ARINo beauty of the morning can melt away the anguish and the coldness slowly seeping inside my heart.“oh my!” my mom’s high-pitched exclamation makes me wince a little.“Hi Mom,” I murmur, tugging my lips into a smile as we hug but before I can sit down, she pulls me closer to her.“Whatever happened my baby? Have you been crying?”I nod, looking down, and when she pulls me for a hug, I feel the tears prickling again at the back of my eyelids. I squeeze them shut, not wanting to start another crying session. I missed my mom.I let her hold me until I am ready that’s when we pull apart.The visitor's court is set up like a restaurant, with an actual restaurant and tables under fancy umbrellas and green lawns.“I am so sorry baby, I should have come sooner,” she grips my hand and I frown.“What?”“I heard that you got mated but he rejected you,” she looks so guilty. “This is all my fault.”“How is this your fault?” my words come out a little sharper than I intend to and I notice her
ARIOn the flyer I was given, Evencrest Academy- the name scrawled out in big bold letters, it was made clear from the beginning that it would be nothing like the human schools I attended so far.Sure, it has only wolves, but they all come from different packs under one massive tree: the legacies.The legacies themselves are in the official pack- the Phoenix pack where Mr. Parker is the alpha, the king alpha, and his son zade, is the future alpha prince.With all the royalties going to the academy and the top of the cream pack daughters and sons of the pack members going there too, the curriculum is bound to be special and top-notch.Or so I expected.Today, there is a sort of trial going on.Yep, the school has an annual cull that happens after every red moon and the reason is to eliminate. One would ask themselves to eliminate what? After all, the students here are people who say death would cause shakes and disturbance. But no, this is a special type of trial.This is where all tho
ZADE“She is going to kill her.”Rowan, my best friend snickers as he continues playing against me in the video game we are matching up against.“She is not going to kill her, because she knows that she is not supposed to,” I correct him, as I defeat him in the game.“Rhea said they are going to be jumping her, do you think she can survive that?”I know his twin sister is a menace and Livie’s best friend. Maybe Rowan is right, that the girl mated to me might be in danger tonight.“Dude, how lucky are you, being fought for by two hot girls, all wanting to be your mates?” Castiel, my other best friend's shoulder bumps me from my right side, as he takes the controller from Rowan's hand and starts another match against me.“he doesn’t want the new girl, he is set on only Olivia, his childhood sweetheart,” Logan who is seated behind us watching us play sounds so bored by the conversation, and his sarcastic tone grates on my nerves.“says the guy who is being driven crazy by a girl,” I stan
“Why do you hate her so much anyway?” a girl who is wearing all black asks as she crosses her arms, looking so bored.“Rhea, she is mated to Zade. What other excuse do you need to support me on this?”Rhea shrugs. “That's enough, it's just that she looks so pathetic. She is shaking.”“And? When has that ever stopped you from stepping on a cockroach?”Rhea shrugs again. “you're right. Let's do this I need to catch up with my show.”“do you think Zade might get back on us for this? I know you are not worried since you are his girlfriend and all, but I don’t want to get on his bad side,” the third girl looks at Olivia with wide baby blue eyes.“Katie, focus,” Rhea snaps her finger on her face.“zade doesn’t mind. He told me to have fun tonight right before he gave me this,” Olivia raised a club stick.“I see why you two are a match,” Rhea rolls her eyes.As they have this conversation, Olivia is still pulling my hair, and then she presses the club on my face.“Should I ruin your face fi
ZADEI am scanning the crowd tonight below, as they gyrate against each other at the loud heavy music, the club lights bouncing off them and the walls.Cass and Logan are still on the inner side, another whole world away from the club gambling. I needed air and decided to just catch a break and get a drink, as I saw if there was anything that would distract me from the way I am feeling.I wasn't given a match today; not a single person was strong enough to fight me, which just ended up ruining my mood even more. I had to find something to keep the edge off and keep my mind occupied, and here I am.I have been antsy since I stepped into the club and I have been wondering why I would feel that way. I have never felt like this before, always going out and debauching with the bys but tonight is a little different. Everything in me wants to go back to school …Hah. So that’s what it is. “fucking hell silvers,” I mutter as I slam the glass down the counter. These are not my feelings. Someo
ARI“Run! Run and don’t look back!”“But- but I can’t leave you!”“You will! You must,” his calloused hands cradle my tear-stained cheeks. “You must be the one who survives so that you will fight for us one day.”“But daddy …”“I know my love. You don’t want to but you must. You are the hope of this clan. So you must run and hide, grow up, and be strong. Then go find those who hurt us and bring justice.”“I don’t understand daddy, I just want to stay with you here. We can fight together. I can’t just leave you.”He pulls me in for a hug and I know he is crying too. I am sobbing as I clutch his shirt, my little fists not wanting to let go. I don’t want to leave my daddy, I can’t not see him again.”“I am not going to die,” he starts lying. “I am going to catch up with you when I am done curbing the spreading fire okay my princess?”“You promise?”He raises his pinky. “I promise.” Our pinkies intertwine. “Now go with Mommy, protect her for me before I get reunited with you okay?”“Okay.
