CJMy muddled heart raced with so many thoughts at once. Lenora had asked to flee with me. As tempting as that sounded, the thought was vaguely disturbing and I couldn't bring myself to agree to her wishes. Left to me, I’d seize the chance and take her with me. She meant the whole world to me, but I knew better. It wasn't right to force her to make such a huge decision in her life. She was young and had a full life ahead which I wasn't planning on stealing from her. Yet I couldn't imagine living without her. I loved her with all my being, and the thought of being with her forever filled me with joy. But her dad had been through so much these past few weeks, and I couldn't bear to add to his difficulties.There was no easy answer to this. Whatever choice I made would have aftermaths. Leaving her here was going to break me because I would miss her every day of my life. Taking her with me was going to break her dad and cause more dilemmas.There was nothing here for me anymore. I had

Lenora"Here we go," CJ announced, opening the door for me to exit the car. My gaze darted around the house and my heart skipped with anxiety. Things were about to get awkward between Mariselle and me, and because she used to be my best friend, it hurt like hell to see her so distant and angry, CJ pulled me closer, kissing my forehead tenderly, but when Mariselle stood at the door and glared at me, an expression that screamed, 'I'll tear you apart if you take one step closer, ' I froze. CJ grinned, rubbing my back to soothe me, his gaze silently communicating that he was solidly behind me and bent to whisper to me. "Your face turned white as a sheet. Don't forget what I told you. Try to ignore her tantrums. She's angry but will get used to us eventually."I nodded, giving him a tight-lipped smile, but deep down, it hurt to see her harbor so much resentment for me like we were never friends. CJ turned towards Mariselle. She looked so intimidating, perhaps because I knew she was a

Lenora Moping like a ghost, I felt isolated, with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. A few hours had passed since CJ's announcement, and ever since, I felt like I'd just swallowed a gallon of lemons. I perched on a chair in the inner part of the living room, listening to the sound of laughter filling the air, and watched women swirl and dance gracefully, all dressed in colorful dresses.Laughing, they swayed with jubilant energy to an Oriental beat, the chorus of the lyrics was The sun will rise in the morning. Their energy was beautiful. The kind that made you forget about everything bad for a little while. The women were all gorgeous. Not one was ugly or unattractive.The kitchen was packed with women and piles of delicious food. The women served themselves a couple of glasses of wine and tea. CJ and the men had headed out while the women continued their form of entertainment, dancing and playing charades, while the elder ones sat near the fireplace telling stories.I didn't

CJAfter Harrison and I stepped out of the dining room, we had a meeting with the pack's financial team. They laid out a series of documents arranged to showcase the pack's financial health, including the income statement that showed how much the pack earned and spent.I yawned, feeling overwhelmed as they forwarded the balance sheet. Accounting has never been my strong suit. I was more concerned about defeating Giovanni. The bastard had taken a portion of our land and financial investments. If we didn't do anything about it, we would go into debt."We need to go to war," I said with a soft, warning tone. Harrison scratched the back of his head to hide his confusion, looking unconvinced."Isn't there another way we can get rid of him? Like sending secret assassins?" he suggested."I'll never do that," I snapped, my tone chilly. "I'm no coward. I must make him pay for his wrongs by rising and taking what rightfully belongs to me in the presence of the whole world."Blood rushed into

Lenora I stood at the edge of the clearing, feeling left out and a pang of loneliness. I was the odd one out and a huge part of my brain registered that things weren't going to change anytime soon. Despite how I pretended that this wasn't affecting me, I felt hollow inside. I missed home and my dad, but I couldn't go back without CJ. My selfish side wished he'd stayed in Eldridge. I wanted that part of our lives where all that mattered was giving and receiving love. This place was complicating things and making my energy level dangerously low. Watching them, I admired their communal synergy. The young ones were playing with sand, and girls my age were throwing subtle winks at the men to get their attention.I craned my neck, scanning the clearing in search of CJ. I spotted him walking past with his usual confident swagger. Our eyes met, and a warm smile spread across his face, instantly turning me into a mess.He stopped in his tracks and blew me a kiss, causing me to flush. I fe