"I need a man here!" Dallan felt a splash on his face even before the words managed to escape his lips. He heard a roar; another wave rolled forward with raging speed directed at the bottom of the ship. "I am here, my alpha!" Dallan looked at the side to see one of the warriors standing behind him, close to the steering. He muttered a curse under his breath as he handed the steering over to the warrior. The boards would not hold on much longer, he knew that. He silently cursed the night again as a bolt of frightening lightning streaked across the sky, momentarily producing light bright enough to see as far as the angry approaching waves. He did not need the streak of lightning to see, or even any form of light. His eyes which were glowing bright yellow had all the eyesight properties he needed in a weather like this. He heard a yell followed by a loud grunt as a wave slapped hard on the side of the ship where he was carefully trying to tread. Dallan grunted and grabbed onto a
"What the fuck," Dallan murmured to himself. He jerked his hand away from the knob as if he touched something poisonous. What was he feeling? His nose quirked and he felt a surge of his wolf. Unintentionally, his claws elongated; his body became hot. He was aware of every single thing going on around him. The voices of the men coming from the lower deck sounded like a conversation being made directly beside him. "What the fuck," Dallan repeated as his heartbeat increased. How come he could feel all the known signs of a mate? He looked around to know where the peculiar scent of a female he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with was coming from. All indications pointed towards the door he was standing before. "What the fuck!" Dallan repeated again, this time frantically. Only one soul he knew could be inside the cabin. The mermaid! The fuck! The goddess mated him to a mermaid?!! A low class of specie! He would have done better with even a measly human! Dallan knitte
"I will never accept her. She will never be my mate. I heard wolves can reject their mates and stay single throughout their lifetime. Is this true?" Kai stilled. He looked Dallan straight in the eyes to be sure it was something, at least, close to a joke. "Errm... Are you being serious right now?" "Do I look like I'm joking?" "Wait, you are ready to be mateless throughout your life than be—" "Yes!" Dallan interrupted angrily. "Yes, I am ready to be mateless throughout my life than be with her! Isn't that clear enough?" The anger he was displaying didn't seem necessary, especially as he was venting it out on the wrong person. But he wasn't done. "I can not accept her as a mate! Why should the goddess do this to me? I have waited for so long. I expected something worth all the time. Now look what I got!" "She is beautiful, and she will definitely make a good mate. You have not even tried getting to know her better." "It's not an issue of getting to know her better." Dallan ca
"Where is the mermaid?!" The fake smile Dallan had plastered on disappeared as fast as a pin thrown into a pile of haystack. He quickly pushed himself back to a comfortable sitting position. What the fuck! Mermaid?!! When did it become right for the pack members to ask him about whoever he brought into the pack? Why was the mermaid getting them excited? Dallan allowed the questions to pour into his head even though he had no answers to them. When at last the truck stopped close to Dallan's quarters where some of the more daring ones were gathered, all the warriors swung into action. They disembarked and guided the alpha through the crowd. Already, Dallan had given orders for Hazel to be locked in a room in his mansion. It was to serve as a temporary site until he figured out what to do. Kai followed him into his chamber. Dallan rushed into his room. "Gosh, these people are noisy!" "They have been this way since I knew them. Are you just taking note of their noisy nature?"
"What!" Hazel screamed. Her eyes bulged out; her jaws drooped. Dallan wasn't smiling, and it made her heart beat fast. She expected him to laugh and say it was all a joke, but nothing of such came. "Tell me that is a joke. Please," she begged. "Do you think I am joking?" Dallan's brows knitted in confusion. "Are you saying you haven't felt anything since we met?" "O—Of course I... have!" Hazel blurted out. She scoffed. "How can I be your mate? Is that why I can't stop thinking about you?" She regretted mentioning that last part. Dallan had already started smirking. "Oh, I see. You were thinking about me, right? What were you thinking?" Dallan continued smirking as he inched closer. Hazel moved back until she collided with the headboard. "I can imagine your thoughts on my lips, or..." He caressed his groin. "I was so wet yesterday. Did you see an outline of my cock?" "Shut up." Hazel nervously swallowed. Her legs trembled. "I... I thought nothing of such." Her eyes betrayed her.
