Himari’s POV.-Zorien pulls back a little while I whimper. He presses his lips against my forehead and when I look up at him, I find his eyes dim as they seem to contain emotions I can’t quite place a finger on. He leans in closer to brush his face against mine and drag his cool words along. “I brought you nothing but pain, and yet, you never once regarded me with hatred.”“I was too hot-headed and it prompted me to take the steps I’ve taken. I got consumed in my selfish rage and sought to kill you right the moment I felt you enter into my territory...and I got what I deserve” He pulls away, his face contorting into a rueful expression.I shake my head to negate his words, working my lips to speak when he shuts me up with a finger placed on my lips. Staring into my eyes, he whispers hoarsely, “You drove me crazy, pup. I lost my mind months ago, even after resolving to myself on the day you first entered my mansion, that I would bring you a miserable death...”“...but I’ve
Himari’s POV.-I gulp with tension as Claire rolls a food trolley into the bedroom. With pensive eyes switching between the bathroom door and the bedroom exit, I’m stuck in dismay, unable to decide if I should obey or disobey Zorien. I look at the bathroom door, he’s not stepping out yet. I can just run out now. Yes, I should do that.“Where do you think you’re running off to, pup?”A cold shudder twists down my spine and I yelp from the weight his voice barrages on me. With tears in my eyes, I turn around to see Zorien walking away from the bathroom door. Claire bows to him in humble greeting to which he replies. She straightens and begins to make in the same direction towards me.I stand erect, my heart crying as Claire smiles at me and makes it out of the bedroom, leaving me behind. I look at the door at once, biting my lip in dismay. Zorien’s intimidating presence plants itself right against my back and large arms wound around my waist as he begins to pull me up until
Himari’s POV.-“Zorien, do you wish to mark me?”The way he promptly jerks, tells me of his surprise, and I rise slowly in his embrace that breaks loose. Zorien stares at me in bewilderment. Did I sound too desperate just now? I just wanted to know, since he’s been very particular about me lately. Did I seem assertive?His expression quickly changes, and he mutters a huff with his lips stretching into an appealing smile. I blush consciously, squirming into myself when his palm comes cradling my cheek and giving me the confidence to look right into his shimmering eyes.“It’s quite different with us Demons. We engrave a mutual sigil onto the skin of our mates. It could be anywhere, there’s no fixed place” He tells me, and I nod, “Oh, that’s how it’s done here? Is it painful?” I lean forward expectantly, and Zorien blinks at me for a moment before chortling in the next.He brushes his thumb across my brow, “Are you afraid?” He leans in, his breath mixing with mine while I pu
Himari’s POV.-“Ciel?”I come to an involuntary halt without me noticing. Not until he comes to perch in front of me and snap his fingers to shake me out of it. Ciel chuckles at me and teases, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Where have you been these days? Zorien mentioned about you and Welma returning to her hometown….”‘Oh dear, Himari, how do we get out of this mess? He’s gushing nonstop and his feelings for you are only lightening up the more’ Runa squirms and I break into a cold sweat.What do I do? How do I tell him? I’m not prepared to face him yet, my resolve is only half-baked.“Uh...Ciel, um, I want to tell you-”“Hey”Someone comes interrupting, and my ears ring at the sound of the familiar voice just before he comes draping down on me. I frown and hiss at Zorien who only nonchalantly wounds his arms possessively around my torso, nuzzling against my neck and driving my nerves ringing nonstop.‘Zorien, behave yourself!’ I scream through our mind-link and
Himari’s POV.-“Your Alpha is only one of those controlling the Darklings with the agenda of capturing you and handing you over to the actual enemy who resides here”.I stagger and Zorien’s hands are quick to respond as they grab my shoulders to steady me. He pulls me into his arms while I continue to relish in jarring shock. “Pup, don’t be scared. I’m here with you. I’m never relinquishing my duty to protect you, and you know that”.I grip his arms, using them to cushion my ache. I never expected it to be of such a grand scale like this. All of this information is making me dizzy. Oh, goddess, I can only count on you to protect my Pack and the others long enough for me to go salvage them.“Are you okay now?” I hear Zorien ask worriedly and nod, bringing my body up into a sitting position. His hands don’t leave me and I manage a quivering smile, “Yeah”.My voice comes out too shallow and I lower my gaze to my hands on my thighs. I still feel stricken with a hurricane of w
Himari’s POV.-“I’ve heard enough now! I won’t tolerate any badmouthing against my mate!”Fiery tears spill down my face and my limbs rattle from my sobs as I clench my teeth. How can they just ignorantly go ahead disrespecting my mate like this? I wonder if Zorien must’ve felt like this when all I held for him was aversion. I suddenly hate myself for it...but how could they even accuse him of enchanting me?“Mari”“No, Elsa” I shake my head at her, “You all know nothing about Zorien, I’ve been the one who lived ten whole months by his side and not any of you. He treated me better than that so-called Pack I come from. I can never pay back my gratitude for all he’s done for me...and then he turns out to be my mate, someone I’ve always yearned for. And you want me to let go of him?”Elsa lowers her eyes guiltily, and I look to my parents to find them still holding onto their disapproval. My friends look crestfallen and my brother, confused. I take pause and sniffle, opening
