DianaThere, standing by the side of the road by the tree line, is him. The Alpha. His presence is like a physical force, a wall of ice and fury. His features shadowed and made all the more menacing by shade of the trees. His eyes, those piercing honey brown eyes, are narrowed into slits of ice, and his jaw is clenched so tightly it looks like it might shatter.A low growl vibrates in his chest, a primal sound that sends a shiver down my spine. His body language is pure aggression, every muscle tensed, ready to pounce. The air between us crackles with tension, the scent of danger thick in the atmosphere.He points behind me, towards the town, a silent command. His eyes never leave mine, a cold, hard stare that penetrates my soul. I can feel my knees weakening, and it is only by sheer will that I don’t collapse to the ground. I want to run, to escape this terrifying confrontation, but something in his demeanor, a raw, primal power, holds me rooted to the spot.I clench my bag and subc
DominicusOnce she’s gone, a low growl rumbles through my chest, a protest against my current predicament. I should have finished this, and finished it cleanly. But no, my wolf had to intervene, to complicate matters.A wave of frustration washes over me and I start to pace. I had come here with a singular purpose, a cold, efficient task. But something, some inexplicable force, had derailed my plans. No. Not some mysterious power. Her. She had thrown a wrench into the works. A surge of anger courses through me. I should have killed her on sight. But no, I had gazed into her eyes… those wide eyes, hazel and enchanting, like a twilight forest where golden flecks of sunlight dance upon the leaves… and I had been disarmed.I growl in frustration and pace restlessly, the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath my feet a discordant rhythm to the turmoil within me. My wolf, that monstrous beast is silent. Usually, a whirlwind of rage and violence, he is now eerily calm. My prey had been within
DianaThe morning sun is a cruel mistress, its rays piercing through the curtains and landing squarely on my face. It was as if the world was conspiring to drag me out of the darkness of the night and into the harsh reality of the day. My sleep had been restless. My mind was chaotic, as I tossed and turned with every passing hour. Fear, uncertainty, and a deep-rooted sense of dread are my constant companions.But I have to function. The world isn’t going to stop just because I’m going through some shit. No one is going to save me. Only I can save myself. And right now, money is the only lifeline I can see. It was my ticket to survival, or at least, a better chance at it. I would never get face on foot, I know this from experience. I need to have money for buses, trains and food. And the only way to get it is to go back to work. Since I can’t escape right now, I’ll work and earn money in anticipation of when I finally get the opportunity. Also, being amongst humans gives some, though
DianaThe next morning, I drag myself to work, feeling like I've aged a decade overnight. The constant state of fear and vigilance is taking its toll, etching worry lines into my face and dimming the light in my eyes. As I push open the diner door, the familiar scent of coffee and bacon wraps around me, a small comfort in my tumultuous world.Ellen is already there, her warm smile faltering as she takes in my haggard appearance. Her brow furrows with concern, and I can see the question forming on her lips before she even speaks."Diana, honey," she starts, her voice gentle, "how's the apartment search going?"I feel a pang of guilt for the lie I'd told her yesterday, but it mixes with a surge of gratitude for her genuine concern. I shake my head, unable to meet her eyes. "Not great," I mumble, fiddling with my apron strings.Ellen's frown deepens. "No luck at all?"I sigh, deciding to be honest – or as honest as I can be without revealing the terrifying truth of my situation. "Even if
DominicusThe moonlight filters through the thin curtains, casting an ethereal glow over her sleeping form. I stand in the corner of the small loft, shrouded in shadows, my eyes never leaving her. The floorboards creak beneath my weight as I shift, and I freeze, my muscles tensing. But she doesn't stir. She's too deep in her fitful sleep to notice my presence.I've been here every night since she moved into this pathetic excuse for a living space. Watching. Waiting. Seething.The memory of her attempted escape still burns in my mind. The audacity of it. The sheer foolishness. Did she really think she could outrun me? Outwit me? The thought alone is enough to make my blood boil, to awaken the beast within me that craves destruction.I had watched her pack her meager belongings at the motel, her movements frantic and desperate. I had followed her to this place, this diner, and observed as she and the older human woman cleared out this dusty loft. At the time, my anger had been all-consu
DianaI wake with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. The remnants of a dream cling to the edges of my consciousness - a dark figure, looming over me, a sense of both fear and... something else. Something I can't quite name.Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, I sit up, my eyes darting around the small loft. Everything is as I left it last night, but something feels... different. The air seems charged, as if a storm has just passed through.I run a hand through my tangled hair, wincing as my fingers catch on knots. As I swing my legs over the side of the bed, a chill runs down my spine. I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched."Get it together, Diana," I mutter to myself, forcing my body into motion. "You're just paranoid."But am I? After everything that's happened, can I really afford to dismiss these feelings?I shuffle to the tiny bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the steam fill the small space. As I step under the hot water, I feel some of the tension lea
