Kieran ~~ These past few days had been filled with me holding my anger in and trying hard not to burst. I didn't need any goddamn fitting and wasn't even going to attend it had I not had a second thought. I was greatly looking forward to finding my mate since it meant I’d be saved from getting caught and Lucille. Eish! If I spent one more month with her, I’d lose my mind. Whatever it took, this time around, I must find my mate tonight. If I lost my position as the Lycan, I lose everything. It meant Jin won. It meant Dad won. It meant the Alpha Council won. No, never. I’d never settle for that. NEVER! Today was the wedding day. The frolic wedding day. Most importantly, it was the night of the mating ceremony as well. Here was another chance for me to find the woman who was going to help me save my status. My Mom wanted me to become the Alpha. I owed it to her to become one. I stood before the mirror, dressed in a black suit. The suit was tight on my physique, bringing out my br
My world seemed to only want to register Nimue. The satisfaction I was looking forward to reveling in by scaring everyone present in the chapel became meaningless. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw how beautiful she was in that pink dress, her hair styled to perfection, and how her dual eyes widened in surprise at my arrival. Something was wrong. Something was odd – different about her. I wish I could figure out what it was on the spot, but it seemed bigger than me. I couldn't wrap my head around what was going on but my throat suddenly felt dry. The way her eyes bored into mine and our gazes blended into each other made me want to turn away and sprint out of here. “Cripes, Kieran. Get a grip.” I reproached myself, flipping my head for clarity. When the result of my reckless entrance cake was in the form of incessant murmurs and bewildered gazes, I raised my hands in surrender. “Sorry. Just walking in.” I sarcastically pointed out, tearing my gaze away from Nimue and waltzing
The mansion was a sprawling sight of luxury and on theme for the ceremony. Its exterior was illuminated in a warm glow all thanks to the setting sun. As we pulled up, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation. Lucille was clinging to my arm, her nails digging into my skin like a barnacle with her perfume assaulting my senses. I fought the urge to wince. I fought the urge to throw up. I fought the urge to push her away and send her falling flat on her butt while I laughed my to my heart full.She deserved that but she was also a necessary evil, a façade I had to maintain. I was glad it would all end today. I would find my mate, and she would be my savior. I couldn't wait to spend time with her and it’d be the two of us against that world.Soon.I would have more confidence to command my father when I have a smart partner. I was sure the Moon Goddess would bless me with a pretty sensible mate. My mother would be praying for me, so I was chill. I forced a smile as always. This had
Nimue ~~ I didn't expect to see Jin looking extraordinarily breathtaking as he walked my Mom down the aisle. He wore a dark blue suit that fitted him perfectly, a white shirt, and a silver tie. His hair was neatly styled in a modern cut, and his overall look was polished and professional. I had never seen a young guy look so reserved like he was in his thirties even though his face said something else. ‘Gosh, Nimue, what are you doing?! Your mother is literally walking down looking so beautiful and graceful, yet, your mind is on a man?’ I reprimanded myself so hard, feeling all shades of guilt for not registering Mom first. Oh, my Ma… She was a stunning bride. Her wedding dress was long and white, with beautiful lace details. It was fitted at the top and flowed out into a long skirt. She wore a sparkling tiara on that made her look like a Queen and carried a bouquet of white flowers. My heart melted. I wasn't ready for this. My mother was the most beautiful bride in the
It was time – time for me to meet my fate. Whoever I was fated to, if they were in this room, today was the inevitable meeting between us. The moon was a silver disc hanging low in the sky. Everyone was on their feet, their eyes scanning the crowd, searching for that special connection. My heart pounded in my chest. I felt terrorized as much as I felt excited. I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply. “Be lucky for once in your life, Nimue,” I whispered to myself, fist clenched tightly. Luna and Umbra were restless. They paced back and forth, their mental voices echoing in my mind. “Mate!" Luna howled, going hysterically out of control. “Find him!" Umbra howled, her voice deeper, more commanding. Find him? They better pick a good one. There were a few good-looking guys here – one of them should be mine. I opened my eyes, my gaze sweeping across the room. I had to search for him. We had to make eye contact to find each other – or so I had read and heard. I made an eye contact wi
Horror became like an army, waging war in my stomach as I stared at my reflection. A man. Me. Nimue, a man. The words echoed in my mind. It became a discordant tune of disbelief. How could this be happening? I was a woman. I had always been a woman. Umbra and Luna must know something. There must be a reason why they were fighting for dominance. Why was Umbra saying it was her time? "Umbra, Luna, what is happening?" I demanded with a trembling voice. Umbra had always been a source of comfort and a silent companion. We always agreed on most grounds, and sometimes, I felt like Umbra was my confidant and Luna, a pet sister. But now, Umbra’s deep and resounding voice left my mind in chaos, "I am a male, Nimue. You have always referred to me as 'she', but I am a male. I couldn't tell you because I wasn't sure myself. I thought if I truly was one, you would have known. But I have the features of a male. You’ll see when you transform.” My mind spun on and on. I began to hear some
The world crumbled beneath my feet. My mother's words echoed and re-echoed in the confines of my mind. It was like a haunting melody of despair, singing mocking tunes, teasing, and announcing to me that this was the part where my life got too awful to handle.A curse? My life was a consequence of a curse? I couldn't comprehend the gravity of it all."What do you mean, a curse?" My voice was a mere whisper when it came out. It was a feeble attempt to grasp the monstrous truth.My mother's eyes held a lifetime of sorrow as she looked at me. "Your father, when he was young, saved a group of werewolves from a powerful witch who was on a quest for revenge. Those wolves, you see, they were young, just like you, recently awakened but went rogue. They lost control while dealing with the witches who were about the same age as them. Those witches they killed belonged to the coven of this powerful witch.”What the heck? Witches actually existed? I never thought there was any hint of truth in the
The burden of the world seemed to press down on me with an unbearable force. A curse, a secret, a transformation - it was too much to comprehend. Umbra's insistent and demanding voice broke through my thoughts. "Go to Jin, Nimue. He's our mate. We need him. We have to. He's our rock. You can't find the mate bond, Nimue. You can not.” The mere thought of facing Jin filled me with dread. How could I reveal my secret to him? The man I was drawn to, the man I yearned for, would he still want me when he knew the truth? Yes, I said it—I was drawn to Jin. Right from the onset, the moment it all started, Jin had always been a constant in my heart. Perhaps, our destinies being entwined was the reason why. Perhaps, not. "But what about the curse?" I whispered to Mom, trying to shake my mind off of Jin, and as much as I hated to admit it… Kieran. "We have to keep it a secret, Mom.” My mother's hand found mine, offering comfort. "Don't worry about that, my dear. I'll handle it. For now
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