AQUA
I felt them before I even saw them. The moon cast a haunting glow over the forest as I sprinted through the forest, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Some hyenas behind me closed in, their snarls and growls echoing through the trees. My heart pounded in my chest, matching the rhythm of my frantic footsteps. Branches slapped against my face and arms, but I couldn’t afford to slow down. The hyenas’ eyes gleamed in the darkness, their hunger palpable. I stumbled over a root, barely catching myself before I fell. A low growl reverberated near me. Oh no. Fear surged through me, but I continued to retreat until my back hit a tree. Gunnar led the majority of the pack of hyenas away from me as a decoy when we split, but some of them managed to catch my scent and chase me instead. Now, I was going to be their food in a matter of seconds. My hand found a large rock, and I gripped it desperately, my body preparing to defend itself as soon as one of them made a move. I knew there was no way I was going to survive this one, but that didn't dampen my survival instincts. When one of them lunged at me, I instantly flung the stone in my hand at it. The hyena fell to the ground with a pained cry while the rest retreated with a cautious gleam in their eyes. Yeah, that's it. I felt slightly encouraged by their reactions and grabbed a few more stones as I forced myself on my feet. In a couple of seconds, another hyena made a move on me, but I managed to fend him off too. I sensed their growing determination and knew that this plan wasn't going to work in the long run. “Damn it, Aqua!” I scolded myself. “Think. Think. Think. Think...” My eyes fell on the big redwood tree behind me, and a plan instantly fell into place. After a few breaths, I threw all the stones at the hyenas and instantly made a beeline for it. The hyenas immediately threw themselves at me, but I was a faster climber. One of them leapt up, its jaw snapping at my ankle before it fell to the ground. I screamed. “Bloody hell!” My arms and legs trembled as I climbed higher, just out of reach of the snapping jaws below. The hyenas circled the trunk, their eyes never leaving me. They howled in frustration, leaping and clawing at the bark. I straddled a thick branch, panting heavily, and tried to calm my racing heart. Now that I had reached the highest branch I could possibly find, I felt safe knowing that they couldn't reach me. It was just a matter of outlasting them until Gunnar arrived, so I had to survive no matter what. The hyenas’ snarls grew louder, more insistent, as if they sensed my plan. As the adrenaline in my body slowly drained out, I found myself growing weaker than usual. It was probably because I hadn't eaten much before I left the Wind Ridge Pack, and now I had used up all my energy to fight for my life. But if I was feeling this way, then didn't that also mean that Gunnar would be feeling much worse? Worry gripped my heart as I peered down, checking to see if the hyenas were gone. After some minutes, a large number of them had already left, but the ones who remained behind seemed very persistent and hungry. The urge to find Gunnar grew insistent until it nearly consumed my mind. I had no freaking idea why I was feeling this way, but my emotions right now were tumultuous, constricting the air flow in my chest. I needed something to drive these animals away from me, and I needed to do it fast. My eyes scanned my surroundings, searching for anything I could use as a weapon until it landed on a broken branch dangling a few inches from my head. Carefully, I reached for the branch and grabbed it with all my strength, feeling it give way under the pressure. I threw the branch down. The stick fell on a nearby hyena's head, causing it to howl in pain. The rest instantly backed away. Seeing their reaction, I searched for another nearby branch to use as my new makeshift weapon when I heard a distant yet familiar howl pierce through the forest. Wolves. They emerged from the shadows of the forest, their eyes glinting with deadly focus. Relief and shock washed over me when I saw Gunnar following them. His eyes glowed, their blue lights bewitching me until I didn't notice when the wolves formed a protective circle around my tree. “Just stay there, Aqua.” He commanded as a low rumble spread across his wolves. “The wolves listen to my command, but that doesn't mean they won't see you as the enemy too, so don't move.” “A-Alright.” I gulped slightly, my fingers curling around the branch I was staying on. The tension in the forest multiplied tenfold as the wolves and hyenas faced each other. I knew a battle was inevitable. When the fight finally began, Gunnar immediately climbed the lowest branch and reached for me. The wolves moved as one, their unity and strength overwhelming the disorganized hyenas. Teeth clashed, fur flew, and the forest floor became a battleground. My mate buried my face into his chest once he wrapped his arms around me. His scent drifted into my system, drowning all the ferocious sounds that echoed around me. I felt safe and protected in his arms even though I was pretty sure the world was possibly crashing around me. “Don't worry, I'm here,” his voice was so rough, yet soothing, pulling me deeper into the overwhelming darkness that consumed me. “You won't be harmed as long as I'm with you.” Dear heavens, my heart just did a triple backflip and a forward one when I heard him. For some weird reason, I knew that he meant it and I believed him. His presence felt the piece of puzzle that my brain and body had been missing until now. My eyes grew heavier until I had no strength left. I