Diana "Tell me everything," he growls. "Now."His command hangs in the air between us, heavy and unavoidable. I open my mouth, then close it again, unsure where to begin. The realization hits me like a physical blow - he doesn't know. He really doesn't know about the bounty, about my past. Relief surges through me, so intense it's almost dizzying. My pack doesn't know where I am. I'm safe, at least for now.But the Alpha's patience is wearing thin. A low growl rumbles in his chest, snapping me back to the present. "I... I'm sorry," I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's a long story.""I've got time," he says, his voice deceptively calm. But I can see the storm brewing in his eyes, the tension in the set of his jaw.I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "The Beta of my pack... he attacked me," I begin, carefully choosing my words. I don't tell him about the rejection, about the attempted rape. Those wounds are still too raw, too painful to share. "I injured him while tryi
DominicusI burst out of the diner, my vision clouded with a red haze of fury. The cool air hits my face, but it does nothing to quell the inferno raging inside me. My fists are clenched so tightly I can feel my nails digging into my palms, drawing blood. But the pain is nothing compared to the turmoil in my mind.Someone tried to hurt her. Someone put a bounty on her head.The words echo in my mind, each repetition stoking the flames of my anger. I barely register the startled looks of the humans around me as I stalk down the street, my body trembling with the effort of containing my rage.I need to get away. Now. Before I lose control completely.With inhuman speed, I make for the forest. The trees blur past me as I run, branches whipping against my skin. But I feel nothing. Nothing but the all-consuming rage that threatens to tear me apart from the inside.As soon as I'm deep enough in the woods, away from prying eyes, I let out a roar that shakes the very earth. Birds take flight i
Diana My stomach clenches as I get a bad premonition. His voice drops. “First, I figured it was the meds, right? They’re painkillers. They’re supposed to make ya drowsy. But then the doc came every damn day to take my blood. Said it was for ‘tests.’” A sick feeling coils in my gut. He lets out another bitter laugh. “Somethin’ felt off. I started refusin’ to take the meds, thinkin’ maybe they were poisonin’ me. But if I refused to take it, they’d just force me to.” I can feel my heartbeat in my ears. “So I got smart,” he continues, his tone grim. “Started hidin’ the meds under my tongue, pretendin’ to swallow ‘em, spittin’ ‘em out after they left. But guess what? I was still gettin’ sleepy.” I shake my head. “The water?” He nods. “Stopped drinkin’ that too. Didn’t matter. Still happened.” His next words send ice through my veins. “Finally, I figured it out. It was the food.” My breath catches. His eyes darken. “Marcus came in when I stopped eatin’. Told me straight up—they’
Diana "Well, I attacked a young Gamma as well as the Pack Beta. Publicly. Seemingly unprovoked too." He scoffs. "I might as well have gift-wrapped Marcus the excuse he needed to lock me up." My fists clench. "And guess what?" Billy barks out a dry laugh. "He made Apollo my guard." I stiffen. "Told 'im if he did a good job, maybe he'd get a promotion." Billy shakes his head. "And that idiot actually agreed." A storm brews inside me. “That bastard Marcus probably thought it some sick joking having Apollo guard me- his own twisted sense of poetic justice." Billy shakes his head, “it was meant as an insult, anyone with half-a brain coulda figured it out. But your brother didn’t. Or maybe he did, but just didn’t care. He saw it as an opportunity to climb the social ladder, and he took it.” Apollo, I grit my teeth, mentally chewing out the name in rising fury. Billy meets my eyes, and then seems to catch himself. His voice is softer as he says, "I'm sorry, kid." I shake
DianaThe breakfast is lively, the three of us falling into an easy rhythm. The kitchen feels warm, filled with the rich smells of bacon, eggs, and freshly brewed coffee-everything Billy used to love.The sound of his laughter fills the space, making it feel almost like things are back to normal, like everything is how it should be.We talk. We joke. It's light-hearted, like the weight of everything that's happened can be set aside just for a little while. I show him around the cabin, and he awes in amazement. Telling me how beautiful it all is. Dominicus is quiet as he follows us, his presence a gentle comfort.After, we come back down to the living room downstairs and settle in on the comfortable couches and start to catch up. The atmosphere is light, and for a while, we just talk-about everything and nothing. I tell him about life here, the people I've met, how different things are from the Zervos pack.But then, after we've caught up, after we've shared those little moments that f