Dallan got a little confused. Abe was always the type to crack jokes, laugh, and make people feel at ease. But this particular type of congratulation did not sit well with Dallan. Who knew what the warlock had seen? "Abe, I don't understand." Dallan nervously cleared his throat. "Why are you congratulating me? "Wait... Are you telling me that you do not know?" "Know what?" Abe feigned a look of surprise. It made a corner of his lips tilt up. "Are you yet to feel the mate signs?" "Oh. Is that what you are talking about?" "Of course!" Kai who was now smiling gently plopped on a sofa. He allowed them to discuss. Dallan also sat on a sofa. Now, only Abe stood. "Please, sit." Dallan tried ushering him to a sofa, but the man refused. "I am okay this way. I want to know why your face looks this way. You don't even seem excited that you have finally found your mate. What is going on?" "If you saw a vision about me getting my mate, did you also see who the mate is?" "Of cour
"What!" Kai exclaimed in disbelief. "The pack has been planning all that?!" "Yes, they have. I wanted to know if it was an order from—" "No! I did not give that order! Neither did Dal—Alpha Dallan. Have the people gone mad? Shouldn't the alpha be the one to make that decision?" "I just thought to inform you." "Thank you, Drab. You may leave." Kai fumed. While Dallan was thinking about making Hazel his maid, the pack had kitchen plans for her. Kai did not even know who was the alpha anymore. Whenever Dallan gave an order, the pack members gave two to counter it. Still fuming, Kai went back to Dallan's quarters. The alpha was no longer in the sitting room. Kai knew he must have gone to be with his parents. Kai went straight to Hazel. He knocked. For a moment, it seemed no one was in the room. He knocked again. "Who is that?" Her voice came from within, low and confused. "It's... erm..." Kai slowly pushed himself in. "Hi." "Hmm, I knew it wasn't that imp. He would never ca
If there was anything Dallan hated, it was pack gatherings. He would have to face all the insufferable council of elders and the over-demanding pack members. The fact that the main theme of the celebration was to see the mermaid was a fact that he was well aware of. He had no idea why the pack wanted a mermaid so badly. He had been the one crazy for one. Initially. Now, his mind was pricking him. It felt like he did a very wrong thing by kidnapping Hazel. She wasn't the first person to be taken by him in such a forceful way, so it came as a surprise why he was suddenly feeling bad—no, remorseful. The trumpet sounded again. Dallan exhaled and slowly got up. It would be a very obvious lie if he should duck under his covers and pretend he didn't hear the summoning trumpet. The sound of that instrument could reverberate on an individual's eardrums from a surprising distance when handled by a specialist. The only reason he would flow with the party was because of his order for the men
"You're mutating." Hazel forced her eyes from the tears of joy the pack members were sharing on each other's shoulders. "What does that mean?" "It means that you're going to be a half-wolf soon." Hazel frowned. "What does that mean?" "It means that you will get some of the abilities of wolves. That includes their lifespan, their ability to heal even though it won't be as quick as theirs, and their sex craving. The child in you will make sure of that." "So I will become a wolf?!" "Nah, just their abilities. You won't be able to change into a full wolf. That's why it's called mutating." "Wow. Does that mean that I will live for so long?" "Yes, you will. You will have Dallan's specie's lifespan—which is a wolf. Before that baby in you is delivered, your body would have completely adjusted to a lot of things. Everything will double: your craving for food and sex, your anger and moods, your baby bump, etc. During your fourth month, your baby bump may look like you are ripe for del
Hazel knew exactly what she was doing. Clara was the main reason Hazel brought out all the pack members in the first place. This way, it wouldn't seem like Clara was the main suspect all along. When Hazel touched her, she didn't know what to expect. Whenever she tried getting into someone's mind, it was like being sucked into a hole, going at a speed unfathomable to mortals. Hazel always accessed all the information with such speed. It always came as a surprise—even to her—how she managed to access a person's entire life in seconds.Hazel paused. First, it was darkness, then voice overlapping. She saw Clara's parents carrying her as a baby... The other memories after that were happy ones. Hazel flipped through her entire childhood, accessing all the information as it came. Hazel saw—or watched—how Clara found herself in the pack, the welcome arms Dallan gave her, and the building of their relationship. Hazel was also forced to go through the pictures of Clara's many adventures wit
The men went back to the position they were in.Dallan and his men retreated, while Agra and his men moved back to the gate. In the middle was Reve trying to calm them down. He looked sincerely lost. "Are you on their side now?!" Agra spat at his nephew. "What have they given you?!" "Uncle, no. They didn't give me anything." Reve sighed. "Okay, they did. They treated me." "The hell they should! They inflicted the injury!" "And we shouldn't have given a fuck, but we did!" Dallan countered. The men on his side started murmuring in agreement. Agra's men picked up the argument moments later. "Where is Laura?" Agra yelled above the noise. His question brought back silence. "Where the fuck is my daughter?" "HERE." Kai stepped forward with Laura. Behind him were Hazel, Abe, and Clara who looked scared to her bones. Agra did not move. He eyed Laura for a moment. He did not need any more explanation. The mark on Laura's neck said everything. "You jumped into a mating ceremony without