scumbled under the pressure and murmured with my conscious breath. “Thank you.”AQUAWhen I finally jerked back into consciousness, the first thought that ran through my brain was the need to find my mate. Again. Gunnar's head snapped in my direction at the sound of my soft gasp, but he didn't move. “You're finally awake, huh?”I nodded slowly, shifting my gaze to the bonfire near him. The smell of burning wood and the crackling of the fire drifting into my nose, pulling me closer to its warmth. Trees towered above, their branches swaying gently in the night breeze, casting eerie shadows in the flickering firelight. When I moved, a sharp pain shot up my side, causing me to wince. “That's good, because we have to talk.” Gunnar threw the last piece of wood in his hands before rising to his feet. His movement allowed me to spot a wolf behind him, resting on its haunches with its front legs straight. “Tell me what you did, Aqua,” he demanded. My heart skipped a beat at the sharpness in his tone. As a submissive wolf, I had mastered all the signs most dominant wolv
GUNNARWhere the hell was she now?I kept staring at the direction my second-chance mate had gone after the little argument we had. Although I had tried my best to restrain my anger back then, her hurt and pain still buzzed down the mate bond like a white noise. She had no idea how damn lucky that my wolves were near when the hyenas attacked us. The effects of the drug were barely fading now, but if they hadn't come to our aid, we would have surely died back there. That's why I snapped at her. She might have been fortunate to survive up to now, but with this naive character, she'd be chewed up and spat out in my pack in a matter of seconds. “Damn it, she's taking too long, Odin.” I said to the gray wolf by my side. From what I could sense from the mate bond, she certainly wasn't in any form of danger, so why hadn't she returned yet? Unless...I shot to my feet, feeling my blood boil in anger as I considered the possibility of her running away. Her scent still lingered in the air, b
GUNNARI led her through the dense forest, holding her hand tightly as we cut through the underbrush with large strides. The bright half-moon hung high in the sky, guiding our path as we returned to the bonefire. At that moment, Odin, who was guarding the place, quietly slipped into the darkness of the forest. After a few more steps, Aqua finally stopped in her tracks. My breath caught when I turned to her. Her face was illuminated under the moonlight, highlighting her wavy black hair cascading down her back and hourglass figure. And there it was—that sexy, innocent look she had. Oh, heavens. She had no idea what she did to me when she looked at me with those mesmerizing ocean-blue eyes. It made my wolf claw through my skin, fighting for control to claim its mate.Aqua glanced hesitantly around our surroundings and asked me. “Are you sure you want us to have sex here?”“Yes, I do.” I buried my hands into my jeans pocket to keep myself from lunging at her. “Our wolves like it when th
GUNNARAqua's chest heaved in post-orgasmic bliss as she stared at me with her big, round eyes. I could tell that my words had scared the shit out of her, but my wolf, who was now in control, didn't really give a shit about her emotional state. Still, I forced myself to ask her, “Are you alright?”Sweat clung to her beautiful skin as she nodded, still catching her breath. “Yeah, that was... amazing.”My wolf growled in male pride, clearly pleased by her words. Her feminine scent lingered in the air, calming the rough edges of its desires, but I knew it craved more. “Good.” My eyes locked onto hers with an intense gaze as I leaned in, my face hovering above hers. “Then you should reward me with a kiss.”The air between us crackled with tension and desire as I parted my lips invitingly. My cock twitched in my jeans when Aqua's tongue wetted her lips before she leaned in to kiss me. Her mouth moved against mine in a slow, sensual dance, trying to mimic the way I kissed her before. A d
AQUAI woke up the next day, the morning light filtering through the trees above. My first instinct was to close my eyes to shield my vision, but then memories of the previous night came crashing into my mind—me arguing with Gunnar, going to find medicinal herbs, and then we having sex in the middle of the forest. Oh. My. Goodness.When Gunnar had talked about the mating ritual, I didn't think it would be this intense, this raw and primal. We woke up several times through the night, his mouth on my...vagina, his.. penis in my vagina so many times. Heat crept up my cheeks when I thought about it. Gunnar had been so rough with me, yet I liked it. Something about the way he dominated me pleased my wolf and me so much until I thought I would die from pleasure. The sounds of birds chirping in the air snapped me out of my wanton thoughts. I tried to stand up when I felt a pair of strong arms restricted my movement. So I turned around and saw him. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at h
AQUAAs the sun settled into the sky, I looked up at the sky and wondered how long it normally takes for someone to change their behavior. My mate took less than a second after he came in me. Once his human consciousness took over, Gunnar rolled off me and retreated from me as fast as he could. The tightness of his jaw and the subtle clenches of his fists suggested his unhappiness, but I had no freaking idea what I did wrong. I mean, from what I saw, he definitely enjoyed the sex we had. So why was he frowning and refusing to meet my gaze?“We have already wasted another time here,” he said, his voice devoid of warmth as he picked up his shirt from the ground. The wolf was back again, standing near him as he picked up our torn clothes. I stared at the bonfire, which was now a bunch of ashes and charred wood, engrossed in my thoughts. I had no idea how this mating bond worked, but something about his distant behavior hurt me a lot. He threw his shirt at me and said, “We have to le
