AZALEA Despite not having a pleasant experience back there at the woods, I still couldn't deny the attraction I felt towards August. It felt like we had known each other for such a long time when in actual sense we had just met barely some days ago.I had a feeling I had betrayed him – by hiding the fact that I had been marked by his brother. What happens when he eventually finds out and it stirs up trouble between them?I had an undying urge to be with him each passing day, to stare him in the eye and confess to him what had happened between his brother and I.I couldn't bear being apart from him anymore. I just knew I had to leave for the woods once again, but this time, my father had to know I was leaving. It's unfair of me to keep him in the dark about my plans of leaving the house.When I was fully convinced I was ready to leave, I approached my father's room, rehearsing the perfect lies I was about to spill to him.He raised his head as soon as he heard the sound of the door op
GRAYI walked close to where she was standing with August by her side, staring at her in a plausible manner. I'm sure she quite understood what the stares meant as she squinted her eyes, as if pleading with me to stay away from her.I paid heed to her plea, not because I was scared of her or August, but because I had other better plans which they were certainly not aware of.I turned to the pack elders and other high ranking members seated in the hall. “I suppose my brother has shown you his mate already, and it will interest you to know that she is nothing but a mere human. He has chosen a human to be your future Luna, is that even possible?”“Of course not!” The crowd roared in unison. I shot a quick glance at August, and his reaction was nothing short of furious. His hands clenched in a tight fist, his face burning with intense anger as his eyes dug into mine. I was unmoved by any of that anyway. Not like he would be able to defeat me in a battle.The pack members were growing imp
AZALEA Gray was definitely up to something sinister. I could see right through his eyes to know that he was planning something towards the new moon ceremony, but I just couldn't place my hands on what exactly it was.His smile only made things worse. It created this burning urge within me to hit him and put an end to all these already. Unfortunately, that was only going to worsen the situation at hand.I prayed to the goddess silently, hoping she would send August to save me from this bag of trouble standing before me. Could today just be any better?“Haha. Luna Azalea has surely got some nerves.” He bellowed, laughing in a weird manner. He got up and crossed his hands behind him, mischief seeping through his eyes. “Well, I really do not have anything to say right now. Let's all wait for the new moon ceremony, right?”Before I could say anything, he turned to the door and walked away majestically. I walked slowly behind him, wondering how he had managed to gain entrance into the man
AZALEA “Not so fast, brother!” Gray yelled and set his leg high in motion, hitting whoever it was he had aimed at.He accidentally lost his grip on me, and the last thing I could remember was that I slipped off his hands and came crashing to the floor.~I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and sunlight seeping through unfamiliar curtains. My stomach burned as I sat up, taking in the strange room. I looked around helplessly, yet there was nothing about the room that seemed familiar. Fear engulfed me as I restlessly began to wonder how I had gotten here. My neck ached badly as I tried to turn, and just then the door creaked open with a mighty force.I fixed my gaze at the spot, hoping I would get some help or explanation from whoever it was that would step in. A wave of disappointment and panic set in when I saw Gray walk into the room instead, having some men behind him. He waved his hand at the men and they left the room without a single word.“I see you're awake
AZALEA I froze at the spot, redirecting my gaze to the door to see who the intruder was.Panic coursed through my veins as I finally saw who it was. It was Gray. He marched into the room, glaring at me like he had been eavesdropping on my conversation with the maids all along.Of all times to show up, why does it have to be now? I slowly returned to where I was sitting, scared of what his reaction would be.But that didn't stop him from doing what he had in mind. He circled his hand around my neck, gripping me in a chokehold, his face barely an inch away from mine.“You really want to test my patience, don't you?” He asked furiously. Then he suddenly released his grip on me, turning around to face the maids. “Excuse us.”“Right away, your highness.” They muttered in unison and dashed out of the room.Gray returned his gaze on me, and his face looked nothing close to being cheerful. Maybe he was earlier, but certainly not anymore.He clutched my neck in his hand once again, his face m
AUGUST I could not stand the thought of losing my mate to that bastard — not now, not ever! I was going to find him and take Azalea back even if it meant doing so with my life.I hurriedly made arrangements with a few of the packhouse guards, and as soon as they were assembled in the manor, I walked in to address them.“Listen attentively, guards. The moment we arrive at the Silvertooth pack, I want you all to go into the Alpha's room, take out my mate and bring her to me. No matter what happens, I am never losing this fight. Am I understood?” I asked, and they all nodded.“Good. Now let's get going.”We headed out at once to Gray's pack. It was just a few distance away from mine, so it didn't take so long before we finally arrived.The guards trooped in at once, heading towards Gray's room, as I had earlier commanded, but they were soon stopped by some other hefty and fearsome men.Their legs wobbled as they moved backwards. Their hands went high in the air as the hefty men marched
