21 Wolven Street, 4th Avenue, Nashville Tennessee, USA.Candice took a deep breath, pulling her hair to the side on her left shoulder, she adjusted the helm of her short skirt and smoothed away any wrinkles.Popping a mint-flavored gum into her mouth, she opened the bar door and strolled in. A hefty cloud of cigarette smoke wafted through the air, rushing into her nostrils. She barely kept herself from sneezing. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she scanned the dark room.She scanned the place looking for….“Trust me, Candice, when you see him, you will know. He always stands out in a crowd,” Bernice had said.Shrugging away her thoughts, she squinted through all the smoke, peering at the tables, looking for anyone who might stand out….There!!!At the far end of the wall, there was a huge man, immaculately dressed in an expensive suit that looked to be customized, and perfectly fitted to his body. His looks screamed wealth, taste and class.Even though he was seated, she guessed he wo
Drip drop, drip drop.A persistent sound echoed in her ears.Candice hissed and turned over in her sleep. Who or what was making that sound?She turned on her side, reaching for her pillow, a strong unmovable object obscured her view.Her eyelids fluttered open for a minute, then she jolted up from the bed.The sight before her alarmed her, who was this half-naked man, covered in white bedsheets, lying casually on her bed beside her?She looked at the mountain of a man, how did he get here? In her bed!Wait!This wasn’t her apartment. She looked around her strange surroundings, nothing here looked like they belonged to her.Where was she and how did she get here?“You’re finally awake,” a deep rich voice rumbled.She looked up at him, he looked familiar…"I was waiting for you to wake up," he said, propping himself up on one elbow.She gasped, she remembered!“What are you doing here?” she asked, raising the sheets to her chin.He looked like he was barely managing to suppress a chuck
How disappointing.There was no better word to express how he was feeling.After all these years of searching, of all the beings he could have paired with, the universe had to give him a human mate.Not just a feeble human, but a prostitute woman.The lowest of the low.He had always imagined his Luna to be a proud wolf with strength to dominate and command respect. Someone who would rule beside him and both of them would be a formidable force. Conquering all his enemies and exerting order in Plane Woede and all its hinter lands.He could have gladly accepted other worldly beings like a shapeshifter, a siren, a fey, a phantom or even a nymph if it meant that their life span was long and amortal. Their strength was well matched to that of a werewolf and they all had their individual strengths. He would have still managed an Omega, the lowest of the ranks, the weakest in the pack. Provided she was a wolf, he would accept his fate.But what was he to do with a mere human? They could easi
Wayne rose from the water and walked into the sea bank.Waves crashed around his legs as his feet sank into the wet sand.Water dripped down his body, his wet cloths clung to his body.He looked at his house on the cliff, just overseeing this seashore and stilled himself to listen.Everything quieted around him, as his hearing strained toward the house. He could hear voices from the staff within the house, footsteps walking up and down, smell of flavors from the kitchen, water dripping from a leaking pipe, werewolf scents carried in the wind. Nothing seemed strange or out of place.Except for one thing, there was no human scent.Wayne felt a stir of unease in his chest as he strolled toward the house. It was possible her scent had been deemed by all the wolves around, after all she was the only human in the house. Possibly on this plane, from what information he received daily from the epsilons (guardians) at the gates to this realm.Apart from the official portal which was located at
Weird.Everything was totally weird.Candice thought to herself as she walked into a small building that held "Sally's Restaurant" boldly hanging from the door mantle. The building was painted blue, both inside and outside and drawings of yellow sunflowers dotted the walls. It was as if she was entering a children's daycare, she couldn't remember any restaurants in Nashville that would use this choice of colors. The houses she had passed on her way here were all painted with bright colors such as orange, pink, yellow, red, and green.What's with this city and colorful paintings?Despite the bright colors, there was an old country feel to this town. The streets were made of cobbled stones, not the usual modern coal tar. Oil lamps could be seen hanging from street poles, and the buildings were made of river rock and a red-clayish mortar, instead of the cement brick walls and concrete mortar she was used to. It looked like it had some ancient history around it.This scenery could come st
"Stay away from me!" Candice yelled as she ran to a corner of the room.After the ordeal at the restaurant, Wayne had hauled her back to his mansion. She had been too shocked to do anything but gaze into nothingness as he carried her back home. Now that she was back in the safety of his room, her sanity had begun to return to her."Will do," he calmly said as he watched her scurry from him."You ki-killed that man. Wait! He was not a man, he was…they were…" she tried to put into words what she had just seen."They are werewolves," he assisted."Yes! Werewolves. Half man and half wolf," she agreed "You too are…""I am a werewolf, just like I had told you previously," he agreed with her.She could barely coordinate her thoughts; they were racing through her brain "Do werewolves really exist? I thought they were just a myth.""Do you think humans were the only beings existing in the universe? How self-absorbed," he mused."Are there other beings apart from werewolves?" she asked her eyes
