“I’ll see you at four o'clock, Mamita!” I bellowed at my grandmother who was clemently watering her garden. Opening the small wicker basket where I carried my supplies, I double-checked the small first-aid kit: the towel, the white linen, the antiseptic, the needle, and a few apples which are all hidden under a neat white cloth."Where have you been going for the past few days?" My grandma asked in a calming voice, but I can sense that suspicion lingered in her tone.“Huh?” I gave her a breathy chuckle. “Just the regular old days, Mamita! For your good health, I shall be gathering some fresh pears and perhaps a bunch of berries too!” While tying a bright crimson scarf around my neck, I caught up on the day's headlines from the newspaper my grandmother left on the patio. A blizzard is on the way. ‘Gosh, I must hurry!’ I told myself. "Adios, Mamita!"“Cassidy! Wait—”I bolted out of the castle through our massive wooden door before my grandmother could physically stop me. When both
The way he calls me makes me feel like I’m not a lady. And it made me feel utterly insulted, made me feel wholly sick.My mamita once told me during my eighteenth birthday that I look like a lady. That I am now a lady. Any boy or young man would surely fall in love when they see my face and body. But the man in front of me is not a boy. I even doubt if he’s a young man. With that body built, I’m pretty sure every woman in their town lusted over him. That just means…“Don’t make me drag you out of here!” The strange man growled. I saw in the corner of my sight that his eyes were becoming redder and redder, as if he was ready to crush me with just a pair of his eyes. He was growling, snarling. I watch his shoulders move up and down, until I don’t. Frightened, nervous, and overjoyed emotions flood my system, and my heart feels like it would burst from my chest.Instead of saving myself, I asked. “A-Are you okay?” My body retreated as I questioned him. I shouldn't have ask
God, that was awful. I couldn’t stand lying in front of Mamita. Acting and lying in front of my grandmother is too awkward. She knows me well—too well. She knows me more than I know myself. She smirked because of my hysteria. “There could only be someone you meet in these treacherous woods of ours, Cassidy.” She turned towards me, my eyes yielded in shock, betraying me. “Who is it?”I didn’t answer. My blood suddenly boiled because images of the strange man’s blood-soaked body appeared in my mind. Even though his body needed a few stitches, he still looks smoking hot. Seductive. And I couldn’t bear the idea of me being swept away by his appearance.‘Why am I thirsting over him if I loathed him?!’ I cursed my own mind, even my own thoughts are refusing to obey my emotions. “It sure looks like you did,” my mamita whispered when I still did not answer, giving me a look that says she finally found the last piece of a puzzle. “Tell me what happened, then. I couldn’t stand the dolefulne
“Well, you have to listen to me attentively.” His finger pointed to me, firm and bold. “You have to stop coming here. I don’t have plans to have you in my bed anyway.” The way my right hand instantly flew to his face made a clapping sound in the air. But he’s still chuckling.My fist turned into a ball of flaming fury after that, and I saw the redness on my skin as it sting me painfully. His jaw clenched, but there was still the amused face I beheld minutes ago. “I was just helping you and—” I spoke to him in a louder voice now. “I hate you. I hate you so much!” “My pleasure. My name is Zarion by the way.”With that, hot tears pooled down my cheeks and I found myself running away from him. Again. But this time, I know I’m not going back to that cabin anymore. Not after what he said to me. Never mind if that is my own cabin, I will not return there again whether he leaves or recovers. That’s not my problem anyway.Yet…I still found myself—telling myself—that no matter how hurt I a
“Please, Zarion…” I moaned, my pink lips parting as a soft breath left me before he tempted me once more.A shudder rakes down my spine. Running the tip of my tongue over the opening of my lips, I let out a sigh of relief when the side of my bed pushed down because of his weight. Zarion’s thoughts were lewd, I know. He wanted me so badly just like what I wanted. I’m innocent and young, yes, even a virgin. But this thirst flooding my soul…he’s the only one who can quench it. He needed me so much, wanted me so much. I can feel he never wanted or needed anything or anyone so much in his life the way he needed and wanted me. For him, I was his personal sanctuary—the only one he could go to and feel calm, relaxed. Just being around with me was enough to take him out of his worst moods. Slowly, his hands covered the right side of my neck as the tip of his nose traveled down the nape of my neck. Erratic pulses of my heart beating from my chest resound in my ears. There’s no turning back n
“Y–yes…” I finally answered his question as he slowly lifted me up.“Hmmm, differentiate it, then.”I was so delirious just because of his touches, the heat radiating from his sweaty palms. He’s touching my body everywhere that I couldn’t help but stifle erotic sounds I’d never know I could hear from myself. “D-Differentiate, what?” I exhaled.“The difference between romantic and sexual feelings.” The fuc—what? I couldn’t understand anything anymore because his calloused huge hands were touching my tits. He was teasing it, the way he wanted it to, and damn if that doesn’t make me feel things inside my thighs. He was so good at making me feel these foreign things.These strange things that are making me delirious. “Now I think you don’t understand the difference,” he giggled darkly. “Do you want me to show you instead? Show not tell, as they say….” I gasped. No, I gaped. This man—he’s everything I hated. Yet, still, I ached for him, every inch of him. I wanted and needed him in all
