With tension clenching in my stomach, I stalked away from the hospital. Unfamiliar faces glanced at me, accessing my body and obviously wondering why I was dressed in a hospital gown. I ignored them and put on a plain expression, walking as fast as I could before Jayven noticed my absence. Sighting the woods just a few meters away from the hospital, I headed towards it. Once I was in the woods, I picked up my pace, now jogging farther into the distance. The twigs snapped underneath my feet, and the birds chirped as if rooting for my escape. "Return back to the hospital at once!" Tia exclaimed in my head, but I ignored her. The moment I was far away from the hospital, I slowed down to catch my breath. "What are you doing?" Tia asked with annoyance laced to her tone. "Why would you take off like that? We need to go back to the hospital. It is not safe out here." "You can not tell me what to do. This is my body," I snapped, pulse racing. "Uhm, hello? The last time I checked, you w
Shutting my eyes and awaiting my fate, a tear slid down my cheek. "You have to fight, Zanna," Tia urged in my head, but the man tightened his grip around my body, almost squashing my insides. Just as I awaited death, my ears perked up at alert when I heard the distant sound of something swishing in the air at great speed. "Ugh!" My attacker groaned, and I could feel the muscles in his stomach clench as he eased his grip around me. A frown creased my brows, and the fear of looking at death in its eyes caused me to keep my eyes shut. But they popped open when a thud sounded from behind me–my attacker's huge body crashed to the ground. "What's going on?" I asked in my head, horror caging my heart. With terror in my bones, I glanced down to see his fidgeting body beside my feet. His eyes rolled skyward, leaving only the white of his eyes in display–his sclera. A long arrow protruded from the side of his head with fresh blood gurgling out of the wound. Without having enou
"We have to try and make them believe you're Tia Moon," Tia said in my head once Jayven left. "We can't risk having you come off as an imposter." I pressed my lips together, staring into nothingness. My heart constricted a little at the fact that I couldn't exactly be myself, but act like a certain Alpha of a pack. "Hey, on the bright side of things, you're the Alpha, and you have the power to make an implement rules. Everyone bows to you, unlike when you were an omega," Tia stated, trying to lighten my mood. I nodded, finding sense in what she had just said. There was a slight knock, and then the doorknob twisted. I lifted my head, taking sight of Jayven and the doctor. "Hello, Alpha Tia Moon," the doctor beamed, and even if he had a face mask on, I could tell he was smiling because the sides of his eyes crinkled in delight. "How do you feel today?" I nodded, offering him a small smile. He pulled out the stethoscope from around his neck and wore it to listen to my he
I was lost in a maze of unanswered questions as I watched the retreating maid. Images of Vyn having these same facial expressions at the hospital when I had asked for some cold water flashed in my head. "Tia, is it a taboo to request for a cold glass of water?" I inquired, feeling uneasy. "No, it's not. Everyone knows that I prefer a room temperature glass of water," Tia revealed, and I opened my mouth in silent realization. "Why are you just telling me this?" I questioned and then added, "How am I supposed to pretend I like drinking a glass of water that isn't cold?""You'll get used to it. Tough luck, honey," Tia said, and I thinned my lips. I headed straight to the restroom, accepting that this was what fate had in store for me. I freshened up, returning to a glass of water sitting on the vanity mirror with a sticky note beside the cup.I inched closer to it and scanned through the note. "Hi, I know you are still recovering, but turn around and make a choice." I read out lou
The door behind me creaked open, and I glanced over my shoulder to see a few maids and guards, flooding into the room. "What's going on?" The ginger-haired man that had hugged Vyn earlier, asked, his hand already gripping the head of his sword. I returned my gaze to my front, watching as Vyn tried to pry the cub off my dress, but the little tiger was adamant. It growled and pulled harder. A loud, sharp tear echoed through the air, and with wide open eyes, I tried to pull myself back, earning more tears that exposed my bare thighs. "Calm down. He wouldn't bite you. He's still a cub. The more you struggle, the more he attacks," Tia advised, but I wasn't buying it. "Did the cub tell you he wouldn't bite me?" I asked Tia, watching as Vyn and ginger-haired man pried the cub off of me. Tia snorted, "You have no idea what suspicions you've brought upon yourself." I blocked Tia out, pushing her to the back of my mind. I didn't want to hear anything else from her. My heart
He sat beside me, eyeing me with skepticism. "Are you okay?" I nodded, feeling my heart constrict with anxiety. "I'm sorry about the cub. I should have left you to get better before bringing such a surprise to you," Vyn apologized, and I was flabbergasted. I thought I blew my cover. Another knock on the door, and I could sense that it was Lana. Giving her permission to come in, she entered with a tray of food. "Since we couldn't get to the best part of the surprise, I decided to bring it here," Vyn said. I caught myself smiling, and I thinned my lips immediately into a neutral expression. Vyn was a charmer, but no, I wouldn't let there be a second Richard. "Stop restricting yourself. Answer the call of the mating bond and that of your heart. Vyn is a good man," Tia said. "I don't think he trusts me. He looks at me with suspicion," I replied back, staring at Vyn, watching him uncover the plates. My mouth watered at the sight of rice, filled in a wide plate and chicken curry s
