-Cain- “Well, don’t you know how to stir up trouble?” I turned to see my old friend Reese standing in the doorway to the living room, where I was trying my best not to lean into the temptation of pouring myself a drink. However, the sight of him made me feel much better. He laughed when he saw the smile on my lips, and he came over. We slapped our hands together before he placed himself beside me. I stood by the window, gazing out at the light drizzle outside. “How did you know I was back?” I asked him. “You really think you could come back without me hearing about it? I mean, you always made sure people knew what you were up to. Fucking your brother’s fiancé. Wow, I knew you loved chaos, I just didn’t know you loved it that much,” he chuckled before he went and grabbed something to drink for himself at a small bar further away. “Goddess… people already know?” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. “It’s everywhere. Did you really expect this to stay a secret?” he asked. “It’s only noon,”
-Willow- My mother walked around me, going over how I looked in my ceremonial dress. It was the one I had planned to wear to mine and Carter’s ceremony, and instead I was wearing it for someone completely else. It made me feel dirty and wrong, as if I had actually cheated. I had, but as my wolf kept reminding me, Cain was also my mate, so I couldn’t forget we were also destined to be together. But did that mean I had cheated on Cain for being with Carter? It was all very confusing, and I couldn’t wait until this day was over. I believed my parents felt the same way because they had barely spoken to me since arriving, and as I got ready, had my hair and makeup done, and got in my dress, my mother gave me a look I had never seen before. She had never been disappointed in me before, but that was the only way I could interpret the look in her eyes—she was disappointed. My mother reached out and suddenly tugged on the side of the dress, pulling a little hard so it felt like I was being p
-Cain- I was faster to change. My father came to see us off while my mother had disappeared somewhere, and my brother was nowhere to be found, but I didn’t blame him. It was understandable if he had no interest in being around us at the moment. We weren't exactly his favorite people, and so it was just my dad and me. We were standing by the entrance, talking lowly with each other, while a group of fighters stood behind us. “Remember, you have people around you that you can’t trust,” I reminded him. “Yes, but they might not be the masterminds behind it all. Servants might be able to be bought,” he whispered. “Just be careful. Now we know something weird is going on. What I can’t figure out is why. Even you agreed that Carter and Willow were perfect together, so who wouldn’t agree?” I asked him. “She isn’t from a weak line.” “No, but maybe someone wanted to hurt her family. It could easily be her own enemies coming for her.” “But who?” I asked, but my father didn’t get to answer me
-Willow- I watched as my phone lit up in my hand as I sat on the couch in the middle of the room, my feet up and my arms resting on my knees. I could see Eva calling me. She had called me about a thousand times already, leaving messages as well, but I couldn’t get myself to pick up. I wanted to, but my heart felt too heavy, so I just watched it ring and ring. However, when she sent me a message about coming to see me if I didn’t pick up, I finally answered, putting it on speaker as it felt too heavy to hold up. “What the hell, Willow?” she shouted through the phone. “I call and call, and you don’t answer. What is going on?” I tried to speak, but instead tears began streaming down my face, and Eva heard the sobs leaving me. “Hey, talk to me,” she implored. “I… can’t…” “Yes, you can. Remember, always best friends,” she reminded me. “I can’t…” “Just talk to me. Tell me what is going on inside you right now.” “I don’t even know…” I whispered. “Is it true you slept with Cain?” she
-Cain- After checking the area, the rain began again, forcing me to go back into the house. I went to the master bedroom and was annoyed to see that Willow and her stuff weren’t there. As my mate, it felt wrong that she wasn’t in the same room as me, and I promised myself I would go get her in a moment, but I took a shower first, washing off the dirt before I dressed in some dark, relaxed clothes. I walked out of my bedroom, looking around to see if I could find any clues as to which room she had disappeared to. A servant came by, and I called out to her, asking her where Willow was. She pointed to the other side of the house, and I tried my best not to show how angry it made me that Willow wanted that much distance between us. I thanked the servant before I went to the room Willow had chosen. I opened the door, not even bothering to knock before, but when I opened the door, she wasn’t even inside. I looked around, confused, before I went downstairs to look for her. I would rather n
-Cain- “I admit I have had my fun,” I replied, seeing Willow roll her eyes and shake her head before she turned away from me. “And now everyone thinks I threw myself at you,” she mumbled. “We both know what happened.” “Yes, we do! Us, you and me, and our families, but what about the rest?” she asked. “Have you any idea how hard I have worked to be respected by these people?” “Why do you want their respect? They only think about themselves.” “And who do you think about except yourself? I mean, honestly, can you say that when you came into my room, you for a moment thought about what it might mean if you continued?” she asked, turning to me again and looking at me with eyebrows raised high, clearly already having made her opinion. However, I had to admit it hadn’t crossed my mind much. She was running her tongue along my skin while begging me to fuck her, and she was my mate. How could I say no? “I actually thought you were cheating on Carter,” I admitted to her, and her eyes gre
-Willow- I had gotten the impression that Cain had decided to leave for a while simply to explore the world. I thought he might be looking for more hunting grounds, but now he revealed to me that his father had kicked him out. That I hadn’t expected, and I couldn’t help but continue to look at him as we sat there together. I wasn’t sure what to even say. I knew he had asked us to change the topic, but now I was quite intrigued. I knew I shouldn’t ask, though. I could see it on his face. He didn’t want to talk more about it, and so I pressed my lips together, focusing on my empty plate in front of me instead. “Sure, we can talk about something else.” Cain nodded, satisfied, yet we both remained quiet, unable to decide what would be best to talk about. We both struggled to get any words out and simply remained silent for a good while, sitting beside each other. We were destined to be together, and yet no words wanted to leave our mouths because we knew how complicated this was. Neith
-Cain- Willow was fluffing up the pillows and truly making herself at home in the bed. It was rather fun to watch, and as I came out of the bathroom, I remained in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe as I watched her. She looked so good with her long, blond hair down now, and she had changed to an oversized t-shirt to sleep in. She was beautiful, no matter what. I couldn’t deny I had been given quite the gift. However, I understood Willow’s frustration. She was right. My reputation hadn’t been tarnished in the same way hers had. They didn’t really view me any differently than before, but sleeping in separate rooms wasn’t going to change the gossip. I believed it was going to make it worse because people would think we didn’t share any connection. Why else would she be sleeping in another room? No, this was a better arrangement, even if I had to sleep on the couch for a night, then so be it. But I wouldn’t stay there indefinitely. Being mates meant being close together, and I