Diana I step around him, my feet carrying me toward the moss-covered structure, but before I can get any closer, his voice stops me. “He doesn’t want you to see him like this.” Dominicus’s words are quiet but firm, heavy with something unspoken. “He begged me not to let you.” I freeze mid-step. Dominicus doesn’t move, doesn’t try to pull me back—he just stands there, his presence solid and unwavering. “You say he’s your dad,” he continues, his voice gentler now, “but he also sees you as his daughter. And right now, he’s just a father who doesn’t want his little girl to see him like this. To always feel hurt because of him.” His next words are barely above a whisper, but they cut straight through me. “Could you… could you please let him keep this bit of pride?” I inhale sharply, my breath catching as a sharp pain blooms in my chest. Damn him. Because he’s right. I know Billy. He has always hated for me to see him weak. Even when he was drowning in alcohol, he stil
DianaI glance past him, back to the dark structure, my heart pounding. My breath catches in my throat. “Why?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.He doesn’t answer. His lips are pressed into a thin line, his body standing rigid between me and the structure behind him.I search his eyes to see a clear panic in them, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. Anxiety practically rolls off of him in waves. “Dom?” I try again, my voice subconsciously growing softer this time, taking a cautious step forward. “What is this place?”Still, no response.His lips part but he seems unable to make out the words. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. He licks his lips and looks down. I close my eyes and inhale deeply again, my lungs expanding from the air and holding it in for a few seconds. Yes, that’s definitely Billy’s scent.Billy is in there. I’m sure of it.“Dom?” Opening my eyes, I step closer, feeling the pressure beginning to build in my chest. “Why can I smell Billy he
DianaI sit cross-legged in the center of the clearing, my breath steady, my eyes closed, lost in the rhythm of meditation. Dominicus’s voice rings in my mind, reminding me of the importance of focus. ‘Clear your mind. Feel the world around you, with all of your senses. Be one with it’. It’s a mantra, one I’ve struggled with, but now, after weeks of practice, I can actually feel it. The steady hum of the earth beneath me, the cool breeze against my skin, the distant rustle of leaves. It’s all becoming clearer, more vivid.I exhale slowly, centering myself in the stillness.The wind stirs around me, rustling through the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. I let the sounds of the forest settle in my mind—the whisper of grass bending under the breeze, the faint scurry of tiny paws burrowing into the soil. Every breath I take grounds me further, drawing me deeper into this heightened awareness that Dominicus has been drilling into me for weeks now.A faint scent stirs on th
Diana “Ch-chasing you?” I stutter, my voice pitched in disbelief. “Yes,” Dominicus says smoothly, his calm tone doing nothing to settle my nerves. “Chase drills. To build speed, reflexes, and stamina.” The way he says it makes it sound so simple, but I know better. Nothing about training with Dominicus is ever simple. I groan audibly, muttering under my breath as I shift back into my wolf form. My muscles ache from the earlier sparring session, and now he wants me to race after his ridiculously fast wolf? Fantastic. Truly. “Do I get a head start?” I ask, clinging to a sliver of hope. “No,” he replies, his massive black wolf shifting into the clearing. Even in the dim light of the setting sun, his fur gleams, every movement exuding power and grace. His glowing blue eyes lock onto me, filled with challenge and something almost playful. I huff. “Figures.” “But,” he adds, his deep voice echoing through the mind-link, “I’ll lower my speed-ordinary Alpha level.” A flicker of relief
Diana“Training shall continue at 6 p.m,” Dominicus says, and I can’t help but groan. He gives me that signature no-nonsense look, the one that brooks no argument, and reminds me why we’re doing this.“You should be able to fight at night,” he says. “To use the cover of darkness to your advantage.”It’s logical, of course, but it doesn’t make it any less dreadful. I flop onto my back in human form, sprawled out on the grass like a fish out of water. My entire body feels like it’s been run over by a truck.The sound of footsteps draws closer, and before I can even think about protesting, I’m scooped up into the air. A squeak of surprise escapes me as Dominicus cradles me in his arms in a perfect princess-carry. I glance up at him, ready to grumble, but the warmth of his chest and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat immediately calm me. His strong arms hold me securely, and for a moment, I let myself relax, resting my head against him.“You did so good, dulcis,” he murmurs, his deep voic
DianaShifting feels as natural as breathing now—just a seamless fusion of woman and wolf. My body responds instantly, power surging through me as bones shift and reshape. Within seconds, I'm standing on four paws, my coppery-red fur rippling in the cool morning breeze.Across the field, Dominicus transforms. Despite having seen it several times now, the sight still leaves me breathless. His wolf form really is magnificent. But it's not just his size that's intimidating. I've always known that despite his massive bulk, he moves like a shadow. Silent. Lethal. But now, having him train me and experiencing it first hand, I understand that he is even stronger than anyone can imagine. By the time you hear him, it's already too late.And yet still, despite it all, I feel no fear or intimidation toward my mate. Instead, I’m filled with a sense of awe and fascination, my wolf humming with delight in the back of my mind. She always seems to push me to get closer to him, urging me to rub myself