HARLEYI wake up, a sudden jolt of fear running through my body. The image of the man from last night is seared into my mind, and I can't shake the feeling of dread that has settled over me. I'm scared to leave my room, but I know I have to get up and face the day. As I sit up, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I know I have to face Juliet, and I'm terrified of what she'll say.As I open the door, I'm met with Juliet's furious glare. She's glaring at me, her face red with anger."What were you doing in the basement?" she demands, her voice icy. "You know you're not allowed down there. I told you to stay out."I try to speak, but the words get caught in my throat. I don't know what to say. I know I'm in trouble, and I'm afraid of what she'll do. "I'm sorry," I finally manage to say, my voice trembling. "I didn't mean to go down there. It was an accident."But Juliet isn't having it. "An accident?" she scoffs."Who was that man?" Juliet asks, her eyes narrowing. "And why did
HARLEY As he approaches me, I find myself backing up against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going to pass out."You have no reason to be afraid," the man says, his voice soft and soothing. "You're the one who helped me. You're the reason I'm still alive.""What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice shaking. "I didn't help you. I don't even know you.""It's normal to help someone who is in need," I say, my voice trembling. "I would do it for anyone. I don't know why you're here, but please, don't hurt anyone. They're my family."The man just laughs, a cold, cruel laugh that sends a shiver down my spine. "You're a fool if you think they care about you," he says. "They're only interested in what you can do for them.""That's not true," I say, my voice rising in protest. "My family loves me. I know they do."The man's expression changes, and he looks at me with a strange intensity. "You may not realize it, but your heart knows the tru
HARLEY"I know that's not an excuse," he continues. "I hurt you, and I hate myself for that. But I want to make it up to you. I want to do whatever it takes to earn your trust again. I'll do anything, I swear."I look at him, my heart torn. I want to believe him, but I'm not sure I can. "I don't know if I can forgive you," I say, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can trust you again.""Just give me a chance," he says, his eyes pleading.Just then, the bell rings, startling me out of my thoughts. I look at the clock and realize that I'm going to be late for my next class. I gather up my books and rush out the door, leaving him standing there, a look of disappointment on his face.As I rush to class, I can't stop thinking about what he said. I'm still not sure if I can trust him, but I know I can't stop thinking about him. I'm not sure what to do, but I know that things can't go on like this. Something has to change.I take my seat in the back of the classroom, my head sp
HARLEY"What are you reading?" she asks, glancing at the cover of my book. "Oh, a werewolf romance," she says with a grin. "Are you a fan of the genre?"I feel my cheeks redden. "Well, I'm not really sure," I say, laughing a little. "I've never read anything like this before. I just picked it up because the cover looked interesting.""You should read it," Lauren says. "The story is really well-written, and the characters are complex and interesting. It's not just some cheesy romance novel.""The author really knows how to create suspense," Lauren continues. "I've been on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering what's going to happen next. The main character, Lily, is so brave and determined, and the Alpha is so mysterious and intriguing. I just can't put the book down."As we chat, I start to relax. I'm surprised to find that Lauren and I have a lot in common. We both love reading, and we're both fascinated by fantasy worlds.Just then, the bell rings, signaling the end of the
HARLEYI nod, my eyes wide. "Yes, it's true," I say. "Jessica was being bullied by some other students, and I went to help her. That's why I was late. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break the rules."Mr. Lee sighs. "I understand. Bullying is a very serious issue, and I commend you for stepping in to help. I'm proud of you, Harley. You did the right thing." He turns to Mrs. Taylor. "I'll think of another punishment for Harley. One that's more fitting with what she did.""For now, Miss Harley, go join the rest of the class," he says. "And no running ahead - you're still being punished, after all."I nod and head back to the gym, my heart feeling a little lighter. I know I still have to be punished, but at least I don't have to run fifty laps.As I enter the gym, I see the rest of my classmates running laps, and I join in, trying to keep up. It's hard, but I push myself to keep going. I'm determined to make things right.I'm running around the gym, trying to keep up with the others, when
SHANEI, sit on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. My wolf, Caspian, is howling in my head, his voice full of fury. "You fool!" he says. "You've ruined everything! You can't just go around telling humans they're your mate!" I wince as his words hit me like a punch to the gut. He's right. I've made a terrible mistake. And now I have no idea what to do.“This is all because we’re weak now.” I frowned remembering how I fought with Roy and how I was bitterly beaten. "I think we’re weak because of the curse," Caspian says, his voice low and rumbling. "We're weak because of the curse placed on us by the witches. The only way to break the curse is to find our true mate. And I think this human, this Harley, is our mate." I feel a surge of disbelief, mixed with a flicker of hope. "A human? As my mate? That's ridiculous. How could a human ever be a mate for an alpha like me?""No more!" Caspian growls. "You're not powerful anymore. You can't keep going on like this. We need a mate, a
SHANEJasper sped off with me in his car. It turned out that humans have a lot of machinery that they use to get to places as fast as possible.“Now, Roy is ruling your territory?” Jasper looks to me.” The blood moon pack is under the power of Roy. I thought he was your best friend, how did he turn out to be your foe so quickly?”“I don’t know.” I sigh. “I can’t figure out what went wrong but I’m sure this has to do with something from the past.”“I’m scared of how things have gone by.” Jasper ran his hands through his hair. “But I’m happy to finally see you again. It’s been long.”“Yeah.” I can’t remember when last I saw Jasper and his remaining brothers. I wonder how Conor and Kade would be doing. Soon we arrived at a tall building. The surrounding was noisy and the breeze felt like sneezing one could catch a cold because of the dust in the air. “We’re here.” Jasper snorts and I raise my head. “Here we’ll find Conor. He’s a teacher in the school here.”“Conor is a teacher?” I was
HARLEYAs I walked home, I thought about what I would face when I got there. My stepmother, Susan, would be there, waiting to pounce on me with her latest set of demands. And my stepsister, Juliet, would be there, ready to gloat about her latest accomplishments. I braced myself for the inevitable drama that would unfold as soon as I walked through the door.I let out a sigh, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders. But then, something inside me shifted. A feeling of determination welled up within me.I thought about the strange man I'd saved the other day, the man who'd come to me this morning and told me I was his Mate. I didn't know what it meant, but something about it felt right, felt like it could be true. It was a crazy thought, but I couldn't shake it.As I walked, I felt a strange pull, like I was being pulled in a certain direction. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to follow the feeling, had to see where it led me.As I turned the corner onto my stre