~ Zora I walked away without looking back, heading for the event hall and Nox followed closely behind me but he didn’t say a word. And maybe that’s what I needed right now, presence without the pressure to talk. Suddenly, I felt exhausted but it wasn’t the kind of exhaustion that needed rest. It was the kind that needed isolation from everyone. By now, a majority of our wedding guests had left and the parking lot was almost empty of cars. Although, not everyone came by car, majority had been residents of the lycan territory and some of them were walking home in groups, chatting away. “Zora!” Hailey called, and I halted in my tracks. She jogged towards me, a little out of breath. With a brief eye contact, Nox gave me a firm nod and walked away but I wasn’t completely alone. My guards, which comprised a man and a woman stayed within earshot, they had been with me since the beginning of the event and were so good at shadowing me that I almost forgot they existed. By the time Hailey c

~ ZoraNow, everything made sense. The sparks. The desire that just won’t go away. The way I couldn’t stop myself from looking his way everytime. All these while, I thought it was because some part of me was still in love with him, since he was my first…everything, now I realize, all that I feel is because of some stupid bond.A bitter laugh escapes me - one that has me holding my belly and doubling over. Tyler’s brows pull together in confusion. The laughter keeps on coming out and with a strange awareness, I realize I was acting like a mad woman. With deep breaths, I eventually calmed down. Rising to my full height, I found him giving my naked body an appraising look and anger immediately surged within me. Closing the distance between us again, I threw my hand back and smacked his face hard. His face swung to the side and he froze. “You don’t get to look at me like that anymore!” I said, pointing my forefinger in his face. He turned to me slowly, his eyes turning pitch black, and

~ Tyler I didn't go straight home. If I did, I'd be homicidal.So the moment I drove into my pack land, I parked my car in front of a motel and turned off the engine. During my recent training, I had learnt that the best thing to do when in a position that requires an emotional reaction, is to retreat and regroup. Emotional responses rarely solve a case, instead they make a regrettable mess and I knew if I went home with the way my anger boiled within me, I'll surely make a bloody mess. What I wasn't sure about is if I'd regret it. So I switched off my phone instead and spent the rest of the night at the motel but I couldn't sleep. My mind stayed awake generating thoughts and analyzing the memories playing over and over in my mind. Walking in on Emilia and her Beta now made sense. Although I had suspected that they were having an affair, I guess I was in denial - the kind that makes one delusional. I remembered a time I was like that. I was thirteen years old when I was informe

~ Zora “But why?” I asked as I drew my pants up and reached for my t-shirt. I had been working my way up, summoning courage to tell him about Tyler when he suddenly informed me about Mabel. Immediately, our sexual mood turned sour and I swam out of the river. Nox also immediately followed after and now we were drying off in the sun and getting dressed.“Maybe she wants to negotiate the release of her father.”“That doesn’t seem like enough reason to discuss with you in private.” I replied. Nox sighed. “I have no idea why she requested privacy from you," he began, "but I want to hear what she has to say."I glanced at him, with defensive words on the tip of my tongue. but I swallowed them down, shook my head and looked away. "I agree. You should hear her out." I said, pulling my top over my head and wearing it. Deep down, I wasn't in agreement. It was as clear as day that Mabel had a thing for Nox and her insisting on privacy with him irked me. The judgemental voice at the back of

~ NoxBy dawn, I was out of the house and on my way to the Barracks. The real one. The barracks close to The Palace is what outsiders believe to be my one and only and I put a good amount of soldiers there. To any spy, they would think those soldiers made up my entire army and would report wrong defense numbers to their masters. I liked it that way. My father had told me it was better to be underestimated than overestimated. I had taken his words seriously and they had shaped my rule over the years. The real Barracks was a massive estate well hidden between Sector Two and Sector Three and half a mile from the Underground. My father had intentionally and meticulously designed every aspect of this territory himself. When I had asked him about the reason behind the situation of the Barracks, he had said, "Never make it easy for your enemies to know the true measure of your power. At every point, fool them. When they think they've got you, fool them again."And that's what had led t