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
Jin stood there, eyes boring into me in fascination instead of disgust. I watched him take a deep breath, as if trying to comprehend what he was seeing. "So, it's true," he breathed, the golden glint in his eyes twinkling. I was confused but nodded. I didn't know how to react to his reaction. Was I supposed to be relieved or horrified? He was supposed to be shocked, at least. He had seen me many times as a female. Now, I stood before him as a man, and he was taking it even better than my mother who had been hoping against it but expected it nonetheless. "You indeed have the powerful dual wolf curse. They are the most powerful types of wolves any werewolf could possess. Not only are they strong, but the power of the two wolves combined can wreak havoc. Yet, it's real. Present inside of you.” He recited, making my skin crawl. What was the lecture for? Why did I see a little bit of hungry glint flashing abruptly in Jin’s eyes? Why did he know so much about the dual wolf curse? Well,
Kieran ~~ I watched as my father walked up to the stage to give a speech after the MC's announcement. I'd heard him quote the same revised speech in previous mating ceremonies, the only difference being a few tweaks here and there. As father spoke on, I scanned my eyes through the faces of all those present and felt a little bad for the young men among them. Unfortunately for them, they'd have to wait till the next mating ceremony to find their mates. Who said getting rid of your annoying step-sister and her gold-digger mother would happen without 'casualties'? After ten grueling minutes, Father finally raised his glass to give a toast. "To love, destiny, and the bonds that unite us." He proclaimed with a cheery smile before drinking from his glass. Just then, a hand gripped my arm tenderly, before an annoying voice whispered into my ears. "So, what now my love?" Lucille purred gingerly. Ugh! 'Love'? Perhaps she'd drank too much that now she'd been rendered brain dead. I
"Ugh, that guy is trouble." Scratch hissed inside me once Jin was out of sight. I rolled my eyes mentally and physically before replying. "You're telling me." I'd even go a step further and say he wasn't just 'trouble'. Jin Kisaragi was dangerous and it was unfortunate that I was the only person who could see it. Everyone else thought I was paranoid or jealous because of the way I treated him... But I knew. I knew him more than any of them. "So, is this it? Are we just going to continue avoiding our mate?" Scratch suddenly asked, his tone itching with annoyance.I scoffed before replying. "You mean 'step-sister'.""Step-sister? Since when?" Scratch sounded genuinely confused. "Last time I checked, you denied her being your step-sister. So, why can't we j–""It's my life, Scratch!" I couldn't take it anymore and yelled at my wolf. "You're just a spectator. I'll do anything and I mean ANYTHING to avoid this stupid mate bond. I will not let myself get controlled by it."There was a l