ZANDERSeeing Rey so injured and bleeding, broke my heart completely. I didn't know who was attacking us or why, but something occurred to me. Perhaps these were enemies who had been lying in wait for me.Over the years, a few had actually attempted to come against us, but they always waited along the roads. So either these were sent by someone who knew that I was leaving, or they had been keeping watch over us.It was an attack, and the fact that they were using arrows meant they were werewolves. As I stared at Rey, I was upset that they did not mind that she was one of their own. Perhaps they saw her as a worthy sacrifice for a great cause, but I wasn't one to let go so easily.I came out of hiding as more arrows were shot at me. I jumped, and all the arrows passed below me. Afterward, I began to crawl on the ground.Seeing I had gotten close, the men who were earlier shooting; who were now close to me but could not see me because I was concealed by the bushes, turned around and wan
ZAANWe stood—all four of us—at the edge of the cliff; Me, Walker, Zander, and Rey. The past month had been rough initially, but it turned out to be eventful. At first, breathing the same air as Rey seemed impossible, given her ill intentions toward us from the start. However, witnessing her genuine efforts to please everyone and seeing the happiness she brought to my brother, I decided to let go of my resentment and be free.However, that did not mean I would turn my back on her. I remained wary, just as I would be with any untrustworthy person. My mom had also become more accommodating. She occasionally smiled at Rey and engaged in conversations, but I knew her watchful eyes never left her. Rey was aware of it too. The pack had come to accept that she was likely to be the next Luna. She was my brother's love, and thanks to her, he had become more lively, socializing more and spending less time sleeping.Carter had also changed since his fight with Walker. Realizing he was no matc
ZARAI woke up before the sun rose, took a bath, got ready, and picked up my bow and arrows to go for my rounds. Other warriors of my pack start at noon but, I am there at the boundary as early as five every day, making sure that everything is in order and no lycan is trespassing into our territory. I relaxed a bit when I checked all around and realized that I was alone. I walked to the river not far off from where I stood and bent down to drink some water when I caught a sound. I listened intently and heard footsteps but they were not familiar. My battle instincts kicked in and I jumped into the water. I took out a few of the arrows stacked at my back and looked around warily, ready to plunge the heart of whoever the intruder was, I wouldn't put it past the evil lycans.ANDERSI ran into the woods to exercise my body and do what I did best; keep watch over the lycan territory. This was the life I loved and lived for. My name is Anders and I am the most highly respected gamma in my p
ANDERSNow I had to face the crocodiles since running was no longer possible; better the predator than the prey. I was just about to swim deep into the water to find the crocodiles when I saw the werewolf come up from under the water. I stared at her in awe as she held two arrows in her hands. They seemed to be stuck in something and a few seconds later the heads of the two crocodiles became visible, an arrow stuck in the head of each while she kept holding on to them.The crocodiles were by her sides only this time, their mouths were shut and they seemed to be floating. It was at this point I noticed that a few arrows were strapped to her back. She had lost her bow in the undertow and I had concluded that she was defenseless but she proved me wrong.She briefly made eye contact with me and I could see from the look in her eyes that she was proud of her achievement. She pulled out the arrows from the crocodiles at once and returned them to her back before swimming towards the bank of
ZARAI ran, as fast as my feet could carry me. I knew I didn't have to run, not too far from the river bank were the hills and mountains, the neutral grounds. There, a werewolf and lycan could pass each other without having to fight or kill each other. Only rogues broke this law because they did not answer to any packs.However, I was running for an entirely different reason. For the first time in my life, I was not in control. I've always known what I wanted and fought for it but this was different, my heart was involved and Viola was excited in a way I had never experienced. I was used to her being silent. She barely spoke to me or tried to influence my decisions but this time, she kept begging me to stay back and get closer to the lycan. This was why I had to run. I ignored her displeasure and could tell that she had shrunk back into her usual shell.It took about four hours to move from the neutral grounds to my pack. With my speed, I was able to reduce it to three but the rapid b
ZARAI lay on my bed with my eyes open. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep, not with the storm brewing inside my heart. I had once heard that the only way to be free from the mate bond was to reject one's mate.Brandon had done it and that explains why he had no attachment to Avery, his mate whom he rejected. It was different for her though as she had refused to let go of him. She kept clinging to him despite a series of rejections and it makes me wonder what is so special about him.Perhaps this was why I was so restless. I needed to reject my mate so I could be free from the mate bond. I knew Viola would be devastated and I would be in pain for a while but this was for the best. I could not afford to let everyone down, especially my father.I began to feel hungry and decided to have my dinner. However, after placing the food in front of me, I lost my appetite. I could not eat, I could not sleep, and neither could I focus on anything else other than the lycan. I needed to meet hi
