CONAN The guilt I feel as I leave Wilda's room is overwhelming. 'I did what I has to do to get to the truth.' I try to convince myself. 'And it's not like my feelings were fake.' I say to myself. I just used them to manipulate her. Which sounds really bad, now that I think about it. But then again, the whole point of finding the prophesied wolf was to manipulate it to be on our side. It was never expected that the wolf would come with us willingly. I just never expected to feel any amount of guilt over the methods. 'Any other person would do the same.' I tell myself. And I don't even know Wilda enough to feel like I'm betraying her... I already have a degree of her trust, I should be glad over the advantage I have over anyone else who would try to manipulate her. I should be glad. I'm doing exactly what I came here to do. So why is my heart heavy? Why in The Moon goddess's name did I get involved with her? I look around the majestic corridors of the Gray's mansion to distract
WILDA. “Well, this seems to be my lucky day,” the man’s eyes travel down my naked body, a pleased smile on his face. I instinctively drop a hand to cover my crotch, the other across my small breasts. He does not avert his gaze. My body trembles under the scrutiny of his gaze. I find myself looking away, ashamed. “This is private property,” I say, weakly, my cheeks burning red hot and my breath shallow. “Oh, is it?” he asks, his voice teasing. “Well, then you must be Wilda, I’m Victor, and I will be your riding instructor.” He extends a hand, his smile almost covering his whole face. I stare at his hand, tempted to take it. “You're not supposed to be here,” there is a tremble in my voice as I speak. My cheeks burn even hotter, blood pumping in my ears. “You like to run around naked?” he asks, his voice surprisingly serious. I turn away from him, heading for the house. He whistles. “Mama Mia! The view from behind is just as good as from the front.” My knees almost give out a
I suddenly cannot take in a breath. I had failed to notice his beauty earlier, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.Copper blue eyes looking back at mine with a sick sense of humor behind them, long feminine lashes, thick eyebrows, high cheekbones, full lips, and a jaw that looks strong enough to withstand a punch from The Hulk, my breath catches and the water in my mouth goes down the wrong tube.I try to hold the cough that wants to expel the unwanted visitor in my trachea in an attempt not to make a fool of myself, even as I feel the attention of the table turn to me. I break out into a fit of coughs, blood rushing to my face.“Are you okay?” my brother's voice is filled with concern. His eyes ask me ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’He offers me his glass and rubs my back as I regain my composure, his hand a little too rough.“I’m okay, thanks,” I mutter.“Sorry,” I say to the table, my eyes fixed on my plate, and everybody gets back to their conversations in the same second.
CONAN.Orion! I hate hunters!I look down at my palm, where his silver ring had touched my skin, as I leave campus grounds. The delicate skin of my fingers is healing, though slowly.How had I not noticed? But then again, I was too intoxicated by Wilda’s scent.‘A wolf’s power comes from knowing his surroundings. When you enter a room, isolate all the scents in the room, and know everyone. You are dead the minute a hunter finds you before you do.’ Every wolf is taught this when it turns. Today, I learned why.For me, as a future alpha, the carelessness I had shown today was simply unacceptable. If Father found out about this…And all because of a human girl. But how was I supposed to focus on anything with her scent so strong? It was an intoxicating combination of nervousness, arousal, and fear, something that excited my wolf.Wilda was an interesting creature, even my father had admitted as much. It was rare that the breed of two wolves did not result in a cub, and even rarer that t
In the forest deep where shadows fade,A wolf is born of blood by fate.A soul gone rogue a wolf untamed,The fate of wolves, by him decreed.This is the prophecy that brought me into town. A prophecy as old as the first lyncan. Some believe the prophesied wolf to be a savior, others the enemy.Wolves seek it for their packs, hunters seek to kill it. Every few couple of decades, tension rises among wolves and between wolves and hunters, as rumours of the prophesied wolf shake both communities. Recently, the rumors had resurfaced, as hunters and wolves both moved closer to Crimson Hills, believing for some reason, that the prophesied wolf would rise here.Soon after Lucien Gray was killed, wolves in Crimson Hills began to drop like flies. Killed by other wolves from different packs. Recently, the attacks had reduced after Damian’s pack caught one of the perpetrators and annihilated his whole pack. Again, I wonder why my father would dare cross the young alpha.Nonetheless, my father be
WILDA.Men! I roll my eyes.“Is it an ego thing?” Greg refuses to answer me as we walk around campus aimlessly looking for a free bench to sit on till our next class.“How do you know him?” I press on.“His father is a famous CEO; you should really try to keep up with current events.” His voice is annoyed, but I’m not done with my interrogation.“I don’t think I believe you. It seems like you guys know each other from somewhere else, he practically ran from class…”Greg smiles wickedly. “He did, didn’t he, do you think I’m intimidating?”“As intimidating as a mosquito.” I roll my eyes trying not to encourage him, even though I had noticed the change on his face when he had addressed Conan. And if I’m being honest, he could be intimidating if he wanted. We have been friends for almost two years now, and I have never considered Gregory to be threatening until I saw him speak to Conan today.“Mosquitoes spread malaria. They kill more people than any other animal in the world. Remember th
