"I was looking for a man named Zarion, but I ended up here." Most of them gasped when I uttered Zarions' name. "Don't mention that name because it's cursed!" someone hissed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. "Why? "He's the Alpha of this pack. He was banished because he didn't want to take the position. Rumour says that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off. "And?" I swallowed. "Kill her. He wants to kill his mate." *** Alpha Zarion is on a quest to find his mate and kill her because he despises the idea of a mating bond. During a winter storm, he met Cassidy Bentley who saved him from death. He knows he has no time to waste but Zarion was curious about her, deliriously wanting every inch of her skin and touch...until he found out that the girl is mated to his number one rival, Alpha Brandon. Alpha Brandon rejected Cassidy because she's a human-which he greatly despises. She eventually started getting over him, pouring out her love to Alpha Zarion who obsessively wants her. During the night Zarion and Cassidy will mark and mate, the girl's first mate finally comes to his senses and goes to find her. But the first mate already found Cassidy in another man's arm, in his stepbrother's arms, who was just about to mark her...
Chapter 1 Prologue
Cassidy's POV
My grandmother said that I might have mistaken my infatuation and amazement for that wolf-shifting man.
"It's not love, Cassidy!" She once yelled at me. "You're just a curious little girl!"
Well, the only way to find out is go find him, isn't it?
"Zarion!" My throat's dry from bellowing. It's literally winter wonderland around here. Everything is white and colorless. And cold, so cold that it seeps deep in my bones. It whispered in my soul that this coldness will drive me mad until I'm on the brink of death. "Zarion! Zarion!"
But it was no use. Zarion-his name, that's the only thing he revealed about himself. I don't even know what does a wolf-shifting man-a werewolf does aside from, well, shifting into a wolf. I've been walking around the Misty Forest with an almost frozen body; a coat made of sheep's skin made by my Mamita is the only thing between me and this cold while searching for him.
A fool I've been. My Grandmama called me a fool the moment I stepped outside the castle so that I can be with this werewolf I barely know. I don't even know his last name-that is if he has one.
The snow's wildly pouring as if the wicked weather can push me back to the castle. I chuckled at the thought that Mamita could have whipped this harsh winter to never let me leave the mountains.
"Zarion, Please..." I prayed, hopelessly praying. I don't know why I'm uttering his name like an invocation as if he's my God. "I'm so cold," I added, hoping he could hear me with his superpowers or something. Rubbing both of my hands to create pressure and heat, I eventually stopped because it was of no use. Any minute from now, my body will collapse on this frozen icy road.
"Zarion!" I bellowed his name before I felt my knees crushing to the ground. "Where... are you... Zarion?" My body is gravely shaking from the cold; the eyelids of my eyes started fluttering. Still, I forced my eyes open and a familiar big dog was approaching me, ready to bite me. Taken back from my senses, I wrapped my arms around my body, desperate to live.
"No! No! No!" I keep shrieking, even though I wasn't sure if I'll be able to attract anyone.
I didn't know I was more afraid of dogs-wolves-than to be frozen to death.
My grandmother's face flashed as if she was here with me.
I left her. My mind whispered. You left her all alone in the castle in the height of winter.
"Not today." I kicked, thrashing in the snow. "Not today you freaking dog!"
The dog bit my foot and dragged me across a plain of snow. Then before I could draw my next breath, it suddenly transformed into a human. A familiar human. Gasping, I willed my sense of sight to focus, and when I did...I found myself staring at the familiar heated gaze of Zarion, who's now squatting in front of me.
"Was I hallucinating?" Definitely not, answering my own question silently. Zarion is shirtless. Wait, no. My eyes slid from his face down to his torso. He's naked. Completely bare and unclothed and his masculinity is calling to me...
Completely terrified, I tried to get away from him while my jaw still fell open. "How did-"
Zarion shook his head. "That's not important right now."
"W-What?"
"You're cold. You need to be warm, my warmth."
"Why did you turn into a human from being a dog?"
"Dog," he nodded, scoffing. "It's a wolf, kid. I thought you're old enough to know the difference?" A smirk bloomed in that irritatingly handsome face of his. "If my pack hears about this, they're going to hate me more." An unbelievable gorgeous smile replaced the smirk earlier on his brazen face.
I returned his smile.
"I don't understand, Zarion."
Zarion sighed and grabbed my coat and boots. His fingertips stroke the base of my neck, my weak spot. The spot I always want a man to caress when lovemaking, or just even kissing. My body responded to his touch, my head still couldn't properly function after seeing those dreams-daydreams that I am above him and nightmares that he might leave me. Or worse, kill me. Maybe, it was just a hallucination after all.
Earlier, I nearly died from hypothermia. Earlier, I would have been eaten by a wild wolf. Earlier..."I might die too soon."
"You won't. Not yet, at least." Zarion's baritone voice filled my ears. "Come on, Cassidy. You might be a kid but I know you are braver and more rebellious than those other kids of your age." It was at this moment that embarrassment slowly crawled out from my body. I wasn't wearing anything anymore aside from my white plain undergarments. "So, just stay still." My cheeks might as well be as warm as his cock. Too much skin, too much exposure. Yet Zarion didn't seem to notice. Maybe I was the only one who found this awkward all along.