ANDERSAs I watched her run away and realized she was my mate, I felt an indescribable pain in my heart. Why did it have to be her? Perhaps, she also realized that being mated to me was the worst thing that could happen to her. we needed to reject each other because this bond was not possible. Until then, I dared not shift because once I changed form, it would no longer matter that she was the enemy.For now, I needed to get back to my pack. My whole body felt weak but I knew that it wasn't because of the undertow. My unfortunate situation must be taking a toll on me. Even though the werewolf was gone, I could still perceive her scent and it made me feel strange.I followed the same track she used and went to the neutral grounds but I turned in the opposite direction which led to my pack. It was a six-hour's walk back and I wasn't in the mood to run. It would be easier if I shifted but that wasn't the best option right now.I arrived at my pack when it was sunset, after walking for a
ZARAI nodded, "yes I came, I had to because I was losing it. You must have also realized that we are mates, that is certainly why I can't get you out of my head."He nodded, "me too. I keep seeing your face everywhere."Hearing him admit that he was going through the same thing I was, gave me a feeling I could not describe. I could feel my wolf, Viola come out of her shell once again and she was so excited. She kept telling me how amazing it would feel to be held in his strong arms but I shushed her. His gaze was fixed directly on me as his eyes held mine. I wondered briefly what was going through his head before turning my attention back to what was most important and I said to him, "we both know that we are sworn enemies so this is impossible. The right thing to do is reject each other and go our separate ways."Despite how confident I sounded, my heart was thumping loudly, so loud that I feared he could hear it. I was fighting against every urge in my body to run to him, especial
ZAANWe stood—all four of us—at the edge of the cliff; Me, Walker, Zander, and Rey. The past month had been rough initially, but it turned out to be eventful. At first, breathing the same air as Rey seemed impossible, given her ill intentions toward us from the start. However, witnessing her genuine efforts to please everyone and seeing the happiness she brought to my brother, I decided to let go of my resentment and be free.However, that did not mean I would turn my back on her. I remained wary, just as I would be with any untrustworthy person. My mom had also become more accommodating. She occasionally smiled at Rey and engaged in conversations, but I knew her watchful eyes never left her. Rey was aware of it too. The pack had come to accept that she was likely to be the next Luna. She was my brother's love, and thanks to her, he had become more lively, socializing more and spending less time sleeping.Carter had also changed since his fight with Walker. Realizing he was no matc
ZANDERSeeing Rey so injured and bleeding, broke my heart completely. I didn't know who was attacking us or why, but something occurred to me. Perhaps these were enemies who had been lying in wait for me.Over the years, a few had actually attempted to come against us, but they always waited along the roads. So either these were sent by someone who knew that I was leaving, or they had been keeping watch over us.It was an attack, and the fact that they were using arrows meant they were werewolves. As I stared at Rey, I was upset that they did not mind that she was one of their own. Perhaps they saw her as a worthy sacrifice for a great cause, but I wasn't one to let go so easily.I came out of hiding as more arrows were shot at me. I jumped, and all the arrows passed below me. Afterward, I began to crawl on the ground.Seeing I had gotten close, the men who were earlier shooting; who were now close to me but could not see me because I was concealed by the bushes, turned around and wan
WALKERI knew that Carter was going to confront Zaan, and I wasn't wrong. It was better he found out the truth. That way, he would back off and know his place.It was funny hearing him talk about how Zaan was his mate when I had just marked her the night before.If not for the promise I made to Zaan, I would have shown off in front of him. He stomped away angrily, and I walked after him. But I kept a little distance between us. I stood somewhere, watching as he confronted Zaan, and I heard the words he said to her. I shook my head, knowing that his words were the rambling of a man who was angry because he had lost. It wasn't my fault. I was just fortunate that he was too stupid to let go of something as precious as Zaan.After he left, I came out of hiding and walked up to Zaan, but I saw that she was unhappy."What is the problem?" I asked.She ignored me and turned to walk away, but I held her hand and pulled her back."Are you upset with me, Zaan?""Why wouldn't I be? I clearly to