I swim in the darkness for what feels like forever, intoxicated by the feeling. Then the memories come flooding in.I see myself returning from my morning run. I'm in my white trainers, yoga pants, and a tank top. Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ blasts in my headphones. I’m happy, loving the feel of the morning breeze slapping my face, and the wide smile on my face does not hide it.I always run around the estate and go straight into the house to shower, but this time, for some reason, I decide to pass the house and head for the woods. I always thought the planted trees to be well arranged, and the little flowerbeds and bushes my mother added when she still had the strength to move about, add an atmospheric feel to the woods.I breathe in the cool morning air, ‘today’s going to be a good day,’ I think. A walk in these woods always makes everything better, Father says, and even all Damian has to do when he is in a foul mood is take a walk in the woods.I always wondered why my father insis
“And then what, Wilda, what next?” Damian is asking. The world is still fuzzy, a hammer is pounding mercilessly in my head. I can hear my own pulse in my head. I blink repeatedly in an effort to bring everything into focus. It doesn’t work as my vision remains blurry and my world continues to spin. Everything seems to be pulsing to the rhythm of my heart. “You said you saw grey and white fur, Wilda, and then what?” Damian’s voice says. I can tell he is not shouting, but his voice is still a little too loud. “I did?” my voice asks. I did? Was I talking subconsciously? “Yes, you did.” He sounds frustrated. “And then what? I need to know what happened next.” A cold feeling settles in my stomach. I gag with the need to throw up. My throat burns as bile comes up to my mouth. I swallow the bitter liquid back down. My breath becomes shallow as my heartbeat increases. I need fresh air. “Just leave her be, Damian, you'll break her.” My sister pleads, but I only hear her muffled voice. I
CONAN The guilt I feel as I leave Wilda's room is overwhelming. 'I did what I has to do to get to the truth.' I try to convince myself. 'And it's not like my feelings were fake.' I say to myself. I just used them to manipulate her. Which sounds really bad, now that I think about it. But then again, the whole point of finding the prophesied wolf was to manipulate it to be on our side. It was never expected that the wolf would come with us willingly. I just never expected to feel any amount of guilt over the methods. 'Any other person would do the same.' I tell myself. And I don't even know Wilda enough to feel like I'm betraying her... I already have a degree of her trust, I should be glad over the advantage I have over anyone else who would try to manipulate her. I should be glad. I'm doing exactly what I came here to do. So why is my heart heavy? Why in The Moon goddess's name did I get involved with her? I look around the majestic corridors of the Gray's mansion to distract
WILDA Before logic can convince me otherwise, I wrap my small towel around my body and step out of the shower, sparing a moment to wipe the steam off the mirror, just to make sure I look as best as I can considering the circumstances. The bags under my eyes are still visible, but the red in my eyes is gone and I am flushed enough that, thanks to the hot shower... or maybe the man in my room, I no longer look like a ghost. I freeze in place the minute I step out of the bathroom and catch a glimpse of him, closing the door behind me to stop the steam from following me into the room. His head lifts at the sound of the door closing and a second later, blue eyes stare back at mine with such intensity my legs almost turn to spaghetti. Cooked spaghetti. I find myself unable to move, breathe or think as his gaze drops to the towel around me, down to my legs,lingering for a second before meeting my eyes and dropping to the towel again. I get the feeling that he wants it off, that he wan
WILDA.I'm running in the woods. It's dark and I can't tell what time of the night it is. The woods are dark as midnight on a moonless night, but somehow, I can still see the shadows of bushes and trees. The night is quiet, the only sound that of my footsteps and behind me… panting…panting… like the sound of a dog… or a wolf.My heart pounds in my chest. ‘Run faster,’ My brain pleads. Despite my efforts, I do not seem to be moving at all. I feel as if I'm running on a treadmill, all effort but no distance.Branches break behind me, fallen twigs snap under the weight of my pursuer's feet, dry fallen leaves crunch under shoes, the sound coming closer and closer, each sound making my heart race faster and my efforts seem pointless.“Wildaaaa...” A voice sings, the familiarity of the sound making the cold air catch in my throat. Goosebumps grow on my bare arms, nothing to do with the cold that makes the air I exhale visible before me.‘I need to get away.’ I think, willing my legs to move
