LOGINPearlThe days were going by so slowly. Day times were the worst. While Harold and Brian were out haunting Ethan and his crew down, I was stuck in the house with Patricia, who still wasn’t talking to me. She spent most of the day in her room. The only time she ventured out was to use the bathroom and to say hi to cook in the kitchen.Going for archery practice was out of the question for now. I didn’t know what she got down to in her bedroom. It was killing me, not being able to talk to her. I would give anything to have her smile at me the way she used to. I missed our movie nights. I missed staying up all night talking and giggling about everything and nothing.Vicki had been interrogated by Harold, but apparently, they had nothing on her. For the sake of my sanity though, I had asked Harold to stop her from coming over to the pack house for the time being. He had agreed. For now, the only ones allowed into the house were cook and the guards.“She’s still not talking to you?” cook a
Pearl “You did what?” Harold exploded. His eyes were twitching. “How could you?”“How could I what?” Patricia shrugged, ignoring her father’s outburst. “It seemed ludicrous holding cousin Ethan in the basement for a crime I didn’t witness with my own eyes. For all I know, you all could have lied about it.”“You shouldn’t have done that, Patty,” Brian have her a disappointed look. “You have no idea what you’ve just done.”“I made a decision that wasn’t influenced by any of you.”“And do you have any idea what it’s cost us?” Harold stared at her in disbelief. “I can’t stand to look at you right now.”“The feeling is incredibly mutual daddy.”They stared each other down. “Stop,” I ordered. “Patty.” I faced her. “You had no right to let him out. You have no idea the horrible things he’s done. The things he plans to do.”“You’re in no position to give me a lecture. How about you shut the fuck up and stick to warming my dad’s bed.”“Patricia!” Harold growled. “That’s it. You’re grounded.”
Pearl“You’re pregnant?” Patricia asked me. “Is that the reason why you’ve been sick?”I should answer. It should be simple to say yes. Why was I hesitating when the truth was already out?“What’s the matter Pearl? Cat got your tongue?”“Y-yes,” I stuttered. “It’s true. I’m pregnant.”“Oh gods,” she clutched her head. “I can’t believe this is happening. How the hell is this happening?”“Patty. Please believe me. I never planned to get pregnant. I only just found out yesterday. You have to believe me.”I begged her. I cried harder. Patricia wiped her eyes. She looked cold now. “I’ll keep staying here,” she continued. “We’ll keep living together but that’s it. From now on, you’re dead to me. Stick to your side of the house and I’ll stick to mine.”Just then, Brian entered the kitchen. He had come from town. He was out of breath. “Alpha,” he said to Harold. “I was at the gas station and I saw a group of girls staring at their phones. There were pictures.”He looked at me and then Patri
PearlI woke up feeling groggy. I hadn’t gotten much sleep. As I got out of bed, nausea rose in my belly. I raced out of the room to use the bathroom. After I emptied my stomach, I brushed my teeth and took a shower. I knocked on Patricia’s door before I went in. It was quiet in there and I expected to see her and Vicki still asleep. But the room was quiet. There was no one in there. The bed was already made. That was when I heard the sound of voices coming from downstairs. It sounded like my best friend and Harold. What were they talking about? Was it me?My heart rate picked up. Even if it was, there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was inevitable.I would go back to my bedroom to wait and see how things would pan out. Patricia would definitely be angry with me but hopefully, it wouldn’t be forever. I turned to head back to my room when I heard a crash. It was followed by an ear piercing scream. I bolted down the stairs. I raced through the hallway to the kitchen. I came
Pearl “I’m not lying about any of the things I just told you. I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. Vicki threatened me a week ago.”“But it makes no sense,” Harold shut his eyes for a long moment. “Do you have any idea what this could mean for the pack, Pearl. Such accusations. Vicki has been a long term friend of my family. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers. She was there when Patricia was born. I’m sorry but it’s difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that she would threaten you and risk the reputation of my pack.”“So, what then? You think I’m lying.” I scoffed. “Think about it. Why else would I suddenly break up with you? You said it yourself. It made no sense. One day, we were good. The next day, we were broken up. It’s because she chose to get in the way. Can you stop looking at me like that?”“Like what?”“Like you’re annoyed with me. Like I’m crazy.”“I’m not annoyed with you, neither do I think that you’re crazy.” He exhaled a deep breath. “It’s
Pearl I returned to the bedroom with the sodas. Patricia and Vicki were still chatting about goddess knew what. They had a stack of nail polish bottles organized on the bed. This was looking like a mani-pedi night, complete with rom-coms and snacks. Patricia needed it, especially after the night she’d had. Now, if it was just the two of us, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But Vicki was here. The last thing I wanted was to suffer her presence for hours. I couldn’t do it. “I’m sorry,” I said to Patricia. She was in the middle of riffling through the movies on her laptop. “I don’t think I’ll be able to hangout with you guys tonight.”“Really? Why not?” she looked crestfallen by my words.“I feel sick to my stomach,” I told her. “Way more than usual. What I need is some sleep. Hopefully, I’ll feel better in the morning.”Hopefully, they would have gone off to bed by the time Harold got back home.“Aw. This sucks but it’s alright,” Patricia gave me a reassuring smile. “You should head







