The room was dark when I opened my eyes. Half my body felt numb and the other half felt like it had been run over. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness around me as the almost dead part of my body began to wake. With hands that trembled, I pushed myself off my back and sat up in bed.My lips were dry and the sheets underneath me were soaked with sweat. Feeling irritated, I took a few minutes to gather my wits around me and then I dragged my tired and sagging body to the bathroom. Yellowish skin, dead hair and sunken, lifeless eyes stared at me after I washed my face.Almost in an instant, the memories of earlier flooded my subconscious and I touched my stomach as my heart erupted in erratic pounds. I remembered my heart constricting as the life was squeezed out of me and I gulped, stumbling out of the bathroom. My baby could be hurt. My baby that I spent the last five years anticipating – my baby –The ground underneath me gave way as I rushed out of the bathroom and I

Greeting my father was awkward. He came with a single suitcase and a deep frown.“Welcome, Dad. How was your trip?” I asked but he only grunted in response. “You’re not happy to be here, are you?” I asked when he looked around the pack house with indifference. My father travelled a lot for business so he must have seen a lot of magnificent sights other than Redville, but still, the way he looked at the pack house as if it was nothing impressive when most people could not contain their awe when they got to Redville was disappointing.“What’s the difference between here and Blood Moon? It’s crazy men everywhere,” my father responded then he turned to glare at one of the many people who secretly came out of the pack house to peek at him. “You have the worst luck in men, honestly.” He shook his head.It was then that Angela came out of the pack house with a radiant smile lighting up her face.“Oh, our esteemed guest is here!” She exclaimed, rushing towards us. For a minute, I thought she

I’d buried all thoughts of Janet at the back of my mind and moved on with my life, else, I may have been consumed by the grief that came with her betrayal. I’d heard that a friendship breakup hurts worse than a relationship breakup but I got to experience it firsthand. Janet was more than my best friend; we were sisters. When the world was against me, she had been beside me and I thought it would be like that for the rest of our lives but she tried to kill me. There was no other way to describe it if not attempted murder. She released vicious hounds on me without a second thought.“What do you want?” I felt a headache coming on even as I asked that question.“Channy, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry about that day. I don’t know what came over me but I – It’s a flimsy excuse but after years of listening to my mother, she succeeded in poisoning my mind against you. You of all people know that I wasn’t thinking clearly when I did that,” she ranted, her voice thin and filled with desperation.

*JACKSON* I’d been to the hospital once in the five years during which Chantelle and I tried for a child. The doctor had clearly said I was fine so I saw no reason to go back. I didn’t even have any lingering doubts that the problem may be from me and not from my mate so once Irene came to me with a child; I accepted her without a second thought. In the first place, I didn’t think of Irene as someone who’d ever be involved in paternity fraud. I’d thought I was the only man who had access to her so it didn’t even occur to me that the child may not be mine. “What – What –“ My mother jumped up and then swayed on her feet. “You mean that baby – that bastard in your belly –“ She pointed a finger at Irene who was staggering to her feet. “James!” Mother bellowed. “Explain yourself!” “Martha, calm down!” My father barked in response, scrubbing his palms down his face. “What do you mean, calm down?! You impregnated another woman!” Tears gushed from her eyes as she spoke. “My best friend’s d

“Where is your sense of self-preservation?” He asked in a low tone and then proceeded to grind his teeth. “Why do you keep mentioning another man right in front of me?”It was such an unexpected reaction that I blinked twice, my mouth almost falling open. Those words – that insinuation – It was just… Greg? When did Greg become ‘another man’ and what was that insinuation? My teeth were grinding unknowingly as I thought of the implications of his words.“What – Who is ‘another man’? What do you mean?” I all but snarled. Asia paced inside me and knowing she was going to say something to defend her stupid mate, I blocked her out. “He’s my friend’s mate or what do you take me for? A loose woman that chases after people’s mates?” My voice rose higher and my tone became harsher with every word. His eyes widened as I glared at him but he rearranged his expression faster than the blink of an eye.“You have a talent for jumping to conclusions, I see.” He leaned forward with his elbows planted