LIANAMy heart clenched in my chest, watching Zaylen offer himself up to protect me. "Zaylen, no," I whispered softly, my voice barely audible above the tension in the room. "You can't put yourself in danger because of me."But Zaylen's attention remained fixed on Lara, his determination unwavering.Lara chuckled. "Oh, this is too good," she sneered, her eyes glittering with sadistic delight. "Zaylen, if you truly care for Liana's safety, you'll tie yourself up. Right now."My eyes widened at that. Lara knew werewolves were weak today and she was using this as a weapon. She knew if Zaylen was in full form, she could never win against him.“Zaylen, don't,” I pleaded. But Zaylen's resolve remained unyielding as he stepped toward the corner where Lara had pointed, his jaw set with determination. "I'll do it," he said, his voice steady. More tears welled up in my eyes. I watched Zaylen pick up the ropes, each step he took feeling like a dagger to my heart. Lara’s eyes were glowing, and
ZAYLEN“You are so stupid,” I muttered while driving the car.Liana, who was awfully quiet, finally spoke up, “It’s impossible, Zaylen.”I turned to her and arched an eyebrow. “Oh, but I can vouch that you being stupid is not impossible at all.”I thought she would retort or react to my teasing, instead she shook her head and said, “Zaylen, how can Lara be my half-sister?”“What?” My eyes widened at the revelation. “Lara is your half-sister?”She nodded. “She told me that herself.”“But… she is a werewolf,” I mumbled, which didn’t go unheard by her. “Exactly. How can my mother do this? This is totally disgusting,” she spat out. “I know my dad is a bit of a handful to handle, but cheating on him? I hate cheaters!” When I took a scan of her facial expression, I realized she might have been recalling the way James cheated on her. “Why did Mom hide her from me, though? I have always craved for a younger sibling. I would have accepted Lara with open arms, Zaylen,” she uttered as I liste
ZAYLENFor a moment, I paused, my hand still resting on Liana’s shoulder, as the sensation washed over me. It was fleeting, but undeniable—a moment of connection that transcended words.Liana glanced back at me, her eyes widening with surprise at the sudden intensity of the moment. "Zaylen, are you alright?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.Didn’t she feel what I just felt?Probably not.I nodded, unable to tear my gaze away from hers. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. I started to ointment on her wound now silently, trying to avoid touching her shoulder as much as I could, but failing miserably. "It's nice," Liana remarked with a smile, breaking the silence."Getting hurt is nice?" I teased gently, trying to lighten the mood even as concern gnawed at my insides.Liana shook her head, her smile widening. "No," she replied softly. "Having someone who cares about me putting a bandage on my wound is nice."I paused, struck by the simplicity and sincerity o
LIANAI was waiting in a five-star restaurant, wearing a stupid fancy dress.Today was the day I was supposed to meet my dad, and I couldn't shake the sense of dread that accompanied his arrival. He always wanted me to look up to our standards, and according to him, a nice lady from a well-off family should wear dresses.He always used to get mad at me for going out in jeans and tops back when I was in high school. I had to dress up like a mature lady—all posh and pristine. But I have to say, I did earn a lot of compliments for my elegant fashion sense.Even now, I still dressed elegantly, but their point was to be comfortable, not look loaded.“So you couldn’t get a bigger table? Table for two only? A corner one at that?” I heard my dad’s voice and lifted up my gaze to look at him. His honey brown eyes squinted in disappointment as he pulled a chair to sit in front of me. This was Maves Clarins — my so-called father and to summarize: a terror.“It was a last-minute call, so they onl
LIANAMy dad's unexpected question about James caught me off guard. "James? Oh, we are not together anymore," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral despite the surge of bitterness that rose within me.Dad furrowed his brows. "Why was he pestering me a couple of weeks ago?"I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the mere mention of James. "He cheated on me," I admitted, my voice tight with resentment."What? Why are you so dumb, Liana? How could you not catch on?" Dad's disapproval rang loud and clear in his words.I bristled at his criticism. "How did you not catch on that Mom was cheating on you?" I retorted, unable to hold back my frustration any longer.His expression darkened, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "What are you talking about? How do you know this?" he demanded.I took a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "Lara told me," I confessed, watching as his features contorted with a mixture of disbelief and rage.“That snitch!” Dad muttered under his
LIANA"Where do you want to go?" Zaylen asked as we settled into his car."How about going on a long drive and then off to the beach?" I suggested, already relishing the idea of my first day of official freedom.Zaylen grinned at the suggestion. "Sounds perfect to me," he agreed, starting the engine and pulling out onto the open road.As we cruised along in his convertible, the wind tousling our hair and the music blaring from the speakers, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration.It was like shedding all the weight of my worries and obligations with every passing mile.Zaylen glanced over at me, concern etched on his face. "How is your wound?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine care.I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What wound?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.“That wound on the back of your shoulder,” Zaylen reminded me. "Oh, it is healed," I assured Zaylen with a casual shrug."What? So fast?" he exclaimed, genuine surprise evident in his voice."Yep," I confirmed with
LIANAAs we reached the beach, I couldn't contain my excitement. Without a second thought, I kicked off my heels and dashed towards the sand, feeling the soft grains beneath my feet. Zaylen followed closely behind, his laughter ringing out behind me."Liana, wait for me!" Zaylen called out, his voice tinged with amusement as he jogged after me.But I couldn't help myself; the ocean beckoned, its siren song irresistible. "Come on, Zaylen! The water feels amazing!" I shouted back. Before he could catch up, I was already wading into the water, the cool waves lapping at my ankles.Soon, Zaylen joined me in the water."You do remember we didn't bring extra clothes, right? So we can't exactly get wet," he reminded me, a teasing glint in his eyes.But I couldn't let practicalities dampen my mood. "Please, I'm enjoying my freedom. Don't put restrictions on me today! I will worry about the dress later," I insisted, flashing him a mischievous grin before splashing water in his direction.“F
ZAYLENLiana and I were laying on the sand together under the vast expanse of the night sky. We were star-gazing together silently.All of a sudden, Liana shifted closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s peaceful, isn’t it?” she mumbled.I just hummed. I couldn’t voice out anything in response as I felt my heartbeat fastening at our closeness. Why was Liana’s touch affecting me like that?I was pretty sure she could hear my heart hammering in my chest, but she didn’t say anything. She was really calm, as if none of this was affecting her, meanwhile I was ready to go crazy.Realizing I was staring at her, I shifted my gaze on the sky. The stars were twinkling brightly tonight.For a moment, I found myself lost in the peacefulness of the moment. It was as if time itself had slowed down. I wished this could last forever. Me lying here, with Liana — watching the sky.No, Zaylen, stop! Wanting to not think about this anymore, I tried to focus on the stars, but my attention