AZALEA I felt so bad as I watched August heartbroken and betrayed by my decision to choose his brother over him.I wish there was a way I could go to him and tell him that I never meant those words. I wish I could go up to him and tell him that I had only taken that decision for us.“You heard her. What are you still waiting for? Leave my pack this minute!” Gray yelled at him and his guards didn't hesitate to grab him and throw him out of the packhouse. “Come with me, sweetheart.” He said as soon as August was completely out of sight, stretching his hand to hold me.He gripped my wrist and led me into the manor, his face a beam of smiles. When we had finally settled in his room, he had his maids prepare our lunch while we discussed in the comfort of his room.“You see… I still can't believe you actually chose me over him. Why did you suddenly change your mind? I thought you always loved him.” He asked, throwing endless glances my way.I returned his smile, staring right into his eyes
~AZALEA~Running back to August's pack, I couldn't help but feel so excited on how I had succeeded in fooling Gray. I couldn't wait to see the shock on August's face when he sees me in his pack, considering the fact that I had boldly accepted Gray over him earlier.I just hoped he would forgive me and understand the reason behind what I had done.As I got closer to the pack and gradually approached the packhouse, I had an undeniable feeling of being at ease. I had finally arrived at the one place where I could boldly call my second home away from home.I could feel it in my spirit that this was just the exact atmosphere I needed, and not the toxicity which I faced in Gray's pack.I was eager to see August, but as I began to approach the packhouse, skepticism engulfed me. I began to have a strange doubt about what I was about to do.What if August had moved on quickly with someone else like I had told him to? What if I get there and he doesn't welcome me? Endless doubts set in and I s
~August~I was still unable to get over Azalea's flight from the packhouse. It was as though my bond towards her suddenly increased as soon as she was gone.Now there was obviously no way to get her back because she was in the hands of the Alpha King.I still wonder what he had seen in her that made him decide to harbor her and even fight for her like his whole life depended on it.No matter what, I had to find a way to bring her back. She belongs to me and no one is going to stop that from happening, not even the almighty Alpha King who thinks himself a Lord over us.Following Zoe's suggestion, I came to the conclusion to go into the king's palace secretly and capture her without his knowledge.But while we were still at it, thinking of the best way to go about the plan, I began to notice a growing sense of attraction between Zoe and Gray.At first, I overlooked it, seeing it as a friendly bond between two people who get to meet themselves through me, but soon I realized it was way m
~Azalea~I froze from the weight of his words, my legs feeling suddenly heavy like the whole world was underneath them.His face turned serious, sending my mind spiraling in thoughts. Now I had suddenly forgotten how to express myself to him. It was as though his words had gotten me completely dumbfounded.“Azalea.” Bruce's calm voice broke through the silence around me again. He crouched beside me, gently cradling me in his arms. His touch was steady, and reassuring, and his presence alone eased the fear.My whole body suddenly eased up, feeling like it had been consumed by a whole different energy entirely.“Are you okay?” he asked, stroking my hair and surprisingly, I was. His touch soothed me and the fear was no longer there. Only the aftermath of that beast's visit, and a slight headache.I nodded, flashing him a huge smile as I felt his warmth around me. “Yes, yes. I'm fine, just that… You know what, forget about it. I have something more important to tell you.” His eyes narrow
~Azalea~“I am going to make that bastard pay with his miserable life for making you go through all this suffering.” Bruce's words remained ever fresh in my memory, making my heart skip.Now I felt really bad for dismissing him in that manner, but I couldn't help it. I had only acted through my emotions. Father is dead, and now I'm left to navigate my way in this godforsaken werewolf world.To think that I had just discovered myself as a werewolf recently. Since I awoke my werewolf strength, everything about me seemed so different. It was surprising when I realized that I was no longer a human but a werewolf, but more surprising when I found out that father's hatred for werewolves was more than met the eye. He could go any length to destroy all werewolves if he had the opportunity to, even to the point of attempting to kill his own daughter?That made no sense to me. Bruce's timely intervention was underemphasized. I mean I would have been a dead meat by now if he had not stepped in
