you while in the hospital. T hope you didn't feel too uncomfortable at the hall earlier.” I shook my head in refusal. “I thought you were at the meeting.” I sa
ValerieThe world seemed to melt from the darkness. I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. As my senses cleared, I met a faintly stinging smell and a white room. Where was I?Fighting through the lethargy, I tried to sup up straight only to stop in my tracks.Tristan.Sitting at the bedside, his body was resting at the edge of the bed, his hand holding mine. Je was completely asleep, his arms and chest wrapped in bandages. I was in a hospital room. In an instant, the last memories began to flood back. Alistair's attack, the pain, Tristan rushing me to the hospital.“You and our baby are going to be okay. I swear it.” his last words before I fell into darkness echoed in my mind.Oh Goddess, the baby. It was a jolt, tearing me from sleep. My heart raced as I looked down, fear spreading across my chest. How long was I unconscious? Was the baby okay?Without thinking, I sat up instantly, frantically scanning the room for something… anything that could reassure
TristanI was going to kill him.That was the only thought ringing in my mind. From the moment I saw her in that state, bloodied. Injured. I didn't care for the injuries I'd just suffered, the scars that were bleeding.I wanted him DEAD.My instincts were urging me to finish the job, to claw his entire body out, to transform and bare my fangs, tearing through him with my teeth.. But that would be too quick. Too unsatisfying. Instead I was going to let him face every punch, slowly breaking his body down into pieces.It was rash yet methodical. The man below me wasn't where I wanted him yet. A broken mess unable to move perhaps, but not broken enough. Not shattered under my hands to my satisfaction. He had so bravely attacked me before but now I was going to break every inch of his body. I could see faintly in this stalled time that his wounds were healing, barely imperceptible but there in a way mine wasn't just yet. It was unfair, making more boiling heat surge through me. I wante
Valerie Like a rope that had been held on for too long, something snapped .My breath caught in my throat, blood rushing through my ears at the sight before me. Vaguely, I felt it. Even the people around felt it. For a moment, everything was still.Alistair's hand, half transformed and clawed, was held suspended in the air in a tight grip.It was a blur that even my instincts hadn't perceived. It took a while to recollect it. Right as his claws were about to strike, despite his bleeding collapsed strength Tristan reacted. With a burst of strength that seemed almost impossible, he had blocked Alistair's attack. Alistair's hand was left in midair, stopped by Tristan's bloody bandaged one. My heart caught in my throat.“You truly have a fatal flaw, Alistair.” Tristan grunted, holding him back.“You celebrate too early.”Before I knew it, Tristan countered, using his spare claws and attacking from below. His claws slashed against Alistair's abdomen.Alistair's roar rang through the ro
ValerieThe air was tense, tension so thick it could be sliced through. I wrung my hands tightly enough to hurt as I faced the spectacle that was unraveling in front of me.My heart was racing, each pulse sending another wave of worry and alertness through me. Moments ago, I was still reeling from disbelief, and pure relief. Tristan was back. He was ALIVE. After days of grieving, of resolution, it felt like the hollowness inside me was filled. I could finally breathe again.And now…My gaze shifted back to Tristan who was taking off his shirt for the sake of the Challenge. My heart sank at the sight of his battered body. The bruises and cuts seemed to scream at me, filling me with a sense of dread. The bandages on his hands, covering his wrists to fingers made my heart twist but the bandages covering his chest sent a pang through me.His wounds weren't healing. If Alistair's words were true, he was being put in a severe disadvantage.How could he possibly face Alistair in this stat
PRESENT DAYTristanI was finally here.Heavy breaths left me as I looked upon the scene before me. I'd only recalled this hall from the mediation period so long ago and my hunch proved to be correct.Crowds of people were spread across the hall, looking on in shock. In each aisle however was a guard, blocking them. I didn't take too long to assess the situation.My chest tightened. After we arrived, driving nonstop to reach here on time, we infiltrated the pack quickly subduing the guards. There were barely any, no doubt thanks to the ‘celebration’ he believed would take place. I nearly sneered at the thought. My guards were taking care of the rest, the adrenaline spurring them on. There would be no reinforcements. That was why I came here on my own.Gritting my teeth at the stinging pain in my chest and arms, I moved forward, tightening my hands into fists as I crossed the aisle, completely on guard.From the distance I could still see the shock on Alistair's face, pale with his e