I should follow my heart? Pfft... Did Bruno think this was some cheesy romance novel or something?"Don't be ridiculous, Bruno." I sighed with a mocking smile. But it wasn't Bruno I was mocking. It was myself. I might've been the one to put myself in this mess in the first place. The mate bond was a complex magic, thousands of years old. Maybe if I hadn't made the wolves of the other younger male wolves dormant that night, Nimue's wolf would've picked another mate and Scratch would've had no choice to pick someone else."It's a little more complicated than that." Scratch blurted thoughtfully, but didn't elaborate further. Whatever, I'll just have to try my best and ignore the mate bond.Suddenly, as if he could read my mind, Bruno spoke up. "You have to be careful, sir. Ignoring the mate bond can have dire consequences for both parties. The moon goddess' ways aren't to be questioned."The moon goddess could go screw herself for all I care. "I'll be fine, Bruno. But thanks for looki
Nimue~~Argh, it was Kieran! The jerk had the guts to grab me on my shoulder and drag me so close to his body. What the heck was he thinking?"K– Kieran?" I managed to blurt out, my eyes traveling from his face to his hand on my shoulder. He looked... Worried? Of me? His eyes lingered on mine, causing my breath to cease. Why did this guy always have this effect on me? Why couldn't he take the hint that I didn't want him?To hell with the mate bond, Kieran is my brother!"Step-Brother." Luna corrected shamelessly. I didn't have time for any of this. To add to my growing frustration, the oversized Barbie doll who'd dared insult my mom spoke again. "Oh, no, let her come at me! Let me show her that she's nothing but a petty gold digger who'll grovel at my feet."What in the moon's name?"We can't take all this insult, Nimue. Ignore Mr. Wannabe Alpha here and teach that idiot a lesson." Umbra growled inside me, clawing aggressively when I looked at the girl. However, Luna seemed to
"So, how about we head to the south side of the city?" Jin suddenly asked as we drove through the city. I gulped, looking at him like he'd lost his mind. "For what? You know that place is the main residence of vampires, right?" I asked with arched eyebrows.Jin had an amused smirk creeping up his lips as he replied. "Oh, yes. So? The vampires aren't going to attack us or anything. It's just that they can get a little territorial, especially since werewolves usually avoid that area." He didn't sound disturbed in the slightest. "You... You sound like you've been there before." I mused thoughtfully as he took the opposite direction away from the path Bruno usually took while driving Kieran and me home. Jin nodded in response. "Yeah, I have a few business associates there. For people like me, race has never been a hindrance in the business world." He stated rather bluntly. Meanwhile, Luna was hysterical. "Tell Mr. Wannabe Batman to drive us back home this instant! Your mother will be
I turned to meet the stern gaze of Nadia's aunt Beatrice at the entrance of the manor. She squinted her eyes as she walked out into the gloominess of the compound. She looked like your typical ‘office siren' and wore a pair of transparent glasses and had black hair that was tied into a bun. She wore a black skirt that reached her knees and a black suit. Damn, she was fine...However, I couldn't help wondering if the glasses were a weird fashion trend within Nadia's family. It was a well-known fact that Vampires didn't have any defects, like werewolves. Being supernatural made us above those."Good afternoon, Ms. Beatrice." Jin took the lead and stepped forward, using his charm to his advantage. "Sorry to intrude, but we're here to see your niece, Nadia. She's a friend of ours from school."The woman snapped her brows into a frown. "Friend?" She tilted her head before turning her gaze to me. I froze, trying to avoid her intimidating gaze. It seemed she'd finally recognized me."You.