CARTEREver since that night, I threatened Walker, I noticed that Zaan had been avoiding me. The following morning, I walked toward the cliff hoping to talk to her, but then I saw Walker. His eyes were gleaming, and his face held so much joy. I felt sick to my stomach. What was he doing here?If anyone was allowed to be there, it was me because I had been in this pack for years. The fact that he kept lingering around Zaan made me so upset. I knew what he wanted, but I was convinced that Zaan would never give him the time of day, not when she had such strong feelings for me. So, I wanted to ignore him. However, something surprised me. Zaan's scent was all over his body. It was so strong, as though she was the one standing in front of me.This could only mean one thing. As I realized what had happened, I rushed toward him, grabbed him by his collar, and pushed him to the ground."Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he asked, getting up. "You know you're lucky fights are not allowed h
ZANDERAfter my mom left, I kept hiding but continued staring at Rey as she conversed with the man whom I believed was her father. The way he treated her, though, and the fact that she did not react to his actions, showed she had a lot of respect for him. I kept clenching my fists in anger.When he finally turned and walked through the gates of the pack, I realized Rey was crying. I came out of hiding and walked toward her, and right at that moment, she turned. When she saw me, I could see the surprise and fear in her eyes. She stood for a while, staring at me in shock.I thought about what my mom had said. The best punishment at this point was to take her life. That was what she deserved, and that was what was expected of me.She remained rooted where she stood and couldn't take another step while tears kept falling from her eyes. But I walked toward her slowly until I was standing a few inches away from her. I stared at her for a while before grabbing her neck with my hand as though
REINAEver since that first night, I spent in Zander's room, something in me changed. I became a different person. Not that I had become a saint overnight, but I had become someone who genuinely loved Zander. Each moment I stared at him, I convinced myself that I would not be able to part from him, much less be the cause of his demise. He was patient, kind, loving, and everything wonderful I never thought I would find in a man. What were the chances that if I successfully destroyed this pack, I would be able to live with myself? No, if I destroyed the pack, how would I be with Zander? And if I destroyed Zander, how would I live?I had fallen head over heels in love with him. I was a hopeless case. There was a way he stared at me sometimes as though he had something to say. Other times, he looked at me with so much love and so much faith. I could not imagine ruining the faith he had in me.I soon became scared. Each time I was outside, I would look around the pack. I would see the ch
ZANDEREver since my mom exposed Rey to me, my life had not been the same. I was constantly thinking about it, wishing and hoping that somewhere there was a mistake. Each time I looked at Rey, her eyes held so much love for me. She spent most of her time by my side, and at night she was always in my room.Sometimes, I was tempted to get upset at her for playing me for a fool and treat her the way I thought she deserved. But I couldn't bring myself to do so. I didn't know why I loved her so much despite knowing her for such a short time. I was restless, and it kept eating at me.There were times when I would make eye contact with my sister when addressing the warriors, with Rey by my side. From the look on Zaan's face, I would know what she was thinking. There were other times too when I made eye contact with my mom, who always had her eyes on Rey. I knew what she was thinking as well.Though my mom had told me not to expose anything to Rey, I kept my eyes on her. Not because I wanted
WALKERFor the first time in my life, I felt as though the universe was within my reach and I could grab it and give myself the life of my dreams. This was all possible because of Zaan. Her confession made me feel on top of the world, although there was turmoil in my heart. It made me believe that this moment was surreal; somehow, it felt like a dream.Zaan had just met me, so her confession that she also loved me was a miracle. Yes, I had come after her with hopes that she would accept my proposal, but hearing her admit everything without holding back, I didn't know how to react. I wanted to be sure that this moment was real. I held her cheeks and said, "Look into my eyes, Zaan, and tell me that you aren't joking. This isn't a plan or a trick, right? Do you truly love me just as you've said?"She smiled, "Will I joke about something as important as this? This is how I feel.""So, for how long have you felt this way?" I asked, still not believing it."Well, ever since I realized th
CARTERI knew what Walker was up to and it scared me. I loved Zaan, more than I could imagine and I hated myself for pushing her away from me. At the time, I had not realized how deep my feelings for her ran. Also, I had been under the impression that Zaan was madly in love with me but did not know how to back down when she needed to.Now I had to compete for her attention. Walker wanted her and as a man, I could tell. I was threatened by the fact that Zaan seemed to have a soft spot for him. This was evident in the way she gave him preferential treatment.I had been searching for her for a while, only to see her coming out from the direction of the unclean river and Walker did the same almost immediately.It was at this point I decided to have a conversation with Walker but he was too arrogant for his own good. I was merely marking my territory but a rookie like him dared to disrespect me. He was about to learn how things really worked around here.I watched him walk away and had a