Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Kas's POV

Things have been so uncomfortable since the fire. At first | thought it had to do with being in a different packhouse and everyone being in closer quarters than we are used to, but | think it's more than that. Bronx is like a man possessed. He has moments where he is very sweet like he always has been, but it's few and far between. He’s generally grumpy and rude to everyone, even me. That's if | even see him. People scurry away when they see him coming, hoping to avoid his wrath. He spends long hours at MasonCo and when he isn't there, he spends his time with Milo locked in the conference room.

Most nights he doesn't get back to our apartment until the early hours of the morning. | pretend to be asleep but | can feel the bed sag when he gets in. He always wraps his arms around me and deeply breathes in my scent. | hear him whisper how much he loves me and how much he misses me. The gross smell of cigarettes mixes in with his coffee and dark chocolate scent more and more every night. And | don't know how he manages to do it but he gets up at five a.m. to train with the rest of the warriors. Leaving my on my own.

Lenora is hardly around because she is busy securing international contracts for the security company, while Ashley is also busy with work and dealing with pack matters. | offer to help her every day, but she politely declines, telling me she doesn't have time to explain how to do everything and usually rushes away giving me an apologetic smile. Ashley does get me a laptop though, which is arelief. | don't have to worry about bugging her to print things out for me anymore. Everyone is stressed out and no matter what | try to do to help, I'm in the way or ignored. | almost feel like people are avoiding me. Even Mrs. Miller tells me the kitchen in the old packhouse is too small for me to be in there while she and her staff are working. She is so busy, | can’t even get her to sit down between meals to discuss food for the wedding reception. So, | stay out of the way. |

don't want to add to her stress. | will figure it out myself. That is what the internet and all those bridal magazines are for, | guess.

Delilah and | spend time in a much smaller kitchen off the ballroom, perfecting the recipes for our bakery. Well, if it ever actually happens. The one time | brought it up to Bronx, he said 'not now, Kas' and rushed away to meet up with Milo. | mean Delilah is great and other than Lex, she’s my best friend but she has a mate of her own and she can't be there every second of the day. | try not to complain, but | think she can tell I'm feeling down. | don't let on how much the way | am being treated by everyone is really bothering me. | don't want to guilt her into spending more time with me.

Lex on the other hand is super excited about getting married. She’s been helping me with wedding planning. | know that sounds weird, the wolf in my head is my wedding planner, but honestly, she has good taste and she has helped me with it in previous lives. Today, for example, | don't want to feel like lam in everyone's way, so she and | are going to look through websites for food option ideas for the reception. | call Delilah to let her know I’m going to focus on wedding planning and | won't be able to meet up with her. She sounds tentative but as always, she is understanding.

"Don't forget to call the dress boutique and make an appointment!" Lex reminds me.

"Oh, good call!"

| flip my binder with ideas and notes to the page with the bridal shop number. The woman on the phone is so nice. She makes my appointment for tomorrow afternoon. They're going to be slow because it's Valentine's day. I'm sure Bronx will be working, so he won't even notice, but I'll still have plenty of time to make a romantic dinner for him. | sent him a text message about it. Hopefully, he remembers.

| hang up the phone and hear a drip of water in the sink.

Sink? Don't be stupid, Kas. The sink is down the hall. The drips are from the leaky pipes splashing against the dungeon floor. I'm on my knees and Ryan is holding my face, getting ready to smash my eyes out of my head. Oh Goddess no! Please, please don't let him blind me! The pressure of his thumbs against my lower eyelids is so painful, | cry out in pain and grab his hands.

No. That was the past. I'm in the dress shop. Wow. What a weird, terrible memory to have while I'm trying on wedding dresses. It felt so real, | think to myself. | shake it off. Now is not the time for that kind of crap.

in front of a huge mirror. She was right, it looks much better on me than it does on the hanger. They turn the main lights down and turn little spotlights directly on me. It makes the beading on the dress sparkle and shine. This is

comes crashing through. Everyone in the store starts screaming and running. I'm planted to the spot in shock. The wolf grabs a human running away by the neck and rips their throat out. Blood spatters everywhere defiling the beautiful white dresses on the

it off so| can shift into Lex and run. The woman who was helping me is now crawling on the floor trying to get away but the wolf

Shit.

stumble backwards off the platform. Fuck it.

Shift! Screw the dress!" | yell at her. "That wolf is too close! Hold on, Kas! | need to stop time but it's gonna be draining,"

you waiting

shift and stop time simultaniously, so everything starts moving as soon as

KAS! Baby, please! Come on, look at me!" Bronx is on his knees, shaking me. "Bronx?" | can feel tears

snap you out of that vision for twenty minutes. Are you alright?” He caresses my

| can't help myself, | start sobbing and fall into

kisses my forehead, “but | do need

patiently and listens. That's right. Patient. Who

Bronx," | feel my

dresses? How much time before this

concern.

"Tomorrow afternoon.”

reschedule. Make an appointment for next week,

about to ask him why he’s home in the middle of the day when | look

it?" "After midnight. When James told Marco that you canceled plans with Delilah and had not left the apartment all day,

"After midnight?"

| had called the

"Bronx, I've been-"