RAELYNN I turned to fix my gaze on Rai who looked as though he would explode in a few seconds. For reasons unknown to me, I felt terrible. Taking a step back from Kyan, I sucked in a sharp breath. "Raelynn, what --" Kyan started to say and I shook my head. "I can't...I shouldn't do this...” I breathed and he reached out to grab my hand. In the blink of an eye, Rai had stormed over to us with a speed I didn't know he possessed. Grabbing Kyan by the front of his shirt, he slammed him against the wall, his eyes turning a bright silver."You bastard," he growled, punching Kyan in the face. Wincing, I attempted to break up their brawl, only for Kyan to break free of Rai's grip and punch him in the face. "Can you two stop it already? What if someone sees this?" I asked and they both froze. They were supposed to be affluent individuals with the perfect image. "Stay away from her, you hear me?" Rai spat and Kyan growled at him, his eyes turning a bright orange."Shouldn't you
RAI A few hours before, "Where the hell are you going? I'm talking to you!" Nadia said, hurrying after me as I left the cafe. According to her, we'd coincidentally ended up in the cafe but I was having a hard time believing what she'd said. It didn't help that she seemed to have been following me around all day. Once we were outstide the cafe, she grabbed at my arm and I halted, sucking in a sharp breath. My patience was quickly wearing thin. So I slowly turned to look at her, keeping my expression blank. "What the hell are you doing, Nadia? Don't give me some bullshit as an excuse," I said and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, pulling at her hair with apparent frustration. "Ever since I told you about the baby and our wedding, you've been acting so cold to me. Why? Is it because of Raelynn?" She hissed.I glanced around, making sure that there were no eyes on us."You're the one who decided to send out invitation letters without talking it out with me," I
NADIA A smile of satisfaction curled my lips when I saw the expression of distress on Rai's face. It was amusing to watch him live ignorantly. He hurried out of the ward without paying attention to me. He must've heard about what had happened to his sister. **Flashback***I stormed into Rai's house, ready to rip everything into pieces. I felt pathetic for being so frustrated over him. It was never supposed to be like this from the start. I was only supposed to keep him by my side, long enough to gain his trust and smash through his defenses. Instead, I'd fallen head over heels for him. Letting out an angry yell, I grabbed the blue and white flower vase in the sitting room and smashed it against the wall. "What the hell are you doing, Nadia?" I looked up at the stairs to see Izzy approaching. I'd forgotten that she'd temporarily moved into Rai's house. Cursing under my breath, I waited for her to descend the stairs. She glanced around the mess I'd created and smirked at me.
RAI The feeling of discomfort did not ease up as I sat up in bed, feeling as though I'd just been hit by a truck. My wolf was particularly restless and this sudden weakness of mine felt unnatural. Glancing around the room in search of Nadia, I got out of bed, squeezing my eyes shut when a wave of dizziness rattled me. When I was steady again, I made my way out of the bedroom, my feet coming to a halt at the sound of Jared's voice. Making my way down the stairs, I was greeted by the sight of Jared who had his fingers wrapped around Nadia's throat. They both pulled away from each other and I stared at them, puzzled."You're awake," Nadia said, rushing to my side with a smile on her face."What's going on here?" I demanded and she awkwardly cleared her throat."You were probably imagining things. There's nothing going on," she said and I glanced at Jared who looked visibly annoyed. "Since when did you get here?" I asked and he shrugged."Not too long ago. Your father asked me to c
RAELYNN "I could've sworn that I saw your daughters earlier today at a grocery store," Judy had said to me a few hours ago, when she'd visited. I'd tried not to think of the possibility that Theo had brought my kids along with him but the more I thought about it, the more I grew worried. So I called him and eventually pressured him into telling me the whereabouts of my children. And my hunch had been right.So I hurried to his apartment as quickly as I could while trying not to combust from all the annoyance boiling inside of me."Where are they?" I asked and Theo pointed at a white door with a wince."I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have brought them over without your permission. I just wanted to give you a pleasant surprise," he said. I couldn't be truly mad at him because I knew that he had good intentions. "It's fine. As long as they haven't encountered Rai, it's all good," I said and he stiffened.I narrowed my eyes at him, folding my arms across my chest."Don't tell me
RAI "Let me meet them," I rasped, fixing my gaze on her. "What?" She breathed, her eyes widening. I swallowed hard, my chest tightening as my emotions swelled within me."Let me meet the girls. I...I want to be a part of their lives," I said to Raelynn and the frown on her face faded, leaving her emotionless. "What if I refuse?" She asked and I shook my head, the ache in my chest growing by the second."Please, Rae. I want to fix..."She cut me off, tears filling her eyes."You can't. It's too late," she told me and I rose to my feet, reaching out to grab her hand. "I refuse to believe it," I stated and she heaved an exasperated sigh. "It's no use arguing with you," she said and I gazed at her, feeling like my chest would explode. "Raelynn...""I'll think about it. I'm not making promises," she said and walked away from me.I returned to my house utterly wrecked and it only worsened the next day. At night, I decided to go on a drinking spree. It took me quite a while to get