Dallan had no plan to move until Agra did or said something. So they stood facing each other, each one suppressing the desire to rush forward and wreak havoc.At last, after it seemed Agra had had enough of the silence, the vampire king spoke up, "Where is my daughter? Where is my nephew?" Even in the darkness, Dallan could see as far as the stretch of men behind Agra. "It was nice of you to visit," Dallan said, keeping a straight face. "I sincerely hope your injuries are completely healed. My apologies for the last time." "Give me my daughter and nephew." Dallan understood that Agra was on the verge of losing it, and he wanted to test the vampire king's patience a bit. "What if I say no?" "Dallan, I did not come here to drag words with you. Bring them out... or..." "Or what, Agra?" "Or you won't like the state of your pack." Agra narrowed his eyes to slits. Distaste was clearly written in the way his brows were knitted. Dallan wasn't done. "Your nephew, Reve, is resting at t
Something was going to happen. Hazel felt it as she sat at the front of the mansion, her eyes scanning the gate. Beside her sat Dallan, his hand holding a shawl around her shoulders. "You should get some rest." "I don't feel sleepy." Hazel shrugged. "I rested enough in the afternoon.""I need you in a perfect state of health. I don't want anything happening to you or our baby." He leaned closer to caress her stomach. Hazel smiled. Dallan was already obsessed with the child in her. She wondered how it was going to be after she gave birth. "I'm fine, Dal. By the way, it would be impossible to sleep with all that's on the ground.""Everything will be fine." "I know. I just want everything to be alright without too many sacrifices. I am scared of losing to win." Dallan took a moment to digest her words. Their concern was almost mutual. He was also scared of losing, scared of seeing people die to achieve victory. "Everything will be fine. Hazel, go to bed. I will take over from here
"Who are the spies?" Drab asked in a rush to prevent Reve from falling asleep before divulging the information. "Reve, keep your eyes open! Who are the spies? Please, tell me." The vampire's sight blurred. "I don't know her name... I've collected some paperwork from her in the past. I also know that she has an accomplice—I think a female accomplice; I'm not too sure. And I know that she holds a high position in the pack, a position of honour." Drab digested the information as fast as he could. "Can you give facial descriptions? Reve, talk to me!" "I... my brain feels mushy now... I need to sleep." Reve's voice sounded weak. He was almost slurring now. Slowly, as his eyelids shit close, he let out another sentence, "Be safe, my uncle might be here tomorrow." Drab did the next thing that came into his mind. "Abe!! Abe!!" He ran into the sitting room to see the warlock crouched beside Jake, checking the boy's vitals. "What is happening?" "Reve... Can we wake him up?" Drab demande
Drab rested on the windowsill with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes resting on the vampire who was sleeping soundly.Something was soothing in the way the vampire slept, his chest heaving rhythmically. Carefully monitoring his features, Drab realized that he looked a lot like Laura. With finely shaped brows and long lashes, the vamp could contest for one of the most beautiful men Drab had ever seen. Drab chuckled softly. He was calling a man beautiful. Well, most of the vampire's features were feminine save for the neatly-trimmed beards on his face and chin. The unconscious man stirred. Drab tensed. "Argh..." The grunt pushed Drab closer. The vampire's face was contoured in pain, his breath coming out in gasps. He seemed weak. Whatever Abe gave him really accomplished the desired result. "Water..." Drab was already at the door when he heard the request. He looked around. Yes, there was a bottle of water on the center table—it seemed to have been intentionally put
Hazel stood at the window, overlooking the gate. Yes, the men were ready. They had mounted men with weapons at the gate, and around the fence—every ten feet—was one warrior, fully armed to the teeth. "They will come," she said quietly, her eyes following the tension around the pack. "They will come for their people. I don't know when, but they will." She knew Dallan was right behind her. "And if they do, we will be ready. Right?" "Exactly," Hazel smirked. "We will be here waiting for them." She turned to him. "We need to start working on other things." Dallan frowned as she shrugged off her robe and started putting on a white gown. "Other things like what, baby?" "Mating ceremony.""Huh? Do you want us to do our mating ceremony amid this crisis?" "Nah, not us." Hazel's smile sent a wave of thrill into him. "I was talking about the new lovers." "Kai and Laura?" "Exactly." "Wow." Dallan did not expect that. "Is that the plan?" "Yes, that is the plan. Getting Kai's mate is no
Hazel quietly let herself in. Dallan was still in the shower. She could hear the rush of water and feel the steam emanating from the bathroom. Silently, she took off her clothes, slipped them off her ankles, and walked in. Dallan's back was turned to her but she knew he was aware of her presence.Softly, with a smile, she hugged him from behind. An audible exhale escaped Dallan. His muscled back turned to her, and he spoke softly, "Baby..." Hazel allowed the warmth of the water to massage her scalp, wet her hair, and run in drops from her hair to her back and ass. "Hmm? You okay?" "I'm okay now." Dallan exhaled again before turning to her and hugging her tightly. Out of habit, his nose nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent. "You feel so warm," he murmured. Hazel's arms around his neck became tighter. "I do feel warm nowadays." "You should. It's the baby." He went on his knees before her and kissed her stomach. With the shower dropping hot on them, he looked up, his hair sli