AQUAI retreated a few steps back when the figure stepped into the house. He looked intimidating and mean—his blonde crew cut, neat and precise. He had a Roman nose and shared the same eye color as River, a stormy gray shade that would have easily made any girl swoon. His right arm was covered with black tattoos disappearing under his white t-shirt. It took me a moment to notice the resemblance. The facial structure, the eyes—he and River shared more than just a passing similarity.“Baylor,” River's face turned grim as he addressed the visitor. “What are you doing here?”Baylor didn't even spare him a glance as he moved towards a couch with a predatory grace that made the hairs at the back of my neck stand. Once he sat down, he crossed his legs and leaned back like he owned the place.“In case you have forgotten, dear brother, pack members have the right to visit your house, especially family,” he drawled, his voice rough and deep.“Seriously, what are you doing here?” River pressed
GUNNARI wanted to kill him. I was already visualizing my fingers wrapping his frail neck and snapping his bones into half. My claws itched to extend and my fangs almost bared at him as I stood at the entrance. After leading the pack run and handling some important matters, I returned to the house but didn't find Aqua. When I discovered that she hadn't come back yet, I became more worried about her condition, wondering if her condition was actually worse than it looked this morning. But here, she was, holding another man's hand. Or was it the other way around?A low rumble echoed through my chest as I watched River tighten his hold on my mate without looking, his attention completely focused on the medical kit he was reassembling with his other hand.She was mine. And the fact that he had his hands on her obviously meant that he was asking for death. I stepped into the house, barely clinging to my sanity as I approached them. A wave of possessive anger swept over me when I saw thei
GUNNARWe left the pack healer's house after Aqua finished her tests and received her new prescription. I kept thinking about how to discourage River from openly pursuing Aqua since he had already made his intentions known. I wasn't concerned about my mate cheating on me since I had my wolves watching her closely, but I knew that his affections would only complicate my plans to hide Aqua in the pack until I succeeded in breaking up this mate bond.As we walked towards my car, Aqua stole several nervous glances at me and fiddled with her dress. The fact that I could still sense her fear through the muted mate bond made me realize how terrified she was then. And it was clear as day that the source of her distress was me.I sighed and paused in my tracks, turning to her. "Tell me why you are so afraid of me.""What?" Aqua's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and anxiety swirling within them. "I don't understand what you are talking about." she denied.The way she quietly retreated when she
AQUAMy legs shook as I stepped down from Gunnar's car, my heart racing in my chest. I felt like one of my worst nightmares had finally materialized before me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But I felt this was the right thing to do and the only way to get rid of everyone's curious gazes once I stepped out of the house. Besides, I was lucky to be only receiving curious gazes, because most packs would have thrown me out after a day or two, without a proper introduction.I swiped my sweaty hands on my jeans for the umpteenth time and tried to walk properly toward the meeting hall when I sensed Gunnar's gaze on me. He promised to do his best to protect me once I stepped in there, but I was not inclined to believe him, given his position. His first and utmost priority was his pack, and if I failed to win their trust, then he would have no choice but to let me leave.Once we reached the meeting hall, Wilder pushed open the doors and stepped aside for Gunnar to pass through. My
AQUA After the introduction ritual was completed, Gunnar stepped back, waiting for the rest of the pack to welcome me to the pack. But none of them moved, not a single one. The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward as they stared at me, their looks distant and cold. I could understand the dominants' reactions towards me, but the submissives... Even the submissive wolves didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me, and I couldn't imagine why. Confusion twisted in my stomach as I tried to fathom the depth of their rejection. I felt utterly exposed and vulnerable. The open disdain was like a hot knife slicing through my chest, each look a painful reminder of my unwelcomeness. Gunnar stiffened when he saw the scene, but he didn't move one bit. Their obvious rejection felt like a hot knife slicing through my chest, but my mate did nothing to change the situation. He simply crossed his arms and watched, staring at the people with an emotionless expression. Tears slowly blurred my vi