RAELYNN I shot to my feet when I heard Klaus's voice through the phone. Rai had probably forgotten to end the call. Therefore, I could hear what was going on rather clearly. "I'll go straight to the point, Mr Vidal. You are currently engaged, are you not?" Klaus said and I winced."Yes, but--""You should stop trying to weasel your way back into my daughter's life. I won't allow it. She deserves better.""Your daughter?" Rai said, his voice tinged with disbelief. The line ended and I started to pace. It was strange how I started to feel nervous. My phone rang and I picked the call right away. It was from Klaus. "I heard that you went to see Rai," I said. "Already? That was fast."He sounded amused."Did you really have to do that? Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?" I asked."I'm only looking out for you. Besides, I wanted my visit to be a surprise," he replied. "Please tell me you're not planning something big," I grimaced."I'll have to disappoint you on that,"
RAELYNN I was starting to get used to constantly flashing counterfeit smiles at my guests. It didn't help that my mind was plagued by thoughts of Rai. No matter how I thought about it, I still couldn't believe that he wanted me. On the night of our honeymoon, he'd blankly told me that I would never mean anything to him. So why now?Why was he so desperate to make me choose him?What if there was more to his statement?What if he was merely toying with my emotions?"We are gathered here tonight to appreciate one woman. She has been through a lot but she's one heck of a fighter."I looked up at Klaus who was standing on the podium, addressing the guests. "You must have all heard about the mysterious healer who has been famous for her healing abilities. Tonight, she has chosen to grace us with her presence," Klaus continued and the audience erupted into a thunderous applause. "Raelynn, please join me," Klaus said and I rose to my feet. All eyes were fixed on me as I ascended th
RAELYNN "What are you talking about? Raelynn, you're engaged," Hunter said, his face contorted in incredulity. "I need your help," I said and his frown deepened."You have to be clear about what you need my help with," he stated slowly. "I asked my dad to help Rai and he did. But, in exchange, he wants me to marry you," I told him. "What? That's insane," Hunter said. "The thing is... he already held up his own part of the deal," I stated and he whistled under his breath."That's fast. How is Rai doing? Shouldn't you be with him right now?" "I've been anxious. I just thought I needed to get this situation off my chest," I muttered, gulping down more water. "I'm guessing that Rai doesn't know about any of this," Hunter pointed out and I nodded."He's going to be so mad if he finds out.""So, what do you want me to do?" He asked and I clenched my fists, tension gripping me." I'm thinking you can just pretend to be my fiance for a little while and after a month we can offici
RAELYNN "He wants to know the truth, Rae. You're planning to marry Hunter, aren't you?" Caroline had a smug expression on her face when she spoke. My gaze met Rai's bewildered ones and I knew right away that I couldn't get away with telling a lie. I'd hoped that I could keep it away from him, long enough to get him the help he desperately needed. "Tell me it's not true," Rai croaked and I lowered my gaze, my eyes brimming with tears."I'm sorry," I croaked. This scenario was the last thing I'd expected. I should've known that Caroline was up to no good, the last time I'd encountered her. **Flashback**I was stepping out of my father's office when I nearly bumped into a familiar figure along the corridor. It was Caroline. I hadn't seen her in a very long time. She appeared gaunt and miserable. "What are you doing here?" I asked and she grinned at me."You're getting married to Hunter? Who's Hunter? Another hotshot?" She asked and my eyes widened."Where did you--""I over
RAI The cheerful sounds of my daughters’ voices awakened me from my slumber. Slowly, I sat up in bed and found that I was all alone in the room. When I took a deep breath, the mouthwatering smell of fried chicken saturated my senses.'Raelynn must be up to something tasty,’ I thought as I got out of bed, ignoring the aches that assaulted my body each time I moved.Making my way into the bathroom, I halted in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection for a while. I was such a mess. I pushed my fingers through my messy bed hair and attempted to bring a smile to my face. I managed to smile, although it was somewhat broken.After going through my morning routine, I stepped out into the dining room, where the twins sat with their mother. They all beamed at me, urging me to join them.After breakfast, we all settled down in the sitting room. The twins were engaged with their toys while Raelynn and I watched over them.All of a sudden, my nose began to bleed. In a flurry of movem