I shifted, my curiosity taking over my body. Why was he injured and wounded in the first place? “Where do you live? Do you even have a family?” “I don’t have a house. And no, I don’t have a family.” That was all he said—that was all his answer to my question. “Please, just stay…” I begged. “If you don’t have a house, then maybe you could live in one of the rooms in our castle. We have a lot of empty rooms that you could use and occupy. I promise I won’t tell my mamita.”“No, thanks.” Zarion’s throat bobbed. “That’s not a good idea.”“Why not?” Before I could say anything, he cut me off. “I’m on a quest.”“A quest…” my brows met. “Like a mystery to solve?”He nodded. “I’m looking for the witch that will give me the information about who’s my mate.” Mate? I don’t understand. A witch? I don’t understand either. I’m pretty sure that only exists in fairy tales and fantastical stories. “Okay, but—” I scratched my head. “You could do that while living in our castle, right?” I hate how my
Her jaw fell open, silence possessing her very being now. I saw how her breathing quickened the moment I said those words. It’s true—I love Zarion. Deeply. This is not just some puppy love that I used to have when I was fifteen.The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew he’s the one who will take care of my life the way my father took care of my deceased mother. They may not be here with me, but based on the stories my grandmother shared with me, I know my deceased parents lived their life to the fullest.And I want to live mine with him. “Mamita, please listen to me—” “I am not listening to any of these absurd things again, Cassidy!” “But—”“You are just eighteen years old!” She bellowed, veins bulging in her forehead.“And I’m old enough to indulge in these things!” “Oh yeah? You already knew it? Then, you tell me then—” She heaved a deep sigh and pointed the walking stick at my chest. “What do you know about love, child?” I was taken aback because of the term she had called m
Cassidy’s POVSnowflakes danced through the frigid air, the world around me becoming a beautiful paradise of white. Again.Instinct and adrenaline fueled my every move as I transformed, my body morphing into delicate crystalline forms.It feels so good to be back, to feel the excitement of shifting into my wolf form.The rival Rogue lunged, teeth bared. But in that pivotal moment, my body dispersed into a whirlwind of snowflakes. I felt a surreal rush as I swirled around him, avoiding his deadly jaws by the narrowest of margins.There was an odd sensation, like a shiver down my spine, as if the transformation itself was more than just a physical change. But my focus remained unwavering. As the snowflakes began to reform, I solidified just behind the Rogue, my werewolf instincts guiding my swift and precise strike. Fangs sank into his flank, and he yelped in pain and surprise.The scent of iron filled the air as I tore myself away, leaving the Rogue injured but not fatally so.My grand
“We'll do the vow in front of the Moon Goddess's temple,” I stopped by the iron gates when Achilles’ spoke, his words echoing with a sense of finality.I nodded once more, his jaw set. I know he doesn't want to do this, but he has no choice left.And there, beneath the moon's shimmering light, we sealed our pact. Two figures, one burdened by shadows and the other ready to step into the light. The wind carried our oath, the words whispered into the night like a sacred secret between us.As I turned away from Achilles, my heart’s heavy with a mixture of hope and trepidation. I felt a glimmer of something I hadn't felt in a long time—purpose. The journey ahead would not be easy, and the path to find the witch might be fraught with danger. But it was a path I had to take.For my pack, for Achilles, and most importantly, for myself.The Moon Goddess's statue watched over us, her radiant presence a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is a guiding light. And so, with my destin
I came back running towards Cassidy's body lying on the ground. “No...” I whispered, trying to regain my composure as I lay her head on my arms. “NO!!!”But despite my cry, the air was thick with a somber weight like the skies themselves had donned a shroud of mourning. It was a blow that echoed through the heart of the Volatile Hounds Pack, some are howling in their wolf forms, leaving an ache that seemed unbearable.I stood at the edge of the gathering, my eyes fixed on the scene before me. Luna Cassidy's body lay before us, her once-vibrant form now stilled, as if she had merely drifted into a deep slumber. I could hardly believe that the force of nature we had all revered—that we had all treasured, vanity consuming us—had been reduced to this fragile vessel.The wind’s whistling carried with a sense of finality that clenched at my heart. In a hushed voice, I stepped forward, the damp earth cool beneath my feet.My gaze swept across the gathered wolves, each one bearing the weight