WILDA.Damian does not speak or look at me the whole way. His grip on my arm does not loosen either. It is as if he is afraid I might still run away or something.We walk to the house in silence, my heart beating hard in my chest and my palms dripping with sweat. what will happen to me? What will I say should he ask me what I remembered? What did I remember?Grey fur… yellow eyes… white fur… red eyes… skin turning inside out into fur… the sound of bones crushing… my father… am I going crazy? Why did no one tell me I was there? Why did no one tell me I was the reason for my father’s death?My eyes begin to tear up as my chest grows heavier. No. I will not cry. Not in front of my sadistic brother. I sneak a look at him walking beside me, eyes locked on our house in the distance, there is a troubled expression on his face I have never seen before. It disappears the minute he notices me watching him and I look away immediately.Somehow, I get the feeling he will not continue his interrog
CONAN.I stand there dumbfounded, staring at the necklace hanging off my fingers like it’s alien technology, unsure if I am entitled to jump to conclusions. So I found her necklace where the sheep were mauled, what exactly did this prove? It is a small town, maybe she came to visit a while ago and dropped it…And I had found her on the opposite side of the forest.‘Are you making excuses for her?’’ my wolf asks.Had she been running towards or away from something? The blood in her hands… was it human or animal blood? I cannot remember. Didn’t I check? Why didn’t I check?She is only human, what am I doing entertaining these thoughts? This is the work of a wolf. A rogue wolf. I remind myself. But she smells nothing like a wolf.But then again, what are these episodes she keeps having? Ending up in the middle of the forest heading to God knows where, then shrugging her shoulders and saying ‘Oh, I do that sometimes,’ as if she's talking about the most ordinary thing in the world?“Are yo
CONAN. The minute Damian is gone and I’m sure he is out of earshot; I’m flipping the table and screaming into the cushions of my sofa. The glass from the broken coffee table pierces the skin of my bare feet, but my brain barely registers the pain. My wolf, twice as angry as I am, threatens to take over. In this state, I wouldn’t be able to control him once he takes over. ‘A wolf’s power comes from control, the minute you lose it, you’re as good as dead.’ I remember my father’s advice. Control. The one thing I need to be a good leader, and the one thing I may never achieve with my impulsive personality. I attempt a deep breath. ‘Calm down.’ I say to my wolf. But no matter what I keep thinking about, no matter where I try to escape, Damian’s face follows me. How dare he! I take in another deep breath. The ring, still in my hand, burns through my palm, the pain now a welcome distraction from my anger. Something to keep me in the present and prevent my wolf from taking over. Still, m
WILDAI stare at Damian at the door. His massive build blocks the evening light from outside, casting shadows over his features and making his face hard to decipher. The unlit room seems to grow darker the minute he steps into the house. Conan shuffles uncomfortably on the floor. “I’ve been looking for you, dear sister. You ran off on us.” He settles on the sofa opposite me. “I was so worried.” His voice drips with sarcasm. He does not wait for a response from me as he turns to Conan, who is still on the floor at my feet, looking like a child caught with his fingers in the box of chocolate hidden in his parent’s room. “Make me some coffee young wolf, will you? It's rude to keep your visitors thirsty, don’t they teach you that in the woods?” he chuckles as if he said the funniest thing on the planet. Conan stares at my brother for a while. I can tell from his face that my brother’s words have offended him somehow. The debate going on in his head is obvious. Damian watches him close
CONAN. “You go on ahead, I'll text you later.” I turn to Dan, my mind on nothing but the familiar scent of anxiety, pheromones, and this time absolute fear. My wolf is restless. “Why?” he asks. “I think the grays are around, you don’t smell that?” He sniffs the air and shrugs. “No.” I try to relax my shoulders and act indifferent as I say, “Oh doesn't matter, either way, I need to turn in. It’s been a long day for this wolf.” He takes the cue quickly. “Alright, I'll text you with any updates…” he pauses for a second and sends me a curious look. “Are you sure you’re, okay? You’ve been off the whole day.” “Yeah,” I hope my voice sounds reassuring. “Totally, probably new environment jitters or something, I’ll be fine.” Anyone that says 'yeah, totally,' is a liar." He says , before turning and leaving with a brisk bye. One reason Dan and I work so well is because he is very good at minding his business, and I am not. Almost polar opposites, we complement each other very well. He
“And then what, Wilda, what next?” Damian is asking. The world is still fuzzy, a hammer is pounding mercilessly in my head. I can hear my own pulse in my head. I blink repeatedly in an effort to bring everything into focus. It doesn’t work as my vision remains blurry and my world continues to spin. Everything seems to be pulsing to the rhythm of my heart. “You said you saw grey and white fur, Wilda, and then what?” Damian’s voice says. I can tell he is not shouting, but his voice is still a little too loud. “I did?” my voice asks. I did? Was I talking subconsciously? “Yes, you did.” He sounds frustrated. “And then what? I need to know what happened next.” A cold feeling settles in my stomach. I gag with the need to throw up. My throat burns as bile comes up to my mouth. I swallow the bitter liquid back down. My breath becomes shallow as my heartbeat increases. I need fresh air. “Just leave her be, Damian, you'll break her.” My sister pleads, but I only hear her muffled voice. I