Himari’s POV.-I pick on my nails anxiously and receive a curt swat of someone’s hand against my hands. I flinch to see Claire frowning at me with disapproval. She scolds, “Don’t ruin our work, Mari. You’re overreacting unnecessarily”. I cower into myself, shying from my transforming appearance reflecting in the mirror. I mutter in a timid voice, “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it”. I hear her sigh, and I feel Tess’ hands retreat from my hair. I lift my head with a flustered face and they both chuckle softly.Tess steps away from behind me to stand next to Claire and she says to me, “You know, it’s an annual Ball and the guest scroll seldom changes. You don’t have to be on the edge, master Zorien did assure you it’ll be alright. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have us there as well when you start to itch to escape”.My head sinks between my shoulders to hear that, and they both laugh at me. Claire claps her hands, “Bring the dresses in!” At her call, I’m also turning arou
Himari’s POV.-“They’ll be thrilled to meet you.”Zorien prevents me from saying anything when he begins to bring me through the crowd of guests and toward the main entrance of the mansion. We stop right here, with Zorien acting ignorant of the paparazzi taking endless shots and making my eyes flood with lights.‘He’s here’ Through the chaos in my mind, I hear his sleek voice and feel his hand clutch my shoulder to press my side into him. I bring my eyes to peer forward and notice the flooding lights seem to have changed their brutal target to someone else.Zorien leans to tell me, “You’ve met him before. He’s Ashton’s father”.‘I knew it’d be him’ Runa scoffs in my head and I frown. That’s one Demon I don’t wish to meet. I’ve got no issues with his son, but I still can’t sympathize with my first encounter with him. I drag my frown up to Zorien, “You didn’t mandate I go to greet any of the guests that arrived, so why do you have to bring me to welcome him?”Zorien simp
Himari’s POV.-I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy as meek as Damon. Especially not a Demon. He reminds me so much of the late King, and it’s a warmth that makes me smile tenderly as I watch him rise tentatively to tower easily over Vilma’s 5ft, 10inches.Zorien and Kitra huff together and Zorien teases while leaning over me and placing his chin atop my head. “What spell did you cast on my little brother, Vilma? He’s become subservient to you”.I frown, “Zorien, get off, you’re heavy”.He ignores me, avenging what I did to him earlier and Vilma flushes briefly as she timidly glances at Damon who’s still shy to show us his red face. She mumbles, “It’s not like I did anything diabolic….”I’m giggling with Kitra when Vilma jumps into sudden action and grabs Damon by the hand. She pulls him away, escaping from our taunts in the next second. Kitra turns to face us while laughing cruelly, “She talked so big, and there she goes running away with her Demon lover. They’ve got somethi
Himari’s POV.-Zorien twirls me free and when I’m expecting to go back into his arms and stretch my arms out in his direction, someone comes sweeping me neatly away and I gasp to see the red-haired Demon.He grins cheekily at me and I pout, accepting to continue the dance with him in hopes to appease Zorien later.“I heard about your heroic achievements from the war. I understand now, why he’s kept you his biggest life’s secret” He says to me with a twinge of interest, and I flush embarrassedly, blinking my eyes low as I speak in a small voice, “Well, it’s not like I’m still a secret anymore”.“I disagree.” He objects and I lift my gaze to see him still hosting the same expression on his face as he goes on to say, “The rest of our cousins still don’t know about you. They’ll scorch Zorien when they get the word”.Damien chuckles at my shocked expression and prepares to let go of me as he drops a note, “There are many continents out there, Luna Himari”.I’m caught in a tra
Himari’s POV.-After the war and our lands were left in devastation, all three races were left in a state of commotion on what would be the way to drive forward to recover from the damages suffered. Queen Zorah had risen to revive hope in the hearts of her people and the humans. And for the Were-beings, they’ve been opining I take the title of Luna and not just lead my Pack, but the entirety of my race henceforth.I rub my hands nervously as I keep glancing out the window from the pulled curtain to see the warriors outside my family’s home. I’m so anxious that I could die right now. Werewolves, Were-Bears, Were-Cats, name them all! They’ve all arranged for a ceremony at the Grey Woods Pack which is the largest among the Wolf Packs, where I’ll have my coronation as the supreme leader of our race.Oh gosh, I can’t go out there!It’s been six months since the war and Wisterne is still firming its feet and making do without crutches. Ever since Queen Zorah took over the throne