ARIIs this a care package? And who would send me a care package? I know not to take it inside unless it is a package laced with acid or even tiny snakes to invade my room so I leave it outside and continue my way to the cafeteria.By now, all the students have had their supper and I know that if I want anything to eat, I will have to hunt. But going back to that forest is too soon, a little too fresh for me.There is no one in the dining hall as I sneak in, crouching low and going to the back where the door that connects the cafeteria to the kitchen.I hear sounds on the other side and it looks like they are preparing to leave soon by the sounds of it.I lay low, listening and waiting for them to leave until I hear a door shutting somewhere on the other side. I wait a little longer until I am sure none is in there before I push the door open and walk into the kitchen.The lights are off but that doesn’t affect me at all, as I walk over to the large cabinets and opening them all looki
THIRTY MINUTES AGO“I just can't sit down and let her have you!”“Do you think is a game livie? Do you think I want us to be arguing about this right now?” I am so pissed at her.“You have told me that you are doing something to rectify this situation and yet I don’t see you doing anything!”My head feels like it's going to explode. “So you think killing her is going to solve everything.”“You are here with me right now aren't you?”Sometimes I hate how sure she is of herself. I hate how she thinks she can string me along and I will be her puppet, say yes to everything she does. She thinks she is the one calling the shots.“Do you have any idea of what will happen when she dies? Do you?” I take another step towards her and that cocky look she has on starts to crack. Do you know what you almost cost me tonight?” Her long manicured fingers trail on my chest. “I know that Zack isn't happy with me, but I'm doing all of this for you. I want us to be happy he can bond with my wolf, I want
ARI“I shouldn’t have this conversation while I am seeing two of you, but I need to let it off my chest, otherwise I will not say anything. You need to understand that one day I will be gone and you won’t ever see me.“Maybe I won’t have said something and you will think that everything is fine between us but it’s not. So this is me telling you that one day, I will leave you because me and you, we won’t end up together.“I can’t be with you. I can’t be with anyone. Mother is safe now and all I have left is one year to get done with school then I can do what I want the most. But then you … you have plans. You are set.“I certainly didn’t see this coming, you being my mate and all. But that shouldn’t confuse me or you that I will stay and continue doing life as if it’s perfect. It’s not perfect. I am not perfect, and it’s okay. I like it this way because t
ARINow I am his mate, then I will be his crowned wife, then I will be told to perform this and that for him, for the pack, for the kingdom.None of that for me. All will be stripped of who I am, what is mine, and be dressed in what is his. Be in servitude for the rest of my life, and for what? Love? I don’t believe in love.I never grew up in love long enough to believe in it, long enough to let it impact me in a way that, by believing, if I stay by Zade’s side, all will be okay. I am jaded, messy, and broken.He got mated to a disaster, and he knows it. He doesn’t even know what he wants for himself, but he has the privilege of that being thought for him.I might have misjudged him in the past as this cruel, mindless prince that is spoiled and such, but I wasn’t far off.But despite it all, I know that I have no future with zade. I can’t tell him that though, and it hurts somewhere I my chest to think I will h
ARII nod, exhaling softly. “I see.”“I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed you to understand that some things are serious. Worldly things are impactful.”That makes me want to laugh, but I can't find the strength to. “I guess I wouldn’t know.”“Come on, why are you bringing that up? I thought we were talking about the beautiful views and the oncoming summer.”“You keep forgetting that I am not a child, Zade. You treat me like I am porcelain that can break any second if left unattended, and think that I don’t have brains.”“It's not like that. I want to protect you.”“Patronize me. I don’t even know why I am surprised. You are just an asshole, an alpha asshole who thinks that they know better and the rest are just his minions who couldn’t think for themselves.”God, this is why I hate packs. Being patronized, led like sheep, told to do this and that, not allowed to think on your own, especially if you are a female wolf, mated to a goddamn prince of the goddamn kingdom.I am not eve
ARII never wanted to believe in knights.Having someone there for you to take your needs seriously and follow them through … that’s something that I never thought could happen for me. Yet here I am.Zade asked me to be with him this summer, to take a break with him, and all I wanted to do was be away from what I had come to know. I needed to escape my reality for as long as I could, and when I told him that as long as he took me somewhere far, I would have fun, then yes.So now I am watching the ocean. The wind is ruffling my short hair, the salty, cool breeze caressing my skin, and the sound of the waves, the calming subliminal noise of the ocean, is making my heart start feeling peaceful.He took it seriously. I wanted to get away, and he took me to a beautiful island that I didn’t know existed. It's so beautiful. Palm trees, mountains, ocean, green everywhere, it looks like it's out of a fairy land.I don’t know how he does it. How he manages to catch me off guard and floor me aga