GUNNARShe said yes to River.The thought replayed in my mind as I watched her converse with my pack healer. Though I was the one who encouraged her to make such a decision, I hadn't expected her to heed my words but she had actually agreed to go on a date with him. My wolf was furious at both of us, but most of his anger was directed at me for letting such a thing happen.But what could I have done?Aqua might have thought she had done a good job of hiding it, but I had caught her staring at him multiple times in secret. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree whenever he was around, and she seemed more carefree with him than with me. As a submissive wolf, it was apparent that his constant acts of kindness had moved her, and River had proven his manliness with his courage, standing up for her in front of the entire pack. But she had no fucking idea how difficult it was for me to endure such a scene. When the pack members refused to welcome her, my wolf's emotions almost overwhelmed
GUNNARWilder and I walked into the room where we met the alphas almost tearing their throats out. In fact, they would have probably done so if their Betas were not holding them apart with all their might. I scanned the room, taking in all the damage they had caused. A fresh new wave of frustration and anger swelled in me when I saw the place, my heart tearing for the effort and money it had taken to renovate this side of the meeting hall last month.But this was just one of the many cons of being the Alpha King. Not only did I suffer the risk of getting my properties damaged, but I also had to deal with unreasonable, crazy alphas almost every week. There were more than fifty packs located on the Wysteria continent, excluding the minor packs that preferred to live quietly. The problem was the major packs, which always fought with each other over insignificant issues such as pack boundaries, business deals, and even pack ranking. My responsibility was to keep them in check and ensure t
AQUAAfter Gunnar and the other dominant wolves left, I found myself alone with the submissive wolves of the Storm Fire Pack. I was sure they had all witnessed the scene where River hugged me and the moment Gunnar came to my aid. It was hard to read their expressions, so I kept to myself. Then, someone approached me."Um, hello?" A young woman in her early twenties greeted me. She was an attractive female with orange flame-colored hair styled in a half-bun and freckles sprinkled across her face. "I'm Kianna," she introduced herself. I quickly shot to my feet, swiping my hands on my dress before shaking her outstretched hand. She seemed to be a first-tier submissive wolf, as I found it difficult to hold her gaze. "I'm Aqua. Nice to meet you," I replied."Yeah, I know," she grinned, revealing her bunny teeth. "You just had your introduction ceremony an hour ago, remember?" I wasn't used to such friendly interactions, so I quickly lowered my head, my apology spilling out in a rush. "I
AQUA“It's time I taught you the importance of the mate bond!”His words echoed in my ears, amplifying the fear in my heart. Gunnar's expression was cold and unyielding, but I couldn't find a way to overpower him. His hand disappeared under my skirt, and I could feel the roughness of his hand gliding against my ass. “Please, don't do this, Gunnar.” I pleaded, tears burning down my cheeks.He grabbed my breasts and squeezed, ignoring my pleas. A pained gasp tore out of my throat, my back arching out. I twisted my body, trying to escape from his grip. “Don't move,” he warned. I froze when I felt his extended claws pressing against my skin. I was so scared that he would hurt me, but my wolf urged me to trust him. Because he was my mate, and he would never do anything bad to us. I wanted to trust him. I desperately wanted to, so I forced my trembling body to relax against his, my muscles loosening against his. One of Gunnar's hands moved down my body and felt my bare pussy. My lips p
AQUAThe night sky was filled with countless stars surrounding the bright moon. A cold breeze swept through the air, brushing against my skin, but its chill did little to soothe the growing anxiety knotting in my stomach. River also remained silent when he drove me back home, but I could tell from the car's speed that he was also worried about why Gunnar had summoned me back home.When we finally reached the forest entrance, River finally parked the car and turned off the engine. He turned to me, his deep, concerned eyes locking onto mine, and reached out to take my hand in his warm hands. “Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you?” he asked once again, his voice heavy with concern.Oh, dear moon goddess. The truth was I wanted him to come with me because I was terrified of facing Gunnar alone. But I wasn't sure I could forgive myself if River got hurt because of me.I shook my head and summoned a weak smile. "Nah, I got this covered. Thank you for the date, it was wonderful."
