GUNNARA few minutes later..."First and foremost, both of you are going to apologize to Kat and cover her son's medical expenses," I announced to the two dominant female wolves after I returned to the living room. "Then, you will compensate River for the damage you caused in his living room. Am I clear?"The two female dominant wolves exchanged glances. The tension in the room thickened as they regarded me with a mix of fear and defiance. The one with highlights cleared her throat to catch my attention and complained, "I can understand paying for the damage in River's living room, but why should we cover that boy's medical fees?""Yeah, it's not our fault the boy got hurt," the other woman chimed in. "If his mother had been watching him, he wouldn't have gotten injured. Honestly, how are these submissives training their children anyway?"I raised an eyebrow at their words. "I'm sorry, does this sound like a suggestion or something?"The two female dominant wolves froze at my words, r
AQUAI was sleeping in my bed when I felt his presence.Fawn had just returned to her room after expressing how much she despised me, and I couldn’t help but feel crushed by her words. Throughout my life, I had endured various injustices and nasty looks for being a submissive wolf, but this was one of those moments when I truly hated myself for being weak.She was right, I told myself, tears spilling onto my pillow as I surrendered to the night’s darkness. I was nothing more than a pitiful, weak wolf, unworthy of love or respect. That night, I cried myself to sleep but suddenly, I felt powerful, warm arms wrapping around me. Alarm gripped my heart, causing me to struggle against his embrace until his familiar scent filled my nostrils. It was a heady mixture of earth and something undeniably comforting. For a fleeting moment, the tension within me eased, and I relaxed into the hold, my body instinctively seeking solace from him. Yet, as reality crashed into me, my fight returned, and
AQUAThe next morning, I woke up to Gunnar's alarm blaring in the background. He had mentioned yesterday that he had a morning pack run to lead, so I reached for his phone to turn it off and wake him up. However, I suddenly noticed that my face felt very itchy. The more I scratched it, the itchier it became, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.I tapped Gunnar three times and watched him stir a bit. My throat also felt scratchy and painful when I tried to call out to him. "Wake up, Gunnar. You have a pack run to lead."Suddenly, a movement in the shadows stole my focus. My heart raced as I strained to see, and fear gripped me when I spotted a wolf with golden eyes curled up in the corner of the room. After calming my racing heart for a few more seconds, I reached for Gunnar again but this time, I was surprised to see that he was already awake.I greeted him with a small smile, "Good morning.""Good morning," he greeted me back, his voice deep and sexy. A warm rush of color spread ac
AQUAA few hours later, I went to the pack healer's house. Navigating my way around the pack was much easier than I had anticipated. I felt completely terrified when I ventured out of the isolated forest where Gunnar's house was located and into the main area of the pack. As I stepped out of the cab, I noticed a few curious glances from people passing by. I understood their confusion; after all, I had joined the pack but hadn’t yet been introduced to them.Self-consciousness crept over me as I instinctively pulled down my hood, trying to shield myself from their gaze. My face, marred with large, unsightly rashes, felt raw and exposed. After receiving the mental image Gunnar had sent me before he left, I confirmed that the house in front of me was indeed the pack healer's house I was looking for. The pack healer's house I was looking for. With my heart pounding loudly in my ears, I stepped onto the front porch and knocked on the wooden door. There was no response at first, but I knew
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
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
AQUAI returned to Gunnar's house in the evening, completely exhausted by the day's activities. My feet were sore, and my brain was screaming for rest, as I stepped into the house barefoot. The cab driver refused to take me to the forest once he heard my destination, claiming that no one was allowed to venture there without Gunnar's permission, so I had to walk through the forest all alone.Once I was in, I went straight to the stairs, eager to lay on my bed when I heard a pair of voices arguing with each other.It was Gunnar and his daughter, Fawn.I should have probably minded my business and walked away. After all, they made it very clear that I was simply a guest living in their house so I didn't want to get into trouble by butting into their private affairs.But then, Fawn screamed, her voice piercing through the air."I'm not the one at fault! All I did was say the truth!" she cried, half-defiant, half-pained. "Aqua is not my mother, and she can never replace her!"I froze at th