Wolfariane felt the exact moment the lightweight on his back stirred from her sleep. So, he switched back to half-shifter because he knows she is not ready to face his full-shifted form as the werewolf or the mountain lion. My bed is moving. Why is my bed moving? Ismena's brows furrowed as she stirred on her...bed? Her eyes opened, landing on trees...so many trees. She is in a forest. What is she doing in a forest at someone's back? Then, the memories rushed through her head; pawning a ring... Wolfariane at her doorstep... His lips devouring hers... His announcement that he'll hold her captive until his ring is found... Being attacked... BEING ATTACKED!? She raised her head from his back and surveyed her surrounding. The dawn chorus of melodic birdsong filled the air. It's early morning, she decided, seeing the way the night's darkness hasn't cleared completely. It's obvious they aren't at their destination yet, but at least they must be close because he is no longer running. "
A hand grabbed the edges of her skirt and tugged hard.She looked down to see a small boy of about three-year-old smiling widely at her. The boy spread his little arms wide and pipped, "Up, up, up, up,"Instinctively, she knew the boy was asking to be picked up. Ismena can safely say that she avoids children because they cry a lot and she doesn't understand them. She's almost a stranger to them because she hasn't been around much of them in years.But, as this blond little boy kept his arms spread, looking at her with big brown-eyes wide with trust and asking to be picked up, she couldn't resist bending to the waist and lifting the boy up. His little arms went around her neck, and he held on.That gesture seems to be what all the others, who were watching her warily before, were waiting for. They threw themselves at her. She almost fell if not for the strong arm that shot out around her waist and steadied her. "Easy." Wolfariane's voice filled her ear, the deep baritone causing a s
Alphose and Degar led the way back to the Alpha King's tower, in quick steps and tensed silence. The sentinels at the guard scented them before they got closer and opened the gate for the three of them, bowing their heads in greeting to their King. The King beside Alphose said nothing. His muscles were bunched and tensed, his face a blank slate. But, everyone around can practically feel the tension radiating from him in waves. Inside the big tower, they walked through the long hallways with large picture frames hanging on them, to the curved stairway which they climbed to go up to the third part of the big castle. Their footsteps were soundless as they walked through the tiles of the long hallway, towards the door at the opposite end of it. As they got closer, they began hearing a faint howling that sounded like a wolf in anguish. Snarls and enraged roar. They got to the door, Alphose stepped forward and opened it. It was dark inside. Degar walked in first, going straigh
"Of course, Alpha King. But what about the ring?""We will make plans about it later. Gather the Enforcers for a meeting in the evening. They need to know what is going on." His eyes remained closed as he issued these commands."I will do as you wish." He inclined his eyes and faced the door."Degar?" His tone was low. Too low.The quiet tone told Degar how badly he was hurt. How terribly he is losing blood. How urgently he needs to start healing."Yes, Alpha King?" He answered."When you are done with your duties, check on the female. You or Eline can take her around town later, so she can familiarize herself with this place. But stick to the Werewolf Clan and the Cougar Clan." He paused, "Inquire about her illness and meds from her, so you can arrange for getting the new meds she can live on.""Of course. As you wish.""Don't forget to send a message to Cronus, Josiah, and all Changelings out there about the resurfacing of the Wolfhunters." Just the thought of it made his tone harde
Bathed and feeling refreshed again, Ismena glanced at herself in the big mirror of the bedroom. Eline had been kind enough to lend her her clothes because they were almost the same size. It's her waist that wanted to disgrace her at first, rejecting all the clothes Eline picked out before. But now, she's in a simple loose dress that only hugged her waist before it flowed loosely down her legs. Feeling satisfied with what she's seeing, she walked out of the bedroom only to see Eline and Alphose putting on their extra uniforms. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ismena. But there was an emergency in the market we're posted on this week, that requires our attention. I'm afraid that I won't be able to take you around town today, after all." Elaine informed her as she hurriedly strapped her guns to the bandoliers on her waist and shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You go attend to business. I'll wait right here." "Thank you. The television is old but it's working, so you can keep yourself busy. Bye...!"