I juddered, spinning to face him. "Er, hi," I simpered, waving awkwardly at him as I tried to stand properly. "No, what? No. I was..." I trailed off, racking my head for the perfect excuse to give him. "...I wasn't–I am not learning how to fight again. You know I haven't gotten much of my mobility back since I was in a coma for a month." Vyn crossed his arms against his chest, narrowing his eyes into slivers of scrutiny. His jaw grew taut, and the expression in his eyes showed that he wasn't buying what I was saying... yet. "I also thought it'd be fun to learn again. You know the excitement that comes with learning something you love," I explained, turning back to my reflection. I took the stance of a fighter in a battlefield, waiting to lunge at his or her opponent. After a moment's silence, he spoke. "It will be an honour for me to teach you then. Hopefully, I can help you regain your mobility back." I eyed him through the mirror, nodding enthusiastically. With his
My body shook, and I could feel nothing but blind terror. I swallowed her in a bid to push down the lump that had grown in my throat. "What–what do you mean by who I am?" I struggled to speak because his fingers gripped my neck tight, almost restricting my inflow of oxygen. "Answer me," he snapped, his teeth still jammed together. Vyn's face was flushed with anger, glowing a bright shade of red. Fat veins throbbed in his temples, conveying just how agitated he was. Furiously, I tapped on his hand, tears brimming in my eyes as he gripped my neck tighter. I was going to grow unconscious if he didn't let go. "P–please," I stammered, gasping for air. "I can't breathe. I'm going to die–die if you keep doing this." "Then speak up before you die," he said with a low growl. I tapped furiously with ragged breathings. Vyn eased his grip around my neck, but his fingers still clutched my neck like a bracelet. "I can't b–breathe," I gasped, and he completely let go of my neck. "Now, spea
"But I didn't specifically ask for it to be brought by you," I said with severity in my voice. "I offered," she said, moving towards the bed and dropping the tray of drinks on the table beside me. Annoyance twisted inside my gut, knotting it. I propped myself up on my elbows, fusing my brows into a deep frown. "What's your name again?" I questioned. Her smile faltered, and hurt flashed in my eyes as she pressed her lips into a grim line. "You don't even remember my name after what we shared?" She arched her brows and then shrugged before blurting it out. "Lyra.""And what the hell do you want, Lyra?" I questioned, my jaw growing taut. "I heard you were in some kind of... distress," she dropped her leg and caressed her breasts, squeezing them in her palms. I eyed her, irritation pricking my skin at her flirtatious display. "So I thought you might need some company..." She drawled, placing one leg on the bed and slowly raising the dress, giving me a great view of her thighs and.
Jayven's PoVAnger simmered underneath my skin like a boiling kettle. The shove to his chest made him stumble backwards, but he didn't release Tia–my Tia. I ticked. "The Alpha asked you to let go of her wrist, didn't she?" I snarled, my brows drawn. "Hey, who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" The man with the scent and aura of an Alpha fired back, his forehead scrunched into a deep frown. "Her mate, and her beta," I sneered, snatching Tia's wrist out of his hold. "How dare a measly Beta like you..." Richard paused, eyeing me with contempt from head to toe. "... talk to me in such a manner or even lay a finger on me?" "Guys..." Tia trailed off, holding my arm in a bid to pull me away from Richard. How dare he touch what belonged to me? My wolf became restless with anger that churned inside me like a turbulent sea. "It seems like you don't know your place as a beta," Richard snapped, and his eyes narrowed into crinkled slits, his face turning red from anger. I balled my
"Ouu, would you look at that!" Tia exclaimed with excitement. "A sexy ass mate! Boy, are we blessed with the hottest men!"Tia jumped around in my head, thrilled to have met another mate, which was in total contrast of the turmoil I felt within me. No. How could the moon goddess make me cross paths with this bastard again? My pulse raced, and a sense of foreboding washed over me, sending shivers down my spine.His golden brown eyes whicj were formally filled with disgust and anger whenever he looked at me in the past, saying, "You're a disgrace, Zanna," was now staring at me with love. The memory of how he used derogatory words on me and treated me like shit opened my wounds, causing anxiety and sadness to eclipse my thoughts. Richard's pupils dilated, and he gazed deeply into mine as if to be entranced by my eyes or was it my beauty? Perhaps it was the mate bond. "So it is you?" He asked softly, and a warm expression flashed in his eyes. Hell. Fucking. No."Alpha Richard, it is