Himari’s POV.-I watch with a warm smile as she pulls Zorien into her embrace, continuously fiddling with his hair as her other arm holds him tightly around the torso. Zorien looks clueless about this form of affection, and it cracks me a bit when he moves his arms awkwardly to hold her.I’m about to start poking fun at him when we’re rudely interrupted by a malicious presence. We snap towards the sudden presence and see the Queen hovering above us with a vile smile on her haunting face.In her captive, is the unconscious King?“Well, well, what do we have here? What a heartful family reunion, is it? How can you go ahead with it when you’re missing one more member?”Tch, how’s this coward still alive? I glower infuriatingly at her and I’m about to make a move when Zorien steps into my front. His demonic aura is maddening and I recoil from him with haste.“You lied and made them believe my mother was behind my father’s death. The biggest mishap I made was ever trusting yo
Himari’s POV. - The blaring call of my name snaps me out of my reverie right in time with the expulsion of black fire that basks the air around me. I fall, colliding my back into crispy crushes of rapidly incinerating things that deafen my ears with their agonizing cries. Strength returns to my arms and I jerk them to try and control the crippling pressure of the repugnant fire erupting more destructively beneath me. Of course, I’m hit by the rebound as well, having the tremendous force slamming into my body and sending me to crash against the hard and uneven ground with a painful scream. I hit my body in many areas as I roll to lay still on my back. The pain tremors along the erratic rhythm of my unstable pants and rip wringing cries from my lips. Yet, I need to get back up and see what has happened to my friends and my Familiar. Who called my name back then? Was it Welma? Is Vilma okay? Ow, my head hurts. Dragging my aching body up on shaky legs, I realize I’ve fallen on a comp
Himari’s POV.-‘Mari, I think they’re coming. The Were-Bears and Were-Cats are here’.As Welma’s message filters into my mind, Runa nearly falters as we close in on the PackHouse. Just then, I pick up the deafening roar of an Alpha Bear and I turn around to see them. A huge Black Bear, bigger than any I’ve seen, comes charging forward with a numerous horde behind it. Without any further hints, I recognize its heavy aura that informs me it's that Alpha Bear I had challenged a few hours ago.I wonder what must’ve gotten them to change their minds. Either way, that’ll help speed things up and we can ensure the safety of my people. Runa rears back as Tristan guides the people where to go. The Bears catch up and I meet direct gazes with the Black Bear.‘You have our sincerest apologies, little Omega. We were foolish to have doubted our own in favor of a traitor’ He communicates to me and Runa shakes her head softly, lowering to gently nudge the side of a little boy to prevent hi
Himari’s POV.-“Pardon my intrusion, Alphas, but the negotiations end here.”Whatever discussion that must’ve been ongoing stops at my rude entrance, and I shudder beneath the heavy atmosphere ridden with the auras of the eight Alphas that constitute the Were-Bears and Were-Cats Pack Leaders.All eyes fall on me and I nearly feel my soul about to abscond this scene immediately. I have to bear with it, I need to brave through and get my intention across. All Alphas are seated at the large round table, and along the wall nearest to me, is a fully stocked long bar counter. I see my dad standing not too far from me with Winter beside him.The manner I find them is enough to decipher how little progress they’ve made. To have them not seated and on their feet instead, depicts their arrogant disregard for us. They’re not even willing to give us a fair hearing, is that it? Alright then, here goes nothing.I take quick strides as I enter further into the room, seeing Winter and d
Himari’s POV.-“Mom! Dad!”I race up the porch steps and push the door to get into the house while panting and trembling. Haru appears in the corridor and I hasten up to her with the others coming in as well. She looks at me anxiously and says, “They’ve gone to your Pack since an hour ago. They wanted to go warn the other Packs about your Alpha and ginger them into war”.“What? But mom said they were still here and we needed to go here” Welma darts to my side urgently and Haru only sighs solemnly and pauses for a moment.“There’s no time, the Darklings are no longer dormant and after discovering Zorien’s mother’s action earlier, they had no choice. Your territory could go extinct”I stagger and step away from Haru, reeling into dysphoria. Things are plunging worse each second. I have to go there, the people I love are still there. The Omegas, Tristan’s, and Vilma’s families are there. The other Were-beings...everyone’s lives are at stake.“Mari!”I’m bounding out the d
Himari’s POV.-There’s a massive hole that’s been carved to the outside as my feet struggle to firm their footing. As the daylight pours in and debris falls from above and hit the nearly completely deleted ground, my awing eyes continue to expand stupendously as I take in the beauty of these beings staring down at me.Their emerald eyes, large and gem-like, seem to be particular as they concentrate on me. Large heads with a blue-lit symbol of the crescent moon carved into the middle of their foreheads, huge black Dragon wings a little open at their sides as their massive bodies prop up on their limbs. The one to the left has a thick fine grey mane that frames its face, while the other appears to be a female without a mane.Oh dear...they’re so huge. Are they supposed to come out like this? How did they fit inside that egg? Not to mention they’re two!My mind dizzies and I stagger, falling back against Zorien who speaks, “I don’t think this is the right size they should come