What was this thing she was feeling?Was she feeling sad that he was outrightly rejecting her before he even got to know her?Fine, she didn't even want him either. He had killed a man right in front of her without remorse. He could as well kill her too, who knew what he was capable of?"You can't go home; you are safer with me than in your world," he refused."I was safe before I met you, you are ruining my life," Candice spat out."If you go back to your earth plane, my enemies will find you sooner rather than later and you will be taken into captivity. Believe me when I say death will be bliss compared to what torture you will go through," he informed her."Was that why you murdered that man? Because death is bliss compared to torture?" she inquired."I had to send out a strong message, anyone who touches what's mine and they would die. Regardless, that wolf is known for his notorious ways, I have had it in mind to put him in order. Too bad he picked today to cause trouble," he casu
Money solved all problems.Wayne thought to himself as he walked into the red chamber at the Assembly quarters. The hall was big and crafted in the form of an auditorium. Five chairs, as tall as pillars stood at angles in a circular arrangement, and on it sat five grey-haired wolves. The gammas (elders) of Plane Woede were the advisers to the king. A royal bloodline who had lived up to a thousand years and was still alive assumed the position of gamma to advise on state affairs.Coming to the middle of the circle, Wayne's thought was still filled with the discussion he had with his naïve little mate two days ago. Everything was either white or black to her, she thought she was smart and could manipulate things to her favor. Well, she would later find out she was being outplayed.He had no plans of letting her go after six months, he had only offered the deal to buy some time with her. Within the timeframe, he hoped to find a way that would allow her birth his child, then he would releg
What would it feel like to be loved by a man like Wayne?Like to be actually loved, wanted, and cherished? No contract agreement, no time frame, just emotions in their purest form.Again, she was beginning to harbor mundane thoughts about him just because he had rescued her from a terrible captor. As the saying goes 'Give a dog a bone and it will follow you all the way home'. She was acting emotionally starved, just a little show of care and she was already drooling all over herself, imagining the impossible.She had agreed to a contract and he had already paid her twenty-five percent of it, she was shamelessly taking his money, so she should stick to playing her part of the contract and not embarrass herself as well as him, by hoping for something more.Her mouth had gone dry with thirst and she smacked her lips together, moisturizing it with her tongue."Are you thirsty?" he asked, sensitive to her need.She opened her mouth to speak, but he had already pulled out a small flask from
She sneezed, her shoulders shuddering.She dabbed at the little snot that ran down her nose and cleaned it on her dress.Her once beautiful, white floral dress was now soiled with dirt and dust, from all the days of traveling with her former captor, who now lay dead in the abandoned old house.An extra smear of nasal mucus would do the already filthy dress no harm.After the battle that had occurred, Wayne had wasted no time retrieving her from the coffin. She had led them to where Moira had anchored her horse and cage, behind the house. Wayne had swiftly set her on it and climbed aboard, behind her.Jason entered the cage to ride in it, as there was no other means of transportation. They were now traveling away from the hinterlands, heading for the central city. Using a shortcut Wayne knew, different from the path Moira had traveled, to get them back to the city.It was the wee hours of the morning and the sun would soon be up in the sky, showing the dawning of a new day."Are you co
A rough laughter echoed throughout the house.And a hoarse voice replied "Are you unhappy with your mate's rather unfashionable accommodations? I was only trying to safely transport her across the rift before you showed up and burned the woods to the ground," the voice teased."If you want to speak to me, you better come out and stop hiding like a little girl, You. Shapeshifting. Snake," he said, drawing out the last part of his sentence.His words seemed to strike a nerve because the place suddenly grew quiet as a wintery chill filled the air, reducing the cool evening temperature to a negative 5°c.Then a figure swooshed past along the corridor, and the door at the entrance slammed closed. There was another swooshing to a corner in the house.Wayne raised a palm to Candice, gesturing for her to remain in the coffin. She nodded dutifully and he walked out into the tiny living room, scraping his sword on the terrazzo floor, making a lot of noise, drawing attention to himself and his l
