Chapter 3 : Marked by the monster
The thought of Jarrel touching and marking her made her skin crawl as if bugs were crawling all over her. She sat in the dark room, sobbing, wondering why she had waited all her life for her fated mate, only to be bound to the one man she hated. How much more of her pack’s pride would be ruined by this monster? The moon goddess must be playing a cruel joke on her, giving her a beast who kills out of sheer boredom and cares only for himself. The creaking door signaled Jarrel's return. Hana’s chest tightened to a ball of fear as he drew closer, suffocating her with his arrogance. He was always followed by his guards who without delay, took a stand near the door so that no one attempted to come in. Jarrel stared at Hana and, in his eyes, she saw the desire of a man ready and willing to take what he perceived to be his own. ”You have no choice, Hana,” Jarrel said, his tone as civil as always but there was that commanding note that said a lot. "It’s a necessity, and we must go through with it." Hana's skin crawled at his words. She moved backward while crushing herself into the icy stone-built wall. "You can’t do this,” she whispered glaring at him while her face revealed both anger and fear. "I reject you!" Jarrel stepped closer, closing the distance between them in a few strides. "Your rejection means nothing until I accept it," he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. His touch sent an unwelcome shiver through her body, a mix of revulsion and the undeniable pull of the mate bond. "Let go of me!" Hana struggled, trying to wrench her arm free, but Jarrel's grip was unyielding. She kicked at him, desperation giving her strength, but he effortlessly avoided her blows, his eyes never leaving hers. "Stop fighting, Hana," Jarrel said, his voice softening slightly, almost as if he were trying to comfort her. "This will be easier for both of us if you just accept it." "I will never accept it," Hana spat, her eyes burning with defiance. "You're a monster, and I will never be yours." Jarrel's expression hardened. “As you wish,” he replied. In one decisive move, he grabbed her and turned her around, thrusting her against the wall. Heaving flat and quickly to his feet, Hana just stood still, her breath having been taken away by this rather abrupt action of his. He pulled her close and his chest was against her back his breathing heavy against her skin. “Get off me!” She yelled and tried to push him away, but he did not budge as he overpowered her. She tried to fight and twist out of his grasp but he only laughed, a sadistic grin on his face. “You do feel it right?” Jarrel asked her in his low, husky voice that she was already becoming familiar with. Even if you try to rid yourself of it, it’s there. The bond. You can’t run away from it. Hana’s body had gone against her, an ember of desire, burning inside her even though she despised it. She despised herself for it, for feeling anything other than hate for this man who had reduced her to nothing. Anger staining her face and tears in her eyes she fought on but Jarrel did not loosen his hold on her. He cupped her hands together and raised them high on her body; he then traced the curve of her neck with the back of his hand while his fingers threaded through her hair. Hana could feel his hot breath on her neck, and she recoiled at his touch. “No,” she moaned softly within herself more than saying it out to him. "Please, no. " Jarrel stopped for a second, his lips inches from her delicate flesh. “This is the way it has to be,” he whispered. "For both our sakes." Hana felt the sharp sting as his teeth pierced her skin. She cried out in pain, her body arching instinctively away from the source, but Jarrel held her firmly in place. The pain quickly turned into a burning sensation that spread through her veins, the mate bond solidifying with every second. Her brain shouted in protest, and yet her nerves jangled to the point that her sensuality was incapable of being controlled. The bond amplified everything—her anger, her despair, and the unwanted pull towards Jarrel. She could feel his emotions too: the satisfaction of claiming his mate, the dominance of an alpha exerting his will. Finally, Jarrel released her, stepping back to admire his work. Hana slumped against the wall, clutching her neck where he had bitten her. The mark throbbed, a physical reminder of her new reality. She looked up at Jarrel with tear-filled eyes, a mix of hatred and anguish etched on her face. "It's done," Jarrel said, his voice a mixture of triumph and something almost tender. "You are mine now, Little mate. The bond is complete." "I hate you," Hana whispered, her voice breaking. "I will always hate you. You freak" Jarrel’s face only relaxed for a second before it was replaced with his usual smooth expressionless face. ”You can hate me as much as you want,” he went on. “That does not change the fact that you belong to me”. He walked out of the room, waving his hand for his guards to come along. With the door shut, Hana sank to the floor buried her head in her hands, and cried her heart out. The mark on her neck throbbed with the mate bond, which made her remember that she had been forced into mating with Jarrel. In the cold and hardly illuminated room, Hana was left alone with the only feeling of the new life crushing her spirit. She despised the bond, despised how it had allowed her to feel something for the man who had inflicted so much pain. She despised the kind of powerlessness that had become her new normal. The feeling of the mark repulsed her, she needed to clean it off, she looked around for anything, could it even be cleaned off?Chapter 4: Memories Hana disappeared from the room as quickly as she could, her heart racing with fear and disgust. She breathed out and ran to the bathroom, the walls seemed to shut out the room behind her, and with a loud bang she shut the door and remained standing against it, panting. The tenderness on her neck welled feeling that tingled all through reminded her of Jarrel's ownership over her delicate body.Then, she opened the tap and allowed the water to run for quite some time before it became very hot. Panicking, she wiped her neck hard as if she could wash away the symbol that chained her to the man who was solely responsible for ruining her existence. The water scalded her skin, still, she did not mind. The more she scrubbed, she cried tears along with the water that was running down her face.“Why?” She yelled, her voice resonating within the bathroom walls lined with tiles. "Why did it have to be him?"Images of her parents and brother flashed in her mind. She remember