I gulped, my eyes darting around nervously after hearing those words from Jin. He wouldn't wait for me much longer? What did that even mean?"I–I don't know what you're talking about. I just need some space." I tried to sound unbothered, but how could I when Jin's face was basically inches away from mine? His hot breath fell on my face, causing my body to tense up as I fought the urge to give in and pounce on him. To kiss him.No! I couldn't kiss him here, out in the open.Jin folded his arms in front of his chest, giving me a little breathing space before he spoke. "You're being unnecessarily naughty. Face reality, Nimue. You're my mate. I will not be denied my duties as one... I'm not exactly known for my patience." I could've sworn I heard a growl come out of his throat at the end.Meanwhile, my Umbra wolf was going feral. "Gosh, he's right, Nimue! Jin has been nothing but nice and helpful to us. Why aren't you giving him a chance still? You like him, for the moon's sake!"I blink
Crap, crap, crap!I'd bumped into Kieran and spilled the drink he was holding on him in the process. But hold up, what did he just call me?"He's teasing you, oh my gosh!" Luna squealed, clawing desperately inside me. "Nimue, you have to make a move on him. Show him you're interested too."My head pounded as I struggled to ignore Luna. Meanwhile, Kieran kept on ranting. "This shirt can pay off half your tuition fees. And now look at what you've done to it!" He fumed, his face turning red from anger. Or probably from the accumulation of stupidity up in his head. Seriously, what the heck? I didn't know who was more delusional between him and Luna, but at least now I knew why she liked him. I forced a smile before apologizing. "Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't see you there, and I didn't mean to spill your drink on you." Well, that should solve the issue, right? Well, turns out I was freaking wrong. I tried walking past Kieran to get into the kitchen, but he kept stepping in my wa
"Yeah, my life is a mess right now." I blurted to Nadia on the phone as I crashed on the bed with my back.Ouch, maybe I shouldn't have done that. My head pounded from the force of it hitting the bed, but I tried ignoring it as I placed my focus back on the phone. Nadia seemed to be licking something off her fingers and spoke hastily. "Sorry, one sec."Her face left the screen, giving me a view of her room. I couldn't see much of it, but it sure looked cozy but also had this eighteenth-century vibe to it. Suddenly, I heard a few rats squeaking in the background, followed by a gurgling sound. Soon enough, Nadia's face popped onto the screen, revealing her blood-stained mouth. "Okay, where were we?" She asked with an innocent smile, pretending like she hadn't just done something that would probably gross me out for the rest of today. Unable to contain my curiosity, or perhaps in a flimsy attempt to divert attention from me, I queried Nadia about her... Dietary choices."Did you jus
As always, Kieran put extra effort into looking dashing. He wore a clean black suit and had his hair styled, highlighting his eyes. The same eyes that were now fixed on me. My face heated up as I remembered what happened earlier today. The creep had seen me naked!Argh, I felt like splashing some water on his face, but how could I when he looked so freaking handsome?"By the moon, how does someone avoid their step-brother, who's also their mate, when they're THAT handsome?" I asked Luna and Umbra, allowing myself to get delusional for a second.However, Umbra snapped me right out of it. "Pull yourself together, Nimue! This is Kieran Silverstein, remember? The same guy who tarnished your reputation barely a second after you and your mother arrived here. Let's not pretend like he's some charming prince simply because Luna here has bad taste in mates." He gave Luna a mental scowl at the end of his talk.Luna objected with a snarl. "Look who's talking! Of all the eligible bachelors in th
A MONTH LATER.."Ugh, at this point I'm beginning to think the object for breaking the curse is back at RavenWood." I groaned while playing around with my cup of coffee.Sitting across at the other side of the table was Kieran, who wore a black hat that kept his face hidden.He also had a steamy cup of coffee in his hands, merely giving me a nod as he gazed around our surroundings warily. We were back in the city where his pack was located, specifically at an open cafe close to Pure Blood College. Unlike what one might think, we weren't here to make any inquiries about school or anything like that. Nope, we were here to meet up with some old ‘friends’, but the catch was that Kieran and I had to keep ourselves hidden. There was still a chance that the Alpha Council would be after us even though they hadn't made a move since we first escaped the city more than a month ago. Anyway, I stared at Kieran for a while before I rolled my eyes. "Can you relax? I doubt your Dad or those ol
Sadly, I was still in my male form, unlike what I'd originally expected. As heartwarming as it was that Kieran was able to hold me close even in my male form, my eyes stung with hot tears. I'm so stupid! Why had I been half expecting the ritual from the witches to somehow rid me of the curse? They clearly stated that the ritual was only meant to gauge the inner workings of the curse so they could come up with a possible solution for removing the curse without stripping me of my Umbra wolf. "I'm still a man, Kieran." I sobbed, clutching his arms tightly for support. Meanwhile, my father walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder briefly. But he didn't linger for long and proceeded to meet with the witches. Just then, Kieran snapped at Theodora. "I thought you said this ritual wasn't going to hurt her? Why, then, was she in pain during the process? What voodoo did you use on her?!"Somehow, hearing Kieran defending me so vehemently against the witches felt comforting, but I w
