LIANAI watched in horror as he disappeared from view, a sickening knot tightening in my stomach. The rush of adrenaline faded, leaving me shaking and breathless. The reality of what had just transpired sank in, and I leaned against the balcony railing for support, trying to steady my trembling hands.Minutes passed before I dared to look over the edge. Peering over, I searched desperately for any sign of movement, any indication that James might have survived the fall. Down below, the moonlight cast eerie shadows over the courtyard. And there, under the faint glow, I saw him.James lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving. His body was twisted unnaturally. But still, maybe he survived it because of being a vampire—and then I noticed the arrow of a stone statue had impaled him through the heart. Dread washed over me as I realized the finality of his fate."He is... he is down there… dead," I whispered, my voice trembling. A shiver ran through me, the realization sinking in that James
LIANA"I just felt your panic and sadness so strongly all of a sudden, I came running to hug you," Zaylen murmured, his voice soft with concern.I melted into his embrace, feeling a rush of relief at his touch. "Even in your sleep, you sensed it," I whispered, holding him tighter, seeking comfort in his presence."What happened?" Zaylen asked gently, his arms around me protectively."I disobeyed you again," I confessed, my voice tinged with guilt. "This time, it's serious."Zaylen sighed, a mix of resignation and curiosity in his voice. "What is it?"I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before narrating everything that had transpired with James and Mia."You mean to say James is now dead?" Zaylen asked after I finished recounting the events.I nodded, the reality settling heavily on my shoulders. "Yes.""Are you sure?" Zaylen pressed gently. "It's not like last time, is it?"I took a deep breath, meeting his eyes with a mixture of guilt and determination. "Zaylen, his heart got
LIANAExcitement bubbled within me as Jordan shared his plans, but a flicker of concern crossed Zaylen’s face, subtle yet undeniable. I leaned forward, eager to know more."When are you going to do it?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.Jordan chuckled nervously, glancing at Zaylen before answering. "Well, I was thinking sometime next week, maybe on her birthday."Zaylen remained thoughtful, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you sure about this, Jordan?"Jordan nodded firmly. "Yeah, I am. It’s about time, Zaylen."I noticed the hesitation in Zaylen's response, and a pang of realization hit me. "Zaylen, is it because they are not mates?" I asked softly, knowing the complexities of werewolf traditions and their emphasis on the bond between mates.Zaylen sighed, his expression conflicted. "It's part of it. The elders are strict about these traditions. They believe in the sanctity of the mate bond, that it’s the foundation of our pack.""But times change," I insisted, frustration
LIANAAs we rose from the bed, I pulled Zaylen along playfully towards the kitchen, where boxes of utensils and pots awaited organization. "So, Mr. Alpha," I teased, nudging him with my elbow, "any secret tips for organizing the perfect kitchen?"Zaylen pretended to ponder for a moment, his brow furrowing in mock seriousness. "Hmm, well, start with putting the knives where I can't reach them."I laughed, knowing exactly why. "Fair point. And the spices?""Arrange them by how likely you are to use them," he replied without missing a beat. "And definitely keep the coffee beans within easy reach of both of us.""Got it, keep both of us caffeinated," I joked, unpacking the coffee grinder with a grin.Once I was done, I glanced at Zaylen again, enjoying the easy banter between us. After a while, Zaylen leaned against the kitchen counter, his smile softening. "How about we take a break now? We deserve it after this morning."I glanced over at Zaylen, appreciating the soft smile on his face
LIANA I sat at my desk in the bustling office, surrounded by the familiar sounds of typing, running coffee machines, phone calls, and coworkers chattering. My best friend, Lara, sat in the cubicle next to mine, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun as she focused on her computer screen. We had been friends since college, and I couldn't imagine working in this office without her. Her sweet, comforting words always made everything much easier. I glanced up from my work and caught a glimpse of my diligent boyfriend, James, walking toward me. He flashed me a quick smile before disappearing into his own cubicle across the room. James and I had been dating for over seven months now, and I was grateful that he also worked in the same office. I have heard people say it's a bad idea to date your colleague, but I, on the other hand, thought it was nice to have a beloved someone to share lunch breaks and vent about work with. There were so many topics we could relate to, and we just
ZAYLEN I watched three pairs of eyes on me, entirely shocked at my appearance, as if I had manifested out of a UFO with three heads on my shoulder. Judging by their astonished look, it totally slipped their minds that this was my office and I always worked overtime. But today, I wasn’t in the mood to work much overtime, so I decided to go home, only to find the guy named James getting sandwiched between two women. How can boys be so dumb? First of all, you shouldn't cheat. And even if you do, do it carefully. How can you get caught? It just ends up with everyone having bad blood. Anyway, it was not my business, but I had to step in because it was happening in my territory. I couldn't tolerate enmity among co-workers. It affected the work environment and work quality; besides, that James guy wasn't even making great reports either, despite having two women in his arms, which made me a little bit curious: what did either of them see in this dude to fight over him? “What’s going
LIANA “Where to now, Boss?” I inquired, not knowing his full address. He had just told me the area he lived in, not the exact location. “Which block do you live in?” “Well…” Zaylen twitched his lips as he thought. “Keep going straight for a bit.” I kept driving according to his instruction, and when we were passing by a park, Zaylen spoke up abruptly, “Stop here.” Immediately, I hit the brakes. “What happened?” He shrugged and opened the door. “I want to take a walk at the park for a while,” saying so, he stepped out of the car, leaving me alone and absolutely clueless. Should I leave him here? I was assigned to drop him home, which I had done already—technically. But surely, the park wasn't the place he called home, was it? So in other words, I still had to stick with him. Instead of waiting inside and getting bored, I decided to follow him. Looking up at the dark sky, I thought I would spend the entire night crying in my bed with a sad tub of ice cream in my lap. But here
ZAYLEN “So if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something again, Zaylen,” Liana started after I told her to start using my name from now on. She had a hesitant look on her face. “Yeah, sure. Ask me whatever you want,” I gave her permission. She looked into my eyes and asked skeptically, “Why do you really want to help me?” “I already told you my reason, didn't I?” I shrugged. “No, no, there has to be a legitimate reason. It's not charity that you don't need a reason for. You agreed to take revenge!” she pointed out, her voice slurred. “Plus, I'm pretty sure it's not just out of goodwill.” “What? I don't look like a person who has goodwill or does charity?” I teased, which seemed to have caught her off-guard. “No… that's not the case. I mean… you know what I mean!” she rambled. “Now tell me the real reason why you would help me.” Getting curious, I took a closer look at her face. Her eyes were a little unfocused due to the alcohol getting to her head, but they were red an