AQUAWhen we finally reached the theater, River asked me to go to the entrance first before he steered the car towards the parking lot. After his failed attempt to kiss me, River became more subdued and quiet, only responding to my questions when asked. Eventually, his stunted silence also affected my mood, causing me to fall silent. As I stood at the large entrance of the theater, my mind wandered to Gunnar once again. I wondered what he was doing and where he had suddenly gone, but obviously, he didn't deem it important to share any information with me. My wolf yearned to be her stubborn mate, but after hearing that his desire was to get rid of me, I suppressed myself so I wouldn't be a burden. Gunnar was someone with great responsibilities, so I didn't dare delude myself about him caring about me. Still, it would have been nice if he had told me about where he was going. As I was engrossed with my thoughts, I didn't notice when River appeared by my side. He bumped his shoulders
AQUA A week later...I walked to the full-length mirror with two dresses, each one in my hand. I compared each one against my skin, contemplating what I should wear this evening. Because tonight was finally the night River would be taking me out to the movies. A swirl of anxiety and anticipation churned in my stomach. I sighed, letting both dresses fall onto the bed in a soft heap. My eyes drifted toward the other outfit I had laid out. Although I had Gunnar's card to cover all my expenses, it didn't feel right for me to use when I was going out with another man. Fortunately, I still had some savings I kept before I left the Wind Ridge Pack. The door creaked open without warning.Fawn stepped inside, her small hand gripping the doorknob while the other leaned heavily on her walking cane. She paused at the doorway, and an uneasy flicker crossed my face as I moved toward her."Fawn," I murmured gently, announcing myself before reaching out to her. "What are you doing here? I though
GUNNARThe following days passed, each one worse than the previous, according to my wolf. He was in a terrible mood after Aqua's rejection, which also affected my mood too. To cope, I focused all my attention on the affairs of the pack. On the first day, I concentrated on strengthening security by conducting intensive training for the sentries guarding our territory. On the second day, I decided to watch over the young wolves in the pack and supervise their activities. On the third day, the elders summoned me. "I think you should go on a retreat," Nathaniel, my head elder, suggested after a morning pack run. "It will do you and your wolf good to spend some time alone. Just leave the work to your Beta for now." I struggled not to smile at his crafty suggestion, probably out of a desire to spare him some embarrassment. Leaning back in my seat, I replied, "I take it that your son has not yet told you the truth." "What do you mean?" Nathaniel questioned, his brow furrowing in confus
AQUA I quickly sprang to my feet when I saw Fawn and chased after her quickly disappearing figure, leaving River behind. He called out to me, his voice laced with confusion, but I paid him no attention as I pursued my mate's daughter.For a blind kid, she was remarkably swift and agile, maneuvering through the forest with ease. It was clear that she had the advantage of knowing the landscape, but her speed was still inferior to mine. I eventually caught up to her and blocked her path. Fawn instantly skidded to a stop when she sensed my sudden arrival. "We need to talk," I panted, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Looking at Fawn, I quickly straightened my back upon noticing how composed she appeared after such a long run. I guessed she was right about calling me weak because my lungs felt like they were on fire, despite the short chase.Fawn folded her arms defiantly and replied, "We have nothing to talk about." "What you saw is nothing," I explained, desperation creeping into m
AQUAWhen River offered to take me somewhere, the last place I expected him to go was to the forest behind my mate's house. My feet refused to move the moment we reached the tree line, refusing to move any farther. River stopped a few steps ahead, turning back to me, a flicker of concern softening his features.“Is something wrong?” he asked, concern glazing over his features. I gulped nervously, wondering what I should say. Gunnar had repeatedly warned me not to expose Fawn's identity, and the last thing I wanted was to get on his bad side today. I didn't know if his daughter left the house often, but I could only imagine that she would sneak out at least once in a while to avoid suffocating in there.I lowered my gaze, focusing on the steady ground underneath my feet. “C-Can I ask what we’re doing here?” I stammered. “T-This is the Alpha King’s property… y-you know that, right?”River nodded casually. “Yeah, I know.” His soft chuckle faded when he noticed how tense I was. His expr
AQUAI woke up feeling refreshed, but the memories that lingered in my mind left me feeling depressed and sad. My wolf kept scolding me for rejecting Gunnar the night before, but I refused to listen until morning.She was right. What was I thinking, rejecting the Alpha King in such a crude manner? What if he got angry and decided to kill me?With that thought in mind, I locked the door and stayed indoors, knowing that no one would check on me anyway. By noon, I decided to sneak out of the house and visit the pack healer.When River saw me, his face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Aqua, what are you doing here?" He scanned me from head to toe, as if making sure I was okay, then removed his gloves and tossed them into the trash can."I just wanted to see you for a bit," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. This had seemed like a good idea when I formulated my plan, but now that I was here, I felt uncertain. I came here because of the comforting aura he possessed to calm
GUNNARAfter convincing Fawn to keep my secret about Aqua, I realized it was time to address the issue with River once and for all. At this rate, she was going to get all of us in trouble, so I needed to stop her before she did something stupid like getting cozy with my pack healer. My wolf had been on edge since we arrived in the pack, largely because we hadn't initiated any physical contact with our mate. Deep down, I almost wished we hadn't left that damn forest because everything between us had felt good back there. Now, it felt like we were back to square one. In fact, we were even worse than strangers, and I hated it. She had her issues, and I had mine. In the past, I hadn't been willing to work on our relationship, but now I was ready to try if it meant getting my life back in order.I didn't notice she had returned to the house until I reached the stairs with Fawn. Her scent lingered there, suggesting she had been there for quite some time, and that made me panic for some un