After the storm came the calm.As Lennon took inventory of everyone's conditions, Wayne walked around the length of the area.The fire had stopped raging and was smoldering in small clusters of red coals, most of the trees had turned to ash and dissipated with the wind.He had clearly caught a whiff of her scent, where was she? If she wasn't in these woods. Well, former woods, now it was a big pile of ash here and there.It had been too strong to be called a whiff, more like a beacon call signaling her location. It might have been her fear, triggering the mate bond between them. Calling to him to save her.A feeling of unease sat heavy in his chest.What could be happening to her? Why did he sense her fear like she was sending an SOS signal, calling for help? For his help?His beast stirred within him; he could feel it was growing restless. His mate's fear was bringing it to the fore, it was itching to take control."Not now," Wayne chided it inwardly. "I have things under control."L
She was going to be the death of him.Wayne thought to himself as he approached the security post at the border with his entourage.Last night when he had returned from his business within the city, he saw a trembling Everette and mortified Jason waiting for him. They looked like they had seen the devil himself, and then they had narrated the story to him. A funny tale but an interesting tale.According to their testimony, his mate had been abducted in broad daylight, right before their very eyes, in the middle of a restaurant, in the heart of the bustling city. No one saw the face of the abductor, only a tall figure in a red robe with everything happening in a flash.He had been tempted to disbelieve them, it sounded unbelievable.Who would dare cross him on his plane? From the story, he perceived some diabolical permutations. The majority of werewolves shunned the dark arts. Secondly, seeing a royal sentinel would be a deterrent for whoever wants to attempt an abduction. This only l
She was going to be the death of him.Wayne thought to himself as he approached the security post at the border with his entourage.Last night when he had returned from his business within the city, he saw a trembling Everette and mortified Jason waiting for him. They looked like they had seen the devil himself, and then they had narrated the story to him. A funny tale but an interesting tale.According to their testimony, his mate had been abducted in broad daylight, right before their very eyes, in the middle of a restaurant, in the heart of the bustling city. No one saw the face of the abductor, only a tall figure in a red robe with everything happening in a flash.He had been tempted to disbelieve them, it sounded unbelievable.Who would dare cross him on his plane? From the story, he perceived some diabolical permutations. The majority of werewolves shunned the dark arts. Secondly, seeing a royal sentinel would be a deterrent for whoever wants to attempt an abduction. This only l
Soon the barren lands began to spot some form of habitation, and old crooked buildings dotted the landscape.These houses were nothing like the ones Candice had seen before, there were no colorful paintings or streets made of cobbled stones, just old houses with faded paints, people seen around looked haggard and their clothing was ragged. She wondered what plane they were on; these certainly were not human settlements. They looked too dated to exist in modern times.Moira alighted from her horse and walked into a dainty old building that looked like a pub, she came out bearing a gourd of water and two tiny morsels of bread. She walked over to the cage and handed her one."This is only what is available, you need to eat something so you won't die along the way. We still have miles ahead of us," she mused.Candice received the bread, eyeing the crispy, dried-out dough in her hands."I know you are used to the finer things in life Queen Luna, but you will have to make do with what is av
"Ouch," Candice murmured as her head hit cold metal.She rubbed at her temple as she began to rouse from her sleep.Her eyes squinted through the harsh ray of sunlight bearing down upon her, she shielded her eyes as she took in her current situation. Her hands were bound in metal chains, secured firmly in front of her. She was huddled up in a square, a small metal cage with wheels, attached by a rope to a horse being rode upon by a figure in a red warlock's robe.The robe seemed familiar, where had she seen this figure before? She jogged her memory.In short, why was she here bound like this and being transported in a metal cage like a prisoner? Through the bars of iron, she could see her surroundings…and it looked strange.They were traveling on a dirt road with the wooden wheels shaking and squeaking on the uneven path. Intervalley, it encountered a pebble or rock jutting out from the ground surface, causing the entire cart to jerk, shoving her from side to side. Hence, the collide
"I am waiting for my two questions for today!" Candice called after her.Sally turned and smiled, then carried on with her business."We asked for two cups, you brought three?" Everette queried, but Sally was already too immersed in her activities to answer.Jason gingerly filled two of the three goblets with rum, he lifted the large bronze cup and emptied it all into his mouth. Everette followed suit, downing a full cup in one swing. Jason immediately re-filled, they clicked goblets, chorused 'cheers', and emptied it once again.She watched them with a sad look, feeling left out. She eyed the goblet when Jason filled it for the third time.Werewolves did love to drink."Do you want some milady?" he offered noticing her countenance.She shook her head slowly "I'll pass on it, I have had bad experiences every time I drank.""Do try some milady, we are here with you. There is nothing bad that could happen," Everette encouraged.Candice looked away from the goblet Jason had raised to her