Chapter 1

Nerezza’s Point of View

They had been following me ever since I left my hovel. I could feel their gazes settling on me. Feel them strip the layers of torn clothes from my body. As if sleeping in a bush hadn’t been degrading enough, I now had to deal with men who couldn’t mind their own business. Men who wanted nothing from women except their bodies.

The thought of them catching up to me rattled me to the bones. I knew their type. Wanted me to scream as they devoured me. I hastened my pace, trudging through the busy street. No one seemed to notice the two predators stalking behind me. How they chuckled to one another. Making lude comments I couldn’t hear but knew they were saying.

From the looks of them, they were city guards. Men sworn to protect the people. But they had other motives for joining the royal institute. Helpless women would often cross their paths and fall victim to their charm. Or worse. Their force. 

Since my parents passed, I had been hounded like this, day in and day out. Sometimes it was normal men on the street. Other times it was gangs who kicked at my bush to get me out. Get me awake and ready to flee. One thing they all had in common, they loved the chase. I was a deer thrown to the wolves. 

If they hadn’t kicked me out of my parents’ shitty apartment that day. If they hadn’t taken my clothes and belongings, I could have made it. But they had and now I was naked in this world. No one to turn to and no one who would want to help. 

Fear coiled and spooled in the pit of my stomach. They were slowly gaining distance on me. Bringing me to where they wanted me before they pounced. If I lead them down an alley, I could shift. Force my wolf into survival mode. Rip them to shreds.

If the beloved king had something to say about the murder, I could claim self-defense. Not that anyone would believe me. I was a woman. A homeless woman that contributed nothing to society. Or so I had been told on several occasions. Every job I had ever applied for had rejected me. Told me that my place was on the streets and nowhere else.

The two men finally passed a cafe on the other side of the street. I turned left, into an alley. My body shuddered at the prospect of turning. The wolf I had was a vicious thing. Had no mercy or grace. But she came in handy in situations like these. If she decided to show face.

Unlike normal wolves, I struggled to turn. Had struggled since my first full moon after my thirteenth birthday. Apparently, not all wolves had minds of their own. Only mine. 

The men rounded the corner. Locked eyes with me and I felt the menace vibrate off of me. Every hair on my body stood on edge. Paralyzed me. I forced my wolf to show. Forced my bones to shift but instead of doing as she was told, I only became weak. All the strength drained from my body. 

The one on the left smiled at me, his twisted teeth showing in the afternoon light. I smiled back. Kept my eyes on them. The one on the right snarled softly and the rogue within my soul snarled back. I had grown up knowing I was the lowest on the food chain. The one that no one cared about when I passed away.

I had also grown up hating any form of authority. 

“What do you want?” I snarled at them. Leftie cocked his head to the side. Inspected me. I had never felt more naked in my entire life. More exposed and vulnerable. The wolf inside me finally opened an eye. Assessed the danger I was in.

“What is a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this?” Leftie asked and I bit down on my jaw. Beauty was my biggest fucking downfall in life. I had caught the attention of numerous men through my looks. Hated that I had. Every time someone tried to court me, my father would run them out of town. I didn’t have that privilege now. 

At the frightened tone of my voice, my wolf fully woke up. Growled deep inside me. I gripped her power. Gripped her energy. 

“None of your business. Now move along before you regret it.” I countered. Both of them laughed at me. I could feel the strength in my bones dissipate. The wolf shy away from the darkness coming off of these two. I wanted to curse. Wanted to scream and shout at her for being such a coward.

“Look, girly, you let that dress of yours drop, we do what we want and we will be on our merry way.” The one on the right mused. My eyes danced between them. 

But there was another man at the edge of the alley. Tall. Black hair and olive skin. From here, I could see his arms coil with tattoos. His hair was neatly parted. Our eyes locked, his brown eyes ripping into my soul. The world went bright and fuzzy.

My mate. The love of my life. I wouldn’t be alone again.