GUNNAR“Damn it!” I cursed in frustration and kicked a pebble flying into the underbrush, watching it disappear into the shadows as I strode through the forest. This mating bond was more torturous than I had imagined, capable of driving my wolf faster into madness if left unchecked. And that had become my greatest fear since I killed my first man. After being abandoned by both my parents, it took me some time to realize that some wolves always had one thing they were obsessed about. As long as they weren't satiated, they would remain subservient towards their other halves, which were their human consciousnesses. When I had killed my first man under my alpha's orders, I still remembered the rush and thrill in my blood that night. I thought it was just the excitement and happiness of finally becoming a man worthy of serving his pack, so I kept killing until I almost became a rogue wolf. It took the combined efforts of the pack healer and her granddaughter, Tia, to rescue me from the
GUNNARBefore I ventured back into the middle of the forest, I decided to leave Edith behind to safeguard the truck and search for Aqua myself. But that left me slightly defenseless, because I had to navigate around my surroundings alone with my lack of vision. Still, it wasn't as hard as I'd thought because all I had to do was track down my mate's scent. Although I was born blind, I had grown somewhat dependent on the wolves I inherited from the former Alpha King at the age of 19. Before then, I had trained my other senses to help me survive in this harsh world. Taking a deep breath, I familiarized myself with the scents of the forest, letting the cold, damp air rush into my lungs. Aqua's scent also mingled along with the aroma of pine and earth surrounding me. Then I began to move with slow, deliberate steps, tracking her down. The sounds of birds chirping from a distance and the earth-shattering sounds of the animals racing through the forest entered my forest. My body stiffened
AQUAWhen we returned to the pack, Wilder took us straight to the Kincaid mansion, where the elders were already waiting. My stomach twisted as I climbed the stairs, flanked by guards, every step heavier than the last.Their eyes followed me like a shadow, and the fact that I sensed it made me even more nauseous. These were the same familiar faces that had stood in my living room just two weeks ago, offering smiles, congratulations on my engagement, and pledging undying loyalty to the Alpha King. Now, they sat cold and silent, the weight of their betrayal hanging in the air like a storm about to break.They’d all chosen Nathaniel.And that meant Gunnar’s throne…was no longer safe."What, are you surprised that we got the elders on our side?" Wilder released a low chuckle after he noticed my glare. "Don't be, darling. You'd be surprised at how dissatisfied they have been with your mate's way of doing things."At that moment, I was barely restraining myself from punching him in the fac
AQUA After Saint's death, Odin led Fawn and me to the pack boundary, the weight of our grief hanging heavily in the air. We journeyed for an entire day under a dense canopy of trees without taking a single break. Sunlight filtered through the tree, casting a path over me and my stepdaughter.I nearly stumbled over a root but managed to catch myself before I hit the ground. However, the sudden impact jolted Fawn awake, so I mumbled a soft apology before adjusting her to my body. Despite everything, the wolf didn't stop and continued to walk ahead of us. With each step, I could sense the exhaustion radiating from the wolf beside us, his powerful frame still trembling from the ferocity of that intense fight. He must have been devastated about the loss of his brother, yet he continued to push himself to complete the mission given to him. As we moved deeper into the woods, the air grew thick and rich with the scent of damp earth and pine, grounding yet unsettling. The guards had stopped
GUNNARI was several miles away from the Storm Fire pack when I felt it.The pain. The sorrow. The fury.All these feelings struck my heart like a tempest, consuming my senses until I couldn't think anymore. My heart felt so constricted that I couldn't stand anymore, causing me to fall on one knee. When my men saw this, they immediately rushed towards me in concern, but I stopped them with my raised hand. They must have been so shocked they couldn't control their emotions because I felt all their fears crash into my heart.Was it possible they were almost scared to death because of my sudden fall?No, that wasn't it. The general sense of unease spread among the soldiers, making them jittery. I pushed myself to stand, my legs trembling as they bore my weight against the unseen burden pressing down on my heart. Then, a piercing howl sliced through the heavy air, sharp and haunting, reverberating off the trees and sending a chill down my spine. Others might not know where it came from, b
