Marissa“Come to my office,” Justin’s voice rang over the phone.I reached for my water bottle, took a sip, and adjusted my outfit before heading in. I stood in front of him for at least five minutes. He didn't speak. When he finally did, his eyes blazed with anger, but it wasn’t directed at me.“Why do people have to be so dishonest?”I opened my mouth to speak, then stopped. Did I even have the right to say anything? When it came to honesty, I was at the bottom of the barrel.“Are you okay?” was all I could manage.I closed the distance, placed a hand on his back, and rubbed gently. “What’s wrong?” I asked softly. “Is it Wendy?”“I wish,” he grumbled.Even as I rubbed his back, a thrill sparked between my thighs. It came with the bond, the touch, the ecstasy.“Do you want to talk about it?” I continued, tracing patterns on his back and kneading his stiff muscles.He groaned into my side and pulled me closer. Then he stood to hug me. I stifled a moan as his hand caressed my back and
MarissaA yawn escaped my lips as I sat in my chair, listless, staring at my screen and wondering what was keeping Justin. Lateness now seemed to be an irregular occurrence these days, and I wondered if he was sick.The reception buzzed several times, indicating that he had visitors, but my response was still the same: he was not at his desk. I picked up my phone to call his private line when I got a call from an unsaved number. I hesitated for a moment before picking up."Hello?"A voice I could identify even in my sleep filled my ears. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen, contemplating whether I should just hang up."I have to say, I’m impressed, Marissa," Genevieve said with a scathing tone. "You've never lost your mojo for ruining people's lives, have you?”I sighed, wondering why these pests wouldn’t just leave me alone."Look, I don’t have time for whatever this is. I’m busy at work—something you can probably never relate to.""Oh, look at you," she snee
JustinThe early morning was silent, and the sound of my feet hitting the ground felt solid. I had just woken up from a nightmare—the same one as always: I was in darkness, with shadows that stretched like claws and a creature with a long head and a whip-like tongue that laughed at me.It was not a normal laugh. It opened up every fear I had and made my bones shake. Its dying words whispered that my blood was its prize and that once it tasted it, it would never stop.I put my AirPods in and ran without stopping.At least my wolf wasn't screaming in pain this morning.I hadn't felt any pain for days, which was a good thing. A hopeful part of me wondered if the wolf was actually getting better or if a special healer had finally found a cure. I would do anything to keep my curse hidden, to keep what was left of my sanity.But hope was useless. It dangled a light in front of me, promised to save me, and then burned me with nothing but smoke. It was better to be realistic.By the third lap
MarissaI pressed the tip of my nose into the curve of Justin’s neck, and a shiver went through me. The urge to bite him, to mark him, to show that he was mine grew almost too strong.He was firm and strong everywhere—from his muscles to the hardness poking through his pants. I could tell he wanted this as much as I did. But there was also caution in him. A strong, protective caution, caused by the person who had hurt me.I turned and went into the room, my legs feeling heavy. Justin sat on the single chair, his eyes watching me as I carefully sat on the edge of the bed.“I need a favor,” I said softly. “It’s the first one I’ve ever asked.”He raised an eyebrow. “Looking for reasons to keep me here?”I rolled my eyes.“There are new employees from my pack. I need one person in particular… sent away.”His eyes grew dark. He already knew where this was going. I waited for a moment, then let the name come out.“Alan Thorold Blackfang.”He made a sharp sound.“Weird name. Inspired by some
MarissaThe commotion around me grew louder as people inched forward to see what was happening. My anger and rage at Alan had swallowed whatever shame I was supposed to feel, seeing myself in the middle of this craziness."What did you do to her, Linda?" the girl who was confronting me because of my alleged relationship with Hector cried out, while trying to help me out of the pool. I felt pain in the part that was hurting me."I didn’t do anything," the bastard said, not even trying to hide his arrogance. His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "She was the one who came on to me."I wasn’t even surprised. Alan had no shred of shame or dignity in him."She’s still bitter because I chose peace and a wife I love over her. She feels she’s special, being the alpha’s daughter, that no one can dump her."Some of the onlookers, especially his gender, were already on his side; some looked skeptical. I searched around for Hector with my eyes so he could see the animal he called a frien
MarissaThe underwater lamp rippled across the pool’s surface as I walked past. Justin had just dropped me off outside the lounge, and I had begged him not to come in with me. I couldn’t handle more drama; my life already had enough of it.The poolside was full of people. Some swam laps, some sat at the edge, and others drifted without purpose. A couple stood chest-deep in the water, talking quietly, while another person was shouting across the pool at someone who ignored him.Hector sat at the edge of the pool with his legs in the water, scrolling through his phone. The glow lit up his wet face. When he looked up and noticed me, he smiled, though I could tell he was uneasy. I sat beside him, and he moved a can of soda aside to make space. Our legs hung in the water, our toes brushing the surface.“I told you,” I said quietly, “you don’t need to babysit me anymore. Your best friend’s back. Go play hero with him.”He gave a short laugh. “Alan doesn’t control me. And believe it or not,