[Awakened II] SEBASTIAN “Trust me, Angel. Arianne will never hurt you again.” I gritted through clenched teeth. The rage surging inside me burned ten times hotter than the sun for what Arianne had done. She should count her blessings because when I get my hands on her... “I assure you; Arianne will get what’s coming to her.” Sierra pulled out of the hug, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Her face sported a determination I saw back when her uncle was after her. “I don’t want you to kill her, Sebastian.” Despite how softly she spoke, her resolve was evident in every word. “It’s not worth having her blood on your hands.” She caressed my cheek lovingly, gazing intently into my eyes. I lowered my head to meet her lips, expecting her to kiss me. Instead, she rubbed her nose against mine. “Besides, I have a bone to pick with her, not you.” Gratifyingly amused, I kissed her lips, forehead, and each cheek, grinning like an idiot. “Gosh, if only you knew how much these past two months withou

[Disappointment I] SIERRA I had my luggage packed and ready to go. Although this visit was long overdue, I couldn’t help but feel that leaving wasn’t the greatest option right now, especially given how Sebastian and I had left things. While he did not oppose my leaving—as he so emphatically stated—I felt horrible for even wanting to go. Not that I wouldn’t return; I would. It was just that leaving felt risky as if something might go wrong. “Maybe I should wait a few more days,” I said as Sebastian followed me to the car. “After all, I recently woke up from a coma. It’s not like she’s expecting me, is she?” “Angel, I’m not making that decision for you. Don’t forget, it was only an hour ago you wanted to bite my head off for this exact reason.” He threw the bag on the backseat and closed the door, turning to face me. “I know, which I apologized profusely for. But Sebastian, I can’t help this disturbing feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’ve been awake for what, two days? Compared

[Disappointment II] SIERRA Within those fleeting minutes, standing there unmoved, saying nothing, I felt my heart drop to my stomach. I never expected this moment to be so awkward as silence and surprise hung over us both like something grim. With my heightened senses, I could hear the way her breathing faltered in anticipation, while she steadily teetered on her heels. After another few seconds of silence, everything started moving again. My mother was the first to avert her gaze as she closed the door and dropped her keys on the table, still refusing to say anything to me. I couldn’t tell you what a thrill it was to see her, but I fear that excitement was one-sided. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” I asked, trailing behind her as she walked past me and into the kitchen. She slipped her handbag from her shoulder and dropped the two brown paper bags of groceries onto the countertop. “What would you like me to say, Sierra?” She retrieved a pot from the cupboard, filled it with

[Troubles I] SEBASTIAN “Goddess, you worked me over good, didn’t you?” I chuckled, stealing glances at my sweat-drenched mate. Her body was so still. If her chest wasn’t rising and falling with each breath, I’d say she was dead. “Penny for your thoughts.” “I’m not sure you’ll get your money’s worth.” Sierra closed her eyes and exhaled a shallow breath that ended in a sigh. She rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed, slouching her shoulders. It seemed she carried the weight of the world on them. Sierra strolled from the bed and into the bathroom. Some minutes later, the sound of running water emitted from the room. I considered joining her, but my phone started ringing just then. It was my mother. I picked up my discarded jeans and went to the living room to take the call. “Mother, is everything all right?” “How is Sierra?” she asked, concern laced in her words. “When I didn’t hear from you as you promised you’d call, I got worried.” “She’s... Okay, I guess. We hadn’t had th

[Troubles III] SEBASTIAN This battle was unlike anything I’d ever faced before. As Alpha, I fought with creatures from all walks of life, the last being the hunters. But fighting someone like Zaiden was like fighting a small child hooked on adrenaline. He kept bouncing around, without staying in one place for too long, using opportune moments to land a blow here and there. What angered and frustrated me was that each time I thought I had a handle on his movements, he surprised me with a different approach. The bastard kept me on my toes, leaving me with limited moments to check in on the other fights around us. There was something I found odd, though. While he made it impossible to hit him, his punches barely made an impact on me. Call me crazy or delusional for thinking he wanted me distracted rather than injured. That was how it seemed. Strange, right? How else did he plan on getting out of here alive? During all this, I lost track of my warriors and mate. I barely noticed when