ARIZade is letting me take what I need from him, this time letting me have my way on my terms.It has been that way from the very beginning, but tonight, it's like he wants me to take care of myself using him and, in a way, take care of himself too, by using him.So when I guide him and press him on my opening, we both freeze, breathing heavily before I urge him with a pull of his hips to push inside me.And heavens, it feels delicious. The stretch, the feeling of him opening me up as my walls accommodate him until he is fully seated inside me …I contract, squeezing him, feeling the girth inside me and I want to swallow more of him, suck him in and keep him there … it’s a heady, good feeling.“Why won't you love me?” The hoarse whisper makes me open my eyes just as Zade looks at me. He is …crying?“What?” I ask, eyes wide.“Why did you say you can't love me?”“Because,” I shift, and we both groan. His hips jerk in response, and he starts moving slowly. He has forgotten about the que
ARIWhen the body is exposed to extreme cold, at some point, it stops supplying the less important parts with blood in order to save the vital organs.It has been quite similar to me. I have spent most of my life just functioning, and apparently it has been necessary for my body to cut off supplies to some of the things anyone my age would deem normal to have.There hasn’t been a case where I could feel anything other than flight and flight. But eventually, here I am.My body is thawing, slowly coming to life, and it feels so good.Zade’s tongue is slicking inside my mouth, seeking and touching every crevice inside. His body is pressed to mine to keep me up, one thigh pressed between my legs, one hand grabbing my butt, hips flushed.I am weak at my knees. I want him, I can feel him, and I am floating. I know I am kissing him, but I am also falling and falling, feeling safe that he will catch me.It’s a dam that has been let loose.He is mine. I shouldn’t feel this way. I should feel g
ZADE“But then it will be another, then another… if you can be swayed so easily, then is it even worth it?”“I wasn’t swayed easily. You and I know that there is more to us than a bond between mates.”“Hard to believe that when all that connects us is that.”“Our parents do connect us, too. Do you think we wouldn’t have crossed paths if we hadn’t been mates?”“We could have, but you would be intent on killing me or destroying my life like you did at the beginning.”“That’s true. But you can just chalk up my feelings and invalidate them, simplify them to one variable.”“It’s the only thing that is making sense. I mean, here I am, sitting in your love sanctuary, surrounded by your memories with her, and yet you are telling me it's me you want. What about her? Why was it so easy for you to just leave her?”“If you hadn't shown up, I already knew it would rather be her that I pretended with, cosplayed my inner wishful thinking even though it wasn’t true.”I close my eyes briefly before lo
ZADEThere is something dark, alluring, and compelling about Ari Silvers that I have never been able to fully comprehend.Her beauty and magnetism are not the traditional kind. It's raw, demands that you see her, revere her, and ache to be close to her, so you can bathe in it.She is beautiful in the traditional sense as well, but then you look again. And again, and again. You are drawn in, wanting, needing, desiring, and even wanting to corrupt.She is pure, she is dark, she is innocent, but also twisted. She is all that you wish you could hold and covet to yourself, but you cannot. For it is not to be held by others and coveted, stolen, but to be looked at, worshiped, and if you are good, to be bathed in.But never yours.She is sitting on the rooftop.I followed the feeling of our bond, and I am surprised, a little unsure why she would be here. This is where she fell, almost to her death after all.Her knees are pressed against her chest as she looks at the far distance, lost in wh
ZADEI stop behind one balding man, I think he is here because he is a legacy. Not the official family but still as important. I can see the sweat trickling down his neck into the stiff, tight suit he is wearing.If I wasn’t so sure before, now standing behind him as he reeks of fear … it's solid. My hand goes through his back, and I touch the organ that’s beating and warm in my palm.Gasps echo around, but no one says a word, as they look at me with horrified expressions, save for my father, of course.“This man,” I turn to Jude, “you missed this man.” My fingers close around the beating organ and pull my hand back. The body shakes, twitching before his head thumps on the table like a log. The scent of blood permeates the air, thickening it with the tension and fear pulsing in the room.I walk over to Jude and let the organ fall on his file, and he looks at it, eyes wide. I am sure he isn't breathing. After all, I just killed a legacy, and he has a lot of mess to clean up.And also,