After a few minute's drive in Marcel's car, we arrived at an isolated part of the city, which seemed eerily darker than other parts. We stepped down from the car, my father slamming the driver's seat door behind him before he explained. "Most human cities have a certain amount of supernaturals among their populace. This city, in particular, has numerous vampires and witches but only a few small werewolf packs."My eyes shone in surprise as I turned my gaze to my father. I was once again shocked and impressed by the amount of information he could get at a whim. Anyway, Kieran placed himself beside me, grabbing my left hand which was already getting sweaty. He glanced at me, giving me a reassuring smile as if he could feel my anxiety through our mate bond. "I'm with you every step of the way, okay?" He reminded me, caressing my hand affectionately. My heart melted at how much affection he was showing me even though I was currently in my male form. I knew how weird it was for him an
Nimue~~Long story short, the dinner wasn't... Exactly awful. But dearie me, it sure was dramatic.There was an awful knot in my stomach that still lingered after Marcel revealed the scar on his eye as an aftermath of my mother's betrayal of him. We didn't even have dinner long before he brought up the plan of meeting up with Theodora and her coven. Sigh... So much for a 'perfect dinner'."This dinner was bound to fail, Nimue," Umbra muttered encouragingly in my mind. "I don't even know why Marcel suggested it. He probably just wanted you to see your mother before going to the witches."Currently, Kieran and my father had taken my Mom to the airport to send her back to Alpha Viktor's territory, leaving me all alone in the house. I felt bad for her, but she knew what she was getting into when she decided to marry that man. I just hoped the Alpha council or the Alpha himself didn't do anything to hurt Mom. If not... I wouldn't mind sticking my claws into his throat.Meanwhile, Luna
I subconsciously glanced at Nimue, noticing the sympathy flashing through her eyes. Sympathy for her father. Everyone had tagged him as a 'crazy rogue' bent on hunting her for years, but he had depth. He had a story and his reasons. And for some reason, I felt bad for him too. Maybe because he still made an effort in trying to protect his daughter. Unlike another 'father,' I knew. Meanwhile, Marcel placed the eye patch back on the ghastly scar, drawing in a deep breath as he stared at nothing in particular. Even Ulmer was dead silent now, looking down at her legs in shame. "Well, this dinner just got awkward fast." Scratch muttered in my head, but I didn't even have the mental strength to hush him as I subconsciously held Nimue's hand from underneath the table, trying to reassure her. She shot me a weak smile before turning her gaze to her mother who still had her head lowered. "Well? Don't you have anything to say, Mom?" She asked with arched eyebrows. Ulmer's lips parted in
"For the last time, I think it looks perfect." I groaned dramatically when Nimue asked me what I thought about the house for the umpteenth time. I was already beginning to regret agreeing to let her and her parents use this house as their venue for a 'family get-together.’It was obvious Ulmer and Marcel were still bitter with each other and I had my bets on everything ending in an argument or worse. Meanwhile, Nimue, who was dressed in a lovely red dress with white floral prints, swerved her head to me while she placed the finishing touches to the dinner table. "Well, sorry if I'm feeling nervous about my parents seeing each other in the same house." She uttered sarcastically before adding. "Are you sure you gave them the right address? It's already five PM."It had been two days since we agreed to see Marcel and Ulmer. Luckily, it was the weekend so I didn't have work today. I felt it necessary to be present since I still didn't trust Marcel. Anyway, I responded to Nimue's ques
The persistent ringing of my phone caused me to place a pause on my makeout session with Nimue. However, when I brought out my phone and saw the same unknown number that Marcel had used to call me earlier, my mood changed drastically."It's your father... Again." I muttered to Nimue's hearing. Her face darkened instantly as she glanced warily at my phone before turning her gaze to me. "Well? Are you going to answer it or not?"I rolled my eyes discreetly before I picked up the call. "Hello?""Ah, Kieran. I just want to inform you that I've made contact with Ulmer and she's agreed to see me and my daughter." Marcel's deep baritone voice sounded from the other end cheerily. I still found it hard to believe that this was the same man who was involved in kidnapping his own daughter who he hadn't met since she was born. Meanwhile, Nimue's mouth opened in a stunned "O" at her father's words and I had a feeling I knew why. It was probably because her parents, who had a bitter past, were i
As soon as Marcel dropped the call, I had no choice but to rush to my office and ask to leave my post to go attend to my girlfriend, lying that she was 'sick and alone.'I mean, the alone part was real, but there was only one ‘sickness’ afflicting Nimue and that was her Dual wolf curse.And now there seemed to be hope for removing the curse's side effects. However, when I got home, Nimue and I ended up having sex for the first time in a while. On the kitchen counter, too. We were so unhinged, but it was so damn worth it. I hadn't realized how much pent-up sexual frustration I had until I got a taste of Nimue's glorious body.Anyway, I proceeded to drop the bomb of Marcel's call when we were done, but she didn't take it lightly at first. But then I decided to add the most crucial part of the conversation after telling her about his wish to see both her and her mother."He thinks he might be able to get the witches he works with to find a cure for your curse without stripping you of
Kieran ~~ The day when Nimue and I finally escaped my father's mansion was nothing short of epic. The best part was when I finally put Jin in his place and used his diabolical wolf-repellant drug on him. I chuckled to myself each time I remembered the look on his face when he realized he was wolfless. That should be a worse punishment than death for any werewolf. And it served him right... He'd think twice before shoving his face into me and Nimue's life again. Gosh, I couldn't believe that two-faced snake dared to bargain with my father over NIMUE. Over MY mate. Anyway, escaping the city was the easy part, but settling into a new city on the other side of the country was harder than I thought. I picked this location because I wanted to be as far away from my father and all the annoying pack politics as much as possible. Also, I had a new job opportunity to chase after that would enable me to sustain my living with Nimue. "I would've never imagined ‘Kieran the ma