ROUGH START

I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the light that was so bright. Where was I, and how many days have I been asleep?

Blinking rapidly, I realized two things.

I had been drugged. Whatever Donae blew on my face was so strong I had lost my consciousness.

I was in a strange place.

I heard voices coming into the room and decided to act like I was still passed out.

“She has been sleeping for three days now, a female said. “What did you guys do to her?” the voice questioned.

“Donae just blew some sleeping powder on her. How did we expect her to be passed out for three whole days?” The second voice was Alex.

Three days?? I had been sleeping for three days.

I relaxed my muscles, trying to still my heart. “She should be waking up within hours,” the voice said, sounding frustrated.

“Well, they kept her pretty shielded there. She had no access to herbs before, so she is feeling the effects more.”

A hand touched my face so softly that if I wasn't awake, I wouldn't have noticed.

“She looks beautiful. Just ethereal. You are sure she had a white wolf.”

Alex sighed, “Yes. I saw it. Donae saw it; everyone saw it.” He sounded so patient with this person.

“Very well, bring her to me when she wakes up.” It was quiet for a while.

“I know you are awake.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Alex Lister. Alpha of the Dark Blood Clan, the one that claimed we were mates.

The Dark Blood clan was peaceful before. They were the strongest wolves. Their Alpha was one of the strongest men in the shifter kingdom.

Then he got greedy, wanting all the wolves to be under his regime. He started attacking and killing people. When the other five clans joined forces and killed him, they thought they would never have anything to fear again.

He had a son. Alex Lister was more dangerous than his father. He had defeated two clans before: the Brown Hound and the Golden Creek Clans. Now with the Grey Wolves clan defeated, he had four clans under his regime.

He was more evil than his father.

I looked at him with disdain. “What do you want from me?” I asked him. My voice sounded horrible, and my throat ached badly, but I would die rather than ask him for anything.

“Right now, nothing. I did not want a mate. My goal is something else,” he answered me, coming to sit at the edge of the bed.

“However, a lot of people want you. Your blood, to be precise.”

“Why do they want my blood? I am no one special. I cannot shift into my wolf; I cannot fully worship our goddess, so what exactly do they want from me?”

Alex bent his head to the side, like he was considering the question. “You have a smart mouth. Good. All your questions would be answered. In the meantime, he paused to get up and walk to the door. “I suggest you come along to get nourishment for your body.”

I was about to decline when a loud noise came out of my stomach. My face felt warm, so I decided to push through the shame and follow him.

Getting up, I took notice of the fact that someone had changed my clothes. I hadn't noticed or realized it would be so easy to kill me. It would have to change.

I followed him down the hallway, having to walk faster than usual even with my long legs. He was fast, and it seemed he didn't care to make me wait for him.

The hallway was lit with candles, their flames dancing and casting a shadow, illuminating the space. He turned into a room, and I followed him absently till I realized he had stopped.

We were standing in a large room, and people stood and sat everywhere. It was so noisy, spoons scared against plates, laughter rang in the air. I saw a girl sit on a shirtless guy and practically make out with him.

“Silence,” Alex hollered.

The room instantly became still.

“This is my mate, the white wolf, Clarissa,” he pointed at me. Why did he have to do that? I groaned mentally.

“You will treat her with respect and protect her with your life.”

A resounding “yes, alpha” echoed in the room.

Satisfied, Alex walked towards a table, and I followed him, feeling different eyes on my body.

Alex took a seat, and I sat down next to him, out of survival because he was the only person I knew then. The table had six people sitting already, and the girl next to me moved a bit so I could fit.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

She smiled at me. “You're welcome,” she whispered back. “I'm Daia” she pulled her hand forward.

“Clarissa”

“Sweetheart, the whole room knows who you are,” her eyes twinkled. “Can you really split? Are you really a white wolf?”

Ah? Gossip moved fast, it seemed.

I shrugged, trying to play it off so I wouldn't be questioned. There are meatballs, some sort of bread, and lots of fruits on the table. Grabbing a plate, I put some meatballs and a piece of bread, satisfied with what I had taken.

“Would that be enough, mate?” Alex asked me.

“I really wish you would stop calling me mate,” I retorted quickly. I stuffed my mouth with bread, looking directly at him so he'd be repulsed by what he saw.

He just seemed amused.

The spicy sauce was all over my tongue, and I enjoyed how well the flavor of the meat was good with the bread. My mother wasn't really a good cook, you see.

My mother.

I wiped my mouth. “Please, where is my mother?” I asked. I had completely forgotten about her.

“She's safe. She is undergoing questioning.” Alex replied.

“Why is she being questioned?”

Alex looked at me. “Do you know anything about Shifter Kingdom and its origins?”

I shook my head. “ I know you guys got greedy, and you are getting greedy again.”

The hall went quiet.

“Greedy,” Alex smirked. “I was not the greedy one, my people were never the greedy ones. Your people are just collateral in a war.”

That was news.

I looked at him in defiance. “Well, that's not what we were taught. You guys started this war 21 years ago.”

Alex looked at me calmly.

“You really know nothing.” He said. Shifting forward, so close that I could see the silver reflection in his eyes that matched mine, he spoke.

“The war started because of you.”