"Wolfariane...!" Ismena cried out in sheer fear and panic, as she looked up at her rescuer.Then, she moved quickly behind him, climbed onto his back, squeezed her eyes closed, and wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and his waist. She held on tightly."You are safe." Wolfariane heard the deep growl, it took him a moment to realize that it was coming from him. She whimpered, her arms tightening around him.It was a struggle to control his wolf at the smell of terror pouring out from her. Her small form perched on his back was trembling in soft vibrations. Then, he stared ahead of him at the cougar who ran towards them but came to a sudden halt as it got in front of him. "What do you think you are doing now, Tim?" He meant to question, but his tone came out harsh. A harsh growl.The cougar whimpered, clear confusion in its green eyes as it stared at the Alpha King. "Shift. Now." He ordered, barely reining in his temper.The cougar shifted, taking mortal form. A young boy stoo
"They are Changelings who have lost their sanity for one reason or another and take to the wild. Our mortal forms tame us, Ismena." He rounded another part of the forest, his arms behind his back as he continued, "Without our mortal form to keep us contained, we will become worst than wild animals. Wild Ones have lost their mortal forms, they only ride on basic instincts.""Basic instincts?" She asked, enthralled."To kill, to fúck, and to hunt. Mostly, to kill." He paused, "Fortunately, they mate with each other during the full moon, so we do not have to worry about mass brutal forced intercourse with our women. But they kill and hunt us. Wild Ones are the most dangerous because their mind is gone. We kill them at sight."There was no change in his demure or his voice, but Ismena felt his pain in that last statement. She has no idea why, but she suddenly had the fierce urge to offer comfort. "I'm sorry." She whispered, sincerely."We have to kill them before they kill more children."
"Aaah," Ismena was starting to understand. "That is your present position right?" He nodded once, leading her through another lane. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see the surprised glances and jaw-dropping gazes of his people as they stare at the human walking excitedly beside their Alpha King. "As you can already deduce, it is the highest position in Naturiah, led by the strongest of the strongest. It comes with a lot of responsibilities too." The way she was looking at him in that enthralled, fascinated way forced him to continue. "So, clans kill themselves to be the general leader of all the clans. That was the dominant war. It went on for years and years until other clans either lost the war or they gave up on it because of their innocent blood that has died from the war. It continued until the werewolves and the cougars were remaining. Two strong clans fighting each other for the throne." He took a deep breath, "Ares and Dogota. Ares was the Alpha leader of the cougar cl
When the full moon eventually came, screams from two women in two different parts of Naturiah were particularly high in the air because two couples were getting mated. One from the Cougar Clan, the other from the Heart of Naturiah.In the Cougar Clan, Alphose held his woman close as he gave her all that was him. She has never taken all his forms before, but tonight she was going to before the mating ritual is performed. Her sweaty body shook under his, and he could smell her fear too. He whispered words of love and encouragement to her ears as he filled her body from behind yet again and began thrusting again.They were in their bedroom, kneeling on the floor with Kassandra's upper body lying on the bed and Alphose's own blanketing hers from behind. They've been at it all night. She has lost count of how many times she has released. At this rate, her soul was going to leave her body. Alphose was the best lover she'd ever been with—hell, even the word 'best' does not do him justice. G
"I love you too, baby." He rose with her in his arms, withdrew a gold ring from his pocket, and slipped it into her ring finger. "It's so beautiful..." She cried, staring reverently at the sparkling jewelry. "It looks so good on you," he whispered to her. That night, they made passionate love together. As always he took his time arousing her body, touching her everywhere until she begged him desperately to join them intimately before he proceeded to do just that. They created the perfect rhythm together, moving sensuously and whispering words of love to each other. Wolfaraine took his time making her go wild in pleasure in his arms, he savored the cries, the litany, the sounds he drew from her as they pleasured each other for hours. Afterward, they lay together, sated and happy. He caressed her belly, cradling their child as Ismena burrowed closer to him. "I'm so glad that it was my father that helped us escape. We were victorious because of him." She played with the soft hairs
The next day, Onaries was publicly executed in the square at the Heart Of Naturiah, before the people. Crowds gathered to watch it and it gave them great satisfaction to see the shame, the humiliation on the psycho's face before he was beheaded. To Onaries, it was the worst punishment. He should have killed himself when the lab was invaded—it was better to die in battle than to be killed by public execution where the people get to laugh at him, spit on his face and call him names. He'd been tortured for days by his own Head Sentinel, Rodarh who took great pleasure from the act. He tortured Onaries until he lost his pride and begged to be killed. But Onaries, that monster, had denied him. Until today when he was publicly executed. As for the human doctor, Beloca; Alphose, and Degar had taken turns beating the man up, they carved his skin out of his own body, his screams like music to their eyes. They tortured Beloca to an extent that he stopped breathing several times, but they did
