Lucas stepped into his apartment a few minutes after midnight, his senses still on high alert as he scanned the room. The weight of the recent encounter with the rogue werewolves still lingered, amplifying his vigilance. As he closed the door behind him, he was met with the sight of Anna, waiting patiently in his living room. Although she wasn't looking her best, her presence brought a semblance of solace to the storm that raged within him."Anna," he uttered her name, relief lacing his tone as he went to hug her before he regarded her calm demeanour and glared accusatorily at her. "You knew they were after you, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?"Her eyes met his, her gaze telling him he was right. "I did not reveal it because I didn't want you to worry yourself unnecessarily," she responded in a flippant tone as she went to sit and rest her back on the couch. She had felt frail in his arms, and it seemed she had still not recovered her full strength. Lucas sighed, the weariness
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Marcella sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by scattered papers and her laptop open to various websites. She was in a tiny crop top and shorts and had her hair plaited into 2 braids as she stared at the laptop screen. After having spent the entire week delving into the mystery surrounding her History Professor, she was determined to uncover the truth. Discreetly following him around, her findings, although inconclusive, only fueled her suspicions further.She had been subtly inquiring about him from students in the other classes he taught, hoping to uncover any information that could shed light on his mysterious nature. To her surprise, the responses were disconcertingly consistent - no one seemed to know much about him.It was strange, she thought, that a professor who had been teaching at the college for quite a while now would still remain such an enigma. She had hoped to find some connection, some trace of a personal life that would
The early Sunday morning sunlight streamed through the small kitchen window, casting a gentle glow on Marcella and her Nana as they sat at the breakfast table, engaged in warm conversation. Her Nana had missed dinner the previous night claiming she was tired and needed to rest so she had gotten up really early to make her favourite breakfast that morning. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of pancakes. As they chatted, sharing stories and laughter, a sudden change in her Nana's demeanour caught her attention. The vibrant sparkle in her eyes dulled, and her cheerful voice grew faint. Her heart clenched with worry, a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach as she dropped her cup of coffee and instinctively reached out, her hand gently grasping her trembling fingers."Nana, are you okay?" She inquired in a worried tone as she noticed how hot her hands felt and quickly stood up to help support her.But before her Nana could put int
Marcella followed the nurse down the hallway until they reached her Nana's room, the nurse paused and gently pushed open the door, allowing her to enter. The room was bathed in a soft, sterile light, casting a pale glow on the scene before her. Tubes and wires snaked around the room, connecting her Nana to various machines that monitored her vitals with only the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor punctuating the otherwise quiet room.Her eyes welled with tears again as she took in the sight of her Nana lying in the hospital bed, seemingly fragile and vulnerable amidst the medical equipment. Her face was pale, and her chest rose and fell with the assistance of a ventilator, providing the vital breaths she couldn't take on her own.Her footsteps echoed softly as she approached the bedside and felt a lump forming in her throat. She reached out and gently took her grandmother's pale, fragile hand in her own, her fingers gently intertwining with the worn, comforting touch she had known
It was almost 5 am before Marcella slowly stirred from her sleep. Blinking away the remnants of her dreams, she felt a surprising sense of peace wash over her at the comforting scent of her surroundings before realising she was still in her Nana's room. She recalled feeling exhausted from all the crying the previous day before she had fallen into a restful sleep and now that she was awake it was as if the weight that had burdened her had been momentarily lifted, replaced by a glimmer of hope that flickered within.Sitting up in her Nana's bed, she couldn't help but marvel at the change in her emotional state. Just hours ago, she had felt overwhelmed, lost in a sea of worry and uncertainty. But now, a flicker of optimism danced within her, whispering promises of resilience and strength.A little sense of confusion mingled within her as she got up from the bed while taking a moment to collect her thoughts. How could she feel this sense of calm amidst the turmoil of her Nana's condition
As Esmeralda slowly regained consciousness, she let out a pained groan as her head throbbed as if a thousand hammers were pounding inside her skull. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself in a poorly lit room, its cold and damp floors making her body ache. Disoriented and still a bit groggy, she slowly sat up and she tried to make sense of her surroundings.She lets out a yelp in shock as she realised she wasn't alone and her gaze fell upon the other women sharing the cell with her and observing her, their haunted expressions creeping her out slightly as she noted the various splotches of bruises that marred their bodies, and their hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes mirrored the toll that starvation must have taken on them. She noticed that they were all young, most likely still in their twenties or early thirties.Where the fuck was she?"What is this place? Who kept us here?" She inquired as the women seemed to huddle closer into themselves. Undeterred, she pressed on, "Can you tell
Marcella sat in her usual spot in class, her mind far away and consumed by a whirlwind of worries and concerns as the sound of her professor's voice became a distant hum. It was a good thing she had read ahead of the class and completed the semester coursework for all her classes she mused as her eyes glazed over while she stared blankly at the PowerPoint presentation as the words written there blurred into an incomprehensible jumble. Her notebook lay open in front of her, its pages untouched while the pen in her hand remained motionless. She was physically present in the classroom, but her mind had wandered far beyond the confines of the lecture hall.Images of her Nana, frail and vulnerable in the hospital bed and Esmeralda's radio silence had added another layer of unease to her problems. As Professor Lucas continued to lecture, his words washed over Marcella like distant echoes. She tried to grasp onto the threads of his teachings, to focus her attention on the subject matter at
Lucas blended into the background effortlessly as he stayed hidden in his usual spot; a discrete corner of the bar, his presence seemingly unnoticed by the bustling crowd except for a few ladies who kept giving him appreciative glances despite the stern look on his face.The bar was filled with loud music, the chatter of patrons and the clinking of glasses with everyone seemingly having a good time without knowing the danger they were in; he was almost certain there were several werewolves among them and he had come here every night since discovering the truth about their ability to cloak their scents, determined to keep a watchful eye on his mate. Yeah, he was resigned to calling her his mate in his head now.As he stood there, his sharp senses on high alert, he strained to catch every word spoken in the crowded space hoping to pick up anything useful that would help him find the rogues but it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, as the multitude of voices blended into an