TERESA I couldn't stop thinking about the care Keller and Bennett showed me when I got back to my room. It was everything I desired and I prayed silently that it lasted for a long while. For hours after we came back from walking around the pack, I stood in one spot replaying Keller’s words, Bennett’s warmth and their promises to keep me safe but the weight of Old Brock's command didn’t lift. It sat heavy on me and it was a chain I could not shake off. And so, when midnight arrived, I found myself walking to Lynch. The one person who always made me feel like my voice mattered and the only available one to talk to about my problem. "You look like you have not slept in weeks," Lynch said as soon as I stepped into his room. I froze at the door, chewing my bottom lip. "It’s been one day. I don't know how it automatically changed to weeks,” I said with a loud scoff. He turned to look at me, his brows furrowing as his sharp eyes ran over me. “One day and you look wrecked. Wh
TERESA I stayed in my room for three straight hours. By the time I was ready to leave, I didn't expect any of them to still be there. No sane person would. But somehow, I thought of speaking to them. "You stayed," I said in shock as soon as I opened the door. Bennett and Keller both lifted their heads at the same time. Their backs were against the wall, sitting right outside my room like two stubborn guards. Bennett exhaled and stood first. "Of course we stayed. You think we would just leave you here to cry alone? We gave you our words already and we stuck to it." Keller stretched his legs and rose slowly, his arms crossing over his chest. “Not a chance. We told you, Teresa, we are not going anywhere unless you come with us." My throat tightened. For three long hours, I was trapped in that room, pacing around, crying my eyes out and breaking apart. And yet, here they were. Both of them kept waiting for us, refusing to move even when I yelled at them earlier to go. "You
KELLER Teresa stormed out of the room after the heated argument and Bennett followed behind her. When they were both gone, I faced my father because he had to explain himself properly, I needed to hear exactly what he meant by the garbage he said. "Explain yourself, Father,” I demanded and my voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade. Bennett and Teresa were gone but the echo of the slammed door was still hanging in the air. My chest was tight, my fists clenched at my sides. I didn’t want to walk out, not yet because I still wanted answers from him. Brock leaned back in his chair with his eyes on me. He looked so calm in that infuriating way he always was when he thought he was right. Milinda shifted beside him, pretending to be innocent with her hand over her swollen belly. Such a pretender! "There is nothing to explain," Brock said in a rather flat tone. "It is the best decision for the pack. Teresa can be trusted, and she is unknown to the other pack. T
TERESA I hated to see the light of another day and it was not because I was tired of living. Things were already getting out of control and I was involved in it. I already prepared with the brothers, and we planned to go on another journey to find the one Getta spoke about. But when we got out, we were stopped by guards requesting our presence in old Brock's study. "You are not serious. You can't be serious!” The words spilled from Keller’s mouth before I could even blink. His voice thundered against the walls of the study like a storm breaking through the atmosphere. Bennett was beside him, his arms folded tight across his chest and his eyes locked on Brock. The two of them stood like tall walls with their shields ready before the blow even came. I stayed frozen near the door, my stomach tightening as the meaning of Brock’s words dug deeper. He was too calm and he sat in his chair with his fingers steepled, like this was nothing more than business. Milinda stood bes
TERESA A month passed by quietly and the tension of the incoming attack increased, and we could no longer sleep with our two eyes closed. "Where is he?" A random voice cut through the silence of the training ground. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and dropped the wooden staff I was holding. My arms were sore from sparring with them all evening, but his tone made me pause. Who the hell was this stranger that he could stand there and demand answers from Keller and Bennett? I had been hearing the rumours and the questions but the last thing we were going to do was to answer questions about Lynch. They were not asking questions casually. They were simply demanding and Keller and Bennett were the ones who always received the heat most of the time. I met their eyes, and for a second I took in a deep breath. Keller was worried and Bennett was leaning against the rail, his chest still rising and falling fast from drills, but even his sharp eyes were fixed on me. "Tell us whe
MILINDA I was supposed to be happy and having a good time because of the special treatment that Alpha Brock was showering me with. But…the reverse was the case. "Why does she still breathe the same air as me?" I muttered under my breath as I sat before the mirror. The reflection staring back at me was painted in perfection. My hair was brushed smooth, my skin glowed from the expensive oils Brock provided, and the soft gown draped over me was finer than anything I used to own. Everything around me screamed luxury. Was it the silk sheets, the jeweled hairpins or the gold trinkets that Brock placed in my hand without hesitation? It was everything I once dreamed of and I loved it. I admired it even. So why was I not happy? I knew the answer before anything could leave my mouth. It was because of Teresa. Everything happening to me was because of her! Even when I sat wrapped in comfort, she was the thorn scratching at my peace. She lurked around this house, closer to my sons