Chapter 5: The HealerThe healer, a composed middle-aged woman, showed up in a flash. Examining Hana's wounds with experienced efficiency, she tried to stop the bleeding and fix the slashes, her hands gleaming with healing power."She'll live," the healer said after a long stressful few minutes. "But she needs rest and care. She's been through a lot."Jarrel nodded, his jaw clenched. "Thank you," he said curtly. The healer bowed and left the room, leaving Jarrel alone with Hana.He sat at her side, observing her feeble breaths rise and fall in her chest. She still looked very much like a woman who had been in torment, even in her unconscious state her face wore the look of grief. He gently touched her forehead and tried to fix her hair which fell down on her head, only to tie it back in a bun. His hands were, inexplicably, gentle; it was the complete opposite of his assertive and aggressive personality.He whispered, "What am I going to do with you, Hana?" in a quiet voice. He had t
CHAPTER 6: The Unexpected Desire Hana had no choice but to adjust to the environment and atmosphere of Alpha Jarrel. She needed to pretend to be okay for the sake of her remaining pack members. She had come to realize just how cruel Alpha Jarrel was.It was an unfortunate fate, but she could not escape from it. As much as Hana hated Jarrel, his touch on her body always sent jolts of unexpected and unwanted pleasures through her.Jarrel had walked into her room that night. She could feel his stress; Maya had said earlier that they went to the frontline of a clash with another enemy pack. He was back and in her room.Backed against the wall and Jarrel’s huge body towering above her, she held her breath, attempting to bury the boiling sensation rising from within her.Hana had made Jarrel feel like a predator. Jarrel's entire body seemed to want something from this delicate-looking girl who had built a shield of steel around herself. Something made him want to shatter that steel right a
CHAPTER 7: The Bond“Hello, my lady,”Hana turned from the bed she had been lying on. She had been in this room for weeks without coming out or meeting anyone.“I am Sasha, and the Alpha has asked me to dress you up for the event tonight,” said a lady in a blue gown.She seemed to be the designer Jarrel had talked about last night. Mia was standing beside her.“What event is that? I have no desire to be at any party. Please leave,” Hana responded.“My lady, the Alpha has warned that there is no room for refusal and not to push him further,” Mia said, stepping forward.Hana fully understood what that warning meant. He would do anything if she refused to attend.“It’s the Alpha’s birthday party, and he needs his mate beside him,” Mia said, trying to convince Hana to see reason to go.Hana looked at the pleading eyes Mia was giving her. She knew she was trying to tell her to save them all trouble and just go.“Alright, Mia. Let me wash up,” Hana said and walked into the bathroom.She won
CHAPTER 8Hana and Mia strolled together through the SeaHowl pack’s grounds with the warm light of afternoon enveloping the place. The air was fresh and the flowers in the garden were blooming but none of those seemed to soften the stiffness in Hana’s heart. She was moving like a free woman while her pack members were being confined, this feeling made her feel like a fraud.It was a beautiful garden with flowers and shrubs looking neat and cut in a perfect manner including the hedge. Hana looked at the girl, who looked satisfied on the bench, her eyes looked friendly and happy that she finally had someone to talk to, while Hana felt an emptiness inside. They strolled in silence, Hana’s thoughts heavy with worry and guilt.As they approached a group of pack members chatting near a fountain, Hana overheard snippets of their conversation.“Did you hear? Alpha Jarrel subdued another enemy pack recently.”“Yeah, and some breeders were brought to the prison. Poor souls.”Hana’s heart clen
CHAPTER 9: Bravery Amid ChaosHana had just stepped into the garden when the alarm bells began to ring throughout the SeaHowl pack’s territory. The shrill, desperate sounds signaled an attack. Her heart pounded in her chest as memories of her own pack’s fall flooded her mind, the horror of that night still vivid and fresh.She saw panic spreading among the pack members, their faces twisted in fear and determination. Children were being herded into safe areas, and warriors were rushing to the front lines. Hana’s eyes fell on a small boy, no older than six, standing frozen in the middle of the chaos. His wide, terrified eyes searched for his mother, who was nowhere in sight.As she watched, a rogue wolf, large and menacing, broke through the defenses and charged toward the boy. Hana’s breath caught in her throat. She was paralyzed by indecision. The image of Jarrel’s ruthless assault on her pack flashed before her eyes—men and women slaughtered, children dragged into slavery. These we
CHAPTER 10: The Alpha's DilemmaThe rumble of Jarrel's car echoed through the trees as he approached the SeaHowl pack’s compound. His absence had lasted barely a couple of days while he was busy mediating differences and restoring peace around. With every stride that brought him near, it felt as if an electric current flowed through the atmosphere, making him restless.Dismounting, he stormed through the pack house’s main door. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the frantic movements of his pack members. His Beta, Magnus, approached with a grim expression.“Alpha, there’s been an attack.”Jarrel’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. “Who attacked us?”“Rogue wolves. They managed to breach the perimeter and get close to the main house. My Lady... she was attacked.”The blood drained from Jarrel’s face, replaced swiftly by a seething fury. “Where is she?”“In the infirmary. She’s hurt but... she saved one of the pack’s pups.”Without another word, Jarrel pushed past Magnus and
CHAPTER 11: Nightmare Hana gasped as she thrashed about on her bed, with her mind caught up in the labyrinthine corridors of her memory.Hana was back home where it was safe and sound; a small but sturdy wooden cabin located right at the heart of her pack’s territory. The smell of pine and soil filled Hana’s nostrils; the forest itself seemed to be whispering to her. Her mother would be humming softly as she cooked dinner with the rhythmical chopping of vegetables. Around that time, Hana remembers her father’s deep voice booming from inside their meeting room during a talk with other elders.The air suddenly turned cold and Hana felt an uncomfortable shiver run down her back. She went outside and looked around, scanning all along the tree line. There was an eerie silence that fell over the serene forest which now seemed to hold its breath for some reason. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest when she heard a low growl from amongst the shadows.Without any response chaos broke out. Sh