~Bruce~Hearing Azalea sound that way, something within me broke. I was suddenly beginning to regret my act for what I had done earlier.But at the same time, she still had to understand that I did what I did solely because of her safety. What would have become of her if that bastard had succeeded in shooting her? Obviously she would have been dead or severely injured. Why was she refusing to see things from my own perspective?“Alright, I’ve heard you. But can you at least tell me a few things about your past? How did you end up in the werewolf world? How did you get to meet August?” I saw her face twist into a slight frown, a clear evidence that she didn't quite expect me to have asked that question.I waited nonetheless, staring at her with a pacifying look. The silence between us was choking. It was as though we had both planned to keep silent at that point.Then she suddenly heaved a deep sigh, restoring life back into the room. Her face looked uneasy and dragging, her eyes heav
~Azalea~Before now, I had changed back to my human form. I remained glued at a spot, unable to comprehend what was going on.Father's look had suddenly turned sour, his gaze piercing. I hadn't felt so guilty like I felt at this point. Why was I even feeling this way when clearly it was none of my fault.Father paused, leaning forward to where I was. I shot him a curious glance, unable to stand the suspense anymore.“Dad, what's going on here? What do you mean by those words you just said?” I said, pausing for his reaction.I was taken aback when I could see no flicker of guilt in his eyes. His face was mean, his eyes piercing with anger.He offered me a little smile as he let out a sigh of resignation. “Alright. I see you want to know what's going on right?” He asked.I nodded, not bothering to say a word, as I was rather focused on hearing what he was about to say.“That's fine. Since you really wish to know, I have no choice but to tell you everything about your mother right now. I
~Azalea~Though reluctant, Bruce was left with no choice but to give in. He nodded slightly, watching me with soulful eyes as I hopped out of the car.As I approached father, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of panic. There was no doubt that Bruce's gaze was on me right now, and he was obviously watching keenly to see if anything would go wrong.But I really hope nothing like that ever happens, because I certainly had nowhere else to go from here. As much as I had loved August so much in the past, I didn't see myself going back to him for any reason. That was the last thing on my mind to do.“Dad, please relax.” I yelled from a distance, walking towards him cautiously. His eyes swayed in my direction. His face flashed with a smile as soon as he saw me. “Azalea, is that you? Oh I thought I had lost you.” He groveled, mistakenly dropping the gun in his hands.His arms went wide open, wide enough to get me into his bosom. I reciprocated as I ran off to meet him, burying myself
~Azalea~But Zoe ignored my cries, dragging me effortlessly out of the room. When we arrived at the sitting room, a deep, hoarse voice called out, startling the both of us.“Stop right there!” Zoe's grip on me loosened instantly as she turned around to see who the intruder was.She lowered her head almost immediately, her legs trembling as the person behind the voice approached us, his steps steady and dominating.“What's going on here?” The voice asked once again, and that was when I realized that it was Bruce's voice. I raised my head quickly, locking my gaze with his and screaming repeatedly to get his attention.“You were right on time, Bruce. She was just trying to force me to come with her back to the packhouse.” I spelt out, feeling my fears gradually slipping off into courage. Bruce fumed, his brows furrowed as he turned his gaze on Zoe. “Is this true?” He quizzed, his voice stern and uncompromising. Zoe nodded slightly without bothering to raise her head. At that moment, B
~Azalea~I stood back in awe as I watched Bruce fight for me. My heart raced in my chest as August had initially attempted to expose me, not until Bruce stepped in and ordered him out.I couldn't shake off the relief that enveloped me. It was an indescribable joy. Bruce was indeed more than what I had imagined him to be earlier. Who would have thought that he wouldn't get upset after finding out that his supposed mate was a human?As soon as August was dragged out of the hall and the premises, Bruce turned to the crowd, dismissing everyone.Though he had saved me publicly, I could see that there was still something that seemed to bother him. I couldn't deny the fact that I had wronged him, and of course he deserved some explanations for what happened earlier.The moment we got into the palace, I went on my knees before him, my eyes pleading.“I'm sorry I never told you all those things about myself.” I said, holding back my tears from making a show.A feeling of terror engulfed me.
~August~So this is it. Azalea had taken off from the packhouse only to lock in with the King. How did she even get to find him? I bet she must have seduced him and brainwashed him to speak up for her, because he was obviously not speaking in his right senses. I know Azalea could be desperate but I never expected her to go that extent in her desperation.Bruce sounded firm in his words and there was no doubt that he had chosen to stand by her. But had it really gotten to the point of giving me a challenge? My eyes stayed glued to Azalea for a moment, and I nodded, giving in to the challenge.“Alright. Let's hear from her. I bet she will pick me ten times over you.” I said boldly, feeling my ego rise. But all of a sudden, it came crashing as Azalea made a shocking statement.“I choose him.” She said, clinging firmly onto King Bruce's arms. “I will rather be with a man who cherishes me over a man who makes me feel worthless, hitting me and yelling at me at the slightest provocation.”