SKYLA. “Ah, it’s hot! Careful!” Kataleya scolds as she swats my hand away gently from the sizzling grill that sits in front of me. “Does it matter? I will heal.” I remind her, sucking my finger clean. We are down at Kayoko’s Grill, grilling our own meat. It’s sizzling hot and damn delicious. We used to come here with Song and Azura, have some sake and enjoy chatting about boys, life, and stuff in general, but both of them have graduated. In fact, Azura has a cute little three-month-old baby now! “Missing them?” Kataleya asks knowingly. I nod. “Yeah, you know the four of us were pretty wild.” I wink at her. Her smile falters and she nods. “You and Zu were, but yes… it’s not the same. It’s still nice, me and you…” “Yes, it is… What is it, Kat?” I ask. There’s more… she’s not telling me, but something is on her mind. She tilts her head, her long sandy brown hair falling over her shoulder then her dark eyes stare at the sizzling cubes of meat on the grill. “I… I won’t be here for gr

SKYLA. I see its shadow loom in the tiny window, which is far too small for it to fit through. Heck, I just about managed to fit! Thank god I’m not blessed with Mama’s curves or my ass wouldn’t have fitted through that damn window and that snake would have had my ass for dinner. Can you just imagine me walking around with my ass bitten off? I'll probably be dead soon after. Silently I climb into the bathtub, shuddering at the thought. I can feel that chilling aura grow, and I can hear its breathing outside. Silently I place my hand over Malevolent’s mouth, steadying my breathing as I lie down in the bath, not wanting to be seen… Go away… I hear a distant, powerful growl that makes my heart soar. Is someone out there? I hear a hiss before something huge slams into the side of the cottage, not once, but twice. Fuck! I flinch, praying the walls hold, and I’m about to run from the bathroom, but suddenly there’s silence. Exhaling deeply, I wait for a few moments about to get up when

ALERIC. She’s… I don’t kiss women on the lips. There’s something about it that disgusts me, but when I saw her standing there, clearly upset with whatever Royce had said to her, I was unable to stop myself. Perhaps I knew if I wanted to make this look as genuine as possible, I would need to. I’m not a hundred percent certain… Either way, I am not complaining. I wrap my arms around her waist. Her scent is alluring and as much as I’m enjoying her confidence, I like to be in control. I smile against her lips. This isn’t so hard… “Patience Sweetheart,” I murmur against her lips as I grip the side of her face tighter and tease the tip of her tongue. She tastes just like Pear Drops… I explore her mouth, feeling pleasure rush south, running my hands up her waist until I reach the sides of her breasts. So perfectly moulded into my hands. ‘I’m waiting, Aleric.’ Royce’s sharp voice comes into my mind. ‘You should carry on. We’re about to have a drink and maybe more.’ I reply jokingly, if on

SKYLA. As the door shuts behind him, my small smirk fades away, and I look around the cottage. That cosy touch feels empty… My stomach drops, guilt filling me, followed by a void, one so deep it almost hurts to breathe. This is the part I hate the most; I know my flaws… I know when I’m fucking up but it doesn’t stop me from self-sabotaging everything. Even then, it’s easier to identify my flaws and another thing entirely trying to move away from them. Breaking a cycle that, for a fleeting moment, fills that emptiness, is hard. I live in those moments… It offers me temporary relief, a distraction I really need from the constant war that wages in my mind. But it always comes to an end and then it all sinks in, knowing I fucked up. But deep down I know I’ll do it all over again, because I need that, those small moments of reprieve they offer me. Picking up my phone, I unlock it and click on the chat app. It’s instinctual, another bad habit of mine that I’ve picked up recently. It has b

SKYLA. “Alright.” His words surprise me, and he takes a step back. He’s backing down? “Alright?” I ask, unable to hide the surprise from my voice. He raises an eyebrow. “You don’t want to listen then fine; we’ll move on. You might be a werewolf, but we can get muscle cramps, even if it's momentarily, warming up is ideal, but it’s your call.” I wasn’t expecting that… I step back, wondering how he combatted his ego. “I’m surprised you backed down.” “Is it that surprising?” He asks, a hand to his chin as he observes me. “Yeah, since you’re an Alpha…” I say trying not to pay attention to his Adam’s apple. He raises one of those eyebrows of his, his smouldering eyes burning into me. “Being an Alpha doesn’t only mean walking around and displaying arrogance, there’s far more to being an Alpha… Above all an Alpha’s duty is to protect. I genuinely want to help you to attain control.” My heart thuds as I stare at him, he’s getting under my skin again and as much as I want to lash out