RAELYNN I stared at Rai's immobile form, clenching my jaw. His right and left arm were wrapped in bandage and his face was as pale as sheets. Jared heaved a sigh, his gaze resting on Rai. "Do you really think he did that to himself?" He asked and I clenched my jaw, willing the tears to go away. My eyes were sore from all the crying I'd done earlier. "What do you think? Clearly, he did it to himself," I replied and he muttered a string of curses."I should have stopped him. I knew he was struggling. I just didn't think it was this bad," Jared stated and I shook my head."I didn't see this coming either. I thought I'd convinced him not to hurt himself. I was stupid," I said, running my fingers through my hair."What do we do now? It's been nearly six hours. He's yet to regain consciousness," Jared's brows were knitted into a frown as he spoke. The words had barely left his lips when Rai let out a groan, a frown settling in between his brows. I rushed to his side, bringing a hand
RAELYNN "Go ahead and reject me," he droned and I halted, my heart racing in my chest. A lump formed in my throat as I struggled to maintain my composure. Slowly, I turned around and dragged in a sharp breath. "Is that really what you want?" I asked and he clenched his jaw, his eyes going blank. "Do it."We stared at each other, our gazes unwavering. The tension in the air had tripled. Despite my attempts to appear cold and unforgiving, I was hurting inside. For the life of me, I knew I couldn't bring myself to reject him. No matter how hard he pushed me, I knew I couldn't give up on him. "You can't do it?" He said and I clenched my fists, annoyed. The mockery in his tone was unmissable. "I'll get you the help you need," I said and turned away from him. "Why?" He asked, following after me as I left the room. My feet came to a halt, angry tears filling my eyes. I could still smell the fresh blood leaving his body. I hated the fact that he was letting himself bleed like th
RAELYNN I was returning from the grocery store when I noticed the car parked right in front of my house. Frowning, I fished for the pepper spray in my coat. The moment my fingers curled around the container, the door of the car was pushed open and Hunter stepped out. He held up his hands and flashed me a smile."How do you know where I live?" I asked and he beamed at me."I did a little research," he replied and I scoffed at him."What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I'm not interested in you" I said and he winced."Although I'm hurt about that, I perfectly understand why. I'm just here to check up on you," he said and I rolled my eyes in annoyance."Now's not a good time, Hunter. Besides, I don't see why you should be concerned about me," I said, attempting to walk past him. "You look tired, Dr. Lynn. Your dark circles are massive and you've lost weight. You haven't been sleeping much, have you?" He pointed out and my feet came to a halt.I hated that he
RAI The weight of the spell threatened to crush my sanity, bringing along with it, a maddening depression. Three days had passed since Raelynn discovered the cuts on my arm, she was constantly on edge. Every few minutes, she would check up on me to make sure I wasn't harming myself. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my hair. It was in dire need of a haircut but I couldn't bring myself to go out in public. "Rai? Are you alright? You've been in there for almost an hour," I heard Raelynn say as she knocked on the door of the bathroom. "I'll be out soon," I replied as I eyed the sharp edge of the mirror. Raelynn had hidden all of the blades and at this point, I was tempted to break the mirror. The memory of the pain I'd inflicted on myself was rather vivid in my mind. I deserved this pain. All along, I'd prided myself to be untouchable. But, there was a glaring truth I'd refused to see all along. I was weak. I was stupid. It had taken years for Nadi
RAELYNN "Judy? Is everything okay?" I said, and she sniffled. I exchanged bewildered glances with Rai, who looked visibly worried, a crease forming in between his brows."Did something happen?" I asked, my insides twisting into a painful knot. I could feel my pounding heart in my chest. It made me hyperaware of the situation."Judy, please talk to me," I said, and she broke down into a sob. My eyes widened, and my breathing quickened. Fear sank into me, and I shot to my feet."What is it?" I asked cautiously."Everything is okay now. It scared the life out of me. I thought...Rae... I thought...""Breathe, Judy. You're rambling. Please tell me what's going on," I pleaded, my voice quivering.Rai had risen to his feet. He was standing by my side with one hand on my shoulder, silently assuring me that he was right there by my side."I had a bad dream. In the dream, someone kidnapped the twins," she said, and I stiffened, nausea sweeping through me.I didn't like where she was goi
RAELYNN My phone buzzed from its position on the nightstand and I reached out to pick it up. I'd just received from Hunter whom I'd coincidentally run into, a couple of hours before. The text said:'Have you resolved your issues with Rai?'I groaned in annoyance, squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't have to tell him about my fall out with Rai, he'd been able to tell at a glance. And, I hated that. Although I'd refused to tell him what had really happened, he'd concluded that I'd had a big fight with Rai. I stared at the text for a while, contemplating my next line of action. Right before I could actually get down to typing a reply, I heard Rai call out for me. I closed my eyes, releasing a sigh. I couldn't tell if it was merely the effect of our bond, I itched to go to him. I was still upset. I still couldn't wrap my head around the actual reason behind the divorce. Rai had hurt me deeply. Even so, he was a changed person now. He was clearly tormented by his own guilt. Decidin