ALEXIOS There is a kind of shock that rushes through you when the woman who told you to your face that she regretted ever birthing you waltzes back to your front door. "Give me a minute," I said to the messenger."Why is she here?" Fiona inquired. I wish I knew but if I had to guess, it probably had to do with the stupid promise I made her. I glanced at Lydia. The look of relief distorted her face. I liked it better with the frown lines. I begrudgingly walked to the bed and grabbed my clothes. "Keep the girl in check," I instructed Fiona, giving her a kiss before stepping out to face my mother. Glancing around, I zigzagged through the giant hallways and ducked in through an open door. The only open one really. It was a small room that acted as my office. “Hello mother,” I tried to say in the most uncondescending voice I could manage. I took my seat in front of her and asked. “What bring you back to this hellhole?” Her hand was wrapped around a steaming hot coffee cup while she d

FIONA I met Alexios Rose one cold October. I had been diagnosed with a curse and my parents saw it fit that I spent time with my uncle and aunt who specialized in healing magic. Those were the words that left their lips but fourteen-year-old me knew better. My parents were leaving me to die. It was difficult if not impossible to break a killing curse. My parents intended to purge my existence out of their memories as my demise got closer but how could I blame them? I was the weak one who got susceptible to a curse targeting my bloodline. It was bound to happen eventually. Entering my uncle's home, I felt the will to live completely drain from me. My uncle searched for one cure to another in a bid to remedy the curse. His obsession with healing me didn't even stem from his undying love for his niece. I was nothing but an experiment to the stout broad man. I was an opportunity for my uncle to prove that he was talented in breaking curses. That was what my family stood for. Power. It wa

ALEXIOS"What have I done?" I repeated almost scoffing. "I did exactly what you forced my hands to do. Now deal with the consequences to come. You know, the terrible things that follow a rejected Luna." It was an attack because I knew my mother's morals would not be able to handle it if Lydia's wolf could not handle the rejection. In many books, it was written that when the wolf dies, the body followed because the body and soul of a shifter was bound. Agony and death followed from losing one. There were rare cases where the shifter and their wolf survived but I doubted that would be the case here after everything Lydia and her wolf had been through. It almost made me feel guilty. No, this was different. A subtle pain settled within me. At first, it wasn't physical but second crawled by, I came to realize that it was both physical and emotional. Was this the rejection, I wondered. My eyes wavered at Loretta. Why wasn't the feeling this? I didn't know how to describe it but my wolf c

ALEXIOS I stepped outside to rethink. The pain had subsided but that only happened because my wolf, tired of the discomfort, accepted its union to Lydia's wolf. I walked to the garden which was situated at the back of the mansion. It was a quiet place so I knew there would be a lot of opportunities for me to go on a rant without the watchful gaze and silent concerns of the pack members who frolicked around the pack house. “Let the fucking bond go right this instant! You do know what a fucking rejection means right?” I slammed my foot on the ground as if my wolf was opposite me and it wasn't more an internal struggle. My wolf snarled back. “You don't tell me what to do. You might be content with telling yourself Fiona is your fated but I know better. I won't put myself in foolish foolish pain for your pride and butthurt. I want to claim my mate.” I tried to keep my ground, "Shut it! She doesn't even want us. Have you forgotten what we both did to her? We killed her family and caus

ALEXIOS "Where are you, Curtis?" I demanded, stepping out of the garden into the parking lot. Curtis had always informed me a day before he was returning to Havenbourne. After spending a decent time outside pack territory with the sole purpose of exterminating opposing enemy packs, I knew the laws would have no effect on his bloodlust. At sensitive times like this, Curtis needed to be monitored. Lest he did something against what the Rose pack stood for. The damn kid had control issues and his volatile wolf wasn't helping matters but I loved the bastard. I found it odd that he chose to inform me about this return until today. "I'm at the Havenbourne airport," Curtis answered. "Why do you ask? Can't wait to set eyes on me?"Havenbourne Airport. I violently snapped my fingers at a sentinel hanging around the parking lot. "Get the car keys. We are heading out."The junior werewolf nodded in response and rushed in to get the keys. He lunged outside a few seconds later with a bunch of ke