It was a challenging weekend. I barely went home, I had about 20 missed calls from mum, frantic messages from Kylie to know where Ashleigh was, and neither Robert nor Kylie got to say goodbye to their daughter. Now they couldn’t reach her via the pack link or family link. It was a fucked up situation just because Blackwood was her mate. I didn’t even know how to begin to explain things to Brent when he got home. He walked into a house of chaos after his patrol run that night. As much as those two niggle and bicker, they were siblings. He looked up to Ashleigh as his sister and the pack’s Beta. He respected her and appreciated her guidance. Now, I don’t even know what their relationship will be like. After seeing Ashleigh the other night with Blackwood, I knew she made the right choice. She had to be with her mate. She was his Luna, and rejecting him wasn’t an option for either of them. It was nice to see that they loved each other. However, I made a promise to myself and our family

I felt a sense of loss when Zander wasn’t by my side. I suppose that’s why they allow mates to be in the same classes, so our wolves don’t go crazy on us. I had a crappy feeling for the rest of the day after this morning's conversation with Brent. I was already feeling bad that I was upset with him only a few weeks ago about hiding the same thing from Ollie and me, and yet here I am doing the exact same thing to him. No wonder he's so upset. At least Ollie and mum already had time to accept Zander and me being mates. Some girls at lunchtime came up and congratulated us, but all I could see was jealousy and frustration in most of them. It hurt that they weren't actually happy. They probably just wanted him because of his title or maybe because they were ex-lovers or a number of other reasons. I don’t have the courage to ask Zander how many he’s been with at school. I’m sure it's a lot. I won’t dwell on that fact because he is my present and future. So after everything that happene

The pain that radiated throughout my body is now gone. I can’t feel anything ... I can't see anything. Instead, I find myself alone in this pitch-black void. ‘Kia, Kia’, I try to call out to her, hoping she will help me pull out of this. Once again, I’m left with emptiness. My mind spirals, thinking of all the possibilities, the “what ifs”, and trying to figure out what just happened. I’m numb; it feels like nothing exists anymore. If this is death, it is a horrible place to be … a black void with nothing by me and my hazy, uncertain thoughts. I miss them … Zander, my family, my friends. The idea of never seeing them again scares me. I feel like I’ve been floating around in this void for hours when suddenly I smell this odd yet familiar scent. It is a sweet, floral scent making my mind spin, trying to remember what it reminded me of. I try to move in the void to get closer to the scent. I need to get closer. A strong pull snaps me out of the darkness as the scent becomes overwhel

After everything that life has thrown at me this year, I was so proud and excited to finish school and go to one of the best universities in the country to study psychology. Graduation went beautifully; I was so happy mum and dad both came and saw me give my valedictorian speech, and despite everything I was glad they supported me. It was a huge honour to be the school's valedictorian this year. it put a little bit of pressure on me, having to write a speech, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. The dinner was beautiful, something they held yearly to send off the seniors after stressful exams. I appreciated saying thank you and goodbye to everyone, I hoped I would still see them in the future, but no one can make any promises. I had one more fabulous night with my girls, Chloe and Skyla and I was filled with laughter and love. Our friendship won’t ever change, no matter what pack we are in. Thankfully, Zander has accepted that. I’m glad I chose psychology. I wanted to choose

**Grace** I lay on the hotel's disgusting bed, looking up at the cracked pink paint, watching every scrap as it peels off, falling from the ceiling. The dimly lit light flickers through the room as I try to focus on the walls around me. “Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me,” I softly sing as tears stream down my face. How did everything get so fucked up? I had a foolproof plan that would have worked if he didn’t find his fucking mate. Who would have guessed Ashleigh Steward was my boyfriend's mate? I honestly thought it would be me. I’m an Alpha's daughter; I had a higher possibility. We had a magnetic attraction from the start, and everyone back home said we were perfect together. Dad is obsessed with Zander. But then, all he ever wants is power and money. Charwood, being the biggest pack in the country, has both. ‘We should go out. I saw a bar when we walked past here,’ my wolf Talia says encouragingly, pushing forward hopefully. ‘We need to stay hidden, Talia,’ I