He carried me like a newly-wedded bride, qmy uivering body with his warmth as if we are hugging each other. One moment, my body was shaking from the cold. And in a blink of my eyes, it relaxed when Zarion's presence shrouded to where I was breathing.
"You're so warm..." I whispered, before falling asleep in his arms-which turns out to be the best sleep of my life as Mamita's snoring can no longer interrupt my sweet dreams.
***
It's warm and cozy here, my eyes smiling when they found the fireplace. A piping hot bowl of venison stew beckoned me to sit beside the blazing fireplace.
I ate half of the food for ten minutes. Noticing the lavish royal blue curtain, I scooted away from the fireplace and pushed aside the curtains. I just realized that it served as the door between-
"This place is a village," I breathed, wiping my mouth clean from eating. From just the look of the surroundings, I'm pretty sure this village is in the middle of the forest. And near a lake, the briny scent could never hide the smell of fresh forest rain.
A petite black lady with gorgeous braided curls that reached her shoulders slowly approached me. "You're awake, little sheep."
Seriously, little sheep?! My hand waved awkwardly at her. "H-Hi, you are-"
"I'm Delilah Ferguson. You can call me Delilah."
I faked a smile. "My name is Cassidy. You can call me Cass."
My hands started fidgeting while I stared at the girl with hopeful eyes. "I was looking for a man named Zarion," I paused, swallowing. "But I ended up here, woke up here."
Upon uttering Zarions' name, Delilah gasped, even cursed silently. "Don't you dare mention that cursed name here!"
My brows furrowed at her reaction, she hissed back. "Why?
"He's the Alpha of this pack." Fear now shone in her once-cheerful eyes. "He was banished because he didn't want to take responsibility for his position. Rumors say that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off, leaving silence to sink deeper in my bones.
"And?" I swallowed, braced myself for whatever horrible word her tongue might utter.
"Kill her." Delilah's nose flared. "He wants to kill his mate for he hates the idea of the sacred mating bond."
Sacred? Mate? Mating bond?!
I swallowed, forcing myself not to gape. I must find and talk to Zarion immediately. "Uhm, Delilah?" I curtsied with a smile towards her. She looks nice and friendly. I bet she's going to transform into a wolf too like Zarion, if she'd like. I already know she's one of them the moment I laid my eyes on hers.
"I'm going back now," I cleared my throat, as if I'm not already panicking.
What if they eat me?! I thought. No, they won't. You're with Zarion!
Right, they won't. Zarion is with me, even if he's nowhere of sight. He's probably just smirking under the cloak of darkness, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watches me, his kid, panicking and no longer able to breathe and think properly when cornered by a pack of werewolves.
"To where? Are you from a different pack?" she asked. Carefully. I must be careful with my words, too. And now I am more curious about my existence in this place. I tried to be calm as possible. The inside of my hand is almost bleeding; my scratching made it even worse.
"No," I breathed. "Unfortunately, I don't belong to any pack."
Even though they already know what I am, I still uttered those words that confirmed my real identity. "I'm a human actually."
Chapter 1 Prologue
22/08/2023
Chapter 2 The Man in a Dog's Skin
24/08/2023
Chapter 3 The Man, My Grandma and Me
28/09/2023
Chapter 4 Rebellious
28/09/2023
Chapter 5 Tainted Dreams
28/09/2023
Chapter 6 These Treacherous Feelings
28/09/2023
Chapter 7 Delirious
28/09/2023
Chapter 8 A Quest
28/09/2023
Chapter 9 I Choose My Heart
28/09/2023
Chapter 10 Love over Family
28/09/2023
Chapter 11 The Strange Village
29/09/2023
Chapter 12 Brandon
29/09/2023
Chapter 13 Cold is the Winter, Wild is the Wolves
29/09/2023
Chapter 14 The Truth about Mates
29/09/2023
Chapter 15 Nothing but the Bloody Truth
29/09/2023
Chapter 16 The Human Mate
30/09/2023
Chapter 17 This Deadly Desire
30/09/2023
Chapter 18 Brutal like a Werewolf
30/09/2023
Chapter 19 The Deal
30/09/2023
Chapter 20 With Him I Stay
30/09/2023
Chapter 21 The Healer
30/09/2023
Chapter 22 Visions, Visions
30/09/2023
Chapter 23 Painful Secrets
30/09/2023
Chapter 24 The Demons Between Us
30/09/2023
Chapter 25 Where the Fire Rages
30/09/2023
Chapter 26 Bad Dreams
01/10/2023
Chapter 27 Good Night Kisses
01/10/2023
Chapter 28 A Romantic Star-gazing
01/10/2023
Chapter 29 Envy is a Brother
01/10/2023
Chapter 30 Seek Help
01/10/2023
Chapter 31 Back to the Pack
02/10/2023
Chapter 32 Emotions are our Demons
02/10/2023
Chapter 33 Not a Good Person
02/10/2023
Chapter 34 Dangerous Dreams
02/10/2023
Chapter 35 A Bond to Break
02/10/2023
Chapter 36 The Scent
03/10/2023
Chapter 37 Erratic
03/10/2023
Chapter 38 Tempted by the Alpha
03/10/2023
Chapter 39 Open for More
03/10/2023
Chapter 40 The (Un)Expected Visitor
03/10/2023
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