-Daphne- Two years later. “Jackson?” I walked into my mate’s office. Often we would sit there together, but I had woken up later today. He lifted his head and smiled at me as he saw me enter. “Hey,” he said, his smile growing the closer I came to him. I walked around the desk and smiled playfully. He tried to reach for me to pull me closer, but I moved away and he looked puzzled. “Can’t I touch you now?” he chuckled. “Not yet.” “Oh, are we playing?” “Yup, my own little special game.” “Is that the game where you tease the hell out of me with your mouth and tongue?” he asked. “No.” “Where you strip and make me go crazy?” “No.” “I am getting confused now,” he said, making me chuckle. “What kind of game are we playing?” “A guessing game.” “Okay,” he said. “Is there a prize for me to win?” He smiled mischievously, and I nodded. “I am all in then.” “Tell me the first thing that comes to mind when I say a word,” I told him. “Okay.” “House.” “A home,” he said. “Love.” “
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*Warning! Dark start, description of death. Skip this chapter if you are a sensitive reader* -Anastasia- As the house erupted in chaos, I held my hands over my ears. I had been told I couldn’t scream. I had to be as quiet as the dead. I was so scared, though. My small heart was beating inside of my chest, and I was crying. I bit my lip so I would not make a sound, but small whimpers escaped me anyway. I could hear screams and growls filling the house, and I closed my eyes together. Somehow I believed if I couldn’t see, I wouldn’t hear it. I would be able to shut it all out, but it didn’t happen. I still heard it all. I still heard them crying for help and the people screaming and begging. “Please… go away…” I whispered. I knew I shouldn’t speak, but I just wanted it all to go away. I wanted it all to turn quiet… Mom… I wanted my mom. I wanted her safe arms, and I wanted my dad to come and tell me all was going to be all right. When I had a nightmare, only he could calm me. But neit
-Anastasia- 14 years later… I stood in front of my mirror. The water was running down my body. The room was full of steam after my long bath. I always loved it hot. Almost scolding. I wasn’t sure why. It hurt when I got in, but I wanted it that way. As if the sting of the warmth fueled me in a way nothing else did. No food gave me energy. No sleep made me feel more awake. And no long walks or runs helped me feel stronger. But the burning water helped me. It brought me strength. It made me feel more powerful. Just for a moment, but it was enough. I made me actually feel something. I reached out and ran a hand over the glass, brushing away the steam on the mirror, and saw myself standing there, completely naked and still dripping with water. I turned my head and lifted my hand, running it over the burned skin on my body that covered almost my entire left arm and some of my chest. I had survived that night… but I had barely made it out. The flames had caught onto my clothes and burned m
-Roman- I was standing on the big balcony that faced the front of the enormous mansion. I watched the people stream inside, their voices carried with the wind and brought up to me. There were so many of them and they were expecting big things for tonight. They were expecting a new queen. Daphne hadn’t officially been named queen. I hadn’t marked her yet either. Tonight was just her introduction as my queen. A lot still had to be prepared for the official ceremony, and then there was the marking. I felt little about the marking, though. Many lycans would be excited, even wolves, but such an excitement was reserved for when you found your true mate. The one chosen by The Moon Goddess, and someone who was your perfect match. The missing piece who had been looking for. It was a blessing to be given a mate. Not everyone was. Among werewolves it was very common… Among Lycans? Not so much. We didn’t know why this was. Maybe it had something to do with the fact we were just born more powerful
-Anastasia- I came on my own tonight. Not that my aunt and uncle weren’t there. But we had gone by ourselves. I didn’t want them to figure out why I had really decided to attend tonight. To find answers. They felt like I was obsessed. Like I had decided to freeze myself in time and never move on, but how could I? How could anyone move on after witnessing what I had? How could anyone just… let go? I had watched something I was too young to watch and experience, and now this burning hatred in my heart was the one thing that kept me going. It was the thing that kept me alive. It helped me get up every morning. And it helped me eat and get dressed. I needed it so I could continue. It helped me hold my head high as I felt eyes on me as I walked in. People were whispered and talked as I walked by them, and I knew what they were saying. What they were talking about. My scars… "Is that her?" "Have you ever seen her before?" "Do you know what happened to her?" It was all questions I heard
-Roman- Daphne and I finally went downstairs, joining the party. We were being greeted left and right by everyone who had attended the party, and when we came into the big ballroom, we knew the show was really going to begin. We had barely taken a few steps. Then someone was calling out to us, wanting to talk, and wanting to get to know Daphne better, as if they hadn’t known her forever. It was all very… fake, really, but Daphne she was the perfect hostess and she was the perfect queen. I was more and more certain of it as the night went on. We would make the official introduction a little later in the night because I knew once that was over, we could escape the party, or at least I could. “Roman!” Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice call out to me, and a smile spread across my lips as I saw Shane coming closer. He was a distant relative of mine, but I always referred to him as my cousin and he did the same. We were very closer, and had known each other all our lives. He was a good f
-Anastasia- I had a few too many drinks as I stood with my cousin and his friends. They laughed and joked around, while I stayed quiet in between them. I knew I had a job tonight, but I didn’t want to alarm my family. I knew they would tell me it was time to let the obsession go. Since my family there had been no violent deaths like theirs. No one who had been brutally murdered like they had been. But why my family then? Why not someone else? Did my family have enemies I had not known about? Most likely. As I had said, my family was not a small pack. They were influential and powerful. My father sat on the council for werewolves. The lycans truly ruled it all, but it was still important for the alphas to work together and have a connection. Besides, the wolves were already outnumbering the lycans. It wouldn’t be long before they ruled everything and made the decisions. But this only gave me motive. Where were the culprits, though? I looked around the room, looking at all the people to