In that moment, I felt something. I feel scared for the first time since facing so many battles and wars.“Fuck it,” I cursed to myself and run to find Cassidy. Brandon can go and shit himself.The stench of sweat and blood hung thick in my body as that colossal Rogue squared off against Cassidy, the clash of their weapons echoing through the abandoned icy ruins.My heart raced as I watched the battle unfold before me, the desperate struggle between my Luna and a Rogue playing out in a deadly dance of steel and fury.Cassidy moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, her every step calculated. I’ve thought her well, of course. Her sword is a natural extension of her being. But the Rogue was no ordinary adversary: it was a behemoth, its muscles rippling with raw power as it swung its massive twin daggers with brutal force.Each collision of metal against metal sent shockwaves through the ground, rattling the wintry debris beneath my feet. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my
Zarion's POVThe icy winds howled through the night as the waves crashed against the rocky shores, creating a picturesque atmosphere with its chilly battlegrounds. The waters here are barely frozen as if they manage to battle the winter coldness by themselves.It's finally the date of the war we anticipated and prepared for a long time. As I stood at the edge of the cliff, my breath misting in the frigid air as I gazed out at the tumultuous sea beckoning me.“Where are they?” Luna Cassidy asked beside me. She held my hand and l looked down at her. “They will be here soon,” I whispered. The bitter winds of the Turquoise Ocean swept across the icy expanse, carrying with them an air of foreboding that matched the tension in my chest. As I stood at the edge of the half-frozen shore, my breath crystallized in the frigid air. A clear reminder of the war that will be unfolding.The setting sun cast a reddish hue over the ice. My pack was assembled behind me, their eyes reflecting the same f
Heavy is the crown who wears the tiara as they say.The weight of the responsibility was so heavy atop my shoulders, but I pushed it aside. I pushed the doubts of my capability as a Luna aside. I couldn't afford to let doubt or fear creep in. Not now.Jemenei finished his preparations and stood before me, a determined look on his face that reflected my own. We were a team, a two-man team, united by purpose and the need to protect our pack and save other packs from the dangers brought by Hestia and Aneliesse. There was no turning back now. “Let's move,” I spoke, my voice low but resolute. With a nod, we headed out into the night, the moon casting long shadows on the forest floor.The Misty Forest, courtesy of its name, boasted thick fogs and mist that could blind. But now, the mist is thin and the fog has dissipated. It's still winter yet it's colder than usual. I shifted into my fight mode. Gamma Jemenei was behind me when I immediately noticed a shadow using my shadow manipulation
A day later, we returned to our pack’s fortress. The travel was swift and quick, especially when Zarion held my hand throughout the journey.“Just put our briefcases there,” Zarion commanded Beta Achilles. He was grinning from ear to ear when he glanced at the mark on my neck. “Congratulations, Alpha Zarion and Luna Cassidy.”“Uhm, thank you?” I chuckled shyly, quickly covering the mark with my ponytail. Alpha Zarion’s hand snaked around my waist and kissed the top of my forehead. “Thank you, Beta. My wife’s kind of tired,” he winked. I smiled. “Please let her rest.”Beta Achilles nodded and gestured with his hand toward the castle's rooms. “And you?” my brows furrowed as I looked at Zarion, “Where are you going?”“I have to attend something important.”“Something important?” My voice was laced with concern. “Is it urgent?”He nodded. “Yes. It’s for the sake of the pack. Our pack.”“But we just arrived—”“I’m going to be okay, Cassidy. Relax.”“Be careful on your way,” I t
“Zarion!” I shouted in frustration for a moment, but it disappeared when I felt his warm hand on me. I closed my eyes and lost myself once again.I heard a few more curses from him before he removed my underwear. The first touch of his tongue made me moan so loud. I felt like I had reached the heavens. Entered the heavens with Zarion’s lustful worshiping. The second flick of his tongue sent fire inside my core. I think I'm done for tonight. Alpha Zarion will claim me. That’s for sure.He held my thighs apart, preventing them from meeting. I savored the sensation that only he could give me, nearly biting my lip as he caressed my soft femininity. I saw him lick his middle finger. My cheeks burned at what he did.He crawled back towards me, leaning against the sofa. “You're so sweet, love,” he whispered as he began kissing my neck once again.I tilted my head to the side, unsure if I wanted him to continue or not because I kept on tickling. His hand traveled to my exposed breasts, toyin
The grandeur of the moment enveloped me wholly, filling my heart with an overwhelming blend of excitement and nervousness.Today was the day I’ve only dreamed of: the day I’m about to become a part of something bigger than myself. Someone stronger than myself. Today, I am Cassidy, the Alpha’s bride.My heart raced like a wild stallion in my chest. But I disregard it. The most important thing today is I will finally become one with Zarion.The sun is now descending low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow across the cliffside where the ceremony would take place. The waves below crashed against the rocks in a rhythmic symphony, providing a soothing backdrop to the buzzing anticipation that hung in the air. I’ve never been here before. This is my first time being here. And it brings a different joy knowing that Zarion took me to a place I’ve never been to on our wedding day.As I stood near the edge, my ivory gown billowing gently in the breeze, my fingers trembling as they clutched