AQUAThe first time I heard about hunter wolves was when I was in the Wind Ridge Pack. They were used to hunt a notorious thief who had broken into Julie's house one summer. The news spread across the pack in less than four hours, mostly because they didn't give us a choice to accept it or not. But if there was one thing I learned back then, it was that those people were ruthless. The kind of people capable of doing anything as long as they captured their prey. Some said they did it because they didn't have any other choice, considering the tight competition in the business. But others said they were psychos, people who enjoyed seeing the pain they inflicted on others. That's why I knew we were in deep shit now. The hunter wolf inhaled, breathing in the cool night air that was faint with our scents. It's the very reason why I had chosen to stay up in the trees, holding that the harsh wind current would mask our scents. But he still catches it nonetheless. “Their scents are still
AQUAOnce I heard the noise from the living room, I pushed Fawn into the kitchen and locked the door. The air was thick with tension, and our ragged breaths broke the eerie silence that enveloped the room. My heart raced as we waited, straining to hear the sounds from the other side of the door. But then, a sharp scream pierced through the air, followed by a series of female cries that sent a fresh wave of panic through me."Shut the fuck up!" Nathaniel barked. When the women's cries were finally reduced to frightened sobs, he muttered some words to the guards before turning to them. "I have no intention to hurt you, but if you don't tell me where Aqua and that little devil spawn are right now, then all of you are going to pay dearly for your silence."Ella remained unfazed by his threat. "But we are telling the truth! No one saw where Her Highness went after she gave us orders to search for her daughter."Nathaniel ignored her and continued to speak to the other ladies, but none of t
AQUAHogan froze midstep when he heard my words. The six-foot, muscular blonde man who had been cooking for Gunnar for over ten years gave me the most sinister look I have ever received. I couldn't help but retreat when I saw him take a menacing step towards me."You're not supposed to be here, Your Highness," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Does anyone know you're here?""I don't need to report to anyone about whereabouts because this is my house," I asserted, my voice sharp and clear. I noticed he had already retracted his claws so I did the same. "What were you doing in the kitchen storage room?"It was the only place we hadn't checked in the house, mostly because Hogan had always been sensitive about letting people in. He would spend the entire day talking about food contamination so I guess all of us were just subconsciously afraid of getting on his bad side.But now, it turned out that he was the traitor we had been looking for."Move aside, Hogan," I ordered. The air in the ro
AQUANow it was 8 pm.The angry mob and the elders were still outside the house, looking for a way to get in. They tried everything they could, but the house's defenses were top-notch, designed with the latest technology, so I knew we were going to be safe.For now."Has anyone heard from Bodhi? Anything?" I asked, my desperate eyes scanning the staff in the house. Due to the chaos happening outside, no one had gone home yet, so they were forced to stay with us.Ella, who had been quiet since she entered the house, finally spoke when she heard me. "I just received a message that he was deployed to fight the rogue wolves trying to evade our borders. He left with most of the sentinels, so there were no reinforcements when our guards were attacked," she explained.My head started pounding as I tried to think of a solution to solve the situation. I knew it was only a matter of time before these people came up with a plan to infiltrate the house that actually worked this time, and then we
AQUAMy heart dropped when I heard her words. It felt like I was torn between disbelief and the panic that had risen in my chest. But of course, it all made sense now. If that old woman were alive and healthy, she would have never let this angry mob assemble to harm her only great-granddaughter. “She's dead?” I repeated dumbly. The pack priestess was supposed to be my reserve plan to suppress these people, but her unexpected death was something that I also intended to take advantage of. “Why haven't we held a funeral yet? Why hasn't an announcement been made?”At that moment, someone from the crowd suddenly spoke. “Who the hell would mourn that old witch?! She deserves what she got!”A flash of red passed my eyes when I heard his words. I wasn't her biggest fan, but she was still Fawn's family. I couldn't imagine how devastated she would be when she found out she was gone. I closed my eyes to control my emotions before facing the crowd again."According to the laws of the pack, there
AQUAA week later. I was lying on the couch discussing bridal gowns with my maids when I heard a strange noise. The air felt different as we all turned to look toward the sound. I exchanged an alarmed glance with them before getting up from the couch and walking down the hallway. I figured it wasn’t anything serious. Maybe it was just Fawn taking out her frustrations on some poor toy. However, as I made my way down the hallway, I realized the noise wasn’t coming from the upper floor as I had initially thought. I continued toward the back door, following the source of the sounds. What I saw almost made my heart stop. A mob was gathered outside, throwing stones at our house.Afraid, I rushed upstairs to check on Fawn who I'd sworn to protect with my life. My heart pounded loudly in my ears with each step I took, praying that she hadn't left the house or wandered somewhere in the forest. Fawn was her father's life, and I knew he would have no future without her.I kicked open the door