"Nothing, Miss Kassandra; I only forced your dormant hormones to come alive. My 'attempted claim' on you forced your body to wake and take on your mate's scent." He smiled a little, "Now, you practically stink of him." Sandra doesn't understand. "Him?" She asked, confused. "The Steele trying to break down that door, ma'am. You are his mate. There was a time you were very sick, right? To the extent you thought you might die, right?" Sandra doesn't need to think hard about that. "Yes, when I was very young, I suffered pneumonia." He nodded knowingly, "Whatever drugs humans used to cure you suppressed your hormones that made you a potential mate. So deeply suppressed that they wouldn't have stirred if you hadn't met your lifemate, my twin brother, and I wouldn't have been able to awake them if I didn't push as hard as I did. I'm sorry for hurting you, lass." The man wasn't as bad as she thought he was, Sandra thought, and some of her fears dissolved. Instead, joy began spreading thr
When Ismena heard the news about Alphose and Kassandra, she left the Tower and went back to Eline's house to be with her best friend. Sandra cried on her shoulders, dreading every hour that passed, every ticking of the clock because it was a reminder that Josiah was already on his way to Naturiah to claim her. She told Ismena that she didn't wanna do it. She just wants to go back to the human world. It's better to go home to live the rest of her life alone than to be with a man who isn't her Alphose. Although it killed Ismena to do it, she talked her out of it. How will she live the rest of her life knowing that she could have met her soulmate? She could have been with him, but she gave up on it? She talked her into giving Josiah a chance. After all, who knows? It might be the best decision she has ever made in her life, right? The Alpha King, on the other hand, could only pat his best friend's shoulder, commending him for doing the right thing even when the 'right thing' hurts. B
He smiled, "She is. Do you remember all your time together with her?""Oh yes. She is my best friend.""She will be so happy to hear that. It'll probably make her cry. She thinks of you that way too. Maybe even more.""I want her to stay with us forever. You're going to mate her, right?" "Yes, I will. If she will have me." Wolfaraine stated matter-of-factly. He has no doubt anymore. He wants to spend the rest of his life with Ismena. In fact, he cannot imagine his future without her in it."I'm glad. I hope she will have you, too. We will be one big family. She is so brave. She's everything you need in a mate. She always came by my room, all the time, no matter how scared she was. She came every day. I knew you two fought when she didn't come by for a few days. I was mad at you because you let her go.""Is that way you growled whenever I came close? I thought perhaps you hated me.""I never. I was just mad at you, madder, because I couldn't tell you how I felt. I'm happy you two sort
He walked into the room, quietly closing the door behind him, and took a few minutes to just stand there and watch them. The two most important women in his life. He felt lighter and refreshed, his heart filled with happiness like he'd never known before. How his life has changed in the past few months. He'd resigned himself to a bland life filled with guilt, sadness, and loneliness, never taking a mate, never having a child of his own, and living day by day with the fear of not knowing when he would lose his sister forever. But Ismena came into his life and changed it forever.He'd felt more in the past six months than he has in almost twenty years. The past no longer fills him with rage and sadness, his cougar wasn't as rough and out-of-control as before. He has a mate who is so highly compatible with him, his child is growing in her belly, and his sister, who he thought was lost forever was back to him again.Complete. He feels complete."What are you thinking so hard about?" Ism
Gasps of disbelief filled the air. The people were shocked and excited. They found it hard to believe that their King's sister—someone who they'd all given up on—would take her mortal form again after all these years. Murmurs rose in the crowd, bits and pieces of them could be heard audibly."Did you see that—" A voice said."What just happened!?" Another added."She took her mortal form again...!" "Bless the Lord!""May the deities be praised...!""Did you see that too?""...thought it'll never happen for her.""It's been eighteen years."Wolfaraine Daminor Throne stood frozen. He glanced down at the small, pale, feminine hand in his larger one. His eyes trailed from her hand to her arm, up to her shoulder, her neck, and her teary face. His throat constricted at the sight in front of him.She was more beautiful than the distorted image his mind had desperately held onto all these years. His sister was ten the last time he saw her face. His eyes watered as he gazed into eyes as blue
All the leading Alphas of Naturiah were there, the sentinels, the Betas, the Omegas, the houseworkers. He could see Eline, Mirian, and Kassandra too, even the Alphas that fought with him in the human world earlier in the day. They were all gathered there. They rose and greeted him respectfully when he walked through the door with his mate in his arm.Then they were crowding him. The joy and relief on their faces, filled his heart with love for his people. The females had tears in their eyes as they came really close to him. Some were hugging him, while the others were kneeling at his feet—a gesture of welcome and respect. They were all careful not to press tightly against him because of the woman in his arms. Ismena wiggled a bit, a sign that she wanted to be on her own feet, but Wolfaraine glanced at her and shook his head slightly."Please, I'll be careful, and I'll be right here by your side." she pleaded, a hint of her smile on her face. She knows how badly his people wanted to g