My breath caught in my throat, and I fastened my grip around Vyn's hand and Skye's leash. I glanced around, searching for the owner of the vaguely familiar scent."How is it possible for me to have another mate?" I questioned, thoughts reeling in my head. "The moon goddess has decided to bless you with two dicks," Tia joked in my head, and I clenched my jaw, pressing my lips together. "I'm not joking, Tia. This would be a disaster if it's true," I thought. Sensing my anxiety, Vyn caressed my fingers, silently offering comfort. The scent faded, and the lump in my throat was dislodged. Was it an imaginary scent conjured by my mind? I released my muscles, swallowing a big ball of saliva to calm my raging nerves. "She's finally back to her old self." I heard a voice from the crowd, and others followed suit, complimenting my gothic look. "She's so beautiful. I wish she would marry me," a man said, and I bit back a small smile. My heart fluttered like the delicate wings of a butte
The last few days with Vyn had been exciting and eventful. We settled more disputes, and the head of my pack members paid me a visit to show appreciation for handling Tyris. Today, being Friday and the first day of the packfest, I was standing in my closet, eyes rummaging through my clothes. "Have you found something to wear yet?" I heard the maid, who had been assigned to specially tend to my needs, ask. "Not yet," I answered, tapping my chin in reasoning. "Why don't you leave the dress selection to me while you take your bath?" She suggested, and I turned to meet her brown orbs, glowing under the light bulb. "Okay, thank you, er..." I trailed off, trying to recall her name. "Zibah, short for Hephzibah," she bowed slightly.I nodded in acknowledgement and headed straight to the shower. I scrubbed quickly while rehearsing everything Tia had been teaching me for days. "Dear friends and esteemed customers," I muttered, scrubbing my underarms. "Esteemed allies," Tia corrected,
"It wouldn't bite. It can smell your fear, try to calm your tatas down," Tia said in my head, and a slight frown creased my brows. "Tatas?" I inquired, my hand still not anywhere close to the club's cage. "You've never heard that slang before? It means titties," Tia stated with a tinge of humour in her voice. "Now, chin up and feed it." Slowly, I extended my hand to the cage, and the cub stared intensely at me, still maintaining its lying position. The cub's eyes drifted to the meat in my hand, and slowly, it pushed itself up into a sitting position, wagging its tail. My heart I almost retracted my hand, but Tia beckoned, asking me to keep going. Slowly, it rose. My heart skipped a beat as I paused mid-action. "Calm down, he wouldn't hurt you," Tia's soft voice was like a warm caress around my heart. The cub meticulously moved closer, sniffing the meat before taking it from my hand. My anxiety dissolved, and an involuntary smile gripped the sides of my lips. "I
They bowed their heads to me, and I felt a little bad for scaring Tim because he was shivering so hard that it made me feel like he might have taken a shit in his pants."He deserved it," Tia chipped in, and I kept my lips set in a determined line. With a dramatic flair, I trudged out of the symposium. Adrenaline surged through my veins, and my heart galloped for joy. I didn't want to celebrate just yet until I was in the walls of my room. "My love," Vyn called, jogging after me. I stopped in my tracks, pivoting on the balls of my heels to face him. "You did great in there," he commended, and I offered him a tight-lipped smile. "I have a meeting with the patrol team, and then I have to go through some paperwork."I nodded. He palmed my cheek, giving it a wholesome caress before turning and disappearing down the hall. I rushed in the opposite direction, weaving my way to the wing, where my chamber was situated. Once I got into my room, I heaved a sigh of relief and grinned like
Zanna/Tia's PoV. We rose to our feet, and Vyn took my hand, leading me out of the room. We halted in front of a door, and my heart pounded violently against the walls of my chest. "Do I have a horrible stench?" Vyn asked, and I looked up at him, fusing my brows together in confusion. "What?" I asked, expressing that I was lost."My mouth... the attacker had made mention of my brushing off the horrible stench from my tongue," Vyn said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, hell no. He was just saying that to get on your nerves. Pay no attention to him," I assured Vyn, and his face brightened up before it regained its cold demeanour. My mind raced back to the impending confrontation, and I could feel my legs rattling underneath my dress. My palms grew sweaty, and I hoped Vyn wouldn't notice it. I had never done something like this before. Saliva gathered in my mouth, and my stomach twisted into knots. What if I couldn't solve the situation on the ground?"You have me, don't you?" Ti
Jayven Orlov's Turmoil I sat by the window sill, glancing ahead of the packhouse, staring into a distance, noting the rolling black hills that surrounded the pack. The sun was blazing hot, and my anger boiled over, but I tried to suppress the feeling by tightening the bottle cap of my emotions. "Bastard," I muttered, blinking my gaze back to reality, now staring at the tall trees, dancing in the wind as if making mockery of my situation. The attacker had tried to get under my skin, and I knew that. I just couldn't help it after he reminded me of how incompetent I was that day. I was unable to save my mate, letting them brutally leave her unconscious. I hissed, watching the birds flutter their wings around. My heart grew heavy, hurting my chest. I had promised Tia to work on my temper, but after I almost lost her, I developed an even worser one. I bit my tongue, punishing myself for not being able to control my emotions. I glanced down at the pack yard. It had maids